Author's Note: Post Civil War fic.

I thought the Black Widow film had some interesting ideas but they weren't explored well enough and the film ended up being a bit of a letdown. I, also, think - controversial opinion inbound - that Cap would totally have been part of any adventure Nat would have gone on. There's no way he would not have been there to help her, esp with something as personal as Dreykov. Therefore, the fic will focus mostly on them as they tackle Ross, Dreykov, The Red Room and maybe more.

Good to know:
Am I shipping Cap and Nat? Not yes and not no. I guess we'll have to read and see... Although I will say those two in WS have the best chemistry of any onscreen pair in any MCU film... at least the most enjoyable.

Enjoy and thanks for the read!

Prologue: The Soldier and The Spy No More

'Hold for the president,' a female voice said through the phone.

US Secretary of State and former Colonel, Thaddeus Ross, stood from his behind his desk and shifted his neck until it cracked. He didn't flinch. His body was older than he cared to remember, but that wouldn't stop him from soldiering on. If anything, his shrieking joints and groaning muscles were the tinder upon which he built his conviction. And after so many years, that conviction made for a tall damn fire.

Before him, the Atlantic Ocean stretched out into an arcade of darkness. A storm was thrashing against the steel hull of the ultra-security prison known only to a few as the Raft. The rain may as well have been a pebble against a mountain for all the damage it did. The Raft was so secure it currently housed multiple Avengers or at least ex-Avengers. And it would soon house more, Ross thought with a glint of satisfaction. All in good time.

He looked back at the phone. There was a lot riding on this call. He didn't think, didn't worry. There was no need. Decades in the military had taught him the cost of hesitation, of worry and fear. Those were luxuries he couldn't afford right now.

'Ross?' The president's voice filtered through.

'I'm here, sir.' He replied, his voice standing to an ostentatious attention.

'I hope to god you've got some good news. All we need is another Leipzig on our hands.' No nonsense, something Ross respected, if found utterly predictable.

'Unfortunately, sir, Barnes and Rogers are still in the wind. There's some evidence to suggest Barnes' involvement was manufactured, but it'll take time to ascertain its validity.' This wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. It was the truth the public knew, the one where the whodunnit was still a mystery.

'Yes, I've seen the brief on this Zemo figure. Nasty stuff. But even with Prince or King of Wakanda's corroboration, until we can clear the air, Barnes and Rogers are still priorities. The U.N. has its eyes on us, Ross. We promised them the accords, not more disasters.' The President said, trying to sound stern. He succeeded only in playing into Ross' hands.

'I realise that, sir, but given Barnes now has access to a Quinjet with the latest stealth tech, apprehending him will be next to impossible. This is a man who wants to be buried, after all. I think this time he might succeed.'

There was a hesitation on the other end of the line. Only momentary but enough for Ross to smirk. 'Do I detect a lack of enthusiasm, Thaddeus?'

Ross' smirk widened. 'Sir, as much as I would like to bring Barnes in, if not to justice, what I think we should be focusing on right now are the people who enabled him and who defied the accords and by extension us.' There was a pause at the end of the line.

'You mean Captain America?' The president said with a measured heaviness.

'Yes, sir. I do.'

'It's my understanding that we captured almost all of his co-conspirators in Leipzig.'

'We got a few bronzes, sir, that's for sure. But the golds got away. By that I mean, the man himself with Barnes and Black Widow.'

'Widow?' The president's confusion was evident. 'Ross it was my understanding that she signed the Sokovia Accords and fought against Captain America. Am I missing something?'

'Yes, sir. She may have signed the accords, but the truth is she aided and abetted Rogers and Barnes in their escape. It's my conclusion that she was a double agent all along, waiting for the opportune moment to reveal her true allegiance and switch sides.'

The President sighed. Ross knew he had to be careful here, if he pushed too hard too obviously, his plans would be see-through. 'But is there really much point in pursuing them now, Ross?' The President replied, 'I mean, what threat does Captain America pose to us?'

'That's a good question, sir. One I've been asking myself over the last few hours. Right now they're fugitives and will most likely go into hiding. However, we both know they will be back and will attempt to once again interfere in international operations, of which they have no authority. Now, let's say we let them go, what happens if somewhere down the line Rogers and Romanoff cause another Lagos, or God forbid, Sokovia? If the rest of the U.N. found out that we let them slip away only to cause more damage down the line… well, I'm sure you can imagine the repercussions.' HOOK.

Another sigh. 'Jesus. What a mess. I can't believe going after Captain America is an option in all of this…'

'I don't want to believe it either, sir, but Captain Rogers and Ms Romanof have proved they're as dangerous, if not more so, than the criminals they apprehend. And in my experience, nothing is more dangerous than a weapon let loose. Even if it doesn't intend to, it still destroys everything in its path.' This was a bitter memory for Ross. Harlem, the Abomination, Banner. They were always in his rearview mirror. But the depth of that failure had taught him much more than he could know at the time. Now, he was on the knife's edge again, but this time he wouldn't let his prey escape. This time he had aces up his sleeve.

Heavy breathing followed on the other end of the line, Ross could almost hear the President's mind toiling with itself, trying to see simplicity where it wasn't. 'Listen, Thaddeus, off the record, I agree they need to be brought in line. But there's just no way the public would go for a manhunt of two top Avenger darlings. As much as I disagree with the notion, they're basically untouchable.' LINE

Ross had to fight to keep the righteous joy from his voice, 'John, you're forgetting one key element. The Avengers have split down the centre. We've got two very public figures in Stark and Colonel Rhodes on our side willing to testify that Rogers and Romanoff have defied the will of the U.N. and by extension the world they govern. Never underestimate the persuasive power of the group, sir. With the right angle, we can put it out there that while we recognise Captain Rogers' and Black Widow's former contributions their recent decisions and chequered results have led unequivocally to casualties. That's a fact, sir. Under this banner, their apprehension can work in our favour.'

'In our favour?' The President sounded indignant but if Ross was right, a little intrigued as well. 'I don't know if this is the right situation to stock up on political currency, Thaddeus: even if we could pull it off.'

'Not political, John. This is bigger than that. We're talking about international relations and America's role as a key decision-maker. If the world's most righteous man and the underworld's most colourful assassin are made to heel, it would go a long way to securing our footing on the world stage. If not, then who knows if we'll even have our hand on the wheel next time a decision is needed, let alone action…'

'Surely you're not saying-,'

'- what if the U.N. votes to host the Avengers overseas? How much influence do you think we'd have then? We'd not just lose our place in the pecking order, we'd lose the trust of the rest of the world as well.'

The silence stretched on. Ross imagined The President sitting behind the resolute desk rotating to stare out the window, as if the home of political BS held answers that he did not. He had Tee'd the President up, now all he needed was to tap him home. 'John, I know it may sound dramatic, but in this case, inaction on our part would be just as much a violation of the accords as Rogers and Romanoff. We have to act and fast…' his words trailed off like smoke twirling from a gun after being fired.

He had laid it on thick for the President, thicker than shit on paper and he knew he needed to wait for the man himself to ask the next question, otherwise, the momentum would be lost.

A heavy sigh practically shook the phone line. AND SINKER. 'Alright, Thaddeus, you've made your point,' the President said finally, even thousands of miles away through the phone his voice was unmistakably strained. 'But I want them in custody within the week.'

'Sir, for a cause like this I'll need the week to put together a specialist team. But I promise by the time you next address the U.N. they'll be in custody.'

'I'll hold you to that.'

'Yes, sir.'

'One more thing, if Rogers escaped with Barnes, what makes you think focusing any attention on him would work? Wouldn't he have gone to ground with his friend?'

A fair question. But one Ross was ready for. 'I was tempted to believe the same, Sir. Until I remembered, Barnes doesn't care for the fight. Now that he knows the world is after him, he'll hide so deep no one can find him. But Rogers, he'll always do what he thinks is right. And right now that kind of righteousness makes him vulnerable to being caught. Plus, America is in his name. He'll come back here. I've no doubt.'

'Hm. And Widow? What makes you so confident you can find her?'

Ross chuckled. 'Her and Rogers are dissimilar in almost every way. But they share the same vulnerability. And as I said, I know what that vulnerability is. All I have to do is wait for them.'

'Alright, Ross. You've convinced me. Don't let me down, soldier.' The President liked to throw this in sometimes as if referring to Ross' military history would reaffirm his blind obedience. Happily, they were fighting on the same side. They just had different methods.

'I won't, sir. I'll keep you updated.'

'I expect so.' And that was it. Just like that a manhunt now existed for two of the most famous - soon to be infamous - heroes in the world. The soldier and the spy no more. Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were now fugitives. And in a few hours, he would make sure the whole world knew it.

Sucking in a long breath, Ross let a smile slide over his features and his eyes wander. The only thing that stared back at him was the black reflection of the sea. There could have been a raging storm on the horizon and he would never have known it.

A communicator beeped on his desk. He picked it up and placed it in his ear. 'I assume you got all that?' He said into it.

'I did,' a gravelled voice with a silk-clad accent replied. 'You did well. Now we can put our pieces in motion.'

'Damn straight. My only concern is your ability to bring them in alive. I managed to buy us a couple of weeks, but even that is a tall order considering our targets.'

'Don't worry about catching them. I'm already five steps ahead and they don't even know I'm playing.'

Ross respected the arrogance, it almost made him smirk. But then his life was now spent on Capital Hill where they ate arrogance for lunch and drank what was left for dinner. 'Alright, allow me to reinforce your confidence with this, if we fail to capture them, then not only will I face scrutiny but you as well.'

There was a soft chuckle on the end of the line similar to what a lion might sound like while it observed a mouse squirming under its claws. Ross shuffled in his leather seat. 'Don't worry, there's no need to threaten me or our deal. My end will be upheld. You just make sure yours is. Then by the time the U.N. meets again, we'll be well on our way to our end game.'

'I'll hold you to that.'

'Excellent. Now I need something from you,' This caused Ross no small amount of unease. Some brokers dealt in ammo, others in promises, this particular one made conviction his business. And he was very damn convincing. 'Don't worry, it's nothing you won't want to do.' He said, as if reading Ross' mind, not that that put him at ease.

'Go on.'

'I need you to go wider on the public awareness campaign to target Rogers and Romanoff.'

'Wider? We're already going to splash their faces across every news channel known to man, how much wider do you want us to go?'

'I need you to make the public question whether they believe them or not; essentially I need you to muddy the waters with doubt in the public's mind as to whether Rogers and Romanoff are actually the good guys. Use whatever means you see fit, but this will be the key to bringing them in.'

'You think their weakness is ego? Romanoff maybe, but Rogers? He's too damn noble.'

There was a swallowing sound on the other end of the line and a clinking of ice against glass. 'Not ego, Colonel. Roger's weakness is his faith in people and the system. Break that, make his own country turn on him and his sense of right and wrong will crumble, along with his own agency.' The voice was practically smiling as though he'd solved a puzzle no one else had.

'And Romanoff?'

There was a murmur, Ross couldn't tell if it was the type that boasted a smirk or that coddled a grudge. 'Her ego stretches deeper than you know, so do her weaknesses. And fortunately, I have my foot on both.'

Something about this guy made Ross feel queasy, but the enemy of my enemy…' Alright. I'll have my team come up with something.'

'You can start with their role in SHIELD's collapse, HYDRA's exposure and the leaked documents. From there you can get creative. Black Widow has no shortage of blood in her file, even your government won't think twice about her implication.'

'The public won't buy that. Romanoff, maybe, but Rogers is a poster boy.'

'They don't need to buy it, simply question it. Once the waters are muddy, the public will take it from there. Particularly, with your new… mascot, Tony Stark, marching to your band.'

I'm sure Stark woud love that, Ross thought. There was no way Stark would do it willingly. But maybe there were other ways of convincing the super-narcissist to toe their line. 'I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me.' Ross replied shuffling less than comfortably and unconsciously reaching for a cigar. 'I also get the feeling that I don't want to know.'

'You're right. You don't want to know. I'll be in touch.'

The call ended more abruptly than his one with the president and left a bitter taste in his mouth. Ross stood and lit his cigar, inhaling the heady taste of burnt wood and earthy tobacco. The celebration wouldn't come yet but they were over the first hurdle. No, the celebration would come when he finally had his hands on Roger's blood and the potential housed within it.

In a matter of months, he would have his first fully-obedient highly-trained super soldier platoon. And within a year, the Avengers would be obsolete: made to heel in the face of security so overwhelming it took the bite out of heroics and placed it firmly back where it belonged, in the fulsome arms of the military.

All they needed was the spy and the soldier. Although, he didn't see the need for Romanoff, but his furtive partner had insisted: A package deal he'd been promised. Not that Ross minded, with Romanoff's bloody trail making their apprehension an easier sell to the President she was the cherry on top.

Rogers and Romanoff: Two catalysts that would unlock a new world order for America. No more vigilantes. No more Iron Man. No more Nick Fury and his network of rats. And no more global catastrophes. From now on, the only threat worth mentioning would be under his thumb.

He took a long choking drag on his cigar before stumping it out. He'd save the rest for later. Their Endgame was finally approaching, and Ross had front-row seats. But tonight he had work to do, there were heroes to dismantle; Avengers to dethrone.