"Remember, we're either going to get them to make a successful transaction, or we'll go with Plan B," He told her as he exited the public restroom. He was in casual wear now, jeans and a green shirt, a leather jacket hiding his metal arm and full gloves hiding both hands. He flexed it to stretch the leather. His vest and armor were left inside the backpack, alongside his weapons and he walked with Natalia to put them in one of the storage lockers.
He ripped off the identifying tag, tossed it to the ground and stuck the key deep into the jean pockets. Plan B was that he killed them all and took the drugs, so he might need the extra weapons in the locker later. Then, of course, if they'd already inserted it into mules to ship it, he'd have to kill them. But he had a list of known associates and was currently under surveillance.
"We do want Plan A," He stated with a slight grimace of annoyance. It would be much easier, much cleaner if he were simply allowed to go in and extract the drugs himself.
The scientist selling them operated elsewhere and wanted to continue good relations with the scientist in case they needed further information. It seemed as if he had found rather than created, or they would have simply coerced or kidnapped the man. Again, much cleaner, but this was not his decision; it never was. "If we go to Plan B, you're to step back and I will take care of the men while you ensure no damage comes to the packages."
She looked at him, having a bag in her hand. She had used the time he had needed to change clothes to buy some books about Captain America. Hopefully, it would have some side notes on the man she was interested in. "I know; we do it my way unless we have to do otherwise," she spoke and looked at him "So just for once: no torture to get information. I don't want a trail of blood behind us. If we leave bodies behind, they know something's off."
Natalia also placed her duffle bag in the locker while holding the tiny plastic bag with two books inside. She knew it was strange behavior, but it would also give them some coverage. If someone followed, they still could act like a couple who just went shopping. "So, just to put it out there. If someone follows, we're just a couple shopping, alright?" she told him and looked at him.
She looked around with a sigh and straightened her clothes. "This time, I'm in charge and you gotta trust my instincts," she reminded Winter, knowing he was annoyed by the plan of the KGB. But they all had to follow those orders whether they liked it or not.
Despite what he said, she wouldn't step back. Natalia didn't intend on watching him, only getting his hands dirty. She would fight alongside him whether he wanted that or not. It might not be her orders, but Natalia didn't have particular demands to step back. She was sure that the Winter Solider would step back and watch if she was the one fighting. So she merely stayed quiet, pretending she hadn't heard him as they walked towards the hotel.
He glanced at the new addition to her wardrobe, a shopping bag. He looked down over her and stepped in line alongside her. The Soldier simply nodded; he would comply with his mission's parameters, even if he didn't think it overly wise. It was not his decision or task; his mission was to complete it and bring the packages with minimal collateral.
"Of course," He replied, still in English, they were American tourists, and he found it wise for her to make a purchase to reflect such. He wrapped his arm around her waist loosely to comply with the cover.
"I trust your abilities," He said in a hushed tone. He trusted Natalia's training and ability to successfully navigate their mission, or he would not have her along. He would not allow her to lead the mission otherwise.
"The car is waiting outside." He said as he navigated them out of the crowded terminal.
Natalia walked with him. She glanced at his hand, which lay on the side of her waist. Nothing besides her short, unusual reaction gave away that this was new to her. Besides the few times she had tried to seduce some guards and sparring, she had never really had a man lay a hand on her. It felt strange but also oddly relaxing. She had no word for it and didn't even know why it was nagging in the back of her mind. After all, it was just a cover and him acting according to that.
"Alright, let's go," she said, sounding like she had never spoken any other language. The training with the Winter Soldier had paid off. During their first few months of training, she still had a Russian accent in her English, but not anymore. It seemed like it had vanished completely.
Once they were in the car, she told the driver the hotel's name- just to ensure they would be on the correct way. Natalia had learned each possible way to the hotel by heart. Natalia scooped closer to the Winter Soldier with a gentle, almost flirty smile on her lips as she placed her hand on top of his gloved one. To the driver, it must seem like she was about to tell her boyfriend or husband something inappropriate or just a little secret. "I'd say we ask at the reception for the person who's supposed to sell the drugs. With some luck, we're in and out within half an hour. We've got the money, so things should go fine. Or else we have to convince them otherwise. What do you say?" she whispered into his ear and finished with a soft peck on his cheek. Natalia didn't think much of it and she was sure that's how couples interacted with each other.
She smiled at him before retrieving one of the books from her book. It seemed like she began reading, but she focused on the street to ensure they were still on the road.
It was both unnerving and oddly calming to have her take the lead. It was not something the Soldier was used to, and it unsettled some part of him that he did not have direct control over the mission's success rate. But the majority of him, he found entirely at ease with it. Perhaps it was because he knew definitely of Natalia's talents and prowess.
He chuckled and did his best to work out any steely note. As she spoke, it was adequate for the most part to cover Natalia's words and blend them in. Although she did a well enough job of it on her own. There was a reason she was the best of the Red Room Academy's group.
"A sound plan," He nodded subtly and noted, pleased that her English was without pause. "The room number and telephone are in the file, if need be."
He settled back with her and let his arm rest over the rest of the car above her shoulders. He idly switched his gaze between the street and the phone in his lap. Nothing significant was on it, but it was critical for a cover. They passed the landmark checkpoint, and he relaxed minimally. This cab wasn't a problem then, but he checked the streets.
To ease any mistrust, he looked down at Natalia reading her book. Then, he leaned down towards her ear.
"For an American tourist, Captain America seems on the nose," He said softly. The Soldier didn't know why but the book interested him, and he reached out to flick one of the pages she was reading to flip it over to the next page. A picture was in the top left margin of a blue helmet with a faded A and netting on it, 1943 printed in the caption. It seemed this 'Captain' was an American propaganda tool during WWII. A dusty book from long ago, people always wanted to remember wars with such vigor when they were never so glamorous... he shook the thought, what did he care for people's opinions?
Natalia noted that she was pleased he agreed with her plan. Indeed no one would say a thing. They had the money on them, so why should there be any troubles? Yet there were too many loose ends. After all, they wanted a lot of this new drug; what if they chose to raise the price? Moreover, the redhead doubted the Russian government would send them more money to retrieve.
On the other hand, she did want to finish the deal as clean as possible. After all, it was her time to excel over the other Red Room students and complete her training to finally become a Black Widow. Natalia was sure that she would make a name for herself and become one of the best spies for the Soviet government. This was just the time to prove that she didn't need a babysitter, even though she did enjoy the Winter Soldier's presence. "Perhaps, in that case one of us stays at the reception while the other pays the dealer a visit?" she suggested quietly while she read through the page in the book. The content bored her and nothing about James Buchanan Barnes. After all, she was only interested in him and not the other guy - an American puppet. "I'd say I go upstairs. I'm a woman - they won't think I'm a threat immediately."
He seemed just as satisfied and relieved as she was that they passed the landmark checkpoints. This one wouldn't get in their way. One less thing to worry about. But of all things, taking care of a taxi driver would be easiest for both. If it came to a fight between those dealers and them, someone would have to make sure the drugs weren't touched and contaminated. The Red Room needed those as clean as possible without anyone noticing the powder.
"Well, as an American, I should know something about my heroes, shouldn't I?" she whispered back and gave him a smirk. Natalia looked at the Winter Soldier and then back at the book. "Hey, I wasn't finished yet!" she told him, irritated and loud enough for the driver to hear. It seemed like a natural reaction to someone turning the pages in a book which didn't belong to them. Her gaze also fell on the man wearing a suit which looked like the American flag. Her interest, though, was the man next to her. She tried to gauge his reaction, but she couldn't see anything. Maybe just a bit of irritation or familiarity..? No, the last one definitely was wishful thinking on her part. Nothing was so easy when it came to this man.
"I'd rather stay together," He muttered tonelessly. But, if things went wrong, he could easily clean up the mess. Besides, a couple should stay together. Although they could throw that cover away upon entering. "But it is your decision. Perhaps we will enter as separate offers; it depends if he is determined to sell it off to more than one person or give it to us in its entirety as we want."
He rolled his eyes; ah yes, the American heroes and fairy tales. They offered nothing but weakness in his eyes. Distractions.
"Well, there were no pictures on the other page," He complained lightly, loud enough for the driver to overhear. He left her and her book be and chuckled once more to ease any tension the driver might feel. The man had only snickered and continued driving. That was the desired reaction.
Natalia looked at him and thought about which option was better for the mission. Her pride told her to go in alone without him. She simply wanted to show off at this particular moment. But this wasn't the right time to prove herself. The redhead wasn't used to missions yet, so having a rescue plan at hand would be more practical than going in on her own like a one-woman commando. His second statement eased her nerves. He thought she could take on those men on her own. That counted more than the rest of the Red Room, though, didn't it? She nodded slowly. "Perhaps, you're right. We're going in together..." she eventually agreed silently and looked out the window. Another landmark. They were at the hotel soon.
She saw his eye roll and regretted telling him about the heroes. Despite what he thought, she actually was able to see the charm of idealizing people. It gave hope where nothing else but dark times were. A bit of light to brighten up the darkness around someone. She had felt the same emotion once she had accepted that the Winter Soldier was there to help her. Natalia never had idolized a hero besides the man next to her. Yet he didn't see himself as one. He was either a ghost or a soldier to most people. But she had seen other parts of him that actually had left genuine smiles and memories to her.
His statement brought genuine laughter, and she looked at him with an amused smile. "You and your pictures..." she replied just as loud and turned the side again. She scanned through them before turning the page again to continue. Eventually, the cab halted and she placed the book back into the bag. Natalia looked at the Winter Soldier before she reached forward, paying the diver and getting out of the cab. Her gaze went over the current scene, making out possible threats.
She tipped him well but not too well to be remembered. 'Excellent,' he thought. She'd been trained well. They stepped out together and he noted her attire was well chosen, snug, and would likely come in handy. His wardrobe would be sufficient, as well. He decided against returning his arm to her waist, in case they decided to go against the couple alias now.
He walked with her in a casual place as they walked through the entrance of the hotel. No one of dangerous intent was around, no one he could spot. Of course, there could always be somebody, but he suspected the threats would be contained to whatever floor or room the drugs and dealer were being kept.
The Soldier stepped briskly through the lobby and found it odd. First, to blend in with the small, yet sizable group of people sitting, lingering, or making calls in the lobby. It was interesting, but mostly he worked at keeping an effortless look on his face as they approached the receptionist.
"Good day, " The woman said, and the Soldier recognized the mandarin, although he decided against speaking the language. They should still remain as American tourists.
"Hello," He spoke, and the woman nodded with another smile.
"May I be of help to you?" She asked in practiced yet choppy English. This part of Taiwan certainly saw many tourists. He decided to leave this bit to Natalia; she would be able to talk them to Mr Burkhard's room in the best manner. He would let her lead and simple work on appearing amiable.
"Hi..." Natasha simply said and appeared bored. She looked around and first started talking as her partner wouldn't continue talking. "Yes, we would like to meet with Mister… What was his name again?" she glanced at the Soldier before acting like she was reminded of the name after a short moment of silence. "Oh yes, Mr Burkhard." She smiled friendly at the woman who suddenly seemed to change demeanor and look at her male colleague. Both seemed nervous now and the man hurried away.
Alright, that hadn't gone as planned, but she still had another few things up her sleeve. Besides, the man's behavior indicated that they would get upstairs, whether it was civilly or not.
"I'm afraid Mr Burkhard doesn't reside in this hotel, Miss...?" the receptionist said in her accented English.
"Oh, but I do have mail somewhere that we were supposed to meet him there..." Natalia said, ignoring the indicated question for her name.
She lifted up her handbag and spilled the content on the counter. So many things, including lipstick, powder and wallet, fell out of her bag. It seemed like a random mess, but she had chosen those items carefully. She was sure that the man they were supposed to meet had access to the security cameras. So it seemed like a good idea to show off the inside of her handbag and act like she was slightly confused.
"Oh - there we..." she began as they were approached by three men. They wore suits and seemed to be more official. The two receptionists moved backwards as Natalia was about to "finally" find the needed paper. She pushed the things back into her bag and turned around with a smile.
"And you three are? I'm afraid you have to wait until we're finished," she said innocently even though she had a good idea who they were. The men seemed unamused by her behavior and one lifted his jacket to show a gun.
"Please come along and behave calm, or we have to shoot. None of us want this to become bloody," the man said casually and Natalia acted scared as she quickly reached for the Winter Soldier's hand like she wanted comfort.
"O-okay, but please don't shoot!" she spoke and quickly looked through the entrance hall. It had cleared out except for a few guests. She guessed those were paid by this Mr Burkhard.
He was amused by the objects that fell from her purse, clearly for her cover. He'd imagine any bag of the Black Widow's would contain quite a few more lethal items than powder. Oh, but she played her part well.
As he heard the snap of heavy footsteps, his instincts reared, and he had to work to stay beside Natalia and not spin to gain the upper hand. They approached them as far as the Soldier's spying usually went. At this point, Natalia continued to play her role and grasped his hand in compelling terror. His mind was already working on what he would usually do, instead of wrapping his flesh arm around her waist as if he were clutching her to him.
He would go for the man in front, grab him with his metal arm and strike a quick blow to his head before tossing him back into the man just to his right. It would throw them both to the floor. Next, he'd leap to the man standing near the desk, grab him by the head, and smash it through the glass counter of the conceiver desk.
He'd kick his feet out and snap his neck. Then, back to the two struggling on the ground, he'd grab their weapons -for he never brought his own in these situations, confident he did not need them- and make sure they were gone. Before he would shoot the woman behind the desk and all guests in the lobby to rid himself of witnesses.
But instead… he pulled himself hard from those tactics and let the men roughly search the two of them for weapons and gripped onto Natalia as if he were also frightened. Unused to these situations, he took cues from Natalia on his body language and behavior to adapt his behavior to as they were led through elevators to the correct floor, according to their files.
They reached the floor and by the number of guards, it was clear the entire floor was bought out by him. Excellent, it also meant he and the drugs were here to have this much security. His mind raced through the easiest way to pick them all off, but he restrained himself still. Until then, keeping ahold of the briefcase with the money in it was unnecessary.
"Where are you bringing us?" He asked, and he was not as effective as he'd hoped in making his voice scary. Mildly worried, but it was enough that they gave him a dismissive glare.
Her taking his hand into hers wasn't only for the played comfort. But she wanted to make sure that he would stay beside her. After all, they couldn't blow their cover, not now. This already seemed to work out differently than expected. So they would need to stay with it, or else they were dead. Even the Winter Soldier wasn't faster than a flying bullet.
As the men searched them for weapons of any kind, she had to keep them to herself. The man who searched her took way too many liberties as he felt her body up - especially in places where obviously no weapon was. Under normal circumstances, she would've used her thigh to choke and break that man's neck without even batting an eyelid. But her cover didn't know these things, so she simply acted like she was scared to death and whimpered in fear which the man seemed to know. That man's going to die first, she thought darkly and quickly memorized his face.
She stood close to the Winter Soldier and slightly behind him. So it seemed like she searched for his protection from the big bad wolf. Little did they know that the Winter Soldier and she were the wolves in sheep's clothing.
"P-Please, don't kill us!" she stammered as they were pushed along the hallway to the big living room area. Her body was shaking as Natalia looked around with a fearful gaze. "We-we just wanted to party and were told that we were able to buy drugs here... Nothing more. You have to believe me!" she spoke, almost tearfully, as she walked up to one of the men and grabbed the collar of his suit jacket.
The man laughed and answered in Mandarin "Stop whimpering! I'll give you something to be afraid of soon..." He slapped her and Natalia stumbled backwards, making herself fall flat on her bottom. She looked at the man in horror as she held her cheek like it hurt her.
The boss stepped out with bloody hands and washed them in front of his guests. "Please behave yourself," he spoke calmly and walked over to the Winter Soldier and Natalia. He offered Natalia his now clean hand to help her up.
"You have to excuse my men. They don't know how to treat a lady correctly. We don't have troubles with each other as long as you have the money and everyone keeps their part of agreement," he spoke with a fake warmth in his voice. Natalia seemed to fall for his warmth and gave him a shy smile as she stood up after reaching for his hand.
"We...We don't mean to make trouble. We're just here for the transaction! You have to believe me!" she told the boss, almost sounding begging. "I believe you, princess.", the man said calmly but added, "But you have to see... I was told just one person would come, but now two of you are here. So what am I supposed to think?" He looked from Natalia to the Winter Soldier.
His instincts roared louder when she tumbled back to the ground. That she hit the ground kept him and the man's neck in place. He knew Natalia could take much harder hits without falling than a meager slap, as he'd provided many in training. But still, he didn't like it, and he supposed his cover wouldn't either. So instead, he jumped to her aid when any real man ought to take out someone who hit their gathered other and knelt near her.
It worked if that was her plan to pass their alias' because Burkhard entered the room finally. The man was at hand, but he didn't have the drugs directly now. Wise, but their charade would hopefully continue onward.
This seemed like it may go their way, but the Soldier did not believe things could be so simple.
He waited to wipe his hands until he'd entered the room, a simple scare tactic. It would impress neither the Black Widow nor him. He nodded quickly, implying he was to comply with the man's wishes. Natalia's pleas were not wholly ignored, but the man posed his question, and he knew it was time for him to speak. He seemed to have fallen for Natalia's charms, and the Soldier wondered if he should be here after all. That was not in their information, and he cursed the ones handling the information exchanges.
Anything to make it harder.
"We're here together though," He added, not looking the man directly in the eyes. He would do his best to appear nervous by the displays and decided it would be intelligent to stare at the hands that had recently seen blood. "Just for one, um, transaction." He added on nervously.
"We didn't know it was a problem for us to both come, or we really wouldn't have, sir."
"I see... But we still have a problem," he spoke and sat down at a table. The man continued, "we were expecting one person and now there are two in my living room. One too many. So we have two options: either I get rid of one of you, or I will double the price of the package." Natalia crinkled her mouth, unsure what to say for a moment as this seemed to go opposite to what they had expected.
"O-or you could be so gracious and forget about our mistake. I was...I was afraid to come here alone. So I asked him to join. Please don't do anything to him!" she begged and tried to explain why the Winter Soldier was here. Natalia had tears running down her face by now. She looked like someone who feared for her life and thought their last seconds had begun.
"I would do anything!" she spoke, hoping it was convincing and continued "We just wanted to have some fun... We were promised to receive ecstasy for free if I made this deal for that man! I didn't want this..."
The redhead made up lies as she spoke, hoping they would be convincing. Slowly it seemed like they had no other way out but to do it his way. She picked herself up clumsily and rose to her feet. She stumbled over to the boss.
"Please..." she spoke and placed her hand on the man's shoulder. One of his bodyguards stepped forward but the boss raised his hand, stopping the man. "There are...There are other ways we could come to a deal, yes?" she spoke and took his hand into hers with shaky fingers to place his hand on her knee to give him an idea of what she had in mind. Of course, Natalia didn't intend to actually sleep with this man. But once they disappeared in the bedroom, she would be able to knock him out and look for more packages before walking out and getting the hell out of here with the Winter Soldier.
"You mean something like this?" the man asked and ran his hand up her thigh.
It seemed like it was coming to a head and that Plan B would be implemented. That was fine by the Soldier. This was already dragging on and could go in too many different directions. He preferred it now so that he could contain it.
But Natalia continued, and he stood back to let her continue her charade. But if it went too far, he would intervene. The intelligent answer perhaps he would take it. Although he was not the gracious sort.
He was amazed as she fumbled clumsily to him. She was well trained and had the talent to trade. She was in an excellent position to snap his neck. Or even to hold him hostage for information as he took out the guards. The Soldier didn't like her direction, and he was surprised by the sudden surge of protectiveness. It was inappropriate during a mission, but he did want to put an end to this threat.
He breathed in and stepped forward, as his cover might correct. The Soldier wanted to have an end to this one way or another. A deal could be struck, or they could end it and take the drugs.
"We can make a business deal, can't we? I mean, we have the money for you."
"I suggest a new business deal," the man said and still looked at Natalia "You can leave with the drugs and money. Also, I will be merciful and act like you haven't broken the rules so far. But I request for the woman to stay." By this time, Natalia wasn't even listening to the boss anymore. She heard the steps behind her. Heavy steps: a man most likely served Military service. She ignored the man's hand, which traveled higher and higher but tilted her head slightly to the side. She recognised a needle in the other man's hand.
"I think we must decline to that," Natalia said, changing her demeanor in a quick second. She sat more upright and the fear was gone from her face and body language. Instead of going for the boss, she turned around and quickly took the needle from the man. She used the moment of surprise and smashed the man's head onto the table.
Afterwards, she went for the boss. It took her a short moment to pass one of the guys who had gotten into her. But soon, she was behind her and the needle was in the throat of their boss.
"Okay, new deal: I won't inject that liquid and we get all the drugs in return. We will even be so gracious and leave the money here. I have no need for that and we get a better deal: all of the drugs for a briefcase full of money. Sounds lovely. You have never seen us and you will continue working with my boss, or I will come and find you. Believe me, you don't want that! Deal?" she spoke threatenly low. Her voice even had a growl, and she simply concentrated on the man. Natalia was sure the Winter Soldier would care for the other man in the room. Besides, her own body was covered behind the boss. None of those idiots would shoot at her.
"Go to hell!" he exclaimed and Natalia rolled her eyes.
"You don't think I would do it? Look at your man. He's dead; I killed him in a blink of an eye. So you tell me: would I give you an overdose of your own drugs? Surely it was to get me hooked and for you to keep me as your personal slave. But perhaps I should keep you as mine. What do you think, Solider?" she looked over to the Winter Soldier with a grin. Natalia had no idea where this rather sadistic side of her was coming from. But she was sure it would get them to get even more drugs and it was her to intimidate the man now.
"Okay, okay!" the man screamed out as she tightened her chokehold on the boss.
"Where is it?" she purred friendly. The man stretched his arm and pointed at a separate room. "Thank you for your cooperation," she said and injected the drugs into his throat and let go of him so he slumped down.
Merciful indeed, he doubted that very much. Perhaps he should 'take' the deal, retrieve the drugs, return them to the agency's safety, and double back for Natalia after their mission was secured. He should do it, and she could look after herself. But he didn't like it, and perhaps if it were later, but this was her first mission away from the academy and the Soldier could find too many excuses in this scenario to not need to do that.
She spoke and spun as a man walked for her, the Soldier never needing to move from his position at the door. She turned, and as graceful as in the dances she often worked on with Kudrin, she raised up and switched the weapon, or needle apparently, from the guard's hand. He didn't stay standing any longer than that.
The time to watch was over, finally, and he quickly turned to engage in battle. He ran to the nearest guard, and his opponent was quick to raise the gun. He got a shot off before the Soldier could reach him. He didn't duck or dodge; instead, to the man's great surprise, he raised his hand in front of him. The bullet collided with his hand and bounced off, ricocheting into the wall with a loud ping from the contact with his metal hand. The man stared at him in shock and fired another, which also caught the metal of his arm.
He didn't have a chance for a third round; the Soldier had already reached him. His hand shot out and with a loud crack, the man's hand that had held the gun snapped. His pained shout was cut short as the Soldier's fist landed on his face. He hefted him and quickly tossed him into the man next to him. The second opponent stumbled and the Soldier's metal arm swung and made firm contact with his temple.
He flipped to the opposite side of the room and the third man's head bounced hard against the wall before he fell silently to the floor. But, as suspected, he didn't need to worry about Natalia. She had already used what they thought was an excellent idea and turned it into leverage. He walked a few paces into the room but slowed.
He watched silently... and she was vicious. No, she wasn't vicious... she was angry. It was the same fire he'd seen burning in her since she was young. That sharp anger she turned and wielded as strength in the red room academy. That fire, as emotional as it was deadly. Amid battle... entirely in control of herself as much as she burned... the Winter Soldier found himself wholly awed by it.
He nodded to her as she included him in her speech. To point out he was surrounding, perhaps? Or was her fire just too consuming? The way her eyes were ablaze.
"If he can serve no better purpose," He responded and the man seemed to grow terrified. He was no honest man to cave so quickly to their demands. But, then again, Natalia was a force to be reckoned with, as they'd thought she would be, as he'd always seen her be.
Her tone shifted to a lull, almost warming to the man as she asked for what she wanted. No, he decided then; she was most certainly in control of that flame. So practiced and honed for years. He watched and moved with purpose into the room. It didn't take much to dig it up and gauge it was the correct amount. The Soldier emerged from the room, nodding to Natalia that the drugs were all there.
"Will he recover?" The Soldier asked with a raised eyebrow. It would be less of a success if he could not; they did want him alive and around for questions or further aid to the state if necessary.
""I don't know. It depends on whether they wanted me alive or not, she answered truthfully and took a deep breath calming herself. She knelt down and felt for the man's pulse. It was way too fast to be natural and the way the man squirmed in pain. He started to vomit over her hand and she cursed. When you thought he couldn't become more disgusting...", she mumbled and cleaned her hand on his expensive suit.
"They won't be pleased,"she said with a sigh, looking around in the room full of corpses. Their mission had been clearly laid out. No witnesses, in and out without them recognising who they were. No regular drug buyers. It was too late; she had blown it. No need to cry over that. They had the money and the drugs. So at least, they could retrieve what the authorities had wanted. Eventually, her attention snapped back to the Winter Soldier.
"He's going to die - within the next five minutes, I would say," she spoke and walked over towards what she expected to be the bathroom. By now, the man was coughing and fighting for air. It wouldn't take long until he was finally gone.
Natalia wanted to wash her hands and get the vomit off her hand. She went through the cupboards and raised her eyebrow at its content.
"I think they have already started making mules. A lot of medical instruments in here," she called towards her partner and walked back out to collect her plastic bag full of those two Captain America books.
When you thought he couldn't become more disgusting..."
"It is hard to imagine," He muttered as he accessed the situation. Out of the three he'd taken down, two were unconscious but the one looked like he'd sustained too big a head injury. It couldn't be helped, but there were some alive.
The Soldier glanced at Natalia. No, they wanted Burkhard alive, but he was not dead yet. The mission could still be a complete success. Until it was over, that is what the Soldier would strive for. She announced his short life span and the Soldier pulled out the cell phone he'd had earlier and called it in as he should.
"Objective split, package received, need immediate medical for the survival of target." He said in his cold tone.
"Medical in three, Soldier."
"They will try to keep him alive," He told Natalia and stepped past him. Our primary mission was the drugs, our secondary Burkhard," The Soldier repeated the precise words that had been spoken to him of his mission.
But they would not be pleased with her, and he didn't think her failure would be good here. Not even simply for her sake, her talents were vast. He had been training her, and this could become a good lesson. A lesson in turning the tides as he'd done many times.
Natalia's observation from the other room gave them the opening. Even with Burkhard dead, those mules would be extremely valuable. A reward like that, and she would be forgiven Burkhard's death if it turned out to be unpreventable.
"Medical is here in three minutes," He told her. "Which means you have three minutes to give us a head start to those mules."
Natalia looked at him as he spoke about medical help for this man. "Three minutes..." she muttered and rolled her eyes. They were getting slow, but it probably wouldn't help the man. She was pessimistic. Whatever the bodyguard had wanted to inject her was deadly. Apparently, she would've thought he wanted something else from her and then used her as a mule.
"But they have also made mistakes," she argued, but her brain was already trying to figure out where they might've taken them. "Why us?", she asked, confused and added "This isn't your problem. I shouldn't have injected the drugs. So, you don't need to face their anger!"
She kept walking through the room, trying hard to concentrate as she walked in circles.
"The blood on his hands was obviously fresh. So at least one has to be somewhere in this hotel or still in town. The bandages seemed fresh as well.", she spoke and frowned. "If I were them, I wouldn't wait for my visitor to come but send the person away before that. So... Where do you send mules..? The underground than the actual country.", she mumbled to herself and looked around, wondering what she was missing.
"Oh, I'm stupid!" she exclaimed and hurried to the table where the man had just sat before she rammed the needle into his throat. She looked through the different things and smirked.
"Timetable... Our mule will board a passenger plane in twelve hours at gate E67", she spoke and looked at the Winter Soldier. "You shouldn't come with me. This isn't your problem," she insisted.
Yes, they ought to have known that there was only supposed to be one operative. But their mistakes did not matter; they were in charge of this mission and took full responsibility. Natalia needed to discipline herself against these thoughts. Yet, she quickly said she shouldn't have done it.
She continued on and he watched, looking for his own clues, but she seemed to work through it quickly. She jumped around the room looking for the needed clues and he was impressed with how quickly she picked up her information.
He nodded to her quickly and smiled once as she found the record book of Burkhard's.
"Excellent, Natalia," He nodded and reached to pick up a few of the guns he might need and found car keys. This mission is both yours and my own. We will finish it together," He said sternly and held up the car keys.
"Finding these mules, subjects with the package and delivering them to the state instead of our enemies will earn you forgiveness for the loss of Burkhard." He said and pulled the chamber back to check on the rounds. Sufficient. "They are more valuable, and your mission will be seen as a success. Instead of a mistake, a failure on your part, Burkhard can be see as an intentional loss to gain the mules by us." He explained and stepped towards the door with a nod to her. Especially since Burkhard was likely taking his last heaves of breath now.
Natalia stared at him as he held up the car keys. She shook her head. "You're an idiot for helping me! If I'm wrong about the aeroplane, it will cost both of our heads, Winter," She tried to reason, unsure why he wanted to suddenly help her. The redhead felt like she was young again and it made no sense why a stranger was so determined to help her. But she nodded slowly, knowing that she couldn't stop him, so she simply had to accommodate him.
"Let's go! It's only a matter of a minute until they barge through that door," She spoke, grabbed the drugs they had retrieved, and stashed them into her bag and the books. She took the briefcase, threw it into the Winter Soldier's direction, and ordered, "Keep a hold on the money! We most likely have to bribe people for getting into the airport with the drugs and weapons." No time to keep on holding things. She hurried over to him and grabbed his wrist as she pulled him towards the stairs. She was sure that the rescue commando would take the lift. After all, they were on the highest floor and those guys needed to be quick.
"All we have to do is go to the airport and wait at the gate, right..? The person who seems most nervous and holds their stomach is the needed man," she spoke quietly as she hurried down the stairs. This time she wanted confirmation of her conclusions.
She had switched to English, as she often did when she felt unsure of their conversation. When it was clearly not to be said. Which was unwise, but he had never stopped her before this. It did not matter; this was his mission as well. Of course, this was his mission... but he wanted her to be a success. Only then could she start her steps towards relative freedom within the program. This was crucial.
But time was ticking away and Natalia followed his lead here. Good. Or they would not be successful and neither would she. He caught the case and checked the key to the lockers were still there. Their gear would be significant.
He nodded, pleased to hear she was keeping her head. He raised an eyebrow as she grabbed him by the wrist to encourage his movement. The Soldier would move on as he ought to, but it was good that she saw the sudden necessity for their rush. That she must want to succeed in having seen another option out.
The Soldier would bet that was all she'd need. When they got to the lower floors, he grabbed her and pulled her towards a door so they could flee from the windows to the fire escape of the hotel building. It would be quicker and they wouldn't be expected at an exit. Of course, they weren't looking for their operatives, but they were looking for anything out of place.
"Yes, they will not be able to help but be nervous. Someone who feels out of place lost in the airport and not prepared for the trip as most will be. But once inside, we will apprehend security uniforms."" It would help them frighten the man or woman and give them good cause to pull them out of a line or waiting area without the actual security questioning them.
Natalia looked at him as he pulled her towards the fire escape. She neither asked questions nor complained about it. She knew what was important right now, but still, it felt wrong that he accompanied her. It didn't matter, did it? After all, it shouldn't be her business what he chose to be a successful mission or not. She had screwed up and not him. He only needed to tell that to the operatives and things were fine. He had the money and drugs. No one would care. So why would he help her? Was it the same sentiment that had rescued her that day?
She slid out of the window and hurried down the staircase. "Where's the car?" she asked quietly, afraid that someone would hear them. But no one was around and Natalia was simply becoming paranoid. Perhaps she knew deep down what failure meant. She didn't care about disappointing the authorities if she was honest. What struck and hurt was failing with man, risking his life alongside hers.
The redhead looked at him as he took the last steps down. What would happen if she went alone? Apparently, she needed to knock him out and break their trust. It wouldn't take longer than ten seconds. The handrail was made of metal, just a well-placed punch and his head hitting it. Natalia would take him by surprise, so most likely, he wouldn't even fight back. In just ten seconds and a few well-placed punches, she would be able to take the briefcase and leave him here. Secure to himself.
It might look more and more like she had planned this. Overcoming the Red Room and escaping again. It did look like a pattern. No one would expect her to go after a mule to retrieve more drugs. Yet she stood there unnaturally still, waiting for him to get down so they could go to the car. There was only one person's trust she couldn't break and it was the one to her Winter. The government might think her loyalties were primary to them, but it was to this man. So she stood there hoping the Winter Soldier hadn't realized what she had been thinking.
Burkhard wasn't a necessity for the authorities, after all. Just a toy to retrieve more drugs. Natalia understood that. But even if they had him alive, Burkhard wouldn't be the person to get them for the Red Room. That man was scared and would make mistakes leading to his death. But that death should've happened under someone else but Natalia. They had orders to retrieve drugs then that man and she had blown it.
"I do not know," He told her and made his way towards the parking lot. The key had the insignia and, to their luck, a gadget to unlock the doors and sound an alarm. They couldn't draw attention with a car alarm, but finding the car was simpler when the lights flashed whenever he locked and unlocked it.
Author's Note: This is the first story of a full series around Bucky and Natasha's unseen past in the MCU. Stay tuned!
Leave a kudos or put it in the comments what you think will happen next or what you loved! It'll be great to hear from you! If you enjoyed the story, feel free to treat me to a coffee on KoFi! ko slash fi dot com slash fatedmuses