Carol Danvers was an educated woman. She owned a doctorate in physics; she’d been a Major in the Air Force; she was a candidate astronaut.
She was also plummeting towards the Earth from a height of almost 700 kilometres.
Carol had expected to be dead instantly from the vacuum of space. There had to be truth in what she’d been told about having super powers or how else could she survive? As the Shi’ar craft she had been pushed from faded in the distance, Carol recalled the words Oracle had spoken regarding her abilities, “How do you breathe, Carol Danvers?”
The thin air rushing over her skin became steadily hotter as she realized that the friction of re-entering the atmosphere would soon reach unbearably high temperatures. She managed to right herself in her end-over-end tumble and began concentrating on how to slow her descent. She felt an odd sensation, almost like an adrenalin rush and the wind in her ears began to lessen. Eventually it stopped altogether and Carol realized she had come to a complete halt.
The feeling of exhilaration was indescribable! It had taken more than an hour since she was pushed from the craft until she had managed to stop her fall. She had fallen near enough to the surface that she could make out individual contrails from passenger jets flying beneath her. She tried to gather her bearings, grateful that she’d fallen out above a very recognizable Grand Canyon.
“Ok, I can fly and I’m supposed to be super-fast. Let’s see if I can figure out how to get home.”
She oriented herself to the west and she flew! Gaining speed with every moment that passed, Carol made her way home.
The Lamborghini was right where she’d left it. Angling down, she descended gracefully. Her landing was a lot less elegant, ending with her sprawled flat on the ground.
“Guess I’ll have to work on that,” she laughed to herself.
She pulled the handle but the car was locked. Patting herself down, she realized that her fob was nowhere to be found. Either it was still in orbit or it had burned up on re-entry. Recalling that Oracle mentioned enhanced strength Carol leaned into the back of the car and began to push. She was able to move it with barely any effort but the tires skidded across the rough surface of the road. Concluding that she had probably left the car in gear or engaged the parking brake, she knelt down and lifted underneath the door sill. She heaved it so easily, she nearly flipped the car on its side. Quickly, but gently, she set it back on the ground. Finding a better grip, she eventually hefted it above her and concentrated. Gradually she rose off the ground and flew the remaining distance home, grinning wildly, with a bright red Lamborghini in her grip.
As she neared home, her smile faded somewhat as she realized that managing a soft landing had become her top priority. With furious determination, she eased towards the ground and managed to deposit the Lamborghini without a blemish.
Without her keys, she had to enter through the garage. Waiting in her living room stood Oracle.
“Hello Carol. I’ve brought you a gift,” she smiled and held out her hand. It was Carol’s keys.
To be continued...