[On the planet Berhert, upbeat music blasts from the crashed Milano, echoing through the twilight forest.]
[The camera slowly pulls back, revealing Kraglin and a squad of Ravagers hidden in the trees not far away.]
[A grin stretched across his cybernetically-enhanced face as he waved his men forward, leading them to sneak toward the ship.]
[They fanned out, surrounding the Milano to ensure no one could escape.]
[A large, hairy spider crawled along a tree branch. One of the Ravagers slapped it dead, scooped it up, and popped it directly into his mouth. The taste was… potent.]
[The campfire ahead was deserted. The Ravagers advanced through the woods, growing less cautious as they approached the empty site.]
[Suddenly, the Ravager who had just eaten the spider stepped on something that made a soft 'ding'.]
[His eyes widened in alarm, but before he could react, panels shot open on the surrounding trees. Dozens of darts hissed through the air, injecting the forward group with a powerful anesthetic that sent them slumping to the ground.]
[Before he passed out, one of the Ravagers reflexively pulled the trigger on his rifle. The loud blast of energy instantly alerted Little Groot on the ship, and woke Nebula from her rest.]
[Hidden high in a tree, Rocket was humming a tune into a walkie-talkie. The sound was being broadcast through the speakers inside the Milano, creating the perfect illusion that he was still inside.]
[He watched as a new group of Ravagers crept cautiously beneath his perch. He leaned over for a better look, then glanced down with a smirk at the mines he had scattered across the forest floor.]
[The Ravagers moved warily through the woods when the sharp snap of a twig drew their attention upward. They spotted Rocket leaping through the canopy.]
["Over there!" one of them yelled. He spun his rifle around, knocking an unlucky crewmate to the ground as he opened fire on Rocket's position.]
[A dense spray of energy bolts shredded the trees where Rocket had been. He moved with nimble grace, jumping from branch to branch as the Ravagers fired relentlessly at him.]
[Rocket landed perfectly on a branch where he'd stashed a remote control, snatched it up, and slammed his thumb down on a button.]
[Instantly, the shock mines beneath the Ravagers' feet erupted with a concussive upward force, launching them helplessly into the air before they crashed back to the ground in a heap.]
[Rocket cackled and pressed another switch. A different group of Ravagers was sent flying, raining from the sky like ragdolls.]
[He looked down on the chaos he was orchestrating, a manic grin on his face as he gleefully pressed one button after another, thoroughly enjoying himself.]
[The night sky was filled with the comical sight of Ravagers being blasted into the air, one after another, leaving them dazed and confused as they fell back to earth.]
[After dealing with that squad, Rocket quickly scampered to another part of the forest.]
[A new group of Ravagers was on high alert, but they failed to notice him right above their heads. He pulled a set of small discs from his bag.]
[He dropped silently onto the neck of the last man in the line, slapping an electro-shock patch onto his forehead. He then leaped to the next man, and the next, repeating the process until every Ravager in the group had a patch on their head.]
[Once he was done, he jumped back into a tree and pressed a switch on his wrist.]
[Instantly, the Ravagers below were seized by violent convulsions, zapped with so much electricity that their skeletons were momentarily visible, cartoon-style.]
[After neutralizing another group, Rocket leaped down from the tree, but a sixth sense told him something was wrong.]
[He sniffed the air, scenting danger just as a Ravager with a raised rifle appeared behind him. He spun around, only to see another one blocking his path ahead.]
[The Ravager in front of him sneered. "Without those toys, you're not so tough, are ya?"]
[Rocket didn't answer. He shot forward with lightning speed, pouncing on the man and slashing at him with his sharp claws.]
[The Ravager behind him raised his gun to fire.]
[But Rocket had already predicted the move. With an agile backflip, he dodged the shot and landed on top of his attacker, raining down a flurry of punches on the man's head until he crumpled.]
[Seeing the man wasn't fully unconscious, Rocket squatted on his back and delivered one final, decisive blow.]
[Just then, a high-pitched whistle cut through the air. Rocket's head snapped up, his eyes wide with alarm.]
[An arrow made of red energy shot out from the woods, streaking toward him at incredible speed.]
[Rocket instantly knew: Yondu was here. Seeing the whistling arrow closing in, he felt a surge of despair, shut his eyes, and braced for the end.]
[But the impact never came. The arrow stopped, hovering silently an inch from his forehead. Feeling no pain, Rocket cautiously opened one eye and stared at the deadly weapon.]
[Yondu and his men swaggered out from the trees, broad smiles on their faces. Rocket wasn't happy to see them, but he knew he was beaten. He slowly raised his hands in surrender.]
[Yondu sauntered up and gave Rocket a new nickname. "Well, hello there… rat."]
[Rocket shot back without missing a beat, "How's it goin', you blue idiot?"]
[Yondu, unfazed by the insult, casually picked at his teeth with a twig.]
["Not bad," he drawled. "We landed a real good contract. A certain stuck-up, golden lady offered us a mighty high price to bring you and your friends to her. So she can kill you. Hehehe."]
[The surrounding Ravagers joined in his laughter. It had taken some effort, but the bounty was as good as theirs.]
"This is bad," Rhodey said, frowning. "The raccoon's caught, and Star-Lord and the others are gone. There's no one to help him."
"Don't forget Nebula is still on the ship!" Scott argued, ever the optimist. "She'll definitely do something!"
"Then you don't know my sister at all," Gamora said, walking over to join them. "Oh, she'll take action. The question is who she'll take action against."
She stood with them, watching Wanda continue her assault on the alien plant. Beads of sweat had formed on Wanda's forehead. She could feel a strange, alien energy within the flower pushing back against her power. Fortunately, the resistance was still weak, and Wanda felt it was gradually growing stronger. But the rate of its growth was slow. She was confident she could destroy it completely before it became a real threat.
Her Chaos Magic had already penetrated deep into the planet, reaching a depth that surprised even her. The experience with the Elementals, though it had left her drained for a week, had clearly resulted in a significant boost to her abilities.
Wanda focused her mind, channeling her magic through the entire root system she now encompassed. With a final, massive surge of power, she simultaneously obliterated most of the flower's rhizome.
Far out in the depths of space, Ego's expression twisted. His eyes flashed with sudden, murderous intent. He could feel it. His extension on Earth had been destroyed.
Ego's abrupt change did not escape the notice of Mantis, who stood silently nearby. She knew, with a sinking feeling, that something terrible must have happened to make her master so angry.
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