Ravageuse

It had been a whole week since Jade last heard from Tony. It was odd not receiving any suggestive texts from him or not having him randomly show up at her door. It bothered her that she even noticed. She shouldn't care at all. Actually she should be grateful that he's left her alone. But she wasn’t. She was starting to really see Tony as a friend. Jade wasn’t the type to make friends. And even though Tony annoyed the shit out of her most of the time, she couldn’t help but want to be friends with him.

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Jade was practicing hand to hand combat with Barton and it wasn't long before he noticed the falter in her steps and moves. He pinned her to the ground easily before she threw him off of her and let out a frustrated groan. She took a long drink of water and noticed him staring at her.

"What?" she barked, irritated that her always fluent moves were not so fluent today.

"You suck today. It's actually boring to train with you."

Jade ground her teeth together, she seemed to do that a lot since she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. At this point it wouldn't surprise her if she did it in her sleep.

"You're better than this. Way better. I don't know what's distracting you, but you need to get rid of it and move on. You can't let it effect you like this," Clint said.

She knew he was right. Jade never let things get to her. Especially not things like Tony Stark. She almost laughed out loud at herself. She was being one of those pathetic girls that let men consume their lives and take over. That needed to stop. Jade was not a pathetic girl. Barton was right. She's better than this.

"Lets go again," she said, walking to the center of the training room.

Barton immediately went to hit her in the stomach, which she quickly blocked. She grabbed his arm and twisted it back, making him grunt in pain. Before he could make any move, she brought her leg around, kicking him in the shin hard. In an instant she had him pinned to the ground with a grin on her face.

Clint let out a chuckle. "That’s the Jade I know."

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Jade stared at the unlit cigarette settled between her fingers as she weighed the pros and cons. So far, the pros were winning. She quit once, she was sure she could do it again when she needed to. Right now she was in desperate need of one and before she changed her mind, she brought it to her lips and lit it.

She thought really long and hard about what she was about to do. She was never the type to sit and wait for things to come to her. She went for what she wanted and even if this was much different from anything she wanted before, this wasn’t an exception. The only way to get it off her mind is if she does this.

She looked up at the tall building and wanted to hit herself for being here. Just as she was about to turn away, a voice called out her name.

“Jade?”

She turned toward the source and almost dropped her cigarette.

“Hi Steve,” she said.

“I didn’t know you smoked." He sounded disappointed. Typical. Leave it to innocent, good-hearted Steve Rogers to make her feel like a criminal for smoking.

“I don’t. Well I mean- I used to. I just… It’s a one time sort of thing,” she said as she crushed it against the wall.

Steve nodded his head. “Well, would it be rude of me to ask you why you’re here at Stark Tower?”

Jade looked at Steve and figured that he wouldn’t judge her for her reason. “To see Stark,” she said. Plain and simple. That’s why she was here; there was no point in denying it.

Steve frowned. “I haven’t seen him for a few days. He’s been hiding away in his lab, I think.”

“Mind if I check up on him?”

Steve looked curious but knew better than to ask why. “Sure, come on in.”

The two walked quietly through Stark Tower. Jade followed Steve toward an elevator and he instructed her on which button to press to get to Tony’s personal lab. She thanked him and watched him walk away until the elevator doors closed. Jade tapped her fingers against the elevator wall impatiently. It seemed like an eternity before she reached the floor.

Finally the elevator made that annoying “ding” sound and she stepped out. She looked around at all the armors, computers, gadgets and etc., in the room. She quickly spotted Tony with his head bowed, eyes focused on a piece of armor he was working on.

“Sir, I believe you have a visitor.” J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke up before Jade could.

Tony didn’t look up from his work. “Visiting hours are over.”

Jade rolled her eyes and listened as J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again.

“I believe you may make an exception for this visitor.”

Tony finally looked up and nearly dropped the tool in his hand. He jumped up out of his seat and Jade tried not to laugh as he stumbled his way over to her.

“Jade. Hi. Why are you here? Not that you’re not welcome here because you are welcome here. Anywhere… in this vicinity. What are you doing here?” Tony rambled, his eyes blinking rapidly.

“Tony, when did you last sleep?” Jade asked.

Tony waved off the question before pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

“Its been forty-two hours, ma’am,” J.A.R.V.I.S. answered.

“And when did he last eat?” She asked, knowing Tony probably couldn’t even remember.

“About thirty hours ago.”

Jade sighed disapprovingly of his unhealthy lifestyle that consisted of no sleep and little food consumption. “Come on, we’re going to get food."

Tony stared at her, unmoving. “Are you demanding that I go on a date with you?”

Jade narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I’m demanding that you get food in your body. Don’t make me regret coming here.”

“Fine, fine. But I’m driving,” he said, walking over to the elevator.

Jade almost cringed at the thought of a sleep deprived Tony Stark driving.

“Oh, no you aren’t. We’re walking. There’s a gyro stand nearby, I saw it on my way here.”

The two stood in the elevator, shoulder to shoulder. Jade remembered the last time they were in an elevator together and she got a funny feeling. She remembered the feel of his finger on her skin and she couldn't help but think of what it would feel like to have those fingers somewhere else on her body. What is it about elevators? But all those thoughts came to an end when the elevator stopped and the lights went out.

“You’re kidding me,” Tony said.

Jade had a bad feeling. A really bad feeling. Something was about to happen. Her thoughts proved to be right the second she felt herself being pulled away. Somehow, she wasn’t in the elevator anymore. She was being pulled by some force. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it since nobody had their hands on her.

She was relieved to feel solid ground again but the feeling was short lived. She was in a small white room. There was absolutely nothing in the room other than her. Or so she thought.

“So nice to see you again, dear,” a cold voice that she immediately recognized was all she heard.

“Sallow,” she whispered, coming face to face with the man who seemed way too happy to see her for her liking.

His smile was menacing and his eyes were sparkling with what could only be taken as mischief.

“Looks like we’ll finally get to know each other.”