Jessica knew better. It was something that had been drilled into her head first by the Taskmaster, then by Nick Fury himself. In her thirty years, it remained the one constant truth: emotions make you vulnerable. Lesson one. Sometimes, the vulnerability was worth it. Sometimes, however...

She found the thin man, his fingers steepled as he stared down into the glittering pool, framed by a fine stone archway. His ambition would be no match for her anger when his back was turned to her, and she didn't care much if it was a cheap shot. To her frustration, the blast didn't so much as graze the man's high shoulder as he phased out of being and back again in front of her. He regarded her with interest like she was not the person he expected, but he was glad to see her nonetheless. She'd already gotten dressed in the suit, ready to fight whatever the world threw at her when a message about a glowing pool at the Palace of Fine Arts caught her eye. A full five minutes before Natasha alerted the Avengers of the same. Instead of waiting for backup, or as Nick Fury would call it: Lesson Two, she forged ahead, driven by the unclean fuel of rage.

The Spider-Woman. Alone. This is a fortuitous turn.

Jessica watched as Ebony Maw stepped lightly around her. Her muscles tensed like a threatened cobra and, when he stepped too close, she punished him for it quickly, her fist connecting hard with his chest. He stumbled backward and his fury was immediately evident when he turned back to her.

It is a mistake to fight the Mad Titan, Jessica Drew. You already suffer so much at his hand. It would be devastating to personally attract his ire.

Jessica paused, startled. She'd only heard of this man, but she wondered whether it was him who had sent the Skrulls in November. If he'd been watching them. The Skrull population had been nearly decimated with a snap of Thanos's fingers, but perhaps that made them more vulnerable...

Your son... have you found him in this world?

She blinked and he was behind her, his breath on her cheek, his hand on her shoulder.

The Stone... Should the Stone be returned to Thanos, this nightmare could be over for you, Jessica. You could have your son and your Porcupine.

"I'm not an idiot. I know what Thanos does with the gems." Yet she could not bring herself to move away from him. Her feet were molded to the concrete as she listened to him.

Thanos relieves worlds from the humanity that threatens to choke civilization. Think of the things done to you in the name of a better world, Jessica. Think of the times you have been betrayed by the people who claimed to care about you. The people who have tied you up and locked you in a prison for loyalty. Always for your loyalty.

There was a specific moment that flashed into her mind then. Jessica, a double agent still in her underwear, under the thumb of Maria Hill and Tony Stark. Nick Fury in the wind and Hydra knocking down her door.

And who is loyal to you?

"Spock?" Jessica's hazy eyes followed the sound to a golden streak of light in the distance.

"Car-"

Carol Danvers is loyal to her own nobility. She believes in lies and people die because she is ruthless and stubborn. What would she do with the gem, Jessica? She would destroy it. Gladly. Even with your son lost in the Aether. With no way home and no way to know which... family... he has ended up with.

Jessica's eyes widened and she held out her hands to stop Carol.

"The Inheri-"

All things are a possibility in a world so malleable. Think of this week. And the things you have done... Without knowing...

Jessica's eyes looked out again. There were more people now. There was more commotion, more sound. Her eyes caught Peter, and she swallowed thickly.

Look at what you've done to this poor woman. Without even a thought. Without thinking once that you've done something to hurt her or the people she cares about. What will happen to her when you recede again? The best intentions are only the best for one party. People will always fall at the feet of best intentions.

Jessica took a shaking breath, her chest constricted.

Go.

His voice was deep inside her now, reverberating in her head down to her fingertips.

Protect the stone. Protect your son.

As his voice circulated through her like blood, Jessica stepped forward and took aim, firing at anyone who dared step any closer.