The fortress Ayesha spoke of resembled a towering spire, its golden structure reaching high into the sky.
No one knew what material it was made of, but under the eerie glow of storm clouds, the place radiated an unsettling aura.
Alan and the others disembarked from their ship, preparing for battle.
They had expected heavy resistance—
Yet, surprisingly—
They reached the top platform effortlessly.
Alan scanned his surroundings.
The circular platform was lined with green-glowing devices, positioned at four distinct points.
They looked like some kind of teleportation gates.
Quill noticed them as well and muttered,
"No wonder these guys stole the energy batteries. They need them to power these teleporters."
In the center of the platform, a pillar rose from the ground—
It served as the control console for the teleporters.
And there—
Several energy batteries sat embedded within the console.
At that moment, Rocket Raccoon's eyes lit up with excitement.
Without hesitation—
He dashed toward the console.
"Watch out!" Alan shouted.
Suddenly—
A massive gray tentacle shot out from the edge of the platform!
With one powerful swipe, it slammed Rocket Raccoon, sending his small body flying through the air.
Luckily—
Groot extended his arm and caught him mid-flight.
Rocket, now safe, cursed angrily.
Meanwhile—
The giant tentacle clung to the ground, heaving with immense strength.
And then—
A monstrous creature emerged from the edge of the platform.
It resembled a colossal octopus, its entire body covered in writhing tentacles.
Atop its oval-shaped head, a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth yawned open.
Its horrifying appearance sent shivers down everyone's spines.
With a deafening roar, the monster lashed out, sending dozens of tentacles hurtling toward the team.
Drax, unfazed, charged forward like a madman, wielding his twin daggers.
But—
Before anyone could react—
The creature opened its enormous mouth and swallowed him whole!
Quill's jaw dropped.
"Did he just—jump into its mouth?!"
Even Alan chuckled at the ridiculousness of it.
However, he wasn't worried about Drax's survival.
Just then—
Another tentacle swung toward Alan.
He calmly unsheathed his Aurora Sword and with a single effortless slash, severed the limb.
The monster screamed in agony, thrashing wildly—
Its tentacles flailing uncontrollably.
One of them smashed into the control console, shattering it completely.
---
The energy batteries were sent flying into the air.
Rocket's eyes widened.
Without hesitation—
He leaped forward, catching two of them mid-air before landing in a roll.
Upon closer inspection, his mouth fell open in shock.
These batteries contained a seemingly endless supply of energy.
Glancing at Quill and the others—
Rocket quietly slipped the batteries into his pocket.
Alan noticed—
But—
He didn't stop him.
He knew—
If Rocket hadn't taken the batteries, the Sovereign wouldn't have chased them—
And without that chase, they would never uncover the truth about Quill's origins.
Alan checked the time.
It was best not to linger any longer.
Summoning his Green Lantern Ring, he materialized an RPG launcher.
A rocket-propelled grenade blasted into the monster's mouth—
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore through its body, and—
Drax was ejected from within, flying through the air before crashing onto the ground.
The creature collapsed like a pile of sludge, utterly lifeless.
With that—
The Guardians of the Galaxy had successfully completed their first official commission.
They began making their way back to the ship.
As they walked, Quill suddenly paused.
"Wait… does anyone have the energy batteries?"
...