The Universe — Planet Sakaar.
This mysterious world, which should have exploded into oblivion, was ultimately restored by the contingencies laid down in advance by the Grandmaster.
The fractured earth gradually settled as time passed, the brilliance of the stars once again shimmering in the resplendent night sky. The terrified survivors looked to one another, offering comfort and solace.
Yet the fleeting relief of having survived quickly vanished amid the Grandmaster's sweeping "Planetary Renovation" initiative.
All who resisted were beaten into submission.
"You've been watching for a while. Is there something you want?"
Reclining on a rooftop, hands behind his head as he gazed at the stars, Lothar sat up. His sharp eyes instantly caught sight of Jennifer, who was hidden in the shadows but now exposed under the moonlight.
"Caught me, huh?"
Brushing aside a mischievous lock of hair from her forehead, Jennifer leapt lightly and landed beside Lothar.
"Congratulations. You got your revenge, Lothar."
"Revenge? Not even close."
Lothar lay back down, arms folded behind his head once more.
Not until he utterly destroyed Ego's true body would he consider it anything close to vengeance.
Revenge, true revenge, only counts when your enemy is completely and unequivocally dead.
Anything less was just a way to vent.
And Lothar wasn't someone who could be satisfied with self-consolation.
"Just as I thought," Jennifer said with a smile as she sat down beside him, brushing the hem of her wine-red gown and looking up at the crescent moon above.
"Here, this is for you."
She extended a pale arm, handing Lothar a spiral-shaped, dark-red device. He took it, sparing a glance at her radiant smile, her short crimson hair fluttering in the breeze.
"This is a Cosmic Switch I created. This one… is yours."
"Cosmic Switch?"
Lothar fiddled with the item in his hand and pressed the button at its apex.
A burst of starlight flared from within the device, and an intense divine aura instantly surrounded Lothar's body!
What is this?!
Startled by the sensation, Lothar's pupils shrank sharply as he stared at the divine energy membrane covering his body.
"That's divinity from the remains of the god I encountered. I condensed all of it… and sealed it inside that Switch."
"You did that?"
"This power was never meant to be mine."
Jennifer, her gaze lifted toward the stars, ran a hand through her wind-tousled short hair.
"I wanted to return it to you."
"My master once taught me. One must learn contentment."
"Thanks to you, my body's already been altered by the divine essence I came into contact with. That's enough for me."
"Besides… you need divine power more than I do."
"You're not recognized by this universe. The next time you attempt a breakthrough, it's only going to get harder. When that happens… maybe the divinity within this Switch will help you trick the universe's rules again."
Judging by Lothar's rate of evolution, Jennifer guessed that day wasn't far off.
A Cosmic Switch capable of deceiving the laws of the universe…?
Lothar fell silent, confusion flickering in his eyes as he looked at Jennifer.
Why was this woman giving back a power she had already earned?
Because of Thanos's teachings, Lothar had never once considered reclaiming anything he'd already given away.
Their deal had clearly stated that Jennifer could use the knowledge in her mind to acquire half the god's divine essence with ease.
"Why?"
Suspicion stirred in Lothar's heart.
"Relax. I don't mean you any harm. We're friends, aren't we?"
"And if we're friends, then giving you this… is only natural."
Jennifer stood up, arms spread wide as she faced the endless stars. Her strapless wine-red gown shimmered in the moonlight, perfectly complementing her crimson bob.
"My teacher once said... you don't need a reason to help a friend."
Gubo's ancient teachings echoed clearly in her heart.
"Friends? I don't need any."
"There's nothing between us but a partnership."
Lothar scoffed, clearly annoyed.
What kind of nonsense was this... deciding they were friends without his consent?
It had only been a couple of collaborations.
Friends, huh?
"What a pointless thing."
He pressed the button atop the Switch again, and the divine energy vanished in an instant.
"Well then, goodbye, Lothar."
Jennifer shrugged, saying no more. She bent her knees and leapt from the rooftop, casting a glance toward Hela, who was half-hidden by the doorway.
Based on previous experience, she figured Hela was probably here to help Lothar tear down buildings again.
"What did Jennifer want from you?"
Hela hopped onto the roof, eyes narrowing as she spotted the spiral-shaped Switch in Lothar's hand.
"And what do you want?"
Her accusatory tone instantly irritated Lothar.
And so, the familiar earthquake routine resumed on Planet Sakaar.
"How sweet… finally someone besides Lord Thanos is concerned about Prince Lothar~"
Woz, who had gleefully emptied Sakaar's entire stockpile of motor oil, sat on the ground with a huge oil barrel tipped into his mouth.
"What do you mean finally? Haven't I always cared about Prince Lothar?!"
BUURRP~
"You're not even human,"
The Other, staff in hand, had a strong feeling that this mechanical cat was insulting him, but… he had no proof.
Heehee…
As The Other stewed in silent indignation, Woz covered his mouth and giggled, his large eyes curling like crescent moons in the night sky.
"Unstable footing, weak right hand, sloppy swordplay. So many days have passed, and none of your problems have improved!"
"SHUT UP!"
BOOM!
BOOOOOMMMM!!!!
The final night before their parting… was as noisy as ever.
...
On the barren planet Gafa.
Once a prosperous world, Gafa had now become a lifeless dead star.
Two ships from Sakaar descended slowly. From one of them, Jennifer, clad in black battle armor, stepped out. Her expression grew complex as she surveyed the gray wasteland before her.
"…Master…"
The bodies of King Rodus of Gafa and her teacher Gubo lay not far away, silent beneath the dust. The once-majestic biomechanical whale shark now lay motionless, its life essence gone.
"The Power Stone… is missing?"
Jennifer, intending to take her master's remains to the Tuskari's new home for burial, couldn't find the Power Stone on Gubo's person. After a moment of confusion, she shook her head.
Perhaps it was just as well. With her current strength, she couldn't guard the Power Stone like her master once had.
"Well then… goodbye, Lothar."
After securing Gubo's body to prevent it from being left exposed in the wilds, Jennifer waved to Lothar, who stood aboard the other ship.
"Woz, still no trace of the Power Stone?"
Standing at the window, Lothar didn't even acknowledge her gesture. His brows furrowed as he stared at the glowing screen.
"Prince Lothar, Woz has not detected any sign of the Power Stone on Planet Gafa."
"Missing… huh?"
With the Flerken thrown somewhere in the cosmos by that damned Ego-spawn, and no new Infinity Stones gained, Lothar had nothing to show for this mission, except a net loss.
He wasn't sure what kind of wrath awaited him when he returned to the Black Quadrant…
The ship engines ignited, and they began to pull away from the planet.
Meanwhile, deep within a sealed chamber near a fault line on Gafa's broken crust…
A sphere, wrapped in mysterious metal, spun silently.
Awaiting its next worthy bearer…
Or perhaps… it would remain lost and forgotten forever.
If so, it might fade into obscurity, its story buried with the name Gafa, swallowed by the dust of history.
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