Status of the Shadow Mercenaries

Authors Note-

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...

"Welcome back to the Cosmic Walker, Dr. Ivan."

As Ivan stepped through the space gate, a cute girl in a mutant suit greeted him.

This girl was the guard responsible for the space gate.

"Can you tell me where the four commanders are?"

"Of course, Dr. Ivan. Mr Shaw, Borgin, and Apocalypse are in the main control room of the spacecraft. Stakar led a group to purchase supplies yesterday. He will be gone for five to six days. I heard he's been tracking about a man named Star-Lord, a thief, though I don't know why."

"Oh, that. I asked him to. It's a secret, so you don't need to worry. Now, I'm going to the main control room. Continue your duty here."

"As ordered, Dr. Ivan."

The few mutants he encountered as Ivan walked through the ship greeted him. When he approached the central control room, Shaw, Apocalypse, and Borgin, who had already received the news, came to greet him. Shaw, Ivan's father, stood at the front.

Ivan opened his arms, and father and son hugged. Ivan smiled, "Father, you seem to be in good spirits."

"Of course, we've had a big victory recently. We taught Darkseid's and Thanos' subordinates a lesson. They'll think twice before messing with the Shadow Mercenary Group. We're getting more and more requests for missions, and we're a bit overwhelmed," Shaw said smugly.

Ivan's face darkened. "Why are you clashing with Darkseid's and Thanos' forces again? Didn't I tell you to avoid provoking them?"

"We didn't provoke them; they came after us. While Darkseid and Thanos fear you, their high-level figures, like the Obsidian general, didn't act, but they sent plenty of low-level cannon fodder. They attacked us while we were on missions. Our mercenary group's biggest weakness is manpower. We now have fewer than 10,000 mutants, nothing compared to Darkseid's demon army and Thanos' alien races. Their constant attacks have cost us a thousand soldiers.

"To counter this, every mutant now carries ten sentinel robots, which can be sacrificed if necessary. Even so, we've lost nearly a hundred mutants. So, we decided to strike back and struck them."

Ivan felt heartache at the loss of nearly 100 mutants. These mutants had already been resurrected once, and another resurrection was impossible without angering the goddess of death.

"So that's what happened. How did you manage it? You seem too satisfied for it to be just an ordinary victory."

Shaw, Borgin, and Apocalypse showed pride. "We spread fake news about a treasure that we where determined to obtain. Both Thanos and Darkseid took the bait, sending fleets and armies. We ambushed them on their way and used the Cosmos Walker's main cannon to destroy seven planets. The resulting cosmic energy wave wiped out Thanos' fleet and Darkseid's demon army."

Ivan felt a tingle in his scalp. This attack was ruthless, destroying seven planets.

"You destroyed those planets so casually? Were there any innocent lives? Such behavior is seen very negatively in the universe."

Borgin explained, "Don't worry; we're not heartless. I proposed this plan and chose the location after thorough investigation. Only one planet had life, and we relocated it with ample compensation. The cosmic storm affected a few other planets with life, and we compensated them, too."

Ivan was relieved. "That's good. Otherwise, our reputation would be ruined. Life would see us as villains and stop hiring us for missions unless we become ravagers ourselves."

Ivan also understood that Shaw and the others wouldn't commit genocide under normal circumstances. To execute such a large plan, a comprehensive investigation had to be conducted, and the decision to use the Space Walker's main gun, capable of destroying a planet, was not taken lightly. All four commanders needed to agree. Even if someone had a momentary lapse in judgment, the others would intervene to prevent irreversible mistakes.

"By the way, I asked you to help me find out about Star-Lord's whereabouts. Have you found anything?"

Shaw tapped the device on his arm, and a screen popped up. "We've located him. We've been monitoring his movements, and his whereabouts are under our control. The planet where Stakar went to purchase supplies is not far from Star-Lord's current location. We can have Stakar bring him in when he returns if necessary."

"Yes, but remind Stakar to avoid using force and to be gentle."

Ivan's words surprised me.

Shaw, Apocalypse, and Borgin. Apocalypse asked, "You seem to value this guy named Star-Lord. Is there something special about him? I checked his information before, and it looks very ordinary. Aside from his Earthly origin, there's nothing remarkable."

"Since you know Star-Lord is an Earthling, did you learn anything about his father?"

Apocalypse looked a bit embarrassed. "That's a bit of a mystery. According to the information, Star-Lord lived with his mother as a child, and there's no relevant information about his father. Star-Lord seemed ordinary until he was inexplicably taken off Earth by a Ravager named Yondu. Is his father someone powerful?"

Ivan nodded. "Yes, his father is quite extraordinary. By now, you should know that the power of our mutants originally came from the Celestials. I suspect Star-Lord's father is a member of the Celestials."

"What!" Apocalypse, Shaw, and Borgin exclaimed simultaneously. They understood the significance of the Celestials and were shocked by the revelation.

"You mean this thief named Star-Lord is a descendant of the Celestials?"

"I'm not certain, but it's highly likely."

"But from what we've seen, Star-Lord is quite unimpressive. Aside from being slightly more physically fit, he's not much different from ordinary Earthlings. I don't think he's the descendant of a Celestial," Apocalypse argued. He inherited the Celestials' blood and knew the power it could bestow. If Star-Lord were indeed a descendant, he shouldn't be so underwhelming.

"That's because the Celestial genes in his body are dormant. You shouldn't underestimate the genes of Earthlings. Very few races in the universe can carry the Celestial genes. Their genes are automatically optimized, and new individuals are born from this. They might not be as powerful as the original Celestials, but their attributes are more suitable for them. I believe the Celestial genes in Star-Lord are dormant. But I have a way to activate them, and in return, he'll have to do something for me."

Apocalypse, Shaw, and Borgin nodded in understanding. The potential to awaken Celestial genes in Star-Lord could be a significant advantage. Ivan's confidence in handling this matter reassured them.

"Alright, we'll ensure Star-Lord is brought here gently. Stakar will be briefed on the importance of this task," Shaw said.

"Good," Ivan replied. "Let's proceed with this plan. Once Star-Lord is here, we'll activate his dormant genes and see what he's truly capable of."

Shaw immediately acted, contacting Stakar and asking him to bring Star-Lord as soon as possible. However, Stakar's material procurement had just begun, and the needs still needed to be met. Not being in a hurry, Ivan decided to rest and wait on the spacecraft.

Three days later, the spaceship driven by Stakar and his dozen warriors returned to the Cosmic Rambler with many purchased materials. Sitting in the co-pilot seat next to Stakar, or rather tied to it, was Star-Lord, Peter Quill.

When Stakar first found Star-Lord and asked him to meet Ivan, Star-Lord refused. In his view, the head of the Black Shadow Mercenary Group was a major figure in the universe, someone he couldn't provoke. No matter how much Stakar persuaded him, he would disagree. In the end, Stakar, frustrated, tied him up. Star-Lord, known for his talkative nature, was particularly annoying during the journey.

"I said, boss Star Eagle, you should let me go! Speaking of which, you're just like Yondu, who raised me, bullying the small. It could be better for your reputation to spread around. And your name is Star Eagle, and I'm Star-Lord. It's similar. For the sake of the name, please help me out once."

Unfortunately, he had seen through Star-Lord's talkative nature. The more you engage, the more he will talk. It was better to stay silent, so Stakar focused on driving the spaceship and ignored Star-Lord entirely.

"You don't need to be so cruel to me. Don't even tell me. I don't want to see your boss. What if I make him angry, and he kills me directly?"

"Shut up! Our leader is a very kind person. As long as you don't provoke him, he won't hurt you. Maybe there's something good for you. So follow me quietly."

Star-Lord shook his head vigorously. "No way, not going. I'd rather go back and be abused by that jerk Yondu than see your boss. That's the leader of the Black Shadow Mercenary Corps; that was such a big shot. My legs are already weak; I'm just thinking about it. Besides, we're not far from where Yondu is. Speaking of which, you haven't seen each other for a long time. He must miss you a lot. Why don't you take this opportunity to see him?"

"He won't miss me. He probably hates me to the core. I joined other Ravagers to drive him away. By the way, how did Yondu evaluate me?"

Star-Lord was a bit embarrassed. He hadn't expected his attempt to flatter to backfire. "Uh! Well, he didn't say anything nice about you. He often called you ungrateful, said you hugged a thigh, and gave up the Ravagers' identity. He looked down on you."

Stakar's face sank after hearing this, but then he sighed. Many things were not within his control. Sometimes, he wondered what his life would have been like if he hadn't robbed Ivan's spaceship and continued to be a Ravager.

After a while, he snapped out of his thoughts, pushing aside those memories. There were no "ifs" in this world. Since he had made a choice, he shouldn't regret it. Besides, he was living well now.

Upon arrival, Stakar met with Ivan, "We've returned with the supplies and brought Star-Lord as you requested."

Ivan nodded, "Good. Bring him to me. Remember, I want him unharmed."

He nodded and led the way with the restrained Star-Lord in tow. Star-Lord's eyes widened as they approached Ivan, trying to assess the situation and the person he was about to meet.

"Welcome, Peter Quill, or should I say, Star-Lord," Ivan greeted him calmly but authoritatively.

Trying to mask his anxiety, Star-Lord responded, "So, you're the big boss everyone keeps talking about. What do you want with me?"

Ivan smiled slightly, "I have some important matters to discuss with you that could be mutually beneficial. But first, let's get you out of those restraints. We don't need them for our conversation."

With a nod from Ivan, Star-Lord was uncuffed, who rubbed his wrists, looking wary but curious. Ivan motioned for him to sit.

"Let's talk," Ivan said.

"You have much to learn about your true potential and heritage."