Unknown Plan

"Warlord is going too?" Alex was stunned once again. He turned around and stared blankly at Warlord.

Warlord looked equally confused, clearly having no idea why he was going along.

Danger Bird smiled mysteriously but offered no details. "I have my own arrangements. Go back, get ready, and set off!" As she spoke, Danger Bird began ushering him away, leaving Alex no chance to say another word.

Alex curled his lip and used Teleportation to leave the palace directly. He then passed through the stargate and returned to Planet Feather. The Imperial Capital and Planet Feather were not in the same Star System, so Alex could only return through the stargate.

He had already packed most of his things. In truth, he did not have much to pack. He had arrived here with nothing, so there was nothing particularly worth keeping.

After bidding farewell to his fellow Imperial Guards on Planet Feather, Alex returned to the Imperial Capital once more.

The moment he stepped out of the Imperial Capital, Warlord approached with a squad of Imperial Guards. Without a word, they rushed him and quickly tied Alex up.

Alex did not resist. He merely looked at Warlord in confusion and secretly asked through Mind Telepathy, "What is this, Warlord?"

"This is part of the plan. Just behave!" Warlord did not have Mind Telepathy, but he had plenty of ways to send his voice into Alex’s ears while ensuring no one else could hear it.

Alex’s mouth twitched, and a flash of frustration passed through his eyes. He complained through Mind Telepathy, "Can you at least tell me what the plan is? I just came out, and you pull something like this. It’s terrifying, all right?!"

"You are a criminal now and will be imprisoned in Kree Star Prison…"

Before Warlord could finish, Alex burst out excitedly. "Damn it, Warlord, did I hear that right? You’re sending me to Kree Star Prison? Are you sure?!"

Alex could hardly be blamed for getting so worked up. Kree Star Prison was simply too infamous—though infamous in all the worst ways.

Just like in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, Kree Star Prison was a place for interstellar felons. But the people imprisoned there were not minor thugs like in the film. Many were notorious, immensely powerful criminals known across the universe, and Warlord himself had once been one of them!

Watching Alex’s pupils slowly widen, Warlord secretly chuckled. Yet he still explained, "If you want to establish yourself in the Nova Corps, the fastest way is to earn merits, and Kree is undoubtedly the best place for that."

"That hellhole?" Alex could not suppress the anger in his heart and rolled his eyes irritably.

Warlord did not mind. He discreetly pointed at himself and chuckled. "Am I not an example?"

After leaving Planet Warlord, Warlord had first become famous throughout the universe as a gladiator. Countless lives had died by his hand, and he had even been connected to certain space pirates. After being captured, Warlord was imprisoned in Kree Star Prison. There, he stopped a mass prison break and earned a pardon. Later, Danger Bird took notice of him and appointed him Captain of the Imperial Guards.

"Don’t tell me someone’s about to break out of Kree Star Prison again?" Alex knew Warlord’s history well. He glanced up at Warlord and spoke with disdain.

Warlord shook his head.

"Exactly! Then what am I going to Kree Star Prison for?!" Alex complained impatiently before Warlord could speak. "To sing prison blues to outer space?!"

Warlord looked helplessly at Alex acting like a child. Too lazy to listen to any more complaints, he spilled Danger Bird’s entire plan in one breath. "…All right, satisfied now?"

"You’re sure you’re not messing with me?" Instead of relaxing after hearing Warlord out, Alex became even angrier. "You want me to provoke that guy? Am I tired of living?!"

Hearing Alex’s furious roar, Warlord awkwardly scratched his Mohawk and gave a dry laugh as he forced out an explanation. "It doesn’t really count as provoking him. It’s only one of his underlings. It’ll be fine!"

"I’m not doing it. I’ll die—a horrible death!" Alex shook his head frantically and made as if to break free of the magnetic restraints and flee. "If you want to play with him, you can play with him yourselves. I’m not doing it!"

Warlord moved to stop him, then paused after thinking it over. In truth, when Warlord had heard Danger Bird’s plan, he too had felt they were needlessly courting trouble. Provoking someone like that for no reason was practically asking to die! Deep down, Warlord did not approve. But the Empress’s orders had to be obeyed.

Just as Alex was about to break free of the magnetic restraints, Lilandra’s voice reached him through Mind Telepathy.

"Alex!" Lilandra sounded urgent, with a trace of worry in her voice. "We’ve already arranged everything. Nothing will go wrong."

Alex stopped struggling and looked toward the palace, a mocking smile flickering across his face. "Lilandra, you can go yourselves. I’m absolutely not going!" The moment he thought of that person’s identity and the person behind her, Alex lost all desire to continue.

"Alex?" Lilandra’s voice sounded again, carrying a note of pleading. "That person’s movements have been rather mysterious lately. We’re worried he might cause trouble again, so we urgently need information. You also need merits, so…"

"No way, he’s stirring up trouble again?" Alex’s hands, which had just started moving, froze once more. Thinking about the commotion that person had caused last time made his scalp tingle.

Warlord seemed to have heard Lilandra’s telepathic message as well. Hearing Alex’s words, he nodded. "Indeed. His movements have been far too frequent lately. It seems he’s plotting something." After a slight pause, Warlord added, "The war between the Kree and the Skrull has yet to break out, and he has a great deal to do with that!"

"You people are getting bolder and bolder!" Alex let out a despondent sigh, then nodded helplessly. "Fine. I accept this plan, but I can’t guarantee it’ll work!"

Seeing Alex finally agree, Lilandra jumped up excitedly inside the palace. Full of joy, she said through Mind Telepathy, "Alex, I knew you would agree!"

"I hope everything you said is true. Otherwise…" Alex continued obediently letting Warlord hold him while secretly adding a threat. "And if he comes looking for trouble with me later, you can’t refuse to help!" Alex remembered that person appearing in several Marvel films as a post-credits tease. Earth surely would not escape his clutches either, so finding allies in advance was what mattered most!

Warlord patted his chest confidently. "Don’t worry. He is a threat to the entire universe, an enemy to all of us!"

"I’ll remember those words, Warlord!"

Guess who the person Scorpion mentioned in this chapter was. It should be easy to guess!