Chapter 1

Carol waited in an elevator with her hands behind her back with her fingers clasped together. With her blonde hair down in loose curls, wearing her best black dress and going the extra mile with makeup, she subtly glanced over to her right at a man who was dressed particularly dapper for his own special night.

He caught her stare as she met his eyes with a smile and feigned a shy look away. She was where she wanted to be and the second that her personal operation was done, she would leave Las Vegas to go back under the grid. Such was her pattern in life. She would keep to herself for the most part until someone needed her help. She was willing to do whatever to serve but wanted to keep her privacy and her own prerogative.

It made her job difficult to stay out of the spotlight since the Sokovia Accords made every person like her either work for the government or hide. It was all the super humans could do. If Carol used her powers for anything that raised scrutiny, she would be arrested. It didn't matter if whoever she helped needed it desperately. If it wasn't government-sanctioned, it was considered work of a vigilante.

Yet, Carol continued with her work but covered her tracks when necessary. She could have easily stayed low but she had nothing to live for other than bringing justice to those who needed it. She accepted her life. It hadn't always been her lot in life but it was her cross to bear.

The elevator opened to the main floor as she quickly walked into the middle of the Bellagio but could sense the man from the elevator walking behind her. She could hear his steps in his freshly shined shoes as he kept his distance. She knew he was going to try a conversation and stopped to let him. She was only using him as a pawn.

Then she could sense the guy walking away as another persona stood behind her. Miffed that she was close to wrapping up her mission only for it to be ruined in the blink of an eye, she turned around and gasped at who it was.

"Carol Danvers. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tony Stark said while holding two champagne bottles. "I assume you know who I am and that you know that I know who you are." He stuck his arm elbow out for her to take as to be her escort. "Care to join me outside?"

Carol looked around the lobby as she noticed several men close in on them. Until she knew their true intentions, she felt it wrong to attack them just yet. She would wait until Stark made his intentions with her clear.

…

"You a little leery of me, Ms. Danvers?" Tony said as they walked outside the hotel and towards the iconic fountains that overlooked the Vegas strip.

"It's not that often that one of the richest men on the entire planet strikes up a conversation." Carol said and sipped her champagne. "However, I can only assume the worst."

"We just noticed some strange activity in this area, I saw you in the lobby then put two-and-two together." Tony said once they made it to next to the fountains as water sprouted up with synchronized music playing in the background.

Carol gave him a confused look and shrugged. "Strange activity?" She asked. "News to me."

"Robbery that had to do with steel doors being ripped from their sockets by petite fingers that look similar to the ones you spot on your lovely hands…" He started as he leaned both elbows on the balcony.

Carol held her hands up with her palms facing towards her. "You would think a nasty job like that would chip a nail." She quipped with a smirk.

He went on without as much as a blink. "Do you know how many security cameras a casino has? They have even more by their safe." He stated and stood up tall. "About fifty cameras saw a quick dark blur whiz by. Witnesses said it looked similar to someone flying. But they couldn't believe it with their eyes and considered that they drank too much."

"Gambling and alcohol doesn't mix, believe it or not. Hallucinations could be expected. Your government goonies should check to see if they were under the influence of any other powerful, and illegal, substance." Carol said as she tipped her champagne bottle and drank it all as quickly as she could. "So far I'm not seeing a plausible correlation between myself and the robbery. Kind of offended that you would jump to conclusions like that."

"So what were you doing instead last night?" He asked and looked her in the eye.

"Sky is the limit in Sin City. But if you must know, I went to go see Celine Dion." Carol thought quickly of an alibi. She should have known that there were more hidden cameras than she thought or cared to look for. It was more cockiness than anything as she knew there was little anyone could do if she was a suspect for a heist. However, she didn't know she could draw in the wrong kind of attention so quickly. She knew either S.H.I.E.L.D or the U.S. government would be around within the week to investigate but assumed she would be far gone before they even knew she was there.

"Jokes on you. Celine Dion was at a party I hosted last night in California." Tony said with a smile.

Stumped on what to say next, Carol flared her nostrils and accepted the defeat. "So what happens now? Am I going to get locked away for life?" She asked almost taunting him. She would like to see him try.

"Stealing half a million dollars isn't what you call using your abilities worth something substantial in this life. You of all people should know there are more rewarding things." Stark hinted at her past.

"Says the multi-billionaire." Carol retorted under her breath. "Okay, you're alluding to something you think you know about me. I want to hear it."

"Where do I begin on the biography of Carol Danvers?" Tony boasted with partial joking riddled in his tone at her expense. "Honestly, when I read your file, I was impressed to see how much there was for someone your age. The second you graduate high school, you join the military and become a pilot in the United States Air Force. Soon after, S.H.I.E.L.D. picked you up as one of their agents where they offered you a full ride scholarship to your desired college as part of a perfect cover. Remember what major you chose at M.I.T.?"

Carol's nostrils flared that it seemed whatever file they had on her wasn't sparing any details. "Biological science."

"And you passed your NASA space physical with flying colors. Young little Carrie became an astronaut." Tony recounted as he noticed a change in Carol's demeanor. She didn't try to say anything insulting or chide him either way. She appeared sullen and even heartbroken. "What you have done in the service of your country and mankind isn't supposed to be a put down. Genuinely, I'm in awe of all the accomplishments you have done in the past."

"Not enough to grant a pardon for what I did last night?" Carol inquired. "That money didn't belong to the casino in the first place. The owner stole it from good people."

Tony looked at her for a moment to gage whether or not she was going to take off as fast as she could but then spoke up. "Ms. Danvers. I'm not here to arrest you. The government would like to think you are a law abiding citizen but after a stunt like this, they start reading your file and seeing that you can release energy similar to a nuclear weapon… that will raise some red flags. I'm here to offer a proposition in exchange for your life off the grid the way you want it to be. With you popping up very little, I can only guess that's what you really want. To be left alone."

Carol leaned on the balcony and stared at the fountain show.

"Whatever you needed half a million dollars for, I will triple it and then some." Tony said and leaned on the balcony next to her. "We need you to come out of retirement for a special mission."

"Not interested." Carol said immediately.

"So you would rather go to prison than hear me out?" Stark questioned quickly.

Carol's mission for the money was for someone that needed it. Stark's offer to triple that number sparked her interest as she knew they wouldn't get anything if she didn't at least hear what he had to say. She took a deep breath and finally caved. "I almost died out there in space. And the government is asking me to do more? Haven't I done enough?" She asked.

"Your knowledge and your abilities makes you valuable. Sometimes it can seem like too much but if anyone can handle it, its people like us. We were given our strengths to help people. And now people need you." Tony encouraged.

Carol growled under her breath at his speech as it came off a little preachy to her but swallowed her pride. "And I am understanding that if I don't do this, you'll take me to jail?" Carol sneered.

Tony Stark lifted his right sleeve jacket slightly to reveal a watch as her put a hand over it and tugged towards his fingertips. She saw as part of his Iron Man gear fit over his right hand as he looked up to her with a smile. "I didn't come unprepared. I even have the Hulkbuster nearby. But if this does get ugly, let's try and keep it away from the intoxicated citizens, shall we?" He asked.

…

They were in Tony Stark's hotel room that overlooked all of the strip as Carol sat on the couch and stared down at the action that was happening in below.

"Any particular reason that Ross sent you?" Carol asked.

"Perhaps he thought I was capable for once. For a number of reasons." Tony said as he stood next to the large window of his hotel.

"One reason being that you're Iron Man?" Carol chided.

"The other being that the mission hits close to home." He said as he walked towards her. "I'm sure you heard of Dr. Bruce Banner."

Carol nodded as she eyed him settling down on the other side of the couch. "Hasn't everyone at this point?" She asked.

"He's been missing in action with no trace since Sokovia." Stark said low as she knew top secret information was going to be shared for her ears only. It was always the tone everyone took when they worked in the government. Some things weren't meant to be shared with the public. "Most people think the last time we sent people into space was in 2011. You know that's not the case. As your own space mission took place in 2013."

"This conversation is informative to no one." Carol said snidely. "To stop beating around the bush, yes, I know about NASA's missions to space and their involvement with the Nova Corporation. Which opens to the fact that I know of multiple civilizations in the universe besides our own." She took a deep breath as she decided to voice her thoughts. "My mission is to go to space again. Am I right?"

"Couldn't be more correct." Tony said as he grabbed his phone and placed it on the coffee table. He pressed a button as the image on his screen projected above his phone for the both of them to see. It was a place. Carol had never seen it before. Her locations were limited to Hala and a brief time in Xandar.

"When Dr. Banner left, he was in a ship with a homing beacon device turned off. Whether it be intentionally or accidentally, we don't know. He just disappeared into thin air. But a month ago, that switch was turned back on for a small number of seconds. With Nova Corporation's technology they had loaned for S.H.I.E.L.D's ships and for us lowly 'Terran's' to learn from, that homing beacon on the ship was located somewhere further than we thought." Tony said as he zoomed the image out to show what looked to be a mining colony. "This is Knowhere."

"If I am able to put the pieces together, I can assume you want me to bring him back." Carol noted. "What if he doesn't want to come back?"

"It's better knowing that at least instead of nothing at all which is what we're working with now. We don't know anything. Nova Corps is in the process of cleaning their own disaster that happened a few years ago. They couldn't assist. We need someone who has experience with the alien culture and someone strong enough to handle the Hulk should he make an appearance on your little government paid vacation." Tony said as the phone played footage of the Hulk in New York on queue upon hearing Tony bring it up.

"Experience with the alien culture…" Carol said with a small laugh. "I was in prison on Hala for six months. That isn't necessarily a place where you learn the culture for the fun of it."

"But at least it boosts your street cred." Tony remarked with a sarcastic smile. Carol wondered if he had any other smile. He got serious for a moment. "That information wasn't said on your file."

Carol scoffed as she shook her head. She couldn't believe how much stock Tony was putting on her abilities. "And you can't go because?" She asked. Carol understood he had zero astronaut experience but he was more than capable of fighting the Hulk himself if he had to.

"NASA along with Nova Corp are busy detecting some strange activity of their own." Stark pressed his phone again as dots appeared around a map of what appeared to mark around both the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. They were mostly in Andromeda with smaller numbers freckling their Milky Way galaxy. "Those red dots aren't something that looked promising. What's disconcerting is that those same red dots weren't in Andromeda until a month ago. The same time that Dr. Banner's homing beacon went off in Knowhere. It could be a coincidence. But something tells me trouble is brewing. I would love to be in both places at once but all clones I have made of myself are still in the shop." He said sardonically as Carol couldn't tell whether or not there was some partial truth to his mad scientist vibe he always seemed to have.

"I feel sick." Carol stated as she tried to wrap her head around all the information bestowed to her. She wouldn't have dreamed about going to space again. All of those dreams turned into nightmares. For as long as she could remember, going to space was all she wanted to do with her life. But when she finally made it, it was a memory that haunted her. She arrived back to earth six months later than they were due and she was the only one of her crew that survived the whole ordeal. She kept her mouth shut about her personal experience on Hala and being a prisoner. They only knew that she had changed and couldn't even technically be considered only human. Once the tests were done, the government pitied her and sent Carol on her way. It was in her time alone that she was able to control and harness her abilities without interruption.

Still, with more control and more power, she still felt significant worry about the journey ahead of her. She had no choice in the matter. She obviously wanted a life in solace versus rotting in a jail cell. The choice had already been made. However, she still felt her stomach twist knowing that she could be in the setting of her own personal nightmares in the near future.

"So that's it. Go to space, find his ship on Knowhere, and go from there?" Carol asked to get it straight. "I guess I can just ask around to see if anyone saw some big green guy wreaking havoc around the place."

"Well, you could always bring a wallet sized photo with you to help. I…" Tony started but Carol shushed him upon hearing loud voices in the hallway of the hotel.

Carol stayed quiet to hear what they were saying but then heard several guns cock instead. "Get down." She whispered.

Tony instead placed his phone in his pocket and then put both hands directly in the middle of the coffee table. He pushed away from himself slightly as the top of the coffee table slid to the floor quietly. There was a knock on the door as Carol saw the coffee table had two foot sole imprints outlined as Tony stepped on top of it where his shoes filled the outline. Instantly, metal started surrounding him as it quickly constructed to be his Iron Man suit. Carol heard a revving up noise from his suit the second his face was covered as they both turned towards the door. She stood up as they heard the sound of someone breaking in through the door.

"Anyone else suspect you of stealing their casino money?" Tony said through his Iron Man suit.

"Possibly." Carol said as her hands started to glow like a light bulb.

"Unless its government sanctioned, we can't do anything to fight them. Especially with innocent people around." Tony reminded her as his mask stared down at her hands.

Carol made a noise of distaste and instead turned around to face the window and shot a beam of photonic energy towards it as it shattered the window. "You being a stickler for rules can really put a damper on the night." She muttered.

"I resent that statement." Stark said as the hotel door was almost pushed down completely. But Carol started walking towards the broken window with Iron Man by her side.

"We have a meeting place?" Carol asked.

"Houston." He said with the door behind them opening and gunfire raining immediately. However, when they started firing their weapons, it was too late. Both Iron Man and Carol Danvers already leapt out the window and flew separately towards their destination.