Of Water and Salt

Huge thanks to Tree Licker for reviewing this chapter!

In contrast to most people, Percy loved New Orleans even if he had never been there before.

All he heard about the place was that it was beyond humid.

And that was all he needed to know. The fact that it was a coastal city was just icing on the cake.

Unlike Long Island, it never felt as humid. Wet for sure, but with a water density that he could practically grasp in his hand.

If there was going to be a fight in the near future, he would have it here. He wouldn't have to generate it from nothing and could just merely pull it from the air.

Too bad that he was actively trying to avoid having to exert his powers. No storms and the ocean was strictly off-limits. Especially not after being nearly smitten by his father.

Of course, his water empowerment here was the biggest factor that was in play. The topics and water in the air were tangible and while it could never equate to being in the ocean, he could already feel it begin to strengthen him, if only slightly.

Still, the sun was out in full force. He appreciated the water and humidity. The heat he could do without, it wasn't something that he overly cared for as he could make do but after living in the cool air of Long Island with essentially a climate-controlled property, the heat was uncomfortable.

From what he could see from the interior of the cockpit, the verdant greenery was healthy and thriving. Willowing trees and great oaks bent and swayed to and fro along an unfelt wind. Brambling bushes and the tall fields of wildflower, weeds and grasses swept across in small splotches of field.

It was peaceful. The bright golden glow of the sun casting a reaching warm light that poked through enough holes of the cloud cover to seem as if rays of energy were breaking it. Though it was not enough to disperse the blanket of light grey clouds across the sky.

The green reminded him of his home in an odd way. He wish that he had never left to kill the mortal that had called upon him and simply left him to die in his own pride and arrogance. His blood boiled at the thought of Stark, a slight drizzle began to drop from the cover of cloud.

He stamped away the thought. There would be a time and place to let loose. Disturbing this serene and calm piece of land would grant him nothing. The less said about the fact that letting loose would draw the attention of Zeus and Poseidon the better.

He knew he had to be the epitome of caution. Given the serenity and slightly untouched nature of the area, there was a high chance he would encounter dryads or nymphs. If word began to spread of a demigod son of Poseidon wandering around then his entire attempt at remaining incognito would be for nothing.

So taking that into account, he didn't immediately step off the aircraft when It had landed in a field a ways away from where this Maria Rambeau was staying. As much as he would've liked to step off the moment it was feasible to do so, that option was not exactly available to him.

It was a welcome feeling being back on the ground though, as much as he hated the notion it brought with it.

Especially since technically speaking, his great grandmother was currently biding her time to make her move. Being underground had only heightened the thought.

That alien and uncomfortable feeling of pins and needles trailed up his spine.

The thought of the Earth Mother still being around was something that incensed him to no end.

It felt like the sacrifice of the Dekatheon and all the legacies and demigods that died on the steppes of Greece was for naught.

The demigod's thoughts strayed towards the ever-present dark and malevolent cloud that hung above him. Should he stay or find a way back home?

It was becoming harder and harder to keep his mind off of it. There was just so many things that could go wrong if he stayed. So many things that he would be abandoning if he stayed.

But also so many things that could go right and so many things that he could fix. He could prevent it all before it even began. The split between Greeks and Romans could be on the path of healing by the end of the month.

Percy could prevent Atlas, Hyperion and even Prometheus from ever being an issue. Zoe wouldn't have to die from her father's actions and Bianca would never have to face the challenge of Talos. He could kill Luke or at least attempt to redeem him. All those demigods and demigoddesses that he had swayed to his side for the war would never join the Titans. Silena and Beckondorf would live.

He could petition the Olympians to begin integrating the minor gods and goddesses into the wider pantheon. All the while he would be preparing them for the Second Gigantomachy and the rise of Gaea. He was under no illusion that the Earth Mother wasn't willing to go for her second round if they weren't weakened from the Titan War. No, her pride as an Immortal and the fact that her Titan children weren't able to do so would more than likely spur her into further action. The Gigantes even more so.

There wouldn't be much he could do to prevent her rise. It was simply unknown to him how the Giants had risen to power so quickly. Alcyoneus being somewhere in Alaska was about the extent of his knowledge in that regard.

He didn't want to fight the Giant just yet. He had no support from any deity so fighting him would be a moot point regardless if he wanted to. But on that point, he also didn't want to draw the eye of the Gaea and any other Giant either. If he were to go and confront Alcyoneus then that would just expose them and run them underground. Then he would be operating off of no information rather than some.

That meant the Eagle Standard of the Twelfth Fulminata would have to remain lost until they were ready to engage the Giants in open warfare.

The demigod did not want to get into the mess that would no doubt occur if he got in contact with his younger self. Much less if he chose to stay. The longer he did so, the more likely it was to occur that he would encounter an immortal.

And whatever transpired from that initial contact, Percy could almost guarantee that he would have to fight for his life.

He would have to work in the shadows and orchestrate an entire war effort in the background, something that he was not adept at and something that he despised doing.

The lowering of the ramp and the hissing of pistons behind the trio pulled Percy from his wayward thoughts. He determined to come to a decision very soon, if not for the simple fact that he could just focus on his current task and not have the distracting dilemma pervading his every absent and straying thought.

Percy eased himself from his seat as did Fury and Vers.

She had adorned a jumpsuit that she had found in one of the many crates inside the cargo hold, her suit and helm receding in a wave of pale blue hexagons underneath when she finished doing so. The wound on his leg was still a little sore but he didn't remove the bandage mostly just to ensure that it healed properly.

As the trio stepped from the craft, Percy felt a cool breeze wash over him and he could hear and feel the running of water in the distance. He took a deep and measured breath to calm himself as he stepped onto solid and open ground. His senses still dialed from the ordeal at the underground base and from being in the air for so long.

Vers had landed the craft in a nearby field of the Rambeau residence. Enough that the craft would be hidden from prying eyes, but also close enough that they didn't have to walk very far to get to their destination.

The demigod had taken a little more time surveying his surroundings. The lush and verdant environment having a tinge of dew upon it and had the smell of fresh and untainted air. He felt his heart drop at the homesickness and an anger that began to broil within him at his foolishness.

I should've just stayed home.

"You're coming right?" Vers asked, a small look of concern covering her features. Fury had arched his injured brow in his direction, wincing slightly at the action.

Percy realized he had stopped walking a couple of feet away from the foot of the ramp. He cast a cautious gaze around the lining trees, looking for any hint of nature spirits.

If he spotted them, he would have to quickly ensure that they wouldn't out him to the Olympians.

Hopefully, they would recognize him as just another wandering demigod or legacy, but knowing his luck there was little chance of that happening.

He didn't spot the telltale flurry of leaves or the flowering and serene singing on the light winds that would often pass through the trees and fields.

Maybe there were none here and he was just being paranoid or they simply didn't care about his presence at all.

"Yeah, I'm coming." He replied after his cursory glance about their surroundings. In his momentary pause, they had also looked suspiciously around in the thick brush that circled them.

He flanked Vers on the opposite side of Fury, still looking about the place and ensuring that there were no lurking nymphs or dryads that he would have to intercept. There were birds lively chirping in the trees around them and the buzzing of insects in the softly whistling breeze.

They entered a clearing that sat centrally in a large neatly and expertly-mowed lawn of grass. Large and thick willow trees dominating the immediate area around a small ivory two-story ivory home. Elder oak shutters with a faded green paint were set upon large paneled windows.

It was a quaint home from what he could tell.

But they didn't approach the home. Instead, Vers led the duo past the house and towards what Percy recognized as pop music, though he couldn't identify who exactly it was. Sitting adjacent to the home looked to be a workshop of sorts. Speakers were hung on the faded white painted walls. It had a small white prop plane in the center and he could see small legs dangling out of the open cabin door.

The plane looked to be stripped of some panels and a toolbox was sitting on a cart nearby.

Past that, was a dark-skinned woman in a mechanic's jumpsuit that her raven hair was tucked into. She was hunched over a table full of equipment and he could see that she was tinkering with something, a small wrench in hand.

"Excuse me?" Vers spoke up over the din of tinkering and the blaring of music. "I'm-" She corrected herself. "We're looking for a Maria Rambeau?" Percy clasped his hands behind his back as he and Fury stood slightly behind Vers.

The Kree…human hybrid, hands at her side, fidgeted slightly, her fingers tugging at the pant legs of the jumpsuit she wore.

The turning and gearing of the wrench stopped and the woman at the workbench slowly turned. The swinging legs in the cabin door stop moving. "Auntie Carol?" A small voice penetrated the momentary silence that pervaded through the workshop as the woman at the other end of the workshop faced them with wide and disbelieving eyes.

Almost as if she had seen a ghost.

He figured it had something to do with seeing someone they believed to be dead.

Percy was intimately familiar with the look as he had been on the receiving end of it more times than he was comfortable with.

Sally and Paul had similar expressions when he returned from the Giant War. His mom often had the look in the subsequent days and months that he had spent with them. A sort of distant, suspicious yet fantastical-like gleam as if any movement could break the trance.

A small head of frazzled and dark curly hair poked out of the cabin of the plane. It was a small girl about ten or eleven years old that hopped out of the cabin and stared suspiciously at Vers. "Honey," the woman Percy recognized from the file as Maria Rambeau spoke cautiously and protectively. "Come over to me."

The girl didn't move and still stared at them, her eyes flicking between them all. Vers raised her hands in a placating manner. "We aren't here to cause any trouble." Fury interjected before she could. "Just want some questions answered and we'll be on our way,"

Percy felt the breeze suddenly blow through them and the hairs on his neck immediately stood up. One of the hands clasped behind his back instinctively wrapped around the handle that he kept in his belt line. He looked towards the distant treeline where the breeze had come from and since he was looking for it, he easily spotted that distinct flurry of leaves that whipped around the thick brush.

"I'll be right back. There's something I need to take care of." Percy suddenly voiced, his voice cutting through the awkward standoff that was between the two groups and startling them. The girl had a curious look directed at him before returning her gaze to Vers. Fury and Rambeau looked suspiciously at him while Vers looked like she wanted to be rescued from any more awkward silences.

Right now, he had a nature spirit to deal with.

And besides, what the hell was he supposed to do?

Percy stepped his way into the treeline away from the house and jet. He had to walk across an open field to reach where he saw the small tornado of twig and leaf and he was able to hear the distant neighing of horses.

The demigod entered and disappeared into the brush. It was still muggy out and the morning dew still hadn't fully dried in the humid heat. He looked around and continued forward. From here, he was sure that whatever he had seen would be following him.

He walked about hundred feet into the small marshland before calling out, in a slightly raised voice. "I know you're out there. Let's talk."

There was no distinct response. Sunlight pierced the willowing and swaying tree cover and the lively chirping of birds could be heard.

The demigod stopped beside the banks of marshland, a wooden bridge, ramshackle as it was led to a small wooden shed. Mosquitoes were buzzing around and he had slapped them away more than a few times before resorting to focusing a little of his divine authority and waving his hand.

A small but strong breeze tore through the cover and swept most of the offending insects away. Though they returned, they seemed to recognize that bothering him was not in their interest to remain among the living.

He stood there for some time, knowing that the nature spirit given their inherent shy natures would approach him when she felt ready. The scenery drew him in as he dug his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and continued to survey his surroundings.

While what was going on tried his patience, the peacefulness and the break after the night's events was a welcome respite. He didn't let his impatience get the better of him. Rushing headlong into something as significant as this would only weaken Olympus in the long run.

A decision as fate altering as this one, Percy could almost guarantee that conflict would erupt regardless if he wanted it to or not. Whether it would be by the hand of the Council, the Tesseract or even his own action, was something that remained unknown.

Twigs crunched from behind him and he turned around, his other hand slowly raising to join the other in a neutral and friendly manner.

She wasn't anything special to look at. He had since grown numb to their presence considering his property had a few and his own experience with them at camp and across the world over. Though her features were more willowy than he had often seen with a curtain of braided strands of earthen brown, resembling bark with how intricate it was done, atop her head and an equally verdant willowy chiton.

"Who are you?" Well, despite her rather diminutive appearance she was certainly direct and unperturbed of the threat he could pose. Dark, but slightly airy eyes were narrowed in suspicion and confusion at him. "You're a demigod."

Percy shrugged and stared at the nymph. That was…obvious.

"You don't seem that surprised at my appearance." She said blandly, eyes still narrowed. "As if you know your heritage?"

Is that something that I'm supposed to be surprised about? This dryad was keen on pointing out the obvious.

"You have the scent of the Sea and something…else…" Her explanation trailed off, her eyes cocking in confusion for just a moment before returning to their previous suspicion. "And yet you are grown, know of your heritage and still live." There was a momentary pause. "Did Lord Pos-"

He quickly cut her off. "Don't say his name."

If her eyes could narrow any further they did so. "Did the Sea Lord hide you away?"

Percy shook his head. "He doesn't know I exist and I intend to keep it that way." His voice was filled with a heavy insinuation. He wouldn't kill her, not a nature spirit if he could absolutely guarantee that he could avoid it.

"You want an oath on the River?" Tone laden with suspicion.

"No." Those oaths went straight to Lady Styx and if something this big got to her, then she would be obligated to inform the Council. "I need your word that you won't say anything. No oaths, no swearing on your life. Merely your word."

"Who are you?"

Percy paused. His first encounter with the immortal world and he could feel the thoughts of saving this world from the inevitable future bubbling underneath the surface of his mind.

He was treading on dangerous ground now and he figured that he should make that decision that he had been staving off for the past day.

The demigod should have known that a decision as big as this was one that needed to be made as soon as possible and not on his own terms.

He needed to establish a measure of trust with this dryad. If he identified himself, he would be jeopardizing the life of himself in this time and of Sally's. With the guarantee of an oath on the Styx off the table, there was no way he could ensure that she didn't tell anyone else despite calling on her word.

So what would he tell her?

There was a silence that ran through the peaceful brush. From the light buzzing and clicking of insects and the chirping and singing of the birds in trees. Standing against the bank of the still water with an inquisitive dryad that was all too willing to pass along information of his existence, Percy was in a bit of a conundrum.

If he stayed in this world…this time that was not his own, he couldn't be Percy Jackson anymore. At least, not until he proved his innocence. Even if he would be operating from behind the scenes, he would still need allies and thus a way to identify himself to others.

There was only one other option that he had a modicum of acceptance in, even if he didn't like it. It got the point across as to who he was and what was going to do.

And in a manner of speaking, it was still him. He wouldn't be completely stripping himself of his identity.

The decision that was haunting him ever since he had arrived in this time rested on the tip of his tongue.

He felt his blood begin to freeze and grip his bones. The looming cover of cloud darkened over the small pockets of sunlight. A chilling wind howled through the wood and thicket the two were standing in, heeding the roiling and resolute emotion that was following his words.

The eyes of the nymph widened ever so slightly at him. Her knees gave way, putting her in a kneeling position as she bowed her head.

"I am Apollyon," Percy spoke his voice full of conviction, piercing the howl of wind and the crack of thunder that followed it. A drizzle of rain began to fall upon them. He mentally stamped down on the storm that was threatening to break from his roiling thoughts and emotion. "And I intend to save Olympus or die trying."

The howling ceased into a slight whisper but the blanket of cloud did not waver nor did the thunder if the booming that followed was any indication. The light rain continued to rain down upon them.

Someone had noticed him, however unconscious it was, playing in their realm.

He would need to take extra care. It would be safe to assume that the King of the Gods had cast his gaze in his direction.

And if there was any being that he should be afraid of, it was the Sky God himself and his infamous paranoia. Percy may be able to match him, but it would be no easy feat to beat him at his full strength.

Because at the end of the day, that was the same deity that had overthrown and bested the Time Lord, his own father. They could, if Percy had full control of all his powers, go pound for pound but he wouldn't be as stupid to fight him.

And to fight him would only invite the Council to bear down upon him as well.

His mind frayed and he was angered at the thought of having to prove his loyalty again.

Luckily, he had just the way to do that.

He figured that the Athena Parthenos would serve as the best, if not the perfect, evidence of his loyalty.

But first, he needed to secure the Tesseract. That same annoying melodious and serene whisper prodding and skirting the edge of his mind at the thought of the pillar of creation. He didn't push away. Not this time. He needed to focus on one thing at a time and he had already decided on retrieving the Cube before enacting his grand scheme.

As much as Percy would love to just go and begin his plans to prevent the death of his kin, the Tesseract was as equally as important as protecting his family.

The demigod longed for the days when his most immediate concern was living to the next day and being wholly ignorant to the cosmic artefacts that were supposedly scattered across the void above.

Unfortunately, he was a protector of the Infinity Stones whether he wanted to be or not. Simply having the knowledge of them ensured that he would be among those that would seek to shield them from those that had absolutely no idea what they were dealing with.

The Kree, Skrulls and Xandarians may be 'millennia ahead in technological and social sophistication' as Vers had put it, they were still ignorant children when it came to the rather esoteric nature of the wider universe.

But then again, Percy was only a step up from that regard.

Those thoughts ran only a fraction of a second from his declaration, however, and it was only a moment later when the kneeling dryad had lookup to him, though she didn't dare meet his eyes. "My lord." She spoke with small reverence. It grated on his nerves whenever a nature spirit or anyone addressed him as such. "What do you require of me?"

"Your word that you will reveal my existence to no one. Olympus depends on it." And it was true. No one could know of his involvement for as long as possible. If word got out that he was out and about, he wouldn't be able to rely on nor predict the next moves of the Titans or Gigantes.

He did not want a long, drawn-out war between either of them.

He had been through it once with the Gigantes and would not do so again.

Percy had lost years of his life fighting the Titanomachy and the Gigantomachy and he would ensure that they didn't have a chance to even react to him making his moves.

But if he was going to do this, Percy would not be able to do this alone.

He would need allies. Ones that could help him influence the Council while he worked to deprive both the Titans, but primarily the Giants key allies in the wars to come.

The greater immortal pantheon needed to be brought to bear and in line with the rest of the Olympians. That meant that their children needed to be brought into the fold. Legacies needed to be prepared to fight alongside their godly kin once more.

In his time it was barely enough.

Now he had the time to do it right and tip the scales further in the favor of Olympus.

He internally sighed as a weight fell from his shoulders only to be replaced by an even greater one. The dryad inclined her head once again at his request in agreement though instead of her previous suspicion looked wholly unsure of herself given the enormity of his words.

If nothing else, the coming days, months and even years would prove to be the busiest of his life yet.

Vers had felt awkward when she had first stepped off the Terran jet and into the small open field. That smell of fresh rain in the air brought with it that migraine that had almost gone away from their flight across the countryside.

A sense of familiarity clung to the area when the three had walked towards the Rambeau residence, almost as if she had done it a thousand times beforehand and that this was just another one of those times.

The lawn of the property was neatly cut and had a sheen of dew across its surface.

It felt like home to her. Like she belonged here. While she also had the feeling while on Hala and among other Kree, this place here on Terra, this little piece of land tucked away into a small pocket felt like home to her.

It may not be the ever-bustling ecumenopolis of Hala but the peaceful atmosphere was something that she often missed due to the nature of her work.

Vers did her best to push the throbbing ache in her mind away for the time being as the trio walked through the brush and brambles towards their destination.

She didn't exactly know if she was going the right way, instead, she let her body guide her and in turn the other two. Whether it was due to her fractured psyche and memories or simply her instincts she didn't know.

She figured it might have been a bit of both.

There was a slight shift in the wind and she looked around the property, taking in the sight.

It played out like she was back in the Terran bar the day before. She saw ghostly but luminescent images of herself. Translucent spectres of herself and this Rambeau woman hanging out on the porch of the ivory house that sat before them.

Her steps continued to guide them, following the loud music that was running across the field and through a brush of trees. The workshop that entered her view brought back even more of those spectres. She saw herself tinkering on the small white Terran aircraft that was in the center or soldering a piece of equipment or simply lounging with a drink in her hand.

But instead of a ghosting image of the Rambeau woman, Vers had seen her, alive and working on something on her workbench.

She had asked if she was there regardless. Her mind hurt the entire time as she further scanned the area. Workbenches, tools scattered and panels of the small aircraft skirting the ground around it.

And then, out of nowhere, Percy left. Just like that. No warning. Just a statement that he needed to take care of something and that he'd be back.

She expected him to burst into water and do his translocation thing but instead, he simply turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Fury and her to speak to the woman that was so often in her memories along with the now revealed Mar-Vell.

Vers, now standing before the woman and who the Kree warrior assumed to be her daughter. The little girl's face adopted a conflicted expression as if she was torn from approaching her or staying at her mother's side.

"Let's go inside," Rambeau said, still directing a look of disbelief and suspicion at her.

Fury and Vers exchanged a glance but followed the pair to their home.

The Kree hybrid sent one last look towards the trailing form of Percy as he continued purposefully towards a thick brush of trees and bushes and then subsequently disappearing in them.

She refocused. Now was not the time to be paranoid about the enhanced human and whatever he may be up to. He deserved a sliver of trust even if he wasn't all that forthcoming with information.

And it wasn't like he would just up and leave them. He did say he would be back.

And given how adamant he was about not letting the Tesseract fall into the supposedly wrong hands, she didn't think he would be gone for too long.

Vers and Fury followed the woman and her daughter in awkward silence. The little girl sneaked glances at her all the while as they made their way inside the small residence.

It was…homely to put simply. The ivory painted exterior was a stark contrast to the warm interior, polished oak furniture was about the place while the walls were lined with a variety of photos. It appeared to be open-aired if the open windows and door screens were any indication.

A few were scenes of nature. Others were of the two in front of her.

Many of them featured her.

There she was. In Terran clothing, having the time of her life, an uncaring smile on her face and seemingly…Terran.

They were led into the kitchen where the group got as comfortable as possible. The woman still looking at her like she was walking on water while the girl continued to steal glances at her and did her best not to stare like her mother.

There wasn't anyone speaking and only when Fury asked for a drink did they begin to talk.

"Who are you?" Maria Rambeau spoke, her eyes never leaving Vers even as she handed the SHIELD agent a glass of water. The girl wanted to speak up but as she tried to a sharp look from her mother stopped whatever she wanted to say on her lips. "Why are you here?"

The Kree woman cleared her throat and flicked her eyes across the room once more. "I'm Vers. A Kree Starforce Commando." As much as her training and unwritten and unspoken intergalactic law would've forbidden her from even identifying herself, she figured that as with Fury and Percy it would be best to be as truthful as possible.

Especially since there was her own fractured psyche on the line. The moment she had learned that she had a close connection with the woman sitting before her, even this whole operation, it had become personal.

If Yon-Rogg was here, he would have immediately taken her off the mission just from the severe conflict of interest. Even Vers wanted out but she would persevere. If she could just piece together all these hallucinations, visions and dreams that seemed more like memories rather than some sort of after-effect of what gave Vers her powers, then she knew she could sleep better at night.

"Agent Fury. I'm with SHIELD. You might've heard of us when you were working on PEGASUS." Rambeau nodded at his words. "The other guy is one of our consultants and is helping with an investigation."

Vers began her story on how she was a Kree operator and for the past six years fighting across war-torn worlds against the Skrulls. Then she recounted how she had ended up there in the first place. The battle on Torfa and how her team was sent in to rescue an undercover operative, Soh-Larr, because he had vital information on Talos and Skrull forces across the planet. Things went sideways and she was captured by Talos.

How she fought aboard the Skrull ship and then crash-landed on Terra.

All the while Fury was looking at her with a slightly scathing look while Maria Rambeau eyes were still of disbelief. The girl's had a confused look on her face as well as she recounted her story of how she got there.

"That's the craziest shit I ever heard," Rambeau spoke in further disbelief. Her eyes flicked to Fury for confirmation. "Kree? Skrull? Wars in space? Sounds like something you'd hear in Star Wars."

Star Wars?

The SHIELD agent gestured dismissively with a hint of exasperation. He only knew what Vers had told him which was practically the same thing. Though she admitted that she could've handled the revelation of life beyond Terra with a little more ease. Luckily, she had the foresight to not reveal her powers just yet.

Aliens were one thing and considering how Fury and Percy acted when she first revealed them, it was a decent enough idea that the Rambeaus would react much the same way.

There was no telling how the little girl might react.

"Green transforming aliens?" The little girl spoke aloud. "There's no such thing."

Fury chose that moment to intervene. "You're right. Cause if there were that would be something that we would keep to ourselves." The agent sent a pointed look to her and Vers shrugged. In her opinion, though she could've handled it better, it was better to just be upfront with people that she most likely had a history with considering her hallucinations.

A howl of wind cut through the conversation, causing the shutters and door screens of the house to shake. Thunder boomed and she felt a light sprinkle of water begin to drop, the wind carrying it slightly into the house. She shivered slightly at the chill that accompanied the wind. It felt…unnatural.

Especially since it was hot and stuffy only moments before.

The two women quickly moved to close all the windows as Fury and even Vers herself went to help.

"Huh, it wasn't supposed to rain today," Maria remarked as she looked outside in the rain. "Is your friend going to be alright?" She looked at them both where they both shrugged. Vers figured he would be fine. Though his clothes might be wet from the way it was raining.

Fury had nothing to add and they returned to the kitchen.

An awkward silence pervaded for only a moment as the weight of Vers' words fully settled on them.

"You don't remember us?" The little girl looked up at her with slightly watery eyes. With how frayed her thoughts were, she hadn't realized that she might've actually lived on Terra beforehand. She probably was on great possibly even familial terms with the two before her, considering that the girl had called her an Aunt.

She had no clue, however. All Vers knew about Maria Rambeau was whatever the file had on her. She didn't even know the little girl's name.

The Kree woman didn't say anything in response and was only saved from the expectant look of the girl when her mother spoke up. "Monica, why don't you go get her things and take them to the living room?"

There was a distinct silence before the now identified Monica bobbed her head in agreement. She looked uncomfortable with being there any longer if she couldn't exactly speak out like she seemed to want to.

Repeated pointed looks from her mother after the first couple of interruptions dissuaded any more notion of that. So she had mostly just sat there with her arms crossed and in a pout.

Being given something to do however made her previous energy return in full force. "Right! Auntie Carol, we kept all your stuff! I'll go get it! Maybe it'll help your memory!" She leapt from her chair and bounded across the room.

Vers didn't have the heart to tell her that it probably wouldn't. If they were close enough that they considered her family and she still couldn't remember, she doubted a couple of mementos would do anything for her.

It was a sincere gesture though. If the advanced Kree medical technology couldn't do anything for her, then she doubted something as simple as that would be able to help her recover her memories. Considering she just went on a whole adventure of revisiting places she apparently had some attachment to, it was a pretty strong case of amnesia.

And unless they had some sort of magical way to restore her memories, she doubted that she would ever remember anything like that.

Maybe Percy has something that can help me? The thought of magic sounded absurd to her. There was no such thing even if he believed it to be magic. It was probably just a part of his enhanced abilities that he could do what he can. Recovering some errant memories probably wasn't his strong point if it was an ability of his at all.

Both Maria and Vers sent pointed looks towards the SHIELD agent in the room.

"I should probably…go…" Fury looked between the two of them and then looked outside, where there was still rain and no sign of Percy. "…help her." He walked away from the two of them, slowly and awkwardly.

At least he got the hint that they wanted some privacy.

It took him only a moment to leave them and the moment he had done so Rambeau asked the question had. "You really don't remember?"

This time Vers answered by shaking her head. "I don't remember anything. I see flashes. Moments. Like scenes of ghosts." She said softly as she leaned on the countertop, fidgeting with the sides of the appropriated jumpsuit. "I can't tell if it's happened or if it's all just a hallucination."

Was it her or was it getting stuffy again?

"Carol…you died," Maria said softly, calling her by her…Terran name and looking down at the table. "I saw the crash site. There was nothing there. Everything was molten slag by the time we reached you. No one could have survived that."

"What happened exactly?" Vers pushed. "Start from the beginning. Anything that can help us find the Tesseract."

The woman shook her head and adopted a faraway look. "You woke me up at dawn. Banging on my door. Just the usual start of our day. We had to wake up early because the drive was a long one. The Air Force still weren't letting women fly combat so testing Lawson's planes was the only way we could do something that mattered other than a desk job."

She sighed that same look on her face before meeting her gaze. "When we got to base, Lawson was agitated. She said she had lives to save."

Vers' thoughts immediately ran wild with what she had read in the journal. "She needed a pilot to take the ASIS up for a test flight and chose you. You were ecstatic and I was proud of you, your mom and even Lawson were proud of you. It was the kind of moment we'd both been waiting for." There was a small pause. "Lawson always looked out for us and gave us the chance to prove ourselves. That's why we liked the Doctor. But now you're saying that she's an alien…that you're an alien…" Rambeau trailed off.

There was a knock at the door, front door, startling them both. "Hey, it's Percy! May I come in?"

Rambeau looked to Vers who nodded. The woman shouted back. "Don't trail mud into my house!" The door opened and closed after a moment and he entered the kitchen only a moment later but stopped short of the threshold.

"Is this a bad time?" He looked between them both.

There were a couple of things that Vers noticed. First off, there was that tinge and a pleasant smell of saltwater in the air but that was last on the things she had noticed of him. The next thing was that his clothes were completely dry. Though considering his powers, and the orb of water that he had summoned from thin air back in the jet, it wasn't as disbelieving as it could have been.

The next, however, was the most apparent. His eyes were literally glowing a sea green. They must've been staring because he blinked once, twice and then a third time and then opened to reveal that they had reverted to their normal pale green color.

"Are you an alien too?" Rambeau asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nope. Human just like you. Well, not exactly like you, but human." He answered but he still stood in the doorway. "Uh, I can see that you two are busy. Mind if I use your restroom?"

"Second door on the left." Was the response and he left quickly just as he had appeared. "Huh." Was her trailing comment. "That was weird."

Vers agreed but anything that had to do with that man was weird regardless, so she wasn't as fazed at the abrupt entrance and departure.

They returned to their conversation, Maria picking up where she left off. "After that, your mother disappeared a couple days after she was told that you had died. I tried to find her but there was no luck on that front. I came here after the project was shut down."

There was another silence. "Was my mom named Mari-Ell?"

"Marielle? Yeah, why?"

Vers sucked in a breath. It was probably her human handle. That only meant one thing. Carol. The name they were calling her, and the one painted on the side of the Terran aircraft in the photo. Carol. Car-Ell. Car-Ell. "Car-Ell," Vers muttered, a sense of familiarity clung to the name. "That's my name. I've been going by Vers this whole time." She shook slightly at the revelation. Did Yon-Rogg know? Did they keep this from her? Why?

She stamped on her emotions as best as she could. Blowing up her…friend's house would probably not be in her best interest. Though she still felt her hands flare with energy.

"What the hell?" Maria breathed as she looked at Vers' hands.

"Sorry." She apologized. The Kree warrior didn't elaborate further. She felt the slight crinkling of the suit. Luckily, it was slightly heat retardant. Though she doubted it would be able to last if she sustained her powers.

"I'm sorry." She repeated with as much sincerity as she could muster. "Watching someone that returned from the dead but doesn't remember you must be hard for you."

She said nothing in response. "It is hard. Seeing you alive brought me some semblance of happiness but that you don't remember anything? It's like having my heart torn out all over again. But you can bet your ass that I'm going to do my best to help you." She laughed lightly and wiped an errant tear from her face.

Vers laughed lightly as well.

There was another small silence.

"There's one last thing I need to ask." She said. "Do you know where Lawson's lab is at? Or where something called the Tesseract is being kept?" It was a long shot.

"The only lab I know of was at the Pegasus Base but it was cleared out after we were shut down. I never heard of anything called the Tesseract."

"We're going to have to go back huh?" Both Vers and Maria jumped in their seats. Percy was leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed against his chest. How someone as big as he could move so quietly was beyond her. It was probably her nerves that prevented her from noticing Percy's arrival. "I can't say that the first time was any fun."

Vers sighed while she nodded. It was their only lead.

"Stay the night." Maria immediately interjected. "Get some rest. You guys look like you went through hell."

Vers wanted to deny the woman but then she thought better of it. Seeing someone that they had long thought dead just up and leave again probably frightened her.

She mentally smacked herself. She should be more considerate of her…friend. "I suppose one night couldn't hurt. Right, Percy?"

He looked like he wanted to go after the Tesseract right at that moment but conceded after Vers and Maria sent him a pointed look. He sighed before nodding. "One night. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Auntie Carol, I have your stuff!" A shout was heard from further in the house.

"How about you guys go check it out? I'll make something for us to eat."

Vers didn't want to leave her to herself, especially not like the way she was but after a pointed look from the woman in question, she relented and followed Percy towards where her daughter was.

It was a couple of hours with Fury and Percy making small talk while Vers humored Monica. There were all sorts of mementos in the box. Primarily photographs of her and while they ignited some familiarity in them, Vers didn't really remember anything from them.

She didn't entirely lie though.

Vers remembered the most whenever she looked at pictures of herself with her mom that looked just like her or pictures of her when she was with a younger Monica and even Maria.

After that though, they settled at the dining room table. It was basic fare. Something they called burgers and fries.

Regardless, it was absolute heaven in her mouth.

"This is delicious!" Vers voiced in between bites.

"I'm glad you still like your favorite food." Maria smiled at her. "God knows how many you used to put away when you could get away with it."

She dramatized the insinuation by placing a hand on her chest. "I'm insulted!"

"Hey Percy," Fury began. "What else can you do with your powers? Or are you a one-trick pony like Vers?"

"Carol." The Kree automatically corrected and then glared at the man with a slight smile at the playfulness in his voice. "And hey!"

But her name…it just felt…right. The one thing she had lost and regained. Her name. Not Vers but Carol or even Car-Ell. A proper Kree and even Terran name.

Fury shrugged while Monica and Maria looked at the other male in the room with wide eyes. "You both have powers?!" The little spitfire asked excitedly. Her frazzled hair bobbed with her head. "What can you do?!"

Carol only raised her hand, pinching a french fry and channeled a bit of energy into the tips of her fingers, crisping the food further until it blackened. The energy coiled and snaked around her palm and fingers before returning back into her.

It was only a small and insignificant thing she was able to do with her abilities yet the look of awe on the girl's face was worth it.

They all looked to Percy who stuck a bundle of fries in his mouth. He shrugged and continued to eat.

Yet they still waited expectantly.

A small exhale of air and a squint of his eyes, small orbs of water materialized in front of him, about a dozen of them in total. They hovered just an inch off the table before forming and molding into small horses made of water. An entire herd of them, galloping and playing across the table.

And then one by one they leapt into the air, dissipating into an unseen mist.

There was a small awe-filled silence and Carol felt an odd sense of envy well up within her. She had to admit though, it was a rather cool display. He hadn't so much as glanced up from his food nor stopped eating.

He looked up innocently.

"Show off," Carol muttered and made a show of sulking in her seat.

A wave of laughter erupted across the table. For now thoughts of the Skrull threat and the Tesseract at the back of her mind.

'We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss."

-Cassandra Clare, City of Heavenly Fire

Originally this chapter was to be an additional 4k words. However, I didn't want to stretch this sort of reunion too long otherwise much of it would have just been filler.

Not much to say here otherwise.

And on that note, and as always, you can find me on the Emerald Library Discord! It's a fantastic place to interact with other writers and readers where we just chill and chat about ideas, future works and generally just have a good time! You can also find an update schedule for Of Water and Salt on there! If you have any questions or concerns regarding the story this is also the best place to reach me!

The link to that is on my profile!