Staying in a house with three other people was a strange scenario for Natasha. She felt like she was on one of those reality TV shows, where grown adults had to coexist in confined quarters for ratings. Of course, this didn't entail near the amount of drama those shows did, but it was still a bit awkward. Sharing a bed with Wanda was… interesting. The poor woman had worse nightmares than Natasha did. The first night, she'd been so embarrassed over accidentally throwing a lamp against the wall in her sleep that she'd opted to move out to the front room and spend the rest of her evening on the sofa. Even after Wanda left, Natasha hadn't slept great that night. She was too restless over thinking about Garrett, and what his next move might be. She didn't do well with idle time, even though she needed it to heal.
She did feel better, though, having taken some downtime. Those first twenty-four hours were critical in her recovery. Natasha was hardier than most, but she wasn't the super soldier that Steve was. Her bones broke a lot more easily than his. Though, she discovered that Steve hadn't made it out of the explosion unscathed. While walking past his room one day, Natasha caught sight of him through the slightly open door. His back was to the door, and he'd been putting on a clean shirt. It was only a glimpse, but Natasha saw faded bruising down the right side of his back, where he'd impacted the metal container so Natasha didn't have to. The sight of it pulled at her chest, making it tighten painfully in guilt and regret. She knew Steve could handle far more than she could, but it didn't make it any easier to witness. Seeing someone she cared about in pain was not something she'd ever get used to.
Steve seemed to be doing okay, though. He didn't seem to mind the close-quarter living arrangements. There was something oddly comforting about it, really. They were far from normal, but Sam, Wanda, Natasha and himself were a team. They were a single, cohesive unit. They were a family, and he was grateful to have them. Even if Sam watched TV with the volume up entirely too loud, and Natasha put more sugar in her coffee than any person should. He was glad to have them around.
Of course, it wasn't all family dinners and TV watching. They worked, too. Natasha spent a lot of time poring over a variety of information sources on her computer. She was able to hack into some S.H.I.E.L.D. databases and get some clues as to where the men and women responsible for Project Deathlok were held following their arrest. There were no solid locations as of yet, but she had some leads. She also found out that Coulson's transfer request had yet to be granted. That meant they had some time, but it meant Garrett did, too. He would, no doubt, be licking his wounds (not that he really had any) and rallying whatever forces he may have had in his employ.
Aside from information gathering and brainstorming sessions, the four of them also did what they could to stay in shape and primed for the missions ahead. Steve and Sam trained often, utilizing the small backyard as a sparring space. Wanda was usually out there, too, practicing her control over her abilities. Natasha was back into it, as well. She trained with Sam and Steve, getting her body back into prime condition after having taken some time to recover. Most of her stiffness and soreness had subsided, and her cuts and bruises had all healed nicely. She was back to being perfectly capable of wiping the floor with Sam and giving Steve an honest run for his money. She never failed to impress him when it came to her skills.
On their second day at the safehouse, Natasha was sitting out back in a kitchen chair she'd dragged outside. She had her laptop resting atop her thighs as her fingers busily clicked across the keyboard. Out in the small yard, Steve and Sam were throwing and dodging punches and kicks, working up a sweat in the afternoon sun. They looked like opposites of each other, Sam in blue pants and a black compression shirt, and Steve in black pants and a blue compression shirt. Beside Natasha, Wanda was sitting and reading a book, taking a break from her own training.
"C'mon, old man." Sam teased as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "Don't tell me you're losing steam already."
Steve huffed out a breathless chuckle, hands on his hips, and shook his head. "Not a chance. I can do this-"
"All day," Sam finished. "Yeah, yeah. I know." He threw a punch at Steve, which Steve easily leaned away from.
The second punch Steve deflected with a forearm, retaliating with a kick aimed at Sam's right side. Sam grabbed Steve's leg and pinned it between his arm and his side in an attempt to throw Steve off his balance. Steve used his free leg to leg in close, wrapping his arms around Sam and then throwing his body weight forward in a somersault that took Sam down to the grass. He rolled forward and off of Sam then quickly hopped up to his feet and turned around to see his friend laying on his back, breathing heavily and squinting one eye against the sunlight beating down on him.
"One day all those years are gonna catch up to you," Sam huffed.
"Maybe," Steve said, extending a hand down to him. "Not as soon as they catch up to you, though."
"Hah hah." Sam laughed dryly as he grabbed Steve's hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Hilarious." Releasing his grip, he looked over to Natasha. "Romanoff!" He called over to her. "Why don't you come out here and show ol' Cap how to put his money where his mouth is."
Natasha looked up from over the top of her computer screen, one brow perked in interest. Steve was standing with his hands on his hips once more, his heavy breaths causing his chest to strain against the tight confines of his shirt. The sweat on his brow had his blonde hair hanging over a bit, curling ever so slightly at the ends. It was getting longer, as was the growth on his jawline. He looked… ruggedly handsome. Not quite the clean-cut, golden boy everyone was used to. Natasha pulled her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, contemplating. If there was ever a moment she could have the upper hand on Steve, it was after he'd expended some of his energy on Sam.
"Alright," she finally said as she stood up, laptop in hand. "But you have to keep an eye on this for me." She held the computer out for Sam to take as he walked over. "I'm running a facial recognition scan, trying to get a hit on Garrett."
"Sure," Sam said as he took the laptop. "Shouldn't be too hard to identify his ugly mug." He sat down in the chair and grabbed a water bottle that sat beside it, taking a healthy swig. "Give him hell, Widow."
Natasha grinned as she stepped into the "ring". She was wearing a pair of black workout pants that hugged her legs and stopped just below her calves. A loose, pale purple tank top adorned her torso. Normally, she would've taken the time to pull her hair back, but given its recent shortness, she was able to put a small clip in it to effectively keep it away from her face. She stretched a bit as well, pulling her arms across her body one at a time, loosening up her triceps and shoulders. She got low and stretched from side to side, too, warming up her thighs and calves. It didn't take much for her to get limber. She lived in a pretty much constant state of incredible flexibility and agility. Mostly, she just wanted to keep Steve waiting.
Steve knew better than to pull his punches with Natasha. He had learned a long time ago that the only thing "going easy" on her got him was a thorough ass kicking. While she may not have been "superhuman" like Steve, Natasha operated at peak human level in just about every category. Strength, speed, reflexes and agility, she possessed top notch skills all across the board. She had quick, sharp senses and an incredibly cunning mind. She observed her enemies, learning; knowing them sometimes better than they knew themselves. Long story short, she was not one to take lightly. Big things, small packages and all that. So, when she squared up across from him, Steve focused in and got ready.
Natasha made the first move. She came at Steve with a series of quick jabs that put him on the defensive, backing away when he could and blocking when he couldn't. There was a lot of force behind her fists, and they created loud smacks every time they met one of his open palms. He got ready for another series, only to be surprised by a leg sweep that had him jumping backward to avoid. Natasha gave him little time to recover. She delivered a right hook, but Steve grabbed her wrist and averted her arm to the side, away from his chest. Natasha leaped up and wrapped both of her legs around Steve's arm, swinging her whole body downward and forcing him into a frontward somersault that dragged him to the ground, quick and ruthless. The breath left him as his back smacked into solid earth. Natasha was crouched over him, one foot pressed into the earth on his left, and one knee pressed into the ground on his right. She smiled down at him, even as she reared one fist back to deliver a downward punch.
Steve grabbed Natasha by the hips and used his superior strength to roll both their bodies over, switching position so he was on top and it was she who was thumping her back against the ground. There was some surprise in her green eyes, but the smirk on her face either said she was impressed or she'd been expecting this all along. Turns out, it was the latter. Natasha jabbed her pointed fingers into the crease of Steve's arm, forcing his elbow to bend and his upper body to come crashing doward. She rolled out of the way just in time, so his face met dirt instead of her chest. Then, she was performing a quick nip-up to put herself back on her feet. She quickly turned around, grabbed Steve's arm, and bent it behind his back, stretching his pectoral muscle and shoulder in quite an uncomfortable fashion. She placed her knee against his spine to add strength to the hold.
"Sure you can do this all day?" She asked from behind him.
Steve didn't answer. Instead, he kicked one foot backward, throwing Natasha off balance. She loosened her hold just enough for Steve to slip out of it. He kept a hold of one of her wrists, twisting it and holding her arm out to the side as he spun himself around to face her once more. Natasha placed her other hand on the ground and pushed herself into a handstand, rotating her body to undo the twist that Steve had put her arm in. When she flipped upright again, they were standing face to face. Steve had her arm pinned down at her side. He looped one leg around and kicked her in the back of her knee, causing it to buckle, and sending her to the ground once more. This time, though, Steve cradled her fall. He slipped a hand behind her head and followed her down, preventing her from hitting the ground too hard. With one hand still holding her arm in place, he placed his knee down on the shoulder of her opposite arm to keep that side pinned as well. She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with adrenaline. There was a mix between exhilaration and frustration in her gaze. Some sweat glistened on her brow, and her chest rose and fell quickly against the thin fabric of her shirt. She smiled up at him.
That's when Steve felt it. Something was pricking him in the wrist. He looked down to see the pointed end of Natasha's silver hair clip pressing right into his pulse point. Had it been a real weapon, and had he been a real enemy, he would've been done for. Steve shook his head, and released a breathless chuckle. He should've known better than to think that he'd had the upper hand. Natasha had him right where she wanted him that whole time.
"Clever." He said as he released his hold on her. "Dirty, but clever."
"I prefer 'dangerously creative'." Natasha replied with a grin.
Steve helped her to her feet, and she brushed some grass from her hair and off her back. The pin was neatly returned to her hair. He watched her move over to one of the water bottles, pick it up and take a long pull from it. When she was finished, she placed the cap back on it and tossed it over to Steve. She lifted the hem of her shirt up enough to wipe her face off, revealing a bit of that scar on her abdomen that had come courtesy of none other than the Winter Soldier. Steve would never not feel bad about that. Part of him assumed responsibility for Bucky. He assumed responsibility for a lot of things, though.
"Perfect timing," Sam said from his seat. "I think we've got something here."
Natasha and Steve joined Sam, standing behind his chair so they could look at the computer screen. Wanda had lowered her book and was leaning over as well. Slightly grainy street camera footage showed Garrett standing outside an alley somewhere in Munich. He had a hood up to obscure most of his face, but his features were too identifiable to miss. Natasha had an uneasy feeling in her gut.
"Ping the IP address of that camera," Nat told Sam. "I want an exact location."
Sam didn't ask questions. He typed in a few commands that yielded good results. "Looks like it was behind a hotel in Denning. The… Azimut Hotel Munich?" He looked up at Natasha, as if expecting to see if that meant anything to her.
It did.
"Shit." Natasha breathed.
Steve looked at her, concern on his face. "What is it?"
It, Natasha thought, is a long story. She pushed her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face, before sliding her hand to rest on the back of her neck. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, deflating her lungs. If this was what she thought it was, she knew she owed the others an explanation. It was just… difficult. It involved dredging up some pretty unpleasant things from her past, before her more permanent residency within S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. She couldn't keep them in the dark, though, because if she was right… it meant Garrett was planning on bringing the fight to them.
"After the Red Room… fell out," Natasha began, "there were some attempts at a successor agency. It didn't go well. Before they went belly up, a corporation called Gynacon moved in. They purchased the biotech from Red Room, and then dispatched soldiers to hunt down any Red Room graduates that were still alive."
"Present company included, I assume?" Sam asked.
Natasha nodded. "After they tried, and failed, to kill me, I did some… asking around. The deal was made in Russia, but their base of operations was in Munich. I tracked them down, found their CEO and…" memories drifted around like ghosts in her mind. Natasha furrowed her brow and looked away, unable to face the gazes of her friends who were all looking at her expectantly.
"I did what needed to be done." She finally said. She didn't think she needed to explain what that meant. When she finally managed to look at them again, she found stoic understanding from Wanda, and concern in the eyes of Sam and Steve. Not so much for what Natasha had done, she hoped, but for what had been done to her. And for where this was all potentially heading.
"Afterwards, Gynacon fell out. Its people who remained went into hiding. But over the years, I heard rumors of other start-ups, trying to pick up the pieces and put something together out of the scraps that Gynacon left. As far as we knew, nothing ever took off, but in this instance, cutting the head off the snake didn't ensure the body died. There could still be others out there, agents that worked for Gynacon."
"People that would have a vested interest in what Garrett is trying to do." Steve surmised.
Natasha nodded once more. "The biotech they used on us was a version of the serum that was used on you," she told him. "If they think they can get their hands on one of us, they might not even need to break the people who worked on Project Deathlok out of prison."
"And now that you don't have the backing of S.H.I.E.L.D., they think you're easy targets." Sam commented. "Or at least… easier than before."
"Garrett is ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. That alone makes him dangerous. Throw in all of the robotic enhancements made to his body, and he's even more of a threat. And the soldiers that Gynacon sent for us?" Natasha shook her head. "They were real sleeper cell types. Highly trained spies and terrorists from all over the globe. The best at what they do."
"But not as good as you." Wanda pointed out. When Natasha looked at her, she gave a small smile. "They could not best you when you were alone. How can they expect to do it now that you have us?" A hint of red swirled around in her brown eyes.
Natasha gave her a sad smile. "If this is about getting their hands on any trace of the serum in our blood, I can't risk them getting their hands on you, too." She didn't even want to think about the things they would do with someone like Wanda.
"You can save the self-sacrifice shit." Sam spoke up. When Steve gave him a look, he rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Language, Sam.'" He said in his best Cap impression. Then, he returned his voice to normal and continued.
"We aren't splitting up, so you can save your breath. What kind of friends would we be if we left you to handle this alone?"
"This could all just be… coincidence." Steve pointed out, though the sound of his voice made it seem like even he wasn't buying that.
"Garrett could be focusing his efforts on finding out where those prisoners are," Nat said. "But instead, he's in Munich, hanging around the exact same places I found myself in fifteen years ago. I don't think that's a coincidence, Steve."
Their gazes held firm for a few seconds, understanding passing between them. Even if he didn't want to admit it, Steve knew this was cause for concern. If Garrett was trying to kick up old hornets' nests from the past to hunt them down, they had a whole new issue to worry about. The last thing Steve wanted was for any of them to be turned into glorified lab rats so that psychopath could create his own personal army of super soldiers. What's more, they couldn't let more people go through what Natasha went through. Steve had signed up for his science experiment. Natasha hadn't. Neither had Wanda.
"So, what should we do?" Steve asked. "Head to Germany? Try to cut Garrett off before he can make any leeway with this… recruitment effort?"
Natasha shook her head. "We need to be sure before we do anything. I have a contact in Munich. I can put a tail on Garrett; see what he's up to for certain. If it's what we think, then we can… react accordingly."
She excused herself, then, heading inside to make some calls.
Steve released a heavy sigh as he watched her go.
"I second that," Sam said. "This just got a hell of a lot more complicated."
Steve looked down at him, his expression thoughtful. He knew better than to try and persuade Sam to sit this one one. If the roles were reversed, Steve would want to do whatever he could to help Sam. He was sure his friend felt that way now. Still, he couldn't help but to worry about just what they were getting into. Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned his back against the rickety wooden fence behind him and looked down at the ground.
"This isn't just about us." Wanda said from her seat. "If this Garrett man is intent on creating super soldiers, that poses a threat to everyone. It's our duty to prevent such a threat, isn't it?" She canted her head to the side, looking between the two men.
"You went above and beyond to help Pietro and I." Her voice got a bit sad at the mention of her late brother, but Wanda didn't let that stop her. "He died protecting others, because he was a hero. An Avenger. We're still Avengers." She said. "We still protect people." Then, she shrugged one shoulder, as if to say it was just that simple.
There was a moment of contemplative silence between them. Then, Sam gave a little huff. "Damn," he said. "She may give better speeches than you do, Cap."
Steve shook his head, a small smile forming on his face. Sam was right, though. That was a compelling speech. Wanda was right, too. This wasn't just about them. It was about the safety of the countless people that would be in danger if Garrett succeeded in his plan. They'd shot down countless dangerous organizations before. They could shoot down this one, too. If it ever came to that. Steve still held on to a bit of naive hope that this was just dumb luck, and Garrett was just in Munich trying to regain his bearings. He didn't want to think about the men and women he might be recruiting, people who had tried to kill Natasha all those years ago. People who would jump at the opportunity to do it again. Only, now they wouldn't just kill her. They would make her their own personal blood bank, a test subject, to get what they wanted. Steve wasn't going to let that happen. Neither would Sam and Wanda. They were a family, and families watched each other's backs.
After waiting a few minutes, Steve decided to head inside. He didn't know if Natasha would still be on her call or not, but he wanted to check in on her and see how she was doing. He wanted to make sure she was okay. Once inside, he followed the sound of her quiet voice, and found her in her bedroom, sitting at the foot of the bed. She glanced up to him, briefly, when he appeared in the doorway, but turned her gaze forward again right after.
"I know, Max," she was saying. "I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. You don't have to get close. I just need faces."
There was a brief period of silence on Natasha's end. Then, she released a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. "Yes. Danke schon."
Natasha ended the call and let her phone fall into her lap. She took another deep breath and opened her eyes, sliding her gaze over to Steve.
"You okay?" He asked, his brows knitted together in concern.
"Ask me that question in twelve hours," she said dryly. Then, she shrugged. "I'm alright. I just… have to admit, I didn't see this one coming."
"How could you have?" Steve stepped away from the door and into the room. He took a seat next to Nat at the foot of the bed. "You said yourself that things were quiet. You had no way of knowing that this was a card Garrett could play."
"I should have, though." She said with a shrug. "The past is always a card for me. God knows there's enough to choose from. Besides," she looked at him, "it's not like I was really keeping tabs on it these last few years."
Steve nodded his understanding. There had been so much to focus on in the here and now that it hardly left room for anything else. He could relate, in a way, by being blindsided by Bucky's resurfacing. Still, that was nothing to be blamed for. The past was the past for a reason. It was supposed to be left behind so the present could be focused on.
"Holding onto ghosts is no way to live your life." He said. Immediately, he felt like a hypocrite. After all, what did he do if not hold onto ghosts? He carried one around in his pocket almost every day.
Natasha's expression changed ever so slightly, as if she were doubting him or about to call him out on his hypocrisy. Ultimately, though, she said nothing. Steve was just trying to help, and, in a way, he was right. Natasha's past was not a good place to dwell. She'd been fortunate enough to escape it and make a complete turnaround in life. She had a mission, a purpose, in the world, and she had people who meant something to her. That was leaps and bounds more than she'd ever had before. She sighed and looked forward again.
"I'm worried about Wanda," Nat confessed. "If they see what she's capable of, they might not just stop at us."
Steve placed a comforting hand on Natasha's back, rubbing between her shoulder blades a few times. "We'll look out for each other," he assured her. "We always do." When Natasha looked at him, she offered a small smile. Steve offered one in return. After a few moments, he allowed his hand to fall away from her back.
"So," he said, "who's Max?"
Natasha chuckled quietly. She wasn't sure how Steve would feel about her answer. "He's… ex-Stasi."
The Stasi, also known as the Ministry for State Security, was an intelligence and secret police agency that had been a close partner of the KGB, headquartered in East Berlin. It dissolved in 1990, and many of its officials were prosecuted due to the less-than-savory nature of their work. Max was a citizen-turned-informant, whose main task was spying on the population. He'd since gone straight, but he still possessed a specific skill set that came in handy for situations like these.
"He wasn't happy to take my call," Natasha said. "But then again, most people aren't."
"But you think he can help?" Steve asked, his face serious.
Natasha nodded. "Yes. He's going to get visuals on who Garrett is meeting with. Names and faces will help us be sure before we make our next move."
"Do you trust him?"
"I don't really have much of a choice," Natasha said. "But… yes. This is our best option."
Steve trusted that judgement. Natasha was smart. She was a strategist, and she wouldn't do anything that would put the others in unnecessary danger. Speaking of the others, Steve thought it would be smart to get back to them. They needed filled in on the details, and they needed to discuss what their next steps would be. With that in mind, Steve stood up. He turned and looked down at Natasha.
"When you're ready," he told her, "we'll be outside."
"I'm ready now." She replied, wasting no time in standing up.
Steve held her gaze for a second, making sure she was being true to her word. He found determination in her green eyes. It wasn't surprising, but he still couldn't help but be impressed by her. He had never met anyone quite like Natasha Romanoff. After a moment, Steve gave a nod and a smile. Saying nothing, he lead the way back outside. Wanda and Sam were still seated, waiting patiently for their return.
"So?" Sam said when he saw them. "What's the plan?"
Natasha informed them of what she'd just discussed with Steve. She had a contact in Germany that would put eyes on Garrett. They would find out who he was meeting with and where. If any of the information that got back to Natasha was cause for red flags, then they would make their move.
"We should take the fight to him," Natasha said. "Before he has time to bring in more people than he already has. The last thing we need is him bringing a group of assassins to our doorstep."
"This isn't going to be easy." Steve told them. "If Nat's hunch is right, Garrett's going to have an impressive caliber of people on his side. If we go after him, we have to start and finish this. No one is safe until Garrett's behind bars. You sure you're up for that?"
"Well," Sam said, "when you put it that way…"
Wanda gave him a look before turning her eyes toward Steve and Natasha. "Yes," she told them with utmost certainty. "We are with you."
"So, what now?" Sam asked.
"Now," Natasha said, "we wait."
