Chapter 2. The Sky With No Clouds

Ma sat meditating in the hidden garden of the Sanctuary, trying to make contact with her adopted daughter Jade without success. They had argued about whether they should stay in the safety of the Sanctuary or try to make it to the Bunker, where the Heroes were. Ma called them Heroes remembering how they had stopped that Thanos guy from killing everyone after he had killed half of all people the first time. Ma had been able to sense and stop the Snap from happening to her, Jade and Ben but Jade's husband Seth had been on a foraging expedition in the Badlands and had never returned. At the time they had thought he disappeared in the Snap but when the Heroes reversed it five years after the Snap and Seth didn't return Ma knew it was something else. A year after Thanos was defeated for good the Others came. Life became a struggle for everyone, even the Heroes. That's why Jade wanted to go on to the Bunker. She had found out what would kill the Others and she wanted the Heroes to know about it. The old woman decided to try one more time to reach Jade. Focusing on the talisman made of jade in her hand she pictured her daughter and sent her a thought.

"Jade, wake up," she thought.

There was nothing at first then she heard it, weak but alive. "Ma, I made it," thought Jade back to her. "I'm alive and in the Bunker."

"Rest Jade," said Ma. "Get your strength. Ben and I are safe. We will wait for you. Take your time."

Jade acknowledged the advice and her thoughts turned soft as she allowed herself to sleep. Ma could hear Jade's subconscious as she slipped into the sleep cycle. When the dream cycle started and it was a dream of the three of them playing she was satisfied and withdrew from Jade's mind. Her daughter was alive and with the Heroes.

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

Anthem by Leonard Cohen

Bruce watched his patient as he sterilized his instruments. She had stirred briefly about an hour previously and he thought she would waken but he realized she had gone from unconsciousness to sleeping. It was confirmed when he noticed the rapid eye movement behind her eye lids. Thank goodness Bucky had cleaned her up. He wouldn't have noticed the REM with all the crusted dirt on her eyes. Her colour was better, proof that the broad-spectrum antibiotic had done its work and was battling the poison that most Other wounds often had. She must have been terrified to come through the Badlands alone. The fact the Others may have followed her into the Badlands was an indication to him that she was important. The Others weren't stupid. They didn't go where there wasn't water. It's why the Bunker was built where it was, in the middle of the desert next to the Badlands of New Mexico. Once a connection had been made that the Others liked water most survivors had found ways to isolate their water supplies to keep them hidden from the aliens. Until this strange woman woke up Bruce wouldn't know why she came through the Badlands nor why the Others were after her.

He wished Wanda was here. She could gently probe the woman's mind while she slept. But she was on leave, having slipped into a depression on the anniversary of Vision's death. He felt compassion for her as he also struggled on the anniversaries of Natasha's death. Wanda and Vision at least had declared their love and had been able to have a physical relationship. He hadn't ever really told Natasha how he felt and had run when she tried to push the relationship further. To the end of his days he would always regret that. He heard a small groan and he jumped out of his chair, coming to the bedside. He checked her IV and when he looked at her again her eyes were open and she was looking at him.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm Bruce. What's your name?"

"Jade," she said in almost a whisper. "Am I in the Bunker? I need to see the Heroes."

"You're in the Bunker," he replied, noting her name fit her eye colour. "By Heroes I hope you mean the Avengers. They're here waiting to talk to you. Do you feel up to it?"

Jade nodded and Bruce helped her sit up a bit. He gave her a glass of water which she drained. She looked down and saw the scrubs top and bottoms.

"Where's my tank top?" she asked. "And my jacket and pants."

"Your jacket and pants are on the chair," he motioned to the chair near her bed. "They're pretty dirty so we'll wash them and get them back to you. We had to cut your tank top off. I'm sorry but when we cleaned you up we saw you without clothing but the man who washed you is a good guy. He won't say anything to anyone else about what he saw."

She got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment. "The long haired man with blue eyes," she said. "He's sad."

Bruce nodded. "His wife and baby son died last year," he replied. "He is sad."

"You saw my tattoo then," she said. "I'm not with them. They ran me out of the commune when I was a child. Said I was cursed. Ma found me in the Badlands and adopted me. I was married but Seth disappeared in the Snap and never returned. My son, Ben, is with Ma in the Sanctuary. We have to get them out of there. It won't be safe much longer. The Others have big plans."

Bruce looked at her. "How did you know I was going to ask those questions?" he asked.

"It's my curse," she said. "It's why the Children of Adam cast me out when I was six years old."

"How old are you now?" asked Bruce.

"Thirty-one," she said. "Can you call the one who found me and the long haired one. The dog can come as well. You stay, too. You're nice."

Bruce went to the intercom on the wall and called Steve and Bucky. Said the woman was awake and wanted to talk but only to them and to him. He added "bring the dog" to the conversation. A few minutes later they walked in and she smiled at them. Bruce made the introductions.

"Thank you for finding me and bringing me here," she said to Steve.

"Thank you for alerting your master," she said to Buddy, who jumped up and put his paw in her hand.

"Thank you for cleaning me so well," she said to Bucky. "You did a good job on my hair. I've already explained to Bruce that you don't have to worry about the tattoo. They cast me out when I was six years old. In their eyes I was cursed. But Ma, that's my adopted mother, found me in the Badlands and took me in. She calls it a gift because she has one as well. She's listening right now as we talk. My son Ben is with her. He doesn't have a gift except he's my son and I love him."

She stopped speaking, looking at the three men expectantly. They were all a bit taken aback by her style of speaking but Steve cleared his throat.

"Why were you in the Badlands?" he asked.

"Trying to get away from the Others," she said. "They followed me in aways and were able to wound me. They knew I had important information for you and were trying to stop me."

"Where are Ma and Ben?" asked Bucky.

"They're in the Sanctuary," she said. "It's on the other side of the Badlands and Ma has been able to hide it from the Others. They know it's there somewhere but they can't see it. Would you like to see it?"

She put her hand out to Bucky and he touched it. He immediately had a vision of an oasis in the desert. An older woman with blue eyes and white hair sat and smiled at him. When Jade let his hand go the vision disappeared.

"Don't be sad for Lily," said Jade. "She knows you miss her and the boy. They watch you and hope you move on someday."

Bucky started breathing heavily and turned around leaving through the medical room door. Jade didn't seem bothered by it and turned to Steve. He excused himself briefly and stepped outside. Bucky was leaning against the hallway wall and when he turned his eyes to Steve, he looked haunted.

"She knew about Lily," he whispered. "How did she do that? How could she show me a vision of an oasis in the desert?"

"Did you get a sense she's dangerous?" asked Steve.

"No, quite the opposite," said Bucky. "She's an open book. I sensed no fear, or hate. The calm that emanates from her is ... indescribable. I'm a little shaken by it but I feel drawn to her."

"Come back in then," he said. "She asked for you so you must have made an impression on her."

Both men returned and she looked at them in her friendly way. She realized she had affected the long haired one and made a mental note not to share so much the next time they touched. She smiled to herself seeing them touching more in the future but she kept it to herself.

"You said the Others had big plans," said Bruce. "What plans?"

"They have built themselves ... exo-suits, that's a word, isn't it?" she asked. "Suits that provide them water in the desert and the Badlands. They're going to search those areas soon. They will find your Bunker. They want to kill you because you're the biggest danger to them right now. They know you defeated Thanos."

"Do you know when?" asked Steve.

"Hard to say," she said. "They are very difficult to read as they are a ... hive mind, a group consciousness. It's like listening to thousands of bees buzz in your head. There are many nests but they are connected to a queen. Their queen is well protected but she is the one who develops the strategy. I've heard the one near the Badlands occasionally. That's how I know they want to kill you. They want to kill me and Ma as well. Because we can hear them."

"Do you know how to stop them?" asked Bucky.

She turned to face him and he saw the jade colour of her eyes fully for the first time. "Kill the queen," she said simply. "They can't function without her. You need me and Ma to locate her then you go in and be Heroes and kill the queen. If you can get the other Hero to come back ... the witch, we have a better chance to find the queen and kill her."

The three men looked at each other and stepped out into the hallway together. No one said anything at first.

"That's the plan," said Bucky. "Find the queen, kill the queen."

"Sounds reasonable when you say it that way," said Steve.

"No it doesn't," exclaimed Bruce. "What kind of plan is that? You've fought the Others before. It takes a lot to kill just one. You'll have to go through thousands to get to the queen and she's going to be a hell of a lot stronger than an ordinary Other. It's suicide."

"Then we need a better way to kill an Other," said Bucky. "We need to capture one and bring it here. Study it, determine its weaknesses and then exploit that to get to the queen."

"Hive mind," said Bruce. "They will know where it's being held and attack."

"Unless we can suppress the connection," said Steve, looking through the window on the medical room door at Jade as she sat there with her small smile.

Steve walked in while Bruce and Bucky followed. Before he could say anything she looked right at him.

"That's a good idea," she said. "We should be able to suppress their link to the queen. But again, it would work better if you could bring the witch hero."

"Wanda," said Bucky. "Her name is Wanda."

"Gotcha," said Jade. "Thank you, Bucky."

Bucky smiled at her despite any misgivings he had about her. Her reading of his mind for his name again was almost imperceptible but he was sure that wasn't the only thing she had looked at. Strangely, he didn't feel violated or exploited. She had even shared something with him; an image, ever so fleeting, of them kissing. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

"Jade," said Bucky. "You want us to get Ma and Ben first. Where is the Sanctuary?"

"I can show you on a map," she said. "But it's better if I take you as the way is confusing. Ma will keep it hidden until we get there. Once she stops hiding it, we're all in danger from the Others. Wanda really needs to be in on the rescue. Having her can make all the difference. Do you want me to contact her?"

"No thank you," said Bruce. "We'll do that. She might not come."

"She misses him," said Jade. "I missed Seth for a long time so I understand. Tell her that." She yawned. "I'm tired and I'm going to nap. Can Buddy stay with me?"

She looked at Steve, knowing that Buddy was his dog. When he said yes she looked at Buddy and he jumped up onto the bed with her, laying beside her. She laid on her side with her arm around the dog, closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep within minutes. Steve and Bucky left Bruce there to watch over her. As they walked down the long hallway both men were thinking of the odd but compelling woman they had just talked to. She had risked her life in one of the most dangerous areas in the country to reach them. Her manner was simple and open, but she had a gift that had terrified a community enough to cast her out when she was a child. When they reached the common room they looked at each other. They were going to call Wanda.