It hadn't taken long for Bella to finish her brief conversation with the pink-skinned alien attendant. She had gotten the information she wanted, and the private deal between Loki and The Collector had concluded even more quickly.
Less than ten minutes, in fact.
When Bella saw Loki again, his face was notably grim, as if something unpleasant had transpired during their discussion. She considered asking—but chose not to pry. He had his secrets, and so did she.
Instead, her attention was drawn to something far more cheerful.
A large golden retriever came bounding toward her, barking with uncontainable joy.
WOOF! WOOF!
Its fluffy tail spun like a fan, wagging so hard it made whooshing noises in the air. The dog charged straight at Bella, circling her legs before plopping down and looking up with pure, adoring eyes.
Bella's heart melted a little. This is too cute.
She crouched and began stroking the golden retriever's thick fur. Her movements were precise, practiced—as though she had been raised around dogs. She scratched behind its ears, rubbed its back, and even gave it gentle pats on the head.
The golden retriever leaned into her touch, its eyes narrowing with bliss.
But despite the adorable interaction, Bella could feel something… unusual.
There was a powerful pulse of energy hidden deep within the retriever's body. For something that looked so normal—58 centimeters tall, weighing around 32 kilograms—it held a monstrous energy signature, almost as if it had been infused with cosmic force.
This dog was definitely no ordinary pet.
It made sense, then, why The Collector had hesitated to give him away. Bella's instincts whispered that Cosmo was a walking anomaly. A treasure in the form of a wagging tail.
At that moment, The Collector approached again.
"Your beauty," he said with a flourishing bow, "could eclipse all the stars in the galaxy. I hope this visit has brought you joy."
He reached forward, as if to kiss her hand.
But the moment he neared, golden light flickered dangerously in Bella's eyes.
The Collector froze mid-motion and swiftly withdrew his hand, as if he'd just touched an electrified wire. "Ahem. Well—hopefully, we'll see each other again. In more pleasant times."
As the three departed—Loki, Bella, and the now-claimed Cosmo—The Collector muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples.
"I hope this little gift didn't offend Asgard," he said nervously. "The last thing I need is that ancient lunatic calling for my head."
He shuddered, clearly recalling some unpleasant memory.
---
On the return trip, Loki remained mostly silent.
He sat at the controls of their vessel, staring at the stars without speaking. Something weighed on him. Bella noticed but said nothing. She was more preoccupied with Cosmo, who had joined her in the lounge.
Despite his lack of speech, Cosmo had a remarkable talent: he could communicate telepathically.
It wasn't a skill he fully understood or controlled yet, but he instinctively used it to share images, emotions, and basic thoughts with Bella.
From his mind, she learned the following:
Cosmo had originally been a Soviet space dog, launched into orbit as part of an early Earth experiment. But something had gone wrong—or perhaps, wonderfully right. He was lost in space, later captured and sold on the interstellar black market.
That's when The Collector acquired him.
Sometime after his arrival in Knowhere, Cosmo's latent potential awakened. He began to develop abilities—powerful, raw, and still largely dormant. He had never tested them, but Bella could feel the depth of it.
This golden retriever could easily be stronger than most superhumans. Possibly stronger than Bella's ex.
His mental maturity, however, was like that of a young child—perhaps seven or eight years old. Cosmo had intelligence, yes, but still carried many of his canine instincts.
He wanted belly rubs. He loved chasing things. And he adored affection. Bella was only too happy to give him all three.
Over the course of their journey, Cosmo had officially joined her family.
One loyal space dog, claimed through charm and cosmic credit.
---
The voyage home was smooth.
They returned to the remote planet where Bella had first acquired her personal spacecraft. As per their deal, Loki handed over the ship to Bella—her very own Asgardian-class vessel.
From now on, whenever she needed it, she could summon it via Bifrost directly to this location.
After finalizing the handover, Bella turned to Loki.
"You sure you're alright?" she asked.
Loki looked away. "Don't worry. I still have some things to attend to. You go on ahead."
Bella didn't press further. She gave him a small nod, grabbed Cosmo's leash, and called for Heimdall.
Moments later, a beam of multicolored Bifrost light descended from the heavens, wrapping around her and Cosmo.
In an instant, they were gone—leaving Loki standing alone beneath the swirling skies of an abandoned planet.
His eyes dimmed.
"She's a threat," he muttered to himself. "Eventually, I'll have to find a way… to deal with her."
---
Back on Earth, Bella and Cosmo landed in a flash of Bifrost light.
Their interstellar journey had taken nearly three months round-trip, though for Bella, it felt like mere weeks. Spring had arrived in New York, and the weather in April and May was pleasantly mild.
Bella returned to her villa on Long Island, where her return was met not with celebration—but with something far more dangerous.
Emotional blackmail.
In the living room stood Angie, arms crossed, expression stern.
Also present: Nina, lounging lazily, and a large blue cat slumped nearby like a royal pillow.
Bella stepped in, Cosmo excitedly running ahead of her. He dashed into the living room like a bullet, knocking into chairs, barking joyfully.
He went straight to Nina and began wildly nuzzling her fluffy belly.
Nina stared at him with blank resignation.
Why are you like this, her expression seemed to say.
Bella sighed and looked at Angie. "You're mad."
"Oh, you think?" Angie raised a brow. "Three months! You disappeared for three months without a single call. You didn't reply to emails. No texts. Nothing."
She sniffed dramatically. "You got a boyfriend, didn't you? And just like that, you forgot about your best friend."
Bella groaned. "You're being dramatic."
Angie placed a hand on her forehead and swayed like a dying flower. "Tragic! Betrayed! Replaced! You even brought back a man's dog!"
"...It's not a man's dog."
"Heartless!" Angie wailed, falling onto the couch. "He even has the kind of fluffy fur I like to pet. Do you know how lonely I've been?"
Bella remained unmoved. "Please. Continue your performance."
"Don't tempt me, I can act for hours," Angie warned. Then she suddenly leapt forward and tackled Bella into a hug. "Three months, Catherine Isabella. Do you know how many nights I cried alone in this empty villa?"
Bella blinked. "You cried?"
"Metaphorically," Angie huffed. "I demand compensation."
Cosmo barked, wagging his tail behind them.
The truth was, Angie knew her best friend well. Bella was no romantic, and probably hadn't been out gallivanting with some mysterious lover. But Angie had been lonely.
The first month was fine—she had exams to study for. But the second month?
Torture.
All her classmates went wild after finals, partying and heading off to internships. Angie tried to go to bars but quickly got bored. She'd spent most of her time alone, binge-watching bad dramas and missing her sister-from-another-mister.
Now, it was time to cash in.
Bella raised a brow. "Fine. How do you want me to make it up to you?"
Angie's eyes gleamed. "Oh, I've got plans. I want a spa day. Movie marathons. And full custody of the blue cat on weekends."
The blue cat, hearing this, raised its head in horror.
---
Thus, balance returned to Bella's life—well, almost.
She now had a magical space dog, a best friend demanding reparations, and a talking cat who seemed vaguely disgusted by the whole thing.
But somewhere far from Earth, a trickster god was still watching her, troubled by the future and wondering how long Bella could walk this dangerous cosmic path without tipping the scales.
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