Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
Xandar.
The war Ronan brought had finally ended.
The Dark Aster never managed to land, and Ronan himself vanished without a trace.
But everyone had witnessed the explosion that tore the Dark Aster apart, so the consensus was clear—Ronan must have died in the blast.
Except… what about the Power Stone?
A quiet doubt surfaced in the minds of the Nova Corps' commander and the Nova Prime.
Could it have been destroyed in the explosion just now?
Impossible.
The Infinity Stones are indestructible.
Then where did it go?
Blown away by the blast to parts unknown?
In that case, they would need to search, and search well.
As these thoughts flickered through their minds, a smile still crept onto their faces.
Regardless of the mystery, they had won the war—that was worth celebrating. And the people who had helped them in this battle deserved proper thanks.
For example: Star-Lord's team, and that figure wreathed in blue fire.
As for the Ravagers, they had already slipped away once the fighting ended.
As their leader, Yondu wasn't sure whether the Nova Corps would arrest them after the war, so he wasn't about to take the risk.
…
Aboard the Eclector.
Listening to the incoming transmission from the Nova Corps—hearing that they intended to express their gratitude—everyone in the ship turned to Mike.
Mike glanced at Gwen and the four from the Guardians, a faint smile on his face.
"Go on. You fought like heroes; it's only right you accept their thanks."
"Woo-hoo!"
Gwen cheered. The Guardians, however, looked a bit lost.
Heroes?
Just the day before yesterday, people were calling them scum—and now they were heroes?
"Kent, sir, you're the one who took down Ronan and decided the battle. They must not have seen it when you finished him off. I'll make sure they know."
Rocket spoke to Mike with solemn gravity, none of his usual sharp-tongued snark.
Star-Lord and the other two were so shocked they almost bit their tongues.
Who is this and what have you done with Rocket?
Wasn't Rocket supposed to be the hot-headed raccoon who pulled out a rocket launcher at the slightest provocation? Why was he being so polite to Mike? Because Mike's power was too overwhelming? Because Mike saved their lives?
No—that alone would only muzzle Rocket's sarcasm for a while. To keep him respectful? That took more than fear and gratitude.
"Captain Rocket, that won't be necessary," Mike said with a mild smile. "But thank you."
Captain. Rocket.
Hearing Mike's address, every hair on Rocket's face seemed to bristle with delight.
Being treated with respect—what a feeling!
Aside from Groot, this was the first time someone hadn't mocked his species at first meeting—no "raccoon," "mutt," or "plush toy" slurs.
Rocket thumped his little chest with a paw. "If you ever need anything, just say the word. No charge. Even if it's taking out those three idiots over there—I'm in!"
"Hey, hey! That's going too far!" Star-Lord stared at Rocket, speechless.
Gamora nodded in agreement.
Drax frowned. "Three idiots? You mean 'Greenmora,' 'Little Star,' and Gr—"
Star-Lord clapped a hand over Drax's mouth.
Gamora drove a hard punch into Drax's gut.
Drax blinked, then saw the look in Rocket's eyes and finally realized.
Right. Groot had… given his life to protect them.
"Heh."
Rocket let out a brittle laugh, staring at the small branch he still clutched. He murmured under his breath, "You big dummy."
Groot might be gone, but at least he'd left behind a "son."
Once they were off the ship, Rocket would find a flowerpot and plant the branch.
"All right—you should go accept their thanks now."
Mike said, then headed for the cockpit. He guided the Eclector down, following the Nova Corps fighters toward the surface.
Xandar was a highly developed world. Beyond its military, its civil infrastructure was formidable.
The war had barely ended, yet reconstruction was already underway.
Piloting the Eclector across the city, Mike watched the bustling work below and couldn't help but be impressed.
Soon, they reached the Nova Corps command center.
The hatch opened. Mike waved Star-Lord's group forward, then nudged Gwen. "Go on. I'll come pick you up in a bit."
"Okay!"
Gwen nodded happily and sprinted out.
The hatch closed. Mike slipped an arm around Raven, and with a Teleport card, the two vanished from the Eclector.
A rare chance—they could wander the city together, soak in the local color.
…
An hour later, Mike and Raven returned to the Eclector, and Gwen and the Guardians had received their reward.
Originally, the Nova Prime wanted to grant them special honors—medals and the like—but the five of them unanimously requested something more practical.
In the end, they received a large sum of money.
With money, everything gets easier. Even buying a small ship to replace the last one wouldn't be a problem for Star-Lord and company.
The group sat in the ship, faces bright with satisfaction.
The funds had already been deposited into their bank accounts—a very gratifying amount.
Gwen, who had no account, was given one as well.
Once they were all back aboard, Gwen promised to fly the four Guardians to the black market in the Wastelands so they could buy a new ship—definitely not because she wanted to check out the most notorious market in the cosmos. Absolutely not.
Mike piloted the Eclector toward the Wastelands.
"Still thinking about what they told you?" Gamora asked softly, noticing Star-Lord sitting with his head down.
During the ceremony of thanks, the Nova Prime had told Star-Lord something about his parentage.
Star-Lord nodded. "They said I'm a hybrid… Hah. Never thought the people who'd prove my mother right would be them."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"Before she died, my mom told people my father was an alien. Everyone assumed the brain tumor was making her hallucinate."
Gamora squeezed his hand. Just as Star-Lord tried to squeeze back, she smacked his hand away.
"Tsk!"
Star-Lord hissed, blowing on his stinging hand and giving Gamora a pained look.
Seriously? Weren't you the one who grabbed my hand first?
"So… your father isn't human?" Drax asked with utter seriousness.
Rocket, cradling a small flowerpot, looked up. "Huh. Maybe he's some kind of bug. Or a monkey. Or a hound."
Star-Lord stared at them. "The Nova Prime said there's an ancient gene in my body, tied to something extremely powerful."
"Maybe I know what your father is," Mike said, walking over after setting the autopilot.
Instantly, everyone in the lounge looked his way.
Mike pinched his chin, scrutinizing Star-Lord. Star-Lord suddenly held out his hand to Mike.
Mike blinked. "What… are you doing?"
"Don't you have to touch me?" Star-Lord asked, puzzled. "In movies, there's always touching to establish the connection and then you can find—"
"I don't need that."
Mike's face darkened a shade.
Did he really need to "find" anything?
He glanced at Star-Lord. While the others wondered what method he'd use, Mike said flatly, without changing expression, "Got it."
"!"
Everyone gaped.
Just like that?
"Who is he?" Star-Lord asked, half doubtful.
"Your dad's a ball."
"…?"
Star-Lord stared at Mike, aggrieved. "Why the insult?"
"I'm not insulting you," Mike said, perfectly serious. "I mean your father is a planet. A god."
"A planet? A god?" Star-Lord froze, then burst out laughing. "Come on, you're joking!"
The others couldn't help but chuckle too.
But as they watched Mike's expression remain grave, the laughter faded.
"No way. You're serious?" Star-Lord stared at him, stunned.
Mike let out a short, cold snort. "I never joke about someone's dad being a ball."
Star-Lord: "…"
With that, Mike headed back toward the cockpit.
The Guardians exchanged looks.
A few minutes later, Star-Lord sauntered up to Mike, whistling under his breath.
"Ahem. I mean… a planet, a god—that's not impossible to accept."
His eyes darted around. "Could you take me to see him?"
Before Mike could answer, Star-Lord rushed on, "Not that I just believe you outright. I just… I can't pass up even the tiniest chance to find him."
"Yeah. Because I want to ask him why he abandoned my mother."
By the end, his voice had grown heavy.
"Fine. I'll take you to see him," Mike said with a smile.
He'd be collecting a little interest when the time came.
"Thanks!" Star-Lord said, unable to hide his excitement. Then he blurted, "You're really not messing with me?"
"Why would I?"
"Fair point."
Star-Lord smiled and turned away.
Mike watched him go, smiling faintly himself.
He'd planned to swing by there anyway.
But before that, he had some preparations to make.
It would take a little time.
Perfect. They could make a trip of it—sightseeing along the way.
Besides, he needed to slip back to Earth—to the undersea base.
To claim Ego's planet, he would need Jor-El's help.
Decision made, Mike smiled to himself.
Over the next month, Mike piloted the Eclector across several worlds—thoroughly satisfying Gwen's wanderlust and creating a trove of memories with Raven. When everything was finally ready, he took Star-Lord to Ego's planet.
From space, the world looked like it had a gigantic face—an astonishing sight.
"So that's your dad?" Rocket blurted, eyes wide.
Star-Lord: "It's not confirmed yet. Don't say it like it is."
"I have a very serious question," Drax announced, his tone suddenly weighty.
"What question?" Everyone else unconsciously grew solemn as well.
"If your father is a ball, how did he and your mother produce you? Does he have… that part?"
"Fark! That's disgusting! Don't talk to me about my parents!"
(End of this chapter)