Give Me Your Hand 1/3

"What happened?"

"According to the information log automatically transmitted by Woz, Beckett should have clashed with the Kree Empire’s and Skrull Empire’s large fleets on Xandar."

Thanos’s voice was calm, but it was precisely that calmness that made Ebony Maw lower his head even further.

He could sense the fury roiling beneath Thanos’s calm words.

This time, Beckett had truly caused trouble.

The Kree Empire and the Skrull Empire were both immensely powerful. Unless necessary, even someone as strong as Thanos avoided clashing with them whenever possible.

After all, his actual job was not conquering the universe. Odin was the one who did that.

Yet here Beckett was, barely after being let loose, picking a fight with people from both empires again?

What was this supposed to be?

"What was the outcome?" Upon hearing that there had been no fewer than "ten elite army groups," Thanos’s first concern was Beckett’s safety.

"Beckett wiped out all ten elite army groups by himself."

"…"

The words Thanos had wanted to say changed at the last moment. "And then? What is this about attacking Planet Hala?"

"Not just Planet Hala, Lord Thanos." After hesitating for a long while, Ebony Maw gritted his teeth and ultimately chose to tell the truth.

"According to the information logs uploaded by Woz, after causing havoc on Planet Hala, they also planned to wreak havoc on the Skrull Empire’s capital planet."

Clearly, after being targeted time and again by the two empires, Beckett intended to teach both powers a lesson they would never forget.

After all, destroying two super empires alone was obviously unrealistic.

"Should we send troops to reinforce Beckett, Lord Thanos?"

Seeing that Thanos on the throne had not issued a new order for a long time, Ebony Maw gathered his courage and looked up to ask.

"Reinforce him?"

"No."

"This was his own choice. He must bear the consequences himself."

"He has grown up."

After pondering for a long while, Thanos, his mind filled with countless thoughts, ultimately chose not to send reinforcements.

If one knew one was wrong and refused to change, one had to pay the price.

He wanted to see what kind of "surprise" his son would bring him this time.

Universe, Kree Empire territory, Planet Hala.

As the capital planet of the universe’s foremost empire at the height of its power, Planet Hala’s prosperity was beyond question.

The Kree’s crystallization of wisdom, the Supreme Intelligence known as the AI God, protected Planet Hala at all times. Even Woz, who had some expertise in cracking such systems, could not find a loophole in its defensive network to infiltrate.

"No, His Highness Beckett. Woz cannot block the Supreme Intelligence’s scans."

After ninety-eight thousand attempts, Woz aboard the ship finally chose to give up.

In its view, this was completely pointless.

Its opponent was the Kree’s crystallization of wisdom, bearing the terrifying title of AI God. As an Artificial Intelligence lifeform created by Thanos solely for combat, it was no match for it at all.

They were simply not opponents on the same level.

Whether in design or processing speed, Woz was at the stage of being utterly dominated by the Supreme Intelligence.

"Looks like your plan is going to fall through?"

Hela, having unfastened her seatbelt, stood beside the spacecraft window and gazed at the distant Kree Empire territory.

To reach Planet Hala, they first had to enter Kree Empire territory. But they had no entry permits now. Forget going to the Kree capital, Planet Hala—even this remote corner of the Kree Empire was inaccessible to them.

"Fall through?"

Beckett rose from his seat and slowly walked to Hela’s side. Using his height advantage, he looked past Hela toward the magnificent distance as an increasingly crazed idea took shape in his mind.

"Do you want to try something more exciting?"

"Hm?"

Hela neither agreed nor disagreed. She shrugged, signaling for him to continue.

"Fight our way in."

"…Fight our way in? You and me? Into the Kree Empire?"

Hela looked at him as though he were an idiot.

The current Kree Empire was indisputably the universe’s number one empire. Did he have no idea how formidable its military strength was?

And he wanted to fight their way in?

They would probably be riddled with holes by Kree weapons before they even reached Planet Hala!

This was an empire at its peak, one capable of simultaneously competing with the long-established Skrull Empire while also waging war against Xandar. It was not some declining old power!

"The Other."

At Beckett’s command, the Chitauri leader holding the scepter hurried over to him. "His Highness Beckett."

"Give her the scepter."

Beckett pointed at Hela. A trace of hesitation flashed through The Other’s eyes before immediately vanishing.

Any command from His Highness Beckett had to be obeyed without question. This was one of the three rules The Other had set for himself.

"Hmm?"

"And then?"

Hela did not refuse either. She accepted the Mind Scepter The Other presented with both hands and asked in return.

To be fair, she was also a battle-loving person. Beckett’s proposal sounded nearly absurd, but it undoubtedly struck the adventurous instinct deep within her heart.

She liked excitement. There was no doubt about it.

"Hold out your hand and grip the Mind Stone embedded at the top of the scepter as tightly as you can."

After waving The Other away, Beckett shut off Woz’s warnings and looked at Hela with great interest.

He had experienced the power of a Super Saiyan through the Mind Stone before. Now, he was curious what Hela might obtain from it.

"Are you sure?"

Hela raised her brows in surprise. She was not some ignorant fool. Odin had long explained exactly what was embedded in this scepter.

The Mind Stone, one of the universe’s six Infinity Stones.

"When did you become so long-winded?"

Smack!

Beckett’s verbal provocation made Hela slap the Mind Stone atop the scepter!

There was no resistance, not even the slightest pain. Hela easily plucked the stone free and held it in her hand.

Nothing unusual happened during the process.

"Did it not work?" Beckett narrowed his eyes, watching everything unfold, slightly disappointed.

Boom!

The very next second after his disappointment arose, the Mind Stone clenched in Hela’s hand suddenly shone brilliantly. The glare was so intense that The Other temporarily lost his vision!

"My… body…?!"

Murmuring in disbelief, Hela’s face showed a trace of pain.

The power within her body was expanding at a terrifying rate, yet she had no way to stop it!

"Hela, give me your hand!"

"Now!"

Through her hazy consciousness, Hela heard someone calling to her.

She instinctively reached out, and the rough texture of skin immediately flooded her senses.

Whoosh!

The energy rampaging through Hela’s body, unable to find an outlet, seemed to discover one at last and instantly surged into Beckett, who had tightly grasped Hela’s right hand!