Ch 99 Carol Danvers

"I'm guessing this Kree-Skrull mess is gonna spill even more." Tony said.

"Oh it will. A lot." Fury said.

The dead Skrull lay in the morgue as the doctor told Fury whatever it ran on wasn't on the Periodic Table and Fury realized it wasn't from around here. He asked Fury how his eye was and he removed his icepack, showing it was fine.

"I thought that was how you lost it." Natasha said and Fury groaned.

"I hope you never see it." He whispered to himself.

Keller asked Fury if the thing had looked like Coulson and he said it talked like him too, with the woman saying there were more who had infiltrated Earth. Keller asked if he believed her and he said now he did.

"So now you start asking the relevant questions." Clint said.

"Yes." Fury said.

Fury said he had got word on a motorcycle thief fitting her description so he'd find her and she will tell them about these and Keller told him to do it alone as he couldn't trust anyone. Fury then lifted the blanket to see the Skrull's region and then walked off.

Everyone laughed as Scott asked, "At the risk of sounding dirty, what do they have there?"

"As small as Ant-Man." Fury said and all gasped.

"Eugh!" Hope said.

"Why did I ask?" Scott groaned.

Keller said how these were ugly and the doctor joked he was no Brad Pitt when Keller looked at the Skrull and wished it safe journey to beyond and that he'd finish what they started.

"It's a Skrull!" Steve realized and Fury nodded.

"Looks like it." Hill agreed.

Vers drove her bike to Pancho's Bar and looking around, had memory flashes of having fun with the dark-skinned woman before spotting a photo of her flight and asked the bartender where the photo was taken. He said at an airport and she asked what Pegasus was when Fury arrived and said it was classified like the file he had opened on her.

"And now they've met." Bruce said.

"Yeah. I know stuff." Fury said.

"I know." Odinson said.

Fury commented Grunge looked good on her. She asked if he had a rough day and he said he had, listing everything. She finally asked if he was one of them and he said he was 100% red blooded Earthman. She asked for proof and he asked if cheek swab or urine sample would do and she said the Skrulls could impersonate that.

"Which makes them even more dangerous." Thor said.

She said Skrulls could sim recent memories of hosts and as they sat down, she asked him several personal questions, including first job and he said he was a soldier straight out of high school and had left ranks as a colonel.

"That sounds awesome." Rhodes said, everyone having respect for Fury who simply nodded.

He had then been a Spy in all places starting with a 'B' before getting a desk job to figure out about future enemies and never thought they'd come from above. She asked for a bizarre detail a Skrull couldn't fabricate and he said if toast was cut diagonally, he couldn't eat it. She seemed amused and he realized she didn't need it but she enjoyed it.

"Really? Why?" Pepper asked.

"Don't ask." Fury said simply and no one asked.

He asked her to prove if she was one or not and she fired her blast, destroying a nearby TV. She said it was a photon blast and a Skrull couldn't do that.

"How do you prove that exactly?" Loki asked.

"I have no choice but to take her for her word right now." Fury said.

She then asked about Pegasus. Later, the two were driving away as she said the Kree were a race of noble warrior heroes.

"They have brainwashed her into their soldier." Bucky said angrily, sympathizing with her as the others looked angry at the Kree.

He asked what the Skrulls wanted with Dr. Lawson and she said Lawson had developed something called a lightspeed engine. Fury admitted that wasn't the craziest thing he had heard that day and asked what she wanted. She said she wanted to stop the Skrulls before they became unstoppable.

"We all do to our enemies." Benjamin said.

He asked if there was something else as he knew a rogue soldier when he saw one and she had a personal stake in this. They stopped in front of the facility.

"You were perceptive even back then." May said, "How?"

"I used to sit in a mall for hours and observe people." Fury said and was shot weird looks, but he looked serious. [1]

The operator told him to turn around but fury introduced himself as 'Nicholas Joseph Fury' and was told to put his thumb on the pad as Vers asked if he had 3 names. He said he was called Fury, not Nicholas, not Joseph, not Nick but Fury.

"I call you 'the Spy.'" Tony said and all chuckled while Fury groaned.

She asked what his mom called him and he said Fury. She asked what he called her and he said Fury. She asked what his children called him and he said if he had them, then they'd call him Fury.

"You don't have any, do you?" Clint asked.

"Not at all." Fury shrugged.

They were given clearance and drove in, getting out as Fury told her she looked like someone's disaffected niece and tossed her a cap with the SHIELD logo. She asked if announcing identity helped with the covert part of the job and he said she was a space soldier with a rubber suit. She looked offended.

"BURN!" Scott said and all laughed and clapped for Fury.

"Considering how she is like me before my banishment, she needs to be taken down a few pegs." Thor said and all nodded.

He told her to lose the flannel and she did as some guards arrived and Fury introduced them both as Agents of SHIELD, asking for Lawson. The guard said to follow them and they were later made to wait in a room. Fury asked if she was familiar with the phrase 'welcome wagon' and she wasn't as he put his thumb on the pad but it didn't open.

"Are you trapped?" Peter asked.

"Yes." Fury sighed.

He then took out a pager as Vers asked who he was paging. He said his mom, telling her he wasn't mentioning her as he messaged he was detained with target.

"Now that's smart." Morgan said and he nodded.

"Can never be too careful." He said.

Then he put a tape over a guard's phone and got his fingerprint, using it to open the door which Vers found impressive and he said she should see what he could do with a paperclip.

"Did you just boast?" Tony asked as all chuckled.

"But that was impressive." Cassie said and all nodded.

They walked through the hallway when a cat arrived which Vers recognized from her memories.

"That's Lawson's cat." Sam remembered.

Fury was muttering something under his breath again to everyone's confusion.

Fury fell in love, petting the cat whose name was Goose and he said it was a cool name for a cool cat.

"It is cute." Natasha said and all nodded.

'Cute, my arse." Fury muttered.

Vers called to him to open a door and he was about to use the tape again when she opened it with her blast. He was annoyed she had watched him play with tape when she could have done that and she said she didn't want to steal his thunder.

"Be practical please." Steve said to Vers.

"Yeah, wasting time wasn't practical at all." Lila agreed.

They walked into the room where several lights opened. They looked for several files before finding one on the lightspeed engine which was terminated. Fury revealed a paper with strange markings, saying maybe because Lawson was coo-coo. Vers recognized them as Kree glyphs and realized Lawson was Kree, not coo-coo.

"So she was undercover on Earth?" A shocked Natasha asked.

"Yes." Benjamin said.

Fury then said she was dead after watching a file, having crashed an aircraft during an unauthorized flight and had taken a pilot with her which was why this place had unfriendly guards as they tried to cover a billion-dollar mistake.

"Mistakes that expensive always are." Fury said.

The lightspeed engine was toast too and this had happened in 1989. The last person to see them alive was Maria Rambeau and Fury gave Vers her file. Vers then saw herself in the background in a photo of Maria and Lawson.

"She's getting there." Steve noted.

She had memory flashes of Lawson and Maria as Fury moved away on being called on his pager.

"That's her friend from the memories." Wanda remembered.

"Yes. She is." Scarlet Witch said.

Vers later called Yon-Rogg, telling him about Lawson and asking if he knew but he said he wasn't cleared to tell her that. But he did tell her Lawson was an undercover Kree who was working on technology to help win the war.

"I'm sure there's more to it than that." T'Challa said.

"Right you are, Your Highness." Vision said.

Keller and other agents arrived, with Keller telling the others to stay as he and Fury walked into the lift, with him calling Fury 'Nicholas' which Fury noticed.

"Busted." Hope said and all watched in anticipation.

"That he is." Fury said.

Vers said she had found evidence on having a life on C-53 and she knew Mar-Vell as that as what she saw Supreme Intelligence as. Yon-Rogg told her it was Skrull simulation and asked her to remember her training as she could be her own enemy.

"How stupid do you think she is?" Loki asked.

Fury said Vers was on sub-level 6 and he would stop on 5 to stop her if she tried to make a run for it, like in Havana. Keller nodded and now Fury knew it wasn't him as he walked out.

"Never mess with Fury." Hill said.

"Especially when it comes to brains." Scott added.

Yon-Rogg told Vers they would figure it out together and she agreed before putting the phone down, though it was clear she didn't trust him anymore.

"Things did not go according to Yon-Rogg's plan." Vision noted.

Keller had been sent to the wrong floor while Fury looked for Vers before finding agents coming for him and hid as Coulson and another one called Whitcher looked for him, while Coulson was shocked they needed to bring him dead or alive.

"Agent always trusted you, didn't he?" Tony asked.

"He did." Fury said.

Fury threw stuff around to distract the agents and was about to run when Keller put a gun to his head, asking if he had said something. Fury grabbed his hand and elbowed him as the two fought with Fury emptying the gun before snatching it. He threw it off and they fought but Keller, who was actually Talos overpowered him with superhuman strength. Fury was thrown down as Talos picked up the glasses and said he didn't need them but they completed the look. Then Vers knocked him out with a photon blast.

Everyone sighed in relief as Scott said, "Thank God for her."

As other agents arrived, they saw a hole in the roof made by Vers through which the two had escaped. Vers was angry Fury had called them and he said it was his bad.

"I'm sorry! I had no idea I was supposed to trust a lady with energy blasts I just met more than my own boss!" Natasha said sarcastically as all glared at Vers.

"Is she still like this?" Thor asked.

"No." Odinson said, "A humiliating defeat finally gave her the reality check she needed. And now she is better."

"Good for her." Tony said, "And if I find someone arrogant, that says a lot."

The two ran when Coulson was in the way, pointing his gun. He then exchanged a look with Fury before lowering it and told Whitcher they weren't down there as Fury smiled at him and they ran off.

"Son of Coul has done the right thing again." Odinson said and all nodded with smiles.

As they shut the door, Vers took Fury's pager from him, saying he couldn't be trusted with it as he gave it up reluctantly.

"Oh, the arrogance!" Loki said and all groaned.

Talos and the agents arrived to look for them when Vers noticed an aircraft. They sat in it as Fury asked if she could fly it. She said they'd see and he snapped it was a 'yes' or 'no' question when she managed to start it and said yes.

"She still has it in her memory like my fighting skills." Logan said and all nodded.

They flew off as Talos and his agents arrived and tried to fire but they were gone. Then the two noticed Goose there and Vers joked they had a stowaway.

"Like me!" Peter said and all laughed.

Goose sat in Vers' lap as Fury petted him and she handed Goose to him.

"I had no idea you were a cat person." Clint said.

"Not anymore." Fury said.

Vers showed Fury the photo with her on the background, saying 6 years ago she had arrived on Hala near dead with no memory and Fury asked if she thought she was the dead pilot. She said Maria Rambeau would tell them and asked about Coulson. Fury said he was a new guy who didn't hate him yet. Vers joked to give him time.

"So who in this room hates Fury?" Tony asked. No hands went up. Not even his own.

"Looks like my rep got better." Fury shrugged.

Fury said Coulson had gone with his gut feeling over an order which was hard but made them human as Vers said she would get in trouble for that. Fury joked how rescuing the guy who sold her out to Skrulls wasn't standard procedure and she said she wouldn't tell his boss if he didn't tell hers. The two laughed.

"You're laughing?" Sam asked as all were shocked.

"Yeah. Big surprise." Fury said.

"It is actually." Hill said.

In their ship, Yon-Rogg and the others got a video call from Ronan the Accuser.

"Ronan." Scarlet Witch whispered and all tensed.

"Of course we were gonna see him again." Natasha groaned, "This is about Kree."

"In the 90s." Bucky added.

Ronan said the Accusers had completed their operation but the mission was a failure because of Yon-Rogg's team and he said it was a trap to draw out Vers to talk for her kidnapper. Ronan said to give them the location as they would handle it. Yon-Rogg asked by bombing and he said Skrulls everywhere were a threat to Kree everywhere.

"They're gonna bomb Earth?" A horrified Peter asked as all paled.

"They would have." Fury said.

Yon-Rogg lied they were lost for now but they will find them. Ronan told them to do so or he would as the call was cut.

"Please never." Clint said.

Yon-Rogg told Korath to maintain course for C-53. Vers and Fury arrived outside a house, asking for Maria. Maria turned to see Vers and was shocked as Maria's daughter Monica happily hugged Vers and called her 'Auntie Carol', saying people had told them she was dead but she knew they were lying. Vers said she wasn't who they thought she was.

"Even you are not who you think you are." Bucky said in sympathy as Natasha held his hand.

Later, the four sat inside as Maria said that was the craziest shit she had heard and Monica said green aliens couldn't exist. Fury said they wouldn't keep a thing like that to themselves when Vers walked to a teapot and used her powers to heat it up, awing both mother and daughter as Fury said she could do more and Vers said she would show them later. Monica went to her room to get Vers' stuff, with Fury going to give her a hand.

"Fury and kids? Oh my God!" Natasha said and all laughed while Fury groaned.

Vers sat in front of Maria who asked if she didn't remember anything and she said she saw flashes but had no idea what was real and what wasn't. She just needed to piece it together. Maria said Carol had woken her up in the morning by banging on her door. They had to get up early as the Air Force still didn't let women fly and testing Lawson's plane was their best bet to do anything. Carol had wanted to race in her Mustang and she had known her Camaro would dominate but Carol had cheated using a shortcut. Carol asked how that was cheating and Maria said it broke predetermined rules of engagement as both chuckled.

Everyone chuckled at that, Thor and Loki being reminded of their rivalry from good old times.

When they had returned to base, Lawson was agitated and had said she had lives to save. She had tried to take the Aces up herself but Carol had volunteered as it was a big hero moment. Maria said she had found Lawson unique and liked her and now she was being told she was from another planet.

"Shocker. I know." Sam said.

Carol said she knew it was hard for Maria but Maria said losing her best friend in a mission so secret people pretended never happened was hard.

Everyone welled up a little, feeling for Maria as well as Carol.

Maria said she knew Carol was too stubborn to die and now she was back with her super-charged fire hands and wanted to be called 'Vers'. "Is that really who you are now?" Maria asked. "I don't know." Vers said. Then Monica and Fury called them, having taken out the stuff. She showed Vers several photos of them together and she watched as Monice walked off to get her jacket. Vers was smiling.

"Deep down, she remember." Steve noted and all nodded.

"Looks like it." Pepper said.

Then Vers saw an old broken badge which had 'Carol Dan-' on it. Maria said they had thought it was all that had survived the crash. Then someone knocked on the door and Vers told Maria not to answer. Maria said it was just her neighbor but Vers still opened the door, with Maria introducing Carol to the neighbor who was called Tom. He shook hands with her and her powers very slightly shocked him.

"I know you're on your guard, but this is only gonna tip him off." Rhodes said.

"Not the best strategist then." Thor noted.

"She wasn't the best team player. She used to rush without thinking." Odinson said.

He said there was a peculiar bird by the road and asked if he could have the boys take a closer looksee. Vers said he was trying really hard, calling him Talos as Maria said this wasn't a good time and shut the door.

"Not subtle at all." Pepper said.

Then Talos appeared behind them, saying they should be kinder to neighbors as one day they might need to borrow sugar, sipping the juice and then said he didn't want them to make a mess in this lovely home.

"With you barging in like that, a mess might be made." Scott said.

Then Maria saw Monica playing with a woman outside who looked exactly like her.

"Another Skrull." Hill noted.

"Congratulations Hill, you are Captain Obvious." Hope said and Hill groaned as all laughed.

Talos said no one would hurt girl and not to kill him as it would complicate the situation. Fury said he was 5 seconds from complicating the walls with Skrull brains.

Everyone laughed at Fury's wit.

Talos apologized for simming Keller and said now he stood as his true self without deception. They asked about the Skrull outside and he said it was a fair point before saying he had to take precautions as she had crushed 20 of his best men with bound hands and he just wanted to talk. She said last time they had talked, she had ended up with bound ankles and he said that was before he knew who she was.

"So they figured out something?" Tony asked.

"Something she is not going to like." Logan said.

He said he had found a device called a 'Black Box' which had her audio recording in a crash from 6 years ago. Maria asked how and he called her 'young lady', saying he had a skill. She told him if he called her 'young lady' again, she would put her foot in places not supposed to be. He asked if he was supposed to guess it, and Fury and Vers both said his ass.

Everyone laughed as Morgan said, "He's clueless."

"Skrulls still are." Lila said and all laughed more.

He said they were all on edge but they should sit down and listen as it'd be worth it. Vers told him to call his buddy back inside and he agreed. Then Goose arrived and he was shocked, backing from the cat in fear as Vers held Goose out, realizing he was scared of the cat. Talos said it wasn't a cat but a Flerken.

"What's a Flerken?" Peter asked.

"A demon from Hell." Fury snorted and all wondered what that was about.

"No spoilers." Benjamin said with a gleam in his eye.

Then Monica arrived as the 'Maria' behind her transformed into a Skrull. Later, they put in the recording as Monica was made to sit outside. It loaded and the recording played, with Carol being heard talking to Lawson who said they were going to her lab.

"Now everything will be revealed." Cassie said.

A flashback was shown of Carol flying with Lawson at the back as they were fired at, with Carol trying to dodge as Lawson said they wanted her work and that she should have never brought Carol along. They fired and got a wing as it started crashing. Carol tried to bail out but failed as the plane crashed through trees and onto the ground through some water.

Everyone cringed, the scene looking painful, their sympathy going out to Carol.

Carol groaned and got out, saying they were on the ground as she helped Lawson up and noted her blood was blue.

"Kree blood." Loki said, "So now she will know."

"Looks like it." Wanda said too.

Lawson asked about her hair instead and said she was actually Mar-Vell from a planet called Hala. Carol said she'd have called her delusional but a spaceship had fired at them and her blood was blue. Then she told Carol to remember the coordinates, telling her to finish it and took out a gun to destroy the energy core when a shot killed her as Carol gasped.

"Oh no!" Sam said as all paled.

Carol took Mar-Vell's gun and turned to see Yon-Rogg approaching.

"Yon-Rogg." Vision simply noted.

"So he played a part too." Steve snarled.

He said he had no interest in hurting her.

"Then why were you firing?" Rhodes asked.

Carol sarcastically said the shooting had given her the wrong impression as he asked about the energy core and she said pararescue was on its way and he had 2 minutes. Yon-Rogg had no reason to prolong the conversation when Carol realized what the energy core was and before Yon-Rogg could stop her, fired at it. It exploded, hitting Carol and washing her with energy as her eyes and body glowed with power and she fell down.

Everyone watched wide dropped jaws.

"So she got her power from an Infinity Stone." Wanda noted.

"Like us and Pietro." Scarlet Witch nodded.

"That's why they are trying to control her." Bucky snorted.

"And she has the solution to their problem." Clint added.

Carol lay on the ground as Minn-Erva noted she was still moving and asked for permission to shoot but Yon-Rogg stopped her, saying she had absorbed the core's power and was coming with them. He saw her broken badge which had 'Vers' on it. Energy flashed in an unconscious Carol's hands.

"So they took her. Brainwashed her. Used her." Bucky said in disgust, reminded of himself as Natasha held his hand.

"Yeah, those people did a number on her for sure." Benjamin said.

"So the Skrulls are good?" May asked as all looked shocked.

"These ones are." Fury said, "But they are not the only Skrulls out there."

"Fury's right, guys." Logan said, "There are bad Skrulls too. We must always watch out for them."

"Oh we must." Steve agreed.

"Let's continue watching." Morgan said and all did.