A flash of dazzling azure light ripped through the sky—Gene had used the Space Stone's power to teleport high above the battlefield. Beneath his feet, the planet Ego looked like a fractured wasteland, silver-white light geysering violently from cracks of all shapes and sizes.
It was obvious that Gene's last move had scared Ego badly—badly enough that the so-called Celestial had no choice but to unleash such desperate defenses.
Gene's voice was cold as steel.
"Then let me turn up the pressure for you."
The azure energy around his body flared without restraint, flooding the space around him until the very air seemed to tremble in blue fire. The glow clashed head-to-head with Ego's silver-white energy, creating a storm of color in the heavens.
Gene crossed his arms in front of him. The enormous energy within him found a perfect outlet—an overwhelming beam of blue light erupted from his palms, tearing through space itself and slamming directly into Ego's surface.
BOOM!
The blue beam began to rotate like a colossal drill, biting into the planet's crust. Under its furious rotation, rock and soil were instantly vaporized, vanishing in steaming bursts. The ground shuddered under the assault as Gene's "energy drill" bored straight toward Ego's core—the sanctuary where Ego's consciousness resided.
"ROAR!!!"
The roar reverberated across the entire planet. Ego was being pushed to the brink—Gene had found his most fatal weakness. If that storage place for his mind was destroyed, Ego wouldn't just lose this fight—he would vanish from existence itself.
Countless silver-white tendrils whipped up from the planet toward the sky, desperate to halt Gene's advance. But the moment they touched his blue energy, they melted away like snow meeting hot oil—completely useless.
Above, the clouds themselves twisted into a colossal replica of Ego's face, glaring down at Gene with eyes of pure fury.
Mushroom-shaped clouds of silver-white energy burst into the sky, each explosion unleashing devastating shockwaves. One nearly tore Rocket Raccoon's ship apart. The craft sputtered black smoke, swaying as it crash-landed near where Star-Lord and the others stood.
"Get in! We're out of time!"
Still stunned by the battle raging above, Star-Lord and the rest were jolted into action by Yondu's shout. They rushed toward the ship—but as Star-Lord was about to step aboard, a silver-white apparition shimmered into existence before him.
Several energy tendrils coiled into place, blocking his path.
"Quill, my child," Ego's voice softened to a coaxing purr, "you and I are the same. Why abandon your father? Together, we can fulfill our vision—let my kind flourish in this universe."
The words were honeyed, almost hypnotic. For a moment, Star-Lord froze, silver light glimmering faintly in his eyes.
"We are Celestials, my child. You have nothing in common with pirates and mercenaries." Ego's voice was smooth, persuasive. "I have lived for tens of thousands of years. Only with your mother did I create a child born of love. Why must you leave me for… them?"
"Quill, he's lying!" Gamora's voice sliced through the air. "Did you forget the bones we saw in that cave?"
Ego's voice ignored her, low and seductive. "And your mother, Quill… if you wish, I can bring her back."
Music drifted through the air—the same songs Peter's mother used to play. "These were her favorites. When she returns, you can listen together."
Ego's tone shifted to smug satisfaction. "Your mother was the most compatible being I ever found. On that little planet called Earth, I searched endlessly before finding her. And to my surprise, she loved me." His voice hardened with a trace of disdain. "But love was never my goal. I only needed a child. So I… encouraged her to leave you, and had those pirate mercenaries bring you from Earth to me."
"Quill! Snap out of it!" Yondu's shout was almost a growl.
Ego's gaze fl
icked coldly to Yondu. "I didn't expect those pirates to defy me," he said with icy displeasure.
The silver glow in Star-Lord's eyes wavered.
"How… did my mother die?" Star-Lord asked quietly.
"Brain tumor," Ego replied without hesitation, not sensing the trap.
The words were the last straw.
"Then go to hell."
Human clarity returned to Star-Lord's eyes. The silver light was gone.
Ego had once claimed he'd left Earth before Peter was born—so how could he know the details of her death? Coupled with his earlier "little tricks," Peter knew without doubt: Ego had murdered his mother.
And that cave full of bones… Mantis' whispered warnings… the truth was undeniable.
Star-Lord drew his element guns and fired. Bolts of energy tore a hole clean through the silver-white apparition.
Ego's eyes turned glacial. "So… you refuse to cooperate. Then I'll make you."
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