I am Thor

"See that metal ball? That's Ego's brain. Just blow it up!" Rocket shouted.

"Wait," Star-Lord hesitated. "You just said it was his heart."

"Don't sweat the details! Just blow it up and get it over with!" Rocket snapped, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Alright, fine! Weapon systems are online. This will start immediately—hold on tight!"

Rocket slammed a button on the console. A hot beam of red laser erupted from the spaceship's cannon, blazing toward the gleaming metal core at the planet's center. The laser hissed and crackled as it melted through the tough outer shell.

"Yes! That's it!" Star-Lord whispered, his eyes narrowing with anticipation. "If it pierces the core, he's done for!"

But their moment of hope was short-lived.

"No! Stop!" Ego's enraged roar echoed like thunder. A crackling energy tentacle shot from the ground, piercing their spaceship like a blade slicing through paper. The craft sputtered violently, flames bursting from its hull, and crashed unceremoniously onto the planet's surface.

Rocket, Star-Lord, and the rest of the Guardians scrambled out of the smoking wreckage. Around them, the ground shimmered with radiant energy, slowly taking the form of a colossal face—a face that radiated pure, malevolent power. The pressure was overwhelming, making even breathing a challenge.

"I thought you said you could put him to sleep!" Drax shouted, glaring at Mantis.

The insectoid empath shook her head, trembling. "No! I can only do it if he wants to sleep. In his current state, I— I can't!"

"You must believe in yourself!" Drax bellowed, his voice a strange mix of determination and desperation. "Because I believe in you!"

The raging energy surged toward them like a tidal wave. With no other choice, Mantis clenched her fists, the antennae on her forehead glowing faintly. She dropped to her knees, pressing her palms against the ground's pulsating energy streams.

"Sleep!" she cried out, her voice echoing with an intensity born of sheer willpower.

A sudden silence fell. The furious energy dissipated as if frozen in time. Mantis collapsed, gasping for air. "I... I can't hold it for long. You need to act fast!"

Rocket's mind raced. "Our weapons are out. What now?" Gamora asked, her voice laced with urgency.

"I've got a plan!" Rocket shouted, pulling a control panel from the ruined ship. He connected it to a compact explosive device he had stashed away. "This is a small detonator. If we send it through one of the cracks in the core and detonate it, the blast will trigger a chain reaction in his nervous system. The whole planet will blow!"

Yondu frowned. "Those cracks are tiny. We can't fit inside."

"Unless..." His gaze fell on Baby Groot, who looked around cluelessly.

Rocket groaned. "Oh, this is just the worst. But it's all we've got." He grabbed Groot and hurried toward the metal core.

"Groot, listen carefully." Rocket knelt, holding the tiny sapling by the shoulders. "This button here? You don't press this one, okay? It's an instant explosion—press that, and we're all dead. You need to press this button, which delays the explosion. Got it?"

"I'm Groot," Groot replied with his usual innocent tone.

"No! Not that button!" Rocket waved frantically, panic creeping into his voice. "Let's try again. Which button are you gonna press?"

Groot slowly raised his finger... toward the instant explosion button.

Rocket facepalmed. "Oh, for crying out loud."

Meanwhile, near the wrecked spaceship, Star-Lord stood beside Yondu, glancing back at the sleeping Ego. His face darkened as memories of his mother flooded his mind.

Yondu sighed. "Quill, do you really think I kept you around because you were small enough to steal things no one else could?"

Star-Lord looked at him, puzzled. "Well, yeah. That's what you told me."

Yondu shook his head, a bitter smile forming on his lips. "When I saw what happened to the other kids... I just couldn't hand you over."

"But you told me you were going to eat me," Star-Lord said, raising an eyebrow.

Yondu laughed dryly. "Come on, boy. That was a joke. What kind of sane person talks about eating kids all day?"

"None of your crew ever seemed sane to me," Star-Lord muttered, half-smiling.

Yondu's expression darkened. "Yeah. And look where it got us. They turned on me, rebelled, and got wiped out by that damned Asgardian cleanup squad. Now, I'm all that's left."

Star-Lord glanced down, his voice softening. "My father... he wanted me to be like him. To destroy the universe with him. For that, he killed my mother."

Anger flared in Star-Lord's eyes. His voice rose as he turned toward Ego. "You bastard! You killed my mother!"

"Quill, wait!" Gamora called, sensing the storm brewing inside him. "Don't do anything reckless!"

But Star-Lord didn't listen. He stormed forward, fists clenched. His voice shook with fury. "This punch is for my mom!"

With all his strength, he swung his fist, slamming it into Ego's massive face.

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