february 2019

THE ASSET HAD never been stronger. Her limbs rippled with muscle, making each swipe with her dagger and punch with her fists exponentially more effective. Her teeth were gritted in determination, her mind empty except for her mission. Kill.

Her superior was whispering in her head, keeping her on task. He congratulated her on her return to the battlefield after months of inactivity, after years of not being used to her full potential. He whispered attack strategies in her ear, helping her as she lashed out at Stark, aiming for his heart. 

That's it, 53, he was hissing, so loud that it drowned out the screaming from deep inside of her. Just like that. You're going to kill him, just like you were always supposed to. He's getting tired, 53. He's human, but you are better. You are more.

The asset didn't respond, for she knew it would distract from the task at hand. She could do nothing except for focus on the man in front of her, the man she had to kill. If she killed him, she would be rewarded. She would be on her way to regaining her centuries-old reputation for being the most powerful soldier in the history of Hydra and Cerberus combined.

Stark's mask on his suit had already been torn off, thanks to the asset's dagger that she'd jammed into the metal. Now it lay discarded in the snow, his wide eyes and panicked expression all she could see in front of her. 

She relished in the shock and scared look she saw on his face, feeding off of his terror which gave her power. If there was one thing Asset 53 truly enjoyed, it was watching as the emotion fled her victims' faces after she delivered her divine move. The way their muscles drooped, and the light ebbed from their eyes, leaving dull, glass spheres in their faces. Ah, yes, Asset 53 enjoyed the kill. 

This time, she'd decided, she would savor the kill, teasing and playing with her food before she ate it. Nothing would make her happier than to see Stark's hope diminish as she thrust her knife into his chest. 

He had done well at dodging her attacks, but she'd managed to keep up with his retreating form. Every time he stepped back to avoid the point of her dagger, she charged after him, colliding with him in a murderous rage. Her mouth was held open in a vicious snarl, and her hand was wrapped tightly around the handle of her dagger.

Usually, Asset 53 would have been taunting her victim, goading him for the way he trembled in her presence. But something was different this time. She was not in the mood to set off her verbal assault. She would play with him, yes; a predator playing with its prey before devouring it. But she did not say anything to him. She couldn't lose focus. 

Stark, however, thought it would serve well to yell into the cold air. "Jack!" He yelled, grunting with the effort of staving her attacks. "Jack, it's me! It's Tony!" Every sentence was abruptly cut off by his hands jabbing in between the two of them, knocking her arms and putting her off balance. 

Don't listen to him, Thompson advised in her head. He'll only distract you from what must be done. 

The asset adjusted her grip on her dagger, no longer holding it as an extension of her arm. She now held it like one would a javelin, the blade jutting out away from her fist. Lifting her hand, she stabbed at Stark in a fury, wishing she had another dagger in her other hand. But alas, she would have to manage. 

His suit is incapacitated, came her superior's voice again. It won't be long before he rids himself of the dead weight. 

She didn't know much, but she knew that she'd faced this egomaniac before. She'd studied him, learning more about him than he probably knew about himself. He may have been without the power from his suit, but she knew that under no circumstances would Tony Stark abandon the Iron Man and leave himself totally vulnerable. 

Around them, the war between Cerberus and the Swedish military raged on. There were hundreds of bodies laying in the snow, their lives lost for the cause they fought for. 

Asset 53 smiled to see the green clothing of the Swedish Armed Forces laying in bloodied heaps on the ground, though she wished she could have been the one to do it. She wanted to kill everyone, and savor the feeling of power that it gave her. 

You're getting distracted, Thompson noticed. Keep your mind on the task at hand. Kill Tony Stark and begin the Earth's purification. 

The asset joined her focuses of her mind and body back onto Stark, who was doing everything he could not to punch her. Not to hurt her, as he so clearly thought there was someone hiding deep in the depths of her. 

I'm here! A voice screamed in her head, though it was far away. It's Jack! Your name is Jack! 

She ignored the voice, shoving it back down into the abyss of her mind. She was blissfully clear of thought, and that was when she fought the best. 

In front of her, she watched as Stark's face shed its panicked concern and molded into an expression of grim determination. He wrapped his fingers into a fist, still guarded by his suit. He dodged her next stab with her dagger, swinging his fist around and clocking her right in the jaw, making her jerk backwards with the force of his punch. 

It hadn't been his strongest punch, she could tell. He was still holding out on hurting her, his futile hope of uncovering the weakest part of her still evident in his actions. Even if he had gone after her with everything he had, even if Thompson hadn't taken down the suit, Asset 53 wouldn't have been deterred.

This time, she felt words rise to her lips. Now, she wanted to taunt him. She lifted a hand to rub at her jaw, though she felt no pain. Her head turned slowly back to face Stark, and she snarled, "You think one punch is going to stop me?" She stalked towards him, her knife hanging loosely, carelessly from her fingers. "You think you can stop me? I'm five hundred years old, you can't kill me!" She bellowed the words and leapt forward, arms outstretched and dagger aiming directly for his neck, that one exposed square of flesh that she could dig into, severing his life from his body and defeating him once and for all.

She could see the endgame, she could see her knife sinking into his flesh, but suddenly she dropped the blade into the snow, her attack losing all power. Stark, now seeing a delay in her actions, scrambled away and watched carefully as the events unfolded. 

Her hands shook, and she knelt in the snow to stare at her palms, foreign to her. Asset 53 struggled to breathe as she felt something inside of her rise up. 

WAKE UP

The asset felt more than heard the voice echo in her head, rumbling around her brain and forcing her to listen. She raised her hands to her head, squeezing on her temples as if to push the voice out of her mind. 

WAKE UP, JACK! YOUR NAME IS JACK! YOU CAN'T KILL TONY.

Get up, came another voice, a sniveling, snarling tone from Thompson. Get up, 53. You're not finished. There was a dangerous warning in his words. 

WAKE UP!

Stand. Kill him.

YOUR NAME IS JACK!

Kill him!

REMEMBER!

KILL HIM!

"STOP IT!" The asset screeched, her voice ricocheting around the snowy ground. Trembling, she tried to hold onto the wonderful emptiness that used to plague her mind, granting her nothing but focus. Now, she felt two presences in her head, none of which were her own.

But one of them was familiar nonetheless. 

Tony—Stark, she corrected herself—now crept closer to her, his suit slowly trying to heal itself now that she wasn't at a constant attack. He knelt in the snow, ignoring Thompson who was glaring furiously at her, no doubt resisting the urge to kill her himself. Instead, the Chancellor of Cerberus chose to do nothing but watch what happened, putting his faith in his work to create Asset 53. 

Your name is Jack. You know this. You are not what they made you to be. Your name is Jacqueline Kingston, and Tony calls you Jack. 

"Jack," Tony said softly, holding his hands out as if to touch her. "Jack, it's me. I can help you. This isn't you."

But it is you, Thompson hissed in her ear. This is exactly who we made you to be. Now kill him, or you will be put out of use, 53. 

She controlled her shaking hands, feeling her breath come easier as she calmed down. This is who I was made to be, she repeated.

Good, 53.

No, no, this is wrong. Your name is Jack. My name is Jack. You are not this, you are stronger than this. I am stronger than this. 

Asset 53 let her hands fall from her head, landing softly in the snow. Somewhere from her left, a woman ran towards her, halting immediately when she saw her kneeling in the snow. 

"Fuck!" The woman cursed. "Please tell me she's not dead." 

The asset did not raise her head to look at the woman. She had to refocus. She had to grasp the only thing she had left: her mission. She had to complete the mission. There was nothing but the mission. It was all she could do.

In front of her, Stark shook his head. "She's not dead. I just...she's coming out of it, I think."

"Not that easily," the woman protested. "No one can break out of their chains that fast. Not even her." A crunch in the snow signaled that she'd stepped closer, pausing for a moment. Now, she was speaking to her, trying her turn at confusing the asset. "Stay awake, Jack," she said deliberately and slowly. "Stay awake."

Stay awake.

But Asset 53 was blissfully asleep, and she had no intention of waking up. 

Her head jerked up and she clutched the knife, savoring the cold snow that kept her grounded. With a fierce war cry, the asset lunged at Stark and thrust her dagger towards his chest, lodging it deep in his armor. 

The woman who'd spoken to her cursed again as she was charged by Thompson. The leader of Cerberus and a rogue agent began their battle, but the asset had no time to watch them. She only thought of one thing: killing Tony Stark.

Stop it, Jack, the voice persisted, never leaving her mind despite her attempt to keep it out. Stop it, you don't want to kill Tony. He's here to save you.

But she shoved the voice down, washing it away from her and making sure it would never distract her again. The asset had a job to do, a job that would restore her to glory. She could not fail. 

Stark fought back, this time with everything in hm. He wasn't pulling his punches, and he was doing anything besides dodging her attacks. Instead of running from her, he was stepping into her circle of attack, trying to get as close as possible to her. 

He parried her stab attempts with his strong forearms, finally getting close enough to pull her right near his face, his hot breath fanning over her cheeks. Her right wrist was held in his grasp, the tight grip on her skin making her fingers loosen against her will, the knife dropping once again into the snow. Her left hand was wrapped behind her back, Stark's position in front of her allowing no movement. 

"Your name," he grunted, staring into her eyes, "is Jacqueline Kingston. You told me that on the first night we met." The asset squirmed, but he held her fast. "You speak French fluently because you were born there. You had parents, and a family."

Asset 53 growled. "I am no one."

"You were just a child," he continued, ignoring her. "You were just a child when they ripped you away from everything. You were never supposed to meet me, but they made you into a killer."

Thompson was uncharacteristically silent in her mind, but she supposed that was because he was preoccupied with the other woman who'd come to join. 

"We went dancing," Stark whispered, his voice lowering into a husky tone. He looked as though he might start crying. "We went dancing, and you looked at me. You asked me to say your name." His fingers loosened, just a hair. "Now I'm saying it. Jacqueline."

Asset 53 glared up at him. "I am no one."

Stark shook his head. "Your name is Jacqueline."

Your name is Jack. Listen to him. Let me help you, the voice in her head spurred her on. Give way to me. Let me back in. This is not who you are.

"Do you remember what you told me that night?" Tony breathed, staring at her like she was the only person in the world. "Do you remember what you said?"

The asset snarled, "I am no one!"

"You are someone!" Tony—Stark, she kept reminding herself—insisted, tugging her closer to him. She felt the cool metal against her chest, though it was nothing compared to the cold surrounding them in the wintry Swedish air. "You are someone to me." He paused, then kept going in a broken voice, a voice that cracked something deep inside her. "You told me that you wished you didn't have to kill me. I..." he trailed off, searching the asset's eyes for any kind of recognition. He received none. "I have to believe that it was for a reason. That you didn't kill me for something other than a mistake on their part."

"I am—"

Jack. I am Jack. Say it.

The asset went slack in Tony's arms and closed her eyes, her head dropping. In her action, her head involuntarily rested on Tony's chest, the metal cooling her hot forehead. 

Jack. My name is Jack. I need to stay awake, and I need to get to Tony. Tony is here to save me. I cannot kill him. 

She lifted her head, and Jack opened her eyes, just for a second. Her senses were overloaded with stimulation from the surrounding fight, but she had no time to process what had happened. All she could see was the man in front of her, the man who'd come to save her. 

Her lips curled into a smile, a smile that traveled from ear to ear, a smile so wide that it physically hurt. She hadn't smiled, not truly, in centuries. It was a foreign feeling, but a welcome pain that nearly brought her to her knees. 

Vision blurry, Jack blinked and felt hot tears roll onto her cheeks. When she looked up at Tony and saw his wondrous disbelief at the recognition in her face, she felt something crack in her chest. 

She recalled the emotion she felt just a few hours before, standing before Tony like this, reliving a memory of hers from another life. She'd felt an emotion that she couldn't put a word to, unable to describe it. It wrapped her up completely, letting her feel nothing else except for it.

It was a warm sensation that grabbed onto her limbs, suffocating her but in the most delicious way. The word was on the tip of her tongue, and she finally reached it, latched onto it and felt it as it came out of her mouth. 

Jack's voice cracked as she choked it out into the cold air. "Love."

||

heyyyyyy what do you think ?? i kind of hate this chapter but uhhh you know

anyway, i probably won't be able to update tomorrow as i'm going to be out of town for the day, but if i have any time to write, i'll try and get it up as soon as possible!

either way, we've got only two more chapters left, and then our beloved epilogue! crazy how time flies, bb

alright, see you for the next one!

june 25, 2020