A contest of champions
When the Guardians came to, the auto-pilot of their borrowed Kree ship safely landed them back on the moon. To gather their thoughts and establish the next route of action, the Guardians set off on foot to return to the home of Uatu for advice.
Suddenly, Uatu appeared to them on a nearby hill. Next to him stood a gaunt, tall man in an ankle-length jerkin. It was none other than The Grandmaster.
"As you all might have guessed by now, it appears the Kree have created a new Cosmic Cube." The illustrious Grandmaster explained. "Of course, the Skrulls cannot allow the Kree such an advantage; it would undoubtedly mean the destruction of their civilization, if not the subjugation of their entire galaxy, which is why Uatu the Watcher appears to have broken his vow of non-interference -- again!"
"I have not broken my vow!!" Uatu angrily interrupted. "I am allowed to protect my property!"
"Be that as it may," the Grandmaster nonchalantly continued. "The balance of power between the Skrull and the KreKree being what it is leaves the Kree believing they are doomed without the power of the cube. Unfortunately, the rest of the civilized universe may be doomed if the Kree possess it. The power of the Cosminc Cube is much too great to leave in the hands of careless mortals. Out of concern for the safety of this universe, the Elders intend to safeguard the Cube. Equally unfortunate, the Elders and i cannot reach an agreement on how to proceed in this matter, and a contest between beings of such great power would ultimately result in the destruction of this solar system. Therefore, we have decided upon a contest by proxy. Uatu the Watcher has chosen you as his selected champions, while i have personally selected the Inhuman Royal Family as my own agents. I sense that the Cosmic Cube is hidden somewhere in Attilan, the Inhuman city found on the dark side of Earth's moon. The first group to return the cube to their sponsor wins."
"You must not fail in this, my friends." Uatu pleaded. "I fear the Grandmaster's intentions are not as truly benevolent as they seem."
"Enough!!" The Grandmaster snapped. "Let the contest begin!"
The Grandmaster and Uatu suddenly stood atop a bridge, instead of a hill. The desolate lunar crater they had been standing in converted into the lush vegetation of a forest. Several simple figures gaped in amazement at the 2 majestic beings alight the bridge. They all stood just outside of Attilan, the blue city. A controlled climate eco-sphere with gravity and atmosphere articulated to simulate earth.
"Let your search begin!" Boomed the enhanced resonation of the Grandmaster's voice. "We will await your return here."
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After entering the blue city and spending a bit of time anxiously searching in private, the Guardians eventually hear of a disturbance at the Attilan prison. When the Guardians go to investigate they arrived to find 8 Inhuman guards dead in the prison corridor.
The prison appears to have been forced open by a large being of great power. Long metallic shavings lined a fresh scrape in the hallway walls, and dirt from beneath the moon's surface soiled the floors. The wounds exhibited by the dead guards were inflicted by physical and energy-type weapons. An escaped prisoner appeared to be the lone survivor of a vicious attack on the prison. Acting on suspicion of the prisoner, the guards captured him and began interrogating him.
The prisoner stated his name as Maximus, but did not speak of the crimes that warranted his incarceration in the Attilan prison. Maximus spoke of the giant prison robot that had somehow acquired a Cosmic Cube. He regaled how the robot had been granted abnormal intelligence, and spoke of using the cube's power to transform the inhabitants of the galaxy into Mechanons and cybernetic beings. According to Maximus, the crazed robot murdered the guards and compromised the structural integrity of the prison to escape. Maximus then stated that he could pursue the robot, if the Guardians wished to obtain the cube. In fact, Maximus insists he be allowed to accompany them as a native of Attilan and a guide. He persists that his motivation to thwart the robot's insidious plans were genuine and that there was no harm that could be done by a being such as him, to those as powerful in reputation as the Guardians of the Galaxy. With lack of better options, the Guardians decide to allow Maximus to act as their guide in Attilan.
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Meanwhile, Silver Surfer struggles to find Galactus who had been led to the farthest reaches of the universe. Along the way, Silver Surfer struggles with the task at hand and the ramifications of returning the ender to the galaxy he had come to love more than his own. He also reflected on his role as a former Herald of Galactus and all he had accomplished in his travels. Believing the Guardians of the Galaxy and his former love Mantis to have been executed by Ego, the surfer angrily plots the revenge to be enacted on the rogue planetoid.