Thor was lying against the glass. The moment he opened his eyes, everyone around him jumped in alarm.
Before Thanos had shattered the entire Asgardian ship and murdered Loki, everyone believed Thor had perished in the explosion. Yet somehow, he had survived. Billions of viewers were curious about the strange crew aboard the ship, but the moment they saw Thor awaken, their curiosity turned into astonishment.
Inside the ship, several people pulled the cable in from outside and secured it to a workbench.
"How the hell is this dude still alive?" Quill exclaimed in surprise.
The burly, tattooed man replied slowly, "He is not a dude."
Looking at Quill, he added, "You're a dude."
Then he pointed at Thor. "This... This is a man."
His slow, deliberate voice carried an inexplicable sense of admiration. "A handsome, muscular man."
Quill frowned. "I'm muscular."
The raccoon complained, "But who are you kidding, Quill? You're one sandwich away from fat."
Quill sighed helplessly. "Yeah, right."
The tattooed man continued in the same calm tone. "It's true, Quill. You have put on weight."
Quill froze. "What?"
The tattooed man pointed at Quill's chin before gesturing toward his stomach.
Nearly breaking down, Quill turned to the green-skinned woman beside him. "Gamora, do you think I'm..."
Gamora simply stared at him without saying a word.
The woman with the antennae gently placed her hand on Thor's forehead. As their foreheads touched, a faint glow shimmered between them. "He is anxious, angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt."
The tattooed man spoke again. "It's like a pirate had a baby with an angel."
"Wow!" Quill finally couldn't take it anymore. "This is a real wake-up call for me. Okay. I'm gonna get a Bowflex. I'm gonna commit. I'm gonna get some dumbbells."
"You know you can't eat dumbbells, right?" the raccoon muttered.
Gamora reached over and gently lifted Thor's arm; it was as if she were admiring a priceless work of art. Her hand slowly traced the contours of his muscles. "It's like his muscles are made of Cotati metal fibers."
Watching the scene unfold, Quill protested blankly, "Stop massaging his muscles?"
She released Thor's arm, which dropped heavily onto the workbench.
Quill turned toward the antennaed woman. "Wake him up."
The alien woman's forehead glowed once more. "Wake."
Suddenly, the previously motionless Thor shot upright with a roar, and everyone around him jumped back in fright.
"Damn! You scared me!"
"Thor survived! Thank goodness! The Avengers' fighting strength hasn't been reduced!"
"Who are these people on the ship? They seem pretty funny."
"You can tell Quill and Gamora definitely have something going on."
"A talking raccoon and a walking tree? See you later!"
"Thor's physique is incredible. Gamora's practically mesmerized."
"That tattooed guy is hilarious. Every line he says is comedy gold."
"I was wondering what this group had to do with Tony before, but now it's finally making sense."
"I just don't know how much help they'll be when Thanos arrives. They don't seem especially powerful."
The chat exploded with discussion.
Thor staggered off the workbench. Because he still wasn't fully conscious, he stumbled through the corridor, crashing into the walls before finally stopping. Slowly, he turned to face the group. Every one of them had their weapons aimed directly at him. With the slightest sign of danger, they were prepared to attack.
Thor looked around and asked, "Who the hell are you guys?"
After exchanging a few words, the atmosphere gradually relaxed, and the group introduced itself.
Gamora leaned against the railing, staring out into space. "The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal. To bring balance to the universe by wiping out half of all life."
Thor accepted the bowl of soup Quill handed him and took a drink while Gamora continued, "He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre."
The tattooed man lowered his head. "Including my own."
Gamora stepped forward. "If he gets all six Infinity Stones... he can do it with the snap of his fingers like this."
As she spoke, she snapped her fingers while Thor stared silently at the floor before saying, "You seem to know a great deal about Thanos."
The tattooed man answered, "Gamora is the daughter of Thanos."
Thor immediately stood, and his eyes locked onto Gamora. "Your father killed my brother!"
"Oh, boy." Quill hurriedly interrupted. "Stepfather, technically. And she hates him as much as you do."
The anger gradually faded from Thor's face, and he gently patted Gamora on the shoulder. "Families can be tough."
Gamora's expression turned lonely.
Meanwhile, the audience watching from Terra was left utterly speechless. Shock. Fear. Disbelief filled every face. When Ebony Maw had previously spoken about death bringing balance to the universe, most people dismissed it as nonsense, but now Gamora had confirmed the same thing. And the conviction in her voice made it impossible to doubt, so the revelation struck everyone's hearts like a direct hit.
"Thanos wants to collect all six Infinity Stones just to wipe out half the universe?"
"What kind of twisted ideal is that? Isn't it becoming stronger enough? Why interfere with everyone else's lives?"
"My God... Gamora is Thanos's daughter... No wonder these people are so important!"
"Even Thanos's own daughter hates him?!"
"One snap of his fingers can really kill half the universe? That's absurdly overpowered!"
"I seriously can't understand this way of thinking. Who gave him the right to maintain the balance of the universe?"
"I don't agree with this at all!"
"I just want to punch Thanos in the face!"
"The Infinity Stones possess unimaginable power. Maybe it's actually possible."
"So that's why the golden gauntlet looked so terrifying..."
"Could this be the real reason the First Era collapsed?"
The entire Network erupted into chaos as countless people vented their outrage. Thanos's twisted logic was simply impossible to accept. If he merely wanted greater power, that would be one thing. But using the excuse of "maintaining universal balance" to exterminate half of all life, it was utter madness.
Inside the Administration.
Johan's face had turned ice cold. The moment he heard Gamora's explanation, he became so furious that he nearly fainted. He had to swallow several emergency heart pills before recovering. Even then, he spoke through clenched teeth.
As one of the Federation's foremost historians, Johan had personally organized and studied countless historical eras. Never before had he experienced such uncontrollable rage.
"What right does Thanos, an alien, have to decide the life and death of humanity during the First Era? Snapping away half of all life? He's practically begging the entire universe to condemn his name!" The more Johan spoke, the angrier he became. His entire body trembled, and his face flushed bright red.
Only after several assistants hurried over to calm him did he regain some composure.
Hawking narrowed his eyes. "Destroy half the life in the universe to preserve its balance? Then I want to know one thing. When he snaps his fingers... will Thanos himself die?"
Kasey sneered. "I seriously suspect that once Thanos gathers all six Infinity Stones, his power becomes so overwhelming that the universe itself can't sustain it. So to preserve that power... He has to eliminate half of all life. In the end, he's only doing it for himself."
Kasey was equally furious, as he had always respected life. Even while studying small animals, he refused to harm them whenever possible. Yet Thanos intended to slaughter half the universe for the sake of a so-called balance. It was simply unforgivable.
Humanity had once regarded aliens as hostile enemies. But now it seemed that, throughout the universe, countless civilizations were nothing more than pieces on a chessboard manipulated by the truly powerful. The enemy of humanity was everyone's enemy.
Xiaotian suddenly let out a quiet laugh. "Half of all life? I don't think that's necessarily a problem. Some people really are better off not existing. Besides, from the perspective of the entire universe, energy and matter must always remain conserved, don't they? Just like on Terra. The more people there are, the fewer resources each individual receives."
His icy words immediately drew furious glares from everyone present, yet he remained completely unfazed. "I'm only stating the facts. What we're seeing now is merely Terra, or, at most, the era of Earth. Our perspective is still far too limited."
After a brief pause, he turned toward Hawking. "Professor Hawking, surely you don't believe humanity is the only intelligent life in the universe?"
Hawking frowned but remained silent.
Xiaotian smirked. "If populations continue exploding across countless inhabited worlds... One day, the universe's resources will inevitably be exhausted. If sacrificing half of all life can delay the death of the universe... I honestly don't think that's such a serious problem. And if we consider..."
Before he could finish, Johan suddenly slammed his hand onto the table. "Enough!"
Johan nearly pointed straight at Xiaotian through the holographic projection. "Even if that day ever comes, it should be the result of nature's own course! Not the decision of someone like Thanos!"
Seeing Johan's emotions boiling over once again, Xiaotian simply shrugged, leaned back in his chair, folded his arms, and said nothing more.
The Director glanced at everyone. "Six Infinity Stones gathered together can wipe out half the life in the entire universe with a single snap of the fingers. That kind of power is overwhelming, so overwhelming that it seems impossible to resist. But no matter what, the humans of the Era are innocent. Thanos cannot be allowed to slaughter them so easily! I believe they'll find a way to stop him!"
Although the Director spoke with confidence, his heart was heavy. After all, the past was a lost civilization. If Thanos ultimately snapped his fingers... Half the life in the universe would vanish. Would everyone from there perish as well?
The thought alone made it feel as though the darkness before death had drawn infinitely close. It was terrifying.
Inside the High Council.
The Councilors sat around the conference table.
Evonne's aura erupted the moment Gamora finished speaking, and it instantly engulfed the entire chamber. The expressions of the other Councilors darkened. After all, Evonne was extraordinarily powerful. Only after restraining her aura did everyone else finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"What a noble excuse, maintaining the balance of the universe." Evonne narrowed her eyes and slowly swept her gaze across the room. "Once all six Infinity Stones are gathered, Thanos can erase half of all life with a snap. I suspect that if someone gains the memories of Thanos and eventually snaps his fingers, it could also affect the current world of the Terra Confederation!"
Everyone was stunned.
Sith hurriedly said, "Does that mean we must awaken the Immortal Warrior? We can't let him continue recovering his past-life memories!"
Hyeon shook his head. "There is no other choice. Once the recovery of past-life memories begins, we cannot interfere. It must continue under the Network until it finishes automatically. It is beyond human control. Unless..."
Hyeon stopped speaking, but everyone else immediately understood. Unless the source was killed, otherwise, there was no way to stop it. The Network wasn't Terra's ordinary internet; it couldn't simply be shut down.
Kennedy frowned. "But the Immortal Warrior has already mastered countless pieces of advanced technology. He possesses knowledge beyond price. He is far too valuable."
Everyone hesitated. Should they eliminate him... Or keep him alive?
Evonne sneered. "Enough. The Immortal Warrior cannot be killed."
The other Councilors all looked toward her.
She continued, "Don't ask why. You simply cannot kill him. And you won't be able to. What we should be doing now is figuring out how to avoid the consequences."
Silence filled the room as everyone turned their attention back to the broadcast.
Thor looked sympathetically at Gamora. Then he said, "Before my father died, he told me that I had a half-sister... that he had imprisoned in Hel. And then she returned home and stabbed me in the eye. So I had to kill her. That's life, though, isn't it, I guess. Goes round and round and..."
As he spoke, he gently placed a hand on Gamora's shoulder in comfort.
Watching from the side, Quill gritted his teeth.
Thor smiled. "I feel your pain."
Quill looked at Gamora and replied, "I feel your pain as well, because... I mean, it's not a competition, but I've been through a lot. My father killed my mother. And then I had to kill my father."
His expression gradually became gloomy. "That was hard. Probably even harder than having to kill a sister. Plus, I came out with both my eyes, which was..."
Thor casually tossed the spoon aside. It was obvious he hadn't been listening.
"I need a hammer, not a spoon." With that, he walked toward the cockpit.
Looking curiously at the controls, he muttered,
"How do I open this thing? Is there some sort of, uh... A four-digit code, maybe? Maybe a birthdate." Thor randomly poked at the control panel.
Rocket immediately asked, "Uh, what are you doing?"
Thor turned around. "Taking your pod."
Quill cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and deepened his voice dramatically. "No, you're not. You will not be taking our pod today, sir.
Rocket looked at Quill in confusion. "Uh... Quill, are you making your voice deeper?"
Quill frowned. "No."
Drax bluntly exposed him. "You are. You're imitating the god-man. It's weird."
Quill immediately denied it. "No, I'm not."
Mantis pointed at him excitedly. "He just did it again!"
Quill snapped, "This is my voice."
Thor walked over and stared directly into Quill's eyes. "Are you mocking me?"
Quill stared back. "Are you mocking me?"
Thor suddenly interrupted. "Stop it. You did it again."
Quill laughed. "He's trying to copy me."
"I need you to stop doing that."
The two continued arguing.
Finally, Gamora shouted angrily, "Enough!"
"He's doing it first."
"We need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he's going next."
Thor replied, "Knowhere."
"He must be going somewhere." Mantis blinked.
"No, no. Knowhere?" Quill explained. "It's a place. We've been there. It sucks."
Thor walked over to the storage compartment, opened it, and started taking out food so Quill hurriedly protested. "Excuse me, that's our food."
Thor stuffed a mouthful into his mouth. "Not anymore."
Gamora asked, "Thor, why would he go to Knowhere?"
Thor answered, "Because for years... the Reality Stone's been safely stored there with a man called the Collector."
Quill muttered, "If it's with the Collector, then it's not safe. Only an idiot would give that man a stone."
Thor calmly replied, "Or a genius."
Gamora frowned. "How do you know... he's not going for one of the other stones?"
Thor looked around the room. "There are six stones out there. Thanos already has the Power Stone... because he stole it last week when he decimated Xandar. He stole the Space Stone from me... when he destroyed my ship and slaughtered half my people."
His expression darkened. "The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They're with the Avengers."
"The Avengers?"
"Earth's mightiest heroes."
"Like Kevin Bacon?"
"He may be on the team. I don't know. I haven't been there in a while. As for the Soul Stone, well, no one's ever seen that. No one even knows where it is. Therefore, Thanos can't get it. Therefore, he's going to Knowhere. Hence, he'll be getting the Reality Stone. You're welcome."
Gamora's expression subtly changed, as though she were hiding something, and then she quickly looked at everyone. "Then we have to go to Knowhere now."
Thor immediately shook his head. "Wrong. Where we have to go is Nidavellir."
Drax frowned. "That's a made-up word."
Thor laughed. "All words are made up."
Rocket suddenly leaped onto the platform, and his eyes widened. "Nidavellir is real? Seriously? That place is a legend. They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the universe."
Rocket became visibly excited. "I would very much like to go there, please."
Thor smiled. "The rabbit is correct and clearly the smartest among you.
Rocket looked speechless. "Rabbit?"
Thor continued, "Only Eitri the Dwarf can make me the weapon I need."
Looking down at Rocket, he added, "I assume you're the captain, sir."
Rocket proudly crossed his arms. "You're very perceptive."
Thor nodded. "You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to Nidavellir?"
Rocket scratched his head. "Let me just ask the captain. Oh, wait a second, it's me! Yeah. I'll go."
Thor smiled. "Wonderful!"
Quill froze, then hurriedly interrupted. "Uh, except for that, I'm the captain."
"Quiet."
"That's my backpack."
"Go sit down."
"Look, this is my ship. And I'm not goin' to..." Before he could finish, he asked, "Wait, what kinda weapon are we talkin' about here?"
Thor turned back and said, "The Thanos-killing kind."
Quill blinked. "Don't you think that we should all have a weapon like that?"
Thor calmly replied,
"No. You simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies would crumble as your minds collapsed into madness."
Rocket climbed into the pilot's seat. "Is it weird that I wanna do it even more now?"
Thor chuckled. "Mmm, a little bit, yeah."
Gamora stepped forward. "If we don't go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another stone... he'll be too powerful to stop."
Thor answered calmly, "He already is."
Rocket suddenly said, "I got it figured out. We got two ships and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate angel here. And the morons will go to Knowhere to try to stop Thanos. Cool? Cool."
Thor nodded. "So cool."
Quill looked at Rocket. "For the record... I know that you're going with him because it's where Thanos isn't."
Rocket glared back. "You know, you really shouldn't talk that way to your captain, Quill."
He turned toward Groot. "Come on, Groot. Put that game down. You'll rot your brain."
The three boarded the smaller spacecraft. "I bid you farewell and good luck, morons."
The shuttle launched and quickly separated from Quill's group. The team split into two groups, but both shared the same objective. To stop Thanos by preventing him from collecting all the Infinity Stones.
The audience watching held their breath. More and more people had now joined the fight against Thanos. One group headed to Nidavellir to forge a weapon powerful enough to kill him, while the other rushed toward Knowhere to intercept him before he could obtain the Reality Stone. No one knew whether either plan would succeed.
At that moment, the captured image suddenly began shaking violently and the screen filled with increasingly intense static.