Jane Doe.

You kept in the shadows, observing a couple heavy petting in an alleyway across from you. Taking a step forward the sound of trash crumpling below your foot echoed. The man ahead hesitates, turning to the side keeping an ear out. A hand with brightly painted nails bought his head back around to its owner. You sunk deeper, eyes trailing him to see if he displayed any visuals of seeing you. Taking a deep breath, you stole a kiss from the stranger, flying around them then up above in a blur - before touching the clouds. The wind following you whipped the woman's hair against her cheeks and hiked her short skirt up her ripped fishnets.

You worn boots slid against the damp pavement giggling through the vacant alleyway. Grabbing the fire escape rails, with the calls of the night far behind, you slung yourself over to the rusty ladder. Using your speed you close your fingers around the wind chimes before the air trailing behind you caught them. Pausing taking an airy breath you lean over the banister, letting a puff of smoke slip through your lips. You scan the darkness below for anyone bold enough to follow you.

Your bedroom window budges, remembering to control your strength it slowly gives way with loud whine of protests. You sigh shaking off your coat, tossing it to the floor, water droplets cling to the slick fabric.
Your bedroom room was small. The apartment only consisting of a bedroom, miniature kitchen, restroom and a sitting space. You rubbed your skin, soothing away the goosebumps from the cold night.
It had been three years since you awoke in a hospital, listed as a Jane Doe. You had no memory of anything before that moment including how you had somehow ended up in the morgue.
All you have to show from your life before was a few pieces a nonsense:
an faded picture of you and a clean shaven, handsome blue eyed brunette, a bullet, and a ring. The ring being very beautiful and part of your past, you would not dare pawn it.
This all had been pocketed in an old army jacket with a singular patch reading the 107th, that had been draped over what had been your lifeless body. You keep everything you recovered from your pockets in an cigar box, placed against your bedside.
You wanted desperately to feel sadness, pain, some proof of humanity within, tethering you, but there was only disappointment.

A curt knock broke you from your thoughts. Shaking off your boots, tossing them behind you, you made your way to the front door. Your fingers littered with rapidly healing scratches, began unlatching the multiple locks that covered the wooden door frame.
Sighing heavily there was only one person up at this hour,

"Jane, I know you're in there!"

"Yes, Mr. Fitzgerald-"

"Where is your rent? Miss-"

You waved him off rolling your eyes, "I know- just. Hold on."

You stomped back towards your bed aggressively snatching up your jacket making numerous wallets fall from the cramped pockets. "Shit."

"You are no different from the other tenants here! Just because you have a pretty face doesn't mean you don't follow the rules!" Mr. Fitzgerald huffed, you could imagine his veins already protruding from his reddened neck. Curses fell from your lips as you speedily picked through your spoils of the day.

"Jane- I can't keep waiting on you like this! Rent is due-"

"When the rent is due, I know." You interrupted startling him with your sudden appearance filling his arms with damp bills. "No excuses, no exceptions and no exemptions. " you said in unison.

"Mm hmm. " rolling his eyes, he licked a pudgy thumb counting out and straightening the crumpled pile of bills you had pushed into his wanting arms.

"The three E's! Yeah... I will keep that in mind." Tucking your hands behind you, "It's like a steel trap I tell ya." You finish, leaning on the side of the door.

Hearing a soft creak your eyes shifted to the door at the end of the hall. You knew of the strange man that lived there, only with a visitor or two. One being a red headed woman that may live with him. You weren't too sure and honestly didn't care. All who would come often left in a huff. You avoided him, he always seemed bothered by your presence anyway. You caught his eye, watching as Mr. Fitzgerald, flushed in the face, fingered through the last of the stolen cash you had handed him.
Satisfied, he pointed a sausage finger at you,
"Next time it will be double, understand?" Fitzgerald muffled out the side of his mouth, using two greasy fingers to grip his cigar. You nodded, shifting from side to side on your socked feet. You could feel it, the stranger at the end of the hall keeping his eyes fixed on you. Your own trail behind the landlord, landing on the mysterious man at the end of the hall, making him slam his door quickly.

---//---------

"Hey, when will you be done living like a peasant and come join us again?" The suited dark figure spoke, from behind the man. He eased it the rest of the way shut, resting a hand on the aged wood. The sound alone shook the walls.

"Anthony, you know I don't feel comfortable.. doing that.. just- let me live in peace." He spoke slightly above a whisper. "Why do you even come for me? I mean, aren't you guys tired of me refusing your offer?" He scoffed.

Another man, plainly dressed gripped him by the shoulder, "James, there are only a four of us now and we've been talking. It is no surprise we are stronger together. Let humans rise to the call and put their own lives on the line for their precious mankind. We deserve-"

"What? What EXACTLY do we deserve, Thor?" James walked toward his kitchenette, grabbing a mug. "The answer is nothing. We are no better than them. What have we done to earn such simple-"

"luxuries?" A third questioned, "For you, I believe you're talking about one of those complicated human emotions, like happiness? Love?" A smirk on his lips, raising an eyebrow. "I remember we were all human once. Apparently as I stand before you now, it didn't work out. "

Avoiding the comment James spoke again, filling his mug with the leftover coffee from the morning, "Humans. They either sing our praises or hunt us like dogs, ain't that right boys? I mean, they're such fickle beings. Even though the lot of them strive to be better, what you all are wanting to do...it's not safe." He spoke, watching the liquid slosh into the bottom of the container. "Death, well she's a whole other type of monster. One I'm not ready to deal with and a word from the wise, neither should any of you."

"Good. Then let her come." Third one responded, setting down a trinket onto the mans table. " I’m not afraid of her, none of use should be. Besides- she's got to catch me first. ” The man smirked, finishing off his beverage.

"Don't taunt her T'Challa. You know what'll happen,"

"Death clearly has either been slacking or loosing her power. Do you know what this means for the rest of us? There's hope now, hope that we'll no longer have to live in fear of her or his wrath. And unlike you, we haven't grown wary of this life. "

"What about those that have died-permanently?" James looked out towards the others.

Thor sighs, "Ah, You speak of Loki. Yes, he had grown hungry for power and challenged Death, rebelled against her rules. That was his choice and his alone. What we are talking about brother, is not an uprising. Just to leave here and go where we are wanted, perhaps even cared for."

"The pains of immortality. Woe is you-" Anthony spoke mockingly. Thor rolled his eyes.

"That's enough for today." James was calm on the surface but the others knew T'Challa had hit a nerve. He left his mug of cold what use to be coffee, on the counter and headed towards his front door. The three men reluctantly followed behind. Every so often they would come to speak with him, to bring him back into the fold yet he would deny their offers.

"I know of what happened and it is not your fault." T'Challa whispered lingering in the doorway. "Stop blaming yourself. Watching this woman day in and day out will not help you. Besides, your human, I mean- girlfriend, Natasha, has been getting too close. You know how they become ... anxious." He rested a hand upon James' shoulder, which he attempted to move from. His grip dug deep into his flesh making him hold eye contact.
"Your alliance should be with us. You want to live like a human and be with one? She will grow old, wither and die. What then? You believe no one will notice? Especially Death? May the gods forbid you to have any children. Half breeds are not-"

"Hey!" James pushed T'Challa violently away baring his teeth, "Watch what you say about her!"

"Really, you'd want to curse another with this life, James? Someone you claim to... care for?"

Anthony intervened,
"Ah, Women." He swallowed thickly, "What he means is You can't fool us. If you really loved this woman Death would have been at your door months ago, smiting you where you stand. Love. Is. Forbidden." He pointed back at the sparse apartment, shifting the growing tension between them. "Who knew you'd turnout to be the rebellious one out of the bunch, huh? I mean, We were given this power by Death, sure. But we can do whatever we want as long as we follow the two rules: no killing innocents and no affairs of the heart. Sounds pretty cut and dry to me."

"Did you ever wonder why she picked us, Anthony? Why we were so 'special'. I mean she killed thousands... "

"Everyone knows that, I'm just not willing to look the gift horse in the mouth James. Besides, I look at it this way, we were made to be worshipped-."

"Worshipped? Is that one of the tales you spin downtown, popular with the ladies when you appear in your flashy metal suit?" James rubbed his face, tucking his chestnut colored hair behind his ears. "Look, I just want to make sure Jane's going to be ok. She looks so lost, cold and broken."

"Trust me, this is not something you can fix by exposing what you are to her. The more she sees you, eventually she might even remember the past, like you've begun doing." He leans in, "Keep in mind you are weaker the closer you are to her, I believe that's why you have flashbacks of your human life. You're making her vulnerable even as we speak and she doesn't even know it. How would she be able to defend against anything with you just mere steps away? Better yet, How could you defend yourself?"

Thor walked to James side, "I feel like it has slipped your mind why We were created, it was for man, for the balance. We keep the balance, the peace between Time and Death. This is how it is accomplished: we tend to mankind when we can, safely- that is."

"Thank you for the history lesson." James yawns.

T'Challa chimed in, "Perhaps Time knew of your past connection hence why you must live with this...this minuscule burden. Let your metal arm be a reminder, he did not want history to repeat itself. Sadly my friend, you have been made the example."

"I promise she doesn't see me." James spoke looking down at his prosthetic limb, "Part of me wants her to, ya know...remember and yet the other part wants her to move on." He faced the others.

Anthony places his hands on his hips, "You think pissing of a god is bad. I take it you've never pissed off a woman? Better yet, a woman who happens to be god and doesn't know it?" He shook his head letting a small whistle out, "Haven't you learned anything? Our origins? You really need to take a trip to the history museum buddy. You've got to come to terms with this. Ok, so let's say for the sake of argument- because this never gets old, she may remember you- does remember. Recognizes you while out pick pocketing some poor s.o,b, huh? And even as much the sight of you, jogging a memory under all that pretty. A snippet of that could drive another mad. And from what you've revealed to us what ever about the Jane you remember before all this, would let that die?" He shook his head, replacing his baseball cap. "Well I think I speak for everyone of us when I say I know I wouldn't and I'm one stubborn son of a bitch. In other words better you than I." Anthony gave James a hug before walking out of the apartment. He patted Thor before turning quickly, "By the way, How’d she look? Jane?"

James smiled crookedly, "Like a dream.”

"Really?”

"Yeah, but lately I've been having some pretty fucked up dreams"

"As do I James, as do I. "