"Looks like you've lost the right to negotiate, Talos." Carol's voice carried a hint of disdain.
At the same time, she found herself reassessing 'Martian Manhunter's' abilities.
Not that she was afraid; her straightforward mindset didn't dwell on things that complicated. She just found his telepathic powers incredibly useful, way more practical than her photon blasts.
"Y-Yeah... but I still want to make one last request," Talos stammered, his voice shaky.
"Oh? Let's hear it." Carol raised an eyebrow. Even in this helpless situation, he still wanted to make demands?
"Just… keep that Flerken away from me. I'll tell you everything. I know once you get the intel I have, you'll know what to do."
"Flerken?" Carol blinked.
Everyone's eyes followed Talos's uneasy gaze—landing on the orange cat nestled comfortably in Reid's arms.
"A cat? You're scared of a cat?" Fury asked, puzzled.
"That's not a cat! It's a Flerken!"
Talos's reaction only left everyone more confused.
Reid finally spoke up to clear things up. "Did none of you notice? Goose isn't actually a cat. She just looks like one. J'onn told me ages ago."
All eyes immediately turned to 'Martian Manhunter' again.
"Wait... I figured Carol, having lived among the Kree, would've heard of Flerkens by now. Even the Skrulls know about them."
Carol froze, feeling a wave of awkwardness crash over her. How was she supposed to explain that her time with the Kree had been non-stop training and fighting? If she ever needed information, she just pulled it from the database—she'd never actually read through any of it.
"Fine! The Flerken won't go near you. Now talk—why did you come to us? What are the Skrulls after with Project Pegasus?" Desperate to shake off the embarrassment, Carol switched the topic. No one seemed interested in pressing her about it anyway.
"I have a recording from Project Pegasus, from a crash six years ago. Your voice is on it. The device, I believe you humans call it… a black box."
"That's not enough to interest me," Carol said flatly. "Just tell me your goal."
Stunned, Talos stared at her. He had taken the risk of coming to Carol, fully convinced that the black box's contents would be something she couldn't ignore—something that could help her recover her lost memories.
But to his surprise, she rejected it outright.
"It's not just that!" He pressed. "This recording can help you remember who you are."
"Yeah, it probably can. But J'onn can do that too, and it's a whole lot easier."
Following Carol's gaze, Talos looked toward 'Martian Manhunter', who had effortlessly taken down all of his men and dismantled his preparations.
"So that's how it is... telepathy, huh? No wonder my people were so easily controlled," Talos said, taking a deep breath. His situation was already dire, and now his final bargaining chip was worthless too. There was nothing left but to appeal to Carol's better nature and hope for the best.
"Alright. I'll be honest. I need you to help me decode a set of coordinates. And no matter what, recovering your memories on your own is better than relying on telepathy. Don't you think?"
As Talos spoke, he glanced at 'Martian Manhunter' again. It was clear, powerful psychic abilities like his were beyond ordinary beings.
Still, somewhere in the vast universe, there were alien species and technologies that could mimic such feats, just not with the same strength.
For those who lost their memories, the debate had long been settled: recovering them naturally was far better for the brain than forcing them back with other means.
"He's right, Carol," 'Martian Manhunter' added. "You should listen to the recording. Letting your mind recover the memories on its own will be better for you."
Carol looked at him for a moment, then sighed.
"...Fine."
...
Inside Maria's warehouse, the group gathered around an old, offline computer. Carefully, they loaded the black box, and the recording began to play.
It wasn't just coordinates; it was a conversation between Carol and Wendy Lawson during their flight.
As the audio played, Carol's memories began to stir, slowly falling back into place.
She remembered piloting the experimental jet, skillfully dodging relentless fire from the alien spacecraft chasing her.
With precise control, she had managed to outmaneuver her pursuer, positioning herself behind the enemy ship. In human aerial combat, this reversal of roles meant victory was within reach—the trailing plane held the upper hand, free to fire at will.
But Kree ships were different. They had no such weakness.
Wendy Lawson, having defected from the Kree Empire, had built this jet using human technology alone. Despite her brilliance, the plane's capabilities still fell far behind the advanced Kree crafts.
Before Carol could lock onto her target, the enemy ship fired backwards, an impossible move by human standards. The blast struck her jet, sending it spiraling out of control.
After the emergency crash landing, Lawson was severely wounded. As she tried to destroy the plane's engine, a bullet pierced her heart.
Carol, shaken and terrified, grabbed the energy pistol Lawson had dropped and aimed it toward the approaching attacker.
Through the smoke and dust emerged not Skrulls, not the enemies Supreme Intelligence warned her about… It was someone she knew all too well—someone she once admired and respected deeply.
Yon-Rogg, the Kree Starforce Commander.
Carol realized she couldn't win against them. And in that final, desperate moment, she made a choice.
She aimed the gun at the experimental aircraft's engine. A single energy blast ignited it, causing a massive explosion.
But the core of that engine wasn't ordinary. It held the raw power of the Space Stone, and instead of being destroyed, Carol absorbed that power entirely.
It didn't kill her. It made her stronger.
The memories stopped there.
When Carol woke up again, she was already a Kree. Her powers were presented to her as a "gift" from the Kree Empire.
Everything she believed in was a lie. The truth had finally surfaced.
...
Carol stormed out of the warehouse, her face filled with anger and frustration.
She had suspected the Kree deceived her, but she never imagined she had been living inside a fabricated reality all along.
The Skrulls could access her subconscious memories. It made sense that the Kree could manipulate them too. None of it was surprising anymore.
"You don't seem to need to recover your memories anymore."
A calm, gentle voice spoke from beside her.
At some point, 'Martian Manhunter' had appeared. He stood quietly, his tone soft.
"You've already found everything you lost. So why do you lack the courage to move forward now?"
"J'onn…" Carol murmured.
**
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