The high council of Xandar convened in solemn urgency. Their expressions were grim.
"It's confirmed. The one calling himself Lockdown, he hails from Cybertron. He serves that being."
"My recommendation is to release him. If we imprison him, we risk provoking Cybertron's wrath. That would ignite a new interstellar war, one we're guaranteed to lose."
"Release him? Are you out of your mind? That thing opened fire in broad daylight, inciting global panic! By all Xandarian law, he should be sentenced to life imprisonment! If we just let him go, we forfeit every shred of Xandar's dignity and reputation."
"Heh… a little lost pride is better than total annihilation. If I were you, I wouldn't risk the fate of all Xandar over a scrap of honor. Ronan alone nearly bled us dry. Add Cybertron to the mix? Even if he doesn't intervene directly, we don't stand a chance."
The room filled with tense, tight-lipped stares. The debate flared like a wildfire, tempers rising, voices clashing, no resolution in sight.
BOOM!
A deafening blast rocked the chamber, followed by the shriek of alarm sirens.
"What happened?" someone demanded, rising from their seat.
"Prison break!" a soldier burst in, soaked in sweat and wide-eyed with panic.
The council members looked to one another, but no one spoke. It was as if they had all been waiting for this moment.
A few exchanged knowing glances. Smirks curled on their lips.
"A prison break? Now? How convenient. Let them escape. We'll… deal with it later."
"But their target is the Orb," one general suddenly shouted, pointing to the silver sphere at the center of the table. "As long as we still have the Orb—"
"What even is that thing?" another councilor cut in, frowning. "What makes warlords like Thanos and Martin send their agents after it?"
Those with partial knowledge of the truth stared at the Cosmic Orb with complicated expressions; desire, greed… and fear.
The Infinity Stones. Jewels of the cosmos. No one who truly understands their power would ever willingly let them go.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A relentless barrage shook the facility. Explosions lit up the skies like firestorms, this prison break wasn't just bold. It was apocalyptic.
A ragtag group emerged from the chaos, making their escape.
"I'm going after the Orb," Lockdown declared, his head shifting as his built-in cannon extended, and he opened fire. Everything in his line of sight was decimated, a brutal path carved in smoke and ruin.
"The Orb?! What the hell is it?! Why are so many people throwing their lives away for it?!" Rocket Raccoon shouted from Groot's shoulder, tail bristling with panic. "I broke you out to make money, not watch you suicide yourself!"
"I am Groot," Groot nodded sagely, apparently in agreement.
But Lockdown ignored them. He tore through opposition with merciless efficiency. Blood and shrapnel marked his advance as he boarded a ship, dragging out the soldiers inside and executing them on the spot.
Star-Lord and his team could only follow, grim-faced.
Gamora swiftly slid into the pilot's chair, her voice low and urgent. "We cannot let the Cosmic Orb fall into the hands of Thanos or Martin. That kind of power would doom the entire galaxy."
Peter Quill scoffed. "You're insane, assassin. Did you just compare my master to Thanos?"
Drax doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. "HA! HAHA! SHE SAID IT! Thanos, and Martin! AHAHAHA!"
Gamora's face hardened. "I don't know what Martin truly wants… but I sense his ambition runs deeper than even Thanos."
"Of course it does. Thanos is nothing next to my Creator," Lockdown said flatly.
He piloted the ship with terrifying speed, barreling through the skies toward Xandar's royal capital. Screams echoed from below as the ship crashed into the palace crown.
KRA-KOOM!
Lockdown stepped through the wreckage of the ship's hull, instantly met by a barrage of laser fire. Xandarian guards unleashed everything they had, but their weapons barely scratched his armor. Still, his systems began to strain, his power reserves draining fast.
"Pathetic."
With one blast, Lockdown blew the defenders apart and stormed into the Grand Council Chamber like a vengeful war god.
"Hand over the Orb. Or die," he intoned coldly. "You must understand, the wrath of the Creator is extinction itself."
He advanced with implacable force, plasma cannons erupting. Dozens died trying to stop him, but nothing slowed him down.
His towering frame eclipsed the entire council. The Xandarian leadership shrank beneath his shadow as he loomed above them, reeking of death and finality.
"Give him the Orb," the Nova Corps Commander said through clenched teeth, grabbing the relic from the table and tossing it toward Lockdown.
They had no choice. If just Lockdown was this powerful, how could they survive an entire Cybertronian Legion?
"You're smarter than the others," Lockdown murmured, retracting his cannons. He reached for the Orb.
Gamora lunged, trying to intercept, but Lockdown swatted her aside like a fly. She smashed into the wall with a bone-crunching thud.
The Orb dropped into Lockdown's hands.
He stared at it… then twisted it open.
Inside pulsed the Power Stone, its raw energy casting a radiant purple glow that shimmered with cosmic might. Even a being as cold as Lockdown felt a flicker of awe.
"Excellent. Perfect."
The Power Stone. With this, his Creator would possess four of the Infinity Stones. No force in the universe could stand against him.
Lockdown was pleased.
But then—
A ripple tore through space. Xandar's orbit suddenly filled with warships. Engines roared. Weapons charged.
"Ronan!" someone screamed. "The Accuser, he's here!!"
Ronan the Accuser's Kree fleet began their assault without hesitation. Blinding barrages lit up the skies as the capital shook under the onslaught.
And Ronan himself descended.
His hammer in hand, he brought ruin with every step, guards exploded like ragdolls under the weight of his strikes.
"I can feel the Power Stone's call," he growled. "It belongs to me."
His eyes blazed with fanatical hunger.
"RONAN!!"
Drax let out a furious roar and charged, but Ronan didn't even blink. One kick sent Drax flying.
The Kree warlord marched toward Lockdown.
"You, machine," he snarled. "Give me the Stone, and I may let you live."
A terrible energy radiated from Ronan as he faced down the Cybertronian hunter, his expression twisted with fury and desire.
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