I directed my Observation Haki toward the palace and immediately locked onto the massive spiritual energy emitting from the Mind Gem. All around it were other people, obscured by the energy of the Gem, I couldn’t make out what was going on around it. 

Stepping off the ship I noticed that the arena itself hadn’t changed much. Dirty and in disarray I guessed they hadn’t conducted any more tournaments or gatherings since I was there last. Ready to get this going I began to fly as I headed in the direction of the palace. 

“Go that way, beat people up,” I said, pointing in the direction I was flying. 

“Weston, wait for me,” Drax yelled, waving at me as if I was going to carry him. 

“Fuck no, beat everyone not a Shi’ar,” I said and sped upward to the top of the arena. As I crested the bleachers I noticed the Osiris now facing me. The massive ship like some living, breathing ship it had a very unique spiritual energy that made me realize I didn’t want to go in that direction.

Two massive monsters detaching from it, they were miniature versions of the ship, and just as menacing. Like some weird mix between a ship, asteroid, and a space wyrm, I decided to go a different route. Descending back down I landed in front of the group that was slowly walking toward the palace. 

“Nevermind, I’ll lead the way,” I said and began running. The others finally pushed to go faster; they followed as our group headed into a tunnel underneath the arena.

“How the hell do you know where you’re going?” Nebula growled.

“I fought in a tournament here. This path leads right to the palace. They had Juggernaut imprisoned. Wolverine used the path to grab him,” I said. It was nice having memories again. Using my Observation Haki to map the area out I found a nice long path that was hidden from above, and would lead us to the city-sized palace. 

“So you got your memories back?” Blade asked. 

“I did, thank you for asking,” I said to the vampire hunter. “I still don’t know exactly where Earth is, but Nebula does, so she can point us in the right direction.”

“I’m not helping you with shit. I’m already helping you, even though I’ll probably die,” she grumbled. 

“Don’t be like that. We can have a bestest friends montage soon enough,” I said. Then remembered something. “Garuda!” 

The others looked at me confused, but I repeated the name. “Who is that?” Quill asked, worried I was talking to someone invisible. 

“Garuda, I know you’re there. At least I think you’re there. Look, you and I didn’t talk much last time I was here, but I know you’re always watching. I’m not sure how sentient you are, but you have to know I’m here to help this time!” I yelled to the world around us as we ran. Coming to a large door I tried to open it, but it required something to scan it. I looked around the door until I found a small red glowing eye, pointed right at us.

“Garuda, I swear we are here to help. I worked with your Majestrix, helped her get power. She’s your new master now, right? You can see I’m here to help. So let us in!” I punched the door, but the only answer was a loud clang.

“What the hell are you going on about?” Drax asked. “Are we punching the door?” He cracked a smile and cracked his knuckles. 

“No, it’s the Shi’ar AI. it supposedly controls everything. Who is here, where people go. I was hoping to-” I cut off as the red light beside the door blinked. Suddenly a clang answered on the other side of the door. Ever so slowly it began to open, letting us in. Happy that yet another guess of mine was correct, I frowned as I realized who had opened the door. 

“You!” The man and I said as one. Both of us pointing our respective fingers. Mine just so happened to be the finger, hand, and arm I stole from him, his happened to be metallic. I raised my hands, ready to fight again, he did the same.

“Korvus, time to make you a corpse,” I said, getting ready.

“The fucking human?” He growled out the side of his mouth, then the light next to the door blinked again. Then began to blink rapidly as if talking morse code. As it did Korvus relaxed his stance, but cursed loudly. “Pissdrinker!” He yelled. “This fucking cousin fucker is supposed to help us.”

“Oh, is Garuda actually helping me?” I asked, a smile on my lips as I relaxed as well. 

“Fuck you, human,” Korvus growled as he pulled his eyes away from me. They moved across the faces of my companions, but he turned around and began running down the long hallway behind him. With very little thought put into it, I followed. Fairly positive I was right in my assumptions, Korvus’ spiritual energy said he wasn’t happy, which was good enough for me.

“So you weren’t fired for helping the Majestrix?” I asked, deciding to get the hard question over with.

“Fuck you,” Korvus spat, unwilling to talk. 

“What? I just want to catch up,” I said. “My life hasn’t been that rosy since I left last time. You know, with your arm. I like it by the way. It wanted to send a letter, but I decided a clean break was-” He roared and made a move for me with his metallic arm. I dodged underneath.

“Guard Korvus,” a voice chided from an unseen speaker.

Korvus growled again, but was quickly running back down the tunnel. Eventually the Shi’ar Imperial Guard answered. “I’m one of the captains of the Imperial Guard. My job is to do what the Majestor or Majestrix orders,” he said. “As soon as Majestrix Lilandra was in power, I was reinstated.”

“Good, what happened to Shadree?” I asked. “Why didn’t she come back into the fold?” Trying to get answers. 

“She is now, with her little gift,” Korvus mumbled, telling me a lot as his Haki replayed a memory for me. It was as if Shadree had snuck in during the worst of the battle only half an hour ago, claiming to have presents for the Majestrix. 

“Good,” I mumbled, hoping she hadn’t gotten to the Majestrix yet. The spiritual energy of the Gem was getting closer step by step. 

“What are you doing here?” Korvus asked. 

“Preventing Shadree from making a huge mistake,” I said. I still wasn’t sure if what happened on Ego would happen here, but I did know that normal people wouldn’t be able to use the Mind Gem. And whatever they wanted Delilah for wasn’t good either. 

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “I don’t know why Garuda wants to help you, but if I get an opportunity, I’m taking my arm back.”

“Good luck with that,” I said, making the hand into a fist. “I’m a lot stronger than the last time we fought.” Which was true, I could feel it. “And I’ve jerked off like a lot with this arm. You know, to break it in.”

It took him a moment to understand what I was saying, but as I did the masturbating hand motion his anger flared again. This time however he stopped from attacking me. Continuing his run we eventually got to the end of a tunnel. Finding a floating elevator disc he pushed a button and we began to rise into the palace. 

My Observation Haki honing in on the stone I began to notice we were swooping in just in time. A rather large battle going on above us there were two sides. One was the evil side. Their spiritual energy dark and menacing. They were enjoying what they were doing as they killed. Breaking apart walls, destroying furniture, making a real mess of the place, I realized they were in the massive throne room. 

The very place the Majestor made us step on some weird platform that identified our strengths and weaknesses, it was a massive room where the Majestrix’s throne should be. Studying the haki I focused on the other side of the room. Not as dark or menacing as Thanos’ side, they were strong, but not quite as strong as whatever elite fighters were attacking them. 

“Jeez, it doesn’t look good,” I mumbled as I continued following Korvus. 

“Wh-what’s happening?” The Shi’ar man demanded. 

“Nothing good,” I said as I made out more details. I finally zeroed in on Gladiator. The strongest Shi’ar himself was fighting the strongest man on the Thanos side. Able to make out features they were striking one another punch for punch as each of their companions fought around them. Deadly energies thrown around them, they accidentally killed the other’s companions with every missed psionic blast or hammer swing. 

Ignoring their fight, my focus shifted to Lilandra. She was scared, very scared, but masking it well. Next to her was Shadree and Delilah. Delilah scared beyond belief I knew I would have to get closer to get the full sense of what she had been through, but it had not been fun. Across from them was a Shi’ar man holding the Mind Gem. Suddenly he said something, his haki shifting, then power from the stone filled him. 

He felt like the strongest person in the world for a moment, then instantly he was filled beyond his limits and the power burst out of him, causing the fighting to stop for a split second. I felt the Majestrix fill with sorrow, but Shadree pushed Delilah toward the Gem.

“Fuck this,” I said. Still at least a mile away I opened a Rift into the throne room. Finally able to make everything out well enough I picked a corner near the Shi’ar side. Stepping inside, I left the Rift open so others could go through.

Inside the throne room was as my Observation had shown. A huge battle with Thanos’ people on one side and what was left of the Imperial Guard on the other. Without being pushed, Korvus lept from beside me and swung his flaming sword in a parry to block another guard from being decapitated.

“Weston!” A voice roared, but rather than in anger it was a voice of surprise. I looked up to see Gladiator, also known as Kallark, staring wide eyed at me. He must have sensed my dimensional rip somehow. Either way he was relieved and annoyed I was there. 

“Hey Kally,” I said with a wave. “Watch-” But my warning was unneeded as the armored Ronan struck him. Gladiator took the hit and was throwing his own, but Ronan took the blow as if it didn’t matter. Since I had been punched by Gladiator, I knew Ronan was no slouch. Unsure if I could take either of them, I was pretty sure I was in over my head in that fight. Instead I turned to stop what I feared from happening. 

A good thousand feet away in the massive room was Majestrix Lilandra and the ex-Imperial Guard Shadree. Both staring longingly at Delilah, the girl was already holding the circlet in her hand.

“Delilah! No!” I roared, sending out my Conqueror’s Haki. Those around us jolted, and only Rocket and Quill fainted. Everyone else too strong; it was merely a hindrance. Too far for Delilah to be affected I kicked off the ground, flying toward her. Enacting Timeflow I thought for sure I would make it as she slowly reached her hand to grab the blue stone. 

About a hundred yards from her I felt something pull me. Unsure what it was I fought against it, but it held me in place. Probably some absurdly strong Thanos goon, I didn’t have time to face them as Delilah’s finger touched the blue stone, and she disappeared in a red fire. 

My heart catching in my throat I thought she had been incinerated for a split second, then her spiritual energy soared, and the red fire turned into the visage of the Phoenix. The same one that had surrounded Jean Grey those months ago.

 
“Fu-” I said but then the phoenix figure was engulfed by a blue glow. Much like the one shot from Ego it began to grow rapidly, engulfing the Majestrix, her guards, and everyone on her side of the battle. This time the Gem wasn’t happy with the meager few around it. The blue light began to spread moving as fast as light could. 

Not wanting to be stuck in another hell of my own mind I coated my body in Nen with a thought. Utilizing In, or Conceal, my life energy was no longer leaking out of me. The same way I was able to hide my haki, keep quirks from penetrating me, and many other odd powers I had faced in the past, I hoped this was the way to keep from being mind fucked. 

The blue light reached me, and to my joy, I wasn’t thrown into a vision this time. Instead I dropped to the ground as my flight was cancelled out for some reason. Keeping my body wrapped in Nen I ran toward the massive spiritual energy. 

Shi’ar around me, many had been knocked out. Wrapped up in the fetal position their spiritual energy was all over the place. Stronger Shi’ar were fighting against it. Standing stark still as their mind was taken over by the stone. Either shown memories like me, or something more menacing. Either way, I didn’t care about any of them. 

As I got closer to the source, I felt the stone wanting to take control. The mind of the gem, wishing and willing me to let my Nen go. Instead I redoubled the power, then tripled it as I closed the distance to Delilah. 

At the center of the room where she had been a moment ago, now stood three orbs. Each one about ten feet in diameter I didn’t see anything of Delilah inside either of the orbs. One of them was a bright what light, even showing in the blue of the stone’s energy. Another was orange, like the color of her hair, and the last was a deep black. Like a blackhole, it wanted to suck everything in. Devouring it all as it consumed and consumed until there was nothing left.

“Uhh,” I said hesitantly, then touched the orange orb as it was the closest. My hand grazing it nothing happened for a moment, then my vision shifted as the orb increased in size, engulfing me in a flash of orange light.