Jessica Jones
Heroes 
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51 
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 27, 2017 22:49:59 GMT -5
It was an otherwise quiet night in the Wicked Suit. A night like any other, when a familiar face in singed and charred clothes burst her way through the doors. She was frantic, and this was truly the last place she thought she would end up. After what she'd done? How could she show her face here again after all these years?
But she could still hear his voice, screaming at her to come back. Just like that night ten years ago.
She twitched, glancing around, keeping her eyes low to the ground. She was hoping to see Laura around, but perhaps she was out for the night on business.
Jessica Jones was here for a reason, and she was struggling to accept that this was the only safe place for her anymore. After ten years, the Purple Man was back to haunt her. She was so sure he was dead, and now to find out that he wasn't? She was absolutely panicked at the possibility that he was coming back for her. Of course, there was always the possibility that she was just being paranoid, but that had never stopped her before.
And now, she found herself in this bar, and she knew someone that could protect her. If only he would.
She went up to the bar, trying to calm down from her frantic twitchiness. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop shaking. She finally raised her eyes to look at the bartender, his face wasn't familiar. Was he new? It was possible. She thought she knew every face under the boss's employ, but she didn't know him.
She took a shaky breath and ordered a bottle of bourbon. When the man behind the bar gave her a look and started pouring a glass, Jessica snarled at him and repeated herself. He shook nervously and handed her the bottle, watching as she drank directly from it.
Kevin wasn't sure what to make of any of this, but he knew when someone was scared. "Hey, are you alright?"
Jessica took a deep breath and took another drink from the bottle. When she set it down on the bar, hand still firmly gripping the neck of the bottle, she looked at the bartender and took a deep breath.
"I want to see Artie Cade."
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Post by Artie Cade on May 27, 2017 23:12:02 GMT -5
....this all had to be played correctly. Artie knew this. He stared at the woman who entered from his booth seat at the far end of the bar. He'd know Jessica Jones anywhere.
Half of him was being cautious, hiding his eyes under his large hat. The other half of him was frozen solid in fear.
The last time he'd seen her, she'd shattered his leg. She was why he couldn't walk easily anymore, leaning on his cane like some damned cripple. Like the Crooked Man from that old rhyme.
He didn't make a sound, trusting Kevin to be discreet.
How foolish of him, when Kevin looked over at him as if looking for an answer.
Artie tilted his head up and removed his hat, setting it on the table.
His boys knew what his look meant and all slowly stood from siting around him.
"All right folks," Big Joe Crimms said loudly, "Everybody out, we're closed."
With some amount of grumbling, people were filed out steadily, some urged or pushed more than others.
All the while, Artie just stared coldly.
If she was here to finish the job, she'd have a rough go of it. Of that he promised himself.
Signaling to the door with a wave of his hand, his four men and Big Joe moved to stand by the exits. Artie himself slowly stood, demonstratively slamming his can onto the floor with a loud 'tang' and limping toward Jessica Jones.
"Kevin..." he hissed, not looking at anyone but Jones, "You too. Or you'll be carried out in a pine overcoat."
Kevin nodded hastily, not even cleaning up, just fetching his coat and hat and squirreling passed Big Joe.
Artie finally approached Jones and looked her up and down, sneering.
"...may I help you....miss?" he asked in a voice like poison.
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 27, 2017 23:26:59 GMT -5
When the bartender glanced over to one of the booths, Jessica followed his gaze. She froze where she was. Half in shock, and half in fear. After all, the last time she saw him, she had broken his leg. It was an accident, but she didn't think he'd listen to that for a second. Why would she have accidentally breaking an entire leg if not on purpose?
The two of them must have stared at each other for what felt like minutes before he took his hat off and one of his boys started ushering everyone out. That could only mean bad news for her. Well, at least it wasn't good news.
While the place was emptied, she kept her eyes on Artie, half afraid he would do something irrational.
Like there was any other thing he could do in this situation.
It began to dawn on her that no explanation she could give would be good enough to explain why she was here.
I'm scared.
The Purple Man might be back.
I want to come home.
Please protect me.
Nothing would be good enough without some kind of apology, but how do you apologize for breaking a leg?
The coldness in the way he greeted her almost took her by surprise. Almost. She might have expected it if she hadn't spent the entire way here imagining he might be glad to see her alive. Surviving a car bomb, after all, was not something everyone could say they did.
And she noticed the cane. Was that because of her? She had no idea. She didn't want to bring attention to it, but she couldn't help but stare.
"..... What happened?" She asked, unable to stop herself. As far as she knew, she had just broken a couple of bones. That's all she meant to do. Well, all she meant to do was sprain his leg, but she lost control of her anger.
She took a deep breath and sighed, shaking her head free of the distractions.
"Artie ..." That was weird. "I think .... I think Kilgrave is back."
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Post by Artie Cade on May 27, 2017 23:37:54 GMT -5
Artie wasted no time when the woman dared ask him that.
His hand shot up and gripped her jaw, pulling her face down toward him from where she sat.
"What happened...?" he growled, "How quickly we forget, don't we...?"
He released he mouth and took a step backward for a moment, scowling.
"You think a shattered kneecap just heals?" he continued, "You didn't leave here a stupid girl. Must've had quite a time while you were awa-"
But she cut him off when she mentioned Kilgrave. That man....that had brainwashed her. No, hypnotized her. Both? He was never quite sure how it had worked. But he knew what he had done with the body.
He had poured cement into the unmarked grave it was tossed into. But if she discovered that Artie's boys had planted that apparently failed car bomb....things could get dicey. He decided to play it cool, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"You said he was dead," he spat, "And now you come running in like some scared little kitten, with what? Any proof? No, just your addled, paranoid brain tellin ya things."
Artie lit a cigarette and blew smoke into Jones' face slowly.
"...the gall to come back here." he spat.
But then he realized...this was a golden opportunity. She'd have to earn her keep again, like the old days. He could use her around now. With the new blood trying to grab up territories, somebody like her could be useful. But he'd have to ease into that. If he didn't put up a fight first she'd never go for it.
"Boys." he said casually, letting them all draw and aim their weapons at the newcomer, "Miss I'm sure you appreciate that I can't just let you waltz in here like this. Not when I've half a mind to do you in worse than some lead."
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 28, 2017 0:07:45 GMT -5
Jessica's heart sank. So she was the reason he walked with a cane. That didn't feel good. Not nearly as good as it might have felt under different circumstances, if he was anyone else. She wasn't proud of what she did. Not even a little bit. After all, this was the man she used to call father, and now their relationship was no more. It was breaking her heart.
And now, even worse, he was claiming that she was just being paranoid. Maybe she was, but it made too much sense.
"Well, you know what they say," she said, plainly. "Just because you're paranoid..."
She could see the look on his face, like he figured out she'd have to earn her protection. He'd never forgive her for what she did. But if this meant she would be safe from Kilgrave again, she'd do anything. She hated that it all had to go like this, but she was willing to settle like this.
She frowned and looked down, relaxing her fists. She didn't often do such a thing, but she felt entirely defeated.
Her heart ached for something familiar, and unfortunately she found it.
She just hoped it wouldn't have been so far back to their first meeting. Back when he had a mind to use her powers.
But if it meant protection, it was better than nothing.
Then the boys all drew their guns at her and she looked at Artie.
"I thought we talked about this. I'm sturdier than that." Or, at least she hoped she was.
She wasn't about to give them a chance to find out if she was bullet proof, though. She sank her fingers into the wood of one of the nearby booths and ripped it out of the wall, swinging it at the nearest of the goons, then throwing it at the rest of them. As they started to pick themselves back up, she looked at Artie, as if challenging him to do better.
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Post by Artie Cade on May 28, 2017 0:21:29 GMT -5
Of course this escalated. Why wouldn't it? How couldn't it? Christ, why wasn't Laura here...? The ferocity of Jones' attack took even Artie by surprise and he staggered backward, barely balancing himself on his cane to keep from keeling over entirely.
He ducked as she swung the booths at his men, knocking them aside like bowling pins. His head whirled back toward his adversary and he realized his panic over her being out for his blood returned.
"....boys..." he said as he leaned on the bar, "...take five."
With the turn of a knob behind the bar counter, two panels in the walls slid open. Two automatons, his towering, clockwork Ticktockmen, lumbered out of their hiding places, stomping over toward Jessica. Their pincers snapped at her, the huge arms swiping don as Artie laughed in delight at the sheer majesty of them. Big Joe moved in to pull Artie away from the inevitable intensity of this brawl, but Artie pulled control of his arms back from the much larger man, straightening his coat out.
"Ya think you can just come back and get the drop on ME, JESSICA?" he laughed cruelly, "Nah, not tonight. Kilgrave is dead. And unfortunately...you might be too. You as sharp as ya used to be? Show me."
This was half a test for his own estimations of her abilities and an attempt to genuinely kill the girl. After all, if she was there to kill him, so much the better. If she wasn't and she won, none the worse.
"They'll soften you up for me, I haven't finished with you yet."
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 28, 2017 12:20:18 GMT -5
Jessica had thought that perhaps not doing anything unless provoked would be enough to prove that she wasn't here to kill him. But, that's what it looked like Artie thought, and he was the sort that tended to make up his mind about people. She just never really expected to be on the receiving end of it.
He told his boys to take five and she hoped that maybe he would listen to her now.
Then the ticking started.
She twitched, like she had the night she first came to him, and suddenly she was in Wonderland again. The Wicked Suit dissolved and she was in a forest. The Ticktockmen weren't faceless automatons, but the Tweedles, bumbling now that their master was dead.
When Artie spoke, it wasn't his voice she heard. It was Kilgrave's. She looked at him, and saw the Purple Man smoking a hookah, the smoke escaping through his teeth as he grinned a cruel grin. The laughter, though, was Artie's cackle.
And she found herself wanting to do Kilgrave's bidding again. She turned to the Tweedles and took a fighting stance. One that Artie had shown her in her youth.
She waited for one of them to lunge at her, and grabbed its arm, yanking it clean off its body.
Her mind filled in a scream of pain, and her eyes started to tear up. She couldn't stop herself. She wanted to show Kilgrave that she was still a good fighter. She found herself wanting his approval. It was all she wanted. It consumed her. Just like it did all those years ago.
The Tweedle reared back and swung at her again, knocking her into the wall. She barely even blinked before she picked herself back up and leapt up, punching it in its dome. It didn't fall over yet, so she kicked it into the wall. These Tweedles were sturdier than she remembered them being.
She picked up the discarded arm and proceeded to beat the automaton with it. Again, and again, and again, and again, until it crumbled, useless.
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Post by Artie Cade on May 28, 2017 12:28:47 GMT -5
Artie stared, mesmerized, at this display....Jessica took the stance he showed her back when she'd first come to him...but she was even more fierce now. Something was driving her. Was it....his death? That she wanted to kill him? What else could it be, she had a job to finish didn't she?
His eyes lowered into a glare as he watched her tear one of his Ticktockmen apart.
"Bravo!" he clapped as he looked around at his men as they staggered to stand again, "But there's soooo many more where that came from!"
That was a bluff. He only had two on hand and completed at the moment, but she didn't have to know that. Maybe it'd scare her off...?
The lone surviving Ticktockman snapped and swung at its prey, tossing her into one wall then the other. This caused Artie to wave his arms and scream at it frantically.
"NO NO NO DON'T BRING THE DAMN ROOF DOWN!" he shouted.
His creation stopped and slammed the woman onto the floor, cracking it slightly.
Artie cackled in delight.
"Awwww Jessicaaaaa..." he hissed, "You used to do so much better than this! Did being gone wherever you were make you soft on me?"
In truth, he'd nearly said 'Gotham,' but that might give too much away too early. After all, car bombs weren't that frequent when you were in a new city away from old enemies.
Or old family.
Even so, as Artie watched her increased intensity, he limped backward toward the wall behind him.
His boys were nervous, he could tell. He heard their weapons rattling in their hands as they watched.
"Oh screw THIS!" Big Joe shouted as he ran out the back door.
To Artie's surprise, the rest...steadily joined him.
"GET BACK HERE!" he shouted at them, firing a pistol and hitting one in the leg, "YOU'RE ALL DEAD!"
The wounded goon shot back at Artie but missed...damn morons. No wonder he preferred to work alone or with Laura when he could.
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 30, 2017 0:58:49 GMT -5
Jessica could only barely hear the voice over the ticking. She was on the defensive, for the most part. In the back of her head, she knew this was all a hallucination and that Artie was right there. That this was all a misunderstanding, and he would see she wasn't there to hurt him.
But she wasn't in her right mind.
In this mind, all she could see was Kilgrave egging her on, and the Tweedles trying to kill her.
Well, one Tweedle, now. And the ticking was curiously less intense.
The Tweedle tossed her like a doll, tossing her from one wall into another and back before slamming her into the ground. She didn't remember the Tweedles being this strong. But it was no matter.
But she did freeze when she heard Kilgrave's voice.
"Jessicaaaaa..."
Jessica picked herself up and took her fighting stance, now with more vigor. She lunged at the Tweedle and knocked it back into the wall, grabbing it by the leg and swinging it around before slamming it down into the ground over, and over, and over again.
There was a commotion, and some gunshots, and that muffled the ticking just enough for Jessica to come to her senses.
She wasn't in Wonderland.
This wasn't a Tweedle.
That wasn't Kilgrave.
This was just a robot. There were no moral hangups about killing it, and she was under no obligation to do so.
But if she stopped here, Artie would say she was weak. She frowned, and punched through the Ticktockman's chest and ripped out its cogs, causing it to shut down.
She rounded on Artie, threw the robotic corpse at him, missing him by inches, and stormed over to him, looming over him.
It was a bluff. She didn't intend to do anything. But she knew he got like this. He got manic, and this was the only way she knew how to snap him out of it. Scaring him out of it.
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Post by Artie Cade on May 30, 2017 16:10:36 GMT -5
He'd hardly turned around again from snarling at the traitors when Artie's face dropped to shock...Jessica had ripped his only other spare Ticktockman into pieces. She was...savage. Like he'd rarely seen her before. His heart began to beat against his chest harder in fear as he watched her destroy the thing, pulling out a fistful of cogs in her hand like she'd just fetched a fly out of butter.
And then she turned to him.
When the corpse of the machine was thrown at him, he dropped his cane and fell onto his back in his fevered attempt to get further from her, crawling back into the wall like a wounded spider.
"J.....Jones..." he stammered as he moved backward, yelping as he accidentally ran into the steel hulking mess behind him, "N-Now hang on...here..."
Well, he'd really put his foot in it this time. Where was Laura? He didn't anticipate she'd be overly enthusiastic about fighting with Jessica Jones, her adopted sister, even if he knew she still harbored anger toward her for ruining his leg. Still, clearly she wasn't about, and that...complicated matters. He didn't know what to do. His mind raced as Jessica drew closer, looming over him like a shadow. Artie winced and began to shake in fear, curling into himself as he stared up at the woman.
He'd certainly put his foot in it this time...to put it again. And mildly.
"D-don't....kill me, Jessie...." he managed to croak out, curling into himself slightly, "Please don't..."
The fear in his voice was something he could no longer control. He'd run out of cards in the immediate moment, and the jig was up. He'd rolled the dice and lost.
But how long had she been alive? Staying in Gotham? He'd had that car bomb planted a year or so ago at this point, after he'd finally learned where she was hiding. He had assumed it took her out back then, but here she was. Had she only just gone to that car under the tarp? Clearly he hadn't planned this out as diligently as he had assumed. And now it was all over. But, hey, maybe it was better this way. At least one of them could have some closure, even if it wasn't going to be him.
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on May 30, 2017 23:23:16 GMT -5
Well, she'd done it. She'd called his bluff. Artie Cade was retreating like a wounded animal and it was because of her. She was the reason he was afraid. Again. For a moment, she had another flashback of that night she broke his leg. That fear on his face. The pain in his eyes. She hated to see him like this, and she'd started it all over again.
As she moved toward him, she shoved everything out of the way. Everything, whether it was movable or not.
It was just the two of them. Him, cowering on the floor, and her, standing over him, shadow creeping over his shaking form.
She loomed over him until he croaked out her name. Jessie.
She stopped where she was and softened. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Well, he'd called her bluff as well. She was never going to hurt him. In fact, she felt no ill will toward him. She didn't know what else she had expected when she walked back through his door, but she could hardly blame him. The last time she saw him ....
Her eyes went down to the leg she'd broken. It was her fault.
It was her fault he was afraid of her.
The man she'd spent so long fearing.
The man she once called father.
He was curled up, begging for his life. His life was in her hands.
She knew only one thing she could do.
She slowly knelt down next to him and brought him into a gentle hug. Barely a moment later, she choked out a sob and buried her face in his shoulder. She didn't dare call him father again. She lost that privilege when she broke his leg. But for the last couple of years, this was all she wanted.
"I missed you, Artie."
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Post by Artie Cade on May 30, 2017 23:37:42 GMT -5
In a million years, in a hundred separated realities, Artie could not imagine this is how it would go.
He swerved his head to watch Jessie clear the wreckage away. Then she stood her ground, and he looked up at her in awe, because...she wasn't tearing him apart? Wasn't snapping his neck?
But she earned that. What was she....
And then it happened. She pulled him, ever so gently, into her embrace. He faltered for a moment, not holding her back, merely in his pure shock at the gesture, his eyes wide over her shoulder.
When she said the words "I missed you," he allowed his arms to close around her too.
Fact is, he'd missed her too. And did regret what he'd done...in and out. Sometimes his hatred of what she'd done to him when she left overcame his affection for her in his manias, but then when that would subside, he was ashamed of himself.
He had to tell her...this was a delicate line to walk....if he could get her to come home....well.
"Oh...my Jessie..." he half whispered, holding her head to his, "I've missed you....I'm so sorry."
He looked around at the wreckage around them, genuinely at last taking in what his bouts of crazy had done.
"...oh God," he stammered, "Jessie I'm sorry...! You come all the way home and I do this, I...I didn't realize..."
Artie pulled back from the hug to look her in her eyes, running a length of her hair back over her ear, like he'd always done and looking her up and down before smiling slightly.
"Look at you..." he said softly with a sort of small chuckle, "....look at us both, I guess, huh...?"
Aw, hell. To hell with all of it. He pulled her back into a firm hug again.
"What're you doin here, Jessie...? Kilgrave's not back...is he...?" he said, in a concerned tone, "I mean...you told me you took care of him when you first came here, I thought?"
It was a curious sensation, talking as if he didn't just try to kill her, but the truth of it was he was just too glad to see her.
And had far too much potential use for her.
"You'll...stay the night at least....I hope...?" he asked, looking at her sheepishly, "I know what I just did was.....I don't...."
He massaged his temple with his right hand and looked away from her. It was a tell of sorts with him, when he got to thinking about his malfunctioning mind. That it'd lend itself to such outbursts. It caused his thought to trail off.
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on Jun 3, 2017 17:15:00 GMT -5
It had been five years. Five long years since that fateful day she ran away. She never thought, in a million years, that she would be back at Artie's doorstep asking for help. She never thought she'd be here again, hugging him like the old days. Before even Laura had entered the picture, she could remember calming Artie down from his manias and holding him just like she was holding him now.
For a moment, it was like the world melted away, and they were back to their old selves.
No running.
No fear.
Just them.
For a moment, it was almost happy.
She never suspected that her gut might have been wrong.
"It's okay, Artie," she said, heart wrenching for him. She knew he couldn't always control himself, and this time was no different. He tended to be as paranoid as she was. Maybe that was why they got along so well. Whatever the reason, she understood why he freaked out when she came back. After what she did, she wouldn't have blamed him for just shooting her unceremoniously. "It's okay."
She kept him in a tight hug, half clinging to the poor man. She had no idea how badly her soul needed this. It was like nothing had ever transpired between them, and they could be whole again. But she knew that wasn't how this all worked. Not this time, anyway.
"It .... It has to be Kilgrave. I never heard whether he lived or died." She pulled back to look at him, fear etched on her face. "How else would a mind controller know where to find me? I knew that job was rotten when I was asked to do it, and there he was. He ... Artie, he controlled me. I think it was a warning that Kilgrave was back."
She started shaking, twitching like she did that first night she came to him.
"I watched him die. And ... the clown chased me out of the woods." She closed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them, looking at the ground. "I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me."
She looked at him, looking more afraid than she had been in years.
"I know you probably don't want me to stay," she said, barely registering that he was asking her to stay the night. "But ... I'm scared. I'll come back. I'll work for you again. Just .... Please. I'm begging you. Give me shelter and a chance to make everything up to you."
Her words got lost somewhere in her throat after that. The stress from the whole night came crashing down on her all at once, and she broke down. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed softly. For all she knew, Artie would snap again and chase her out of here and she would be left on her own again.
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Post by Artie Cade on Jun 6, 2017 8:17:12 GMT -5
Something was pulled at in Artie's heart. His Jessie was back again, she'd come back to him. And half of him wanted to turn this to his advantage, but the other half saw this poor broken girl he'd taken in years back. And she'd come for his help again.
But he couldn't play his cards right away...maybe he'd never tell her he'd set that car bomb. Maybe it was best to keep her here like this. Or was it worse? He couldn't tell when in this moment he knew what he had to do most was keep his daughter calm. Daughter? That was odd to think about. He hadn't considered her that in a long while. But what was untrue about it? He held her close, not really minding the less than exactly iron grip she held him in and ran his hand through her hair slowly.
"Shhh..." he said quietly, "There's nothing to make up. You came home....let's start over. Keep things civil...okay? I'm your father. What can I do for ya...? Tell me."
He continued petting her hair, like her sister it always comforted her. After echoing those words he'd said back when she first came to him, she told him. And he was overrun with emotion. She couldn't beg him...he didn't deserve to have her grovel to him. Did he? Yes of course he did, ungrateful little....no, not that. Not you. He pushed that side of himself back down deeper and continued petting her hair.
"Of course you can stay, Jessie. For as long as you need to." Artie said through a half whispered laugh.
He leaned his head on hers. She and Laura were so much alike. Hell, the three of them all were in the damage they carried. But they made some semblance of family, which threw his usual manias and behavior so far out of sync. He'd never considered he deserved that solace. That comfort. Even that love he had for his girls. But he'd never turn it away. Artie pulled back slightly just to look at her. He even chanced a warm smile which faded as he considered his lie.
"I believe you," he said with a nod, "If he's back, you'll be safe here with me. Always. I'll have the boys lock up the perimeter around my territories. Nothin' he can mind trick either."
Glancing at the bodies of his clockwork creations for a moment, he sighed.
"If we created better circumstances for ourselves," he scoffed, "Neither of us would be in quite this level of disrepair."
Artie looked back at Jones.
"You'll stay right here," he said as he hugged her closely again, "I know your sister will be glad you're back."
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Jessica Jones
Heroes
God didn't do this. The Devil did. And I'm going to find him.
Posts: 51
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Post by Jessica Jones on Jun 7, 2017 22:55:17 GMT -5
Jessica wasn't sure what was putting her at ease, but she wasn't going to question it. It helped, perhaps, that Artie said the same words to her as he did when they first met. When he was trying to comfort her. Only this time, she was worried she didn't deserve to start over. Not after everything she had done. She clung to him tightly, just hoping that maybe this time things would work out. Maybe this time she wouldn't lose control. Maybe this time, they could be the father and daughter they started out to be.
No, she couldn't hope for that much. Not yet. She had to earn it. Hell, she wasn't sure if he still wanted her to be his daughter. He was saying the words, but she didn't know if she believed it. It was so hard to trust anyone anymore. Gotham changed her, and she was starting to think perhaps it was for the worse.
When he said she could stay, she choked out a soft sob of relief and buried her face in his chest. It was more than she could have hoped for, really. She didn't know what she was expecting when she came back. It was a gut response. But she certainly didn't expect him to say she could stay for as long as he needed to.
And he believed her? She lifted her head to look at him, searching for any sign of a lie. She was usually very good at being able to tell when he was lying, and there was something about his eyes that gave her the feeling he was being dishonest ... but she didn't care. She wanted him to be telling the truth. After all, what did it matter if he believed her? All that mattered was that he was willing to give her shelter again after all these years, and after what she did to him.
She followed his gaze to the Ticktockmen on the floor, wondering if that was what he meant when he said 'nothin he can mind trick.' She had her doubts, but from what she could understand, Kilgrave's control was pheromone based. Automatons couldn't be tricked by pheromones. Maybe it was a good plan. After all, she was somewhat of an anomaly in her ability to take them out. Kilgrave or anyone he would send wouldn't have nearly as much luck against them.
".... Do you really think Laura won't hate me for what I did to you?" she asked, obviously skeptical. "I shattered your leg. I hated her for cutting half your face off. She has every right to hate me, and I'd be surprised if she didn't."
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