C121 Spying Stark

C121 Spying Stark

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

——————

Peter sat on the grass in the backyard of Professor Xavier's school, the night sky stretching endlessly above. "I won't be returning. So, you should all saddle up and get here quickly." He winked into the camera of his datapad and added, "See you soon."

"Peter, don't you dare—" A voice yelled through the speakers, but was swiftly cut off as he ended the call, knowing full well he'd earn an earful when they arrived.

Letting out a sigh, he quickly sent the coordinates of Earth to Yoda, including instructions on how to bypass a few hazards along the way. Then, he pocketed his datapad, leaned back, and gazed up at the twinkling stars.

Suddenly, behind him, the sound of footsteps, accompanied by the distinctive click of a cane hitting the ground, caught Peter’s attention. Without needing to look, he called out, "Couldn't sleep, Granny?"

Peggy Carter stepped closer, dressed in her usual attire. "Who said I ever even made it to bed? Some of us have jobs, you know." She took a seat on the edge of a large fountain nearby, adding, "And stop calling me Granny, brat."

Peter chuckled. "Nah, I think it fits you... Granny."

Peggy let out a tired sigh, her gaze lifting to the stars as well. "What's it like up there?"Discover new chapters at novelhall.com

Peter smiled, his eyes reflecting the celestial lights. "It's actually a lot like down here, but everything is on a much larger scale. There are governments, but instead of countries, they span entire planets, star systems, and more. But, no matter where you go, everyone has the same problems and aspirations. Aliens or not, we're all the same."

"Though it can be quite beautiful.” He paused for a moment, his mind drifting back to his travels. “I still remember the first time I saw the planet Ilum. It’s this frozen planet covered by so much snow and ice that it reflects the light of its sun like a shining jewel. The equivalent here on Earth would be traveling to the North or South Poles, I guess. But, like I said, everything is magnified up there."

Peggy stared up at the stars, her imagination running wild with Peter's description. Suddenly, she asked, "What's a Sith?"

Peter frowned, glancing over at her. "I see you've been eavesdropping."

Peggy shrugged, her expression unapologetic. "It is my job, after all."

Peter scoffed, his gaze returning to the sky. "The Sith are the bad guys." He answered simply.

Peggy raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I believe I’ve gathered that much already. But what are they exactly? Are they a race of aliens, or some sort of crime syndicate?"

Peter thought carefully before replying. "The Sith are an order of crazed individuals who use negative emotions like anger, hate, and pain to fuel their quest for power. They reject emotions like empathy and compassion, seeing them as weaknesses. And they happen to be the number one enemy of the Jedi Order."

"And you’re a Knight of the Jedi Order, right?" Peggy asked, her curiosity piqued.

Peter hummed in agreement, leaning back on the grass. "Yeah, they rescued me about a month after I was kidnapped from Earth. With nowhere else to go, I thought, why not become a badass magic space monk?"

Peggy chuckled slightly. "Magic space monk?"

Peter nodded, grinning. "Don’t forget the badass part."

"So that’s where you get your powers? They taught you their magic?"

"Yeah, though it’s not actually magic. It’s the Force," Peter explained.

Peggy raised an eyebrow. "The Force?"

Peter nodded again. "Yup, the Force. It flows through everything and everyone. From the smallest ant to the largest elephant, the tiniest grain of sand to the biggest mountain, the Force is in it all. Even you have the Force in you, though not nearly enough to make use of it."

Peggy went silent, trying to make sense of Peter’s explanation. It all sounded so fantastical and hard to believe.

Seeing her struggle, Peter smiled. "Don’t think too hard about it. Like I said before, badass magic space monks explain it all pretty well."

Peggy smiled back, realizing Peter had a point. "Do you truly believe this Sith, Darth Sinister, or whatever his name was, will really come looking for Carol?"

Peter laughed, correcting her. "It’s Darth Sidious. And I’m not sure. I’d say there’s a 50/50 chance. But it would be nice if he showed himself."

Peggy countered, "Speak for yourself. I’d much rather the whole galaxy stay far, far away from Earth."

Across the country in Los Angeles, Tony Stark sat on the sofa in one of the many living rooms in his mansion, watching the live video footage from the drone on his TV.

He had been looking into Peter for a while now, and the lack of information he found had forced him to build and deploy this drone to spy on Peter. And for its first day of use, it seemed to be working exceptionally well.

The only thing Tony knew about Peter was that he had gone missing as a child and was never found. This was intriguing, especially since Peter seemed to have no other records. No bank account, no ID, no property, no parents or guardians, nothing. Just a birth certificate and a social security number. Beyond that, he might as well not even exist.

What surprised Tony even more was that when he sent the drone to find Peter, Jarvis, who was tasked with keeping tabs on him, informed Tony that Peter was currently across the country in Upstate New York, specifically at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters—a school for mutants.

"Is Peter a mutant?" Tony muttered to himself.

He had heard of mutants, of course, but had never actually met one. Though If Peter was a mutant, it made sense why he had disappeared as a child.

Perhaps he activated his mutant ability and ran away in fear of not being accepted, or worse, perhaps he was kidnapped by scientists and experimented on.

Either way, all of this just made him more and more curious about Peter...

Suddenly, the camera footage from the drone cut out with a loud bang, causing his screen to flash and blur before switching to static.

Confused, Tony asked, "Jarvis? What happened to my drone?"

Jarvis's disembodied voice filled the room, "Sir, we have lost its signal. The last transmission indicates a possible impact."

Instantly, Tony realized that Peter or Xavier must have noticed the drone and shot it down somehow. Either that or it malfunctioned, but that was highly unlikely. After all, his last name was Stark, not Hammer. Nothing he made was allowed to malfunction.

An amused smirk graced Tony’s face as he said, "Jarvis, prepare my private jet for takeoff. I’m heading to New York."

"Right away, sir," Jarvis replied.

Tony stood up, his curiosity and excitement piqued. It was time to meet his mysterious friend once again.

————

*Boom!*

Back in the helicopter, Xavier jumped in his seat, exclaiming, "What was that?" as he heard a small explosion nearby. He turned just in time to see smoke and debris from the drone that had been following them.

Peter, on the other hand, didn’t react to the explosion at all. "Just swatting a fly," he said nonchalantly.

Xavier glanced over at Peter, realizing that he must have been the one to blow up whatever that thing was. "What was it?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Peter shrugged. "I don’t know. But it was following us, so I ionized it a little bit. Who knew it would explode so easily?"

Xavier shook his head, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. "You know, the more I learn about your powers, the more perplexed I become."

Peter nodded matter-of-factly. "I know. It's hard to comprehend greatness, isn't it?"

...

..

.

After a short flight, Peter and Xavier landed atop a skyscraper before making their way to the meeting spot, Central Park. The bustling park was filled with New Yorkers going about their day, but one figure stood out amidst the crowd.

Seated on a bench, Magneto, his distinctive metal helmet drawing curious glances and whispers from passersby, waited patiently. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp and alert, scanning the park's surroundings.

It didn’t take long for Magneto to notice Peter and Xavier's arrival. His eyes narrowed as he recognized his old friend, and he stood up to greet them.

"I knew you were involved in this, Charles...”

A/N: 2270 words :)