Carol Vers stared blankly at the smiling face on the wall, then looked down at the dog tag in her hand.
The metal edge pressed against my palm; her name and identity were clearly engraved on it.
United States Air Force Captain Carol Vers.
She is not Vers.
Countless fragments of memories surged forth like a burst dam, yet were chaotic and disorderly.
The pungent smell of sweat on the training field, the deafening roar of F-15 fighter jet engines, and the spicy taste of cheap beer in Pancho's Bar.
And then there was a woman whose face was obscured, who always wore an encouraging smile and said to her, "Fly higher, fly faster, fly farther."
These images, intertwined with the Kree Empire's strict doctrines and the teachings of its Supreme Intelligence, gave her a splitting headache.
"Ah--"
A cry of pain escaped her throat as she clutched her head in agony, golden photon energy spilling uncontrollably from between her fingers.
Maria's heart ached at the sight of her suffering.
She stepped forward and grabbed Carol's arm tightly.
"Do you remember now, Carol? You're an Earthling! You're my best friend! You're not some damn Kree warrior!"
"I... Vers..."
Carol muttered to herself, the identity she held within her called " Vers " was crumbling.
The undisguised sadness and joy in the woman's eyes, the familiar yet strange smell of home in this little house—all these things mercilessly mocked everything she had believed in for the past six years.
Wei coldly observed all of this.
She had absolutely no interest in this kind of tearful, sentimental drama; in the streets of Zaun where she grew up, tears were the cheapest thing.
But she could sense that the unstable energy emanating from Carol was fluctuating violently.
"Hey, alien girl, no, Earth girl."
She broke the uncomfortable atmosphere by speaking.
"Looks like you got played by those guys, but you'd better control yourself. I don't want you to be on the front page tomorrow with the headline ' Vought Hero Demolishes Civilian Home.'"
"Yon Roger... He told me that the Skrulls attacked us six years ago! He saved me and gave me strength..."
"Lies! All lies!"
Anger flared in Maria's eyes.
"Six years ago, you and Dr. Wendy Dr. Lawson were on a test flight when you disappeared! The military's conclusion was that the plane crashed and everyone on board perished! Dr. Wendy died too! They wouldn't even let me near the wreckage!"
"Dr. Wendy Dr. Lawson..."
This name once again stirred deep memories within Carol.
A vague, gentle female image flashed through her mind.
" Carol, your power comes not from them, but from yourself."
Always trust your judgment and don't be bound by any rules.
That woman always says that.
Monica, Maria's youngest daughter, who had been hiding behind her mother and looking at them with a curious yet fearful gaze, timidly stepped forward.
She reached out her small hand and gently tugged at the corner of Carol's leather jacket.
"Aunt Carol."
She looked up with an innocent face.
"Is it really you? Mom said you went to a very, very far place on a mission, just like a knight in a story."
Looking into Monica's innocent eyes, Carol's strongest defenses completely crumbled.
She crouched down to be at eye level with the child.
A feeling called "belonging," mixed with the bitterness and grievance of six years being stolen, surged through my body like a warm current.
She is not a weapon.
She once had a home, friends, and people she cared about.
Wei pursed her lips at the sight, then tapped the doorframe with her boxing gloves, interrupting this heartwarming moment.
"Is the emotional drama over yet? Is the prime-time soap opera finished?"
She flexed her wrists and pointed at Carol, her tone full of impatience.
She pointed at Carol.
"Now that you're done being sentimental, it's time to think about what to do. You're now a traitor to the Kree Empire, and a target of those green-skinned monsters. No matter what your name is, you're a walking, super-troublesome problem."
"Those guys could come knocking on our door at any time. And then it won't be as simple as just demolishing the house. They'll blow this place, along with you and that little brat, to smithereens."
Wei's words were harsh, but they were the most realistic warning.
"Yes... I sent the coordinates here to Yon Rogers, they'll come looking for me."
Now that she was fully awake, Carol was filled with worry. What should she do?
Maria looked at her friend.
"There is something that can tell us the whole truth."
She said seriously, "The black box of that experimental aircraft from six years ago. It recorded all the sounds and data that happened in the cockpit. If there was anything suspicious about that accident, it would have recorded everything."
Where is the black box?
"It was recovered by the military and stored as top secret at the old base of ' Project Pegasus '. It's now a heavily guarded, secret facility."
Wei revealed a malicious smile.
She squeezed her Hextech Gauntlets.
"Sounds like a tough nut to crack. Perfect, I haven't stretched my muscles in ages!"
She grinned, her eyes brimming with eager excitement beneath her short pink hair.
"For the truth, and to make those guys suffer," Vi looked at Carol and Maria, "Let's go and brave this so-called den of dragons and tigers!"
Lynn sat quietly.
The screen in front of him displayed a report that had just been transmitted from Hydra base.
The report was signed by Lazlo Valentin, the madman who was highly respected within Hydra.
The report's title, wrapped in rigorous academic language, conceals a chilling madness. "A Preliminary Report on the Potential Applications of Skrulls in Subversive Actions."
Professor Pyg, in his characteristic style, a blend of scientific jargon and morbid enthusiasm, elaborates in detail on the terrifying potential of this shapeshifting race.
"The perfect penetration testing tool..."
"You can be anyone..."
"The families of politicians, generals, and even... superheroes..."
Lynn read out the key words from the report in a low voice.
The Professor Pyg's ecstatic elation and wicked ideas, evident in his words, did not shock him in the slightest; the Vought International had no shortage of such monsters.
What truly displeased him was the "uncontrollability" inherent in this creature itself.
Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.
These Skrulls are like viruses roaming outside the chessboard, ready to infect any piece at any time and overturn everything he has meticulously arranged.
They must be completely eradicated from the earth.
In the latter part of the report, Professor Pyg's proposals became even bolder.
He carefully worded his request for live Skrulls samples to conduct experiments on "combat personality reconstruction" and "gene editing."
He envisioned creating a completely new "product".
A loyal agent, capable of being activated or destroyed remotely, and the ultimate spy who can perfectly simulate any target.
They can replace disobedient politicians and infiltrate the enemy's core.
It can even replace a Vought hero when that hero becomes too difficult to control.
Lynn closed the report.
He tapped the communicator lightly, connecting to a long-dormant private line.
" Peggy, old friend, I hope I haven't disturbed your afternoon tea."