MARVEL: TOAA

"Click."

The stone skin crumbled, revealing Reina's wide-open eyes.

"Crack, click, click."

Reina struggled to shed the last remnants of the stone encasing her body, taking in deep, desperate breaths. For a fleeting moment, she had believed it was the end.

"Reina," Ravion called softly, disbelief saturating his voice. His usually steady demeanor wavered, fearing the scene before him might be a cruel illusion.

"I'm fine, Ravion. I'm alive!" Reina cried, the relief spilling out in her trembling voice.

"Reina, you scared me to death. I'm so sorry—I didn't know this would happen."

Ravion's towering metal body shrank back to its humanoid form as he pulled Reina into a protective embrace. Their bond, forged over five years of living side by side, transcended words.

"Reina, Ravion, are you two okay?" John arrived in a rush, hovering just above the ground before landing softly nearby.

"John!" Reina exclaimed, flinging her arms around him.

John awkwardly patted her on the back, his mind already racing as he observed the broken fragments of stone on the ground. Something had clearly happened.

His quick mental scan of Reina's body revealed an unfamiliar energy coursing through her, along with subtle genetic modifications.

Inhuman genes?

John frowned. Only individuals with latent Inhuman genes could survive exposure to Terrigen Mist, the substance released by the shattered crystal. Those genes allowed them to unlock unique superpowers, though they were deadly to ordinary people.

"But Reina... she wasn't an Inhuman. At least, she didn't appear to be before," John muttered under his breath. Could her Inhuman genes have been dormant all this time?

"Reina, do you feel any different?" he asked, probing gently.

"I don't think so," she replied, her tone uncertain.

Before John could dig deeper, the earth trembled slightly. A roar echoed in the distance, growing louder.

"ROAR!"

John turned toward the horizon, spotting Alioth, the Void Leviathan, approaching swiftly.

A sudden, high-pitched beeping interrupted the moment.

"Hey, rookies! Quit standing around and get in the car before that thing eats you!"

A battered convertible screeched to a halt nearby. Behind the wheel sat a leather-jacketed man, while a blonde woman aimed a rocket launcher at Alioth.

John's sharp telepathic senses immediately recognized them: Peter Quill, better known as Star-Lord, and Yelena Belova.

"Do you want to meet some new friends?" John turned to Ravion and Reina.

The two exchanged a glance. "Sure, why not? With you here, what could go wrong?"

John grinned. "Perfect." He slid into the passenger seat of the convertible.

"Nice outfit," Star-Lord quipped, glancing briefly at John before revving the engine.

"Thanks. You must be Star-Lord. Big fan," John replied, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Finally, someone who recognizes the name!" Star-Lord grinned, before muttering, "Even if you don't sound like you mean it..."

Yelena rolled her eyes from the backseat. "Less talk, more driving, Quill. That thing is gaining on us."

As the car tore down the dusty landscape, John's attention shifted to Star-Lord. Using his telepathic abilities, he delved subtly into Quill's energy signature.

Ah, Ego's DNA. A celestial's blood runs in him, but it's faint and dormant. He must've defeated his father in this universe too.

"What are you doing?" Star-Lord yelped as John plucked a strand of his hair.

"Just checking your divine potential," John said casually, studying the strand. "Hmm... thin blood. Your celestial genes are mostly inactive, and the human side dominates. You've burned through most of your godly power, haven't you?"

Star-Lord grumbled, "You could've just asked..."

The car jolted as a sudden blast from Alioth hit the ground nearby. Star-Lord slammed on the brakes, nearly throwing everyone forward.

"Quill! Drive like you want to survive!" Yelena shouted, firing a rocket toward the beast. The missile struck Alioth but seemed to only annoy the massive creature.

"Focus, Quill," John said calmly. "I'll explain. The Void Leviathan behind us? His name's Alioth. He's a guardian of this strange place—what you'd call the Land of Nothingness. It's outside of time and space, and it attracts beings from different realities."

"Wait, wait, wait. So anyone from any universe could end up here?" Star-Lord asked, a mixture of awe and fear in his voice.

"Correct," John confirmed. "Though surviving here is another matter entirely."

"Then... I could find Yondu? Or even my mom?" Star-Lord's voice wavered with hope.

"It's possible," John admitted. "But not likely. This place is vast, and most people don't make it long enough to reunite with loved ones."

The weight of John's words hung in the air.

"So, you're saying even Ego could be here?" Star-Lord asked cautiously.

John's eyes narrowed. "If you run into Ego, pray you're lucky enough to escape. The gods of his caliber aren't bound by the usual rules of time and space."

Star-Lord fell silent, focusing on navigating the treacherous terrain as Alioth closed the distance.

Meanwhile, John quietly pondered his own situation. Could he grow strong enough to leave this place? Ravion, though immensely powerful, had limitations. His mechanical body couldn't evolve beyond a certain point without external help.

Breaking the constraints of the Void would require Heavenly Father-level power—a realm far beyond his current abilities.

But John wasn't one to shy away from challenges.

"I'll figure it out," he muttered to himself as Alioth let out another earth-shaking roar, and their battle for survival continued.