But Yondu never saw it that way. He only wanted to tell his friend the truth. Stepping forward, he faced Quill and said slowly, "Don't believe him, Quill. He was the one who ordered me to abduct you from Earth." Yondu's voice boomed.
Quill's mind was in chaos, as if someone had struck him with a hammer.
Blow after blow left him unsure of what was real, making it even harder to tell who was telling the truth—Yondu or Ego.
"What are you talking about? Explain it to me clearly!"
Quill shouted at Yondu, unwilling to remain in the dark any longer. Yondu nodded, stepped closer, and was about to reveal everything he knew.
But just as he opened his mouth, Ego suddenly stretched out his hand, causing the ground beneath Yondu to rise up in an attempt to bury him alive.
Alan had anticipated this. He drew his Aurora Sword. Seeing that his attack was about to land, Ego had no choice but to abandon his attempt to bury Yondu and disappeared on the spot.
Quill stared in shock at the empty space where Ego had stood. "Where did he go? Why does he want to kill you?"
Alan walked up to Quill and patted his shoulder. "Let Yondu tell you the truth."
Yondu sighed deeply and began speaking.
"Many years ago, Ego hired the Ravagers for a job on Earth. I was one of them. He wanted us to bring his child back to him. But after we kidnapped you from Earth, I started to regret it. So I came to this planet to find Ego. That's when I accidentally discovered that you weren't the only one—he had hundreds, maybe thousands of children scattered across the universe. His goal was to find an heir, someone who could inherit his power. But it wasn't for love—it was so he could take over their bodies and achieve immortality."
After revealing the truth, Yondu looked utterly deflated, like a balloon that had lost all its air.
Quill's expression shifted from shock to fear, and then to pure disgust.
Yondu continued, "He never loved that woman on Earth. He never loved you. He only wanted a successor. In fact, your mother—she was killed by him."
"What did you say?!"
Quill was on the verge of collapse. His own biological father had killed his mother and now wanted to kill him too. The most ridiculous part? Just moments ago, he had actually believed—if only for an instant—that Ego was a father worthy of love and admiration.
Yondu stepped forward and pressed Quill's head down.
"You've always been like this since you were a kid. But now that you know the truth, what are you going to do?"
Quill lifted his head, his eyes red with emotion.
"Let's go. Let's get out of here."
Yondu nodded. Quill helped him up, and the two began walking toward the ship. But just as they took their first step, the entire planet trembled violently.
The ground collapsed, dark clouds gathered, and towering mountains came crashing toward them. It was as if the world itself was ending.
Alan shouted, "Run! Ego has revealed his true form!"
"What did you say?!"
Quill asked as he ran. Alan explained, "Remember when your father said he was a Celestial? He is this planet!"
The three of them sprinted toward the ship with all their might. Quill shouted into his communicator, "Take off now!"
Alan also alerted Red Queen in time. Everyone rushed toward the ship.
Behind them, the planet's surface split open, revealing a massive chasm. Amidst the fractured earth, jagged rocks jutted out like rows of razor-sharp teeth.
...