Chapter Forty-four: The Gem of Power
Arthur wandered aimlessly around Xandar, unable to leave since he didn't know how to pilot a spaceship. After asking around, he found no ships heading to Earth, and renting one would cost a fortune—a fortune he did not possess. All he could do was return to the ship and wait for Quill and the others to come back.
He fiddled with the Cosmic Orb in his hands, tempted to open it and see what the Power Stone looked like. Yet he remembered the commotion its appearance would cause, drawing too much attention; he dared not attempt such a thing on Xandar. Unsure whether he could withstand the Power Stone's energy, Arthur listened to music and ate food from Quill's ship, passing the time.
...
Klyn Prison
Groot had just removed the Conis Battery from the prison's control panel, triggering the blaring of alarms. Countless drones flew into the prison, surrounding Groot.
"Prisoner, drop the device and return to your cell, or we will open fire," barked the guards from the control station.
"I am Groot!" shouted Groot at the drones.
"Open fire!" All the drones' machine guns unleashed a hail of bullets at the tree-man. Groot raised his arms to block the rounds; his limbs stretched into thick vines, smashing a drone with a single blow.
He continued, destroying drones one by one with his fists. Rocket scrambled onto Groot's back.
Nearby, guards aimed their weapons at Groot, only to be intercepted by Drax, who charged in, knocking one down and dispatching the rest within moments, tossing a gun to Rocket as well.
Armed now, Rocket erupted, taking out more than a dozen drones in an instant.
Gamora engaged the arriving guards, while Quill went to retrieve Rocket's needed prosthetic leg.
Chaos reigned in Klyn Prison. The five reached the control room, with Rocket operating the consoles.
Suddenly, a large group of guards armed with rocket launchers and more than a dozen drones surrounded the observation tower.
"On my command—fire the first volley!" The guards launched rockets, striking the control room; its bulletproof glass cracked immediately.
"Mouse, what's your plan?" Gamora asked Rocket anxiously.
"Don't rush me!" Rocket snapped, rapidly working at the controls.
"Second volley—fire!" Another round of rockets slammed into the control room, shaking it violently.
"Prepare for the third volley..." Just then, Rocket disabled the prison's gravity system. Guards and inmates alike floated helplessly, losing their balance.
The control room itself lifted off, with nine drones assembling beneath it to form an engine, transforming the control room into a makeshift spaceship.
"I told you I had a plan!" Rocket piloted the control room toward the exit, opening the prison’s passage doors. Once the craft cleared the gates, he sealed them behind.
...
The group reached the prison’s storage warehouse to retrieve their belongings. Quill, however, discovered his Walkman was missing. He told the others to head to the ship first; he'd catch up soon.
Arthur, asleep aboard the ship, was awakened as it suddenly started up, launching into space on autopilot. It stopped beside a massive steel structure, and the hatch opened to admit four figures. Arthur and the newcomers stared at each other.
"Who are you?" Rocket demanded.
"He's Quill's companion—I’ve seen him before," Gamora replied.
"Where's Quill?" Arthur asked.
"He said he had something to do and told us to get on the ship first," Drax explained.
"You have the Cosmic Orb, don’t you?" Rocket eyed Arthur.
"Yes, I do. So what?" Arthur responded.
"We'll sell it, split the money five ways, no need to wait for that idiot Quill," Rocket proposed.
"First, we must wait for Quill. Second, the Cosmic Orb is mine. I do not consent to selling it," Arthur insisted.
"We need to leave now, or we'll be blasted to bits!" Rocket urged.
"No! We must wait for Quill," Arthur insisted, leaving the others at a loss.
"Look!" Drax exclaimed.
They looked out the window—Quill was returning, flying toward the ship with his metal mask.
Once aboard, Drax asked what Quill had fetched. Quill handed him the Walkman, leaving everyone speechless.
The ship continued its journey through space.
"So the Cosmic Orb is a Power Stone?" Gamora asked.
"Yes," Arthur nodded.
"What’s a Power Stone?" Rocket inquired.
"The Power Stone is one of the six Infinity Stones. After the Big Bang, six Infinity Stones were born, each with the power to destroy worlds," Gamora explained.
"Thanos is collecting the Stones, so he wants the Cosmic Orb at any cost. If you sell it, you’re essentially handing it to Thanos," Arthur said.
"Then let's give it to the Nova Corps for safekeeping," Gamora suggested.
"Do you think the Nova Corps can withstand your father?" Arthur asked.
"So what should we do now?" Quill wondered.
...
"This is clearly a hot potato. I say we sell it to Ronan," Rocket said.
"And let him destroy the galaxy?" Quill retorted.
"Enough arguing. I need the Stone, and as for Ronan—he’s already here!" Arthur pointed out the distant Kree warship outside the window.
"F***! Let’s go!" Quill shouted.
"No! I want revenge on Ronan!" Drax insisted.
"If we fight in space, we’re done for if we get hit. Let’s head to Xandar and let them deal with Ronan!" Quill said.
The group agreed—it made sense, and they were near Xandar. Rocket piloted the ship toward Xandar to escape...
Kree Warship Dark Star
"We’ve found them—they’re fleeing toward Xandar!" Korath reported to Ronan.
"They’re heading for Xandar. Pursue them! Activate the cloaking device; don’t let the Nova Corps spot us prematurely!" Ronan commanded.
Rocket flew the ship to Xandar, only to be intercepted by the Nova Corps, who had already learned of their prison break and dispatched a fleet to block them.
"What now? We’ve been spotted!" Quill asked, seeing dozens of Nova Corps ships pursuing them.
"Tell them Ronan is coming!" Arthur said.
Rocket transmitted the warning about Ronan invading Xandar, but the Nova Corps remained in hot pursuit, opening fire. Rocket had to dodge desperately.
"Shit! What’s going on? Isn’t Ronan following us?" Quill wondered.
"He must be cloaked. The Nova Corps hasn’t spotted him yet," Gamora replied.
Nova Corps Command Center
"Report: Star-Lord and his team say a Kree warship is invading Xandar," a junior officer reported.
"What? What's happening?" The Nova Corps commander checked the radar, finding no sign of the Kree warship.
"Whether it’s true or not, evacuate the civilians and send out reconnaissance drones to investigate!" the commander ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
...