𝒑𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒕 || s. rogers & b. barnes

6||; 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔

⤷ april 28, 2015
━━━━━━━━━━━

Irina paces.

God, she hadn't paced in awhile, but here she was, doing it all over again.

Back and forth she goes, a repetitive pattern in the Quinjet, the Avengers' latest means of transportation across the globe during their HYDRA raids.

And Natasha watches.

"Baron Strucker is the last major thug in HYDRA," Steve explains to the group as they huddle around in the Quinjet. Tony turns around in his chair in the cockpit, leaving the flying to J.A.R.V.I.S., who had been programmed into the jet right after it was built.

"Once we get him out, the last of our problems with them will finally be over, especially if Loki's scepter is here. The base is surrounded by a forest that we'll be charging through," he says as a holographic mapping of the terrain appears in front of him, and he zooms in on the array of trees at the base of the HYDRA facility.

"It's the only way to get in as a group. Stark, Sam, I want you both on air support. Barton, Romanoff, you're on the ground with me. We take out as many agents as we can. Banner," he looks over at the fidgeting doctor, who looks up at the call, and grimaces softly, "we're gonna call in a Code Green. Strucker has been slipping through the cracks for years now, based on Irina's intel. We need to get him here and now. No more stalling."

Banner sighs, nodding. "Right. I've got it," he murmurs.

"Irina," said woman stops in her tracks, looking over at Steve, who regards her with concern simmering in his eyes, "will you be fine laying low until we can get in the base? Keep the jet on standby?"

Irina lets out a relieved breath. No direct contact with the base? Great. Perfection, even. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do that for you."

Steve nods, Captain America mode all in. "Good," he takes one last look around the Quinjet. "Let's get 'em."

A collective nod sets the air, and then everyone is bustling to get ready. Clint stocks up his arrows, Sam cocks guns and sets them in his holsters, the prospect of a fight with them always exciting to the newest member.

And Natasha somehow manages to sneak up to Irina as she taps away on a Starkpad in a tucked away corner of the jet.

"Irina," she addresses her.

Irina glances up at her, pausing. "What's up, Natasha?"

Natasha looks at her, poker face on, green eyes calculating and watching...inquiring. Like she's gauging her reactions and solving a puzzle. "You know this base, don't you," she says. "You've been in it before."

Immediately, she's tensing up, regarding the agent with a guarded look, despite their camaraderie in the recent months. Her lips purse. "...I know Strucker from my time with HYDRA, is all. He's a familiar face that I'd prefer not to face. But I'll be fine," she says.

But the redhead knows her better, it seems, by the way her eyes glitter with suspicion. "No, I don't think you will," says Natasha. "I think you know Baron Strucker more than you say, and by the way you were pacing just earlier, he's not someone you were friendly with."

"I wasn't friendly with anyone in HYDRA," Irina bites out, then shuts her eyes in regret. "Sorry - I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap, I just..." she sighs deeply, gripping the tablet in her hands more tightly.

"Irina," Natasha carefully sits beside her, resting a hand on her knee while her eyes dig into the side of her head, "I need you to tell me now why you're close to breaking down, because you weren't like this with all the other bases. I need to know if you're able to go through with this or not," she says. "So tell me. A word won't get out to anyone else. Just you and me."