"For one thing."
Anton leaned forward, his tone casual yet firm.
"The Orb… or, as you might know it, the Power Stone."
He didn't bother hiding the truth—he had every reason to convince Carol to agree to his plan.
At his words, Carol's expression shifted instantly.
"The Orb?" she echoed, taken aback.
Her face grew serious, the weight of the name sinking in.
Beside her, Nick Fury looked lost.
"The Orb? Power Stone?" he asked, frowning.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Fury had only just left Earth. Compared to the vast cosmos, he was still a newcomer—a relative nobody in the grand scheme of things.
Legends of the universe? He hadn't had time to catch up.
Carol turned to him, lowering her voice.
"The Infinity Stones are the most powerful artifacts in existence. There are six of them, and the Power Stone is just one."
Her gaze flickered back to Anton.
"Most people think the stones are just a myth," she continued, "but those who know better understand they're very real. It's said that anyone who gathers all six and forges the Infinity Gauntlet can achieve anything—any wish."
Nick Fury's eyes widened.
"Wait… Infinity Stones…" His mind raced, piecing together old information.
Then, suddenly, his gaze snapped to Anton.
"You mean to tell me—"
"Yes." Anton cut him off smoothly.
"The Tesseract—also known as the Space Stone—is one of them."
Nick Fury froze.
Then, his face darkened as something else clicked in his mind.
"Not just the Tesseract," he muttered. "Loki's scepter, too."
He had been there during the Battle of New York.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had recovered Loki's scepter after the war—only for it to slip from their grasp and sow chaos among the Avengers. Everyone except Captain America had been compromised by it.
That event had been one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest failures—and, by extension, one of his own.
Anton gave a knowing smile.
"That," he said, "was the Mind Stone."
Then, without hesitation, he added,
"At the moment, both the Space and Mind Stones are under the control of the Justice League."
Carol's eyes widened in shock.
"You already have two Infinity Stones?"
For someone who had spent years traveling the universe, she knew just how insane that was.
Even Thanos himself—the so-called Mad Titan, a warlord feared across the cosmos—had been desperate to acquire the stones.
Despite his overwhelming power, he had never possessed two at once.
And yet, Anton had already secured two—without the entire universe even realizing it.
Carol's mind raced.
She had heard rumors not long ago—a whisper in the dark corners of the galaxy.
The Mad Titan Thanos had struck a mysterious deal with Ronan the Accuser of the Kree Empire.
And the subject of that deal?
The Power Stone.
Carol didn't need to say how she knew this.
As an enemy of the Kree Empire, she kept close tabs on Ronan's movements.
After all—Ronan was no stranger to her.
Their history ran deep.
She knew better than anyone just how dangerous he was.
And if Thanos and Ronan were now working together…
Carol's fists clenched instinctively.
Her gaze flicked back to Anton.
"You're trying to collect all six stones—just like Thanos, aren't you?"
Anton didn't even hesitate.
"You could say that," he admitted.
"But for me, it's about revenge."
"Revenge?" Carol narrowed her eyes.
"What does collecting the Infinity Stones have to do with revenge?"
Anton's expression hardened.
"You've heard Fury talk about the Battle of New York," he said calmly.
Carol nodded.
"Everyone knows that the invasion was Loki's doing," Anton continued.
"But do you know who was really behind it? Who gave Loki the army?"
Carol's face fell.
"The Chitauri…" she murmured.
Anton gave a small nod.
"And do you know who the Chitauri serve?"
Carol's body tensed.
Her hands curled into fists.
She already knew the answer—but hearing it spoken aloud sent a shiver down her spine.
"Thanos," she whispered.
"He gave Loki the army… all because he wanted the Tesseract—the Space Stone."
"Not bad."
Anton nodded.
"This is revenge. Taking the Power Stone from Thanos means that—whatever he's planning—he won't succeed. This isn't just my revenge… it's Earth's revenge against him."
Carol's expression remained serious as Anton continued.
"Besides," he added, "Thanos recently struck a deal with Ronan the Accuser, asking him to retrieve the Power Stone on his behalf… I won't even mention your complicated history with the Kree. But tell me—have you ever once believed in peace between you and them?"
Anton's gaze locked onto Carol's, his expression unreadable.
It was as if he could see right through her.
"..."
Silence.
Carol said nothing.
Because she couldn't.
The truth was, Anton's words hit home.
Her history with the Kree was far beyond repair—two decades of war had made sure of that.
And Ronan?
Ronan was ruthless. Calculated. A monster.
If she had the chance to ruin his plans and, at the same time, strike a blow against Thanos—the one responsible for Earth's suffering—it would be killing two birds with one stone.
As for whether this would make her an enemy of both Ronan and Thanos?
That didn't matter.
Carol had been traveling the universe for years, earning a reputation as a reckless, unstoppable force—especially among the Kree's enemies.
She wasn't afraid of either of them.
"I'll do it," she finally said.
"But I have one last question."
She leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"Why are you so confident that you can beat Thanos and Ronan to the Power Stone?"
Anton smiled.
"Because I already know exactly where it is."
Carol's eyes widened slightly.
"As far as I can tell," Anton continued, "nobody has found it yet. If we get there first, the stone is ours."
"Where?" she asked immediately.
Anton didn't hesitate.
"Morag."
Carol frowned.
"Morag?"
"I know the Power Stone is there," Anton explained. "But I don't have the exact coordinates. And in this universe, nobody has a more detailed star map than the Ravagers."
Carol understood immediately.
The Ravagers had operatives scattered across the universe. Their network was vast, their reach unparalleled.
Unlike other factions, the Ravagers trusted each other, which meant their intel was more reliable than most.
If anyone could pinpoint the location of Morag, it was them.
And now, she understood why Anton needed to hire them.
It was the fastest way.
"How much do you need?" she asked, coming to a decision.
"Would 100,000 credits be enough?"
Anton smirked.
"That should do it."
Carol nodded.
"I know someone in the Ravagers. I'll contact them."
"In that case," Anton said with a shrug, "I'll leave the arrangements to you. I don't exactly have a friendly relationshipwith the Ravagers, so it's better if you handle it."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Just remember—Morag won't stay a secret forever. If we don't move fast, it's only a matter of time before Ronan and Thanos find out. And if that happens…"
His expression darkened.
"Things will get complicated."
"Understood."
Carol nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."
As soon as she spoke, she quickly activated her communicator and searched for a nearby Ravager contact.
Only a few minutes later, an alien woman walked into the bar.
She had red skin and an appearance strikingly similar to a human.
The moment she spotted Carol, a smile spread across her face.
"Carol, it's been a while. I never thought I'd see the day when you needed help from a Ravager."
Without hesitation, the red-skinned woman slid into the seat next to Anton, who was currently playing the role of Superman.
Her eyes sparkled with intrigue, and she leaned in close, her delicate body pressing against him.
"Oh my…" she purred. "You look strong."
Anton said nothing.
Carol, however, had no patience for flirting.
"Cut the nonsense," she said flatly. "I need a location found—fast. 100,000 credits for the job. Bring me your boss."
The red-skinned woman blinked, visibly taken aback.
"100,000 credits?" she repeated in shock.
Her gaze flickered between Carol and Anton, as if trying to gauge if they were serious.
"Since when were you so generous?"
For context—when Star-Lord stole the Orb (which contained the Power Stone) in Guardians of the Galaxy, Yondu placed a 40,000-credit bounty on his head. That was enough to catch the full attention of the Ravagers.
And here Carol was, throwing down 100,000 credits—just to find a location.
This wasn't a job.
This was rich people's business.
Unless… the place they were looking for was incredibly dangerous.
Then again, to Ravagers, danger wasn't a problem.
As long as the money was good, they'd walk into a dragon's den and come out with its head.
"Who's in charge of the Ravager crews nearby?" Anton asked suddenly.
The red-skinned woman studied the group for a moment, sensing that this mission wasn't simple.
She sobered up quickly.
"Charlie-27, Yondu, and Starhawk. Their crews are all nearby."
Anton's expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened at one name.
"Yondu."
The red-skinned woman caught the shift in his demeanor and grinned.
"That's easy. I know someone on Yondu's crew."
She paused, looking between Anton, Carol, and Nick Fury.
Her gaze lingered on Anton.
"Actually… now that I think about it," she said, tilting her head, "one of their guys looks a lot like you. Same species, maybe?"
"Same species?"
Carol and Nick Fury exchanged confused glances.
Anton, however, raised an eyebrow.
A realization clicked in his mind.
He knew exactly who this woman was talking about.
And, more importantly, he knew who she was.
She might have been a minor character, but Anton recognized her instantly.
She was the alien woman who had been in bed with Star-Lord at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy, back when he escaped Morag with the Power Stone.
A throwaway character, sure—but her presence explained a lot.
In hindsight, it even made sense why Star-Lord later fell for Gamora.
His "preferences" were clearly established from the start.
Details.
These little details mattered.
And Anton had just found one more piece of the puzzle.
The bar door swung open.
A tall, broad-shouldered man in a Ravager uniform, with a blaster holstered at his hip, stepped inside.
The moment he laid eyes on his lover, he froze—not because of her, but because of the man sitting next to her.
A man who looked exactly like him.
"Sh*t!"
Star-Lord exclaimed, his posture stiffening.
His usual cocky swagger disappeared as his gaze flicked from the red-skinned woman to Anton, Carol, and Nick Fury.
"You—what the hell?" he stammered. "You look just like me! Are you human?"
Then, as if a lightbulb went off, his eyes widened.
"Wait… you're all from Earth, aren't you?" he said excitedly. "Has Earth finally advanced enough for interstellar travel?"
He barely gave them a chance to respond before launching into a rapid-fire barrage of questions.
"Man, I haven't been back in over ten years—how are things down there? Does Earth have spaceships now? Oh! And what about Redbone? They're my favorite band! Have they released anything new?"
Nick Fury smirked, shaking his head.
"Redbone? Man, they're probably retired by now," he said. "Haven't heard from them in years."
Carol, who had recovered her memories of Earth, nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, they were big in the '70s," she added.
Anton, however, remained silent.
By his time, Redbone had long since faded into history.
"Alright, let's get down to business," Anton said, cutting in.
"We need the Ravagers' help," he continued. "There's a job—100,000 credits to find a specific location. And if you can bring back an item from that location, we'll pay you even more."
Star-Lord blinked.
"Wait, 100,000 credits?" he repeated, his tone shifting from surprised to suspicious.
"Damn… are all Earthlings this loaded now?" he muttered, rubbing his chin.
Even for him, that was a huge payday.
"Alright, I'm listening," he said, crossing his arms. "What exactly are you looking for?"
Anton leaned forward slightly.
"Morag."
Star-Lord's expression flickered—but he kept quiet.
"There's something there," Anton continued. "A small orb, about the size of my fist."
Anton held up his hand, demonstrating the rough shape.
Star-Lord narrowed his eyes.
"You're telling me… you want me to find a fist-sized ball on an entire planet?" he said, skeptical. "You better not be messing with me."
Anton smirked and pulled out a scanner—a sleek, pointer-like device.
"Once you get to Morag, activate this," he explained. "It'll guide you straight to the Orb."
Star-Lord examined the device, then glanced back at Anton.
After a moment, he grinned.
"Alright," he said, snatching the scanner from Anton's hand. "For 100,000 credits, I'm in."
He quickly exchanged contact info with Carol, then turned toward the door.
"Don't worry," he said over his shoulder, "I'll handle it."
Then he was gone.
Carol watched him leave, frowning slightly.
"Are you sure he can get the job done?" she asked, doubtful. "He doesn't exactly seem… reliable."
Anton chuckled.
"Trust me," he said.
"There's no one better for this job."
…
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