Forbidden | Carol Danvers

Chapter 34: Anti-Hero

1996

Funny how innocent a planet looked from a great distance. Just a giant, colored orb hanging in a black void. I'd never hated Hala itself. The cities were mesmerizingly beautiful and the sunsets were breathtaking. It was the people that sucked. Such a shame of a wonderful celestial body.

I ripped my eyes away from the view, abandoning the pilot seat to head to the back. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked Carol again as she prepared to go out there.

After a year of helping the Skulls relocate to safe places, out of the hands of the Kree, she decided it was time to solve the problem at the source and do what she promised Yon-Rogg, to destroy the Supreme Intelligence.

It sounded casual enough, but she would be ending more than an artificial leader. She'd be causing planet-wide chaos, comparable to killing every nation's government on Earth and frying all computer systems.

But we both didn't feel like we had much of a choice. There was no changing the Supreme Intelligence's mind, and the killings had to stop.

That wasn't saying I liked it, because we would not only be destroying the bad guys. The majority of the people on Hala were completely oblivious to the lies they were told, like we were. Innocent, thinking they were fighting on the right side of the war. I would be doing to them what was done to me as a kid; destroy their society.

Carol nodded, securing the final things on her suit. Her sad eyes tried to reassure me, because my doubts were all over my face. "They'll never be safe unless I do."

She had a big heart. Loyalty was never her problem. She'd go to the ends of the universe for the people she cared about. First, for the Kree, now for the Skrulls. And it was the most comforting feeling to know she'd go furthest for me.

My hands found hers, giving them a soft squeeze. I knew she was right. "They're lucky to have you."

A smile crept on her face, painfully soft. Carol wasn't one to blush quickly, but she seemingly got distracted by me, her expression turning thoughtful. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? You are a victim too."

I shook my head, taking a step back. "Revenge ruins your peace of mind." I cringed internally at the Kree lesson that flew out of my mouth without thought, but it was true, I didn't want to live in the past, consumed by feelings that had no purpose but to torment me. Getting revenge didn't fix the hurt or trauma.

Carol's smile widened, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Your commander is showing."

My eyes rolled on their own accord. She wasn't wrong, though, it was hard to let go of my training. "You shouldn't run into any resistance, but I'll monitor the situation from here," I said instead of responding to her taunts, heading back to the cockpit. The ship was cloaked, but we shouldn't push our luck on staying unnoticed for long.

An amused chuckle rang through the ship. "Can you say anything not-commander for, like, two seconds?"

I stopped and sighed, looking back over my shoulder. "Blow the place to kingdom come."

Carol's eyes widened in surprise. She heard the revenge tinting my voice too, right after I said I didn't feel any of it. ''Yes, ma'am.''

Watching her fly out on her own was nerve wracking. She was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but she was mortal, and alone, and heading straight into enemy territory. If they saw her, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot, and they knew she was coming.

Since her promise a year ago, they had been living in fear, knowing this day would come. They hunted us, sent assassins after us, anything to try and prevent this, but we slipped through their fingers each time.