wip amnesty: Bucky/Natasha
WIP Amnesty! I don't even remember how this one was supposed to go, but I do like this opening scene:
Natasha doesn't have many contacts left from her old life--those who aren't dead didn't take kindly to betrayal, and even now, she occasionally finds herself staring down an old colleague looking to take her out, and not in a fun way. But Ekaterina smiles over the glass of wine at her lips and says, "It's good to see you, Natashenka."
"I can't say the same, Katia," Natasha answers, but she sits down at the bar and offers a smile of her own. "How are you?"
Ekaterina gestures with her wine glass. "Well. Which is more than you might be able to say soon."
Natasha's smile widens. "Anything is possible."
"Indeed." Ekaterina puts her glass down. "It was a surprise to see you on TV."
"Yes," Natasha says dryly, thinking of gods and wormholes and aliens. "That was the surprise."
Ekaterina quirks an eyebrow but doesn't otherwise respond. She drops her gaze to the bar for a moment before looking Natasha in the eye again.
"While our old," Ekaterina pauses and takes a sip of wine, "company was disbanded, a number of our former co-workers are still in the business."
Natasha waits as the busboy pours her some water, the ice clinking softly into the glass.
Ekaterina watches her, and Natasha almost believes the sympathy in her eyes. "It seems that your recent highly public activities have encouraged our most successful colleague to come out of retirement."
Natasha knows it's impossible, but for one brief moment she feels as though her heart has stopped. None of that shows on her face though. "How nice for him," she says, taking a sip of water and letting a small piece of ice melt on her tongue. "I look forward to meeting him soon."
"I doubt you'll see him," Ekaterina answers. "Though you always were his favorite."
"I appreciate the warning." Natasha stands, adrenaline and paranoia skittering under her skin.
"We're even now."
"Yes."
Natasha moves slowly, deliberately, though she can't shake the feeling that she's being watched. She makes it back to SHIELD without incident and walks straight into Director Fury's office. Hill and Sitwell are in there with him. Natasha closes the door and leans against it.
"Agent Romanoff?"
"I've just received word that the Winter Soldier has been activated," she says. Her voice is steady, light. Pleasant. She smiles and gestures at the wall of windows behind Fury's desk. "He's probably got me in his sights even as we speak."
There's a long, pregnant pause, and then Hill says, "Are the dramatics really necessary?"
The words aren't even out of her mouth when the monitor on Fury's desk explodes and they all dive beneath the cover of his desk.
"He's not known for giving a warning shot," Fury says.
"He was fond of me once," Natasha answers.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/689701.html.
people have commented there.
Natasha doesn't have many contacts left from her old life--those who aren't dead didn't take kindly to betrayal, and even now, she occasionally finds herself staring down an old colleague looking to take her out, and not in a fun way. But Ekaterina smiles over the glass of wine at her lips and says, "It's good to see you, Natashenka."
"I can't say the same, Katia," Natasha answers, but she sits down at the bar and offers a smile of her own. "How are you?"
Ekaterina gestures with her wine glass. "Well. Which is more than you might be able to say soon."
Natasha's smile widens. "Anything is possible."
"Indeed." Ekaterina puts her glass down. "It was a surprise to see you on TV."
"Yes," Natasha says dryly, thinking of gods and wormholes and aliens. "That was the surprise."
Ekaterina quirks an eyebrow but doesn't otherwise respond. She drops her gaze to the bar for a moment before looking Natasha in the eye again.
"While our old," Ekaterina pauses and takes a sip of wine, "company was disbanded, a number of our former co-workers are still in the business."
Natasha waits as the busboy pours her some water, the ice clinking softly into the glass.
Ekaterina watches her, and Natasha almost believes the sympathy in her eyes. "It seems that your recent highly public activities have encouraged our most successful colleague to come out of retirement."
Natasha knows it's impossible, but for one brief moment she feels as though her heart has stopped. None of that shows on her face though. "How nice for him," she says, taking a sip of water and letting a small piece of ice melt on her tongue. "I look forward to meeting him soon."
"I doubt you'll see him," Ekaterina answers. "Though you always were his favorite."
"I appreciate the warning." Natasha stands, adrenaline and paranoia skittering under her skin.
"We're even now."
"Yes."
Natasha moves slowly, deliberately, though she can't shake the feeling that she's being watched. She makes it back to SHIELD without incident and walks straight into Director Fury's office. Hill and Sitwell are in there with him. Natasha closes the door and leans against it.
"Agent Romanoff?"
"I've just received word that the Winter Soldier has been activated," she says. Her voice is steady, light. Pleasant. She smiles and gestures at the wall of windows behind Fury's desk. "He's probably got me in his sights even as we speak."
There's a long, pregnant pause, and then Hill says, "Are the dramatics really necessary?"
The words aren't even out of her mouth when the monitor on Fury's desk explodes and they all dive beneath the cover of his desk.
"He's not known for giving a warning shot," Fury says.
"He was fond of me once," Natasha answers.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/689701.html.
people have commented there.