Captain Marvel: My Mother (BOOK I)

Chapter 12

" I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people. "

- Maya Angelou - 

(ONE MONTH LATER: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, 3:30 PM)

Mar-Vell had taught everything for his Kree-Lizard companion which he was indeed a fast learner in becoming a street beggar. The boy enjoyed mentioning numbers which he kept memorizing and counting money to other things. Then, he learned the names of days in a week and months in a year. They spent wandering around the streets where their begging and scavenging exploits were still on going. He got used to eat food from the garbage.

Although he still had nightmares every evening, the older pink-Kree beggar became his accountability partner aside from being his mentor. He got used to hear them and never grew tired of pacifying the boy. From Beverly Hills to Downtown LA, the two enjoyed their road trips.

This time, they ended in the alley of Chinatown district where they kept finding for more food on the dumpsters. Mar-Vell and his companion were scattering and scavenging for food and other things.

" I found something for our snack, " the boy called his friend's attention. " It's left-over food. "

" What is it and how many? " Mar-Vell asked.

" Two pieces of cookies and four Oranges. "

" Good! It's time for our intake! " he grinned and took his share of the fortune cookie and two pieces of Oranges. Mar-Vell noticed the Kree-Lizard boy wanted to crack the fortune cookie with his strong hands. He exclaimed, " Hey! Hey! Hold it right there! You're gonna crush that thing into crumbs! "

" What do you mean? " he paused and curiously asked.

" That ain't no ordinary cookie! It's a fortune cookie, for Pama's sake! Don't you dare to crush it! " the pink Kree grabbed the cookie from his companion. The Kree-Lizard hybrid was still clueless and scratching his rough scaly head.

" What is a fortune cookie? "

" It's invented by some Earth people in China. They like to put something in there and you'll read what's inside. "

" You mean a person's dreams? "

" Yeah, something like that, " the homeless Kree nodded and carefully cracked his friend's cookie.

After cracking the shell, Mar-Vell gave a small paper to his friend. The Kree-Lizard took and opened it as he kept staring at it. The bearded blond alien waited for a long time for his friend to read. The boy sadly sighed and returned the paper to him.

" I'm so sorry, Mar-Vell. I can't read it. I only know is to count numbers and tell what day or month is it. I just don't know what it says there. "

" I see. You found it hard to read, right? "

" Yeah. "

" Okay, I'll read for you. Don't worry, " Mar-Vell opened and read it, " You're the builder of your own future. "

" What does that mean? "

" Well, you make your own goals and dreams in life. I know for certain that it will be greater than what you're thinking of. "