As the two of them slowly walked back home, they hadn't even stepped inside before the loud noise from within reached their ears.
Alan hadn't returned home since leaving the Sanctum Sanctorum, and now the chaotic commotion inside made his heart sink.
A terrible premonition struck him—had Drax and his gang wrecked his house?
Sensing his unease, Red Queen's expression became slightly awkward. She could detect the people inside, and their heart rates and body temperatures were rising.
It seemed like they were having a wild time in there.
"Gwen and Wanda…" Alan rubbed his forehead. Maybe he was overthinking it. Wanda had nowhere else to go.
Ever since he had taken her in, she had been staying in the same room as him.
As for Gwen, it was even more complicated. With so many people in the house, if her father suddenly showed up and found a bunch of strange individuals living there…
He'd probably arrest them all on the spot. And Alan would have to figure out a way to get them out of jail.
After all, just one look at Drax and the others inside, and it was clear they didn't exactly look like law-abiding citizens.
But, no matter what, he had to face it.
Just as Alan raised his hand to open the door, both Gwen's Spider-Sense and Wanda's sensitivity to his aura kicked in.
Before he could touch the doorknob, a strand of web shot out from Gwen's hand, pulling the door open for him.
The noise inside abruptly stopped.
Alan let out a sigh of relief—at least his mansion was still intact.
"Hey, Groot, didn't I tell you to stop playing games? I just found something really—"
Rocket Raccoon, peeking out sneakily, froze the moment he saw Alan standing at the entrance.
A small object slipped out of Rocket's pocket and clattered onto the floor.
Originally, Rocket had planned to swipe something from Alan's house. But unfortunately for him, everything inside was either high-tech equipment or locked away behind password-protected doors.
He couldn't just randomly input passwords. And if Alan caught him in the act, things would get really awkward.
"Oh?" Alan raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on a small mechanical part that had rolled to Red Queen's feet. It was an outdated component that had been discarded—but Rocket had apparently thought it was some kind of treasure and tried to smuggle it away.
"So… Alan, would you like to hear my explanation?" Rocket asked sheepishly. He had assumed Alan wouldn't be coming home tonight.
After all, the night had already fallen, and there was still no sign of him—until now.
"For example, an explanation about how you'd like to experience what it feels like to be skinned alive?" Alan smirked mischievously. Seeing Rocket's terrified reaction, he decided not to keep scaring him.
---
"Where did you go?"
Faced with the questioning glares of two women, Alan felt like a man caught cheating—returning home only to be interrogated by his wife about what he had been up to and who he had met.
However, he didn't intend to hide anything from them.
Grabbing a can of beer from the table, he took a swig and laid out his entire plan.
"Avengers?" Drax furrowed his brows in confusion. "Some kind of destruction squad?"
Rocket immediately rolled his eyes. "They're a superhero organization that protects Earth—basically the same job as our Guardians, just on this planet."
"I am Groot," Groot chimed in while playing his game, barely looking up.
"You better shut up before I smash your gaming console!" Rocket snapped. "We take on missions for rewards—who the hell works for free?"
Lately, Rocket had noticed that Groot was getting more rebellious—constantly talking back and even picking up bad language.
Alan understood every word Groot was saying, but he wasn't fooled by the little guy's adorable appearance. When it came to swearing, he could probably rival Tony Stark.
"So, tomorrow, you're going to help train that guy named Scott?"
...
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