"Anyone who dares attack Earth will meet the same fate!" Mobius's cold voice cut through the fear-stricken silence as he glanced at the trembling Sovereign. His message was unmistakable. While the Avengers did not intend to annihilate the Sovereign people, letting them go without severe consequences was out of the question.
Until now, the Sovereign had paid for their invasion of Earth with mere material losses. Without the weight of lives lost, they might recover and harbor thoughts of vengeance. Mobius was determined to prevent that.
"It won't happen again. If it weren't for Ayesha, we wouldn't have acted so irrationally. We Sovereign are proud, but we prefer to live in peace rather than involve ourselves with outsiders…" one of the Sovereign timidly responded, their voice shaking as they tried to appease Mobius.
Mobius said nothing, his icy gaze piercing through them. Without warning, his form vanished, startling the Sovereign, who feared he might strike again. They had been prepared to offer Ayesha as a scapegoat, but her gruesome death had far exceeded their expectations, leaving them shaken to the core.
When it became clear Mobius was gone, the Sovereign let out a collective sigh of relief.
---
Meanwhile, Star-Lord, recovering from his shock at Mobius's actions, turned to the Sovereign. "Where's the one who greeted us last time? The arrogant one. Where did he hide?" His voice carried a sharp edge, and Nebula, equally unsettled by Mobius but still furious, eagerly awaited an answer.
"An is dead," a Sovereign finally admitted after some hesitation. "After the first failed pursuit, a few opposed Ayesha's orders. An was among them. He believed the cost of chasing you was too high."
The Sovereign explained that An had argued it was better to issue bounties rather than exhaust their resources. He had been particularly vocal after encountering the mysterious ship, asserting that the Sovereign should not sacrifice their way of life for what he considered "lesser beings."
Hearing this, Nebula's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "That arrogant man… reasonable? You're lying."
With a soft hum, a holographic projection of An appeared before the Guardians. His recorded words, however, were far from conciliatory. He maintained that the proud Sovereign should not degrade themselves by pursuing "lowly creatures" like the Guardians. To him, hiring others to "deal with pests" was the only dignified course of action.
Even in his final moments, as the recording showed An and his allies being executed by fire, his disdainful arrogance remained. Watching this, Nebula's anger only deepened. She suspected the Sovereign had deliberately shown them the footage to mock them further.
"Let it go," Star-Lord said, placing a hand on Nebula's shoulder. "He's dead, and our feud with the Sovereign should end here. Besides, if they try anything again, we'll just head to Earth. The Avengers can handle them—or I will."
A flash of light erupted from Star-Lord's hand as a beam of energy shot out, unintentionally demolishing the already fragile prison wall. Dust and debris filled the air, blanketing everyone, including the Guardians and the Sovereign.
When the dust settled, Star-Lord stood awkwardly amidst the wreckage. His companions, covered in dirt, glared at him. For a moment, they had been awed by his newfound power, suspecting Ego's influence. But his careless display reminded them that Star-Lord was, as always, reliably unreliable.
---
"You've made your point," one of the Sovereign said, addressing the Guardians. "From the moment Ayesha ceased being High Priestess, we have had no enemies. All we want now is to return to a peaceful existence. Sometimes, it takes losing everything to understand what truly matters."
Drax, always straightforward, nodded. "I believe them. Their eyes seem honest."
"If you don't trust them, I can check their emotions," Mantis offered eagerly.
"Forget it. If they dare try anything, I'll wipe them out myself," Nebula snapped, turning away with a glare.
Rocket Raccoon smirked as he followed her. "Don't worry. I left a little surprise for them. If they act up, they won't have a moment's peace."
"Don't you start," Star-Lord muttered, coughing awkwardly. He knew Rocket's antics had been the root of their troubles with the Sovereign. Of course, giving back the stolen batteries wasn't an option either.
---
As the Guardians left, the Sovereign watched them go, unease etched on their faces.
"Will they leave us alone now?" one asked nervously.
"As long as we don't provoke them, they shouldn't bother us. But even if they do, what can we do about it?" Valen sighed. "We're no match for the Avengers or even the Guardians now. Let's just live quietly and rebuild. After all, even the High Evolutionary has abandoned us."
"Who would've thought? We're just a race created in an experiment," another murmured bitterly, their words heavy with resignation.
Their fears did not last long. The Avengers, having collected Sovereign technology and data, had no intention of lingering. With other pressing battles, such as the conflict with Ego, they quickly departed.
The Sovereign, watching the Guardians vanish through a fiery portal, wept with relief. They had never faced such humiliation before, but their overwhelming fear left no room for thoughts of revenge.
---
Suddenly, a blue light illuminated the sky. A towering man descended, his cold gaze sweeping over the Sovereign.
"The Avengers have left?" he asked, his voice calm but menacing.
"Who are you?" a Sovereign demanded.
"High Evolutionary?!" Valen gasped, recognizing their creator. He trembled as old memories of fear surfaced. Why had he returned now, after abandoning them?
"Where is Ayesha?" the High Evolutionary asked, ignoring Valen's reaction.
"What's your connection to Ayesha?" one Sovereign asked defiantly, their pride flaring. "Even the Avengers didn't treat us like this!"
Before the Sovereign could act further, they were yanked into the air by an unseen force. Their screams were cut short as their bodies burst into crimson mist.
"Wait! High Evolutionary, please spare them!" Valen pleaded desperately, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"Where is Ayesha?" the High Evolutionary repeated, his voice cold.
"She… she was killed by the Avengers," Valen stammered, trembling.
"Show me where," the High Evolutionary ordered, lifting Valen effortlessly with a wave of his hand.
Valen complied, leading him to the destroyed prison.
"So, this is where Ayesha died?" the High Evolutionary muttered, his expression darkening.
"Yes. She… she was reduced to mist, like the others," Valen whispered.
Before he could say more, Valen's body disintegrated into blood mist.
"Pathetic," the High Evolutionary sneered. "Even with superior genetics and advanced technology, your kind has achieved nothing. A race without potential does not deserve to exist."
As he pressed a button on his arm, a beam of light engulfed him, and he vanished.
---
The ground of Sovereign began to quake. Gigantic mechanical arms emerged, seizing every remaining Sovereign. The once-proud civilization descended into chaos, their cries echoing through the collapsing landscape.
The Sovereign civilization, meticulously engineered by the High Evolutionary, was now systematically dismantled by its creator.
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