"Mr. Rocket…?"
Rocket's furry ears twitched involuntarily. He straightened up slightly and casually brushed the fur on his chest, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"Well… even in the Centauri system, not many people are this polite."
His opinion of Antony improved immediately.
But the next second, he processed the second half of Antony's sentence.
"Wait… you mean teach them?"
Rocket burst into exaggerated laughter, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the universe. He even slapped his thigh while laughing.
"Ha?! You want me to teach this kind of high-end technology to a bunch of primitives who are still boiling water to survive?"
"Hahahaha! Are you dreaming or something?!"
"…Maybe."
Antony's smile didn't fade.
But two faint crimson lights began glowing inside his eyes.
Rocket's laughter stopped instantly.
"Uh… well… actually, I'm not the stingy type."
His eyes darted around before he suddenly switched to a generous expression.
"Knowledge is meant to be shared, right?"
"I'll teach them! Absolutely! Guaranteed results!"
"But…" Rocket rubbed his paws together greedily. "Technology is technology. Labor fees are labor fees. This is interstellar technology transfer. That costs extra."
"Money?" Antony's eyes returned to normal, and his friendly expression returned. "No problem. How much do you want?"
"Fifty thousand—no, wait—one hundred thousand!"
Rocket extended a paw dramatically.
"Two hundred thousand Galactic Credits! Or rare metals of equal value!"
"We don't use Galactic Credits here," Jane said flatly.
"Then pay with something else!" Rocket immediately pointed at the hammer in her hand. "That looks good! Uru metal, right? Just slice off half of it!"
"Not happening!"
Jane immediately hid Mjolnir behind her back.
"The payment issue is easy to solve."
Antony smiled slightly and turned his gaze toward Thor.
"Thor."
"Huh?"
Thor had been standing nearby holding his wrench like a statue. Suddenly hearing his name, he looked confused.
"What? Is there a fight?"
Antony walked over and draped an arm around Thor's shoulders like an old friend, pushing him forward toward Rocket.
"This gentleman here," Antony said with grand flair, "is **Thor—Prince of Asgard, first in line to the throne."
"Prince of Asgard?"
Rocket stopped walking and stared suspiciously at the grease-covered giant.
"Him? The blonde monkey with the wrench? That's an Asgardian prince?"
"Authentic," Antony replied with a grin.
"Mr. Rocket, maybe you don't understand Earth's currency—but you certainly know how much treasure sits inside Asgard's vaults, don't you?"
Rocket's eyes lit up instantly.
Asgard was famous across the galaxy for being absurdly wealthy.
"Really?" Rocket rubbed his paws greedily and stared at Thor like a walking treasure chest. "You can pay in Units?"
"So what's going on here?" Thor asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.
"So," Antony said calmly, "the technology transfer fee will be paid by you."
"WHAT?!"
Thor jumped.
"This rabbit is your problem! You're the ones learning the technology! Why should I pay?!"
"I don't need to learn it! I have the Bifrost!"
Antony sighed.
"Oh Thor…"
He casually produced a folded document.
"I didn't want to do this."
"But you know the United Nations has been very strict lately about illegal alien residency."
He unfolded the paper.
It looked like a perfectly official Alien Deportation Notice.
"Your visa—or more precisely, your Earth residency permit—expired yesterday."
"If you cannot prove that you have made significant contributions to Earth…"
Antony looked at Thor sympathetically.
"…I'll have to send you back to Asgard through the Bifrost."
"And due to your previous… disciplinary issues…"
"You will be placed on the blacklist."
"Five hundred years without reentry."
"FIVE HUNDRED YEARS?!"
Thor panicked.
He instinctively glanced toward Jane, who was adjusting equipment nearby.
Five hundred years away from Earth meant—
Five hundred years away from her.
"Alright! Alright! I'll pay! I'll pay!"
Thor immediately rushed toward Rocket and slapped his chest heroically.
"Put it on Odin's tab! Or I'll settle it personally when I return to Asgard!"
Rocket stared at the suddenly generous giant.
He had some doubts about Thor's intelligence—
But Asgard's reputation for paying its debts was legendary.
"Deal!" Rocket said, extending his paw. "But I'm adding interest!"
"No problem!"
Thor enthusiastically high-fived him.
At this moment, all he cared about was staying on Earth with Jane.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Antony nodded in satisfaction.
Empty-handed profit.
That was the true pinnacle of business.
With the technology issue settled, Antony's gaze drifted toward a tiny figure chasing butterflies nearby.
Baby Groot.
Those big watery eyes.
That adorable wobbling walk.
It was practically a walking popularity generator.
Antony walked over and pulled out a chocolate bar from his magic storage pocket.
"Hey there, little guy."
He crouched down, putting on the same charming smile he used in front of cameras.
"I am Groot?"
The tiny tree tilted its head while staring at the chocolate.
"This is for you," Antony said, unwrapping it and handing it over. "Want to be friends?"
"I am Groot!"
Baby Groot happily accepted the chocolate, stuffed it into his mouth, and grabbed one of Antony's fingers with his twig-like hand.
Antony picked him up and placed him on his shoulder.
Looking at the ridiculously adorable little creature—
This was pure marketing gold.
Imagine livestreams.
Environmental campaigns.
"Protect the Forest" charity ads.
The popularity points would skyrocket.
"Get away from my tree, you cape-wearing freak!"
Rocket rushed over and snatched Groot back protectively.
"Relax, Mr. Raccoon."
Antony stood up and dusted off his hands.
"Since we've reached an agreement, my staff will arrange the best food and accommodations for you."
"You're welcome to stay until your ship is repaired."
He turned to Jane.
"Jane, take care of our guests."
"Especially this raccoon."
He pointed at Rocket.
"His brain contains more knowledge than all the engineering schools on Earth combined. Extract as much as possible."
"Understood."
Jane smiled knowingly.
With everything arranged, Antony didn't linger.
The threat of Ego hung over his head like a sword.
He needed to confirm the situation on the other side as soon as possible.
-----
Himalayas — Kamar-Taj
The air here was thin and pure.
Snow-covered mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks hidden among drifting clouds.
Inside the ancient courtyard, dozens of apprentices practiced forming magical circles.
"Steadier! Calm your mind!"
An instructor's voice echoed across the training ground.
Wanda Maximoff stood among them, dressed in a simple training robe. Her hair was tied neatly behind her head.
Both of her hands hovered in the air.
A complex magical sigil rotated slowly before her.
In just one week—
Her progress had been so astonishing that even Karl Mordo, the instructor overseeing her training, felt pressured.
Suddenly—
BOOM—
A sonic boom echoed across the sky.
--------------
T/N:
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