Outside New York City, on the state route leading to Colorado, a sleek blue sports car raced at speeds exceeding a hundred miles per hour along the wide road. Star-Lord, now dressed in a casual suit, was behind the wheel, and Gamora, her skin changed in hue, sat in the passenger seat.
After a brief tour of the bustling international metropolis of New York, Star-Lord was taking Gamora to the place where he had spent his childhood. Even though he had no idea how many people from his past still remained in the town he had left at a very young age, he felt the need to revisit it.
Furthermore, when Star-Lord had left, his mother had just passed away due to cancer. This return was also a way for him to pay his respects to his late mother. Perhaps, he could also tell his mother that a man who claimed to be his biological father had come looking for him.
As the cool blue sports car sped along, a few seemingly ordinary cars followed at a discreet distance. These vehicles trailing Star-Lord were arranged by SHIELD to ensure that Star-Lord and Gamora remained within sight and that any unforeseen incidents could be addressed promptly.
While Star-Lord and Gamora enjoyed the unique scenery of Earth, different from other advanced civilizations in the cosmos, a white light suddenly flashed in the sky above them. Then, a figure materialized out of thin air on the road ahead.
“Damn it!” The moment Star-Lord saw the figure, he cursed loudly and slammed on the brakes.
Squeak, Squeak, Squeak!
Under the rapid deceleration, the high-quality tires left dark streaks on the road as they came to a halt just before the figure. If it weren’t for the fact that Tony Stark’s garage cars were of advanced quality, a typical car would have collided with the figure.
Following Star-Lord’s sudden stop, the SHIELD team trailing him also halted quickly. Of course, this immediate halt exposed their identities. However, Star-Lord didn’t seem to mind, perhaps aware that their every move was under surveillance.
After coming to a stop, Star-Lord, seated in the driver’s seat, let out a sigh of relief and then looked ahead at the person blocking their path. In fact, the moment the figure appeared, Star-Lord had already recognized who it was. It wasn’t someone else but the man who had claimed to be his father in the cosmos, Ego.
“Hello, Quill, I’ve heard that’s your name,” Ego said with a smile as he watched Star-Lord when he raised his head.
Hearing Ego call him by his name and the friendly tone in his voice, Star-Lord suppressed his emotions and replied, “Ego, that’s your introduction from before.”
“It seems we’re already acquainted. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Quill,” Ego continued to smile.
“Are you planning to stand in the middle of the road like this? It could cause traffic congestion.” Star-Lord didn’t waste any more words and gestured to Ego to look at the cars stopped behind them.
Since Ego’s appearance, the SHIELD agents inside those cars had already taken out various devices to monitor and record the situation. Star-Lord didn’t mind; he knew what kind of organization SHIELD was, and being monitored this time didn’t bother him.
However, the conversation about their father-son relationship couldn’t happen here, and Star-Lord certainly didn’t want SHIELD to eavesdrop. Other matters were not a concern, but this personal affair needed to be resolved privately.
“Of course, would you like to come aboard?” Ego nodded and gestured upwards.
Above them, the pure-white spaceship floated in mid-air. Its elliptical shape appeared non-threatening, so the SHIELD team on the ground remained inside their cars.
Star-Lord glanced up at the pure-white spaceship and nodded silently. “But I’m bringing Gamora; she’s my girlfriend.”
“Oh, certainly,” Ego responded with a smile, casting a brief glance at Gamora upon hearing that she was Star-Lord’s girlfriend.
With a sigh, Ego quickly waved his hand forward. Then, his figure, along with Star-Lord and Gamora still seated in the sports car, transformed into three beams of light and shot into the pure-white spaceship above.
Swish!
After Ego, Star-Lord, and Gamora entered the spaceship, the pure-white spaceship instantly accelerated and disappeared from the view of the SHIELD agents on the ground. By the time they hurriedly got out of their cars, the spaceship had already vanished.
“Captain! The target has disappeared, presumably taken by alien technology!” The captain of the SHIELD team following Star-Lord immediately contacted Rogers’s and reported the situation.
“What kind of alien technology is it?” Rogers asked calmly on the other end of the line.
This SHIELD team was assigned to follow Star-Lord for the very purpose of dealing with unexpected events. While Rogers and his team might not prevent these incidents from happening, they needed to be aware of them in order to find solutions.
“It’s a white, oval-shaped spaceship, and there was also an elderly man. I’ve already sent you the recorded footage!” The SHIELD team’s captain responded while transmitting the images they had captured.
After receiving the video footage, Rogers remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again, “Abandon pursuit. I will send another team to follow. Return to base.”
“Understood!” With that acknowledgment, the team turned their vehicles and headed back in the direction of New York.
As for Tony Stark’s sports car, the SHIELD agents didn’t touch it. Tony’s cars were equipped with the J.A.R.V.I.S. intelligent system, so even if Star-Lord and the others didn’t return, the car would likely drive itself back later.
…
As Rogers ordered the team following Star-Lord to return, Ego was entertaining Star-Lord and Gamora aboard the spaceship. The interior of the pure-white spaceship resembled a simple room more than a spacecraft. Both inside and outside had a predominantly white color scheme, devoid of any other hues or technological equipment.
“This is my attendant; I’ve been having some sleep issues lately, and she’s an expert in treating that,” Ego briefly introduced Mantis, who was aboard the spaceship.
“Hello, I’m Star-Lord, and this is my girlfriend, Gamora.” Star-Lord glanced at Mantis and introduced himself and Gamora.
By now, Gamora had reverted to her original deep green skin color. Being a fellow woman, Gamora was quite warm and extended her hand to shake Mantis’s.
“You seem a bit nervous…”
…
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