A/N: Hello, friends, and welcome to Chapter Two! I apologize that it took me this long to update, but I really needed to get the feeling of this chapter right. Thanks so much for reading, please take a moment to review, and I promise updates will be coming much faster from now on. Also, if you have a chance, please go check out the first chapter of my Batman story, "Winter's Grasp."

Disclaimer: All characters owned by Marvel.

Chapter Two

Jessica was sitting on the couch in the common room when the front doors exploded. Rather than ducking for cover, however, she simply walked over to the doorway and handed Carol the glass she was holding. "Here," she said. "I'd offer you wine, but I know you'd take it."

Carol took the glass and gulped the water down in one drink. "Where is everybody?" she asked.

"We're a little sparse on people at the moment," Jessica said, walking back toward the common room. Carol followed after, her pumps clomping on the tile with each step. "Cap and Tony are off doing a thing, Thor's back in Asgard for a while. It's really just you, me, Logan, Clint, Nat, and Cage. And Peter, of course."

Carol set the empty glass down on a table and pulled her Avengers' I.D. card out of her purse. "Avengers assemble!" she said, pressing the "A" logo on the card.

"What's wrong?" Jessica asked. "At least enough that you'd call in the whole team?"

Carol ignored her. Instead, she focused her energy and summoned her uniform, which materialized just before everyone walked into the room. "Hey, Carol," she heard Luke Cage say. "Good to see you. How was space?"

"Sit," Carol snapped, a bit harsher than she intended. Cage gave her a wary eye but obeyed, plopping onto the couch next to Jessica. The other Avengers arrived shortly thereafter, each exchanging pleasantries with Carol, each getting the same harsh look as they sat around the room. Once everyone was present, Carol continued. "Now then," she said, "Maybe someone would like to explain to me what the hell happened while I was gone?"

Cage straightened himself on the couch. "What do you mean?" he asked. "We've been a little busy lately."

Carol rubbed the back of her neck. "To Spider-Man," she said. "What happened to Peter?"

She saw the lightbulbs go off in all their heads at once. Several of them exchanged sideways glances, but the room was silent for a few moments. "We wanted to write you," Jessica said finally. "But Peter told us he would take care of it himself. He said it was only fair."

"Guys, I'm not talking about his new girlfriend," Carol said. "I want specifics. What have you all been getting into these past few months?"

"Well, for the first month or so after you left, we didn't really see him that much," Cage said. "When we did, it was only for a few minutes before he walked to his room and crashed."

Clint nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. He was dog tired all the time."

"Then there was the incident with Octavius," Natasha said.

"What incident?" Carol asked. "What happened?"

Logan cracked the seal on a beer can. "Doc Ock was dying," he said. "He convinced the U.N. that he could save the world before he died, use some kinda satellite net to fix the ozone layer and stop global warming or somethin'."

"Did you guys go after him?" Carol asked.

"We did at first," Cage said. "But he'd reformed the Sinister Six, and they got the drop on us. Managed to take everybody out like it was nothing."

"Everyone save for Peter and myself," Natasha said. "With some help from a friend of his, Silver Sable."

Carol nodded, and Natasha continued. "After that, with the rest of the team captured and S.H.I.E.L.D. and governments worldwide after us, the three of us managed to stop Octavius from using his solar net to destroy the world. However," Natasha paused for a moment. "Silver Sable died in the attempt."

"What happened to you guys?" Carol asked.

Clint tapped his temple with his finger. "Ock put some kinda mind control robot on our heads. Nat and Pete had to fight all of us."

Carol snapped her fingers. "There it is," she said, pointing at Clint.

"There what is?" he asked.

"My answer," Carol replied. "Peter's being mind controlled."

Clint scoffed at her. "Look, Carol, I get being upset that Peter moved on while you spent half a year in space," he said. "but I never thought you'd jump to something like that."

In a second, Carol had Clint hanging in the air by the front of his shirt. "I told you once, this is not that," she said. "He's an Avenger. And I'm telling you, he's in trouble."

Cage stood from the couch and put his arm on Carol's shoulder. "Put the man down, girl." Carol lowered Clint back to the sofa. "Even if you're not upset about Peter's new girl, he isn't being controlled."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Ock's dead," Logan said. "Died trying to break out of the Raft."

Carol dropped into a lounge chair across from them. She ran her hands through her hair, her elbows resting on her knees, her eyes staring at the floor. "It has to be something," she mumbled.

Clint popped up from his seat. "Can't believe you're making such a big deal out of Peter leaving you," he said, heading for the exit. "I always thought you could do better anyway."

Cage stood and started to follow, but Carol raised her head. "Luke," she said. "How many times has Purple Man messed with you? Or your wife? And you're telling me you don't think something's wrong with him?"

He turned back for a second. "After he nearly beat two Internet pranksters to death for embarrassing him, yeah, I thought something was off," he said. "But we checked him out, Carol. He's not a Skrull, or a shapeshifter, or a robot, or anything but Peter Parker. I'm sorry." Cage walked to the door, but paused with his hand on the frame. "I honestly wish he weren't. For your sake."

Carol turned her head. "Logan, you've got to see that something's wrong here. You and I have had our minds scrambled so many times we're lucky we can see straight."

Logan took a swig of his beer. "He smelled right," he said.

"He smelled right?" Carol shouted, leaping out of the chair. "Are you kidding me?"

Logan looked her in the eyes. "You didn't see him, Carol," he said. "You were gone. And you know Pete. As much as any of us tried to convince him otherwise, he was sure that you'd left him. Taken off for outer space."

Carol sat back down. "He threw himself into the job," Logan continued. "When Luke and Clint said he was dog tired all the time, they weren't kidding. We thought he was busy busting street crime before. But after you left, other than the webs all over the place, New York had never been so clean."

Natasha stood up. "And then Octavius tried to destroy the world," she said. "His own hubris desiring the end of his 'inferiors.' Peter the only one who could see the truth. The whole world turned against him, governments worldwide hunting him down, and then, just before she died protecting him, Sable told Peter she had feelings for him."

Carol pinched her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

"Not a week later Octavius died in prison," Jessica said. "You know how this goes, Carol. Even though it's not ideal, sometimes these relationships we have with our villains are stronger than the ones we actually want to have."

Logan walked over and put a hand on Carol's shoulder. "For what it's worth, I believe you," he said. "I do think something's wrong with him. I just don't think it's anything unusual. I think he snapped."

Carol rose slowly from the seat, brushing Logan's hand away. "How can you think that?" she asked.

"Because something is off with him," Jessica said. "It just doesn't seem like any of the usual things when one of us is being controlled by an enemy. With Peter's power set, he could sneak into this building completely undetected and kill nearly all of us without us ever even knowing he was here. Instead, he's just become a bit more aggressive, both in his crime fighting and in his life."

Carol turned to Logan. "You say you believe me? Help me prove it," she said. "Call Emma. Get her to use Cerebro to read his mind, find out if it's really him or not. If it is, and he's just not the same man anymore, I'll leave it alone."

Logan shook his head. "Me an' Emma ain't exactly on speaking terms right now," he said.

Carol turned to Natasha. "Do you believe me?" she asked.

"I do," she said. "I thought he was just upset about all the death around him. But it's something more than that. However, I know what you would suggest, and I don't think spying on him would be helpful. Not to mention that his Spider-Sense would inform him of it before we learned anything useful."

Carol's eyes fell to Jessica. "You tried to tell me something was wrong before I went to see him," she said. "What should I do?"

Jessica thought for a minute before she pulled out her phone. "I've got it," she said.

"What?"

A small smile crossed Jessica's face. "We're making a doctor's appointment."

XXXXXX

Carol plopped onto the edge of her bed, her feet aching. Her Captain Marvel uniform faded, leaving her once again in the black dress and pumps. She kicked off the shoes and untied the dress from behind her neck, letting it pool around her feet on the floor. She stepped over to her dresser and removed a t-shirt and pair of pajama pants, then slipped them on.

She heard a knock at the door, and Jessica stepped through. "Doc''ll be here soon," she said.

Carol sat back on the bed. "Thanks," she said.

Jessica sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Carol," she said, letting her friend's head fall on her shoulder.

For the first time, Carol let the tears flow.

She knew something was wrong with him, she knew it, but she couldn't help but feel like this was her fault. "I never should've left," she said.

Jessica just rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay," she said.

"It's not okay," Carol said, pushing away from her friend. "It's not okay at all. I left him here."

"He could handle it," Jessica said.

Carol jumped off the bed. "Obviously not!" she said. "If I'm wrong, then everything that's happened to him, it's my fault!"

"No it isn't," Jessica said, standing. "He's a grown man, he makes his own decisions. And his own mistakes." She shook her head. "Honestly, though, I do hope you're right."

Carol sat back down. The room stayed silent for a moment while she shook her head. "The way he looked at me, Jess," she said finally. "I've never seen eyes so cold."

"Was it like he didn't know you?" Jessica asked.

Carol shook her head. "No. It was like he knew me and didn't care."

Jessica grabbed Carol's arm and pulled her up. "Come on," she said. "Let's go wait for Doc."

They walked back to the common room, where they found their guest already waiting for them. "Ladies," Doctor Strange said. "How may I be of service?"

Carol walked up to Strange and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "It's great to see you, Doc," she said.

"And you," Strange replied. "I trust you enjoyed your time with the Guardians?"

"It had its ups and downs," she said.

They sat on the couches around the room, Carol taking a seat in the lounge chair across from Strange and Jessica. "What can I do for you?" Strange asked.

Carol looked to Jessica, who nodded, before replying. "We think something's wrong with Peter," Carol said.

Strange ran his fingers over his goatee. "Go on," he said.

"He's not acting like himself," Jessica said. "For the past few months, he's been really pushing the envelope with how he's handling criminals. Nearly beat some kids to death, had spider-bots patrolling the city for him."

"Perhaps he is just being proactive rather than reactive?" Strange said.

Carol raised her head from her hands. "His fingers stuck."

They turned to her, their eyebrows upturned. "What do you mean?" Strange asked.

Carol sighed. "His fingers stuck to my hand. When I went to see him a few hours ago."

"Isn't that kind of normal for him, though?" Jessica asked.

"No," Carol said, shaking her head. "Not unless he wants it to be."

"What's your point, though?" Strange asked.

Carol brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "He acted like it was an accident," she said. "And it can't be. When he sticks to something, he has to want to. He has to force his body to adhere." She stood, looming over Strange. "So whether he's just being proactive or not, his hand shouldn't have stuck to me if he didn't want it to."

Strange stood as well. "And if he wanted it to, why would he act like it was an accident."

"Exactly," Carol said.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Strange took a few steps to the side, his head toward the floor. "So what is it you want from me?" he asked.

"I want you to look into his head," Carol said. "I don't think that's Peter at all. At least not my…" Carol paused for a second, swallowed, exhaled a shaky breath through her nose. "Not our Peter," she finished.

Strange turned back to her, his brow furrowed. "It'd be much easier if you got a telepath," he said. "Why not call Ms. Frost?"

"We went down that road already," Jessica said. "Logan apparently did something wrong again."

Strange sighed. "Of course he did," he said. "I can do it. But I don't know if I should. It's a huge violation of his privacy."

"Doc," Carol said, "If someone else is controlling him, or put a magic whammy on him or something, he doesn't have any privacy left." She gripped him by the lapels of his open coat, the golden glint off the Eye of Agamotto shining on her face. "Stephen, please," she said. "I need to know."

Strange grabbed her hands. "Alright, Carol," he said, lowering them. "I'll look. Quickly."

"Thank you," Carol said.

"I'll need to return to the Sanctum Sanctorum to prepare," Strange said, his hands beginning to glow blue with mystical energy.

Carol grabbed his wrist. "Let me come, please," she said. "I won't get in the way, I swear."

Strange gave her a sideways smile, then stuck out his elbow. "Hold onto me," he said.

"I'll be back when I've got news," Carol said, turning to Jessica.

"We'll be ready when you need us," she said.

Doctor Strange lifted his free arm, and spoke words in an ancient dead language Carol didn't even try to understand. But in a flash of blue light, the leather couches and modern amenities of the tower were gone, replaced with floating candles, wood panel floors, and a bald young Asian man standing before them, holding a bowl of soup and a soda. "Master, your dinner is ready," Wong said before turning to Carol. "Ah, we have guests. I will prepare another bowl."

"That's not necessary, Wong," Strange said. "Ms. Danvers and I have work to do."

Wong bowed. "As you wish, Master," he said. "I will keep this ready for you."

Strange walked to the carving of a large circle in the middle of room, sitting before a circular window with several intersecting arches in the pane. The shadow of the arches, combined with the runic etchings in and around the edges of the circle, gave Carol an unwary feeling. It was something she couldn't place, but she knew she wanted to stay out of that circle.

Strange, however, stepped right in and sat down, crossing his legs and resting his wrists on his knees. "This shouldn't take long," he said. Looking up at Carol for a second, he asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

Carol crossed her arms under her chest and nodded. "I just need to know, Doc," she said.

Exhaling through his nose, Strange closed his eyes and began to whisper. The room filled with a breeze, which quickly rose to the howling of a night wind. Strange's eyes popped open, glowing blue, and the wind stopped. Carol knew that he'd crossed over to the astral plane.

Now all there was to do was wait.