The Black Order had never seen a threat like Javier Sánchez before, and they were beginning to understand the full extent of his danger. His charm, his power, and the way he toyed with them made them feel... vulnerable. They had underestimated him, and now, they would correct that mistake.
---
It was Proxima Midnight who made the first move. After Javier's teasing words had cut through their defenses, she launched forward with her spear, hoping to strike him down with the precision and deadly force she was known for. But Javier was fast, his movements fluid and unpredictable, slipping past her strike effortlessly.
"I must say," Javier quipped as he danced out of the way. "You're almost as sharp as you look, but not quite there yet."
Before Proxima could react, Nebula was already upon him, her mechanical arm swinging toward his face with deadly intent. Javier caught her fist in mid-air, his grip tightening as he grinned up at her.
"You'll have to do better than that, sweetheart," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.
But Nebula wasn't done yet. She spun, using her enhanced strength to break free from his grasp, and threw a series of punches aimed at his chest. Javier evaded them all with a laugh, dodging in a way that mocked her, all while keeping his eyes locked on her.
"You're all so serious," he mused, flashing a smile. "You really should lighten up. Life's too short."
But before he could react further, Ebony Maw's telekinetic force wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground and holding him in place. "Enough of this nonsense," Ebony Maw hissed, his voice cold and measured. "You will come with us—alive, but barely."
With Javier immobilized, Corvus Glaive stepped forward, his glaive raised and ready. "It's time for you to pay for your insolence, human."
---
The Black Order wasted no time. They bound him in chains laced with powerful energy dampeners, preventing him from using his extraordinary abilities. With Javier in their grasp, they began their journey to report their success to Thanos. The Black Order moved as a unit, their confidence restored, their prisoner helpless in their hands.
---
Thanos was waiting in his throne room, his massive form looming over the Black Order as they arrived. There was no sense of triumph in their eyes, though. Instead, there was something akin to frustration and exhaustion.
"Report," Thanos commanded, his voice low and dangerous.
Proxima Midnight stepped forward, her spear lowered but still in her hand. "We've captured him, my lord. The mortal, Javier Sánchez. We've bound him with the strongest energy-dampening chains and brought him to you as ordered."
Thanos raised an eyebrow. "So, it's true. He is as dangerous as he seems."
"We were not prepared for him," Nebula admitted, her mechanical arm twitching slightly. "He's not like any opponent we've ever faced. His tricks, his way of toying with us—it was infuriating."
Gamora stood silent, her gaze flickering between Javier and Thanos, her hands twitching with the desire to be free of this situation. There was a discomfort in her, a nagging feeling that told her something was wrong. Javier, bound and helpless, had been an enigma, but he had also sparked something within her—a memory, a connection.
Suddenly, the door to the throne room slid open with a hiss. Gamora froze as she heard the softest sound, the shuffle of feet against the cold floor, and the unmistakable sound of lips pressing against skin.
Javier.
Before anyone could react, they saw him: a quick, fluid motion, as though he had never been bound at all. His lips were pressed firmly against Gamora's, her eyes wide in shock. The kiss was desperate, intense—forceful, yes—but something about the way it unfolded was unsettling. Gamora had been caught off guard, and for a split second, her hesitation was enough.
But then, before anyone could move, before the Black Order could react, Javier's golden raven appeared at his side. The bird cawed once, loudly, and suddenly the air around Javier shifted. He smiled at Gamora as the kiss broke, his eyes glinting mischievously.
"Sorry, love," Javier said with a wink, his voice full of unrepentant charm. "But I needed to get your attention."
And with that, the Tesseract activated.
---
A blinding flash of light enveloped the room, and the Black Order was left in stunned silence. The chains that had bound Javier vanished into thin air, and in an instant, he was gone. The Tesseract, an artifact of unimaginable power, had opened a rift in space, and with it, Javier had escaped.
Gamora staggered back, her heart pounding in her chest. She blinked, confused, still feeling the lingering pressure of the kiss on her lips. What had just happened? Was it a trick? Or had there been something more to that moment?
The Black Order recovered quickly, their eyes snapping toward the space where Javier had stood only moments before.
"Where is he?!" Proxima demanded, her voice filled with fury.
"We were too slow," Nebula growled, her hand reaching for her blaster. "We've let him slip through our fingers."
Thanos stepped forward, his eyes narrowing in quiet fury. "I'll deal with this... this trickster. But first, I need you to understand one thing."
The Black Order fell silent, awaiting their master's orders.
"He's not like the others," Thanos said slowly, his voice dark with realization. "Javier Sánchez is not merely a mortal to be defeated. He is a force of nature... and now, he's a problem I will personally handle."
---
And so, with Javier slipping through their grasp once more, the Black Order was left to contemplate the implications of their failure. As they scoured the universe for any sign of him, one thing was certain: Javier Sánchez had proven, once again, that he could never truly be captured.
But this time, he had done more than escape. He had left them with a question, a lingering memory of the kiss, and the sense that perhaps—just perhaps—he had come to play with their hearts, too.
End of Chapter 60.