"Emperor, it is an honor that you agreed to meet with us. Please, this way!"
The leader of the Ravagers was an old friend of Yondu's, someone he knew well.
Alan did not remove his armor—only those close to him needed to know his true appearance. There was no need for outsiders to see too much.
Hela was already aware of his identity as a human from Earth, though Alan had gone to great lengths to prevent her from confirming it. He had no idea how much further her madness would go.
A serious discussion followed. Meanwhile, Drax grew visibly impatient.
The Ravagers extended an invitation for Yondu to rejoin them, expressing their sincerity.
Moreover, they made a promise: if Emperor ever needed their help, they would drop whatever they were doing and come to his aid immediately.
Alan couldn't refuse such goodwill and simply nodded with a smile, accepting their offer.
Before long, it was time to part ways. The Ravagers never stayed in one place for too long.
Yondu gazed at Quill with reluctance. From his coat, he pulled out an old, well-worn Walkman.
"Take it. I should have given this to you a long time ago. It's something from Earth… your mother's keepsake."
Yondu didn't say much more, simply shoving the Walkman into Quill's hands before turning away without looking back.
The Ravager ship slowly departed.
"I…"
A thought suddenly formed in Quill's mind, one that felt almost unrealistic—he wanted to return to Earth.
He had no idea how long it had been since he last set foot there.
Hopefully, he could still remember where Meredith's grave was.
"What's wrong?" Alan noticed Quill's reddened eyes. Was he upset about Yondu leaving?
"Alan, my next request might be a little selfish, but… I want to go back to Earth. I want to find my mother's grave and leave a bouquet of flowers for her."
Gamora hesitated to object. Was this really the right time to return?
Weren't they supposed to be searching for the stones and preparing to fight Thanos?
"Alright, then let's go back."
Alan had a strange feeling that this might be another sign—a guiding force.
Perhaps something else was waiting for him on Earth.
"But…"
Nebula wanted to speak up, to express her concerns—now wasn't the time for mourning.
"Relax, Nebula. Quill just wants to leave some flowers."
Rocket wouldn't stop Quill from going back. After all, he had been away from Earth for so many years.
Every year on the anniversary of Meredith's death, Quill would always be downcast.
Suddenly, Alan raised his head and locked eyes with Nebula, his gaze intense.
A realization struck him—why was Ebony Maw always able to locate Nebula so precisely?
Even when she had asked Hela to send her somewhere hidden, she was always found in the end.
"A-Alan?"
Nebula avoided his gaze, worried that she had said something wrong.
"Nebula, have you ever wondered why Ebony Maw always knows where you are?"
Alan's mind was razor-sharp, quickly pinpointing the problem.
If they could remove the source, Nebula could finally escape from Thanos' relentless pursuit.
"Why?"
Nebula's eyes were filled with confusion.
She had never truly thought about it.
From the very beginning, her every move had always been under her foster father Thanos' control.
"It's because Thanos has been modifying your body over and over again. He must have implanted a tracking system inside you. No matter where you run, he will always be able to find you!"
Alan had finally realized the key issue.
...
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