Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

Podrick Farm.

Peter handed a cup of coffee to Kelly, who lay on the sofa wrapped in a blanket.

"Here, have some hot coffee."

Kelly glanced at her bare body beneath the blanket, her cheeks flushing as she pulled the fabric tighter around herself.

"Thank you."

Accepting the coffee with some hesitation, she glanced at Peter and then shifted her gaze toward Star-Lord, who was sitting on the couch playing with a toy.

"He… he really fell from the sky?"

Her voice wavered with disbelief, as the recent events still felt surreal to her.

It was just like the prophecy passed down among her tribe: a hero would descend from the fiery rain, wielding miraculous powers to heal the dying.

What she once dismissed as mere legend had unfolded right before her eyes, leaving her in a daze.

"If I told you it might just be a hallucination caused by your excessive blood loss, would you believe me, Miss Kelly?" Peter asked, sipping his coffee.

"No, that's impossible! I saw it with my own eyes—he healed my wounds," Kelly insisted vehemently.

"Interesting," Peter mused, placing his cup on the table. "Because I just saw something equally unbelievable—you transforming from a white wolf into a human. As far as I know, wolves haven't been spotted in Smallville for ninety-nine years."

Peter leaned closer, his tone teasing but inquisitive. "Compared to an alien spaceship descending from the sky, isn't a human turning into an animal just as extraordinary?"

Kelly averted her eyes, a flicker of guilt crossing her face.

"That… that's a secret art of the Kawachi Tribe."

"So, you're druids?"

"Druids?" Kelly tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term. "No, we're not followers of any druidic faith. We simply revere nature and animals."

Peter nodded thoughtfully. "A real-life version of the 'Woodland Chief' tale—makes sense, I suppose."

Having researched the Kawachi Tribe before, Peter met her gaze directly. "Your tribe's name translates to 'Beastkin Clan,' right? According to legend, your people can transform into animals. I thought it was just another old wives' tale, like those strange urban legends."

Kelly grew visibly uncomfortable under Peter's steady gaze, prompting him to shift his attention elsewhere.

"I'm not interested in your transformation secrets," he said nonchalantly. "What I do want to know is—why were you shot?"

Kelly hesitated briefly before replying, "It was the Luthor Corporation."

"Luthor?"

"Yes," she confirmed, biting her lip in frustration. "I wanted to scare them off by turning into a white wolf, hoping they'd abandon their plans to build an industrial park here. But they had men lying in ambush."

Kelly's voice trembled with anger. "I walked straight into their trap and was shot. I barely managed to escape and ended up here."

Peter nodded as he processed her explanation. "So, your tribe's goal is to protect this land. Now that you've discovered the underground caves here, you're even more determined not to give it up, correct?"

Kelly's resolve hardened as she nodded firmly. "Yes, we will protect this land at all costs."

"Though it might be challenging, I think I can help you," Peter said, a hint of confidence in his voice.

"You… you'd help us?" Kelly's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why?" she asked, still skeptical of his intentions.

Peter smiled faintly. "Because we're alike, Kelly—unique, set apart from ordinary people by our innate differences."

He wasn't entirely sincere, but the sentiment seemed fitting. During their earlier encounter in the caves, Peter couldn't help but wonder if she would connect today's events to the infamous tales of Clark and Azu, wondering if they too were "meteor-born" beings.

Still, it would be a waste to kill her just to keep a secret.

After all, where else could he find someone who could act as both a meticulous babysitter and a fierce wolf-bodyguard? Certainly not the Martian Manhunter, who was better suited for teaching skills than caring for infants.

Peter cleared his throat, cutting through his swirling thoughts. "That baby saved you. Perhaps it's fate bringing you together."

"So, Miss Kelly, would you consider taking up a job as my assistant?"

Kelly blinked, stunned by the sudden offer. Her gaze shifted toward the baby—Star-Lord—who was sprawled on the couch, happily engrossed in his toy.

The memory of him emitting energy to heal her wounds replayed in her mind.

Thinking of her tribe's prophecy, she hesitated before replying, "But I have no experience—neither with farm work nor caring for children."

Peter shrugged. "That's fine. Everyone starts somewhere."

After a moment of internal struggle, Kelly finally nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Wrapping the blanket tightly around herself, she stood up, walked over to Star-Lord, and gently picked him up.

"Should we give him a name, sir?"

Peter pondered for a moment before replying, "Let's call him Little Peter. Or maybe give him a nickname—Star-Lord."

"Star-Lord?" Kelly repeated, a soft smile forming. "From the stars—a fitting name."

She removed a bracelet engraved with a star motif from her wrist and slipped it onto Star-Lord's tiny hand.

"This has been passed down in my family for generations. May it bring him blessings."

"No!" Peter reached out to stop her but was too late.

"Is something wrong?" Kelly asked, startled.

Peter sighed and waved dismissively. "Forget it."

His reluctance stemmed from knowing Star-Lord's reputation as the infamous "father-troubler," whose familial ties often ended in tragedy. He feared Kelly might suffer some unforeseen calamity if she grew too close to the boy.

An hour later, in a room upstairs, Peter sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in deep concentration.

Slowly, he raised his hand, summoning a pure-white energy orb that flickered and stabilized in his palm.

For a brief moment, it seemed like he had it under control. But the energy quickly dissipated, vanishing into thin air.

Staring at his empty palm, Peter frowned.

"So, this is the so-called 'Celestial Body' granted by the system?"

...

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