"Quick, take this thing away from me. We're closed today, get out!"
The boss's expression twisted instantly. He stared at the Cosmic Orb in terror, then looked at Star-Lord, and kicked Star-Lord out of the store. Star-Lord was bewildered. Why would that guy, who usually had nothing but money in his eyes, refuse such a big deal this time? This wasn't scientific... oh no! This wasn't magic. What kind of situation could make a miser give up so much money? What was going on with this guy?
"Such a calamitous thing has actually reappeared. The power capable of destroying a Planet will surely stir up the winds of war again. I must leave this place of trouble quickly! Anywhere else will do."
Watching Star-Lord leave from the monitor, the boss breathed a deep sigh of relief. His short figure paced anxiously in place. Obviously, he had seen much more than Star-Lord, and he knew the origin of this Cosmic Orb, or rather, he had once seen the Cosmic Orb, or the Power Stone, in action.
The boss hurried to pack his things, wanting to leave this place—anywhere was fine. Even wandering in space was better than waiting to die here. He had once witnessed a giant, hundreds of meters tall, holding a massive weapon, with energy surging from a purple gem, destroying a Planet. This was his childhood experience, and he still remembered it clearly to this day. When everyone knew the Power Stone had disappeared, the people affected by the war finally ignited hope for survival. He and his parents began to look for a suitable place to live, but that childhood experience had always been his nightmare.
"Hey! Buddy, you aren't going anywhere."
Once he packed up the valuable things in the shop, the boss, with his short stature, drove his flying vehicle back home quickly. But to his surprise, when he turned on the lights, he saw a familiar blue-skinned guy sitting quietly on a chair, eating the 'fruit' on the table. Seeing him enter, the guy grinned silently and smiled, revealing his big gold teeth.
"Yon... Yon... Yondu."
Looking at this familiar person, the boss couldn't muster any expression of happiness. This old friend was notoriously brutal, and especially, his reputation wasn't blown out of proportion by people, but carved out, bit by bit, through fighting. The boss felt his legs shaking a little. Last time, this person had given him a stern warning not to trade with Star-Lord. But fortunately, he hadn't traded with Star-Lord; otherwise, he would have been the one in the wrong.
"Don't worry, my old friend, we need to have a good talk."
He signaled with his eyes to the subordinates standing behind the door. The two subordinates nodded and walked out, closing the door behind them. All of this made the boss feel that something big was about to happen. Under Yondu's gesture, the boss, with his trembling short legs, walked over and sat on the chair beside Yondu.
"Let's have a chat. What did that kid take? Did he fence it here?"
While signaling the boss not to be nervous, Yondu revealed his big gold teeth, his blue face full of malice, scaring the boss so much his heart almost stopped. But there was no choice; the situation forced him, and he could only honestly tell him.
"Hooked on a Feeling, ooga ooga! Hooked on a Feeling, ooga ooga~ ooga!"
On Artoria's side, she stood at the highest point of the city, looking down at the entire city, muttering the 'nuke' hit song from her past life, watching the city with great pleasure. Standing at a high place really allowed one to see better scenery. Most importantly, through her vision, she saw Gamora. She seemed to have already spotted Star-Lord and was preparing to capture him. And Star-Lord seemed to have realized someone was trying to catch him and began to flee frantically.
By the way, Rocket and Groot had also joined in. The whole street started to become chaotic. The initially peaceful and harmonious scene was completely ruined by these guys. The whole scene was very lively, but their actions attracted the Nova Corps, and soon they were surrounded. They were really a bunch of unlucky guys.
"Truly interesting. I wonder what kind of mood Thanos will be in when he finds out his daughter has been snatched away?"
They met here and were imprisoned together. Artoria could already imagine that if things followed their natural course, it wouldn't be long before Gamora fell for Star-Lord, that dancing clown. It was an old trope. Moreover, Star-Lord's background wasn't bad; his Father was a member of the Celestials. Although he was a Planet, he was well-matched with Thanos, that mutant from the race of Eternity, and it could be considered a good match.
But all this would only happen under 'normal' circumstances. Artoria smiled and disappeared from the rooftop. The Nova Corps had already captured Gamora and the others. Logically speaking, Gamora shouldn't be that weak, but unfortunately, she couldn't take on an entire army by herself, so she had no choice but to surrender.
As the daughter of the infamous monarch of the Universe, Thanos, who knew how many people in prison wanted her life? There was no help for it; Thanos, that advocate for the extinction of half the population, was just that detestable! Nebula had already arrived on Xandar, but unfortunately, she didn't see any of this, or else she would have surely mocked her sister mercilessly.
"Oh! That is certainly not good news."
After receiving the news from his boss, Yondu's expression had been poor. However, since he didn't speak, his subordinates just assumed he looked that way because Star-Lord had run off. In reality, he was just worried about Star-Lord. To think he'd gotten involved in such a troublesome affair; couldn't the kid just be less of a headache? And that bastard, his Father, seemed to have been making moves lately. Based on the information broker's description of that magical spacecraft, he was certain it was Star-Lord's Father. What a hassle.
"Bring that kid back to me. I'm going to chop off his toes."
Although he said such vicious words, it was just a lie Yondu told to find Star-Lord's whereabouts. He wouldn't actually do anything to Star-Lord. As for how to resolve the aftermath, well, he had his Yaka Arrow; let's see who dared to say anything!
"Hey! I say, brother, you're really something. To think you dared to run around with that much money. If I were you, I would have sold it long ago and taken the money to go live it up somewhere."
Rocket, wearing an orange prison uniform, said to Star-Lord with a hint of mockery. Although he was now a prisoner, his trash-talking was quite impressive, leaving Star-Lord speechless with anger. Rolling his eyes in resignation, Star-Lord looked at the less-than-1.5-meter-tall Rocket and then at the towering Groot.
"You two are a strange pair. This is the first time I've seen such a combination."
A talking monkey 'Rocket' and a sentient tree. Even though Star-Lord had seen so many aliens, it was his first time seeing such a combination. The former was just like an animal, and the latter was a plant; it was quite amusing. Thinking of this, Star-Lord chuckled, leaving Rocket stunned. What was wrong with this guy? Was his brain broken? They were already locked up; why was he still laughing? Was he crazy?
"Groot, let's stay away from this crazy guy."
"I am Groot."
The tall and short figures walked past Star-Lord. Since they hadn't entered their cells yet, there were prison guards in their activity area. Having finished laughing, Star-Lord didn't mind Rocket's attitude, but he was more curious about that green-skinned woman. Who was she, and why was she hounding him? Could it be related to the Cosmic Orb?
"I... may I know your name? And I'd also really like to know why you're hounding me?"
In the end, Star-Lord couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked Gamora. Gamora only glanced at him and remained silent. After waiting for a long time, a cold female voice came from the darkness.
"My name is Gamora."
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