**CHAPTER 26: THE FIRST ROOT
The Guardians' ship cut through space like a wounded animal, its engines whispering against the silence of the void. The stars were distant scars — faint, cold, and watching. Billy sat near the observation deck, his reflection flickering against the glass, veins glowing faintly beneath his skin.
He hadn't slept since Titan. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it — the ancient tree, the twisted shadow of himself, and that whisper that haunted every breath: "Balance demands sacrifice."
Rocket approached, his usual sarcasm gone. "You've been staring out there for hours, kid. You expecting someone to wave back?"
Billy didn't look away. "Maybe. The stars… they feel alive now. Like they're whispering."
Rocket sighed. "Yeah, well, stars don't whisper. They burn, they die, and they leave you cold. Welcome to reality."
Billy turned his head slightly, eyes glowing green. "No, Rocket. They're connected. Everything is. And something out there is calling me."
Before Rocket could answer, the ship's alarms flared. Star-Lord's voice came through the intercom: "Uh, guys? We just picked up a signal from deep space — not a distress call, but… coordinates. Ancient ones. It's coming from a planet that doesn't show up on any map."
Nebula entered, her mechanical eyes scanning. "Encrypted in an old Celestial frequency. Only one place could broadcast something like that."
Billy turned sharply. "The First Root."
Gamora frowned. "You've heard of it?"
He nodded. "The voice told me — during… whatever that was on Titan. It said the First Root was where everything began. The source of life. And if Kain's trying to rewrite creation…"
"…then he's going there," Nebula finished.
The crew exchanged a look. Peter whistled low. "Guess we're headed straight into cosmic nightmare territory again. Buckle up."
The Journey
The ship dove into hyperspace, the stars stretching into streaks of white fire. Billy could feel it — the further they went, the heavier the air felt. The Green inside him pulsed faster, almost excited.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Show me."
And for a moment, he saw.
A world without light — massive, ancient, with forests that glowed from within. The ground itself moved like breath, roots twisting through oceans of green flame. In the sky hung a single moon, cracked like an old scar. And beneath it, a black temple built into the world's heart — alive, pulsing, waiting.
When he opened his eyes, he whispered, "It's alive. The whole planet."
Arrival
The Guardians' ship dropped out of warp near a green-shrouded planet. Energy storms rolled across its surface, glowing like veins of light beneath the clouds.
Star-Lord whistled. "That's not creepy at all."
Gamora read the scanners. "No atmosphere readings. No signs of civilization. But… energy levels are through the roof."
Rocket frowned. "Kid, this feels wrong. The readings are alive — like it's watching us."
Billy stood, his eyes glowing brighter. "It is."
The moment they entered the planet's orbit, the ship trembled violently. Roots — enormous, glowing tendrils — rose from the surface, wrapping around the ship like the arms of a god. The hull screamed as metal bent.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Peter shouted.
Nebula slammed at the controls, but the roots held fast. A deep, resonant voice thundered through the ship — not through speakers, but through their minds.
"The seed returns to the soil."
Billy's body lifted from the floor, green energy crackling around him. His voice echoed with something ancient. "It's calling me!"
Gamora shouted, "Billy, stop!"
But it was too late. A flash of green light consumed him, and in an instant, Ironroot was gone — pulled through the hull like smoke.
The World's Heart
When Billy's vision cleared, he stood on the surface of the planet. The ground pulsed beneath his feet, the sky swirling with emerald storms. Vines stretched for miles, weaving together to form colossal towers of living wood.
At the center stood a temple grown from the planet itself, covered in glowing runes. It radiated power — raw, divine, infinite.
Billy stepped forward, drawn by instinct. The air vibrated with whispers.
"Welcome, Heir of the Green."
He entered the temple. Inside, the walls breathed, covered in ancient markings that told a story — a story of creation.
He saw images of Celestials planting the first seeds of life, of worlds sprouting forests from their cores. But then, the images turned dark — a figure appeared, cloaked in shadow, tearing at the roots, merging them with metal.
Kain.
The voice returned, softer this time, feminine, ancient.
"The scientist defiled the sacred order. He took the seed of eternity and corrupted it with steel. The Green remembers. It weeps."
Billy touched the wall. "Why me? Why choose a kid who can barely hold himself together?"
"Because innocence listens when power does not."
He closed his eyes. "If I'm supposed to stop him… then tell me how."
Silence. Then — the floor opened beneath him, and a beam of light enveloped his body. Roots coiled around him gently, lifting him into the air.
"Then you must awaken the Core."
A bright, green crystal rose from the ground — pulsing like a heart.
Billy reached for it — and froze.
A familiar voice echoed behind him.
Cold. Mocking.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
He turned. Dr. Kain stood in the doorway, alive — his body rebuilt from nanites and vines, half-human, half-machine. His eyes glowed crimson. The mask, cracked but fused to his skin, whispered as it breathed.
"Kain…" Billy whispered.
Kain stepped forward, smiling faintly. "You've done the hard work for me, boy. You found it — the source of creation itself. The Core of the First Root."
Billy's aura flared. "You don't deserve to touch it."
Kain raised a hand. The roots around him darkened, pulsing red. "Deserve? No one deserves power. They take it. Like you did."
The temple trembled as their energies clashed — green and crimson colliding in a storm of light. Billy hurled a blast of energy, but Kain absorbed it into his arm, laughing. "You still don't understand, do you? You are the infection. You brought the Green to its knees the moment you existed."
Billy screamed, "You twisted it!"
"Did I?" Kain hissed, lunging forward. Their powers collided, shaking the entire structure.
Outside, the planet's surface began to split open, releasing waves of energy that rippled through space. The Guardians' ship was thrown off course as the world itself seemed to wake.
"Guys!" Rocket yelled, gripping the controls. "The planet's losing its mind! It's alive and it's angry!"
Inside the temple, the battle raged. Kain struck Billy across the chest, sending him crashing into the crystal pedestal. The Core pulsed violently, reacting to their conflict.
Kain reached for it, his voice rising. "I will remake life in my image!"
Billy, coughing blood, whispered, "Not while I'm still breathing."
He slammed his hands to the floor. Roots erupted around him, pure green light surging through the temple like lightning. The Core responded, its pulse matching his heartbeat.
Kain screamed as the energy hit him, burning through his armor, tearing at his flesh. But even as he fell, he laughed — that same cold, metallic laugh.
"You think this stops me? I am already inside you, Ironroot. You are my legacy."
With one last surge, he vanished into a storm of nanites, absorbed into the temple's walls.
Billy collapsed to his knees, gasping, the Core's light bathing him in radiance. But deep in his veins, something dark still pulsed — faint, but alive.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
And for the first time, he realized the truth.
Kain wasn't gone.
He was growing inside him.