2014-02-11 - Cutscene: Siberian Super Soldiers: Lies, Damned Lies, and Spy Games

Steve Rogers stops and looks back to Natasha, "Natasha." He says crossing his arms and watching for a moment. He figured it was that later meeting that him and Fury had considered.

Fury sits drinking his coffee as everyone else leaves. When they do and Steve stays Fury glances over at Steve from where he sits. "So, I take it you have some objections you want to voice?"

Natasha knows better than to speak yet. She picks up her drink and sips at it, watching Steve with a hooded, considering gaze.

Steve Rogers frowns, "You know I do. People die when you pull this crap with me when the Skulls involved and Super soldier serum." He looks at Natasha, "You're putting together a little army out of the Avengers out of this. This is going to go south and people are going to die. So I want all the cards on the table, Nick. I want all the facts. Then I want you to send me in. I'll bring out Natasha's dose out. Then blow the place sky high."

"We're going to need more doses than just one Steve," Fury says getting down to brass tacks. "Yes, I want to get Nat back to her former capacity," he glances over at Nat, as though this is the most benevolent of gestures he could make. "But I wasn't blowing up everyone's skirt when I said we want to study this stuff. The Russians has had it for years without us knowing," another accusing look is thrown Nat's way. "We need to know more about it, how it works, and how to shut it down. Now that the word is out, someone is going to try and get it again, and I want to be ready for the time someone we don't like succeeds."

"There are others out there, as you pointed out, Steve, who were trained in the Red Room." Natasha shrugs lightly. "I know in later years, they changed much of the facilities-- moved to a new location, closed down the super soldier program until they felt the original Red Room project could be safely brought back online. There are other operatives who went through the secondary training program-- but it did not have the fatality issues the first did." That she's said that much should indicate how much the recrimination coming from both Nick and Steve stings.

Steve Rogers frowns at Fury, "Then bury it as quick as we can. I find out about SHIELD super soldiers experiments. I will bring in Stark, end of the story." He lifts his cup of coffee. He was not happy but he was trying to be logical about this. "That reminds me of other Red Room operatives. Leave Katrinka out of this. She never received the later combat training. She has issues with the Red room and problems with the Skulls daughter." He frowns, "And is there anything your hiding from me that I need to know?"

Fury shakes his head "No Steve, I'm not hiding anything more from you. I wasn't hiding this either, we're completely behind the eight ball on this business because we didn't even know this stuff existed until /after/ AIM and HYDRA started moving on it," he doesn't look at Nat when he says that but the reasons for that gap in intelligence is clear. "We're leaving Kat at home, don't worry. This is a combat op, and we know combat isn't her brand of vodka. So, anything else you've got to say to me?" he looks over at Nat. "Either of you?"

Natasha looks at Steve, icy blue eyes meeting his. For a moment, she is /damned/ glad for her extensive training. Because without it, she wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes and bald-faced lie to him, and by extension Fury.

"No. I have told everything I know."

Steve Rogers nods, "Okay. Anything about the Skull reaching out to both Hydra and AIM? He's got a love hate relationship with the bee keepers but hasn't been too interested with Strucker's club since the war. His own brand of destruction these days." He looks at Natasha, "Winter Soldier? What do you know about him? What type of edge is he giving the Skull?"

Fury sits back in his chair. "The exact nature of Red Skull's arrangement with Strucker and AIM is unknown, but knowing Red Skull like we do our best guess is whatever he has planned for the serum requires both Strucker and AIM, otherwise he would be going after it on his own. He never did know how to play nice with others," he takes a sip of his coffee. "We're unsure of Winter Soldier's status at this time, he hasn't been mentioned in the comm intercepts, but we suspect that's how Red Skull found out the stockpile existed in the first place, and if he is still working with the Skull, he's likely going to be guiding their forces through he facility."

Natasha shakes her head slightly. "The why? That we do not know, but I am sure if we dig hard enough, we'll find it." As to the Winter Soldier-- the last time they had seen him, it had been all she could do to keep what she knew about him from SHIELD-- there were things she could not compromise. Not even now.

"I know nothing more about the Winter Soldier than I did last time we dealt with him," she says. At least that was being honest. For certain definitions of honest, that involved less direct lying and more misdirection and omission.

Steve Rogers frowns looks at Natasha, "And nothing else? This is not the time for secrets." He says looking at both of them. "This is the type of operations people die on and we're talking civilians."

Fury shakes his head. "The mine and surrounding buildings have been abandoned for fifteen years, we're all clear. There will only be project personnel on site," he answers Steve.

Natasha is silent, toying with her holo-ID. Something she reads, however, has her face go pale... well, paler than usual.

"If there are no further questions for me," she says, looking over at them both, "I would like to be dismissed."

Steve Rogers looks to Fury, "I mean the Avengers. They're not all shield agents." He says standing up. " I'm just asking you too to stop with the spy games on this one. Remember the people that you are and not the agents. There will be blood and it will be on both of your hands. Just make sure this is worth it and done right be stand up. Remember your both heroes yourselves." Then he turns and walks out. Dismissed or not, he's leaving.

Fury watches Steve go considering his words, it takes him a moment but he realizes that Nat is still in the room. He glances her way "I'm tempted to make you sit this one out Romanov," he says keeping things formal, detached. "But you're the one who knows this place, so, you're on the op, just don't let me down again." He turns away then and takes a sip of his coffee. "Dismissed."