"Mom, I'm home!"
Peter Quill wheeled a cart of 1980s children's toys into his house. His mother was home, as always. The big boy, who considered himself a "toy collector," happily showed off his finds, listened to his favorite music, and enjoyed lunch with his mother.
Nothing was missing.
This was the life Peter Quill truly desired.
Witnessing this, Gwen asked Cindy the same question, but with a different feeling this time: "Do we really have to wake him up?"
She truly couldn't fathom what a person must have gone through to regard this as the most perfect world.
Cindy Moon stood up, nodded, and then knocked on Peter Quill's front door. Quill, who was eating with his mother, smiled and opened the door. Seeing two high school girls standing outside, he asked with some confusion, "Kids, are you two in some trouble?"
"We need Star-Lord's help."
"I'm not sure where you heard the name Star-Lord, but I'm just a normal guy." Quill shrugged indifferently. "I'm not a big shot. Star-Lord is just my band name."
"Who's in the band?"
Quill smiled brightly. "We have Rocket..."
"That's a raccoon."
"No way, how could Rocket be a raccoon... Oh my god, Rocket really is a raccoon! What kind of 'What If' timeline is this?"
"This is the Soul Gem—inside the Soul Gem of Adam Warlock."
Peter Quill rubbed his face and instantly sobered up. He looked behind him and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, uh, wait for me, okay? I just need to say goodbye to my mom, thank you."
They watched Peter Quill exchange a few words and an embrace with his mother. During the hug, the world completely dissipated. They were transported back to the planet. Peter Quill looked at the returning gear on his body and the strange plants in the unfamiliar location, running a hand through his hair. "Isn't this the High Evolutionary's place?"
"The best place in my memory, my friends." Adam Warlock walked over weakly and looked at Cindy and the others. "Thank you. As long as you can wake up more people, the Soul Gem can unleash more power, and I will be in a better state."
"Alright, so, do we split up?"
"Or maybe it's better to stick together. There are some people we don't know," Cindy explained to Star-Lord. "If that's the case, even if we meet them, we won't know how to wake them up."
They quickly entered the next person's pocket universe. The next person to appear before them was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. In this universe, everything was normal, harmonious, loving, and friendly. The Fantastic Four were the greatest heroes, surpassing the Avengers, and the Human Torch was a global superstar.
Johnny Storm was throwing a pool party, the kind with lots of girls. When they found him, he was walking over with two pretty girls on his arms.
"Sorry, little ladies, I don't host minors here. Did you get lost?"
Then, he was punched awake.
Gwen rubbed her knuckles with satisfaction. "Next."
They arrived in the world of Ben Grimm, the Thing. Although the Human Torch was annoying, he recognized Ben before he turned into the Thing. Johnny walked directly up to the handsome pilot who was flirting with his girlfriend, yelling for his buddy to get up and save the world.
So, Gwen and Cindy witnessed the entire process of a handsome pilot transforming into a giant rock-like behemoth. Then, Gwen punched him again.
"If I hadn't known what you're like, Johnny, I'd have decked you."
"That's only because I dodged quickly," Johnny said helplessly while flying in the air. "Besides, Alex is still your girlfriend, isn't she? She doesn't mind you looking like this. You're the one moping all the time."
The Thing remained silent.
Next was Drax, whom the Earth-based heroes didn't recognize. Waking him up proved to be the most troublesome. He had returned to a time when his wife and daughter were alive, living happily with them. In the end, Star-Lord handed Drax a saxophone and, by singing and causing a frenzy with Drax and his family, somehow managed to bring him back.
What was the principle behind that?
"Thank you, Peter Quill. You let me re-experience the goodness of family and reminded me why I must persist with my revenge."
Star-Lord sighed helplessly. That was not his original intention.
They arrived in the world of the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm, whose presence and name seemed to match. Johnny looked at his sister, who appeared the perfect devoted wife and mother, with disbelief. "Ugh—you guys have no idea how fierce she really is."
The next second, accompanied by Sue's roar as she pulled her brother's ear, her ideal world shattered.
The next universe was Gamora's. She lived amicably with her father and sister. Coincidentally, Gamora's adoptive father was Drax's nemesis, Thanos the Mad Titan. So, Drax first got to experience the pleasure of killing his enemy here, which subsequently ended the non-existent perfect world. Gamora, too, woke up.
At this point, they couldn't help but complain: they were supposed to be looking for the Mister Fantastic, yet he hadn't shown up yet.
"Alright, how many people do we have left?"
"Rocket, Groot, Mantis, the Kree guy, that female officer, and the Rubber Man (Mister Fantastic)."
After Star-Lord quickly reviewed the situation, Adam Warlock raised his hand, drawing their attention.
"I've recovered enough. I can now essentially sense the precise location of the remaining people. Everyone can split up into teams now."
"Okay, we'll go find Rocket and Groot. You guys go find the Rubber Man. As for the other two, nobody cares about them." Star-Lord shrugged helplessly. After Adam Warlock showed them the path, the two Spider-Women and the Fantastic Four members entered, while the entire Guardians of the Galaxy team walked into Rocket's world.
They only saw a few cages, a suppressive atmosphere, and fully armed guards.
"I had no idea Rocket was so repressed... Maybe we should pay more attention to the mental health of our animal friends."
Star-Lord mumbled while leading his team to take down the guards and continue forward. They finally found Rocket, but it was again different from their expectations.
Star-Lord had assumed Rocket would be a terrifying, evil scientist. The reality was that Rocket, along with several other clearly modified animals, was huddled inside a cage.
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An Important Announcement: Time to Write Our Own Novel!
Hello everyone!
Thank you all so much for your support; it truly helps me keep going!
I have some exciting news: after translating many fanfics, I've decided it's time to start writing my own Novels! I plan to begin with a new fanfic—I'm currently thinking of either the Avatar: The Last Airbender or Douluo Dalu universe, featuring a Neutral protagonist.That is exactly what I meant by Neutral Protagonist (This refers to the character's Alignment. A Neutral Protagonist is not strictly bound by concepts of absolute good or evil, nor are they necessarily tied to Law or Chaos. Their actions are generally motivated by their own survival, personal goals, or a desire for balance, operating in a morally gray area.)
Once I've written a few fanfics and gained more experience, I can then move on to developing my own original novel soon after.
If you want a direct hand in shaping the main character's destiny and giving input, be sure to join the poll!
I've launched a poll on my P@t reon page!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
1. Head over to our P@t reon page and become a member. (Don't worry, even those with a free membership can join the poll and share their input!)
2. Select any option you desire in the poll
3. Leave a comment on the poll post or send me a DM if you have any specific thoughts or ideas!
p@treon HongMengZi