486

[Peter Quill]

Peter Quill stared blankly at the spaceship in the night sky. Before he could gather his thoughts, a brilliant beam of light descended and whisked him aboard.

In an instant, he found himself in a spacious, brightly lit cabin. The scene resembled something out of a sci-fi movie, almost too surreal for him to comprehend.

Approaching him was a blue-skinned man with a flaming crest atop his head. He leaned in, scrutinizing Peter Quill closely. "Peter Quill?"

To Earthly eyes, Yondu's appearance was undeniably intimidating, causing young Peter Quill to pale and stutter, "Who... who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Someone told me, of course," Yondu replied with a smile.

"Who... who told you?"

"Your father."

Peter Quill was momentarily stunned, his eyes widening. He asked eagerly, "You know my father? Where is he?"

Up until now, Peter Quill had never met his biological father. His only knowledge of him came from his mother's descriptions.

His mother had once told him that his father was a hero from an alien world. But whenever Peter shared this with friends, it was met with ridicule and mockery.

The echoes of laughter, like "You don't have a dad," haunted Peter Quill's nightmares, casting a shadow over his entire childhood.

With his mother's passing, Peter Quill felt his world grow darker. The news of his father's possible existence now seemed like a beacon of hope, renewing his courage and optimism.

"You'll find out soon enough, kid," Yondu replied, not offering more.

He patted Peter Quill gently on the head and then turned to the pilot, saying, "Let's go. Take this kid to meet his father."

"Got it!"

The spaceship adjusted, slowly ascending and accelerating into the sky.

Though Peter couldn't see outside, he sensed they were leaving Earth far behind. His anxiety rose, causing him to fidget nervously.

But his yearning to meet the father he'd never known overcame his fear. He settled into his seat, eagerly anticipating the moment he would finally meet his father.

However, fate had other plans for young Peter Quill.

Before the spaceship could leave Earth's atmosphere, it abruptly slowed down, causing everyone aboard to lurch.

"What's happening?" Yondu asked, rising to his feet.

"It's the Sun God and Thor, the God of Thunder!" a crew member exclaimed.

Yondu turned to look and indeed saw two figures outside the viewport: one radiating holy light and the other wielding a mighty hammer—Forseti and Thor.

"Why are they here?" Everyone was puzzled but wasted no time in opening the hatch to let them in.

"Respected Sun God, Your Highness Thor," Yondu greeted.

Rowe stepped aboard and immediately noticed the bewildered young boy sitting nearby, eyeing him and Thor.

This must be the infamous Star-Lord, Rowe mused silently, knowing Peter Quill's future moniker.

Yondu gestured toward Peter Quill and explained, "We were hired to find a child lost on Earth for our employer. This is the child, Peter Quill. We were about to take him to meet his biological father."

Forseti nodded casually and asked, "What's the employer's name? Is his surname also Quill?"

"Uh..." Yondu hesitated, then shook his head. "No, it's not Quill. I'm sorry, I can't reveal his name as per our usual practice."

At that moment, young Peter Quill piped up, "What's my father's name?"

Yondu hesitated, grappling with the predator code of secrecy. But faced with a child's earnest question about his father, he relented.

Approaching Peter, Yondu said, "Your father told me his name was Ego, but that might not be his real name. He—"

"Ego!" Forseti feigned surprise. "You said his name was Ego?"

Yondu appeared taken aback by Rowe's reaction. "Yes... is something wrong?"

Instead of answering immediately, Forseti employed a light technique to gently lull Peter Quill to sleep. With his affinity for Holy Light, Forseti could induce a mild hypnotic state—a measure taken to shield Peter from the potential emotional turmoil of learning about his father, a being of questionable character.

Observing this, Yondu sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Forseti then spoke gravely, "So, this 'Ego' you mentioned is the same being responsible for fathering many lost offspring across alien worlds?"

"Yes," Yondu admitted, his voice trembling.

Forseti paused, then continued, "In that case, he's exactly who I suspected. Yondu, you may not fully grasp the consequences of your actions."

Thor, who had been listening, scratched his head and interjected, "What's wrong with this Ego fellow? Sounds like he's not fit to be a father."

"He's more than unfit," Forseti explained, deliberately guiding Thor's understanding. "He's a malevolent god—perhaps even more nefarious than a demon."

At Forseti's words, Yondu and the crew visibly paled. "Why... why is that?" Yondu managed to ask.

Forseti went on, "There are few who know of Ego's existence and deeds—I happen to be one of them. In fact, I've confronted him before. Based on what I know, Ego is an ancient god—an evil god—born millions of years ago."

"An evil god!"

"Yes," Forseti affirmed. "His atrocities are beyond imagining."

"...For some sinister purpose, Ego has sired children across the universe, only to dispose of them in various cruel ways." He paused, then asked, "Is Peter Quill's mother deceased?"

Yondu swallowed hard, his voice barely audible. "Yes."

Thor, his sense of justice ignited, declared vehemently, "Where is this villain? I shall personally put an end to him!"

Forseti said, "Thor, although I have some doubts about Ego's self-proclaimed identity as a celestial god, he is indeed very powerful. You should not confront him, so you shouldn't go."

Of course, Thor couldn't listen. Words like these only fueled his fighting spirit: "I must defeat that villain, no matter how powerful he is. As Odin's son, I cannot leave such evil!"

Forseti persisted, his tone earnest: "I'll arrange a simpler task for you. Confronting Ego is not suitable for you..."

Thor interrupted eagerly, "How can it not be suitable? I've been an excellent warrior for a long time. Didn't you say the same?"

Forseti shook his head slightly, "Thor, you haven't seen the celestial with your own eyes. Each celestial god possesses immense power. I cannot risk putting you in such danger."

"It's a soldier's duty to face danger. Choosing to flee in the face of danger is desertion. I will not be a deserter!" Thor's tone was resolute. Despite facing danger countless times before, he remained eager to charge forward like a soldier newly entering the battlefield.

Forseti added, "King Odin definitely does not wish for you to go..."

Thor waved his hand, cutting him off, "This is my choice, and no one can change it, not even my father."

Forseti fell silent for a moment, "Do you really have to go, Thor?"

"Absolutely!" Thor replied without hesitation.

Thor's response was exactly as Forseti had anticipated—active, determined, even stubborn. Thus, even if Odin were displeased later, he would not fault Forseti much.

"If you insist, then so be it," Forseti nodded.

Thor smiled, "Just as I expected from my brother-in-law!"

Forseti then turned to Yongdu, "You should know where Ego is hiding, right?"

"I do," Yongdu sat, his head bowed, his face a mix of regret and anger, "He's a villain. What have I done, my God!"

The other Ravagers also discussed, filled with remorse and anger upon learning Ego had hired them to find children. Naturally, there was fear and anxiety. After all, even an unintentional mistake breached the Ravagers Corps' moral code.

"To think such a father exists! Even the vilest demon would pale in comparison!"

"All those children we sent before... I dare not even think about it."

"What should we do? Will Chief Starka expel us from the Ravagers?"

Forseti intervened calmly, "Put aside everything else, Ravagers. Tell me where Ego is. Thor and I will deal with this scoundrel."

Yongdu clenched his fists, "I'll guide you there."

"No need. You stay. Thor and I can handle this," Forseti replied.

Although Yongdu was skilled, facing Ego without Yaka Arrow's aid would likely prove burdensome.

Yongdu fell silent, eventually nodding with a sigh. He then pointed to a location on the star map, "This planet is where Ego resides. It's the only planet with life in this empty star field—where we've been sending the children."

Forseti studied the star map before turning to Thor, "Let's go."

As the two departed, Yongdu's ship lingered in the sky, the cabin enveloped in silence, the Ravagers lost in contemplation.

"What now, boss?" a frail Ravager asked. "Should we confess this to Chief Starka?"

Before he could finish, objections arose, "Are you insane, Kraglin? If Chief Starka learns the truth, we'll surely be expelled from the Ravagers!"

Craglin countered, "But it's only a matter of time until he finds out. It's better to confess and admit our mistake than wait to be discovered. After all, it was an unintentional error. We shouldn't be expelled from the organization."

While the others debated, Yongdu rose and approached the sleeping Peter Quill, watching with a mix of emotions.

The others turned to Peter Quill, some asking, "What do we do with this kid now? We can't give him to his father anymore."

"And his mother is dead too."

"I'll take care of him," Yongdu said, placing a hand on Little Star-Lord's shoulder. "It's my way of making amends."

...

Human civilization's technological prowess had long outgrown its former limitations. Even on a universal scale, it stood as a mid-tier civilization in terms of scientific advancement.

The Marauders remained oblivious to this fact. Yondu's spaceship hovered in the sky for an extended period, inevitably drawing human attention.

Strategic Science Corps Headquarters, New York, USA.

A tall African-American man unwrapped a bandage from his left hand, revealing a smile as he saw the wound had healed with slight movement.

Suddenly, his boss approached, holding several documents with a serious expression. "Nick Fury, head to Missouri immediately. Our satellite has detected anomalies—possibly an alien spacecraft."

"Alien spacecraft?" Nick Fury was taken aback.

His boss shrugged, "We're the Strategic Science Corps. It shouldn't surprise you. By the way, now that your hand's healed, act your age, young man."

With that, the boss departed.

Nick Fury muttered under his breath, eyeing the documents on his desk, "Damn bureaucrats!"

...

In deep space, a spaceship jumped into hyperspace, hurtling forward at incredible speed until it reached a dark star field. A distant red planet came into view.

This remote part of space was far from any star system.

Forseti and Thor were aboard this vessel, their destination Ego's hideout—or rather, Ego himself, the sole living planet in the universe.

After a while, they approached their target, the red planet now clearly visible.

Forseti activated the Eyes of Insight and confirmed his suspicions. The energy signature of Egg's body matched that of the planet—both radiated a crimson hue.

"We've arrived," he declared.

Thor gripped Mjölnir eagerly, "Let's see what this 'celestrial's power' is all about!"

With a mighty swing of Mjölnir, he launched into the cosmos, heading straight for the crimson planet.

Simultaneously, the living planet sensed their presence.