Chapter 2: A Kree In Need
Aaron felt his heart palpitate wildly, even as he sat as still as possible on the stainless steel chair, an impeccably polished cherry wood table, and glaring, fluorescent lights that seemed to bleach and sanitize every part of the room. Nutmeg mewled as she nuzzled her head against his hand, perched undauntedly on his lap, same way she would behave as if they were just enjoying a quiet sitting on a park bench. This caused him to relax a bit but not entirely, especially with the lack of noise from a visual of what was happening outside the room, heart still acting like a caged, wild avian demanding its freedom which was humorous considering the ones who put him here.
Even when they led him and his furry companion to large black van (but not without news teams capturing footage of Duckburg's unusual new visitor who he had heard described him as a "hairless ape") he was more comfortable. Sure, he had been put in the backseat with armed guards but he could see and hear the other cars and even eavesdropped on some whispered conversation, the last he did feel a bit guilty about. But putting that aside, being in this nearly deafly silent room was pushing him to a high level of anxiety.
Just as he was sure that he would lose it, sweet relief came as the door creaked open only to be partially replaced with a new sense of fear and curiosity as Flurry stepped in. Ever so slowly, she closed the door and locked it with an audible click, almost as if trying to goad the auburn-haired young man to just try and run out. However, Aaron just straightened his posture and nodded gently at her as if to assure her he would do no such thing. Seeming to be satisfied, the female goshawk strode over to the table, never breaking eye contact as she pulled out the other cold chair to sit in, but not before taking off her coat and hanging it on the back of said chair.
Folding her hands together on the table top, she said in calm and civil voice that offered no hints of hostility, "Sorry it took so long. Dang paparazzi nearly needed to be sedated to get off our butts."
Despite the still apparent seriousness, Aaron couldn't help but snort and give a smile.
The anthro official did something similar before saying in a dutiful tone, "Okay, let's get to business. Who are you and what are you?"
Pausing, the humanoid's expression firmed slightly, inhaling and exhaling as he answered, "My name is Aaron. And I am a Kree."
"And a Kree is?" Flurry inquired insistently while gesturing with her hands.
"A race of advanced, science and military wise, beings from the Planet Hala," Aaron stated with a straight-forward expression and an obedient tone as though he was speaking to a teacher. "And I know it sounds like the slang 'Holla!' but I'm being serious."
"Please, I've heard worse names," the female goshawk said in an unimpressed tone. "How did you get here? I highly doubt you got here by a ship. We would have found it. Cloaked, buried, or self-destructed."
"Well, that's because I didn't get here by ship," the young male Kree said in a polite, as-a-matter-of-fact voice. "It wasn't even planned."
"What do you mean?" the anthro official inquired in a more softer and perplexed tone.
"I mean, I didn't come to this Earth by choice," the auburn-haired young man explained. "I was ta-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Flurry interrupted, waving her hands to signal him to stop his explanation. "Did you just say 'this Earth?' As in there's another Earth?"
Ever so carefully, Aaron nodded as he continued to pet Nutmeg as she began washing her face.
"Okay listen, I need you to start from the very beginning," Flurry said in a stern and urgent voice but managed to keep aggression out of it.
"Well, that's sort of a long story," the young Kree said a little hesitantly.
"Believe me, we got the time," the official anthro said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest while leaning back. "Now spill, kid."
Shifting a bit to make himself more comfortable and to prepare for a long sitting, the auburn-haired young man began, "Well, like I said I was born on Planet Hala. Back when I lived there my name was Aer-Rohn."
"Aer-Rohn?" Flurry echoed in confusion.
Nodding, he continued, "Yes, that's how it was pronounced there. Lucky me, I was born with a name that could easily be changed to a Terran name."
"And Terran is?" the goshawk inquired once again.
"It was the universal name for the inhabitants of Earth," Aaron said. "Well, except for the Earth inhabitants themselves. Back then, most of them were unaware that life existed outside their solar system."
After Flurry nodded for him to go on, he added, "My parents names were Vahn-Korr and Meer-Rah. My mother was part of the Starforce, that's the military task force of the Kree Empire. My father…well, actually I don't know what he did."
"Now how can you know what your mom did for a living but not what your dad did to help put food on the table?" Flurry asked.
"Everything I was told about my parents was through my godmother," the young Kree explained, voice dropping as sorrow made itself apparent. "I don't remember much about them. They were…killed when I was very young. And my godmother only told me some things about them before I lost her too."
"Oh," Flurry's voice changed to sincere sympathy. "I'm sorry. That must be tough. Losing all of your family like that."
"Yeah," Aaron nodded numbly before shaking himself out of it and saying. "But there's no use sitting around feeling sorry for myself."
"And this happened on the other Earth?" the anthro official questioned carefully.
"I was told my mom died during an off world mission and my dad was killed in some sort of civil dispute on Hala. My godmother…met her end on Earth," the young Kree explained.
"And what was that Earth like?" the female goshawk persisted.
"Well," Aaron began. "It was easy to blend in. Namely because the Kree and the Terran looked exactly alike."
Flurry's brows rose with interest, "Exactly alike?"
"I mean, there are a few Kree with blue skin to go with our blue blood, which you saw," the auburn-haired young man gestured to his ruined street clothes that he used to clean his face of his midnight blue blood. "You can imagine how surprised I was to find myself on a planet populated with creatures who, back on my Earth, were not of the talking variety."
"So, our species were primitive in the world you grew up in?" the female goshawk concluded with a bit of shock but mostly understanding.
"You could say that," Aaron nodded, not wanting to mention how he would go to the pond to feed bread to the homosapien Earth's mallards and their young when he was little. "You know, let's label that Earth as Earth M and your Earth as Earth D."
"Fine by me. So, just what were you and your godmother doing on Earth M instead of Hala?" Flurry asked.
"She was a scientist developing light speed engines to end the Kree-Skrull wars," the auburn-haired young man said. "The Skrulls are a race of beings who can take the form of anyone or anything. What the people of Hala didn't know was that the reason the wars started was because the Skrull refused to be ruled by the Kree government."
"And they weren't about to let anyone escape their grasps, right?" Flurry said knowingly with a grave tone.
Aaron sighed as he shamefully nodded and confirmed, "Yes, the oh-so-beloved belief of the Kree is that other species and planets need to be kept under their thumbs. And those who resist…need to be exterminated. That's why the wars started. My godmother saw how wrong they were."
"So she was a traitor," Flurry said without hesitation but instantly regretted when an offended look came across the young Kree's face, eyes filling with hurt, defiance, and insult.
"A traitor is someone who betrays their people for personal gain," Aaron managed to say in an even tone. "My godmother was a freedom fighter. She saw a shameful war that would bring the end of an innocent race who just wanted to keep their own sovereignty and freedom. So, she began using her work and invention to create a way for the Skrull to get far away from the Kree and find a new home. She turned on the people who lied to her so she could help those in need and who were wronged by the Kree government and the Supreme Intelligence."
"The Supreme Intelligence?" the anthro official echoed curiously.
"It's the embodiment of Hala's greatest minds. An AI, to be specific," the young Kree explained. "No one has ever seen its true form. I never saw it but I heard that it takes the shape of the person you most admire and respect."
"Huh," the female goshawk gave an impressed sounding noise. "So, what did you do after you lost your godmother? Did you have anyone to go to?"
"No, my grandparents on both sides died before I was born or could walk. Both of my parents were only children. And my godmother didn't want to leave me behind to be raised by some Kree family that would teach me how to mistreat other species and spit on them. And I am forever grateful for that because, honestly, I'm 90% sure there's no lost love between my birth planet and myself," the auburn-haired young man explained a bit grimly. "The other 10%...I guess I'm hoping that I will someday visit Hala and see that it has changed."
"So, no one took you in when she died?" Flurry said in tone that remained stoic but thinly veiled her sympathy.
"Being on a remote planet, even with a species that looks like yours, is hard but having a child to care for amplifies that hardship. I mean, imagine if she had let me go to a Terran public school and some bully shoved me and I bled fluid the color of a blue raspberry slushie?" Aaron said with an uneasy grin as he tried to lighten the situation. "So, she basically homeschooled me and only let a few neighbors that she grew close with near me. That does not include the Skrull refugees who were hiding in human disguises who would come to visit to see the progress on the light engine. God, I don't even know what happened to them."
"You've lost me. How can the people you grew up with not take you in? And how can you not know what happened to them?" the anthro official insisted in conducted but still confused fashion.
The young Kree had a troubled look on his face as he sighed, "Well, that's because I was locked into a cryo-stasis chamber. It's only used in instances where Starforce soldiers were in critical situations. Usually in cases of long journey with limited supplies."
"And when did this happen?" Flurry asked slowly, already having a sinking feeling.
Aaron bit his lip, looking uneasy before, saying in final tone, "…1989."
"Come again," the female goshawk said, eyes surprised but not panicked, her sentence more of a command than a question.
"I was born around 1970 and my godmother brought us to Earth M around 1976 or '77. And, like I said, she kept me away from the public, so nobody thought to look for me when I "disappeared" in '89," the auburn-haired young man explained calmly.
"So, you were basically out for about three decades. How long have you been awake?" Flurry asked, shock no longer apparent physically as her voice became full of curiosity.
"About a week. On Earth M that is. I've only been on Earth D for about a day, but of course you already knew that," the young Kree said as he gestured with his hands.
"So, you're technically in your late forties," Flurry stated the sentence as a fact. "But what are you biologically?"
"Well, I was almost nineteen when we were alerted that Yon-Rogg, the leader of the Starforce, was coming," the young Kree's voice lowered as he recalled. "I wanted to help her. I wanted so badly to fight to protect everything that she had worked for. That we had made. The lives who we promised to help. But something happened."
Flashback…
"Here, kid," a tired but warm female voice said as Aaron turned just in time to be presented with a navy blue mug with a white lion on it. "You look like you could use a pick me up."
Smiling, Aaron took the mug, breathing in the rich scent of the dark liquid, before sighing a grateful, "Thank you."
As he took a sip, he failed to fully acknowledge the glimmer of sadness in the older woman's eyes. Or the slight aftertaste of his drink, putting it off as a spice she added. Cardamom? Ginger? He mildly shrugged as he finished it in one final large gulp.
Barely five minutes later, he felt his eyelids flutter as energy began to leave him which was strange as it was still early in the evening. Suddenly, his fingers began to feel heavy, causing him to drop the tools he had been using to tinker with a small mechanism. His vision started to become fuzzy as his mind started to spin into darkness. As he felt his upper body slump into the chair, he felt a gentle touch to his head and a drop of something cascade down his cheek.
The last thing he heard was, "I'm sorry kiddo…I love you."
End of Flashback
"That's all I remember before I blacked out," Aaron stated softly. "She most likely drugged me to keep me from being snatched by Yon-Rogg."
"How are you certain she's gone?" Flurry probed without any accusation in her sentence.
"Well, she never came back for me for one thing," the auburn-haired young man stated as he began scratching Nutmeg under her chin. "And it was the first thing I looked up was her Earth name. I found her obituary which only mentioned me as a "distant relative." She was always talking about how members of Starforce don't take any Kree who betrays the empire alive and I believe those words, especially now. Not to mention I woke up to find new people moving into what was once our house. Left the basement with Nutmeg after we cleaned up any evidence that the humans consider alien. Almost ran into one of the movers."
"And where did you go after that?" the female goshawk insisted even more curious than before, the conversation now having become like one of that between two old classmates getting to know each other better.
"Well, I kind of drifted but you would be surprised by how fast one can get from Los Angeles to New York," the young Kree shrugged as he allowed his furry friend to climb onto the table and sit idly for the moment. "But I did stop in San Fransokyo for half a day."
"A lot of these places sound like places we have here. Los Angulles, New Stork, all that," the anthro official stated. "Though I've never heard of San Fransokyo."
"It's one of the Melded Cities," Aaron explained. "It's a twist between San Francisco and Tokyo, two different regions of the world. Culture from both mixed into one metropolis. There are others like Switzerstan though San Fransokyo is the most well known for its tech advancements, second to the high technological achievements of Wakanda, a nation in Africa."
"I see," Flurry nodded in understanding, not bringing up the fact again that most of these places sounded like ones on Earth D but without animal, namely bird, pun words. "And for the final question; how did you get here?"
The young auburn-haired man paused for a moment before saying, "It was the Tesseract. Or the Protoract if I have to be more accurate."
"The what and the what?" the female goshawk spoke as though he said something in a dead language.
"The Tesseract was an artifact, property of Earth M's government even though it was just as alien to them as my godmother and I were. When she joined Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., that's the Terran organization in charge of studying the Tesseract's power as an alternate energy source for their people," Aaron continued. "She discovered it was the very thing she needed to give her light-speed engines the extra power needed to get the surviving Skrulls as far away from the empire as possible."
"And the Protoract?" Flurry inquired, leaning a bit on her seat with even more interest than she started with.
"It was a smaller version of the Tesseract created by her and myself, infused a great amount of power but not as unlimited as the Tesseract itself. It was so if another race needed help fleeing from Kree invasions, they would have an escape," the young Kree explained. "It was the only one of its kind made. I don't know what happened to the Tesseract but I do have the Protoract. That's what brought me here."
"And how does that happen? I mean, were trying to get to a different dimension like ours or were you trying to go somewhere else in your universe?" the female goshawk inquired, seriousness returning inch by inch.
"I wasn't doing anything but examining it," the auburn-haired young man. "I was just walking around New York when it happened."
Flashback…
Aaron gently turned the small soot black, fog gray, and cosmic blue cube around in his hands, thanking the growing darkness and nonchalant passing humans for not unveiling the oddity of the device. The only time that any human approached him was to ask if they could pet Nutmeg who, more often than not, allowed them.
The young Kree continued to walk, only paying slightly attention to the new building he was rounding the corner of. It had several windows, one of them was large and round with aesthetic lines running over it. There was but one door but that was not off putting to Aaron. Most likely it was just another boarding house, mainly built for young adults attending a nearby university or trying to make it in the Big Apple.
However, just as the auburn-haired young man was about to pass the door, the Protoract began to glow. Before he even had a chance to register what was going on, a bright emerald green beam shout from the top seam of the door before hitting the cube. Immediately, the small mechanism began to shake and glow brighter, almost blinding. As Aaron continued to keep a hold on it, he saw a medium circle of cosmic blue energy began to form underneath him.
He didn't even get the chance to run as he and his companion were sucked in into the portal but not before he let out a yell of fear while the Flerken yowled in surprise.
Flashback ends…
"So where is the Protoract now?" Flurry asked patiently but something in the back of her mind told her she already knew.
Giving a sheepish smile, Aaron stroked Nutmeg's head as she licked her paw, "Right here. You saw what she did to that short guy at the museum? Well, Flerkens also act as safe spaces to store things. Despite their size, these guys actually have pocket dimensions alongside organic organs to store crucial possessions or even hide a living being."
"Okay, I brought that on myself," Flurry said with a astonished expression.
However, that didn't stop her from reaching to pet the Himalayan like creature who happily butted her head against the feathered hand that smoothed down her soft, silky fur.
"She's a sweetie," the anthro official couldn't help but coo.
"She usually is to people she genuinely likes or trusts. My godmother says that Flerkens always know a person before you do," Aaron said with a smile.
"Smart woman," Flurry stated before her smile straightened into a firm line. "But I gotta know; does she have weapons stored inside of her alongside this Protoract?"
The young Kree nodded a little hesitantly and embarrassedly, "Yeah, most of them were my mom's. A few I obtained or found after I woke up."
"Well, you know we have to confiscate all of it. It's nothing against you, it's a matter of protecting our people," the female goshawk said coolly.
"Fair enough," Aaron said, biting his lip before saying. "But you kind of gotta wait for her to upchuck them on her own time. I'm certain it'll be real soon, Ms. Flurry."
"Just Flurry please," the anthro official stated. "Everyone calls me that?"
The humanoid raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Really? Even your family?"
"Yes."
"What about your neighbors?"
"Yup."
"Your friends."
"Definitely."
"Your co-workers?"
"If they want to keep their jobs."
Just then, there was a knock at the door, causing Flurry to turn her head and state, "Come in."
Instantly, a female canine anthro with blonde hair poked her head in and whispered softly, "You have visitors who want to talk to you about our new arrival. Familiar visitors."
Flurry's eyes widened before hardening slightly as she got up and headed for the door but not before giving Aaron a "one moment" gesture.
Once again, he was left in the quiet.
Neither Scrooge or Beakley batted an eye as the female goshawk appeared before them, posture straight and eyes just as collected as theirs.
"If I knew you two were coming, I would have grabbed us tea and crumpets," Flurry smiled dryly earning her slight smirks from the two older avian anthros.
"You haven't changed a bit, have ye Flurry," Scrooge snorted. "Still the dry-witted dame who could make even the toughest superior S.H.U.S.H. officer hang his head in defeat."
"Don't you ever forget it," Flurry said proudly. "And you know flattery never got anyone anywhere with me."
"You always did catch on pretty quickly," Beakley said with small, knowing smile. "It's about the boy."
"If ya'll were listening, he isn't exactly a boy," the female goshawk said. "And I'm not saying that because of how long he's been in stasis on the other Earth."
"So, you do believe him," the older female duck commented in a tone that made it sound as though she knew it was going to be said. "We do as well."
"Crazier things have happened. You two know that better than anyone else," Flurry commented in a straight-forward tone. "And you should also know we can't release him to you."
"Flurry, he's not a threat," the richest duck in Duckburg reasoned carefully. "For Heaven's sake, he put his own life on the line for those who couldn't fight back to defend themselves. And it's only been a day since he came."
"It's not like we want to keep him here out of spite," the youngest of the three adults argued patiently. "We just don't want his presence to cause mass hysteria. The people may tolerate the crazy shenanigans that go down in this city but introducing a being from whole other universe could spell chaos."
"Have you not seen what the news is calling him?" the Scottish drake inquired rhetorically as he pointed at the screen in the hallway.
Sure enough, the news channel was on and the title read; STRANGE ALIEN NEWCOMER TO DUCKBURG: FRIENDLY GUEST FROM ANOTHER WORLD? A picture someone had taken of Aaron as he stepped out of the museum and was guided away by Flurry's team.
"There's no use in hiding him and there's no need to," the oldest duck in the room stated self-assuredly. "I heard everything. He may be a legal adult, but inside he's still a youngster learning to grow. It doesn't matter who he's lost. That young man is still someone's bairn. And a darn fine one if they raised him to help whoever's in trouble."
The female goshawk sighed in desperate exasperation, "Look, we know we have protocols that can only be repealed by-"
"He saved my granddaughter," the British duck hen said firmly. "He deserves as much freedom as anyone else to walk the streets of this city."
That caused Flurry to stop in her tracks, "That kid was Webbigail? They do grow up fast."
When she caught sight of Beakley's victorious smile, she quickly said, "But it's not just a matter of security. Where's he gonna stay? Regulations demand he be placed in a housing unit that is both livable but without any thing that may act as a threat to his person or, and I'm not saying he will, that he can use to threaten anyone else. And considering all the stuff you two have stored in that manor, staying with you is a no-go."
"You know that officer who was there? Her son works for my company," the founder of McDuck enterprises said reasonably. "I spoke to them both and they are more than willing to let the lad stay at their home."
For a moment, Flurry seemed to be locked into a mental stare down with them. One of the finest agents that the organization had ever had been blessed with and the greatest adventurer in the world. What seemed like an eternity went by, when it was actually five minutes, before the youngest of the three adults sighed, a verbal white flag to the war of ideals.
"I gotta make a call," the anthro official said as she pulled out her phone and took a few steps back.
The two visitors watched patiently as the agent walked back and forth, voice rising and falling with whoever she was speaking to. After a solid minute of intense whispering, she hung up and turned back to them, striding smoothly.
"Alright, he can go with you. But on one condition," Flurry said without waver. "He needs to check in with you or have someone watch him and report to you for him. If he ever leaves the city, one of you or your associates need to go with him and watch him. And whatever that pet of his coughs up that isn't a hairball, we're locking it away unless we have situation that call for it. Is that clear?"
Although both nodded obediently with proud smiles, the female goshawk knew them enough to know better.
The anthro official then proceeded to open the door to the room and poke her head inside, slightly surprising the humanoid as she asked, "Do you know how to drive?"
"Huh?" Aaron sputtered in surprise as he stroked Nutmeg.
"Do you know how to drive?" Flurry insisted without losing patience.
"Er, yes! Yes, I do," the young Kree spoke with sincerity and genuine acknowledgement.
"Great. We'll get you a job as a driving instructor. It's the least we can do but all we're gonna do," Flurry said with a tone of finality before closing the door, taking note of his soft "thank you."
Upon facing the visitors, she announced, "Okay, we got him a job and place of residence. Any information you get from him here on out is your responsibility to report to us."
With that, she stepped back to allow them room to enter the room.
As the visitors walked into it, the same female canine who interrupted her earlier and asked attentively, "Are you sure about this, Agent Flurry?"
"We'll have to wait and see," Flurry replied before trotting away, the young canine following right behind her.
Aaron couldn't help but stare with amazed and impressed eyes as he entered the limo, blinking as he sat on the fine leather seats and inhaled the comforting scent. He didn't dare allow the Himalayan cat-like Flerken onto the seats for fear of upsetting the two old-timey dressed but suave two older ducks that were seating themselves across from him. It was then that he noticed another pair of eyes staring at him as well.
He turned to his left and discovered the same female duckling from earlier staring at him, not in fear but with inquisitive excitement. The fourth new face was the driver who was a young drake, though only a couple years older than Aaron himself, with light tawny hair, cap, and a pilot's jacket. The buffer male duck was smiling brightly at the young Kree as though they were new college roommates.
"Webbigail, Launchpad, be polite and say hello to our new acquaintance," Beakley said, lightly reprimanding her granddaughter and the driver respectively for their staring.
"Hello, please to meet you," the humanoid said as recalled his own manners, holding out his hand in greeting.
Without warning, the former spy's granddaughter quickly proceeded to grab the offered appendage and shake it with a vigor that Aaron never knew existed in anyone.
"Hi! I'm Webby!" she happily announced. "What planet are you from? What are your hobbies? Are you warrior class, science class, servant class, or are you secretly royalty? Does everyone on your planet have a alien cat like you?"
Thankfully, Launchpad was quick to cut into the barrage of questions with his own greeting, "Hi! Name's Launchpad! Need help getting around, I'm your guy. So, what's your name?"
The auburn-haired young man was quiet, thinking deeply as everyone watched with controlled anticipation. Well, Scrooge and Beakley did anyway.
Finally, he spoke, "On my planet, I was born Aer-Rohn. And back on my universe's Earth, I was renamed Aaron Lawson. But now, I think I would like to be known as Aaron Vellvett, after my godmother. Her name was Wendy Lawson aka Mar-Vell."
The billionaire businessman smiled pleasantly, "Well then, welcome to Duckburg young Aaron Vellvett."
Okay, here's Chapter 2! Like I said before, if you don't enjoy this fanfic, please depart. But if you do, stay tune and leave reviews. Yes, Aaron was near the Sanctorum Sanctum and the Protoract was touched by energy from the Time Stone. He disappeared a day before the Children of Thanos came to claim the Time and Mind Stones. And yes, I am making BH6 exist in the MCU world. I said it was AU, so sue me. Interaction between the Avengers and BH6 with the Ducktales cast will be in the far future. For now, read and enjoy!