The carefree days began quickly. Every day, Star-Lord and Gamora wandered freely across the planet, exploring every inch without restraint. Their relationship was heating up at lightning speed. Meanwhile, Drax and Mantis were also getting closer—so close that an unexplainable spark seemed to be forming between them.
Mantis, who had lived on Planet Ego her entire life, was essentially his chief steward. She possessed the rare ability to influence others' minds, even lulling Ego himself into peaceful slumber when needed.
Far away, in an unknown location on the planet, Ego was in his private chamber, watching everyone's laughter and games play out on a large screen. On a smaller screen to his left, detailed analysis of Star-Lord's profile and physical condition flickered in cold precision.
"After all this time, Zero-Two-Three… I've finally found one of my kind."
Ego's voice carried a quiet thrill as he studied the data.
"The plan can begin. Soon… the entire universe will be my people."
Suddenly, a cold, emotionless voice cracked through the air right behind him.
"Are you kidding me?"
Ego spun around instantly—only to find himself face-to-face with a black-and-gray armored figure. A crimson glow pulsed from the V-shaped visor on the helmet.
Ego frowned. As a Celestial—and as the living embodiment of this entire planet—it was unthinkable that someone could sneak up behind him without him noticing.
"Who are you?" Ego's voice was ice. "When did an uninvited guest step onto my world without my knowledge?"
Gene didn't bother answering. Instead, a brilliant blue energy beam erupted from his palm, the raw power roaring forth without warning. It pierced Ego's form before he could react, blowing a hole clean through him.
White light immediately surged from Ego's body, knitting the wound back together in seconds.
"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" Ego's lips curled in a mocking smile. "I am this planet. Here, I am invincible. And now… you'll feel the wrath of a god."
Silver-white energy tendrils burst from the ground around Gene, writhing like living things, racing toward him with murderous intent. The light was so intense it washed over Gene's dark armor, making it glow ghostly pale.
Gene remained calm. Golden light flickered in his hands—then the Sacred Sword of Vishanti materialized in his grip. With one sweeping slash, every single silver tendril was severed mid-lunge.
Not stopping there, a pure white shield shimmered into existence around him—the Archangel's Divine Guard, a high-tier protective spell. Energy rippled violently in the air as he raised his arm, channeling power into his palm. The force grew and grew, the space around it twisting and warping as though reality itself might shatter.
When it reached critical mass, a blazing azure beam exploded from his hand. Augmented by uru metal and the Space Stone, the beam radiated terrifying destructive energy. Wherever it passed, space tore open, revealing glimpses of alien dimensions beyond. It was like a sword cleaving through the white hell itself, and it reached Ego in an instant.
Ego's silver shield flared to life just in time to meet the attack. The collision unleashed an earth-shaking explosion. Shockwaves ripped the terrain apart, and a colossal mushroom cloud climbed into the sky, visible from every corner of the planet.
The blast's roar thundered across Ego's domain.
Elsewhere, Star-Lord—who had been enjoying a quiet moment with Gamora—suddenly felt the ground quake beneath them. A deafening boom followed, and through the distant haze, a gigantic mushroom cloud punched through the sky, scattering the upper atmosphere. It screamed of a battle of unimaginable scale.
Gamora reacted instantly. She and Star-Lord sprinted for their ship, scooping up a bewildered Mantis and an equally confused Drax before gunning the engines toward the explosion's source.
At that same moment, Nebula's ship entered Ego's orbit. Spotting Gamora's craft, she immediately swung into pursuit, engines flaring as she closed in.
Ego's enraged bellow rolled across the planet. Gene's last strike had rattled him in a way he hadn't felt in eons—a flicker of real fear. Could this armored intruder actually kill him?
Gene's armor whirred as hidden mechanisms activated. Blue thrusters flared, propelling him forward in a blink. His golden sword swept out, slicing Ego clean in half.
The Celestial roared in fury, his body swelling as he drew vast amounts of energy from the planet itself. His aura grew heavier, more oppressive by the second.
"You will pay for this, insect!"
In his palm, a sphere appeared—looking eerily like a miniature projection of the entire planet.
With a thunderous crack, Ego hurled the sphere at Gene's last position. The resulting detonation tore a crater into the world, sending shockwaves so violent they rattled Gamora's ship, nearly knocking it from the sky.
"You know," Drax said matter-of-factly, wearing a smug, knowing grin, "it looks like your dad's fighting someone."
Star-Lord just stared at him, speechless.
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