As the security forces start to clean up Natasha looks over a report on her tablet and grins "Looks like the police arrested the gangsters who were trying to escape, the HYDRA operatives will go to MI5 then to the World Security council, they may be able to help us hunt down more HYDRA cells."
"How about casualties?"
"Five Gangsters, Three Hydra dead, one Hydra augmented dead, the other crippled. Three of the dead were Reanimated and put down again. They recovered a working plasma rifle and some other parts, mostly ship wreckage. The bomb the elf had seems to be a power cell from the ship."
Steve winces "So it would have exploded?"
Nat nods "Technical say it could have been Megatonnes"
"How bad would that have been?"
Rhodey brings up a hologram map from the Warmachine armours display. The map shows their position, in the northern part of the London urban sprawl. A ball of white expands, going yellow then red. "Roughly? From that energy release I project a fireball about 2 miles across. The heat shock and pressure wave would have knocked down buildings and burned things all the way to the Thames. This close to London, the estimate is about 250,000 dead."
The sheer scale of it leaves Steve quiet for a moment, then he shakes it off and keeps going.
"Ok, we can leave the clean-up and paperwork to the locals, we need to get back to the Quinjet and head back to Avengers HQ"
With a mischievous grin she raises her hand "Mind if I put that off just for a day or two? There are a few things I could do with checking around London. In fact, why don't you come along? Make it Field work training, I can show you some important parts of the local intelligence community, maybe see if we can find out more about that HYDRA cell"
"Sounds good. OK, Nat and I are going to check this out, everyone else can head back. Reload and repair, write an after action report on what you saw in the fight, upload your camera footage. Then kick back and relax after a job well done!"
While the other Avengers headed for the Quinjet Steve silenced his earpiece and checked around him was clear then motioned Natasha closer.
"You think you've a lead on that HYDRA cell? They had two near super soldier level augmented soldiers, I've never seen that Orange glowing tech before."
"It was called project Centipede, an implant that fed a cocktail of copycat super soldier serum, Extremis nanotech, methamphetamine, gorilla testosterone, steroids and inhuman blood serum into the user. SHIELD shut them down a while back, but it seems some units are still active"
She leans closer and whispers "And if you want my after action report; I'm as horny as hell, Sir. Maybe we could do some victory celebrating?"
He smiles, and then looks deliberately serious "We'll need transportation. Find us a vehicle, Agent Romanov. I'll get our bags."
He heads to the Quinjet and grabs his and Nat's overnight bags kept ready in the bottom of their lockers.
"I'm going to follow up on Widows after action report, see what we can find. Have a look through SHIELD records for something called project Centipede. I'll check in every 12 hours"
As the Quinjet took off a large black SUV pulled up next to him. Natasha grinned over from the driver seat.
"It's hardly my Stingray but I doubt they'll allow flying cars in London"
Steve climbs in "Very nice, how did you manage this?"
"Asked a friend in MI5 for a loan, they'll come pick it up once we're done"
"very nice. I take it that it's bugged?"
"Oh, probably. But if anything gets back to MI5 I'll have to tell someone what happened in Frankfurt that weekend" She grins "They should have turned the bugs off now"
Puzzled for a moment he asks "Does your Stingray really fly?"
Driving through London Steve relaxes, letting Natasha choose the way so he can look at the city.
"It's strange, hardly anything has changed, yet a lot has changed. The signs and lights are different but the buildings are all the same. Driving on the other side as well."
"That's very London. A very old modern city"
"Hey, this is the Broadway. Peggy had an office down here hidden in a fire extinguisher company"
"Yes, back in the war this was all British intelligence around here. Mostly still is, They made a big show of opening the new SIS building at Vauxhall Cross but that is only the ELINT centre; Electronic intelligence, the computer hub. The HUMINT, the human intelligence side is still here behind closed doors, in the ministries, the finance houses and the private clubs."
"That's good to know. So, where are we heading?"
"Horseguards, across Trafalgar square, down Pall Mall and over to St James's Square. I've booked us a hotel."
"A hotel?"
"Trust me, it's very private, very discrete"
"How do you know about it?"
"Well, it's been an open secret in the intelligence community for quite a while. Apparently it started as a "house of convenience" a meeting place and lodging for Nobility, either for illicit liaisons or the usual plotting. Then it was a private gentleman's club then now a hotel for a very private clientele."
"A house of convenience? That sounds rather dubious"
"Well, they call spying the second oldest profession, after all. But it comes with all the modern conveniences" As she pulls into St James's Square a car flashes its lights at them and pulls out of a parking space, so she pulls right in and parks.
"Like parking in London."
They get out of the car and look round, the ornate white stone and red brick of old London contrasting with the glass and brushed steel of newer buildings.
"This is the centre of the London HUMINT network, this part of town is famous for the number of historic Gentlemen's clubs where all the backroom deals are done."
She leads him to a small unimportant looking door set back a little between two larger buildings. It's not got a name plate or a number, but it opens when she pushes on it.
"The Hotel worked out a long time ago that Keys can be stolen. Signatures forged. Codes and passwords and secret signs are all Information that can be found out. So they settled on a simple formula, its invitation only, they charge a lot and always take payment in advance."
The doorway leads into a narrow roofed over cobblestone alley with featureless white washed walls, barely wide enough for him to walk down
"You'll like the menu, they have a tunnel over to Fortnum and Masons for supplies and a Michelin starred chef on call"
The Alley opens into a light-well in the middle of the block of buildings, surrounded by six or seven stories of mirrored glass, exposed pipes and air conditioning ducts. In one wall is an ornate doorway up a few steps that opens as they get close. A footman in hotel livery holds it open and welcomes them inside.
"Welcome back Ma'am. Good evening Sir. Your room is ready as requested" he hands her two blank key cards.
Inside everything is strangely quiet, the thick burgundy carpets swallowing the sound of their footsteps, the ornate gilt frames on the large mirrors that made the narrow reception hallway seem larger than it was.
"This place is Eerie"
"It's because this is a dead space. Sound proof, signal proof, electrically insulated."
She leads him up two flights of stairs and unlocks a door with a key card. Inside is a luxuriously appointed but surprisingly normal looking hotel room.
Natasha drops her bag and flings herself down on the bed, stretching out
"so, alone at least" She visibly relaxes "it's safe to talk here"
He slowly walks round the room, touching things with his fingertips, learning the space. Something is strange. He realises it's the light from the setting sun and walks to the window. He taps the glass only to feel it as solid as a brick wall
"The window glass is odd. "
"Window? its Double glazed, to deaden the sound"
"It's more than that. The sunlight feels different"
"Your dermal photo-perception is that sensitive? It's not glass, it's Aluminium OxyNitride, a ceramic harder than diamond and tinted to be opaque from the outside."
"Alien Super technology?"
"Just advanced modern human technology. It's mostly used for satellite parts." She smiles "But enough about that, we're alone, so what about you doing terrible things to me?" She rolls onto her back and slowly teases the zipper down on the front of her suit, revealing her pale skin.
He laughs softly "Not yet. We're going to get changed and go out, see the town, get something to eat and talk this over. Then, if you're good, i may take things further. Understand?
She pouts but nods her head "Yes sir." She looks at him, lit red and gold by the setting sun and she needs him so much it aches. "But why wait?"
He strides over to the bed, swift and purposeful. He wraps one large hand around her neck, as he grips a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes undermines her boldness.
"You said Anything I want, right?"
"Yes, sir Anything. Take me, please"
"Then for tonight you are Mine." He says in a low growl that gives her very unfamiliar butterflies. "And the first thing I want is Obedience" he grips firmly "Understood?"
She gasps out "yes sir"
"And whose are you?"
"I'm yours, Sir!"
"Good girl. Now, get changed." He strokes the leather between her legs "Tonight this is mine, understand?"
"Mmmm Yes sir!" She squirms in his grip.
"now get ready" He sends her running to her bag.