Knowhere Man 4: Tomorrow Never Knows

[Gordy]

"We both covet things we don't have.
The difference between us, of course..."
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The Collector had Jesse Alexander, the father of Samuel Alexander. Alexander brought him the mutant, Marvelous. Marvelous was bought by Kristoff Vernard. And Vernard helped free a monstrous alien by the name of Tybaltus Rex. And now, the Collector would have Tybaltus Rex in his collection. Funny how things all seemed to come together.

Little did the others know, this was a tapestry that would reach many different lives. And only the Collector, with his precognitive abilities, could see what would soon unfold.

Tivan waited in his booth in his favorite restaurant on Knowhere, as he had so many times before. Once again, he would be meeting the young Nova to brief him on his next mission. For Nova, this would hopefully be his last mission. In exchange for completing his end of the bargain, the Collector would give him Jesse Alexander. Of course, the Collector planned on keeping his end of the bargain. He was nothing if not fair.

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"...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want.
Including you."

[Zeronone]

Nova soared through space like a mini rocket of blue energy. The universe bent around him as he flew through hyperspace at speeds that should have atomized his body, but the nova force field adhered to his skin protected him. Sam was pissed but at the same time he was enjoying the speed he was going at. Humans weren't meant to fly this fast, to go like this, and yet here he was flying across the Universe! He was so close to ending the cycle, to getting his father back and reuniting him with their family. All he had to do was deal with the silver haired devil once more. Their last conversation had ended badly with the man wanting his helmet, but Sam wouldn't hand it over. It was his father's legacy and Jessie would have been furious if the helmet was traded for him.

But after a week he had gotten contacted by the Collector once more, a new deal had been offered. Sam had hugged his mother and took off into the stars, flying to that familiar location of knowhere, the skull of a celestial being that was mined by thugs and crooks. Pirates and scum lived out here, as well as the Collector. Sam slammed into the far-flung galaxy, hovering near the skull, he watched as ships flew in and out, docked and left. Small one person ships to colossal sized war ships capable of razing a world. So many aliens and people that Earth never even knew existed. How an entire species could be so blind as to what existed beyond their orb.

He flew down and landed outside of the Restaurant that was favored by the Collector. The beings' goons stood at the door but did nothing when Sam walked inside. He wondered if these were the same guys that had tussled with that invader he had heard about. Apparently the mutant he had kidnapped had been rescued by some teenager. That must have pissed off the Collector. Sam spotted the Collector upon entering and walked over.

"So, last job and I get my dad back. That was the message you sent... So, who is the target?"

[Gordy]

"We both covet things we don't have.
The difference between us, of course..."
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Straight to the point, it seemed. "You're going to the Symbiote planet of Klyntar. Your target is a white Lionoid named Tybaltus Rex. He's a prize fighter from Titan's gladiator pits, and he possesses anti-magic bones."

The young Nova did little to hide his desires. He had been desperate to get his father back. Now that he was so close to his goal, he would be more determined than ever to ensure his mission's success. And he would need that determination, for this next trial is his toughest yet.

"I'm sure you're familiar with anti-magic?" the alien questioned. "A property that allows one to fight against, or even dispel, sorcery. Such a quality would be essential if I were to, say, go after your Sorcerer Supreme and claim his collection." 

It was an idea that crossed his mind, admittedly. But he was mostly speaking to test the boy. See if he would finally break and refuse a mission, and five up on his journey before crossing the finish line. He had no room for weakness on this mission.

And, in all honesty, he appreciated the boy's spirit. It would be a shame to see it extinguished, along with his life. Which is why he had something for the boy.

The man dug into his pocket and pulled out a gray box. He slid it across the table, towards the boy. "Should Tybaltus prove too strong for you to handle, you can use this to send a distress signal. It will trigger the Ghost Orchid's teleportation system, bringing you aboard my ship. After all, you can't reunite with your father if you die on your mission."

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"...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want.
Including you."

[Zeronone]

Nova glared at the Collector from behind his helmet, how loathsome one being could be. Did this guy ever think of anything besides picking fights with the Universes most dangerous and powerful heroes? Oh well, if the Collector wanted to put all his eggs in one basket while taking on the Sorcerer Supreme then it wasn't Nova's problem. He doubted that Doctor Strange hadn't come across anti-magic before.

"Whatever, not my fight what you choose to do afterwards. For now, this Rex guy is my target. Sure." Nova was mad but was also excited. he may hate his current boss, but he got to travel the stars, go to distant worlds, fight cool enemies. And if he wasn't dealing for his father, he bet he could make a lot of credits bringing in bad guys. A bounty hunter! Well, the Nova Corp was gone except him and his father, and there were a lot of bad guys out there. Why not get paid to bring them in? He would look into that later, maybe there was a guild or organization that you signed up to be a Bounty Hunter for.

he took the box and put it into his pocket, he doubted he would need it but if the Collector was offering, he would take it. It may come in useful at a later date. "I'm a Nova, we don't lose!"

He turned on his heel and walked out of the door, shooting off into space and pushing his speed until he Hyper-Jumped. The coordinates from his helmet already showing him the directions to Klyntar as information on the planet spoke in his ear."

[Gordy]

"We both covet things we don't have.
The difference between us, of course..."
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One thing Tivan appreciated about young Alexander: he was willing to let the world burn if he got what he wanted. In a way, it reminded the Collector of himself. But more importantly, the Nova's justifications for his actions not only kept him obedient, but it also meant that he wouldn't mind throwing others in harm's way. Perhaps he'd keep the boy around after he died; either throw him into the Resurrection Pool and keep him as a Gatherer, or simply put his corpse on display.

"Good luck, young man. And if you get beheaded... try not to let your helmet get damaged."

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"Klyntar" was the species name for what Earthlings typically called Symbiotes. It was also the name of the Symbiote planet. It was a red marble, not unlike the surface of Mars. Meteors floated around in two small belts, making entry onto the planet risky for those without Hyper-Jumps.

The planet itself was a lot like Earth, if every single living creature was engulfed by a Symbiote. Black, slithering trees lived alongside snarling black flowers. Dog-like creatures with three foot jaws of spiky teeth roamed the land. What could only be described as a cobra with Venom-esque arms hissed as Alexander touched down on the planet.

Now, where to find Tybaltus?

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"...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want.
Including you."