"I really thought I could make him stay for a meal."
Thor gave her a disgusted look. "How am I even related to you?"
Then he turned to Angela.
Unlike Hela, he had never even _known_ of Angela's existence.
"You should _feel honored_, Thor," Hela smirked. "Among the three of us Celestials, you're the _weakest_—which means you don't get a say in anything. Understood?"
---
Back on Earth, Alan stood still, gazing up at the sky, his expression filled with concern.
Of course, he _knew_ he wouldn't be able to _see_ anything just by looking.
Beside him, Wanda tightened her grip on his arm, leaning against him as she, too, raised her gaze to the heavens.
She had _never_ been alone with Alan like this before.
"Alan, where are we heading next?"
She was ready—ready to follow him _wherever_ he went.
Traveling between Earth, the Moon, and Asgard all in one day had left her in awe. Being with Emperor felt like stepping into an endless series of _impossible_ moments.
Even with her _witch's powers_, she _still_ couldn't read Alan's thoughts.
And now… she finally _understood_ why Hela was so obsessed with him.
A man shrouded in _mystery_—who _wouldn't_ want to stay by his side, to _get closer_, to understand him?
"For now, let's head home. I think I could actually use some rest."
Alan took a deep breath.
For the first time in a _long_ while, he felt _mentally exhausted_.
One event after another kept piling up, merging into a relentless storm.
Hela provoking Thanos might _temporarily_ lower the chances of him focusing on Earth…
But it was still something to be wary of.
If things escalated _suddenly_, they might not have enough time to react.
Alan _desperately_ needed a break—to catch his breath.
---
But the _moment_ they reached his house, something felt _off_.
There was an… _awkward_ atmosphere hanging over the place, like an invisible tension blanketing his home.
"Alan, look up!" Wanda suddenly lifted her head.
Even though the spaceship above them was _cloaked_, it was impossible to miss the _massive_ shadow it cast.
A _huge_ ship was hovering _right_ over their house.
"No _wonder_ it felt like the sun wasn't reaching us," Alan muttered, glancing at the extravagant golden exterior of the vessel.
That _gaudy_ design…
It could _only_ belong to _one_ person.
Alan marched forward. Whoever—or _whatever_—was inside, he would find out soon enough.
As he approached the door, it swung open on its own.
Gwen had used her webbing to let them in.
"Emper—… Alan, the Sovereign have arrived," Nebula reported.
She had been about to address him as Emperor but quickly corrected herself.
They were on Earth—she remembered that Alan preferred to keep a _low profile_ here.
At the mention of the _Sovereign_, Alan immediately pressed his belt, activating his armor.
And then he _sighed_.
"All I wanted was a simple break. Why does it _always_ have to be _something_?"
"They're in the courtyard," Nebula continued, a strange look on her face.
"And… they arrived in a _very_… _unusual_ way."
Even she struggled to describe it.
It was _odd_—the Sovereign _never_ left their homeworld.
And yet, here they were—on _Earth_—and they hadn't even brought their usual fighter ships.
Still, Star-Lord and the others remained _on high alert_, ready to react at a moment's notice.
If these golden-skinned aliens _suddenly_ decided to attack, they _weren't_ about to let them _blow up_ Alan's house.
"Unusual?" Alan raised an eyebrow. "When have they _ever_ been _normal_?"
But when he _actually_ saw them—
He was left _completely speechless_.
The High Priestess of the Sovereign, Ayesha, was seated on a _throne_ seemingly _forged from solid gold_.
Beneath her feet was a luxurious _blue carpet_—
A _Sovereign-manufactured_ carpet, _rolled out_ from the spaceship _all the way_ to the house.
She had _literally_ walked down in the most _excessively regal_ manner possible.
Gamora, knowing Rocket's _sharp tongue_, made sure to keep him at a _safe_ distance.
The _last_ thing they needed was him insulting this _absurdly proud_ race and making things _worse_.
...
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