In the depths of the forest, a woman with antennae, dressed in a black uniform, came to an abrupt stop.
Quill rushed forward, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her around. Her eyes were filled with fear and unease.
"Who are you?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Alan quickly pulled the impatient Quill away and smiled at the Mantis-like woman.
"Don't be afraid. We're not bad people," he reassured her.
He extended a hand as a gesture of goodwill. Mantis had the ability to sense thoughts and emotions through touch. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his and, after feeling his sincerity, her fear began to fade.
"Who exactly are you?" she asked.
Alan then explained their situation—how they had ended up on this planet while evading the Sovereign fleet and repairing their ship.
But Quill was too impatient to wait any longer.
"Do you know about that escape pod over there? Did anyone come out of it?" he demanded.
Mantis could hear the urgency in his voice. She hesitated for a moment, seeming conflicted, before finally saying, "Come with me."
The three exchanged glances, and Quill immediately sent a message to the rest of the crew, summoning them to their location.
Over the communicator, Gwen's concerned voice came through. "Alan, are we really going with her? Could this be dangerous?"
Alan chuckled. "Relax. There's no danger. Besides, she doesn't seem to have any combat ability."
With his reassurance, Gwen let go of her worries, and the group followed Mantis through the forest.
What awaited them beyond the trees took them by surprise.
A grand palace stood before them.
"Whoa… that's huge!"
"There's actually a castle here?"
The sight of such an extravagant structure left them all in awe. For a moment, they even wondered if Mantis was some kind of princess of this planet. After all, she was the only person they had encountered so far, yet she lived in such a massive palace.
Mantis raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
"Shh. Keep your voices down. He's sleeping."
"Who? Who's sleeping?" Quill asked, glancing around but seeing no one.
Mantis didn't answer. She simply led them into her chambers.
The moment Quill stepped inside, his gaze fell upon Yondu—severely injured, lying unconscious on the bed.
His voice turned heavy. "What happened to him?"
Mantis responded, "He's in pain. He drifted through space for a long time before reaching this planet. His body is exhausted, but his heart… even more so."
The group fell silent as they looked at Yondu.
Despite being a feared and respected Ravager, now, he was just a man, wounded and vulnerable.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Mantis stiffened, her expression twisting in terror.
"He's coming… He's awake!" she whispered anxiously.
"Who?"
Quill and Alan turned toward the doorway.
A moment later, an elderly man with graying hair stepped inside.
Though he looked to be in his fifties or older, he walked with an air of strength and vitality, his posture confident, his eyes sharp.
The moment Quill saw him, a strange sense of familiarity surged in his heart.
Then, the old man spoke in a calm, almost casual tone—
"Oh, Peter, my son… What are you doing here?"
Quill froze.
His mind struggled to process what he had just heard.
He understood the words perfectly, but when they were strung together into that sentence, they became something entirely incomprehensible to him.
...
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