Busy. Busy. Work. Work.

But here's another chapter. Yay!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers!

Jade

Police were pulling out of the parking lot of Melina's apartment when I finally got within walking distance.

" Shit," I cursed moving quickly to duck into a Chinese place. Back to the door I picked up a menu and pretended to glance through its contents, as the policemen drove slowly by.

" You ready to order?" The lady behind the countered gestured to me, note pad in hand.

" Um no, thanks," I said handing her the menu and stalking back outside to Melina's apartment. I expected her and others to be there as I answered the door, but it was Matt who answered the door.

" Man hunt's over," I said pushing past Matt inside. " I'm here Melina."

Melina was sitting at her computer, typing furiously. " Its not about you being missing-well it is…but the others they-"

" And you," I interrupted. " I didn't steal your fucking robot Melina. You know it, you both do. He fucking stood up and walked out, kidnapped me, and held me cold and dying in a fucking church, if anyone should be angry out of their mind, it's me."

" I know," Melina said. " I know it's a difficult situation for you, for all of us. We've lost a lot of points, but we'll in the finals. So that should help."

" The finals?" I gasped out. I couldn't believe what I hearing. She was still thinking about the contest. "Did you not hear a word I just said?"

" I did, its hard not too."

" Then what the fuck Melina."

" At least its enough," Melina said, " We got the robot body back, so at least the others will be off your back."

" Then why were there policemen here?"

" Your still marked missing Jade. Your mom is trying to find you now. Go figure."

Mom…So now she knew about everything too. Or at least enough to think that I was back in trouble again.

" You got your robot back," I said running a hand through my hair, pushing the curled locks away from my face. " And the robot got a new body."

" Yes," she sighed out.

" And how the fuck did you manage that? When it took you months to form his first body?"

" I…he…we may have tapped into the security system…and-"

" Fuck," I said. " Fuck. Fuck. Melina. Reporting this is starting to seem more and more desirable by the second."

" About that…" Melina said her voice trailing. I turned to her, I knew what that meant. There was something else, something important she was hesitating to tell me.

" What?"

" He said we would be in touch.

" Shit." I started to pace. " Did it threaten to hurt you? If you told?"

" In so many not words," she said. " And he was very persuasive."

I understood that as much as anyone. The robot had threatened me with words, but the silence and glances were worst. They spoke of unknown things. Broken and ruined. I felt my skin crawl.

Right…so tell and we're fucked…don't tell and…

" Ok. Then keep quiet. Until something comes up. Until it…contacts you, or something."

" So we just lay low, pretend like nothing happening?"

" Yeah," I said. " Yeah. At least until we know something. Anything. Go back to your contest or whatever…and…" I trailed off. I hadn't he slightest idea on what to do. We weren't dealing with street matters, we were talking about a piece of walking metal.

" And what about you?"

" Manhunts over," I said. " I'm turning myself into the police."

Ultron

" God Melina do we have to do this now?"

" Yeah. Now first question."

" Their not to going to pick me."

" Of course not. But just for shits and giggles."

" Ok shoot."

" Places you've always wanted to visit."

A laugh. " Besides the corner store."

"Jade."

" Fine. France. Hong Kong.. Greece."

" Really?"

" Yeah. I want to take Jahari someday. And I've never been on a plane."

" And how will you feel, being the first illegal Alien to step foot on a plane."

" Hopefully not scared shi-" A pause, another laugh, then realization. " You know what Melina. Fuck you."

The video cut to black as Jade's hand came up against the screen.

Smiling.

Laughing.

Things that humans did.

Human things.

" What did we do to make you hate us?"

What hadn't they done? The news was riddled with reports of upcoming race wars, needless murders, and rapes-. And it had only grown worst in his absence.

He pulled the chip from his chest. The tiny piece of plastic with the thin strip of metal that held memories in a series of code. He curled his fist around it, intending to crush it, finally destroy it. After all he didn't need it, he had his new form, an almost infinite amount of memory. This chip was superficial.

Superficial and useless.

The computer beside him beeped, signaling yet another body was done. A new form.

He opened his hand, revealing a still intact SD card. He would keep it a little longer, there might still be useful information on it, more contacts, to continue on with his plan.

He slipped the chip back into the slot in his chest. Should its usefulness run out, he would destroy it.

Another beep from the computer, then a slight fading in his vision as a page from the internet was pulled up. An amended police report on a missing person that turned themselves in.

Jade Wilson.

It was no hard task to access he security camera's within the police station, most were wired within a less than secure wireless network, and while his access to the internet was limited strictly to computer use only, it was not completely restricted. He scanned all the cameras, moving from room to room, until he found the one he was looking for.

" We're still waiting to see if the students press charges," an officer said.

" I didn't steal their robot," Jade said crossing her arms against her chest.

" So your telling me it just up and walked out?"

" Something like that," she snuffed shifting her feet against the top of the table.

" Feet down," the officer barked. " Jus so ya know, stealin and returin still counts as stealin. Your lucky they've decided not to press charges."

" Ok. Whatever can I go now."

Sighing the officer ran a hand though his tuff of greying hair. " Yea. Yea. Free to leave. Make sure to stop by the front desk sign the release forms."

" Yep," she said standing and following the officer out.

Ultron had expected her to confess, to tell the officer everything that happened. That would be in her greatest interest after all.

Expectations and reality. Such a fragile line. Always being faded, and crossed. He should have known better to expect such a thing. After all they wouldn't believe her, why would she waste her time?

She signed the paperwork, and left, shoving both hands in his pockets. Outside the building she pulled out a cell phone, the screen bright blue as it rang, and answered it.

" Really?" She sounded surprised. " Wait, you're not fucking with me are you? I don't know Andrew do you? Yeah. I'm heading over now."

She sped up her pace, disappearing from the view of the cameras into the street, hood up.

Moving.

Moving.

The type of human to never stay grounded for long. Their lives were so short and weak, any day could be their last. Why should she?

He felt another bit of his consciousness come to life, away from the room he was in. One of his drones sending a distress signal.

Someone was trying to track him. Well maybe not him, but perhaps the IP addresses currently locked into the computers he was using to access the internet since he could not physically access it himself with this own body. A barbaric method compared to what he was used to, but efficient for the time being.

But he was careful, hiding all traces, invisible unless the tracker knew exactly what they were looking for. Exactly who.

One of the humans. It had to be, only three knew of his existence.

Soon to be only two. Perhaps even one, depending on the circumstances.

" Always something," he said calling forth his drones.

Jade

Andrew got my job back. I would be grateful to him if he wasn't the one who made me lose it in the first place. Still I had to give him at least a little credit, Andrew was good at messing things up, not fixing them, and the fact that he may have successfully did this, might mean he was getting better.

" We have to talk about this later," he said before I hung up. Meaning he wasn't happy about my line of work, and would try his hardest to convince me to quit. We would have that talk later, and I would try my hardest to convince him it wasn't like I liked my line of work either, but it paid.

I came to the back of the club, using my key card to swipe my way in. Soft music played in the background, and the hum of the some of the girl's in the dressing room radiated through the walls as I made my way to Mr. Anderson's office.

Jeffery was in his office when I knocked on the door, he turned surprised when he noticed it was me standing there ,and not one of the other girls.

"Hi," I said waving, and putting on one of my best ' glad to be here' smiles.

" Good to have you back Jade," Mr. Anderson said. " Can you work tonight?"

" Yeah, sure. Am I dancing tonight or-"

" Waiting tables. I have enough dancers tonight. That alright with you?"

" Yep," I said.

Waiting tables was my least favorite job. I'd rather be in the back doing dish, at least with that I didn't have to talk to anybody or pretend to be nice. On the stage, I danced with the persona of the tattooed bad girl, ' naughty is nice,' as coined by Anderson, so no smiling or niceness was required, and I could for the most part pretend that the men below me didn't exist.

" Jade," Jeffery called. He came rushing down the hall, stopping right in front of me. " I thought you were gone for good."

" Yeah well," I said shrugging. " Once a stripper always a stripper."

" That's not what I meant," he said.

" Then what did you mean?"

He fell silent. " Nothing. I just-"

" You just…" I said waving my hand in a motion for him to hurry it along. I could never quite figure out what Jeffery's deal was.

" Nothing," he said softly. " Just glad your back." He hit my arm softly, then continued past me leaving me in the hall. I watched him go for a moment, before following him down the hall into the dressing room. A few of the girls were in there, doing their hair and makeup, and they turned as I arrived.

I waved, and smiled curtly as they welcomed me back.

" I'm doing this for Jahari, I'm going this for Jahari," I chanted under my breath as I dressed. It was going to be a long night."

" Long island ice tea at table fifteen," Stephone said as he shuffled past me, hips swaying to the beat of the music.

" Heard," I said turning swiftly to sit a liquor shot on the table of the nearest patron.

" Like now," Stephone shouted across the room.

" I'm doing this for Jahari," I mumbled under my breath as I snatched the long island ice tea off the counter, nearly spilling it onto the lap of a patron, and placing it on my tray. Since seven the club had been bustling with patrons, and I was rusty at waiting tables. Not to mention waiting tables didn't give nearly as many tips. And for what little tips we did get, we had to split at the end of the night.

" Long island ice tea," I said sitting the beverage on the table of the patron without looking at him. I closed my eyes and smiled. " Anything else I can get you sir?"

" No," said a woman's voice. I opened my eyes. " But later on I'm sure I can think of something."

She wore a tight black dress, her red hair was cut into a bob.[i] She was pretty, gorgeous actually, yet somewhat familiar. I chopped it down to her probably being a regular.

" Enjoy," I said grinning stupidly. Girl or boy I would flirt myself into more tips if necessary. I gave her one last smile before moving to the next table, stopping momentarily as she lifted her hand to slip a hundred dollar bill into my hand.

" For you," she said her perky lips curling into a smile.

" Thanks," I said slowly curling my fingers around the bill. She stood, her heels causing her to loom over me. Without them I guessed she would be about my height.

" Don't mention it," she said standing, picking up her clutch purse off the table and walking past me. " See you later."

" Have a nice-" I began when someone tapped my shoulder. " What?"

Miranda stood behind me. " Dress up, you've been requested in room fifteen."

" Oi," I said waving the receipt at Miranda who was carrying drinks. " I'm on the floor remember."

"They requested you," she snorted.

" They? They who?"

" How the fuck should I know? Don't you know them, they requested you by name."

By name…

" Did Anderson approve this?"

Miranda rolled her eyes impatiently. " He was the one who sent me to tell you."

Who…

" Just go get dressed ok? I have more orders to fill."

I never got private requests for me by name. I felt my gut clinch.

" Yeah. Ok," I said. " I'll be there in a minute."

I went to the private room to scope out my clientele, ignoring the shouts of the patrons around me, both at the dancers and me to the stop and take their orders. Outside the closed curtain of the private room two men in black suits stood on either side of the door, looking both intimidating and ready. I slowed my shuffle to a stop. Men in suits guarding a door usually meant someone important was inside a room. Someone important that asked to speak to me.

I turned on my heel to go to the dressing room, phone in hand. I dialed Melina's number.

She answered immediately.

" Are you ok?"

" Yeah. Um…listen I'm at the club…"

" You got your job back?"

" Something like that."

" Then what's the problem?"

" I've been requested to dance."

"And…"

" And there are strange men in black suits guarding the door. Meaning someone…probably someone important is inside." I took a deep breath. " I never get requested by important people. Meaning…"

" Oh shit…" Melina said.

" Yeah," I said.

" You think this is a Ultron thing?"

" I think it's a Ultron thing," I said.

" Right. Right," Melina said. I could hear her tapping the desk next to the keyboard with her fingernails, a habit she had when she was thinking. " Right…Right…Where are you?"

" Outside the dressing room."

" Can you get out of it. You know make up some excuse," she paused for a moment. " Oh tell them you've contracted Cyclosporiasis."

" What?"

" Yeah that should work."

" No. What the fuck is that?"

" It's a parasite," she said. " That you get from drinking…sewage…water…"

" Eww no. What the hell Melina?"

" Then tell them you have diarrhea. No one wants a ticking time bomb dancing on top of them."

" I'm starting to think you're not taking this very seriously," I snapped.

" Well what do you want to do? Run? If these people are after you, they already know where you work. Your name. Running won't work."

" Running has never failed me before."

" No…maybe you should go."

" Go…go to them?"

" It might just be a false alarm and one of them just happened to see you dance before and want you to dance now."

" Or they could blow my brains out the moment I step in."

" Yeah or-"

" No phone Jade," Jeffery called as he passed me in the hall. "At least not where the cameras can see you."

" Sorry," I called over my shoulder."

" Maybe your right," Melina was saying as I finally put the phone back up to my ear. " Running might be good."

" I'm going in," I said. I mentally kicked myself as I said the words. I'm going in. Going in to danger. Seemed like I was doing that a lot lately. Courting danger. Just like the good ole days.

" Keep me on the line," Melina said. " Just in case. I'll mute my side."

" Cant," I said opening the door to the dressing room. " Nowhere to store my phone."

" What? Your butt hole not big enough or something?"

" You know-" I started.

" I know you love me," she said. She paused for a long moment, letting silence pass between us, thick and full of fear. At the end of the day neither of us knew what we were doing. One thing, had turned our world upside down.

" Yeah," I said breaking the silence. " In the meantime try and figure out just how he came back to life, if it's not to dangerous."

" Way ahead of you," she said. " Be careful."

" Yeah…" I said. " You to."

Maybe it was because I never really got used to the ugly motif of the private rooms, with its cliché burgundy drapes, lambs, and chairs, but I did not like the look of private room number 15, or the man and woman currently sitting inside.

Jeffery stood behind me, my bouncer for the night. At least that hadn't changed, he was always found a way to be my bouncer. Under different circumstances I would have turned and asked him why he always seemed to be there when I turned around, but I was focused on trying to appear normal, well as normal as a stripper could appear.

I was currently wearing the skimpiest thing I could find in my locker, without being completely naked, accompanied by the tallest heels I ever owned in my life. If it came down to it, maybe I could use the heels as a weapon, and stab them to death.

I felt a bubble of nervous laughter raise in my throat at the thought of me heel in hand, threatening a group of men armed to the teeth with hidden weapons. I choked the laughter down. Now was not the time.

I expected a room full of men. What I got was one woman with pale skin, and bleach blond hair, wearing a black business suit and holding a clipboard. She reminded me of a stone eyed secretary of some big business, just waiting for the next patron to walk to the desk just so she could tell them it would be a three hour wait to see the boss.

If things got ugly I figured I could take her.

" Private dance or lap-" I began.

" Jade Wilson," she said interrupting me. Her voice reminded me of wet ice breaking, cold and without feeling. She lifted the clipboard. " That is your name is it not?"

I didn't answer.

" My employer wishes to extend his deepest regrets that he had to leave before you could be properly introduced. He hopes no offense is taken." She asked eyes never once rising from the clipboard.

" None," I said.

" Good," he put the clipboard down, and raised her head to look up at me. Her eyes were the color of steel. I felt a tremor go through me. Whoever this woman was she was dangerous. Not the kind of danger that came with violence, fierce and predictable, but the cold calculating kind of danger, unreadable and unpredictable.

" Who-" I began when she cut me off.

"Private," the woman said. When I didn't move, she added, " Go on."

" Yes," I said.

I stepped onto the platform, heart pounding. Outside the music blared. Fingers shaking I took hold of the pole so hard my knuckled turned white.

Pretend like nothing is wrong…you're just a dancer. An ignorant dancer…

Better said than done. With this mysterious woman's steel eyes on me, and what little knowledge I did have of what was going on, I threatened to pop under the pressure, like a overfilled water balloon. Every second that past I expected one of the men in black suits outside the curtains to pop in and put a bullet in my head.

But it never did, and I counted the seconds until the whole ordeal was over. I finally stopped, a little short of breath, and glaring at the woman like this was truly my last few minutes on earth. If she wanted to kill me, or get information from me she sure was taking her sweet time.

" Decent," she said folding her clipboard under her arm. She stood, straightened out the wrinkles formed at the legs of her suit, and walked straight backed past the platform.

" Who are you?" I asked before she could leave.

The sound of her heels stopping echoed across the tiled floor.

" We will be in touch Jade Wilson," she said.

" Right," I mumbled falling onto my hands and knees, shaking.

I was still shaking by the time I mustered up the strength to leave the private room. Jeffery was outside the door arms crossed, trying his best to look intimidating when I finally stumbled from the room.

" Jade?"

I stumbled past him.

" Are you ok?"

" No," I said. " Bad case of Cyclo-" The threat of vomit rising in my throat interrupted my excuse.

" Jesus Jade, what's gotten into you," Jeffery said as he pulled me up by the waist and held me.

" Nothing. Just…Just…let me get cleaned up." I pushed him away as I stumbled down the hall towards the dressing room.

" Let me hel-"

" I got it, thanks," I said. Once inside I shifted through my stuff for my cell. The screen read that I had ten missed calls from Melina. Jeffery came into the dressing room just as hit the callback button.

" Are you sick?" He asked.

The phone rang once, before Melina picked it up.

" Jade? Jade is that you?"

" Yep," I croaked. Jeffery took a step towards me, I held up one hand stopping him." What's wrong?"

" Ultron…" Melina said hesitantly.

" What about him?" I snapped. Moses! I was getting tired of hearing that name. It was like a curse. Something bad always seemed to happen when it was uttered.

"He's here."

Yeah. To tired for side notes.

Hope you guys enjoyed. On to the next chapter.