Rachel, Elizabeth, Dr. Strange and Lupe all stood floating in the air above New York well not really New York it was the New York in Janet's mind but New York none the less. They watched as Janet flew away from them towards the void in the sky line where her tower should have been. Rachel would speak first, "We are going to follow her right?"
Elizabeth nodded, "Of course we are."
Dr. Strange looked at the girls, "Just no helping her, this is the part of the battle she needs to do this one on her own."
Lupe looked at Dr. Strange, "at least one of you knows what is at stake."
Rachel was about to say something but Elizabeth stopped her, "I think we gave he enough of a lead."
Rachel nodded and turned to fly after Janet the others flying with her, "I will try and keep that in mind."
Janet looked at each side of her seeing large silver wasps circling around just above her there metal stingers shining in the sun. She rolled so she was flying with her back to the ground she began to fire her stingers. Each shot connecting with a wasp causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces and then vanish in a yellow light. She rolled back after all twelve wasps were destroyed she had to instantly fire of a flurry stingers as she came to a wall of silver wasps each hovering next to each other their stingers pointed right at Janet. She fired like crazy each one she took out was replaced by one around it. She banked hard to her right just before she would be skewered by the stingers and continued to shoot at them as she flew backwards hovering 20 feet from them. She had to break through them she had to out think her own mind her own traps ones that knew everything she was going to do before she did it. She began to fire her stingers rapidly hitting the wasp in far away from her watching them closely as they moved to fill in the spaces she made. She kept firing creating a large square cut out in the wall only to have it filled quickly but there was still a slight delay. She could use this she could make it her way in she took a deep breath and began to fire rapidly at the wall taking out a line of two wasps wide and creating a square it was then that she saw it. She flew forward firing her stingers at the wasp in front of her and bursting through the wall which closed up just behind her.
The group of Rachel, Elizabeth, Dr. Strange and Lupe arrived at the wall a minute after her Dr. Strange floated up to it, "I have this one." He clapped his hands together, "Munnopor's doors form and split open this wall. Grant us passage with the hands of demons lighting the way!" He opened his hands as he did a bright red line appeared down the center of the wall of wasps hundreds of glowing black hands launched out from behind his back sliding into the red line and pushing against the sides a second later the wasp were all pushed aside burning in black flames. Now in front of them was an opening in the wall, of silver wasps, at least a mile wide, "Let us follow my friends."
Janet stopped as she saw the empty lot that her tower should be in, "Come out and let's end this."
The voice from earlier spoke from above her, "Are you sure you can."
Janet looked up she was in shock, "you're me!"
"No you are me!" The woman was Janet well her face and body type was but everything elf was different. The woman had long auburn hair accent with strands of gold that reached almost to the bottoms of her shoulder blades. She wore a full sleeved gold colored shirt that matched seamlessly with her golden gloved. Cupping her breasts was black area of the shirt that wrapped around her as if she was wearing a black vest. Attached to the shirt was a short tight fitting golden skirt that faded out at the bottom to an almost invisible white. On her feet were gold boots with black wrapped around the shins but had a line of gold going up the middle to the gold band wrapping around the top. Beneath them she had a pair of solid black stockings that came up to mid thigh on the inside of the leg and just above the knee on the outside. Hanging off her shoulders was a black and gold shoulder cloak that draped just over her shoulders. On each of her wrists was a large metallic gauntlet like sleeve it hung out passed the width of her arms by a few inches. Across the top of it were six silver dots with black lines coming off them and wrapping around to the black underside. The rest of the gauntlets were gold except for the black pointed tips on either ends. Finally on her back were not two wings but six each beating rapidly as she stood at full height she had no need to shrink to grow wings. "Welcome to my mind!" The woman formed a fist and flew down striking Janet in the back and driving her down towards the earth.
Janet yelled as she was struck falling hard into the dirt she got up slowly coughing that one hit was powerful enough to shake her body to the core. "Who are you?"
The woman laughed, "If you are the Wasp I am the Queen." She hovered in the air, "The one who will be taking over for good."
Janet took off into the air firing her stingers at Queen, "This is my mind and my body I will not let you do that!"
Queen laughed and simply moved out of the way kicking Janet straight up once she was in range, "You will listen to your queen like a good little Wasp." Her hands began to glow as she fired stingers at Janet's body.
Janet curled up to protect her body taking the stingers in her arms and shins but being flung back by the pure force. "You are not my queen you are part of me!" She was hovering slowly drifting from side to side forcing herself to correct the flight so she could focus on Queen.
"Yes I am Janet I am the queen of your mind just see what I can do." Queen raised her arms in the air making two fists, "Fly my followers." The silver dots on her arms opened up as silver wasps flew out from them instantly flying towards Janet.
Janet began to fly away firing her stingers at them destroying one after another but was soon overwhelmed by them. They began to strike her one after another Janet yelling as she gripped her head. The stingers did hurt but it was not them that were making her yell and now begin to cry. Each wasp hit her and exploded blasting her with words and phrases she heard all her life ones that stung deeper than any wound.
The voices were rushing in taking over her world, "Are you sure she should be an avenger. All she does it get people killed. Does she really think those clothes look good? Did you see her hair? I think the world was better when they thought she was dead. Looks like she put on some weight. Just because she is rich she thinks she rules the world. Dam it Janet you're in the way! Janet get out of here we need to think. If only she had better powers. How can I follow a woman like her? She has always been a bit of a freak. Ugly!"
It was all those little insecurities that had built up over time that got her ones she thought she had put behind her. They just kept attacking her eating away at her confidence, "Stop it." Janet was falling towards the ground getting hit by more wasps more insecurities.
"Does she even belong with us? Her designs are so dated. Shhh don't laugh she will figure it out. She is only a hero because she is rich. She is such a slut. Stop it she might think we are friends if we keep talking to her. I guess money can buy anything even a life."
The queen was now standing over Janet who was shaking on the ground, "You see Janet I am the one who is needed not you. I can show these people what they deserve."
Janet looked up slowly with a smile flying right up at Queen striking her in the chin and sending her flying. "You think I can't handle all that myself." She fired her stingers, "I know I am not the strongest! Not the Smartest! Or am I the best looking! But I am me and that is what matters. Yes those things hurt me yes I felt pain from them but they do not define me!" She flew straight up, "You are the one who is hung up on them!"
"I was hoping to make you see reason and give in to me but I won't let you take charge and hurt us again!" She flew towards Janet releasing wasps on her way letting them fly out and surround them, "We will not be weak again!" Queen through a fist at Janet hitting her hard and sending her flying through the swirling wasp around them.
Janet was hit again with those dam insecurities but she had to fight through them like she did so many times. "I was never weak!" Janet fired her stingers rapidly at Queen as she flipped in the air and flew towards her. "I was always strong I always fought no matter what!"
"Then why did you brake why did you fall to them why did I have to take over." She charged towards Janet and began to fire her own stingers.
Just before they would strike head on they both flew straight up spiraling around each other as they fired their stingers. Each stinger hit the other and exploded in brilliant flashes of golden light across the sky. They soon reached their maximum height and rolled backwards diving straight down to the earth continuing their continuous onslaught of stingers. Inches from the ground Queen turned hard flying just above the ground. Janet however did a quick flip landing for a split second on her then kicking off the ground she flew up over Queen and fired her stingers into Queen's back.
Queen screamed as she hit the ground and bounced across it rolling hard before coming to a stop against a bus stop. She got to her feet slowly, "How can you keep fighting!"
Janet was already on top of Queen hitting her in the stomach and driving her through the bust stop and into a building, "Because I know what is at stake!"
Queen reached down grabbing Janet and tossing her aside before taking off to get some distance between them. "So do I!" She turned around and began to release the silver wasps again sending hundreds at Janet.
Janet had one choice and that was to push on she flew towards the river of wasps coming at her. Each sting producing a new saying to hurt her mind, "She cannot do this. She is just going to get herself killed. I bet she thinks she can really lead a team. You cannot do anything alone. If it wasn't for me you would be nothing!"
Janet fired her stingers in front of herself trying to get even a bit of a break from the voices, "If you did then why are you siding with the Royals!"
Queen was flying backwards trying to create more space more time for Janet to be attacked. "I am siding with the ones who will win I have chosen the stronger side."
Janet pulled out of the stream of silver wasp to get a chance to think, "They are not stronger than us we will win!"
"They are they captured us they tortured us they created a newer stronger you and you want us to go back to being the wasp we are so much more as Queen." She turned to look at the group who had helped Janet escape the control of the Choir Angel. "You see you couldn't even become free on your own you even relied on the help of the man who broke us!"
Janet closed her eyes, "Yes I did get help because that is what I needed I cannot use magic I cannot fight my own memories and track down the locks placed in them. As for Lupe he was needed to make sure it all went right and I am strong enough to push down my hatred and force myself to work with him because I know it is needed." She was now flying just above the stream of silver wasps being released from Queen's arms. Just like I am strong enough to fight beside the man who hurt me most and still care for him! I am strong enough to fight alongside those whose power we can only dream of having. I fight with them against those who could destroy our world in the blink of an eye those who can kill me without even thinking twice. Yet I am still here still fighting with them and they all still count on me!" She fired her stingers straight into the open silver holes on Queen's arms.
Queen screamed as smoke billowed out of the holes and she quickly dropped her gauntlets from her arms a second later they exploded. As the gauntlets vanished so did every silver wasp, "If they relied on you why do they keep you in the dark until the last moment." She fired her stingers at Janet who quickly dodge them, "If you are so strong why do you always count on them to rescue you! You couldn't even get out of the microverse on your own!" Queen flew forward stretching out her hand and arm she grabbed Janet and forced her hard into the ground. "Why do you let all those around you down? Why do the ones who follow you end up hurt?"
Janet fired her stingers into Queens's hand and causing her to let go and Janet could shrink more and slip away. "Because life is hard and not all decisions I make are perfect!" She grew in size back to about 5 inches and fired her stingers right into Queen's spine. "Yet I will go on I will keep fighting keeping coming back and being the true me! The true Wasp!"
Queen fell to one knee turning around to swat at Janet, "You are not the true Wasp I am!" She yelled and pulled her hand back as she felt Janet's stings hit her hand, "I will be the one to fight on! I will not have this world break me like it did us! I will protect us!"
Janet landed on the ground became full sized wrapping her arms around Queen, "Yes it broke us but we will come back but only if we are together."
Queen was crying now trying to push out of Janet's arms, "What are you doing!"
"What needs to be done I am accepting you and your strength." She smiled holding tighter and forcing Queen's face into her shoulder. "I know now who you are. You are my fears, my insecurities, my hatred and my darkness. Everything I have pushed down since I was child and hid behind a smile." She squeezed tighter, "And I accept you as part of me."
Queen was crying harder as her body began to shrink losing its mass to a golden light, "How can you accept me you have hated me for so long."
Janet smiled with tears in her eyes, "I never hated you Queen I feared you and used you to take on everything I didn't want to. I know now that it is wrong you are part of me and I need you to be with me."
Queen was now standing on Janet's hand smiling and sniffling, "You really need me?"
"More than anything else," Janet lifted the tiny Queen up and kissed her a second later Queen vanished into the golden light and wrapped itself around Janet. Janet turned to the group floating in the air with a smile, "I will see you outside." Janet formed wings on her back flapping them before taking off straight into the sky before exploding and creating a second sun in the sky this one shining brighter and taking over for the blue sun.
Rachel gasped as she came out of Janet's mind she was soon followed by Lupe Dr. Strange and Elizabeth. "Is it over?"
Lupe nodded, "yes it is. It was a bit of a letdown I was hoping for more of a fight at the end and more blood in her memories though seeing myself was nice." He walked towards Janet who was still chained to the chair, "I am glad I helped shape her life."
Rachel made a fist and threw it right at Lupe, "You bastard you have no right to say anything!"
Lupe simply stepped aside dodging the fist then striking Rachel in the back of the neck knocking the girl out, "You really should not attack close range without thinking."
Elizabeth jumped towards him forming her sword only to be blocked by a blue shield, "What are you doing Strange?"
Dr. Strange sighed, "We still need him. As much as that pains me to say I cannot undo some of the things wrong with Janet's body without his help." He turned to Lupe, "With the crimson bands of Cytorrak I collar you!"
Lupe coughed and fell to his knees lifting his hand up to his neck and touching a red line that had appeared on his skin, "What is this?"
"Insurance and a bit of revenge," Dr. Strange smiled, "You see if you do anything I feel is unnecessary or cruel the band will dig in and cut off your air for a few seconds. It will get longer each time you do something I do not like. I know you can't feel pain but I am sure you can still choke and gag and feel your mind slipping away from you." He turned to Elizabeth, "Take care of Rachel." He turned back to Lupe, "Now let shield in so we can get Janet taken care of."
Lupe got up and walked over the door stopping at his crate he grabbed a bottle from it and drank it quickly. The red band vanishing instantly, "I told you Strange your magic means nothing to me." He opened the door, "Try that again and I will let the world know what you have been hiding for years!" Lupe tapped the side of his head as 6 shield agents ran in one running back out to get a stretcher for Rachel.
Dr. Strange went quite for a minute before turning to the shield agents who were lifting Janet out of the chair, "Be careful with her and do not give her anything but saline and Naloxone"
Elizabeth helped the shield agents put Janet in the stretcher, "When I get Rachel in a room I will come to help you watch him." She watched as Janet was rushed out a second stretcher coming in and picking up Rachel. Elizabeth went with him, "Then we will all talk Maria when Janet is settled." Elizabeth followed the stretcher glaring at Lupe then at Maria as she came walking down the hall.
Maria stopped just outside the room with Lupe and Dr. Strange, "Let's go you two we need you to go over Janet and make sure she is okay."
Dr. Strange looked at Maria, "This is the last time you can call on me for help Maria after what you put Janet through I will gladly watch you and this agency burn."
Maria looked straight into his eyes and did not flinch, "I only did what was needed to get Janet back you can discuss everything on your mind with me later once Janet wakes up and we can all go over what happened." She turned to Lupe, "remember she needs to be back to normal before I give you what you want."
Lupe nodded, "Yes I know and I will make sure she is." He began to leave the room, "Come doctor we have work to do." Lupe walked down the hall as if nothing had changed in his life as if it was just another day in his world.
