Bella's brow twitched slightly under the shadow of her hood. The name alone carried a weight that even she could not ignore.
Could it be that this mad Titan had already sensed her presence in the wider universe, and was now moving to capture her? The thought wasn't impossible. After all, the Space Stone was in her hands, a prize Thanos had long desired.
But if this truly was the case, Bella couldn't help but scoff inwardly. To stir up such noise, to make such a blatant show of force—was Thanos not concerned she might simply slip through his fingers and vanish into the stars?
Before she could mull over the thought any further, a hushed voice echoed through her comm-link.
"In addition to this woman, it is said that Thanos' own daughter has betrayed him. Anyway, the Titan is furious now, and his army has grown even more brutal."
Bella's lips curved in faint amusement beneath the hood.
"Betrayed by his own daughter? Tsk. No wonder he's gone mad."
Another voice chimed in bitterly.
"Hmph. Serves him right. He and that dark order of his have destroyed countless civilizations. Every system they touch bleeds, half the population slaughtered. If this is what happens to him now, it's only fair."
Someone else hissed nervously, "Keep your voice down, fool. If one of Thanos' spies hears you talking like that, you'll be nothing but dust."
But the man laughed derisively. "What are you so afraid of?"
It was a dangerous question, because the truth was obvious. Across the entire known galaxy, the mere mention of Thanos conjured a storm of terror and hatred. His reign of slaughter had spanned decades, leaving broken civilizations and hollowed worlds in his wake.
He was a tyrant. He was cruelty made flesh. He was power incarnate.
And yet, no matter how deep the loathing ran, no one dared stand against him. For those who tried… entire species had been annihilated in retaliation. Families, planets, whole star systems—all erased with ruthless artillery fire to send a message.
To many, he was less a conqueror and more a cosmic law of nature: inevitable, unyielding, and merciless.
Bella, however, remained calm. She had no illusions about these fearful whispers. These people could mutter all they liked in their little corners of the galaxy, but not a single one of them would dare stand face-to-face with the Mad Titan himself.
That was the way of the universe. In this dark forest among the stars, only the strong had the right to shape destiny.
And Bella was strong. Strong enough to carve her own path, though she knew better than to clash with Thanos now. She could not yet face him and his Black Order head-on. Not while her strength was incomplete.
If she had the power to do so, she wouldn't wait for Thanos to come knocking. She would have already stormed his throne room herself. But she wasn't there yet. Not yet.
Bella's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she sipped from her crystalline glass.
"If he's hunting me, then perhaps… he's begun searching for the Infinity Stones in earnest."
That thought sent a ripple of calculation through her mind.
She raised her hand and gestured toward the blue-skinned attendant who stood silently by the wall. He bowed immediately.
"Bring me the latest catalog of employment task data," Bella ordered softly.
"At once, my lady."
As the attendant hurried off, Bella leaned back. She was currently on a bustling starport planet, one governed by a powerful faction. It served as a cosmic transfer hub, a crossroads for mercenaries, traders, and opportunists from all corners of the galaxy.
The rules here were simple: respect the authority of the host force, and spend freely. Do that, and anyone—smugglers, assassins, bounty hunters, even exiled nobility—could find refuge.
Commerce thrived in such places, and with it came information. Intermediary brokers operated openly, connecting mercenaries to tasks that spanned half the galaxy. Anything from escort duty to planetary raids could be found if you had the credits to browse.
Soon enough, the attendant returned, carrying a sleek device resembling a set of crystalline glasses. Bella accepted it without a word.
She slipped the device over her eyes. Thin metallic pads extended to press against her temples, fusing briefly with her neural signals. In an instant, streams of data flooded across her vision—employment boards, mercenary postings, bounty notices.
She filtered out the menial jobs. Guard duty, smuggling runs, minor assassinations—worthless to her. She needed the high-level postings.
Tens of thousands of contracts shimmered before her eyes. For several minutes, she scrolled, her gaze sharp and calculating. Then, suddenly, her pupils dilated.
"A reward for the retrieval of the Cosmic Spirit Orb. Bounty: one hundred million units. Posted three days ago."
Bella's lips curved into a slow smile.
"So… it's time. The Guardians of the Galaxy are about to form. The Cosmic Spirit Orb—the Power Stone."
Her heart quickened, though she kept her outward expression cool. This was no ordinary job. This was the thread of destiny weaving itself across the cosmos.
Names flickered through her mind—the Kree Empire, Ronan the Accuser, the Collector, and Thanos himself.
How entertaining this was going to be.
She drained the rest of her glass and rose gracefully from her seat, her cloak swishing around her boots as she turned to leave the bar.
Word of the bounty spread like wildfire. Across the galaxy, news crackled over pirate radios, mercenary channels, and political couriers. The sheer size of the reward ensured that no one could ignore it.
Simultaneously, the fleet of Thanos himself began to move. His warships, massive engines glowing violet, swept across the void like predatory beasts. Every force, large and small, scrambled to chart his course. None wished to be in his path.
For Thanos was not one to negotiate. To meet him was to play a death game with fifty-fifty odds at best. No one with sense wanted to roll those dice. Mercenaries, bounty hunters, pirates—Thanos treated them all the same. Prey.
But it wasn't just his movement that had the galaxy buzzing. The Cosmic Spirit Orb had become the center of attention.
A bounty of one hundred million was enough to turn even the most cautious into gamblers.
The Kree Empire was quick to make its move. Ronan the Accuser, hawkish and merciless, declared the Spirit Orb to be the property of the Kree Empire. His words thundered across the stars:
"The Orb is mine. Any who dare to lay claim to it will be crushed as enemies of the Kree."
That single declaration caused a massive portion of would-be treasure hunters to scatter. The Kree Empire was a first-tier galactic power, and Ronan was among its deadliest enforcers. Few had the courage to cross him.
But the galaxy is never short of fools—or the desperate. Some mercenaries, hardened by poverty or arrogance, still chased the bounty. Their plan was simple: seize the Orb, hand it to a broker, and vanish into the fringes of space where the Kree Empire's reach could not extend.
Worlds like Sakaar under the Grandmaster or Knowhere under the Collector were considered safe havens. Not even Ronan would risk overstepping in those domains.
And so, like moths to a flame, bounty hunters flooded the sector, driven by greed and madness.
At the center of it all was a single man—Peter Quill, the self-styled Star-Lord.
Quill had stumbled upon the bounty early, and with his usual blend of charm and recklessness, he had taken the contract. He had no idea how quickly the galaxy had shifted while he was busy tracking down the Orb.
By the time he managed to get his hands on the artifact, word of Ronan's decree had already spread. Worse, countless hunters had traced the Orb's location as well.
Quill found himself chased across the stars, hunted by pirates, mercenaries, and bounty guilds alike. His every turn was dogged by greed-driven enemies, each determined to claim the hundred-million-unit prize.
He fought tooth and nail, juking through asteroid belts, blasting through skirmishes, and gambling his life on desperate evasions. Somehow, against all odds, he escaped their grasp.
Exhausted and breathless, Quill finally managed to limp his way to Xandar, the shining capital of the Nova Corps. Yet even there, the shadow of Ronan and Thanos loomed.
For the Cosmic Spirit Orb was no ordinary prize. It was a key piece in the destiny of the universe. And now, every major power had set its eyes upon it.
Bella, cloaked and watchful, absorbed every fragment of this swirling chaos. Her instincts told her the tide of fate was shifting. The Power Stone had resurfaced.
She could not afford to stand still.
With a faint, dangerous smile, she whispered to herself:
"Very interesting indeed."
And with that, she stepped off into the darkened streets of the starport, ready to insert herself into the storm that was about to engulf the cosmos.
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