The Seventh Avenger - (Marvel x OC)

CH 3.5 The Godkiller

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Diana asked sincerely. "She is your mother, go speak to her."

"I-I haven't seen her in almost fifty years" Andrew spoke shakily.

Diana's joyful expression faded.

"In my time...she's d--gone."

"I apologize" Diana muttered sadly. "I didn't think that..." Her voice trailed off and she stopped talking, opting to look at Andrew with empathic eyes.

Half of Andrew wanted to run to his mother with every ounce of joy he had...as if she was picking him up after the first day of school. The other half wanted to turn and run away. This couldn't be real...it had been so long.

He loved his mother more than anything. No one could compare.

"I'll leave you be" Diana brushed her hand over his arm as she walked away and into the cafe.

Diana welcomed the soft scent of fresh baked goods and warm beverages as she walked through the door. She looked around for a moment before approaching the main counter at the back of the room.

"What can I--" the employee tried to say before being cut off by Diana.

"What do you know of the woman at the table out front?" She spoke seriously, almost frightening the nervous worker.

The worker peered around Diana and spotted Andrew's mother.

"She comes in most every day...she's nice" the nervous woman instinctively shrinking behind the counter for protection spoke quietly.

"What is her story?"

"A sad one" the woman sighed, beginning to regain her confidence. "I lived in the same building as her for a number of years."

"You are friends?"

"Sure."

"Why is her story sad? Could you elaborate?"

"She was never close with her folks. She moved up here when she was real young...fresh out of school. Not too long after that is when she met him..."

Andrew fiddled with his hands as he anxiously walked up to the front of the small cafe, watching his mother sip her drink as she watched people pass by on the sidewalk.

"Hi" Andrew choked out, fighting back nausea.

"Hello" His mother smiled up at him.

Andrew took a moment. That wasn't the reaction he'd expected. "Can I sit?" He asked awkwardly.

"I don't see why not" his mother shrugged. "At least until my imaginary friend gets back" she joked, making Andrew grin.

His mother watched Andrew sitting next to her and spotted his leg nervously bouncing up and down rapidly. "My husband used to do that" she smiled briefly.

Andrew chuckled, happy that she'd mentioned his father but wondering why she'd referred to him as her husband and not his dad...

"They got married a year later" the worker continued to speak to Diana. "A few months later...they had a baby on the way. I've never seen two people more full of love than those two."

"That's very nice" Diana smiled, happy for people she didn't even know.

"She was about eighteen weeks pregnant when he passed."

"...no" Diana murmured subconsciously, her hand moved to cover her mouth in shock.

The worker sighed, clearly not taking any pleasure in recounting this story.