It seemed to become Natalia's personal and quiet mantra as she told herself, again and again, to be patient. It wasn't the fact that the mission dragged on but the way James or the Winter Soldier had started to act. Things were too slow for him and she knew they would've been able to kill them in no time during their first visit to her and James's home. But of course, they hadn't. Things needed to be ended clean and fast but not within the first week. So a week of "friendship" had dragged on to become a month than two. Finally, Natalia agreed to finish their mission. The female target had invited them for dinner once again. To celebrate some silly Holiday. She couldn't bring herself to care about those traditions. She wasn't religious, and the Red Room hadn't even celebrated Christmas, so it seemed odd.
"Remember to act calm..." she reminded the Winter Soldier quietly once again as they sat at the dining table alone. The Sergeant was helping his wife in the kitchen. "Just one more dish and we can leave. I want to have eaten something before going back to the Red Room. She's a better cook than anyone inside there," she mumbled and kissed James on his cheek with a happy smile as the woman appeared again.
She smiled at her. "It smells delicious, Amber. Like always," Natalia announced as their target placed the food on the table with the help of her husband.
"Calm was a month ago," He whispered back, eyes flashing with annoyance. Her only warning was to not dare try to drag this out again. This mission was finished tonight.
Two and a half months they'd been here, the timetable for it was stretched awfully. In his mind, Natalia simply wanted to drag her time on this mission out to be longer. He saw no other reason to wait this long except that she must be enjoying herself, so he'd grown more irritable with her the longer his mission weighed on his mind. He was sure it was too long, that they would be remembered more clearly as their good friends by someone, but Natalia said no. Those two months were not that long of a friendship. Except he couldn't be one hundred percent sure Natalia was wrong, so he couldn't move without her agreeing.
He gave her an appalled look as she mentioned dinner. Dinner? Food was not placed above the mission! Of course, that must be a joke, her attempt at teasing him. But it was not the time for jokes when they were in the target's home. But the target appeared and he was forced to smile at her and agree with her about the food.
The sergeant set two beers down, none for the women, of course, and took his seat next to him. How his body sang to complete his mission: simply reach out, snap the man's neck, and have Natalia muffle the woman. But, of course, he couldn't snap his neck; he needed to suffocate him, then lodge something down his throat. The woman would be made to look heartbroken after being forced to make a 911 call and give them the location of this man's safe for any essential records.
"Thanks," He nodded to the target, who grinned and started to eat. Natalia better enjoys her meal, he thought angrily.
Natalia knew that her comment about dinner made the Winter Soldier irritated. They could've ended it now. It didn't really matter, but she wanted to eat and that woman was one of the best cooks she had ever met. The food was definitely better than anything served in the Red Room or cooked by Natalia herself. But that wasn't hard to top. So yes, food was on her priority list above killing their hosts. Besides, things would be really inconvenient with the security. It would lull those in during the dinner and perhaps they would start minding their business.
She could basically feel his anger by now. She kicked his shin to at least act to brighten up and smiled at both targets. "Thank you very much," she spoke.
The woman smiled and sat down. She waited until everyone started eating and said, "It's a recipe from my grannie. I hope you'll like it."
Natalia swallowed and reassured, "It's really excellent."
Both targets exchanged a confused look. The redhead noted the behavior and finished her plate faster than necessary while talking about mundane things.
Natalia grabbed the glass of water and washed everything down. "You have to excuse, James, today," she began and continued, "I think he's feeling a little under the weather."
Her glance suddenly became cold and she gave the Winter Soldier a short nod. "We'll help you clean up of course," she spoke and rose to her feet, hoping that James would get the hint that he could finally finish things.
The mundane conversation was growing tiring, it had been tiring and now he could hardly stand sitting so close to his target, so late into the mission, without completing it. He could practically hear his orders being repeated in his mind from when he'd received them. So close, nothing had better go wrong.
Apparently, he was not doing as well as he ought to. The sergeant gave him a look and the wife glanced between the two. He didn't care what they thought; he didn't want to need to think it out. He just wanted to end the mission successfully.
Finally, finally, Natalia gave him the signal. He handed her the cloth napkin they'd provided earlier, his own signal that she should silence the wife after they cleared the dishes. It needed to look like this was dinner for two, not four.
"Truthfully," He said and pulled his chair closer to the master sergeant. The man made to stiffen, but he nodded to the kitchen like he didn't want the woman to hear him. "I think I'm being demoted Dale..." He looked down and sighed and the target loosened up. "I don't know what to tell her," He said and nodded to the kitchen. The target gave him a sympathetic nod and reached out to clap his shoulder supportingly.
The woman had just returned, so he had a line of sight on both targets and Natalia was right next to the secondary target. Seeing it was time, it was like a flip switch and any pretenses or thoughts slid away from him like water off glass.
The Soldier stood swiftly and neatly dragged the target off his seat. The man didn't have time to even thrash off momentum from falling to the floor. He pushed the chair out of the way so it couldn't be broken and put the large man on the ground. He was strong; the Soldier knew that, so he placed his metal arm on the man's chest to keep him in place and pinned his arms to his side with his legs.
He swiftly grabbed a cushion off one of the seats and placed a napkin over it so he wouldn't leave his saliva on it; the Soldier stuffed it over his mouth and, with his regular hand, pinched his nose. The man bucked and tried to kick up at the Soldier, but he was positioned too well. Finally, after a few minutes and convulses, the man's muted shouts of anger died out. Another minute after, he removed the cushion and checked for a pulse
The Soldier found nothing and rose; he turned to the quietly sobbing woman next to Natalia. Whom he hadn't heard from, so she'd done her job. Then, after getting some of the food and lodging, he stalked over and looked down at his partner. "You have the recorder?" He asked briefly, so they could record the woman making a phone call to 911 before they did away with her too.
Natalia sighed as she cleaned the two dishes. "He's been like that for a month now," she complained truthfully and shook her head. "I don't know what to do anymore. No matter what I do - he thinks I'm trying to set him up or something."
The woman smiled understandingly and suggested, "Perhaps you should cook his favourite meal and leave him brooding a little. It always helps with Dale."
Natalia snorted unladylike, knowing it would make matters worse if she cooked. Things had been tense between the two because of her decision to take things slower than the Winter Soldier would've liked. "I don't think that would work for James, I'm afraid. He doesn't work that way..." she said truthfully, knowing it didn't matter if she told the woman the truth. She wouldn't live long enough to kiss and tell anyone.
They returned to the dining table and Natalia took the napkin. "I'm really sorry, Amber," Natalia began and continued, "This is nothing personal. Just business!"
She quickly stepped behind the woman and held her close while pressing the napkin against her mouth to dampen the screams. Amber kicked her shin but she was too weak to seriously injure or hurt Natalia. So she simply allowed her to kick and scream into the napkin.
"I could make him stop if you tell me where the safe is... We just need a file. No need for blood to be spilt," she spoke gently, almost soothingly. The woman tried to break free but eventually seemed to give up and simply cried.
The Winter Soldier returned his focus to them. "We're no monster..." she said and released her embrace as she threw the recorder to the Soldier.
"There, go and call the cops.", she said and pointed at the phone nearby. "We won't stop you. After all, my husband has just killed your man."
Natalia's voice was calm, perhaps even emotionally cold. The woman went to punch Natalia. But the redhead quickly blocked the punch and restrained from hitting back. She sighed and dialled 911 herself. "Just tell them your husband suffocated. That they need to come and help!"
Natalia held the woman close and placed the receiver against the target's ear. The woman sobbed and did as told, afraid of her own death. She hung up as soon as the cops started to question and sighed.
"Where's the safe?", she asked and continued, "Don't make me hurt you!"
The woman simply shook her head "I don't know."
Natalia rolled her eyes and twisted the wrist in a way that it hurt without breaking it just yet. "Tell me!", she ordered and added, "I can do this all day without leaving one trace on your body. Just a word and I won't kill you." She kept hurting the woman without seriously injuring her, but after a minute, the target gave up and explained the place.
Natalia nodded at the Winter Soldier, indicating that he should finish the woman while she retrieved the needed files from the safe. Natalia stepped away and shoved the napkin into the woman's mouth before going to the office to look behind the described painting. It took her a couple of minutes to guess the right combination, but eventually, she had the needed files.
Natalia closed the safe again and walked back to James. "Are we ready to leave?" she asked.
He'd wondered why Natalia was so sweet to the secondary target as he rose and stared at the two, awaiting the information. The woman tried to get at Natalia but was so under-equipped for such a thing it was only an annoying distraction. They did not have very long now that the call was placed. The military police would be here shortly. But since it was suffocation, they'd attempt to send EMS first. It would give them time.
Thankfully Natalia quickly broke the woman's slight stubborn attempt to keep it from them. He left Natalia to retrieve the necessary files, the ones incriminating to their homeland and stalked towards the whimpering woman. She begged, but like any other target, it had no effect nor gave the Winter Soldier any pause. He picked her flailing body up and set her next to her husband. She sobbed harder and he removed the napkin to replace the master sergeant's handgun in her mouth.
He stepped around to her side where he would be less in the direct line of blood spray. Then set a chair in front of him to look like that had been the obtrusion. He clicked the trigger and stepped back. He gathered the two napkins, the only evidence that anything abnormal had happened and took two identical ones from Natalia's bag to fold and set with the other clean ones with the rest of the set.
Natalia emerged, files in hand and the mission was complete as soon as they left. The Winter Soldier nodded and looked over the scene critically for anything they'd missed. It did not seem like it and was close enough that no one would link it to an assassination. Nor the private who had been doing terribly and would be discharged soon anyways.
"Let's go," He said coldly and walked through to the back bedroom's window they'd scoped out as their exit many times before during visits here. It led to a patio so there would be no imprints of his boots or her shoes. He finally spoke up as they got further away, enough where they could just be a couple strolling, and the mission was complete. "Now, why did that have to wait so long!"
"This could have been far more efficient if it hadn't taken months."
"We were efficient! We have the files and everything they wanted.", she reminded him and rolled her eyes over him. Natalia looked at him and continued, "You knew we would do this my way! Besides, if people think you're their friend, they're more talkative! Two months is not that long. But for Mr I-Have-To-Do-Everything-Immediately, it must've been hell being stuck with me! Ask for another partner next time."
She glared at him and said, "Besides, it doesn't make a difference whether we had dinner or not and the food was delicious. I was hungry."
Natalia knew this would set him off, knowing they would've been able to leave the house half an hour earlier. She glanced at him - glad that they were in public so he could make no attempt to actually hurt her but simply talk back.
Eventually, they reached the home and Natalia walked inside. "We better start packing.", she said and added, "Russia most likely will hear from the deaths. So they will want to get the files."
They were not efficient. It could have been done much sooner. Yes, except it had been such a slow timetable and if the mission could be better than it should have been, without question. "It has nothing to do with you," He groused. Must Natalia take it so personally? He wasn't sure how a mission would have anything to do with either of them. It was about the task at hand.
"I don't have partners," He said, his voice rough and edgy. He was usually sent to do things on his own and he took whatever people he may need to do it with. "You are a rare occurrence, as usual," He added and he'd almost softened up until she spoke on the food and became annoyed again. It was his turn to roll his eyes and he shot her a dirty look. She was so difficult to deal with right now.
"What is there to pack?" He asked, looking around, he supposed tools for the mission, and Natalia had brought many things as a spy. He usually ended up being extracted already. Again not usual. He let out an inappropriate groan. "Nothing about this mission is usual." It made it difficult for him to do. Different was not something he knew what to deal with and... he'd run into so many things he simply didn't understand during this mission that it only lent to his frustration.
"Stop acting like a spoiled brat who didn't get to eat its favourite candy!" she told him, bugged even though she probably acted the same way. Those months away could've been nice and away from people commanding someone. But he had made it a pain in the butt for her. Natalia might've worked more slowly than usual, but it was still efficient in her eyes. After all, they had done what they were asked. So who cared about a week, more or less? Definitely not Mother Russia. They would be happy to have those files!
"Well, surprise you have one and that's me!" she corrected him, poked her index finger into his chest, and almost seemed displeased to not be seen like that. She had worked hard to graduate and be seen as more than just a student to him. Natalia turned away as his facial expression relaxed for a moment and she was too irritated herself to actually notice that. "Besides, things were going as usual. The only thing unusual was your rather foul mood the past week!" she puffed, feeling like she had put up with too much lately.
She rolled her eyes and left him standing with his question about what there was to pack. It was up to him what he wanted to take along. But Natalia stuffed her things, including the Winter Soldier file, into a bag and walked back out. Looking calmer than before but still cold towards James. "Let's go!" she said, adding, "So things can finally go like you want them to go! Perhaps you'll blow some steam off at someone else than me in that case!"
He looked down as she poked her finger at him and wondered why such a harmless gesture was so irritating!
"Before you," He corrected her with narrowed eyes. But, of course, he'd had no need for partners before her. The state just never needed it.
He scowled again as she misunderstood what he'd meant to say. Another thing he was new to was having to communicate with anyone like this; it was even more displeasing. Not that he should care what got her angry or not! But still, he felt himself grow steadily more irritated.
"Yes, because we were not being efficient," He groused, metal hand clicking each time he tightened it further.
"Want?" He snapped, frustrated and now confused, too. "What does want have to do with anything? This is a mission; there is simply to comply," He repeated, the words he'd been told and said, worked into an iron cold pattern. What was Natalia even talking about? Did she fool herself so much to think a mission was chosen or that anything other than the way to do it was any choice of theirs? They got their mission, and they complied. If they did not... well, they did. He felt his head growing more of an ache the longer he thought about it and instead moved for the exit.
"Thank you," she said, satisfied and stepped away. It seemed like both of them had spent too much time together without being able to go away. She had no idea where her anger was coming from, but she was sure it had something to do with his foul mood.
She pulled her own hands into fists as he kept on about not being efficient. Natalia didn't know why it bothered her, but it did a great deal. "We were!" she argued back and continued, "Do you see any policemen on our heels, or did they survive? Don't you have those files?"
The redhead shook her head and moved away, mumbling Russian curses and betitling him with unpleasant words to herself.
"Oh, really? So, who's the one wanting to get away from her? You knew the mission would need time. Even you stated that my way is slow! So stop acting like a brat and move!" she told him as she went back to him. She stuffed the retrieved files into the back of her jeans against her naked skin. So they were covered for now. Natalia stepped out into the cold air and didn't even look back to see if the Winter Soldier was following her.
No... but... it could have gone wrong in so much time. The longer it took the more time, the less effective. It didn't matter now, but it could have mattered.
"It's not a matter of want, Natalia," He growled. "I have to," He snapped again... and then the anger quickly fled. That was not something he'd wanted to say. Not something he'd wanted to admit aloud. Just saying it made him think about it, and it wasn't something that made him comfortable. Apparently, this need in his mind to complete his missions was the pressure that was there when things went wrong or could.
He was happy that she was farther from him; perhaps he could pretend she wouldn't have heard. Even if he knew that was absolutely foolish to think. Maybe in her anger, she'd dismiss it as nonsense and they could walk in silence to their rendezvous.
Natalia heard his growl and wasn't sure what to say. Her quick steps away from him and the house slowed down. Her anger was gone within seconds and she looked at him over her shoulder with a frown. She was trying to think of what to say. They had successfully finished the mission, so it shouldn't matter. But it seemed that it did matter and she didn't know why that was uncomfortable to her.
She waited for him to catch up, now. But still stayed quiet. She started walking again and eventually spoke, "I know those loose ends irritate you and this is not your way of handling missions. But I'm good at what I'm doing. You simply have to trust me to handle things the right way." She looked at him and continued, " So, no punishment. The Red Room won't say a thing for us to take a week more or less, James. We didn't have a deadline. If you have to continue to work with me, you need to get used to that. There weren't any threats for us to finish. Even their security had grown accustomed to us and looked at it. We finished things without them even appearing." Her voice was meant to be soothing, but she thought about what consequences something like this had for them. Yet Natalia knew no one would punish them for taking this long. They didn't have a deadline, so things were fine.
They arrived at the meeting point with their getaway car. As soon as someone from the Red Room appeared, she got inside the vehicle and looked at the Winter Soldier. From now on, it was back to Winter or Soldier.
She glanced at him, which had her slowed stance, which confirmed she had heard him. He sighed and glanced down at his watch.
He did trust her, although he would admit it was hard to leave some of the mission in her hands when they weren't in the middle of a critical part. Which was odd because he'd had to rely on her to keep their cover many times.
She thought he had to or he'd be punished. He felt relief. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't describe it. It was like some... sort of veil that fell over his mind. This time away from a mission's immediate necessities had made him recognize it more. He couldn't deny this focus that seemed to forcibly drive him. It was the same need he felt to comply with orders, to fulfil their wishes when asked, who answered without pause when they wanted a mission report.
That was not always the person he seemed to be suddenly. Natalia's warning of names having attachments came to mind and he wondered if that was honestly where this sudden perspective had come from.
"You're right," He agreed, simply because that was a much preferable path for Natalia to travel down. He would prefer it if she never gleaned what he'd meant. He didn't even really know what he'd meant. The more thought he put into it, the more pain his head seemed to be in.
He watched as they approached the man from the Red Room and noticed a red book in his hands. He sculpted his face to be entirely blank, and he didn't look at Natalia again or speak with her. As he'd told her... he knew what they wanted from their Soldier. He had this... whatever it was. Whatever confusion it spurred, he had this name now and had a friendship or partnership with Natalia. The Soldier was reluctant to give up either, and so he would mimic the coldness as he was known to them.
Natalia looked at him as soon as he agreed. This occurred faster than she had expected and made her frown slightly. But she couldn't place why she thought the agreement had come too early. She tried to shake the thought off but couldn't. Natalia wondered what was going on inside his head. It was none of her business, but she reflected on their mission. To Natalia, it had been efficient. Other agents would've used even more time.
"The files.", the agent said, holding out his hands and Natalia simply raised an eyebrow.
"My orders are to give these directly to Pchelintsov. So if you don't have proof that my orders have changed, I will keep them myself!" she declined and looked cold at the agent from inside the car as she buckled up, waiting for the men to move. It was evident that the agent grew irritated with Natalia's behaviour. Yet he obviously wasn't able to do anything against them.
Natalia didn't notice how the difference in James's behaviour was linked to the red booklet. She was pleased that he knew how this would roll for them. He seemed better at mimicking the Winter Soldier than the husband a few hours ago. She gave him a curt nod.
"Soldier, mission report," the man simply stated as he seemed not to get anything from Natalia. She had her own orders and would follow them as everyone wanted her to do.
The red book meant they were at least prepared that this long of a mission was... he didn't know what, but it was like a muscle reflex. The red book did not mean anything good to him. It meant worse than punishment. It meant nothing; it meant cold, he didn't understand the half-formed thoughts, but they didn't matter as the handler spoke up to him.
His eyes zeroed in as the handler spoke. This time it wasn't an act when his shoulders stiffened straight up and back. Or that his eyes grew steelier and distant. The Soldier stared straight ahead, not at the man or anything, his mind clear and ready to comply.
"Mission success," His voice was devoid of any emotion. "Target eliminated. Witness eliminated. File retrieved. Staged and successful."
"And the file, Soldat?" The man prompted and his eyes slid back in the rearview mirror to Natalia. Maybe that was what broke the train of thought, or perhaps he didn't want to throw her in, which slipped past the programming. After all, even if he suspected and knew Natalia enough to realise it was on her person, she wasn't sloppy sufficient to risk it otherwise. But... he hadn't seen her take it.
"Secured by the Black Widow operative."
The handler looked straight again, jaw tighter, but did not question the Soldier in any way.
"Effectiveness?" The man prompted, the same word he'd repeatedly used with Natalia last month as it drug on and his impatience rose.
"High," He returned and continued to explain and found it hard not to ultimately succumb to the focus state that threatened to wash him out. "Time lost easing targets suspicion," He said and perhaps it was Natalia next to him, maybe he could see it as a sort of truth to tell them, but his answer was not as straightforward as the rest... he thought more on it, as accurate as it might be. He didn't let his tone change, but he knew he didn't believe this. "A necessary loss for full completion of the mission."
There was silence for a moment and the handler asked him a variety of more minor questions about his time there, and then it was done. He left out a few things that his mind prompted him to say anyways, but Natalia's presence beside him helped him slip out a half-truth. The strain of doing so was exhausting him, but he never let his shoulders fall, or his rough voice falter. Finally, the handler seemed satisfied and focused only on driving and left him to sit there as he was.
Natalia stared back at the man in the driver's seat. Her gaze was cold, almost murderous, as he obviously questioned them having the file. She had provoked it by declining to give it to him. But she had her own orders and some random toyboy of Kudrin's wouldn't receive it. She had seen too many things getting lost on their way. Those guards were like soldiers and never questioned as they wanted to have some things as fast as possible. Sometimes it was easier to get things slowly. It was way more efficient than their bloody way. Perhaps one or two months more and she would've been able to retrieve the file without spilling anyone's blood.
She looked out the car's window as they kept talking about the mission. Obviously, at least someone thought they had needed too much time. Perhaps they were afraid for their Soldier. But, at least to her, he had changed a bit and change never meant good things at the Red Room. A slight smirk appeared on her lips as she watched James in the window's reflection.
"Told you so..." she mumbled and leaned back. She felt the file on her back. Having such a big file stuffed under her clothes was slightly uncomfortable, but at least they were safe. It had already proved to be handy. That man better watches his every step from now on. Then, she could play the same game and all knew what happened by breaking even the most minor rule.
They soon arrived at the Red Room and Natalia stepped out. Two guards welcomed her and she raised her hands. The driver grinned, satisfied by someone finally showing the Black Widow her place. "Take her to Pchelintsov; she's supposed to give him the file immediately. Then report to me. The Soldier is dismissed!" the man ordered and Natalia placed her bag around her shoulder before being escorted without even looking back at the Winter Soldier.
The men did as told, which was the only thing that restrained her from grabbing their weapons to aim at them. After that, something for her went as planned. She reported to Pchelintsov and the man seemed satisfied with her work, not even questioning the time it had taken her to get the information. Oh, how Natalia wanted to see the driver's face for her to actually have the file. That man better watched his back. She was no one to be taken lightly as soon as she decided that people were her enemies.
Pchelintsov and his handler were not the ones there this time, as they had been when he entered the Red Room mission. Instead, this man dressed in BDU's, whom he vaguely remembered from Siberia, was in the room. He and the red book handed off to him set off silent alarms in him. But he couldn't find the strength to act on them. So instead, he stepped forward and sat in a chair when the man told him to.
"Good morning, Soldier," He started, his voice calm and expecting. The red book danced between his hands, but he did not open it. His thoughts went relatively blank then.
"Ready to comply," He spoke clearly, without knowing they were the right words to say.
"Mission report," He listed the dates and the Soldier complied. But his earlier story seemed to stick, and small details fell to the wayside when they weren't explicitly asked.
Ultimately this was his only debriefing, and the chair was not used. Nevertheless, the mission was successful, and the man left, pleased with the outcome.
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