Marvel Avenger's Academy

Part 28

Steve's face was stunned; he didn't believe what he just heard "S-Say that again please...It sounded like...Jess is a traitor..."

"She... had the HYDRA tattoo. On her back." Janet said, looking down

"I can't believe it..." Steve sighed rubbing his eyes

"Yea." Janet nodded

"How long? Could she have been a spy all this time?" Steve asked

"She was here before you...It...It might be possible but...Natasha's a spy." Janet answered

"But she's on OUR side." Steve answered "But...Maybe she's defected. We don't have any evidence that she's sent information to HYDRA."

Janet frowned at that, confused

"I'm just saying: if Jess is conspiring with HYDRA we need proof. We can't turn on her just based on the tattoo alone." Steve answered

"Steve. All Hydra agents have those tattoos. And Jess has NEVER revealed her back." Janet whispered, holding back tears

Steve didn't know what to say...He honestly didn't know what to do in this situation. Normally he'd fight HYDRA agents...But Jess was part of The Academy. She was a friend...And this made this all the more difficult.

But... she could have betrayed them. Or been betraying them from the moment she arrived

Damn it all...Could she even be trusted?!

Steve growled and slammed his head against the table

"Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea aren't we?" Janet frowned

"For lack of better words: yes." Steve groaned

"My... only idea is to expose her." Janet frowned

"I don't like it...But if it's the only way..." Steve sighed still pondering on the idea.

Janet nodded at that

"Where is she now? Because if we corner her she'll just get defensive. We need to let her know that she can talk to us." Steve thought

"Then lets go." Steve nodded as they left the Archives.

*At the Quad*

Jess was practising her gliding, she felt like she needed some fresh air.

"This is nice." She smiled

"Huh? What're you doing here?" Jess asked as she leaped back up to see Nebula spray-painting the Quad.

"What's it look like?" She rolled her eyes

"Like you're defacing the school?" Jess answered sarcastically

"This stuff doesn't last long anyway. It's just a venting process for me." Nebula answered as she leaped from the building to the floor to start spray-painting again.

"Venting?" Jess asked

"Being one of the most deadly women in the galaxy doesn't leave much for fun. So this "rebellion" stuff is my way to release the anger and have a laugh doing it." Nebula answered

"Ah." Jess nodded

"Jess. Can we talk?" Janet asked as she flew up with her Wasp abilities

"Yea, sure." Jess nodded

As the two flew down Janet landed next to Steve who looked serious.

"Err... what's wrong?" Jess asked

"We need to talk in private. It's important." Steve answered

Jess raised an eyebrow and shrugged "You can tell me here?"

"Alright..." Janet nodded feeling both ashamed and guilty "...I saw your tattoo..."

"W... what?" She asked innocently

"I saw...your tattoo..." Janet repeated

"Y-You saw...? When?" Jess's colour drained from her face.

"When we were together..." Janet answered honestly "Your shirt lifted up."

"And...you saw it from then." Jess bit her lower lip in worry "Is it...Just you two that know?" Jess asked

"For now." Steve nodded

"So...What are you going to do now?" Jess asked

"Talk." Janet said simply

"Okay...Okay I understand..." Jess sighed in relief, but she was worried how her friends would take this.

"Well?" Steve raised an eyebrow

"I WAS part of HYDRA..." Jess began to explain "But I couldn't stand their standards...So I defected to the Academy. And ever since...I've been trying to prove myself to you guys. I'm an Avenger!"

Janet looked at her oddly, unsure if she should believe her or not

"Janet...Have I EVER been against you?" Jess asked sincerely

"... I don't know." Janet whispered

"What do I have to do? Just tell me. I'm loyal." Jess answered

"I DON'T KNOW!" Janet yelled before she ran off crying

"Steve?" Jess frowned and held back tears

Steve looked down with a frown.

"F-FINE!" Jess cried and ran off in the opposite direction

'What to do?' he thought

*With Janet*

"D-Damn it all! G-God!" She cried running into the Avenger's dorm

She lay on her bed, punching the bed again and again

"Why, why, why, WHY?!" She cried flopping in anger into her bed

The last two days have been hell

And that doesn't include the Chitauri turning up.

She yelled once again, punching her pillows in anger

*With Jess*

Jess was no better she had run into Club Galaxy and continued to drink, even though it was non-alcoholic, she just wanted numb the ordeal.

She had already downed like eight to ten glasses

None of them were numbing the pain like alcohol...but it was somewhat working as she was crying on the bar sitting on a stool.

"Jess?" Pepper asked as she walked over

"*sniff* P-Pepper?" Jess asked, her tears still flowing "Here to take me away?"

"What are you talking about?" She frowned

"Didn't Steve tell you?" Jess cried sarcastically thinking that Pepper knew what was going on

"No. What?" Pepper frowned

"That I'm Ex-HYDRA...That I defected...Cause I didn't want to be part of a genocide racist group..." Jess sniffed as she drank into her drink

"Fury and I already knew that." Pepper shrugged

Jess did a spit-take and turned to her "WHAT?! You already knew that?!"

"Of course." She nodded

"Th-Then why didn't you say anything?!" Jess panted in fear and sadness

"We didn't see a reason to." She shrugged "And it wasn't our secret to tell."

Jess couldn't believe it...She was trusted by Fury and Pepper, but how could she look her friends in the eyes and tell them what they knew?

She held back tears as she shook again

"I hope that isn't alcohol." Pepper spoke

"No...I think it's water or something..." Jess sniffed "You know we can't get alcohol."

"You never know if someone is rum-running." Pepper answered

Jess shrugged at that, calming down

"I've royally fucked up..." Jess sighed "Janet saw my tattoo...and now she hates me. Steve's on my case...I don't know if I can be trusted anymore."

"They'll be fine. They'll get over it." Pepper smiled

"Janet...She's my friend...and...I hurt her...I didn't want it to...But I care for her." Jess sniffed

"Care for her?" Pepper asked with a small smile

"Like...Like as a friend...But...But maybe a bit more..." Jess exposed her soft side.

"Love her?" Pepper smiled

"Hmm...M-Maybe..." Jess blushed "But...I don't know if she feels the same. And this FUCKING TATTOO!" She began to tear up again

"Just tell her. Everything." Pepper said simply before patting Jess on the back and walking away

Jess sniffed as she downed her last drink "Why does life have to be hard?" she asked herself but then sighed aiming to go talk to Janet

She finished her last drink before she headed for the Dorms

*With Janet*

Janet was huddled under her quilt covers, just making herself not exist to the world

She had cried herself to sleep

As she was dreaming she imagined herself with her friends, but she also felt like someone was missing. A very good friend...but all she could see of this friend was a shadow.

That was when someone entered her room

She snorted lightly awake which she strained her eyes to open, hearing a voice call out to her through the quilt.

"Janet?" The voice asked

"Jess? Why're you here?" Janet asked normally then turned it to contempt.

"We... need to talk." She sighed

"Why? So you can embarrass me or the academy or something?" Janet asked

Jess frowned and set on the bed before hugging her

"L-Let me go..." Janet frowned as she popped her head from the covers.

"Listen to me." Jess cried "Please!"

"...One minute." Janet frowned

"Look... I... I left. I left HYDRA when I saw what it was like." Jess explained simply

Janet continued to listen, even though she didn't want to.

"I wised up...And I came here." Jess sniffed "And... I found you."

"Wh-What do you mean? "Found me"?" Janet asked looking up at her, here eyes still red and a little puffy

"I... well... realised I... well... like you more than a friend." She shrugged, blushing

"You...you like me MORE than a friend?" Janet asked

"Yes...I do." Jess nodded

Janet blinked in shock, blushing

"I...I know it's a lot to take in...But it's the truth." Jess answered

Janet frowned lightly, a bit confused

"I like you...A lot." Jess answered

"I... don't know what to say."

"Just...Don't say anything yet...Just take it as you see fit. But I couldn't hide it any longer." Jess added

Janet was silent... and then hugged Jess tightly, crying

"J-Janet?" Jess asked in concern hopefully that she was forgiven.

"I'm sorry." She cried

"It...it's okay...I'm sorry to." Jess answered hugging her close.

Janet sniffed before kissing Jess on the lips

"Hmm? Hmm..." Jess hummed in shock at this, but happily accepted it.

Her eyes closed behind her yellow tinted glasses as she wrapped her arms around Janet and held her close

To be continued

If you have any comments please leave them in reviews.