Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start

Although meeting Blake brought a new perspective to Rocket's life and goals, this seasoned bounty hunter still couldn't resist the allure of money radiating from Star-Lord. 

Patting the new gun he got from Blake, an impatient Rocket was about to head straight into the small shop. 

But Blake grabbed him back in one swift motion. 

"Let go of me! I'm warning you, if you pick me up from behind like that again, I'll blow your face off with a single shot!" 

Rocket snarled angrily. 

"Shut up. You tried before and failed, didn't you? Look ahead—see that green-skinned woman? I'm sure she's after the same target as you. And by the way, she's got quite the figure!" 

Tony pointed at the woman who had just appeared in front of the shop. 

"Gamora! Why is it her? The daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos—a notorious assassin!" 

Rocket muttered warily as he instinctively reached for the safety of his gun. 

"Thanos?" 

Tony had already heard this name several times since arriving here. 

"Seems like that bastard has plenty of secrets. So many people are interested in him. What's the plan?" 

Tony looked at Blake. 

"Take down two, one each," Blake replied simply. 

---

Inside the shop, the timid owner had refused to trade with Star-Lord after Ronan specifically requested the Orb (which contained the Power Stone). 

After wasting a ton of breath, Star-Lord reluctantly walked out of the shop, looking defeated. 

"Hey!" 

Gamora's voice made Star-Lord's eyes light up. 

Turning around, he saw a stunning beauty leaning against the doorframe. 

Her green skin perfectly matched his aesthetic preferences. 

"Hey, you're—" 

Before Star-Lord could finish his sentence and before Gamora could make her move, their conversation was rudely interrupted by Rocket. 

"Hands up, you two! Yeah, I mean you—the green-skinned lady and the sleazy-looking guy. Get those damn hands in the air!" 

Rocket stood about ten meters away, cocking his gun with a loud click as he spoke. 

"Damn it, I don't even know this guy—" 

"Sleazy? You talking about me, you talking raccoon?" 

Star-Lord and Gamora both started speaking at the same time, but neither got far before Blake decided to cut the nonsense short. 

With a flick of his wrist, he punched through two small portals, landing a solid blow to the backs of their heads. 

The two dropped like sacks of potatoes. 

"Joining forces with you was definitely the smart move. You're way more useful than Groot!" 

Rocket ran over excitedly, stepping on Star-Lord's face and flipping his eyelids like he was inspecting merchandise. He couldn't resist throwing some verbal jabs at Blake. 

"No need to go overboard. I've got plans for this guy. Leave him to me," Blake said, stopping Rocket, who was about to call off the mission and notify their employer. 

"Partners are partners, but money is money! And we just met—I'm warning you… Oh, thank you, boss!" 

Rocket's attempt at being intimidating immediately fizzled out when he saw the 80,000 credits pending transfer from Blake's wrist device. 

"You're giving me double, sure, but technically this is a buy-one-get-one deal. You're not losing out, right? Still, what are you planning to do with this idiot? He's got a face that screams useless." 

"The fact that so many people are after him means he—or something he's carrying—is worth far more than a few thousand credits. Now, you dumb raccoon, go back to the hotel!" 

---

"What? Four billion!" 

Rocket and the tightly bound Star-Lord shouted simultaneously. 

"That's right," Gamora confirmed with a nod, her eyes fixed intently on Blake. 

"I don't know who you're working for, or what your purpose is in capturing us, but I'm pretty sure the people behind you can't match this price. Ronan is scouring the universe for this thing, and even Thanos wants it. Only I can find a buyer willing to pay for it. Once the deal is done, I'll give you half!" 

"I want 70%!" 

Rocket impatiently interjected from the side. 

Blake rolled his eyes. "Did you hear that, Rocket? Your employer only offered 40,000. And as for you... Quill, right? How much is your buyer offering? 100,000? A million? The fact is, you're both just bottom-tier small-time crooks without a proper channel to offload this." 

"Shut up! I'm the legendary Star-Lord!" 

"Shut up! I'm the legendary Rocket!" 

Star-Lord and Rocket shouted in unison. 

Then they glanced at each other, and, as if by instinct, spoke in sync again. 

"Who's Star-Lord?" 

"Who's Rocket?" 

"You've never heard of Star-Lord? You ignorant fox!" 

Star-Lord turned angrily to Blake. 

Blake simply spread his hands in a shrug. 

Tony chuckled and shook his head, while Gamora rolled her eyes in exasperation. 

"Alright, fine! You're all a bunch of clueless bumpkins. I can forgive your ignorance. But I went through a lot to get this Orb. We can sell it together and split the money—it's much better than fighting like this, isn't it?" 

After finishing his speech, Star-Lord looked at Blake, joined by the gazes of Gamora and Rocket. 

"Sure!" Blake replied cheerfully. 

"We'll split it evenly, one share per person. But this thing stays with me for now." 

As he spoke, Blake casually reached over and took the Orb from Star-Lord. 

While Gamora and Star-Lord looked at him in shock and alarm, and Rocket in confusion, Blake crushed the metallic shell of the Orb with his bare hand. 

"No!" 

"No!" 

Both Star-Lord and Gamora shouted in unison. 

Blake calmly shook off the metal fragments, revealing the Power Stone inside. He grasped it with one hand. 

In an instant, purple light flared from Blake's hand, surging outward and enveloping his entire body. 

The overwhelming power capable of destroying planets in an instant roared to life, spreading like a tidal wave, before suddenly retracting as if it had been an illusion. 

All the purple light retreated into Blake's hand and vanished. 

And along with it, the Power Stone in his hand disappeared as well. 

"Where… where did you put it? Who the hell are you???" 

Compared to Star-Lord's alarm, Gamora's reaction was even more unhinged. Star-Lord only knew the Stone was incredibly powerful and dangerous, but Gamora, raised alongside Thanos, was well-versed in the legend of the Infinity Stones. 

The Power Stone, in ancient times, was used by the Celestials as a weapon to destroy planets. No one could wield its power with their bare hands. 

Even Thanos, for all his might, could only use a single Stone temporarily, and even then, he needed a specially crafted weapon to harness its power. 

"Who am I?" 

Blake smiled faintly, ignoring Gamora's question. 

On the surface, he appeared calm and composed as he stored the Power Stone. However, within his body, an earth-shattering transformation was underway. 

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