Star-Lord's eyes lit up at the mention of making a fortune.
But as a skilled Ravager, he naturally had to assess the risks!
"Is this appropriate?"
"How much can I get?"
Certainly no risks involved!
Star-Lord rubbed his hands together eagerly, his face full of anticipation.
Russell smiled even more warmly, gesturing with his hand:
"It's appropriate, very appropriate."
"If we succeed, I'll get you a better starship—let's call it the Benatar. It's way bigger than your old, junky ship."
Tony, Hawkeye, and the others exchanged strange looks.
If memory served, wasn't the Benatar parked at the Avengers' base, belonging to the Guardians of the Galaxy?
If future Quill were to revive, wouldn't these two fight each other to the death?
Nebula smirked coldly, seemingly eager for such a scene.
At this point, Star-Lord trotted over happily.
He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.
But with someone capable of annihilating the Dark Order single-handedly, he believed there couldn't possibly be any danger.
Meanwhile, Red Skull stood humbly off to the side, sneering internally.
The rules of the Soul Stone were immutable—thinking they could take it without a sacrifice was sheer lunacy.
Red Skull's eyes widened as he nearly swore aloud.
The terrifying man who had just beaten him up now plunged his hand directly into Star-Lord's head, stirring it around as though mixing something.
Star-Lord convulsed like he was being electrocuted, his face twitching uncontrollably.
In all his years, Red Skull had never seen anything so horrifying.
Even Hydra's experiments seemed humane by comparison—they didn't mess with idiots like this!
But soon, Red Skull felt a chill down his spine.
Star-Lord was now looking at him strangely—first bashful, then bold, his gaze turning heated, even flirtatious.
It didn't stop there.
The fool's expression shifted again, now hesitant and conflicted. Finally, with resolute sadness, he said:
"I'm sorry, Ms. Schmidt."
Red Skull gasped, terror flashing in his eyes.
Jesus above!
He finally realized what the other party was planning and instantly turned to flee as a wisp of black smoke.
"Don't run, Mr. Sacrifice. Without you, we can't get the Soul Stone!"
The others, who had been watching Star-Lord like a madman, suddenly understood.
The Sorcerer Supreme had altered Star-Lord's memories, making Red Skull his one true love.
Once again, they were awed by the Sorcerer Supreme's power and ingenuity.
Electric arcs cracked as a bolt of lightning shot from Russell's hand, binding the smoke-like Red Skull like a chain.
The scenery blurred for a moment, and everyone found themselves atop the mountain peak.
Red Skull, now in human form again, was visibly panicking.
"You can't do this!" he cried.
"I'm the guardian of the Stone; I'm outside the rules!"
Captain America commented quietly:
"The more the enemy fears, the more we're doing the right thing."
Hearing this jab from his old adversary, Red Skull grew even more frantic.
"I've been turned into a soul form! Even if you throw me off the cliff, I won't die!"
Steve hesitated—it seemed true.
But then why was Red Skull so afraid?
It didn't add up.
All eyes turned to the Sorcerer Supreme.
Russell kicked Red Skull to the edge of the cliff, handing the lightning-forged chain to Star-Lord. He explained with a smile:
"Indeed, as a soul form, falling won't kill him."
Red Skull nodded vigorously, only to hear Russell's tone shift:
"But does that matter?"
Looking at the massive symbol below the cliff, Russell declared:
"No, it doesn't matter. What matters is the act of sacrifice—completing the ritual will make the soul the offering for the Stone."
"Now, do it, Quill."
Star-Lord, tears streaming, screamed as he rushed forward and kicked Red Skull over the edge.
"Farewell, my love!"
"You idiot!" Red Skull's voice faded as he fell.
With a loud crash, the formless Red Skull shattered on the altar below. The Soul Stone erupted with a dazzling orange-red light, engulfing everything.
When their vision cleared, the cold, desolate mountaintop had vanished, replaced by a tranquil, warm water world.
Only Russell seemed deep in thought, gazing at the dark red horizon.
The world had briefly flipped—soul space and reality had momentarily overlapped.
Though fleeting, Russell felt his soul slightly more solidified, though it might have been his imagination.
Star-Lord, clutching the Soul Stone, was sobbing and dry-heaving.
"I can't believe I fell for something so hideous. It's not even human! I even flirted with it!"
"I'm ruined! I'll never be clean again!"
Steve looked at him with sympathy—falling for Red Skull was probably the most horrifying thing imaginable.
Tony, however, chuckled:
"The Sorcerer Supreme did say we'd get the Stone."
"Guess who'd have taken Quill's place if he weren't here?"
Steve's face turned pale, realizing with horror that it might've been him.
Star-Lord, having recovered, glared at Russell.
"What about my starship? You owe me!"
Russell shrugged.
"You can't demand that from me."
Star-Lord froze. After all he'd sacrificed, was he being cheated?
Just as he was about to explode, he remembered what had happened on Morag and swallowed his rage, looking pitiful.
Russell sighed.
"Looks like this loophole wasn't as easy as I thought."
"When Quill regains his memories, the sacrifice fails."
"But no worries," Russell added with a smirk.
"We can try again by traveling through time."
Star-Lord collapsed to his knees, pale as a sheet.
"Please, no. I'll die for real this time."