[Ego stared at Star-Lord, momentarily speechless. After a beat, he found his voice.]
["I have existed for millions of years. I have made many mistakes, Peter. But you are not one of them. Please... give me the chance to be the father she would have wanted me to be."]
["I have so much to show you. This planet... this light... it is all a part of you, Peter."]
[Star-Lord studied Ego's sincere expression, seeing no hint of a lie. "What do you mean?"]
["Give me your hands, son. C'mon. Like this."]
[Ego took Star-Lord's hands, positioning them so their palms faced each other.]
["Okay. Now, close your eyes and concentrate. Feel the center of the planet."]
[Ego slowly backed away, mirroring the gesture and closing his own eyes. Star-Lord hesitantly did the same.]
[Almost instantly, Peter felt a strange energy thrumming through him, and a soft, blue light began to glow between his palms.]
["Yes! That's it!"] [Ego's voice was electric with excitement. After all these years, after countless failures, he had finally found a child who had truly inherited his celestial genes. His grand dream was within reach!]
["Whoa... what is this?"] [Star-Lord gasped, utterly stunned. His distraction caused the light to vanish, but he could still feel the residual hum of that incredible power in his veins.]
["It's okay! It's okay! Relax, relax. Concentrate. You can do it. Try again,"] [Ego coached him gently, teaching him how to harness the power.]
[As Star-Lord focused his mind once more, the brilliant blue-white light reappeared in his hands, confirming that it wasn't a dream. He really possessed an extraordinary power.]
["Good! Yes! That's it! Now form it! Feel it!"]
[Under Ego's guidance, Star-Lord gradually brought his hands together as the celestial energy arced between his palms.]
[He finally clasped his hands, condensing the raw energy into a perfect, shimmering ball of light.]
[Ego watched, his face alight with satisfaction. "Yes. You're home."]
[Tears glistened in Star-Lord's eyes. In that moment, all doubt vanished. This was his father.]
[Ego stretched out his hand, beckoning. "Peter!"]
[Hearing his name, Peter tossed the ball of light. Ego caught it, expertly kneading the energy into a more stable sphere before gently throwing it back.]
[Star-Lord caught it, staring at the glowing ball in his hand. He was playing catch with his father. It was a simple, impossible dream he'd had since he was a small boy, and it was finally coming true.]
[Ego grinned and took a few steps back, motioning for Peter to throw again. Peter obliged, and the father and son fell into the easy rhythm of a long-overdue game of catch.]
"What a touching father-son moment," Tony quipped dryly, holding up a transparent glass case that contained the withered remains of Ego's seedling. "If you ignore the fact that dear old dad planted a doomsday flower on our planet."
He was fascinated by the dead plant. Even though Wanda had neutralized it, he was certain it held valuable secrets. He wanted to understand the unique properties that Ego was so confident could terraform an entire world.
This was precisely why their group was now en route to New York. Star-Lord had been reluctant to leave Missouri, but Tony's offer to help him understand and control the celestial power thrumming in his veins had been too tempting to refuse. After a quick call to his grandfather, Jason Quill, to let him know their plans, they were off. Tony had even arranged for a crew to retrieve his grandfather's pickup and repair the cracked foundation of their house, a gesture that earned him a sincere nod of gratitude from Peter.
Just as they were leaving Earth's atmosphere, another ship was entering it. Ego, accompanied by Mantis, had arrived. But unlike the heroes' stealthy departure, Ego's ship descended brazenly through the clouds.
Suddenly, an alert pinged on the ship's main console. Tony's global satellite network had picked something up. He put down the glass case and brought up the projection, instantly recognizing the distinct, egg-shaped vessel.
He smirked. "Well, speak of the devil. Looks like your dad's here for a visit, Quill."
"What?" Star-Lord spun around from the pilot's seat, his eyes wide as he saw the ship on the holographic display. He whipped his head back toward the viewport and saw the very same ship streaking through the sky ahead of them. He rubbed his eyes and shot a look at Rocket, who was already staring, confirming he wasn't hallucinating.
Ego was seething. Someone had destroyed his expansion, his seedling. Burning with indignation, he made a beeline for Missouri, intent on discovering who had dared to ruin his grand design. His ship unknowingly flew right past the invisible Milano II. Without a word, Star-Lord banked their ship hard, changing course to follow him back to Missouri.
Inside, Captain America immediately pulled out his phone to call Wanda, while Natasha contacted Captain Marvel. Whatever Ego wanted on Earth, they were going to be ready for him.
[On Ego's planet, Drax and Mantis sat on the steps of the grand palace.]
[Drax asked, "How did you come to be on this stupid, weird planet?"]
[Mantis didn't seem to mind his bluntness.]
["Ego found me in my larva state. An orphan on my homeworld. He raised me by hand and kept me as his own."]
["So you're a pet?"] [he asked.]
[Mantis shrugged. "I suppose."]
["People usually want pets that are cute," Drax stated matter-of-factly. "Why would Ego want a pet so horrifyingly ugly?"]
[She turned to him, her brow furrowed. "I am ugly?"]
["You are hideous," Drax confirmed with an emphatic nod. "It is terrifying to look at you."]
[Mantis's antennae drooped as she lowered her head in despair.]
["But that is a good thing," Drax added, almost as an afterthought.]
[Mantis looked up immediately, her eyes wide with hope, as if grasping at a lifeline.]
[Drax's expression was surprisingly thoughtful.]
["When you're ugly and someone loves you, you know they love you for who you are. Beautiful people, they never know who to trust."]
[A genuine smile bloomed on Mantis's face. "Well, then I am grateful to be ugly!"]
[Drax stared out at the shimmering pools before them. "They remind me of the Forgotten Terraces on my home planet. My daughter would lie on her back and stare at the sun, just like you."]
[Mantis misunderstood his comparison. "Was she... hideous?"]
["She was innocent," Drax corrected softly, his voice becoming distant.]
[Mantis looked at him, then silently reached out a hand. After a moment's hesitation, she gently placed her fingers on his shoulder. As soon as she made contact, she felt it all—the crushing weight of his loss, the bottomless well of his grief.]
[A single tear slid down her cheek, then another. A wave of profound, indescribable sadness washed over her, and she began to sob for the pain he carried.]