Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry about the small break. College work really picked up the last couple of months. Since I will be out of the country for the next update and with spotty internet access, I will be updating twice today to make up for it. Oh, and I saw Infinity War on the 27th… May 3rd, 2019 come sooner!

Chapter 6- The Ego

"Now, alright, I know that sounds bad." Ego expressed, not sounding sorry at all, while holding his hands up in a 'stop' motion.

Peter took out his two guns and shot at his father one after the other for at least a minute. Holes in Ego's form showed but the blue skeleton was still there at the end of it. "Phew." Ego straightened up, "Who in the hell do you think you are?"

"You killed my MOTHER! And you are doing the SAME THING to my SISTER!" Peter yelled angrily at his father…. No. He wasn't his father. He was just a sad old… powerful, but sad old man.

"Peter." Ego pleaded, "I tried so hard to find the form that best suited you." Ego's form changed into the picture that Peter was looking at earlier in Ego's ship. "-and this is the thanks I get?!" Ego changed back into the form Peter first met him in. "You really need to grow up." Ego growled at him.

Ego's hand lifted, and a trail of bright light burst from the floor and like a gigantic stinger, pierced through Peter's back. Peter gasped in pain. "I wanted to do this together. But I suppose you'll have to learn by spending the next thousand years as a battery!"

At the same moment that the burst of blue energy came from the floor, the pain in Valkyrie's head increased tenfold, "Aaargh!" She cried out in pain, clutching the sides of her head and sinking toward the ground.

"Valkyrie!" Drax, Gamora, and Mantis cried out.

Gamora crouched down next to Valkyrie and put a hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Valkyrie bit her lip in pain so hard that blood dripped down her chin as she spoke in breaths, "It feels… like I'm … being attacked."

"Attacked?" Drax asked, "There is no one here."

"It could be mind." Mantis alleged, her demeanor grim, "Ego was always good with the mind."

"But that means… Peter!" Valkyrie gasped. She tried to stand up but fell against Drax, not even making it half way up. Drax steadied her by gripping her shoulders.

Gamora looked at her, "Valkyrie, listen to me. You're in no condition to fight."

"He's my brother, Gamora." Valkyrie insisted, then she winced as the pain increased again. "I can't... just leave him."

Suddenly Gamora's communicator beeps three times and she took it out of her pocket and said, "Finally, Rocket?"

Rockets voice emitted out of the communicator, "Keep that transmitter nearby, so I can find you. We're in an old piece of construction equipment that Yandu once used to slice open the bank of A'askaveria."

"Ego's unhinged." Gamora replied.

"I know. Get ready." Communications cut out but the transmitter was still on so Rocket could find them.

"Let me fight." Valkyrie spoke up, having managed to get to a standing position, but having to lean on Drax for support.

Gamora closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them again, "Fine. Let's go." The group moved out, Drax having to support Valkyrie on the way.

Back in the circular room, Ego walked menacingly up to Peter and grabbed his walkman from his belt. "No." Peter moaned, his voice hoarse.

Ego pressed play on the walkman. It came out staticy then clearer, "...you're a fine girl…." began to play.

"My life, my love, my lady is the sea. Peter. This is the sea." Then he crushed the walkman until it stopped playing the music. Peter could only groan in response. Ego backed up, spreading his arms wide open as the blue energy grew intensity and Peter yelled out in pain.

Suddenly the light expanded and seemed to explode from the room.

Gamora, Valkyrie, Nebula, Mantis and Drax were close to the building when a bright blue light pulsed out of it, so bright that they skidded to a halt, covering their eyes with their arms.

The pain had increased again for Valkyrie but she was able to keep herself upright, though everything was beginning to become dizzy and fuzzy.

They ran at full speed to the building and Drax kicked down the door to see Peter up in the air with the blue energy pierced through him and the sam blue energy surrounding Ego.

Ego, startled, looked at the group then a rumbling was heard as the construction equipment that Rocket spoke of burst through the window. "Hey there, jackasses!" Came Yando's greeting as he slammed his ship into Ego.

The blue light disappeared and Peter fell to the floor. Valkyrie, still in pain, stumbled over to him. "Peter." Valkyrie shook his shoulder.

Gamora, Nebula, Drax and Mantis raced to the ship which had opened the door to reveal Baby Groot waving at them. They began to climb on.

"Val." Peter groaned out, "You- you're okay."

"Depends on what you mean by okay." Valkyrie responded with and helped Peter stand up as Gamora ran over to help.

From the spaceship Valkyrie heard Drax say, "Out of the way, dumber, smaller Groot."

Gamora took Peter's other side. "I told you something didn't feel right." She remarked.

"I told you so. Just what I need to hear right now."

"Well, I came back, didn't I?" Gamora responded.

Part of the ceiling fell behind them as the helped Peter to the ship. "Because there's an unspoken thing."

"There is no unspoken thing."

"What are you doing!?" Drax yelled at Rocket from inside the ship. "You could have killed us all!"

"Uh, thank you Rocket!" Rocket turned his chair around.

"We had it under control." Drax stated.

Mantis was pacing behind them, "We did not. That was only an extension of his true self. He will be back soon." Mantis concluded as Gamora helped Valkyrie and Peter onto the ship.

"What's smurfette doing here?" Peter glared at Nebula.

"Whatever I need to do to get a damn ride home."

"She tried to murder me!" Rocket pointed out.

"I saved you, you stupid fox." Nebula snapped.

"He's not a fox." Gamora hissed at Nebula.

Baby Groot stepped forward and stated, "I am Groot."

"I am not a raboon either." Rocket snapped.

"I am Groot."

"Racoon. Whatever."

Suddenly Four pillars of blue energy burst from the ground and Valkyrie let out a small moan of pain and leaned on Peter for support.

"Val!" Peter grabbed her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"My... my head's killing me." Valkyrie got out.

"Ego." Peter's voice grew dark. "He said…" Peter swallowed, "That he put a tumor in you. Same with my mother."

Valkyrie's eyes widened. "So… how do we…." Valkyrie trailed off, biting the inside of her cheek.

Peter was silent, looking at Val, with tears in his eyes, "I don't know."