Rocket Raccoon knew all too well that regardless of whether Robert caught up to the Collector or managed to reclaim the Power Stone, it ultimately wouldn't belong to them. And as for asking Robert for the 4 billion bounty, Rocket wasn't foolish enough to try that.
Based on the intel Star-Lord had shared, Rocket could guess that both Star-Lord and Robert came from relatively undeveloped planets, perhaps not even integrated into the interstellar community. While Rocket couldn't understand how such a backward world could produce someone as powerful as Robert, he knew that asking for a bounty from him would be a highly irrational move.
Without wasting time, Rocket and his crew headed to the Collector's lair. Though the Collector had taken most of his prized possessions with him, that didn't mean the remaining broken items were worthless.
What the Collector saw as worthless still had value in Rocket's eyes. While they wouldn't fetch the 4 billion he originally hoped for, they could certainly sell these leftover artifacts for enough to fund some indulgent downtime.
However, the treasures weren't just lying around for them to grab without a fight. It wasn't that the Collector had left any traps behind; rather, as the chaos in Nowhere settled down, the other criminals realized they could raid the richest area.
Thus, the real battle for Rocket and his friends had just begun. Although they might not have stood a chance against foes like Ronan or Korath, they were more than capable of crushing regular enemies who relied on technology rather than superhuman abilities.
In particular, Groot was devastating against weaker opponents. For him, their numbers didn't matter—he was a one-man army, perfectly suited for outnumbered fights.
Meanwhile, on a barren planet, the Collector materialized, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He still held the Universal Weapon and the Power Stone, feeling the continuous surge of power coursing through him. The longer he wielded it, the more exhilarated he became.
"I never imagined the Power Stone would grant me such immense strength. I've never felt so complete," the Collector muttered to himself as he carefully stored away his salvaged artifacts. "If I had known the Infinity Stones could give me a new lease on life, I would've sought them out sooner. I wouldn't have wasted all these years… I can even feel my body starting to rot."
"Is that so? Honestly, you seem pretty lively to me. No sign of decay at all. In fact, judging by your aura, even without the Power Stone, you could probably live for another few thousand years," a voice suddenly interjected. Robert appeared next to the Collector, casually observing the barren planet beneath them.
"It seems like this planet didn't die naturally. It's as if all its energy was drained, leaving it lifeless. Did you do that to create a hidden base no one would find?" Robert mused.
"You! How did you find me?!" The Collector's eyes widened in shock as he saw Robert. He couldn't believe Robert had tracked him down to his heavily fortified secret base, which was protected by countless security measures.
The Collector had known about Robert's space-warping abilities, having witnessed him appear out of thin air next to Star-Lord. But even teleportation had its limits, and the Collector had been confident in his own stealth and escape methods. Combined with the base's defenses, there was no way Robert should have been able to follow him here.
Yet, despite his confidence, Robert now stood before him. The reality of the situation made the Collector begin to worry about the artifacts he had just recovered.
"You mean how I found you? I just locked onto your energy. Was that really so hard?" Robert replied casually, glancing around at the various collectibles. "You're quite the unique character. Most of your collection consists of living beings, and they seem to be from all different species."
"That's right. Ever since I learned that mad Titan planned to wipe out half of all life in the universe, I've been accelerating my efforts to preserve endangered species, so they wouldn't vanish into oblivion," the Collector explained, his gaze flickering.
"I've witnessed the extinction of countless races since the dawn of the universe. The Kree Empire may seem powerful now, but in the grand scheme of things, empires like that are nothing special…"
"So, you started collecting species even before they went extinct? What about Kryptonians? Do you have any of them?" Robert asked as he noticed something unusual in one of the displays.
"Unfortunately, no. The Kryptonians were a perfect race, but I never had the opportunity to collect them…" The Collector's eyes darkened at the mention of Kryptonians. It was clear that he had hoped to, but never managed to obtain any, despite their uniqueness in the universe.
"No opportunity, huh?" Robert chuckled, looking the Collector up and down. "Well, now you've got your chance. Have you taken it?"
"Banishment!" the Collector shouted, his body trembling as he unleashed a burst of spatial energy. The energy engulfed Robert, instantly causing him to disappear from the base.
The Collector had his own mastery over spatial abilities. Whether through innate power or advanced technology, it was clear he could manipulate space with considerable skill. Even though Robert had been prepared, he couldn't dodge the sudden spatial assault.
"Seal it!" After banishing Robert, the Collector wasn't about to take any chances. Unsure of what Robert had meant by "locking onto" him, he disrupted the spatial energy within the base, effectively sealing it off completely.
"That's a neat trick. Looks like some advanced tech is involved, huh? Not bad for someone who's been alive for who-knows-how-many years—you've picked up quite a few skills!" Just as the Collector finished sealing the base, Robert appeared right next to him, casually critiquing his methods.
The Collector nearly lost his composure. He finally understood the torment of those who had been driven mad by Robert's instantaneous movements. Even some of the most powerful beings in existence couldn't block teleportation, and the Collector was no exception.
"You! How is this possible? Even if you had the Space Stone, you shouldn't be able to move this freely!" the Collector cried out, stepping back and gripping the Universal Weapon tightly, as if afraid Robert would snatch it from him.
"Relax, I'm not going to take the Power Stone. In fact, if you can keep showing me more of its abilities, you might even manage to beat me," Robert said, shaking his head at the Collector's wary stance. "You've lived for so long—why is your first instinct always to run away?"
"Buzz!" Before Robert could finish, the sealed space within the base shimmered again, and the Collector disappeared once more. He had no intention of fighting Robert and had opted to flee yet again.
"Seriously? You don't trust me? What's the point of running away all the time?" Robert muttered in exasperation as the Collector vanished. His gaze then landed on a green creature nearby, another one of the Collector's living treasures.
Robert had asked about Kryptonians for a reason—he had spotted a lifeform that resembled a Martian, or at least someone who looked like a Martian Manhunter. It was possible that this creature belonged to a species closely related to the Martians, but Robert needed to sort that out after dealing with the Collector.
With a sigh, Robert vanished as well, while the green-skinned figure slowly opened her eyes. Her young, innocent gaze was filled with confusion.
"What's going on? I was rescued just a moment ago… Was that all a dream? How did I end up here? Wasn't I in Nowhere? What happened?" The young Martian looked around in bewilderment. She tried to use her powers, but when the collar around her neck glowed red, pain washed over her, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
---
"Collector? My old friend, why didn't you let me know you were coming? Wait… is that the Power Stone? Why are you collecting Infinity Stones now? Have you forgotten about that lunatic Thanos?"
On the distant planet of Sakaar, the Grandmaster rose from his seat in shock as he saw the Collector arrive with the Power Stone embedded in the Universal Weapon.
"Thanos? That lunatic isn't much of a threat to me now…" The Collector forced a bitter smile and quickly changed the subject. "Do you have a Champion here? Someone strong enough to take on the gods? I need someone of that caliber."
"Take on the gods? Who did you piss off this time? Don't tell me it's Odin. He's on his last legs, isn't he? Why bother picking a fight with a so-called god who's not even immortal? Just wait a few hundred years, and he'll turn to dust on his own," the Grandmaster said dismissively, sitting back down with a look of disdain.
"We are eternal beings. As long as we stick to our passions and maintain our immortality, godly power is meaningless to us. Faith and gods? On Sakaar, I am their god," the Grandmaster said smugly.
"You are our god, Master!" His attendants immediately knelt, professing their loyalty to him.
The Collector couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as the Grandmaster and his followers put on their show. He wasn't sure if Robert was still pursuing him, but the time-dilating properties of Sakaar gave him a bit of hope. Time flowed more slowly here than in the outside universe, theoretically buying him more time to figure out his next move.
"Enough of this. Do you have a Champion or not? If you need, I'll even lend you the Power Stone!" The Collector took a deep breath, his urgency showing.
"Why are you so desperate? Who are you running
from?" The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow, surprised to see his old friend in such a state. They'd known each other for eons, but this was the first time he'd seen the Collector looking genuinely panicked, even while holding the all-powerful Power Stone.
"Could it be… an even higher-level god?" The Grandmaster's mind raced as he imagined the possibilities, the thought terrifying him.
"Whoosh!" Before either of them could react further, Robert's figure finally appeared on Sakaar. Due to the planet's unique properties, he had arrived much later than expected, with the time between his and the Collector's arrival stretched significantly.
"What an interesting planet. Time flows differently here. Is that a natural phenomenon, or something created by your technology?" Robert asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between the Grandmaster and the Collector with a smile.
"Welcome to Sakaar, mysterious warrior…" The Grandmaster began, but the Collector was already preparing to flee. He quickly realized, however, that his spatial abilities were being blocked, preventing him from teleporting away from Sakaar.
"Correct, this is Sakaar. And esteemed guest, you are welcome here," the Grandmaster said, his expression calm. "I assume you're here for him?" He gestured toward the Collector. "Not to worry—he won't be running away again. I've already sealed off Sakaar's space."
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