- MATURED TRIGGER WARNING -

The flashback introduction of the chapter may include homophobia. This may be sensitive to some readers.

" Of all the heartache I will ever know, only some of it will be real. The rest, I will create. "

-Crystal Woods

(FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS AGO: KASIUS'S LAIR, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK)

Working around the clear white corridors of the hallway,Amnon-Selah spent several hours scrubbing the floors as he was being watched by the Kree and the Lizard guards. He took a pause for a while and gently brushed off the sweat on his forehead. His handlers were murmuring and laughing at him. Amnon rolled his eyes in disgust and continued toiling to make the floor spotless and clean. He took the sponge into the water bucket to make it wet and began scrubbing.

Without any notice, a tall reptilian man cleared his throat and glared at his fellows when they saluted at him and walked away. They understood that the lizard official was responsible for keeping an eye on the Kree-Lizard hybrid. Draco Nephthys crossed his arms and intently eyed the hybrid. Amnon busied himself scrubbing the floor and ignored the reptilian who was standing behind him.

" My, you have been doing a lot, hybrid, " Draco called the attention and flirtingly smiled at him. " Did you even ask for the Overlord for some time off? "

Still ignoring the reptilian's question, Amnon remained close mouthed and scrubbed the floor harder, making sure that he would finish the task as he could. Draco heavily sighed and instantly kicked the bucket when the water dropped and spilled on the floor. Suddenly, Amnon-Selah paused working and indignantly glared at the lizard who gave him a very seductive grin. The hybrid instantly stood up and walked over to him.

" What on Hala are you even doing?! " he spat. " Don't you realize you're wasting my time working here?! "

" Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kick the bucket and make the floor wet, " Draco sweetly chuckled and replied. " I never wasted your time at all! "

" What do you want?! "

The reptilian sighed and approached the hybrid by cupping Amnon's green scaly face with his right hand. Draco's left hand was touching the wall. With an intense heartbeat and sudden sweating, Amnon-Selah was uncomfortable with this kind of confrontation and widening his eyes in fear. Draco was seductively smiling at him and still gently rubbing the Kree-682 hybrid's face. The sudden sexual tensions between them grew more disturbing than ever. Amnon wanted to break free from the lizard accuser as he didn't want to pursue Draco's fantasies and wishes.

" All I wanted was to be with you, " Draco intently smiled and replied. " When you were first brought here, I fell in love at first sight. Those men who brought you from Paris told me everything about you. I realized that you're more different from that indestructible lizard. You are something else, Hybrid. I want you to be more than a slave, but my precious love. "

" N-no, no, get away from me! Y-you're..." Amnon shakingly answered, resisting the lizard man's words.

" No, it's your true destiny to be with me. I will make sure that the Overlord will fulfill my wishes to free and take you into my planet. This is my only chance for you to be part of the Lizard race and accept it as we will be together. I will make you mine, forever! "

" No, you don't understand! "

" You are just rejecting your destiny, Hybrid, " Draco said and readied himself to give Amnon a passionate kiss as the hybrid kept resisting and closing his both eyes.

(PRESENT TIME: REBEL FORCES/MTF FACILITY, PARIS, FRANCE, 3:00 PM)

The lecture and debriefing sessions had ended when the rest of the trainees had left the classroom. Amnon remained silent and waited for everyone to exit when he was sitting at the farthest corner of the room. Remembering that uncomfortable time in the New York Slave Den, he was slightly not paying attention to anyone or the lecturer. Somehow, that nightmare from two nights ago bothered him.

The brunette lady lecturer in her forties looked at Amnon with concern and turned to Commander Roosevelt. They were conversing with each other about the pink-Kree trainee's current demeanor. Amnon sighed and thought of leaving the room when he was being halted by the MTF Official.

" Commander Roosevelt, sir? " Amnon curiously raised his voice and never expected the commander to arrive.

" Montmartre, we need a talk, " Roosevelt seriously replied.

" Right..."

" On se voit demain, monsieur Montmartre. Bonne journée. (We'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Montmartre. Have a nice day.) " the lecturer politely greeted him as she took her belongings from the table.

" Oui, merci beaucoup, Mme Benoit. (Yeah, thank you so much, Ms. Benoit.) " Amnon greeted her back and saw her leaving. " A bientôt! (Bye for now!) "

Roosevelt grabbed a seat and sat down when he clasped his both hands. The pink Kree returned sitting and felt uncomfortable in confronting the MTF official, recalling his days as an SCP-682 hybrid clone. He was becoming uneasy about the Foundation staff's interrogation techniques as he had understood they were all disturbing. Amnon took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

" Look, I don't have any intentions to inflict you, which Commando Buck Henderson, your sister or anyone else has done to you before, " he calmly said. " I understand you have experienced a series of psychological trauma as a 682 hybrid clone back in that California facility and so forth. I deeply apologize for those undesirable events for five decades. Surely, you never want to disclose everything in detail, Montmartre. "

" Sir, you don't need to apologize, " Amnon slightly smiled. " It's done. I'm focusing and committing for this training while my family remains as a major support to regain and rebuild my life. In fact, I would like to thank you for letting me reunite with my mother in Paris and recover those lost months to meet more people here. "

" That's good to hear, then, " Roosevelt smiled back. " Well, it's nice to see you improving for those days in progress while I'm still your acting superior officer after your sister was formally dismissed in this facility. "

" Ella has a lot of things to do back in Australia. It's understandable that you're the right replacement for my SO. "

" Right, about that. I had a talk with Ms. Benoit earlier, " he continued and changed the topic. " She found you being intermittently unresponsive from yesterday until now. Somehow, you have spoken to her about attending Dr. Schnee's Sunday group therapy. Yet, how come you have some catatonic tendencies? Was it related to your experiences before? "

Despite his horrible past, Amnon refused not to speak of 682's physical abuse, the sudden chasings and threats of the MTF troopers and the invaders, and being enslaved and controlled by Kasius the Overlord. Only his parents knew about the most disturbing scenario in the slave den, being sexually harassed by a gay lizard accuser. The pink Kree was nervously gulping and clenching his fists. He was taking a deep breath and thinking not to recall those things which brought him into his suicidal tendency.

Roosevelt noticed the trainee's sudden change of behavior and thought of not to trigger him. He sadly sighed and loudly snapped his fingers in front of the Kree's face, calling his attention.

" Amnon! " he exclaimed by using the pink Kree's first name.

" Sir!! "

" What the hell's wrong with you?! "

" Nothing, sir... Nothing..."

" Are you sure nothing's wrong? "

" Yes, sir. Absolutely..." Amnon dryly chuckled and saluted him.

Roosevelt looked at him with concern and said, " Montmartre, if there's any help you need, you can approach me. As your new supervising officer, you have to be transparent to me aside from being dedicated and obedient. I report your progress and behavior to the Elite Commander and General Commander aside from Lord Hood and the Rebel Forces. Few weeks ago, I was concerned about you who got harassed by some of our French MTF Troopers. Is there anything you need to tell me? "

" Sir...I..." he hesitantly spoke and paused. " I..."

" Amnon, it's okay. Just share with me your thoughts as a friend, not only as your lead officer. Perhaps, I can help you to release your negativity. That's why I'm here to talk. "

" Sir...I just can't..." Amnon blurted. " It's too complicated for you to understand. I know the MTF people won't believe me. My apologies....I need to go. "

" I'll give you some time..." Roosevelt nodded and respected his subordinate's decision. " I'll see you tomorrow, then. "

" Yes, sir. See you tomorrow. "

Amnon instantly stood up and saluted his supervising officer, leaving the room and thinking, " I can't tell anyone how horrible that monster did to me in the slave den. I just can't! Everyone thinks I'm disgusting, horrible, and foolish! No one's gonna believe me! "

Heading himself into the corridor, there was a sea of crowd coming and going into the premises. Amnon kept moving his head to and fro and curiously raised his eyebrows, wondering of their sudden increase. Suddenly, a raven haired middle-aged woman wearing a white sleeveless blouse and a royal blue pencil cut skirt. Amnon recognized and smiled at her. Samara Ironwood-Allard crossed her arms and smiled back at him.

" Oh, Samara! Hi! " Amnon greeted her. " I didn't expect..."

" You were wondering why these several numbers of people arrived? It seems you deserve to know, " his older maternal cousin calmly spoke. " It was my idea to bring the displaced people from Marseilles and the former slaves here. "

" I'm glad you're able to do that which I was supposed to..."

" Well, you're in training. Am I right? " she asked. " It will take more time to get yourself prepared. "

" I guess you're right, " Amnon nodded and queried. " By the way, Samara, where's your son? "

" Oh, Charles, my youngest son, " Samara pointed at the dark haired young man who was attending to the injured. " Yes, it's the future nurse in progress. You would like to meet him later on and have a chat. "

" So, I have another nephew, then? "

" I have already spoken to him two days ago after that session. He's so thrilled to meet his uncle. By the way, we should be somewhere quieter and more spacious than here, so we can talk privately. "

" Right, " Amnon nodded in agreement. " I know where we can talk. "

" Thank you. "

Going to the farther side of the lobby, they found the right place to continue their discussion. Amnon saw a bench and let his older cousin sit. They both sat together and thought of another topic to begin. Still contemplating to tell his story, Amnon heavily sighed and refused not to disclose it. Samara noticed her younger cousin's sudden quietness with concern and thought of how she could help him.

" Is there something you need to tell, Amnon? " she asked.

" No...nothing, " he slightly smiled and replied, diverting his topic. " I just overthink what I have learned today. Well, you know information overload! "

Samara was not convinced at her younger cousin's response as she let it slide. She understood he had a lot to tell other than his lamest excuse. Still, Amnon never wanted to mention his most severe trauma that he has ever experienced. Thinking of another question or topic to throw, he looked at his older cousin and scratched his chin.

" Samara, I was wondering, how did you come here to France? the pink Kree curiously asked.

" Oh, that..." Samara nodded and crossed her arms. " You have understood that I came from Remnant almost fifty years ago, but I have no knowledge about the invaders who arrived on this planet nor my father who had passed away. All I have known is I spent my childhood up to my age underground. "

" I'm sorry about that. I never knew it was tough for you to survive. "

" Honestly, it was tough that I grew up without a father. My mother was there who supported me. "

" Is she still here? "

" No, " Samara answered. " She returned to Remnant when I got married to Pierre. "

" So, what do you do for a living? "

" I was a nurse serving for the Rebel Forces in Marseilles a couple of decades ago. We were the first community in Europe which started an underground hospital. "

Amnon heard the word underground hospital and found it very familiar. He remembered the day when he was being harmed by the MTF Troopers back in Germany. It was Dr. Wynter Knightfall-Baranowski who worked there for years. Amnon understood and slightly sighed in relief. Suddenly, Samara curiously looked at her younger cousin.

" Have I said something wrong? " she asked.

" No, no, " Amnon answered. " It's just, I heard about underground hospitals around Europe. I met somebody who worked there before. So, it's nice to meet a nurse who has never given up helping everyone. "

" Oh, right... " Samara smiled slightly and nodded. " I almost lost myself after my husband's demise ten years ago. I wanted to give up and take my life. "

" Why is that? "

" It's just...I loved Pierre very much. My life had revolved around him. I couldn't go on without him, " she sadly sighed. " My kids and I missed him so much. No one could ever replace him. "

Amnon understood what his older cousin had mentioned and felt sorry for her. He remembered the loss of his beloved Nancy Johnson around five decades ago and knew how painful it was to lose a loved one in spite of this global hardship. He gently patted her back and sincerely smiled, empathising her.

" Well, I was once like you, cousin, " he calmly broke his silence and sighed. " I remembered having a first girlfriend who fully understood and cared about me as I did. All she wanted was to live her final days with me. I knew how painful it was to see her demise. Pierre must have been so caring as he had cherished your marriage and family. You loved him so much as he loved you. My sincerest condolences to him. "

" Thank you, Amnon, " she hugged him as the pink Kree hugged her back.

" My only take on that one is to continue what he has promised to you and never give up in life. I know we're all suffering from what has been happening. But very soon, you can live in peace. "

" Thank you. I know these things shall pass. Soon enough, we will be free from this unending onslaught. "

" I hope so, " Amnon nodded and parted his arms from his cousin. " Samara, I don't know how to say this, but..."

" Are you supposed to tell me something? " she asked.

" Well, it has something about my mother. If she has done anything wrong to you and your family, I would like to apologize. I'm saying this on behalf of her. "

Samara remained silent for a couple of minutes and was surprised by what her cousin had said. Her mother has held grudges against Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel for a long time. She had no idea about a long term sibling dispute which Lauri-Ell never told her anything.

" Amnon, I really don't know how to answer that, " she said. " It's better for our mothers to reconcile among themselves, but I accepted you as my cousin. I am willing to wait for the right time to witness it. Like I said before, if you need help or talk to me, I'm still here to listen. Understood? "

" Thanks, Samara. I will do that, but there are parts of my life that I never wanted to share with anyone, except my master and mother. They fully understood it, " he seriously replied.

" Why is that? "

" It's too sensitive and embarrassing to tell you. You won't easily comprehend how difficult I have experienced... It's just...."

" I understood why you were so hesitant in the previous session, " she answered. " If you don't feel like talking about it, then don't tell. Someday, a lot of people will deserve to know your story as you need to release it. I know you find some are judgemental and malicious. Time will come for them to understand and accept you. "

" Thanks, cous..."

" You're welcome anytime. "

Suddenly, the two cousins saw a young Indian man rushing towards them. Arnav paused and panted which he immediately ran. Amnon and Samara shared glances and wondered what's wrong with him.

" Arnav, are you okay? " the Remnite-French nurse curiously asked him.

" My brother and I argued just this morning, " Arnav anxiously answered.

" Why is that? " Amnon interjected. " Did he do something to trigger you? "

" Well...it's a wild argument about staying in France or returning home to India. Chandresh harshly spoke of me and my decision in remaining here. "

" Where is he? "

" He's not with me at the moment, " he anxiously spoke. " I'm worried about what he will do. "

(Commander Roosevelt belongs to FlashlightMan)