Starting With Batman

"Oh my god... I thought... I thought I was dead..." 

The alien, a humanoid with a light greenish tint to his skin and wide, dark eyes, was still shaking. He seemed like he was catching his breath after a terrifying encounter. When he saw Deadpool walking toward him, he made a panicked attempt to stand up but fell back down, clearly too weak.

"Hey, relax! I don't eat people...well, not when I'm in a good mood," Deadpool said, putting away his weapon with a smirk. 

Now, Deadpool himself couldn't actually speak alien languages, but Green Lantern could. As an interstellar officer, Green Lantern's ring had a universal translator that worked automatically. That translation ability also extended to Deadpool as long as they were on the same team, letting him understand and respond to the alien's words.

The alien glanced at Deadpool, eyes full of suspicion, and then slowly nodded. "Thank you... I knew coming to this cursed planet was a mistake…"

This planet was called "Akexing." Deadpool noted the strange name. He figured it was probably just a rough translation from Green Lantern's ring, which might not be exact. Maybe it was a homonym or a name chosen randomly by the ring's alien dictionary.

After a few more mumbled curses, the alien turned to Deadpool with a look of genuine relief. "My name's Claire. I'm... a trader, here to pick up some supplies." He stretched his arms a little, as if testing his strength. "Our team had guards, so I thought we'd be safe. But I got separated, and if I hadn't met you..." He glanced at Deadpool's outfit, squinting. "Are you from around here? You look like a warrior..."

The alien didn't seem especially surprised to see a human-looking figure like Deadpool. Maybe the universe was full of beings that looked similar to humans, or maybe Deadpool's weird costume kept Claire from guessing his species.

Deadpool, in his usual choppy way, dodged the question about where he was from, tossing out a few strange jokes that changed the subject. Claire didn't seem too interested in Deadpool's background and moved on quickly. As they kept talking, Deadpool picked up on the fact that this planet, Akexing, had multiple alien species living on it. This probably explained why a guy with two swords strapped to his back wasn't the oddest thing Claire had seen.

"Are you here to hunt?" Claire asked, eyeing Deadpool's weapons. "Your skills are impressive, some of the best I've seen. I think you're probably even better than Bruen, one of our best guards."

"I'm actually looking for someone," Deadpool replied. "He came to Akexing recently but seems to have left already."

"Then you'll need to head to Krafal." Claire's expression turned sour. "If you want to leave Akexing, Krafal's the only place to go. It's the only planet in this starfield with a stargate... What a nightmare this place is. If I didn't have important business here…"

Claire suddenly stopped himself, looking like he had almost revealed something he shouldn't have.

"Anyway," he said, quickly changing the subject. "Thank you again, but I should go."

So Krafal was the only way off Akexing. Deadpool made a mental note. If the Kantel Army leader he was after had teleported to this planet and escaped by ship, he was probably headed to Krafal.

Hunting down an alien on a strange planet was like finding a needle in a haystack, but Deadpool didn't have any other leads. Besides, he was curious about what else he might find out here in this strange, star-filled wilderness. Maybe he could pick up more valuable info about his target or, at the very least, learn more about the enemies he was up against.

"Are you hunting out here? Or are you here for supplies too?" Claire asked as they walked together. "I'm headed back to my ship, but it's a ways off... If I run into another gang of those brutes, I might not make it."

After a moment, he looked over at Deadpool with a pleading expression. "If it's not a problem...could you, uh, escort me to my ship? I'll make sure you're rewarded."

Deadpool quickly thought it over.

"You're going to Krafal, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Claire replied. "I don't want to stay on this forsaken planet a second longer. I'm taking off as soon as I get back to my ship."

"Well, could you give me a lift?"

Claire's eyebrows shot up, surprised. "Really? If you're coming along, that would be fantastic. I'd feel a lot safer."

Claire needed protection, and Deadpool needed a guide. They agreed to travel together, each fulfilling the other's need.

As they walked, Deadpool mostly listened, nudging the conversation now and then to get Claire to reveal anything useful. Claire didn't seem to notice Deadpool's curiosity or find it odd that this "experienced warrior" knew so little about the region. He talked freely, occasionally throwing Deadpool a puzzled look but continuing anyway.

Deadpool learned that the surrounding area was called the Yevgon Star Realm, a vast region with many planets and countless intelligent species, though few went beyond its borders. This star realm seemed like a collection of worlds—a kind of nation, but on a much larger scale.

When Deadpool tried asking about the region's leaders or government, Claire became uneasy, even a bit suspicious. Deadpool quickly changed the subject, sensing that asking too much could get him in trouble.

Eventually, Deadpool asked about the Kantel race, hoping for more insight.

"Those guys?" Claire scoffed. "They've really made a name for themselves lately."

"Oh? What happened?"

Claire looked at Deadpool with surprise. "You really don't know? I thought everyone in the Yevgon Star Realm had heard by now…"

He leaned in, lowering his voice. 

"They're suspected of killing...an angel."