Chapter 290: Allen – Actually, I'm Your Mom
Shi'ar Empire, border star gate control point.
A massive creature, resembling both a centipede and a serpent, with a body stretching nearly 100,000 meters long, was gliding silently through the vast cosmos.
Inside the space station responsible for maintaining the star gate, the staff immediately detected the incoming behemoth.
In fact, the radar had long sounded the alert—its sheer size made it impossible to miss.
"Could it be a cosmic beast?" the station chief asked in alarm.
It was true that some colossal beasts could survive in the vacuum of space, but none had ever been this enormous.
Moreover, such beasts typically roamed outside the territory of civilized space, their movements erratic and unpredictable.
"Chief, the creature is heading straight for the star gate. Should we shut it down to prevent passage?" the deputy suggested.
"Don't interfere. Just report it to command."
The station chief clearly didn't want to provoke the monster—if it were enraged, the entire station could be annihilated.
But as always, things didn't go as hoped.
As the staff held their breath, the side plating of the Starship Bug unfurled. Tens of thousands of winged insect soldiers surged toward the space station.
"Defensive posture!"
"Request immediate backup from the empire!"
The sight filled every staff member with dread.
The defensive barrier activated instantly, encasing the station in an energy shield.
They were buying time, hoping the Shi'ar Empire's forces would arrive in time to suppress the threat.
The three major galactic empires treated their star gates with the utmost importance. These portals, which connected vast stretches of the galaxy, were not only strategic assets but critical revenue sources. Any sign of hostile interest in them was met with overwhelming retaliation.
These gates symbolized the empires' dominion over interstellar travel.
Among second-tier spacefaring civilizations, only a handful had the technology for expansionary deep space exploration. Most were already proud to have mastered warp travel.
BOOM!
The Starship Bug spewed a concentrated blue corrosive beam straight at the space station.
The energy shield held, blocking the beam—but the acidic liquid clung to its surface, releasing thick, white smoke as it began to eat away at the barrier.
"Increase power output! The shield must not fall!"
The station chief bellowed in a panic.
Through the video feed, they could see countless insect soldiers—fierce-faced and elephant-sized—swarming the shield, tearing and clawing in an attempt to break through.
"Activate the weapons system—wipe out the enemy!"
The station's simple defensive arsenal consisted of two high-rate plasma cannons.
In an instant, a barrage of ion energy rounds poured forth.
Clearly, the insect soldiers couldn't withstand direct hits from energy weapons, but their strength lay in overwhelming numbers and sheer tenacity.
As long as their hearts and heads were intact, even if missing limbs, they could keep fighting at full strength.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The Starship Bug launched three more corrosive beams. One finally punctured a large hole in the shield.
In the next moment, a flood of insect soldiers surged through the breach.
At the same time, similar scenes unfolded at other star gate stations.
The three galactic empires received wave after wave of distress signals. The sudden coordinated assault left them momentarily stunned—it was a blatant challenge to imperial authority.
Even so, none of the three empires rushed to respond. Instead, their leaders convened an emergency meeting to investigate the situation's origin.
The ruler of the Shi'ar Empire: Sword Fighter.
The ruler of the Kree Empire: Supreme Intellect.
The ruler of the Skrull Empire: Skrull Queen.
A tri-party video conference began.
The Skrull Queen was the first to speak. "The Skrull Empire has no intention of starting a war. We are victims here as well. Judging from the footage we received, this appears to be a bioweapon. It doesn't match any technology from factions within our alliance."
"The Shi'ar Empire has no interest in biochemical weapons. I hope no one is playing dirty tricks behind the scenes," Sword Fighter said coldly and confidently.
Sword Fighter had always been overly confident—to the point of arrogance. His power actually depended on that confidence: the more self-assured he felt, the stronger he became. A lack of confidence, conversely, would weaken him.
His race, native to Sword Fighting Star, all shared this trait, though few could rival Sword Fighter himself.
Crucially, one of the Shi'ar Empire's elite forces was made up entirely of these warriors—their fearsome individual combat prowess made the other two empires wary.
"I suspect an external invasion," Supreme Intellect said emotionlessly. "Our database found no match for the creatures' characteristics. This appears to be a completely new faction."
Within the empires' territories, it was relatively easy to gather intelligence on allied civilizations—thanks to frequent trade and spy activity.
"Could it be an ancient empire resurfacing?" the Skrull Queen asked cautiously.
"Unlikely," Supreme Intellect replied. "The footage indicates the attackers are a naturally evolved species. Ancient empires relied solely on advanced technology. A thousand years wouldn't be enough to develop a mature bioweapon system."
"Whoever's behind this… they will pay," Sword Fighter growled.
For him, maintaining the empire's prestige was paramount.
If this incident wasn't resolved decisively, it would damage their reputation across the galaxy.
Elsewhere – the Void Zone.
Inside a tavern frequented by bounty hunters.
Suddenly, the mission projection screens shut off, drawing complaints from the crowd.
"Apologies, everyone," the bartender stepped forward and explained, "We just received official notice from the three empires: star gate travel is temporarily suspended. All missions are on hold."
"What happened?"
"No comment."
The bartender remained cool in the face of questions. He had no intention of giving away intel for free.
"I'll take a bottle of Stellar Radiance. Don't bother opening it."
At the bar, Allen ordered a bottle of rare, high-end liquor.
The bartender brought it over, bowing respectfully. "Please enjoy."
"It's for you."
"…?"
The bartender blinked, confused. This was the first time a bounty hunter had ever bought him a drink.
In his experience, bounty hunters lived hand to mouth, risking their lives for scraps. Generosity wasn't in their nature.
"May I ask why?"
The bartender, recognizing Allen as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy, adjusted his tone accordingly.
"You reminded me of a child I never got to meet," Allen said with a wistful sigh.
"Well, that's... a tragic thing. But thank you all the same."
The bartender gratefully accepted the bottle. Its value was equivalent to a month's salary.
"Daddy, I had an older brother who died before he was born?" Ayesha's eyes went wide with shock and a touch of sadness. "Can you tell me about him?"
"Silly girl," Allen said, stroking her hair gently. "I'm the president of the Forever Single and Pure-of-Heart Association. I swore to remain chaste for life. How could I have gotten married and had a child?"
"Then where did I come from?"
Ayesha immediately zeroed in on the inconsistency.
You're supposed to be single—so how do I exist?
"Well… actually, I'm your mom," Allen said with a smug grin.
The bartender's face darkened.
So the whole "unborn child" story was just a setup to mess with him?
And then he had the nerve to act grateful on top of that?
"Mom!?"
Ayesha looked him up and down suspiciously, then said with determination, "I don't believe you. My mom's not dead. I'm going to find her!"
"…Looks like I can't hide it anymore," Allen said, feigning reluctance.
"Aha! So you were lying!" Ayesha exclaimed in sudden realization.
"…"
(TN: Will you revive Allen? Voting is open for 24 hours only in my Patreøn. Thanks.)