C123 I’m Star-Lord (Patreon)

Peter focused on piloting the helicopter as they flew over the sprawling cityscape below. In the back, Magneto, Mystique, and Xavier sat, the hum of the helicopter's engine filling the silence. Peter used the opportunity to start the conversation.

"So, I think it's time we talk about the bigger picture," Peter began, glancing back at his passengers. "As I said earlier, aliens exist."

Magneto and Mystique exchanged skeptical glances, their expressions dubious. "I find that hard to believe…" Magneto muttered, his tone dripping with skepticism.

Peter raised an eyebrow and turned back, asking, "So, having superpowers is completely normal to you, but the idea of extraterrestrial life isn't?"

Xavier, seated beside Magneto, nodded in agreement with Peter. "He's telling the truth. I witnessed a ship crash land in the woods behind my house. And it was most definitely alien. It's hard to believe, but it's true."

Mystique crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "And why should we believe any of this? Even with Charles vouching for you, it sounds far-fetched."

Peter sighed, realizing he probably shouldn't have teased her so much over the phone. "I get it, it's a lot to take in. But the reality is, Earth isn't as isolated as you think. The Kree, an expansionist warrior race of aliens, are most likely planning to invade Earth in the coming days or weeks."

Magneto's skepticism turned to concern. "And how do you know this?" he asked, eyeing Peter warily. "You speak as if you're not from this world…"

"Well, I am, but I've been off-planet for a while," Peter admitted cryptically. He then detailed Carol's situation, describing her crash landing, the chip in her head, and her brainwashing by a Sith. "A Sith might be among the invasion force as well," he added.

Xavier raised an eyebrow, hearing this for the first time. "A Sith? Is that another alien race?"

Magneto and Mystique leaned in, just as curious. “…”

Peter shook his head, pondering how to explain. "Professor, do you remember when I told you about the work and practice it took to gain my powers?" he asked, and Xavier nodded. "Well, the Sith are individuals with similar abilities, but they've taken a different path. They channel negative emotions like anger, hate, and pain to fuel their powers."

Mystique still looked skeptical, but Magneto's expression had turned thoughtful. "And you believe one of these Sith will come to Earth as part of this Kree invasion?"

Peter nodded. "Yes. Carol was under the control of a Sith, and if they find out she's here, they won't hesitate to come and retrieve her. That's why we need to be prepared."

“Why are you only telling us this now?” Mystique's skepticism softened slightly. "And what do you propose we do?"

Peter glanced back at them. "We need to be ready to fight. As you can see, we're assembling a team to dismantle Hydra, but they won't be our only enemy. That is, if you're on board," he shrugged, turning back to fly the helicopter. "But, the reason I’m only telling you this now is simple: it's hard to believe. Hydra is an earthly threat you understand, but the Kree or the Sith? They mean nothing to you."

Magneto leaned back in his seat, his mind racing with the implications. "This is a lot to take in. But if what you're saying is true, then we can't afford to ignore it."

Peter nodded gravely. "Exactly. A Kree invasion is a much more serious threat than you realize. It's not just about them killing countless people; if they discover the existence of mutants, Earth will no longer be safe. The Kree and the Sith will stop at nothing to conquer this planet." He paused, turning back to them, "And God help us all if they leak that information to the rest of the galaxy…"

Silence enveloped the cabin as the weight of realization struck all three passengers. If the galaxy discovered mutants, could they fend off every alien empire that came knocking? The answer was clear: no, they couldn't.

Magneto was the first to speak. "So, there are no mutants beyond Earth?"

Peter scoffed. "No, the X-gene is unique to humans. While many races in the galaxy resemble humans, they're not human and they're not from Earth..."

“I see…”

As the conversation turned quiet, Peter suddenly adjusted the helicopter's altitude, causing it to ascend rapidly. They soared higher and higher, entering a thick gathering of clouds.

“?” Magneto and Mystique exchanged confused glances, unsure of what Peter was up to.

"What's going on?" Magneto asked, his tone cautious.

"Hold on, you'll see," Peter replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

As they broke through the cloud cover, the confusion on Magneto and Mystique's faces turned to awe and shock. “!”

The clouds cleared, revealing an astonishing sight—a massive floating structure, unlike anything they had ever seen. The Red Room Base hovered majestically in the sky, its sleek design and sheer size a testament to the Earth's most advanced technology and engineering.

And even though Xavier had visited the Red Room before, the sight still left him in awe. The floating base was a marvel of modern engineering, a symbol of their combined efforts against the threats they faced.

Peter expertly piloted the helicopter towards the base, guiding it into the opening hangar door. As they landed smoothly inside the hangar, Peter began to explain.

"This," Peter said, gesturing to the impressive structure around them, "is the Red Room. It's going to be our base of operations in the fight against Hydra. And if the upgrades are finished in time, maybe we can use it against the Kree as well. But that depends on Rocket..."

‘Rocket?’ They all wondered, as they disembarked the Helicopter.

Waiting for their arrival nearby stood Peggy, Logan, and Natasha. Peggy had been waiting, knowing Peter would return after his meeting. Natasha, who had been working with Peggy lately, had joined her, though she hadn't officially accepted a position with Shield, unlike many of the other Black Widows.

Of course, Natasha also wanted to see Peter again, unconsciously smiling as he hopped out of the cockpit.

Logan, who had bumped into Peggy and Natasha along the way, had heard that Peter would be back and hoped to get some time with his brother, Sabertooth.

As they stepped out of the helicopter, Peggy's eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of Magneto and Mystique, two highly wanted mutant terrorists. ‘He actually managed to recruit them…’

The tension was palpable, but Peggy had agreed to Peter's plan to try and work together, so she stepped forward, putting on a professional demeanor.

"Welcome to the Red Room," Peggy said, extending her hand to Magneto and Mystique. "I'm Director Carter. It's a... surprise to see you both here."

Magneto took her hand, his expression one of mild amusement. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Carter. I understand we're all here for a common cause."

Mystique shook Peggy's hand next, her expression more guarded. "Let's hope so."

Peter, sensing the tension, stepped in to smooth things over. "Everyone, this is Magneto and Mystique. They're going to be working with us against Hydra, and more..."

Logan, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "So, you managed to recruit them, huh?"

Peter shrugged. “Yeah, it actually wasn’t so hard…”

Logan grunted, clearly on guard around the new arrivals. "..."

Magneto, ever the strategist, turned to Peter. "So, what's our first move?"

Peter took a deep breath, ready to dive into the details. "First, we need to get you up to speed on what we know about Hydra's operations, among other things. But first, let’s release your lackeys.”

"What about Sabretooth? Can I see him?" Logan asked.

Peter nodded, remembering his promise. "Right, I need to release him as part of the deal with Magneto though."

Logan's eyes widened in concern. "You're just letting him go?"

Peter shrugged apologetically. "Yeah, it's part of the deal we made. But you can still talk to him. I doubt that the brotherhood is so restricted. You can probably call and visit him whenever you want."

Peter looked over at Magneto, who nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Victor is free to talk with you at any time."

With that reassurance, Peter told them to wait while he went to grab the prisoners. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone…”

Of course, Peter could have taken them to his ship now that he had revealed everything, but he didn't trust Magneto enough. After all, his ship is made of metal, and he couldn't risk Magneto tampering with it out of curiosity.

So, he left the group and made his way to a secluded hangar, where his spaceship was parked.

Inside the ship, Peter headed to the prison hold where Toad, Juggernaut, and Sabretooth were being held. The three prisoners looked up as he entered, their expressions a mix of resignation and defiance.

Peter smiled cheerfully, despite their scowls. "Good news, boys! You're free to go. And guess what? We'll be working together a lot more in the future."

The prisoners looked at each other, clearly confused and skeptical. “Yeah, right, f*ck off!” Juggernaut didn’t believe a word he said.

With that, Peter began the procedure to release them, starting with the chips implanted in their necks. They had no idea these chips were there, so seeing them removed was certainly a shock, but it only took a moment.

Peter had considered leaving the chips in, but he knew Magneto would notice. After all, they were made of metal.

Of course, he kept the cuffs on them, as they kept the prisoners under control with the threat of electrocution if they acted up. Then, to ensure they couldn't learn too much about his ship, he placed bags over their heads and marched them out.

"H-Hey..." Toad stuttered, his imagination running wild. "You're not going to kill us, are you? Look, we're sorry, alright? This isn't funny... Please don't kill us..." he begged, his voice trembling. "Magneto won't let you get away with this!"

Peter led the trio out of the ship in silent amusement, taking them back to the hangar where Magneto and the others were waiting.

As they arrived, still convinced that they’re about to get executed, Peter removed the bags from their heads, revealing Magneto standing before them.

Toad, Juggernaut, and Sabretooth's eyes widened in surprise as they saw their leader. "B-Boss?!"

Magneto smiled, his presence exuding authority. "Welcome back, my friends."

————

Tony Stark sat comfortably in his private jet, a glass of scotch in hand as he gazed out the window. The flight to New York was smooth, but his mind was racing with curiosity about Peter. “Who exactly are you, Peter Quill?” he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Jarvis's voice broke through his thoughts. "Sir, I have something you need to see."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Jarvis?"

A screen on the plane flickered to life, displaying CCTV footage. Tony leaned forward, his interest piqued. The footage showed Central Park, focusing on a confrontation between Peter and a man Tony couldn’t seem to recognize.

The scene played out, showing Magneto raising metal objects like benches and garbage cans into the air. Tony's eyes widened. "Is he a mutant?" He muttered in awe. ‘Is this what Peter was flying to the city for? To meet this mutant?’

But what really caught his attention was Peter. He watched as electricity crackled on Peter's hands, dancing between his fingers. He met Magneto's gaze without a hint of fear. The two stood there, threateningly staring each other down, the tension palpable even through the screen.

Tony's grip on his glass tightened. "What the hell are you up to, Peter?" he whispered, his mind racing with possibilities.

The footage continued, showing Professor Xavier rolling forward, speaking calmly and seemingly defusing the situation. The metal objects lowered back to the ground, and the electricity dissipated from Peter's hands.

Tony leaned back in his seat, processing what he'd just seen. "Jarvis, compile everything we know about Peter Quill. This kid is definitely up to something..."

"Already working on it, sir," Jarvis replied. "Shall I continue monitoring the situation in New York?"

Tony nodded. "Yes, keep me updated on any developments. And inform me the moment we land. I need to see him in person..."

"As you wish, sir," Jarvis responded.

Tony's mind continued to churn with questions and theories as he stared at the screen. This meeting with Peter was going to be even more interesting than he had initially thought.

A/N: 2107 words 2/4 done ✅