Chapter 35 : It always starts with a training montage (Two tears)

 

The Mirror Dimension, image of Manhattan, the same day, 15:05, in Jessica Jone’s mind

 

Jessica was pissed off.

 

Aria, in her weird ass combat form, had managed to break the lead on the pot in which she kept her anger and rage nicely hidden quite splendidly when she sent her flying away as if she weighed nothing.

 

Even worse, when she came back, flying faster than she ever had in the rare occasions she tried her capacities away from prying eyes, she spent minutes looking for her through an entire building, surrounded by freaky reflections of living people that she just went through as if they weren’t even there, before finally realizing she had been led by her nose all along and that the golden girl was just lazing around with their hosts and the two spider girls.

 

Glowering at her after bursting out of the building topmost floor, not giving any regards toward the wall and window she had just treated like paper mache, she bellowed as loudly as she could.

 

“Aria ! Come back here so I can kick your ass !” Jessica yelled, injecting as much resentment as she could.

 

The girl got under her skin in a way that she could not understand, after all. She saw right through the mask she plastered on her face each day, hiding her insecurities, the hurt and the guilt she felt because of her own actions, and told her bluntly in her face that she knew.

 

Jessica didn’t even knew why she had gone with the white haired girl’s scheme for this get-together. Yes, they were like her, but not like her.

 

Cindy Moon was a relatively good student, popular and well-liked, with a knack for sports and the performances that goes with it, placing her firmly as a star-player in her hockey team. She was also dating one of the hottest guy in the school, if the rumors were true.

 

Gwendolyn Stacy was the brainiest of the school nerds, smarts, curiosity and witticisms aplenty, and a popular beauty to boot that turned heads even without trying.

 

Hell, even Flash, despite her not liking him, was, or should it be ‘had been’, a popular guy with his runner position in the Midtown High football’s team, even with his crappy attitude.

 

So, yes, they all had powers now, maybe, but they all had something that Jessica didn’t.

 

Friends.

 

Relationships.

 

Self-esteem, even.

 

So, while the idea that they should get together to practice and form a little club made some sense, Jessica still thought that she didn’t belong, and Aria’s attitude was grating her, acting like she knew everything in life and not giving a shit about what people could think about her.

 

In a little corner of her mind, thought, Jessica knew that it was only jealousy that was talking.

 

She was jealous of her looks, of her ‘everything negative you can say about me just glide on’ attitude.

 

Of her powers that hadn’t needed her killing her family by mistake to get.

 

Jessica, still fuming, snapped back to reality as the rapidly approaching form of the golden girl hidden under the skin of her creepy alien sister started running toward her.

 

The dark haired girl belatedly realized that she was fast. She had already witnessed it earlier when Aria caught her by her ankle with an impossible jump, but she had thought that was her maximum.

 

It wasn’t. There was something surrounding her form now, a sort of white and purple aura, the colors mingling seamlessly with each other, and her steps were making freaking dents in the macadam as she kept accelerating.

 

Then she jumped, clearing at least three stories in one go, before sticking to the building’s facade by planting claws, of all things, that had sprouted from her digits, her limbs coiling under her form to jump anew.

 

Jessica, dazzled by the quasi animalistic display, didn’t get away in time before Aria barrelled into her, tackling her back into the building through her own hastily made exit.

 

She came crashing down on the opposite wall, shrieking in outrage all the way, as broken furniture and plaster came down on her.

 

“You’re more resilient than we thought you’d be.” Aria said in her two-toned voice, her rich alto and Iris star-filled voice melding into each other perfectly, “Good, we will have a much better base to work from.”

 

“You’re pissing me off.” Jessica spat as she rose, plaster dust and pieces of wood falling off her.

 

“Then show us how pissed off you are, instead of running away.” The answer came easily as the golden girl, clad in a white, purple and lilac form fitting jumpsuit-like outfit, the needles-like teeth of her sister hidden and sans nose, crinkled her upslanted eyes upward in amusement.

 

With a growl, Jessica took off, jumping from her sitting position and asserting her grasp onto her own weight once more.

 

She neared Aria at a faster than normal pace, her right fist extended in front of her as she yelled her frustration and rage at the girl.

 

The girl side-stepped the first strike by moving quickly, casually batting Jessica’s left hook aside while eyeing critically her display.

 

Jessica accelerated her own moves, her own instincts helping her canceling just enough weight at the opportune times to increase the cadence of her fists.

 

Aria just simply kept weaving between her strikes, like she knew where those were coming from even before Jessica did.

 

“Stop reading my mind !” She snapped, backstepping to take a breather.

 

“We are not.” Aria answered, and the third person speech was really starting to get on her nerves, “We are using our own instincts to read your body language as you commit to your attack. Natural predators have a reaction time way quicker than a human's, and Iris is the best predator there is when there is a hunt to have.”

 

Her anger rising, Jessica kicked one of the fallen planks of woods in Aria’s direction before going down to town on her once again.

 

But no matter how hard or how fast she punched, she was always one step behind in their exchange, not landing a single hit on the evasive white and purple figure that had yet to strike.

 

“You’re underestimating me.” Jessica growled, and even she was surprised at how much resentment and aggression was hidden behind her own words.

 

“We do not.” The answer was clipped back, the big upslanted purple eyes narrowing dangerously, “The risk of us hurting you badly is simply very real, considering we do not know our strength that well.”

 

“Stop fucking patronizing me, you fucking golden barbie doll !” Jessica shrieked, rising to the assault once more.

 

An assault that got interrupted as soon as it started by a multitude of mechanical pseudo-tentacles letting out big showers of sparks as they tore apart the floor they were on while closing on Aria’s position.

 

The floor, crumbling apart due to the strain, fell under Jessica's running form, prompting her to harden her grip on her weight as her eyes snapped downward.

 

Under her now flying form and at the point of origin of the deadly simili trap maw, Flash Thompson, his clothes half shredded apart and dusty, was sporting a massive frown on his face.

 

“You’re overdoing it, Sis’.” He drawled, annoyance dripping through his words.

 

“Overdoing it, are we ?” Aria’s two-toned voice ringed out, slightly muffled amid the mass of writing mechanical limbs trapping her.

 

The trap barely lasted a second more before the whole construct suddenly exploded outward, metallic parts flying all around.

 

Jessica had barely the time to shield her eyes, gone very wide at the display of absolute might as the projectile started to rain around her, yet none of them ever reached her as a slightly white sheen of force shielded her flying and prone form.

 

Flash’s face paled when he saw the folded arms under his ‘sister’ chest, her head tilted and her big upslanted eyes narrowed in anger.

 

Big eyes that were definitely looking in her direction, Jessica’s blood running suddenly very cold at the realization.

 

“Firstly, we are just playing around right now and this,” She started slowly, her two-toned voice dangerously low, as a comically big wing of snow white feathers, almost glimmering under the sun’s ray shining through the crack of the battered building and surrounded by the white and purple aura Jessica saw earlier, sprouted from her back in an instant, “Is overdoing it.”

 

Bending unnaturally and faster than Jessica’s eyes could see, the wing blurred in Flash’s direction, promptly sending him through the wall and across the street with multiple massive crashing sounds.

 

“Secondly, what’s going on with you, Jessica ?” Aria asked as if nothing happened.

 

Jessica gulped, her previous rage and bravado forgotten.

 

Then Aria sighed, her two-toned voice ringing suddenly very loudly all around her as it gained so much more meaning behind it.

 

For an instant, as Jessica’s brain gave her the feeling it had a very strong hiccup and everything in her just stopped working, the dark haired girl got the impression that all the virtues, sins and women around the world had taken a gander at her, and found her lacking.

 

When she stopped her gravity induced fall as her brain started working again, her eyes were very wide and scared.

 

“Sorry, we didn’t really mean to do that.” Aria amended as her sister’s skin started to recede from her face.

 

“I’m sorry if I come out as patronizing with you, Jessica.” The golden girl started, her snow white curls blossoming around her face elegantly, “That wasn’t my attention, but you, like everyone else, have no idea of what is coming.”

 

Jessica remained very still as Aria alighted herself on the floor, still clad in her simili jumpsuit and stepping lightly on her ‘bare’ foot.

 

Aria started to look outside through the destroyed wall she had previously punted Flash through, crossing her fingers in her lower back.

 

“I’m going to tell you what is coming, and then you are going to tell me what is your problem with me, Jessica.” The girl with the white mane said, her tone breaking no arguments.

 

Wordlessly and still a little scared, Jessica alighted herself too, keeping a cautious distance from the walking war crime.

 

“A war, like no human had ever witnessed, will come to us in the next decade.” Aria said, still looking outside, her fingers clenching together as her symbiote started to blossom out of the top of her back, “An alien army so vast it has laid waste to uncountable worlds across the cosmos will step on earth, looking for something that can only be found here, and it is certainly not our water.”

 

Jessica blood, already having run cold at the previous display, turned glacial.

 

“Looking for what ?” She croaked in a tiny little voice, and she hated herself for the weakness she displayed.

 

“Cosmic relics dating from the creation of this universe.” Aria answered as she turned herself, Iris hugging her in their usual slightly disturbing display of public affection, her own ‘head’ half-hidden under the golden girl’s white curls, “Six stones of power, granting instant dominion to their owner over the aspect they’re governing.”

 

“And at least two of them are on earth right now.” She added with quiet levity, “And those who will come looking for them won’t care if some puny humanoids are in their way. I’ll admit, I’m not looking to team up with the four of you just because it sounds fun.”

 

She sighed once more, her eyes closing, and Jessica’s ego was thankful that it was just a normal sigh this time.

 

“No, Jessica. I’m doing it because I’m honestly scared shitless by what is going to happen. What I think is going to happen, granted, but still.” She admitted, one of her hands coming atop Iris’ head as her bond started to slowly nuzzle her neck, “That’s the reality we’re living in, Jess’, and we have to deal with it the best we can.”

 

Jessica’s brain sort of halted at Aria’s admission that she was scared.

 

But she’s so powerful I can’t even begin to understand what she does !

 

Why is she even scared ?

 

Are those supposed enemies even stronger than her ?

 

“And my way of dealing with it includes stacking the odds in our favor instead of sitting on my ass and twiddling my thumbs, which I could have chosen to do once my goal of getting a proper body back was met, but, I’m apparently a more responsible person than I thought.” She ended up with a little depreciative smile.

 

“And you, Jessica Jones, have the potential to tip humanity’s side of the balance in our favor when some arseholes finally come knocking at earth’s door.” Aria added, one of her fingers pointing in her direction, “So, can you explain to me what I did wrong, for starters ?”

 

Jessica's mouth flapped open, and promptly closed after hearing Aria’s disarmingly light tone.

 

She lamely realized that the girl hadn’t really done anything wrong to her to warrant her resentment.

 

Yeah, she might have come a little strong when the golden girl had given her a reality check once or twice, but the rather blunt personality in the face of conflict seemed on brand with the character from what she had seen so far.

 

Hell, she even told her own adoptive family about her capacities, a fact that Jessica herself never had the guts to do !

 

She just got jealous. An ugly, festering sort of jealousy because she had everything she wanted.

 

“I’m not, Jess’.” Aria answered with a soft tone, and Jessica startled.

 

“Sorry, not meaning to eavesdrop, but you’re basically screaming your thoughts right now.” The golden girl rambled as a hand came to massage one of her temples.

 

“I’ve lost everything once, Jessica.” She started retelling slowly, her hand falling back at her side, and the rising anger in Jessica’s chest at the invasion of her privacy suddenly became very quiet, “If I’m not from this universe, that means I came from somewhere else, with me so far ?”

 

Jessica nodded wordlessly, feeling a bit of shame at her wrongfully made assumption.

 

“I’ve had a happy life, a life that I built myself after having to deal with some issues that some people would balk and cower at.” She continued, her expression getting melancholic and the grip of her sister getting tighter, “I had a job that I liked, in a little company that I had built myself, and I had the most amazing of all wives there was.”

 

Jessica kind of blinked at the revelation.

 

She was married ?

 

How old is she, really ?

 

“Then, I got cancer, and I watched everything fall apart around me as I slowly wasted away in front of the most precious person I had in my life.” She ended up very quietly.

 

“I’m here because I died, Jess’. I’ve lost everything once, even my life, and I’m going to make sure it’s not happening again. Not because I’m a paragon of justice or whatever, but because I’m going to deny Death’s her due for as long as I can for me and those that I care for.” She ended with steel mixed with hurt in her eyes, one of her hands closed so tight her whole arm was trembling.

 

The two girls remained silent for a beat as Jessica slowly started to realize what she had just heard.

 

“Does Gwen know ?” She quietly asked, still mulling over her thoughts.

 

Aria slowly blinked, her fist unclenching.

 

“About my age ? Yes, I told her, adding in no uncertain terms that I won’t answer to her advances until I am comfortable with her own maturity, and never before she’s an adult.” The golden girl answered, sighing lightly, “There’s a tiny part of me that is actually preening under her attention because my brain sort of got screwed a bit around when Iris operated on me due to unforeseen events, but I’m not going to play around with her like a two-bits pedophile if that’s what you’re wondering.”

 

Jessica was not, but the fact that Aria had actually considered the problem and showed reservations towards it spoke well of her character.

 

“I…” Aria exhaled, melancholy showing once more, “I didn’t tell her about Marie, though. The realization that I won’t ever see her again only really hit me yesterday after my brain was back under the hormonal balance I was used to once more, and the subject is still fresh for me.”

 

Another beat passed, some wind rising the dust surrounding them and making Aria’s white curls flutter.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” Jessica lamely started to apologize, belatedly realizing she meant it, “I started lashed out at you because you make everything look so easy and…”

 

Jessica halted, not really knowing where she was going with that train of thought.

 

Why am I so lame ?

 

“Just as I have to forgive myself one day from dying on her and leaving her sad and alone,” Aria slowly started, eyes downcast as Iris tightened her hug once more, “You’ll have to forgive yourself for your family’s death too.”

 

Jessica’s eyes got very wide at Aria’s statement, her staring intensifying.

 

“How do you know ?” She croaked.

 

“The guilt in your eyes, Jess’, it’s the same I’m seeing when I look in a mirror.” She simply answered with a sad smile.

 

“Grief is irrational, and everyone has their own journey with it, you and I just happen to defer to blaming ourselves for it.” She elaborated.

 

“But you got sick ! You have nothing to blame yourself for !” Jessica answered, stunned by Aria’s admission.

 

“Oh, yes I have, Jess’.” She answered extremely quietly, “Because I waited too long to get a proper diagnosis when the migraines started and didn’t listen to Marie when she told me to go see a professional, it was too late when we discovered the tumor.”

 

As her sad smile widened on her face, a lone tear trailed down her cheek.

 

“I should’ve remembered that she was always right.” Aria said, her rich alto lilting with emotions.

 

As an empathic tear started to fall alongside Jessica’s own cheeks, she realized that, while she may not have anything in common with the others, she at least shared something beyond being ‘special’ with Aria.

 

We share the same pain.

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