Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Azu's State of Mind
The first time Peter laid eyes on Star-Lord, his watch vibrated, flashing an alert: The infant before you is Star-Lord. Along with this revelation, the system rewarded him with the "Celestial Body" ability.
The so-called "Celestial Power" was an ability belonging to Star-Lord's biological father, Ego. Ego had fused with his planet through experimentation and proclaimed himself a "Celestial." This fusion granted him the power of creation, referred to as "energy morphogenesis." Ego could draw on the energy of his planet to create matter, manipulate molecular structures, and even fashion human-like avatars for interaction.
Peter vaguely remembered how Star-Lord, after inheriting this Celestial Power, used it to avenge his mother, ultimately rejecting his bloodline and destroying Ego. With Ego's death, Star-Lord's Celestial Power also vanished forever.
Peter stared at his hand, which was still radiating a faint heat, and exhaled deeply. At first, he thought the system's gift of the Celestial Body would allow him to reach Ego's level of power. However, after testing it, he realized this "gift" came with significant limitations. His Celestial Body wasn't tethered to a planet like Ego's; instead, his own body served as the "planet."
This made his Celestial abilities weak and largely unimpressive. He couldn't manipulate molecules or create matter. All he could do was summon a small amount of energy from within himself and release it externally.
The only use for this supposed "buff" seemed to be acting as a power source for Star-Lord. Star-Lord could draw Celestial Power from Peter's "planet body," while Peter had to remain perpetually cautious of the boy awakening a "father-slaying" instinct and blowing up his "planet."
Peter walked to the window and gazed out at the dark night. He slowly opened his hand, letting the eerie white energy swirl around his fingers.
If Star-Lord's Celestial Power truly came from his "planet body," then theoretically, the stronger his "planet" grew, the stronger Star-Lord's power would become. Yet, despite Peter's limited strength, Star-Lord had already unleashed tremendous energy to heal Kelly.
How had he done it? Was this boy's talent beyond Peter's comprehension?
Peter clenched his fist, snuffing out the energy on his fingers. If he was now the "planet" and Star-Lord the "satellite," would the satellite forever orbit the planet—or eventually break free?
The Next Morning: Podrick Farm
Azu stood in the farmhouse yard, staring in shock at the sudden appearance of Star-Lord and Kelly.
"You! You're the one from the cave that day!"
"I'm Kelly Joseph, your father's assistant," Kelly replied, holding Star-Lord in her arms and smiling at Azu and Clark.
"Assistant?" Azu's eyebrows shot up. "Weren't you exploring caves yesterday?"
Kelly hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Exploration is just a hobby of mine."
Clark pointed to the baby in Kelly's arms. "Is that your child?"
"No, I don't have children," Kelly said quickly, casting a helpless glance at Peter. She wasn't sure how to explain the situation.
"He's your brother, Azu," Peter interjected as he approached.
"My brother?" Azu looked skeptical.
"Yes. From now on, he'll be living with us."
Azu's expression turned complicated. After a moment of silence, he muttered, "Dad, are you trying to find me a stepmom?"
Kelly froze, her eyes darting between Star-Lord and Azu. Did this brat think she was here to marry Peter just because she was holding a baby? She hadn't even been on a date, and now she was somehow a single mom in his imagination?
"No, of course not!" Kelly exclaimed, feeling her integrity under attack. "This isn't my child. He's... He's someone your father and I found outside."
Clark and Azu exchanged a dubious look.
Azu frowned. This explanation sounded suspiciously familiar. His father had once told him he was "found outside" too. Come to think of it, most of the kids at Smallville Elementary had been told the same by their parents.
Azu narrowed his eyes at Peter, silently questioning if his father really intended to find him a stepmother. While he wasn't opposed to the idea, he felt such decisions needed careful consideration—after all, movies were full of evil stepmother tropes.
And then there was the baby. Azu glanced at Star-Lord with some irritation. The child of a stepmother always seemed to outshine the child of a previous marriage. But wait! This wasn't his dad and Kelly's baby—it came with her. In other words, it was in the same boat as him.
Azu rubbed his chin, caught up in a labyrinth of thoughts. Meanwhile, Peter ruffled his son's hair, oblivious to the palace drama playing out in the boy's mind.
"Kelly is just my assistant, Azu. She'll be handling daily tasks like Jones used to," Peter explained patiently. "As for this child, he's one of those miraculous infants—like the ones we saw depicted in the cave—who fell from the sky, riding a meteor."
Clark's eyes widened. "So the mural... It's real, Godfather?"
"Yes, Clark. But this must stay a secret. You can't tell anyone—not even your parents. Can I count on you?"
Clark nodded vigorously. "I swear I won't tell anyone, Godfather."
Azu eyed Clark skeptically. There was no way his dad's explanation was true. In Azu's mind, Peter was just lying to spare Kelly embarrassment. Clearly, this baby was hers. Still, Azu pretended to accept the story.
"Got it, Dad. Even if he's a meteor baby, I'll treat him as my brother."
"Good. I knew you'd understand," Peter said, ruffling Azu's hair again. He was surprised at how smoothly things were going. Azu had already accepted having a younger sibling.
"What's his name?" Azu asked, gazing curiously at Star-Lord.
"Peter Podrick Junior. Or you can call him Star-Lord."
Azu froze. A storm brewed in his heart. The baby had inherited his father's name? Instantly, he decided he wanted nothing to do with this annoying little brother.
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