Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Prologue

"You are perfect." She paused, drawing back a step to consider him fully. "Do you know who you are?"

"Adam." The name was out of his mouth before he could think it through, but it must have been right, because the man's eyes widened.

"The neural coding worked."

Ayesha raised her eyebrows. "I can admit I shared your doubts, considering how much you overstepped into that area, but it seems my foundation was enough to correct any errors on your part."

The man's lips pressed themselves into a thin, grim line, but he nodded anyways. "Understood, High Priestess."

The High Evolutionary. That was the man's name, though it felt different than the others that had been. It was less natural, like it had been hastily added at the end, an afterthought given the most minimal notice.

"Good." Ayesha shot him one last pointed look before turning her attention back to Adam, her smile returning as she did so. "Yes, you are Adam. Adam Warlock."

When the second word didn't register, Adam narrowed his eyes, though it seemed he wasn't alone in his confusion.

"When was that change decided upon?" The High Evolutionary asked, but Ayesha merely waved away his concern as she moved past Adam to join a pair of Sovereigns at an instrument panel at the side of the room.

"After his neural pathways were too developed to be updated, unfortunately. But it was a necessary alteration. He sounds more intimidating with it."

"Adam Warlock." Adam tried the name out for himself before asking, "What is a warlock?"

The High Evolutionary chuckled, a sound Adam knew was far out of place in the presence of the High Priestess, though why that was so he couldn't fathom. It seemed less of a show of disrespect and more of a simple human response, but he knew it was wrong, even if it didn't seem that way.

"Well, it's—"

"—of no importance now, nor will it ever be." Ayesha's tone was dangerously dry, and she glanced up from the panel to give the High Evolutionary a pointed look. "What is important is having him ready to serve his purpose as soon as possible." She paused to give Adam an expectant look. "Which is...?"

Once again, the answer came to him within seconds. "To kill the Guardians of the Galaxy."

The thought was clear, almost too clear, as if someone was shouting it into his ear, and the bits that followed it were just the same.

Thieves.

Mockery.

Batteries.

Destroy.

The last word sent a chill down his spine. It's meaning was too blunt, too raw, to be used against someone else, thieves or not—no, the Guardians were evil. They deserved to have every last atom of their being annihilated.

"Very good." Ayesha pressed a few buttons, and Adam barely had time to step aside as the line of floor panels beneath his feet began to move, rising up from their positions to form a table in the center of the room. "Now, we'll do a quick check of his vitals, then begin prepping him for his first mission."

She nodded to the Sovereign at her sides, and the two gave a quick bow of their heads before stepping around the instrument panel, one touching Adam's arm and motioning for him to sit on the table while the other began sticking an array of little silver patches across his skin. Adam forced himself not to flinch. Would it kill them to stop with the touching for a single moment and let him be?