Departing from the edge of the farm, Star-Lord and his companions instantly found themselves in a graveyard— a place where Star-Lord’s mother had been laid to rest after her passing.
As they materialized out of thin air, the name on the tombstone in front of them was that of Star-Lord’s mother, the very name Ego had mentioned as his former beloved.
After taking two deep breaths, Star-Lord walked slowly to the grave and knelt down. He gently placed his hand on the cold tombstone, his fingertips feeling the temperature of the stone. At this moment, all the emotions buried deep within Star-Lord’s heart were released.
Seeing Star-Lord trembling slightly as he knelt before the tombstone, Gamora, standing behind him, felt uneasy herself. However, it was best to allow Star-Lord to release his emotions in silence, so Gamora refrained from offering comfort. As Gamora’s gaze shifted from Star-Lord and landed on Ego, her expression changed subtly.
Gamora hadn’t detected any sadness, longing, or regret in Ego’s face. If Ego’s earlier words were true— that he had left his Earthly beloved out of necessity— then his expression shouldn’t have been this calm, with a faint hint of a smile.
While Gamora briefly glanced at Ego, Ego seemed to sense her gaze and smiled back at her.
“Huh?!” However, Ego’s smile only made Gamora feel more uncomfortable.
Unseen by Gamora, Mantis, who had been standing behind them all along, revealed a slightly ambiguous expression on her pale face. However, she concealed it well and didn’t draw anyone’s attention.
Exhaling slowly, Star-Lord took something out from his pocket and placed it down after a few minutes by the tombstone. He then stood up silently.
“Let’s go. There’s no need to see the others anymore.” Having visited his mother, Star-Lord had no desire to see his other relatives now.
“Well, I believe that if your mother knew we were reunited now, she would be very happy,” Ego said in a deep tone, patting Star-Lord’s shoulder once more.
Hearing Ego’s words, Star-Lord didn’t respond, just nodded silently. Then, in a blink of white light, the four of them disappeared again.
In the following days, with Ego by his side, Star-Lord explored Earth thoroughly. According to Ego, after they returned to the center of the universe, they wouldn’t be back for a very long time. Since Star-Lord had agreed to go with him, it was only natural to take in the sights of Earth and leave some memories behind.
While Ego accompanied Star-Lord and Gamora on their adventures around Earth, the rest of the crew, except for Rocket, had no knowledge of their whereabouts. Despite SHIELD’s influence spanning the globe with almost no blind spots, they couldn’t track Ego’s group.
Eventually, SHIELD gave up trying. After all, Star-Lord and his group weren’t posing any threat to Earth. Besides, SHIELD had more pressing matters to deal with after the Dormammu invasion. For instance, there was the proposal for an Earth Federation system and the integration of global power and resources.
During the invasion by Dormammu, SHIELD and Stark Industries showcased technological prowess that no other nation or entity on Earth could match. So, even if there were disputes between them, at most, it would be a delay tactic. Eventually, with the efforts of Rogers and Captain’s team, the Earth Federation would be established.
Apart from SHIELD and Stark Industries, along with the joint pressure exerted by the X-Men on other nations and entities, there were other forces making decisions.
One prominent example was Oscorp, a major player in the realm of genetic enhancement and gene therapy, which had a complex relationship with both Stark and SHIELD. After SHIELD clearly expressed its intention to unite global forces, Oscorp decided to join.
Of course, in addition to companies like Osborn’s that had vague connections with Stark and SHIELD, other entities and corporations also chose to join.
After all, in the rapidly evolving world of Earth, failure to adapt might lead to their elimination. As Earth’s civilization ventured beyond the solar system, nobody wanted to be left behind, clinging to the past.
Amidst the bustling preparations for the initiation of the Earth Federation, a message from an ancient Eastern nation temporarily diverted Captain Rogers’ attention from his busy schedule.
…
Inside the SHIELD headquarters in Washington D.C., within Captain America’s private office, Rogers sat in his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen before him.
Just a few minutes ago, a message had appeared on Captain America Steve Rogers’ computer screen, unobstructed by any security measures or firewalls. The moment Rogers laid eyes on this message, his expression turned serious. It was a message from the Eastern nation.
In this Marvel World’s Earth, the entire globe differed significantly from what Lin Rui knew in his previous life. Beyond the overarching Marvel storyline, certain nations and powers were entirely different from Lin Rui’s previous understanding.
Among them, the most significant divergence lay in the ancient Eastern nation situated in the heart of the continent.
According to Lin Rui’s subsequent knowledge, the name of the Eastern nation remained unchanged: China. However, the fundamental characteristics of this nation differed vastly from what Lin Rui had known.
These distinctions pertained not to the society of ordinary citizens but rather to disparities in military strength, economic power, and the presence of individuals with special abilities or advanced technology.
To Lin Rui’s understanding, China, apart from the societal aspects shared by ordinary people, displayed substantial superiority in terms of economic power, military strength, and technological prowess, to the extent that it could potentially dominate Earth.
Otherwise, an organization as dominant as SHIELD would not have acted with such caution when encountering matters concerning the Eastern nation.
Lin Rui’s prior experiences had all occurred on this side of Earth, with no impact on the ancient nation situated on the other side. However, as events escalated, such as the Dark Elves’ invasion and Dormammu’s arrival, they were significant enough to stir the hearts of every individual on Earth.
Thus, when SHIELD proposed the establishment of the Earth Federation, the Eastern nation finally sent a proactive message. Yet, as Captain Rogers gazed at the message displayed on the screen before him, his expression flickered with apparent conflict.
The message from the other side was concise and explicit. They acknowledged that Earth had entered the Interstellar Age and agreed to the formation of the Earth Federation. However, following the establishment of the Earth Federation, they also requested autonomous sovereignty.
…
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