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The weight in her hand felt strange; heavy, but familiar. For all the times she had handled something more along the lines of a baseball bat or a gun, there had never been this kind of feeling. The kind that came with a sense of deja vu, as though simply holding the weapon’s hilt in her hand was something she did daily. The longer she stood there, her fingers wrapped around the grip, the more it felt like she had never even been without it. Instead of the truth, which was that she only wielded a sword once in her life.
And that time had been-
“First time wielding a sword? Diana’s voice instantly pulled her out of her own thoughts. Looking up, unaware of the kind of glaze that had fallen over her eyes, Mary Jane blinked once or twice. She’d barely registered her friend’s question at first, before the words clicked, and she found herself scrambling to form some kind of an answer. One that, hopefully, wouldn’t make it obvious how far away her thoughts had been mere seconds earlier.
“...no! I mean…not exactly…” Shaking her head, MJ glanced down at the sword still in her hand. Even the smallest of glances made her feel like a hundred scattered and broken images were ready to burst out of her mind’s eye, making her relive them over again. And after what the experience had been like the first time around, it brought with it a certain chill across her skin that she already knew she wouldn’t be able to escape from.
It wasn’t that sword. She already knew that for sure. If it had been, she already would have felt like a passenger within her own body. It had been a feeling unlike anything she’d ever experienced before or since, and if she could help it, she wanted to keep it that way. But even just holding something similar to that weapon was close enough to leave the hairs on the back of her arms standing end over end. Not entirely in a bad way, but far from pleasant either.
“That sounds like there’s a story involved.” Diana answered with an arched brow. All her life, she had been surrounded by women who could number amongst the best to ever carry a sword. In every single one of them, there had been a certain kind of look when they held a weapon in their hands. Looking at Mary Jane now, she could see the faint inklings of that same expression in her face.
It was an interesting observation, to say the least.
“There is...” Twisting her hand, causing the sword to follow along with it, MJ again was struck by how natural it felt. She’d never had any kind of training with a similar weapon, compared to the hand-to-hand training she’d had from the likes of Captain America or Black Widow. To look at her now, however, one would have never been able to tell. Even the tiniest of movements left Mary Jane herself feeling like whatever would come next wouldn’t require a single second of thought on her part.
Normally, such an experience would inspire more questions than there would be answers. In this case, however, Mary Jane already knew where that experience came from. Or rather, what it was still lingering from.
“Hopefully it’s not one that’s painful. I didn’t mean to pry if it is.” Taking note of the way Mary Jane seemed to be dodging giving an explanation, Diana was fully prepared to back off pushing any further if need be. No-one was completely free of things they would rather not talk about, and she hardly expected her friend to be any different.
“No, it’s just…” Words failed Mary Jane. But as those same hundred or so fuzzy images continued to hound her mind, she knew if there was anyone she could bring the event in question up to, Diana certainly was one of them. Apart from Peter, and he had already been there to experience the event first-hand. She wouldn’t have dreamed about bringing up what had happened to someone like Millie or Chili. But Diana? It was almost a guarantee that she had experienced something similar, if not almost the same.
At the very least, she suspected she wouldn’t be looked at as though she’d suddenly sprouted a second head on her shoulders. For that matter, something told her that it probably wouldn’t have seemed that crazy to Diana even if she had.
“Once…-” she started, loosening her hold on the sword’s hilt as she spoke, less somehow fate be tempted to bring forth a repeat performance. Looking up to see that she absolutely had Diana’s complete and undivided attention, MJ took a deep breath, before finally continuing.
“-I was possessed by a warrior woman from another time and place. If she and Peter hadn’t figured out how to stop what was going on, she might have been stuck in control of my body.” Recounting it now, she wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t had a front-row seat for all of it. Even then, the details she could recall were certainly fuzzy. More than once, she’d had the thought that it had been like she’d been split in two. Trying to remember things now, she couldn’t argue that the description was far beyond accurate.
It was a crazy story. But as she looked back at Diana, expecting to find some kind of disbelief in the other woman's face, she instead found exactly the opposite.
“I can’t imagine that it was pleasant. Possessions never are.” Diana said as she stepped forward. In her line of duty, she had seen more than enough strange things to last several lifetimes. And certainly more than what any normal person would or should have been expected to go through. What Mary Jane had explained in even so short a detail went far beyond that as well. Although she would have been the first person to also say that Mary Jane was far from just being normal either.
“It wasn’t. I can’t remember a lot of it very clearly. But I can’t forget how it felt.” Shaking her head, MJ could still feel, at times, like if she tried hard enough, she could feel the other woman’s presence in her mind. More than once, she had tried to write it off as just being the lingering effects of what had happened. Afterall, with how close things had come down to the wire, it had been far likelier of a scenario than she would have liked to admit. One of the clearest memories she did have was using what had been left of her grasp on the other woman’s mind to convince her to help Peter. Considering that she was still able to talk about it, clearly it had worked.
“Did you ever talk to someone about this? I’m assuming you and Peter already have.” Any thoughts about the sword training were already gone from Diana’s mind. After what she had been told, her focus was completely on what was going on in her friend’s mind. Especially when she had been the one to suggest it to Mary Jane.
“A couple of times. Helps when you have an entire support group there for you.” Nodding, MJ appreciated the concern that was undoubtedly behind the question. All things considered, there had been far less damage done by what had happened than there could have been. Wherever the woman known as Red Sonja was now, she had given her body back. Not only that, but she had certainly helped save Peter as well, for that matter.
The unnatural feeling of knowing someone had been in the driver's seat for her own body, however, was as far from a comforting experience as anything she could imagine.
“I hope you know that I’m here as well. Even if it’s just to hear what you have to say.” Closing the remaining bit of distance that separated the two of them, Diana placed her hand on Mary Jane’s shoulder. Feeling the familiar touch, coupled with just the comforting presence of her friend, MJ felt some of the icyness in her skin start to fade. What had happened was in the past. The fact that she was here now, holding a sword, and was still in total control of her own body went further to dissuade any notion that even just holding such a weapon would somehow invite Sonja back into her body.
The fear would likely always be there, in the back of her mind, but what she was doing now went a long way towards ensuring that those fears would remain just whispers.
“Thank you, Diana.” Nodding, MJ smiled back at her friend.
“We don’t have to go through with this training today if you don’t want to. After what you just told me, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to postpone this.” Thoughts still centered on making sure any further discomfort was the last thing her friend would feel, Diana was already prepared to push her sword into its sheath. As skilled a warrior as she was, kindness was always a far greater part of her armory.
“No, I’ll be ok. Promise. I appreciate it though.” Shaking her head, Mary Jane only waited a moment or so before flashing a playful smirk her friend’s way. “You’re not getting out of this that easy.”
Seeing the familiar fire return to her friend’s face made it easy for Diana to match her smirk with one of her own. She would certainly be checking in a bit more on her now, but if Mary Jane was ready enough to start her lessons today? She would be a more than willing teacher.
“As long as you’re sure. This kind of training requires complete attention.” Knowing perhaps better than anyone else within the League just how difficult teaching someone the blade could be, she nevertheless took a few steps back, hand twirling her blade around once it was safe to do so.
“I’m a quick study.” Nodding, Mary Jane doubled her hold on her own blade’s hilt. The memories of what had happened might always be there. But if taking the proverbial bull by the horns would help continue to put her at ease with them? Then she was all in on this training.
The next time she auditioned for a sword and sorcery film? She was going to blow everyone else out of the water.
“For what it’s worth, I think that whoever this warrior was? She probably picked you because she sensed a kindred spirit.” Diana offered one final bit of wisdom, meaning every single word. More than once, she had seen exactly the kind of bravery that the woman before her was capable of. Whoever the warrior was who had taken over her Mary Jane briefly, clearly she had chosen someone who was more than a match for their strength. Perhaps not physically, but certainly in spirit and resolve.
Hearing the praise, Mary Jane had absolutely no problem matching her friend’s smile with one of her own. For a few brief seconds, the two friends shared that mutual respect for one another. Satisfied that the other knew and felt that respect, both Mary Jane and Diana took another step back, and properly brought their swords to par.
“That mean you know you’re gonna lose?” MJ teased, game-face already firmly in control of her expression, as if this were a true spar instead of a training session. Hearing the playful taunt, Diana let out an amused snort.
“In your dreams. But I promise I’ll go easy on you.”