Marvel: Rise of the Ultimate AI

Gamora loosened her grip without realizing it, allowing Nebula to gulp down precious air.

"What's wrong with you? Isn't this exactly what you've always done?" Nebula sneered at Gamora. "All your life, you've been obsessed with winning, desperate to prove to Thanos how exceptional you are. And me? Every single time we sparred, I lost."

"Thanos gouged out my eye. He pulled out parts of my brain. He ripped off my arm… all because of you."

"And yet," Nebula's voice rose with raw emotion, "all I ever wanted… was a sister."

"I wanted someone who cared for me. Someone who could consider my pain, understand how I felt. Someone who would have my back. But you? Have you ever cared about what happened to me? You were too busy reveling in your victories, looking down on me like some triumphant champion."

Gamora stayed silent, her mind pulled into the swirl of conflicting emotions she had always felt for her sister. Back when Thanos forced them to fight, she was only trying to survive — and surviving meant defeating Nebula.

But she couldn't deny the truth: after each victory, she had stood by while Nebula endured brutal modifications. Then, soon after, she would pretend as if nothing had happened — offering tiny scraps of sisterly concern, as if that could undo the damage.

That contradiction, Gamora now realized, was probably the deepest cut of all. Nebula must have hated her even more for pretending to care after beating her down.

"I… I only wanted to live," Gamora said quietly, her voice carrying a weight Nebula had never heard from her before.

Nebula's eyes flickered in shock, her pupils contracting for an instant. The strength seemed to drain from her body, and she slumped to the ground. She had never expected the sister she saw as cold and heartless to say something so raw… so human.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

"Ahem… not that I want to break up the family drama," Star-Lord interrupted, clearing his throat. "But, uh… maybe we've got something more pressing to deal with here?"

Both Gamora and Nebula turned their attention to where he was pointing — the massive pile of bones scattered in the distance. These weren't naturally formed. Some belonged to creatures so bizarre that even they, with all their experience, couldn't identify them.

Now, all eyes drifted toward the only one who had lived on Ego's planet the longest: Mantis. The attention made her shift uncomfortably.

She began explaining what she knew — which, admittedly, wasn't much.

"So… you're saying these were all brought here by Ego?" Gamora asked, frowning.

"That's right," Mantis nodded. "I even remember him muttering about how none of his offspring were strong enough to contain his power. I didn't understand it before… but now I do."

"So these are all… Ego's children?" Drax glanced at Star-Lord, his voice booming in disbelief. "My gods!"

RUMMMBLE!

Before they could dwell on it, the ground shuddered violently beneath them. Dust rained from above, and the once-solid stone cracked open in jagged lines.

They exchanged a single look — and instantly came to the same conclusion.

Run.

They bolted, boots pounding the earth as the cave began collapsing around them. Boulders slammed into the ground, sending up choking clouds of dust that blinded their vision.

"Quill! If I survive this, I swear I'll make you pay!" Drax roared, his voice echoing through the cavern.

"What does this have to do with me?" Star-Lord shouted back. "I haven't even officially met my dad yet!"

Gamora vaulted over a fallen slab of rock, slipping through a narrow gap between it and the ground. Nebula, trying to follow her example, was just a split second too late — her foot was caught under a massive stone.

Gamora had sprinted ahead, but something in her gut made her stop cold. Through the haze of dust, she saw Nebula pinned, struggling desperately as smaller rocks tumbled dangerously close to her face and chest.

Without hesitation, Gamora turned and ran back.

"Gamora! Are you out of your mind?" Star-Lord shouted after her.

She ignored him. Planting her feet, she braced her hands against the boulder trapping Nebula's leg and heaved with every ounce of strength she had. The ground beneath her boots gave way slightly, her soles sinking into the dirt as she left deep footprints.

"What are you doing?" Nebula's voice was sharp with disbelief.

"Saving you, Nebula!" Gamora barked back.

"Just go!" Nebula yelled. "Don't waste time — the whole cave's about to come down!"

"But…" Gamora's voice cracked with defiance, "…we're sisters!"

With one final, guttural roar, she lifted the stone just high enough for Nebula to pull herself free.

They didn't waste another second.

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