Chapter 9 - A Deal with Goose

After blasting the lock and handle of the door, the three of them went into the records room. The room was originally dark, but the lights turned on row by row revealing a massive warehouse of shelves full of boxes.

They walk past a few aisles before stopping and turning into one.

Vers looks at all the boxes carefully before finding the one she wants.

"Huh. Lawson." Vers said after confirming it was the right name.

She pulls two boxes off the shelf then hands the first to Fury and then places the second on the floor before removing files.

Faust noticed that Goose appeared at the end of the aisle. He thought he doesn't seems to be hostile so he walked towards him and carry him in his arms.

"Don't eat me, okay? We're friends." He whispered to the cat while scratching its chin.

"Meeow"

Goose purred and enjoyed his scratches. Seeing this, he treated it as a sign that the flerken agreed.

Vers found the blueprints of the engine.

"Ha.. Lawson's plan for the light-speed engine. I wonder why they terminated the project."

"Um, maybe because she's cuckoo." Fury said when he saw Lawson's notebook.

Fury shows a page from a notebook, covered in hieroglyphics.

"Kree glyphs?" Vers instantly recognized it.

"Hmm?" Fury was confused on what she said and looked at her.

Then Vers explained, "Lawson is not cuckoo. She's a Kree."

Fury turn back his attention to the files, after reading for a while he told her what he found out.

"Well, she's dead."

"What?" Vers was stunned about the sudden turn of events.

Fury showed her the reports in the file and explained.

"She crashed the ASIS aircraft during an unauthorized test flight. Took a pilot down with her. That's why security here's so unfriendly. They're covering up a billion dollar mistake."

"Oh, and your light-speed engine is toast."

Fury shows Vers a black and white photograph of a site of the plane crash. The image is a satellite photo of a flat beach next to a mountain, however, the beach has a track leading up to a circle caused by an explosion. Vers turns over the next photo, showing the beach from eye level. The sand was pushed up into large ridges by the explosion.

Seeing this, glimpse of memories flashes through her mind. Vers appeared shaken by this.

"When did this crash happen?" She asked still in daze.

"Six years ago..1989." Fury replied.

"Who was the pilot?"

"Um, most of this thing's redacted but there is a testimonial here from a Maria Rambeau. Last person to see them both alive."

Fury's pager begins to buzz. He glance at it before looking back at Vers.

"You Okay?" He asked.

"Mm-hmm."

Fury looked at Faust then back to Vers before leaving.

"Back in a minute."

Faust watched all this calmly as it was all within his expectation. Plus there's something to stea--- ahem borrow from here for his future plans.

Once Fury's gone, Vers reaches into the pile of file's in Fury's box and reads the testimonial and crash report. While she is flipping through the file, she stops at an image of Dr. Lawson, Maria, a pilot and herself in the background.

Another memory flashbacks from back then. She remembered a fighter jet suddenly takes off from a tarmac. Dr. Lawson speaks to her and Maria while they both admire the plane.

She also remembered Lawson was telling them that this isn't about fighting wars. It's about ending them.

Then suddenly, Vers storms off the room and said, "Stay here, I just gotta make a call."

Faust nodded to her while watching her leave. "Okay."

After confirming she was gone, he turned his attention to the mess of files. He place Goose down the floor and grinned. He rubs his hands

excitedly.

"Well, what do we have here."

He picked up box and put the scattered files in it including the notebook of Dr.Lawson which is the most important part for him.

After packing it up, he look left and right before saying, "Now, how can I take these things with me? Hmmmmm."

Holding his chin up thinking.

Then Faust looked at Goose with enlightenment.

"Hey Goose, say can you help me store these things? Let's make a deal I promise I'll give you an hour of scratches if you help me with this, what do you say?

"Meoww"

Goose walked over to the files and there it is. He opened his mouth and tentacles flew out grabbing the two boxes. Then the tentacles withdrew from his mouth before walking towards Faust's feet.

"Alright, we got a deal. Thanks Goose, you're the best." Faust grinned and bend down, gelding out his hands.

Goose obliged climbing up to him before nestling into his arms.

After tidying up the scene, he saw Vers coming back.

She said, "Come, let's go. We need to get out of here."

Faust nodded and followed her out.

--

When Vers and Faust were walking down the stairs towards sub-level 6, they heard someone talking on the flight of stairs above them. Those people didn't seem to notice them so they decided to wait and listen.

"Fury's colluding with the target."

"Then why did he call us in?"

"All I know is that we take him in too. Dead or alive."

"Dead or alive?"

Once they are gone, Faust started to speak.

"We need to get back for Fury."

"Okay, let's go back and save his ass."

They turn back around and walk up the stairs to find Fury.

As they passed through corridors, they heard banging sounds from the record room so they hurried.

When they entered the record room, they saw Fury getting his ass kicked. He was being tossed here and there by his boss. But Faust knows that it was the general of Skrulls, Talos, who copied Fury's boss in SHIELD.

"Well, this is fun." Faust grinned and sat down as he watched Fury being beaten badly. He produced a small pack of corned chips from who knows where and started to eat while cheering with Goose.

Vers was stunned when she saw this and decided to intervened after a few seconds when she saw Fury was helpless.

She blasted Talos straight into his chest sending him flying backward.

"Oh c'mon, Vers, it's starting to get interesti---wait."

Faust wasn't able to finish his sentence because Vers grabbed him and Fury, then she blasted the ceiling jumping over it. All of this happened in a matter of seconds and the Skrulls wasn't able to react.

The three of them and the cat ran for their lives.

While running, Vers was annoyed and asked Fury, "You called them in?"

"My Bad!" Fury admitted it without hesitation. He was convinced it was a wrong move on his part.

They turn a corner then they run up a flight of stairs however, Coulson is standing direclty above them with his gun drawn.

They stopped and Vers' hand lights up ready to blow up someone. It was a few seconds of stand off but Coulson eventually lowered his weapon letting them walk through the door behind them.

They heard someone above the floor asking, "Coulson, you have eyes on them?"

"They're not down here. Let's try up there." Coulson replied not looking at them.

Faust, Vers and Fury sprinted out of the corridor while Goose is still in Faust arms.

After passing through a set of double doors, they barricade the door with a piece of metal.

Vers then holds out her hand, expecting Fury to give her something.

Fur didn't get it so she hits him and holds her hand out again.

"What?"

Vers glared at him and said, "Your communicator. You obviously can't be trusted with it."

Faust laugh at his misfortune and was about to add fuel to the fire when suddenly Vers turn to him with the same glare.

"You too, hand it over."

"What? I'm grounded too? Ughhh that's not fair." Faust complained.

Fury chuckled because Faust was implicated in a 'no pager' policy.

They handed over their pager, as the agents slam into the door behind them.

They heard the agents struggling, but Vers and Fury run over towards a cover.

While Vers and Fury was paying attention to the agents, Faust ran straight to the airplane parked a few steps away from them which has a striking resemblance to a Star Wars ship.

Vers and Fury are already hidden behind a tower of crates.

Faust called out to them in a low voice.

"Vers, Fury..over here!"

They look at Faust and ran over to him.

The agents eventually push through but the three of them was already inside the plane.

Vers sat down the pilot seat while Fury sat at the other. Faust stood between them in awe of the cockpit. His interest in it spike up a few notch.

Once Vers started to move, Faust observed her every move trying to memorize the switches and buttons she flipped.

"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Fury asked.

"Uh... we'll see."

Vers tweak some buttons here and there.

"That's a yes or no question."

Vers purposefully plays with a few switches, causing the engine to roar to life and the wings to extend.

Vers looked at him and said, "Yes."

Vers then pushes a lever forward and caused the plane to lift.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Fury laughed excitedly.

Meanwhile, outside the plane, Talos hears the engine come to life and turns around to see the plane alive.

The agents shoot meaninglessly at the plane, but the plane continues to lift off and fly normally.

Vers flies the plane out of the underground tarmac area, and over the open desert before the plane begins gaining altitude quickly. Faust was tossed backwards and he was pinned over the crate with Goose.

"Holy shit, guys did you forget I don't have a seatbelt here?!!!" Faust shouted from the back of the plane.

Both Vers and Fury turned to see Faust in a weird pose and they both laughed.

"If only I have my camera on me. You have a potential to be a top model or a yoga instructor." Fury snickered.

"Hang on Faust." Vers said while wiping a tear in the corner of her eyes.

Vers then stops the plane from gaining altitude then Faust and Goose pushes themselves off the crate.

"Hey Vers, we're still friends right? I thought you're on my side. You took your time on purpose, did you?" Faust complained while helping himself up. He was annoyed and helpless as they took advantage of his misfortune.

"Nope, not at all." Vers denied the accusation while looking somewhere.

"That's so funny, you should see your face." Fury added.

Goose then happily walks up to the cockpit before trying to climb into Vers' lap.

Vers pick him up and places him on the console before Goose lies down.

Fury can't stand its cuteness. So fawn over the cat.

"Who's a good kitty huh? Huh Goose? Yes, that's right. Who's a good kitty Goose? You're a good kitty."

Goose responds to Fury by lying down comfortably and staring at him.

"See anyone you know? Funny story... I arrived on Hala, near dead, no memory... That was six years ago." Vers said as she realized the clues.

"So you think you're the pilot that went down with Dr Lawson." Fury asked.

"I'm saying that the last person to see them alive can probably tell us."

"Maria Rambeau." Fury agrees.

Vers nodded and asked, "Mmhmm..So how do we get to Louisianna?"

"Due East. Hang a right at Memphis."

Vers suddenly remember something.

"That agent, that stopped the Skrulls from fighting us..."

"Coulson. New guy. Guess he doesn't hate me yet." Fury said.

Faust interjected, "I like that guy, he seem more agent than someone I know."

"Yeah well, give him time." Vers said.

Fury ignored Faust jab and thought about it.

"I guess he had a feeling, went with his gut against orders. It's a really hard thing to do. That's what keeps us human."

"I get in trouble for that..A lot." Vers confessed and they both laugh.

"I see that about you. Rescuing the guy how sold you out to the Skrulls. I guess that's not standard Kree operating procedure." Fury said.

Vers chuckled and said, "Well, I won't tell your boss if you don't tell mine."

"I would."

Then Vers glared at Faust.

"Yeah, I would if you don't teach me how to drive this thing."

Vers laughed and said, "So that's why you are here and not at the back, huh. You were studying my moves, do you."

"Yeah well, as a man of earth. It's a natural thing to have a fascination with this kind of big boy right here. Hehe."

Vers turned to Fury who nodded at her.

"Okay, come closer. I will explain how to operate this thing. How much you learn is up to you." Vers finally relented.

Faust rub his hands excitedly.

"Challenge accepted."