C208 Seed

C208 Seed

Check out early access chapters on my Patréon, currently 14 chapters ahead!

——————

Peter remained kneeling before his mother’s grave, his emotions still raw from the visit. He was lost in thought when a voice interrupted him from behind.

“What an adventure you’ve had.”

The sudden appearance of The Ancient One caught Peter off guard. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was, her presence in the Force was unmistakable. He pretended not to know her, playing along for now. “Umm... sorry, but do I know you?” he asked, turning to face her with a raised brow.

“No,” The Ancient One replied with a calm, knowing smile. “But I know you.”

Peter raised an eyebrow, muttering sarcastically, “That’s not creepy at all...”

Though he played it off, Peter’s mind was already racing. ‘So she’s been watching me,’ he thought. ‘I wonder for how long?’

Peter knew exactly who The Ancient One was—how nosy she could be. But with the Infinity Stones not existing in this universe, she couldn’t have used the Time Stone to spy on him. So, how had she known?

As if reading his mind, The Ancient One answered the unspoken question. “I’ve been keeping tabs on you since you crossed paths with Doctor Strange.”

Peter raised a brow, pretending to be confused. “The Surgeon? Why?”

The Ancient One’s smile widened slightly. “Because he’s meant for so much more,” she said cryptically before waving her hand dismissively. “But enough about Strange. I came here to meet with you before you leave.”

Peter couldn’t help but make a joke. “So... you’ve been stalking me?” he said, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “Right now’s not exactly the best time, y’know?” He motioned to the grave, his voice softening for a moment. “Kinda in the middle of something.”

The Ancient One’s expression softened with a hint of apology. “Ah... I see.” She glanced at the gravestone, realizing the emotional weight of the moment. “My apologies. I sometimes forget how deeply certain things resonate. After so many years, my emotional radar can get a bit... out of whack. I’ll leave-”

Peter waved her off. “It’s fine. We can talk now, I guess.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the Force radiating off her. “So... what’s up? You’re obviously not just a normal human. You’ve got a pretty strong presence in the Force.” He paused, pretending to piece it together. “You wouldn’t happen to be some kind of Jedi, would you? Though I didn’t think Earth had any Force users.”

The Ancient One smiled, a mix of amusement and intrigue dancing in her eyes. “I wouldn’t call myself a Jedi,” she said thoughtfully. “But I’ve dabbled in what you call the Force in the past.” She looked Peter up and down, her gaze seeming to peer into his very soul. “But you... your aura is truly something else.”

For a brief moment, her eyes flashed, and Peter could feel her probing deeper into his presence in the Force. Whatever she saw made her pause. “A brilliant shining figure surrounded by the light of the sun,” she muttered under her breath, clearly captivated by what she was witnessing. “I’m surprised I didn’t notice your arrival sooner.”

Peter wasn’t sure what exactly she had seen, but he could tell it was something beyond the ordinary. “So, why are you here now?” he asked, keeping his tone casual. “What do you want?”

“As I said, I came to meet you.” The Ancient One’s expression turned serious. “I didn’t expect you to leave Earth so soon,” she said. “You’ve caused quite a stir since your arrival.”

Peter blinked, feeling slightly dumbfounded. “That’s it? You interrupted my visit to my mother’s grave for that?”

The Ancient One turned sheepish, a rare expression for someone as composed as her. “Well... there was one more thing... I’m curious.”

Peter tilted his head, intrigued now. “Curious about what?”

Still not fully coming to terms with the fact that the Ancient One accepted him as her Master, Peter decided to put aside for now and spent a little more time at his mother’s grave.

After all, he would be leaving soon.

...

After a couple of hours, Peter finally rose to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his knees. His heart was heavy, but he felt a sense of closure, something he hadn’t experienced in years.

Placing his hand gently on the gravestone one last time, he whispered, “I’ll visit more often, Mom. I promise.” With that, he turned and walked back toward his ship, the faint sounds of rustling leaves the only thing accompanying him through the cemetery.

As Peter boarded his ship and sat at the controls, he didn’t set a course for the Atlas just yet. He had one more thing to take care of before leaving Earth, though he wasn’t entirely sure how to handle it.

As the ship lifted off, Peter gazed out at his hometown below. It was a place filled with memories, both beautiful and painful. But somewhere down there, hidden in the familiar landscape, was something that didn’t belong—something left behind by his father.

“Alfred,” Peter called out, “I need you to use the ship’s scanners to search for alien plant life or anything with an odd energy signature in the area.”

The AI’s voice responded promptly, calm and efficient as always. “Acknowledged, Master Peter. Beginning scan now.”

Peter leaned back in his seat, watching the controls flicker as the ship’s scanners began sweeping through the terrain below.

Only a few seconds passed before Alfred’s voice came back, a blip appearing on the ship’s map. “I have located an anomalous energy signature approximately five miles southeast of your current position. It matches your description of extraterrestrial plant life.”

Peter frowned as he studied the map, a bright marker indicating the location. “That’s it,” he muttered, steering the ship in the direction Alfred had pointed out.

As the ship soared over the landscape, Peter could feel a sense of unease building within him. He had known this moment would come eventually—he just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

Minutes later, the ship hovered over a remote stretch of land, the scanner’s blip pulsing steadily. Peter lowered the ship and landed in a clearing. As he stepped out, he could already feel it—something foreign, something powerful, radiating through the air.

He didn’t have to search long. Just ahead, nestled in the middle of a field that seemed to have withered and decayed around it, was the seed his father had planted long ago.

The sight of it filled Peter with a mixture of disgust and dread. The alien plant had grown large, towering over him like an imposing monument to his father’s twisted ambitions.

Its dark tendrils snaked across the ground, pulsing with an eerie, unearthly energy. The core of the plant glowed with a faint light, humming with the power of his Celestial father, Ego.

Peter clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger rise within him. This... this is what he left behind. He knew the story well—his father, Ego the Living Planet, had spread seeds like this across countless worlds, hoping to assimilate them into extensions of his own consciousness.

Seeing one of those seeds here on Earth, on the planet he called home, filled Peter with a sense of purpose. He couldn’t let this thing remain here. It was a threat to everything and everyone on Earth, and he wasn’t about to let his father’s ambitions destroy his home world, where his mother is buried, where his Grandparents live.

He wouldn’t allow it.

But as he stood before the seed, watching its energy pulse through the air, a single question plagued his mind.

‘How do I get rid of this?’

A/N: 1900 words :)