Hey guys, very sorry for the long wait. I've been doing my dissertation for uni but now i've submitted it in and I've made it a bit longer. Enjoy it.

Operation Stones Part Three

Back in the Avengers compound, Cheryl, Daniel, and Orlins had been waiting patiently but quietly for the others to arrive back. They kept a firm eye on the machine at all times. Cheryl noticed her brother was looking at a picture. She shuffled next to him and held his hands. They saw their younger selves with their parents, both American doctors. "I miss them too,"

"How should we tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

Daniel gave her a blank look. "You know what I mean. What do you think they'd think if they knew we were vigilantes? Dad always said that everyone's purpose in the world is to help it. And I thought at first this was a way of doing it,"

"We'll discuss this with Jesse once it's all done," Cheryl told him. "He'll help us find a way. But he is right. We need to tell them. The last thing I ever want is for them to worry about us after the five years we've been apart from them,"

Her brother nodded and she gave him a warm hug. Purrs echoed from Orlins's curled-up body as he lay near the consul. "You okay, Mr. Guntrin?"

"I'm perfectly fine," he said in a grumpy mood.

"Come and join us," Daniel patted the spot beside him.

"I'm perfectly fine here," he wouldn't look at them.

"What is wrong?" Cheryl asked.

"Seeing you both like that…you remind me so much of Tina and her brother when they were younger. They were just like you two. Inseparable. They lost their mother at a young age. They had no proper father. All they had was each other. Like you, two have each other,"

"Well technically….we still have our dog and grandparents…" Danny said simply but his sister coughed gently. "But you're right. We can see why you're saying all this,"

"I'm sure after we bring half the Universe back, she'll try to talk to him," Cheryl's attempts at cheering were futile as well. "She can't be mad at him forever,"

"I'm afraid the pair of them reconciling may not be as easy as I wish it was," Orlins didn't want to talk anymore. He walked to a faraway spot to have a silent nap and the children respected his boundaries.

The creature landed before the Order, blocking its way from the stairs. It was a medium-sized creature of space blue with mighty feathered wings and the head and neck of a horse with sharp teeth, a thick furry mane of ocean blue and wide wolfish ears. The two front legs were reptilic and the hind ones were those of horses and to complete the hybrid look, the creature had a long scaley tail with ocean-blue tendrils with pink glow ends. It roared, emitting its long fork-shaped tongue, and showing its bright pink eyes.

"Anyone wanna guess what that is?" Peter asked awkwardly.

"That is a Hippodraken," Phateia answered. The creature roared again, refusing to let them pass. "We tame this beast and we pass the test,"

"Any chance you know how to?" Scylla asked.

"Would it be a bad time to say I don't?"

"Yes!" the group answered together, sending pairs of narrowed eyes at her; she shrugged.

"Does it have to be tamed?" Tobey asked.

"Yes!" Phateia repeated. "We kill this creature, that archway up there won't allow us to pass through to the stone,"

Sylva tried to approach it gently. "Sylva…" her father called out.

"Dad. I've got this," she held up a hand. "Hey, boy…or girl…" she attempted to stroke it but it bit at her and her father pulled her back.

"It was worth a try," he said, trying to sound encouragingly.

"It's not gonna be like petting a dog," Phateia told them.

"You could have said that earlier!" Peter scolded.

"Guys!" Tobey ranted. "We've got bigger problems here!". Right after he said that Leok pushed him back from a stream of acid from the mouth of the Hippodraken. "How do we tame this thing, Scylla?"

"Why am I expected to know everything?!" she ranted.

"You're the keeper of the only knowledge we found!"

The Hippodraken roared again and flapped its wings knocking them down the stairs a bit. Leok managed to get up quickly. He snarled with his teeth and stood to face it.

"Leok! Get away from it!" His father cried out.

Leok and the beast circled each other, growling with each other's teeth and swishing their tails. Tobey tried to rush in but his brother stopped. "Wait. Let him try,"

"I can't take that risk!" After all that he had suffered, Tobey could not lose his son too.

Still, Peter had more faith in his son than he did. "Just trust him," he implored. Tobey twisted his head and saw the faith fuming in his brother's eyes. He stood back and they watched tensely as Leok undertook the test.

"It's you and me," Leok lost not focus. Their eyes never left one another. "Okay. Shall we do this the easy way? Or the hard way?"

The Hippodraken crouched like a panther. "I guess it's the hard way then,". It leapt. He swerved and grabbing its mane, he lassoed himself onto its back but he started leapt about like a raging bull.

"Leok!" Tobey tried to help but Peter stopped him.

"Don't distract me!" Leok struggled to keep himself balanced but he gripped the mane-like handles. "You're not getting rid of me that easy!"

Oh really? The Hippodraken suddenly threw itself and him off the cliff and they were sent plunging downwards.

"Leok!" cried his father.

Overcome with shock, Peter activated his ankle jet boosters and shot down after them. "Dad!" Sylva cried out. She tried to activate her own ones but Scylla stopped her.

Leok was flung off the Hippodraken back but he kept pulling on the mane. Unfortunately, the weight dragged them both down, down, down…

"Leok!" he heard his uncle cry out. Peter managed to catch up to them. Still shooting down, he reached out his hand. "Leok! Take my hand!"

"No! We have to pass the test!" Leok cried out.

"Just take it!" he begged again. If Leok died too…

"Just trust me!"

"Just grab my hand!"

Finally, had enough, the Hippodraken spiralled in mid-air trying to slap Peter away with one of its wings. He lost control of his flying and crash-landed on a flat platform.

"Dad!" Sylva cried.

"Phateia!" Tobey ordered. The Dragokren leapt and pulled a special gadget from her belt activating a hook-gun which shot a roped hook into the rock. She abseiled down to the bottom, hauled Peter over her shoulder and climbed back up all whilst Tobey remained staring down watching anxiously for his son.

Leok struggled to hang on but he wouldn't give up. Grabbing both hands on the mane, he swung and hooked his legs around the neck and forced the Hippodraken to swerve around, pulling him back onto its back. They were close to crashing into the ocean. Leok pulled back on the mane's strands like reins and the Hippodraken was reared upwards into the air again. But it wasn't over. Still, the creature tried to jolt him off. It reared towards some of the towering sea columns, willing to crash itself into the solid rock but Leok took control again. He directed down. Then right from another. Then left. Up. And over. His family were amazed as he steered the creature past the obstacles. In doing so, earning the creature's respect, as it grew accustomed to having a rider and trusting him to be its guide.

"He's done it," Scylla breathed.

The Hippodraken brayed and no longer tried to jolt its rider off its back. "Friends?" Leok patted its scales.

Yes. Friends. To tame me…you had to learn to fly me. And you have done well.

Leok paused. "Did I just understand you?"

Yes. The one who trains me is the one who understands me. Now…let us end this trial. The Hippodraken, a young male like him, flapped his wings and landed before the proud faces of Leok's family.

Once he dismounted him, his father embraced him quickly, letting out all his suppressed fear. Then he pushed him back. "Don't do that again!" he hugged him again.

"That was brilliant!" Sylva complimented, earning a high-five.

"I'm so proud of you!" Scylla jumped for joy and Leok genuflected for a hug.

"You okay uncle?" he asked Peter.

"I'm okay," Peter was still wincing from that crash but Phateia made sure he remained in good shape.

"It looks like you've made a new friend," Scylla complimented. "You gonna give him a name?"

Leok took a moment to stroke the tamed creature's mane. "Hippoflash?"

"It's perfect," Tobey stroked the Hippodraken. "But that means you need to be responsible for him. Understood?"

"Absolutely. Well…Hippoflash, think you can lead us up to the next trial?"

The Hippodraken simply wiggled his tail and neighed, leading them back towards the stairs. They chose to follow him upwards. They walked up a few levels until they came to another platform with another stone of inscribed instructions. Before them was an extensive gorge with floating stones that separated them from the rest of the way upwards.

"'The Test of Courage'" Phateia read. "'Face these obstacles and only then will you proceed to the temple'".

"Once again it looks like we just simply cross this gorge on our new friend here but we have to jump on these floating bits of rock," Peter complained.

I'm afraid I cannot cheat and help you guys safely across. Hippoflash said regrettably. The Great Guardian demanded it of me when I came to this planet to serve my purpose in the first trial.

"It's okay boy," Leok stroked him. "We know we have to do this fair and square,"

"How can you understand him?" his father asked, still dazzled by his skills of riding a Hippodraken.

"I just earned it by taming it," his son answered, earning a pat.

"I'll go first," Sylva volunteered. Before her father could stop her, she jumped off the ledge and onto the nearest floating rock. "Woah!" she nearly lost her balance but she managed to stand straight. "I'm okay Dad!" she assured.

Peter decided to come after her. "I'm coming after you,". He was about to jump when they heard loud growling screeching all around them. "Any idea what that is, Phateia? Scylla?"

"No idea," they answered together.

Suddenly the rocks started moving. Sylva lost her balance and landed on her knees grabbing the ledges for support. "Sylva!" her father cried. The rocks banged around and she slipped, grabbing onto the ledge by her hands, shocking her dad. He sprinted and leapt. He landed on a rock floating just below her. "I'll catch you!" he held his hands up. Scrunching her eyes, Sylva let go and he caught her but both nearly fell off the second one.

"Peter! Sylva! Below you!" Tobey cried. Staring down, the father and daughter saw ghoulish warriors crawling up the gorge walls and leaping onto the rocks.

"Where did those things come from?" Peter freaked out.

"Hang on!" Scylla activated her bow and started striking them down. Tobey activated his sabre and leapt onto a floating rock to aid them. He beheads them. Phateia wrestled them as well. Leok chose to join in but he became overwhelmed until Hippoflash came to his head, swiping them back into the gorge with his long tails. He wasn't going to let his new rider and his family face them alone. "Thank you," the teen said.

You're welcome. Hippoflash flapped his wings and blew the other monsters back with powerful flaps. But as they tried leaping at everyone standing on the floating rocks, they were bashed about. Sylva fell onto another. Peter tried to get to her but he was pinned down. "Dad!" she cried. Blast! Blast! Blast!. She sent the monsters falling off the rock but her floating platform suddenly started plunging.

"Sylva!"

Quickly Sylva leapt and she grabbed onto a vine dangling down the wall of the cliff. "I'm okay!". Roars hammered her ears and this time she saw a giant sea serpent erupting from the thin stream of water at the bottom of the gorge.

"Get away from her!" Peter shot down at the serpent but his blasts barely made a dent in its skin. It bit at him but he jumped to another rock.

"Uncle!" Leok mounted Hippoflash and they flew down; he swiped his laser-sabre right through the scales and it roared in pain. Whilst the monster was distracted, Sylva started climbing up the cliff wall. Phateia managed to reach a hand down and fish her out. Peter meanwhile struggled with more of those ghoulish creatures. Tobey had his back but the rocks started wabbling. Tobey nearly slipped to his death but Peter managed to hoist him up with his rocket boosters.

Scylla saw the serpent trying to bite at her surrogate nephew and drew a laser arrow. Whoosh! Roar! The arrow pierced the yellow right eye.

"Peter swing me!" Tobey ordered. Peter nodded. He shot right towards the serpent and when it saw them, he spun around and slash! Tobey sent the tip of his sabre slicing right across the throat of rigid skin. And then Leok urged Hippoflash to fly a little closer and he slid the other side of the neck. Life left the monster abruptly. Hippoflash caught Tobey and they landed on the other side of the gorge. Phateia, Scylla and Sylva managed to make it across the rest of the way and they panted for dear life.

"That was close," exhaled Peter.

"Way, way too close!" Scylla vented. "I guess Hippoflash was meant to help us after all,". This earned the Hippodraken an affectionate pat from his riders.

"Now to Trial three," Phateia led them the rest of the way up and there in front of them was the archway of pure white marble. It looked simple, but the piece of ancient architecture framed a barrier of pink and white energy. Tobey approached it carefully, holding his sabre towards it. The energy seemed to react to the barrier as it sent waves of white waving through it.

"You think there's some kind of dimension through it?" Leok asked.

"It mentioned nothing of this," said Scylla. "But that looks more than likely possibly,"

"It might be dangerous," said Tobey. "Some of might need to stay out here,"

"You are right to say that Tobias," spooked a loud voice. Everyone's heads spun around, searching for the source of the voice. "Not all of you can pass through,". The speaker remained invisible.

"Show yourself!" Tobey peered upwards and saw a majestic red Dragokren. Phateia growled. It was the first time in a long while she had seen one of her kind, let alone a very ancient being. Reiorus flapped his wings and he stumbled back allowing the Guardian of the Light Stone to land between them and the barrier to the final three tests.

"Greetings travellers," he addressed. "You have all come a long way to finding this stone,"

"Any specific reason why you didn't show yourself the moment we came to this island?" Phateia demanded.

"It's been years since I last saw one of my own kind. I've never met a Dragokren with such a fiery temper," Phateia growled at his comment. "Let alone a bit of a rude one. To answer your question Phateia I had to observe you all for the first two tests. You are all skilled physically but emotionally….may be another story,"

"How did you know our names?" Tobey demanded.

"It is my curse to know the identity of everyone who comes to this sacred planet. But now there is much more to complete. Only you four will pass through the barrier to the next few tests," he pointed to the two brothers and their children.

"No. We are going through together!" Phateia marched upon him. "Or you could make this easier and give us the stone. Half of the universe is dead after all and what other use could we have for it?"

"That is not how it works," he answered back. "Three of you stay and only four will go on. And it will be these four for very specific reasons," he repeated. He walked backwards into a portal flickering in specks of pink. It swallowed him up before it disappeared.

"You guys cannot seriously think of going through there without us," Scylla begged. She glimpsed anxiously at Tobey who stared at the temple portal. "Tobes…"

"I think I know what we're facing in there," he said grimly.

Peter sensed his anxiety and became consumed by fear too. "We'll face it together brother," he promised.

"Let us come with you," Phateia begged.

"Reiorus has made it clear that only us four will be allowed through," said Leok. "And we'll be together. You guys can just wait out here for the others, check in that they're alright,". After fighting all those monsters in the second Trial, his mind was glued to the memory of Erzi and Hornil fighting all those space beasts to allow them to reach the island.

"We'll be okay," Sylva promised. "We'll be together,"

The two ladies had no choice but to nod to their words. "Just remember guys…" the agitated badger spoke up. "Whatever it is you all see in there…don't be affected by it,". She motioned for Tobey to come forward which he did with a bow. "Tobes…whatever you see…don't give into it,"

"A part of me is glad you're staying out here," Tobey confessed, trying to ignore her tears and the gnawing of his heart. "You've been with me ever since our suffering began…and now I must face it without your comfort. I'd rather you didn't see what I will,"

Scylla's tears prickled her eyes. "You'll have your family with you,"

"You're our family too Aunt Scylla," Leok said to her. "You always have been,"

Her heart was touched as Peter and Sylva genuflected before her. They embraced her tightly. She really was family to them. Peter invited Phateia to join which she humbly did. They released one another. The fathers and teenagers held each other's hands. Taking one last look back, they exchanged determined faces.

"Close your eyes," spooked the voice of Reiorus again. The four didn't want to. Nevertheless, they obliged. And walked through.

Tobey opened his eyes. A wave of shock struck his body when he couldn't feel his son's hand. He stared around. "Peter! Leok! Sylva!" he cried out. He could do nothing but walk around the illusion of bars and wait for something to happen.

Leok found himself on a battlefield. He was consumed by a cacophony of roaring fire. Ear-splitting screams. Unstoppable gunshots. He saw blue people with tails like him fleeing for their lives from those who looked like them but were stronger, tougher, and downed impenetrable armour.

Much like her adoptive cousin, Sylva was running through a battlefield. But ships shaped like doughnuts were striking from the sky with guns. Boom! Blast! She saw her people running around screaming, their once beautiful paradise of lush forests and beaches and oceans turning into a land of fire and ash.

Peter breathed heavily on the surface of Titan. This was where it all started. His journey of guilt and shame. He heard screams behind him. He turned around and saw Drax, Mantis, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange running towards him, faces of anger and rage. He stumbled back, frightened by their faces…but before they could touch him, their faces dissolved into the winds. And he fell backwards off a cliff. Boof. He landed on a solid black surface where snow fell upon him. And a mountain towered over him. He raised his head seeing two cuboid columns stretching into the sky.

Tobey held his breath walking through corridors of steel and metal. He turned a corner and flash! He was inside a prison of cages. For animals. "No," he breathed. "No. It's not real," he tried to find a way but at every corner he steered, cages appeared everywhere. "This isn't real!" He reached a dead end but just when he rotated around, his heart dropped into his stomach. He hyperventilated. He felt blood on his hands, under his feet, spreading from bodies. A walrus. A rabbit. An otter. A badger. A racoon. And his…

"No. No," Tobey was gonna vomit. He turned around but he saw bodies everywhere. He saw his son's. Sylva's. Peter's. Erzi's. Harvie's. A beautiful woman with long dark eyes and his eyes. "No!" he couldn't take it anymore. He fell to his knees crying into his hands.

Peter stood up and examined the barren landscape beyond the mountain. "Vormir," he realised.

"Peter?" the voice sent a crack through his head. He twisted his head and saw Gamora.

His face was pale. "Gamora?". His deceased girlfriend stepped closer. He saw blood over her head and face. "No. This isn't you,"

"What have you done?" she demanded.

"I've done nothing," he stumbled back.

"But you have done something," she snarled her white straight teeth. "You got everyone killed. You failed me. You failed the entire universe,"

Peter freaked. "Gamora please! I didn't mean to!". He couldn't control himself. "I learnt you were killed and…"

"You killed everyone else!" Gamora roared. "I'm ashamed I ever fell in love with you,". Her cold words cut through his heart like paper. "You brought this upon us al!"

Before Peter could react, she pushed him and before he knew he was plunging through an inter-dimensional void where he heard shouts, cries, screams…

"Dad!" Sylva cried out, her legs still pushing her on through the destruction of her home world. "Dad!". She saw soldiers, giants in golden armour marching upon a group of frightened Star people all forced together. She saw a little girl about eight embraced by two loving parents, the leader of the attackers marched upon them. Thanos. She breathed heavily.

On a moon planet of craters and grey mounds, small yellow ships crashed into the ground. The door opened. A racoon popped out inhaling dangerously. A young teen falling out too, crying into his hands. A badger kneeling beside him. She cupped his face and embraced him. The racoon twisted his head, glaring with eyes that lacked sorrow and generosity. "This is all your fault,"

"I'm sorry," Tobey begged in sobs. "I didn't mean for this to happen,"

"You're sorry?!" roared Rocket. "They died because you broke your promise!"

"You know in your heart he is not to blame," Scylla defended the poor boy. "It is the High Evolutionary who did this to us! Not him!" but Rocket was overcome with rage and anger.

"Rocket no!" Scylla cried but he leapt at the young teen's face and blood was being spilt on the sand leading to painful screams. The badger roared and pounced on the racoon, pushing him away from the young boy now dropped on the sand, covering his face, and crying. Snarling and yapping, she forced him away. "What is wrong with you?! It's not his fault Lylla, Teefs and Floor are gone! Why do you have to be so mean? Look at him!"

"You're taking his side!?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side! But you have no right…no right to blame him for their deaths! He's just lost his mother!"

"And we have lost all our friends! Because of him!" Rocket didn't care at all about Tobey's crying. "You've chosen your side,". Scylla felt betrayed by the blow of words. He turned his back on them.

"Rocket!" Scylla begged but the racoon boarded the ship and closed their hatch. He abandoned them forever as he disappeared into the outskirts of space, never to be seen again. She rushed quickly to Tobey as he raised his head, blood and tears pouring from his face. She cupped his face and licked his wounds but nothing could erase the growing agony which would scar him forever.

Tobey turned away from the second vision, shuddering, breathing heavily. He looked into a pool of water as his tears rained from his face, stimulated by his dark memory. He pressed a com in his ear and a blue flash revealed his true face, mauled with horrifying scratch marks. His left eye was scratched and scarred. And red strikes had permanently crimpled transformed deformed his cheeks. He hadn't looked into this true reflection for years. And looking at it right now was more heart-breaking than ever.

"It hurts doesn't it," mocked a voice he hadn't heard in years. He spun around and saw Ego, the Living Planet in his human form. The illusion changed around them and he was inside his palace.

"Get away from me," Tobey tried to turn away again, activating his holographic mask but Ego appeared in front of him again. "Stay away from me,"

"You really shouldn't have run away,"

"You didn't care about me and my mother at all. All you wanted was a progeny for your plans of expansion,"

"At least I didn't let my stupid emotions get in the way of my goals,"

Tobey's heart cracked again. "Don't," he warned.

"Don't what?" he continued tormenting "Remind you of how you let your emotions get the better of you? How you let them get people killed? Just like your pathetic brother," His cruelty had reached its tipping point.

"You're not real. You're dead! It's over!" Tobey punched his face but it went right through his mouth.

Ego stood back, cackling like mad. "Don't you get it stupid boy?! It's not over! It will never be over!" Tobey tried again and again to punch the convincing illusion but he remained tormented by the verbal weapons. Ego cackled and cackled cruelly. "No matter how hard you try you will always be reminded of how you let them down, how you let her down...". The mention of his mother made Tobey grab his shoulder and throw him to the floor but the illusion came right back up at him. "No matter how hard you try, you can never escape your guilt,"

Leok hid behind a ruined ship. He peered over it. And in the distance on a shore, he saw…himself? He could see a doppelganger just like him standing near the dead body of another blue humanoid who looked just like him with slightly longer hair. And another one with black dreadlocks. His doppelganger was crying. And the grown-up had cold eyes.

Sylva saw Thanos marching upon her birth parents.

"What do you want with us, Thanos?" cried Starnus.

"I want you to tell me everything you know about the stones. Where are your scrolls?"

"We don't have any knowledge about the stones!"

Thanos nodded at Ebony. He flicked his finger and Sylva was telepathically torn from her mother's arms.

"Sylva!" Luna cried out. She tried to save her but she was pinned too by her magic.

"No!" Starnus fell to his knees. "Please…release my family! They've done nothing wrong!"

"Then give me what I want," commanded Thanos.

"Don't do it!" child Sylva begged.

Starnus would not lose his family. "Alright," he gave in. "If I do, do you promise to leave the rest of my people and my family alone?"

The man Titan nodded. Ebony released his family at once and they fell into his arms. As he held them close, Thanos towered over them. "Show me,"

Leok crept closer unsure whether this was real or an illusion.

"Stay with your brother Leok," ordered the cold-glaring man.

Leok froze. This was him? How could this be him? He could not recall at all this moment. Was that dead teen really his brother? And how could this man possibly be…?

"Dad I want to go with you," begged the tear-stricken Leok.

But the man who was supposed to be his dad frowned. "You've done enough," his voice was bitter and unforgiving.

Leok hid at once, shuddering. No. This wasn't real at all. This was all made him. His father was Tobey. And he had no past on wherever he was standing.

Peter woke up, feeling the grass beneath him. He sat up. He saw the Avengers facility. Had he been sent back? No wait. That's not possible. He approached the windows and heard the shouting of his Tina. He peered through and saw….

"Trillions of people are now dead because of you!" Tina pointed an accusing finger at her brother, appalling everyone else. They were equally outraged at Peter for unintentionally allowing Thanos to succeed in his goal but right now Tina was taking it too far without considering everything else.

"Tina, enough," Una tried to break it up.

"I'm so sorry," Peter breathed out, hoarsely. "Please," he begged for her forgiveness.

"Too late! Everyone else would be here right now if it weren't for you and your stupid emotions!" bellowed Tina. Peter was struck. She didn't care at all about the love he had held for Gamora and how losing her was something he couldn't walk away from. "You've jeopardized everything! And now everyone we love is gone, because of you!" she pushed him back, trying to punch him but Una pushed her back.

"Just stop it," the Asgardian ranted. "What's done is done! It's not his fault! Not entirely!"

"Why should I?" she roared. "We both lost people we loved because of him!" she pointed at Peter who remained frozen by her yells, unable to defend himself.

"He lost Gamora," reminded Nebula, her voice broken for her sister. "He's lost people as well. You're not the only one who's suffering,"

"I don't care!" she shouted, shocking everyone, even Orlins that she would rant like this about her brother, the only blood relative she had left. "The only thing I care about is that half the universe is dead and Thanos has won," she glared darkly at her twin. "I will never forgive you for this,".

Peter ran away at once from the scene. He couldn't take it anymore. He breathed heavily, tears prickling his face. No matter how hard he tried to forget, he could never neglect the pain of his twin's blaming. It was an emotional scar that would forever taunt him.

Leok ran away from the scene he had just witnessed but the world transformed around him and he saw himself again, being dragged in chains by the barbarians who had dared to strike down upon this tropical land from the sky. He saw brands. His brands. He wanted to cry out for his dad again. He wanted to scream. But instead, a blast sent him backwards into the ocean water and he was pulled into a void of darkness.

Sylva watched her younger self being clutched by her mother. Her birth father walked with Thanos carrying a sacred book. He handed it to Ebony.

"I gave you what you wanted," Starnus said. "Now leave my people in peace,"

Thanos cackled. "Half of you must die,"

"No!" Starnus pulled out a secret dagger and tried to kill him but he was stabbed through the heart.

"No!" Luna cried.

"Daddy!" Sylva screamed; her mother's arms engulfed her.

Sylva turned away and ran for it but she tripped and fell.

"Such sour moping," mocked a cruel voice.

Peter spun around and saw Ego. "You know nothing about me!" he swiped his tears. "You're not real!"

"This is exactly why I killed your mother. She made me weak. Her and love for a man from space. Just like your love for Gamora made me weak,"

Peter punched him he barely made a dent in his face. "No! It made me strong!"

"And look where it goes you. You've lost everything. Your teams. Your friends. Your sister…you have nothing," Ego breathed into his face with his foul malice. "You're alone,"

Peter was about to give in. But he remembered everyone he still had. "No!" he roared into Ego's face. "I am not alone! I have my daughter! My brother! Friends! Everything I still have! And you will not taunt my dreams! I am done with you! And Tobey is too! Love makes us strong! It always has!"

Ego's illusion weakened and Peter struck him down.

The Ego taunting Tobey suddenly groaned in pain and his eldest surviving son struck him down too. "It's over," Tobey taunted the vision of the man who once haunted his childhood. "You can't hurt me anymore,"

So Peter, Tobey and the teens are seeing horrifying illusions. What do you all think of their pasts? And Rocket blaming Tobey for the deaths of their friends? His mask isn't like the High Evolutionary's. It is a holographic mask that conceals his scars. He hides them because he can't bear to see them when he sees himself in his reflection. Thanks to those who suggested Ego appearing. I hope you all enjoyed. And you can expect the next one tomorrow hopefully. See you all soon.