The Queen of Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel Properties. I make no money, please do not sue me! Please review, and enjoy. I only claim Jance Neck't and other Original Characters.

" " = Talking

' ' = Thinking

# # = Special Action or Sound

NOTICE: This takes place, starting at the time of The She-Rex of Bayville, Chapter 31: Classroom Blues. This is a companion piece, but can be read without reading She-Rex first.

ALSO: The opinions of Janice Neck't, or other characters, DO NOT reflect the opinions of the Author.

Chapter 01: Normal?

HOME OF THE NECK'T FAMILY, TUESDAY MORNING

Janice Neck't, a girl of Middle Eastern ancestry, with a nearly PERFECT figure, long, silky midnight hair, an angelic face and enchantingly dark eyes. This is what she saw in the mirror, as she decided what to wear to school today. Janice thought to herself #I wonder what my Ancient Sumerian ancestors wore? I'll have to look it up some time...#

Deciding on a knee-length black skirt, a crimson blouse with a moderate amount of her impressive cleavage showing, with matching crimson low heel shoes. Her hair loose behind her, and held from her face by a modest hair gel. Taking her handbag, and book bag, Janice went down to breakfast. Her Father, Mr. Hannibal Neck't, was waiting downstairs at the table with her Mom, Jasmine, her younger brother, Jamal, and the cat, Mr. Smiley.

Hoping to avoid her mother's ire, Janice kept her mouth shut as she came to the table for breakfast. Her mother's temper was difficult to guess at, and although she only ever used angry words, or rarely revoked privileges, it was never fun to receive that anger. Her father, on the other hand, was wrapped around her little finger. Janice was Daddy's Little Princess, and could do no real wrong in Daddy's eyes. In short, Janice Neck't was a spoiled brat!

Her brother, Jamal was even worse! Jamal was good looking, and aggressive. His arrogance was considered to be his due, for being Daddy's Heir. Jamal, however went to Private School. He was Going Places when he turned eighteen. Janice knew that she would be lucky to avoid an arranged marriage.

Mr. Smiley seemed unusually timid, and kept his distance from her, this morning. Janice was too tired, and running close to becoming late, to bother with the temperamental cat. Dining upon her breakfast of eggs, steak, and buttered bread (Not toast), Janice asked her Father a question "Father? What do think of those 'Mutant' creatures?"

Mr. Neck't looked at his daughter and answered her honestly. "These are strange times, and so these 'Mutants' may be creatures out of ancient stories brought to life in the modern age. Of course, they may be simply genetically different peoples. I am tempted to hope that these are beings from the Old Faith. Our family has kept the Old Faith alive for over three and a half thousand years. It is my hope that such beings as mutants, may be a sign of the Gods' stirring. If we were here for the Return, it would be very good for us. Now, go to school, and make us proud! Oh, and don't forget, we have Temple on Saturday Night."

TUESDAY, BAYVILLE HIGH

Janice was having a blast! She had verbally put down that weirdo dino-witch, and made her cry! She hit on that weird-haired boyfriend of hers, just to twist the knife! Being a Cheerleader made her popularity almost unassailable. It was her beauty, and wit, that made her better than all the rest. Janice wondered if the Xavier girls ever understood that they were freaks, monsters and thus unwanted.

Janice believed that she alone deserved anything good. #After all, I am superior to every other female alive. I am Janice Neck't! All other so-called girls and women should honestly, simply acknowledge my inherent superiority of all things feminine! My hair is midnight made manifest. My bust is huge, and yet all-natural. My hips-to-waist ratio is perfect. My legs are very feminine. They are perfectly shaped, and perfectly shaved. My face is clearly beauty itself! Just ask any straight guy. Even the adult men want me, as well they should. Of course that does NOT mean that they deserve to get me! Just to want, and to adore me! I am the hottest, sexiest, female on Earth.# Janice honestly thought these things of herself.

WEDNESDAY MORNING, 2:33 AM, THE NECK'T FAMILY HOME.

Janice awoke and frowned. It seems like the lights were all on. Looking at the clock upon the wall, she was panicking a bit! This is because it read 2:33, and since it is an Analog Clock, not digital, so it seemed, with it being so bright in here, that it was afternoon. It seemed to her that the sun was out, that she had slept the day way! Then she noticed that the light was NOT sunlight. The whole room was simply lit up. The light seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere specifically! Not even much light was coming from the window!

Weirded out, Janice got out of bed, and went to the window. Looking outside, she could see the sun. She could see it so clearly, and it didn't even hurt to stare at it. The streets seemed deserted, as if it were night instead of day… #Wait a minute! That's not the sun!# She thought to herself. Looking again, Janice recognised the face of the moon! "Impossible! How can it be so bright out?" Standing in the room with the lights out, yet Janice knew she could see perfectly well. She didn't feel different, so it must be something else. Janice went over to her desk and turned on the lamp.

That turned out to be a mistake! Pain! Janice's eyes were acting like she had glanced into the SUN! Keeping herself from making any noise was hard, but important. Neverminding the strangeness, Janice gently and carefully took her hands away from her eyes, and looked around. Everything seemed normal now. Wait. The whole room is still lit up, and not ONLY from the desk lamp. "What's wrong here?" Janice looked into her full length mirror and saw her eyes. Her totally black eyes. No pupils or whites at all. "Oh crap." Janice Neck't knew then that the 'problem' was not the lighting. It was herself.

There was no darkness for Janice. She turned off the lamp, and looked around. Nope. Still perfectly easy for Janice Neck't to see everything. Taking a sheet of her notepaper, Janice sat and wrote a small, unimportant list for herself. If anybody saw this, it would seem ordinary. Janice wrote "1) Lights. 2) Costumes 3) Lines" Janice has a small part in the school play. Janice smiled. She only suspected that she might be able to read this list in the dark.

Taking her list with her, Janice entered her walk-in closet, and tried to shut away the light. Looking around, Janice could still see just fine. Janice could read the list just fine. Even covering her eyes, Janice could see her palms, as long as her eyes were open. "Hmmmm. I can't see through stuff, but I can see in total darkness, no colors, but perfect black-n-white with shades of gray. Hmm, how do I use this to screw over that redheaded dino-dummy?" Janice went downstairs, made warm milk for herself, then went back to her room. After thinking for a while, Janice went back to bed.

WEDNESDAY MORNING, BAYVILLE HIGH

Janice spotted the Dino-Dunce without her friends around. Even better, Megan was unaware of Janice right behind her! With Megan standing in front of her own open locker, Janice had a 'fun' idea! Suddenly pushing Megan into her locker, Janice made sure that she would stay there, by using a padlock from the next locker over. The fool, there, had never locked it. It was just hanging there! Now, however it was locked, on the redhaired tramp's locker, with Megan O'Hare inside it! Janice beat feet before anyone could spot her.

LUNCH, BAYVILLE HIGH

(JANICE'S Point Of View)

I smirked at the Dino-Tramp, and that trained monkey of a boyfriend. Listening to Mindy, I hear her ask "Janice? Do you think Dino-Tramp will have babies, or lay eggs?" I thought a moment and replied "She'll lay eggs, mutants, and anything else she can get into her room…" I could not help it! We all laughed and laughed! The jocks laughed with us, but I can tell that at least two of them did so only because everyone else was laughing. Oh well, jocks are not the sharpest knives in the kitchen.

I formulated a plan with Allen. We'll ruin the dino-tramp's day at chemistry! Allen is such a loyal minion. I mean really. He is just a clueless boy. OK. He is cute. Still, I really just need him for his muscles, and loyalty. I may allow him to see me in something rather revealing later. If he earns it, that is. I would rather go out with Johnny Shelly!

Johnny Shelly is someone who understands the Hidden Faith of my family, because he is part of the Temple. They changed their Family Name to avoid persecution, as they had come over from a certain country known to be unfriendly to the US. Johnny's original last name was Sha'azzer. It secretly still is. Paper changes are not real changes after all...

MR. MOORE'S CHEMISTRY CLASS, BAYVILLE HIGH, 7TH PERIOD

The plan did NOT go as planned. Not only did Megan NOT get blamed for the mess, my loyal minion, Allen got caught out. I need more minions. More of them, and I'll need at least one COMPETENT one! *SIGH* I am not sorry for the fire fiasco, only that it did not work as planned. I really need new clothes, a shopping trip, to feel better. Worse, my eyes are now rather sensitive, so I'll need to wear my sunglasses during the bright days. At least that's simply practical, as well as fashionable.

HOME OF THE NECK'T FAMILY, WEDNESDAY EVENING

Mother is making noises about fixing me up with Abdul Shahazared, from Temple. Ugh! In the Ancient Days, that weakling would have been turned into a Temple Eunuch. Now there are so few of us, that Mother is all but shoving my feminine perfection into the arms of this weakling! Abdul is sickly, skinny, pasty-faced, with a girly build that actually sickens me to think about! Yuck! I doubt that 'he' could consummate a marriage. I deserve Johnny Shelly! He is tall, dark, handsome, with a perfect butt, muscles and broad shoulders...Yummy! I don't care if he has a job at the Gut Bomb or not. He is HOT! Mom doesn't understand, or doesn't care.

After dinner, Mother and Father are having a boring conversation about politics. Yawn. I let everyone know that I'm going to do my homework. Father and Mother wish me good night, but only Father hugs me. I go upstairs and work on my homework. It takes me a few hours, but finally I am done! I check the time, and find that it is ten minutes to eight.

Deciding to relax, I get into my bathrobe and slippers, go downstairs and ask "Does anyone mind if I take a bubble bath?" Mother gives me her usual look of 'you are so spoiled', while Father loves me, and says "Go ahead, Janice. Just be out of the tub by nine pm." Relaxing in the tub, I thoroughly enjoyed my time. The next thing I knew, it was almost nine! Getting out of the tub, I set the tub to drain. Drying off quickly I heard Mother knock on the door. "Janice? Are you out yet?" I could hear the irritation in her voice. We have not gotten along in the last few years. It seems that she can hardly wait to be rid of me!

Getting out of the bathroom I nodded to Mother "It's all yours!" I even tried to be pleasant. Of course it didn't work. Frowning at me, as if wondering if she had been insulted, Mother simply allowed me to go to my room. I really had not insulted her. I am trying! My tone of voice was even respectful. It just seems to be getting worse between us as more time passes. I think that I am a reminder of the beauty she once had, and has now lost! She let herself go, so I have no sympathy for her. None. If you shirk it, you can't work it!

In my room I marvelled at the lack of darkness. I revelled in the sense of freedom, that it gave me! Never again would I be held captive by a mere lack of light! I would be free! I would be free to walk in the places that no one else dares too, simply because I can see IN the darkness, while others can only SEE the darkness! I am Janice Neck't, and I am The Queen of Darkness!