Methu-Selah brought two cups of tea and some loaves of bread to the living room when his wife began to crave for breakfast. Carol received her share and started to eat. She was pleased to see her husband when he sat beside her.
" It's been two months I have never been home, " she answered. " Did I miss something here? "
" Well, Sanjay has been bugging me where have you been? Secondly, Kamala has been sending messages on your phone. You haven't answered those. Thirdly, your brother has been calling over the phone and asking me where were you these days. Carol, I know you have been in your own mission, but some people are worried about you. "
" What did you tell them? " she asked.
" I made excuses that you had been away for a vacation, " he slightly sighed and replied. " I did that in order to protect and spare you from scrutiny. "
Carol paused in chewing her food and heard her husband's words. She thought of those days when she was with the Rikers. She had done the worst things like any criminal or terrorist would do. She regretted them, until she and her unborn child had almost lost their lives back in that encounter with Aaron Keener since last night. The half-Kree woman was no longer safe since the police would be after her. Methu-Selah noticed her long silence and tightly held her left hand. He knew how hard she had experienced from there.
" I'm sorry..." she broke her silence and finished chewing her food. " I could have listened to you in the first place. I have caused a lot of trouble just like before. This is all my fault. "
" Carol, I understood what you did. I have forgiven you. I was worried about what happened to you back then. "
" You're worried about me? "
" Yes. "
" I'm so sorry, I made you worry about me. "
" You don't need to apologise, Carol. The most important thing is you're with me. We can live together as a normal family and start a new life despite of this problematic scenario. "
" Right, " she nodded and asked. " How about you? What happened to your job at the University? "
" I just resigned, " he instantly answered.
" Wait? What?! Why?! "
" So many reasons, my dear, " Methu-Selah seriously answered and held his cup of tea. " First, I am afraid of getting infected of the recent Green Poison Virus. Secondly, I have been receiving some harsh criticisms, rumors, and malicious butt of jokes from my class and the entire of faculty. Lastly, I want to spend time taking care of you and our son. "
Carol remained silent and blushed at her spouse's words. She had understood how loving and understanding he was. She slowly drank her tea and intently looked at him.
" Carol? " he called her attention.
" Oh...nothing, Methie! " she chuckled. " It's just I have been out of commission in the Montmartre household for a while. I guess I have to catch up those two months I have missed. "
" And? "
" After I gave birth, I'm going to be a full-time mom and housewife, " she replied and gently poked her husband's shoulders. " You need to find a job very soon. "
" Right, " he chuckled and gently kissed his wife's cheeks.
" But I have a confession to make. "
" Go ahead, tell me. "
" All right. "
(FEW WEEKS AGO: CENTRAL PARK)
It was a humid and cloudy afternoon when the sun slightly peeked at the grayish-white cumulus clouds. The green leaves of each trees waved and danced around the wind. This peaceful park turned out to be a danger zone to some of the authorities against the outlaws. There were loud gunshots and sirens all over the place. The Rikers began shooting each of the policemen and ended them meeting their demise. Tony Stark and some of his Avengers team had roamed around the place when they noticed the bleakness of the place.
" Great Odin! What hath gotten thee?! " Thor muttered.
" Well, this is it, boys, " the red and gold armored man shrugged. " It looks like the Green Poison scare has gone wilder than we thought. "
" More like an excuse for terrorism, " the scarlet haired woman in black suit added.
" Perhaps, HYDRA had set this up, " the blonde patriotic hero in a blue suit sternly replied and held his classic star spangled shield.
" Look out! " Thor yelled.
Suddenly, they got ambushed by a loud barrage of gunshots when the team dodged by putting themselves into the ground. Steve, Tony, Natasha, and Thor waited for it to cease which it took several minutes. Finally, it had cleared when they stood up and turned their heads around.
" Did you see someone who started it? " Steve asked.
" I'd better ask Friday, first, " Tony answered and called his AI inside his suit. " Friday, scan for any attackers within the perimeter. "
" Got it, Boss, " the female voice answered, scanned the park for any heat signatures in a matter of seconds, and replied. " We have human attackers coming at 30 feet and 15:00."
" Tony? " Natasha curiously called his name and got concerned.
" S#!t! " the armored billionaire angrily muttered and turned to his teammates. " We've got some goons incoming. Cap, go at the right. Natasha, go to the left. Thor, to the center."
" What about you, Tony? " the Asgardian asked.
" I'm gonna give them a surprise attack. "
" Right, Avengers, Assemble! " Steve exclaimed.
The other three members of the Avengers had scattered around the park and battling against the terrorists in dark and orange suits. On the other hand, Tony hovered and flew above the park to monitor the place and thought giving anyone a surprise air strike. Suddenly, he saw a commotion from below and got curious. It was the same energy level which he found it familiar. He was carefully aiming at the source and preparing himself to strike down.
" Boss..." his female AI called him. " I have detected a familiar heat signature from below. "
" Who? What? " he asked. " Friday, scan and zoom carefully the source.
" Someone you knew before, " she answered.
Tony gulped and widened his eyes to his surprise, knowing which the heat energy had come from. He recalled those attacks half a decade ago in Washington and the ones in St. Petersburg several months back. He knew who it was and got more concerned than ever. He descended and saw the blonde pregnant woman illuminating her fists and finished defeating some of her former teammates. They got wounded and injured after the Rikers made some further attacks on them.
" Carol?! " Tony called her name and opened his face shield on his helmet.
" Hello, Tony, " she sternly greeted and illuminated her left fist in bright yellow light.
" What the hell are you doing?! Why are you fighting against us? "
" I did what I had to do. I'm no longer part of your team, remember? I belonged to the Rikers, now. "
" Wait?! What?! "
" I got recruited by the former SHIELD Agent who turned to be a criminal faction leader, " Carol answered. " This is the only way how I could fight against HYDRA. You guys can't make it successfully. So, that's why I have joined them. "
Tony remembered around seven to eight months ago when he had a talk with her of dismissing her to the Avengers after the court case. Now, he became more overwhelmed than ever, seeing her as part of a criminal group.
" Carol, you don't understand what you have gotten into, " he replied with a concern. " We have talked about this before. I had let you go to settle into private life, but you have gone the worst! "
" Tony, this is the only way I could resolve my problems! HYDRA had taken my life and ruined it. Now, it's time to deal with it for good! "
" No, you don't understand! " he exclaimed. " You have a husband and an upcoming child to deal with. They are more worried about you! "
" I had to spare their lives from them. This is my only choice. "
" You don't know what trouble you will cause. Your family is more important than being a hero. "
" Tony...I..."
" I don't want to fight you, Mrs. Montmartre, " he calmly spoke and turned to his teammates and then to her. " Even you have us beaten up, I just want you to get out of here. Leave the Rikers for goodness's sakes and go home to your spouse! "
" It looks I have no choice, but to fight you..." she seriously spoke.
" No, Carol! Don't...please..."
" What's the matter, Tony?! Are you afraid to be beaten up by me and end into your coma?! "
Tony heard a trigger statement from the half-Kree woman. He clearly remembered how he ended up injured and failed to return into his consciousness. He was contemplating in attacking her and intently staring at her unborn child inside the womb. If he would dare to fight her for revenge, she and the child would die. He was unsure if how he could resolve this. Carol was waiting for his move and still illuminating her hands. Suddenly, she started to feel a painful kick in her abdomen, moaned in pain, and ceased her photon energy coming from her left fist. She slumped into the ground and cried. Tony felt mercy in seeing her suffering from the first signs of labor pain and rushed himself to help her. Steve, Thor, and Natasha slowly stood up and never realized their teammate would do that.
" Tony, why did you do this? Get away from me, I killed you! " she exclaimed.
" Like I said, I don't want to fight you in revenge. You have a child in your large tummy. I don't want to lose the both of you, because of me, " he said. " I'm not gonna end you in revenge. I will let you go civilizedly. "
" But I defeated your teammates. "
" Look, Mrs. Montmartre, you're still my best friend. Our friendship will not change, " he replied and sincerely smiled. " You need to go home to your husband and have a peaceful life. "
" Tony... I..."
" No more explanations, we'll take you home. Let's go..."
" You fools can't take her home, yet! She's still with us..." a female voice echoed.
The Avengers got surprised and surrounded with a group of armed people pointing their weapons on them. Carol heavily sighed and felt sorry at her former colleagues when she got assisted by a tall muscular Caucasian man. The voice belonged to an African-American woman wearing a beanie on her head and dark coat. Larae Barrett emotionlessly stared at them.
" So, are you gonna take her away from us? " Larae sternly asked. " She's a greatest asset in the Rikers! "
" Rikers?! " Thor muttered. " What on Midgard?! "
" Never heard anyone like us, handsome. "
" Lady, she's used to be part of the Avengers, " Steve added. " Carol is not a criminal. "
" Not a criminal?! " Larae repeated the word from the patriotic Avenger and loudly laughed. " You guys have witnessed how ruthless she is. She doesn't deserve to be a hero! Her real future is with us! "
" Real future?! " Tony sarcastically grinned and shrugged. " I don't think she's not in the right condition to deal with more thugs. She had defeated Black Widow, Cap, and Thor, but anytime soon she's gonna lose her life because of you. "
" You're just good as dead, Stark, " the Rikers leader answered. " I was glad how you got beaten up by her! "
" This is going nowhere, " Natasha whispered at her teammates.
" Well, you're wastin' our damn time, Avengers. We have a lot of things to do and cleanin' up the mess you made, " she continued and signalled her men to fight the four.
The Rikers were readied themselves to fight the superhero group. Carol helplessly watched from a distance and sighed as she went away. The other three focused on fighting against them as Tony heavily sighed and continued watching her leaving.
" Just go home, Carol. Go home to your husband. Live in peace, " he said.
" I'm sorry guys, this is my new life now. I hope you guys will forgive and understand me, " the half-Kree woman sadly thought.
(PRESENT TIME)
" I regretted fighting my former friends at that time, " she continued. " Tony made me realize something when I was supposed to attack and finish him off. "
" So, your friend had stopped you from doing it, " the Kree Eternal assumed and placed his cup of tea beside his wife's empty one.
" Yeah, " Carol nodded and gently touched her husband's face with her left hand, holding his other hand with her right. " I don't know if they will ever forgive me for what I have done to them. "
" It will take time to heal wounds, but did you still remember what Mr. Stark told you? "
" He constantly reminded me to go home and be with you, "
" I see. He still cared for you as his good friend. "
" True, " Carol nodded.
" It's a good thing I saved you from that attack since last night, " he smiled and kissed his wife's cheeks.
" You did?! Why? What happened?! I only remembered Larae got killed by Keener and I...."
" A former SHIELD Agent who went undercover within the Rikers kept an eye on you, " Methu-Selah replied. " I met him yesterday at the University and told me what have you done and been these days. "
" I didn't know...." Carol paused and got dumbfounded. " I thought Larae was the only former SHIELD Agent who founded that faction few years ago. It's just I never knew...."
" He directed me to you and helped me to spare your life from that HYDRA agent who almost took your life. "
" Keener? Where is he?! I could have avenged Larae, but..."
" Carol, he's no longer your concern now, " her husband gently touched the curly golden locks and then rubbed her large protruding abdomen. " Our main focus is our child who will come very soon. "
The Half-Kree woman slightly sighed and placed her hand over her husband's hand. She understood what he meant and finally decided to leave her superheroine life for good. She felt her child's heartbeat using her seventh sense, smiled while looking at her abdomen, and turned to her blue skinned Kree spouse.
" You guys are right. I should have never left you and wait for Amnon to be with us, " Carol sincerely smiled and kissed her husband's cheeks when he kissed her back and hugged her.
" He will be coming soon, my Starling. In a matter of days, he is going to join with us. "