Inside Karl's room, everyone still felt lingering fear after hearing Mantis's explanation.
A father devouring his own children was simply too horrifying.
"We need to find Peter imdiately and leave this planet."
Gamora stood up at once, ready to go after Quill.
Though she always denied her feelings for him, her heart had already long since been filled by Peter.
"Ego has already begun influencing him. What we say might not matter anymore."
Mantis imdiately warned them.
She had seen how Ego brainwashed his children before. Quill would slowly walk into the trap Ego had prepared for him, unable to escape.
"That's right. We're family. We don't leave anyone behind."
To everyone's surprise, even Drax said sothing that sensible for once. It showed that he truly considered the Guardians of the Galaxy his family.
"Then let's do this," Karl said. "Gamora, go find Quill. You're the one most likely to get through to him. The rest of us prepare in case that old bastard Ego attacks."
Karl already knew how events were supposed to unfold. Quill would eventually wake up to the truth, and then the battle with Ego would begin.
Everyone split up to prepare, leaving only Karl, Gwen, Wanda, and Skye behind in the room.
---
anwhile, Ego continued trying to brainwash Quill, hoping to erode his self-awareness so he could take full control.
"But… my friends…"
Though Ego kept passionately preaching about his ideals and the aning of his existence, Quill's brows only furrowed tighter and tighter.
"What's wrong, child?"
Ego imdiately noticed sothing was off.
"My friends… they…"
Quill looked at him, still worried about Gamora and the others.
"That is your human side, Peter. But we have already transcended such things. Humanity only hinders our progress."
Ego attempted to make Quill let go of emotion entirely.
To Celestials, emotions were aningless waste.
"But my mother… you said you loved my mother…"
Quill's expression beca sowhat dazed, yet the emotions buried deep in his heart still prevented Ego from completely breaking through his final ntal defenses.
"Yes. I loved your mother. She could sing every song on the radio. I returned to Earth three separate tis to see her."
Ego turned toward Peter, his voice becoming gentle.
"And I knew… if I went back a fourth ti, I would never leave her again. My Expansion—my purpose—would collapse entirely."
"So I had to do sothing. For the sake of my purpose, I gave her brain cancer."
Ego's expression remained calm.
"It broke my heart. But it had to be done. She stood in the way of my destiny, so I had to remove her."
To Ego, those words were insignificant.
But he had gravely underestimated Quill's love for his mother.
He underestimated the pain of a son who had lost his mother as a child.
And he underestimated humanity's attachnt to emotion itself.
In an instant, Quill's mind beca crystal clear.
The emotions in his heart rapidly shattered Ego's influence over his consciousness. The blue light faded from his eyes as his human clarity returned.
His rationality snapped back completely.
"What did you say?"
Quill's eyes narrowed sharply.
"I know that sounds unfortunate, but—"
Ego suddenly realized his mistake.
Earthlings valued emotions beyond reason. It was one of the strangest things about them, and he had overlooked Quill's bond with his mother.
But before Ego could explain—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Quill suddenly drew both blasters and unloaded on him without hesitation.
Ego's body was instantly riddled with holes. Half his head was blown away, leaving only blue energy connecting the shattered remains of flesh.
Quill stared at him in fury.
He could hardly believe that his own father was the one responsible for his mother's agonizing death.
And now he finally understood what Ego ant about his other children.
Ego had no feelings.
He was cold-blooded.
Realizing the truth was out, Ego stopped pretending altogether.
As long as the planet existed, he was immortal. Even if his body were torn apart, he could simply regenerate.
"Who do you think you are?! You dare destroy my physical form?!"
Ego roared furiously as energy surged around him, rapidly rebuilding his ruined body.
"You killed my mother!!"
Quill shouted back.
"I had hoped you would help complete my great design. But now… you'll simply beco fuel for it instead."
With a wave of his hand, a massive beam of light pierced straight through Quill's chest.
It imdiately began draining the Celestial energy from his body.
---
Bzzzzt… Bzzzzt…
Elsewhere, Tony was adjusting the communicator while Nebula attempted to contact the others on Ego Planet.
"R… Rocket… Rocket… can you hear …"
Gamora's voice suddenly ca through the static.
Tony imdiately locked onto the channel and filtered out the interference until her voice beca clear.
"Gamora, keep the transmitter with you. I'll track your position through it."
Rocket instantly grabbed the communicator.
"Ego's insane. Where are you guys now?"
"We know. We're already outside Ego Planet. We're coming to get you."
Rocket didn't waste ti talking.
He shoved the control lever forward.
Whoosh!
The ship accelerated at full power toward Gamora's signal.
---
Inside the palace, Ego stared coldly at Quill suspended helplessly in the energy beam.
All traces of warmth had vanished from his face.
Quill couldn't even speak anymore. His body hung limp as the beam continuously drained his power.
Suddenly—
BOOM!!!
An enormous surge of energy erupted from the palace, illuminating half the planet.
At the sa ti, the seeds Ego had planted across countless worlds throughout the universe activated simultaneously.
The seeds rapidly expanded like monstrous entities, devouring everything around them—even the land and atmosphere themselves.
And the more they consud, the larger they beca, slowly beginning to engulf entire planets.
"Everyone, move!"
Karl's voice rang through the communicators.
At that exact mont, Ego suddenly sensed danger and whipped around.
Quill's ridiculously flashy spaceship ca crashing straight into the palace.
BOOM!!
The ship slamd directly into Ego, pinning him beneath it.
The impact interrupted Ego's power, and the beam piercing Quill instantly vanished.
Thud!
Quill collapsed heavily to the ground and weakly lifted his head toward the ship.
At the sa ti, Gamora and Drax rushed into the palace through the massive opening.
The hatch opened.
Groot stood at the entrance waving at everyone while countless vines rapidly grew outward, blocking the falling debris from above.
"You thought sothing was off this whole ti, and you still got tricked?"
Gamora helped the weakened Quill to his feet, her face full of annoyance and concern.
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