After hearing the Collector's explanation of the Power Stone, a dangerous ambition stirred within the heart of the female attendant. Though she had been an ordinary worker in Knowhere, this lawless place had long fueled her desire for power. The Power Stone's presence only amplified this longing, similar to how the students of Kamar-Taj were corrupted by the Reality Stone.
This reflected humanity's innate thirst for power. The attendant had yet to receive the Power Stone's strength, but the potential for such power caused her ambition to swell.
In fact, she had a unique advantage at the moment. As the Orb was being opened, everyone, including the Collector and Star-Lord's group, had stepped back, wary of the unpredictable force within the Infinity Stone. No one wanted to risk touching something that might unleash unimaginable danger.
The female attendant, however, was still caught up in her fantasies of the Stone's power, too engrossed to retreat. As her ambitions grew, her failure to step back became her advantage.
"Wait! What are you doing?! Karina, step back!" The Collector's expression turned cold as he noticed Karina's strange behavior and sternly ordered her to move away.
"I won't retreat anymore! I refuse to be your slave!" Karina shouted, as if trying to justify her actions.
"No!" The Collector exclaimed as Karina reached out to grab the Power Stone. But he was too late to stop her. The moment her hand touched the Stone, a surge of purple energy erupted from it, unleashing a terrifying wave of power that engulfed everything around her, including Karina herself.
Not everyone is capable of wielding an Infinity Stone. Without immense strength, trying to control such a force is a death sentence. Karina, being an ordinary alien, was no "chosen one." The Power Stone's energy exploded, demonstrating to Star-Lord and the others just how lethal an Infinity Stone could be in the hands of the unworthy.
"Boom!" In an instant, Karina was reduced to cosmic dust by the Stone's energy. Nothing remained of her, and the Collector's lair trembled violently. Countless priceless artifacts were destroyed in the process.
Meanwhile, the Power Stone floated ominously in the center of the machine, continuously emitting waves of destructive energy with no sign of stopping. If this continued, the entire Knowhere could be obliterated by the Power Stone's overwhelming force.
This wasn't an exaggeration. Though Knowhere was the severed head of an ancient Celestial, after all these years, it was no longer as sturdy as when it was alive. Now, it was little more than a special planet—perhaps tougher than most, but still vulnerable. If the Power Stone's energy continued to build, Knowhere would meet the same fate as the planet shown in the Collector's earlier hologram: total destruction.
"Crack!" In the midst of this crisis, Gamora acted quickly. She lunged toward the device controlling the Orb, not to touch the Power Stone, but to shut down the machine that had opened the Orb.
After all, the Power Stone had just turned Karina to dust—no one would dare handle it directly now. Even Star-Lord was shaken, realizing how lucky he had been when he casually tossed the Orb around before. Had it cracked open then, things would've ended much worse.
"Buzz!" Thankfully, Gamora's quick action succeeded. The machine deactivated, and the Power Stone's energy vanished, leaving the room eerily quiet. The Orb was closed once again, but no one dared to approach it.
"Where's the Collector?" Star-Lord asked, scanning the now-peaceful ruins. With the Avengers still some time away from arriving, he was eager to hand off the dangerous Orb. Keeping it with him seemed like a terrible idea, given that Ronan, Thanos, and Yondu's Ravagers were all after it.
Star-Lord was in no mood to be constantly hunted, and considering how dangerous the Orb itself was, he definitely didn't want to keep it any longer than necessary.
"Collector? Where are you? The Orb is fine, and we've left it here. Shouldn't you pay us our reward now?" Star-Lord called out, only to be met with silence. As he gazed at the wreckage, he muttered in frustration, "Don't tell me the Collector died in that energy blast. We're fine, though. How about you guys?"
"I'm fine..."
"Me too..."
"I am Groot."
Rocket, Groot, and the others stood up, battered but unharmed, confirming that they were all okay.
However, their safety didn't solve the bigger issue: the Collector had vanished, and they'd made quite a scene. Everyone outside knew something had gone down in the Collector's lair. Who knew what might happen next?
"What now? Is the 4 billion just gone?" Rocket grumbled, frowning as he looked at the others.
"It's not just the 4 billion. There's also the method for freeing Gamora and Nebula from Thanos' control," Star-Lord reminded him quietly. "More importantly, keeping the Orb is too risky."
"Yeah, we need to get rid of it as soon as possible," Rocket agreed, still shaken by the Power Stone's earlier display of raw energy.
"What about handing it over to the Nova Corps on Xandar? They're the only ones who can stand up to Ronan," Gamora suggested, her eyes gleaming with a hint of hope as she looked at the others.
"I don't think that'll work. When I tried to sell the Orb on Xandar before, none of the brokers wanted to deal with me—they were too scared of Ronan showing up!" Star-Lord shook his head. "And don't forget, Korath attacked the Nova Corps' space prison without hesitation. I doubt the Nova Corps can hold off the Kree Empire, let alone Ronan and his forces."
"You're right, thief!" A mocking voice suddenly rang out, causing Star-Lord and the others to tense up. They immediately recognized it as the voice of Korath, the very man they had encountered in the Nova Corps' space prison.
"Is this the one who stole the Orb from you?" Ronan's voice followed closely behind Korath's, making Drax's eyes widen in shock. "He seems to have some sense, understanding the vast gap between the Nova Corps and us. I might just let him live."
"I didn't expect the Orb to contain the infamous Power Stone. The energy it unleashed earlier was truly captivating! No wonder Thanos wanted me to find the Orb—he was after the Power Stone," Ronan mused, stepping into view.
"But now that I have the Power Stone, why should I bother working with Thanos? With this, I could destroy Xandar myself. Why would I hand such a weapon over to him?"
"My lord, Thanos is not someone to underestimate!" Korath warned cautiously. "We still don't fully understand the Power Stone, and we don't know how to control its power."
"No matter. Don't forget, I possess the ultimate weapon!" Ronan's eyes gleamed with confidence. "Do you think the ultimate weapon can't harness the Power Stone?"
"Of course it can!" Korath quickly agreed, knowing there was no changing Ronan's mind. His only option now was to follow orders.
"You, blue-skinned freak—do you really think the Orb is yours now?" Rocket growled, his anger flaring as he fired a powerful energy beam at Ronan from his heavy weapon.
"Buzz!" Unfortunately, Rocket's near-ambush attack failed, as a force field appeared in front of Ronan, blocking the blast.
"Honestly, I can't figure out what kind of team you guys are supposed to be," Ronan said, raising an eyebrow as he examined Star-Lord and the others. His gaze lingered on Nebula, Gamora, and Drax with curiosity.
"Drax, the outcast of your people, who I've spared several times after killing your wife and daughter. Nebula and Gamora, Thanos' adopted daughters, his most trusted lieutenants. And yet, you're all working together? Shouldn't you be enemies?"
"We're not enemies! We have a common foe—both you and Thanos!" Drax roared, unable to contain his fury any longer, especially after hearing Ronan mock him for sparing his life on multiple occasions. Enraged, he charged at Ronan.
"Oh?" Ronan looked at Nebula and Gamora in surprise before breaking into a broad grin. "So, Thanos' daughters have betrayed him? What a delightful surprise! I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear the news."
"Boom!" Before Drax could reach him, Ronan casually swatted him away, sending him flying with ease. The gap in their strength was too vast—Drax stood no chance against Ronan, even without Ronan using any special abilities.
"In light of your betrayal of Thanos, I'll spare your lives today. Hopefully, you'll surprise me, or Thanos, in the future." Ronan glanced at the fallen Drax before smiling warmly at Nebula and Gamora. He then strode over to the machine and calmly took the Orb.
"I am Groot!" Groot growled in anger, his branches growing rapidly toward Ronan.
"Don't!" Star-Lord hurriedly stopped Groot before Rocket could even speak. Despite Groot's strength, he stood no chance against Ronan either.
In fact, even if everyone combined their efforts, they wouldn't be able to defeat Ronan. Star-Lord understood this and didn't want to take unnecessary risks. The Orb was far too dangerous to keep, especially now that the Collector had vanished and the Avengers were still on their way. It was better to let Ronan take the Orb
for now—they could always try to take it back later.
Plus, with Ronan's newfound arrogance, he seemed to be drifting away from Thanos. This meant the Orb wouldn't fall into Thanos' hands anytime soon. Perhaps letting Ronan and Thanos clash might even work in their favor.
"Scared, Star-Lord? That Orb is worth 4 billion!" Rocket grumbled, glaring at Ronan's retreating figure in frustration.
"Forget the 4 billion—the Collector's gone. Let's bide our time. Once my backup arrives, I'll personally help you get the Orb back," Star-Lord whispered, trying to calm Rocket down.
"Backup? You have backup?" To Star-Lord's surprise, Ronan overheard him. He stopped and turned, intrigued. "I read your file on my way here. Are you referring to that whistling Ravager, Yondu?"
"Of course not. He's talking about me..." Star-Lord was about to make up a lie when a figure suddenly appeared beside him. His eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, a surge of confidence filled his heart.
The newcomer was none other than Robert!
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]