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Chapter VIII

Kitty's eyes bore into Jessica's, they were sitting at her dining room table having a cup of tea.


"How's life been?" Kitty asked before she set her tea down and her lips curved into a smile. "The works, nothing really changed." Jess replied, She relaxed in her seat and grinned, then her mouth opened to speak "How's the X-men thing going?" She asked, curious about details, she did have a close bond with Kitty but she always wanted to help in anyway she could. Kitty would confide into Jess and vice versa, but later it was time for Kitty to leave...


"Oh, one more question...Have you spoken to Peter lately?" Kitty asked as she had her hand on the doorknob. Jessica hadn't talked to Peter in a while, she'd been avoiding that encounter. She did have some things she wanted to ask him but was too afraid to speak to him about it. Jessica looked down and didn't say anything..Kitty took that as a que and gently lifted Jess's chin up, Jessica's eyes were at the same level as Kitty's now. "Don't be so shy, Peter loves you like a sister. You should reach out instead of harboring all the emotions and questions...Do it, you owe it to yourself." Kitty finished speaking and hugged Jessica, Jessica hugged back and rested her head on Kitty's shoulder. The two broke away from the hug and Kitty left the building.




The next day, Jessica was Job surfing and she had a handful of interviews for today. She was wearing a black spaghetti strap jumpsuit with heels, around her shoulder was the strap of her black leather purse. as well, She was feeling and looking confident, also determined to find work in the big city. She was inside the lobby waiting to be brought to the office for her interview. She was brought to the office a few moments after and took a seat.


"Please, Sit." The tall male with dark hair and brown eyes requested, after doing so, Jessica was asked questions, the job was not the right fit for her, she didn't want to work in the mail room. She went to her next interview and did a repeat, this time she was offered a desk job, answering phone calls, being a secretary and such..That wasn't her speed at all, she went to her next interview, and then after ten more interviews she finally made her way to her last destination, Stark Industries. She was in the room with Pepper Potts, Pepper needed an assistant, but Jessica said she'd sleep on it. On her way home she heard a young boy scream, a few guys were roughing him up in a parking lot. She walked over to the group of men. "Picking on a kid now?" Jessica stated, given the victim looked around sixteen years of age or younger. The men laughed at her and the kid got away, hiding behind a car and taking out his phone to record this. There were around Seven full grown men, rowdy and drunk, people in NYC were so classy. "So? what are you gonna do about it? Not to sound sexist but we're men and we outnumber you too." Jessica wanted to grab him by the throat after that comment, but she controlled her anger. "You're all drunk, I'm calling the authorities if you don't leave now.." One of them threw a bottle at her, but she caught it and slammed it on the ground in front of the man who threw it "That belongs to you. Look, I really haven't had the best day and I don't want to break your faces anymore then your parents already did. Walk, Now." The men looked at one another and then one of them cried a few curse words, calling her offensive names. "SHUT UP YOU WHORE!!" The man yelled and tried to punch her. Jessica grabbed his hand and looked at him with a satanic stare, her lips forming a menacing smile. The boy's eyes winced and he held his hand over his mouth. She was beating the crap out of them, she had one in a headlock while punching him, she kicked one of the last men standing right where the sun didn't shine with her heels (And she meant to do that.) After dropping the one in the headlock she walked to the last one and punched him in the stomach, dropping him to the floor. Walking to the boy, she snatched his phone and deleted the video.. "Stay out of trouble and mind your business or I'll beat you up next." She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't dare!" The kid exclaimed and regretted that instantly. "SORRY!!" The kid ran away because Jess had that look in her eyes again a look that literally read "You REALLY Messed up". Jess picked up her purse and removed her heels, carrying them as she exited the scene of the fight, leaving the aftermath there. She heard someone following her and she ran into an alley and ran up the walls, using her agility and ninja like evasion to get away. But she ran right into the one who was following her. It was Peter Parker...



Jessica was annoyed already and Peter was the last one she wanted a lecture from about using violence. She did what she had to do, it's not like she killed anyone. Pete went on about "Great power" "Responsibility" And "Life is what you make it, blah blah blah" Jessica wanted to beat him up too, but she sighed. "What's wrong? You seem so unsure about yourself lately, Kitty told me you blew off all of your interviews...And you quit SHIELD...Why?"



Jessica grit her teeth and burst out in emotion, finally letting herself feel and give into the pit in her stomach Her voice caught Peter off guard because she hadn't said anything till now, and her voice was also shaky and her eyes were dripping. "Y-Y'know living as your clone hasn't been easy! People SEE me and they think of YOU. I've got a lot going on and I just want to get a little something for myself, I'm asking you as a FAVOR, to stay out of my business!" Jessica raised her tone and Peter began to slowly take steps back as she got closer to him. "I know you care but it's just still strange for me! everything is strange..I just want to figure out where I belong, who I am..."

Peter stopped backing away and gently held her arms "Jess, look at me..." She was looking down at her feet, she didn't mean to go off on him but she did. She was just overwhelmed with it all and knew this would happen eventually.

"Jessica, Look at me." She looked up at Peter and he wiped the tears off her cheeks with his sleeve. She closed her eyes and smiled, crying softly, She was vulnerable to someone for the first time since all this craziness happened and it was about time. Peter continued to talk "Remember what Ben told you? I agree with him, Jessica I'm proud of you! I don't think low of you, I think highly of you. Jessica you of all people know that having these powers is a blessing and a curse, you, me anyone, not even captain america is safe from making mistakes, but the good we do far outweighs the bad, You are a hero, whether you want that title or not..You aren't a freak of science or my duplicate or an accident..You were created by unusual circumstances but believe fate chose to create you. People look at you and they don't see me. They see Jessica Drew!!... I look at you and I see a strong individual who can be better than me, you're unique, you're strong willed and confident! and I don't know why you changed recently, you let someone or something tell you you can't do anything right, tell you that you're not worth it.. I get it, things got hard and you needed to find something or someone to blame, you blame me but you also blame yourself..but you don't live in my shadow. You know what you're worth, so go out and get what you're worth..but you have to keep taking the hits life will throw at you, Don't point fingers ans say it's my fault or it's because you were a clone...that's a coward...and that's not you..You're better than all this..." She buried her head into his chest and he rubbed her back and held her tightly in a hug.. "I'm always going to be here for you when you feel like you have to carry it all on your own...You're my little sister..You're one of the best things in my life, but until you start believing in yourself truly? You won't have a real life." Peter let her go and left her moments later.



Jessica sat on her bed that night and held her ripped costume in her hands..She looked at it and remembered all the good times she had, but also all the pain..her loss...what made her so closed off. She put the worn suit away and washed her face. She looked at her reflection and noticed that it looked strange..there was a man behind her..a purple man...She turned around and tried to punch him but he was gone...she looked back at the mirror and everything was normal....little did she know her greatest battle was about to begin..