In most dimensions, the sudden appearance of so many Shadow Warriors would cause a stir. However, in the Hell Dimension, their presence barely registered, underscoring the vastness and chaos of this realm. Bruce Wayne's mission to explore the Hell Dimension was clearly going to be a long and arduous journey.
Meanwhile, at the Avengers headquarters, Tony Stark was unaware of the developments occurring in Gotham. Nevertheless, Bruce had taken the first steps in his exploration of the Hell Dimension. Stark, too, was deeply engrossed in studying its energies, now armed with the data Bruce had shared. This newfound knowledge advanced Stark's understanding of merging supernatural forces with technology, allowing him to make rapid progress—perhaps even outpacing Bruce in certain areas.
Bruce's research had been limited by the relatively low power level of the demons he had encountered. His Hell Demon armor, for example, had only reached a power equivalent to that of a demon king. Stark, on the other hand, was on a different level. His technology already operated at the scale of a Hell Lord. With Robert's help, Stark could easily delve into the Hell Dimension, securing samples and data from far stronger entities.
In fact, Robert occasionally arranged "sparring sessions," pitting Stark against weaker Hell Lords and enabling him to extract portions of their bodies for study. Even though the fragments retained their vitality—and in some cases, a fragment of the Hell Lord's consciousness—Stark welcomed the challenge. He had no fear of these remnants causing trouble, given that the full-strength Hell Lords had already failed against him in their own dimension. A weakened version in the Avengers base posed no real threat.
As Stark pressed forward with his research, other Avengers, such as Steve Rogers, focused on mastering the powers of Shazam. Gradually, the Avengers and Earth's defenders were growing stronger and more prepared for looming threats.
Elsewhere in the cosmos, the Guardians of the Galaxy were also making strides. Ash, bathed in the radiation of a yellow star, was beginning to awaken his Kryptonian abilities. His progress was gradual, but it hit a snag when Rocket accidentally piloted their ship too close to the star. Overwhelmed by the intense solar energy, Ash collapsed on the spot.
This incident alarmed the Guardians. Fortunately, a quick call to the Avengers provided reassurance: Ash's exposure needed to be gradual, giving his Kryptonian genes time to adapt. The Avengers also subtly hinted that Star-Lord should inform them of any irregularities, offering immediate support if needed—a suggestion that didn't go unnoticed by Adam Warlock, though he seemed oblivious to its implications.
At the time, Adam was distracted, attempting to learn how to eat beans quietly from Drax. His lack of success led him to question whether the beans were expired, as they failed to deliver the joy Drax had promised. Adam eventually dismissed the matter upon observing that Drax, too, showed no visible signs of happiness while eating the beans.
Ash's unconscious state persisted longer than the Guardians expected. If not for Rocket's diagnostic equipment, which indicated that Ash's body was steadily growing stronger, the team might have feared for his life. Meanwhile, Adam's own physical abilities were quietly improving. While he had not yet surpassed Drax, data suggested that it was only a matter of time.
"When I surpass you, will I turn your color?" Adam asked Drax after a physical test, his voice filled with rare unease. For the first time, he seemed reluctant to grow up.
"Maybe," Drax replied uncertainly.
"But I don't want to look like you! Your color is ugly. My golden hue is much better!" Adam declared, his newfound concept of aesthetics emerging for the first time.
Fortunately, Drax didn't take offense. He shook his head and reassured Adam, "If you don't want to, you won't. Your body has far greater potential than mine. Just keep believing in yourself, and you'll stay the way you are."
"Really? Then I'll make sure I don't turn into you!" Adam's eyes lit up with genuine joy, as though he had finally tasted an unexpired happy bean.
Star-Lord and Gamora watched this exchange, their disbelief evident. "How is it this easy to fool him?" Star-Lord muttered. Gamora, equally astonished, refrained from commenting.
Rocket shrugged and said, "You're overthinking it. Adam may look like an adult, but he's still a child at heart. He and Mantis get along, don't they?"
Star-Lord, still struggling to process Rocket's remark, quickly pivoted to another issue. "So, as captain, what's our next move?" Rocket asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Next move? I don't have one," Star-Lord admitted. His plans had always been more reactive, a habit he'd picked up from Yondu.
Speaking of Yondu, he had long since parted ways with the Guardians, returning to lead his Ravagers. After ensuring that Star-Lord was free from danger following Ego's demise, Yondu decided not to interfere further in Peter's life, recognizing that the Guardians were the right companions for him.
"Are we just going to drift in space?" Rocket pressed. "Even with those batteries, we don't need to waste fuel like this. And by the way, you're getting fat."
"I am not!" Star-Lord snapped, defensively turning to Gamora. "You don't think I'm getting fat, do you?"
Gamora coughed awkwardly, trying to dodge the question. "That's not the issue we should be discussing right now..."
But Nebula interjected bluntly, "You've gained at least fifteen pounds since I first met you. There's a scanner right there—check for yourself."
Star-Lord, feeling the jab acutely, resolved to prove them wrong. "From today on, I'm working out! You'll see—I'll be the buffest guy on this ship!"
As he stormed off, Rocket sighed and muttered, "Still didn't answer my question..."
Star-Lord waved dismissively. "You figure it out. The Avengers said we should look for the Infinity Stones or Thanos. Decide where to start."
At the mention of the Infinity Stones, Nebula and Gamora exchanged a tense glance but said nothing. Gamora, in particular, felt conflicted. She knew the location of the Soul Stone on Vormir but had withheld this information from the Avengers. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but she believed that the fewer people who knew about the stone, the better. The Soul Stone was safest hidden away.
What Gamora didn't realize, however, was that the Soul Stone was no longer on Vormir—or even in existence. When Robert was transported there and heard Clark's dying plea, his rage led him to destroy the entire planet. While the Soul Stone's mystical nature might have preserved it, its whereabouts were now completely unknown.
Thanos, too, was unaware of Vormir's destruction. After an exhaustive search, he and his forces had finally uncovered the same lead Gamora had used to find Vormir. However, when they arrived at its coordinates, they found nothing but empty space.
Aboard the ship, Thanos stood silently, his face betraying no emotion as he gazed at the void where Vormir should have been. In contrast, Supergiant's expression was grim as she interrogated a trembling alien informant.
"You claim Vormir was here. So, where is it?" she demanded, her voice icy.
The alien, his violet skin quivering, stammered, "It was here! Many know of this place, but none who visited ever returned alive. You read my mind—you know I'm not lying!"
"It's true," Corvus Glaive confirmed, studying the star system's data. "There was a planet here, but it's been utterly destroyed, leaving no trace. Only orbital patterns hint at its past existence."
"So, someone retrieved the Soul Stone before us?" Thanos asked, his tone calm yet cold.
Supergiant hesitated before responding. "Based on his memory, he wasn't the first to find this information. His brother discovered it but was killed by a woman—vicious and relentless, she tortured him for the information and massacred everyone nearby."
"A ruthless woman?" Thanos mused, his eyes narrowing. "When did this happen?"
"Around the time you sent Nebula and Gamora to search for the stones," Supergiant replied carefully, watching Thanos's reaction.
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