Chapter 800: The Four Heroes Battle Ronan |
The rocket was drenched in a cold sweat, his heart pounding wildly. The sheer magnitude of that hammer swing, powered by the Infinity Stone, had nearly convinced him of his impending doom. To his shock, when he opened his eyes, he found himself hundreds of meters away; Ronan's hammer had struck the ground, creating a massive crater and turning the void into shreds with its purple destructive energy.
Regaining his senses, Rocket looked gratefully at Maika. Had it not been for her intervention, he would have been obliterated just like the ground.
"It's your turn now, superheroes," Maika said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling. "This is an unprecedented crisis. Billions on Xandar are watching. I hope you'll give it your all to thwart the villain's evil plan."
This unexpected turn of events left Star-Lord dumbfounded.
"Are you not going to intervene?" Gamora asked, wide-eyed and incredulous. "If Ronan succeeds, you'll die too!"
"Rest assured," Maika smiled. "We'll leave here the moment before he destroys the planet."
This left the Guardians speechless. They couldn't understand her logic. She didn't plan to stop Ronan or help them. Was she just here to watch?
"So, please do your best," Maika said, her hands tucked in her sleeves as she settled in to watch the show. "If you get hurt, I might heal you."
Her mission was merely to prevent Ronan from destroying the planet.
It was a good idea, but the reality was harsh.
Powered by the Infinity Stone, Ronan was not an opponent they could simply overpower; they needed an intelligent approach.
Star-Lord hatched a bold plan within seconds: "Gamora, come with me. Rocket and Groot provide support from behind. Be ready to act on my signal."
Time was of the essence, and there was no time to elaborate.
Star-Lord hoped Rocket and Groot would understand his intentions and read his cues. The time to test their unspoken understanding had come...
As quick as a thought, Star-Lord, facing Ronan armed with the Infinity Stone, didn't hesitate. He blasted off with his boots, propelling himself directly at Ronan, his elemental guns blazing.
Streams of elemental light shot towards Ronan, who effortlessly wiped them out with a hammer wave, emitting destructive purple flames.
As expected by Star-Lord, he kept firing, forcing Ronan to defend. He shouted, "Gamora, now!"
Ronan was caught off guard and noticed Gamora's silhouette darting forward. Like a top-tier assassin, she aimed a precise strike at his arm that wielded the Universal Weapon, targeting the Infinity Stone.
"Traitor, you deserve death!" Ronan roared in shock and rage, swinging his hammer around.
Whoom!
The Infinity Stone blazed brilliantly, unleashing a ring of purple fire.
The wave of immense power swept out like a tide, obliterating everything nearby. Gamora had to retreat quickly to save her life barely, but before she could catch her breath, she heard a thunderous noise above her. Looking up, she saw Ronan's purple-hued hammer crashing down, stirring up a vortex.
"Gamora!!!"
Star-Lord recklessly threw himself at Ronan in a dire moment, headbutting him. Ronan's head rang, staggering him and causing his hammer to veer off slightly. Groot took the opportunity to extend his arms, swiftly pulling Gamora out of harm's way.
The hammer slammed into the ground, raising tons of dust and causing the earth to groan under the strain—massive cracks spread from the impact, spewing fountains of purple energy.
Gamora and Star-Lord, though they retreated in time, were still affected by the purple light. The destructive power was too much for an average person. Gamora spat out blood, her skin covered in gruesome cracks as if burned by intense fire, and screamed as she passed out.
Being part Celestial, Star-Lord fared better, vomiting blood but remaining conscious.
"Gam... Gamora!" Star-Lord looked at her worriedly but had no time to tend to her as Ronan charged again.
"Weaklings should not defy my will. Just accept destruction!" Now utterly mad with power, Ronan swung his hammer with explosive force, aiming to finish the human.
Rocket, desperate to help Star-Lord, joined the battle, firing wildly.
Anxious about Gamora, Groot glanced between her and the fierce fight, unsure where to assist.
At that moment, Maika approached.
"Let me handle this child," she said, appearing suddenly and drawing her knife. "As a medical professional, I must treat your injuries."
The blade transformed into a mist of blue vapour, then solidified into a large, flat, one-eyed flying creature. It opened its gaping maw and engulfed the severely injured Gamora with a flick of its tongue.
Star-Lord, noticing this, erupted angrily, "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Are you looking somewhere else?" Ronan scoffed, his hammer morphing into a sword slashing towards Star-Lord's head.
"I am... Groot!"
Groot extended a branch, pulling the distracted Star-Lord away from the battlefield.
"Groot says she's healing Gamora, don't worry!" Rocket, panting from exertion, fired a rocket launcher, shouting, "If you don't help me now, I'll be smashed into a pulp by that maniac!"
Star-Lord, touching his neck with a lingering trace of blood, glanced deeply at Maika, chose to trust Groot, picked up his guns, and started his mp3 player, "Now, the real fight begins, you bastard!"
The music blared through his headphones.
With the music as his accompaniment, he danced on the edge of life and death, a soulful tango sung with life, narrowly evading the destructive hammer by mere inches each time.
About a minute later, Gamora, covered in slime, crawled out of the creature's mouth.
Her skin, previously scorched by purple light, had fully healed; even her complexion and energy were at their peak. The healing was so profound it was beyond miraculous.
Except... it was utterly disgusting.
"That's too disgusting; I never want to go through that again!" Gamora grimaced, not bothering to wipe off the slime, and charged at Ronan again with her sword.
Swoosh!
She aimed another precise strike at the Infinity Stone.
Ronan narrowly avoided it, nearly losing his arm, and upon seeing the revitalised Gamora, his mind went blank, suspecting an illusion.
"What the fuck?"
Star-Lord glanced at Gamora, stunned by the healing effect.
A bold idea began to form in his mind.
