Martin allowed himself a faint smile as he looked at the unusually obedient Peter Quill before him.
The Mind Stone... sometimes, it truly was one of the most convenient tools in the universe. The ability to directly alter a person's mind and will… simply too efficient.
"Tell me, Quill," Martin said slowly, "who sent you here?"
Quill bowed respectfully. "A group of unknown deities. I could sense a subtle divine aura radiating from them… but I couldn't tell which pantheon they belonged to."
"What did they look like?"
"They kept their faces hidden beneath long robes. But I caught a glimpse of one of their hands, covered in golden fur."
Martin paused, his expression twisting into something unreadable. Then, a cold smile crept across his face.
Deities. Cloaked in mystery. Golden fur on their hands. That could only mean...
"Excellent," he murmured, voice thick with irony. "Things are finally getting interesting. Ever since I orchestrated the fall of Asgard, the other branches of the World Tree Pantheons have grown restless."
He rose, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the stars beyond Cybertron's sky.
Lately, Martin had noticed a rising number of space pirates lurking around Cybertronian space. Undoubtedly, these were scouts or mercenaries working on behalf of those godly factions seeking to reclaim their place in the World Tree's domain.
And those shadowy figures who hired Quill… there was only one likely source:
Heavenly Court.
But the immortals of the Heavenly Court hadn't counted on Quill's unique lineage. With half-Celestial blood flowing through him, Peter was unusually sensitive to divine energy, and he had instinctively sensed their origins.
"Let them all come," Martin said coldly. "It'll be easier to wipe them out at once. These so-called gods… all they do is meddle."
Whether it was the Heavenly Court, Olympus, or some ancient Mayan pantheon, Martin didn't care. However many came, he would kill them all.
"I'll go retrieve the Orb now. Yondu's after it too, which gives me the perfect opportunity. I can use him to get my hands on it," Quill said, eyes gleaming with roguish cunning. Raised by Ravagers, Peter's moral compass had always been... flexible.
"No," Martin interrupted. "Your strength alone won't be enough. You'll need help."
He made a subtle gesture.
Suddenly, a shadow materialized in front of them, tall, menacing, and utterly silent.
...
Lockdown
Designation: Galactic Hunter
Personality: Calculating (+25% Execution Efficiency)
Height: 6.7 meters
Energon Capacity: 9.6 million units
Status: Optimal
Combat Class: Tier Four
Signature Quote: "If the pay's good enough, I'll do anything."
Evaluation: One of the galaxy's most feared bounty hunters. Unprincipled. Ruthless. Predatory.
...
His obsidian-black armor seemed to radiate bloodlust. Even standing still, Lockdown exuded a primal aura of cruelty that made the air itself feel heavier.
"This is Lockdown," Martin said. "He'll assist you. But be careful, Quill, he's as likely to gut you as he is your enemies."
Martin chuckled darkly.
Lockdown tilted his head, his optics scanning Peter with cold precision. "Kid, I'll help you secure the Orb," he said, voice devoid of warmth. "But don't expect me to follow your orders. If it increases the odds of success… I won't hesitate to sacrifice you."
Peter stared back, teeth clenched. After a moment, he gave a dry laugh. "Funny. I was about to tell you the same thing. Try not to get yourself killed."
Martin nodded with satisfaction. "Looks like you two will get along just fine. The ship's ready, Quill. It's been fully repaired. Now go. I want the Orb, now."
...
World Tree Region.
Quill and Lockdown departed swiftly, their starship vanishing into the void as it left Cybertron behind.
Starscream's optics darted around nervously. "I've got a feeling those two are going to end up trying to kill each other."
Martin shot him a sideways glance, then let out a dry, humorless laugh. He couldn't be bothered with the scheming Seeker right now.
Time passed.
Across the boundless reaches of space, various factions were slowly converging on the World Tree.
And, just as Martin had predicted, many of them bore divine energy. Powerful. Ancient. Restless.
With Odin dead and Asgard in ruins, the gods of many pantheons were ready to reclaim their place in the cosmic order. And chief among them...
...
Heavenly Court, Great Luo Heaven.
High above the Nine Heavens, in the resplendent halls of the Jade Palace, a towering figure clad in a dragon-emblazoned robe sat in the throne at the summit.
"What response from Cybertron?" he asked.
"None so far," replied the Southern Polar Immortal Elder (Nanji Xianweng), brows furrowed in concern.
"No response is the greatest response," said the Jade Emperor, his voice like cold thunder. "All the other pantheons are returning to the World Tree… and the first mountain in our path is the one built atop Asgard's corpse: Cybertron!"
"Then we'll let Yu Gong move that mountain," someone said with a smirk.
Down below, Yu Gong scowled as Sun Wukong chuckled and scratched his head.
[TN: This is joke, as Yu Gong had once moved a mountain by digging and moving pieces of the mountain even as a mortal.]
The Jade Emperor shot the Monkey King a glare. "Our return to the World Tree is essential. Only within its bounds can we reclaim our former glory, draw upon its primal cosmic laws, and once again reach our full Skyfather potential!"
"If not for our crushing defeat at the hands of the Celestials, we would never have fallen so far."
Nezha stood silently, his expression grim.
The memories of that battle still haunted them all. A millennia-old defeat, yet it felt like yesterday. The gods had lost Earth, lost the World Tree… driven out like vagabonds.
Without the World Tree, even their divine power had begun to wane. It was intolerable.
But this time, they would return.
Even if it meant bypassing Cybertron entirely.
Even if that man, Martin, was waiting for them.
So many Skyfather-class deities were converging now. Even he would have to hesitate.
Sun Wukong said nothing. He alone among them had not suffered in that ancient war. The Monkey King was eager for another fight.
"…Hmm. There's someone on Earth who inherited a portion of my divine essence," Wukong muttered. "Might be worth taking a look."
A long-forgotten strand of his own power, cast into the mortal world long ago, had now awakened in a namesake human. Interesting.
Across the stars, the many divine factions pressed on toward the World Tree.
But none of them knew that Martin was already watching.
His gaze was as cold as the void.
Some things, he knew, were inevitable. The only question was when, and how, you chose to face them.
Martin stood at the window, eyes distant. Then he turned, stepped into a swirling vortex of time and space… and returned to Earth.
...
Kamar-Taj
"Where is my Time Stone," Martin demanded, standing at the gates of the ancient sanctuary.
Zzrrk!
A golden portal opened.
From it emerged the Ancient One, lowering her hood as she stepped forward.
"I've been waiting for you," she said quietly.
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