outstandingbalance | Drift Fleet IC Contact

It feels as if no matter what we do, they'll always be one step ahead.

[ his finger traces the rim of his cup as he hums, pensive. ]

Still. This sort of power causes arrogance and that can cause mistakes. We just gotta find those.

If it feels that way, it's probably because they're setting us on this path. They don't have to anticipate what we're going to do if we're the ones doing all the reacting.

[Was that meant to be comforting. Natasha, that isn't how you do comforting.]

Still, we have a little more information than we had before. And like you said... people make mistakes.

Are we sure they're people?

[ he leans back against the counter, looks at the ceiling. ]

It all feels like we're back at that bunker with Armin Zola inside a computer.

For values of people. The files we stole said they're a corporation. You thinking about the ship wreck we saw before? The fact there weren't any people.

Not a damn one, just robots.

[ god damn it. ]

-- The files said that the mission changed. We're not here for a show anymore. Why would a group of computer - robots - want us here? what are they taking out of alla this?

Hard to say. There's a lot of the picture we still don't have. Even what we're looking at here... [She taps the hard copy Steve made.] Ignoring the errors and the corrupted data, it's also clear most of it doesn't come from the inside.

What we really need is someone on the inside.

No on on any planet even heard of them.

[ he eyes the file and flips it open ]

But someone wrote alla this. I'd settle for knowing who the hell they were and how they knew alla that.

It'd be somewhere to start. It'd be a lot easier to answer that question back home.

[If they needed to find out the source of files on Earth, Natasha could have the problem cracked in less than forty five minutes. She was confident of that. Here, though...]

We'll answer them here. It won't be easy, but I don't think it's impossible.

[ though at times, it does feel impossible. ]

Whoever Atroma are - whatever they are, one thing is sure, we gotta find them. It.

I'm not giving up just yet. [In case he took her answer the wrong way.] We've got a pretty good team here, all things considered.

It's not all of it but I'm grateful for what I have.

[ at the very least, it means some of them are free from alla this. ]

I had a bad feeling about the ball but I'd never guess it'll end like this.

No. There wasn't any way to know that. [That's Natasha's job. And the sad thing was, she figured it was a possibility. More or less.

Instead of commenting on that, though, Natasha goes on her toes to pull him into a one armed hug, coffee mug still balanced in her free arm.

Sorry, Steve. You seem like maybe you need a hug.]

[ oh.

he stands there for a second before tugging her close, wrapping his free arm around her. a deep breath, he doesn't let go, it'll take a moment. ]

We gotta find a way around the augments. That's gotta be step one.

[It's okay. Natasha isn't in a rush. He can take as long as he needs. Natasha will pretend that she doesn't find this comforting too, though.]

That's a big hurdle. You're not wrong, but all of the people I know who'd have been able to do something like that aren't here anymore.

[ quietly: ]

Stark?

He's on the short list. But he's not the only one who's left recently. Seems like we're short on tech support these days.

[But yes, if there was something Natasha would trust Tony to do, it's figure out how to get around the augments.]

Guess we'll have to pick up a few new tricks.

[ he squeezes her shoulder. ]

Think I can learn something new by the time I'm ninety nine?

I'm sure you could learn something new. My offer to show you how to tango still stands.

[A gentle rebuff, mostly teasing. They need to be realistic though.]

What we need is to do some recruiting.

Yeah.

[ but that does cheer him up if only because it's something to do. a plan A, so to speak. ]

Any ideas?

Maybe. I'll have to do some digging before I know for sure.

Fair enough.

[ ... ]

Try to find someone stable.

[ they could use stable. ]

[Really, Rogers?]

Don't trust me now?

Edited 2017-05-27 17:02 (UTC)

You have a weird taste in friends.

[ he bites back on laughter. he's perhaps the best example to this statement, after all. ]

[Her look asks, are you kidding, Rogers?]

You realize most of my friends are your friends, these days?

I'm more than aware.

[ he might have seen her and bucky at the ball. he won't say anything but whatever it is, it's enough to make him smile. ]

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outstandingbalance - 2017-05-30 14:26 (UTC) - Expand