Chapter Text
Jovana Torr lay on her bed, as her mother, Melissa sat beside, telling her a story. At five years old, the young girl already looked very different from her mother. Jovana’s hair was straight and brown, while her mother’s was a wavy blonde, and Melissa had bright green eyes, contrasting her daughter’s which were a cold and dark blue.
Melissa was a hero in this world, having the ability to fly, as well as higher than usual strength, but she was also a mother, and right now her task was to tell her young daughter a bedtime story.
“What story would you like me to tell you, sweetheart”
“The one about my other mother!”
This was Jovana’s favourite story, the one about the mystery of her parentage. “Well, a long time ago, way before you were born, I met a very beautiful lady, and we loved each other very very much. We loved each other so much that you emerged from our love. But one day, after you were born, she vanished, and when she did, she took most of my memories of her, and who she was. The only thing she left behind was this,” she pointed to a locket around her neck, “I was never able to open it, but I always keep it on me, to remember all that I can of her”
“Will she ever come back, mum, and open the locket?”
“I don’t know Jovana, I don’t know”
“I hope she does!”
“I hope so too…”
Sixteen years later…
Jovana woke up, her head hurting like crazy. She couldn’t even open her eyes, and when she tried to move her limbs, she found them bound by metal rings. She scrunched her already closed eyes, and tried to bend the rings. “Your powers won’t work,” a cool, but menacing, female voice spoke, some humour in its tone, “I made sure the restraints would nullify them. Couldn’t have you escaping that easily”
Jovana was finally able to open her eyes, seeing before her, a tall woman, with deep purple hair and eyes, wearing a very long, dark violet, dress which trailed on the floor around her. Her hair was short and spiky, and on her face she wore a smirk. “I know you! You’re Verena, mum’s arch-nemesis!”
Verena grinned at her recognition, “That is correct, dear. But it’s Lady Verena to you. And you must be…?”
“Jovana”
“Jovana…” she said the name as if it was very familiar to her, “the daughter of my wonderful arch-nemesis”
“Why have you captured me!?”
“To teach you”
“Teach me!?”
“That is correct, to teach you how much more enjoyable it is to be a villain… you see, I have been in need of an assistant”
“And you think that I’ll be your assistant!?”
“You may take a little bit of persuading, but fortunately, that’s my speciality,” Verena smiled a menacingly sweet smile, “imagine a garden,” when she spoke again, in was in a colder, more powerful tone, and Jovana couldn’t help but picture it in her mind, “do you see it?”
“Yes, but ho-”
“Shh-shh, just listen, imagine yourself walking through the garden, smelling the flowers around you,” as Jovana pictured herself in the garden, she could smell the scent of roses nearby, despite being in reality, bound within Verena’s dungeon, “as you walk through the garden, you come across a small pond, with a burbling waterfall, can you see and hear it?”
“Yes,” Jovana spat, displeased at how easily Verena could put these images into her mind.
“Good, very good, now sit on the grass beside the pond and just watch and listen, see a family of three ducks in the pond…” everything Verena described came vividly to Jovana’s mind, “is it peaceful?”
“Very,” Jovana grunted, still displeased.
“Good. Just focus on that peaceful feeling”
As Jovana felt this, she began to feel at peace, almost enjoying the sights and sounds Verena had conjured in her mind. In fact, the burbling waterfall was almost causing her to drift off…
Verena watched as Jovana’s expression became more tired with pleasure. She waited for the perfect moment, when the girl’s defences were fully down. “Are you listening to me?”
“Yes…” Jovana murmured.
“Very good, now, think about it, think about how much more fun it would be to do evil, to not be bound by simple and boring moralities, to do whatever you want. Doesn’t that sound appealing?”
“Yeah… it does actually…” Verena smirked again. She knew Jovana couldn’t be lying in response to that question.
“Excellent! And wouldn’t you like to serve as the partner to myself, the greatest villainess on Earth?”
“I would love to work alongside you, Lady Verena…”
Verena grinned evilly, and snapped her fingers. The restraints unbound themselves, and Jovana’s eyes opened, now the same deep purple colour as Verena’s, as she returned to full wakefulness, “How do you feel, Jovana?”
“I feel… good,” there was a malicious confidence to her voice which hadn’t been there before.
“Wonderful!”
Jovana climbed out of the restraints. “Now, we can finally destroy my bitch mother.”
Verena felt a twinge of something, at the girl’s sudden hate towards her own mother, but she replaced it with an evil grin, “Of course… but first we’ve got to get you out of that ridiculous outfit, into something more villainous”
Jovana looked down at her own costume, a pale yellow colour, with cyan streaks running down from the shoulders. It definitely looked ridiculous. “Mmm, definitely,” Jovana said with distaste, “I want to wear something… sexy”
“Of course, that is part of a villainess’ role”
Verena was able to arrange the basics, which she modified herself. The final product was a low-necked black jumpsuit, with highlights in Verena’s favourite purple, which hugged Jovana’s body tightly, while her hair was tied into a high ponytail.
After this, the two had come up with a plan to get to Melissa. Verena had sent a remotely-operated aircraft (of her own design and creation) crashing into a large public park, in order to lure her out.
As crowds fled the carnage, Melissa flew in, wearing a dark teal costume, with golden patterning, and a flowing white cape. She landed in the middle of the park, looking for anyone in danger.
“Hello, mother,” she heard a familiar voice behind her.
Melissa quickly turned, “Jovana!” Suddenly a confused expression crossed her face, “what are you wearing?”
“You don’t like my new outfit, mother?” Jovana put on a fake pout, which transformed into a smirk, “I thought you’d be a particular fan of the purple”
“Sweetheart, please tell me you aren’t working with her…”
“Oh, but I am, mother”
“No, please, you can’t be”
“Lady Verena has shown me how much more enjoyable it is to be evil”
“No… no, this can’t be true…”
“But it is,” Verena walked up, standing beside Jovana, “hi Melissa”
“You’ve brainwashed her, turned her against me!”
“Brainwashed? Nonsense. Jovana here willingly chose to be my partner in crime”
Melissa laughed darkly, “You expect me to believe that? I know what you can do, Verene. But turning my own daughter into your little puppet, I didn’t think you were this bad”
“I’m a villainess, darling, bad is what I do.
“You’ve corrupted her! She’s not a villain!”
“I just showed her an alternative path, one not bound by boring moral constraints and heroism”
Melissa looked at Jovana again, “Please Jovana, you can’t side with her, she’s evil!”
“So what?” Jovana smirked.
“‘So what?’! She’s intent only on destruction, and she’s just using you! She doesn’t actually care about you!”
“Ha. You’re just saying that, of course she cares about me, she cares a whole lot more that you ever did”
These words struck a cold blow to Melissa’s heart, and she looked at Verena, “Why Verene!? Making my own daughter hate me!?” Tears began to stream down her face.
The sight caused a pain in Jovana’s heart, “Please don’t cry, mother,” she said, emotion flooding her face.
“Why shouldn’t I? Don’t you see what she’s done to you?”
“I… I’m sorry mum,” Jovana ran over to her mother, and hugged her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder, “I’m sorry for betraying you”
“It’s okay sweetheart, she gets inside your head like that, I don’t blame you”
“Thank you..”
“I’m so proud of you Jovana, you’re my daughter,” the embrace slowly broke away, “your eyes?”
“What about them?”
“Verene’s purple, it’s almost gone, you’re back”
Verena’s face seemed to show genuine emotion as she watched this, before she laughed evilly, Jovana and Melissa turning at the sound.
“It’s over Verena. I couldn’t betray my own mother. Not even you could make me do that”
Verena clapped sarcastically. “Is that really so? And what makes you so sure?”
“Nothing you could do can break the bond between mother and daughter.”
An evil grin crossed her face, “Oh really? Then let me ask you something dear”
“Give up, Verene. You can’t beat both of us.”
Verena ignored her, looking again at Jovana. “Do you know who your other mother is?”
“No. Noone does. Not even mum” Melissa nodded her agreement with this statement.
“Noone knows, huh? Well what if I told you that I did?”
“Then you’d be lying”
Verena laughed again, “Oh really? Then how do you explain this?” She reached into her dress pocket, drawing out a locket, identical to the one Melissa owned, the last trace of Jovana’s other mother.
“That’s… that’s impossible,” Jovana’s eyes suddenly blazed, “what did you do to her!?”
“I’m not sure I understand the question,” Verena’s tone was light and humorous, despite Jovana’s rage.
“You must have done something to my other mother to get that”
“Done something?” She laughed again, “oh no, I didn’t do anything to her. Why don’t you open it? It’s been unlocked”
Jovana cautiously opened the locket, revealing a small photo inside, which struck her as strikingly familiar, “Is that me!?” she asked, before taking a closer look, realising the differences between herself and the woman in the photo, who had to have been her other mother, “wait no… it’s her..”
“Look familiar in any way?”
Jovana ignored her, looking over this only image of her other mother that she had, until she noticed something striking, “Her eyes… they’re…”
A grin now fully covered Verena’s face, “what about her eyes, dear?”
“...purple,” Jovana looked up in shock, “is she you!?”
“Bingo!”
“You…! You’re…! It can’t be…” she turned to face Melissa, “is it true, mum?”
“I… I don’t know…”
“Oh right, of course,” Verena’s face was now serious, as she snapped her fingers.
A purple gleam crossed Melissa’s eyes, “yes, it’s true sweetheart… Verene is your mother…”
“But… but how? Does that mean you two…?”
Verena grinned at the implication, “We were quite a couple back in the day”
Melissa looked at Verena, betrayal in her expression, “Why Verene? Why did you leave? And take all my memories?”
“I’m sorry Mel, I truly am, but I knew I couldn’t be a good mother to Jovana, and you’d be better off raising her on your own. It breaks my heart what I did to you, but I did it for both of you. And I knew if you kept your memories, you’d go looking for me”
Jovana looked at Verena, “Verena… mom…” she corrected herself.
Hearing herself addressed as such brought a tear to Verena’s eye, “Jovana?”
Jovana reached out, “please join us mom, so we can finally be a family together”
“Would you be okay with that, Mel?” Verena asked, sincerity and regret in her voice.
“Yes, Verene. I can’t forgive you yet, but I know you can be good, and I still love you. Please, for our daughter”
Verena nodded, “for Jovana…” she approached slowly, before pulling Melissa into a tight embrace, “I’m so, so sorry, Mel. I’ve missed you every single day”
As she watched the two reconnect, Jovana’s eyes changed colour again, now they had a purple ring around the blue, a sign of her familial connection.
Verena looked over at her, noticing the change in eye colour, “your eyes dear, they look beautiful”
“Thank you mom”
“She definitely takes after you, Verene. I want you to properly get to know her. Come live with us, there’s space”
“I would be honoured to… my love,” Verena stared deeply into Melissa’s eyes, while Melissa stared back.
“Oh, get a room you two,” Jovana jeered.
“Do not speak to your mother like that!” Melissa said, outraged, a slight blush on her cheeks.
Verena cackled hysterically, “You’re right Mel, she does take after me”
Jovana ran up to the two of them, pulling them into a hug. “I love you two. I’m glad you’re my mums”
“We’re glad we have you too, dear”
And the three of them walked home, not a care in the world.