In the Ravager mothership, everyone suited up. Metal clicked. Boots locked. Weapons charged. The air buzzed with the kind of tension that came right before something went very, very wrong.
Eli pulled on the red Ravager uniform, adjusting it slightly. It still felt… off. Like wearing someone else's story. Over it, he wore his white, loose silk-like coat, the one that had quietly become his thing.
White hair. White coat. Red underneath.
A Ravager stared at him for a second too long. Eli met his eyes. The Ravager looked away immediately.
"…yeah, that's what I thought," Eli muttered under his breath.
The plan was simple. Which, in Eli's experience, meant it absolutely wouldn't stay that way.
Step one: Blind the Dark Aster. Rocket Raccoon and the Ravagers blow a hole in it.
Step two: Insertion. Peter Quill, Gamora, and Groot go inside. Take the stone. Stop Ronan.
Step three: Hope.
"Yeah… that's comforting," Eli whispered.
His role was different—cleaner, quieter. Stay outside. Protect civilians. Hold the sky together while everyone else saved the galaxy.
No pressure.
He stood by the exit ramp, staring at the stars as they stretched into lines. In his hand, he turned a small piece of the Milano.
Three slots left.
That number sat heavier than it should have. Power wasn't the problem anymore—choice was. He could feel every ability like tools in a limited box. Pick wrong now… and later could cost lives.
His grip tightened slightly. "…hate this part," he murmured.
Glass concept. Useful. Quiet. Safe. But not him.
He wasn't the kind of person who stayed invisible while people died.
"Yeah… we're done with that."
The shift wasn't instant. It never was. It felt like pulling something out of himself—thread by thread—until the space was empty. Then the Milano piece dissolved into his palm.
Something clicked. Not new, unlocked.
[ New Ability Integrated ]
Near-Light Speed Travel
Eli blinked. "…oh."
A slow grin spread across his face. "Okay… that's insane."
The ship dropped into atmosphere.
And Xandar was already burning.
The sky above Xandar lit up like a warzone. Kree ships screamed through the air. Explosions painted the skyline.
The Nova Corps grid flickered like it was seconds from giving up.
And above it all, the Dark Aster descended—slow, massive, inevitable.
Like gravity had a grudge.
Eli hovered above the chaos, still and focused, watching everything at once.
Civilians first. Dive-bombers second.
Ronan last.
He exhaled once. "Alright… let's get to work."
The first bomber never saw him coming. He moved—and the world lagged behind him. Spider reflexes snapped him forward. Ant strength caught a falling vehicle mid-air and redirected it straight into the incoming ship.
Explosion. Fire. Shockwave.
Eli was already gone. Wind scattered debris before it could touch the ground. A child froze beneath a collapsing structure—Eli's hand caught it, held it just enough.
"Hey—hey… you're good. Go."
The kid ran. Eli didn't watch. He trusted that he would.
Across the battlefield, chaos turned coordinated. Rocket Raccoon laughed behind a turret, firing wildly. Gamora moved like a blade. Drax the Destroyer was the explosion.
And Yondu Udonta—his arrow cut through the sky like judgment.
Eli stayed between everything. Not the center—the space where things almost went wrong. A bomb slipped through—he caught it, threw it skyward. A blast headed for Nova officers—wind redirected it.
A rifle fired at a family. The shot hit him. He didn't flinch. The weapon crushed in his grip. The soldier backed away.
Eli was already gone.
Then came the big one—a city-killer falling straight into a crowded intersection.
"…yeah, no."
Blue light ignited from his eyes, slicing into the bomb mid-air. It detonated early—too early. The explosion expanded, but Eli stepped forward, both hands out. Wind bent around him, forcing fire upward into the sky.
Heat brushed past the ground—but never touched it.
Silence followed. Then whispers.
Eli scratched the back of his head. "…okay that one was a bit close."
And he was gone again.
Above him, the Dark Aster shifted.
Not attacking. Not maneuvering. Dropping.
Eli slowed mid-air. "…that's not good."
"Guys?" he said into comms.
Peter Quill answered, breathless. "He's crashing the ship! We can't stop it!"
Eli looked up. The Nova Corps net strained—glowing, shaking, failing. The city below didn't even realize yet.
Thousands of people. Maybe more.
For the first time since the battle started, Eli didn't move immediately. He just stared at the falling ship… at the scale of it… at what it meant.
"…okay," he said quietly. Then firmer: "Okay."
His shoulders squared. Wind gathered faintly around him—not dramatic, just pressure building.
"Guess this is the part where I find out if I'm actually that guy."
He shot forward
And the air broke behind him.