Chapter 17

WE ARE RIVALS TO THE END! RISE UP, OPEN YOUR MIND! HOLD ON TO YOUR POWERS, NO ONE CAN STOP US! WE ARE RIVALS TILL THE END OF TIME!

Sorry, I just really like this anime-ass song for Marvel Rivals. Do you guys know this was sung by the same voice actress who sang Jiro's song, Hero Too, at the Cultural Festival? It fits for what is essentially an anime-like superhero game.

Anyway, Greetings my fellow deviants and miscreants, I, Zayden StormVoid, have returned to unveil another chapter of Welcome to the MCU Phase 2!

Last time, we had the 2nd part of the Guardians of the Galaxy ranging from fully introducing every one of the Guardians, thrown in and escaping jail, fully meeting the big bad himself, Purple Nut-Sack Chin, and arriving at Knowhere. We also saw Kaminari and Jiro panicking over their counterpart's romance, Izuku struggling with jealousy for the first time, a look into Miruko's past and thoughts over Knuckle Duster, and even some peeks into the mind of Principal Nezu.

And now, we have reached Part 3 and Izuku's notebook will be full by the time this chapter is over. But first, let's answer some reviews:

Phoenix Warehouse Productions: ...oh wow, talk about unintentionally perfect timing. I'm so sorry about your loss and I'm glad I could help you celebrate and honor her birthday with something you all enjoyed. I lost my grandpa last year too and me and family went back to spend the holidays with my grandma for our first Christmas without him. I can't say I know what you are going through, no one really does, but know that you are not alone, and my prayers go out to you and your family.

GhostKing09: I'm glad to hear that I can make you enjoy the story despite your differing tastes. If you want to see a harem anime that is actually good, I'd recommend the 100 Girlfriends That Really Really Really Really Really Love You. It's peak comedy and hilariously exaggerates many different stereotypes to the max while still making the romance believable.

Blackwing8: Guts appears in two Death Battles, so I have to give him multiple counterparts, but most likely, only one will be shown in Guts vs. Nightmare.

andreilisud16: I don't have a monopoly on this kind of thing. If you want to make your own version of this concept, then go ahead! However, I will warn you that the reason I don't have this on AO3 to begin with is that I did, but it was taken down. So, I'm not so confident about your story's chances, but all the same, I wish you luck.

Guest: I'm pretty confident that my story will never reach that point mainly because the last MCU movie I might have them react to is GOTH3. As for my opinions on RDJ as Dr. Doom, I'm aware of a rumor or piece of information stating that RDJ will only be Doom for Doomsday, implying that he will be some Doctor Doom variant from the multiverse or a Doombot. When I first saw this, I was very confused and now just kind of apathetic to the MCU currently, so while I understand that some people were rubbed the wrong way with this announcement, I honestly could care less at this point. The only hero that still garners my attention is Spider-Man, mostly because I want to see that rumored 4th movie with Daredevil and Sydney Sweeney as Black Cat. I even have a personal rough draft of what I would want to see in the movie.

060896: For the Phase 3 movies, they will unfortunately only watch Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Phase 4 and other franchise movies will include the Tobey Macguire trilogy, Andrew Garfield's duology, and Far From Home and No Way Home, with the others coming before No Way Home. Additionally, whoever will be Tom Holland's Spider-Man's counterpart won't be the counterpart for Tobey's and Andrew's Spider-Man, they will each have their own counterpart, as even though they are all Peter Parker, they do have different personality traits, circumstances, history, and experiences that would require a different counterpart for each one.

MineTsuDeku112: The trading Mineta for Shinsou part was a gag/joke that wasn't meant to be taken seriously or be some bigger part in the grand scheme of the story. Also, why don't you tell me what Mineta does in his room? We never see what happens inside or what is in it only that Mineta was acting super creepy when asking the girls to come in and the girls avoid it like the plague. As for my opinion of Mineta, well, read Chapter 6 of My Hero Pokedamia if you want a greater context, and know it's not Mineta fully as a character that I hate but rather his implementation, actions, and behavior that any normal person would be disgusted over instead of passed over or ignored like canon does. At least my version in My Hero Pokedamia is tolerable and funny, or at least that's what I hear.

transformersdoctor: I haven't explicitly revealed the full status of Star Wars canonicity in this version of the MHA universe, but remember that I implied that there was a loss of pop culture and information during the chaotic time that was the Dawning of Quirks, and whether Star Wars exists or not, it is unknown enough that the characters questioned what it even was in the Winter Soldier. In short, Star Wars may exist in this universe, or perhaps it doesn't, but all you need to know is that if the characters don't know about it then it's a perfect franchise to go over in Phase 4 and others story.

Next, the Index:

"Zayden," -Normal Dialogue

'Zayden,' -Internal or Mental Dialogue

"Zayden," -Flashback and Mental Flashback Dialogue

"Zayden," -Dark Shadow, Buff Might, and Movie Dialogue

"Zayden," -Comms, PA, and TV Dialogue

"Zayden," -Jarvis & A.I. Dialogue

"Zayden," -F.R.I.D.A.Y. Dialogue

"Zayden," -Movie Narration Dialogue

"~Zayden,~" Music Dialogue (Or whatever lyrics I can slip in)

Finally, I do not own My Hero Academia, which is owned by Horikoshi, and the anime adapted by Bones Studios. I also do not own the MCU or any of the movies comprising it, all of which are owned respectively by Marvel Studios, Disney, and/or Sony. All credit is given to the actors, actresses, directors, studios, and people who worked on the films.

P.S. This message is for the few reviewers claiming they are digital artists who wish to create art based on my story or stories. Firstly, I thank you guys so much for the support, and I feel honored you want to collaborate with me on something that you found enjoyable enough to spend creating art on. Having said that, I am unfortunately not in a secure enough financial state or place to commission art from you guys. If you want my permission to make art based on my stories, you can, but I won't be able to pay you. Writing this is difficult because I feel guilty, almost like I'm some cheapskate, but it is what it is. Anyway, again, if you guys still want to ask my permission or want any ideas from me about the art you want to make, then private message me and we'll talk about it some more. I hope you guys understand and thank you again for the support.

With all that said, Let's Light it Up!


Guardians of the Galaxy

Part 3: The Infinity Stone

Third POV

Carina led the mercenaries and criminals to a large building full of glass boxes, containers, and cells, from the floor to those hanging above in every nook and cranny. The objects in question ranged from artifacts and objects to plants and minerals of various kinds and even live and imprisoned creatures, both sapient and sentient.

"Dear Lord," Ibara gasped, hand over her mouth while her eyes displayed horror. "So many cages, some of them with living beings inside."

"It's like a sick zoo," Koda growled, the usual shy face of the boy replaced by one of rage as he imagined all the alien animal species housed against their will.

"Tivan called this place his 'Collection'," Ryukyu said, the name rolling out of her tongue with disgust at a wider analysis of the Collector's actions.

"Okay, this isn't creepy at all," Rocket muttered, sarcastically.

"Nope, it's super, mega, hyper creepy!" Kaminari shuddered. "Like, imagine if he decided to do that for people with different kinds of Quirks?"

Toshinori's teeth gritted. 'There already is a person out there obsessed with collecting the strongest Quirks for himself, and he's currently behind bars where he belongs,' Toshinori thought, All For One's smiling face in Tartaros flashing in his mind.

"We house the galaxy's largest collection of fauna, relics, and species of all manner," Carina informed them as she led them inside. In one glass box, a Labrador in an astronaut outfit growled at Rocket and the raccoon growled back.

"I-Is that a dog in a space suit?!" Itsuka blinked, astounded.

"A Soviet Space Suit," Nezu pointed out, grimly.

"Soviet? Like 'Soviet Russian' Soviet?" Setsuna repeated, confused.

Nezu nodded. "How do you know, sir?" All Might asked.

"The letters on the dog's space suit," Nezu pointed out. "CCCP. Those are acronyms in the Cyrillic alphabet which the Russian alphabet is based upon. More plainly, it stood as the acronym for the Soviet Union."

"So, the Collector dressed a dog as a Soviet Russian-era cosmonaut?" Present Mic scratched his head, confused.

"No, genius," Aizawa groaned. " The Soviet Union sent the dog into space where the Collector found it and brought it as a part of his 'collection'. The Soviets were known competitors with the United States in the Space Race."

"That is true," David nodded, staring at the screen and dog with a frown. "Both America and Russia launched animals into space as experiments, usually monkeys, chimps, and dogs."

"How awful," Uraraka muttered with pity for those animals.

Nezu's frown grew angrier, his paws clenching with barely contained anger. After all, he was no different an experiment as those animals, including the Cosmonaut Dog. In fact, one of his first endeavors and achievements was an international law prohibiting amoral, cruel, and deadly experiments on animals. Seeing this dog, lucky enough to survive being sent into space but unfortunate enough to land itself in the Collector's 'Collection', bristled and inflamed Nezu's nerves.

Reaching the middle of the area, Carina stopped and turned to the outlaws. "I present to you, Taneleer Tivan, The Collector."

The man himself turned from his desk to greet, a pair of glasses with microscope lenses attached to it. He wore a white-furred coat over his fancy black and red clothes. His hair and eyebrows were snow white, with a blue line painted below his lower lip to his chin. The man lowered his head so that his eyes could appear over his glasses.

"MULTIVERSAL COUNTERPART DETECTED! TANELEER TIVAN AKA THE COLLECTOR! MULTIVERSAL COUNTERPART: KENJI HIKIISHI AKA MAGNE!"

"Another member of the League," Bakugou growled, remembering the face of the criminal displayed alongside his counterpart.

"You need not worry about that foul Villain, Young Bakugou," Tiger noticed and called out.

"WHO SAYS I WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT A SORRY LOSER FROM THE LEAGUE?!" Bakugou snapped annoyed at the Pro Hero. "THE NEXT TIME I SEE THAT BIG LIPPED VILLAIN I'LL-"

"She's dead," Tiger interrupted.

Bakugou's fire was cut as he stared stunned at the Pro. "Huh?" Bakugou muttered, confused.

"The Villain known as Magne has been deceased for quite some time now," Tiger reported. "After the Hassaikai Raid, from what he obtained from interrogating the yakuza members, they divulged their prior meetings and dealings with the League of Villains, including the reasons for the latter betraying them."

Izuku, Ochaco, Asui, and Kirishima looked up in surprise before they looked at each other contemplating. "That would explain why the League was there at the Hassaikai's base," Izuku muttered, remembering his encounter with Himiko Toga. Izuku noticed Eri's discomfort at the memories of the Overhaul and Hissaikai and brought her to his lap and into a hug.

"And why Toga disguised herself as you, Deku," Uraraka noted while brushing and patting the girl's head. "She must have wanted us to defeat Overhaul. But why?"

Tiger and Mandalay looked at each other for a few silent moments before nodding. "From what we gathered, their first meeting ended in bloodshed," Mandalay revealed. "Chisaki had reportedly entered a skirmish with the Villains Mr. Compress and Magne where Overhaul used his Quirk on them both. While Compress was reported to have only lost an arm, Magne was said to have been killed."

"We investigated the area where they claimed the meeting was and found her remains buried in the woods nearby," Tiger revealed, staring at the face of the Villain he fought in the League's attack on the Training Camp. "It appears her death and Compress's injury were the reasons the League ultimately betrayed Overhaul's group."

"Wait, she?" Rin questioned. "But The Collector looks like a dude, so, what's up with that?"

"It wouldn't be too illogical to imagine that the differences between universes wouldn't only come to things like race or physical attributes," Thirteen responded. "Perhaps some differences include differing genders, too."

"A valid point, though rather moot when looking into Kenji's records," Tsukauchi said. "Kenji Hikiishi was reportedly born male before declaring himself a woman, though there aren't any records of a transitioning operation or use of feminizing hormone therapy treatments. So, even if they declared themselves a woman, their birth gender may be what is looked at when comparing counterparts?"

"Hmm, a rather complicated predicament," Nezu mused. "And perhaps quite disheartening when looking at the lens of the universe or different realities refusing to see you as you choose to be."

Tiger frowned at the choice of words, wondering if they were meant for him. He was likewise in the same situation as Kenji; however, the difference was that he successfully transitioned into a male overseas before returning to Japan to start the Wild Wild Pussycats with his friends. Tiger stared at Kenji's image, remembering their fight where Tiger listed the Villain's crimes ranging from murder, armed robbery, and attempted murders. Tiger wondered if he would have been the same if he had been denied or put in a situation that wasn't financially possible.

'No, that isn't true.' Tiger reaffirmed. 'Despite our pasts and troubles, no matter how different, we all have a choice to make, and Magne made hers when she became a criminal and murderer. She chose to live her life breaking the law and taking the lives of others and her situation changed nothing of the fact that she was guilty and deserving of prison.'

The Collector walked up to Gamora at the head of the group. "Oh, my dear Gamora," Tivan grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss. "How wonderful to meet in the flesh."

Jiro's eyes twitched at the gesture, subconsciously wiping her hand at the imaginary kiss from the lips of this creep-housing living, sapient beings against their will, not including the fact that his counterpart was a murdering Villainess.

"Let's bypass the formalities, Tivan" Gamora insisted as politely as possible. "We have what we discussed."

However, Tivan's gaze fell onto Groot "What is that thing there?" The Collector inquired, his gaze almost hungry and eager.

Kamui's eyes sharpened; his guard raised at the hungry eyes of the Collector. 'Does he wish to make my counterpart a part of his Collection,' Kamui Woods thought, wearingly.

"I am Groot," Groot introduced himself.

"Heh, you think he was actually greeting himself like that or was he referring to what species he was," Mount Lady asked, nervously chuckling while concerned for her friend's counterpart.

Tivan walked past Gamora, stalking slowly to the living tree. "I never thought I'd meet a Groot," Tivan admitted, while Rocket gritted his teeth, guarded. "Sir. You must allow me to pay you now so that I may own your carcass. At the moment of your death, of course."

"Well, at least he asked for your hide when you're dead," Death Arms rubbed the back of his neck. "Not like he was asking you to get in one of those cells."

"As if I were to be content with allowing him to display my corpse for all to see," Kamui Woods pointed out.

"Fair enough," Death Arms raised his hands in peaceful surrender.

"I am Groot," Groot nodded, seemingly accepting such an offer.

"Why, so we could turn you into a frickin' chair?" Rocket questioned, sassily.

"That's your pet?" Tivan asked Groot, gesturing to Rocket with a dismissive head tilt.

"Uh oh," Hagakure hissed, knowing where this was going.

Nezu's tail stuck out straight while cold murder gleamed behind his black eyes.

Peter tensed at the insult. "His What?" Rocket growled, offended, reaching for his gun, while Tivan snickered, amused.

"Yeah, I'd be offended too," Kamakiri hissed behind his gritted teeth.

"Indeed," Jurota grumbled.

"Grrrrr," Hound Dog growled, tensing as if to leap at the screen and tear the Collector apart.

"Tivan," Gamora butted in, hoping to prevent any further conflict. "We have been halfway around the galaxy, retrieving this Orb."

"Very well, then," Collector said. "Let us see what you brought."

Gamora turned to Peter. Star-Lord grabbed the object in question from his sack and raised his hand to present it...then it slipped from his hand and fell to the ground in a thud. Quill was quick to grab it, get back up, and present it, straight-faced.

"BAHAHAHAHA!" Sero and Kirishima burst out laughing.

"Seriously, Jemming Yey?" Jiro raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, c-come on! I-I mean that Orb is so round and s-stuff," Kaminari stuttered and tried to defend himself. "I-It's perfectly reasonable that it might slip through my fingers."

"Pfft, imagine if when he dropped it, it actually just broke," Sen snickered.

"I'm not sure who would kill him first?" Awase said while grinning. "The Collector, Gamora, Rocket, or Groot?"

"I'd wager on Rocket given how trigger-happy he has been recently," Setsuna commented.

Meanwhile, Drax stumbled out of the tavern aimlessly, swatting away a random spark that landed on his chest. He looked around and spotted a building with a radio dish on the roof.

"Three quarnyx batteries, seven cases of Cotati seeds," The dispatcher inside the building spoke to someone on the other line. "No, cases. Last time, you sent me-"

The man stopped talking, eyes widening in fear, as a knife was held to his throat, courtesy of Drax. "You shall send a message for me," Drax whispered.

"H-He's not doing what I think he'd gonna do, is he?" Mineta shivered.

"Depends. Do you think he's gonna make that guy call Ronan to tell them where they are so he will come for Drax to kill him?" Asui asked. Mineta nodded. "Then, absolutely. Kero."

"Okay, just checking," Mineta slumped, his fears realized.

"Oh, my new friends," The Collector looked to the four, Carina behind him and the four all around a table as the Orb was placed in the middle of a contraption with two claws moving and shifting the Orb, unlocking it. "Before creation itself, there were six singularities."

Nezu's ears perked, his eyes narrowing as his frown grew heavier. 'Six, just like-'

"Then the universe exploded into existence," Tivan continued as several holographic screens appeared all around them, showcasing the Collector's words. "And the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots." On one screen behind the Collector, the light of the Big Bang coalesced into six unique, differently colored stones, from purple, blue, yellow, red, green, and orange.

Izuku's eyes widened in horrifying realization, opening his mouth to say the same thing as Tivan:

"Infinity Stones." The clawed contraption progressed further in opening the Orb, revealing more and more purple light of the stone inside.

"So, those are the Stones, huh," Bakugou muttered, doing his best to sit still while a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

"Six Stones, all in differing colors," Endeavor analyzed. "Like a rainbow."

Izuku and All Might looked subtly at each other, mouthing words for the other to decipher.

'Six of different colors,' Izuku mouthed.

'Like Six of different Quirks,' All Might mouthed back.

'Like One For All,' Both mouthed. The two often visualized a similar scene whenever they drew on the power of One For All, of a star passing on and on between several different colored stars, each representing a previous user of One For All. The visualization only seemed more apt when Izuku detailed to All Might his dreams revolving around One For All and its past users, how each one seemed to glow and appear in a different shade of color, including Nana's pink to Lariat's red.

'If you don't count the First's, All Might's, or mine, that's six,' Izuku thought, looking at his hand and imagining Black Whip and Float. 'Just like the number of additional Quirks inside One For All.' Izuku knew that this may very well be simple comparisons with no actual correlation, and he hoped it was, for any alternative would be gravely worrying.

Peter stared at the slowly revealing stone multiple artworks and images of the Stones appeared on the screens. "These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength," Collector spoke, while Groot brushed his hand through the screen that showed the Tesseract, the screen to the left showing the ever-shifting mass of the Aether, and on the one on the left, just off-screen glowed yellow.

"That all but confirms it," Hawks said, staring seriously. "The Tesseract and Aether are Infinity Stones, the Blue and Red ones."

"But why Six? And what's the difference between them besides the different colors?" Momo asked.

"That, Miss Yaoyorozu, is the right question," F.R.I.D.A.Y. stated, the screen filled with images of the six gem-like stones. "The Infinity Stones, or Gems depending on the universe, were created during the birth of creation, each universe holding its own versions of stones and were spread throughout the cosmos. Each of the six represents a different aspect of the universe: Space, Time, Reality, Power, Mind, and Soul. Each Stone holds similar power yet different abilities one can grant to a wielder who can successfully harness it."

"Amazing," Melissa gasped in wonder. "And the Tesseract and the Aether, what Stones are they?"

The A.I. let out a robotic giggle. "Now, where would be the fun giving away the answer?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked, coyly.

"So, you won't tell us anything?" Iida asked.

"I didn't say that," F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied. "I said I wouldn't 'give' the answer to you, not that I won't answer what is given."

Nejire blinked in realization. "ZuZu," Nejire looked to her green-haired love. "Time for you to work that big, brilliant mind of yours to work!"

"Hey! Why let Shitty Deku guess?!" Bakugou barked, jealously. "I can figure out which Stone is which just as well as-"

"Nuh uh, Miss Hado has a point," Nezu smiled, mischievously. "Go ahead, Mr. Midoriya, analyze away!"

Aizawa and Toshinori gave a droll eye toward Nezu.

Stopping himself from writing in his notebook further, Izuku took several seconds to think, working through every piece of knowledge he had gathered from the previous movies about the Tesseract, the Aether, and their respective capabilities. "Alright, well, for starters, the Tesseract was shown to have its energy harnessed and used to power HYDRA's Tesseract-based weapons and bombs," Izuku mutters. "Arnim Garaki and Director Aizawa believed it could emit unlimited energy."

"That sounds like it could be the Power Stone, right?" Uraraka nodded.

"Perhaps, but then the Aether also showed that it was capable of emitting a vast amount of energy in Malekith's hands, enough to change the universe into his image," Izuku pointed out. "Then the Tesseract's abilities revolving space. When Red Skull touched it, it seemed to have sent him into another part of space. Loki planned to use it to form a wormhole over New York to transport the Chitauri from one end of space to another."

"But what about the Aether?" Iida noted. "It appeared tied to the Convergence and different worlds of the World Tree."

"Yes, that's true, but then it powers seemed different," Momo joined. " It showed Miss Foster visions that aligned with Malekith's desires and the Dark Elf wanted to alter all of the universe with its power. As if-"

"Warping all of Reality to his vision," Izuku gasped, eyes wide. "That's it!" Izuku looked to the screen and F.R.I.D.A.Y. "The Tesseract is the Space Stone, and the Aether is the Reality Stone."

"Is that your final answer?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked. Izuku nodded. "...Well done. That is correct." If the A.I. had a mouth, it would smile.

"Yay! Way to go, Midori!" Mina clapped Izuku's back, a little too hard for Izuku's tastes.

"But how did you know, monami?" Aoyama asked, interested.

"It was the difference between the Tesseract and the Aether that Iida and Momo pointed out," Izuku smiled. "Both may have connections and instances revolving around space, but the difference was that the Aether only had that effect During the Convergence."

"During?" Shoda asked.

"Simply put, the Aether and Convergence aren't tied to one another exclusively if the former was an Infinity Stone that was formed since the birth of creation not during the last or any prior instance of the Convergence," Izuku explained. "Those wormholes that appeared in Thor: The Dark World were due to the Convergence, not the Aether. Malekith only wanted to warp the universe into his ideal vision, in other words, warp Reality to his whims."

"Ah, I see," David nodded, boarding Izuku's train of thought. "That would explain its ability to grant visions to Miss Foster and Malekith's abilities with it. Space is often seen as fluid, but with a gem that can bend reality to its whims, it could be seen as fluid, too."

"And that left the space and power aspects to the Tesseract," Izuku continued. "However, F.R.I.D.A.Y. said that they have similar powers, and with a title like Infinity Stones, I'm sure that a vast amount of energy is one of them, enough to power Dr. Garaki's inventions and, with the aid of the Convergence, warp all of reality at once. So, if you discount Power, that leaves Space, Time, Mind, and Soul, and Space is the only one that fits everything shown with the Tesseract, like how the Asgardians used it to repair the Bifrost Bridge, a tool capable of transporting individuals through space via the Bifrost. Right?"

"Correct," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, displaying images and footage revolving around the now-identified Space and Reality Stones. "The Tesseract houses the Space Stone which represents and governs over all of space itself. Its power is vast virtually without limit though its primary use is the ability to transport individuals through interdimensional travel across any point in space." The screen showed the Tesseract transporting Red Skull into unknown space, forming a portal to drop Loki in the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in Avengers, and forming the wormhole for the Chitauri to invade."

"Such power, and from only one of them," Power Loader muttered in amazement and terror.

"As for the Aether, otherwise known as the Reality Stone," F.R.I.D.A.Y. brought up the Aether's previous resting place, infecting Inko Foster, absorbing into Malekith, and the Dark Elf forming wisps of power with it. "It granted its users absolute control over the fabric of reality itself, and with great enough influence, aim, and direction, capable of effecting reality on a universal scale as Malekith attempted using the Convergence as a focal point."

"And the Orb, what Stone is inside it?" Melissa asked, eager.

"I believe you guys will figure that out soon enough," F.R.I.D.A.Y. cheekily replied.

Melissa sighed but accepted the A.I.'s response.

"There's one more thing though I need to know," Izuku spoke, eyes full of curiosity and dread. "You said that six Infinity Stones/Gems exist in every universe. Does that mean that the six also exist in ours?"

The question hung with dread so palpable it could be cut with a blade. Eyes of horror began to widen as the danger of these gems of infinite power might be closer and more personal than they thought. 'If the Stones could exist here, if All For One were to obtain any of them...' All Might cut his thoughts off before the horrifying possibilities would scar his nightmares forever.

"...Let's just say that you won't have to worry about them any time soon," F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered cryptically. "Currently, they are so far out of reach that there is no danger for them to end up in undesirable hands."

While confirming that these Stones exist in their universe was a terrifying revelation, the assurances from F.R.I.D.A.Y. did a lot to leave the group at ease—all but one.

'If she is so certain that they are out of our enemies' reach, then she knows where they are,' Nezu realized but kept to himself. He made a silent vow though to ensure that by no means can the Villains learn any of this or get their hands on F.R.I.D.A.Y. to keep those assurances valid.

"Got it, just keep on the lookout for glowing, menacing multicolored jewels," Hawks muttered, swearing that the Commission and the PLF must not learn anything about this. 'There cannot be any chance for what ifs and mays.'

While the Collector exposited, Rocket rolled his eyes and huffed in quiet impatience and Carina stared with morbid curiosity and greed.

Monoma frowned, narrowing his eyes at Carina. "She looks suspicious," Monoma muttered.

"You don't think that you should-" Itsuka paled.

"She has shown to be scared of the Collector," Monoma pointed out. "Carina could attempt to take it if she believed she could free herself from him."

"Observe," The Collector directed their gaze at the screen in front of him, Rocket, and Carina, and behind Gamora, Peter, and Groot. They all looked to see a mass of a frightened alien race running for their lives from a titanic-sized figure seemingly made of red metal, his helm dotted with six yellow eyes, and who towered over them all like a living mountain. In the being's hand was a staff as tall as him and the middle prong of the staff glowed purple. The being raised the staff high, a closer shot showing the purple stone in the staff's head. "These carriers can use the Stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field." The being slammed the staff to the ground and, instantly, a wave of purple energy burst forth, cascading through the land and the fleeing people, instantly vaporizing them to ashes and cracking the land in purple, glowing cracks and craters. A shot from space showed this event and the purple energy spreading across the whole planet, wiping out all life on the now lifeless, destroyed rock.

"...Oh my God," Momo gasped, her pale face and wide eyes the picture of horrified.

The rest of the group followed her in their horror. Eyes were as wide as dinner plates, faces pale and full of sheer, unimaginative terror of the incomprehensible atrocity they witnessed.

"A whole planet...a whole species...destroyed in an instant," Ibara whimpered, eyes wide and wet.

"All from the power of one of the Stones," Tokoyami muttered, his eyes narrowed grimly and worried. "And the same color as the one in the Orb."

"Such destructive power," All Might gasped, horrified by the power he had witnessed. Toshinori's eyes widened with realization. "The Power Stone."

"Excuse me?" Aizawa questioned.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. said one of the Stones was called the Power Stone, and if the Space and Reality Stone are already the Tesseract and the Aether, then the Power Stone sounds the most likely one to be the name of a Stone with the power to destroy an entire planet," Toshinori reasoned as he looked at the screen and F.R.I.D.A.Y. "Am I wrong?"

"No, you aren't," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, her tone impressed that the former Symbol of Peace got it so quickly. "The purple stone is known as the Power Stone, representing the destructive nature of the universe and power itself, and thus holds unlimited energy."

"What about that giant robot?!" Mineta pointed, his terrified eyes comically wide and teary. "And why did he destroy that planet?"

"That was a Celestial," F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered. "You could say that on this side of the multiverse, they are the creators of the universe. The simplest summary of them is that they are cosmic gods."

"G-God?" Kaminari stuttered, horrified. "L-Like the 'God' God?"

"Lower 'g' god," F.R.I.D.A.Y. clarified. "In fact, remember when Gamora said that Knowhere was the severed head of a Celestial?"

Izuku's eyes widened. "You mean, they are standing in the head of a cosmic god?" Izuku asked.

"Well, at least that means that those fuckers can actually die," Bakugou muttered. "Not much of a god then, huh?"

"On the contrary, Mr. Bakugou, if what F.R.I.D.A.Y. says is true, then the true question you must ask is: What being would have the power to kill a god?" Nezu proposed.

Bakugou's dismissive stare froze and crumbled, the gravity of that statement draining the color from his face.

"B-But if that Celestial thingy is a god, then why did he kill all those people?" Hagakure asked, sadly.

"Don't mistake the title of 'god' to mean benevolent," Kuroiro responded, darkly.

"Pretty much," F.R.I.D.A.Y. muttered. "I can't say much of why it did so, but let's just say that even gods of cosmic might have self-serving agendas."

Endeavor looked to his fellow heroes with a concerned, serious look, one most of them shared alongside worried and dreadful looks. F.R.I.D.A.Y. already confirmed to them that the Infinity Stones exist within their universe, no matter how far away they may be, but if these Celestials were also a reality in their world and just as willing to cause the extinction of an entire species for whatever agenda they may have, then even a percentage of a chance that they could do the same to Earth would be disastrous.

Meanwhile, Nezu rubbed his chin at something that F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, something flew over the heads of everyone else: 'What did she mean on this side of the multiverse?'

"There's a little pee coming out of me right now," Quill confessed, his straight face masking the terror and horror in his eyes.

"Amen to that," Mineta whimpered in terror at the thought of the Celestials.

While Kaminari knew that his friend was joking, the blonde still scooted his beanbag away from him-just in case.

"Once, for a moment, a group was able to share the energy amongst themselves," Tivan continued with another screen showing these robed individuals attempting to share the power of the Infinity Stone between them. "But even they were quickly destroyed by it." The robed individuals all exploded in bursts of purple energy and turned to ash in the wind.

"Jesus!" Kirishima cursed, his entire body shuddering.

"It's almost like Shigaraki's Decay Quirk," Asui croaked, remembering the leader of League's Quirk in action at the USJ.

Aizawa subconsciously rubbed his elbow while Izuku rubbed his neck where the Villain held at his class's mall trip.

Hawks frowned as he remembered the devastation of Deika City and how powerful Shigaraki had become.

"It is like when the Red Skull tried to grab the Tesseract by hand," Setsuna noted. "It was too powerful for him too, and he disappeared."

"The difference being that Red Cheeto dusted psycho got sent somewhere into space while those bozos got atomized," Bakugou pointed out.

"Well, at least if the rules are the same, then even if one of the Villains holds it, they'll turn to dust, right?" Sen questioned.

"Are you willing to take the chances that they don't take the entire Earth with them?" Itsuka asked back.

"...Fair enough," Sen muttered.

Finally, the contraption finished and opened the Orb completely, revealing the purple ingot of pure energy floating in ethereal light.

"The Power Stone," Izuku muttered, his eyes mesmerized at the sight of the gem. He even felt a shiver from inside One For All.

"Such power of destruction in one tiny ingot," Momo muttered.

"Okay, don't get dazed with us, you two," Jiro poked at their sides with her jacks. "Lord knows what will happen if the both of you try to touch it."

"Probably turn into a pile of ashes like the prior group," Asui answered.

"Asui dear, please shut up," Nejire sweetly asked while a bead of sweat rolled down her brow.

"Sorry," Asui croaked.

Carina stared at the gem with greed and opportunity in her eyes.

"Okay, yeah, I'm not liking that look on her," Mina muttered, worried. "You don't think she'll try to grab it for herself, right?"

"Well, I'd imagine she would see it as a win-win," Todoroki shrugged. "She either uses it to destroy the Collector and free herself or she dies and frees herself from him."

Tivan shuddered and shook in place, expressively. "Beautiful," The Collector exclaimed softly. "Beyond compare."

"He looks obsessed," Thirteen muttered, concerned.

"His aim must be to find and collect all six of the Infinity Stones," Ryukyu said. "He already has the Reality Stone and now the Power Stone, and he knows where the Space Stone is. That leaves three left."

"Mind, Time, and Soul," Edgeshot listed. "And if the Space, Reality, and Power Stones are the blue, red, and purple gems, then the other three must be yellow, green, and orange respectively."

Izuku looked at his notes and the latest information about the Infinity Stones, including adding the names of the Space, Reality, and Power Stones next to the previous names of the Tesseract, Aether, and the Orb. However, he looked at the fourth circle with the arrow pointing at it from the drawing of Loki's Scepter. 'The gem in Loki's Scepter was blue though,' Izuku remembered. 'Unless it's casing like the Tesseract, could Loki's Scepter not contain a Stone?' Izuku did not know but he hesitated to erase the Scepter's drawing. It was a feeling, and Izuku listened to it.

"Quite the curious development," Nezu said. "For half of these Stones to have made a resurgence so quickly and consecutively, it would almost appear as if it were ordained in destiny."

"Blah, blah, blah. We're all very fascinated, whitey," Rocket groaned sarcastically, shuddering in a mock parody of Tivan's. "But we'd like to get paid."

"Isn't he even a little bit worried about a world-destroying super gem floating right in front of him?" Mount Lady questioned.

"As far as I see it, he didn't ask for a history lesson and the sooner he gets away from the world-destroying super gem with his money, the better," Miruko guessed.

The screens shut off. "How would you like to get paid?" The Collector inquired.

"What do you think, fancy man? Units!" Rocket answered while Carina slowly moved toward the stone, eyes hypnotized by its alluring glow.

"What was he going to pay them with otherwise? Knowledge?" Kamakiri guessed dismissively.

"Knowledge is one of the richest forms of payment if you use it wisely," Jurota pointed out.

"Yeah, but one billion units sounds better," Kamakiri replied.

"Hey, guys, pink alien chick heading toward the Stone!" Manga pointed out, his text bubble full of exclamation marks.

"Very well, then," Tivan agreed, opening a drawer for agreed-upon payment. Only to pause as he realized Carina's close proximity to the stone.

"Is she being drawn to it?" Reiko questioned.

"You mean like if she's being brainwashed to take it? Probably not," Setsuna shook her head. "Just good old-fashioned greed and desire."

"Carina," The Collector warned, drawing her attention. "Stand back."

"I will no longer be your slave!" Carina declared angrily toward the Collector while the other Krylorian slave in the nearby glass box began pounding on the glass.

"NO!" Tivan yelled and made to intervene, but he was too late.

Carina grabbed the stone and all Hell broke loose. Wispy balls of energy shot out everywhere, causing destruction and bursts of purple flames upon impact, forcing everyone back. Groot retreated away, Rocket crawled along the ground, evading the fireballs of destruction, while Gamora crashed into Peter, the two falling downward and evading some of the fireballs. One fireball struck a glass cell, exploding it to pieces. Tivan, nearby, raised his furred cloak in protection, but was knocked down by the resulting debris and tumbled to the ground.

"What the hell?! Is it shooting fireballs?!" Mineta exclaimed.

With Carina, her pink skin began to grow black and cracked like crumbling obsidian, purple energy coursing wildly throughout her body. Carina screamed in absolute agony, pieces of her flesh cracking and floating off her body.

"Holy," Midnight gasped, horrified by what she was seeing.

"There's nothing Holy about that!" Present Mic exclaimed, his shades tilting crookedly, showing his horrified eyes.

Groot picked up Rocket and hurried to get them out of the area, while Peter and Gamora hid for cover behind a barrier.

"Kaminari!/Jiro!" The students of Class 1-A exclaimed in fear for their classmates' counterparts.

Said students looked on in absolute horror at what was happening to Carina. Kaminari shuddered as if he were stripped bare in the Arctic Circle as he watched the desperate woman crumbling and screaming in front of him. Jiro paled and gaped, horrified once more by the power of the Power Stone and seeing the consequence of holding it firsthand from a woman who wanted to be free of her enslavement.

Mina shook with horror, tears welling up in her eyes as she mistook Carina for herself, for a moment, given their similar unique skin tones. She imagined herself crumbling to dust, feeling every fiber of her being disintegrating away, though instead of a Stone of Infinite Power, it was instead something more feasible and possible, like Shigaraki's Decaying hands. Mina had to hold her hand over her mouth to try not to puke consciously.

Carina's body was fully covered in purple cracks, pieces of her darkened flesh floating around her. A final wail of pain escaped from her mouth, preceding an angry, purple glow, before she finally exploded, unleashing a wave of purple flames and destruction that decimated nearly everything in its path. Glass boxes shattered to pieces, crates and panels crumbled, tumbled, or were covered in purple flames; Quill and Gamora braced and huddled together against the tidal wave of destruction passing overhead.

"SACRE BLEU!" Aoyama exclaimed, backing up in his seat so much he toppled over.

Kamui Woods, Mount Lady, and Death Arms stared in horror at the poor woman's fate. "Shinji!" Takeyama exclaimed in fear of his counterpart.

Dark Shadow screeched as he hid behind Tokoyami from the bright ethereal light while Tokoyami flinched in discomfort, only lessened when Shoji covered his friend's body with his large frame.

"Uncle Denki! Miss Kyo!" Eri exclaimed in fright for her surrogate uncle and future mama figure.

Outside, Tivan's workshop was seen from above as the purple flames of destruction burst out from above and from the sides. Groot carrying Rocket crashed through the glass doors, running out and jumping away in slow motion, both the tree and raccoon screaming as the area behind them exploded out in the ethereal fire.

"Oh, thank God!" Mount Lady gasped in relief. "If he even exists in that universe or whatever."

"Such chaotic destruction," Mandalay gaped, terrified.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. said that the stone represents the unbridled concept of power and destruction in the universe," Tiger said, narrowing his eyes. "Safe to say, that was an understatement."

Finally, as the destruction subsided, the Collector's home was completely dark as all the light was seemingly destroyed. Gamora and Quill raised their heads slowly from their hidey-hole, eyes wide and mouths agape in total shock at the stone's power.

"Oh, thank heavens!" Momo gasped, hand over heart. "They are alright."

Izuku let out a deep sigh he didn't know he was holding.

"What the-" Peter's curse was censored by a burst of sparks behind him.

"Took the censored words out of my mouth, other me," Kaminari muttered, still shuddering like a leaf on a windy day.

Tivan lay groaning, but alive in a pile of burnt books and debris on one corner of his now-destroyed home.

"Well, at least he can say bye-bye to his Collection," Hawks tried putting a positive spin on things.

"Yeah, but how many of his living specimens survived?" Snipe asked.

"Now, if only they knew that he has the Reality Stone somewhere in the building," Ectoplasm noted.

"Oh yeah, good point," Fat Gum perked up, remembering. "It was stupid of us to leave it with this guy."

With nothing of Carina left behind, Gamora rushed to the Power Stone, and closed the Orb over the Infinity Stone, containing it once more.

"Oh, thank goodness" Tamaki sighed, his whole body shuddering. "The Stone is back in its containment."

"But one thing is pretty clear, dude, Ronan or Thanos must never get their hands on that thing," Mirio muttered, his grin lost. "Otherwise-"

"Bye-bye Xander," Nejire muttered.

"And the rest of the universe, perhaps," Uraraka shivered.

The astronaut dog, freshly freed, ran out of the ruined workshop.

Koda sighed, relieved that the space dog had survived the explosion and escaped her captor's cell.

"How could I think Tivan could contain whatever was within the Orb?" Gamora scolded herself as she and Peter exited the destroyed building.

"Yeah, really dropped the ball harder than Quill there, green me," Jiro muttered.

"Hey! What do you mean-Oh! Right, I dropped it earlier," Kaminari gasped as he remembered. "Carry on."

"What do you still have it for?" Rocket exclaimed, gazing at the Orb in her hand utterly flabbergasted.

"Well, what are we gonna do, leave it in there?" Peter asked back incredulously.

"I can't believe you had that in your purse!" Rocket exclaimed, again.

"It's not a purse, it's a knapsack!" Quill replied.

"Preach!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Is that really what should be your concern currently?" Ibara raised an eyebrow at him.

"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps," Gamora stated. "There's a chance they can contain it."

"That is a fair possibility," Tsukauchi said, cupping his chin. "They surely have greater security and containment measures and would know better than to use it recklessly."

"Are you kidding me?" Rocket sputtered in disbelief. "We're wanted by the Nova Corps. Just give it to Ronan!"

"And that is a horrible idea, rodent!" Recovery Girl exclaimed.

"You speak the truth, Recovery Girl," Nezu nodded, unfazed by her words.

"So he can destroy the galaxy?" Peter questioned the raccoon.

"What are you, some saint of all of sudden?" Rocket questioned back. "What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you wanna save it?"

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!" Peter yelled in reply.

"You know what? That's the fairest, most based argument he could make," Kirishima shrugged.

"Peter, listen to me," Gamora gripped Peter's shoulder, making the Terran look at her pleading eyes. "We cannot allow the Stone to fall into Ronan's hands. We have to go back to your ship, and deliver it to Nova."

"Just as I said, she's really like you, Kyoka-san," Jiro perked up and looked at Izuku's award-winning smile. "She's not even thinking about any reward or her being wanted by Nova, she's thinking only about the greater good and others. She's compassionate, just like you."

Jiro sputtered and blushed scarlet. "He's right," Momo said, dredging the purple-haired girl's attention. The rich heiress also smiled knowingly. "Like we said, if she were anything like you, she would be no less heroic and caring of others."

"S-Shut up. S-Stop trying to butter me up," Jiro muttered, hiding her head behind her bangs yet couldn't fully hide her blush and quivering smile.

"Right, right, okay. I think you're right," Peter nodded along, half-convinced. "Or we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us, who's really nice for a whole lot of money."

Itsuka face-palmed hard and loud.

Gamora backed away from Peter in disbelief. "I think it's a really good balance between both of your points of view," Quill argued.

"You, stupid, cowardly idiot," Kaminari muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated with himself. 'This is why you lost your chance, or why you couldn't face her.'

Kaminari's mind took him back to the past after he had revealed to his mother that he had gotten accepted into U.A. He knew that she could be at times distant, sometimes busy with work, but Denki had at least expected pride or some acknowledgment from her. He only received cold silence followed by a dismissive scoff and turned her back away from him.

"This family already has a Pro Hero, it doesn't need another one," Narihana Kaminari said. "Since it's U.A., I won't stop you from going and will pay the tuition, but don't expect anything more. Save yourself the headache, Denki, and let that dream go."

Kaminari remembered feeling so many things back then. Confusion, sadness, despair, anger. He remembered formulating all the things he wanted to say to her, to tell her that he didn't need her approval to follow his dream, to want to be like her, to be as brave and heroic as the Pro Hero: Electriks that he was inspired by. However, instead of facing her, he just quivered and crumbled, the words dying on his tongue before he marched away to his room, his mother's words dulled and muted under his anger and shame. Kaminari knew he heard them, understood them, but he couldn't remember them.

'I couldn't face her because I was too much of a coward,' Kaminari's eyes quivered under his shame, his mind flashing to her, his girl, with her dark brown hair, slender figure, and small smile. 'What does she even see in me?'

Jiro noticed Kaminari's state, from his grinding teeth to his eyes full of shame and self-hating. The rocker girl frowned.

"You're despicable. Dishonorable," Gamora spat at him, angrily. "Faithless!" As Gamora turned to stomp away, she paused in her stride and gasped. "Oh, no."

"At last!" Drax laughed, his knives drawn out and arms in an open invitation to the arriving Necrocrafts. "I shall meet my foe and destroy him."

"You idiot!" Miruko face-palmed.

"You called Ronan?!" Peter yelled at the vengeance-driven man.

"And arrived with a freakin' army!" Pixie Bob groaned.

While the lead Necrocraft turned and landed on the street in front of them, from around a corner, Yondu and his Ravagers appeared, spotting Peter and his group. "Quill!" Yondu yelled, pointing at the Terran. "Don't you move, boy!"

"Oh, great. Space Pirate Endeavor has shown up to the party," Hawks said exasperatedly.

Endeavor didn't know who he wanted to glare harder, his counterpart for making this terrible situation more horrible, or the Number 2 Hero for his annoyance.

Gamora looked to her left, spotting a row of mining pods, and rushed over to them, Peter and the others following her.

"Don't you move! Get out of the way!" Yondu yelled and pushed through the crowd of people.

Out of the lead Necrocraft, Ronan and Nebula stepped out. "Ronan the Accuser!" Drax yelled at his sworn foe.

"You are the one who transmitted the message?" Ronan presumed.

"You killed my wife," Drax stated vengefully, vitriol spitting from his mouth. "You killed my daughter!"

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

"This isn't going to go well, is it?" Kinoko sweatdropped.

"Nope," Yui shook her head.

The recently landed mining pod opened for its driver to get out, only to meet Gamora on the other side. The Zehoberei assassin yanked and tossed the man out, looking back to see more of Ronan's forces arriving on Knowhere.

"I told you, you can't fit," Rocket insisted to Groot as the former climbed aboard his own pod. "Now, wait here. I'll be back." The pod door closed, leaving Groot there to look around.

Kamui Woods's eyes twitched, not at being told to stay behind, he could acknowledge that he couldn't fit in such a small compartment, but rather the feeling of uselessness, unsure of what to do to help in this situation.

Nebula looked above to see three mining pods flying away. "It is Gamora," Nebula stated to Ronan. "She is escaping with the Orb."

Nebula shouted at the Sakaaran soldiers in an alien language, striding back into the Necrocraft. Ronan stared disgusted and disinterested at Drax before turning away and walking to the ship, leaving Drax dumbfounded and appalled.

"Damn, he just turned his back on him!" Kosei hissed. "Like he was nothing."

"Which is sure to make him angrier," Bondo stated as fact.

"No!" Drax yelled, rushing toward Ronan.

"Nebula," Ronan called out, ducking from Drax's wild slash without looking. "Retrieve the Orb."

"He must have exemptional combat awareness to have done that," Tiger muttered. "As befits a warrior of war."

"He's no warrior," Miruko growled. "Not after all he has done. A real warrior would not blame or kill innocents for the actions of others."

While the Necrocraft took off, Ronan deflected another swing of Drax's before thrusting his palm at the man's chest, effortlessly sending him to the ground. Drax got up and swung a slash for Ronan's chest, the Kree warlord casually leaning away from the blade. Drax tried again with a thrusting stab only for Ronan to sidestep that easily, too. The Destroyer swiped at his foe's leg, the Accuser lifting and evading it. Drax roared as he attempted an overhead slash, Ronan blocking the movement with his arm beside Drax's and followed up with a backhanded strike that sent Drax flying into the wall of a store, the impact denting the metal.

"Such strength," Cementoss frowned. "Drax appears entirely outmatched."

While Miruko tried to appear as unfazed as possible, it took considerable effort to keep her legs from tapping or to hide her clenching fists. 'I just found out about what happened to you, Oguro. Don't be an ass and have your counterpart die on me, too,' Miruko thought, worried.

Gamora, Peter, and Rocket flew across Knowhere in their pods, with the assassin taking the lead, when Nebula and her soldiers' Necrocrafts appeared and gave chase. Nebula's ship scanned the three, locking onto the leading one. "The Stone is in the furthest pod," Nebula informed her soldiers.

"Wait, she knows that the Orb contains an Infinity Stone?" Mina asked, picking up Nebula's words. "She said the Stone rather than the Orb."

"Nice observation, Mina," Momo complimented. "Perhaps Thanos told Ronan or Nebula what the Orb contained inside it, or only as much that it was a stone rather than an Infinity Stone."

"He would most likely inform Nebula about it then," All Might interjected, his glare thoughtful. "She's his daughter and thus someone he is more willing to trust with such information rather than Ronan who is only an ally, for the moment." Thanos's smiling face appeared again in his mind, swiftly replaced by the Mad Titan's equally mad counterpart. 'It's something He would surely do.'

"Bring it down!" Nebula ordered.

'Sister,' Jiro thought, conflicted. She knew that her counterpart's sister was following orders, she knew it was most likely out of her fear of their 'father', yet Jiro couldn't help but ponder if she couldn't still be reasoned with, that the two of them could leave Thanos and Ronan for good, and stand against them.

The Necrocraft prioritized Gamora's pod and chased after her, firing green energy bolts toward the evading pod. Gamora steered her ship to evade the Necroblasts, spotting a hole in the structure of an unfinished building. Flying toward it, Gamora angled and lowered her speed to pass through cleanly, while the Necrocraft went too fast and was too large to fit, crashing and exploding in a burst of flames.

"Smart. Use the environment to your advantage, let them take each other out," Power Loader nodded, commending Gamora's efforts.

"RAH!" Drax roared, jumping high to deliver a downward strike at Ronan. Ronan thrust his hand again, catching the man's trajectory and knocking him away.

Ronan encircled his foe as the latter got up. Drax charged with another swing that Ronan evaded by leaning back with surprising flexibility. When Drax followed with another stabbing attack, Ronan sidestepped through it again and gave a backhanded strike at the green man's hand, sending the knife flying from Drax's hand. Drax attempted to counter with a backhanded slash with his other one, but a swift block from the Kree's forearm to Drax's own sent the knife flying away, too.

"Oh no, he's lost his blades," Uraraka muttered, worried. "And Ronan's already seems physically stronger than Drax."

'Come on, your Christmas-colored brute! If you have an iota of Oguro's skill, use it and beat that blue fanatical prick!' Miruko gritted her teeth, her brows furrowing harder.

Star-Lord and Rocket chased after the Necrocrafts firing at Gamora yet paying no heed to the two. "Rocket, keep them off Gamora until she gets to the Milano," Peter ordered.

"How? We've got no weaponry on these things," Rocket questioned.

"These pods are industrial grade," Peter explained. "They're nearly indestructible."

"Not against Necroblasts, they're not," The raccoon pointed out.

"That's not what I'm saying," Quill clarified.

Rocket's face lit up, catching Quill's train of thought. "Oh!" With a sudden swerve to the right, Rocket slammed his pod to the Necrocraft beside him, the raccoon's ship bouncing off relatively unharmed while the enemy ship spiraled and crashed into an adjacent craft, sending both Necrocrafts to a fiery crash.

Regaining control of his spiraling pod, Rocket's ship faced a Necrocraft, clearly unhappy with his actions. The Sakaaran on board aimed and flew forward, firing on Rocket. With a yell, Rocket sent his ship speeding forward as well. Evading the green energy bolts, Rocket's ship crashed through the Necrocraft, the enemy ship exploding in flames and metal while Rocket, in slow motion, flew out roaring.

"Woohoo! That was awesome!" Kouta exclaimed, starry-eyed.

"Ah, quite the intelligent strategy," Nezu grinned, nodding. "Our pods are sturdier and tougher than their ships and can make for good battering rams. Well thought, Mr. Quill."

"Why thank you, Principal Nezu, sir," Kaminari grinned, proudly and spoke in a faux gentlemanly tone. "And may I say what a fine two-for-one tackle that was if I say so myself."

Nezu chuckled. "Appreciated," Nezu played along with his student. "Though, our counterparts need to be careful with how we attack these ships. They have a long-range advantage, so they need to be more evasive and adaptive on the fly."

Gamora continued to evade the overwhelming number of Necrocrafts, including Nebula's, and their volley of energy blasts, with Peter not far behind. Barely avoiding a series of green blasts, and bumping into the side of a building, Gamora grunted continuing to do her best to evade their firepower.

'Kyoka,' Izuku thought worriedly, his hands wringing nervously on his knees. Just one blast could destroy her ship and the green counterpart to one of his 10 crushes.

Melissa and Ochaco quickly noticed and grabbed his hands, squeezing supportively to the love of their life and comforting themselves.

One of the lead Necrocrafts suddenly rocked, the Sakaaran onboard looking in confusion. From outside, Star-Lord had landed his pod atop the Sakaaran's, the pod releasing two claws tethered to Peter's pod by yellow wispy energy. The pod slowly ripped open the top of the Necrocraft. "Let me borrow your ride," Peter quipped, tossing the Sakaaran away with the claws before jamming the pod inside the unmanned ship. Peter struggled to regain control using the pod's claws as the craft spiraled and fell from above. Finally, he succeeded, slowing the craft's descent to a hover.

"Huh, he's taken control of a ship with another ship and now that ship is inside another ship," Sero blinked, surprised.

"If you say ship one more time, I'll ship you home in pieces," Bakugou growled, annoyed.

Hovering, Peter waited as Gamora's pod came flying toward him followed by Nebula and the rest of her remaining soldiers. While Gamora flew by, Star-Lord fired the Necrocraft's guns on the others, managing to take down three enemy ships with their own weapons, before turning around to follow Gamora.

"Well done," Mandalay nodded, impressed. "Not only did he use their own weaponry against them, but did so while still appearing like one of them, thus lowering their guards."

"Thanks for lightening the load, Star-Prince," Jiro thanked.

"No problem, Green Jiro," Kaminari snickered.

Back with Drax and Ronan, the latter blocked a right hook the former, the Accuser grabbing hold of Drax's throat. Drax struggled against the grip, trying in vain to yank the arm away and punching at Ronan's arms and torso to shake him off. Drax struck a heavy blow onto Ronan's torso, with the Kree warlord looking down to feel the blow land. With bones cracking from Ronan's grip, the Accuser let out an inhuman scream before lifting Drax in the air, flipping him over, and slamming him to the ground with one hand.

Eri whimpered, unsettled by the inhuman yell of the Accuser.

"I don't recall killing your family," Ronan revealed, letting go of Drax's throat. Ronan stood back up while Drax sputtered for breath. "I doubt I'll remember killing you either."

"Damn," Rin hissed. "That had to be the worst thing he could say to him."

Miruko cringed, Ronan's words striking a deeper cord then she thought. Despite saving her life, and her Quirk in hindsight, Rumi had completely forgotten about the Oguro; she didn't even hear or notice anything about O'Clock's retirement or lack in action.

With Gamora, she continued to evade Nebula and her soldiers, flying across Knowhere's many buildings and structures in every feasible direction she could to get to the Milano. As Gamora turned to evade a wall, Nebula and her soldiers boxed the assassin in between their ships and the rocky surface, Gamora grunting as her ship skidded and slid along the rock, the Necrocrafts surrounding in on all sides.

"They're boxing her in," Reiko frowned. "They are too many of them, and more keep appearing."

"Quill, I'm trapped. I can't make it to the Milano," Gamora called in, swerving her ship to the side, striking against a Necrocraft, sending it spiraling away and opening an exit for Gamora. "I have to head out." As she said, Gamora flew her ship out of the bounds of Knowhere and toward the open space outside.

"Wait! These things aren't meant to go out there," Peter warned, maneuvering his pod out of his acquired Necrocraft, letting the ship crumble to pieces while he flew his pod faster to get to her.

"She's too exposed," Iida gritted his teeth. "There won't be anything for her to hide behind before lock onto her."

Jiro gritted her teeth, too, a bead of sweat rolling down her brow.

Outside of Knowhere, Gamora's pod could be seen evading Necrocrafts and their blasts like a flex evading a horde of bees.

"You are a disappointment, sister," Nebula stated, aiming her and locking in on Gamora's pod. "Of all our siblings, I hated you least."

"Nebula, please," Gamora radioed to her adopted sister. "If Ronan gets this stone, he'll kill us all."

'Please, sister. Please listen to her,' Jiro begged internally.

"Not all," Nebula denied. "You will already be dead." With that, Nebula fired.

The Necroblast struck true, Gamora's ship exploding into fiery pieces.

"NO!" Izuku yelled out, eyes wide while tears flew out.

"JIRO!/MAMA!" Kaminari, the girls, and Eri exclaimed in horror.

Jiro paled, her mouth dropping slowly while her heart sank into her stomach.

Peter flew nearby, watching it all with an agape mouth. Both he and Nebula looked at the wreckage, with the latter's dark eyes wincing momentarily.

'Nagant,' Hawks frowned, clenching his fist, imagining the once lovely heroine in her prime. 'Is that how you looked when no one was looking?'

In slow motion, Peter looked on at Gamora's unconscious body floating in the vacuum of space, metal pieces floating all around her.

Death Arms gritted his teeth while his large hands gripped his knees tightly. The Punching Hero remembered his time training the girl when she interned under him after the Sports Festival, how the two jogged all across town and built up the girl's stamina. He saw how exhausted she looked at times, but noticed that small smile when she got better and helped out against the criminals they encountered. Her smile flashed in his mind again as he saw her counterpart floating in the vacuum of space, and his hands clenched tighter.

"No, no, no, no," Izuku muttered, shaking his head while his body shuddered under his heavy efforts repressing the flow of One For All from unleashing out in his rising rage.

Momo clasped a hand over her gasping mouth while tears trickled down. Her other hand reached to grab Jiro's hand to the purple-haired girl's surprise. Before she could process the act, she felt she felt a pair of bodies crash onto her from her left. Blinking, Jiro realized that the two hugging her were Mina and Toru, the two's bodies shaking. She heard their whimpers clear as day.

Jiro was stunned by how much care and sadness the two felt for her. Jiro's heart clenched with guilt. 'And I treat them so horribly,' Jiro's eyes stung with tears as she tried patting their backs. A final sensation joined them: a tendril of black energy, wrapping around her wrist in a comforting grip where she didn't feel pain. Jiro followed the tendril to Izuku, his eyes still transfixed on the screen with deep worry, rage, and sadness. Jiro's eyes burned more while her heart pounded like drums. 'He truly cares for me. Deeply.'

The Orb drifted away till a beam of light grabbed hold of it. Rocket watched with defeat as Nebula's Necrocraft dragged the Orb inside her ship with its tractor beam. With a brief forlorn look, Nebula turned her ship around, and she and her forces flew away.

"Shit! They got the Orb, too," Kamakiri cursed.

Ronan dragged Drax's unconscious body through the street, finally tossing the man into the pool of yellow brain fluid.

"No!" Miruko yelled, her face scrunched with worry and rage, her eyes replacing Drax with O'Clock as he sank beneath the yellow fluid.

Ronan watched the bubbles of air begin to fade, while Nebula radioed in saying, "Ronan, it is done."

Peter and Rocket watched silently at Gamora's body in space. "Quill, come on," Rocket said, showing ice forming around Gamora's body. "Her body mods should keep her alive a couple more minutes, but there's nothing we can do for her."

"She's not dead yet!" Pony exclaimed with hope.

"But not for long," Shinsou frowned. "If either try to open their pods, whatever artificial air they have will be gone and they'll join her rather than help."

Kaminari stared at Gamora as she slowly iced and died before his eyes. Shame began to burn inside him again, shame turned to anger. He couldn't be there to help, his counterpart could not destroy the ships and that blue bitch before they destroyed Gamora's pod, and his counterpart wasted time arguing with her when they could have escaped sooner. Kaminari's fists clenched while a jolt of yellow electricity sparked down his arm.

"These pods aren't meant to be out here," Rocket reasoned with Quill. "In a second, we're gonna be in the same boat." Rocket's point was made as the thrusters of the pods began to sputter.

Nezu frowned, acknowledging his counterpart's point. Yet still... 'My student is dying in front of me,' Nezu's mind burned as his neurons fired on all cylinders, trying to figure out a way to save her. The image of Shirakumo, his former student, flashed smiling in his mind before vanishing and being replaced with the dual looks of Malekith and Kurogiri. His tail shot straight and ruffled while his paws clenched.

While Rocket turned his pod around and flew away, Peter remained where he was. The Terran stared at her dying body in deep thought. "Aw, damn it," Quill groaned, turning to flip a few switches.

'Whatever it takes,' Kaminari thought as the backs of his girl, his mother, and Jiro's flashed in his mind. 'I'm not chickening out this time!'

"Quill?" Rocket stopped and turned to look back at Peter's pod.

Izuku's and Jiro's heads perked up, surprised.

"Yondu! Yondu. This is Quill," Peter sounded over the open comms. "My coordinates are 227K324."

"Quill. Quill, what are you doing?" Rocket questioned, flying back.

"I second that, what is he doing?!" Mineta exclaimed. "He's giving himself up to Yondu?!"

"Just outside Knowhere," Peter continued. "If you're there, come get me. I'm all yours." Peter ended the call and activated his helmet.

"Why would he tell other you where he is?" Ryukyu asked Endeavor.

The Number One Hero frowned, his eyes narrowing while he determined Quill's intentions.

Rocket watched as Quill opened the door of his pod and flew out toward Gamora with his thrusters. "Quill, don't be ridiculous," Rocket yelled out. Peter reached Gamora, embracing her. "Get back into your pod! You can't fit two people in there. You're gonna die."

Peter deactivated his helmet.

Jiro's eyes shot wide open. "Wait!" Jiro exclaimed.

"You'll die in seconds!" Rocket warned, urgently. "Quill-"

"The fuck are doing Star-Dunce?!" Bakugou yelled, confused.

The comms cut off as Peter took off the device his helmet came from and put it on Gamora, the helmet forming over her face.

"He's giving her his helmet and air to breathe!" Momo gasped.

"But what about him?! He'll die instead!" Pony exclaimed, fearful.

'...Then I'll die instead,' Kaminari thought, his eyes determined on his counterpart's plan. 'She's the one who gave a crap about others while mine only wanted a safe, quick buck. She's the Hero here, and I'm not letting this Hero die for a lowlife like myself!'

Ice spread along Peter's face, his eyes turning red from the vacuum of space while Gamora gasped for breath. Gamora breathed while Peter stared at her, slowly suffocating.

'Kaminari,' Jiro's eyes watered as guilt and shame burned inside her.

Izuku stared at the screen with wide, watery eyes. The green-haired teen's eyes switched between Quill's and Kaminari's faces. 'He's acting like a Hero, saving someone important to him, at the cost of himself,' Izuku thought, shamefully. 'He cares for her, and I was angry at him. Idiot.' Shame weighed down on Izuku's head like Kacchan's shoe planting him on the ground in Aldera, with the only difference here being he deserved it.

Suddenly, light shone in his face and the Terran turned to see it. Surrounding him, ships like the Milano appeared and shone their lights on him.

"He was buying time for the Ravagers to arrive!" Uraraka gasped.

A larger ship, with Yondu staring by the window, came by and shined a tractor beam on the two, bringing the two inside.

Endeavor hummed while a small smirk graced his lips. "Not a bad plan," Endeavor complimented. "Reckless perhaps, but noble, heroic even."

Kaminari's thin lips pulled up into a proud smile. "What else am I here for?" Kaminari asked rhetorically.

Entering and stumbling inside the ship through an airlock, Peter gasped for breath. Gamora coughed as she awoke, Quill on top of her as they both were on the ground.

"Oh, thank god!" Hagakure gasped, tightening hers and Mina's hug on Jiro. "They're both okay! They're both alive!"

"I won't be if you don't lay off!" Jiro groaned as she started turning blue.

"Oops! S-Sorry, Jiro," Hagakure apologized as she let go.

"Y-Yeah. Got a bit carried away there," Mina scratched her cheek, embarrassed.

"I-It's okay," Jiro blushed while her eyes looked down nervously. "T-Thanks though, for caring about me and stuff. I-I know I don't deserve it with how I treat you gals."

"You kidding, Jiro?! You're deserving and so much more!" Mina said, smiling brilliantly at the stunned purple-haired girl.

"Yeah! If it weren't for you, who would be the one that would keep us in check all the time? Asui? Yaomomo?" Hagakure questioned.

"No, thank you," Both mentioned girls groaned, shuddering at the nightmare that would be taking up Jiro's workload and keeping the two nightmare girls in check.

Jiro's blush burned brighter while she twirled her jacks. "T-Thanks," Jiro muttered to the girl's giggles. Jiro turned her gaze over to Kaminari's. "A-And thanks, Kaminari. Your counterpart really saved my freezing butt out there."

"Hey, at least he made up for that idiotic suggestion earlier," Kaminari shrugged yet smiled brightly. "You would have done the same."

Jiro nodded and smiled at him. Kaminari blushed slightly. As she turned away, Kaminari directed his gaze over to Izuku. The two stared silently and stone-faced at each other for a few moments. That was until Izuku smiled softly and gratefully. His mouth moved yet no sound went out, yet Kaminari could pick up what their class's Golden Boy was saying: 'Thank you for saving her. I'm sorry.'

Kaminari blinked, unsure what Izuku had to apologize for, but he decided not to make a bigger deal out of this and ruin their secrecy. Instead, Kaminari brushed his thumb over his nose and gave a thumbs up, smiling and winking at his friend.

Peter reached his hand up to the side of her head in concern. Gamora's eyes met Peter's. "Quill?" she gasped. "What happened?"

"I saw you out there. I don't know what came over me," Peter answered softly. "But I couldn't let you die."

"His body moved before he could think," Izuku muttered. "Someone told me that was the mark of every great Hero." Izuku smiled at Kaminari. "It fits, for both of you."

Kaminari's eyes watered before they turned comically watery. "BWAAAA!" Kaminari slammed onto Izuku wrapping the greenette in a tight embrace while bawling comically. "YOU'RE THE GREAT HERO HERE, DUDE! YOU ALWAYS HAVE A FRIEND AND BROTHER IN ME, YOU DAMN CINAMMON ROLL! I'M ERI'S UNCLE DENKI AFTER ALL!"

"Yay! Group hug!" Eri joined in and hugged both her Uncle Denki and Papa.

"Y-Yeah, t-thanks Kaminari-san, b-but I-I c-can't breathe!" Deku coughed as he started turning blue.

The group laughed at the three hijinks while All Might smiled proudly at his successor and Young Kaminari. The former Symbol of Peace agreed with his protege's assessment and was proud he was using his words to congratulate and inspire those around him.

"I found something inside of myself," Peter continued. "Something...incredibly heroic."

Gamora's smile thinned to a deadpanned frown.

Jiro face-palmed though that didn't wipe away the amused smile on her face. "Okay, you definitely ruined it there, Star-Dunce," Jiro said poking at Kaminari off of Izuku. "You're supposed to let others praise you for being a Hero. Doing it yourself makes you look like an ass."

"Hey! Can't I gas myself up even a little bit?!" Kaminari whined playfully. "Bakugou does it all the time!"

"Yeah, and do you see him winning any Selfless Heroics Award here?" Uraraka pointed out.

"HEY! I'M PLENTY HEROIC AND SELFLESS!" Bakugou barked.

"See?" Uraraka pointed, while all the class laughed and Bakugou barked death threats to all of them.

"I mean, not to brag, but objectively-"

Gamora sighed deeply. "Where's the Orb?" Gamora, annoyed, asked.

"It's..." Peter paused from his bragging, before answering honestly. "Well, they got the Orb."

"What?" Gamora gasped, panicked.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot how royally fucked we are," Sero muttered.

A door opened to their side, revealing Kraglin and a group of Ravagers with their weapons drawn. "Welcome home, Peter," Kraglin greeted.

"Huh, some homecoming," Kaminari muttered, feeling very nervous.

Back on Knowhere, Groot placed Drax's body on the ground. Growing a thorn from his finger, Groot stabbed it into Drax's chest, causing a burst of brain fluid to shoot out of Drax's mouth. The Destroyer sputtered more liquid out as he awoke and inhaled deeply.

"Oh, thank god," Miruko gasped. "He's okay, too."

"Oh, is that concern I see, Miruko?" Ryukyu teasingly smirked.

"N-No!" Miruko yelped, blushing. "I-I was just...I mean I was glad that the blue prick didn't kill the dude before I could whoop his ass myself for calling Ronan and his goons here!"

'Cute,' Izuku thought. His eyes widened and his face burned red. 'W-What?! Where did that come from?!'

Groot removed his finger thorn as Rocket's pod landed roughly before them. Groot helped Drax to his side while Rocket got out of his pod. "Blasted idiot. They're all idiots!" Rocket exclaimed, absolutely done with everything. "Quill just got himself captured. None of this ever would have happened if you didn't try to single-handedly take on a frickin' Army!" Rocket snapped at Drax.

"To be honest, he's got a point," Present Mic rubbed the back of his head.

Drax sighed, defeated. "You're right," Drax admitted, sadly. "I was a fool. All the anger, all the rage, was just to cover my loss."

All Might frowned, looking down at his feet. 'I was no different,' Toshinori thought bitterly, remembering how he tore through All For One's ranks with a vengeance until he got to the monster himself. He defeated him sure, but he let pride and anger blind him until it was too late, and he lost half his lungs and his stomach. And all that seemed for nothing when All For One came back alive and with his Master's grandson as his protege. 'But what matters is what we do to make up for our mistakes.'

Groot looked at him sadly, putting his hand comfortingly on Drax's shoulder as the humbled Destroyer sighed and turned away in shame. Rocket stared at him quietly for a few seconds before snapping again. "Oh, boo-hoo-hoo. 'My Wife and child are dead'!" Rocket mockingly cried.

Groot gasped shocked; hand raised to cover his agape mouth.

"Pfft! Ahem," Kosei excused himself. "S-Sorry, that was mean."

"Nah, you're alright," Honenuki shrugged. "Groot kinda sold it on the funny factor."

"Yay, way to break the tension there, Bark-For-Brains," Mount Lady teased.

"Shut up," Kamui Woods growled.

"Oh, I don't care if it's mean!" Rocket yelled. "Everybody's got dead people! It's no excuse to get everybody else dead along the way."

"Hmm. While his wording and conveyance are a bit crass, he speaks wisely," Nezu nodded at his counterpart. "It is illogical and ill-advised to let one's emotions and trauma affect how you treat and lead others."

Aizawa glanced at the rodent principal before looking down at his feet. He knew those words were expressly referring to himself and his recent behavior. After the mess that was Thor: The Dark World, learning the Shirakumo is potentially Kurogiri, seeing his old friend as the villain, Malekith, and All For One's potential involvement in turning his dead friend into a Nomu, the once logical-spousing teacher had failed to live up to his words. He began a confrontation and spat with his student, who portrayed himself far wiser and more logical than his teacher, letting his grief and issues affect his view of Project Insight, and create unnecessary worry for his students and Eri.

Worse, he let his best friend's death be the sole excuse for his actions in teaching, for expelling his students to feel their 'first death' and toughen them up, all the while ignoring the potential consequences of his actions on how it would affect those kids' futures. He let Shirakumo's death blind him and, in so doing, perchance ruined the lives of dozens of his students.

Aizawa sighed, grabbing and looking at his goggles, Shirakumo's goggles. His hands tightened around them. 'It's time for a change.'

Drax looked at him with contemplation, while Groot's shock faded to a steady frown. Letting out his anger, Rocket's shoulder slumped before turning away. "Come on, Groot. Ronan has the Stone," Rocket said. "The only chance we got is to get to the other side of the universe as fast as we can and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to live full lives before that whack-job ever gets there."

Groot shook his head and stood. "I am Groot," Groot declared.

"Save them? How?" Rocket translated and questioned.

"I am Groot," Groot replied.

"I know they're the only friends that we ever had," Rocket translated again and admitted. "But there's an army of Ravagers around them, and there's only two of us!"

"Awww," The girls cooed at Rocket's admission.

Drax got up to his feet. "Three," Drax corrected, patting Groot's shoulder in solidarity.

Miruko grinned. "Heh, good," Miruko huffed. "Was afraid I was gonna have to hop on to that world and kick some sense into his bald head."

Ryukyu rolled her eyes but smiled regardless.

Rocket hissed and growled in anger. "RRAAAGGH!" Rocket began kicking at the grass in front of him in frustration. "You're. Making. Me. Beat. Up. Grass!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Kouta led the students in laughing their assess off.

Ibara, though, huffed. "What did that grass ever do to you?" Ibara muttered annoyed.

"Eh, relax, Shio," Bakugou wrapped his arm around his sort-of-unofficial-girlfriend. "Guy's gotta let off steam his own way. Doesn't mean anything by it."

Ibara's face burned crimson while her anger fizzled away, scooting closer into 'Suki's embrace.

Present Mic's grinning mouth opened up.

"Don't. Even. Say. Anything," Nezu's cold voice spoke out.

Present Mic zipped his trap shut, sinking into his seat disappointed and terrified.

"Damn, Principal definitely makes that sound scarier," Snipe shivered.

"Tell me about it," Power Loader muttered.

Aboard the Dark Aster, Ronan, Nebula, and Kothar messaged Thanos. "The Orb is in my possession," Ronan informed, Kothar lifting the containment device to show it. "As I promised."

"Bring it to me," Thanos's large hologram face ordered.

"First, the Tesseract, now the Power Stone," All Might muttered. "He's after all the Infinity Stones, isn't he?"

"Indeed, though for what purpose?" Gran Torino asked. "Infinite power? Universal conquest?"

"What I'm more worried about is what would happen if you brought all the Infinity Stones together," Aizawa said.

"Yes, that was our agreement," Ronan began, walking over to take the Orb from Kothar, handing his war hammer to the soldier in return. "Bring you the Orb, and you will destroy Xandar for me."

"He's double-crossing him, isn't he," Shinsou muttered, stating the obvious.

"Jee, what gave it away?" Setsuna snickered, throwing her arms up. "The way he talked ominously like that, or how he recounted their agreement as if he wasn't about to say a 'but' next?"

"I would imagine the glare he held toward Thanos during their prior meeting was evidence enough of potential treachery to come between them," Iida mentioned.

"Good point," Setsuna agreed.

"However, now, that I know it contains an Infinity Stone, I wonder what use I have for you," Ronan admitted.

"And there it is," Sero gestured to the screen.

"Boy," Thanos began to warn, ominously. "I would reconsider your current course."

Not paying the Titan heed, Ronan ripped the Orb open in two, revealing the Power Stone.

"Master! You cannot!" Kothar warned, worriedly. "Thanos is the most powerful being in the universe."

"He-He is?" Monoma asked; his fear of the Mad Titan further cementing into stone.

'Of course, why wouldn't he be?' Toshinori bitterly thought.

"Not anymore," Ronan stated before grasping the Power Stone.

Instantly, Ronan wailed out, arms spread wide, his body glowing in purple energy while the ethereal fireballs spread everywhere. The ground beneath Ronan cracked purple as Kothar and Nebula stepped back. Nebula stared in awe and morbid fascination.

"H-He's gonna blow up too, right? Right?" Uraraka asked; her question sounding more like a plead.

"I don't know," Asui croaked. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ronan steadied himself and looked to Kothar, his other hand raised. Kothar scooted closer, carefully, with Ronan's war hammer, all the while Thanos stared seriously. Finally, Ronan slammed his war hammer's side onto the Power Stone, embedding the Infinity Stone into the hammer as it glowed purple with energy. The purple energy in Ronan subsided.

"H-HE SURVIVED?!" Mineta wailed, horrified.

"His war hammer," Melissa gasped, terrified at the revelation. "Just like the Celestial that destroyed that planet, the Power Stone can be wielded if a strong enough person places it in an object to focus its power."

Izuku couldn't help but shake as he found quite a disturbing similarity between the Power Stone and One For All. Izuku trained 10 months before U.A.'s Entrance Exam just for his body to be given the Quirk without blowing up. It made Izuku wonder about a grave possibility he never considered before today. 'All Might said that at 100%, my punches would be like his full strength at his prime, but One For All is only going to get stronger the longer it resides in me,' Izuku thought with dreadful realization. 'Will there come a time where One For All will be too much for even me? Will I or anyone I give One For All to explode regardless of if I'm or they are Quirkless?'

"YOU CALL ME 'BOY'!" Ronan roared, his voice echoing in power. The inside of his mouth and his eyes glowed purple. "I will unfurl 1,000 years of Kree justice on Xandar and Burn It to Its Core!"

"He's gonna use the Power Stone on Xander," Jiro paled horribly. "He's gonna destroy the entire planet!"

"T-That's Madness!" Mineta wailed horrified.

"Then, Thanos, I'm coming for you," Ronan threatened.

The call ended with Thanos's furious gaze.

'It would have been better if he had gone after Thanos first and dealt with him, but that leaves the smallest chance that Ronan could lose the Stone to him,' Toshinori thought, realizing any chance of Thanos obtaining even one Infinity Stone would be more disastrous. 'No, he needs to be stopped, at all costs.'

"After Xandar, you are going to kill my father?" Nebula asked, unsure.

"You dare to oppose me?" Ronan questioned.

"You see what he has turned me into," Nebula replied, fiercely. "If you kill him, I will help you destroy a thousand planets."

Hawks gritted his teeth as he saw the vengeance in Nebula's eyes that bordered on madness. 'Is that how your eyes look or are they as cold and empty as mine?' Hawks asked Lady Nagant, even if she was unable to listen.

'Sister,' Jiro clenched her fists on her lap, conflicted feelings stirring over her counterpart's misguided, angry sister.

The scene changed to the main Ravagers flagship. "You betray me?" Yondu yelled.

Peter groaned, pinned to the wall by two other Ravagers while Yondu struck Quill with punches. "Steal my money?" Yondu continued questioning and throwing punches at Quill while the Ravagers laughed.

"Stop it!" Gamora yelled, held back by some Ravagers, too. "Leave him alone!"

The Heroes and teachers hissed awkwardly while the students grumbled and glared at the screen, angered. Jiro frowned angrily, guilt and anger welling in her chest for being unable to help Quill after he risked his life for Gamora. Izuku felt similarly, his guilt from prior likewise fueling his drive to save Quill from Yondu's punches, that his heroic act in saving Gamora was being punished in such a way.

Eri pouted, her mind flashing with memories of Chisaki's crueler punishments when she acted up, oftentimes those beatings occurring with a whip as the Hassaikai's leader didn't want to 'dirty his hands touching her impure, cursed flesh. The laughs of the observing Hassaikai members echoed in her ears with the Ravagers. "Stop hitting him, you blue meanie!" Eri yelled.

Eri's yell struck home in Enji Todoroki's chest. "Don't Hurt Mama!" Shoto's younger voice roared in his ears, his mind taking him back to when he was lost in his anger and took it out on his son and wife. He remembered he was angered by Rei's treatment of Shoto, coddling he called it, and he worried that it would interfere with his training, and make Shoto too soft to be a Hero worthy enough to surpass him and All Might. Endeavor's fists clenched with unimaginable guilt when he remembered punching his son's stomach too hard while training, enough to where his youngest spilled his lunch on the floor. Rei tried to stop him, and he smacked her away. It didn't take long for Enji to realize what he had done and swiftly left, excusing that it was a short break for Shoto. They didn't train until a few days afterward.

Seeing his counterpart beat Quill drew those memories to the surface and he found himself in Yondu's place and Shoto, both young and present, on the receiving end of his punches. Worse still, he saw Rei, Touya, Natsuo, and even Fuyumi taking his son's and Quill's place. The sight made his flames burn brighter, his face visibly disturbed and furious with himself.

Not that Hawks noticed; he was too lost within his memories. The Number 2 Hero found the scene too reminiscent of a life he believed he long abandoned. The trailer home he grew up in, the drunken beatings his criminal father inflicted on him, his mother's lack of interference; hell, Hawks was so lost in memory he swore he could smell the cheap booze his father whined so much about yet guzzled anyway.

"When I picked you up as a kid," Yondu grabbed Quill's by his cheeks. "These boys wanted to eat you. They ain't never tasted Terran before. I saw your life!"

"Oh, will you shut up about that? God!" Peter snapped at Yondu. "Twenty years, you've been throwing that in my face, like it's some great thing, not eating me. Normal people don't even think about eating someone else! Much less that person having to be grateful for it!"

"True that," Mirio nodded, frowning in displeasure hearing what Quill had to go through for so long. "That life sounds messed up."

"Abducted by alien criminals after his mother's death, living with the threat of being eaten every day," Amajiki muttered, growing greener with every revolting injustice. Amajiki gagged. "How horrible!"

"You abducted me, man," Quill continued venting. "You stole me from my home and from my family."

"You don't give a damn about your Terra!" Yondu snapped back. "You're scared because you're soft in here." Yondu patted his chest. "Here, right here!" Yondu slammed his hands onto Peter's chest and heart.

"Heh, maybe he's right," Kaminari muttered.

"Oh, come on, man! You honestly aren't agreeing with that bastard, are you?!" Kirishima questioned, stunned.

"Think about it. Other me had a spaceship, he could leave, go on missions, and return to the Ravagers. Hell, the start of this movie had him go after the Orb ahead of Yondu," Kaminari explained, his small smile alien to the sadness in his eyes. "He could have visited Earth any time he wanted, yet he didn't. So, why else would he not go back?"

Kirishima opened his mouth to reply but no words would come out, his expression lost on what you say or convey in reply.

"Because of his mom," Izuku spoke, looking sadly at his feet. "His mom was his world, not Earth. Without her, there wasn't any reason to go back, only pain and loss. I'd probably do the same in his shoes." Izuku looked to Kaminari. "Everyone is scared of what they fear the most. There's no shame in admitting it. If anything, it makes you stronger to admit it to us."

Kaminari looked at Izuku stunned, his face pensive before a smile came up, a kinder smile. "Thanks, man," Kaminari thanked.

Izuku nodded before looking at the screen, yet his focus was inward. He didn't lie when he meant if he were in Quill's shoes, he wouldn't bother returning to Earth, yet when he spoke those words, his mind was somewhere more personal. 'So long was my life nothing but pain, rejection, and sadness. I had no one, except her,' Izuku thought of his mother, the one shining light and joy in his life beyond All Might, but All Might was never there further than action figures, posters, and blankets, his mom was. Whenever he stumbled and limped home after a day being mocked and beaten, whenever he woke up after a few hours laying in a pool of his bile in an alleyway, he always returned home, doing his best to hide his pain for his mother, her loving smile his single, existing lifeline. 'If she hadn't been there...' Izuku's mind took him back to when he met All Might, the day Kacchan gave his infamous advice.

As if hearing his thoughts, Bakugou whirled his appalled face toward Deku. He wasn't an idiot, he knew the nerd long enough to know that those words and looks meant something more honest and personal than understanding Quill's pain. Bakugou could tell Izuku was being honest that a world without Auntie Inko was not worth being in, but to the former bully, those words took on a whole new, dangerous connotation.

"Pray for a Quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of the building!" His infamous advice rang in his ears mockingly. His stomach lurched as he realized how fragile and willing Izuku was to take his advice. Worse, the thought of doing that dreaded deed may have always lurked deep inside Izuku's head, only contained and locked away by Auntie Inko's loyal, loving embrace. That Bakugou spoke that suggestion out loud for even Izuku's foremost thoughts to realize it...Bakugou's hands began to shake, his vision blurring as the phantom mirage of Aldera Deku appeared in front of him like a ghost, staring at him blankly while a stream of blood leaked down from his head.

"'Suki?" Bakugou blinked and gasped lightly. He whirled his gaze to Ibara, looking at him concerned. "A-Are you okay?"

Bakugou blinked again, looking back to where Aldera Deku was only to find him vanished. Blinking his eyes rapidly, Bakugou shook his head, massaging his temple. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Bakugou replied, gruffly. "Just a bit of a headache is all."

"No, I think it's something more," Ibara shook her head. "Your hands were shaking, and you looked like you had seen a ghost." Her determined stare noticed Bakugou stiffened, and she knew she was, as Setsuna would say, 'right on the money'. "Was it something to do with...you-know-what?"

Bakugou refused to meet her eyes, but he couldn't lie again to her. Instead, he nodded.

Ibara's thin lips dropped to a sad frown. "You wish to talk about it? Later at the dorms, I mean," Ibara clarified. She knew that such a delicate topic was not meant to be shared by the eyes and ears of their classmate, Katsuki would never open up to her around them.

Bakugou remained frozen, clearly contemplating whether to accept her offer. Finally, he nodded.

Ibara's frown lightened. "Okay," Ibara nodded. She turned back to the screen, yet scooted closer to her unofficial boyfriend, one lock of vine hair wrapping itself smoothly around Bakugou's hand, the hand holding the vine gently in turn.

What Ibara and Bakugou did not realize was that their quiet voices could not escape the perceptive ears of a certain purple-haired, jack-eared girl who was staring at them suspiciously.

"Yondu!" Gamora yelled, trying to get the Ravager's attention. "Listen to me. Ronan has something called an Infinity Stone."

"I know what he's got, girl," Yondu replied.

"Does he?" Pony asked, surprised. "Who told him the Orb had the Stone?"

"It must have been the Broker," Jurota reasoned. "Perhaps the intermediary knew as much from the Collector to ensure he would not open it and risk the Broker's accidental destruction."

"Then you know we must get it back!" Gamora urged. "He's gonna use it to wipe out Xandar. We have to warn them. Billions of people will perish."

"Is that what she's been filling your head with, boy? Sentiment?" Yondu slapped Quill across the face while the crew laughed. "Eating away your brain like maggots!" Yondu gripped Peter's face before letting it go, shaking his head. "That's it." Yondu whistled, his arrowhead at Quill's throat.

"NO!" Gamora and Jiro yelled in unison.

"Sorry, boy," Yondu apologized, turning to his men. "But a captain's gotta teach his men what happens to those what cross him."

"Captain's gotta teach stuff!" Kraglin voiced, the crew agreeing.

"He can't do that!" Kinoko exclaimed.

"Not that I condone his actions, but they make sense from where Yondu sits," Vlad King explained. "If he were to let Quill go unpunished, in this case, death, it would make his men believe that he is weak and soft himself and invite further acts of rebellion from his men."

"I've seen similar acts done by other criminal groups," Edgeshot nodded. "The leader is too lenient or hesitant to act, his men get too lax or rebellious. Sooner or later, the leader is overthrown and replaced by another Villain or criminal, bolder and hungrier for power, and the previous leader is dealt with."

Ryukyu trailed her gaze over to Eri, recalling how such a thing happened with the Shie Hassaikai after Chisaki grew too impatient and desperate. Now, the previous boss of the Hassaikai, Eri's grandfather, was in a coma unable to be woken.

"If you kill me now, you are saying goodbye to the biggest score you have ever seen," Peter warned.

"Ohoho," Setsuna grinned. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"

"He's using the language that all criminals and scavengers would understand: Money," Fat Gum grinned likewise. "Smart."

Yondu grinned for a moment before turning back to face Peter. "The Stone?" The Ravager questioned. "I hope you got something better than that. Because ain't nobody stealing from Ronan."

"We got a ringer," Quill replied.

"Is that right?" Yondu perked his head up.

Quill gestured his eyes to Gamora. "She knows everything there is to know about Ronan," Star-Lord explained. "His ships, his army."

Yondu turned to Gamora. "He's vulnerable," Gamora insisted.

"If anyone would know Ronan's weaknesses and how to exploit them, it's her," Jiro smiled, eager.

"Hey, what do you say, Yondu, huh?" Quill asked, his voice taking a fond tone. "Me and you, taking down a mark, side-by-side, like the old days." Peter chuckled nervously.

"Hmm, sounds like a risky alliance," Mandalay pondered out loud.

"Well, it's not like our five spunky Guardians can deal with the blue bastards and their whole army by themselves again," Pixie Bob reasoned. "Look how that turned out."

"Yet even if they add the Ravagers' numbers to their side, Yondu will expect the Power Stone as compensation," Kamui Woods pointed out. "That is an outcome that they are ill afford to risk."

"I'm sure they'll cross that bridge when they get to it," Mount Lady dismissed, though the bead of sweat down her brown betrayed her optimism.

Tension filled the air as the crew of Ravagers watched in silent anticipation of what Yondu would do. Finally, Yondu whistled...and brought the arrowhead back to his belt. Yondu burst out laughing in delight.

Kaminari's gasp of relief came out as a nervous chuckle.

Peter and the other Ravagers laughed as well, the former nervously and the latter in the same delight as their captain. "Let him go!" Yondu ordered, the Ravagers complying as Yondu wrapped Quill up in a hug. "You always did have a scrote, boy!" Gamora freed herself from the Ravager's loosening grip. "That's why I kept you on as a young'un."

"Thank goodness," Momo gasped in relief.

"Whelp looks like we got ourselves an army of scavengers to go against an army of genocidal fanatics," Jiro snarked. "Not the best odds."

"Hey, we'll take what we can get," Kaminari shrugged. "Now, maybe we shouldn't complain about it before they change their minds?"

"Good point," Jiro admitted.

But before they could reminisce about the old days, the ship rumbled, drawing everyone's silent attention.

"Huh?" Hagakure quirked her invisible head to the side. "Did their ship hit something?"

Outside the ship, the Milano fired on the flagship, the yellow energy blasts doing no visible damage, but its explosions rocked the ship.

"The Milano?!" Itsuka blinked, surprised.

"It must be the genius raccoon, the lovable Ent, and the brutish simpleton," Reiko voiced.

"Genius Raccoon? Hmm, I'll allow it," Nezu muttered, chuckling at seeing Vlad King pale in fright for his student before sighing in relief.

"PffftAHAHAHAHAH! Lovable Ent!" Mount Lady laughed. "I'm so calling you Ent Boy from now on, Ent Boy!"

Kamui Woods grumbled and gritted his teeth while blushing furiously and embarrassed underneath his helmet.

Miruko joined the gigantifying heroine in laughing at Reiko's name for Oguro's counterpart.

Yondu and the rest rushed over to the brig. "Captain, the shot was non-damaging," One of the pilots informed the captain as he arrived.

"Attention, idiots," Rocket's voice projected over the ship's intercom. Yondu and the Ravagers looked out the window.

"Idiots' attention, gained," Mirio saluted while sticking his tongue out goofily. Eri giggled at her silly uncle.

"Wait, how is his voice being heard through the vacuum of space?" Nejire asked, confused.

"The lunatic on top of this craft is holding a Hadron Enforcer," Rocket announced, Drax, in a helmet, was on the top of the Milano holding a canon-like weapon strapped to his chest, its barrel aimed at the ship. "A weapon of my own design."

"What the hell?" Yondu cursed, flabbergasted.

"Is that the weapon he said could blow up moons with?" Power Loader sweatdropped.

"Yes, the one he said is for when things get 'really hardcore'," David quoted the experimented raccoon.

"Well, that would be useful in this situation...IF QUILL AND GAMORA WEREN'T ON THE SHIP THEY'RE AIMING AT!" Present Mic exclaimed.

"If you don't hand over our companions now, he's gonna tear your ship a new one," Rocket threatened. "A Very big new one!"

"I ain't buying it," Yondu dismissed.

"I'm giving you to the count of five," Rocket warned. "5!"

"WHAT?!" Mineta yelped, eyes comically large. "WHY SUCH A LOW COUNTDOWN?!"

"No! Wait, hold on!" Peter stuttered, he and Gamora rushed to the comms in a panic while Rocket counted down to three. Peter pressed a button on the ship's control console saying, "Rocket, it's me, for God's sake! We figured it out! We're fine!"

"Oh, hey, Quill," Rocket greeted, friendly. "What's going on?"

Uraraka gasped in relief. "My heart can't take any more of this," The chestnut-haired girl whined while Izuku rubbed her back.

"I'm sorry to say this, Ocha-chan, but we still got a climax to go through, and that will surely be stressful as hell," Asui noted.

"Oh, joy," Uraraka replied, sarcastically.

Later inside the ship, the five gathered around a room with a blue light in the middle. "You call that 'figured it out'?" Rocket questioned, stunned. "We're gonna rob the guys who just beat us senseless."

"Yep, sounds about right," Kaminari nodded.

"Oh, you want to talk about senseless?" Peter replied. "How about trying to save us by blowing us up?"

"That is also true," Kaminari nodded again.

"You're mocking him and the Principal when Rocket drunkenly said that at the bar, right?" Shoji asked.

"Shhh, he'll hear you," Kaminari whispered while pointing discreetly -or as discreetly as the blonde dunce could- at the principal.

"We were only gonna blow you up if they didn't turn you over!" Rocket defended.

"And how on earth were they gonna turn us over when you only gave them a count of five?" Peter questioned further.

"Take this to heart kitties! If you are gonna give Villains a countdown, make sure to make it long enough to get them worried yet not too short to make them too antsy and trigger happy or too long to make them too confident," Ragdoll explained.

"I feel like that could be used if they act like criminals," Mandalay sweatdropped.

"Oh, yeah, good point!" Ragdoll perked up, still smiling as brightly as usual. "Use that when acting in practice too!"

Mandalay face-palmed.

"We didn't have time to work the minutiae of the plan," Rocket responded, turning to Groot. "This is what we get for acting altruistically."

"I am Groot," Groot nodded.

"They are ungrateful," Rocket agreed.

"You gotta admit, they make for great content," Fat Gum mumbled as he ate popcorn.

"Nothing makes for greater entertainment than a bunch of clowns!" Miruko agreed as she took a bite out of her carrot.

Kaminari, Jiro, Kamui Woods, and even Nezu all felt like a metaphorical, comical frying pan with the word 'Clown' imprinted on it landing heavy on their heads.

Meanwhile, miles away in a safe house in Naruhata, a buff man wearing a black bandana almost dropped a weight on his head as he sneezed.

"What is important is that we get the Ravagers' army to help us save Xandar," Gamora interjected.

"So, we can give the Stone to Yondu who's just gonna sell it to somebody even worse?" Rocket asked, incredulously.

"Can't the Ravagers just let the Nova Corp pay for it?" Sato asked.

"Possibly," Shoji said. "But that would mean convincing them to adhere to the Ravagers' demands on not try and take it by force."

"Still sounds like a win to me," Kamakiri shrugged. "What's the problem?"

"Yondu potentially fleeing with the Stone, someone richer wanting it like the Collector, Thanos obtaining it from the Ravagers or whoever they sell it to," Shoji listed. "Shall I go on?"

"...Nah," Kamakiri denied.

"We'll figure that part out later," Quill replied.

"We have to stop Ronan," Gamora stressed out the mission.

"How?" Rocket asked again.

"I have a plan," Quill stated.

"You've got a plan?" Rocket raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Peter nodded.

"That does not inspire confidence," Tokoyami muttered.

"HEY! Other me and I have great plans!" Kaminari protested. "Remember his brave, heroic save of Gamora?"

"Which you almost died doing," Tokoyami noted.

"Me beating that Shiketsu kid and saving Bakugou and Kirishima?" Kaminari pointed out.

"For the last time, Star-Dunce, I don't remember you doing anything like that!" Bakugou yelled. "And like Hell would I need your help or saving!"

Kaminari slumped depressively. "No one appreciates me," Kaminari pouted comically.

"First of all, you're copying me from when I said I had a plan," Rocket pointed out.

"No, I'm not," Peter denied. "People say that all the time. It's that unique of a thing to say."

"I am actively losing brain cells listening to them," Aizawa massaged his temple.

"And here I thought you didn't have any to lose," Midnight quipped, smirking.

"WWWOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!" Present Mic voiced while half-cupping his mouth and waving his other hand.

"And there goes more," Aizawa grumbled, his eyes twitching as Mic's 'Woahing' continued massacring his will to live.

"Secondly, I don't even believe you have a plan," Rocket continued.

"I have part of a plan!" Peter admitted.

"Confidence dropping," Awase muttered, his hand lowering an invisible bar.

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Drax inquired.

"You don't get to ask questions after the nonsense you pulled on Knowhere," Gamora pointed accusingly at Drax.

"I just saved Quill," Drax pointed out.

"We've already established that you destroying the ship that I'm on is not saving me," Peter likewise pointed out.

"When did we establish that?" Drax asked.

"Like three seconds ago!" Quill exclaimed.

"I wasn't listening. I was thinking of something else," Drax muttered.

Gamora groaned, tired beyond belief.

Multiple smacking sounds were heard as Jiro kept continuously face-palming.

"Careful, Jiro! Between that and us, how many of your brain cells will survive?!" Mina teased.

"Less than Mr. Aizawa's," Jiro replied as she continued, ignoring Mina's laughter.

"Ooh, let's see if we can make her lose enough to where she can make Kaminari's 'Dunce' face!" Hagakure suggested, imagining a Jiro 'Dunce' face.

The suggestion was enough to have a jack pointed directly at Hagakure's throat, and the invisible girl raised her arms in surrender.

"She's right." Rocket agreed with Gamora. "You don't get an opinion." Rocket turned from Drax to Quill. "What percentage?"

"I don't know," Peter answered. "12%."

One by one, the entire audience face-palmed in a chorus of disappointment, all except Kaminari, too busy wallowing in his comical cloud of depression.

"12?!" Rocket repeated before bursting out laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"My my, I don't believe I have laughed that hard in quite a long time," Nezu chuckled while sipping his tea.

"That's a fake laugh," Quill stated.

Nezu lowered his tea. "Excuse me?" Nezu questioned, his smile taking on a threatening air.

"It's real!" The talking raccoon said.

"Totally fake," Quill shook his head.

"That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life," Rocket claimed.

"Well, at least someone finally said it out loud," Snipe muttered, lowering his hat to block his eyes.

"Indeed," Ectoplasm muttered, the two and the other teachers too scared to accuse their principal of his laugh's authenticity.

"Because that is not a plan," Rocket continued.

"It's barely a concept," Gamora admitted.

"Et tu, Jiro?" Kaminari raised his hands, exasperated.

"Don't look at me, I'm not the idiot with the concept of a plan," Jiro defended herself.

"You're taking their side?" Peter exclaimed, betrayed.

"I am Groot," Groot spoke up.

"So what, it's better than 11%?" Rocket raised an incredulous brow. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"To be fair, he isn't wrong there," Shoda scratched the back of his neck.

"Better than less of a concept. Good to know," Kuroiro snarked.

"Thank you, Groot. Thank you," Peter thanked the tree man, patting his barky shoulder. "See? Groot's the only one of you who has a clue."

As he said that, Groot formed a plant from his shoulder and ate it, chomping on it delightfully. Peter pinched the bridge between his eyes, while Rocket scoffed.

Kaminari's face fell into his hands.

"Would that be like him chewing on a piece of his hair?" Kosei asked.

"I swear my mind will not survive to the end of this," Edgeshot mourned.

"The movie or all of them?" Ryukyu asked.

"...yes," Edgeshot muttered.

Miruko gasped dramatically. "He's finally speaking our language!" Miruko exclaimed, dramatically joyfully.

"OH, BLESSED BE! THERE IS A GOD UP THERE!" Hawks rejoiced. "HALLELULAH!"

While the two began singing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', to Ibara's amusement, the rest of the Heroes had to keep Endeavor and Edgeshot from taking Aizawa's scarf for... 'unaliving' reasons.

"Guys. Come on," Peter insisted with them. "Yondu is gonna be here in two seconds. He expects to hear this big plan of ours. I need your help." Peter looked pleadingly at the four of them. "I look around at us. You know what I see?" Peter asked them. "Losers." Drax looked at Peter with slight offense.

Jiro raised an eyebrow, Kamui Woods narrowed his eyes, while Nezu tilted his head, smiling menacingly.

"I mean, like, folks who have lost stuff," Peter clarified further. "And we have. Man, we have. All of us."

"Our homes," Gamora looked down in memory of her planet and people.

Jiro sighed, her fist clenching and heart aching for Gamora.

"Our families," Drax looked down and thought of his wife and daughter.

Miruko frowned, her brows furrowed as she thought of Oguro, wondering what else he might have lost besides his Quirk.

"Normal lives," Rocket huffed and slouched, picking at his claws.

Nezu's smile fell, his gaze blinded by the mental images of the doctors who poked, prodded, and scarred him, especially the Doctor with the Green Glasses.

"And, usually, life takes more than it gives. But not today," Peter shook his head. "Today, it's given us something. It has given us a chance."

"To do what?" Drax asked.

Peter looked to Drax. "To give a shit," Peter answered. "For once. Not run away."

Kaminari frowned, his mind reminding him of Quill's mother. His mind conjured the backsides of his mother, a certain purple-haired girl, and his girl. His fists clenched. 'Not run away,' Kaminari thought.

"I, for one, am not gonna stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives," Peter declared.

Izuku and Toshinori smiled, resisting the urge to clap for Quill and his heroic heart.

"But, Quill, stopping Ronan, it's impossible," Rocket stated, grimly. "You're asking us to die."

Hawks's eyes blinked, looking at Endeavor who stared back grimly. 'War will be upon us soon enough, and not all of us will make it,' Hawks looked down to the bright youth, the next generation of Heroes, or what would be the next generation of Heroes. 'We'll be asking them to put their lives on the line, to step up if we fail or are gone...to die if need be. That's a lot for anyone to ask, isn't it?'

Peter stared at Rocket momentarily, contemplating his heavy words before sighing. "Yeah, I guess I am," Quill admitted. Stammering over his words, Peter turned away, hand on his face while everyone looked at the ground with grim defeat and hopelessness.

Kaminari sighed. "I guess that was too much to ask, huh?" Kaminari muttered, sadly.

"Maybe," Jiro said, garnering his attention. "Maybe not." Kaminari stared at her confused, and she pointed to the screen.

"Quill," Gamora spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "I have lived most of my life surrounded by my enemies." Gamora stood up, confident. "I will be grateful to die among my friends."

Jiro looked back at Kaminari's stunned face. "Like Hell am I gonna let an entire planet of people die. Neither of us would," Jiro stated. "We're Heroes, our job is to fight for others, even die for others. Let's go do our jobs."

Izuku, Momo, and the girls smiled softly at her, proud and inspired.

Quill walked up back to the circle of them as Drax stood from his seat. "You are an honorable man, Quill. I will fight beside you," Drax declared, with a smile. "And in the end, I will see my wife and daughter again."

Miruko smirked. 'A Hero to the end,' Miruko thought, knowing that the man who saved her life is still out there being a Hero, in his own way.

Meanwhile, the man in the black bandana stopped lifting and rose as he contemplated. After a few seconds, he rose. "Heh, enough lifting," Knuckle Duster grinned. Time to take out some trash!"

Groot stood up, too. "I am Groot," Groot decreed, nodding his support. Rocket stared at Groot in disbelief.

"I do not need to know what he said, I'm 100% certain I understood it," Kamui Woods declared. "Whether here or there, if there are lives to be saved, I will answer the call. To the end."

Mount Lady and Death Arms smiled and smirked respectively, while Edgeshot nodded, all three agreeing with him.

Everyone stared over at Rocket, waiting for his decision. The raccoon sighed in defeat. "Oh, what the hell. I don't got that long a lifespan, anyway," Rocket stated.

"He means 'he's in'," Nezu smiled, adjusting his tie. "And so will I, in whatever shape and form I can. I'll do what I do best and teach Villains some manners."

Recovery Girl, All Might, and the teachers smirked at their principal. "And you'll have them begging for that gates of Hell, sir," Toshinori said.

Nezu laughed.

Kaminari stared at them all, eyes wet with unshed tears. He looked to the rest of his classmates who all gave them the same smiles that screamed 'We'll Be Here for you, to the end'. Kaminari's mouth whimpered before he wiped away the tears and smiled.

The talking raccoon stood atop his box for a seat. "Now, I'm standing. Y'all happy?" Rocket threw his arms up before crossing them. "We're all standing up now. Bunch of jackassess, standing in a circle."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Kaminari smirked, grinning goofily. "Let's all Go Amp It Up! Plus Ultra Style!"

"YEAH!" The classes exclaimed.

Peter's Walkman sounded as it turned on and began playing rock music. In a later scene, Peter stares at his Walkman listening and getting pumped from the music before standing, equipping his rocket thrusters to his legs.

"Cherry Bomb by The Runaways," Kaminari grinned, wiggling his fingers as electricity sparked and waved between them. "Not bad, Star-Me."

"The Stone reacts to anything organic," Gamora said, beginning to detail the plan in front of the gathered Ravagers and her friends. "The bigger the target, the bigger the power surge."

"And little Carina made one large power surge at that," Mina mentioned.

"All Ronan's got to do is touch the Stone to the planet's surface and zap," Peter joined with her. "All plants, animals, Nova Corps."

"Everything will die," Gamora stated, definitively.

"So, Ronan does not make the surface," Peter affirmed the goal.

Rocket, on his own, preps up his gun, testing its aim.

"Affirmative," Nezu stated, grinning at the thought of his own weapon of destruction to deal with the League of Villains, the Paranormal Liberation Front, and the Commission. He then recalled the Iron Legion's suit known as Hugo. 'Hmm, maybe Shield and his daughter can commission a suit of armor for myself.'

"Rocket will lead a team to blow a hole in the Dark Aster's starboard hull," Peter detailed the plan, showing a drawn-up plan on the screen of Rocket's ship and two others firing on the hull of Ronan's ship. "Then our craft and Yondu's will enter." Peter pointed to a hologram of his spaceship and Yondu's entering the opened-up hole.

"Taking the fight to the enemy's domain," Endeavor cupped his chin as he reviewed his plan. "There is the risk of encountering a legion of his forces, Nebula, and whatever traps or defenses he has inside."

"You scared?" Hawks grinned, teasingly.

"Hardly," Endeavor smirked. "I'm disappointed I won't be able to burn through them myself."

"Won't there be hundreds of Sakaaran soldiers inside?" Kraglin questioned.

"I think of Sakaaran as paper people," Drax stated.

Kraglin smirked and fist-bumped Drax's shoulder. The Destroyer took that as an actual punch and glared challengingly at Kraglin, who backed away, scared and unsure.

"He's really funny!" Eri giggled.

"Yeah, beat up those losers! Shred them like paper!" Kouta cheered.

Drax looked at a pair of Ravager pants and a jacket before tossing the jacket away. Later, the scene showed him equipping his blades onto his boots.

Miruko grinned, cracking her fists. 'This is getting me pumped up too,' Miruko thought, jealously. 'Old man's getting all the fun. Just like back then.'

"Once they know we are onboard, Ronan will isolate himself behind impenetrable security doors on deck," Gamora informed, showing a panel that transitioned to a Sakaaran soldier working on the panel and the glass tube full of green energy. "Which I can disable by dismantling the power source."

"Sounds like we'll have to split up. Me for the door's power source, and the rest to get to Ronan as quickly as possible," Jiro surmised.

"You don't think they'll leave the power source nearby?" Shoto questioned.

"You think it'll be that easy?" Jiro asked back.

"Only so far that I would like to question their intelligence, and mock them in turn," Todoroki replied.

"Fair enough," Jiro shrugged.

"We'll make it to the flight deck, and I'll use the Hadron Enforcer to kill Ronan," Peter jumped back in, showing a later version of Peter setting the Hadron Enforcer on the table to look it over with Groot and Gamora.

"You mean firing the moon-destroying super weapon at Ronan in the same room?" Mineta questioned. "We sure it won't blow up the entire ship, and maybe part of Xandar?"

"I'm sure Rocket was greatly exaggerating that...Maybe," Kaminari muttered. "Possibly...Hopefully..."

"Still, this Enforcer does appear to be their most powerful weapon on hand aside from firing whatever amount of weaponry they have on their ships," Shoji stated.

"Doing that could risk sending Ronan's ship crashing to the surface, something we won't want under any circumstances without assurances of his destruction," Tokoyami argued.

Gamora zipped up her new Ravager jacket, and equipping her sheathed sword by her side, a rather explicit shot of her firm, and round ass apparent.

Izuku and Jiro blushed at the explicit shot, Izuku doing his best not to daydream about Jiro's notable backside and the jack-eared girl doing her best not to look at Izuku or the girls' teasing grins.

"Once Ronan is dead, we will retrieve the Stone," Gamora stated, a Ravager walking around with a tray full of metal orbs with a blue, glowing line around the middle and Ravagers and the group picking one each. "Use these devices to contain it. If you touch it, it will kill you."

"No touchy glowing death stone, kill Blue Boy," Setsuna summarized. "Sounds simple enough."

"Simply impossible more like it," Kamakiri muttered.

"We're Heroes in Training," Izuku stated, smirking. "Impossible is what we do best."

Setsuna, Jiro, and the Sisterhood girls scrunched their eyes shut, squealing internally as a shock of adoration struck their hearts. 'So Cool!' They all squealed.

Groot flexed, thorns, roots, and branches sprouting from his back and shoulders, intimidatingly. A close-up shot of his face led to Groot plucking a small twig on the side of his head like a stray hair.

"Prickly as usual," Mount Lady snickered.

Kamui Woods let out a huff of amusement. "Only when I need to," Kamui Woods quipped. He raised his hand and flexed, thorns and barbs spiking up from the limb.

Mount Lady looked away, blushing while pouting. 'Dammit, why was what so cute and cool,' Mount Lady thought.

"I'll contact one of the Nova officers who arrested us," Peter revealed, showing Rhomann Dey watering his plants on Xandar before receiving a call, identifying the caller as Quill. "Hopefully, they'll believe we're there to help."

"No, not more Uncle Denki's silly faces!" Eri giggled.

"Oh? You mean like this one?!" Kaminari made his signature 'Dunce' face causing Eri to laugh harder.

Tsukauchi smirked. 'I hope you believe him, Sansa,' the detective thought, hoping his officer's counterpart would come through for his planet's sake.

"There's one more thing we need to complete the plan," Rocket shouted. "That guy's eye." Rocket pointed to the prosthetic eye of one of the Ravagers, who blinked, in surprise.

"Sorry, what?" Present Mic blinked, surprised.

"No! No, we don't," Quill shut that idea down. "No, we don't need that guy's eye." The Ravager looked around with his robotic eye anxiously.

"No, seriously, I need it!" Rocket began to crack up and giggle. "It's important to me."

"What's with your counterpart's obsession with stealing prosthetic body parts?" Recovery Girl questioned.

"More importantly, where's the 30,000 units I was promised would make up for buying that prison guy's leg?!" Kaminari whined.

"All good questions, I assure you, to be answered, another time," Nezu replied, chuckling darkly.

'He means never,' The teachers all thought, simultaneously.

The Ravager flagship flew toward Xandar "Ronan's fleet has been spotted and will arrive in T-minus 15 minutes," An automated voice announced across the ship.

Yondu stopped Quill with a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, boy," Yondu began. "At the end of all this, I get the Stone. You cross me, we kill you all." Peter nodded, an uncertain look in his eyes.

Endeavor narrowed his eyes. 'If we all make it out of this alive,' Endeavor thought.

"~Hello, Daddy! Hello, Mom! I'm your C-C-C-C-C-Cherry Bomb!~" The music played as Peter walked down a hall, seriously. Gamora walked out and joined him on his right in her crimson Ravager gear. Drax came out from Peter's left, geared in his Ravager pants and shirtless, as ever, stretching his arms out for the ready. Rocket appeared, gun slung over his shoulders, stretching out his crimson-red jumpsuit by the crotch. Finally, Groot, with the thorns and roots spiked out on his shoulders and back came up behind them.

The Guardian of the Galaxy walked down the hall in slow motion with the music...

"Hey! Look at us! Now that's a Team!" Kaminari cheered, a proud smile on his face. "A Superhero team even!"

Kamui Woods nodded, smirking from underneath his helmet, proud to see his criminal counterpart now fighting for the lives of billions of people, like a True Hero.

Nezu smirked, amused that he would be a part of a superhero team after all...while pointedly ignoring and refusing to point out how Star-Lord appears to be the leader.

Jiro chuckled, unable to fight the smug grin on her face. Suddenly, a feeling of dread came upon her. 'Why now? It's not like something embarrassing is gonna-'

...With Gamora yawning, Peter wiping his nose, Drax swatting at a fly, Rocket hissing, and Groot's serious frown replaced with a smile as he waved at a passing Ravager.

'...Why?' Jiro groaned to the universe, sinking into her seat while the girls laughed around her.

Mount Lady and Death Arms cackled like animals, slapping their knees and crying hysterically. Kamui Woods face-palmed.

Nezu's mouth was a thin frown before smirking again, amused for a different reason.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, some super team! Super Stupid!" Bakugou howled with laughter.

Kaminari slumped depressingly. "Me and my big fat mouth," Kaminari mumbled.

Yondu placed the blue trinket he got from the Broker beside his control console, alongside his other various bobbles. "Let's go get 'em, boys!" Yondu yelled over the comms of his ship.

"Heh, looks like you got that trinket after all," Hawks grinned. "Hope other you didn't kill for it."

"Agreed," Endeavor grumbled, wishing his counterpart would do the right thing when the time came.

From the Ravager flagship, dozens of Ravager ships flew out into Xandar airship, from Yondu's, Rocket's, and Peter's, the last one accompanied by Gamora, Drax, and Groot.

"Ooh! Space battle here we come!" Mina rubbed her hands excitedly.

"This is a terrible plan," Gamora stated, still apprehensive.

"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to die among friends," Peter chuckled. Gamora stared at him, deadpanning.

"...You know what, that's on me," Jiro admitted.

"Yeah! Let's go die together, Suicide Squad!" Kaminari cheered.

"For all that is holy, no team of mine shall ever be called that!" Kamui Woods declared.

"Seconded," Nezu raised his hand in agreement.

"Third! Where did you even come up with such a stupid name?!" Jiro yelled.

"I don't know," Kaminari shrugged. "Just...a feeling is all."

In Nova Headquarters, Rhomann Dey walked alongside a pair of Nova Corpsman, the man adjusting his gear.

In the main control room, dozens of officers watched over a holographic display on a large table the dozens of Ravager ships flying above their city.

"Nova Prime," Rhomann Dey greeted his leader. "I received a transmission from one of the Ravagers. He says Ronan's in possession of something called an Infinity Stone, and he's heading toward Xandar."

"Good God," Nova Prime gasped, eyes wide in terror.

"It's a trick," Saal dismissed, incredulously. "He's a criminal."

Shoto glared annoyed at the counterpart to that dog-headed bastard. 'I swear if he jeopardizes their chances to receive help, I'll freeze his balls off,' Shoto swore.

"Did he say why we should believe him?" Nova Prime asked Dey.

"He said his crew just escaped from prison, so he'd have no other reason to risk coming to Xandar to help," Dey replied.

"That is true," Melissa nodded.

"He says that he's an...'a-hole'," Dey paused to censor himself. "But he's not, and I'm quoting him, here, '100%' a dick."

"Yep, that sounds like him," Sero snickered.

"I'm surprised he was willing to quote that to his superior officers," Itsuka muttered.

"Another thing Sansa is known for: he's got quite the sailor's mouth on him," Tsukauchi chuckled.

"I've never heard him cuss, ever," Toshinori muttered, surprised.

"Clearly, you haven't been with him at a bar," Tsukauchi smirked.

"Do you believe him?" Nova Prime inquired.

"Well, I don't know what I believe anyone is 100% a dick, ma'am," Dey said.

Kouta burst out laughing.

"What's a dick?" Eri asked Papa.

Izuku could have sworn he heard the sounds of a record scratching as Eri asked that question. "U-Um, I-I'll you about it later, Eri," Izuku answered. 'When you're way older to never.'

"Okay!" Eri smiled innocently, not knowing her Papa had zero intention of telling her soon.

Nova Prime rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I mean, do you believe that he is here to help?" Nova Prime clarified.

Rhomann Dey took a few moments to himself, contemplating his thoughts and words, before answering, "Yeah."

"Thanks, my man," Kaminari grinned, giving an electrifying thumbs up. "Not to worry! Star-Lord is here!"

"That sounds like every reason to worry," Jiro snarked.

Kaminari deadpanned fell to the floor.


AAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDDD SCENE! Huh, I got that out faster than I expected. Lucky me!

I hope you guys liked the chapter and all the juicy tidbits and info the audience now knows. Firstly, because I know this will be asked/whined about, no, it is not a spoiler that the group should know about the names of the Infinity Stones or the Celestials. Let me explain.

In the real world, we had the Internet and decades of background info about the Infinity Gems/Stones that we could Google to find out, theorize, and conclude that the Tesseract and Aether were the Space and Reality Stones, something that was never officially stated in the MCU movies until Infinity War. Yes, Thor revealed the stone in Vision's head was the Mind Stone, and later that four of the six Infinity Stones had appeared recently in the past few years, but he never stated which Stones the Tesseract and Aether were, just that they were Infinity Stones.

However, the MHA group has no context for them to rely on to theorize or figure out which of the Stones are which or even the names of the Infinity Stones, and if F.R.I.D.A.Y. kept mum about it, they wouldn't know until Infinity War, which is too far away for my tastes. Plus, having them figure out which of the Stones were the two artifacts was something I felt was a good use and show of Izuku's analysis and the students' notetaking and process of elimination. And for all you Deku haters, I even added Bakugou there to voice your whining over something I set up since the Avengers.

As for the Celestials, that is also something that the group won't be too spoiled about if F.R.I.D.A.Y. tells them. The Celestials don't become too big a deal until GOTG Vol. 2 and Eternals, but Ego doesn't give as much context about them for the MCU only audience to know what they are except as gods, and I am sure as hell Never doing The Eternals. Fun Fact: Did you know that the one who cut off the head of the Celestial, which would eventually become Knowhere, was Knull, God of the Symbiotes, who recently debuted in Venom: The Last Dance? Yep, Knull was the one to chop that poor Celestial's head off for disturbing his eternal, pre-universe slumber and did so with his creation, the Necrosword, aka the All-Black, aka Gor's blade in Thor: Love and Thunder. Honestly, they could have done numbers if they had Knull as the next big bad instead of Kang if they wanted a multiverse-spanning threat.

Also, yes, the Infinity Stones do exist in this MHA universe...but I won't be using them for this story. For one, the Stones would be absolutely broken if they were used on either side, giving way for a Villain or Hero sweep, neither of which would be entertaining. However, the idea and fear of the Stones out there and potentially getting into the grasp of Villains is a dreadful thought that my sadistic ass loved planting into the minds and nightmares of the group. Plus, as Izuku and All Might thought, One For All is already a close enough comparison to the Stones. 6 Stones, 6 extra Quirks inside One For All, the Stones' semi-sentience compared to actual sentience inside the Quirk, all combined give way to the most powerful being/Hero in the universe/world; one Quirk even literally breaks the natural laws of physics. I'm not saying One For All is the Infinity Stones, but the Quirk is a nice symbolic comparison.

Also, then there's Magne as The Collector. Yes, I am aware of the ones that suggested Overhaul, and that was a good pick that I was thinking about...until GOTG3. You can infer from there. But as for Magne as the Collector, well for one Magne's Quirk of Magnetism I found to fit the Collector's desire to collect in a roundabout way, like if Magne's Quirk became simply a personality trait/obsession, then there is the Collector's flamboyant fashion and attitude that fit with Magne, and are ruthless and even willing to kill, kidnap, or maim whoever they want if they stand in the way of their desires, as showed more with the Collector in Season 1 of What If. Plus, both are very underutilized with the Collector only as a side character in Guardians 1 and didn't return until a cameo in Infinity War. Meanwhile, Magne was used solely as an extra member of the League who served more of a narrative purpose dead than alive.

There's also the drama with Kaminari and his mom, hints at who's Kaminari's girlfriend (hint she is a character in MHA, not an OC), Izuku apologizing and becoming better friends with Kaminari, Quill acknowledged as Hero material, and the Guardians readying up to fight Power Stone-empowered Ronan.

With all that said, again, I hope you guys liked the chapter, comment your thoughts and counterpart predictions in the reviews, check out my other stories here and on AO3 if you haven't already, be cool and chill in the reviews, and, respectfully, for the gazillionth time: No, I will not have Jiro or any of the other girls leave and if you don't like, then I don't know what to tell you, ignoring it doesn't seem to work for you guys so whatever. Oh, and for the ones that constantly complain about Izuku being with girls that he barely talked to in canon, well gee golly, that almost implies that this universe I'm making a fan fiction over is a different variant universe and has differences that set it apart from the canon universe and thus doesn't have to be so stringently adherent to canon 100%. But no, maybe that's just me.

This has been Zayden StormVoid, and to end off the chapter, I'll be composing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah...or rather a parody of it. (Feel free to continue the lyrics in the reviews!)

NOW, I HEARD THERE WAS A SNEAKY GENT, WHO YEARNED TO BE IN SMASH ULTIMATE, THEN LEARNED HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WAA! WHO MADE THE CUT? THE NERD, THE PRUDE, THE NEVER-WAS, THE ALWAYS-NUDE! THE ONES WHO'D NEVER UTTER WALLELUJAH! WALLELUJAH! WALLELUJAH! WALLELUJAH! WALLELUIIIIII-II-II-IIIIIIGIIII!