Talking to Joel

[[Southside park]]

"Man… This is the best place to relax. The air is so fresh and the view is awesome." This statement made Joel roll his eyes.

"Well, we did drive for nearly three thousand miles. So if this place was not beautiful, I would have killed you." I chuckled as we both watched the maple leaves fall from the trees. "But what's with coming here to relax? We could have easily gone to some Thai-massage parlor."

"We could have, but I would rather enjoy the cool breeze which brings in the smell of autumn." He raised an eyebrow.

"You are acting weird, you do know that, right?" This made me chuckle.

"Maybe, I am. But we haven't seen each other for weeks now… and since we have grown up, we can't play like we used to do when we were kids." I sighed remembering the memories of the body before I transmigrated. I would have killed for such a childhood. Other than being poor, the rest of the things weren't bad. "I thought maybe we could spend some time like we used to do when we were kids." He is akin to a brother that I never had one in my previous life.

"Yeah, we used to sneak around to play." He showed a small smile. "We had quite the childhood now that I think about it." He chuckled. "Remember the time when we used to prank our teachers and nearly got suspended after painting the principal's office."

"*Chuckle* Yeah, I do. He went bald after a few weeks. I bet it was because of the frustration." 

He lets out a full-blown laugh. "You bet. And remember 6th grade there was this red-headed girl that we both liked?" 

A red-head? Oh!

"You mean the red-headed, emerald-eyed girl that both of us had a crush on… and both of us also got rejected by her." He groaned when I said that.

"Yeah, and I am really happy that she rejected us… or we would have broken up even if she accepted any one of us. She was a bitch." That she was. "She rejected you because you were poor and she rejected me because I was 'apparently' a fat pig."

He's still salty about that remark. "I wonder what happened to her. I didn't hear anything about her after high school." He clicked his tongue.

"Who cares. Must have married some rich guy." 

"Probably." I hummed. "Anyways, I am happy that she rejected both of us. As two friends having a crush on the same girl can destroy their friendship. Which I definitely don't want."

"Oh, please." He rolled his eyes. "We have known each other for years. Even if we date someone, we will never let them ruin our friendship… remember that's the oath we took ages ago?" 

"I do remember." I really do. "It was when you ran out of your house… like you always did."

He chuckled… but it wasn't a happy one. "Sometimes I regret that." He shook his head. "No, I don't mean hanging out with you." His expression fell. "But I regret not being a good son. They might not have been the best parents but I never did anything that a good son would do either."

He looked at the lake, as both of us were lounging on the bench. "Some would say that I was a child so it wasn't a big deal. But sometimes, such small events can lead to tragedy." I remained silent. "I was foolish. I was stupid. I was naive. I was a moron." 

He looked at me. "Promise me that you won't make the same mistakes. You won't make your mother sad." 

I nodded. "I won't."

.

.

.

.

"It was midnight when I got the call." He sighed.

 He clenched his fists. "But now, I don't know what to do, Marcel. I truly don't know."

"Don't do anything stupid, Joel. Your life comes first."

A silence fell between the both of us.

"How long?" I tilted my head. "How long have you known?" He asked.

I looked towards the pond. "Two days." 

"I see." 

Again, both of us remained silent for a while. But this time it was broken by me.

"Forgive me, Joel." He raised an eyebrow. 

"For what?" He asked.

"For… I don't know, not being able to help?" I don't know what else to say.

He let out a dry laugh. "There was nothing you could have done, Marcel. And you were there for me… So, that's all it matters." 

True. I couldn't have done anything back then. I was weak, my political support was weak. There was no way that I could have faced HYDRA back then. But now, I can.

"Maybe." I looked at him. "And… since when have you known?" 

"A month or so after their deaths." That explains his sudden weight loss and personality change.

"So, what are you going to do now?" That's all I want to know.

"I don't know to be honest. They are extremely strong… I don't know what I can do against them." He sighed. As long as doesn't go after them, I am happy.

"Joel." He looked at me. "Do you trust me, my friend?" 

He seemed confused. "Yeah, I do."

"Then, I want you to let me handle thi-"

"No." He instantly rejected. "They are far too dangerous. You cannot fight them on your own."

I nodded. "I cannot. But remember, I have the government and military helping me. And there is also S.H.I.E.L.D." 

Yeah, I told Joel about S.H.I E.L.D. Was it a stupid move? Definitely. But I was willing to take this risk.

"I don't know, Marcel. This is supposed to be my revenge." He sighed in annoyance. "But even after all these years. I couldn't do anything against them."

"Trust me on this, Joel. I promise to remove them from the face of this planet." And from existence itself.

"I wish that I could have helped." This made me smile. 

"You can. At least after some time, you will be able to help." He was confused.

"What do you mean?" His question made me smile.

"It's getting late. We should go or else we won't be reaching home before 2 days." We did take a road trip of nearly two days to reach here. 

He stared at me.

"*Chuckle* Don't worry. You will find out when the time comes." I walked towards my car. "Till then… Just stay safe."

Man… I will have to change my meeting schedule again. I had to come here. So, the plans are postponed for another week.

…

…

[Day of the party ]

"My hair's getting long." I had my hair combed backward which made them cover my nape.

I preferred to go with an entirely white set. Consisting of a white suit and white shoes… which was the total opposite of my preferred black. 

"You look good." I turned around and nearly had my jaw drop to the ground.

Peggy stood in front of me in a scarlet gown made of soft, satiny fabric, long and loose.  Her wavy deep brown hair cascaded down her back, leaving an ample amount of skin around her neck exposed.

Her beauty left me mesmerized for a couple of moments before her voice brought me back to reality. 

"Hello? Earth to Marcel. You still there?" She was smirking. 

"Yeah. You look gorgeous." I regain my composure instantly. 

Even if you screw up once. You must regain your composure back as soon as possible. That is the rule for success.

"You don't look bad either." Maybe the white suit wasn't a bad decision. "The semi-long hair suits you."

"You think so?" She nodded. "I was planning to cut it shorter."

"No, don't do that. It suits you." Mother said the same thing. So maybe I should keep it.

"Anyways. We should go." I looked at my watch. "It won't do any good if we are late."

She nodded. "Yeah."