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The plan was set, they will be heading to Sovereign territory to… negotiate.
No, let's be honest: it was more like heading there to smash things up and then negotiate.
Still, calling Arthur's choice "unreasonable" or "outright aggression" wouldn't be fair.
After all, if the Sovereign people hadn't been so intolerably arrogant, they wouldn't have invited trouble in the first place.
Yes, Rocket did steal their batteries. But returning the stolen goods, or even making Star-Lord's crew pay some equivalent compensation, should have been enough to settle the matter.
It's not as though petty theft is usually punished with execution… and the annihilation of an entire bloodline.
That was the true reason Arthur made this decision.
Of course, there was another, far more important, reason.
Her Radiance, that golden, fragile-hearted queen of the Sovereign, had twice tasted bitter defeat. Out of desperation and pride, she poured every resource into creating something new, someone new.
The so-called Adam.
Arthur didn't know when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would actually be filmed or released. By the time he'd crossed over into this world, the MCU had only gone so far. But he could safely assume that this Adam fellow would make his debut in that very film.
Whether that would be a blessing or a curse… no one could say.
In the cinematic universe, everything was a fresh beginning.
Arthur had never read the comics, so he had no true sense of who Adam Warlock really was. Even if he had read them, he couldn't use the source material as a reliable guide.
That, ultimately, was why he gave the order.
For now, though, he kept that part to himself. The others didn't need to know. The truth would reveal itself in time.
With the Sovereign matter settled, attention turned back to Earth.
The problem was simple: all their real fighting power had gone gallivanting through the stars. Back on Earth, at Camp Lehigh, the situation was, in the words of an old song… empty as can be.
And that simply wouldn't do.
After some thought, Arthur decided that Natasha, Sharon, and Steve should return to Earth.
But the moment he voiced the idea, Natasha flatly refused. The others could go if they wished. She would not. She gave no explanation. She only fixed Arthur with a steady, unblinking stare until his heart skipped in unease. In the end, he could do nothing but relent.
So, only Steve and Sharon returned. Everyone else remained at Arthur's side, ready to raise hell across the cosmos. Arthur made sure Steve understood their key responsibilities back on Earth before wrapping up the matter.
After that, the meeting dispersed as if nothing had happened.
But Arthur wasn't idle.
He pulled out the star chart Gamora had handed him earlier, the one pointing directly to the Soul Stone's location. That also meant a face-to-face encounter with him, the Red Skull.
He had planned to address this earlier, but Star-Lord's sudden disaster had interrupted everything.
Now, with the Sovereign looming as their next target, there was no room to deal with the Soul Stone just yet.
First, Sovereign. Then, Earth, where he would strengthen the communications link between Xandar and the planet once and for all.
Only then could he move to retrieve the Stone.
And when that time came, he would need Loki.
Not to play his role immediately… but at the very least, Loki had to know who he would eventually be asked to become.
As for Loki betraying them to Thanos…
Was Arthur worried?
Absolutely.
No matter how many excuses one might invent to defend Loki's actions and motives, one truth was undeniable: the man carried an innate double agent's soul, fickle and treacherous by nature.
And that was exactly what gnawed at Arthur. That was why he had only said "probably" when mentioning the idea of seeking Loki out. Whether he would actually approach him remained a question mark, one that hung heavy until Arthur could find a way to eliminate the risk entirely.
"Trust is touching and all," Arthur muttered to himself, "but we don't exactly have a foundation of mutual affection here. He won't be moved by sentiment. If I had to guess, the best he'll do is think of me as a complete idiot…"
Shaking his head at the thought, Arthur let it drop, for now.
Though he could still move about on his own from time to time, the effort was far too painful and exhausting. Finally, Arthur was afforded a privilege more befitting his current state and his age, a wheelchair.
Natasha was the one pushing him. She hadn't yet shaken off whatever storm of emotions had taken hold of her, and every time Arthur thought about it, he felt an odd, bittersweet pang.
That pang, of course, was always followed by the urge to smack himself.
'This awkwardness will pass eventually,' Arthur hoped.
Natasha wheeled him through the spaceship's corridors under the pretense of letting him "get some fresh air." Arthur said nothing. Fresh air? In a ship that reeked of Raiders? This was space. The very concept was laughable.
It was in the middle of this little excursion that Star-Lord showed up.
He lingered there, eyes darting between Natasha and Arthur, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.
Arthur glanced at Natasha. "This kid's lost his mind?"
Natasha shrugged. "Feels like it. After everything he's been through, the highs, the lows, it wouldn't be surprising if he cracked a little."
"Hey!" Star-Lord finally snapped. "Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean you two get to roast me alive."
Arthur smirked. "Fine, fine. You're here for a reason. All that hemming and hawing… clearly, you don't want Natasha to hear it. Don't worry, I get it."
Natasha's lips curved into a knowing, almost mocking smile.
Star-Lord nearly collapsed under the weight of it all. "Did you really have to spell it out like that? Natasha, don't take it the wrong way! I don't see you as an outsider!"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Oh? Then what, were you planning on seeing her as your insider?" He waved a hand dismissively before looking at Natasha. "Why don't you give us a little space?"
Natasha nodded. But before leaving, she shot Star-Lord a long, lingering look. It was enough to leave him unsettled, prickled with a sense of inexplicable malice.
Arthur chuckled. "All right. Just us now. You came to talk about Ego, didn't you?"
Arthur understood Star-Lord better than most. After what had just gone down, if the man was coming to him in secret, there could only be one subject on his mind.
Star-Lord sighed heavily. "I know he's a bastard. I'm not here to beg for him. I just… don't understand. Why? What was the point of what he did?"
"I thought his goal was already explained well enough," Arthur said, grinning.
'That grin was infuriating.' Star-Lord ground his teeth, glaring at him for a long moment before finally breaking. "I'm just… a mess. I needed someone to talk to. About this, I don't know who else I can even turn to. That's it. That's the truth. You satisfied now?"
Arthur leaned back with a smug smile. "That's much better. Now, be a good lad and wheel this old man over for a drink. Yondu's stash, where is it hidden? You must know."
Star-Lord's eyes widened. "If Natasha finds out, she'll kill me!"
Arthur smirked. "Well, she won't be killing me…"
End of Chapter