Marvel Disassembler

The comm link had already ended with a sharp disconnect tone, leaving Arthur staring at the screen, perplexed. 

"Why do I have to report to her every time I leave Earth?"

"Ohhh..." Two voices chimed in at once from beside him.

Arthur turned to see both Spider-Man and Star-Lord giving him the exact same knowing look.

He blinked and quickly waved his hands. "Don't get the wrong idea— we're just... comrades-in-arms. Revolutionary friendship. Strictly professional."

"We believe you," They said in perfect unison.

"…"

Arthur stared at them blankly. If they hadn't spoken in sync like that, they might've actually sounded convincing. But now? It only made things more suspicious, as if they were trying too hard to play it cool.

The initial contact was over, but Arthur couldn't leave just yet. Natasha could call back at any second. In the meantime, Star-Lord powered up the ship, and everyone gathered around the table in the lounge area.

"Right, I never actually introduced you guys, did I?" Arthur said, patting Spider-Man on the shoulder.

"This is a member of our—uh—Superhero Alliance. Goes by the name Spider-Man."

"Hey, everyone!" Spidey pulled off his mask and gave a casual wave.

Introductions were exchanged all around. Star-Lord started by running through the roster: Gamora, Rocket, Drax, and the humanoid tree, Groot.

Gamora's background was complicated, to say the least. Her name carried weight across the galaxy, mostly due to a violent, bloodstained past.

Drax was... an oddball. A hulking, literal-minded man with a sharp tongue, twisted humor, and a single-minded goal: killing Ronan.

Rocket? Well, he was basically a hyper-intelligent raccoon with a bad attitude and a love for blowing things up. Enough said.

And Groot was easily the simplest to describe. The only thing he ever said was: "I am Groot."

Apparently, he could express an entire range of emotions with those three words, depending on the tone and delivery. But unless you'd known him for a while… good luck deciphering any of it.

With everyone properly introduced, the tension in the room eased just a bit.

Still, when the talk turned to the looming battle, it became clear that aside from Arthur and Spider-Man, the rest of the group didn't exactly radiate confidence.

Sure, they trusted Arthur would call in some serious backup, but Ronan was no small-time threat.

"Look, the last time we fought him, it was just one of the Kree's mid-tier fleets," Star-Lord said, activating the projection display on the table. "But now? This is different. He's bringing a full-scale armada, ten times the size of what we saw before. It's insane."

A 3D projection of the fleet hovered above the table, showing rows upon rows of Kree warships.

"That's why Ronan's so bold now," Star-Lord continued. "Even without The Orb, he thinks he has the firepower to launch a direct assault on Xandar. And honestly? He might."

Arthur tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully. "Let me ask something. If The Orb isn't essential anymore, why is Ronan so obsessed with finding it?"

"Ever hear of the Infinity Stones?" Star-Lord asked, lowering his voice.

"I have!" Spider-Man piped up enthusiastically.

Star-Lord looked surprised. "You know about the Infinity Stones?"

Arthur cut in, glancing around the room. "To be fair, it's not exactly a government classified secret these days. Plenty of people already know the Space Stone's on Earth."

Then he leaned back with a casual grin. "And it just so happens to be in my possession."

"Gasp!" Star-Lord inhaled sharply and stared wide-eyed. "Wait, are you selling it?"

Arthur's expression immediately darkened.

'Seriously? Was this guy for real?'

Of all the responses, that's what Star-Lord led with?

Selling an Infinity Stone? What kind of lunatic even asked that?

Some habits, Arthur realized, were probably just hardwired into the man's DNA.

Star-Lord gave an awkward laugh and said, "You have no idea how much I've risked for The Orb. Turns out that hidden inside it is the legendary Power Stone. We only found out the truth after a visit to the Collector on Knowhere."

Arthur blinked but didn't respond.

He already knew. The Power Stone that Star-Lord had gone through all that trouble to find was currently secured inside his own Disassembler Space.

Of course, that wasn't something Arthur could disclose. The fewer who knew, the safer.

It wasn't that Arthur was trying to hoard the gem for personal gain. On the contrary, keeping it with him was the most secure option available.

In a world where everything could go wrong, sometimes you had to take matters into your own hands.

The gem's raw power was a secondary concern. What truly mattered was making sure it never fell into Thanos's grasp.

History, or rather, alternate timelines, had shown that even storing an Infinity Stone in Asgard or on Xandar wasn't enough. Thanos always found a way.

The Space Stone had already drawn attention, and Arthur could do nothing about that. But the Power Stone? That one, at least, he could keep hidden.

Because as long as Thanos didn't possess all six Stones, his ultimate goal remained incomplete. He'd still be vulnerable.

As for the gem's abilities… Arthur had once attempted to absorb the Power Stone's energy himself. He failed.

Sure, Odin had channeled a portion of the Stone's energy into Arthur's body years ago to enhance his physiology, but that connection never ran as deep as his bond with the Space Stone.

After all, Arthur had endured seventy years immersed in the Space Stone's influence. That level of attunement was nearly impossible to replicate.

"And Ronan wants the Power Stone to amplify his strength," Star-Lord continued. "Not that his fleet isn't already formidable… but no one in the galaxy thinks 'too much power' is a problem."

Gamora spoke up, her voice cool and steady. "If I'm not wrong, even the Space Stone in your possession has become a target for many."

"Earth's already been caught in the crossfire because of it," Spider-Man added, nodding grimly.

Arthur leaned forward. "So what you're saying is that the Power Stone or not, this battle was always going to happen?"

"Exactly," Star-Lord confirmed.

Then he chuckled suddenly, shaking his head. "Funny thing is, Ronan didn't originally have access to this kind of fleet. Someone— totally by accident— killed the legitimate heir to it. With the commander gone, the fleet had no one left to follow… so they swore loyalty to Ronan."

"…"

Arthur went quiet, eyes narrowing slightly. "You mean the fleet's commander?"

He remembered the moment vividly. During their escape after the trading planet ambush, they were under heavy pursuit. In a bold move, Arthur had convinced Star-Lord to veer toward an enemy warship. 

Once aboard, he used the Eye of Horus to scan the ship.

Within seconds, he had locked onto the commander's location.

One swift motion later, the head was gone.

And sure enough, just moments after that, a massive projection of Ronan's face lit up the wall screen. Even now, Arthur couldn't tell whether Ronan's expression had been one of shock… or satisfaction.

(End of Chapter)

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