Hope Stark [2]

Chapter 36: Expansion

"Now, you need to readjust the way that you process life." Ego told us as we made our way to the freaking egg room. "Everything around us, including the girl and boy. Everything is temporary. We are forever."

"Doesn't eternity get boring?" I asked as Peter and I followed Ego.

"Not if you have a purpose. Which is why you're here." I raised an eyebrow and elbowed Peter. He glared at me and pushed me away lightly. I smirked at him. We stared up at the imagine of Ego with the alien child. "I told you how all those years ago, I had an unceasing impulse to find life. But what I did not tel you was how, when I finally did find it. It was all so.... disappointing."

Peter and I scrunched our faces in confusion at Ego.

"And that is when I came to a profound realization." Peter and I stood in the middle of the room, in the large circle on the floor. "My innate desire to seek out other life was not so that I could walk among that life. I have found... meaning."

Ego stood directly in front of us. He raised both hands and tapped out foreheads.

I gasped as I saw a lights. Lights flashed before my eyes. Planets glowed and stars surrounded them. Beautiful and absolutely breathtaking.

"I see it..." I heard Peter gasp. "Eternity!"

I tried to stay calm as I watched the lights flash so elegantly and smoothly. I don't know how to explain it really. I'm... speechless...

"I call it the Expansion. It is my purpose." Planet around us appeared. A blue light on every single one of them. "And now... it is yours as well."

"It's beautiful..." I whispered breathlessly.

"Over thousands of years, I implanted thousands of extensions of myself on thousands of worlds. I need to fulfil life's one true purpose. Grow and spread, covering all that exists until everything is... me!"

"I only had one problem. A single Celestial doesn't have enough power for such an enterprise... but three Celestials. Well that just might do."

I tried to break my trance, but it was just too... memorizing.

"Out of all my children, the most beguiling was attempting to graft my DNA with that of another species. I hoped the result of such a coupling would be enough to power the Expansion. I had Yondu deliver some of them to me. It broke the Ravager code, but I compensated him generously and to ease his conscience, I said I'd never hurt them. I mean, that was true. They never felt a thing. But one after the other, they failed me. Not one of them carried the Celestial genes.

Until you two.

Out of all my spawn. Only you two carried the connections to the light. For the first time in my existence! I am truly not alone!"

I growled angrily as I fought. Ego chuckled.

"You are quite strong Hope... you have a fire inside you that not one of my children had."

"I... am not... your daughter..." I grunted. Ego chuckled.

"Wow... you really are a tough one. You always had your doubts, but you are my daughter... my blood. Together... we would be unstoppable."

"What is it, son?" Ego asked Peter.

"My friends..." Peter whispered sadly.

"You see, that's the mortal in you, Peter."

"Yes." Peter nodded.

"We are beyond such things."

"Yes... but my mother..." Peter mumbled. "You said you loved my mother."