7

Peter couldn’t believe that after all these years, his father had just shown up out of the blue and saved all their lives from the Sovereign. But Ego—what a name—knew things about Peter that only his father could know, and part of Peter wanted Ego’s story to be true. After all these years, maybe he could start to know his father. It seemed too good to be true.

They all sat around a campfire near the wreck of the Milano, as Ego caught Peter up on all that had happened while they were separated. “I hired Yondu to pick you up after your mother passed away,” Ego was saying. “But instead of returning you, Yondu kept you. I have no clue as to why.”

“I’ll tell you why,” Peter said. “I was a skinny little kid who could squeeze into places adults couldn’t. Made it easier for thieving.”

Ego considered this. “Well, I’ve been trying to track you down ever since.”

“I thought Yondu was your father,” Drax said. He was sitting just out of the firelight, eating and listening in on the conversation.

Peter couldn’t believe it. “What? We’ve been together this whole time and you thought Yondu was my actual blood relative?”

“You look exactly alike,” Drax explained with his mouth full.

“One’s blue!” Rocket said incredulously.

“No, he’s not my father,” Peter said. “Yondu is the guy who abducted me, kicked the snot out of me to teach me to fight, and kept me in terror by threatening to eat me.”

“Eat you?” Ego repeated.

“Yeah.”

“Ah...” Ego said, angrily realizing just how Peter must have grown up.

“How did you locate us now?” Gamora asked. She had been quiet so far. Peter had a feeling she didn’t quite trust what was happening...and neither did Peter, as much as he wanted to. They would have to talk about it.

“Well, even where I reside, out past the edge of what’s known, we’ve heard tell of the man they call Star-Lord,” Ego said. He stood and gestured toward his ship. “What say we head out there right now?” he asked Peter. “Your associates are welcome, even that triangle-faced monkey there.” Rocket touched his muzzle with both hands. “I promise you,” Ego went on, “it’s unlike any other place you’ve ever seen. And there, I can explain your very special heritage. Finally get to be the father I’ve always wanted to be. Excuse me. Gotta take a whiz.”

When he was gone, Peter looked across the campfire at Gamora. “I’m not buying it,” he said quietly.

“Let’s go take a walk,” she suggested.

“I am Mantis,” Ego’s companion said, introducing herself to Drax after Peter and Gamora had gone. Her face split in a grimace and she stared at him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Smiling. I hear it is the thing to do to make people like you.”

“Not if you do it like that.”

“Oh. I was raised alone on Ego’s planet. I do not understand the intricacies of social interaction.” She looked over at Rocket, who was grooming himself at the edge of the fire. “Can I pet your puppy? He’s adorable.”

Drax looked from her to Rocket and back, his expression as neutral as he could make it. “Yes,” he said.

She reached out and stroked the back of Rocket’s head. He snarled and snapped at her, and she jumped back with a little scream. Drax laughed loud and long. “That is called a practical joke!”

Mantis started to laugh, too. “I like it very much.”

“I just made it up!” Drax was still laughing. On the far side of the campfire, Nebula sat alone, watching them.

“Give me a break,” Peter said when he and Gamora were a little distance away from the campfire. “After all this time, you show up, and you’re just going to be my dad? This could be a trap. The Kree purists, the Ravagers—they all want us dead.”

“I know, but...” Gamora looked troubled.

“But what?”

“What was that story you told me about Zardu Hasselfrau?”

“Who?” Peter had absolutely no idea who or what she was talking about.

“He owned a magic boat.”

Ah, Peter thought, remembering the story he had told Gamora ages ago. “Right. Not a magic boat, a talking car,” he said.

“Why did it talk again?”

“To help him fight crime, and to be supportive.”

“As a child, you would carry his picture in your pocket and you would tell all the other children that he was your father but he was out of town,” Gamora said, recalling what he’d told her once.

“Touring with his band in Germany,” Peter said, finishing the story. “Why are you bringing it up now?”

“I love that story,” she said.

Peter was surprised to hear she felt that way. “I hate that story,” he said. “It’s so sad. As a kid I used to see all the other kids off playing catch with their dads, and I wanted that more than anything in the world.”

“That’s my point, Peter. Listen.” She stepped close to him and took his hands softly. “If he ends up being evil, we’ll just kill him.”

Peter looked down at her hands holding his. She stepped back and let him go.

But she’s right, he thought. What if this really was his father? Could he stand to not find out?

By morning, the decision was made. Peter, Drax, and Gamora were going to Ego’s planet to learn about Peter’s origins. The others would stay and repair the Milano. Rocket and Groot didn’t like the plan, and neither did Nebula. “You’re leaving me with that fox?!” she raged when she found out.

“He’s not a fox,” Gamora said. She looked at Rocket. “Shoot her if she does anything suspicious.”

“Uh-huh,” Rocket said. He was busy with a matter compiler, using it to rebuild the damaged parts of the ship’s interior.

“Or if you feel like it,” Gamora added.

“Good.” Rocket was ignoring her, feeling a little selfish and angry that the Guardians were splitting up.

Groot sat sadly nearby. He knew some of them were leaving but didn’t understand why. “It’ll just be a couple of days,” Gamora explained to him. “We’ll be back before Rocket’s finished fixing the ship.”

Groot waved as she walked away to join Peter and Drax, who were waiting with all the gear they were taking on the trip to Ego’s home planet. “What if the Sovereign come?” Drax was asking Peter.

“There’s no way for them to know we’re here,” Peter said. He was irritated that everyone saw all kinds of problems with the plan, when to him it was the obvious thing to do. “You’re like an old woman.”

“Because I am wise?” Drax countered.

Peter didn’t know what to say to that, so he ignored it. Before they left, he stopped to say something to Rocket, but Rocket was in no mood to hear it. “Hope Daddy isn’t as big a jerk as you, orphan boy.”

So much for talking things out, Peter thought. Maybe Rocket was still mad about their fight in the asteroid field, or maybe he just thought Peter was stupid to trust Ego. Either way, Peter was sick of it. “What is your goal here?” he asked. “To get everybody to hate you? Because it’s working.” Rocket didn’t answer. After a moment, Peter walked toward Ego’s ship, flanked by Drax and Gamora.

A moment later the ship lifted away. Nebula watched. She knew her chance would come if she was patient. mhPjCUDI9cyBg+Cw3OlbuZ2iZI4Dc4jyduLQvQV6cEFakXuMrgD8Qh8bMEIQV02T