"Wanda, tell me." Dr. Strange addresses him before the group. "What do you know about Chaos Magic?"
"Chaos magic?" Wanda asks. "Is that the source of my power?"
"In essence, yes." Dr. Strange responds. "And in essence, no."
Wanda frowns and gives Dr. Strange a questioning look.
Dr. Strange takes a deep breath as she thinks about what she plans to say next. "Wanda, we have known for some time that your powers are unique. Not just some mutation like the many incidents that seem to recently be occurring on Earth."
"We?" Wanda turns toward a couple of unfamiliar faces.
"Ah, where are my manners?" Dr. Strange's colleague offers his hand to shake. "You may call me Wong. I am the librarian of Kamar-Taj."
"Nice to meet you." Wanda shakes his hand. "And the rest of you?"
"Wanda Maximoff, this is Irani Rael, the Nova Prime and commander of Nova Corp." Dr. Strange motions toward a woman with hair that looked like it came from a 60s tv show.
"A pleasure." She tells Wanda, but does not look delighted in the least.
"And this," Dr. Strange continues, "is the Sorcerer Supreme of Xandar."
The other creature had a thin almost skeletal face that looked like a cross between a lizard and a horse. "Hello." It said in a surprisingly passive and gentle voice.
"Hi." Wanda responds before turning back to Dr. Strange. "What is all this about?"
"Wanda, may we ask how you came about your powers?" Dr. Strange answers with a question.
Wanda feels a little taken aback and defensive, but the feeling passes. He takes a moment to settle his thoughts before answering. "I was... exposed to an infinity stone... The Mind Stone, I believe." He looks toward Vision for confirmation.
"That's correct." Vision tells them.
Dr. Strange looks down and thinks for a moment. "Hmm... And before then, you didn't have any powers? Anything that you can think of?"
The room seems to grow tense for a long moment as Wanda looks down and avoids eye contact.
"It's okay, Wanda." Dr. Strange says. "We want to help you understand what you're going through." Her words seem to comfort Wanda, as he raises his head a little.
"When I was little... I may have saved my brother and I." Wanda starts, but rethinks telling his story. "We, my brother and I, were always special. It is why they picked us... for their experiments."
"Yes, we are fully aware of your history with Hydra." Dr. Strange lets Wanda know. "Commander Fury has helped us fill in those gaps."
Wanda doesn't know if he should be bothered by this detail.
"We are curious about any onset incidents that might have occurred before your exposure." Dr. Strange implores.
A flash of a bomb with the Stark logo pops into Wanda's head along with memories of Pietro's face. Wanda starts feeling emotional.
"It's okay. Don't push yourself." Wong interrupts. "The point is, you had powers before being in contact with the infinity stone."
Wanda breaks from his daze, and looks up. "Yes, we both did... My brother and I."
"Were your brother's powers the same?" Wong looks legitimately concerned.
"No, he could just move very fast." Wanda tells him.
Wong takes a deep breath and looks at Dr. Strange with concern.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asks.
Wong and Dr. Strange remain quiet while they think.
Irani Rael takes this moment to speak up. "Mr. Wanda, what we are trying to get at is, there are some nations or planets that perceive your power as a threat."
"A threat?" Wanda asks, torn between offense and shock.
"That's preposterous." Vision feels the need to add.
"Why am I seen as a threat?" Wanda gets defensive. "Tony's the one who's shooting planet sized lasers everywhere."
"It's not what you think." Dr. Strange interrupts. She takes a moment to choose her words widely and proceeds after a deep breath. "It's what your powers may be capable of."
"Capable of what?" Wanda asks, still somewhat confused.
"To be honest Wanda, I still don't know much, myself." Dr. Strange admits. "My colleague Wong can probably fill in the gaps."
Wanda looks to Dr. Strange waiting for answers. He frowns lightly, but carries on. "Mr. Maximoff, long before humanity existed, there were gods and beings of imaginable power. Some faded out of existence, some dispersed their power throughout the galaxy, some were destroyed, and some were lost and concealed eons ago."
Wanda begins to frown now, feeling like he is being toyed with.
"I know it sounds untrue, but I assure you it is." Wong continues. "Now, the Sorcerer Supreme and I had assumed your powers were merely witchcraft, and made a note to look into it at a later date."
"Witchcraft?" Wanda can't help but laugh. "So, what? You think I'm possessed by some evil spirit?"
"Not possessed, and not evil." Dr. Strange says. "But powerful."
"Powerful?" Wanda asks, feigning interest. "What, like an infinity stone?"
"No, Wanda Maximoff!" Wong answers sternly. "We believe you may have tapped into something more powerful than all the infinity stones combined. Something ancient."
"The Shi'ar Empire believe you may control the Phoenix force." The Xandar Sorcerer supreme answers.
Wanda is still having trouble believing what he is hearing.
"But we believe it is something entirely different." Wong begins speaking again. "Something equally powerful, perhaps more."
"I wouldn't say more..." The Xandar Sorcerer Supreme protests.
"Now is not the time." Dr. Strange tells the alien.
"Sorry." It replies.
"You guys are serious?" Wanda asks, already knowing the answer. He thinks back to the fight. "This is why Thanos wanted me..."
"I'm sorry?" Dr. Strange asks.
"Thanos..." Wanda tells them. "He secluded me, tried to make me join them."
Wong looks to Dr. Strange, the Xandar Sorcerer Supreme, then the Nova Prime Leader. "If Thanos knows what he is capable of, then we may still be playing into her hands."
"What are you saying?" Vision asks.
"We're saying, we can't let Thanos, or any of his generals get a hold of Wanda." Dr. Strange says forebodingly. "You will both have to go into protective hiding..."
"But Thanos was captured!" Wanda argues. "What can she possibly do from prison?"
"Someone with as much influence as Thanos is every bit as powerful in prison, as they are on the outside." Irani Rael says.
Wanda feels a sense of dread come over him as he locks eyes with Dr. Strange. "What does this mean?" He asks.
"It means you can't go home." Dr. Strange answers.
*** Stars away, at a massive space prison known as The Kiln ***
A large metal door hisses loudly as the air seal opens adjusting to the pressure inside the structure.
A tall blond man clad in metallic looking blue and yellow stomps forward. He is not happy.
"I'm sorry Captain," a short alien with dark blue-green skin rushes forward. His eyes are concealed by goggles and he seems to be carrying a multitude of weapons. "We are not accustomed to using the docking stations for... you know a single person. They're meant for ships."
"Where is she?" Captain Marvel demands angrily as he glares down at the waist high alien.
"I'm sorry Captain." The creature repeats. "I have no idea who you're talking about."
Captain Marvel reaches down and grabs the alien by what can only be assumed is a collar. He lifts the creature up to eye level. "You listen to me, you little shit! You and I both know that anyone with enough wealth and influence treats this place like the Beverly Hills Peninsula. Now, where is she?!"
"What is a peninsula?" The creature pleads.
The fist holding the alien begins to glow. "I'm losing my patience!"
"She's waiting for you!" Another voice interrupts them. Captain Marvel's hand stops glowing, as he looks up at the new voice. An angry glare of recognition flares across his face upon recognizing the voice's owner.
"Yon-Rogg!" Carol tosses the small alien to the side and points his fist at his one time teacher. "What is your game?" Carol waves something long brown and shiny in the air toward Yon-Rogg.
"No game." He responds. "I wanted freedom, and she wanted information. It was a good deal."
"So you told her about Earth? My friends?!" A blast of photon energy flies out of Carol's fist hitting the wall behind Yon-Rogg. He immediately stops trying to play cool and backs away.
"I told her no such thing." Yon-Rogg replied. "She just wanted to know about your time working for the Kree, under the Supreme Intelligence..." Carol steps forward fist glowing again. "And Nova Corp!" Yon-Rogg says in a panic. "She wanted to know about Nova Corp." He repeats.
"What could that possibly have to do with me?" Carol snarls.
Yon-Rogg decides to feign confidence again. "Well, it seems they're keeping secrets from you."
"What secrets!" Carol demands to know, forcing Yon-Rogg against the wall once more.
"I don't know!" He squeals. "Ask her. She's waiting in the visitor's center."
Carol sneers then punches the wall right by Yon-Rogg's head, leaving a massive dent. He turns away and starts following a sign specifically for the visitor center, leaving Yon-Rogg standing there sweaty and nervous. He looks down toward the bruised and battered little alien.
"You said she'd come by ship!" Yon-Rogg tells the creature.
The little alien shrugs its shoulders, earning a glare from Yon-Rogg. "I guess you're stuck here, then."
*** At the visitor center ***
Captain Marvel does not hesitate as he storms into the room. It is wide open, barely illuminated and completely filthy. He looks around and sees a couple of security guards standing against the wall. There is a huge dirty pane of shielded glass across the way. Carol was ready to storm out and demand more information before he noticed someone standing on the other side. The glass was so scratched and dirty, she was almost concealed.
Taking a few steps forward Carol approaches the figure, who happens to be sitting on a large chair a couple of meters away. The guards do not seem too concerned by the new guest, but Carol still approaches them with caution.
"I wouldn't worry about them. They're no threat to you." Thanos coos in a sweet femenine voice.
Carol still approaches cautiously. There is a chair on his side of the glass facing Thanos. A long metal table seems to stretch the entire way across the room, it conceals the bottom half of the glass.
"I hope you don't mind the surroundings." Thanos tells Carol. "I was hoping it would provide you with a sense of security."
Carol steps forward aggressively and loudly slams her old brown aviator jacket down on the metal table. "What are you playing at Thanos? Tell me why I shouldn't end you, right here and now!"
"I needed to speak with you." Thanos says sweetly.
"So you threaten my friends!" Carol bellows.
"Your friend is fine, Captain." Thanos says calmly. "She probably hasn't even noticed it's missing." Thanos turns to look at someone over her shoulder. Ebony Maw comes slowly strolling forward with a dirty metal mug. She hands it to Thanos, who doesn't seem to mind the filth. "I made sure my people knew not to harm anyone on your planet." Thanos says, taking a sip from the cup.
"Please, have a seat." Thanos gestures toward the chair.
"I'm not here to play games, Thanos." Carol steps alongside the chair to get a better look through the glass. "Whatever you're planning, it ends now. I don't want to have to come back here."
"Planning?" Thanos says innocently. "No my dear, I am not planning anything..." She leans back, and takes a sip. "Not at the moment."
"Do you think that by acting humble, you can gain some sympathy?" Carol asks, annoyingly confused.
"No, I just want to talk." Thanos says passively.
"And what makes you think I would want to talk to you?"
Thanos smiles, realizing he has Carol's attention. "Because I have information. Information that could greatly impact you and all your... Earth friends." Thanos says this like he is tasting the planet's name.
"You mean the Avengers?" Carol asks. "I wouldn't consider them my friends. Why would you think I'd want to protect them? They seem capable enough."
"And what about the ones you're close to?" Thanos asks inquisitively. "Commander Fury... and a certain young Monica Rambeau?"
Carol looks down at the brown bomber and his rage flares up again. "You threaten them, and I will incinerate you beyond comprehension."
Thanos smiles again, handing her cup back toward Ebony Maw, who is also smiling mischievously. She stands up slowly and shakes her long legs. Carol has a sudden flashback to the awkward moment Thanos caught him staring. He wants to look away, but he feels Thanos will know why.
"How do you know about them?" Carol asks, annoyed.
Thanos takes a few loud steps forward, but keeps her distance. "You forget, Captain. I have been in your head." She strokes her own hair which has started to take on some length. "I know what you know... and I know.. what you don't."
"And why should I care?" Carol is unsure why, but he gets a guttural sense of concern and foreboding.
"Because your friends..." She takes another step forward, "And your planet..." another step, into the light, "Are about to face a threat, like nothing they have ever faced before."
Carol felt like she shouldn't trust her, but knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Thanos was telling the truth.
"And why should I believe you?" Carol asks, a little more weakly than he would like.
Thanos smiles. "Because I've brought you a gift." She gestures with her left hand and there is a loud metal tink as the nearest security guard places something metal on the table, just under the bomber jacket. It causes Carol to jump slightly.
Captain Marvel looks down to see a small gold looking ring with an open clasp sitting on the table. He glares at the security guard, but gets no reaction except for a silent retreat back to the corner. Carol looks back toward the ring curiously.
"You have it, don't you?" Thanos asks. Despite her speaking, Carol cannot take his eyes off the ring. "I know, that you know what that is."
Carol can't resist reaching down and picking up the ring to take a closer look.
"Asgardian Gold Uru, pulled from the heart of a dying neutron star." Thanos says sweetly. The ring glistens in the dark, as brightly as it would in a well lit room. "Enchanted by Frigga, the most powerful sorcerer in ages specifically for a single purpose."
Carol turns back toward Thanos, who happens to be standing directly in front of him now, behind the glass. Despite the closeness, he does not feel threatened. He looks back down toward the ring.
"It brings out the full potential of a single infinity stone." Thanos says softly.
"Why would you give this to me?" Carol asks, looking back up toward Thanos.
"I believe you know exactly why." She says with a smile. Thanos places her left hand on the glass and looks down at the ring.
Carol knows he should be cautious. He shouldn't trust Thanos. He knows that this could all be a trick. He slips the ring on his right index finger anyway.
Despite how small it is, it contorts to fit comfortably, and despite his better judgment, Carol reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out the purple Stone of Power. Thanos smiles but Carol does not even notice.
He holds the stone over the ring, and feels the energy from each item gravitating toward each other. When he lets go, the stone seems to slowly glide through space. The clasps wrap around the gem greedily. A surge of power courses through Captain Marvel unlike anything he has ever felt before. It is not overpowering or threatening. It is welcoming. With this, he now knows he is truly unstoppable.
Carol looks back up toward Thanos. He wants to ask what her plans are. What she thinks she's getting at, but he becomes suddenly lost in her eyes. His gaze traces her figure until it lands on her hand, resting gently on the glass. Carol gives in to compulsion, reaches up, and places his hand in the outline of Thanos' palm. 'Her hands are still so long.' Carol thinks.
They both lock eyes again, while Ebony Maw smiles in the back of the room.
"What is so dangerously important to me, that would cause you to make such a foolish decision?"
Thanos smiles kindly. "Tell me Carol Danvers. How much do you know about the birth of a Celestial?"