The Liar and The Star
Summary: Carol decides that the best way to save the Skrull and stop the war is to work as a double agent within the Kree Empire as a member of Starforce.
Tags: Canon Divergence, Memory Loss, Memory Altercations, Return to Hala.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Maria asked.
"Someone needs to deal with, Yon," Carol replied with a shrug. "There's no one better for the job than me."
Vers - no, Carol wasn't it?- world been turned on its head. Everything she thought she knew had been a lie. She was not a Kree by birth, nor did she come from a planet in the Kree Empire. She came from C-53 - Earth - a modest planet, primitive compared to some, but no less wondrous than any other world that the galaxies had to offer. She had people who cared for her here, friends and family who had mourned for her believing she was dead. She had discovered she had been a pilot, which came as no surprise as even with the memory altercations she had gone through nothing could ground her love of soaring through the air.
For six years her past had been a blank slate. The only clues she ever had were little phrases and quirks that she naturally fell into, that made other Kree frown in puzzlement, revealing to her that they were odd behaviours. Carol had always put it down to being minor cultural differences. There were hundreds of planets in the Kree Empire, each planet's customs, although Kree, carrying their own uniqueness and variations on traditions.
But now... now she knew everything. She knew where she was from, who her loved ones where, her childhood, her teenage years and so much more that it was almost overwhelming.
And yet... it didn't feel like her... not anymore. Too much had happened. Too much had changed. Carol felt like another person, a stranger whos memories had been stuffed into her head. That life, the life on Earth, didn't feel like it belonged to her. For so long now she had been Vers. Vers who was a proud member of Starforce, a warrior hero who flew among the stars to aid her people the Kree. She had been the protegee and best friend of Commander Yon-Rogg, a renowned hero of the empire. It was Vers who had been gifted with a unique and powerful gift from the Supreme Intigllence, an entity revered like a deity, for it had seen something in her, something great and strong that would set the stars ablaze.
Carol felt like the universe was laughing at her.
Her life that had been a lie felt more tangible than the life that had been real. She couldn't connect with the life she had lived on Earth, couldn't fully accept in her heart that that was who she truly was. Was it even who she really was? She didn't know. She didn't know who she was anymore. Carol. Vers. Pilot. Starforce agent. Friend. Foes. Lost one...
"I or one of my men could sim you instead," Talos suggested, still warily eyeing up Fury and the cat he was coddling. "We could distract him."
"No. You need to get the core and your people far away from the Kree. Maria can fly the ship and get you to Lawson - I mean, Mar-Vel's lab. No matter what happens make sure Maria gets home safely."
"Carol-" Maria cut in.
"Maria, I have to do this. If anyone else goes to meet him Yon will know instantly that it isn't me. He won't stop until he finds me and the core," Carol said softly. "If I go I can throw him off the scent. I'll tell him that the core was destroyed, along with Mar-Vel's lab and Talos's men."
Yon knew her - Vers - better than anyone. With how much time they spent together it was impossible for it to be any other way. Whether it be working, training or in their spare time, the two were always in one another's company. They were a unit, a team all on their own. Where one went the other followed. Two friends tied together by blood, duty and affection.
No, Carol thought bitterly, two friends tied together by Mar-vel's blood and lies.
Yon would know instantly whether or not it was her. Whatever Skrull was sent to try and fool him would die. Yon wouldn't hesitate, not for a Skrull, not for the enemy.
"Then what? How are you going to get away from him?" Maria asked.
Carol's hesitance was all the answer anyone needed to realise her plan. The silence hung heavy in the room.
"No," Maria whispered, shaking her head, tears veiling her eyes. "You're not planning on getting away... are you? You're going to go back with them."
"There is a lot that I can do from inside the Kree empire," Carols explained, biting her lip and unable to look at Maria. "I can gather intel. Find out what planets and cities are being targeted. If the Kree find anymore Skrull or discover the location of wherever they settle then I can give Talos a warning so he and his people can escape."
"This is a horrible idea!" Maria insisted. "Someone speak some sense into her!"
"A spy... would be beneficial," Fury said carefully, taking a step towards Carol. "But it's risky. Maybe too risky. How do you know Yon or anyone will believe your story? What about that super duper intelligence thing you mentioned? Won't that know that you lied?
"We can help with that," Talos chimed in, eyes meeting Carol's. "We can tweak your memory, implant fake ones as the Kree did. As far as you'll be concerned you really did track us down to Mar-Vel's lab which we'll say is here on Terra. During a conflict with the Terran soldiers, the core and all research relating to it were destroyed in a blast. We'll erase all other condemning memories."
"Which means... I'll be Vers again... for real," Carol whispered, frowning. "But what good will that do in the long run? How can I collect intel and destroy the empire from the inside if I don't remember the truth?"
"A trigger. We'll give you one, a word or image that will allow your memories to come back. We'll wait a few days until we're sure you've conversed with the Supreme Intelligence. Then, me and my men will find a way to send you the trigger," Talos said, rising from his seat on the sofa. "It'll be tricky, but I'm sure we can figure something out. How often does the Supreme Intelligence ask to speak with you?"
"Not much. I only get sent to it when I've lost control of my powers. Yon's the commander so he's the only one who frequently speaks with SI."
"If the Supreme Intelligence ever does want to speak with you after your memeories have been restored you will need to do everything within your power to get away. Once the memories are back they can only be hidden with our machines again, which you won't have immediate access to on Hala," Talos pointed out. "It's a big risk. If they find out the truth-"
"I know," Carol replied grimly. "Alright, let's do it."
Vers watched as Yon approached the small hut she had taken refuge in. She had contacted him a few hours prior, giving him a progress report on the Skrull's mission on C-53. It was with a heavy heart and dry throat that she had to tell him she had colossally fucked up. The core was destroyed, technology that could have ended the war now nothing but ashes and cinder under a pile of rubble. The only good news was that Talos, the Skrull general, was dead along with his men. It didn't feel like much of a consolation prize when compared to what had been lost.
The door to the hut creaked open. Yon slipped in, closing the door behind him and blocking it with his back. He kept one hand near his blaster, ready to draw and shoot if need be. He was following procedure and being cautious, in case she had been replaced by a Skrull. The thought almost made her laugh.
"What took you so long?"
"I'm fine, thanks," Yon replied, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips.
Vers could barely suppress her own smile, hearing him echo her early tease. Despite his joke, she could see how on edge he was, a soldier on high alert. She decided to put him at ease, not enjoying how tense his body was, all coiled up and ready to strike. She began rattling off the code that was implanted in her subconscious but Yon quickly cut her off.
"No codes. The system is fallible as we've seen."
"Okay, let's do this," Vers said, tilting her head.
Besides using codes, there were only two other ways to identify a Skrull. Get personal by asking questions that no Skrull would be able to fabricate and if that didn't work, check their blood to see if its green. Kree did not like to shed blood, it was sacred to them, so getting personal was more preferable.
"Who do I see when I converse with the Supreme Intelligence?" Yon asked.
It was a trick question, one with no real answer - not one that Yon would willingly give. It was deeply personal and private after all. "The person you admire most, I guess. But you would never tell me that." Teasingly she added, "though I am still convinced it's me you see."
Yon smiled at that but hide it quickly. "What is your earliest memory of Hala?"
Vers was never fond of that memory. It wasn't just her first memory of Hala, it was her first memory ever. Beyond it, she could recall nothing. She didn't know where she came from, who her family and friends were, or anything about the Skrull attack that had left her without her memories and dying. Her heart ached a little. So much lost and never recovered. Yon was always telling her she to let go of the past, that it made her doubt which in turn made her vulnerable. But how could she not wonder who she had once been?
"The transfusion, blue blood running through my veins."
She remembered the fear of waking up in an unknown medical bay, wires piercing her body and strange people flitting around her, refusing to tell her anything and how aggravated and upset it had made her. The room had been so white it had hurt her eyes to look around. Everything had been sterile and strange, periwinkle holograms flickering to life around her while machines beeped and nurses and doctors chittered away.
"Who's blood?" Yon challenged, golden eyes gleaming.
"Yours," Vers replied after a beat.
It was the one redeeming factor of that painful memory. Through all the chaos he had appeared by her side, an anchor to calmness. He had taken her hand in his, squeezed it and promised everything would be okay, that she was safe now. And it had been true. She had survived and he had never left her side since. He was the first person to speak to her, to comfort her. It was him who had saved her life with his blood.
"Vers," Yon sighed, all the tension dropping from his body.
Now convinced of who she was, he began to approach her but Vers immediantly held her arms up, her powers glowing around them.
"Hold it, how do I know you're not a Skrull?" Vers asked, narrowing her eyes.
"You said in your last message that they were all destroyed," Yon pointed out, crossing his arms.
"They were, but more could have come to Talos's aid," Vers replied. "Answer my questions or be ready to get launched through that door - though you should be used to that by now."
Yon looked ill-impressed with her joke this time but he conceded with a nod of his head, pleased by her reasoning.
"Which section of the Starforce base do we train in?"
She already knew it was him. His questions were as revealing as her answers. But how could she resist the chance to mess around with him? He has already had the last few days free of her. He was overdue for some of her antics. Besides, it was a guarantee that if she didn't check he wasn't a Skrull then he would use it as an excuse to punish her with fifty laps around Starforce base when they got back. She enjoyed running but even she had her limits and the scenery around the base was boring and too familiar.
"We don't train at the base, I take you to the local gym. Which you insist on running to every morning, for whatever bizarre reason."
"When was our first kiss?" Vers asked, unable to hide the cheeky smirk.
Yon looked taken aback with her question but quickly recovered. "We've never kissed."
"That's a shame," Vers teased, wanting to try and fluster him. "What was the first thing I did when I woke up from the blood transfusion?"
"You broke a doctor's nose and threatened two others," Yon replied sternly, giving her a disapproving look. "I had to step in and calm you down."
"Well, he shouldn't have ignored me. One more question, " Vers replied, all humour in her face fading. She waited a moment, carefully assessing him. She could barely keep a straight face as she spoke. "It isn't Korath you see when you visit the Supreme Intelligence, is it?"
"Vers," Yon replied, unimpressed.
Vers laughed and powered down. "Okay, okay, I know it's you, Commander."
"And you think it's appropriate to disrespect your commander who could very easily leave you stranded on this planet?"
"I would never disrespect you," Vers gasped, fighting back a smile. "But if I didn't tease you a little you would think I was a Skrull and shoot me. Besides, you could never leave me behind. We all know I'm your favourite."
Yon shook his head in mock dismay but she could see the relief on his face as he moved closer and smiled down at her. She wouldn't lie and say that smile didn't have her stomach doing little cartwheels. It made it even harder to not notice just how handsome he was. He was always so serious, fully devoted to whatever task he was carrying out. But whenever he was with her he never seemed able to fully suppress his smiles or little twitches of his lips, even in the less appropriate times. She adored his smile. She hadn't realised just how much she had missed it until now.
"It's good to have you back, Vers," Yon said softly.
What he did next almost had her reconsidering whether or not he was a Skrull. Yon wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her into his chest, his face burying into her hair. The two of them had always been close, but Yon had never been one for such outright affection as this. The odd hugs or tender affections were usually instigated by Vers, seldom by Yon. After a moment, Vers allowed herself to return his embrace.
"I missed you too," Vers whispered into his chest. "I'm sorry I messed up with the core. I don't understand why Talos destroyed it."
Yon pulled away, just enough so his golden eyes could meet hers. His expression was serious, but there was gentleness there too - there always was when it came to her. "He most likely didn't want it falling into our hands. It isn't ideal but the most important thing is that although we don't have it, the remaining Skrull don't have it either. It can't be used against us."
Vers nodded, but it did little to squash how disappointed she felt for herself. Yon had vouched for her before the Supreme Intelligence, insisted she was ready for such an important mission and she had blown it. She had been tricked, captured and lost the technology which could have ended this war. She felt like a failure. She had let her commander and the SI down. She had failed to prove herself.
"Vers," Yon said firmly, as though hearing her doubs. He placed a hand on her cheek, gently forcing her to look at him. "We all screw up sometimes on missions. The main thing is that we learn from our mistakes and don't make them again. You'll do better next time. I know you will."
Vers nodded, not trusting her voice to reply.
"Come on, the others are excited to see you again," Yon said, taking her hand and leading her out of the hut.
Vers snorted. "You mean At-Lass and Bor-Char are excited to see me. Pretty sure Korath and Minn-Ersa were hoping I bit the dust."
"Bit the dust?" Yon frowned, giving her a curious look.
"Died," Vers said with a breathy laugh. "Either way, those two will not be excited to see me."
"I said the 'others' are excited to see you, I didn't say everyone was," Yon replied cheekily.
Yon led Vers back to the ship, neither willing to let go of the others hand until the ship came into view. They had only been separated a few days but it felt much longer. Once onboard, she was greeted by At-Lass and Bor-Char who threw their arms over her shoulders and patted her back, happy she had returned to them in one piece. Minn-Ersa hardly spared her a glance and Korath attempted to scold her for not listening to Yon's command of staying put. Even with Korath and Minn-Ersa's cold greetings, Vers couldn't help but feel a flood of warmth at being home with her team again. Back where she belonged.
Upon reaching Hala, Yon insisted she converse with the SI who would go over where she had gone wrong in the mission and how to prevent such failings occurring again. She was berated for not listening to her commander but given the severity of the situation, her actions were deemed appropriate. There was much room for improvement, the SI had told her, but that was to be expected. Yon would help her overcome these issues, with time.
It had been a few days since Vers had returned to Hala. She had spent most of it moping in her room, unable to bring herself to do anything else. She knew it was unbecoming of a Kree warrior hero to throw herself a pity party, but every so often she needed the chance to lick her wounds before she stood back up and threw herself into the next hurdle that life threw at her. Unfortunately, others didn't quite like the idea of her sulking away for a few days.
Hardly a few hours into her second day of wallowing, there was a loud knock on her door.
I wonder who that could be? Vers thought, already knowing fine well who it was.
Vers opened the door, giving her commander an unamused scowl.
"Do you know what time it is? Quite rude coming here so early, I must say," Vers said dryly.
Yon scoffed, letting out a little laugh. "Is it Vers? I didn't know that, but then again, neither do you must days."
Vers resisted sticking her tongue out at him. "So what's up? Do we have a new mission?"
"No, I'm here to take you out," Yon said, pushing her into the apartment. "Hurry up and get out of your nightwear. You can't mope about in here all week."
"I can and I will," Vers replied stubbornly, flopping face down onto her bed.
"It's no longer a request, it's an order," Yon said as he grabbed the edges of her cover and yanked it hard. Vers tumbled off her bed with a yelp, slamming into the floor. She blew her hair from her face and glared up at her commander. "Now, get dressed."
Vers was sure Yon would have taken her to their local gym where they could blow off some steam. He didn't. He took her to the top of a highrise building, one that overlooked the bustling city. It was their secret spot, a place they came to relax and talk after they had been parted for long times. They didn't always have missions together, sometimes Yon only needed a few members of his team or he had to go away for long durations in order to meet with other commanders and military personnel to discuss classified information. But whenever he came back, he always brought her here.
They both stood on the glass balcony, sides touching, arms resting on the silver railing. Most of the city was still asleep at this hour, there was very little movement in the streets below.
"You know I really did think we had lost you on Torfa," Yon admitted, his voice quiet, strained.
"At-Lass told me you refused to leave the system without me, even when certain members of our team suggested you should leave."
"I don't want to leave a soldier behind."
It was exactly that reason that made Yon so adored among the Kree warriors. His fierce devotion to his team. Anyone under his command knew that they had one of the greatest Kree warriors watching out for them, treating them like people and not just pawns to be knocked down without a care. They meant something. It made giving Yon their loyalty, respect and adoration so easy and it was something that many other commanders in the Kree army failed to replicate. It was one of the reasons she herself admired him so much. He always had her back, even if she didn't really deserve it at times.
"Thank you," Vers said softly.
She tilted her head, resting it on Yon's shoulder. After a moment, Yon titled his head to the side resting it atop of hers. They stayed like that for a long time, neither willing to break the tranquillity and enjoying the tenderness to much. It was a gesture that said more than words ever could.
"Vers?"
Reluctantly, Vers lifted her head and raised a questioning brow. Yon smiled down at her and then placed a hand on her cheek, his skin warm against hers. Vers felt like a live wire, every part of her body tingling with his nearness. She couldn't stop her eyes flickering down to his lips for a brief second.
"I don't want to leave a soldier behind... and I never want to lose you," Yon whispered.
He kissed her, softly and gently, the brush of his lips hesitantly. It was a quick kiss and when he pulled away his golden eyes met hers, a question hidden within them. Vers licked her lips before leaning forward, placing her lips against his more firmly. Yon wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him as Vers slipped her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, her fingers finding their way into his hair. Each kiss sent Vers ablaze.
Vers knew that they shouldn't be doing this, that it could change things between them. She couldn't bring herself to care. She had wanted to kiss him for a while, had always felt that there was something between them that neither was willing to admit to. And now here they were, teetering on the edge of exploring that what if.
She could have kept kissing him forever, had their communicators not started bleeping and flashing.
They pulled away, Yon immediantly pulling his communicator out and checking it.
"I wonder what's wrong," Yon mumbled, running a hand through his mussed hair. "We're not scheduled for another mission for a few days."
"I think it has something to do with that," Vers whispered.
Yon turned around to see what Vers was pointing at. Across the city, on nearly every street and building, were large screens that displayed news and emergency broadcasts. They had gone static and gritty, a strange image taking a moment to come into focus. Vers stared at it, her head started to ache to the point of pain. Yon didn't notice her discomfort, to distracted by the screens.
"What is that?" Yon asked, frowning.
The symbol was a single letter, alien to this planet but now so familiar to Vers. No... not Vers... Carol. In the years to come, it would be famous across the galaxy, revered by most and feared by many.
It would be known as the symbol of the Avengers.
(A/N) This was gonna be a multi-chapter story but I don't think I could pull it off. We'll see once I finish my other yonvers story. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think!