Unexpected boughts of babysitting caused the delay here. Also, just couldn't find the right words. Sorry if this one sucks, but it was taking me so long to write, I decided just to leave it as it is. Got another little twist in here, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you saw it coming; I dropped a few hints in previous chapters.

Jay X

As If I Was Human

Chapter Ten - Another New Player

Natasha couldn't help but smile at the sight of her fellow agent as he sat at the table in his room, head propped up on his elbows as he scowled. She had yet to meet the infamous Carter Thomas, but word had spread fast about Clint's run in with her that afternoon. Upsetting her, then drugging her, no wonder he was in such a mood.

"Come on," Natasha said by way of greeting, leaning against the doorframe. "You've done worse." Clint sighed heavily, looking up at her.

"She was beginning to trust me, Tash," he muttered. "And then I-"

"Did your job," Natasha cut him off. "Keeping her happy isn't part of that."

"I know, but-"

"You were to bring her in, you brought her in," she continued. "Just leave it at that."

"I can't, Tash," Clint insisted, scraping his chair back to stand. "She's…she's counting on me. I have to help her."

"Why?"

"It's the right thing to do." Clint began to pace back and forth. "I know you don't give a damn about this kind of thing, but I do." Natasha rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I guess if you're back, that means Banner's here."

"He's with the director," Natasha confirmed. "You're wanted. Fury expects you to brief him on Carter."

"Fantastic," Clint muttered, running his hands through his short hair. "May as well get it over with."

Bruce glanced over at Carter's unconscious form once more, letting the screen in front of him run through some algorithms on it's own. He couldn't believe how alike her father she was. Her hair had been dyed blonde, but the natural roots had begun to grow back in, showing the same shade of black Zack's hair had been. Even resting, her face held the same expressions Zack's had, her lips and nose were his, even her long thin fingers were the same as his. It was uncanny.

The conversation Bruce had had with Agent Barton was still fresh in his mind. Clint hadn't known Carter long, but he knew what to watch for. The one point he kept stressing was that she was only dangerous when provoked. Yeah well, Bruce had thought, so am I, but once I am provoked…He shook his head; that sentence wasn't worth finishing.

The tranquiliser had worn off, and Carter was beginning to wake up. Bruce closed over his laptop, sitting down in the armchair opposite Carter's bed, watching her as she stirred, groaning. Lifting a head to her forehead, her eyes finally opened, weary and dilated.

"Carter," Bruce said quietly, leaning forward in his seat. Carter started at the sound of his voice, jerking up in her bed.

"Who are you?" She demanded, eyes wide, scrambling to her feet.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I'm…I knew your father-"

"You're the doctor," she accused him, fists clenching. "Clint said they were bringing in a doctor."

"Yes, I'm a doctor," Bruce admitted, holding his hand up. "But not that kind of doctor. Listen to me, just for a moment. Clint told me about-"

"Clint can go to hell!" Carter snapped. She had had enough of Clint Barton.

"-what was done to you," Bruce persevered. "I'm not part of that. Fury just wants me to examine you. Like I said, I knew your father."

"Well, that makes one of us," Carter muttered, sitting down on the bed behind her. She breathed deeply, watching this doctor carefully. He wasn't dressed like the men she remembered, and he didn't look at her like they did. "Who are you?"

"My name is Bruce," he said, sighing in relief; she seemed be calming slightly, but that could just be an after effect of the drugs. "I work…worked in gamma radiation."

"And you knew my dad?"

"Yeah," Bruce nodded, waiting for the next question.

"From…the programme?" There it was. Bruce sighed.

"Yeah," he repeated. "But I wasn't part of the team that…worked on him. I had nothing to do with any of that, I was just an intern at the time. I did a profile on him, assessing his mental health."

"And…that's what you want to do to me?" Carter asked, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Fury just wants to know that you're…" Bruce pursed his lips, pausing for a moment. "That you're in control of it." He finished, finding the sentence somewhat ironic coming from him.

"Of course I'm-"

"Dr Banner?" Carter and Bruce both turned to the door as Agent Coulson entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt, but the lab is ready. I'll be escorting you both down."

"Great, thanks," Bruce replied offhandedly, picking up his laptop and tucking it under his arm.

"No," Carter argued. "Not great, not thanks. A lab? What…what do you need a lab for?"

"It's just for research," Bruce explained. "My current analysis is showing signs of static energy in sync with your resting heart rate. I want to run some aptitude and endurance tests on you, and see if the energy builds or dissipates with outward stimuli. Don't worry," he then added, with a small smile. "No needles or tubes." Carter scowled at that.

"Stupid Clint," she cursed, following Bruce and Coulson out of the room.

"I'm not mad, I'm just saying," Tony Stark pointed out, holding both hands up in innocence. "If you're researching nanotechnology, you should have come to me, I've got my own little project going on."

"Yes," Fury stated, arms crossed over his chest as Iron Man spun in his chair, behind his desk, in his office. "We're aware of that."

"And Zack Thomas?" Tony continued, now picking up a pen and twirling it between his fingers. "He was just the latest in a series of experiments the N-GES goons attempted. Yeah, a soldier, through and through, but in the end, just another victim."

"And N-GES?" Fury prompted. "They still have a base of operations?"

"Hang on," Tony deadpanned. "Is that something you're not aware of. Oh, Nick, you're getting sloppy."

"Mr Stark."

"Of course they're still at it," Tony continued, growing bored of the pen and substituting it for his sidekick. "Here," he muttered, his thumbs typing and sliding away at it. "Uploading the latest info to your servers. Could I get a drink? Scotch on the rocks? No?" He said, seeing Fury's frown. "You're right," he nodded. "Drinking at work, what am I thinking? How about I go get myself a little something while your lot go through these files and I'll meet back here at say…oh-four-hundred?"

"Four in the morning?" Fury asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, no," Tony admitted, slipping his sidekick back in his pocket and standing up. "Just trying out the army lingo. Don't look so serious, Nick," he then suggested. "Give me a call when you wanna talk nanotech, until then, stop wading into my world behind my back." He slapped Fury on the chest as he walked by. "You need me on this."

"What I need is you to take this seriously, Tony," Fury called after him. "Shit's about to hit the fan, we need to be prepared."

"Read those files," Tony replied, walking backwards as he turned to Fury. "Then we'll talk."