Cosmic Avenger

Chapter 1

(Year 1995: Skies over Edwards Air Force Base, California, United States of America,  2:30 PM)

On the large blue blanket of space with clouds, a Boeing F/A-18E had immediately rushed and hovered above sea level. A helmeted female pilot manuevered the aircraft and focused on the navigation. Indeed, this woman was passionately born to fly and enjoying it. Major Carol Susan Jane Danvers controlled the aircraft and descended onto the runway making a safe landing. She instantly removed her helmet, revealing her lovely face and blonde pony-tailed locks, opened her hatch, and left her aircraft. Her appearance was around in her twenties.

" Not bad in flying the aircraft, Danvers, " a grey-haired middle aged man cladded in a business suit and some medals as he remarked and approached her.

Carol smiled and saluted her superior, " Thank you, Colonel Lawson. "

Colonel Walter Lawson responded, " At ease, major. I have a word with you. "

" What is it, sir? " she asked.

" You will not be flying above the area, Danvers, " her superior seriously replied.

Carol looked apprehensively at him and deeply thought. She cocked her eyebrows and felt her passion for flying would be halted for good. She wondered what he would say and remained silent for a while.

" Did the cat get your tongue, Danvers? " he humorously mused.

" Sir, what do you mean, I'm not going to fly? Is it going to be for good? "

" No, no, no..." Lawson responded. " I would assign you to do a very important assignment: To do an investigation. "

" An investigation? "

" Yes. "

" Sir, I don't think I can do..." Carol hesistantly paused.

" You are not just a flyer, Danvers, " Lawson reminded. " I need you to solve this 'alien abduction' and 'murder' case. " The US Air Force colonel instantly handed her some case folders and continued, " There are incidents of missing Air Force personnel all over the country. I am giving you an opportunity to work in this case. Make sure you can present me those evidences.

Carol looked puzzled and reluctantly thought, while looking at the files, " Is he even too serious? Why me? I'm not Sherlock Holmes to for solving the nutcases! Seriously, I don't want to be involved in this! SHIELD, CIA, FBI, and the police can do this job! "

" Danvers?! " Lawson called his subordinate's attention.

" Yes, sir, I'll do my best! " she instantly responded and saluted him, faking her smile.

" Good, I am expecting some results. Good luck. "

The US Air Force official nodded and smirked when he had left. Carol looked at her vehicle from a distance, heavily sighed, and sadly thought, " I guess this won't be too long. I really enjoyed patrolling above the skies and hanging out there. Now, my boss wants me to do Sherlock this time. I don't think I'm the right person for this one. Oh, well, the colonel's orders need to comply. Right. Now, the game is set a foot. "

(MOMENTS LATER)

" Carol, are you coming with me at the bar tonight? " a short haired African-American woman with her same age asked when she was walking with her blonde bestfriend who was carrying a myriad of file folders and envelopes.

" No, Maria. I've got some cases to study as the boss asked me to do when I get home. "

Captain Maria Rambeau raised her eyebrows, stared at her, and simply said, " Really? You're a pilot and then, you're a detective?! Girl, you're not supposed to do..."

" Like I have no choice, " she exasperatedly sighed. " Perhaps, he will pay me to do an extra temporary job before I return in the skies. Missing Air Force personnel and some ' murderous alien abduction' stuff. I still have some questions before I start this investigative stuff. "

" Right, " Maria nodded and shrugged. " I guess you'll miss the fun tonight. "

" Yeah, sorry. I'll catch up, next time, " the blonde Air Force major slightly smiled.

" Good luck in your first case. "

Carol sighed and walked away. She hoped to enjoy her time with her bestfriend, but a new duty called her. She had no choice, but to follow Colonel Lawson's orders. While walking around the hallway, she overheard a conversation of the two male Air Force personnel and deeply thought about the topic.

" Sudden disappearances of people in Vanderburg and Travis Installations? " she pondered. " Did Lawson assign me to discover what's going on there? Yet, I wonder why I am being tasked for this job. "  Carol approached the two men and curiously asked, " Did you guys talk about missing people in Vanderburg and Travis? "

A skin-headed African-American man nodded and replied, " Yeah, what about it? "

" I have some questions in relation to those incidents. "

A Caucasian man with short and spiky scarlet locks and snickered, " Go ahead, Miss Sherlock Holmes. You will discover something unusual until you get a headache and be very disappointed. "

" Look, whether I like this task or not, I am assigned to do this investigation, " she sternly reasoned. " This is no laughing stock and joking matter. "

The two men heard her and exchanged glances at each other. They whispered when Carol waited for them to speak respond. It took minutes for them to finish their private discussion. She curiously tilted her head and sighed.

" Do you really wanna know what's happening out there? " the African-American asked her.

" Yeah, " she nodded.

" Well, very skirmish and too nasty. The witnesses saw some shape-shifting green skins as they disguised as the personnel. They abducted their victims instantly. "

" When did it happen? "

" Around six months ago, " the red-headed man simply answered and shrugged. " It's been on-going and nobody knows who are they and where they come from. "

" And what did they do their abductees? "

" Not sure, what happened to them. They're still missing. "

"  Missing? "

" Yeah, our superiors have speculated and declared them as AWOL or KOS without any traces. Then, why did you ask that , Danvers?! " her fellow personnel asked mockingly.

" It's because Colonel Lawson assigned me in this task, " Carol seriously answered.

" Well then, 'Miss Holmes', good luck for this forced nutcase job! You should have left it to us! "

" I'm sure 'Doctor Watson' will not have a hardtime dealing with you! " his African-American colleague taunted. " We have already known your cocky attitude! You're really damned hard to deal with it! "

The two mocking men loudly laughed at her and found her response too ridiculous. Carol became very unamused at their reaction and shot a glare at them. She wanted to grab their collars, gave an uppercut smack in their face, and hit their heads. They stopped laughing and dubiously stared at her.

" You angry and stupid brick walls don't know why I have to work in this case whether I like it or not, " she deadpanned and crossed her arms. " By the way, I'll prove myself to be the greatest detective aside from being an ace pilot. I'll let you guys feel dumbfounded before I became a colonel. "

They heard her and grinned. For them, it was unbelievable to hear a strong and determined woman. They continued laughing at her when Carol rolled her eyes, heavily sighed,  and walked away.

" What on Earth have I gone with them?! " she thought and left the area, looking at the sunset with a dark azure sky above the horizon and some tiny bright pint-points. She huffed and continued, " Yet, I wonder what the cases have something to do with missing people and aliens? I just need to find out in the days ahead. "