What matters is on the inside - Locked to <user site="livejournal.com" user="steverogers_cpt" title=

[kick_ass_curls]

Tasha knew it was reckless, dangerous and stupid, but she marched down to Fury's office after he talk with Steve and layed it on the line. Not all of it of course, but the Director wasn't blind with that one eye of his. He could tell Agent Romanoff was taking far more than simply a professional interest in Steve Rogers. Wisely, he didn't call her on it.

After hours, she finally had the clearance, the team of lower level agents to help them, the files on how Erskine had done it and a hell of a lot of motivation to get the man she...whatever it was she was feeling for Steve, back to being the first Avenger.

Now all she had to do was convince Steve he could stop hiding and come with. You can't make Captain America if you don't have the key ingredient. 

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[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She meets his eyes for a second, wishing she could tell him everything about this plan to get them both inside, keep them safe, and get them both near enough to the Red Rooms rumored equipment. It's complicated and something she never thought she'd have to let Steve see her do but she can't say anything. Instead her expression softens just long enough to plead 'trust me' before they're both escorted inside, Tasha as an ally and Steve as, well, a prisoner.

Tasha hopes he can forgive her later for doing this to him.



(OOC: HAVE FUN, BB! And no worries, I threw you a curve ball finally <3 *grins* )

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steves eyes ooked at her as if begging her to make them let him go. He had no idea why she was doing this and Steve felt something tug inside him, making him feel something he had never thought he'd feel because of her. Hurt and betrayal.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She can't. Natasha wants to more than anything to make her 'comrades' release Steve but he's part of the deal she offered them. She, of course, has no intention of making good on that deal but Natasha's former 'bosses' are none the wiser. It's not as is she's never spent months, years getting inside a place only to sell them out. This is, much to Tasha's disgust in herself and her past, typical of the woman she was.

"You can not kill him. The key to making the serum a success is within him." Natasha speaks in authoritative Russian to the men leading Steve to a part of the facility that looks to be a cross of a medical unit and a chemistry lab. The men protest, of course, but a harsh look from her silences them. "I have spent years infiltrating SHIELD. They created Captain America. I would say their information is more accurate than yours."

Thank God Steve doesn't speak Russian. She hopes.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

His eyes almost begged her before he looked away, tilting his head down. Not wanting to look at her anymore as he tried to make sense of why she was doing this.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

Because she has no other choice. Getting Steve back to the man he thinks he needs to be is too important to her. Important enough that she'll risk her life and him hating her for the rest of it to make it happen. All that matters to her is getting Steve back to 'normal'.

They're both lead into a room with a device similar to the machine that originally created Captain America with a little more Russian flair. A scientist eyes Natasha, smirking at her. It makes her skin crawl when he speaks to her. "I told you years ago, you are not a suitable candidate for this process, Natalia." He knows that's not why she's here but he can't resist twisting the knife on yet another 'failure' in the Black Widow's past. Now, she doesn't view it as failure, but at the time the Black Widow was angry enough to kill for being passed over as a subject for Russia's attempt at making a Super Solider. In fact, she did kill over it.

Tasha resists the urge to spit back something that could cock this whole plan up. Instead she nods to Steve. "He is the key to unraveling the mystery." She says in very broken English.

Another set of men bring in Steve's confiscated uniform and shield. Tasha looks at Steve, again that look in her eyes that begs forgiveness or at least cooperation. If this plan works she's going to need him to be at her side, at least professionally to get them both out of here alive.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steve caught the look in the eye out of the corner of his own. He still didn't look her in the eye, his brow furrowed deeply.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She's exceptional at reading expressions. Natasha's eyes widen as she very subtly nods. Please let Steve take the hint here.

Meanwhile, the goons are trying to get the device ready. The goal is to extract rather then inject but the machine does both. Tasha carefully moves herself closer to Steve as the goons go to push him into the machine.

"You get paid after we see if he survives." The scientist who addressed her before says in Russian. Natasha simple nods. She can't break the cover yet.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steve saw the look and frowned for a moment before looking away and closing his eyes.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

Damn it. She can't tell if he figured it out or not, so Tasha moves to the machine, resting her hand on Steve's shoulder. She chooses her words very, very carefully, acting as though she's trying to help the Red Room over explain to him what she's planning.

All the while her eyes silently begging him to trust her. But...he won't look at her, so he does what she would have done when she was a KGB flunky. She grabs Steve's chin with her hand and makes him look at her. She leans in closer, hoping the other men think she's just taunting her 'pray'. She has a reputation for doing that. Or she did.

"Everything will better when this is done." She says firmly, with no trace of accent. She glances over to the table where some underling is messing around with the shield, trying to figure it out. No one else is really paying attention because they're so eager to find the key to making their version of the serum work. Natasha takes her moment. She leans in and presses a very soft kiss to Steve's lips. "Trust. Me." She whispers emphatically though gritted teeth.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steve tensed as she grabbed his chin, breathing in deeply. The hurt clear in his eyes. His brow creased slightly as he wondered what she meant. When Natasha kissed him, his eyes closed for a moment before looking back into hers. Even more confused than before. When she spoke these words though, he breathed in slowly.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She can see how hurt he is, and it breaks her heart. Now that no one else can see her face, she frowns, letting her emotion show. She takes his slow, even breathing as a positive thing.

Natasha takes her lips from his before glaring at the other men in the room who are laughing at her. Someone makes a comment in Russian about the fact she never learns any new tricks. It's meant to be an insult to the fact Natasha would worm her way into a man's life to get what she wanted then toss him aside for something shinier or more useful later without a second thought. For now, she pushes that anger aside. She is not that woman anymore.

"Shut up and get it over with." The Black Widow barks in Russian at the men as she moves closer to the machine. There's really only one button to make it convert to inject rather than extract. If it wouldn't look so obvious, Natasha would shake her head at their sheer dumb luck.

Now all she has to do it get those goons taken down after Steve's in the machine properly.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steve sees the look in her eyes and looks down for a moment as she pulls her lips from his. when the men start to move and two grab him, Steve tenses, looking at the machine as he swallowed thickly.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She's only going to be adding to the long list of why Steve will be disappointed in her soon. She waits until the machine is ready to extract before she strikes.

Goon one is taken down but a bullet right between the eyes before goon two and three can even react. They rush at Natasha, who dodges by ducking to the floor.

Of course the scientist is very shocked by all this.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steves eyes widened as he watched her shoot the man between the eyes, going rigid for a few moments before using the distraction to get out of the way and move over to the machine.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

At least now he her covers blown and she can let Steve in on the plan. "We got five minutes before this whole place is full of these guys!" She shouts to Steve as another one of the goons tries to tackle her.

Natasha dodges again but the goons arm catches her by the waist. She manages to flip herself upside down, wrapping her legs around the goons neck to effectively flip him over and snap his neck in one smooth, even motion without so much as Tasha breathing any heavier.

Two down...

Tasha pulls out another gun to replace the one she lost. These Red Room guys really should have checked her for hidden weapons.

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

Steves eyes widened in shock as she snapped the mans neck, making him freeze and stand rooted tot he spot. after a few moments he turned to the scientist. "Start this machine... now!" He said as firmly and as menacingly as he could (which wasn't much considering his size) as he climbed into the machine.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

Steve shouting only makes the scientist laugh. He watches as Natasha puts a bullet in both kneecaps of his last flunky. Then she move closer to the last remaining man, holstering her gun as she does.

Her arm grabs the scientist own, and it's twisted so far back it's going to snap if Natasha moves it another inch. All the while, the scientist is just laughing. That only makes her angrier.

"Don't make us say please." Natasha leans down to the scientist's ear, her tone deadly as she shifts to Russian again. "People tend not to survive when they make me say 'please'."

[steverogers-cpt.livejournal.com]

The scientist stopped laughing and nodded as Steve watched Natasha.

[kick-ass-curls.livejournal.com]

She lets him go, redrawing her gun to hold the scientist there. Natasha looks over at Steve, her tone businesslike. "We've got four and a half minutes, Cap. It's now or never."