#rippity

There was scarcely a time anyone could say that Carol was apprehensive. Missiles, bullets, energy weapons, bomb… she’d walk through a minefield without a second thought, all while wearing a smirk. No battle or opponent had ever made her five pause. Not until this evening, when the guilt she’d refused to acknowledge manifested and stopped her in her tracks.

        Funny, as long as Carol had kept moving, kept her mind occupied on who needed to be stopped, she’d been able to deny it the opportunity to effectively settle underneath her skin. It could chase her, but it’d never been able to catch her. Sometimes it’d almost catch up, but then she’d be moving again. The farther she flew, the greater the distance between it and her. Surely, that was how it worked. 

        But now, as she watched Monica from afar, the once brave Captain Marvel found herself reluctant. 

         Monica had gotten tall. She walked with a strength that was reminiscent of her mother. A smile blossomed on Carol’s face as she followed along on top a strip mall’s roof. A thousand different things were running through her mind, though most had to do with how or if she should approach. She hadn’t seen Monica in…

         Honestly, it’d been a long time. Too long to have gone without sending some sort of message. She should have come to see her sooner, especially following half the universe’s resurrection. Her smile faded. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea—she could leave now and Monica would be none the wiser. Carol had been running from this moment for years, leaving should be easy.

         As if fate somehow detected her cowardice, the screech of tires broke the quiet of the evening. Carol’s gaze snapped to the encroaching vehicles, three black SUVs screaming down the road towards Monica. Carol’s eyes widened. A few seconds later more cars were whipping down almost every side street and path, intent on cutting off any means of escape.

        Gunmen hurried out of the larger vehicles, rifles pointed squarely at Monica. They were barking orders at her, demanding she get in one of the cars, to surrender herself without incident.

         A sudden and swift rage thundered its way through Carol’s blood, burning away the paralysis of guilt and fear. She leapt off the rooftop without a second thought, and hit the ground running. Cosmic energy engulfed her, light flooding the darkened area just as she smashed into a vehicle and sent it spiralling into another.

         “The asset is not alone!” One of the men shouted into their radio. “I repeat—“

         Carol grabbed him by the collar. 

        “You’re right,” she snarled, “she’s not alone.”