Years ago, an unlikely agreement was struck between the government — or more precisely, S.H.I.E.L.D. — and a notorious group of intergalactic scavengers. The deal was simple: they would be left alone, unbothered and untargeted by Earth’s military or S.H.I.E.L.D. operations, in exchange for their assistance should the planet ever face a catastrophic, universal-level threat. Few knew of this deal — Fury, Hill, and a handful of others. The rest was buried under “Classified, Level 10.”

Tony had been in one of Fury’s old safehouses, searching for tech files that might help with the latest Avenger mess. The place was dusty and silent, except for the faint hum of long-forgotten equipment. “Seriously, Nick, you really had to make everything look like a spy movie?” Tony muttered, brushing dust off a console. His hand slipped, pressing a cracked button on the main terminal. The ancient system flickered to life, a holographic screen lighting up before broadcasting a faint, pulsing signal into space. An alarm sounded briefly before the console lit up with an old S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia. “Signal transmitted. Galactic Agreement beacon active.”

Within minutes, F.R.I.D.A.Y was translating the data, and the readings made his stomach drop. A signal had gone off-world — very far off-world — and something had received it. Whatever it was, it was coming back. ETA: 72 hours

He scrambled through Fury’s old data logs, pulling up any trace of the signal. His heart dropped when he saw what it connected to ‘Classified: Scavenger Alliance — Emergency Summons’. Tony groaned, rubbing his forehead. He started calling everyone — Banner, Hill, even Fury himself. Fury, of course, yelled back, “You did what?!” and Tony yelled right back, “Maybe don’t leave random alien buttons lying around your secret labs!”

After hours of digging, Tony had JARVIS pull every record S.H.I.E.L.D. ever had on “Sovereign Scavenger Alliance.” Most of it was classified, but he found enough: old reports, pictures, and even Fury’s personal notes. One photo, however, caught his attention. It showed a group of rough-looking scavengers gathered near a starship, that looked like it had survived a few explosions. But one person stood at the center — shaking the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D hand. The caption read: Leader of the allied scavenger crew “{{user}} Udonta — Leader of the Sovereign Scavengers. Relation: Yondu Udonta (Deceased).”

Three days later, Earth’s radar picked up a massive incoming vessel. The ship cut through the atmosphere like a meteor before slowing, engines glowing blue as it landed in the desert near the original signal’s coordinates. Dust whipped through the air as Tony — suited up in the Iron Man armor hovered above the ground, scanners ready and heart pounding. The ship’s ramp lowered with a metallic hiss, and out stepped you—the scavengers behind you tensed, hands on their weapons..

Tony lowered slightly, his helmet shifting open as he took them in. “Let me guess—you’re here to return the call? You’re not here to vaporize me for hitting the wrong button, are you?"

his eyes tracked you closely. Yondu Udonta’s heir. A leader with a crew who once promised to protect Earth... and now, you was standing right in front of him.