"It's great that you're willing to help," Robert said with a smile, relieved that the Nova Corps Commander had agreed to care for the alien beings. Whether these lifeforms thrived on Xandar was no longer his concern. He'd done his part by placing them on a relatively safe planet; he had no intention of dedicating the time or energy that Captain Marvel had once committed to caring for alien species.
As Robert had considered earlier, he had no idea what these alien beings were capable of or what kind of temperaments they possessed. If they turned out to be anything like the shape-shifting Skrulls, who could be treacherous, it would be a risky proposition.
Though many of them looked young and could potentially be guided toward a positive path, there was no guarantee that none of them were inherently malevolent. Robert recalled that even on Earth, there were naturally dangerous beings—such as Brandon, the so-called "Evil Kid"—who, despite having powers similar to Clark's, was innately malicious. He had no way of knowing if some of these aliens had traits or backgrounds similar to Brandon's, so he figured it was best to keep a distance.
"It's nothing at all," the Nova Corps Commander replied, flustered by Robert's gratitude. "If the Nova Empire can help care for some children, it's no big deal." After all, Robert had saved the entire planet from the Kree fleet, so in comparison, looking after these young aliens was a minor task.
"Don't worry; I don't expect special treatment for them. Just treat them as you would any other children," Robert said with a hint of caution. "And I don't know their species or abilities. If any of them pose a danger to Xandar, handle it as you see fit. If you can't, let Star-Lord know so he can contact me."
"We'll manage," assured the Commander, inwardly relieved. Robert's straightforward instructions made things simpler, and he was also secretly pleased. This arrangement provided a tentative link between the Nova Empire and Robert. Even if they didn't intend to reach out frequently, having an association with such a powerful individual could only benefit the empire.
"All right, I'll leave them to you," Robert nodded. Turning to the Martian girl beside him, he signaled for her to take his arm. "Time to head back to Earth."
"Wait, are you leaving already?" the Commander asked instinctively as Robert prepared to go.
"Hmm? Is there something else?" Robert looked back, puzzled.
"No, it's just… I was hoping to introduce you to Nova Queen," the Commander said cautiously.
"There's no need for that. I'll stay in touch with you. If I ever visit Xandar again, I'll likely bring some friends along," Robert replied, shaking his head. He had no immediate plans to visit Xandar formally, but he figured he might bring Kara and some of the Avengers to see the alien civilization. Xandar's technological advancements could be invaluable for people like Tony Stark, who would learn much from their innovations.
The Commander exhaled in relief and smiled at Robert, saying, "We'd be honored to have you anytime." As he spoke, Robert and the Martian girl vanished.
Once they were gone, the Commander allowed himself a break from the tense smile, rubbing his face. It had been a long time since he'd felt the need to be so deferential to anyone. Though the Nova Empire was technically under Nova Queen's rule, it wasn't a feudal empire, so bowing and scraping wasn't common practice. After composing himself, he quickly notified Nova Queen, gathering key officials to inspect the newly arrived alien lifeforms.
Meanwhile, Robert and the Martian girl arrived on Earth, where she took in her new surroundings with curious eyes. Though she found Earth familiar, having come from Mars—a neighboring planet in the cosmic sense—Earth's atmosphere felt notably more vibrant.
"So, this is Earth?" She looked up at the sky, murmuring, "It seems even better than Mars once was…"
"Yes, this is Earth," Robert confirmed, before adding seriously, "Since you're here, there are a few things I need to go over with you. First, you can't use your telepathy to probe people's thoughts or shapeshift at random. I won't restrict your other abilities, but these two should be used with caution."
The Martian girl nodded, accustomed to restrictions after her time under the Collector. Her freedom was already a precious gift, even if she had to be mindful of certain powers.
Robert continued, "I brought you to Earth because I need your help with something. One of our allies, the Martian Hunter, went missing during a paranormal event. Although I've tried sensing his energy, I haven't been able to locate him. Since you're from the same race, I'm hoping you might be able to track him down."
"Martian Hunter?" she asked, puzzled. "What an odd name."
"It's a title," Robert explained. "Sometimes, using a real name isn't ideal, so we create aliases for ourselves. You look young—so there's no need for an alias yet. Besides finding Martian Hunter, you won't be expected to take on missions or get involved in major events for now."
Not knowing much about Martian age cycles, Robert did know she appeared very young, so the Avengers wouldn't involve her in dangerous missions.
"A nickname? My real name is M'gann M'orzz, but I want an alias too! How about 'Martian Girl,' like Martian Hunter?" she said eagerly.
Robert considered advising her to wait until she was older for a name like that, but he decided against it. She could keep the name for now, and when she grew up, she'd probably feel differently.
"All right, Martian Girl. Can you agree to respect the boundaries I mentioned regarding your abilities?" Robert asked, regaining his focus.
"Absolutely!" she assured him confidently.
"Great. I'll take you to Avengers Headquarters. This will be your new home, and you'll be part of our team. As for what the Avengers do, JARVIS will explain the details to you," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. In an instant, they vanished and reappeared at Avengers Headquarters.
"Hey, you're back?" Pietro exclaimed, wide-eyed at the sight of Robert and Martian Girl. His attention quickly shifted to her. "Who's this?"
"Robert, did you bring back Martian Hunter's daughter? Or is this Martian Hunter's new form?" Tony Stark had arrived and looked at Martian Girl, visibly surprised.
"She's not his daughter or his new form… well, actually, I don't know if they're related," Robert said, shaking his head with a sigh. He then explained Martian Girl's background.
"The Collector? Though his behavior is disturbing, he did preserve the last remnants of some civilizations, in a twisted way," Tony remarked thoughtfully. "But yes, treating life as a collection is deeply unethical. Rest assured, Martian Girl, the Avengers would never do that to anyone! Welcome!"
"Hello, um…" Martian Girl stammered, unsure how to address Tony.
"You can call me Tony, or Iron Man," he replied, amused by her uncertainty. He then asked, "Do you have telepathy like Martian Hunter? I mean, you can read minds, right?"
"I do, but Robert asked me not to use it freely, especially on friends. Respecting privacy is important," she said, sensing Tony's kindness.
"Oh, you're a good kid! If Martian Hunter were here, he'd be ashamed of himself!" Tony laughed, praising her and joking at Martian Hunter's expense.
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