Deep within the walls of the Crystal City, Lady Jessica Heart tossed and turned furiously in her sleep. Her nightgown soaked with sweat.
"What are you doing here?" the man asked, he was now sat opposite her, his hands tented together and resting his elbows on the desk...
"Jessica Heart... that is your name correct?" The man spoke again... the tone growing more menacing, but the volume never raised.
"What were you doing on a vessel over Kraven territorial areas?" the man continued.. she couldn't speak... she had been...violated... her instinct was to fight to fight to FIGHT ... but she was tied... so so tired of everything/
Baby, wake up...
Jessica shouted back at the man. "Dont mock me... you've been interrogating me every day now for three months..."
"Aaaahh... and theres that fire, I do so enjoy our conversations!" Helghan sat back in his seat, he smiled and waved a hand...
Jessica wanted to scream at him again. Call him bastard. Call him depraved. Call him the evil narcissistic psychopath that he was.
The wall behind her began to drop slowly into the floor revealing a plexiglass screen and several people sat watching intently, they all wore scientist uniforms and most notably were not from Kraven...
Jessica.... JESSICA... Wake up!
"That my dear" Helghan pointed towards the skeleton... "is going into you.." he tapped her hand with a finger... it was ice cold ... inhumanly cold... colder than any winter she'd ever experienced.
Quickly, the medical officers strapped her to the bed..she tried to resist, but her body wouldn't obey... something that they did to her... something wouldn't let her fight.
They cut into her fingers, she screamed...
JESSICA!
Jessica Heart woke up screaming... she swung her fist at the voice next to her, but he grabbed her.. and pulled her close to him... He was warm...
Breathing heavily, she blinked the tears away from her eyes and slowly came back to the waking world.. She was home. She was safe. The warm man was her husband Lucas, the father of her twin children, her rescuer from that terrible time so very long ago.
As she stopped thrashing she felt his arms move tighter around her.
It's ok, you're home...you're safe...it was just a dream.
Jessica shook her head, her long red hair shaking about. But it wasn't just a dream was it?
Her husband Lucas kissed her forehead, kind grey eyes closing just a moment. His short brown hair was showing just the slightest hints of grey. He rocked her back and forth.
It's getting worse isn't it?
Jessica shook her head again, I know what you're thinking... I don't want to send the High Council into a panic over one of my nightmares....empath or not.
You know what I'm thinking because we've been married for fifteen years. Not because of anything they did to you. And I don't think Sir Vincent is one to panic.
Years ago, when she had been captured by Kraven forces, the Reichmarshal had installed a powerful Kraven relay inside her skull. It was designed to control her, to force her to become one of Kraven's minions.. but it had backfired. When she was rescued, she not only could resist the implant but had turned it against it's master. She could hear the relay, control it, drive those connected to the Kraven relay mad with her concentrated will.
But that had been long ago. When the Kraven vanished, so had the pain and the power. However, the nightmares had returned. And those closest to her were worried it was a sign of things to come. That Kraven had once again picked up arms to wage war upon mankind.
Lady Jessica Heart: Heroine of Havensky - Secretary of State - Former Admiral of the White Humanitarian Fleet - Wife of Sir Ironheart - The Butcher's End, stood up from her bed and reached out with her titanium arm for her tablet - now blinking red with a message.
Lady Jessica, Sir Ironwing... Your presence is requested at the Palace..
Jessica's heart sank. It wasn't just nightmares. A summons at this time of night only meant one thing. Kraven had indeed returned.