Natasha's bad mood was shared by Carol, but for a much different reason.
She hadn't spent as much time with the group, staying in space and then being hurt had limited things, and as she was happy enough to be on the sidelines she hadn't really thought about what it meant to be part of a large group.
She did know she was like Felicia, and that a straight arrow pilot really hid a very sexually curious young woman, don't ask don't tell was still a thing, and sharing a shower with Maria had definitely put her in the don't tell category.
Peter had been her one male attraction, and she had fallen hard for him. As she watched him train and generally fail miserably he stomped right into her heart and firmly lodged himself there. Carol wasn't normally sappy but after being in the closet for so long, and then having her life ripped away from her by whatever the Supreme Intelligence had done, to actually feel anything was a blessing. Peter had made her feel alive, wanted, loved, and she had poured all of her heart back at him.
It was seeing everyone else that opened it a crack more. She started dreaming of Monica, started to take more lingering glances at everyone else in the warehouse, stopped by a small twinge of fear that Peter would abandon her.
So when Natasha had quietly knocked on her door, explained her feelings Carol had jumped at the chance. She could experiment and for once, be in control of what happened. She had seen the way the others laughed and just accepted whoever into their beds but a part of her resisted, she could still hear that bastard's thoughts in her head, 'Conform, Obey, Comply' and Ravage was constantly pushing back against it. Whatever the Supreme Intelligence was, it was strong enough to wipe out her emotions, her past, and leave a good little blank slate ready for the Kree to fill up with their fascist militaristic bullshit.
Which was why right now she just flew, her flight still worked, and she didn't even bother to stop to see if the Sentinel was still functioning or not. Smashing right through one at almost mach one should really mess up their day and vent the anger she was feeling.
Anger that she had missed out, anger that they had taken her life from her, anger that she couldn't just reach out and ask for help. She was her own worst enemy, but as she had touched Natasha she had finally felt a connection, she finally felt like her old self again.
And until that feeling stayed, she would keep smashing these stupid robots.
Carol? How's the hunt going?
Stupid robots, stupid laws, Pete. Just, just give me a bit longer, they aren't too tough, just like you said.
Carol was having fun. The Sentinels were proving no match for her reduced powers, but once upon a time she could draw on her photon powers indefinitely, now after her fight with Rogue she would eventually get tired, but for now, flying was freeing, and smashing stupid machines was liberating. As she twisted and tore the head of the last one a military jeep pulled up and seeing the patch knew it was Ross's Gamma Troopers.
"Captain Danvers. You are to stand down. Under direct order from Shield, and from the United States Military. This is not negotiable. Failure to comply will result in a court-martial." and the soldier holding the loudhailer, "And as a sign of good faith, we know you are a wanted fugitive on Asgard and we can negotiate the terms of your surrender on your behalf. As a citizen of Earth, you will be given special rights and treatment."
That just pissed her off. When she had returned to Earth, and explained she was stripped of her military and Shield rank. There was no mention of an incident on Asgard, but to be safe all her old contacts just dumped her. They washed their hands clean of her, and now she was actually helping people suddenly, she was military again.
"Yeah, how about you go fuck yourself." and the man's face fell.
"Captain Danvers. I repeat-" but a hand from inside the jeep stretched out and he looked down. As he bent down he nodded and opened the jeep's door.
The woman stepped out, her hair, the last time Carol had seen it, it was a giant frizzy mess, was cornrowed into a neat style, but her uniform was less than military and more like one of the damaged Kree jumpsuits she had been wearing when the Skrulls had invaded. "Monica?" Carol laughed. Monica Rambeau was the daughter of a good friend of hers, and while Carol hadn't aged a day, Monica was no longer the cute little girl she remembered.
"Stand down Carol. I'm only asking because of mom."
Carol frowned. "How is she?" but Monica crossed her arms
"Dead, five years ago, cancer. Cancer they say exposure to that alien crap of yours caused."
Carol frowned, "What? My powers don't cause cancer. That's bullshit." She was upset that nobody had bothered to tell her about Maria. "Nice get up." and Monica smirked,
"Yeah, the military collected everything you left, they were pretty pissed you took the cube and the ship. But a few alien rifles and a few DNA samples were all they needed." Taking off her jacket, Carol could see it was a Kree uniform, but the colour shifter must have broken as it was black with a white star in the chest centre. "Now, Stand down, I won't ask again."
Carol smiled, "while giant robots terrorist New York, no I don't-" and she was blasted back, Monica's hands glowing the same white shimmer that coated her own
"Yeah, not just Kree DNA but yours too. I am Captain Marvel, and dead or alive, you are coming with me."
Carol picked herself up, the blast hadn't hurt anything other than her pride, but that was enough right now. "Monica, I can't stand down. This isn't right, and it's my duty to stop those things." Carol tried to explain to the young woman.
"Not right? Duty? I didn't think you'd remember those things. Not right is leaving when the world needed you. Duty was to return and follow the proper chain of command, not go off chasing some man and leaving the army behind."
Carol took a breath, calmed herself and let her power begin to cycle, "Leave? They kidnapped me, took my mind apart and then made me think I was some kind of defective soldier. I fought back, I saved this world when nobody knew it needed saving and duty? When I came back to Shield, I was told that my power would be used for military purposes, and when I refused to let them dissect me like a lab rat I was ignored. Dishonourable discharge for failing to obey an illegal order. I loved your mom, and it was the hardest thing to leave her, and I'm sorry they used you to test out whatever stupid bullshit this is,"
Carol took in a breathe and let it out slowly, feeling the photon force flow through her, "but if you don't move that stupid blind ass of yours, I'll move it for you."
Monica snorted, "They refined the process, even without the cube, I'm faster and stronger than you. And if some dumb bitch thinks I'll let her endanger the lives of my men," her own powers flared as she tapped into the photon force as well, "or interfere in the lawful execution of the law, then I'm not the one whos blind."
Pete, they have us. The Sentinels were easy, you were right and they were designed to fight Augments, not us, but they pulled rank on me. Not just jail either, they have a friend of mine here, I can't fight her Pete, I can't.
It's fine Carol. Don't fight back then. Venom cursed. They were playing dirty and he figured the attack on the warehouse was to make sure he complied with orders as well. Holding Wanda and Laura hostage would be one of the best ways to do it.
Love you, and be safe.
"Monica, please, don't do this. I don't want to fight you."
Captain Marvel just smirked. "Then surrender, let us take you into custody, and stand trial for your crimes."
Carol sneered and shook her head. No, she had said to Peter, she couldn't fight, but now, now she was feeling that anger rise, her crimes, her unwillingness to sit back and let thugs and power-hungry idiots dictate terms. This was the Kree all over again, and this time she wasn't going to take it lying down. "Fair trial? Do you think this nazi bullshit will mean I get a fair trial? Your mom would-"
Monica yelled, interrupting her, and blasted Carol with a full force beam of energy, "You don't get to bring her into this," and as she glowed she lifted from the ground, "mom was heartbroken, and mom knew where the lines were," and as he tilted forwards she sped towards Carol and drove both glowing fists into her, throwing her back against a parked car.
Carol sat up, the blast hadn't burned her, but it still hurt and wiped off the small amount of blood from her lips, "yeah, your mom knew where the line was, and she would have kicked your ass for crossing it. I miss her," and Carol took a deep breath, "and as she's not here, then I'll gladly take her place." and as she floated up she let Ravage cover her in her full symbarmour, glowing and full of energy.
Monica smiled and pressed the front of her uniform. A black and white helmet covered her, "Oh it's on goldilocks." and the pair sped towards each other.
Carol dodged a fist and backhanded Monica across the face, sending her flying. She responded by blasting out a photon beam and Carol crossed her arms to absorb it. The beam didn't hurt as much as she thought, and she remembered Gargoyle and his stupid hammer. She didn't care if Monica knew their powers were useless against each other, and instead opted for a fistfight.
Flying forwards once more Ravage grabbed Captain marvel and headbutted her, her thicker helmet denting the front of the Kree uniform, "You can't beat me, it won't work," and as Captain Marvel glowed and blasted her Ravage didn't even move to avoid it. The bean hit her square in the chest and left a tiny single mark, as Ravage waved the small amount of smoke away she shook her head.
"It won't work, the Stone can't act against itself, we're too similar." but under the half mask Monica smirked,
"So I don't use it," and her hands turned from a bright white colour into a pale yellow, "I don't need to use its power. I have my own," and the brighter yellow beam hit Ravage in the chest once more, this time blowing her back.
As she hit the side of the building Ravage looked down at the hole in her armour, seeing her red and blistered skin underneath,
Are you okay?
We are but we are angry, eat her, take her strength.
I am not eating her, and as she lifted herself up Captain Marvel's hands changed colour once more, this time they flickered a pale blue colour.
"My code name was going to be Spectrum, but I felt you didn't deserve yours. I took it, and I will use it to make my mom proud."
"Proud? Defending the imprisonment of people like us would make her sick, You make me sick," Ravage yelled back.
Use it. And on her back, the armour unfurled. She had been hesitant, feeling it was a betrayal of her powers and Ravage. She didn't need armour, she had travelled at light speed through the universe, danced in energy clouds, watched a black hole spin, and marvelled in awe at a supernova. Armour meant she was less, meant she was weak.
Hmpf, Peter uses armour, and he is not weak, tasty things come in shells, and now, so do you.