I still can't believe the amount of people that are enjoying this story. It's been favourited over 100 times! Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favouriting and alerting, it really makes my day a little brighter.

A fair wee bit of research went into the writing of this chapter, and I have to apologise for the lack of Clint, but this is the turning point in the plot, and a lot of nifty things are revealed, so hopefully you'll forgive me. I'll make it up to you next chapter, promise!

Also, if you are curious about necrosis, be careful googling it. Some pics are pretty gory!

Jay X

As If I Was Human

Chapter Thirteen - Confession

Bruce had spent the past two days straight working. He barely slept, ate or even went to the bathroom. But the reports on Carter were finally finished. Fury had wanted such an extensive account, Bruce had had to run more tests on her. Luckily, she had let him without too much fuss. She needed persuasion before she'd let him approach her with a needle, but Clint had been able to assuage her in the end. Bruce's eyes had poured over blood samples, hair samples, skin tissue, bone marrow, and even fingernails. But now, he was done.

He hit send, and leaned back in his chair, yawning and stretching. Maybe now he could get some sleep.

"Bruce!"

Maybe not.

"Tony," Bruce groaned, turning his attention to the video call that had burst into life on his computer screen. "I'm exhausted, what is it?"

"You finished the report," Tony told him. "Send me a copy."

"No way," Bruce replied, rubbing his tired eyes. "Fury'll kill me if I did."

"Nah, it'll be fine," Tony insisted nonchalantly. "Come on, I need it for something."

"Is this to do with Carter's hands?" Bruce asked, remembering Carter's first encounter with the man of iron. "She said you took a picture of them."

"Yeah, no, maybe," Tony rattled off. "It's a surprise. I need the report…or a blood sample. Actually, both. Yeah, gimme both."

"Tony," Bruce sighed. "I'll send the report, but that's all, okay?"

"Thanks, doctor," Tony drawled. "I'll get my own blood sample then, shall I?"

"Good luck with that," Bruce chuckled. "The kid hates needles."

"Great." Tony signed off, leaving Bruce to hit off another copy of his report on Carter. With the two reports sent, Bruce finally headed out of the lab and to his rooms, determined to get some rest.

The next day, Carter found herself waiting outside Fury's office. Clint had told her that morning that Doctor Banner had finished his assignment on her, and to expect Fury's attention at some point. She didn't think it would be so soon.

While she waited for the Director to show up, Carter let her mind drift back to the events of the past few days. Apart from the tests with Bruce, most of her time had been spent in her cell, with Clint beside her. He had yet to receive a new mission, and was happy to pass the time with her. She still didn't have free reign of the facility, being confined to her room, but with Clint there, it wasn't so bad anymore.

Once she let her mistrust go, she found Clint's company enjoyable. He refused to share his mission parameters with her, but finally explained the reason for his actions. Carter listened, and begrudgingly understood. Putting herself in Clint's shoes, she realised why he took such extreme measures to bring her in. He was scared for her. He had wanted to move her to the safety of .S.H.I.E.L.D. Central before her past could catch up with her. He really did care about her. It made her heart race and swell just thinking about it.

They talked and laughed together, but mostly, they kissed. Never anything more, but for Carter it was just enough. Having him hold her, run his fingers through her hair while his lips worked wonders on hers. Living on the run, Carter had little experience of relationships, only letting a few men ever touch her, before pushing them away. With Clint, she got no such urges. She only wanted him closer. He seemed to want it too. He smiled whenever he pulled his mouth from hers, grinned from ear to ear when she greeted him with a kiss, and smirked mischievously every time his hand roamed some part of her body it hadn't before.

Carter couldn't quite believe it, but there was a feeling of contentment simmering in her stomach. She was almost happy. Having thrown off her name and identity at six years old, she had forgotten what it was like to be called 'Carter' again, and shivers ran down her spine when Clint whispered it in pleasure as their kisses grew more intense. He was no longer 'Curt the Writer' to her. Now, he was Clint Barton. And she trusted him.

"Miss Thomas." Fury's voice startled Carter out of her thoughts, causing her to blush. "Come in." Fury held the door open as Carter entered his office. It swung closed as he crossed the room to sit behind his desk, indicating for her to take a seat opposite. She did as she was bid, her stomach a knot of anxiety. "We have a few things to address before we get started here," Fury told her, resting his clasped hands on the desk in front of him. Carter bit her lip, expecting what was to come. "You and Agent Barton. I've been informed of your relationship."

"We're not in a relationship," Carter replied with a shrug. "We're just…I don't know, but it's not that serious. Even if it was," she then challenged. "What difference would it make? Clint did his job; I'm here."

"What you and Agent Barton do is none of my concern," Fury stated firmly. "As long as it doesn't interfere with his work."

"It won't," Carter assured him. "He doesn't have his new mission yet anyway."

"He will soon," was all Fury had to say to that. "Next; Mr Stark. I believe he visited you?"

Carter nodded.

"He is interested in your background," Fury explained, his eyes dropping down to the files in front of him. "He is a friend to this organisation, and a good man, but he doesn't have clearance to interrogate you. Don't tell him anything." Carter couldn't help but roll her eyes at that.

"Some friend," she muttered.

"Now," Fury cleared him throat. "To the matter at hand; Doctor Banner's report." Fury lifted the file on his desk. An old fashioned man, Nick Fury preferred the paper copies of his data to their digital counterparts. He leafed through the different papers, pulling out the one he was looking for. He held it out to Carter, who leaned forward to accept it. On it was a graph of some kind, showing levels of the static in her bloodstream.

"I don't…" she said slowly, frowning at the data. "I don't understand. I have electricity in my blood?"

"A residue of the nanotechnology in your father's DNA that was passed down to you," Fury clarified, nodding. "You have increased levels of static electricity when your heart rate is increased or strained, but it's always there. It always has been. You could, theoretically, act as a power source for something. Your body is constantly producing it."

"Wow," Carter whispered, staring down at the paper in her hands. "Is it…dangerous?"

"Not to you," Fury said, smiling slightly. "But it could easily be used to harm someone, if you chose to learn how to do so."

"Is that why N-GES wanted me?" Carter asked, ancient pieces of information clicking together in her head. Fury nodded again.

"According to our research," he began. "Ever since your escape they have been attempting to recreate the circumstances that led to your conception. But whatever it was that make your father, whatever ghost in the machine, it was a one off. We believe they have been unsuccessful."

"That's good," Carter mused, handing the paper back to the Fury. A moment of silence followed, Fury gazing down at Carter thoughtfully.

"I have a confession to make," he told her. "Perhaps I should have told you from the beginning, but I didn't think you'd hear me out."

"What is it?" Carter asked hesitantly, her stomach beginning to twist nervously.

"I knew your father," Fury said, smiling sadly. "Knew him well. We were best friends once."

"You…you're kidding me," Carter stuttered, eyes wide. "What!"

"It's a long story," Fury sighed, leaning back in his seat. "But Zack and I were in the O.S.S. together, a long time ago. We fought alongside each other day in and day out. I trusted him with my life, and I know he trusted me the same, but when I joined S.H.I.E.L.D….he took it personally, thought I was betraying him, abandoning him. S.H.I.E.L.D. was unlike any organization that existed at that time, and a lot of people, your father included, thought it's advanced technology a threat. We had worked together for years, I was the best man at your parent's wedding, but after that…Zack cut all contact with me."

"Then why look for me?" Carter asked. "If my father wanted nothing to do with you?"

"Carter," Fury said solemnly. "Do you know how your father died?" Carter frowned. She didn't. She had never really thought about it. "It wasn't long after you were born. He called me, he was dying. Said he wanted to make things right before he passed. We talked for a long time on the phone, but he wouldn't tell me what it was that was killing him. I couldn't just let it go, we had been through too much together. I had some people look into his medical history. That was when I found out about N-GES, and what they had done to him."

"The programme?"

"There is a reason nanotechnology is still a work in progress," Fury went on, rising from his desk to pace the room. "Nanotoxicology. The effects are mostly still unknown, a lot of speculation, but your father suffered from the worst. Cell death. Also known as Necrosis. It was brutal, it was painful, and because of the extent of N-GES's work on him, it was fatal. By the time my men had located him, he was dead. His last act was to have you and your mother moved to a safe house. I knew any attempts to find you would also alert N-GES, so I left you alone. I had no idea you they had found you until recently. I had men stationed across the world, looking for you. My research then revealed you had escaped their clutches, and were on the run. I've been hunting you ever since."

"But why?" Carter asked again.

"You have your father's altered DNA," Fury explained. "But without the poisonous nanotech that made it possible, which means you're in no danger of the side effects. That was the main focus of Doctor Banner's research; I had to know the same thing wouldn't happen to you, for your father's sake."

"Wow," Carter murmured, blinking back tears. "I…I never knew."

"And it's also for the sake of your father that I offer you a proposition," Fury then said, ceasing in his pacing to face her. "Carter Thomas, I want to recruit you as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D."