When Kurogai saw the name "Vormir" written on the ancient scroll, his expression subtly shifted. That name confirmed everything. According to his knowledge, Vormir was the planet Gamora would one day lead Thanos to in their quest for the Soul Stone.
Now, seeing that name etched onto an ancient, weathered scroll made from an unknown creature's hide, he had no doubt the scroll was authentic.
Maybe this was the very clue that would allow Gamora to find Vormir in the future... but now, it had landed in his hands first.
"What are the odds," Kurogai muttered, fingers brushing the scroll as he examined it again. "Didn't expect this thing to show up here."
He hadn't spent all these years just fighting the Kree—he'd also been gathering information on cosmic relics and lost worlds. He had long searched for Vormir, hoping to locate the Soul Stone.
Back when he found the Power Stone on Morag, all he'd had was a name, and yet he'd uncovered the ruins and seized the Orb. He'd hoped the same method would work for Vormir, but no matter how hard he searched, the planet remained elusive. Perhaps the name had been lost to time, replaced or buried.
Eventually, he'd abandoned the search... until now.
The name Vormir hadn't been spoken aloud in a long time—but now it stared back at him from this ancient relic. And the fact that Old Ou was the one to find it? It felt like fate.
"You zoning out on me?" Old Ou asked, breaking the silence. "Do we have a deal or not? I need a clear answer."
Kurogai snapped out of his thoughts. The concern in Old Ou's eyes was clear—this wasn't something that should be seen in public. If even a whisper of an Infinity Stone reached the wrong ears, it could throw the galaxy into chaos. The last thing they needed was someone like Thanos getting wind of this.
"Yes," Kurogai replied calmly. "I'll take Ronan's head."
He sealed the deal with a simple nod, slipping the scroll into his Kamui Space for safekeeping.
Old Ou let out a long breath, visibly relieved. He'd gambled everything on this—and it had worked.
"Well then," Kurogai said, standing up with a smirk, "how about treating me to dinner before I head off to war?"
Old Ou scoffed. "You've probably got a hundred times more credits than I do, and you still want me to pay?"
"Exactly."
Grumbling under his breath, Old Ou still pulled out a tray of food and pushed it toward Kurogai before disappearing into the back. Kurogai chuckled and began eating in silence.
But his quiet meal was soon disrupted by a ruckus at the front of the bar.
"Hey! You trying to dine and dash, kid?!"
"I told you I'll pay you back! I just got out, I don't have any money yet!"
Kurogai looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the scene.
A young human man—probably in his early twenties—was arguing with the staff. His dirty red jacket and cocky attitude suggested he was new to space travel and probably too proud to ask for help.
"A human... here on Knowhere?" Kurogai muttered. "Interesting."
He studied the boy closely. Human. Brown hair. About twenty. Loudmouth. That was all too familiar.
If the timeline was right, then this could only be one person.
Peter Quill.
A smirk tugged at Kurogai's lips.
"Old Ou," he called without looking up, "bring the man over. I'll cover his tab."
Old Ou raised a brow. "Feeling generous?"
"Let's just say I'm curious."
A moment later, Old Ou walked over to the young man.
"Lucky day, kid. Someone's picking up your bill."
"Wait, really?" Peter blinked. "Who?"
"The guy over there," Old Ou said, gesturing to Kurogai. "Go thank him yourself."
Peter's eyes lit up the moment he saw Kurogai. Clearly, he hadn't seen another human in quite a while. He rushed over, all smiles.
"Man, thanks! The universe is brutal, y'know? It's rare to run into someone from Earth out here. I really owe you one."
Kurogai gave a small smile. "No hurry. Just tell me your name."
"Peter Jason Quill," the young man said proudly. "Or, well, Star-Lord, eventually. I was raised by this scumbag space pirate, just got out on my own recently. Still broke, obviously. But I've got dreams, y'know? I wanna become a galactic legend. People are gonna know my name."
He rambled on, clearly eager to impress, but Kurogai wasn't annoyed.
In fact, this little speech confirmed everything.
This was him. The future Star-Lord, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Kurogai leaned back, thoughtful. "You've got a long road ahead, Peter Quill. Let's see if you live up to that name."
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