Chapter 7. Contact
Warning: traumatic memories of child sexual abuse.
—
Ma, Wanda, and Jade did another practice session to lure one of the Others away from its nest. They pulled this one quite a distance to see how far before the sentries followed. As soon as they were out of visual range two sentries came looking for the wayward creature and they released him.
"Well, as long as we don't take them out of visual range of the nest we can take him quite a ways," said Ma. "How fast do they move at top speed?"
"About 30 mph," said Bucky, who had been observing the session. "I don't know if they do that speed in the exo-suits. That distance today was what, about half a mile? That doesn't give you very long to get away if they come searching."
"No, it doesn't," said Ma. "It's almost certain we'll need a distraction to get away."
She stopped talking for a moment and something flickered over her face, recognition, or a bit of fear...Jade sent her mother a thought.
"Ma, what's wrong?" she asked. "You felt something."
"You didn't," she answered verbally, "and that has me worried. Someone is looking for you. I think you should shut down all of your abilities for the next while. Don't use any of them until we do the mission."
"Ma, tell me what you saw," said Jade, worried.
Her mother turned directly to her. "I have something to tell you," she said decisively. "Go get Bruce and Steve. They should hear this. Bucky, Wanda, you come also. I'll be in my room."
Jade found the others and brought them to Ma's room. They sat on the couch and chairs while she sat on the edge of the bed. Nervously, she clasped and unclasped her hands. Then she looked at Jade.
"What do you remember of your mother?" she asked.
"Just a presence," said Jade. "No face or voice."
"And your father?" asked Ma.
"A tall man, blond, could ride a horse, and he cried when he left me in the Badlands," she said.
"He was upset," she said. "You weren't the first member of his family to be cast out. His wife was the first, a year before because of her psychic abilities. She stayed nearby though because she was concerned about their daughter, who had exhibited the same abilities that both parents had, except your father hid his. On the day he took you out to the Badlands he sent a thought message to his wife and told her where he left their daughter so she could find her and take her to safety. Except the wife had a medical incident. A migraine so bad that she thought she was having an aneurysm. Her friend called an ambulance and they kept her in the hospital for two days, until she snuck out and drove to where her husband said he had left their daughter. She wasn't there. For another two days your mother looked everywhere for you, finally finding you at the base of a hoodoo. You were almost dead and she thought she lost you."
Ma started crying and Bucky stood up to hold her. "You're Jade's mother," he said gently, his eyes full of concern, "her real mother."
She nodded and wept into his chest. Jade's eyes were full of tears but she said nothing, and offered no comfort to Ma. Patiently, she waited for Ma to speak.
"I was a nurse, and I bought some IV fluids, and treated you at home for dehydration and exposure," she said. "Gently I went in and removed my face from your previous memories. I wanted you to have a fresh start and forget that I had no choice but to leave you there. I hated them for what they did to you, a six-year-old. I hated your father for staying with them, choosing them over you. But the leader, Elder Abraham, had such a hold on him, I was surprised John even dared to tell me where you were."
"Why now, Ma?" asked Jade. "Why tell me now, instead of years ago?"
"I tried to tell you, many times," she said, looking at her daughter with a fearful face. "But I was afraid you would leave me and take Ben, and you two were all I had. We were so happy and I was terrified you would hate me."
"Ma," said Jade, standing in front of her mother, "I can never hate you. You saved me. You showed me how to use my gift, how to be a good mom, how to love a good man. I just wish you had trusted me and told me the truth sooner. Your future knowledge is better than mine. What have you seen that pushed you past your fear of telling me?"
"Two things. The Others will take me, and I won't be here to protect you," she said. "Wanda will try, the others will try but it might not be enough to keep the Children of Adam from taking you."
"When will the Others take you?" asked Bucky.
"On the mission," she said. "They will come for the one we're examining and I won't be able to hold the illusion long enough for me to get on the horse. Bruce and Peter will get away because I'm the human they want."
"That's why you were trying to extend the distance," said Steve, "to buy yourself more time. What's the second thing?"
"The presence that was looking for you in Albuquerque was your father, Jade," said Ma. "He's still with Elder Abraham and they want you back. They want you back to marry Abraham and become the mother of their cult. They think because you survived the wilderness you proved your divinity. In their minds you will save them, and only them from the Others. You can never go back there. Bucky, you have to protect her. Don't let them have her. I'm not afraid of dying as long as I know Jade and Ben are safe. But right now, it's fifty / fifty that I'll die."
"Wait," said Steve. "This isn't a sure thing?"
"Nothing in the future ever is," said Ma. "There's always a chance it works out differently."
"We need Dr. Strange," said Bruce. "Surely, he must still be alive. Wanda, when was the last time you tried making contact?"
"About a year ago," she said. "He wasn't showing up on any of my visions. I've had no visions about Jade or her mother, either. It's like there's a blank spot over them."
"Who's Dr. Strange?" asked Jade.
"Sorcerer Supreme," said Bucky. "He was a neurosurgeon who was injured and learned to harness magical abilities including the ability to look forward into time, into all possible futures."
Jade frowned. "Does he wear a red cape?" she asked. "Blue suit?" All three men and Wanda stood up.
"Yes," said Steve. "Why?"
"I dreamed of him," said Jade. "While I was in the Badlands, dying. He came to me in a dream. Why can't I remember what he said?"
She stood there pressing her hands to her head. Wanda walked to her.
"May I?" she asked.
Jade nodded and Wanda put her fingers on Jade's temple and closed her eyes. Together the two women saw the vision that Jade had dreamed when she was delirious with pain in the Badlands.
"Touch either Jade or myself if you want to see this," said Wanda.
All three men touched one of the women while Ma used her own abilities.
"I'm dying Ma, they killed me," moaned Jade, as she lay face down in the dirt.
"You're not dead yet," said a man.
Jade looked up and saw a man in a red cape. "Who are you?"
"Dr. Stephen Strange," he said. "I'm here to make sure you get to the Bunker and give the Avengers a message."
He bent down over her and gently laid her on her back, lifting her shirt and seeing the wound. Shaking his head he waved his hands over it and the wound closed.
"That will have to do for now," he said. "Long enough to get seen by the dog, anyways. Now listen carefully. What you and your mother propose is what we're trying in our bunker in Canada.
That's why I haven't been answering the call. I've needed all my attention on this. Don't you try it until I get back to you. It's a good idea but all sorts of things can go wrong. Oh, and tell Steve, welcome back. I'm sorry about Peggy. Tell Bucky, I'm sorry about Lily. Tell Peter that Aunt May is safe. They must look after you, Jade, you're the key."
The dream ended and everyone stood back. No one said anything at first.
"So does that mean the mission is on hold?" asked Ma.
"I guess so," said Steve. "He was pretty specific about waiting."
—-
Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act.
Paulo Coehlo
—-
The meeting in the common room to share Jade's vision was ... interesting. Peter was happy to hear his Aunt May was safe, at least she was a few weeks previous when Jade first had the vision. Clint thought it was a little convenient to just remember now about the vision.
"I was dying, Clint," said Jade. "Ask Bruce if you don't believe me. Plus, I was delirious. I saw Death sitting on the back seat in the car waiting for me. It didn't even click for me until Bruce mentioned Strange's name and it sounded familiar."
He nodded and said sorry for seeming angry. Scott had an unrelated question. "How many queens are there?" he said.
"I would guess it's like a bee hive, each nest has a queen?" said Jade. "I don't know much about bee hives."
"You're partially right," said Sam. "Each hive has a queen but without a queen they die. I think this queen has many nests that support her. The other part of your meeting, about Ma being your real mother. Don't you find it a little too coincidental that you survived four days in the Badlands when you were six and again just a few weeks ago for several days when you were almost dead? You're not a big person, you're quite slender. How did you manage to survive at all? Other than Dr. Strange's intervention."
"What do you mean Sam?" asked Bucky. "Do you think divine intervention was at play here?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But the cult seems to think so if they're looking for her."
"Strange said Jade is the key," said Ma. "It was her that first heard the queen. I think right now we make sure the cult don't get their hands on her."
Everybody agreed with that assessment. The meeting broke up and Jade ran out of the room. Ma looked at her leave and bowed her head, wondering if she had damaged the relationship with her daughter forever. Bucky looked kindly at Ma, gave a grim smile, and left to find Jade. He found her in the garage with the horses. Standing in the doorway he watched her gently stroking their necks, being nudged by them as she connected to their minds.
"You shouldn't be using your gift right now," he said. "If it leads the cult to you..."
She looked at him. "They're afraid," she said. "They can sense when there's danger and it's close already. Why me, Bucky? Why am I the key?"
He stepped forward but she stepped back behind the first horse. "Don't," she said softly. "You're not the one who the Others want, who the cult wants. It's a curse. It's always been a curse. I either die or be raped by a creepy old preacher."
"I won't let that happen," he said, stepping slowly forward. "I'll steal the quinjet and take you and Ben far away to where no one will ever find us. Ma, too, if you want her to come. Please, come to me."
She pushed her face into the horse so he wouldn't see her cry. He was almost to the first horse, and it nickered softly at him.
"It's okay," he murmured, to her and to it, as he stroked its neck. "I won't hurt you. I only want to take care of you."
He was right in front of her between the two horses and he gently took her hand, pulling her to him. Enclosing her with his arms he pulled her into his chest and bent his head over hers. Slowly he took a step back with her, then another and another until they were away from the horses. Then he lifted her in his arms and took her to their room where he laid her on the bed and covered her up with the duvet before lying beside her on top of it.
"Just sleep, baby," he whispered. "I'm here with you until you sleep. No one can get past me to you."
She could feel his warmth through the duvet, and it soothed her, feeling like a heater aimed at her back. As he kept whispering in his calm voice, she closed her eyes and slept.
"Well, there you are sunshine," said her father. "Where have you been hiding? Elder Abraham wants to see you."
Six-year-old Jade came out from the closet in her room. She had been hiding because she knew Elder Abraham was looking for her. She didn't like him. Not since that day when he put his hand down her shirt and touched her chest. She had tried to pull away, but his other hand was on her back, and he kept her close to him, too close to him.
"I don't want to see him Daddy," she whined. "He smells funny."
"Sshh, baby, he's our pastor, our leader," he said. "He's a great man and he thinks you're very important."
"No," she said and she refused to move. "Why can't you see that he's a liar? He's bad, Daddy. He touched me in a private place. Mom said he's a pedo something. Don't make me see him."
"Your Mom was cast out," he said sternly. "We don't say her name anymore. You shouldn't be telling lies about Elder Abraham. That's wicked and you can go to Hell for being wicked."
"Then I'll go to Hell!" screamed Jade. "Daddy, don't! NO!"
Bucky felt Jade tense up and start to shake as if she was trying to pull herself away from someone or something. He tried to wake her up, but she resisted until she sat up screaming. Pulling her into his arms he stroked her hair and back as she wept.
"He was a pedophile," she spat out, as she cried, "the whole cult, they were following a pedophile. I wouldn't submit to him so he called me wicked, cursed, an abomination, and he cast me out. My father chose him over me. Oh, Bucky, I'm terrified. They're going to find me and make me join them. We have to stop them."
As he calmed her down Bucky's mind whirled with ideas on dealing with the cult for the other Avengers to consider. They couldn't go after the Others until Dr. Strange contacted them. But they could have another mission. To find and disband the Children of Adam and put Elder Abraham behind bars. He heard a knock on their suite door. Opening it he saw Wanda and Ma, both with a worried look on their faces. Looking behind him, he closed the door and stepped out into the hallway.
"You know what she dreamed of?" he asked.
"I know," said Ma. "I reported them when I was cast out, but they put on such a pious show of lies that the police brushed it off."
"She's terrified they're going to force her to join them," said Bucky.
"She's right to be," said Wanda. "I had a vision. It was dark, very dark. This cult is evil. They want her to have Abraham's child so that it has her powers and he'll use the child to bring about an apocalypse, using the Others to kill those who don't submit. They'll use Jade and the child to shield them from the Others. They have gold, lots of it. That's why the traffickers offered you gold for Jade. He's got them all looking for her."
"I won't let them take her," he said. "I'll take the quinjet and take her far away."
"It won't be far enough," said Ma, sadly. "John has a link with her now, a tenuous one but he can build it. Eventually they will find you and take her from you, over your dead body if they have to."
The door opened behind Bucky to reveal Jade standing there.
"If you're going to talk about me you might as well do it to my face," she said, turning back into the room but leaving the door open.
The others followed her in where she stood facing them in the centre of the room.
"We have to stop them," she said. "Not just to keep them from taking me but for the kids they are abusing now. Abraham is a monster with an appetite for children. I can't stay here knowing that he's alive."
"You want him dead?" asked Bucky. "Jade, I won't kill. No matter what he's done, I'm not a killer anymore."
"Then I'll kill him," she said. "Wanda, Ma, I need to up my abilities. If they take me they will bring me to him. I'll be close enough to kill him."
Bucky tried to intervene.
"Leave me alone. I accept that you won't kill him."
"Jade," he pleaded. "Let the Avengers handle him. We'll come up with a plan. I'll bring it to them right away."
"He's right," said Ma. "They're dangerous people. Jade, let them move against him. If you go, they'll hurt you, bad."
"Alright," she agreed. "Bring it to everyone. I'm willing to let the professionals handle it."
Ma and Bucky left to organize a meeting. Jade looked at Wanda.
"You'll help me?" asked Jade. "I've seen it. They won't be successful."
"I'll help you," said Wanda. "You'll have to block yourself from your mother. She can't know. Let's be straight about this. You plan to kill him with your mind, not a weapon."
"My mind will be the weapon," replied Jade, looking coolly at Wanda. "I might have to kill my father as well."
"Jade, are you sure you can kill?" asked Wanda. "I've done it. It will affect your soul, permanently. There's no going back."
"I'm certain," she said out loud. "It has to be done."
She moved to the door and opened it. Wanda joined her and they both left the room. Bucky and Ma had alerted everyone to a meeting in the common room. Bucky and Steve were standing at the side talking in a low voice to each other. Jade could see Steve wasn't happy about anything Bucky was saying.
"Bucky called the meeting but it's about a vision I just had," she said loudly. "We can't go after the Others yet, but there is another group we need to handle. We need to stop the Children of Adam."
"Why?" asked Sam. "What have they done?"
"They're the group that cast out Ma, then me when I was six years old," she said. "I always believed it was because my abilities frightened them, but it was more than that. I wouldn't submit. Their leader, Elder Abraham is a pedophile. He abuses children. He also believes that I'm meant to rejoin the cult and bear his child. They're going to come looking for me. I ask that you take them out first."
As everyone talked at once Ma looked at Jade, several times. Each time her face grew more and more alarmed.
"Why are you blocking me, Jade?" she suddenly blurted out loud. "What is it that you don't want to me to see?"
Everyone stopped talking and looked at the two women, mother and daughter.
"Again, why are you blocking me from your mind?" demanded her mother, pulling on Jade's arm.
"Because you'll try to stop me from killing Elder Abraham, and possibly killing my father," said Jade, looking in her in the eye. "Dear old Dad is the one looking for me. Without him, they can't find me. Abraham is a pedophile, a monster who preys on children. He doesn't deserve to live. After all they've done to us, to me, don't I get to have the justice they deserve?"
"Killing them isn't the answer," interrupted Bucky. "Trust me on this. It scars you for life. I have many scars from killing. I remember every single one. Bring them to justice, yes. Killing them, no."
"Jade, we're going to launch a mission against the cult," said Steve, stepping in between her and her mother. "But we will turn Abraham and your father over to the authorities."
"What if the authorities are part of the cult?" she asked. "What if the reason the traffickers have been allowed to flourish in Albuquerque is because they provide children to Abraham. They have gold. Clint, you said yourself that gold always makes a difference. No authorities."
Bucky and Ma looked at each other then at Jade. Neither were happy at the state of Jade's mind. Something dark had seized her and was influencing her. That a mission to stop the cult was necessary was openly accepted by the group. Steve stood next to Bucky and they both looked at each other, realizing that the proposal to kill Abraham and possibly Jade's father could tear the group apart. How to prevent that was going to be a lot more difficult.
