Captain paused, as they touched the ground of the ruined park, a consequence of the ended battle.
âWhat did you say?â Billy asked, Captain nodded in the shared interest.
 The person whispered, quietly.
âI'm sorry, I canât understand you.â Billy admitted, a small tinge of upset budded within himself. He paused, bringing his attention to Marvel.Â
There was a loose smile laid on Captainâs face which seemed to indicate Marvel understood as much as Billy did.Â
âWho are you?â Billy asked.
They replied, but he couldnât hear.
The loose smile fell into a nervous one, and Billy was beginning to feel redundant, âIâm sorryâŚCan you please speak up?â He asked, timidly.
âđśoŇđ˛âŚŇ fŇđŚnŇđlŇđŠyŇ tŇđĽeŇ wŇđŚnŇđĄ đĽaŇđ° đ˘cŇđĽoŇđ˘dŇ tŇđĽeŇ wŇđŹrŇđĄsŇ oŇđŁ đąhŇđ˘ đ˛nŇđŚvŇđ˘rŇđ°eŇ, đąhŇđ˘ đ°nŇđkŇđ˘ đĽaŇđ° điŇđątŇđ˘nŇ iŇđąsŇ tŇđiŇđŠ.Ň tŇđĽeŇ eŇđŤdŇ wŇđŚtŇđĽ đąhŇđ˘ đeŇđ¤iŇđŤnŇđŚnŇđ¤ đsŇ tŇđĽeŇđś đ˘xŇđŚsŇđą đąoŇđ¤eŇđąhŇđ˘rŇ iŇđŤ đŚmŇđeŇđŻmŇđnŇđ˘nŇđ eŇâŚâ They whispered.
Captain narrowed their eyes as they tried to decipher what the unknown voice said.
 âUhâŚIâŚIâm sorry, youâre confusing me.â Billy paused, âImpermanence? Did you say that?â
âđĄaŇđŻeŇ iŇ sŇđeŇđkŇ lŇđŹuŇđĄeŇđŻ?Ň yŇđ˘sŇ iŇ dŇđŹ đĄaŇđŻeŇ, đŚnŇđĄeŇđ˘dŇ. đŤoŇ rŇđ˘gŇđŻeŇđąsŇ mŇđyŇ rŇđŚdŇđĄlŇđ˘ đŞyŇ fŇđ˛nŇđ tŇđŚoŇđŤlŇđ˘sŇđ° đoŇđĄyŇâŚâ
Marvel blinked again, eyes widening too, almost in registration.Â
The words made Billy wonder if he was hard of hearing or just too light in the head. His confusion was interrupted as the odd voice spoke again.Â
âIḿášĂŠĹḿåĹĂŠĹÄĂŠ, ÓłĹĂş ĂĄĹd Ă. ĂĹ áşĂŠÄşÄş ĂĄĹ ÄĹĹtĹĂĄdĂÄtĂĹĹĹ, fĹĹ Ă ĂŠxĂĹt fĹĹĂŠvĂŠĹ ĂĄĹd ĹĹ ĂŠvĂŠĹḿĹĹĂŠ. I bĹĂŠĂĄthĂŠ thĹĹúǾh ḿӳ hĹĹĹĹ ĂĄĹd åḿ ĹhĂĄášĂŠd thĹĹúǾh thĂŠ ÄĹúÊĺ áşĹĹdĹâ I, ĂĄ tĹĹtĂşĹĂŠd ĹĹúĺ, ḿåӳ ĹĂŠvĂŠĹ ĹĂŠĹt. BĂşt Ăt ĂŠåĺĺ I ÄĂĄĹ dĹâŚĂĄ ĹĂŠĹtĺÊĹŠḿĂĹd, ĂĄ ĂĄÄtĂĹĹĺÊĹĹ bĹdÓł. TÊĺĺ ḿÊ, ĂĄ fÊĺĺĹáş ášĹĂŠdĂÄtĂŠd ĹĹúĺ, thĂŠ áşĂĄÓł áşĂŠ fúĺfĂĺĺ thĂŠ dĂĹĂŠÄtĂĹĹ Ĺf thĂŠ ĂşĹĂvĂŠĹĹĂŠ. I áşĹĹdĂŠĹ ĂĹ thĂŠ ĂşĹĂvĂŠĹĹĂŠ ĂĄt thĂŠ ĂŠĹd Ĺf thĂŠ ĹtĹĂĹÇľ?â
Billy started to feel like a fool. The words, Billy didnât get what any of them meant. He wanted to frown, despite his incapability to do so at that moment, he had too many questions and no way of answers. Goodness, the words didnât make any sense anymore.
Captain Marvelâs head swung toward the voice, and their eyes landed on Superman.
ââŚYes?â They muttered, sheepishly scratching the back of their neck. The look in Supermanâs eyes and the furrow of his brows made Billy want to squirm, and Marvel began to fidget on their feet.Â
The voice spoke up again, no more coherent than the last, âThĂŠ ĹĄtĂśrĂż thĂŠ qßÎĹĹ hĂĄĹĄ ÄrĂŠĂĄtĂŠd ĂĄĂąd ĹĄĂŽgùÊd fĂśr ÿÜß, ĂŽĂątrĂŽgßÊť mĂŠ. WĂŽĹŠÿÜßr dĂŠmĂŽĹĄĂŠ bĂŠ ĂĄĹĄ hĂśrrĂŽfĂŽÄ ĂĄĂąd grßÊťÜmĂŠ ĂĄĹĄ thĂŠ pĂĄĹĄt wĂŠrĂŠ? WĂŽĹĹ ĂŽt bĂŠ bĂż ÿÜßr ĂśwĂą hĂĄĂąd, ĂĄ hĂĄĂąd tÜÜ ĹĄĂŽmĂŽĹĂĄr tĂś mĂż ĂśwĂą? Ăr ĹĄhĂĄĹŠÿÜßr ĹĄpĂŽrĂŽt ùÊvĂŠr rÜåm thĂŠ RĂśÄk Ăśf ĂtĂŠrùÎtĂż, âfĂśr ĂŠtĂŠrùÎtÿ⌠à ťhĂĄĹĹ wĂĄĹk wĂŽth ÿÜß, ĂŽf ùÜt.â The voice paused, âĂr wÜßĹd wĂŠ ĹĄkĂŽp? HĂśwĂŠvĂŠr hĂĄĹĄ thĂŠ ĂŠvĂŠĂąt bĂŠĂŠĂą ĹĄÄrĂŽptĂŠd? Ăh, pĂŠrhĂĄpĹĄ thĂŠĂżâd ĂĄĹĹĂśw mĂŠ tĂś tĂĄkĂŠ ĂĄ pĂŠĂŠk. ThĂŠ hĂśrrĂŽbĹĂŠ ĹĄĂŽght ÄÜßĹd bĹĂŠĹĄĹĄ mĂż ÊÿÊť ĂĄĹĄ Ă gÜßgĂŠ thĂŠm ĂĄftĂŠrwĂĄrdâŚâ The voice droned, a smile present in their tone.
Billy sighed internally, and Marvel did the same.
âĂĂŠw ÄhĂĄmpÎÜù. ÄhĂĄmpÎÜù. ThĂĄt wĂĄĹĄ mĂż tĂŽtĹĂŠ ÜùÄĂŠ, ùÜ ùßmbĂŠr, ùÜ ĹĂŠgĂĄÄĂż tĂś ĂśwĂą. Ă ĂĄm thĂŠ rÊåťÜù fĂśr ÿÜßr ĂŠxĂŽĹĄtĂŠĂąÄĂŠ, bĂŠÄåßťÊ Ă ĂĄm ĂĄ fĂĄĂŽĹĂźrĂŠ. FĂĄĂŽĹĂźrĂŠ, ĂĄĹĹ ÄhĂĄmpÎÜùť ĂĄrĂŠ fĂĄĂŽĹĂźrĂŠĹĄ, mĂĄĂż Ă fĂĄĂŽĹ. MĂĄĂż ÿÜß fĂĄĂŽĹ. MĂĄĂż thĂŠ ùÊxt fĂĄĂŽĹ ĹĄĂś thĂŠrĂŠ ĂĄrĂŠ ĂśthĂŠrĹĄ tĂś fĂĄĂŽĹ. FĂĄĂŽĹĂŽĂąg ĂŽĹĄ ĂĄ ÄÜùťÊqßÊùÄĂŠ Ăśf brĂŠĂĄthĂŽĂąg, ĂĄĂąd thĂŽĹĄ ĂŽĹĄ ÜùĹĂż trßÊ bĂż mĂż ĂĄÄtÎÜù. ĹĂŽĹĄtĂŠĂą tĂś mĂŠ, ĹĂŽĹĄtĂŠĂą tĂś mĂŠ.â The voice repeated that last part over and over and over and over anâagain.Â
Billy wanted to frown, the voice was wearing him down like an old shoe. The person was still speaking nonsense, or was it nonsense, yes it was nonsense. And Billy started to feel bad for the voice, despite the reasons why he shouldnât have because he knew their words were rooted in reality, they seemed out of it.
Billy decided to focus on someone else, and shifted his attention to Superman. He was looking at them, oddly.Â
âCaptain, can you hear me?â
What a silly question, of course he could. Adults often did a thing where they asked pointless questions to him, maybe Superman had entertained the habit, too.Â
Billy responded this time, âYes, Superman. Youâre perfectly heard, fine, for sure.â And they gave him a toothy smile.
That didnât stop the look. âIâŚâ He cut himself off, âOkay, Captain.âÂ
Good, Billy thought, maybe he understood now.Â
Something landed in the grass before them and their eyes focused on it. The shiny golden liquid began to drip onto the ground as if it was watering the grass at their feet.Â
The golden substance seemed familiar.Â
The liquid continued to drip past their eyes, and rain onto the floor.
âHm?â Marvel looked up, staring Superman in the eyes.
His tone becameâŚharsher, âAre you alright?â He said.
Marvel nodded, which caused something to trickle down their forehead and down the sides of their head.Â
Did they move their head into the gold rain?
Superman spoke, âCaptain Marvel, can you look at me?âÂ
Billy was certain Superman was doing the thing now, the adult thing.
So, Captain Marvel laughed. âI am.â They replied.
As they laughed, the liquid shook down their head and fell down their neck.Â
Captain raised their arm, and tapped their forehead.
It was covered in thick gold.