SHADOW [Avengers: AOU]

XXII. Work To Be Done

Jacqueline sat back against the wall of her cell. Eyes down looking at her lap. Clothes and skin completely drenched in sweat, strands of her hair fallen in front of her face. The bracelet cuffs were taken off of her. Steve snapped them off himself. Vision was the one that escorted her back to her room and has stayed with her since. It's been a few hours now. The others were still trying to come up with a plan to save her. But at this point she felt like it was useless. There was no saving her.

"How is he, Vison?"

Jacqueline looked over at the synthetic humanoid who leaned casually against the metal door. His composer calm, but his eyes showed his worry. She knew that before he returned to HQ that he went to check on Ultron.

"Fine. But he worries over you. He was rather upset that you weren't there to see him when I visited him earlier this evening." Vision says.

She could just imagine the robots his red lights dimming slightly, head down and his metal shoulders slumping while he walked around the abandoned warehouse sadden that she hadn't come. Jacqueline lifts up a shaky hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want any of you to see me."

"I know. Pietro, Clint and Steve wish to speak with you face to face. I told them it would be unwise."

"It is unwise. I'm unstable. They only person I can't hurt is you." Jacqueline swallowed the lump that was starting to form in her throat, "This whole entire thing has backfired on me. I should have stayed inside that Frozen box."

"No you shouldn't have. You are a human being, Jacqueline. Not just a hydra experiment--failed or not--that's to be put on display. What they did to you was unfair. What has happened to you these past years are unfair."

Jacqueline felt her eyes swell up with tears. Never had she thought it would get to this. Ever. She was just a antisocial teen with two loving parents and it all went to hell.

"Vision. I'm scared." Jacqueline whispered. He gave a sad smile.

"I know. So am I. For the both of us. Do you know I don't know what this is?" she watched him tap the yellow gem on top of his forehead with a finger, it shinned brighter for a second, "I know that it's apart of me and that it's powerful. Apparently powerful enough to destroy the whole world. I believe I will never fully understand it, or be able to control it. That maybe one day it'll control me. And that's frightening."

"Yeah well, welcome to the club."

The two shared a brief smile between them. Jacqueline sighed closed her eyes. A single tear going down her cheek.

"Vision tell Ultron that I did it for him, fought for him. Or at least I tried too. Don't let him try to rise up and destroy the world again all because I'm gone. And don't let him try to come see me. I can't live with myself if I hurt him."

Ultron felt like the last person on this planet that she could call her family. It would be like a nightmare come true if she lost him.

"If that's what you wish of me than I shall do it." Vision nods.

"And lastly...T-tell that metal baldy he's the bestest friend in the world and I-I love him very much." She adds.

Her bottom lip was quivering as she fought back the tears. She knew it was coming an end. Her end. And the beginning of The Sources reign of death. He looked at the teen, eyes holding a promise that he wanted to hold as he spoke these words.

"We will find a way to save you."

"Don't hold your breath."

Vision soon left the room, telling her that the others need his assistance immediately and that he wouldn't be gone for to long. Jacqueline rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, sensing the unwelcomed presence that had appeared in the room.

"You look terrible. Don't worry, everything is almost over. It's a shame I couldn't thank your father," The Source walked closer towards her and Jacqueline's brows furrowed in confusion at her words. "If it wasn't for him we'd never be to this point."

"What does my father have to do with this?"

"I've been manipulating him since the moment the stone was obtained by your mother. It is true that he was a very intelligent man. But all his research about the stone came from me, while the guidelines for the procedure was both of us. Those whispers he talked about in the video and the shadow he sensed was me. I learned everything about you from him. Saw your picture on his desk. As for Alexander Pierce, I influenced him to choose a test subject for Hydra closer to home. Young in youth. Better chances of the procedure working, of course."

All along it had been The Source. Plotting and scheming in the background of her fathers eye, whispering secrets. Tricking Pierce into choosing her. But why? What did it gain from having her as its victim?

"Why do you want me?!" Jacqueline yelled. The Source brought a gloved hand up to her own scaly face.

"You remind me of the past. My old body. You will be our new one. See you won't end up the way I did. You my dear are the perfect host."

Unwillingly she found her body moving to go on her knees. Glaring up at the being who was grinning down at.

"Are you ready?"

A blood curdling scream is ripped from her throat at excruciating pain she was feeling. Her muscles tense and her mind felt as if it was over heating. Her eyes close shut in tears while The Source kept its gaze on her form. The voice became unbearable, louder than ever. Her eye site was engulfed in darkness and her body fell forward. Growing limp. A minute had passed before she stood up from the ground. Her eyes glowing a fierce green and a menacing grin made itself present on her face. Jacqueline was gone.

And Shadow was born.

"There you are. I've been waiting for this moment. We are all so proud of you." The Source said.

Other figures in dark hoods stood behind her. Their eyes going the same color green, their faces covered. All the souls she had taken. All the voices in her head. All there witnessing this. It almost brought an imaginary tear to the Sources eye. Shadow held her shoulders back head up high.

Now the real fun could begin.