Following the route indicated by his scanner, the man eventually arrived at the mouth of a cave.
Faint traces of artificial excavation were still visible. Stone pillars lined the interior, once reinforcing the structure. Now the cavern was silent—lifeless and abandoned.
He surveyed the surroundings, then tapped the device at his ear. The helmet retracted smoothly, folding inward until it became a small, earring-like apparatus.
His appearance was indistinguishable from that of a human on Earth—Caucasian features, blond hair, dark eyes, and a scruffy beard.
He slipped on a pair of headphones and pressed the button on a portable cassette player clipped to his belt.
A burst of American country music filled the cave—complete with English lyrics.
Peter Quill.
Also known as Star-Lord.
The man who once danced mid-battle without warning. The "legend" who, in another timeline, had derailed the Avengers' plan and indirectly paved the way for a certain purple tyrant's snap.
With an upbeat rhythm driving him forward, Quill strutted deeper into the cave, singing along enthusiastically. At one point, he even grabbed a small alien rodent and used it as a mock microphone, dancing wildly as though performing on stage.
From a distance, he looked less like a treasure hunter and more like a man in the middle of a neurological episode.
Eventually, he reached a sealed stone door just as the song ended—perfect timing.
He casually picked the lock and pushed the door open.
Inside was pitch darkness.
Quill retrieved a glowing orb resembling a luminous pearl. The soft light illuminated the chamber. At the far end stood a cage encased in a shimmering bio-field. Within it rested a metallic sphere.
He knew better than to touch the field directly.
Instead, he placed a triangular device on the ground. It began emitting a pulsing glow.
Moments later, the sphere inside the field trembled, drawn by a powerful force. Slowly, it broke through the barrier and shot toward the device.
With a low hum, the orb snapped into place atop the triangular apparatus.
"Bingo."
Quill picked it up. The triangular device, having fulfilled its purpose, went inert—clearly a one-use tool.
He turned—
And three armed figures burst into the chamber.
The one in front was a large Black man, much of his body reinforced with mechanical components.
"Drop it!"
The leader leveled his weapon.
Startled, Quill immediately tossed the orb aside and raised his hands.
"How did you know about this?" the cyborg demanded, retrieving the sphere.
Quill shook his head rapidly. "No idea what that thing even is. I'm just a scavenger. I land somewhere, poke around, see what I find."
The cyborg's stare remained cold.
"You're wearing Ravager gear. You're no simple scavenger."
"It's just a jacket! Found it somewhere!" Quill insisted.
"Who are you?!" the cyborg barked, patience exhausted.
"Hey, hey—easy, big guy," Quill said quickly. "Name's Peter Quill. Totally harmless. Look at me."
He even flashed a painfully forced grin.
"Take him," the cyborg ordered.
"Wait, what? Why?" Quill protested. "You've got the shiny ball!"
"Ronan may find you… interesting."
The cyborg turned to leave.
"Hold up!" Quill suddenly shouted.
The cyborg glanced back. The two soldiers behind Quill paused.
"You might've heard of my other name," Quill said with exaggerated seriousness.
"And that is?"
He lifted his chin.
"Star-Lord."
Silence.
"…What?"
"Star-Lord. Legendary outlaw. Defender of the galaxy," Quill declared proudly.
The cyborg stared at him like he was reconsidering life choices.
That hesitation was all Quill needed.
He stomped hard on the glowing pearl at his feet.
It exploded, releasing a strange liquid that instantly enveloped the two soldiers behind him. Within seconds, they dissolved into pools of viscous sludge.
Quill drew twin blasters and fired.
Two energy bolts struck the cyborg squarely in the chest, blasting him backward. The metallic sphere slipped from his grasp.
Quill dove forward, snatched it midair, and shoved it into his coat.
The cyborg rose again.
Seeing the weapon being raised, Quill tapped the device behind his ear. His helmet snapped into place. Rocket boots ignited beneath his feet, launching him upward through the breach created by the earlier blast.
The cyborg cursed and gave chase.
But Quill was already a hundred meters away, sprinting toward his ship.
He reached it—
Only to find four more soldiers waiting.
They opened fire instantly. Green energy blasts cratered stone upon impact.
Quill hurled another triangular device into their midst.
A powerful gravitational field erupted, slamming the four soldiers together and locking them in place.
Quill vaulted into his ship, sealed the hatch, and fired up the engines.
"Ha! Nice try, idiots!" he laughed triumphantly.
Moments later, the gravitational field dissipated. The cyborg had arrived. The soldiers scrambled to assemble a heavy cannon, its dark barrel swiveling toward the ship.
A blast of green energy roared forth.
Quill yanked the control stick violently. The ship pitched upright just in time. The energy bolt missed by inches, obliterating a massive rock formation instead.
"Too slow!" Quill shouted as he accelerated skyward.
He turned back, laughing and flashing a crude hand gesture at the ground below.
Then—
A geyser erupted unexpectedly from beneath a rocky outcrop.
A column of superheated water struck the ship squarely.
The engines sputtered—and died.
"Oh no, no, no—!"
The ship spiraled uncontrollably, plunging toward the ground.
Quill's face drained of color as he lunged for the controls.
But the cockpit was spinning wildly.
And he couldn't reach them.
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