Carol Danvers slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment her thoughts were foggy, as if she had just awakened from a long and exhausting dream. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar, and the faint scent of the blankets covering her carried a scent she didn't recognize.
She sat up slightly and glanced around the room.
The surroundings quickly became clear.
This was a bedroom she had never seen before.
Carol looked down at the blanket covering her and then scanned the room again. After a few seconds, recognition flickered across her face.
This was Ethan Drake's private cabin.
Her gaze drifted toward the large floor-to-ceiling observation window at the far end of the room. Beyond the glass stretched the endless darkness of space, filled with distant stars scattered like silver dust across a black ocean.
The sight confirmed her suspicion.
They were aboard a ship.
The faint hum vibrating through the floor came from massive engines operating somewhere deep inside the vessel's structure. Carol closed her eyes briefly, recalling the final moments before she had lost consciousness.
Ethan had carried her away from Xandar.
The ship she was now aboard had a name she remembered hearing earlier.
The World Engine.
Carol slowly absorbed a bit of cosmic energy from the surrounding environment, attempting to stabilize her body. The moment the energy flowed through her system, a sharp pain radiated through her chest.
Her injuries were still severe.
Judging by the state of her body, it would probably take at least two weeks for her to fully recover.
Fortunately, Ethan had intervened when her power went out of control. If he hadn't absorbed the energy surge, she might have died during that explosion.
Carol clenched her jaw slightly.
Dr. Minerva.
Starforce.
The memories of that betrayal returned vividly.
Her former teammates had not hesitated at all when turning against her. Their trap had nearly killed her and destroyed Xandar along with it.
That realization extinguished the last remnants of hesitation in her heart.
The next time she encountered the Kree Empire, she would show no mercy.
A cold light flashed briefly in Carol's eyes.
Then the door slid open.
Lucini walked into the room.
The elegant woman paused when she saw Carol sitting upright.
"You're awake," Lucini said calmly.
Carol nodded.
"Yes."
Her gaze lingered on Lucini for a moment, and a faint hint of awkwardness crossed her face. She knew this woman held a special place at Ethan's side.
Lucini, however, remained completely composed.
"I've already examined your condition," she said. "There are no life-threatening injuries."
Carol exhaled slowly.
"I know."
Then she hesitated slightly.
"How is he?"
Lucini understood immediately.
"His Majesty is in the cockpit," she replied. "We're currently heading toward the Kyln high-security prison."
Carol blinked.
"The Kyln?"
The name immediately triggered a memory.
During their previous conversations, Ethan had repeatedly asked her about a particular object.
The Orb.
Carol frowned slightly as she connected the pieces.
They had arrived too late on Xandar to retrieve it. Whoever currently possessed the Orb had already escaped before Ethan reached the planet.
Yet one question continued to bother her.
What exactly made that Orb so important?
Why was Ronan desperately searching for it? And why was the Kryptonian Emperor himself willing to cross the galaxy to obtain it?
Carol had the feeling the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.
Because by now, several powerful factions were already moving.
—
The Kyln.
A maximum-security prison constructed by the Nova Corps.
The massive facility orbited a barren moon and served as one of the most secure detention centers in the Nova Empire. Countless dangerous criminals from across the galaxy were imprisoned there.
At the moment, one particular prisoner was feeling extremely unlucky.
Peter Quill—also known as Star-Lord—sat in his cell staring at the metal bars in frustration.
"Damn it," he muttered.
During a chaotic scuffle earlier, Nova Corps officers had arrested him and thrown him into the Kyln along with several other troublemakers.
The situation was incredibly irritating.
The Orb he had worked so hard to steal was still in his possession, yet instead of selling it for a fortune, he was now stuck in prison.
Star-Lord leaned back against the wall and cursed under his breath.
"Unbelievable…"
Across from him, Gamora stood silently.
Her green skin and sharp gaze gave her an intimidating presence. She didn't speak, but her eyes remained fixed on Star-Lord with obvious hostility.
Gamora was the adopted daughter of Thanos.
One of the galaxy's most feared assassins.
She had once served as Ronan's ally, but now she was trapped in the Kyln because of the Orb.
Nearby, two other figures watched the situation unfold.
Rocket, a genetically modified raccoon, narrowed his glowing eyes suspiciously as he stared at Star-Lord.
"Don't get comfortable, kid," Rocket said. "You're not leaving my sight."
Beside him stood Groot.
The tall tree-like being tilted his head slightly.
"I am Groot," he said.
Rocket and Groot were bounty hunters.
Star-Lord happened to be a well-known thief with a very large bounty on his head. Naturally, the two partners had decided to track him down.
Further down the corridor wandered another intimidating prisoner.
Drax the Destroyer.
Among the inmates of the Kyln, Drax had built a fearsome reputation. His immense strength made him one of the most dangerous prisoners inside the facility.
These unlikely individuals would eventually become known as the Guardians of the Galaxy.
At the moment, however, they were nothing more than strangers thrown together in the same prison.
Under normal circumstances, the events unfolding here would follow a predictable pattern.
Gamora would eventually be recognized by hostile prisoners as the daughter of Thanos. Those criminals—many of whom hated Thanos deeply—would attempt to attack her.
Star-Lord and the others would intervene, triggering a riot inside the prison.
Then they would escape together.
That was how the story had once unfolded.
But the situation had already changed.
The timeline itself had been disrupted.
"Hey!"
A group of prisoners approached with sinister grins.
One of them pointed toward Gamora.
"Look what we've got here. Thanos's daughter."
Cruel laughter echoed through the corridor.
"A lamb surrounded by wolves."
The prisoners closed in slowly.
Many of them had suffered because of Thanos's campaigns across the galaxy. Seeing his adopted daughter trapped in prison filled them with twisted excitement.
One man unbuckled his belt with a grin.
He clearly had terrible intentions.
Before Star-Lord or the others could react—
A silver arc suddenly flashed through the air.
Swish!
The shining crescent of light cut across the corridor.
The criminals froze.
Then their bodies split apart at the waist.
Blood sprayed across the prison floor as the severed halves collapsed.
A tall, thin figure stepped forward.
He carried a massive black scythe that looked almost absurdly large in his hands.
"No one insults Thanos's daughter," the man said coldly.
Gamora narrowed her eyes.
"Corvus Glaive."
He was one of the Black Order.
A general serving directly under Thanos.
But his presence raised an obvious question.
Why was he here?
Before anyone could answer, the prison shook violently.
BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the Kyln.
Sirens blared as red warning lights flashed through the corridors.
Outside the facility, an enormous fleet had appeared.
Ronan the Accuser had arrived.
Kree warships surrounded the prison as Ronan personally led the assault. Despite the peace treaty with Xandar, he had decided to ignore the agreement entirely.
He was gambling everything on this operation.
"Where is the Orb?" Ronan roared.
His voice echoed through the prison corridors.
If he could obtain the Orb and deliver it to Thanos, the Mad Titan had promised to destroy Xandar in return.
At that point, the peace treaty would mean nothing.
Gamora calmly pointed toward Star-Lord.
"He has it."
Ronan turned his gaze toward Peter Quill.
"Boy," he said coldly. "Don't try to be clever."
The presence of Corvus Glaive proved just how seriously Thanos was taking this mission. One of the Black Order had personally come to ensure success.
But neither Ronan nor Thanos realized something.
They weren't the only ones hunting the Orb.
Far beyond the prison's outer perimeter, another force had already arrived.
Ethan Drake had reached the battlefield.
BOOM!
The Kryptonian warship World Engine opened fire first.
Massive energy cannons erupted from the vessel, unleashing concentrated beams that tore through the Kree fleet surrounding the Kyln prison.
....
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