Sanctuary, the palace where Thanos resided.
"Trash will always be trash. So what if he got the Power Stone? He was still nothing more than meat on the chopping board. Dead is better, at least I don't have to dirty my hands."
Thanos sat upon his floating throne, his voice cold and merciless.
"My lord, Ronan betrayed you. His death was well deserved. But now the Power Stone has fallen into someone else's hands. We cannot simply stand by and do nothing, or we will face endless troubles."
Ebony Maw bowed respectfully before Thanos as he spoke.
"I know this. What about the investigation I ordered?"
"We've confirmed it. Gamora and Nebula have both betrayed you. One sided with Ronan, the other is with a group of worthless nobodies. Ronan is already dead, Nebula's whereabouts remain unknown, and our men are still searching. Gamora was rescued by those people who call themselves Envoys of the Life Lord. They later abandoned her on Xandar, and she has not left."
Ebony Maw reported every detail he had uncovered.
"Send someone to Xandar and capture Gamora. I have use for her," Thanos ordered, his face filled with authority.
"My lord, Xandar has erected seventy-two statues of the Life Lord. If we move rashly…" Ebony Maw hesitated.
The meaning was clear. Xandar was now the Life Lord's domain. Moving against it would be declaring war against him. Though Thanos did not fear this so-called Life Lord, it was unwise to provoke another overlord-level being before claiming the Infinity Stones. As Thanos' strategist, Ebony Maw would never recommend such reckless behavior.
Thanos fell silent for a moment, then said, "Issue a bounty of one hundred billion. Let the Ravagers go first. I want to see whether those statues can truly protect anything."
"Understood." Ebony Maw bowed and respectfully withdrew.
At Roland Phils' current level, even Thanos had to tread carefully. In the past, his fleets would have already been pressing down on Xandar. But after the lessons from Ronan and the Chitauri, he could not act so rashly.
As one of the overlords of the universe, Thanos had never endured such humiliation. Rage filled him. That matter could no longer wait. He would have to act personally.
The Infinity Stones were slipping out of reach. Three were already in the hands of the Life Lord, while he had none. This imbalance had to change. Ancient knowledge told him the six stones only revealed their full power when united. If he could seize even one, then no matter if the Life Lord gathered the other five, it would all be for him. He was the rightful master of the Infinity Stones. No one could replace him.
On Xandar, inside the command center, the supreme commander greeted Star-Lord and his companions with an uncharacteristic smile.
This ragtag group had once been nothing more than inmates in the Kyln prison, a band of degenerates. As Xandar's highest commander, she would normally never bother meeting them. But now it was different. They were the only ones who had come into direct contact with the Envoys of the Life Lord.
Why had the Envoys freed them from prison? Why had they brought them onto their ship, then later placed them on Xandar? The reasons were unknown, but worth pondering. Could these people be friends of the Envoys, or even of the mysterious Life Lord himself?
The scoundrel in front of her kept insisting they were friends of the Envoys. His words didn't sound reliable, yet she dared not dismiss them. After all, these Envoys had saved Xandar, established seventy-two divine statues that would guard their world for eternity. The Life Lord was now the guardian deity of Xandar.
Since that was the case, she had to treat these supposed "friends" with the utmost respect. Even if it turned out false, showing courtesy was never wrong. In time, they would leave on their own.
"Honored guests, you are the most esteemed friends of Xandar. We will receive you with the highest of ceremonies. May your stay here be pleasant. And we hope you might serve as a bridge, so we can express our gratitude directly to the Envoys." The commander's tone was formal and polite.
Star-Lord was stunned. He had always been treated like a thief, mocked and despised. Though he had thick skin, deep down he longed for respect. All his efforts in the past had been fruitless. Yet now, recognition fell into his lap simply because a group of women had brought him here.
To be greeted with such high honors by Xandar's supreme commander felt surreal. His shameless nature quickly realized the importance of this "Envoys' friend" identity, and he decided to play along.
His companions had wanted to expose him, but once they saw the commander's respectful attitude, they held their tongues. Pretending to be friends of the Envoys brought clear benefits, and none of them wished to return to prison. If pretending brought such advantages, then truly becoming the allies of those terrifying women or the Life Lord would allow them to walk sideways across the galaxy.
Quill's mind was already made up. Becoming a believer of the Life Lord might not be such a bad idea.
"Holy crap, look at this! One hundred billion! Gamora's bounty is one hundred billion!" Rocket suddenly shrieked.
"What?!" Everyone was shocked.
They gathered around and saw a wanted notice worth one hundred billion, issued by Ebony Maw.
"Thanos is coming for me," Gamora muttered, her face dark.
"If he wants you, why not just send his fleet? Why make such a show of posting a bounty?" Drax asked curiously.
"Idiot. It's because of the Life Lord. Xandar is under his protection. With us here, Thanos wouldn't dare make a move," Star-Lord explained.
"Tsk, tsk. To think even Thanos fears him. This Life Lord must be something else," Rocket said with a sly grin, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"His Envoys can destroy a planet with ease. The Life Lord must be even stronger. It's no surprise Thanos fears him," Star-Lord nodded.
"But Thanos doesn't fear us. That bounty will draw countless hunters," Drax added grimly.
"No kidding. We're dead for sure. Honestly, why let strangers have it? We should keep the money ourselves," Rocket smirked.
"What do you mean?" Drax asked.
"Think, you blockhead. We hand Gamora to Thanos ourselves. That way we take the hundred billion. Gamora, you said Thanos is your father, right? He wouldn't really hurt his own daughter. Blood is blood. We deliver you, he gets what he wants, we split the money. You get thirty billion. Fair deal, right?" Rocket grinned.
"How about I kill you instead, would that be fair?" Gamora snapped, pulling out her dagger.
"Whoa, just a joke! Don't be so serious. We've been through thick and thin together, remember?" Rocket laughed nervously.
"Shut up. I don't need ungrateful teammates who'd sell me out the moment it benefits them," Gamora said coldly.
"Enough. Let's think of a plan. That bounty will bring endless Ravagers. We're not even a snack to them," Star-Lord said solemnly.
The others grew quiet.
"One hundred billion is enough to retire anyone for life. No one will resist. Even seventy-two statues won't stop bounty hunters from trying. It's unrealistic to think the Life Lord will personally intervene," Star-Lord explained.
"Then what do we do? Running won't help. Staying here with Xandar's protection might be safest," Rocket suggested.
"So we hide like cowards? Not me. I'm Star-Lord, a man who stands tall," Quill said with forced pride.
"Fine. Me and Groot aren't even human. We'll hide. This green-skinned woman isn't our problem anyway," Rocket shrugged.
"How can you say that? We're a team!" Star-Lord protested.
"Call me Rocket, not raccoon. Call me that again and I'll blow your head off!" Rocket roared, raising his gun.
"Alright, alright! You're Rocket, got it," Star-Lord quickly backed down.
"Rocket was right. Thanos wants me, not you. If anyone should be handed over, it's me. At least then you'd profit," Gamora said quietly, her expression sad.
Silence fell.
"I was kidding earlier. I'd never sell out a teammate," Rocket muttered awkwardly. "But this is bad. We can't keep running forever."
"Actually, the solution is simple. Just eliminate the one who issued the bounty."
A powerful voice rang out, and a woman in a red-and-blue suit appeared before them. Captain Marvel.
"Who are you?" Star-Lord asked, baffled.
"Someone who can help. You want the bounty lifted? I can guard you for now, or we can join forces to take down that mad Titan. But first, tell me where the Life Lord is," Carol said seriously.
"Captain Marvel, it is an honor to welcome you to Xandar," the commander greeted respectfully.
Star-Lord blinked in surprise. "She's famous?"
"Far more than you. She's a Kree with immense power, a hero of the galaxy. Even Thanos fears her," Gamora explained softly.
"Even Thanos fears her? Then we've found another powerful ally," Star-Lord grinned.
"Perhaps. But do you actually know where the Life Lord is?" Gamora asked him.
"Well… I'm Star-Lord. I'll figure it out," he said with a sheepish laugh.
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