Ch 51 Daddy dearest

"So this time, we'll see Quill's dad?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Benjamin said.

"Really good actor, that bastard." Logan said.

"So Quill might be powerful too then." Steve realized.

"Aye. He was." Odinson said.

And then Logan started the recording.

In Missouri, Earth in 1980, a man and a woman drove in a 1979 Ford Mustang Cobra. 'Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)' was playing as the woman sang along to it and the man also swayed his head to the tune.

"Meredith." Steve realized.

"And that is daddy dearest?" Natasha asked.

"Yup." Logan said.

The man kissed her forehead and they stopped near 'Dairy Queen.' He led her to the woods behind and showed her some kind of seedling that glowed blue. She said it was beautiful and he said he was afraid it wouldn't root to the soil but it rooted quickly and soon it would be everywhere in the universe. She giggled and said she didn't know what he was talking about but she liked the way he said it. He said his heart was hers and she put her arms around him and said she couldn't believe she fell in love with a spaceman. The two kissed passionately as the seedling grew a little and energy was shown flowing inside it.

"Celestial energy huh." Tony said.

"So he planned to do something with that on here?" Clint asked.

"He did. You will see later." Odinson told him.

"He appears to have infatuated Quill's mother." Thor said.

"It's what he did best, bub." Logan said.

"Yes, looks like it. Because all Celestials are cold and uncaring at the end of the day." Loki said, "And very powerful."

"I don't want any of them to look this way." Fury commented.

34 years later, a world called 'The Sovereign' was shown along with its coordinates. On it stood Quill, Gamora, Rocket, Baby Groot and Drax. Several yellow energy spheres were around.

"What are those spheres?" A curious Tony asked.

"Anulax Batteries. They power the entire planet." Benjamin revealed.

"Damn! These aliens have some advanced stuff!" Tony said.

"Looks like someone wants something." Pepper joked and everyone chuckled.

Quill said it was showtime and saw Gamora preparing some kind of cannon. He said he thought swords were her thing and she said they had been hired to stop an interdimensional beast from feeding on those batteries so a sword wasn't something to stop it.

"That is a very good point." Scott said.

"Must be a hell of a beast." Hope said.

Quill commented how swords were her thing and guns were his but now both of them used guns. Gamora asked Drax why he wasn't wearing one of Rocket's aero-rigs and he said it hurt, shocking them all. He said he had sensitive nipples and Rocket burst out into hysterical laughter.

The viewer all burst into hysterical laughter as well as Aunt May asked, "So the macho man of the group has sensitive nipples?"

"And I thought he was all brawn and no brain." Rhodes said.

"He is not as brawny as we thought then." Sam said as the laughter continued.

"Looks like counting out the Nine Realms, space has weird people." Tony commented.

"Oh you have no idea." Thor told him.

"One of them almost seems like the Collector's brother." Loki said, remembering Grandmaster.

"Must be just as annoying." Peter commented.

"Worse." Odinson said.

"And I don't even remember him." Bruce said, "The Other Guy definitely would."

Rocket mocked Drax as he asked what he was doing and he said he was fixing the music system so they could listen to a tune while fighting and said it was Quill's fault as he liked music so much. Quill said he agreed with Drax and Rocket said he understood while winking. Drax noticed and Rocket commented how he was using his left eye now.

"So they are still dysfunctional a-holes." Hill commented.

"They remained like that for a long time." Odinson said, "Even when I was with them."

"Probably have hysterical fights twice or thrice a day." Thor commented.

Rocket then saw Baby Groot punching Orloni and saying, "I am Groot."

"He is so cute." Hope said, "Like a totally new level."

"We need to see more of him in this." Wanda said.

"He is dangerous and cute at the same time." Natasha agreed.

"Oh my friends you'll be seeing a lot of him in this one." Odinson told them.

Rocket told Groot they were not looking at him funny. And then a hole was ripped open in the space as Quill's device beeped. A huge creature with tentacles leapt down.

"So that is the interdimensional creature." Vision said, "It can rip open holes in space itself."

"Which means something not meant to trifle with." Loki said.

Rocket commented how it was intense and Drax roared. With that, they all charged at it. Groot joined two wires and suddenly 'Mr. Blue Sky' started playing. He liked the tune and started shaking his body to it as the others fought the creature in the background. He moved around, dancing to it.

Everyone burst out laughing as T'Challa said, "That is a very curious and excitable child."

"Yeah. Less mature but equally adorable." Pepper agreed.

Groot danced as the fight continued behind him. He narrowly avoided a tentacle without even knowing. And then Quill fell near him. He staggered up and fired at the creature before calling out to Groot but was sent back by a tentacle.

"That is one lucky Groot." Bucky said as everyone chuckled.

Groot continued dancing around as the creature wrapped Drax in its tentacle and slammed him to the ground many times. Gamora avoided a blast from it and told Groot to get out of the way or he would get hurt. Groot happily waved to her and she greeted him with a smile.

"Did she stop fighting to say hi to him?" Tony asked and everyone laughed.

"He is just that adorable." Natasha said and chuckles followed.

Gamora flew off as Groot continued dancing while Quill and Rocket avoided blasts from the creature behind him and fired back at it. Drax then fell behind Groot. As he looked at him, he froze. Drax looked away and Groot started moving slightly but Drax looked back at him and he froze again.

Everyone burst out in laughter again as Hill asked, "Why does he always freeze when Drax spots him?"

"Maybe he is scared of him." Fury said.

"Drax's species are actually unable to see someone who is standing incredibly still." Odinson revealed to everyone's shock and amusement.

"That makes sense." Tony said.

Groot saw a fly like creature flying around him and running after it, caught it and put it in his mouth.

Everyone looked disgusted as Hope said, "Eugh!"

"Children have bad habits." Scott commented and everyone chuckled.

Rocket flew up to Groot and told him to spit it out, smacking the back of his head, making him spit it out.

"Now that's a good daddy." Aunt May said and everyone laughed.

Rocket flew off to fight as Groot saw a running Orloni and extended his branches, hanging onto it and riding it.

"That is one aggressive and adorable kid." Bruce said and everyone laughed.

Groot was almost thrown off a few times but hung onto it. He then realized he was stuck as it ran into the thick of the battle where everyone else fought the creatures. Groot was eventually thrown off its back and fell on the ground. He got up and cleaned the dust before he started happily jumping and dancing to the music again.

Everyone laughed again as Thor said, "He is a cheerful baby."

Drax then fell on the music system and it was smashed into pieces. Groot angrily charged him from behind and hit his back with his branches, though he didn't realize anything as they all got up to face the creature.

"And you just destroyed the poor kid's toy." Fury said to Drax and everyone laughed.

"Big mistake. Kids can be worse than Hulk." Tony said and everyone laughed.

"No kidding." Bruce agreed.

Drax said its hide was too thick from the outside so they needed to cut it from the inside. He laughed madly as Gamora tried to stop him but as the creature opened its mouth, Drax charged and leapt into it as it closed it.

Tony clapped sarcastically as everyone looked with dropped jaws, "Flawless logic. 10/10. Wow!"

"He needs to listen to reason more often." T'Challa said.

Quill landed next to Gamora and retracted his helmet as he asked her what Drax was doing. She said according to him his hide was too thick from the outside so they needed to cut it from the inside. He said that didn't even make sense.

"Thank you." Rhodes said.

Quill said its skin was equally thick outside and inside and Gamora said she realized that. Drax hacked at the creature from inside with his knives, roaring madly.

"Dude, behaving like Kratos doesn't make you Kratos." Tony said and everyone laughed.

"He protec, he attac, but most importantly, he is a snac." Scott said and everyone burst into laughter at his wit.

"And he is thicc." Hope said and everyone laughed more.

"Okay, those were the best quips anyone has cracked here." Sam said and the laugher continued.

Quill told Rocket to get it to look up as there was a cut on the neck. He flew up and fired as it looked up and fired at Rocket, setting his aero-rig on fire and he started putting it out. It trapped Quill in its tentacles and tried to fire at him as Rocket fired at it. Gamora aimed at the cut and fired but she was out so she threw the gun off and took out her sword. She charged and leaping up, stabbed the cut before sliding down, slicing its body as green blood poured out. The creature let Quill go and fell down, dead.

Everyone clapped as Natasha said, "And she has done it."

Drax jumped out from the large cut and happily raising his knives, laughed madly, saying he had single-handedly vanquished a beast. Quill looked incredulous while Gamora looked amused. Groot then threw a piece of the broken music system at his head angrily, snapping him out of his delusions.

Everyone laughed as Hill said, "You go, kid."

"He is kind of crazy." Peter said about Drax.

"He is crazy." Loki said, "And hysterical."

"But friendly." Thor said and nods followed.

Quill shut off his aero-rig and put on his coat as Drax asked what the batteries were called again and Quill said they were Anulax batteries. Drax called them Harbulary batteries.

"That doesn't even sound like what Quill said." Sam said as everyone looked incredulous.

"Maybe he is hard of hearing too." T'Challa said.

"Doesn't look like it. A blast next to me once made me hard of hearing for a month." Clint said as Natasha nodded, remembering. [1]

Quill said Drax had pronounced them nothing like he had said but were thousand units a piece which is why the Sovereign had hired them to protect those batteries. He told them to be careful with what they said as they were easily offended and the cost of transgression was death. As he said that, Rocket took out some batteries.

"Did he just steal those batteries?" Rhodes asked and nods followed, "Oh boy!"

"Looks like they are doing a bit of both." Steve sighed and shook his head.

"Guess I should never be allowed to meet the Sovereign." Tony joked and everyone laughed.

The five then stood in the middle of the court of the Sovereign as their ruler, High Priestess Ayesha thanked them for risking their lives to protect the batteries as they couldn't risk the lives of their Sovereign citizens.

"Are they touched by Midas or something?" Tony joked and everyone laughed.

"You and your references." Pepper said and everyone chuckled.

"I was actually going to make that one too." Bruce said and more chuckles followed.

She said every citizen was born as designed by the community and were impeccable both physically and mentally. They controlled the DNA in their progeny, germinating them in birthing pods.

"I'd love to learn the science behind that. Though I prefer to make people the old-fashioned way." Tony said and everyone chuckled.

"Good to know." Pepper said as she gave him a naughty smirk.

"I have a kid here." Aunt May said and both turned to the screen in embarrassment.

Quill said he preferred to make people the old-fashioned way.

"Look. Kindred spirit." Rhodes said and everyone chuckled.

Ayesha said someday he could give her a history lesson for academic purposes and he said he would be honored in the name of research and it would be pretty repulsive as he wasn't into casual stuff.

"Okay, that was honestly pathetic." Natasha said and nods followed.

"I don't think he could have charmed her even if he was better at it." T'Challa said and more nods followed.

Gamora interrupted them and said they had been promised something in exchange for their services so they could bring it and they would gladly be on their way. Two Sovereign guards brought a hooded and bound person and forced her to her knees. They removed her hood, revealing her to be Nebula.

"Ooooh. Long lost sister." Loki smirked as everyone watched with interest.

Quill sarcastically joked it was a long-lost reunion and Ayesha said she understood Nebula was Gamora's sister. Gamora said she was worth no more to her than the bounty for her on Xandar. Ayesha said their soldiers had apprehended her stealing the batteries so they could do with her as they pleased. Gamora and Groot walked off with a bound Nebula as Ayesha asked Quill his heritage and he said his mother was from Terra. She asked about his father and he said he wasn't from Missouri is all he knew. Ayesha said she saw an unorthodox genealogy in him. A hybrid that seemed reckless.

"She can actually look into all of that?" Bucky asked and nods followed.

"I'm guessing that's where Adam got his soul-related abilities from." Odinson said.

"Adam?" Tony asked.

"The perfect Sovereign." Odinson said, "I will tell you about him sometime."

Rocket said he had been told their people were conceited douchebags but that wasn't true at all. He then winked at Quill but everyone saw it and gasped as the guards pointed their guns at him as he said that was supposed to be done behind their back.

Natasha facepalmed and said, "He is another dumb genius."

They immediately turned and walked away as Drax said he should be blessed they didn't kill him.

"First time I agree with him." Hill said.

Rocket showed him the batteries in his bag and they both laughed loudly.

"That for sure will get you into trouble." Fury said.

Rocket started the Milano and said they should get baldy to Xandar and collect their bounty. 'Lake Shore Drive' played on 'Awesome Mix Vol. 2' as Groot stuck to the window and looked down in awe. The Milano flew off.

"He is the most adorable thing ever." Wanda commented with a smile.

Quill took off his shirt as Gamora tightened Nebula's cuffs. He put on another shirt as Gamora looked over at him. He wondered who Ayesha thought she was as she spouted stuff about his father. Gamora said she knew he was sensitive about it. He said he wasn't but he didn't know who he was. He then told her he wasn't flirting with Ayesha but she said she didn't care as she led Nebula away. Quill said he thought she did so he apologized.

Everyone laughed as Pepper said, "I think she did care."

Drax suddenly appeared next to Quill, startling him.

"Does he do that on purpose?" Tony asked.

"No idea." Logan said, "Though if he did that to me, I will gut him."

Drax told Quill she wasn't the one for him. There were two types of people- those who danced and those who didn't.

"What a classification." Sam said.

He said he had met his beloved at a war rally. Everyone at his village were flailing about, dancing, except one woman and that was Ovette. That was when he had known she was the one for him. The most melodic song could be playing but she wouldn't tap her foot or move a muscle. One might assume she was dead.

"I think these people have some problem then." Rhodes commented and everyone laughed, "Everyone likes dancing. Even if they don't know how to do it."

Quill said sarcastically it sounded hot and Drax said it would make his nether regions engorge.

Everyone looked disgusted as Natasha said, "Okay, we did not need to know that."

Quill said he got it. He was a dancer and Gamora was not. Drax put a hand on his shoulder and said he just needed to find a woman who was pathetic like him. He sarcastically nodded.

"Still needs to work on his people skills." Tony said and nods followed.

Gamora chained up Nebula to the ship as she asked for the yaro root but Gamora said it wasn't ripe yet and she hated her. Nebula said she had taken the Stone and left her behind yet she stood a hero. She said she would free herself of those shackles and kill her. Gamora said she would spend the rest of her days in a Xandarian cell wishing she could.

"Boy how wrong you are." Logan said.

"So she freed herself then." Vision said.

"Just watch." Benjamin told him.

As Gamora walked off, the alarm beeped and a Sovereign fleet appeared behind the Milano. Quill asked why they were after them and Drax said Rocket had stolen their batteries. Rocket looked angry and he said he didn't steal them and he had no idea why they were after them.

"Lame. Really lame." Bucky said and everyone laughed.

"They love getting into trouble." Fury said.

They started firing and Quill swerved the Milano around to avoid, asking Rocket what he was thinking. Rocket said they were ridiculously easy to steal.

"That's his defense." Peter asked incredulously.

Gamora incredulously asked if that was his defense and he said Ayesha had talked down to them so now he was teaching her a lesson.

"I think you're the ones learning a lesson." Rhodes said.

"One they will not forget anytime soon." T'Challa agreed.

Quill sarcastically said he didn't know his purpose was altruism and the Sovereign had mistaken their intentions and were trying to kill them. Rocket agreed but Quill said he was being sarcastic. Rocket said he should use his sarcastic voice and now he looked like an idiot.

"I think stealing those batteries makes you one." Fury said.

Gamora looked at the display and said they could put the bickering on hold until after they survived. Quill swerved around to avoid as more appeared in the front of them and Rocket said he wanted to kill someone. He fired the weapons with a roar, destroying several battleships. Gamora said he wasn't killing anyone as the ships were remotely piloted. In the Sovereign planet, a woman raged angrily as her battleship was destroyed. Many of them were piloting them, firing around.

"It's like playing Galaga." Tony said as everyone laughed.

"Even the sounds are kind of similar." Rhodes agreed with him.

Ayesha asked the Admiral about the delay and he said the batteries were combustible and could take out the entire fleet. She said the concern was the slight against their people. They had hired them and they had stolen from them which was heresy of the highest order so they needed to kill.

"I see why she is called a High Priestess now." Steve said and nods followed.

Everyone fired to kill now. The Milano was grazed as Quill asked about the nearest inhabitable planet and Gamora said it was called Berhert and needed only one jump, though it was 47 clicks away and they had to go through a Quantum asteroid field.

"Quantum?" Scott asked and got several nods.

"Uh-oh. They are in for a treat." Hope said.

The asteroids rapidly grew there from sub-atomic size to full as Drax said to go through that, they needed the greatest pilot in the universe.

"Like Han Solo." Peter said and everyone chuckled.

Quill and Rocket both said at the same time that they were and flew into the asteroid field, avoiding any of the asteroids as the battleships were hit. Quill said he was flying this rig since he was 10 and Rocket said he had been cybernetically engineered to fly a spaceship. Quill said he had been cybernetically engineered to be a douchebag.

"Not wrong about that." Fury said as everyone laughed.

Rocket said when Quill lay down on his bed, he would feel something squishy in his pillowcase and it would be a turd. Quill said if Rocket put his turd in there, he would shave him. Rocket said he wouldn't put his turd but Drax's and Drax burst into mad laughter as he said he had famously huge turds.

Everyone looked disgusted as well as amusement, though Drax's laughter made them laugh too due to how hysterical it was.

"What a thing to discuss just before death." Clint said sarcastically.

Gamora commented how this was the last thing they were discussing before their deaths. They flew around, trying to avoid asteroids when one of them hit the Milano on the back, making a hole. Groot almost flew out but Quill caught him and tossed him over to Drax who caught him.

"Don't lose him." Wanda said and everyone nodded in agreement.

Nebula would have been sucked out if the barrier hadn't been activated in time. She loudly called them idiots and Rocket said that was what she got when Quill flew.

"Or both of you fought for it." Aunt May said and laughs followed.

Quill said they still had the Sovereign craft behind them and their weapons were down. Gamora said they were 20 clicks away. Drax handed Groot to Gamora who put him on her shoulder and told him to hold on.

"She treats him so nicely." Natasha said and everyone chuckled.

Nebula crawled towards the yaro root but Drax kicked it away and said it wasn't ripe.

"Tantalizingly close." Peter said, having learnt and memorized the word from 'Percy Jackson's Greek Gods', and everyone chuckled.

He then put on a virtual spacesuit and tied a rope behind himself as one of the Sovereign called Zylak continued firing. Gamora said they were 15 clicks away as Drax went out and jumped, hanging on the rope. Zylak tried to fire but Drax yelled, "Die, spaceship!" He then fired, destroying it. Zylak groaned as a guy told him he sucked and another girl said it was typical as they all walked away.

"Their behavior is so like ours and yet so unlike." Vision said and nods followed.

The Milano managed to fly out of the field but were surrounded by several Sovereign ships and Quill said they had gone around the field.

"You didn't think of that before?" Thor asked.

Ayesha smirked as they all bombarded the Milano with fire but a huge blast destroyed them all in a second.

"Now what was that?" Rhodes asked.

"Just watch." Odinson said.

The Admiral said someone had destroyed all their ships, shocking Ayesha. They saw the jump point and Quill flew into it, though they saw some kind of man on a ship.

"Who's that?" Steve asked.

"Watch." Benjamin said.

Quill flew into the jump point and the ship started burning and crashing to the ground as they saw Drax flailing outside.

Everyone facepalmed as Bucky said, "You idiot!"

Gamora ran out as the device holding the rope broke but she caught it, trying to hold Drax. She was pulled out too but held onto the ship. Quill told Groot, who eating something like colorful popcorn, to put on his seatbelt as they were going to have a really bad landing. The ship then crashed to the ground and continued sliding forward as Gamora held onto the ship with one hand and the rope with the other as Drax hit several trees. Finally, the Milano stopped.

Everyone released the breaths they were holding as Tony wondered, "How did they come this far?"

"I wish I knew." Logan said.

Half of the ship broke as the birds flew off.

"Uh-oh." Sam said.

Drax laughed and said it was awesome.

"No it really wasn't." Tony said.

Gamora asked Quill where half of the ship was and said one of them could have gotten them out if Quill had used what was between his ears instead of what was between his legs. Quill said if what was between his legs had a hand on it, it would have landed on the ship.

"Do they never stop?" Pepper wondered.

Gamora said they almost died because of his arrogance but Quill said it was because Rocket stole some Anulax batteries and Drax again said they were Harbulary batteries. Quill said they weren't as Rocket called Quill 'Star-Munch' and told him he had done it because he wanted to. Rocket said they had a little man save them by blowing 20 ships. Drax asked how little and Rocket said very as Gamora asked incredulously if a one-inched man saved them. Rocket said if he was closer, he would be larger. Quill said that's how eyesight worked and called him a raccoon. Rocket told him not to call him a raccoon again.

"But you look like one so it fits." Hope said.

Quill sarcastically said he had taken it too far and called him trash panda. Rocket asked Drax if that was better and he said he didn't know.

Everyone burst out in laughter as Tony said, "He knows how to burn others. If they don't know terms that is."

Quill said it was much worse and Rocket attacked him as he backed off. A ship flew down as Nebula said someone had followed them through the jump point. Nebula asked to free herself but Gamora said she wasn't a fool. Nebula said she was if she deprived herself of a hand in combat. Gamora said she would try to kill her if she was free and Nebula said she wouldn't while Quill said a supervillain could lie better. They all prepared their weapons as Drax said it was the one-inch man.

"It kind of was. Except not one-inch." Logan said.

The ship landed in front of them and opened up to reveal an old man with a beard and an alien woman with antennas.

"Who are those?" Steve asked.

"The woman is Mantis." Odinson said, "You will know who the man is soon."

The man said after all these years, he had finally found Quill. Quill asked him who he was and he said, "I figured my rugged good looks would make that obvious. My name is Ego...and I'm your dad, Peter." Quill watched him with a dropped jaw.

Everyone's jaw dropped as Tony said, "So that is daddy dearest."

"More like daddy darkest." Logan said.

"Looks like things didn't go well." Loki said, "Why am I not surprised? Families are complicated.

Both him and Thor chuckled as Benjamin said, "Let's continue."