Before we start here, I thought it would be nice to put the current Marvel Opening with Stan Lee to immerse y'all in the experience and to commemorate the universe and characters he created. Rest in Peace, Stan the Man. 

Before creation itself, there were six singularities.

Then, the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots, six elemental stones, and were hurled throughout and across the virgin universe. Each stone represented a different universal aspect of life, known as the Infinity Stones. And each controlled an essential aspect of existence.

Time.

Reality.

Power.

Soul.

Mind.

And Space.

These stones, in the hands of beings of extraordinary strength, could harness the power of each stone to do their bidding. It could have been to decimate a planet.

 Almost like wheat in a field. 

Or even as a means to manipulate their energy to do as the user commands for beneficial purposes. But even those powerful beings were quickly destroyed by it.

The Stones were causes of worldly and other-worldly conflicts, and some of those stones gave rise to beings being granted the power of the stones. Whether for good...

Or for evil.

Whether it be either-or, these beings had given strength or misery to whoever in the universe, and all had a part to play in the plan of time & space.

And for one, it could begin their origin story.

MALIBU, 1996.

In the dead of night, an 11-year-old boy was asleep in his mansion, rustling and turning in his bed, lost in a dream as any child would have been. But this dream was like none other. It felt so real to him as if he was there.

He found himself near a lake, where an aircraft was set afire with two women. An elderly woman was still in the craft, coughing but still alive, while the other observed the damage whilst tending to her. Interestingly enough, the older woman seemed to bleed blue blood. The blond woman had helped the older woman out and laid her on the ground, as the boy heard multiple voices overlapping with each other.

"My real name is Mar-Vell--"

"I come from a planet called Hala--"

"I would say that you're delusional--"

"We just got shot down by a spaceship--"

"Your blood is blue--"

"Spent half my life fighting a shameful war..."

"Remember the coordinates, okay?"

"Save 'em without me!"

The woman who called herself "Mar-Vell" sat up as she pulled a pistol out of her jumpsuit, ready to fire at the engine of the craft, but before she could pull the trigger, she was shot near the heart, leaving a bullet hole outlined with a glowing green mark, killing her instantly.

The boy jumped as he witnessed her body fall to the ground and saw the blonde take her weapon and aim it, ready to shoot whoever killed Mar-Vell.

"What is going on..." The boy asked himself as he continued to sweat profusely, nervous on what was to happen next. Through the debris, flames, and smoke, a figure in green walked out, a man with a similar pistol and yellow eyes, reminding him of a certain movie. More voices continued to overlap in his head, stressing him more and more.

"No interest in hurting you--"

"All the shooting kinda gave me the wrong impression!"

"Energy core -- where is it--"

"No reason to prolong this conversation--" The figure held up his firearm, ready to kill the blonde as the boy's fear grew more and more, almost as if he knew this woman. As if he had cared for her.

"You mean that energy core?" The woman sneered determinedly while shrugging at it. The man stared, giving her the confirmation she needed as she aimed for the core, ready to blow it all to hell.

"Mommy!" A young voice called from behind the boy, making the woman quickly look in that direction to find a younger boy running towards her, scared for his life. Her face grew more anxious with each step the boy took and she grew fearful with her eyes going wider.

"ZACHY, DON'T COME--" She shouted to keep him safe, but was completely unaware...

She pulled the trigger.

As the green blast made contact with the core, it exploded with flares of blue energy, engulfing the mother and son with cosmic energy. The soil was blown off the ground as leaves on the trees were scorched from the radiation. The man was sent flying in the air as were the mother and child, but unlike the man, the energy passed through into their fingertips, coursing through their hands, causing their hands and eyes to glow an extraordinary and brilliant shade of blue.

The explosion dissipated, and the mother and child were down unconscious, but miraculously survived the exposure, revealing external blue veins of energy around their bodies.

The man got up on his feet and observed the damage and the mother and son whilst a woman followed after him, with a sniper in her arms. But what the boy didn't expect was for the man to turn around, facing him and forcing his hands on his shoulders while his voice echoed to him.

"Time--"

"Time -- you --"

"Wake-- you --"

"TIME FOR YOU TO WAKE UP, CHILD!!"

The boy woke up, screaming in fear as he clutched the blankets. And as if it were sudden, an elderly man quickly opened the door, rushing to him. "Are you alright, Mr. Danvers?" The man spoke calmly to him and he held him comfortingly, only to find the young man clutching on to him for dear life.

"Nightmare," the boy muttered. "I-I-I saw a plane, and there was this guy, he killed someone!" He rambled fast, but the man waited patiently for him to collect himself. "And there was an explosion, it should have killed them, b-but it didn't and-"

(A/N: Better not see y'all saying some Mephisto shit... that train died I'M SORRY)

"Sir, please, relax yourself," The man advised him in a soft, but soothing British accent. "Take some deep breaths, and try to calm down." The boy took his advice, and calmed down, looking back to the butler. "It seems you may have remembered something about your birth mother's death," The man said calmly. "I truly am sorry for what you had to go through, Zachary."

"But she's alive!" Zach argued. "She survived the explosion!"

"Sir, you were the only survivor of that incident," The butler said calmly once more. "Her body was gone when the Pararescue arrived, the only remains were her dog tags." Zach looked down and pulled it out from under his shirt, revealing the broken piece of embossed metal. 

His fingers traced the smooth letters of his birth mother's name. It was given to him on the occasion of his mother's funeral by his godmother, Maria (who he had lost contact with), and he had always kept on him to remember her.

As he looked at the tag, his fingers glossed over the words, "Carol Dan-", where it broke off near the "Vers" of his name. "Perhaps it was simply a dream," The man said, but comfortingly put his hand on Zach's shoulder. "I served my time back in the war, and it would have been an honor to know your mother, Sir."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Zach muttered. "Thank you, Mr. Jarvis." The old man nodded with a gentle smile. "Of course, sir," He spoke softly. "Always a pleasure to help."

"Please, you don't have to call me "Sir", Mr. Jarvis," Zach said politely. "Just "Zach" is fine with me. I know you have to do, cause it's your job, but it's okay to use my name." Jarvis opened his mouth and then nodded to signal his approval of the choice. "Very well, Zach," He acknowledged. "Do try and get some sleep. Your father would want you to be well-rested, as do I."

Zach nodded, tucked in the broken dog tag into his shirt, and laid back down into the bed, looking at the ceiling, imagining it was space and the infinite abyss that it was meant to be known as. "Good night, Mr. Jarvis," He called out just before the elderly butler left the room. "Good night, Zach," Jarvis smiled and walked out the room, whilst gently closing the door.

"He's had a nightmare?" A voice asked from next to him as Jarvis found his boss and Zach's adoptive father, billionaire genius, philanthropist, and playboy, Tony Stark, against the wall, looking a little concerned.

"Yes, Mister Stark," Jarvis said. "He dreamt of his birth mother's tragic accident." The old man removed his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief in his left-hand breast pocket. "I must admit, it's terrible what he had to go through. He never knew of his birth father, and he may never remember his mother in the future."

"Yeah, I feel bad for the kid too," Tony acknowledged. "I'm trying my best, Jarvis. After Mom and Dad died, I realized I don't want to be as... cold and keeping-to-myself as Dad was. I just don't want to be a deadbeat dad to him."

"Of course, sir," Jarvis answered. "You do want to be different from your father, but you're forgetting; he is in need of a maternal figure in his life. Not women you spend one night with and leave the next."

"Right... " Tony rubbed his eyes. "Maybe I ought to make something happen for him. What time is it..." He asked as he looked near for a clock. "Shit, Jarvis, shouldn't you get home?" Jarvis looked towards his wristwatch and also took notice of the time. "Oh, thank heavens, I must be going, sir," Jarvis rushed for his coat. "Thank you, I must get home, my wife must be waiting!"

"Oh, but before I take my leave, sir," Jarvis mentioned as he was ready to leave. "I forgot to mention, an old friend of mine would get along with Zach very nicely. Maybe I ought to tell him about Ms. Carter."

"You can tell him whatever you'd like, Jarvis," Tony chuckled. "Just don't be as annoying as Dad was with Captain America."

"Well, to be fair, sir," Jarvis smiled. "Your father was a very avid -- what would you say -- Fanboy, of Captain Rogers."

"Alright," Tony smirked as he walked Jarvis out the door. "You have a good night, Jarvis."

"And to you as well, sir."

LATER IN THE NIGHT

2:47 A.M.

Zach remained in his bed fast asleep, curled up against his pillow awaiting the next day. However, a bright light outside his room flashed brighter and brighter, forcing Zach to sit up once more, rub his eyes, and question, "Why is the sun up so early..."

His eyes eventually adjusted to the bright light outside his window, but contrary to his belief, it wasn't the sun. It was a figure of a woman, floating outside the door. Zach pulled the covers off himself in confusion and walked towards the door to open it and walk out to the figure.

"Hey, stranger," A familiar voice called out to the young child. "Remember me?" The glow of the figure died down, revealing the face of the woman smiling down on him, and weirdly enough, there was a cat on her shoulder.

"Mom...?" Zach asked himself as Carol nodded, landed down in front of him, and kneeled down to his level, watching her son beam with happiness and rushing to hug her. "I knew you were alive! I knew it!" Zach applauded as Carol continued to smile at her son, brushing his hair off his forehead. "Where were you?"

"I was gone, honey," Carol answered. "You could say I was on another planet. Literally." Zach chuckled as Carol still looked lovingly at him. "But I escaped from there, and I found your godmother, Maria. She told me after the accident, you were put into foster care, and with some help from a new friend of mine, he was able to find you here!" Carol then put her hands on his shoulders, continuing to beam at him happily. "Oh my goodness, the last time I saw you, you were five years old! And look at you now!"

"I'm eleven now!" Zach exclaimed as Carol's eyes widened. "Oh, you've grown up so much!" She rubbed his cheeks and kissed his forehead. "I wish I could have seen you grow up, sweetie. What about your adoptive parents? Are they treating you well?"

"Well, Dad's Tony Stark..." Zach shrugged. "He's trying his best, but Mr. Jarvis, his butler, he's nice." Zach then looked down, facing the floor. "It's just I don't have a mom..."

Carol looked downtrodden and tilted his head for him to look back at her. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Zachy." She whispered. "I wish I could take you, but I have to help some other friends of mine, help them find a new home. And where I'm going, I can't take an 11-year-old boy with me." Zach looked even more downtrodden, but Carol tried another approach.

"Hey, I may not be with you here, Zachy," Carol whispered as she took a gentle hold of Zach's hand, and put it in both her hands. "But you'll always be with me." She took it and placed it, just above the star on her chest, against her heart. "You know that, right? Right here, in my heart."

"I know..." Zach whispered back to her, as Carol managed another smile at him, which made him ask, "Why are you wearing a funny costume?" making Carol giggle at him, which in turn made Zach giggle as she wiped off his tears.

"What's so funny about it?" Carol asked as she looked at it. "This is my uniform, y'know, you little joker!" Zach giggled again, but then the cat on Carol's shoulder meowed to get their attention. "Why'd you bring a cat with you?" Zach asked her as the cat jumped off her shoulder, walked over to Zach, and rubbed herself against his leg.

Zach picked the cat up and held him in his hands as Carol looked at the cat and back to him. "Another friend of mine, her name is Goose," Carol said as she rubbed the fur. "You know she's actually an alien called a Flerken?"

"No, she isn't, she's just a kitty," Zach giggled. "Don't be silly, Mom. Aliens aren't real." After hearing the word "Mom" come out of her son's mouth, Carol couldn't stop smiling brightly. "He is, I'm telling you!" Carol playfully argued. "Here, look." She took an old device from her suit and placed it down to get Goose's attention.

Then, to Zach's surprise, Goose opened her mouth to reveal a number of tentacles coming out, failing around to grab the device, breaking it into several pieces before ingesting it completely, and returning to cat behavior.

"Did she just-" Zach asked in an amazed manner. "Is she like an octopus on the inside!" His question made Carol chuckle, which in turn made him smile. "Oh, no, sweetheart," Carol laughed. "That's just what she can do! I thought I'd leave her with you, just as a way to remember me."

Zach's eyes turned towards Carol's eyes with sadness. "You have to go?" He asked sadly as Goose immediately started rubbing herself on his leg. Carol turned around to see her son, almost tearing up, to which she kneeled back down and cupped his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, I really wish I could take you with me," She responded just as sadly. "But space isn't the safest place for an 11-year-old. But tell you what, I'll do something for you before I go. Something I haven't done since you were five." Zach's face then switched from sadness to confusion. "What would that be?" He asked.

"Tuck you into bed," She smiled as she walked him into the room, and looked around. "Pretty nice room you have, kiddo," she smiled. "Your dad must be pretty successful." Zach shrugged his shoulders. "Mr. Stark's rich, but he's always busy, he makes time when he can though." Goose jumped on the bed as Zach pulled the sheets and slipped in while Carol pulled the sheets over him. Zach still sat up, against his pillow and looked up to his mother. "How can you do that, Mom?" He asked out of nowhere.

"Do what?" Carol asked inquisitively, making Zach become more confused. "I mean, how you glowed!" He exclaimed. "How were you doing that! Could I do that?"

Carol smiled again and ruffled his hair. "Well, it's a long story, honey," She responded. "But I have a feeling that you'll see that you'll glow soon. Maybe when you're older." She leaned his pillow down, allowing him to rest down on his bed. "I'll be here until you fall asleep, okay?" She rubbed his head with admiration in her eyes. "I love you, baby."

The feeling of hearing his birth mother saying "I love you" made Zach's heart beat faster, as it was the first time he had heard her say that in six years. Carol had said it as was from her heart and continued to smile at him. Zach felt the need to yawn with the feeling of slumber coming back to him, and as he did, Carol leaned in to kiss his forehead. "If you ever miss me," Carol began. "Just look to the sky, and say "Hi, mom", and I'll always hear you. No matter where I am."

Zach slowly fell asleep in his bed with Goose curling up next to him. Carol stayed for a few minutes longer as she stood up to peck his head, and found her dog tag around his neck, and smiled. "Thanks, Maria," She whispered as she pulled out the broken half she had and carefully welded the two halves together.

"I'll miss you so much, honey," Carol whispered before leaving and deciding to leave her jacket for him as another gift. "Mom loves you so much." She wiped her tears off her face and smiled as a final goodbye until she'd see him again. She didn't know how long it would take to relocate the Skrulls from the Kree, but it wasn't gonna be a short time.

But she hoped it would be.

------------------------------

The next morning, Zach awoke in his bed, feeling happy, but thinking to himself if it was a dream. That was until he felt a paw on his face, looking to his right to find Goose next to him.

"So it wasn't a dream!" Zach exclaimed in happiness before remembering what Goose had previously displayed. "Wait... you're not gonna eat me, are you?" Goose just meowed like a cat, and practically behaved like one, licking her paw. "I guess not..." Zach said. "Just please don't do that, alright?"

"Meow," Goose responded and jumped off the bed, as Zach felt his necklace not poking him strangely. He reached into his sweatshirt and pulled out his dog tag, revealing the whole tag to his amazement. The front and back had read:

CAROL DANVERS

"HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER."

"Thanks, mom," He whispered to himself as he clutched the dog tags, smiled to himself and noticed the jacket his mother was wearing the night before,  just as Mr. Jarvis had arrived outside his room. "Sleep better last night, Zach?" The kind old man asked him.

"Loads better," Zach admitted with a smile. "I'd say I had a wonderful dream."

END OF PART ONE