Chapter 2
Medusa led David and Jennifer to the meeting room where the others were. Upon entering, David and Jennifer met Black Bolt and Ahura who were sitting at the long dark blue table waiting for their arrival.
"My beloved, here are the ones we've been hearing about." Medusa said, letting the two sit.
Black Bolt nodded. "Welcome, friends."
"Wait, you can talk without destroying anything?." David asked in disbelief.
"In our universe, Tony Stark and Shrui built a special device to place on my throat to help enable me to control my sonic blast." said Black Bolt, before tapping the thick metal piece.
"Huh, that is cool." said Jennifer, before looking at Ahura who is staring at her. "What?."
"I'm sorry, it's just that you look freaking hot." Ahura can't keep his eyes off of Jennifer. "Are you seeing anyone?. If not, then after this fight is over wanna…"
"Hey, keep it in your pants, Ahura. She is my girlfriend." said David, feeling upset about another boy drooling over his girl.
"Damn, you take her?." Ahura said, in an upset tone.
"You damn skippy I did." said David, before looking at Medusa. "Ok, I only see you three. Where's the fourth member?."
"Is it Thanos?." Jennifer asked with a look of hope and relief. "Oh, man, please let it be Thanos. With the Mad Titan on our side, then we can…"
"Cassandra killed his purple ass." Black Bolt spoke with no hesitation.
"Motherfucker!." Jennifer slammed her fist. "Shit, I can't believe that Cassandra killed the Mad Titan of all people. Shit!."
"I'm surprised as well." Medusa admitted.
"Well, I know one individual that you can never kill despite how many times you wack him." David looked at them all. "Is there a version of Ultron in the Void?."
"There was but…" Ahura trailed off.
"But what?." Jennifer pressed on.
"But Cassandra ripped his motherboard out of him and then melted it down to make jewelry." Ahura finished his sentence.
"Oh, fuck me in the anus." Jennifer groaned.
"Ok, well, even though Thanos is dead, I'm pretty sure you guys have his helmet. It's thick enough to help block Cassandra's powers and…" David was interrupted by a female voice.
"She melted that down as well." A blonde-haired woman came in with a tray of drinks and chocolate cream pie. "That's after she killed him."
"Ah, damnit." David sighed. "So, it looks like we need to make one of our own."
The woman nodded. "Looks like it. Please, you two help yourselves to my pie. I'm a whiz in the kitchen."
"Don't mind if I do." Jennifer happily sliced herself a pie and grabbed the cup of green drink. "Are you the fourth member?."
"Yes, I am." She smiled at her. "My name is Raven. But most people call me…" The woman morphed her appearance to her original look which is being blue with red shirt hair. She smiled in a friendly manner. "Mystique."
David instantly spat out his pie and jumped up from his seat. "Oh, fuck no!."
"Damn, David, what's wrong with you?." Jennifer watched her boyfriend overreacting.
"Sorry, but in my universe, Mystique sucked into Wakanda as an imposter of me and tried to steal vibranium to help aid the Brotherhood in trying to wipe out humankind. I'm not trusting you." David looked at her with anger.
"Hey, take it easy, David." Medusa assures him. "Our Mystique is different from your universe. Tell him, Raven."
"Please, by all means." David encourages her to defend herself.
Mystique looked a tad bit offended. "You see, in our universe, I decided to take a different path. After the fall of the Brotherhood, I realized that Magneto's ideologies were flawed and destructive. I left the group and have been using my abilities to help those in need, including the Inhumans. I've been an ally to this group for quite some time now." She placed the napkins down and took a seat.
"I understand your hesitation," she said to David, "But I assure you, my intentions are pure. We are all here for the same reason and that is to stop Cassandra from being a dictator."
Jennifer looked at David, giving him a nod of reassurance. She never thought that he has a complicated history with Mystiques, but she also knew that they needed all the help they could get. "Okay," David relented, taking a deep breath and sitting back down. "But I'm keeping an eye on you."
"I hated it here." Ahura spoke. "All because that prick, Paradox says our Universes are dying out anyway. We never had the chance to try and save our worlds. I hate TVA."
Medusa nodded sympathetically. "We all have our reasons for being here. But we must focus on the task at hand. We need to find a way to counteract Cassandra's abilities."
David gave it a good thought until he came up with one. "Well, the only person that has the thick enough helmet to prevent Cassandra from using her mutant power, is Juggernaut's helmet. And me and Jennifer did see Juggernaut at Cassandra's hideout. Right, Jennifer?."
Jennifer nodded. "Yeah, he was there. But he isn't going to give it to us willingly."
Black Bolt nodded. "How true. We just have to literally take our heads off to get the helmet."
"So, we have to get our hands dirty, huh?. Sounds fun." Ahura smiled.
Mystique sighed. "The chances of pulling this off will lead us to getting us killed. But if it means to get you two back to your universe and save it from Paradox."
"But wait, how do we know Paradox won't just fuck us over again?" David questioned, his skepticism clear.
"He does have connections, but I know that you and Jennifer won't have such difficulty," said Medusa.
"Why are you so sure?." Jennifer questioned.
"You two survived this long here. So the sky's the limit." said Medusa.
After planning out what to do in the coming tomorrow, Jennifer takes her shoes off and lays down on the couch to try getting herself some sleep. Ahura came in with two liter bottles of cold soda with a smile.
"Hey, I thought you would like to drink and talk before the big day tomorrow. Hope you like Coke." said Ahura.
Jennifer looked at him with a smile, taking the cold bottle of soda and popped it open. "Thanks, Ahura. And just so you know, I don't have a problem with you checking me out. It's kinda flattering. You're the second boy that finds me attractive." She took a sip, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Ahura chuckled, sitting down beside her. "Well, you're pretty hot. I can see why David is so protective of you. But he's a lucky guy."
"No, I'm the one who should be called lucky." Jennifer takes a sip of her drink. "My life isn't normal compared to yours. You still have parents and I don't. Before you and your parents got here, I bet you had plenty of friends."
Ahura's expression grew solemn. "It's not always easy, even with family around. Sometimes, I feel like I'm just a weapon to be used." He cracked open his own soda, the hiss of the carbonation a stark contrast to the tension in the room.
"You're normal. I on the other hand is a weapon." Jennifer takes a few more sips. "All my life I have been hunted by the fucking military. Being hunted like a wild animal just hoping I find peace. General Ross has been chasing me way more than my cousin, since Bruce is very good at staying under the radar."
Ahura nodded, listening intently. "It's tough being seen as a weapon or a threat, isn't it?."
"Always. I'm always trying to have a sense of happiness throughout the day, but my constant anxiety always ruins me. The fear of hurting people just gives me nightmares." Jennifer started feeling her eyes to water up. "I used to have suicidal thoughts every know and then."
Ahura put his arm around her, "Don't think like that, Jennifer. You're a hero. And heroes are never weapons. They are guardians."
Jennifer nodded. "It took me a while to understand that. I just don't want to fail David."
Ahura leaned in closer. "You won't. You're the strongest person I've ever met. And with the both of you together, you can take on the world."
"Thanks. Now, can you please leave?. I want to get some sleep." said Jennifer, before taking his arm off her.
Ahura nodded, understanding her need for privacy. "Alright, see ya in the morning." He left the room, leaving her with her thoughts.
Jennifer finishes her soda before laying down to go to sleep. The day finally came as they flew on one of the Shield's jets and saw the base. Cassandra watches from a far and smirks as she knows who it is.
"Alright, let's do it." David spoke before activating his suit.
Jennifer looked at him with a nod. "Ready for this?."
"As ready as I'll ever be." David responded, his eyes focused on the base.
"Let's drop." Medusa turned on autopilot.
The jet flew and dropped them down facing Cassandra's army. They see Juggernaut at the front cracking his knuckles and know the target is.
"You two better stop that bastard when you get back to your universe." Black Bolt spoke when eyeing their targets.
Mystique cracked her neck. "David. Jennifer. Will work our way in not only getting you guys into Cassandra's fortress, but we will get that helmet from Juggernaut."
"Gotcha." Jennifer cracked her neck. "I wanted round two with that bald bitch anyway."
David extended his claws. "Let's dance."
Without having to be given permission they all ran and collided with the opposite side and gave them a bloody fight while Cassandra watched in her fortress like she was having a show put on for her.
The battle was intense, with David and Mystique fighting their way through Cassandra's minions like a hot knife through butter. Medusa's hair was a blur of motion as it took out multiple opponents at once, while Black Bolt's controlled whispers sent shockwaves across the battlefield, incapacitating anyone within range. Ahura's eyes glowed brightly as he shot beams of cosmic energy at anyone who dared to cross his path. Jennifer widely attacks anyone that is in her perimeter.
Juggernaut, noticing the commotion, turned to face them, a sneer on his unstoppable face. "You think you can take me down, you little pipsqueaks?" He taunted as he began to charge towards them.
Jennifer's eyes lit up with a fiery determination. "Oh, we're going to try." She dashed forward, her fists crackling with energy as she swung at the unstoppable force. Each blow sent a tremor through the ground, but it barely even made him flinch.
"Is that all you got, kid?" Juggernaut jeered, swiping at her with a hand that could crush a car like an aluminum can.
Jennifer, who is actually Mystique in disguise, motioning him while seeing the real Jennifer and David run up the steps to where Cassandra is waiting just exactly how they planned. "Come on, big boy."
Juggernaut, unable to resist a challenge, chases after her. David and Jeffiner reached the only room where Cassandra is sitting on her throne with her legs to the side and looked impressed.
"You two are the only ones who were able to escape my clutches and stupid enough to come back here." Cassandra had a smile on her face.
"We need to get back to my world and save it." David ready himself. "You have the only way out of here and we want it."
Cassandra looked amused. "Why should I give you what you want?." She leaned back in her throne, a picture of smugness.
"Because if you don't, I'll rip your fucking throat out." David threatened, his voice a snarl.
Cassandra looks at teenage Jennifer. "And what about you, sweetie?. You want to beat me up too?."
Jennifer's eyes narrowed. "More than you know, bitch."
She lunged at Cassandra, but the woman was too fast. She uses her power to stop her in midair and slams her down on her knees to the ground. David tried to jump her but she forcelily threw him away into a corner after removing his helmet. She walked towards a pissed off Jennifer as her size started to grow.
"Ah, yes, you are special." Cassandra looks at her with her eyes in deep interest. "The angrier you get the more strong and big you get, correct?."
Jennifer grunts, her muscles bulging as she tries to break free from the invisible force. "You're not going to get away with this, Cassandra!."
"Oh, I already have." Cassandra sat down to meet her gaze. "David's backstory was good when I dug through his mind. But you, however...I believe your backstory is way more interesting."
"Fuck off, bitch." Jennifer spat, her anger reaching a boiling point.
Cassandra smirked. "Let's take a deep look, shall we?."
Cassandra stuck her middle finger at Jennifer before shoving it right in her forehead and began digging into her mind. Jennifer wakes up to find herself in her normal self and in a way too familiar house as she gets up. She looked around the place as the saddened memories were flowing back to her.
"Ah, yes." Cassandra, who appeared behind her, looked at the place. "This was the foster home you once lived in. Right?."
Jennifer's heart sank as she saw her past come to life before her eyes. The memories of being bullied and misunderstood by the people who were supposed to care for her flooded back. The smell of stale couches and burnt dinners filled her nose, and the coldness of the floor under her feet that was in shoes was a stark reminder of the countless nights she'd spent awake, crying and afraid.
"My parents didn't want me." Jennifer slowly confesses. "They willingly gave up custody of me so they can live their life without me being their burden."
Cassandra smirks in a none evil way. "But you are a burden to them, aren't you?."
Jennifer looked at her, her eyes filled with pain and anger. "I was only a child."
The area around them changed into a school hallway as the two heard invisible classmates talking or doing anything. Jennifer felt pain in her heart.
"I tried to fit in, but no one accepted me. I was different from the other girls. They wanted to be cheerleaders. I wanted to play football." said Jennifer, before feeling Cassandra holding her shoulders motherly.
"You were strong then, you're even stronger now. You can't let those memories define you, or use them against you." Cassandra's voice was filled with sincerity.
Jennifer nodded, gritting her teeth. "No one wanted to be my friend or talk to me in classes. Heck, no one wants to eat lunch with me or sit at the same table as me."
Cassandra squeezed her shoulders gently. "You don't need their acceptance to validate your existence. Your strength lies in your uniqueness."
Jennifer looks at her. "Really?."
"Yes." Cassandra nods. "You're more than what they think of you. You're more than a weapon or a burden. You're a hero. A hero that the people don't appreciate."
Speaking of hero, Jennifer started to remember back to meeting her only blood kin and remember that day.
"Bruce was the only family I have. He doesn't even know me in person that well but he loves me. He valued family and so did I. He wanted to take me with him overseas and start fresh." Jennifer looked mad. "But that damn General Ross ruined everything."
"How did he do it?." Cassandra pushed on.
Jennifer sighed. "He sent in the military to harm my cousin. Got caught in the crossfire and was bleeding out. Bruce did a blood transfusion knowing the guaranteed risk of what is going to happen to me. I became...her."
The area then switched into a chaotic area with buildings destroyed or on fire while hearing screams of innocent people and multiple gunshots being fired. Cassandra knows what Jennifer is referring to.
"How did it feel?. How did it feel to have that power?." Cassandra continued to push further.
"It was terrifying. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be a monster that people fear. I just wanted to live a normal life." Tears began to form in Jennifer's eyes. "I'm constantly on the run from Ross. Always so anxious and stressed out that I skip sleeping."
Cassandra nodded, understanding her pain. "But you know, fear is a powerful thing. It can either break you or make you stronger. And from what I see, you've chosen to be stronger."
Jennifer took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her past slowly lifting. "Yeah, I have. But sometimes, it feels like I'm just pretending. Being a cheap imitation of the real Hulk with a touch of sexual appeal, I felt like I have no identity. I hurted people as soon as my temper was easily triggered. Not just against bad people."
Cassandra grinned after hearing that as she knows that Jennifer has hurted the opposite side of bad. "My little green monster."
Jennifer didn't bother to argue. "It's true. I attacked the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and even the X-Men. If it wasn't for Bruce to stop me, I would have killed them all."
"But you didn't." Cassandra's voice grew softer, her eyes reflecting genuine empathy. "You've managed to control it, to be more than just a beast. That's what makes you special, Jennifer. Stay with me. You are better off with me than with going to another universe. Let me be the mom that you longed for."
The words hit home, but Jennifer's resolve remained firm. She pushed herself off the ground, her eyes a fiery green. "Thanks for the trip down memory lane, but...can I tell you something?."
Cassandra leaned back with a smug look. "Oh, I can't wait."
Jennifer had tears running down but had a clever smirk. "You fucked yourself up, bitch."
Without waiting for a second to understand what she meant, Cassandra felt her power completely gone and caused them to return to the real world where she finds herself being held down by David and wearing Juggernaut's heavy helmet.
"Ah, shit." Cassandra said in realization.
"Ah, shit, you're right." Jennifer gets back to her feet. "Great work, David. Took too long to distract her but good job."
David nodded, holding Cassandra's powerless body in a tight grip. "Thanks, but we're not out of the woods yet."
"Oh, you are some clever little boogers." Cassandra grinned like a mad woman.
"Can we kill her and get out of here?." David spoke. "It won't be hard to snap her neck in her current state."
Jenffier looks at Cassandra after remembering what she is and who she is blood related to. "Let her go."
David, confused by her sudden change of tone, releases Cassandra. "What are you doing, Jen?. She's the enemy."
"She is but she is Charles's sister. She has the same nature as him." Jennifer looks at a now confused Cassandra.
"Come on, baby, she is a crazy ass bitch." David argued before Jennifer snapped at him.
"Let her go now." Jennifer's tone was firm. "Or I'll beat your ass and not hold back this time."
David stepped back, his eyes wide with surprise at the sudden fierce protectiveness from his girlfriend. "Jen, she's the enemy."
"Now!." Jennifer roared.
David lets her go quickly while Cassandra removes the helmet. She looks at Jennifer in all confusion as this is the very first time in her whole life that someone treated her with kindness.
"What's the catch?." Cassandra looked at her with suspicion.
Jennifer shook her head. "No catch. Cassandra, I know you're hurting and I understand you a hundred percent. You were abandoned here against your own free will and that's not right."
Cassandra's expression softened as she looked at the young woman before her, feeling a strange kinship. "Why are you doing this?."
"Because that's what Charles would want me to do." Jennifer got closer to a teary Cassandra. "If the Charles in my universe knew you existed, he would do everything what it takes and even be willing to join Magneto to get you out of here and bring you home. He loves everyone and he once told me that he would do anything to have a sibling, so that way he won't feel alone and special with the gift he has."
Cassandra wipes her tears away, "Is he really like that?."
Jennifer nodded. "He is. I know that he'd want to help you. You have your chance to build your own home here and be housing survivors here and be a family. You can be just like your brother, Cassandra. He gave me a chance to do right by anyone. So, I'm giving you the same thing. And you can start by helping me to send myself and David out of here, and to prevent that jackass from destroying his universe."
Cassandra stared at her, the weight of the offer heavy in the air. She started to reconsider and have a different outlook on life. Maybe she can be exactly like her brother Charles Xavier.