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After Thor left, Anton informed the little turtle in the sewer, Donatello, about Odin's situation.

It's worth mentioning that during Tony's pursuit of Ultron, he created another artificial intelligence. However, compared to Ultron and J.A.R.V.I.S., this new AI—named "Friday" by Tony—did not inherit the ingenuity of its predecessors.

After the Ultron incident, Tony had grown wary of powerful artificial intelligences. In a way, Friday's capabilities are intentionally limited—almost simplistic. Tony understood that only with a conservative design could AI safely exist in the world again.

Gone were the days of advanced intelligences like Ultron or J.A.R.V.I.S., capable of human-like reasoning.

As a gesture of good faith in his cooperation with the Justice League, Tony distributed Friday's system access to every member of the League.

Donatello, in particular, liked Friday the most. He was also one of the few who could fully maximize Friday's utility.

"No problem. Leave this task to me," Donatello said, patting his chest confidently. "If Odin appears on Earth, I'll be the first to know."

Anton trusted him. Nodding in satisfaction, he summoned a clone of Superman and returned to the vast cosmos via a teleportation device.

Somewhere in the Void

On the famous Wanderer Planet—located on the outer edge of the universe—ruins from a past battle between Superman and the Kree fleet still scarred the surface. Once formed from the remains of a legendary warship, the planet had been devastated in the conflict.

Most of its cities, which had once proudly risen from the surface, were flattened by the Kree's spacecraft.

Fortunately, the inhabitants of Void Land were no strangers to war. Rebuilding was second nature. The cities were rapidly restored, and the planet returned to its former prosperity.

Black market dealings flourished once more.

But now, there was a new topic dominating every conversation:

The mysterious powerhouse who had challenged the galactic overlords—the Kree—and survived.

Starling Bar

"Superman!"

A drunken voice rang out as someone raised their glass. "That man's name is Superman—Clark Kent. News from Earth. You know, they've just opened alien immigration. A friend of mine on Earth confirmed it. He's the one who wiped out the Kree fleet!"

"Yeah, I heard the same," another chimed in, banging the table. "They say he's from Krypton, but I've never heard of such a powerful race..."

"You're behind the times. Krypton's gone. There's only one Kryptonian left in the universe—and that's Superman."

The bar patrons erupted into a flurry of chatter. News about Superman had become the hottest topic on the planet.

Many had witnessed the battle firsthand. The memories were still vivid.

Before Superman, no one believed a single person could possess such terrifying power.

In the universe, the number of superpowered beings is relatively low in proportion—but given the sheer population scale, the absolute number remains high. Especially among wanderers and adventurers, the elite of the extraordinary were common.

Even so, no one expected to see someone descend like a god and stand alone against a fleet.

A fleet—dozens of warships, each equipped with devastating firepower.

On lesser-developed planets, such a force could obliterate civilizations.

And yet, this fleet was destroyed by a man with nothing but his fists.

The Kree Empire was enraged when the news reached them. Rumors spread that their leader, Ronan, was seething with frustration.

But since the incident, no one knows what action the Kree have taken—or are planning—against Superman.

Some people have begun to suspect that the conflict between Superman and the Kree isn't as simple as it seems.

Rumors suggest other major players are involved.

It's also said that Superman has an ally—someone who's also a sworn enemy of the Kree.

With all kinds of information swirling around, fact and fiction have become hopelessly entangled. No one can tell what's real anymore.

Starling Bar – Corner Table

"It seems your appearance—and your origin—have really thrown the galaxy into chaos."

A blonde woman raised her glass to the muscular, casually dressed man sitting across from her.

She smiled. "From what I've gathered, the Kree have issued a kill-on-sight order for you. And Thanos… well, he's started tracking your movements too. He seems very interested in that Power Stone you're carrying."

"Thanos won't stop hunting the Infinity Stones," Superman replied calmly. "I expected this from the beginning."

"The Kree aren't much of a concern. Unless they mobilize an entire planet's military, they pose no threat to either of us. Thanos is the real problem."

Carol Danvers frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on Superman. She was trying to figure out where his calm confidence came from—beyond raw power.

She didn't know him well, but she did know about his origins.

Her old friend Nick Fury had just returned from Earth with a trove of information on the Justice League. According to Fury, the League had developed a formidable intelligence network across the universe.

And judging from current events, that network might now be operating through Superman himself.

That would explain how he seemed to know so much—including Thanos' obsession with gathering the Infinity Stones.

"You seem pretty certain," Carol said carefully. "Do you know who Thanos sent after you?"

She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering.

"Before Gamora defected to our side, she was one of Thanos' most trusted lieutenants. She understands his inner circle better than any of us..."

"The Black Order. Or as some call them—Thanos' 'children': Ebony Maw, Black Dwarf, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive."

Superman raised his glass and smiled at her.

"Don't worry. They're powerful, yes—but nothing I can't handle. The Thanos Legion may be the most feared force in the universe, but take Thanos out of the picture, and they're just noise."

Carol's eyes narrowed.

"You're making me uneasy," she admitted. "It feels like you have some personal vendetta against Thanos—and maybe even another agenda."

She was irritated, and she knew it.

Ever since Superman entered the scene, she'd learned about the conspiracies between the Kree and Thanos—through his channels—and joined forces with him in a war of vengeance.

She didn't regret it. After all, she'd been recklessly charging through the galaxy for years. That was just her style.

But still... something about the way Superman handled things rubbed her the wrong way.

He was always in control. Always one step ahead. And that made her feel like she and her allies were just... pieces on his board.

Like everything they did was ultimately just building up his legend.

Superman met her eyes and spoke plainly:

"Whatever my reasons are, I can promise you one thing—none of them will ever harm Earth or humanity."

There was no deep friendship between them yet. But if one was going to form, it had to start with honesty—even if it meant facing each other head-on.

Carol may be reckless, but she's no fool.

"So you're saying everything you do is ultimately for the good of Earth and humanity?"

Carol narrowed her eyes slightly, reading between the lines.

"Yes," Superman replied with a nod. "However... I can't tell you exactly what I'm planning."

Even if he told her the truth—that he was collecting the Infinity Stones to prevent Thanos from erasing half of all intelligent life in the universe—Carol wouldn't believe him. At best, she'd think he was lying. At worst, a bad liar with a dangerous agenda.

"Fine. I won't press you," Carol said, backing off.

She knew Superman had never done anything to harm Earth. In fact, whenever the planet was on the brink of disaster, he was the one to turn the tide. Today, he was seen as a living legend.

In the eyes of the people, Superman had far surpassed her in fame—despite both of them being powerful protectors of Earth.

But that was to be expected. Carol had never really appeared before the public. Only a handful of high-level officials and classified files even recorded her saving Earth—long before Superman arrived on the scene.

Fortunately, she wasn't someone who cared much for fame or recognition. She had no resentment about it.

If she had been the jealous type, this conversation with Superman wouldn't have been nearly as civil.

"Enough small talk," she said, folding her arms. "You crossed half the universe because I contacted you. You must be wondering why."

Superman nodded, intrigued.

The reason he'd split off from his original form and returned to this part of the galaxy was entirely due to Carol's message.

And judging by her expression when they first spoke, this wasn't just about the Kree or the Black Order.

"Even if the Kree and Thanos' generals are hunting me," Superman said casually, "they won't find me anytime soon. As long as I don't go looking for them, they're just stumbling around blindly... unless they decide to go after Earth."

"I overlooked that..." Carol's expression shifted as the thought sank in. But after a brief moment of tension, she let out a breath of relief. "Luckily, I haven't seen any signs that they're targeting Earth—at least, not yet."

After a brief pause, she changed the subject.

"I contacted you because of the Ravager team we recently took down. The one led by Yondu."

"Oh?" Superman raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Don't tell me there are other Ravagers looking to avenge Yondu?"

He chuckled slightly. "From what I know, Yondu's group wasn't exactly loved by the others. He got kicked out years ago, didn't he? Something about doing jobs that made the rest of them look bad?"

Carol nodded. "Exactly. After his death, none of the other Ravager teams made a move. They might stick together when it's convenient, but when it comes to Yondu... they've always kept their distance."

She sighed. "As you said, most of them saw Yondu's actions as tarnishing the Ravagers' reputation. They never considered him one of their own after that."

"So, what I want to say isn't about other Ravager teams. It's about Yondu's own team—or rather, one specific member of it. Someone who's already dead."

As Carol spoke, something clicked in Superman's mind.

"Star-Lord?" he asked. "Peter Quill—the guy who got himself killed because of his greed?"

"Yes. His origin is... a bit unusual."

Carol gave Superman a look of surprise. She hadn't expected him to guess so quickly and so accurately. Then she continued, "Peter Quill's body was recently dug up by other members of Yondu's team and taken away—by his biological father."

"After Yondu was killed, I planted a few eyes in the Void. I wanted to see if any of the other Ravagers would retaliate for his death… Turns out, they didn't care. Yondu really was an outcast."

She leaned forward slightly.

"But that surveillance revealed something else—something strange about Peter Quill's heritage. His biological father doesn't seem to be from Earth. And he's powerful. At least powerful enough to afford a team of Ravagers several times more expensive than Yondu's. That says a lot."

She continued, but was cut off by Superman.

"So, what you're saying is: Peter Quill was only half human. His father's identity is still unknown, but he's clearly not someone ordinary."

"Exactly," Carol nodded. She didn't mind being interrupted. "So, what's your take?"

"No need to investigate further," Superman said calmly. "Leave it to me. If this turns into trouble, I'll handle it."

Carol studied his expression, surprised by how composed he was. Then something dawned on her. Her eyes narrowed.

"You already know, don't you? You knew who Peter Quill's father was from the start. Probably even back when you first met him—you realized he wasn't fully human."

"Correct." Superman shrugged. "I've known all along."

Carol's voice tightened. "So who is he? And is he a threat to us?"

She wasn't just irritated—she was getting angry now. Deep down, she had always suspected Superman was keeping something from her. Now that her suspicions were confirmed, the frustration boiled to the surface.

"The likelihood of him being a threat is very low," Superman answered steadily. "Peter Quill's father is... a planet. A living planet named Ego."

Carol blinked. "A planet?"

"Yes. Ego is a celestial entity—he doesn't have normal human emotions. The reason he fathered Peter Quill was part of a larger plan. In fact, he's left children across countless planets—millions of them. It's staggering."

He paused, then concluded with certainty:

"So, no—I don't believe he'll care about the death of just one of them. Even if that child was one he once considered special."

…

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