Let the Dark Waltz Begin (for loveis4kids)

[ayeayecap]

When he’d learned about the new recruit he hadn’t known what to expect. He’d heard of the Red Room, but never seen its product. The Black Widow Ops Program was like an urban legend; people had heard of these facilities, but never seen them, heard of these deadly girls, but never met them

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[loveis4kids]

In the Red Room, Winter Soldier is as much of a legend. The girls whisper to each other when they have the barest seconds of rest from their training. Natasha ignores the other girls' chatter. She has no time nor inclination to listen to it. Perhaps that's part of why they chose her, deemed her fit and ready to continue this part of her training while the others were forced to remain behind

[ayeayecap]

The soldier is grateful Natalia doesn’t seem to take an interest in his past. It’s frustrating that, if asked, he would not be able to provide his real name. His birth name. He’s wondered on several occasions if he even has a birth name, but everyone has a birth name, right? Even Natalia, who, much like him, had had the individuality trained out of her-even she has a name

[loveis4kids]

Of course she's interested, but she hasn't bothered to inquire. All people, in her estimation, even soldiers, give information when they feel they want to. Perhaps the underlying mission is to find out what she can.

The longer they're together, the more she wonders about him; about his speaking English, which she still needs more practice with, before she can work towards sounding like an American, which will eventually be the goal. It's curious for him, because he won't be used in the same capacity she knows she will, which just makes her more quietly curious.

Work is something she understands intimately. No illusions that he will work her to the bone, make her sweat and bleed, and the possibilities of someone that is not beyond her abilities already is thrilling. He excites her, in part, due to the adrenaline rush he brings. "I will learn whatever you deem suitable," she says with an air of assurance because she has excelled at what she's done before, and will do her damnest to excel here. "Shall we return to the housing

[ayeayecap]

He cocks a brow at that. Alright, maybe he is in the mood to take her down a peg. He’s certainly got the opportunity. Her fighting techniques may be seemingly flawless, but those aren’t the only skills that matter in this field. And, according to her files, her skills at the English language are moderate at best. Enough to get by, but not enough to pass for a native speaker.

“You’ll learn whatever I deem suitable?” He then switches to the language that’s foreign to her and should feel foreign to him. “How is your English?”

He smirks, not waiting for an answer before rising, continuing in English. “We’re done for now.”

[loveis4kids]

She probably deserves it, to be honest. She's not always the best at interpersonal skills. She can fake it enough to charm people into what she needs them to say, but she's not very good at building relationships. Camaraderie is not her forte.

And English may be a way to prove that she's not as great as she thinks she is. She takes a gulp of water, brain processing the change of language. "I am...able to pass as an exchange student," she says, after a moment, Russian accent thick, as the words come slightly slowly, before she nods, and picks up her things. "Done." It is something she needs work on, or she'll never successfully infiltrate anything where they need her to be an English speaker.

[ayeayecap]

He nods slowly. Her skills are about where he expected them to be-that is to say, lacking. He’s not an English teacher, but if that’s the area where she needs improvement, if that’s the area where he’ll be able to help her most, then he’ll help her.

“Yes,” he says, switching back to Russian. He takes another sip of water before collecting his shirt, pulling it back on. “Done.” As he waits for her to collect her things, he makes more small talk. “Do you know any other languages?”

[loveis4kids]

She sees the change in his tactics of training her immediately and has to agree it's the obvious choice of something to work on. English has been a terrible language to learn. Out of all the languages she can tell you she knows thirty ways to kill you in, English is certainly her least favorite.

But he seems to have a knack for it, which is good. If her teacher can easily sound like a native, maybe before too long she can too.

Her still-young hormones are a little disappointed when he pulls his shirt on, as her eyes avert back to her Widow's Bite, fidgeting with her new weaponry. Still in English, because she's actually trying, she answers him. "I also speak German, Mandarin, French, Italian, and Dutch."

[ayeayecap]

“Really?” he asks, slipping seamlessly into French. His test isn’t over just yet. She won’t catch a break until they’re back in the housing quarters. “How did you learn these languages? Where?” No matter how skilled a teacher may be, it’s not the same unless one has been immersed in the language. It’s only then that one truly learns. “Have you been to all of these countries?” he asks, switching back to Russian.

[loveis4kids]

She shifts her weight a little. He's good, and he's gotten to the root of her issue with the Red Rooms. She's been held in one place, restless and ready for a mission, for too long. She tucks her hair behind her ear, and glances at him as they walk. "I spent time in France, training." Ballet, of all things, and she's actually very good at it. She switches to French herself. "But I have not been allowed to go to all these places."

[ayeayecap]

He nods. “I’ll see if I can get you on the next international mission.” The higher-ups might not appreciate that request; they’ll insist she needs more training even if her major fault is lack of internationality. But he’ll push it as best he can without breaking boundaries. He knows by now how to make requests without pushing things too far. And honestly, he may be hasty in even suggesting she’s ready when he has yet to evaluate her fighting technique in detail. There could yet be a flaw that he hasn’t yet found. But she doesn’t have to have a position that would require her to be in the thick of things, and it’d probably be best for her first assignment, anyway. She’d likely be put on intel.

Her file says that she studied ballet, and it shows in the grace she has when fighting. It’s like nothing he’s seen-or maybe it’s just that he’s used to working with men. Boys.

“Are you ready?” he asks.

[loveis4kids]

There's some good news. Someone actually willing to put her out there, to try her out and see if she's ready. And that makes her even more determined to show everyone she's ready. Intel, recon, infiltration, extraction, she doesn't care as long as she's moving, and actually working. "I would appreciate your recommendation," she answers as a means of thanking him. Getting her to figure out how to relax a little would also probably be a good thing for her to learn.

As for her technique, it's something that is a mix of martial arts, ballet, and her own personal style. She's taught herself to throw her body around in ways that impress some of the fighting teachers. She's still not able to beat out some of the very large men, mostly because she's not finished getting her weight situated and strength to match it, but she's doing rather well.

"For a mission? I believe so," she answers. "What do...you remember of your first mission?"

[ayeayecap]

Honestly? He doesn't remember much. They've wiped his slate clean numerous times since initiating the Winter Soldier project, and the memories bleed together so he has trouble remembering what was part of which missions. He remembers an overturned Jeep killing three US soldiers. He remembers watching a baby cut from the womb of his dead mother. He remembers an entire room of people killed to get at a British Ambassador. But what happened when? The years run together, and he sometimes has to remind himself that they're fighting a new war. That World War II has been over for more than a decade. He was recovered at the tail end of the war, and has only memories of fighting for the Russians. He can't recall fighting alongside Captain America and would call anyone who told him he had crazy. "I remember playing at being an American," he answers carefully. "I spent the evening with US and UK servicemen, and by the end of the night, three of them were dead."

[loveis4kids]

She watches him; watches how carefully he answers like maybe he's having to sift through a lot trying to figure out what he wants to say. Again, she's even more curious. She shifts her bag up one shoulder, and takes a sidelong look at him. Wonders what it'd be like to have someone like Winter Soldier for a partner. Someone that has been proven to know what to do. To have experience.

She longs for it. Lusts after it. But she's not sure how to convey that without looking like she's just an eager young girl trying to cut her teeth is a male-dominated profession. "I remember fire," she says. Not a mission, just the earliest thing she can actually count as a memory. And screams. I'm fairly certain it was the Germans." That's what they'd told her at any rate, and she's learned never to ask.

[ayeayecap]

Learning never to ask is one of the first, most important lessons people like them must lean. Questioning in one’s own mind is one thing; exhibiting outright defiance by questioning aloud is quite another. If it were up to him, he would have asked what threat a pregnant woman could possibly pose. He would have outright refused to kill her unless there was a damn good reason. But it wasn’t up to him, and they would only have mangled his mind even further had he acted defiant.

“Fire?” he asks. “Is that how you-” Is that how you ended up in the program. He doesn’t finish the question aloud, knowing it’s best not to get personal with her. He’d turn into a liability if he allowed himself to experience anything like friendship. He hasn’t let himself care about anyone since he got his metal arm-since he woke up with no memories beyond muscle memories. And he’s not about to start now.

[loveis4kids]

It's easier, in the long run, to just let them think for you. She tends to allow for a lot, but they're a bit more sensitive about what they train her for. The pregnant woman would have triggered a young girl in a way they don't consider it for a man. Even if they should.

She knows the remainder of the question, and just gives him a small nod. There's much more; some she remembers, some they've taken from her, but there isn't room for sharing. Isn't room for 'bonding' over old wounds. They aren't supposed to be friends, are they? She tries to gauge his age in comparison to her own. He's older, she can tell, but some of his age seems to be weight on his shoulders, not actual years. "They've spoken of you," she says. "They say you're fierce, and get the job done, every time. I want that said of me."

[ayeayecap]

It shouldn't surprise him that he's a legend in the Red Rooms, but it does. He wonders what's been said of him, and how much is true. Well. They're right about one thing, if nothing else. He is fierce, and he does get the job done every time.

"You want to become a legend?" he asks as he starts in the direction of the exit. "Then you're in the wrong line of work."

He himself has only become a legend because they want him to be. He's the face of the KGB- a symbol meant to show what they can do. But there are plenty of faceless agents that work behind the scenes.