CHAPTER 97

Rocket Raccoon didn't take Star-Lord seriously at all.

"Okay, stop acting like idiots and catch this guy quickly," said Rocket Raccoon.

Rocket Raccoon disembarked from the spaceship. By this time, the high-frequency sound wave had already dislodged the parasite from its host's body, leaving it lying on the ground like a puddle of mud.

The humanoid alien, who had been parasitized by the creature and hailed from an unknown planet, couldn't withstand the ordeal. He was on the verge of death, his fragile body unable to endure the harsh, uninhabitable conditions of the asteroid.

Twitching in agony, the alien struggled to breathe in the airless environment, with no atmosphere to shield him from the deadly cosmic rays. After a few feeble attempts to survive, he fell silent.

Rocket Raccoon carefully collected the parasite into a specially designed containment box. This box, one of his own inventions, could emit high-frequency sound waves at any time, making it the perfect prison for the parasite. Once inside, the parasite was incapable of escaping, no matter how hard it tried.

The parasite-catching business was booming, and equipment related to capturing these creatures was in high demand, selling like hotcakes. Rocket Raccoon's technological prowess shone through; his inventions, including the containment box and various high-frequency sonic weapons, far surpassed those available on the market.

Rocket Raccoon returned to the spaceship with the parasite. The containment box, though not large, was now filled with several of the slimy creatures.

Star-Lord, also known as Peter Quill, gazed at the wriggling, grotesque parasite inside the box. To everyone's shock, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on the box.

"Hey, I really love you, baby. I finally caught you," Star-Lord said with a grin. "Seeing you is like seeing the beautiful face of money."

Rocket Raccoon pushed Star-Lord's face away in disgust. "Go away, you're gross. This is my box, and now it's covered in your disgusting saliva."

Star-Lord, still excited, ignored Rocket's complaints. Rocket secured the box in the cabin, ensuring it was tightly locked.

"Hey, big guy," Rocket said, turning to Drax the Destroyer. "I'm giving you the task of guarding this thing. It's our treasure. If it tries anything funny, hit it with the high-frequency sound waves."

Drax nodded solemnly.

At that moment, the parasite began to speak, using its own language to try and manipulate the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"Wait, wait," it pleaded. "Don't send me to Asgard. I can increase your strength a hundredfold. With that kind of power, you could do anything you want. Isn't that better than trading me for a bounty?"

"How about we make a deal? Our strength is immense. If you let me go, I can make any one of you a hundred times stronger. You could rule the galaxy!"

The parasite continued to tempt the Guardians, using its persuasive abilities to try and sway them.

But the Guardians burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... a hundred times stronger? Oh, can you eat it?" Rocket taunted.

"Is it delicious? What does it taste like? Chocolate?" Star-Lord joked.

"No, no, I love the smell of butternut. Whenever I smell it, it's like smelling my first love," Rocket added, mocking the parasite.

Star-Lord shook his head. "Sorry, we're not interested in strength. The only thing we care about is the bounty."

The parasite persisted. "With my power, you could plunder more money!"

"No, no, you misunderstand," Star-Lord replied. "We only like the bounty we get from trading you. Hahaha..."

The parasite was at a loss for words. It had never encountered such a bizarre group of individuals. None of the Guardians of the Galaxy were what one might call "normal."

Groot, the tree-like member of the team, chimed in with his usual phrase: "I am Groot."

"Really? Little sapling, you think so too?" Rocket responded, as if understanding Groot perfectly.

While Star-Lord and Rocket were focused on the bounty, Drax the Destroyer listened intently to the parasite's promises. Unlike the others, Drax had a personal vendetta. The Kree Empire had destroyed his home planet, killing his wife and children. Only Drax had survived, and he had vowed to destroy the Kree Empire.

Drax's desire for revenge made him more susceptible to the parasite's temptations. The parasite's offer of increased strength resonated with him, as he believed it could help him achieve his goal of annihilating the Kree.

Unnoticed by the others, Drax sneaked into the escape pod of the spaceship. He prepped the pod for launch, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, Rocket noticed a malfunction on the main interface. "Big guy, go check the escape pod settings. Something seems off," Rocket instructed, not realizing that Drax was already in the pod.

When Rocket turned around, he saw Drax holding the parasite's containment box, staring at it intently.

The parasite, sensing Drax's inner turmoil, whispered, "Open it. Open the box, and you will gain immense power. Believe in yourself. You can become strong."

Drax began entering the combination to unlock the box. The seals snapped open one by one.

Star-Lord and Rocket were horrified. "Drax! What are you doing?" Star-Lord shouted.

"Damn it, is this muscle-headed idiot really falling for the parasite's nonsense?" Rocket exclaimed.

Groot quickly extended his arm, transforming it into a vine to snatch the box from Drax. But he was too late.

The box opened, and the parasite lunged at Drax, merging with his body. Drax's skin turned pitch black, and his eyes darkened as the parasite took control.

Rocket cursed. "Damn it, it's too late. The parasite has fused with him."

Star-Lord grabbed a high-frequency sonic gun. "Quick, shake that thing out of Drax!"

But the parasite, now in control of Drax's body, moved with incredible speed. It dodged the sonic attacks and leaped into the escape pod, sealing the hatch behind it.

The escape pod launched, ejecting from the spaceship before Star-Lord and Rocket could stop it.

"Damn it, he got away!" Rocket shouted.

"Chase him! The escape pod doesn't have much fuel. We can catch up," Star-Lord said.

The Guardians quickly returned to the pilot's seat, maneuvering their ship to pursue the escape pod.

Drax, now under the parasite's control, pushed the escape pod to its limits, burning through its fuel at an alarming rate. The pod raced through space, with the Guardians in hot pursuit.

Rocket growled in frustration. "I really want to shoot that idiot."

Star-Lord tried to calm him down. "We'll get him. Just focus on flying."

The chase continued, with Drax and the parasite desperately trying to escape, and the Guardians determined to rescue their comrade and reclaim their bounty.