Disclaimer: I don't own Jade, Victorious, or any of the other character from that show. Neither do I own any Marvel characters. As for the others, I kinda borrowed some of them from the sands of time, and can't properly claim ownership of them either, no matter how much I modified them. The rest are mine.
Warning, this chapter is a monster. Feel free to take a break somewhere as you get tired.
~~~Eleven years ago~~~
Six year old Jade walked across the living room in the small apartment she shared with her mother. It was another wonderful day. School was out and she didn't have that much homework to do, so it was time to play. Of course, her mother had her spend some time each day with that funny game system, the one she'd been told her brother got for her. It was fun, but often left her confused, sometimes even made her muscles ache, all from playing it. "Can Tonya come over and play?" She asked her mother. Tonya was so imaginative, making up voices for her stuffed ponies, and having them play too. Jade wanted to be like her.
"Maybe tomorrow." Her mother, Ann West, replied. "Today we're expecting a special visitor."
Jade was a friendly enough child, but around adults she didn't know she could be very shy. It meant she tended to stay close to her mother when they went out somewhere. And Ann was a protective enough mother. However, at times, she seemed more interested in finding her latest boyfriend, not that Jade would understand that for years to come. But weather she understood the reasons or not, the small girl felt very lonely when her mother neglected her like that. As a result, Jade often worried that she'd be forgotten. Again.
"Whats up, little girl." The voice was close, already inside the house, coming from the couch. Jade just smiled, recognizing the visitor. A tall man with dark hair worn to his shoulders and piecing green eyes was looking at her.
"Nari!" She screamed, rushing to where he was sitting. She hesitated, worried that it might be another projection.
"Good to see you too, little sorceress." The man said, reaching out to take her hand. He gently hugged her, then said "I see you still have the ring I gave you. Keep wearing it, on a string, as a necklace, until you're old enough to wear it as a ring, okay?" He asked as he ran his finger over the ring. It looked silver, but the metal was far stronger, with a complicated pattern etched into the inside of the ring.
Jade nodded, happy about this gift, despite her mother making sure she wore it all the time. "Always, to remind me that someone loves me."
"Good girl." He said, then asked "So how's school?"
"Schools fun." The girl said. "But they say I won't be able to play as long as the others."
"Why's that?" He asked. A warm smile crossed his face as he regarded the girl.
"Nari?" The question broke the conversation. The man looked over to see Ann West standing near the kitchen, holding a drink.
"Mom, you shouldn't drink so much." He said, standing to go hug his mother. His sister watched them. It was always like this. His visits were often fun, but their mother seemed to react to them with worry, as if somehow the friendly boy could be some kind of trouble. "Especially in front of Jade. And is this meed?" his voice raised threateningly at the end.
"You don't get to judge me." Ann shot back. "He has the right to know his daughter."
"After everything I did to protect her, and you, from him, and you go ahead and tell him where you are? Are you out of your mind? Am I going to have to move you again?" Nari almost screamed. His stance, open and friendly just a second ago, was guarded now.
Jade could see that Nari was angry, and it confused her. 'He just my daddy. Doesn't big brother want me to know my daddy?' She thought. Her brother and mother had progressed to a hushed but heated conversation when she heard the door open. 'I thought it was locked.' passed through Jade's mind as she moved the short distance to see who'd just entered.
It was her father, smiling like he always did when he came to visit. "Jade, is that your brother I hear?" He asked, as his smile grew even bigger. "My my my, the whole family is here today. This is a surprise."
Jade rushed to hug her father, only to find him stiffen. He never was one for displays of affection. Her mother once said that her grandfather, his father, did that to him. Made a man who could be so passionate, into someone so cold and distant. Still, Jade needed for her dad to know just how glad she was to see him. It was as rare as seeing her brother. In fact, she couldn't recall ever seeing the two of them together, at the same time. And both in the flesh.
"Nari." Her father said, addressing the younger man. To the uninitiated, they'd look close to the same age. Only someone in the know would understand this was a father and his adult son, talking face to face.
"Father." Nari replied. "So, how long have you known?"
"Her whole life." The father said. "I'm not like my father. I don't neglect my children." There was a defensiveness in his words. Jade shifted under the tension that now dominated the room.
"You just carelessly put them in danger." Nari snapped back. "Or use them in one of your plots. What have you got planned for her?"
"For now, that she have a happy childhood. Your grandmother said she agreed with your plan, and that Jade should stay here, hidden from the extended family. But she hasn't tried to forbid me from visiting." Her father said, gesturing around. "Of course, if she's going to continue to live in this primitive backwater, the least we can do is provide something better for her."
"I'm a princess." Jade said, trying to break the tension. The two most important men in her life didn't seem to like each other too much. Even at six, she could tell there was something between them. Something that happened before she was old enough to understand, probably before she was born.
"Yes you are, my little Jade." Her father said, reaching down to pick her up. "Yes you are." The tension was temporarily broken, and Jade got to enjoy her father's attention.
~~~Seven years ago~~~
"That was very good." Grandmother said. Jade smiled, feeling proud of herself. Grandma had been trying to teach her stuff for a while now. "Now relax. We've covered a lot today, and you've earned yourself a tea party."
They were in Jade's room, looking out on the nice back yard to the house she currently lived in. Jade had discovered how much she loved playing in that yard, climbing the tree, and in general having fun. Of course, school had gotten harder. Despite her mother wanting her to have as normal a childhood as possible, Jade was in a gifted program. The girl, like her brother, was smart. 'So much like their father...' The grandmother thought.
"I don't do tea parties any more." Jade snapped. The girl had recently taken a fascination with death. Her mother had insisted it was her stepfathers fault. The man liked his horror films. "Lets find a vampire and get sired."
"I have no idea what that could mean." The older woman said. She didn't look that old, maybe in her forties. Jade was beginning to suspect that her entire family aged well. "I'm sure I don't want to be sired." Of course, she couldn't fault the poor man's attempt to get closer to his step daughter. And one thing this grandmother could count on was that her granddaughters stepfather would only have the most honorable of intentions. Jade's brother was intimidating enough at the best of times. She couldn't imagine the conversation the two men had had.
"It means they make us vampires." Jade explained. "We'd live off of blood, feeding on the living. We'd live forever." Jade smiled, a strange joy on the girls face.
"Ten year old's don't get to talk about forever." The old woman said, trying not to sound too harsh. "I've lived a lot longer then you, and trust me, when the time comes, I will face death with stoicism and pride." She still smiled at the precociousness of the girl.
"But I don't want you to die." Jade protested. Panic edged her voice, and the little girl who didn't like to be touched tried to hug her granddaughter. But this was a projection, not the real thing.
"Everything dies." The grandmother said. "But I'm not going anywhere. Not for a long time. I want to see you holding your own children. Now, what kind of tea are we having?" The motherly woman decided to focus back on having fun.
"You're having a nice white and black tea blend." Jade said, pretending to pour the tea in her cup. "I'm having red tea."
"Red?" The old woman asked.
"You know, blood?" Jade said.
"I must ask your father what kind of children he keeps raising." The older woman said. But she smiled and pretended to drink the tea. "So who's this 'Buffy' I keep hearing about?" She watched her granddaughter start to explain, but really she was just humoring the dark child. 'They grow up so fast.' she thought.
~~~Five years ago~~~
Jade hated sweating. She worked hard not to, controlling her body with all her considerable will. But there were times when even she couldn't prevent it, like now. Her opponent circled, looking for an opening. Perfect, never making a mistake unless forced, the opponent raised it's hand again, faking a strike only to launch a kick. Jade knew that she shouldn't watch the arm, that the face, the eyes, would tell her where the blow was going to land, but that only worked if you could see the eyes. Jade had to read the entire body to see what was coming.
Her hands moved, not so much blocking as redirecting the kick past her, then she launched her own strike. Her opponent knew it was coming, she wasn't that good at hiding her intentions. So she tried brute force to push past her opponents defenses. Naturally, when up against someone who doesn't make mistakes, that much anger led to her fall.
"You know, a sweep of the legs would have given you the same results, and maybe left him on the ground too." Nari said. Jade looked around, then down next to her towel where she'd left her phone. Her new phone. And there was his face, smiling at her, only to be replaced as he sent a projection out.
"It's a her." Jade said, placing the game on hold. The game was a newer version of one of the games he'd given her for each new phone or game system she'd gotten for the last four years. "So, did you hack my phone?"
"Always." He replied. "I missed you. I'm on a job, and just wanted to say hi." His warmth belied the projection, or the intrusion on her privacy.
"Some people let the phone ring." Jade said, letting her brother know she didn't appreciate the invasion of her privacy.
"But this game's multi-player. I just logged in, and presto, here I am." He smiled again as he explained.
"Of course. You gave me the game. And I suppose you could do better?" She asked. An image of the same foe appeared near by, anther projection. He launched a quick sweep of the legs, and when it jumped, he shifted his move into an upward kick. The blow was partially deflected, but not enough to prevent the opponents balance shifting. Nari popped up, grabbing the now off balance opponent in the air and turning the fall into a throw. "I just asked. You didn't need to show me." Jade huffed.
"I've been doing this a little longer then you have." Her brother said. "Next time we're together, I'd love to see just how far you've come."
"And when's that?" She asked, trying not to get excited. Jade knew her brothers work schedule was chaotic. It seemed he was working all over the place, sometimes in such far off locations he couldn't even describe them. He was as bad as their father.
"Soon." He said, trying to sooth his sister. "Keep practicing, and you'll master this game, just like the last one I sent you."
Jade nodded, and turned her attention to her opponent, who'd been waiting patiently for this whole time. A new look of determination crossed her face as she tried the same moves her brother had just done... except she wasn't as quick as he was when shifting her momentum. Swearing, the twelve year old got up slowly and prepared to try again.
~~~Four years ago~~~
"Cat, pay attention." Jade snapped. "My father and brother aren't together very often. This has to be perfect."
Cat blinked, looking at her friend. They'd known each other since Jade first moved to California four years ago. They'd been neighbors, briefly, before Jade's stepfather married her mother, and they moved into his home. It was a nice enough place, with a decent amount of room. But to Cat, none of that mattered. What mattered was that she and Jade were going to perform a play together. 'It's like make believe for adults.' Cat reasoned.
"Now, when the vampire, thats me, pops out and attacks the girl, thats you, I need you to make it believable. No giggling." Jade said.
"Then tell Adam not to make me laugh." Cat protested. As much as she wanted to, Jade couldn't hold that against her. Her brother, who was going by Adam now, was uncomfortably funny. He'd always been a charmer. It seemed that the only person he didn't get along with was their father. Jade got that. Her dad had taken to keeping his distance from her as well.
'He tries, but he can be so judgmental.' She thought. 'Maybe this will help them relax and enjoy spending time with me.' Jade so desperately wanted her fathers approval. Ever since they moved to California, it seemed that she hardly ever did anything right. She hoped that this play would give them something to talk about. But that meant Cat had to hit her marks. 'I know she can do it. We go to Hollywood Arts middle school together, and it's a preforming arts school."
"Okay, Cat, relax. Maybe we can just sing them a song..." Jade suggested.
Twenty hours later, Jade would almost give up on her dreams of being an actress. Her father had been very judgmental, questioning the wisdom of her attending that school, or of her trying to sing, or act, or whatever. Naturally, he and Adam got into a shouting match, and things went down hill. So now she was left with only her best friend to comfort her.
"You know what we need?" Cat said. "We need boyfriends. Then we'd have someone who'd believe in us, no matter what."
"And how do we get boyfriend?" Jade asked.
"I was hoping your know..." Cat said. "You're usually the one who does things first. First to audition for Hollywood Arts. First to climb the rope in PE." Cat looked down at herself, and then said more softly "First to develop."
"Okay, I'll get a boyfriend." Jade smiled to herself. 'Maybe dad would approve if I won the hardest prize to get.' Then she asked her friend "So Cat, who's the hottest boy at school?"
"I heard that Beck Oliver is the hottest." Cat replied. "But you'll never get him. Everyone wants him. I mean, how do you get a boy like thats attention?"
"By being direct." Jade replied.
~~~Last year.~~~
Jade was looking out the window, trying to calm down. Her phone rang again, and she almost threw it. Instead, she checked who it was. Beck. 'Great. I don't need this...' She thought as she hit the answer button. He wasn't going to let her ignore him. Jade knew he'd either come by to check on her, or talk someone else into. Jade rally didn't need Tori dropping by. Not at a time like this.
"What?" She asked, clearly irritated.
"And a very pleasant hello to you too." Beck replied.
"This isn't a good time." Jade snapped.
"It's never a good time for you." He shot back. "Sorry, it's just, you've been so moody lately. We're back together. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you'd let me in."
"How?" Jade asked. "I've told you everything..."
"Really?" Beck shot back. "Then why can't I think of a single reason you've shut me out?"
"It's complicated." Jade tried.
"Complicated?" Beck shot back. "Tell me how it's complicated. If you can't tell me what's bothering you, then give me what you can. I'm trying to be your boyfriend. Boyfriends help their girlfriends."
"Like you help Tori?" Jade asked.
"There's nothing between me and Tori." Beck repeated.
"For once, thats not what I mean." Jade said. She was too upset to be sarcastic. She took a deep breath. "There are some problems you can't solve."
"Like?" Beck pushed.
"Like mine." Jade said.
"Jade, this is bothering you." Beck pointed out. "More then normal. Do you want me to call Cat? See if she can come over?"
"Cat would be useless in this situation." Jade said, almost as much to herself as her boyfriend.
"Then Tori..." Beck started.
"NO!" Jade cut him off. "Not Vega. Not now, not ever." Jade forced herself to take another breath. "Look, Beck, I know you want to make things better. But this isn't something you can help me out with."
"How would you know?" Beck said, just a touch angry. "It's not like you let me try. C'mon, Jade, let me in. Tell me whats bothering you. Maybe if you talk about it, even a tiny bit, it'll help."
"No!" Jade said flatly.
"I'm coming over." Beck announced.
"Beck, no!" But it was too late. The phone was dead. Jade paced in her room, debating with herself. She looked at her phone. The one she never threw, because she couldn't afford to. The one with the special transceiver in it.
Jade's hand unconsciously went to her special ring. She fingered the ring, the one she wore on the chain around her neck. The one her brother had given her. The one she was never far away from. Jade rolled that ring in her hand as she debated her next move. "Fuck it." She said as she opened her contacts and hit the button marked "Dad"
The phone rang, and rang, until his voice mail picked it up. Just like it had the last fifty times she'd called. She didn't leave a message. Instead, she called her grandmother, trying to get through. But like her father before her, the phone rang and rang, until she was shunted to voice mail. "Gran, it's Jade. Please call me. I need to know you're all right. I saw what happened in London, on the news. Please tell me that whatever it was, it didn't come anywhere near you."
Jade hung up, feeling defeated. She'd tried everything to get in contact with her grandmother, or her father. But after what she'd seen, with Thor fighting that giant black ship, she was worried for her family. Somehow she'd had a bad feeling ever since she'd seen the story. Clearing her mind, the way she'd been taught, Jade tried once again to pierce the veil and touch her grandmothers mind.
"She's dead." The voice startled her, causing her to jump and reach for her hidden pair of scissors. But a moment later she was back in control, by then recognizing the voice. Jade looked over her shoulder to see her brother standing there. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you. I..." He couldn't form words.
"Nari...?" She said, trying to process what happened. 'How'd he find me...?' She wondered. "How..?"
"The dark elves. The slew Frigg, Gran, and then dad died seeking revenge. They say he died a hero, fighting beside our uncle." Her brother, Nari Lokison, informed her.
Jade fell into tears. Her brother didn't move to hold her, confirming what she thought. 'Just a projected image.' Jade didn't allow herself to think beyond that, letting her grief at their loss consume her. 'I'll never speak to Gran again? Or win dad's approval? I'll never...' The pain burned her soul, causing her to drop to the floor.
"Jade, drop the ring, let me find you, and I can take you away from this place." Nari said. "With Gran gone, you need someone to teach you..." Since her family had moved a couple of years ago, partially to avoid her father trying to use her for some scheme, only her grandmother had known where she was. Then, after the whole New york disaster, they'd made staying out of her fathers sight a priority.
"NO!" Her voice shook the home. The anger and fury was palatable. "I have the training computer Gran sent me, I can learn fine without you."
"The computer I built?" Nari asked. "I'm the technomancer, remember. I built it, like I built the one before. Gran, as much as I loved her, was as hopeless at building or maintaining stuff as the rest of them."
"And what?" Jade seethed. "You want credit? Gran's dead. Dad's dead. And no one thought to tell me."
"I only found out a little while ago." Nari's voice was distant, hurt. But he was a lot older then Jade, and far better at dealing with his pain. When your father is so intent on winning his fathers love that he forgets his own children, you learn to adapt.
"Nari..." She squeaked.
"I'm not alone, Jade." He said. "I have friends. They look out for me. I can help you, if you let me. It's time to drop this mortal guise and come home."
"They ended your exile?" Jade asked.
"No, but they will." Her brother said. "Uncle has abdicated the throne. I'm next in line."
"And then me." Jade said, starting to suspect something. "So, are you telling me this because you're afraid they'd never put an exile like you on the golden throne?"
"No." He said, his voice low. Jade could never read him, but she knew there was more to his story then he was letting on. It was his idea to hide her, give her as normal an upbringing as possible before introducing her to Asguardian culture.
"The other possibility is you're hoping to use me as regent or something. To watch the throne until you get bored of gallivanting around the universe." Jade said, softly. "So, if you don't know where I am, then how'd you find me?"
"You reached out." Her brother said. "I just tuned in to your frequency. You're getting better. In no time, you'll be able to initiate contact all on your own. Let me help teach you sorcery."
"You're as good as gran?" Jade asked. She was a bit surprised.
"No." He replied. "Dad was, but he's gone. I could find you someone... Maybe..."
"Give me a way to contact you on the phone." Jade said. "When I'm ready, I'll give you a call."
"Jade..." He said. But he sent her the information, where she could pick up the code that would let her modified cell phone contact him. 'One of these days, I'll find out why she insisted it look like fruit.' He thought. "Jade, when your ready. Please, you're hurting. Let me help."
Jade smiled, despite the pain she was feeling. All the plotting and scheming he'd learned from their father, and now he was just like her, reaching out for whatever family he had left to find some comfort. "Nar, I need to go now. I have to... I don't know. Just, go. I'll call when I'm ready." She looked in the cold green eyes of her brother, and felt the love. "Just, let me arrange contact. And Nar."
"Yes?" He said. She could tell his heart was hurting too.
"I love you. I just, you know, I have a life here." Jade finished.
"I've told them about you." Nari said. "Out of love, I've told grandfather. When you're ready just remove the ring, get away from it, and call out for Heimdall. He'll open the portal for you. Or call me, and I'll do it."
"Thanks." Jade said. "For respecting me enough to tell me, and for giving me the choice. And please, take care of yourself."
Nari felt the connection lessening. He knew, once Jade realized she was doing it, that she'd figure out she could sever the connection as well. But he wasn't done yet. He hadn't been able to get around the sorcery he'd placed in her ring. The same spells that would protect her from Heimdalls sight. He'd almost gotten to the point where he could get a house number, or some visual clue to find her. Instead he saw Beck, the boy she'd been dating, walking up the path to her front door. Using the last of his fading connection to this world, Nari Lokison reached out and opened the door.
Beck walked in to find Jade crying in her room. "Jade, are you okay?" He asked. He knew it was a stupid question, but when dealing with people who are hurting you sometimes need something to open the conversation. Jade may well glare at him, but it would allow her to acknowledge his presence.
Instead of the glare, Jade stood up and rushed into his arms. "She's gone." Jade said. "My grandmothers gone."
"What happened?" Beck asked. "Wait, you can tell me later. Does your mother know?"
"I just found out..." Jade said, allowing her pain to overcome her. Real tears of loss rained from her, threatening to wash away everything else.
"Jade, please..." Beck said. "Look, I'll take care of telling her, when she gets home. Just let me hold you. It won't make things better, but maybe tonight I can be strong for you, and you can feel safe to cry."
He held her, letting Jade cry out her pain. He just held her, letting her know it was okay to cry, and that he'd be there for her. "Just cry it out." He said.
~~~Six months ago~~~
Jade's mother Ann (Short for Angrboda, but almost no one around her knew that) was adjusting into their new home. Her current husband, Richard, was in the back yard of the house. Ann was impressed that this move turned out to be a good thing. She'd commented to Jade, more then once, that running from one's own son was a usually a bad thing. Nari, however, was the exception. She felt it safest to stay away from her and Loki's first child as long as possible. The boy had proven to be quite adaptable. Of course, she'd heard about the things he'd done, built, under his alias, Adam Warlock. His reputation was spread across half the known races in the galaxy. Some of it was very impressive. Other things gave even her nightmares.
It was one of the reasons she'd agreed with Frigga when the latter had suggested hiding Jade for a while. Jade deserved a relatively normal childhood, an almost impossibility given who her parents were. After all, how many people could she have met with a two hundred year age gap between siblings.
"Jade, get moving. You don't want to be late." Ann called out.
Jade rolled her eyes. It was a Friday. But by agreement, she had now started visiting with her fathers side of the family. She stopped to look out back at her step father and his son, her half brother Ritchard. A smile temporarily spread on her lips. Then she let go, and started walking to her car.
"Right. See you tomorrow, Mom." She called out. Once she was in her car, she drove out to the out of the way place where she'd be making the unsupervised visit. Jade wasn't crazy about the unsupervised part, but understood that someone skilled enough, like her brother, or grandfather, could potentially track her connection, despite the rune she still wore around her neck. No, far better to disguise her location, not give them anything more then the minimum. So she drove, and drove, over two hours, to San Diego. One there, she found the cheap hotel her mother had contacted, and walked to the office.
"Hi, Jade West." She said.
"That supposed to mean something to me?" The man working there said. He looked at her, and immediately she felt uncomfortable. His smile suggested he had ideas of what he'd like to know about her.
"I thought I'd reserved a room." Jade said. She understood this kind of place might not be organized enough to check their own reservations. 'I guess I won't shed a tear if this guy is ripped apart.' She decided. Not that her family was that cruel, but they had a lot of enemies who might. Also, the warriors of the golden realm weren't too good at prisoners. One of them trying to recover a princess might do who knows what.
"Oh, how fancy, a reservation." He said, looking behind the desk. "Here it is. I gave that room away already. You snooze, you lose." He mocked. "I could find you something, I suppose..." The pause wasn't reassuring. "If you did something for me."
Jade turned on her heals and walked out. She knew enough not to deal with this loser. "Wait, we have open rooms!" He called after her. Jade was already gone.
"Sorry creep." Jade called back. "You snooze, you lose. I saw a comfort inn a ways back. I think they cost about the same, and they provide breakfast."
Normally, Jade would have stayed in this place due to the flop house like nature of it. It was generally easier to get the room in a flop style house. Flop houses tended to not ask questions, and respect her privacy. But she didn't put up with creeps. Instead she finished the drive to the much more inviting establishment. Of course, she'd been worried about being molested on her way into and out of the other hotel, but she had learned how to extend the field of the rune ring she wore so that people she wasn't addressing wouldn't take a second look at her. Her car was in more danger, but now that she was putting that trashed hotel behind her, she didn't have to worry about it either.
Jade found the inn, and saw the vacancy sign. She walked in to the front desk, and prepared to bluff her way in. "Hi, I was driving home from visiting family, and I'm just not going to make it. My car needs an adjustment before I hit the highway again. Mechanic said they'd have the part tomorrow."
"Don't need your life's story." The man behind the desk said. "Just a major credit card."
"I'm seventeen." Jade informed him.
"I see." The clerk said. "Now I understand the explanation. Is there an adult we can contact? It's just, you have to sign a contract to stay, and until you're eighteen..."
"If I didn't open my mouth?" She asked.
"We still need to see a valid ID." He replied. "And we wouldn't be able to let you stay without a valid, legal signature on a contract. So, give me a someone I can call, and I'll see what I can do."
Jade sighed. That was the other reason for using the flop house. They take cash, and don't ask too many questions. 'Then again, I don't want to be incapacitated that long with a creeper like him around.' Jade decided. "Okay, try Ann Bodie at this number." Jade said. "She's my mother."
"Different last name I see." The clerk said as he dialed the number.
"She remarried." Jade said. Adding "Dad's dead."
"You have my condolences." The clerk replied before talking with Ann. He took her credit card number and ran it, checking her listed age. "Okay, if you just go to the websight, no mam, I know it sets a future date, but we need your signature, even if it's electronic... Thats right, just fill in the information and hit agree... And... YES! Thank you mam, I hope your daughter has a pleasant evening." He hung up the phone, and looked at Jade. "Here's the key, room two twenty nine. Your mother requested a room with as much privacy as possible. I can understand that... So just up the stairs and turn right. You should have no trouble finding it. Breakfast is from six to nine, in that room over there." He pointed. "Have a nice stay."
"Thanks." Jade replied. 'Damn it, I'm not too okay with him dying.' Jade thought to herself. But she was able to placate her guilt by reminding herself that he probably doesn't live here.
Once up the stairs and down the hall to her room, Jade was able to let herself in, put her suitcase on the holder, and get comfortable. She relaxed, letting her mind flow, and projecting it across space to the golden realm. Her image formed in the great hall. Odin was waiting, along with Thor. They both smiled as she started her next visit. Once per month, she'd make an excursion like this to visit them. They'd both expressed an interest in having her physically visit, but she wasn't ready for that yet.
The next morning Jade came out of her trance with an hour to spare before the breakfast buffet was over. She'd have another hour before checkout. 'Nar wasn't there, but maybe thats a good thing. And Thor inviting me to visit in new York? I know he's trying to help, but really...?' Jade told herself. She pulled out her phone, calling home. "Hi dad. Yea, it's done. I'll be home in a bit. Breakfast, then a hot shower, await. Tell mom I love her. Yea, see you soon. Bye." She smiled. That was the family that loved her, didn't see her as a dangerous freak. Stretching, she started the process of going home.
~~~Three weeks ago~~~
"Okay Cat, there's a reason your here." Jade said. "I have something to tell you, and I know it's gonna make me sound crazy, but I just need you to stop and listen. Okay?"
"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Cat asked.
"Cat, please." Jade said, trying not to back out of this. "I think I might be having, I don't know, feelings for Vega." Jade exhaled, only to quickly add "Tori, not Trina. Gods, what would you be thinking of me if I said I was crushing on that talentless looser?"
"Pretty much the same thing I'm thinking now." Cat replied. "Look, Jade, if I didn't freak out when you told me about being Thor's niece, or that your mother was some kind of solidified energy being, then I'm not gonna freak out when you tell me you might be gay."
"I'm still amazed you believed me." Jade said, smiling at her best friend. 'It's a true mark of friendship when you need someone to believe you, and they give you a chance.' She thought, looking at Cat.
"Honestly, I didn't." cat said. "Not at first. But your my friend. I wanted to, and when you showed me the weird toys you have, I just thought wow, maybe she's telling the truth."
"Yea, but you do understand." Jade said. "I can't remove the ring and show you what I can do, cause I don't know what I can do. I've had a lot of training, sorcery and fighting and even some tech, but none of it can prepare me for actually having the powers, or strength."
"And your visits with your family, they've been going well?" Cat asked.
"I've been seeing my uncle and grandfather every month, and my brother a couple of time in there. For each visit, we've limited it to projections, kinda like skype, but with my mind. I really can't risk what might happen to you guys if they found me." Jade said.
"One thing I've been wondering about." Cat said.
"What?" Jade asked. She had to be wary. Cat could be talking about something that happened on a TV show last night, or she could have a question that would effect Jade's next move in this getting to know you game she was playing with her family.
"Adam knows about Beck, right?" Cat asked.
"Yea?" Jade said.
"He's also good with technology, right?" Cat continued.
"You think he knows where Beck lives?" Jade asked, now worried.
"I was just thinking he might have been following your breakup on the slap, but that tracks too." Cat said.
Jade's phone was in her hand, and she was calling her brother. "Jade, look, this isn't a good time. I'm kinda in the middle of something. Can I call you back?"
"Do you know where I am?" Jade asked.
"I've respected your privacy." Came the reply
"So you never used one of your gadgets to spy on me, or maybe find out what I've been up to?" Jade asked.
"Jade, please, we can talk about this later." Nari snapped. "Right now, I'm on break, but the Kree are expecting me to help repair this ship, and I can't be on the phone in a secure facility. So please, let's sort this out later. Okay?"
"Okay." Jade said. "Bye, I love you."
"I love you too, baby girl." He said, and then the line went dead.
"Okay, he was busy." Jade informed her friend.
"And he so knows where you are." Cat added. "I mean, lets think about it. He built you a phone that can get reception anywhere, lets you speak to hims across the Galaxy, and has unlimited texting. The man can do anything."
"Yea, I just wish I'd have brought this phone when we were trapped in Beck's RV." Jade joked.
"Or you could have removed that ring, and maybe opened the door." Cat replied.
"That RV must have weighted ten tons." Jade said, glaring at her friend.
"And your mother said your brother could have knocked that rig a dozen yards." Cat said. "What, I talked to her. I'm friendly, and you let me in on the family secret. I'm already enjoying watching what your brother Richie, the half human one, can do. Did you know he can fly?"
"Adam can fly." Jade replied.
"All your mom's kids can fly." Cat chirped in. "Now listen up. You're gonna talk to your family, and we're gonna see about visiting them over semester break. You hear me?" cat said.
"We're?" Jade asked back.
"Sam's going to Seattle to visit her mother and sister." Cat said. "No babysitting that week. I just figured, it'd be nice to have a friend along. Why don't you make the call, and we can see about a nice vacation."
"Okay, I'll call." Jade said. "Cat, you know you'll be the weakest thing there."
"I'm not planning on getting into a fight." Cat said, as if that was the answer. "And once your past that, we can tackle this crush you have on Tori."
Jade smiled. 'It's nice to know I'm one of the few people she cannot keep a secret from.' Jade thought. 'Or that if she did tell, no one would believe her.' Then to Cat, "Okay, we head out right after Sikowitz's play." Jade said.
Cat, meanwhile, was thinking 'I just hope they don't hurt her. Adam would be so wazzed.'
~~~Three minuts ago~~~
"Curtains up in three minutes" Sikowitz called to the cast and crew. It was going to be a crazy night at the Harrison theater.
:}
Explanation time. Jade's family includes the Asgardians, who despite the best efforts of marvels movies, have to have some heavy mysticism in them with the weapons they use and the abilities some of them have. Not to mention what Thor did in "Age of Ulton." It's also possible her mother has some mystic capacities. Lets not even bring up how Odin was able to make Thor human for a while way back in Thor.
Speaking of her mother, with the Retcon of Thano's, I had to comer up with my own version of the Eternals, one of Marvels more amusing racial creations. Jade, like her brother, is a hybred with the best of both worlds. She can fly, project her energy enhance life force as bolts of power, and learn to do all kinds of other things with that power.
As for her fighting, as you can see she's had fight simulators, using advanced technology, for a long time. After all, as you recall, Thor was able to take out multiple S.H.I.E.L.D. agents while trying to recover his hammer, to the extent that Coulson commented his level of training. Thats why she could fight when she and Andre faced off. And since the Asgardians are warriors, she was taught to fight to win. She wasn't good enough to have been taught to take an opponent alive, something that requires more skill.
Lost of explanation, but this needed it. One other note, I had Nari take on the name Adam Warlock because in marvel, the Adam Warlock was an essential enemy of Thanos. This added just a taste of continuity to the story, even if the two characters are so very different.
Also, I wrote this first. It was my first idea of a crossover. All the others came from trying to make Jade's bloodline work. So... Review?