entrancelogs | ( open )

[ He understands her weariness of Loki. He doubts she will engage him - the one from her world is a child, as she said.

Steve lists allies for her, at least partly. James considers adding to the list, but he decides against it in the end. Anything she doesn't know, she'll learn quickly, or as after if she's curious.

Steve approaches her the way he approaches everything - straightforward and honest. He wonders if she would say yes, and if Steve would take her at her word if she did.

James shifts a little, sitting upright. He doesn't know this version of Natasha, not like he'd known the other, but there are always common threads. He speaks directly to Natasha. ]

You're on your own side, I would think. But that doesn't necessarily make us enemies.

[ This is a test. ]

[ Natasha's never failed one. She narrows her eyes, straightens. It was always Steve's innate quality to become immovable, but she shifts into that skin like she was born to wear it — and spares a glance, for Bucky, enough for him to understand that if there was a right answer, he just said it. That's what annoys her, how he manages to disarm her with plainly stated words. Natasha is always loaded, always ready. ]

[ Her attention shifts to Steve. He's the one who asked, and he of all people deserves the answer. ]

That's not the reason I'm an Avenger, Cap.

[ The distance is reflexive. He may be a Steve; she might already be indulging sentiment by already mentally calling him Steve as she does the one she knows, but this one doesn't know her. The only thing she has in common with that other Natasha is the Widow. Anything more of her, he must earn. It's not about sides, like some old spy movie, and she's crossing over from a cartoonish Red Menace into good ol' Americana. This isn't a war, though it often looks like one, and they often fall into the simplistic forms of us versus them. She doesn't answer to Steve — though they've led the team together — or the ideals he represents, but to something she feels is the higher calling. The Avengers are about building something: home, mercy, second chances. A place where debts don't get cleared, but have a better chance to be repaid. And new, better ones form: the debt of comrades, the love of friends. A place where tools like her can work good. ]

[ Bucky no doubt hits the nail on the head, and Steve catches the glance that Natasha sends him as a result. Even so, Steve would rather talk openly about forming an alliance, rather than dancing around the subject with cryptic words.

Then again, spies are spies, and it's not like he's ever going to really get a grip on Natasha, not before she wriggles out of it like a fish finding its way back to water.

She's an Avenger. Even that is worth knowing with certainty, despite the fact that Steve had already assumed it. She doesn't use his first name and that's going to take some getting used to, too. Maybe he should revert back to calling her Romanoff. ]

Then why? [ He levels his gaze at her, even though he knows he won't be able to read anything in her expression. ] Because you have debts to make up for? [ That's his Natasha's reason. ] Or because it's in your best interest at the current moment?

[ Is she a hero, someone who would lay her life down to save someone else? Or does she have an escape plan, a way out, if it comes to that? ]

[ It had been a risk as much as anything, but he's getting a better idea of who she is now. He meets her gaze, acknowledging, and doesn't take it any further. He isn't trying to one-up her, just assessing. Whatever her stated motives and alliances, he'll be keeping this in mind.

Steve is 'Cap' to her, a not entirely professional distance. The Avengers she fights for just happen to have goals that are in line with her own, he assumes, but this time he doesn't intrude when Steve asks her questions.

He does glance at Steve briefly, wondering if he realizes just how sharp those questions are. ]

[ Sharp as the point of a knife Steve doesn't know how to wield. Natasha folds her arms; her expression shutters closed. The temperature in the room almost seems to drop several degrees; she's not angry. She doesn't want him walking in the web where he has no right to be — what does he know of her debts? ]

[ Evenly, ] I'm not her.

[ Once she might've prodded him to fit into who this other Natasha is, because she's useful, but she's fought long and hard to be her own person. Whatever choices she makes, she makes, same with her mistakes. She won't walk into a neat little box without good reason. ]

Do not try.

[ Steve can definitely feel the change in mood and realizes he's hit a nerve, but sometimes it takes some pressure to learn the true nature of a person. She asserts herself, distinguishes between who she is and who the other Natasha is, and Steve likes that. She can't replace her any more than he could replace her version of Steve. ]

Believe me, I know. [ For every similarity, there's a corresponding difference. Steve would like to get to know this Natasha on her own merits. If she's an Avenger too, then that's what matters most.

Steve pushes away from the wall, drawing toward the bed where she's seated. It's not a threatening gesture and he isn't trying to corner her; it's more about closing the gap between them. ]

We have a team here. It's cobbled together from who we've got, and I don't have any rules about parallel universes. Billy Kaplan's one of our members. [ To make that point particularly clear. Steve tilts his head up, jaw set. ] Our goal is to do whatever we can to keep civilians here safe during events, to fight whatever Wonderland throws our way. So... interested?

[ If nothing else, it'll be something for her to do. ]

[ It's a bigger concession than he expects Steve to make. Usually he'll walk through grilling the potential recruits to see what they're made of, but he's taking Natasha at her word that she was an Avenger back home. It's something he could easily confirm with Billy first - he thinks someone like Natasha might even expect that - but Steve would never invite her to the team if he didn't have some level of trust in her already.

From his position, James gives her a small nod. ]

[ Natasha would huff if she were so inclined. Idiot. He doesn't even know her. If she was a double agent this would be the perfect opportunity. She returns Bucky's nod with a faintly exasperated look. He's far too trusting. Despite this, she relaxes minutely. Steve knows — he moves forward with open hands and an open heart.]

[ She looks at Steve, and holds up two fingers, in a V for Victory. ]

Two questions. One, how long have you been an Avenger, and two, [ she turns her eyes to Barnes ] how did you get your memories back?

[ There's a method to what Steve is doing, of course. To some degree there's the belief that a Natasha from another world is someone he can trust the same way he does his own, even if that's still something that will need to be earned on a more personal level.

But more than that, he's given two hints now that Billy and other people from Natasha's universe are here. Since she must realize that he could check her story with any one of them, he has to assume she's being truthful about her Avengers status.

She seems vaguely exasperated, which only makes Steve's smile grow. He'll leave the second question to Bucky, but as for the first... ]

I've been an Avenger for about three years now. How about you?

[ He can already guess it will be much longer, just judging by what Billy has told him about their world. ]

[ James returns the look with clear understanding. She has no idea, she hasn't even seen Steve's daily routine yet. But he likes that the exasperation seems genuine, and Natasha doesn't appear overly eager to take advantage - not that he'd expect any version of her to be that clumsy.

His eyes narrow at the question, though partly in confusion. It's very pointed, and he doesn't see how it might be immediately relevant. Unless she assumes that he's faking it, which is valid he supposes. If he hadn't made a literal deal with the devil, that's probably what he would be doing right now. ]

Should I not have them back?

[ It's not the fact that he could check her story that prompts her to be fully honest: ]

Approximately ten years. I've known Steve Rogers for about as long. [ she's half-turned away from Steve, her guard on the side facing him not relaxed completely, but enough. Still looking at Bucky, ] James Barnes for less.

[ Her eyes narrow at the non-answer. Either he doesn't want to talk — which is fair, considering — or Steve doesn't know. Natasha doesn't believe in adhering to fairness. That's for others to worry about: what she sees here is every conceivable method of brainwashing and mind-control, and for people like them that's never good news. ]

Better question. Was it because of Steve?

[ It's enough of an open-ended question that Barnes can answer as he sees fit. But what Natasha really means, with the narrowing of her eyes, is he can tell her directly, or she will find out. His choice. ]

[ Ten whole years. Steve could make some joke about Natasha looking good for her age, but it's not really the time, not when she's now asking Bucky some pointed questions. It's odd to have Natasha speak of Steve Rogers like that's someone who isn't him, but it's not inaccurate.

Still, if another version of him had worked with this Natasha for ten whole years, then Steve has to assume that she can pull her weight. Even if she does have herself in mind before anyone else, it doesn't necessarily matter if she gets the job done. ]

I'm right here, you know. [ Steve raises his hands and gives a small wave. It's always awkward to have people talk about him like he's not even in the room, but the phrasing of Natasha's question digs at him too.

She seems to be implying that Bucky did something specific to get his memories to come back. As far as Steve's concerned, they had trickled back in gradually, naturally. He eyes Natasha with a frown. ] What do you mean?

[ Ten years is a long time, and a lot of experience. He wonders...

He does turn to Steve, giving him a brief apologetic look. ]

She means her version of you had something to do with the other Bucky getting his memories back.

[ That's not all she means, but it answers a question he hadn't expected to ask just yet. He hasn't forgotten the kid. He'd been young, and they'd argued a lot, but they'd both known what he was going back home to in the end.

James doesn't tend to fidget in situations like this, but an unnatural sort of stillness settles over him now. ]

Steve triggered some of them when we fought. I've been here over a year now. The rest came back gradually.

[ None of this is a lie, just a series of half-truths. He's buried this too well to have her digging through the dirt. ]

[ To Steve, ]

You implied you were willing to trust me.

[ This was a test: people who trust each other follow without complaint when it comes down to the wire, and Steve and her have always walked together. This one didn't, and that sets his trust firmly in the category of things Natasha needs to earn. She's happier that way, and willing enough to work for it. If he'd said nothing... ]

[ There's a frost that settles on Barnes' shoulders. Human movement almost seems to cease if not for his eyes. It's not a call to battle, but the raising of a drawbridge, the presence of a shield. If it were any other question over any version of a Steve she didn't find recognisable, she would have left it alone. But this is someone like her friend, who she owes her protection and holds a few of her chips in his hands. She rewrote time for him. She won't leave anything to chance. ]

[ Still to Steve, she adds, ]

In my world, Steve used to the Cosmic Cube to restore his friend. [ she gestures with her hands ] It's an Omega class weapon — if you don't use that system yet it's in the same category as Mjolnir. The Cube rewrites reality to the holder's wishes.

[ And Steve used it for something — selfish, she has to admit, but it saved a man's life, even if it left him with ghosts. ]

Your bad guys are far less innovative, it seems. All the better for you both, I suppose.

[ She won't cast any doubt on the character of the Barnes she's more familiar with — it would deeply hurt anyone not her to be sent to kill a former comrade. But the fact that one had to change the world and one didn't — it nags at her. ]

[ Willing to trust her, yes, but not there yet. It had taken a while even with his version of Natasha, and Steve isn't going to give this one a pass just because she has the same name and face. Then again, being too suspicious of her won't do any good either. Not when they're both Avengers.

The explanation gets gears in his head turning. A cube-shaped item from space with immense amounts of power -- it's not that difficult to put the pieces together. ] The Tesseract. We have a different name for it, that's all.

[ But the other Steve had forcibly given Bucky his memories back? Steve frowns and looks from Natasha to Bucky, wondering if he would have done the same thing if he'd had the chance and been aware of the possibility. It is selfish, he can already see that. The memories coming back gradually seemed far more humane, so as to not overload Bucky's mind.

But if that was the only option the other Steve had, well, maybe he can understand it.

He forces out a breath and rubs at his eyes. ] Don't worry, the Cube has given us plenty of other problems. Have you heard of Infinity Stones? [ Steve's not sure how this turned into comparing notes from home, but it's as good a way to get to know someone as any. ]

[ She doesn't press for further answers, but he doubts that this is the end of it. Just a pause while they pursue more important subjects.

As far as he knows, the Tesseract was only ever used to make weapons. It was an energy source that had put HYDRA years ahead of its time, but there was plenty they didn't know about it, and probably never would. The idea of anyone with the power to re-shape reality using a single object is... unsettling.

He isn't the Bucky from her world; he's met him, spent time with him, so it's easy to think of them as separate people. He doesn't doubt that the other version of Steve would re-write reality if he had to.

He catches Steve's gaze when he looks, sees the conflict in it.

They're better off comparing weapons, getting onto the same page about prospective threats. ] It's better not to assume they're the same weapon. There might be significant differences, like there are with different versions of us.

Infinity Gems. Six that we know of.

[ She's used four, and she thanks whoever watches over the universe no one else is more imaginative with them. Even so, Natasha frowns. She looks at Barnes briefly. I'm not through with you, before her attention flits to Steve. ]

[ Firmly, ] Do not mess with them. There are machines, telepaths, and [ a very minute hesitation ] Stephen Strange, all of whom carry much less risk and higher chances of success.

[ Bucky makes a good point, they can't really assume that anything between their worlds is exactly the same, but it's also a moot point because none of these items exist here (thankfully).

The warning that Natasha issues really isn't necessary -- not for Steve, anyway. He'd known from the start that they were bad news. He clenches his jaw and crosses his arms. ]

Believe me, I know. What we're aiming to do is make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands, but I think the majority of the stones aren't even on our planet, so...

[ That's where it starts to get really complicated.

Steve dips his head down to meet Natasha's gaze. ] Ever heard of Thanos?

Edited 2015-11-10 15:35 (UTC)

[ He meets her look. He's done answering questions, at least while Steve's here. If she wants to grill him about memories, they'll be doing it some other time.

At least it seems like they're all on the same page about things like the Infinity Gems. That much power in any one person's hands is never going to end well. Though he doesn't recognize the name, he makes a mental note of it. You never know who could show up here.

The stones being somewhere else doesn't exactly fill him with confidence either, but at least they won't be painting such a prominent target on Earth.

This is the first he's hearing of Thanos too, so for now he just listens in. ]

Tch.

[ It's an openly dismissive noise. See what she thinks of him. ]

He did succeed in collecting all of them and tried to use the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out the Avengers. As always, he neglected to read the fine print.

[ A shrug. ]

We leave him to the Guardians of the Galaxy. Quill has always reached out to us if he needs help.

Yeah, well, it sounds like that's our future.

[ Natasha has some insider information for them. This looming threat that Gamora warned him about, they get past it in another world. Now more than ever Steve wishes he had a way to make sure that he kept his memories once he went home. Of course, all the relationships he's forged here he wants to hold onto too, but this kind of intel could help save their world.

He turns toward his desk, moving fast as he digs through it for a notebook and pen. Writing it down won't necessarily help, but it'll make him feel better to have it recorded somewhere. That way even if he leaves, there's a chance someone else will find it.

Assuming the notebook doesn't just disappear with him, but it's the best chance he has.

Steve opens to a blank page and then looks back to Natasha, all business now. ] What do you mean by fine print? How did you stop him?

( open )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject