Captain Marvel: My Mother (BOOK I)

Chapter 16

" Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. "

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

(Rouen, France, 4:20 AM)

Carol was still sitting beside the boy on the bed as she was interested to hear more stories from him. He recalled those days when he left San Francisco after Mar-Vell's demise which he had decided to continue the journey by himself.

" So, it is painful to let go a dear friend after more than a month, " she commented.

" Yes, I never knew what should I do in those times, " he replied. " It was so difficult to live alone with anything I barely knew. "

" So, why is that? "

" I got used to join Mar-Vell's begging exploits, but I got saddened to stay in San Francisco. "

" I see. So, you had no choice, but you went on your own going elsewhere. "

" Yes, but some humans came to follow me ever since I escaped the MTF Facility. "

" So, they have been chasing you? "

" Yes, when Mar-Vell and I were in Los Angeles, I saw some armed men who were searching for me. Gladly, my late friend helped me to hide and escape. "

Carol nodded and understood of the boy's way to defend himself from his captors. She could imagine how difficult he lived before she met him.

" Then, what happened next? " the elderly half-Kree woman asked.

" Something happened: The Kree and the Lizards arrived here. "

" Can you tell me more? "

" Sure..."

(FIFTY YEARS AGO: TWO WEEKS LATER AFTER MAR-VELL'S DEATH, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, 11:15 PM)

The Kree-Lizard boy ended-up in another city near the Pacific coast. He got used to blend-in with the crowd as a street beggar which he continued begging for food and money on his own. Sometimes, he received from people, but mostly he never received anything. He went on the streets and followed the walking crowd on the streets in order for him to familiarize the city spots. There were times he got himself into the alley finding more food from the dumps and ate them.

Living as a street beggar was the only way to survive and somehow could forget those brutal memories from 682, however he couldn't take-off in his mind about seeing his dear friend who died on his arms. Truly, he missed his best friend and mentor so much. He was very grateful to be with him. There were evenings when he earned his money and spent drinking beer which he wanted to forget his sadness. Indeed, he was experiencing harsh reality of outside world which Skoúro had mentioned. There were other days that some people drove him away from the dumpsters. Sometimes, he was being followed by the same people from Los Angeles.

This time, he was hiding on the bushes at the park where he sought a temporary shelter and refuge. He brought his bottle of beer and kept drinking. His solitude and sadness were still lingering his mind despite of grieving for his friend's loss. He looked at the same bright star which he usually stared every evening.