Chapter 11

Everyone stared at Jessica. Her wings spread out across her back, completely covering Nathan out of sight. The grey on her wing tips were clearly visible and slowly starting to creep up the rest of her feathers, inches at a time. There was a small smile on her face as she looked directly at Captain Marvel.

"I can't let my only daughter run off with some Earthling. They aren't worthy of a Moon Angel. That's why I got Nathan dear to come and marry her." revealed Jessica. The conqueror turned towards the Queen and said, "You used me!?"

"Yes, Nathan dear, I did. Just be sure that you'll still get the rewards you seek. Let me handle this and you'll be fine," she said to calm him down. Nathan took a step back, not taking his glaring eyes off her.

"Mother…" said Viviane from behind Marvel as she pointed at her mother's wings. Jessica glanced at the grey and stepped back in horror.

"My wings!!!" she screamed as she grabbed her grey feathers "MY WINGS!!! Oh, no! Look what you did, you Earthling!!"

"I didn't do anything…" said Marvel. She pointed a finger at him and said, "It was you! You're the one putting me through all this stress!!"

"It wasn't my fault, Jessica. I'm just trying to reason with you," Marvel said.

"It's you! It's you! You made me like this! You and your damned…damned…lightning!!!"

"Made you how??" asked Marvel.

"Jessie, what's the matter?" asked Nathan.

"He made me OLD! Look at my wings!!!" yelled Jessica. Marvel looked back at Viviane, who looked back at him.

"But what does that have to do with Viviane?" Marvel asked. Jessica looked back at him and grinned.

"She's so beautiful…and powerful…and young…" said Jessie, her voice wavering a bit.

"Wait…what are you saying, Jessie?" asked Nathan.

"I need her here…so I can be her…" Jessica said, reaching a hand out to Viviane.

"BE her?" asked Marvel. "Are you saying…that you want her body for yourself?"

Jessica smiled. "Of course! Why do you think I had her in the first place?" Viviane eyes widened.

"So…you never wanted me…just because you wanted a daughter…" said Viviane, the tears once again swelling up inside her.

"My grandmother grew to an incredible age. I saw that pain she went through and I promised myself I would never let myself be like that," said Jessica.

"But how can you take over my body, Mother? There's no known spell that could do that permanently!" argued Viviane. Jessica looked down at her graying wings and looked back at them.

"It took my remaining soul and mind to figure out the forbidden dark spell to know how, but I figured it out. Oh yes, I did." she said with a cracked smile.

"And Nathan…?" Marvel asked. Jessica turned to him and smiled. "He would be the perfect husband for Viviane…or me, that is,"

"I'd be marrying you instead of Viviane, then," said Nathan. Jessica nodded. "Isn't just romantic, Nathan?? I was going to wait for after, but I guess I would be lucky to have another wedding!"

"There's not going to be a wedding, Jessica. Not anymore. I'm tired of being used by you. I expected to marry your daughter and have my new planet, but you and your games are just sickening," said Nathan.

"But you get your bride…and your planet! We just need-

"No!" interrupted Nathan "That's enough. There's something wrong with you. Get it fixed before I report this to my father!" he said. Jessica nodded and said, "Nathan…please…don't make me do this…"

"Do what?" he asked. Suddenly, Jessica waved his hand over him and covered him in gray light. A loud noise came from Nathan, as if lava was quickly hardened into rock. Nathan stood in his previous position; he had been turned to stone. Jessica sneered and turned back to the two.

"He didn't want to marry me," she shrugged.

"Jessica…no, how could you!?" asked Marvel. The Queen smiled at him.

"I'm the Queen and I can do whatever I want! Including this!" she yelled. She raised her hand and blasted the statue of Nathan into thousands of pieces. Viviane screamed. Marvel pushed her back; he himself shocked at what he had witnessed.

"You killed him!" he said.

"Yes, I did. A small price to pay to get my youth back," she said, taking a step towards them.

"Jessica, everyone gets old. It's a natural part of life that you can't change. We will all go through it someday," said Marvel.

"I will not die! I will stay young for all eternity, Earthling!" she said in her ever increasing distorted voice.

"Mother, you need help!" said Viviane, coming out from behind Marvel "Let us help you. You can figure out what's bothering you!"

"Quiet, Viviane. I have things under control. I will not die…like my mother and father did. How they died…" she turned to look at Captain Marvel "…by lightning."

Captain Marvel widened his eyes. "You killed my mother and father!" screamed Queen Jessica as half of her wings suddenly went gray.

"Listen to yourself! You're not making any sense!" he pleaded with her.

"I won't let you get away with it!" yelled Jessica as she blasted him towards the temple wall.

"Billy!" yelled Viviane. Jessica slowly approached her.

"Viviane…just think of it…you…and me…together forever as mother and daughter!" said Jessica, growing even more incoherent. Viviane backed away and said, "I thought you didn't want a daughter…"

Jessica then widened one eye, her wings turning full gray. "You little brat!" yelled the Queen as she punched her daughter to the ground.

"I'll make you a prisoner in your own mind, Viviane! You'll see what a real princess is supposed to act like!" Jessica wrapped her hands around her daughter's neck and pressed down hard, effectively cutting off her air supply. Viviane whimpered, gasping for air. Then, a red blur grabbed Jessica from behind, slammed her against the ceiling and let her fall the twenty feet to the temple floor.

"Billy…" said a slowly recovering Viviane.

"Stay there, Vivi. I fear that your mother isn't defeated just yet," said Marvel, looking towards the direction of where Jessica had landed. There was no sign of the Queen there. The temple went silent for about a minute as the Captain looked around for any sign of the Queen.

"Billy, watch out!!" cried out Viviane. Jessica landed upon Marvel's back and latched her hands onto his head as she sent a powerful electric shock coursing through his body. Marvel cried in pain, stumbling over rubble and pews as he tried to dislodge Jessica off his head. The Queen laughed in pleasure, her yells of "DIE!" barely audible over the sound of the electricity arching into the superhero.

Suddenly, Marvel's arms caught Jessica's and, despite the powerful energy, flung her over his back and threw her into a nearby pillar.

"Stop…this, Jessica. We don't have to fight!" pleaded Marvel. Jessica looked at him and said, "I do!!" The Queen summoned a large beam out of her hand and struck Marvel, sending him into the wall.

"I'll kill you, Earthling. It's the only thing that will make me feel better. That and my eventual take-over of dear Viviane's body." said Jessica, looking down towards Viviane.

"Mother, don't hurt him! Please, leave him alone, I'll do anything you ask!"

"Too late, dear. All you can do is sit back and watch me kill your love!" said Jessica, bits of saliva dripping from her smiling mouth. Jessica levitated a large pew and slammed it into the downed Marvel. Once that pew was finished, she snagged another and smashed it again.

"I will not let you take me…lightning man…Damn the lightning!" babbled Jessica. Suddenly, Marvel rushed from the hole he was in, grabbed the floating pew and smacked Jessica with the pew, knocking her into the altar.

"Viviane…" said Marvel, helping Viviane up to her feet "I don't want to hurt your mother, but I think it's going to come to that. She's losing all touch with reality,"

"I know…But becareful, Billy, that's not my mother anymore…or is it really her?" questioned Viviane.

"Of course it's me, dear!" said Jessica, pushing away debris "I've always been your mother!" Captain Marvel blasted towards Jessica, his arm ready to give a final punch. Jessica sneered and raised her hand to the Captain. Four gold rings shot out from her hand and drew around Marvel. The rings then contracted and put the superhero in a bind.

"I'll squeeze the life out of you, Earthling…I won't let your lightning harm anyone…especially my daughter…" said Jessica, snapping her fingers. The rings contracted even more, digging into Captain Marvel's skin. He screamed in pain and fell over to the floor.

"So how does it feel, Earthling? How does it feel not being able to breathe and not being able to move? Painful, isn't it? I felt that pain…the pain of growing old…the pain of losing my parents…the pain of having a defiant child…" said Jessica, looking down on the choking superhero "but now everything will be fine. The lightning will be destroyed and I'll be young and healthy and powerful in my new body. The people will know that an Earthling killed the Queen and they will want revenge on the Earth. Soon, we will take it back for us Moon Angels!" Jessica stomped on Marvel's chest and kicked him in the face. Jessica laughed in triumph, her wings taking on a blacker tone.

Suddenly, a white blast slammed into Jessica and knocked her into the temple wall. As the dust settled, the Queen saw her daughter floating in the air; her wings stretched apart and her hands glowing with energy.

"I will not allow that type of behavior in my kingdom, Viviane!" barked Jessica.

"Mother, I can't sit around anymore. Either you will submit quietly…or else!" ordered Viviane.

"You can't hurt your own mother, dear,"

"You hurt Billy. My mother wouldn't do that,"

"I don't want to hurt you…your body, I mean." Jessica dusted off her dress and smiled. Viviane clenched her fists and flew at her mother, ready to strike.