Chapter 4: The Return of Memories

In Maria Rambeau's living room, young Monica watched in awe as Carol used her powers to boil water in seconds. Her eyes widened with excitement. Children have boundless imaginations, and Monica was no exception; she was quick to embrace the new and extraordinary.

"Wow, that's amazing! How about you, can you do anything like that?" she asked, then turned her hopeful gaze to Thor.

"Oh, you'll get to see plenty more impressive things," Thor replied with a smile. "But for now, I think you have a lot to catch up on with your Aunt Carol." With that, Monica led Carol into the other room.

Thor leaned back on the sofa, observing Nick Fury, who was still watching him with a curious intensity. "Why are you staring at me like that? I'm not exactly into being stared at by another man," Thor said, half-joking.

Fury tilted his head thoughtfully. "Why do I get the feeling you know more than you're letting on? You weren't the least bit surprised by Vers… uh, I mean Carol Danvers. Almost like you already knew about her."

The future King of Agents really is as sharp as they say, Thor thought, impressed by Fury's keen instincts.

"You accepted her as a Kree right away, believed her story, and even took the beliefs they drilled into her at face value. But I don't. The Kree and Skrulls are far from peace-loving races, at least from what I know."

Seeing Fury's look of skepticism, Thor added, "Besides, my mother is the greatest witch in Asgard. I know a bit more than I let on."

As he finished speaking, Thor threw Mjolnir, narrowly missing Talos, who was hiding behind the door. "You've been eavesdropping for a while. Why don't you come out and talk?" Thor called.

Talos stepped out, looking startled. He was empty-handed.

Hearing the commotion, Carol rushed back into the room, her hands already beginning to glow as she glared at Talos.

"Oh no, no, no! We're not enemies!" Talos raised his hands defensively. "There's been a lot of misunderstanding. We really need to talk things out."

"Last time you 'talked,' I ended up hanging upside down," Carol replied, unimpressed.

Talos took a cautious step back. "Look, I didn't know who you were back then, or how… different you are."

Just then—

"Meow!!!"

Goose, the "cat," leaped up, hissing as Talos accidentally stepped on its tail.

"Oh, my God! Why do you have such a dangerous creature here? Keep it away from me!" Talos's green face went even greener with panic. Thor quickly scooped Goose into his arms to avoid any accidental Flerken-related mishaps.

"Dangerous? This cat?" Nick Fury chuckled, amused to see the man who had been impersonating his boss so terrified of a house pet.

Ignoring Fury's laughter, Talos eyed Goose warily, shuddering as he continued, "I have a black box from the plane crash years ago. You can listen to it; it might help fill in the gaps."

The audio played from the stereo, revealing the long-buried truth, slowly bringing Carol's memories back to life. When the tape ended, Carol abruptly stood and walked out of the house. She'd uncovered the truth, but the realization of having been deceived and used for years weighed heavily on her.

"You're Carol Danvers," Maria Rambeau said, following her outside. "The woman who risked her life to do the right thing. My best friend. You supported me when no one else did, support me went I became a mom, a fighter pilot…"

"The real purpose of Project Pegasus wasn't to fuel war, but to end it," Thor said quietly. "Though they deceived you for six years, there's still a chance for redemption. The Kree, the Supreme Intelligence—they don't define you. And you're bound to confront them sooner or later."

Carol's expression softened as she processed the words. Determined, she resolved to finish what Dr. Lawson had started. She would help the Skrulls find a new, safe home—a place beyond the reach of the Kree.