The underground space was not as mysterious as Star-Lord had initially imagined. It was crude and simple—a single staircase leading down, which abruptly ended a short distance below, leaving nothing but pitch-black darkness below.
"Can I fly?" Star-Lord muttered to himself. While he had flown before using jet boots, he hadn't tested flight with his newly awakened powers. If he couldn't fly, his only option was to turn back the way he came.
"That light is calling me. It should be fine, right? Besides, I'm supposed to be immortal now. Even if I fall, it shouldn't kill me… I think," he said hesitantly, staring into the void. His confidence wavered as doubt crept in. What if immortality was just another lie from Ego?
After a brief pause, he decided to take the risk. "No way am I going back to ask Ego what's down here!"
With a deep breath, he leapt into the void. A soft white glow emanated from his body, but it didn't change the fact that he plummeted straight down, completely unable to control his fall.
"AHHHHH!" Star-Lord screamed, panicking. His regret over not bringing his jet boots was overwhelming. The sensation of freefall was terrifying, and he braced for the worst. "This is it. I'm going to splatter like a pancake!"
All his doubts came rushing back. If he couldn't even fly, could he really trust Ego's claims of immortality? What if everything Ego said was a lie to manipulate him?
"Imagine yourself as a cloud," an unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed in his ears.
Without thinking, Star-Lord followed the suggestion.
A soft hum resonated around him, and the white glow enveloping his body transformed into a cloud-like substance, suspending him mid-air.
"I'm floating?!" Star-Lord exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. "Wait, why can't I move?"
The mysterious voice spoke again from the shadows. "That was just to stop your fall. Now, imagine a flying creature—something or someone you've seen fly. Your divine power will replicate their flight."
"A flying human? A Saiyan!" Star-Lord immediately thought of Robert, the most powerful being he knew. He wasn't sure how Robert's strength compared to Ego's, but his flying technique was fresh in his mind.
With a whoosh, the cloud around him dissolved into a faint white glow. His body shot forward, attempting to mimic Robert's flight—but instead, he crashed headfirst into the ground.
"CLANG!" The impact shook the entire area. Even with the protective glow around him, Star-Lord felt dazed.
"Ugh… What the hell just happened?" he groaned, pulling himself out of the ground, coughing as he went. He hovered hesitantly in mid-air, now able to maintain his position.
"Who are you?" Star-Lord called into the darkness. "Ego said it's just him and Mantis on this planet. But you're here too—and you're using the same powers. Are you one of Ego's kids?"
"You'll understand if you come closer," the voice replied with a heavy sigh.
Star-Lord hesitated but curiosity won out. He lit up his surroundings with divine energy and floated toward the voice.
As he approached, the light revealed a wall of soil covered in vine-like growths spreading out in all directions. At the center of the vines was a humanoid figure, thin and gaunt, barely more than skin and bones.
"What the hell?!" Star-Lord blurted out, startled by the figure's skeletal appearance.
"Don't be afraid," the figure said with a faint, bitter smile. "Who knows? Maybe when I die, Ego will tie you up here just like me."
"What does that mean?" Star-Lord's unease deepened. A sense of foreboding rose in his chest.
"You asked if I was one of Ego's children," the figure replied, his voice dripping with contempt. "Unfortunately, I am. And I wish I weren't."
The venom in his tone sharpened as he continued. "I was lucky enough to awaken the same power as him. But I refused to become his tool, so he bound me here, using these vines to drain my strength for his benefit."
Star-Lord's eyes narrowed as he examined the vines more closely. "Wait… These vines… They're absorbing your power?"
"Exactly," the figure confirmed. "Originally, I could regenerate energy while sustaining Ego's planet. But as his strength grew, my natural recovery couldn't keep up. I've been drained faster than I can recover, leaving me in this state."
"What do you mean by 'refusing to be his tool'?" Star-Lord asked, dread creeping into his voice.
The man chuckled dryly. "Do you really think obeying him will save you from this fate? Maybe not immediately, but eventually, he'll do the same to you."
"My name is Ash," the man said. "My mother was a Kryptonian—an advanced species you've likely never heard of, since Krypton was destroyed long ago. Before its destruction, my mother left her home to explore the universe as a scientist. That's how she met Ego."
"He tricked her with sweet words and lies. She bore me, never realizing the truth. Ego infected her with a virus that left her in agony and eventually killed her while she was still young."
Ash's voice broke with fury. "That bastard boasted about it to me, calling it necessary to avoid distractions! He said he couldn't risk forming attachments with any of the women he 'loved'—so he killed them all. My mother. Your mother. All of them."
Star-Lord's heart pounded. "My… mother?" he stammered. Memories of his mother's death from an incurable brain tumor on Earth flashed in his mind.
"How do you know your mother's illness was caused by Ego?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"He told me himself," Ash said bitterly. "He was proud of it. He said he loved my mother—and all the others—but his 'grand plan' demanded their deaths to avoid weakening his resolve. That virus he used? It's the same one that killed your mother."
Star-Lord's divine energy flared uncontrollably as rage consumed him. He envisioned Ego's smug face confessing to the crime, and it made his blood boil.
"I'll kill him! I'll tear him apart!" Star-Lord roared, his energy surging chaotically.
"Calm down," Ash said wearily. "I was just like you. I confronted him in a fit of rage, but I never stood a chance. He overpowered me with ease and bound me here to fuel his plans."
"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Star-Lord demanded, still seething.
"You have two choices," Ash said. "Escape this planet and grow stronger, or play along, bide your time for centuries, and strike when you're strong enough to destroy his core."
"Centuries? Live with that monster for centuries? I can't do that!"
Star-Lord's mind raced before a new idea struck him. "Wait! If I free you, could we fight him together?"
Ash shook his head. "I can't help you. My energy is drained as soon as it forms. Even with your power, you lack the strength to free me or defeat him."
"What if I gave you my power? Would that work?" Star-Lord pressed, desperate for a solution.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+100 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]