Not Fitting In... (Steve)

[Natasha "Black Widow" Romanov]

Being back on the ground was actually rather nice, Natasha thought as she pulled the elastic from her auburn locks and made her way in the back door of the mansion. Now that she had been relieved of working on the constantly moving Helicarrier, newly operational since it had been destroyed during Loki's invasion, she planned on doing as little as possible with her few precious days off as she prepared to head into Gotham City on her next assignment. Fury wanted her to get in contact with the Batman, for reasons not yet known to anyone besides himself. But as the man was known as a master detective, she could only assume that something else had happened since the events of the invasion and they required his knowledge to try and make sense of it all. And of course, who better to send to the billionaire playboy than a woman who was seasoned with dealing with his type?

Her heels clicked against the tile floor of the hallway that lead into the living room, her arms hanging at her sides as they gently swung with the sway of her hips. Everything seemed fairly quiet, which did little to soothe the nerves of the master assassin. Perhaps it was simply because she had seen, heard and done so much in her life since the end of the last world war when everything had suddenly changed. She didn't age like everyone else did, nor did she see things the way that other human beings seemed to. Life was entirely different for Natasha Romanov since she had left Russia...since she had been spared from death by sharpshooter Clint Barton of SHIELD. It was because of him that she had come to work for Fury and the organization, turning her skills as a "black widow" into something of us for the American government and the good of mankind around the world.

Collapsing onto the couch the red-head rubbed her tired eyes and lay both of her feet on the coffee table that sat in the middle of the sitting area. What did she care for class when there was no one else around to bother? She was tired, her body worn from constantly being on the move over the past few weeks as they struggled to clean up the distasters of the invasion. It was exhausting work, with endless hours of coordination from thousands of people and countries.

Yeah...exhausted sounded about right...

[Deleted]

If there was anyone that didn't fit in around here, well it was definitely the World War II patriotic super soldier who was still devastated by the loss of everything once familiar to him, plus Bucky’s supposed death. Steve informed Nick awhile back that he wanted to search for Bucky's whereabouts, which Nick allowed him to take some time off and go forth with his search, but unfortunately for Steve, his search came up empty. After all, that was such a long time ago, but it left him empty inside.

The star spangled man with a plan was hollow, as if he was missing the past, suffering from constant nostalgia. He was stuck in a state where he couldn't move forward in the modern world, and he always done little things to help him get by. Whether it was boxing, working out at the gym, watching old movies or listening to old music, Steve was always keeping his mind locked in on the past during his free time one way or the other. It was when he was on the front line being the leader of The Avengers was when he felt the most comfortable in the modern world.

Well, he wasn't on a world saving mission today, but rather entering the mansion at the moment after taking a ride on his motorcycle. He done this often, since it was a way for him to clear his mind, plus he was still shocked seeing how far New York had come in seventy years. Steve was dressed today in khaki pants and a SHIELD t-shirt with boots on, an old school look indeed, which was usual for his style.

He heard someone nearby in one of the lounge rooms, which peaked his curiosity, so he proceeded to see who or what it was. Upon entering the room, he seen Natasha laid back and looking quite tiresome on the couch. "Hello Natasha," He spoke softly trying not to disturb her peace, as he walked over and took a seat in the comfy leather chair across from the couch. "How're you?" He could tell that she looked rather weary. "You doing alright? Nick doesn't have you too busy does he?" He smiled slightly, but decided to quit rambling, since he wasn't sure whether miss Natasha here felt like conversing right now with the captain.

[Natasha "Black Widow" Romanov]

As one who relied on her skills as an assassin on an almost constant basis, it would come as no surprise to most that she was acutely aware of someone else entering the mansion just after herself, someone who wore a heavier piece of footwear that still seemed to walk rather smoothly across the tile floors. That instantly took out Tony Stark, who favoured lighter shoes unless he was sporting his Ironman suit, in which case he would have arrived via the rooftop and not by way of the door. That also removed the possibility of it being Thor as well, since the Norse God had much heavier footsteps than the ones that she heard coming in her direction. Realistically, this left only Captain Rogers or Clint, both of whom had a specific style of dress that reflected their personalities. But Natasha reminded herself that Clint had made a mysterious visit to New York's Central Park that day, which meant that it could only be the one known as Captain America who made his way through the house at such a time of day.

And it seemed that she was right.

The red-head didn't even need to open her eyes as she heard his every movement, his footsteps pausing a moment at the entrance way of the lounge area before he made his way inside. She was in no danger, the security clearance required to get inside the mansion was almost as much as was required to get into SHIELD headquarters, and someone who planned on attacking her certainly wouldn't have waltzed right in like he owned the place either. Her ears picked up the sound of someone sitting on the leather chair opposite her before she opened her eyes, pleased to note that she had indeed been right in who it was that had come to share her company. He was as much an alien to this time period as she was, having been born in a place that was completely different from the one they found themselves in now. The only difference was that Natasha had lived through it all and had the chance to adjust to this new world, while poor Rogers had been locked in a block of ice for nearly seventy years and awoken to find the world had changed without his knowledge. If anyone could be sympathetic to what he was feeling, it was Natasha.

"Captain Rogers," she said by way of greeting before he began to ask her his odd assortment of questions. She knew that he was simply being cordial, that the two of them hadn't really become "friends" in the new terminology. But they were teammates, people who had worked together and shared an interest in keeping the world safe from harm. "I've completed my time on the Helicarrier for the time being," she said quietly, adjusting the way she sat on the couch so that she would be a little more comfortable in her lounging. "However, I won't be here long. Director Fury requires me on an assignment in Gotham City, for which I will be leaving within the next few days." She hadn't seen much of Captain America since the Avengers had all parted ways shortly after Thor had taken Loki back to his own world. She had to wonder, though she had yet to ask, what it was he had done with his time, where he had gone and whom he had seen.

But time would tell, she reminded herself. Steve was a terribly lonely heart...and she did feel a little sorry for him...

[Deleted]

Natasha was correct indeed, she was a very intelligent woman, and it was Steve after all. With her skills as an assassin, it wasn't easy at all for someone to stumble upon her without Natasha quickly knowing about it, which Steve was grateful to have someone with such great skills to be apart of the team. Natasha is a great agent, one of a kind, and quite unique from everyone else. Maybe it had to do with her past, which was much like Steve's, but also different as well, because unlike Steve who was frozen for seventy years, Natasha experienced life up until now in the current time.

Steve was the only one around at the moment, just himself and Natasha right now, as the others were away doing their own thing. Both Steve and Natasha were very busy agents who rarely ever spent anytime together, and when they did, they never really conversed or hung out as friends. Steve knew that Natasha didn't have many friends, and besides Clint, he didn't know who Natasha was friends with outside of the Avengers and SHIELD.

They were both stuck in a time that was very unfamiliar to them, but at least Natasha had the opportunity to experience all those years that Steve missed. This was a good thing though, because it brought them together, so that Steve could go to her in case he needed to ask her something regarding the past, because Steve was full of nostalgia. Steve liked that the two of them were like two peas in one pod, that they were both from an earlier period of time, and Steve could relate to her on that. "Oh I see, well I haven't been on the Helicarrier as of late. Actually, the last time I was there was when I left to go search for my best friend who I lost before I was frozen in time. I realize that you've been really occupied with work lately, and I really haven't had the opportunity to see you, or anyone else, so it's great to see you finally," Steve spoke to her politely with a smile, as he leaned back comfortably in the leather chair.

It was after The Avengers stopped Loki from his invasion on Earth that everyone separated themselves from each other, but Steve was still here continuing to support SHIELD and his team like the leader that he is. There were allot of new villains showing up, so assignments were being made, and Steve knew eventually that The Avengers were bound to assemble again some time soon, because after all, Loki was back. "Gotham City?" That city was intriguing to say the least, but a very dangerous place, and even though Steve knew that Natasha was more than capable of taking care of herself, he still was worried a little bit, but that was just his leadership showing. He was the type to make sure that his friends and allies were always safe, never in any danger at all. "I haven't had the chance to visit Gotham yet, but what I've heard about that city, well I'm not sure if I'd even want to go there anyway. I know that you're a great assassin and could beat up who ever gets in your way, there's no denying that Natasha, but I hope that you do take care of yourself. If you need any assistance, just let me know okay? I'll be more that welcome to join you," Steve said to her in a light soft tone, but one that was serious indeed, since he didn't want any harm brought upon her.

[Natasha "Black Widow" Romanov]

Her relationship to the "Star-Spangled Man with a Plan" was one unlike any of the others that she shared with the remaining members of the Avengers, or even with SHIELD agents in general. While Captain Rogers had been frozen for years and somehow managed to remain alive in those frigid temperatures, Natasha had had her body altered slightly by government experimentation that lead to her ageing at a far slower rate than almost everyone else on the planet. And while she had her own thoughts of the process that had done that for her, she knew that she also had to count her blessings in some ways. Steve had been frozen, unable to communicate with a single living soul as the world began to change around him until he was suddenly awoken in the twenty-first century, a time far different from the one he had left behind. Natasha had been able to watch those changes and learn to adapt to them, drinking in languages and other areas of life that could possibly prove to be of use when she joined SHIELD.

But at the same time, she hadn't been so lucky. There were a great many things she had seen and done since the time that she had been rescued by Captain America during the war, many of which had brought up the red in her ledger. She had taken lives, tortured people for information, held children and women hostage to get what she needed...all sorts of unspeakable things. And while she wished to say that those things were part of her past and no longer the woman who stood there today, she knew that they were things she still had to account for. So why join SHIELD? When Clint had spared her life all those years ago, she had decided to turn everything around and try to use her skills for the better of humankind. Perhaps not everyone would enjoy that, as it still meant having to hurt someone to reach the ultimate goal, but it usually ended up helping more than the one person it hurt along the way.

Her bright blue eyes slowly turned to look at him, a man out of time. "The Helicarrier is still being repaired and modified after the damage it sustained during Loki's attack," she told him, shifting her body on the couch slightly so that she was better angled toward him. "But much of that has been happening mid-flight. As it's still operational, we can't afford to leave it on the ground for too long. Things tend to happen when we're not looking." Despite herself, the young woman offered the man a small half-smile, one that could easily be mistaken for an even look. While it was rather easy for her to display emotion when she was playing a role, Natasha had recently found herself unwilling to share too much with anyone, including Clint. Recent events would have made anyone else understand the importance of being open with people and living life...

But Natasha Romanov was not anyone else.

A hand reached up to move her auburn locks from her eyes as she continued, crossing one leg over the other. "Gotham isn't exactly a place I would recommend visiting," she told Steve evenly, her body about as neutral as it could possibly be. "The city itself is protected by its own vigilante, but the crime rate there is terrible for the United States." Had anyone else spoken up about her safety, she might have shot them an icy glare before she declared how perfectly capable she was of caring for her own well being. Maybe she'd even show them a thing or two about self protection if she felt the need. But knowing the time period in which he had been raised, Natasha felt her face relax a little bit more as she looked at Steve with gentler eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of caring for myself, Captain Rogers. But thank you."

And the strange part was, she genuinely meant it...

[Deleted]

Nostalgia provided Steve with the memories of saving miss Romanoff during the war, as he sat there listening to her speak with respectable admiration. He could recall saving her life along with a man named Logan who fought in the war also, later known as 'Wolverine', and the two saved miss Romanoff before she became brainwashed by the Hand. Steve was grateful to have saved her, because Black Widow had since turned into a significant asset to SHIELD and The Avengers.

Miss Romanoff was an alluring, mysterious woman when she needed to be, since the femme fatale was such the specialist when it came to her portraying a role, so that she could lure others into revealing secretive information, which Steve respected her prodigious expertise in being able to do so. You never knew what you were going to get from miss Romanoff, due to her having a life that was difficult, where the elements of the world seemed to be against her all of the time, so it was grand to see her use her skills for the assistance of the greater good of the world. Steve was every bit of thankful to be here in this moment with her, especially after everything to two had been threw in the past, and for them to be here in present time was marvelous.

"You're welcome, miss Romanoff. I'm just keeping careful observation on everyone including yourself due to the recent strings of attack as of late," Steve replied to her courteously with a slight smile on his face. "The Avengers have been disbanded since Loki's wraith on New York, so to make certain that everyone remains safe threw this stressful time, I'm using my patronage to support those who need it. I realize that you can easily manage, although I assume it's just the memories I have of once saving you from the Hand," A broad smile appeared on his face, as he finished his comment, then began to ponder on their many past events together. "While I was in my cryogenic sleep phase, you got to experience the changing of time, so do you care to elaborate what it was like? I'm really intrigued to know what you went threw the past seven decades that I was absent from, miss Romanoff?" Steve was curious for her to inform him on the past and maybe she could even be the one to help with his nostalgia.

[Natasha "Black Widow" Romanov]

"Natasha works just fine, Captain Rogers."

She wasn't overly used to being called anything else. Clint was the only one close enough to use some kind of nickname with her, and almost everyone else referred to her as "Agent Romanov" when she was working. The only time she was called "Miss" was when she was undercover for SHIELD and needed a more feminine persona to lure her targets into a false sense of security. It would happen within the next few days in fact, when she made her way into Gotham City and located Bruce Wayne at a gala that he was supposedly helping to arrange. Unknown to him at the moment, the Batman was her new target.

His mention of saving her from the Hand was one that Natasha hadn't seen coming, her head turning a little more in his direction out of curiousity. Despite the nearly seventy years he had spent in a cryogenic sleep after taking that ship into the ice, she had thought that perhaps some of his memories would have been erased or altered because of the lapse of time. But the more time she spent communicating with him, the more the femme fatale came to realize that it was almost as if no time had passed for him at all. He was just as coherent as he had been when he had decided to sacrifice his own life to save millions of others from the bombs that ship had been carrying. And to this day, she marvelled at how none of them went off when he crashed. In truth, Captain America was lucky to be alive at all.

His natural desire to know what he had missed while he had been frozen for those seventy years was something that Natasha admired and condemned all at the same time. Of course, it was human nature to want to know about everything that had happened around you, seeing how nations got along or didn't, how people had changed for the better or worse. But at the same time there were a great many things that Natasha wasn't keen on telling him. Not that he was childlike in any kind of way, she reminded herself as she looked over at the blonde with questioning eyes. Captain Rogers had seen more than his fair share of violence and injustice between the two time frames he had lived in, more than most other people would probably see in three or four lifetimes. But she wasn't like most people either. Natasha had seen far too much for her liking as well, and she wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to tell Steve what had happened in those years he had lost.

Leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees, Natasha contemplated where to begin. She laced her fingers together as she looked across the empty space that lay between them, shifting only a little to make herself more comfortable. She chose her phrasing carefully, not wanting to startle or upset him. "A great many things have happened," she began, tilting her head a little in consideration. "Some were good, some were not so good. We won the Second World War, but we spent almost another twenty years afterward fighting a war in Vietnam, where we lost a number of good men and women. I've seen Presidents and Activists killed for their beliefs, I was here in New York when the World Trade Center was hit...I've seen enough to last many lifetimes."

[Deleted]

If she just wanted to be called Natasha, then that was fine with him. He understood that she had an undercover persona of being a femme fatale for her work with SHIELD. It made him smirk realizing how women like her could use their beauty and charm on men to gain even the most highly classified information. When Steve needed to gain some kind of secretive information like that for SHIELD, he had to go threw hell and high water to complete his mission. It definitely gave Natasha a huge advantage, but it also has made her a woman of mystery. Only a few knew her real personality and real emotions. She kept them close at heart, locked away deep inside, and Steve was one of the few who knew that from their past up until today. He couldn't blame her for being that way, since she's been threw so much adversity.

There were some things that Steve could remember both good and bad, but there were also some things that he couldn't remember at all. Like memories of his father and mother up until she got sick and passed away. Growing up with Bucky, fighting bullies in the alleys, fighting the biggest bullies of them all, which were Red Skull and Adolph Hitler. He also remembers Peggy Carter and the date he had with her. While in his cryogenic sleep phase, his life flashed before him like a dream revealing memories to him like the ones mentioned.

He glanced at Natasha who was shifting her position on the sofa to become slightly more comfortable and he done the same thing in the chair he was relaxed in. They had been sitting here conversing for quite some time, which he loss the track of time, but it wouldn't the first time. He glanced up at the clock on the wall to check the time. He was going to be leaving soon to head back aboard the Helicarrier, but for now he was still enjoying her informing him on what happened since his cryogenic sleep. It was like a short history lesson for him and he listened to Natasha carefully like she was some history teacher.

Upon learning about winning the second world war and another war in Vietnam filled Steve with mixed emotions. Her mentioning the Vietnam war and describing what transpired during the war reminded Steve allot of the second word war he fought in. It felt all to familiar with what she was saying about all the good men and women being killed in the war. Then she spoke of being in New York when the World Trade Center was hit by terrorist. All this tragic information made Steve shake his head feeling both surprised and upset by hearing what Natasha was telling him.

"How can war be won if war has yet to end?" He was right. Everyone says that we won the war, but yet the world keeps on fighting in more wars. It's a never ending ordeal and war will only truly be won when war no longer exist in the world. "We lost thousand of soldiers during the war. Men who had wives and children with loving families. Men with dreams like my own to bring freedom to the world and fight for what's right and necessary to make the world a better place for everyone, but it seems the world has only become much worse," He hoped that he would have awakened into a world that was free from war, but he's realizing just how bad off the world really is now. He was just glad to be back to be able to help protect the world from spiraling out of control with more wars that would only cause the world more tragedy and disaster. "Thank you for informing me on all of this, Natasha." He told her with a polite grin, although he was quite upset about what she told him. He was glad she did, but he never imagined the world would be so bad off, but he should have known it.

[Natasha "Black Widow" Romanov]

Despite the many clear differences between the two of them, Natasha couldn't deny that the Captain was as level headed and mindful as he had been almost seventy years before when he had been frozen in that block of ice for the first time. There were many people who would state that the Rogers was lucky to be alive at all after the way he took down that ship, putting his own life on the line to ensure the peace and safety of the country he loved so well. But secretly, Natasha had her own thoughts on the matter. After all, he had been genetically altered by the government the same as she had, but his abilities were far different from her own. In messing with his genetic code, certain things had been granted to him, through means of a better physique, speed, flexibility, endurance and a great many other things. In truth, she didn't think anyone would really find it that easy to kill Captain America without getting right up close and putting a bullet in his heart before he could react. And the only way that could happen was if Rogers didn't see it coming at all. If someone like Natasha were the one to do it.

"I don't think you or I will ever live to see a time when people like us are no longer needed," she said honestly, brushing stray locks of auburn hair from her face. "The world is too self absorbent for that. The minute someone creates something new and exciting, the rest of the world is immediately jealous and wants it for themselves." While she did her best to believe in the good that human beings could sometimes display, it was growing harder and harder for the young woman to look past all of the bad things toward the good. Every so often she was a witness to something small, like someone holding the door for someone else, or an older gentleman offering to pay for that candy bar a little kid could not quite afford at the store. But when you compared it to the endless violence and cruelty that Natasha saw almost daily, those small gestures of kindness and compassion were all too easy to forget about. "I guess that's just human nature."

She kept trying to remind herself that it wasn't all bad, that human beings were not all like those that she had hunted and killed in her past. And even some of those people were not all bad. But the money had been laid out on the table for their deaths, and that had been all that she had needed to see before she went out on the mission she always had to take yet another life. Those days were behind her now, she reminded herself quickly, for the most part. SHIELD did not require her to use her skills like that anymore unless it was a dire emergency that the fate of the world hinged on, and by that point she felt nothing. If you were going to come anywhere near her and think that you would going to rule the world, you had another thing coming. The red head looked up at her team mate, shrugging her shoulders a little. "If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have said anything."