Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start

Blake shouted frantically, calling out every name in the Guardians of the Galaxy, not just Rocket. 

But little Groot didn't respond at all. 

The branches kept rising higher and higher until they were almost touching his neck. 

Blake hurriedly tried to mobilize the power within his body, only to manage conjuring a tiny flame the size of a lighter on his head. 

Although it was just a small flame, it startled little Groot. 

The branches recoiled back to his feet. Groot jumped backward and stood up, his eyes showing a mix of fear and curiosity as he stared at the little flame on Blake's head. 

"That's right. Let's be friendly, shall we? Look, you're a tree, and I have fire. Keeping some distance is good for both of us, don't you think?" 

Blake kept his body still, slowly gathering more strength while glancing at Groot, trying to signal him with his eyes. 

"I am Groot!" 

Finally, Groot spoke his first words. 

"You agree with me, right? Hey! What are you doing?" 

Blake hadn't finished speaking when Groot took two steps forward toward the flame on his head. 

Then, taking a deep breath, Groot pursed his lips and blew at the flame on Blake's head. 

*Whooooosh!* 

That gust of air seemed to take all of Groot's strength—after all, his tiny body could only do so much. He braced his feet against the ground, clenched his fists tightly, and blew with all his might, successfully extinguishing the flame. 

Perhaps he used too much force, as he swayed slightly from the lack of oxygen. Shaking his tiny head, Groot opened his mouth and said his second words: 

"I am Groot!" (joyfully) 

Then, without hesitation, he began turning his feet into tree branches again. 

Blake sighed inwardly. The truth was, Groot didn't pose much of a threat to him. 

Firstly, Blake liked this mini version of Groot too much to want to harm him. He couldn't properly control his strength yet, and any move could be lethal. 

Secondly, Blake didn't want to risk using too much energy and end up lying incapacitated in this unknown place for an extended period, especially when he didn't know what other dangers might lurk around. 

Just as Blake tensed his muscles, preparing to knock Groot aside if he got too close, the tree branch extending from Groot's feet only lightly poked Blake's neck before retracting. 

Blake had thought Groot was trying to strangle him, but it turned out to be just a poke—even though it looked like Groot had tried his best. 

To Blake, however, the force was so feeble it didn't even break his skin. 

"I am Groot!" 

Little Groot tilted his head, looking puzzled. 

Then, under Blake's confused gaze, the branches extending from Groot's feet began twisting and intertwining until they formed a wooden spearhead. 

"Ahhh!!!" 

This time, instead of saying "I am Groot," Groot let out a babyish battle cry to pump himself up. 

Placing both hands on the ground, he lifted his spear-like foot and aimed it at Blake's neck, striking with all his might. 

Not even a scratch. 

"Ahhh!!!" 

Groot tried again. Blake rolled his eyes. 

The result was the same: even with all his strength, Groot's spear only managed to push Blake's skin inward slightly, leaving no mark at all. 

Then came the third, fourth, and countless more attempts. 

The persistent little Groot kept stabbing away, so much so that Blake lost count of how many times he'd tried. 

Finally, there was a *crack!* A small part of the wooden spear snapped off, unable to bear the pressure. 

"Waaaahhhhhh!!!" 

Groot plopped down on the ground, wailing. His big black eyes, filled with tears, started shedding drops as if a dam had broken. 

"Ugh." 

Blake let out a long sigh, looking at those teary, sorrowful eyes. 

After being poked so many times, Blake had pieced together what Groot was trying to do. 

"Poor guy. This barren place doesn't even have proper soil, huh? Sticking your roots into flesh for nutrients is a good idea, but first, I'm alive. Second, you picked the wrong target. Even if I were dead, you wouldn't be able to pierce me." 

"Waaaaahhhhhh!!!" 

Hearing Blake's words, Groot started crying even harder. 

He waved his little arms to his left, then to his right, then pointed at his belly, his gestures becoming increasingly frantic and sorrowful. 

Tears streamed down faster and faster, and his cries grew even more heart-wrenching. 

Blake thought back to the movies. Groot should be able to eat regular food too, right? 

His body had recovered a little by now, so making small movements wasn't a problem. Walking was still out of the question, but he could take out something useful. 

With a flick of his wrist, as if performing magic, a chocolate bar about the same size as Groot appeared in his hand. 

"Hmm!" 

Groot's crying stopped immediately, his attention wholly captured by the chocolate. 

He wanted to reach for it but hesitated, glancing at his injured feet. Not daring to approach, he could only stare at Blake with big, watery eyes, looking pitiful. 

Even though this little guy had tried to stab him earlier, Blake couldn't bring himself to be angry. 

Those pure black eyes were just too disarming, and combined with Groot's tiny frame, it was impossible to stay mad at him. 

"Here, take it, eat up!" 

"I'm Groot?" (questioning) 

Blake picked up on the little guy's hesitation. 

"That's right, it's for you. Go ahead, eat!" 

With Blake's repeated reassurance, little Groot finally accepted the chocolate bar, which was almost the same size as him, and began chomping on it with enthusiasm. 

Even when Blake reached out to pat his little head midway, Groot didn't bother to resist or react, as his full attention was on the chocolate. 

Before long, the chocolate—equal in size to Groot himself—was completely devoured. Somehow, his tiny belly remained unchanged, leaving Blake wondering where it all went. 

However, he noticed Groot's bark-like skin seemed to have gained a healthier glow. 

Blake then produced a small bottle of juice, and Groot's eyes lit up even brighter. 

Without hesitation, Groot grabbed the bottle and began gulping it down. 

After drinking more than half the bottle, Groot let out a contented burp. As he sat back, a tiny sprout resembling a clover appeared on his hollowed-out little head. 

"Kid, you must have been starving for a while. Look at that—you even grew some hair after a meal!" 

Blake sighed. He tested his physical state and found he could now stand and walk slowly, though any sudden movements still left him slightly dizzy. 

He checked the energy within his body. The power of the Infinity Stones remained inaccessible, but his flame ability had grown a bit stronger. 

It seemed a couple of days of rest in a quiet spot would be enough to recover fully. 

Blake sat up slightly, observing little Groot, who was licking the juice bottle absentmindedly after filling his belly. 

Initially, Blake wanted to ask where they were, but on second thought, he decided to save the questions for later and focus on recovering first. 

"Groot, is this your home? Or do you have a usual resting spot? I need somewhere to recover. If you take me there, I've got plenty more food to share." 

Pulling out a lollipop like a sly uncle trying to coax a child, Blake tempted Groot to guide him. 

He handed the lollipop to Groot, placed the little guy on his shoulder, and let him point the way. 

As they walked, the barren, desert-like landscape stretched endlessly around them—yellowish-brown rocky terrain devoid of life. 

Unlike the desolate darkness of the Dark World, this place felt lifeless in a different way, as if it were a dead planet. 

What kind of place was this? 

Following Groot's directions, they climbed over a small hill. To Blake's surprise, Groot hadn't come here on foot—he had a vehicle! 

It was a pink, open-top toy car, about 1.5 meters long and half a meter wide, like the kind you'd find in a toy store. However, it seemed a bit larger and more well-crafted, almost high-end. 

"I'm Groot!" 

The little guy jumped down from Blake's shoulder and patted the tiny seat on the car, inviting him. 

Blake clicked his tongue. 

The seat was small, but he could squeeze in. He was just worried his weight might crush the car. 

"I'm Groot!" 

Groot patted the seat again insistently. 

"Alright, but if I break it, don't blame me!" 

Blake decided to go along with the host's wishes and climbed into the car, curling his legs up to fit. 

To his surprise, the car wasn't as fragile as he'd imagined. Could it be a vehicle designed for some small alien species? It did resemble Earth's toy cars too much, though. 

Blake didn't dwell on it. In a universe with countless civilizations, such similarities weren't impossible. Besides, some buttons on the car clearly weren't Earth technology. 

At least it wasn't a literal toy car. 

What puzzled him was how Groot could drive it. The car was small, but Groot's tiny body barely reached the wheel. 

Groot refused Blake's offer to help him into the driver's seat. Instead, he extended his tiny hands, which grew into long, vine-like tendrils. With those, he grasped the oversized steering wheel and leapt onto the car. 

More vines sprouted from his limbs, taking control of the pedals and steering wheel. He even used a few to construct a little makeshift seat to raise himself high enough to see the road ahead. 

Impressed, Blake gave Groot a thumbs up. "Nice work, little guy!" 

Groot proudly replied, "I'm Groot." 

He then pressed a button that seemed to start the car. 

Blake felt a faint vibration beneath him. 

With a sudden jolt, the car accelerated so quickly that Blake nearly flew out of it. 

From the feel of it, the car's speed shot up to at least 100 mph in just a second. 

"If you were on Earth, I guarantee you'd fail your driving test!" Blake shouted over the roaring wind. 

The uneven terrain—a natural, rocky wasteland—made the ride extremely bumpy, causing Blake to feel a mild dizziness again. 

He considered asking Groot to slow down but decided against it. Better to endure the discomfort and reach their destination quickly than to prolong the bumpy ride. 

As he braced himself, curled up in the car with a grimace, Groot seemed to notice his discomfort. 

The thoughtful little guy pressed a button, intending to play some music to help Blake relax. 

One of his vine tendrils extended and tapped a small button near Blake. 

What came out, however, was… 

"Grandpa's grandpa is called great-grandpa…" 

"Son of a—! %￥#&(*￥#%…!!!" 

The sudden blast of absurd music nearly made Blake jump out of his seat.

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