The Shattered Star
Summary: What if Carol wasn't able to break free of the Supreme Intelligence's grasp?
Tags: #Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence #Dark #The Villains Win #Unhealthy Relationship #Manipulation #Imprisonment
She knows.
She knows and it's all those damned Skrulls faults! If they hadn't gotten to her, if they hadn't brought her to planet C-53 she never would have found the scattered puzzle pieces and put them together. Of that, he was certain, for he never would have allowed it to happen.
Yet it had happened, hadn't it? His eyes had left her for a few short moments and everything had come unwound, spiralling out of control - just as everything did when it came to Vers. He was supposed to keep her safe and faithful to the Kree. In that, he had spectacularly failed.
Wherever Vers was now, she was likely working alongside their enemies. The Skrull who had simed her clearly knew her codes, her mannerisms and enough about her to warrant the suspicion. Old, misplaced loyalty to Mar-Vell, the Skrull loving betrayer, may have pushed Vers towards the Skrulls aid.
She would have to have her memories wiped again. Not completely, just far back enough to fix this error. He would have Vers back. They would have Vers back.
First, they had to find her.
"She knows," Yon voiced the sickening thought.
The look in the Skrulls dying eyes confirmed his fear. Fury swelled in his chest, his teeth gritting together. He fired his laser, killing the loathsome, gasping creature. It was the enemy of the Kree. Its death was necessary. What infuriated him was knowing that the kill had not been carried out by duty but rage. Emotion. Weakness.
Yon breathed in deeply.
Control it.
He would get Vers back. No force in this or any galaxy would stop him.
He contacted Ronan, sent him on a crusade to destroy this pitiful planet and with it all evidence of Vers's former life. With C-53 gone and with Vers soon to be safely in his grasp, she would never rediscover who she had been before her rebirth.
That woman was dead.
And he would make sure she stayed that way.
"Vers has been compromised."
Yon assessed his team's reactions.
Minn-Erva smirked, pleased that even for a time, Vers would be in her firing line again. She had never liked Vers, resentful for Vers's role in their first visit to C-53, for blowing up the core they had sought and having ruined their mission. She was bitter that Vers had earned a place among the Kree, Starforce and their team for her crimes. He would have to watch her keenly. He knew Minn-Erva would not disobey orders but she certainly wouldn't pull any punches either.
At-Lass and Bron-Char seemed perturbed, unsettled that they would be fighting a former comrade. Unlike Minn-Erva, they knew nothing of Vers's true origin. To them, she was an ally and friend. They adored her and Yon knew they would do everything in their power to bring her back into the fold, with minimal damage.
Korath appeared unbothered. Being the newest member of their team he had yet to form strong bonds. He was not charmed by Vers's humour as Yon was and his dislike of it put him at odds with her often. It didn't help that Vers liked to pick on him. Despite this, Korath was a seasoned warrior who would follow orders, regardless of personal feelings.
"She's to be detained and immediately connected to the Supreme Intelligence," Yon explained, readying the ship to dock with Mar-Vell's. "Use force if necessary but she is to be taken alive."
Yon purposely glanced at Minn-Erva. He threw a look to Korath for good measure.
As they stormed the traitor's vessel three thoughts repeated in Yon's mind.
Vers might understand. She might not have turned. She might still be with them.
Surely, she could see past her feelings as he had taught her? See that this was for her own good. For the good of all Kree. They had taken her from an undeserving, primitive planet. Given her a home in the heart of the great Kree empire, its seat of glory. They had given her a place in Starforce, an honour of immenseness.
And if she must let her emotions control her, as she often did, then let her remember what they shared.
He was the finest warrior his kind had to offer and he had taken her on as his had looked out for her, taught her the way of his people and had put her on the path that would allow her to flourish to her true potential.
Mar-Vell had taken advantage of her, manipulated her into working towards a malicious goal built on lies and deceit. He had seen Vers for her true potential, not just because of the powers inside her, but for the warrior she had shown herself to be. She may have stood against him for an unjust cause, having fallen prey to whatever propaganda Mar-Vell had feed her, but she had been brave and willing to give her life for what she believed in without a flicker of hesitation. She may have been human but she had the spirit of a Kree warrior. As a commander of Starforce, a warrior and a Kree, he couldn't help but admire that. Enemy or not. He had saved her from dishonour. Helped her discover who the true enemy was.
Bringing her into his life, on the battlefield and back home on Kree, had once been driven by his duty to his kind. She was an invaluable asset, with or without her powers as she had proven time and time again. When she was new to his world, he had looked out for her out of respect for a fellow warrior, regardless of how ill-trained or what inferior species she had been.
It had not taken long for it to develop into something else, something deeper.
And how could it not? It was as inevitable as the birth of stars after a supernova. Her strength, her cheek, her humanity that always fought through bewitched him. She was a star and he the darkness, famished for its light and warmth and empty without it. There was very little he could deny her with a mere quirk of her lip. He gave her far more leeway than anyone had ever managed to wrestle out of him, far more than he had permission to give. Her smiles, her touches lit him ablaze.
They had become friends. Real friends. Or BFF's as Vers liked to tease - no doubt an odd expression from her former life that always found new ways to haunt him. And some night - every night - he wanted them to be more. Six years of companionship and blood bound them intricately together. The thought of the life they had lived ending disturbed him. It threatened to devour him from the inside out and filled him with nauseous dread.
His hopeful thoughts that she was still one of them beat in his mind as hard as his heart in his chest.
Understand. Don't have turned. Still be with us.
All hope was shattered when he saw what she had done to her uniform. It was vile. It was sacrilegious. She had turned something of honour into a mockery. Red, blue, gold, forever seared into his eyes. It was the drying ink of a declaration of desertion. The banner colours of a traitor.
How dare she. How dare she!
"What did you do to your uniform?" Yon snarled in disgust.
"They got in her head, just like we thought," Minn-Ersa said, pointing her guns at the Skrull.
"The Supreme Intelligence will set her straight," Korath quipped, casting a reassuring glance to At-Lass and Bor-Char.
The Skrull general raised awareness to the civilians in the room, but Yon's focus stayed trained on Vers. He could see the hatred and betrayal crackling like lightning in her eyes, her hands fisted at her sides. She was practically trembling with unleashed fury. Foolish Vers. What had he told her about emotions? And yet here he was, the same feelings raging inside him, demanding to be let loose. Anger. Betrayal. Hurt. She had truly turned against her teammates. Against Kree. Against him.
"You lied to me," Vers seethed.
"I made you the better version of yourself," Yon replied calmly, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions inside him.
Without him, she would have died on that filth-ridden planet. His blood - his very life source - coursed through her veins, giving her life. These past years it was him who had stood beside her and trained her, helping her achieve greatness. She would not have become all she was had it not been for him.
Perhaps Vers might have understood. Might have granted him forgiveness for the deception, understood that it was all for the greater good.
Carol did not.
Avenging anger surged through him as he looked at the women who had replaced his friend and ally. He wanted Carol dead. Dead so that Vers could live.
When the team had managed to contain and connect Vers to the SI, Yon thought all would be well.
Talos was captured, the core was secured and soon Vers would be by his side again. C-53 would be destroyed once Ronan arrived. The Skrull and humans on the ship who knew of Vers past would be eliminated. The universe would be purged of all clues to Vers former life. Yon would never have to worry about Vers discovering a crumb trail to Carol again.
He hadn't realised how much strain these last few days had put him under until the situation had been brought back into his control.
Vers would forever be a Kree warrior, just as she should have been born as.
His relief was short lived.
Vers was on her knees, pulsing blue strands fastened around her, linking her to the SI. It shouldn't have been taking as long as it was. No matter how strong Vers was she was nothing compared to the SI. None of them were. And yet... her fists began to glow, radiant and brighter with every passing second. Impossibly, she began to rise from her knees. The lights flickered wildly and the ship began rumbling as her powers roared to life. Light danced across her body in powerful, hypnotic waves.
"She's trying to break out," Korath whispered in awe.
Yon watched, fascinated and terrified of her strength, her power.
At-lass and Bor-Chan took a cautious step back, their eyes leaping across the room, watching as the machines beeped and blinked rapidly. Minn-Ersa shook his head in shock, wincing as the ship creaked and groaned under the pressure.
She was going to break free. Vers might actually be able to overpower the SI. Yon knew Vers was powerful, had always known that there was unlocked potential inside her. But this power? This depth of unharnessed energy was beyond anything he had thought possible. They were going to lose her. If the SI couldn't bring her back then nothing could.
Yon ripped himself from his stupor and threw himself to his knees before Vers. He grabbed her face, placing his hands on either side. His golden eyes beseeched her though she could not see him. When he spoke, his voice was soft and determined.
"Listen to me Vers. You are Kree. You are a member of Starforce."
Vers showed no sign of hearing him. He gritted his teeth, his eyes momentarily darting around the room. His team had backed off, anxious of the chaos breaking around them. Machines screeching, walls shaking, lights flashing. The ship was coming apart. Yon pulled his attention back to Vers. His chest felt heavy and it was hard to breathe. He wanted to shake her, to shout and demand that she stop this. If she just let go then everything could go back to the way it was. They would be a team again. They would be friends again. He didn't care how early she would wake him up every other day, so long as she returned to his side as the Kree she was meant to be!
"Vers," Yon tried again desperately. "Please... just... let go. Let this go. We need you."
Vers's face twisted in pain, a frown upon her and sweat trickling down her brow. She was still fighting. Still holding on. He needed her to let go.
His voice became more gentle in a way that was only reserved for her. "Vers, I need you. Just let go... let go."
Her hand strained against her binds. Yon snarled, realising she was trying to rip off her power restrictor from her neck. They would lose control of her if she took it off. The illusion that the Kree were the benefactors of her amazing gift hinged on it. Without it, she would be unstoppable.
Yon snatched her arms, pinning them to her sides. He grunted with the effort it took. Sweat dribbled down his face. He didn't know how long he stayed there, pleading with her, fighting with her, but finally, Vers stopped struggling. The ship ceased quaking and the lights stopped flickering. The strands that bound her unwinded, slithering back into the port. When the SI had fully disengaged, Vers fell forward unconscious. Yon caught her in his arms, pulling her tightly towards him. The relief he felt was overwhelming. He let out a deep sigh.
He would not lose her again.
"Scan the prisoners for anything useful then lock the rest in the cells. Return to the ship once you're done," Yon instructed his team, eyes never leaving Vers.
He pushed back the hair clinging to her face, taking in her red cheeks and strained breaths. She had pushed herself further than she had before, so determined to break free. He couldn't help the little smile of pride. So strong, always so strong and willing to fight to the bitter end.
Yon lifted Vers into his arm, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. It was not the first time he had carried her like this and he hoped it would not be the last. Next time he dared dream it would be under more pleasurable circumstances than this. He held her tightly, savouring that familiar lemony smell that clung to her.
He would have to take new precautions to ensure this would never happen again. They had come to close to losing her. The most pressing concern was the nightmares that would no doubt return, dropping sinister little tips to her past. They would have to be dealt with the utmost delicacy.
"What will we do With the ship?" Minn-Evra asked.
"Destroy it.
"What did Vers mean when she said that you had lied to her?" At-Lass asked.
The Starforce team were in the cockpit of their ship, making their way to the nearest jump point to Kree. They had travelled in tense silence for the majority of the journey. When At-Lass spoke, all but Yon spared him their stare.
"Vers mentioned in her transmissions that the Skrull had a technology which allowed them into her mind. It's possible that they used that to turn her against us. The SI will brief me on the toxic nonsense they filled her head with once we reach Hala," Yon explained.
Yon punched the control panels with more force than needed, earning him a curious glance from his teammates.
"Rest assured, she'll be the Vers we know once she's woken. "
Minn-Erva rolled her eyes.
Korath snorted.
Bron-Char shared a disconcerting look with At-Lass, for the first time, neither quite convinced of anything that their leader had said.
(A/N) Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think ^_^ xx