Hail to the Queen!

Chapter 4 - Restoring Memories

Vers got very little sleep that night. Every time she tried to sleep, she heard a voice calling her 'Carol.'

Fury noticed her lack of sleep, and asked her what was wrong.

"Every time I close my eyes," she explained, "a woman's voice talks to me, calling me 'Carol.'"

"And I thought it couldn't get any weirder," Fury sighed. "You try talking to the giant silkworm outside?"

Vers looked out the window, seeing the caterpillar that Fury was referring to.

"I doubt it can talk," she said.

"I didn't say it could talk like we do. Maybe it's some psychic shit. You said those Skrulls can acquire recent memories? Maybe this bug can do better."

Vers looked at the bug again. It seemed to be asleep, as its glowing was far dimmer, and the pulsing was slower.

"You really think it knows my former memories?"

"It's just a guess at this point, Miss Vers."

Vers sighed and walked back out to the caterpillar. She didn't know how the bug would respond to being woken up, but she decided to try and take a chance.

"Hello?" she greeted.

Her voice triggered a sudden brightening, the blue glow growing brighter and the pulsing getting much faster. The bug raised itself and looked at Vers, seeming to be rather glad to see her.

"Are you the voice I keep hearing?" Vers asked.

The caterpillar cocked its head sideways, curious as to what she was saying.

Vers, of course, was disappointed, thinking that the caterpillar was not the source of the voice. She turned to walk away.

"Carol..." the voice called.

Vers immediately stopped, looking back at the bug. Its head was now level, and it seemed to be concentrating.

"It was you," Vers realized.

"Yes..." the voice replied.

"Why are you calling me Carol?"

"It's... your name... Carol Danvers..."

Vers' body went stiff as she began to see things, brought on by the caterpillar.

She remembered when she was 6. She was at the beach, being bullied by the boys for being so headstrong. They called her 'Dumb Danvers.'

She remembered when she was 13. She had wrecked a go-cart, after going too fast. She was being ridiculed by her own father. He simply called her 'Carol.'

She remembered when she was training for the Military. She was being ridiculed by the sergeant, who told her that she would be nothing. He referred to her as 'Danvers.'

Finally, she was brought out of the bug's reminiscence. Her body ached from the spasms that had racked her body.

"I'm sorry..." the caterpillar apologized. "It's so... painful... I just... wanted you to... remember..."

The caterpillar turned away, as if to leave.

"Wait!" Vers, or Carol, called out. "What do I call you?"

The caterpillar stopped, turning slightly so it could see Carol out the corner of its eye.

Vers' body again spasmed as more memories flooded her mind, these ones coming from the bug.

The one that stuck out the most was an image of a massive butterfly. Its body was barely any bigger than the caterpillar's, but it possessed a large set of wings. She assumed that its wingspan was about 16 times wider than its body length.

Vers' body went slack, her body being too exhausted to remain upright.

Fury, Pym, and Ling ran out to attend to her. She was muttering incoherently.

"Vers!" Fury exclaimed. "Are you OK? What happened?"

Ling leaned over to listen to what Vers was saying. Vers was only saying one word over and over.

"What is she saying?" Pym asked.

Ling sat upright, looking at Pym, then Fury, then the caterpillar.

"Mothra."