New Visions

Carol's head pounded as she woke in her bed in Harpswell Sound, Maine. Her childhood home, and yet it felt like a stranger's home.

That's what never coming home does to a place, she supposed.

Standing up, she started heading towards the door when all of a sudden her vision wobbled and her head started pounding. "What the-?" she thought.

She closed her eyes and her mind flickered, playing out a vision that seemed to take place in a jungle? Carol shook her head, confused, as a supposed memory played of a man that looked to be half buffalo attacked her. She raised three of her arms, and flung out a trident as she shot an arrow at the monster. Somehow she knew that she was made to conquer this demon, Mahishasura, and that the blessings of the many devas she carried would help assure her victory. Her long, brown hair streamed behind her in the wind as she took a swing at Mahishasura with her sword, and the fighting continued.

Carol's body jerked as her mind returned to the present. "What the hell was THAT? I had TEN arms?? And how did I know all of that? I must be going crazy..."

She could not think on it for long, as a crash sounded from the front yard. Running outside, Carol was surprised to see a female Kree standing in the yard in front of her Ma.

"Ma? What's going on?"

"Carol, you need to get Joe Jr. and get out of here. She's here for me, and things are about to get ugly."

"What are you talking about?"

"Carol! Get your brother! I will handle this!" Ma yelled back at her.

"YOU'LL handle this? Ma, I'm sorry, but I think you should go inside. I can take her," Carol said, stepping forward as her suit shimmered into existence on her body.

"No, Carol!" Ma yelled, shoving her aside. "The Kree assassin won't bother you if you stay out of it," she said, and Carol turned back to look at her Ma. Somehow, she was now dressed like a Kree warrior!

"Ma?" Carol gasped. "What's going on?"

Carol didn't hear her Ma's reply, however, as suddenly her world went black, and another memory appeared.

"Carol...can you hear me?" a voice said in her mind, as Carol was once again fighting the buffalo demon. The voice seemed to come from within her, but no one's lips around her appeared to be moving. "This is how my journey started. I was created by the powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, so that I might defeat the great demon you see before you. All my life, I have lived with the knowledge that my sole purpose was to fight and to defend the defenseless. Like you, my friend, I took great joy in battle, until recently. I have lost the strength to act as valiantly as I did. The time we fought together as allies a few years ago was one of the last times I was able to fulfill my duty," the voice, whom Carol now recognized as Durga, informed her in her mind.

Carol was shocked. From what she remembered, Durga was revered as a goddess in her country of India. They had fought together years ago against a common enemy, and she was one of the most powerful individuals Carol had ever fought beside. She was lucky to consider Durga a friend. "What happened to you?" she thought in her mind.

"The whorls of time are not kind to those who have no limit on it," replied Durga. "I fear that even with this strangeness, I will never again find my former strength."

"How did this even happen?" Carol thought.

"I do not know, my friend," Durga answered. "I remember waking up to see Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg fighting, and then being in your old apartment and fighting the Scorpion. But since then, I am not sure."

"Wait. Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg? That must've been when I got my powers. That was decades ago! I didn't even know you then!" Carol thought.

"Maybe for you, but for me it was just hours ago. Now you see, I need your help to fix this," Durga replied.

Carol started to answer, but her words were lost as Carol's body was blasted backwards from the force of a concussive blast. She opened her eyes, to see that her Ma had won the fight against the Kree woman. Carol's heart lurched, however, to see that her Ma was wounded.

"Ma! Are you okay! What happened? And who ARE you?" Carol called out, rushing to catch her mother.

"Darling, I am sorry I could never tell you. I am a Kree warrior, and this assassin was sent to kill me for deserting my post."

"Wait. YOU'RE Kree? Is that why I am half-Kree? Not the Psyche-Magnitron?"

"Yes, my child. That machine only awakened your latent powers. Without it, you would have never known they were there," her Ma responded.

"Then that means...that I am like Durga. I was made for this. For the battle. For defending the defenseless," Carol thought to herself, dumbfounded.

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as the Kree assassin stood up. She apparently hadn't been defeated by her Ma after all.

"Ma! You have to get up! We can finish her together!"

Ma staggered up, and managed to stand boldly besides Carol. Together they lifted their arms, and fired photon blasts at the assassin. Carol felt what she now recognized as the powers of Durga aiding her own in the fight. Carol smiled, and a sense of purpose filled her as her and her mother destroyed the assassin.

Once it was over, Carol's Ma laughed, and they hugged each other before heading into the house.

Carol knew that this weird sharing-a-body-with-Durga thing would have to be solved so that Durga could go back to her own body and life in India, but for now she was happy to be with her family.