The Milky Way was shaken to its core by a single piece of news—The Power Stone had appeared.
Said to contain infinite energy, the Power Stone could grant its wielder the strength to obliterate an entire planet with ease.
No one knew who leaked this information, but the chaos it caused swept through the galaxy like wildfire.
Ancient civilizations that had long vanished from public knowledge began scouring their archives and ruins, seeking any trace of the Power Stone's history. Countless powers joined the hunt, each more desperate than the last.
And in the center of this storm were a few unfortunate mercenaries—Star-Lord Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Gamora—who suddenly became the galaxy's most wanted fugitives.
Every day brought new pursuers. Every hour, another ambush.They could hardly breathe under the constant pressure.
The Milano tore through space, its engines burning bright as Quill and his crew fled from one system to the next, jumping through hyperspace again and again in a desperate bid to survive.
But after three relentless days of pursuit, a new problem emerged—their ship's energy reserves were nearly empty.
They couldn't keep running.
"Damn it! Are those people insane?" Rocket yelled from the co-pilot's seat, his fur frazzled and eyes bloodshot.
Three days without rest. Three days of dodging lasers and missiles. The little raccoon was on the verge of collapse.
Quill, gripping the controls, wasn't much better. His hands were shaking, and exhaustion made his vision blur.
Gamora sat silently behind them, eyes fixed on the radar. Outside the viewport, countless ships and fighters filled the dark void, chasing them like a swarm of predators. Blinding beams of plasma rained down around the Milano.
Only Quill's and Rocket's combined flying skills kept them alive so far. Every near-miss was a miracle.
"We're going to be caught!" Rocket shouted. "How far to the next jump point?"
Quill gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his temples. "Not far, but we'll never make it. The engines are shot."
"Forget it," Rocket barked. "We won't last that long anyway!"
Quill's expression hardened. "Then we gamble."
Rocket's ears twitched. "What kind of gamble?"
Quill's hands moved quickly over the controls. "We'll land on that planet ahead."
Rocket frowned but said nothing. He knew it was risky—but it was their only chance.
The Milano dove toward a barren yellow planet.
The fleet behind them hesitated to fire—none of them wanted to risk destroying the Power Stone. Instead, they spread out and surrounded the entire world like vultures waiting for their prey to weaken.
The Milano landed on a rocky plateau among a sea of jagged peaks and deep canyons.
As the engines powered down, a heavy silence filled the cabin.
The scanners showed breathable oxygen, though the air was dry and the temperature sweltering. It was still survivable.
Quill leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply. "We made it… for now."
Three sleepless days of high-speed flight had left everyone drained. Even Rocket had gone quiet. Groot, as always, seemed the least bothered—though even he was visibly sluggish.
The three of them had taken turns piloting during the escape. It was the only reason they were still alive.
Now, staring at the orange sky outside, Rocket muttered bitterly, "So, we're surrounded?"
"Yeah," Quill said tiredly. "The Milano's out of juice. If we hadn't landed, we'd be space dust by now."
He rubbed his face and gave a weak laugh. "The fleets outside belong to half the powers in the galaxy. None of them want to make the first move. For now, they'll keep each other in check."
He sighed. "We're like meat on display—just waiting to see who takes the first bite."
Rocket slammed his paw on the console. "What the hell! This job's been nothing but bad luck. No money, no rest—and we're probably gonna die here!"
Quill didn't respond. He just unbuckled his harness and stretched. "Thinking about it won't help. Might as well eat something before we die."
Rocket and Gamora exchanged glances, then followed him to the rear cabin.
They sat together in the ship's mess area, quietly sharing what little food and drink they had left. For a moment, the danger outside felt far away.
After eating, Quill lay back on the bench, looking up at the ceiling with a crooked smile.
"Never thought I'd go out like this," he murmured. "Star-Lord—the galaxy's greatest mercenary—ends his legend on some nameless rock."
Rocket chuckled dryly. "Maybe we'll be famous for it. The idiots who kicked off the biggest multi-faction brawl in galactic history."
Quill laughed. "Not the worst company to die with."
He raised his can and clinked it against Rocket's.
Then, unexpectedly, Gamora spoke. "Maybe things aren't as hopeless as you think."
Both Quill and Rocket turned toward her, surprised.
She reached into her pack and set the Cosmic Orb on the table. Then she pulled out a thin, translucent data pad.
"This thing," she said calmly, "is no longer a secret. Its true name is the Power Stone."
"Power Stone?" Quill and Rocket echoed together, staring at the glowing screen in disbelief as lines of alien text and diagrams scrolled across it—revealing the terrible truth of what they'd been carrying all along.
End of Chapter)
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