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Aria, now Justice, hovered high above the world, the ground distant below her. she could see the whole of North America from her extreme altitude. The test was going smoothly. If things continued to play out the way they currently were, she would successfully be able to take control of all the gears and prevent their use in war. She stared down at the continent below her, thinking to herself about how beautiful it looked from up here. "Everything good on your side?" a voice asked. "Yes Asuka," she replied, "I was just admiring... Aaaaaagh!" she cried out. " Her head felt like it was being boiled as she clutched at it desperately. Her mind was flooded with thoughts not her own. Violent, malevolent thoughts of wiping humanity from the face of the earth.
She could hear Asuka shouting, but couldn't interpret what he was saying over her own screams and the evil that was encroaching over her consciousness. She didn't know how long she was fighting for control over her own mind; minutes, hours, days? All she knew was that it was hell and it felt like forever. At some point however, something else took over. Her body moved on its own, and she was unable to regain control, no matter how hard she tried.
She flew over the pacific ocean at blazing speed, crossing it in no time and stopping above the island nation of Japan. Through her binocular vision, she could see the inhabitants far down below, and what she saw horrified her. The people were shifting, their bodies contorting and changing into... something else. Her mind raced, but not for long as her body stretched out, bending her elbows and powering up against her will. Then, a massive blue beam was released from her body as she blasted her gamma ray at the islands. She screamed internally, mortified as the beam struck the islands, obliterating them.
When it was over, a deafening silence filled the air. Aria was frozen, trying to process what had just happened, what she had just done. She felt something slip in her mind, like a crack. Next, everything shattered like a pane of glass. She lost control, of who she was, of everything.
Jack-O's eyes snapped open and she gasped for air. A desperate gasp, like that of someone coming up from being underwater for far too long. Wracked by her memories, she stared ahead blankly, her eyes unseeing as her body twitched, siezed and convulsed. She choked as she tried desperately and unsuccessfully to inhale. Her naked body was slick with sweat, the sheets soaked as she continued with her futile attempt to breathe as the panic attack raged throughout her body.
Suddenly, Jack-O' became aware of a pair of strong, powerful arms wrapping around her, she felt herself calm as she felt Sol's naked, hulking form engulf her in his comforting embrace. She gasped, finally feeling cool air enter her lungs. She continued to gasp, taking in huge lungfulls of air as she came back to reality. All of that was behind her, the gear project, the crusades, she was whole again, her and Sol were camped up in a cheap motel for the night after turning in some bandits.
"It's okay, Aria," came his deep, rugged, gravely voice. "You're okay," She felt her breathing slow and calm down, no longer gasping but still deep and heavy as her body shivered and trembled like a leaf. She felt him take both of her shaking hands is his one large one, holding them steady in his firm grip. He slowly stroked her hands with his thumb, showing a gentleness he never showed anywhere else except with her. "Just breathe," he told her.
She took a slow, deep breath, holding it for a few seconds bofore slowly letting it out, steadying and grounding herself, using Sol as her anchor. She continued to take slow steady breaths for a long time, slowly bringing herself back down to earth and calming the shaking of her body as she finally lay still, panting breathlessly after her ordeal. She closed her eyes as she tried to regain her breath. When she felt she had finally calmed down, she pulled her one hand from Sol's grip and placed it on top of his. She let out a sigh, "thank you," she breathed softly. He responded by squeezing her a little tighter.
She turned around in his embrace, wrapping one arm under him and around his waist and bringing the other up and over his ribs, holding her self tight against his warm, comforting body and burying her head against his massive, tectonic chest. She smiled and let out a soft, tired, contented hum, breathing in his comforting scent as she lay her head on his huge, burly bicep. He pulled her tight against his body. He ran a hand through her scarlet and ivory hair, rubbing her head.
As she felt herself drifting off into a peaceful sleep, a thought stayed ever-present in her head, 'I'm so happy, so happy to be alive.'