"We have to stop Thanos. We need to find out where he's headed next!"
Nebula said sharply.
Thor turned around, no longer paying attention to Quill's antics.
"Knowhere."
He answered without hesitation.
"Knowhere?"
Mantis asked curiously.
Since joining the Guardians, she had visited many places, but Knowhere wasn't one of them.
"Knowhere? That's the worst place I've ever been."
Quill curled his lip. At least he'd finally stopped imitating Thor's voice.
Ignoring everyone, Thor continued rummaging through the food supplies.
"Hey! That's our food!"
Quill immediately protested.
"Not anymore."
Thor wasn't remotely polite. He opened container after container and began devouring the contents.
One tiny can had clearly done nothing to satisfy his appetite.
Just as Quill was about to continue arguing, Gamora cut him off.
"Thor, why would Thanos go to Knowhere?"
"Because for quite some time, an Infinity Stone known as the Reality Stone has been in the possession of the Collector there."
Thor spoke between mouthfuls of food.
"If the Stone is really there, then we're in trouble. Only an idiot would trust the Collector with an Infinity Stone."
The Guardians had personally witnessed the disaster caused by the Collector's assistant attempting to seize one before.
Quill had absolutely no faith in the Collector.
"How do you know he won't go after one of the other Stones?"
Gamora asked.
"There are six Infinity Stones in total."
Thor counted them off.
"Thanos already obtained the Power Stone when he slaughtered Xandar. Then he acquired the Space Stone, destroyed my ship, and murdered half the Asgardian people."
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"The Time Stone and Mind Stone are both on Earth, protected by the Avengers."
"The Avengers? You mean Carl and his friends? That guy called..."
Quill scratched his head, unable to remember.
"Black Egg."
Drax supplied immediately.
"Right, Black Egg. That's what Carl always calls the Avengers' leader."
Quill nodded enthusiastically.
"Carl? You know Carl?"
Thor looked stunned.
So these people knew Carl too?
How had a human from Earth ended up acquainted with all of them?
"Of course. Not just Carl—we know all those Avengers you're talking about."
Quill nodded.
Some of the food Thor was currently eating had literally been purchased on Earth.
"I've been away from Earth for too long."
Thor sighed.
"So much has changed."
His thoughts drifted briefly to Asgard's destruction.
If Carl and the others had been there at the time, would Hela have succeeded in destroying Asgard?
"Back to the point."
Thor set aside his thoughts.
"No one knows where the Soul Stone is. Not even Thanos. That means his next move is almost certainly Knowhere to obtain the Reality Stone."
The Reality Stone was also known by another name:
The Aether.
The same crimson substance that had once entered Jane Foster's body.
When Thor mentioned the Soul Stone, a strange expression briefly appeared on Gamora's face.
It looked as though she knew something.
---
"Then we head to Knowhere immediately."
Nebula spoke up.
She didn't care about the Stones.
What she wanted was revenge against Thanos.
"No. We're going to Nidavellir."
Thor shook his head.
"Nidavellir? That's a real place?"
Rocket looked surprised.
"I always thought it was just some ridiculous legend."
As a seasoned interstellar scavenger, Rocket had always assumed the place was fictional.
"You've heard of it?"
Quill looked at Rocket.
Everyone else did too.
"Sure."
Rocket nodded.
"Legend says the weapons forged there are so powerful they can dominate the entire universe."
"I've always wanted to see them for myself."
His knowledge was limited to rumors, but even those rumors were impressive.
"The little fox is right."
Thor nodded approvingly.
"He's also clearly the smartest one here."
Thor knew far more about Nidavellir than Rocket did.
After all, Mjolnir had been forged there.
Not only Mjolnir—even Odin's spear, Gungnir, had originated from the same place.
"Fox?"
Rocket froze.
Before he could complain, Thor continued.
"Only Eitri, King of the Dwarves, can forge the weapon I need."
Then he added:
"And judging by your intelligence, I'd guess you're the captain here, little fox."
Thor looked at Rocket with considerably more respect than he showed the others.
Rocket immediately crossed his arms, looking pleased with himself.
"You've got a good eye."
He nodded sagely.
"Not bad for an Asgardian."
"Then, Captain..."
Thor smiled.
"Would you be willing to accompany me to Nidavellir and witness the forging of a truly legendary weapon?"
Clearly, Thor was no longer the straightforward warrior he once was.
He was actually using a little manipulation.
"I'll have to ask—"
Rocket answered automatically before suddenly realizing something.
"Wait a second."
He straightened up.
"I am the captain."
"That's right."
"I'm the captain."
"We're heading to Nidavellir immediately!"
He agreed on the spot.
Thor smiled knowingly.
His scheme had worked perfectly.
---
"Hey! I'm the captain!"
Quill immediately objected.
What was this?
A few compliments and suddenly he'd been removed from command?
"Listen."
He stepped forward.
"This is my ship."
"The bag on your back is mine too."
"I bought it on Earth."
"And this so-called dwarf king—are we sure he's not completely made up?"
"What kind of weapon could he possibly forge?"
Quill blocked everyone's path.
The problem was that everyone else had already agreed with Thor.
Even Groot.
And Groot had spent most of the conversation quietly eating leaves growing from his own arm.
Quill was literally the only one opposed.
"A weapon capable of killing Thanos."
Thor answered without hesitation.
Quill blinked.
"If weapons like that exist, shouldn't we all have one?"
That immediately caught his interest.
Unfortunately, Thor shook his head.
"No."
"You lack the ability to wield such a weapon."
"Your body—and your mind—would collapse under the strain."
Quill stared blankly.
He was the son of Ego, a Celestial.
What weapon could possibly be beyond his ability to use?
Just as he was about to argue, Gamora interrupted.
"If we don't go to Knowhere, and Thanos gets another Stone, stopping him will become even harder."
She wasn't wrong.
Thanos already possessed two Infinity Stones.
If he obtained a third, the situation would become far more dangerous.
---
"I've got a plan."
Rocket spoke up from his seat.
"We've got two ships."
"Groot and I will go with Thor."
"The rest of you head to Knowhere and stop Thanos."
"How's that sound?"
He gave himself a thumbs-up, clearly impressed by his own brilliance.
"Actually... that works."
Quill thought about it for a moment.
Most of their combat strength would still be heading after Thanos.
Thor taking only Rocket and Groot wouldn't weaken the team significantly.
Once everyone agreed, Thor, Rocket, and Groot boarded the escape vessel.
Under Rocket's control, the small craft detached from the main ship and set a course for Nidavellir.
---
Meanwhile, back on Earth—
The former site of Sokovia had become an enormous crater.
The city that once stood above it no longer existed.
It had been completely consumed by the Demon Titan.
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