NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.

Ego's Planet

"Welcome, everyone, to my world."

Leo felt like he was in a Thomas Kinkade painting as he and the others gazed around at the beauty of Ego's planet. The vast landscapes were covered with mutilcolored trees and the waterfalls were absolutely stunning. Blue auroras danced in the sky and rainbow-colored bubbles floated all around them. Drax poked a bubble out of curiosity and instead of disappearing, it multiplied into smaller bubbles, making the tatooed-man laugh in amusement. Leo chuckled himself as he watched them continue to multiply and float away. Mikey would have a blast here.

They were brought to Ego's house, which was a golden palace with blue-green windows and a beautiful fountain with dancing water out front. Leo couldn't believe that Ego owned all of this and created it with his two bare hands. Just what exactly was he?

Gamora was wondering about this as well. "You own a planet and can destroy two dozen spaceships without a suit. What are you exactly?"

Ego smiled boastfully at her question. "I'm what's called a Celestial, sweetheart."

Quill looked at his father shocked. "A Celestial, like a god?"

"Mmm, small 'g,' son. At least on days when I'm feeling humble." He laughed as he and Mantis went up the steps that led to the front entrance of the palace. But Quill, Drax, Leo, and Gamora all stayed behind for a moment as they let this revelation sink in.

A stunned Leo turned to Quill. "So does this mean you're half-god?"

Quill shook his head. "I don't know," he said in a quiet voice.

When they stepped inside, Leo couldn't help but gasp softly at how magnificent the interior was. The walls, pillars, and ceiling were carved and adorned with precious gems, and giant floating dioramas lined either side of the main hall. Ego led them to the diaorama of a flickering brain that was composed of polychromatic lights.

It began to animate as Ego told his story. "I don't know where I came from exactly. First thing I remember is flickering, adrift in the cosmos, utterly and entirely alone." The brain suddenly began to pull rocks and cosmic dust into itself, forming a hard shell that eventually became the planet that they all stood on. "Over millions of years, I learned to control the molecules around me. I grew smarter and stronger. And I continued building from there, layer by layer, the very planet you walk on now. But I wanted more. I desired...meaning."

Ego led them to another diaorama that displayed the brain in the center of the planet. "'There must be some life out there in the universe besides just me,' I thought. And so I set myself the task of finding it. I created what I imagined biological life to be like, down to the most minute detail." A skeletal framework of light flowed from the brain and up to the surface of the planet, then it shapeshifted into the structure of a human being. Within seconds, it grew muscle, skin, and hair, and it even created itself clothes. The younger Ego had shoulder-length wavy brown hair and wore a pair of blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red leather jacket.

Everyone one was silent for a moment, before Drax suddenly asked, "Did you make a penis?"

"Dude!" Quill turned to him disgusted.

"What is wrong with you?" Gamora asked the tattooed man incredulously.

"If he's a planet, how could he make a baby with your mother?" Drax innocently asked. "He would smush her!"

"Um," Leo awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "it's not very polite to ask how two people...you know..." He put his index fingers together to symbolize the joining of two people.

But the ever-literal Drax wasn't getting it and tilted his head. "What?"

"It's alright," Ego assured the Turtle with a chuckle. "Yes, Drax, I got a penis, and it's not half bad. I've also got pain receptors and a digestive system and all the accompanying junk." Ego gestured to a diorama of his ship leaving the planet and landing on another. "I wanted to experience what it truly meant to be human as I set out amongst the stars until I found what I sought: life." The younger Ego walked up to a little girl with pink skin, who looked up at him curiously as she held her teddy bear close. "I was not alone in the universe after all."

Quill paused before he asked the question that had been on his mind since he first met Ego: "When did you meet my mother?"

A soft smile formed on Ego's lips as he turned to face his son. "Not long after." He then walked up to another diorama of his younger self embracing a pregnant woman with blonde curly hair. "It was with Meredith that I first experienced love. I called her my river lily. And from that love, Peter...you." At that word, the inside of the woman's stomach glowed to reveal a tiny baby inside.

Quill looked up in wonder at the display and almost felt like crying.

"I have searched searched for you for so long," Ego gently told his son. "And when I heard of a man from Earth who held an Infinity Stone in his hand without dying, I knew you must be the son of the woman I loved."

Quill turned to him with a stern expression. "If you loved her, why did you leave her?"

Ego seemed conflicted and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Then he nodded to the back entrance of the palace. "Let's go for a walk. I have so much more to show you." He turned to the others with a smile. "Make yourselves at home."

As Ego and Quill walked out of the hall, Leo looked up at Gamora. "You think Mikey and Rocket are doing okay back on Berhert?"

Gamora gave him a reassuring smile and touched him on the shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine."

"THIS IS MUTINY! THIS IS MUTINY!"

Aboard the Ravagers' ship, the mutinous pirates cheered and laughed as two of them dragged a bloodied and beaten Tullk toward the airlock. Mikey, Rocket and Yondu were all tied to metal chairs while Groot was locked inside a cage that dangled from the ceiling.

"THIS IS MUTINY!" Tullk continued to scream as he weakly struggled to break free. "THIS IS MUTINY!" The two Ravagers threw him inside the airlock and a glass door closed him in. Tullk spat blood at them in defience and pounded on the glass door as he cursed at them in the final few seconds of his life.

Mikey and Rocket felt sick to their stomachs as they heard a loud buzz followed by the sound of air hissing. The crowd that had gathered around the airlock blocked their view but they knew that Tullk had been sucked into space and slowly suffocated to death...along with the other half of the crew that had been thrown out earlier for their undying loyalty to Yondu.

The former captain, himself, stared blankly ahead as his men were being killed one at a time. The last Ravager to die sobbed and begged for him to help. But Yondu didn't even look at him.

The leader of the mutinous gang stomped up to Yondu and leaned in close to his face, sneering at him with his rotten pointy teeth. "You're the one what killed those men, by leading them down the wrong path. Because you're weak!" He punched Yondu in the face, earning a cheer from the crowd. "And stupid!" He hit him again and the gang laughed.

The only Ravager who didn't cheer or laugh was Kraglin, who flinched every time his former captain got punched. He glanced sadly at the airlock, from which all of his friends had been launched to their demise.

The disfigured leader turned to his men. "It's time for the Ravagers to rise once again to glory with a new captain..." He raised his fists in the air and yelled, "...TASERFACE!"

At the announcement of the leader's strange name, Mikey's cheeks puffed out in stifled laughter which had been drowned out by the crowd's cheering. Unfortunately, Rocket couldn't hold it in and everyone immediately became silent as the raccoon threw his head back and kicked his feet in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh, I...I'm sorry," Rocket panted after he finally calmed down. "Y-Your name is...it's Taserface?"

Taserface couldn't see the humor in this and nodded. "That's right."

"Do you...shoot tasers out of your face?"

Taserface raised his fists once more and shouted, "It's metaphorical!" The Ravagers cheered again.

"Uh...for what?" Mikey asked.

Everyone became quiet again to hear Taserface's response.

Taserface didn't even know, himself, and thought about it for a moment. "For...it is name...what strikes fear into the hearts of anyone what hears it!"

The other Ravagers didn't get it but pretended to and nodded their heads in agreement.

Mikey and Rocket looked at each other puzzled.

"Ooookaaaaay?" the Turtle said with a shrug.

"Okay, whatever you say," the raccoon giggled.

Now Taserface was beginning to get mad. He pulled out a knife and pointed it at Rocket. "You shut up," he hissed. "You're next." He turned back to Yondu and pressed the blade against his neck. "Udonta, I have waited a long time to..." He stopped when he heard Rocket snickering again and Mikey shushing him. "WHAT?!" he yelled angrily as he glared at the raccoon.

Rocket shook his head giggling. "I...I'm sorry. I am so sorry! I just keep imagining you waking up in the morning, sir, looking in the mirror and then in all seriousness saying to yourself, 'You know what would be a really kickass name? TASERFACE!'" He threw his back and laughed. "That's how I hear you in my head!"

Mikey laughed, as well, and decided to join in on the fun. "Dude, do you use that name on dating websites? Oh, yeah, I'll bet a lot of ladies would want to go out with someone named Taserface!"

"I know, right?!" Rocket laughed.

"Your scary picture probably wouldn't help much either!" Mikey added.

The other Ravagers began to snicker, while Taserface became even angrier as he gave the two animals a death stare.

"What was your second choice?" Rocket asked. "Scrotum Hat?!"

Everyone except Taserface burst out laughing.

"Dude, as ugly as you are, you should've called yourself 'Assface'!" Mikey said. The laughter of the crowd encouraged him to go on. "I mean, I've met a Fishface and even a Pizza Face, but never a Taser-EEP!"

He pulled his head into his shell in time as Taserface threw his fist at him. The disfigured alien hit the back of the metal chair instead and left a large dent. A protective Rocket sat upright in his chair and pulled at his restraints while Groot gasped in his cage. Mikey look up through his hole in fear at Taserface, who had drool running down his beard as he snarled viciously.

"After we kill Udonta and the rat...we're having turtle soup for dinner," Taserface growled.

A chubby Ravager with goggles named Gef spoke up from the crowd, "But...I don't even like turtle soup."

Another voice spoke up, but this one belonged to a woman. "That's enough killing for today." The Ravagers all turned around to see Nebula leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. In both respect and fear, they stepped aside to clear a path for the daughter of Thanos as she walked toward Taserface.

"I thought you were the biggest sadist in the galaxy," Taserface said as he backed away from Mikey.

"That was when Daddy was paying my bills," Nebula said. "The Priestess wants to kill the fox and Turtle herself." She then gestured to Yondu. "And he has bounties on his head in at least 12 Kree provinces."

Taserface snarled and slowly advanced toward her. Udonta and the two loudmouths were his to kill, and she had no right to deprive him of that pleasure, daughter of Thanos or not.

But Nebula showed no fear. "I assure you, I am not as easy a mark as an old man without his magic stick or a couple of woodland creatures."

Taserface stopped, realizing that he was indeed no match for her.

"I want 10% of the take," Nebula said with a small evil grin, "and a couple more things."

Ego's Planet

Quill and Ego stood before a giant statue Meredith in a beautiful garden. The two were silent for a while before Quill told his father, "My mother told everyone my father was from the stars." He turned to Ego, who looked remorseful and sad. "She had brain cancer, so everyone thought she was delusional."

Ego sighed softly and reached to touch his son. "Peter..."

But Quill stepped back. "Listen, I'd love to believe all of this, I really would. But you left the most wonderful woman ever...to die alone!"

"I didn't want to leave your mother, Peter," Ego insisted and gestured to himself. "If I don't return regularly to my planet and the light within it, this form will wither and perish."

"So why didn't you come back?" Quill demanded, becoming even more upset. "Why did you send Yondu, a criminal of all people, to come and fetch me?"

Tears seemed to form in Ego's eyes. "I loved your mother, Peter! I couldn't stand to set foot on an Earth where she wasn't living! You can't imagine what that's like-"

"I know exactly what that feels like!" Quill screamed with tears in his eyes, too. "I HAD TO WATCH HER DIE!"

Ego looked at him stunned, then glanced down at the ground ashamed. He didn't know that his son had suffered so much in his absence. He touched Quill on the shoulder and gave it a loving squeeze. "Over the millions and millions of years of my existence, I've made many mistakes, Peter. But you're not one of them."

Quill's angry expression softened at his father's words.

"Please give me the chance to be the father she would want me to be. There's so much that I need to teach you about this planet and the light within. They are a part of you, Peter."

"What do you mean?" Quill asked.

Ego held out his hands in response. "Give me your hands, son." Quill hesitantly did as he was told, and Ego pushed them closer together until they were a few inches apart. "Hold them like that. Now, close your eyes and concentrate. Take your brain to the center of this planet."

Quill closed his eyes and followed his father's instructions, and within seconds, blue light emanated from them. He gasped loudly while his father praised him, and the light faded away as he started to freak out. "Whoa! Wha-What was-?"

"It's okay," Ego assured him. "Just relax. Concentrate. You can do it. Bring it back."

Quill concentrated again and the light came back more strongly.

"Yes! Yes, now shape it. Feel that energy."

Very slowly, Quill formed a ball of cosmic light roughly the size of a baseball. He chuckled in disbelief and looked up at his father.

Ego smiled proudly at him. "You're home."

Quill smiled back tearfully. He truly felt like he was home at last. Then to his further delight and happiness, Ego stepped away and gestured for him to throw the ball. He had dreamt of playing catch with his father since he was a kid, and at long last, that dream had become reality as the two tossed the ball back and forth at each other.

...

"I'm happy for Quill," Leo said softly as he and Gamora explored the rest of the magnificent palace. They were now walking down a hall that had large paintings on the walls. "Aren't you?"

Gamora hummed quietly in agreement, but she still felt uncertain about all this.

Leo stopped to look at a painting that caught his eye. A muscular horned monster with long claws, two pairs of black eyes, and spikes all over its body had its massive jaws open in a roar, revealing its sharp, jagged teeth. Standing before it with his sword raised above his head was a warrior in golden armor, his long red cape flowing in the wind. The two appeared to be fighting each other on top of a cliff and there was a flash of lighting in the dark blue sky.

The monster in the painting reminded him of the Shredder after he mutated and his throat became tight at the terrible memory of his father's death. He couldn't get the image of Shredder stabbing Splinter out of his head and he could still hear the sickening thud of his father's body hitting the pavement after he had been thrown off the building.

He jumped at the touch of Gamora's hand on his shell.

"Leo?" Gamora looked at the Turtle concerned. "Are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Leo told her with a forced smile, which quickly dropped. "I'm just worried about Mikey. He never really talks about our father's death, but I can tell that he's still hurting from it. He's never cussed before, at least not in front of us, and he's becoming more and more rebellious. And now he wants to leave us. I want to help him but he won't let me."

Gamora nodded understandingly. "Maybe a little space is all that Mikey needs. Sometimes when our loved ones try to help us in our darkest hour, it feels like they're suffocating us even though they mean well."

Leo's shoulders dropped in sadness. "I thought Mikey was happy," he said in a quiet voice. "How could I be so oblivious?"

"You're a good brother, Leo," Gamora told him in a soft voice. "Mikey admires you. During our last adventure together, he talked about you the most out of all his brothers."

Leo looked up at her surprised. "Really?"

She smiled and nodded. "You inspire him to never give up and to keep on fighting no matter what. He thinks of you as a role model, and I can see why."

The Turtle smiled to himself as his heart began to glow with happiness and pride. He had no idea that Mikey admired him so much. "Wow," he whispered.

The two continued down the hall and toward the exit, and as they got closer to the doors, they could hear Mantis talking to Drax outside. "Drax? There's something I must tell you..."

Gamora opened one of the doors and Drax and Mantis were sitting on the steps of the palace. They both turned around and Mantis seemed troubled as she became silent and looked down at her feet.

Leo stepped out after Gamora. "What's going on?" he asked them.

"This gross bug lady is my new friend," Drax said with a smile.

Mantis looked up at them and smiled as well. "I'm learning many things, like I'm a pet and ugly."

"What?" Leo looked at her shocked. "You're not ugly."

"Drax!" Gamora scolded her friend.

Drax looked at her and Leo confused as he gestured to Mantis. "What are you talking about it?"

Gamora rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Mantis, can you show us where we'll be staying?"

...

Mantis led Gamora, Leo, and Drax through a field and toward a villa just as the sun began to set. Strangely, though, there were no animals or even bugs of any kind anywhere.

"Mantis, why are there no other beings on this planet?" Leo asked the host. "It seems big enough to house a lot more people."

"The planet is Ego," Mantis explained. "A dog would not invite a flea to live on his back."

"And you're not a flea?" Gamora questioned.

"I'm a flea with a purpose. I help him to sleep."

The green-skinned warrior walked around Mantis and stood in front of her. "What were you about to say to Drax before Leo and I walked out?"

Mantis looked at her with what appeared to be fear in her large dark eyes, then she shook her head. "Nothing." She walked past Gamora and continued on her way. "Your quarters are this way."

Gamora looked at Leo and Drax, who were just as confused and skeptical as she was. Mantis was hiding something, but what?