[closed] Kree hybrid vs. Last Son of Mars

[usaf]

On the surface, it seemed like any other op. The big brass had uncovered a Resistance safehouse, and sent The Captain to bash some heads in. All in a day's work. Carol's been a busy woman since the Porter started up again, bringing in vigilantes left, right, and center. Some more bloody than others. So she doesn't expect this op to go any different.

As soon as she arrives at the safehouse, she busts open the door with a well aimed photon blast, flying in, ready to fire more blasts at anyone who tries to run. Only... There's nobody running. There's nobody there.

"It's a trap!" She calls out on her comm to her team of native soldiers outside. "Search the back of the building, they could have gotten out another way."

It's then that she realizes she's not as alone as she thought. Her computer readout on her modified Starforce suit is showing one sign of life. Carol stills in the center of the room, peering into the shadows.

"Show yourself. Resistance scum."

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[usaf]

Distracted as she is by the psychic onslaught, he can easily grab her hands and head butt her, knocking her backward, stumbling back onto her two feet. The echo ringing through her mind begins to wear away the ties binding her to servitude, to loyalty to a false government.

She screams, a primal yell of pain and anger. She remembers doing this before, breaking free from chains. Again, and again. Why do they always try to put her in chains?

She staggers back, stunned, shoulders heaving with ragged breaths.

"What... What are you doing to me?"

[lastsonofmars]

He does not let go but follows her, hands locking to hers, eyes burning red and his mind not stopping its work as he tries to free her completely. "Reminding you of who you once were."

He digs at the controls, the brainwashing, and finds her older memories of throwing off the controls of the Kree, of her life of defiance and heroism, showing her those, reminding her of what, and who she once was.

"Remember, Carol. Fight!"

[usaf]

She tries to push back, both with her fists and with her mind, tries to throw him off, but she's distracted, memories coming to the surface that had been suppressed, driven back into the dark recesses of her mind, to be forgotten forever. So she could obey, so she could be a tool for yet another oppressive government.

She screams, a guttural yell, and unleashes as powerful a blast of photon energy as she can muster, exploding from her entire body as a wave of force.

In the aftermath, she stands, shaken.

"I... What did you..." No, that's not right. "...What have I done?"

[lastsonofmars]

That blast...in the aftermath, J'onn stood, having drunk it in and almost glowing in the wake of it. He approached, hands spread, open, and spoke gently to her.

"You have done nothing wrong. You were victimized, as so many criminals and oppressors do, as so many of our brethren have been victimized. I know it is not easy to face the memories of what they did to you and what the being they put in your place did during this time, but you are not evil, Carol, and you did nothing wrong."

His voice was gentle and calm, and he spoke with a soft assurance. He was tired, H'ronmeer, he was tired, but the battle for her mind was done. Now he hoped she could, and would, listen to him.

"I know what it is like to be so mindbent. I was forced so in the early days of the occupation of my world. The things done in those days horrify me to this day. But I know they were not me. Not this me. And this was not you."

[usaf]

Carol staggers back, leaning against a wall for support. She shakes her head, eye line kept low, fixated on a point on the ground in the middle distance. She can't bear to look at J'onn. Or even worse, at herself.

"I just can't believe it happened again!" In a fit of pique, she slams her fist against the wall, discharging another blast of photon energy at nothing in particular. It leaves behind scorch marks in the shape of her fist. "Am I that easy to manipulate? Why do I keep letting these people use me as their weapon?"

[lastsonofmars]

"I know you may not be ready to hear this, but it is not you. There will always be people who are machining, villainous manipulators, and no matter how good you are, how smart you are, how strong you are, anyone can be broken down, and anyone can be beaten."

J'onn's voice is gentle and kind.

"You did nothing wrong. I know it is hard to accept, but you were victimized. Not through your fault, but through the skill and evil of another."

[usaf]

He's right. Carol isn't ready to hear this. She's too deep in the hole, blaming herself.

"What do I do now? They'll be expecting me to report back. If I don't go, they'll come looking for me." She finally looks up, looking J'onn in the face with scared eyes. "I don't know where to go."

[lastsonofmars]

"You are not alone, Carol." He steps to her, one hand gently touching her shoulder. "We'll get you to a safe house, a place where you can recover an take time to deal with this. And I will be there, so you do not have to face it alone."

J'onn nods.

"Let me get you somewhere safe, please. You need rest."

[usaf]

Carol shakes out a breathy laugh. "I step one foot into a rebel safe house, they're going to think I'm there to arrest them all."

She shakes her head. "All the blood on my hands... Everything I've done... How can I come back from that?"

It seems like an insurmountable task.

[lastsonofmars]

"Because you are not the first."

And out of the shadows step two more people, flicking off shields as they step out.

The woman smiles, eyes full of tears as J'onn gestures at her.

"This is Angela. You may have known her as Angela Morning, a former member of the regime, also brainwashed, and also broken free. She has been through this as well. "

The man bobs his head, nervously, eyes downcast. "This is Ted. He was a prison guard for those captured. He was also of those forced to be other than he wished. He understands."

J'onn gently squeezed Carol's shoulder.

"You are not alone, Carol. Come with us. Come home."

[usaf]

Carol looks up from her crouched position against the wall, recognizing Angela immediately. Ted, she doesn't know as well, but Angela and Carol had worked side by side.

"...I had wondered whatever happened to you."

After Angela had gone AWOL, Carol had been sent out as part of the search party. They always just assumed rebel forces had killed her.

Finally, Carol takes a deep breath, and stands. She isn't going to let this defeat her. She's stronger than her fear.

"Okay. Let's go. I... I want to be anywhere but here right now."

[lastsonofmars]

"Angela. Open it."

The woman named Angela opened a small box and put it down and it bloomed upward into a door. She and Ted moved through immediately and J'onn held out his hand to Carol.

"Let's go. Its time for you to rejoin your life, Carol." And he led her through, smiling gently, and hopefully.

[ ooc: And fade? ]