Chapter Forty-One: The Cosmic Spirit Sphere

"I’ve got a big job lined up—are you in or not?" In the room, Quill was packing his things, ready to set out.

"What kind of job?" Arthur asked from the side.

"Yondu picked up a job: the Orb of the Universe! The buyer’s offering a price no one could refuse!"

"The Orb of the Universe?" Arthur thought the name sounded awfully familiar.

"Yeah! The Ravagers finally tracked it down after a lot of research. This time, we need to get to the Orb before Yondu does and cash in!" Quill’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Alright, you have to take me with you!" Arthur suddenly remembered what the Orb of the Universe was—wasn’t it the Power Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones?

He’d missed out on the Mind Stone before, and now the Power Stone had appeared right before him. Clearly, fortune had followed his narrow escape from disaster.

Quill brought Arthur along, piloting his Ravager Quinjet towards their destination: an abandoned planet called Morag.

...

Washington, D.C., Earth

Steve Rogers jogged along the lakeshore in the early morning, trying to adjust to his new life. Daily exercise was a habit for him. Today, he’d met a new friend, Sam Wilson, who worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

He and Sam got along well—Sam liked running, though his pace was a bit too slow... (Sam: Seriously?!)

Steve was gradually adapting to the new world around him. He’d learned to use the internet, and whenever someone recommended movies, music, or food, he’d jot them down in a notebook to check out later.

Steve received a text from Natasha, telling him there was a mission and he needed to leave immediately.

He said goodbye to Sam and got into Natasha’s car, heading for S.H.I.E.L.D.

...

Tony Stark hadn’t been feeling well lately; nightmares plagued him. He dreamed of alien invasions, of Arthur, battered and broken, clutching him and asking why he hadn’t saved him.

Tony was plagued by insomnia, working obsessively to keep his mind occupied. He kept designing new suits, determined to bring every idea in his head to life.

Pepper Potts was seriously worried about Tony’s health, urging him to rest. But as CEO of Stark Industries, she was busier than ever, and saw Tony less and less. She had to rely on Happy to keep an eye on him...

Meanwhile, Peter Parker’s life continued as usual—school by day, dates with Gwen after class, and donning his spider suit at night to fight crime in New York.

Of course, some things had changed. Gwen's father had finally accepted him—and Spider-Man. After the events in New York, Spider-Man was more famous than ever.

Now, the city often spotted the most down-to-earth member of the Avengers, their friendly neighborhood superhero. He had more fans than ever, and the police were much friendlier, making Peter’s life a whole lot happier.

...

Loki had been taken back to Asgard, standing before Odin, Father of the Gods.

“Do you still not understand the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go, you bring war, destruction, and death,” Odin said.

“I went to Midgard to rule humanity as a benevolent god—just as you did,” Loki replied.

“We are not gods! Like humans, we are born, we live, and we die,” Odin declared.

“But we can live five thousand years!” Loki protested.

“All of this is because you wanted the throne,” Odin said.

“It’s my birthright!” Loki insisted.

“Your birthright was to die the moment you were born! You should have been left on the icy rocks! If I hadn't taken you in, you wouldn’t be here now, hating me!” Odin thundered.

“If I’m meant to be executed, then show me mercy and get it over with. I have no wish to talk with you,” Loki retorted.

“You’re alive only because your mother could not bear to kill you. From now on, you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your life in the dungeons!” Odin decreed.

“And what about Thor? You’ll lock me away for life, but crown that fool as king?” Loki asked.

“Thor must do everything he can to mend the damage you’ve caused. He will restore order to the Nine Realms, and then he will be king,” Odin replied.

Loki was cast into the dungeons, while Thor led troops to suppress uprisings in Vanaheim. Since the Nine Realms had learned of Jotunheim’s affairs, rebellions had broken out in Vanaheim, Nornheim, and Ria—Thor was sent to quell them and restore peace to the realms...

...

In the depths of space

Quill’s ship was making a jump through hyperspace. Arthur clung to a trash can, retching violently.

"First time jumping through space?" Quill asked, watching Arthur’s seasick state.

"It’s my first time leaving Earth—ugh… cough..." Arthur replied, his face ashen.

"Oh, you poor kid. Want some music to relax?" Quill offered.

"No more of your damn music! I’ve listened to those same few songs for days—I’m sick of them!" Arthur groaned.

"These are classics from home! I’ve been listening for over thirty years and never gotten tired of them," Quill said, holding up his cassette tape.

"If my phone hadn’t been destroyed fighting the Chitauri, I’d show you what real modern music is!" Arthur grumbled.

"Phone? What’s that? Don’t you listen to music on a Walkman?" Quill asked, puzzled.

"A phone is a telephone! You can listen to music, watch videos, play games—it’s basically a little computer," Arthur explained.

"Telephone? Isn’t that just a rotary dial on a desk? Has Missouri’s technology really advanced that fast?" Quill asked in amazement.

"Earth’s technology is booming—we’re even making weapons powered by Infinity Stones," Arthur said sarcastically.

"We’re here—that’s Morag!" Quill pointed at the massive gray planet before them.

"Finally! Let’s get out—I need some fresh air," Arthur said.

"Alright, hold on!" The ship landed smoothly on Morag’s surface.

Arthur and Quill stepped off the ship. Quill pulled out a scanning device. "This way!" he said, heading off, with Arthur following close behind.

"I actually kind of like it here," Arthur said. The planet was shrouded in mist, no sunlight, water spouted from rocks like rain, and the air was humid.

They reached a dilapidated building. Quill pulled out a device, which bathed the structure in blue light, scanning it.

In the blue glow, the building’s former state appeared—crowded streets, shadowy figures. Clearly, alien life had once thrived here.

Following the device’s guidance, they entered a building. Quill put on his headphones and began dancing to his music.

He held out a hand to Arthur, inviting him to join, but Arthur shook his head. "You’re definitely not right in the head," he said.

Arthur trailed behind as Quill danced his way forward. They soon stood before a massive door.

Quill took out a small tool and deftly unlocked the ancient stone door.

They stepped into the main hall. Quill produced a glowing orb to light their way.

In the center stood a broken metal pillar, crackling with purple energy forming a cage, and within it, the Orb of the Universe floated serenely.

Quill glanced at Arthur, then placed a triangular magnetic device on the floor. The Orb was drawn out of the energy cage and landed on the device.

"Impressive! You’d be a master tomb raider back on Earth," Arthur praised.

"I came well prepared," Quill replied smugly, scooping up the Orb.

"Who’s there?" Arthur sensed someone at the door.

"Hand it over!" Three strangely dressed aliens burst in, weapons trained on them.

"Oh boy, trouble," Quill said to Arthur.

"I hate having guns pointed at me," Arthur told the trio.

"Hand over the Orb! I won’t say it again!" barked the lead alien.

"Some people never listen," Arthur muttered. In a flash, his trident appeared in his hand, unleashing a blast of blue energy. The two aliens in front were blown apart; the leader was sent flying.

"There are more outside! This way!" Arthur blasted a hole in the wall behind them with his energy, and he and Quill escaped through the opening.

...