MD-Chapter 381 Ronan is Trying to Escape!

Ronan was indeed getting restless.

At first, he hadn't given Arthur or his ragtag group a second thought.

This was his warship, colossal in size, crewed by a loyal Kree force, and armed to the teeth. Against that kind of power, why would he worry about a few unknowns showing up from some backwater quadrant of the galaxy? Their names didn't even register in any interstellar threat database.

Only Gamora had any reputation worth noting, and that was mainly because she was Thanos's daughter.

Even then, Ronan wasn't concerned.

If he had already secured the Power Stone, not even Thanos would've mattered to him.

He had expected a minor skirmish, maybe a few sparks. A handful of disposable Kree soldiers should've been enough to neutralize the intruders. But to his growing irritation, the situation was spiraling.

These people… weren't serious. That's what stung the most. They joked, they bantered, and still, every time just one of them made a move, his forces crumbled.

The most aggravating? That so-called "instructor" is sitting casually on the green giant's shoulder. The guy had only acted once so far and let the rest of his team handle everything.

Yet these teammates of his were no joke. One of them tossed a shield around like it was part of a circus act, except everywhere it landed, Kree soldiers went flying. Another wielded a hammer that crackled with raw energy, flattening entire squads with a single swing.

Every single one of them had a distinct style. But they were all unstoppable.

How was that fair?

Now they were practically at the bridge, chatting along the way like they were on a stroll.

Ronan couldn't sit idly anymore.

He barked out orders immediately.

Regroup the troops. Funnel them into the corridor before the bridge. Lay ambushes. Set laser traps. Deploy all heavy weapons. No more playing around. These intruders were to be captured or destroyed.

But Ronan had no idea that all of this had already been observed through The Eye of Horus, the arcane-augmented Stark-Tech surveillance system Arthur had installed.

If Ronan thought his plan had a chance, it'd take a miracle for it to work.

...

Arthur broke down Ronan's entire setup for the group in real time. Every soldier, every trap, every potential ambush was laid out like a tactical briefing.

Everyone instantly snapped to high alert.

They weren't underestimating the enemy. Respecting your opponent meant taking their strategies seriously, even if their intentions were dishonorable.

After analyzing every angle, they all agreed: barring any wild variables, there was nothing to fear.

Their side had firepower. Skill. And more than enough unpredictability.

Arthur wasn't worried either. Worst case scenario? He could activate the Disassembler System, pull the team into his personalized subspace, and dismantle the warship entirely from the inside out. The only reason he hadn't already done it was because he wanted to leave Ronan's ship as a "gift" for Thanos, something symbolic.

The corridor ahead was oddly quiet. Kree soldiers, who'd previously jumped out in failed attempts at ambush, had vanished. Not that it mattered. They hadn't been more than a mild inconvenience to begin with.

Then Arthur spoke, his voice low but clear.

"There's a laser grid installed above us. Once we step into the center, it'll activate and drop. Thirty-two Kree soldiers are hidden in the left corridor, while their commander is in the center one. The heavy weapon you'll see at the front gate? That's bait."

He pointed ahead as he explained.

"The real threat is in the right-side corridor, three identical heavy cannons. If we avoid the grid trap, they'll open fire. I'm not even sure my energy shield can tank those hits. Could be plasma-based, high-yield class."

He turned to the team, issuing orders like a seasoned field commander.

"Spider-Man, you take the ceiling route. Web up the rightmost cannon before it fires. Thor, use Mjolnir to take out the second one. I'll handle the third."

"With those neutralized, the rest is cleanup."

The plan was clean, simple, and incredibly precise. Arthur had mapped out every trap and troop placement like he had insider knowledge.

Spider-Man didn't hesitate. He leapt upward, stuck to the ceiling, and swung silently into the large chamber ahead. Sure enough, there were three passageways on either side, just as Arthur had said.

Spider-Man headed straight for the third corridor on the right, but someone in the left passage spotted him.

"Look out!!!"

The warning rang out just as Spider-Man dropped to the floor, firing webs in rapid bursts. Within seconds, a squad of Kree soldiers was wrapped up like gift-wrapped targets, and the heavy turret at the end of the hall was locked down tight in a web cocoon.

At the same time, an explosion boomed from the second right corridor, Thor had made contact. Mission accomplished on his end.

But the third passage remained silent. Just as Peter was beginning to wonder what went wrong, he heard the unmistakable sound of the Hulk and others charging in, each bringing their own brand of chaos to the battlefield. The Kree troops never stood a chance.

Truthfully, Steve and the others had approached this mission like it was open warfare.

But Steve Rogers, being the old-school soldier he was, found the fight laughably one-sided. As they progressed, it started to feel less like war… and more like playing a game of tag.

Only now were they truly engaged in something resembling a battle. But even then, it was a lopsided affair. The Kree never stood a chance.

Arthur, meanwhile, was having the time of his life. Ronan had stacked the right corridor with no fewer than two hundred soldiers. But the moment Spider-Man moved, Hulk surged forward to back him up, worried the kid might run into serious heat.

Peter was fast, sure, but against concentrated firepower, even his web-slinging acrobatics couldn't substitute for heavy defense.

As for Thor? His style didn't need commentary, lightning, hammer, and pure force. Classic and effective.

Star-Lord had also stepped up, using every gadget in his arsenal. Years of guerrilla skirmishes had taught him how to use grenades, mines, and tactical diversions with finesse. His battlefield mobility was top-tier.

Gamora moved like a shadow, silent, surgical, and lethal. A green specter darting through the fray.

Hulk, on the other hand, was a walking catastrophe. The big guy had picked up a few new combat moves recently, which made him even more terrifying. He tore through the enemy with a precision that was new and frightening.

Gamora was the dagger. Hulk was the hammer.

And Groot? Groot was basically a tank, but in this battle, no one needed one.

While everyone was immersed in their personal showcases of power, Arthur's voice crackled through the team's comms:

"Ronan's on the move. I'm going after him. Stay alert!"

For a second, everyone paused, but the intensity of the battle left no time for conversation. They pressed on, finishing up their skirmishes before regrouping.

...

While the others were locked in combat, Arthur had already blinked across the warship, his figure materializing right inside Ronan's command deck.

But Ronan wasn't there.

Instead, a dozen Kree pilots were still at their stations, attempting to manage ship functions and provide backup.

Arthur didn't waste time. One by one, he neutralized them with swift precision, moving through the room like a ghost. Then he resumed the chase.

The truth was, Ronan wanted to run.

But he couldn't.

He'd built his escape plan around bulkhead seals and fortified barriers, standard Kree military tactics. But those didn't matter when your opponent could teleport.

No matter how many doors he locked, how many corridors he sealed off, Arthur would simply blink through them.

How do you outrun someone who doesn't play by the rules of space?

You don't.

(End of Chapter)

You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395