It was impossible not to notice the arrival of the Phoenix. In the empty, colorless expanse of space—devoid not only of air but also of vibrant hues—the giant Phoenix, blazing brighter than the stars, stood out like a torch in the darkness.
After my companions on this journey witnessed this sight firsthand, their faith in my words was reinforced.
"What exactly is the Phoenix?" Betty Ross asked.
Among all of us, Crystal and I held the most information. The Inhumans had some knowledge about the Phoenix, but even that was incomplete. They only knew that this entity possessed incredible power, capable of destroying not just continents but entire planets.
After all, the Phoenix had managed to wreak considerable havoc in the vastness of space, and the Inhumans were part of this cosmic community.
"According to what the Inhumans know, this entity is a natural disaster that poses a danger to all living things," Crystal said. "But that's not all, is it?"
The question was directed at me; apparently, I had gained a certain authority even among the Inhumans.
"Yes," I nodded, and, reaching for the controls using telekinesis, I opened the texts I had managed to reconstruct from memory. "To sorcerers, the Phoenix is known as something even more incredible than a mere elemental fury... I suppose I should start from the very beginning, for only by understanding the origin can we reach the conclusion. It all began millions of years ago..."
—= Some time later =—
The tale of the Phoenix's origin took about an hour, during which I provided a concise summary of what was known to the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, and they knew quite a lot—including that the Phoenix is essentially the embodiment of life throughout the universe and was believed to survive the death of this universe to ignite life in the next.
"And we're supposed to somehow deal with a girl who has wielded such power?" Johnny said, raising an eyebrow.
Johnny's words hung in the air. That very thought was in the mind of every member of my team who had embarked on this arduous journey.
"No, I certainly believe in our abilities, but I'm not arrogant. We're unlikely to defeat an entity like the Phoenix," I shook my head. "We just need to bring Jean Grey back to her senses, and that is much simpler and more realistic."
My words reassured them, but another question arose.
"And how exactly are we planning to bring Jean Grey to her senses?" Ben asked.
In my friend's voice, I distinctly heard notes of concern for the girl's fate.
"My plan, essentially, is to break through the Phoenix's fiery defenses and reach Jean through telepathy."
"…"
"…"
A silence ensued that spoke louder than hundreds of words.
"This is just one of your many plans, right?" Bruce asked me hopefully.
"Yes, but there's no point in voicing them," I shook my head.
Confusion appeared on my friends' faces. The question was posed by Betty, who was the least patient among all the women on the team.
"Why?"
My gaze shifted past her, noting what I had sensed five seconds ago.
"Because right now, we're going to have to deal with space pirates," I said.
And at that very moment, the ship's scanners identified the object approaching us. The scanners had not only determined the composition of the ships but, using high-precision sensors, had also discovered that the ship was packed with all kinds of weaponry.
"A pirate ship of the Ravagers is approaching us," announced the ship's AI, who had obtained this information by penetrating the first level of the pirates' ship's defenses.
It couldn't break through the second level because traces of an AI were present on the first.
"Pirates, huh?"
A satisfied grin spread across Johnny's face. He was practically glowing with excitement.
"I've always wanted to try my hand as an adventurer fighting space pirates!" the blond exclaimed. "Reed, will you open the door for me?"
At that very moment, Crystal and Sue exclaimed:
"No!"
"Johnny, have you lost your mind?!"
Using my enhanced vision, I was able to see what this pirate gang consisted of... And for that reason, I said:
"He'll handle it. The pirates don't pose any serious threat to him."
My words calmed only Susan, who looked into my eyes and saw the full confidence that Johnny was capable of dealing with the Ravagers.
However, Crystal wasn't so sure about this, and she declared sharply:
"No, I won't let you risk your life just because you want to!"
Flames flared up on Crystal's hands, but this didn't frighten Johnny. A broad grin played on the blond's face, threatening to turn into a wide smile. Sue's younger brother, unafraid of the flames, embraced the girl and said:
"Everything will be fine. Have I ever lied to you?"
The girl reluctantly shook her head and extinguished the flames.
"How I hate it when your fiery temper speaks," she whispered into Johnny's chest.
The blond just smiled and said:
"That's why you fell in love with me."
As Johnny headed to the airlock, a sweet smile played on Crystal's face.
—= The Ravagers Clan of Charlie-27 =—
Charlie-27 was a seasoned thief with an excellent nose for loot, and at this moment, he sensed that the ship, which didn't resemble any other in the part of the galaxy he knew, was full of treasure that rightfully belonged to him, Charlie-27—and that could mean only one thing...
"Prepare for boarding!"
A satisfied grin appeared on Charlie-27's face at the fact that the ship hadn't shown any sign that they, the Ravagers Clan of Charlie-27, had been detected.
"Captain!" one of his subordinates suddenly exclaimed.
Charlie-27 turned his gaze to the one who had called him. The subordinate's voice was full of surprise, which could mean anything.
"What is it?"
The subordinate just gulped and said:
"The ship ahead of us has opened its doors! And from there emerged a figure engulfed in flames!"
For a moment, Charlie-27 thought it was the Phoenix, whose appearance they had all witnessed, but then he calmed himself when he remembered that the Phoenix was in territory under the control of the Shi'ar Empire.
"What?"
Charlie-27 didn't have time to be surprised before his ship shuddered and, a moment later, was engulfed in an explosion. After which, soothing darkness embraced him.
—= Reed Richards =—
In his form as a fire elemental, Johnny could do without air in space, which allowed him to act so recklessly.
The blond, enveloped in flames, stepped into open space, and because there was no resistance from air, he rammed the Ravagers' ship at incredible speed.
The hole that suddenly appeared was just as quickly sealed by Johnny himself. The blond knew that the pirates needed to be taken alive.
"Time to meet our guests," I said as the ship, now under Johnny's control, began moving in our direction.
The guests who appeared on my ship were quite fascinating, not least because, though anthropomorphic, they differed greatly from Earth's inhabitants.
Their internal organ structure was entirely different. I discovered this the moment they approached within 10 kilometers of the ship. Telekinesis, control over electromagnetic waves, and the Rinnegan allowed me to perform such tasks with incredible ease.
"How did you like the show I put on?" Johnny asked as our guests' ship found itself in the electromagnetic grasp of our vessel.
At that moment, the ship's AI messengers—in the form of repair drones—were preparing the captured ship for sale. All its weapons had been dismantled to facilitate the delivery of the Ravagers.
"Too flashy," Ben declared first, looking not particularly impressed by Johnny's actions.
Johnny's right eyebrow twitched, clearly irritated by Ben's words. But his temper was soothed by Crystal, who playfully smacked him, and as his head dipped a couple of centimeters, she enveloped him in her embrace.
"Not bad at all," I said, giving Johnny and Crystal a moment.
Then my gaze fell upon the scientists who had joined me on this odyssey. Bruce and Betty were keenly studying the engine schematics obtained through scanning.
Sue, using her Tenseigan, was examining the aliens seated on the floor. Apparently, she was studying their anatomy. Her eyes allowed her to see cellular structures, and thanks to her knowledge of biology, it wasn't difficult for her to notice the differences I had observed.
"They're regaining consciousness," Sue said when she noticed the rapid changes in the chemical processes within their bodies.
She shot me a gaze full of suspicion.
Ha, Sue's intuition was exceptional.
"They are ordinary pirates who make their living by robbing ships and planets, often resorting to murder," I said. "Isn't that right, Captain Charlie-27?"
I had thoroughly rummaged through his consciousness, sorting out all the information that might be useful to me. Now I had a grasp of the galactic political landscape—empires, alliances, and dark regions where no one dared to venture. All this settled into my mind as easily as if I had taken up studying another language.
"P-Please, have mercy!" Charlie-27 stammered in Xandarian.
The translators built into my team's suits—which worked by receiving mental signals and interpreting them into a language understandable to humans—performed their task flawlessly. Everyone understood what Charlie-27 had said, just as he understood us.
His words made many of us look at him in bewilderment. None of us had even considered executing him on the spot. Yes, we were all prepared to kill if necessary, but no one particularly wanted to do it without cause.
"We don't intend to kill you, Charlie-27," I said, looking into his eyes.
One of his eyes was cybernetic, and it incessantly told him that I was extremely dangerous. The energy waves emanating from my body frightened him.
"We're simply going to hand you over to the Nova Corps," I said, sensing the emergence of an energy signature concentrated in a humanoid form.
"Detected a body with dimensions..."
The ship's AI processed the information that a representative of the Nova Corps had appeared.
—= Some time later =—
The Nova Corps member turned out to be Semaya, a Centaurian woman from the planet Centauri-IV. At the sight of her, Charlie-27 shuddered, and the face of another member of that very planet—Yondu—surfaced in his consciousness.
The blue skin and distinctive mohawk clearly indicated that Semaya was indeed of the same race as Yondu. However, unlike Yondu—who had recently fallen out of favor among the Ravagers for violating one of their few rules—Semaya was an exemplary member of the Nova Corps. I had gleaned this from what Charlie-27 knew. Semaya's consciousness was protected by her helmet. The protection wasn't particularly superior; I could, if I wished, break it as easily as a child knocks down a house of cards. But doing so wouldn't help keep the number of adversaries manageable. There was no need to create enemies where it could be avoided.
She was extremely polite upon her arrival and remained so throughout our dialogue.
"Thank you for your help," Semaya said, looking at us. "The reward for capturing Charlie-27 and his ship is listed on the card you have."
During the time she spent on our ship, we learned more about the boundless cosmos. Thanks to Semaya, we discovered details unknown even to the Ravager who had spent his entire life in the criminal underbelly of the cosmic community.
The credits circulating in this sector of space were valued quite differently in other parts of the cosmos, but overall, the currency was quite stable.
"I hope we'll continue to do business together," Sue said with a gentle smile.
A satisfied smile appeared on Semaya's face as well. She nodded and departed with her convoy. Thanks to their helmets, members of the Nova Corps could exist in open space without any problems.
"Hmm, she's not so different from humans," Alicia remarked.
Meeting aliens was, for her as well as for us, a fascinating experience. Moreover, what she noted was indeed true.
"Perhaps it's because most races have more or less the same developmental path," I said, though in my thoughts I entertained another idea... I suspected this similarity arose because of the Celestials.
My words had a certain effect. Sue, Bruce, and Betty began to weigh the pros and cons of my theory.
Those among us less versed in science began to grow bored until Ben spoke up:
"So where are we headed next, Stretch?"
"Shall we venture into Shi'ar Empire territory?" Johnny asked with a smile that boded no good.
Johnny's question, which hung in the air for a moment, caused the trio of scientists to halt their discussion of alien anatomy.
Thanks to Semaya, we now had an approximate map of the wormholes that had been laid over the entire existence of the Nova Corps. I was certain that some particularly secret paths were, of course, hidden, but overall, I had no reason to distrust Semaya's information.
And also thanks to Semaya, we had an idea of what the Shi'ar Empire was like—specifically, their intense dislike of the Phoenix. In this aversion, the imperials might commit quite rash acts.
"Sooner or later, we'll have to do it," I said, showing the map where Jean Grey's path was visible. "Because the Phoenix is currently deep within Shi'ar Empire territory."
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