1129/Training the Hunters

Training the Hunters
Date of Scene:	25 June 2017
Location:	An abandoned dojo in NYC.
Synopsis:	The Black Widow confronts Sam Winchester when she realizes he's had more encounters with The Winter Soldier. Then, she gives Dean Winchester a chance to work out some of his pent-up aggression. Melinda May is there to Mom at Sammy.
Cast of Characters:	Sam Winchester, Black Widow (Romanoff), Dean Winchester, Melinda May

---

Sam Winchester has posed:
The only threats Natasha can find are certain threats to health if one happens to buy lunch from a certain hot dog vendor who has, shall we say, an on-again, off-again relationship with the laws of food safety.

It's just an abandoned dojo, the kind of place that won't piss Dean off. Of course, Dean isn't here yet. It's just Sam, who is already waiting because he didn't want to keep /her/ waiting.

He looks ridiculous next to her. An oversized young man with too much hair, hair that likes to flip in every wild direction rather than behaving itself. He's gone clean shaven, mostly in the service of another thing he's got going on, which makes him He's got on jeans and a plaid t-shirt, sneakers. He's packing a little less than he was the day SHIELD picked him up, since he's not on an active hunt today.

His right arm is also in a cast, but he warned her about that over the phone. Fading yellow-green bruises march around his neck and continue their soiree right down into the open collar of the shirt. He's more or less relaxed, though he clears his throat when Natasha arrives.

"It's nice of you to do this. I um. I don't know where Dean is."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"He'll show up or he won't. If he does, maybe he'll have half a chance," Natasha says simply as she looks over Sam critically. She remembers their last meeting, key things she learned about him. Dean is his weak point. He will do anything to keep his brother safe, even at threat to himself. It's noble. She isn't sure she approves of it but they aren't in the same type of business so she really can't judge.

They hunt monsters. That's what the files she has read tell. Things she thought were stories in books or legends told to pass down cautionary tales. She never doubted there were things that went bump in the night, she just had never thought of them as more than humans for the most part. A few aliens maybe.

"Before we begin, I do have to ask why you are wanting to go up against the Winter Soldier? He's outside your usual prey. He's been around for longer than I've been alive," she murmurs, a bit of a smirk on her face. "And that's a very, very long time. So why?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Ma'am, quite a bit of what I hunt has been around longer than civilization has been alive," Sam says, with no noticable pride. It's maybe even a bit of an exaggeration, but it's touched with earnestness.

And then something weird happens. Because he gives a reason, but something's off. It's not a lie, but...

"He takes tasers to the chest, rips the electrodes out, and keeps going. He's been around for decades. You shoot him in the back, he keeps going. Sounds like exactly my kind of prey. I was pissed when I thought he made me shoot a guy I meant to protect, but even learning he just threw a body whose neck he'd already snapped in my path didn't change my mind."

It's true. It's all true. The thing is, it was true...weeks ago.

Something. Has changed.

Natasha is an inveterate people reader. //Something// has changed Sam's mind about the Winter Soldier. He's still got an interest, but the reasons he was gung ho when he came out of the hospital are not the same.

It's causing discomfort in him, because he's holding back. Something has caused him to feel some sort of //empathy//.

Stranger still, when Natasha's ability to pick out the shape of certain wounds might match the shape and pattern of those fading bruises to, say, something consistent with metal fingers.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I see. It's going to be that way, is it?" Natasha says with a sigh. She walks a few feet away, looking toward the doors while lost in thought.

He's battled the Winter Soldier already. She knows that handprint. The pattern of bruises. She's worn them enough times. Not that the hunter would know any of that. She assumes he had gone for the ribs as well if he followed his usual patterns.

"I understand secrets when they are necessary. In this situation, I doubt they are and I find that a bit insulting when you want to learn."

Then she turns, head tilted, a bit of arrogance in her stance. Despite being much shorter than Sam is. "You don't wish to kill him so why are we even having this meeting? You're recent run in you were left alive. Mine as well." Not that her bruises are visible thanks to the costume covering every inch of flesh other than her neck, face and hands. Although a glance at her knuckles will show they are scabbed, having been in some sort of conflict in the last week. With Natasha, that's par for the course.

"What is it you wish to know about him? Simply combat tactics or something more? I can teach you, even with your injuries, if it is combat. If it is more, I need honesty and not omissions."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam's mouth falls open.

He clears his throat.

He clears it again.

He finally sighs. "It wasn't my intention to insult you. May gave these orders back before my most recent encounter and..."

He sits down on an upturned crate, scooting back a little bit. Feeling like for the time being, he might as well get comfortable before he levels with her.

"I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to share information about that," he says at last. "So I'd intended to just come, do exactly as had been planned, and leave it at that. Maybe pick up something new or useful that might...that might help him."

He scrubs his good hand through his hair. "Ribs too," he agrees. "He completely intended to kill me, and he had me dead to rights, but something changed. He just...stared at me. Grabbed his head. Told someone to shut up. Until recently I would have thought he was possessed, but...a friend of mine says she rescued him from some sort of weird...torture session. I've started to see him as someone who maybe needs a lot of help, rather than just this...monster assassin. But...I wasn't sure SHIELD would see it the same way. Not-- "

He grimaces. "Look, you and May and Darcy have been great, that's not the point, just..."

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean is, of course, fashionably late. Or maybe he wanted Sam to get some common sense beat into him before he showed up- so he wouldn't be inclined to 'stop' it. Who knows?

Its a dojo. Nothing looks more out of place than the 'stuck in the 90's' look of Dean. Jeans, button up over a t-shirt, a leather jacket over that. Screw the weather, his jacket is his arsenal. He even has that slight look as he steps inside, just half expecting to get a fist to the face for being late.

But no. There is Sam. With that look. He sighs, lifting a hand to point a thumb behind him to the door: "Look, I can come back after the chick flick moment is over..."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Oh no, we were just waiting for you to show up before we get to the good part. We'll paint each others nails and talk about boys," Natasha mutters, shifting her attention to the walking arsenal at the door. Sam's packing. But Dean is like her entire armory at home all piled into a leather jacket. Not that he is more dangerous than his brother. They read about equal. This one is just more likely to throw a punch while Sam tries to use his brains first.

No wonder they make a good team.

She turns so she can keep them both in sight but her attention is more focused on Sam. "You want me to help you save him?"

Something changes in her stance, in her tone. It's something she is allowing them to see. Maybe they should understand a bit more.

My name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova, the Black Widow, the best to ever graduate from the Red Room, a place of violence and death where they trained children to become monsters. The Winter Soldier was our instructor. There is no good in him. There is violence and loyalty to his masters. That is what we were taught. What was ingrained in us, with torture if necessary. That does not make him civilized nor able to be saved."

Although in her own fight, he showed confusion. He had no memories of her. Yet in the end, they fought and it was only the arrival of authorities that led him to escape instead of killing her.

Sam Winchester has posed:
If Sam Winchester had fairly well adopted the look of someone both guilty and caught when Natasha called him on his lies at the beginning of this conversation, the look all but doubles when Dean makes his own entrance. He clears his throat, and shoots Dean a quick look.

Because he hadn't told his brother yet, about his second encounter with the Winter Soldier. Because Dean doesn't know that's the reason his arm has been in a cast for several weeks, why his ribs are healing from a crack, why green and yellow bruises are still marching around his throat. He hadn't yet had a chance to talk about his suspicions in regards to the man, and because a hunt had interrupted his stream of confessions about precognition. This bit has gone unsaid.

But then Natasha is sharing her story. He clears his throat again. Looks from Dean to her. And adopts the same sort of...well.

The very same soft-eyed, woobified look that he was probably wearing when Dean walked in and declared this to be a "chick-flick" moment.

"If you were tortured into becoming a monster, and were capable of being saved, than that should be true for anyone."

So yeah. Hi, bro. Sam's having more terrible ideas. Surprised?

Dean Winchester has posed:
"As long as I get the dark purple. You know," He holds up his hand, waggling his fingers by his eyes: "It makes my eyes pop." Dean grins and steps further in. Good, she's got a good sense of humor. Not like the walking-deadpan Melinda May.

"So you like... screw your marks before you kill them like in the movies?" He couldn't help it. Black Widow? So cliche'.

But as the moment draws more series, despite the humor, Sam's bruised up appearance is noted. He hides behind his own masks, a darker edge to his eyes, but he doesn't outwardly comment. She's not family. Some things aren't said in front of family.

But more seriously: "Tortured doesn't mean you have to be one way or another. You are you, fuck everyone else and what they try to make you be." Though its not just an analogy or 'saying'. Its a very dark truth of something he's been through. And it reads in his tone.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Actually the male widow has to impress the female enough to even get a chance to mate," Natasha points out to Dean, looking him over from head to toe in a bold glance. "And I am not easily impressed."

Then she tilts her head slightly, considering the rest of his words.

"You are you. Well put." She turns her attention to Sam, looking directly into those puppy dog eyes. Momentarily, she's impressed. He could use those well as an agent. If he had the gall to use it when he doesn't mean it. Not sure he has it in him. She smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Samuel, who says I was saved?"

Her tone shifts, turning brusque. "What do you want to know, Winchesters? His weaknesses? There are none. He is the ultimate killing machine. My last encounter, he seemed confused. But he recovered quickly and returned to his mission."

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Dean!"

Sam says this when Dean starts going on about Natasha screwing her marks. But...then she sort of recovers and runs with that ball for awhile. Sam grows more and more discomfited and clears his throat, looking up at the sky for just a moment. As...he often does, when Dean and a woman start dancing that particular verbal dance.

She makes that comment about not being saved though. Empathy-eyes turn up a notch. Of course she's saved. And of course he cares. He doesn't protest it, so much as he just looks at her as if he could inject all of her...save-dness. Into her. With a look. Of course she's a good person! "You're fighting to protect people now," he points out.

And see, now they're on Dean, because he heard Dean make his own comment about torture. Reminded that Dean went through a year of something terrible. Guilt shadows his face. If he hadn't run off to Stanford, that never would have happened. He'd have been there, to stop it.

But conflating Dean with The Winter Soldier has all but sealed Sam Winchester's course of action, if it wasn't sealed already. Something stubborn and determined sneaks into his jawline. It's a sign of trouble. It's the same stubborness that convinced May to roll her eyes and set up this little meeting. In fact.

And so Sammy mooses right on ahead. "What did it take to help you recover as much as you did, Natasha?"

Dean Winchester has posed:
"We're just getting started." Dean tosses at Natasha, flashing a grin that even makes a mischevious twinkle appear in his eyes for a brief moment.

"You could be saved. Just fighting to redeem yourself." Also, a knowing comment of his own past of sorts. "Your standing here not kicking our asses, so thats a start."

"If he was briefly confused, could mean whatever programming they've done to his head could have a loophole, or a break in it. Cracks are exploits. Open it wide enough and he might be able to brake free?"

He's heard enough about this asshat that killing him would probably mean the death of both of the brothers, despite how very much he wants to just kick his face in. Sometimes he knows he has to relent to his brother's bleeding-girly-heart idealism that makes him want to wonder if he didn't have a sex change as a baby.

"If you caused that kind of momentary confusion, Widow- Can I call you Widow? - we might need you with us on this."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The brothers are regarded for a long moment and she has to use her training to keep her feelings completely hidden.

They are both insane. Got to be. To want to go after the Winter Soldier is crazy enough. Throw in that they think she should help them? Why would she do that? And lastly, the bleeding-girly-hearted moose actually thinks the Winter Soldier is worth saving.

"You may call me Widow," Natasha says to Dean then nods her head to Sam. "He may call me Natasha."

She does take a moment to consider, crossing her arms as she does so. "My own recovery was thanks to the effors of a friend. A very close friend. He helped me move away from the path I was on and with time, I changed the course of my life. It doesn't change that I'm a killer, born and bred. I simply try to channel it in a different way."

Could that happen for the Winter Soldier? She's not sure it's possible. He was cold and vicious, but not angry. It was all to teach lessons. Broken bones, injuries, didn't matter. Training still happened. Lessons still were to be learned or there was more pain. "He did not remember me," Natasha offers. "At all. It disturbed him because he recognized my skills as being ones he had taught. Well, some of them. That was a long time ago and my skills have grown and adapted since my time working with him. Each time I forced him to try to remember, it seemed to cause more confusion." She glances at Sam. "You said a friend of his? He has friends? Who are they and what did they interrupt?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
When Dean throws in behind him, no questions asked, Sam shoots him a look so grateful that his brother...probably... will have a little more cause to add more black marks to his masculinity card. Well, what's a few more, right?

"She says she pulled him out of a machine. They were sticking needles into his head and making him scream. She's a street vigilante." He's not sure Claire would describe herself that way, but that's what he's going with. "I would call her my friend, I'm not sure if she's his-- just that she's not the type to stand by and let someone get tortured without intervention. So I mean that would track. Things being stuck literally into your head would make you forget things."

Dean Winchester has posed:
What Man Card? He pulled that shit when they were kids. Girly boy. OMG-I-got-dirt-under-my-nails-Sam.

Dean for the most part stays quiet, letting the two talk. Sam's good at asking questions, he'll chime in when he needs to.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Yes, they would," Natasha agrees, considering the circumstances. Not at all what she went through. So her own experiences aren't going to be of much help here. Hers was more programming, although her mind was tampered with at one time. Memories altered. Was it done with a machine and needles in her brain? The idea makes her very uncomfortable internally. She doesn't want to think of him as anything more than a monster, a demon from her past that haunted her nightmares for many years.

"Can this friend show me the locaton where she found him? Or would she be adverse to dealing with a SHIELD agent?" Since they had to meet in this dusty dojo because somebody else had a problem with the whole SHIELD thing. She flicks her gaze at Dean.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam looks back at Dean, aware of him becoming very quiet. But he's also aware this is the point in their dynamic where Sam learns things and gets people on their side.

So he does his job.

"I think she would be willing," he says slowly, "But I can't speak for her. Would you be willing to let me have a conversation with her prior to doing so? I think she'd honestly be glad of any help if it didn't mean that he was going to be dragged in, imprisoned, or executed out of hand."

A pause. "And would we be bringing in all of SHIELD? Or...just you, Natasha?"

Because it's one thing to bring in one person whom Sam has come to trust. It's another to bring in an entire government agency. Monoliths...tend to have their own ideas about how things should be done. He remembers that shared look in the interrogation room. Of course, it's possible she manufactured it for his benefit, but...Sam sees the best in most.

Dean Winchester has posed:
"SHIELD doesn't generally come off as warm and fuzzy." Dean chimes in.

Yes, Dean's more of the asshole. Sam's the good cop.

He wanders randomly around the room, checking out this or that. He picks up a cup that was left on a table in the corner, sniffing it before making a face and setting it down- intentionally setting it where it would fall off and clatter on the floor, making a loud noise before he moves on.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That's a really good question.

More than anyone else, Natasha knows what it is to bring SHIELD into something delicate. It's like a bull in a china shop. They don't do delicate well. Sure, spies, espionage, sneaky. But when it comes to international terrorists? They tend to drag people into a room and leave them there for a while. Sam wasn't even a terrorist and he got that treatment. Winter Soldier could be shot on sight and it'd likely be a clean shoot when investigated. Even if he was shot ten times. In the back.

"For now, just me." She turns at the clatter from the cup, watching Dean's meandering path. "If he does have to be taken down, he's mine." Maybe not the most endearing of explanations.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Something visibly unwinds and relaxes inside of Sam. He'd nodded as Dean had chimed in, shooting him another grateful look. It was a good chime in, and precisely the right one at that time. It gets the result that Sam was hoping for.

"Thanks, Natasha," he says, sincerely. "And...I'm sorry about-- " He waves a hand around. After all, May had thought to get him trained so he wouldn't get dead when facing the Winter Soldier, and then he had an encounter which showed that sort of thing was somewhat moot.

Not that Sam will turn down the chance to put more tricks up his sleeve if she wanted to show him things, but...he understands all the same how this could have looked.

Dean Winchester has posed:
"You can have the kill shot, but if it comes down to it, I at least want to beat a little crap out of him." He did hurt Sam. So he wants a piece. But he understands she has a lot more history with him- so she gets dibs.

Dean understands that sort of thing. He wanders further in the room, using a fingertip to poke at the corner of a tilted frame picture. He's being annoying on purpose. He does that when he gets bored. He's listening, but he's not the type to sit there and be all bleeding heart like Sam.

Nudging it to try and straighten it makes it fall. He at least attempts to catch it, but misses, making it crash into the floor and brake the glass, making him curse under his breath. -That- wasn't intentional.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"It probably will require you beating the crap out of him. Sam beating the crap out of him. Me beating the crap out of him," Natasha admits, watching the juggling of the picture frame. His fidgeting gives away more information about him. Just as she thought. Action. Not words. She looks at Sam.

"You probably already figured it out but the best thing to do is hit and move with him. Bullets are fine if you can get a shot without him knowiing it's coming. He's fast enough he can use his metal arm to block otherwise. Getting in too close, he has strength and speed on his side. Enhanced with that arm, deadly enough without it."

She looks from one brother to the other, moving back into the middle of the mats. "I don't know your skills yet so who's first?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Dean," Sam says. "I'll learn a lot by watching you two. He's the better fighter."

That's only simple truth. But also? Dean's poking things. It's a short step from this to making weird mouth sounds just because his boredom is increasing. As far as Dean is concerned, the topic is closed: they're going to try to save this dude, killing him is not off the table because it never really gets to be off the table,and Dean still wants to break his nose for breaking several of Sam's bones. More talk, more questions, just strike his brother as //irrelevant//, and Sam knows it.

And meanwhile, the topic seems to be closed for the Black Widow, too.

All he can do now, out of gratitude to both of them, is let Dean work out some of that nervous energy by ensuring he's the first one to get his stint around the dojo. And...that gives him a moment to sit and think while he watches and learns, a moment he desperately needs.

Dean Winchester has posed:
He can think before he acts when he wants to. He can be deceiving sometimes.

Oh, thanks, Sam. Dean turns towards the two when he is outed. "Me first, huh? Sure. Let me soften her up for you, Sammy." Yes, he's fidgeting. He doesn't do bored. At all.

Nearing Sam, he shrugs off his jacket, laying it over a crate by him, sliding the gun from his pants (the waistband, geez!), and lays it on his coat. He's going strictly hand to hand.

Turning to face the Widow, he smiles, opening his arms. "Lets get this over with, then." By his manner and attitude though, Sam would know he's not planning on going easy on the chick. This isn't the time to be pulling punches. She wouldn't have been sent here to 'train' them otherwise.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"If you prefer, I could just train you both at the same time," Natasha offers, glancing fron Sam back to Dean. She keeps her eyes on him as he removes his weapons. She does not. Her guns remain in their holsters. Which some might see as an advantage. A foe might be able to grab a gun to use. The fact she doesn't take them off should be a warning that she isn't worried. She's not worried about them being taken.

As soon as Dean is ready, she looks him over, reading his stance, his movement. Then she's moving, a kick toward the head, pulled at the last second and shifted to aim for the middle of his chest. Even as she is kicking, she is pushing off the ground with her other leg. Her body spins into the air, the second foot coming in a aerial kick for his face. She'll be able to land in a three point crouch after the attack and immediately pull away if necessary.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam nods to himself as Natasha makes that offer. It's not surprising. Given what he's seen. He stands up, pausing to unholster his own weapon if only because he's not thrilled with the idea of having live weapons in a hand-to-hand combat session. Granted, he's only got one hand to use.

It strikes him with sudden irony.

The arm he's got to use...is his left one.

He moves in slowly, looking for an opening, waiting. Especially when injured, his role in this battle is one of opportunity strikes, brought forth when Dean is distracting her. //This// looks like an old dynamic too.

Dean Winchester has posed:
He isn't worry about the guns. He knows this is to be a hand to hand adventure- but Dean's not completely disarmed. His 'arsenal' in his coat is off. His gun is down. But he still has his blades that are in his boots and one sheathed in a pocket in his jeans. He's not stupid to completely dress down on his armory.

A show of trust, but not -complete- trust to the Russian. Was more of an extension of an offering to see if she reciprocates or not.

He may be a little 'rush in and ask questions later' for the most part- or at least he comes off that way, but he wouldn't have survived this long if that were the case with what they go up against. Neither of them would be. His dad didn't raise an idjit.

As she comes in, he dodges the kick to the head, but she is faster than he gave her credit for. He grunts at the kick to the chest, getting a full on kick to the face as Dean cusses as he stumbles backwards and ends up on his ass with a bloodied lip.

"Okay then." All bets are off, Chick.

Melinda May has posed:
May enters just in time to see Dean take the kick to the face and land on his ass. She'd be lying if she said that didn't amuse her even a little. But, she's also good enough to not let that show. Instead, she watches Sam move in to help his brother, and here she can see the teamwork dynamic between the two. It's almost on par with watching Nat and Barton work together, and that's saying something.

She stays by the wall, content to stand back and watch and mentally evaluate the boys' skills and flaws. For the moment, anyway.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha doesn't stop there. She knows the other brother is now in the mix. The two of them work together as she expected. When one gets taken down, she fully expects the other to attack. A well oiled machine with a lot of practice. Years by the look of it. Probably a lifetime. For them.

Still in the crouch, she suddenly leaps. Into the air, spinning another kick. But this one was intended to miss. As she comes down, she goes low, trying to sweep his legs. Again, it's a feint. She fully expects him to avoid such a shot since it's predicatable.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam, however, isn't interested in being put on the defensive. He knows he can't move faster than her. He did whip back a little at the high kick-- a feint can still hurt if one gets /hit/ by it. But he is ready for the sweep.

He falls with it, hitting the mat hard, but in a controlled fashion. He keeps his broken arm up, he slaps his left arm down flat, and he keeps his head up, falling properly much as Dean had. But he's already moving too. Powerful, long legs are whipping out to attempt to scissor at Nat's, specifically at the knee, the point that's weak on any body. He's going to try to pull her down with him, to tangle her up, and most importantly, to keep her off Dean so he can recover.

Dean Winchester has posed:
With Nat focused on Sam for the moment, Dean tries to take the advantage. He's already rolling up to his feet and closing the distance with the momentum. But she's low, so he has to compensate.

Coming up behind her, he half lowers, leaning back with a hand on the mat to balance while his knee is brought to drive hard square at her back to try and knock her away from his brother.

Melinda May has posed:
Seeing the siblings working together so seamlessly against Natasha is making standing back and observing more difficult for May than she'd anticipated. She knows that Nat is already aware of her presence, and she'll indicate if she wants backup. To that end, she stands more at the ready but still against the wall by the door. The tiniest hint of a signal from Widow and she'll wade in.

Which should be interesting, to say the least.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
When Sam goes down, Natasha is already moving. She dodges to the side, taking a bit of a kick to the leg in the process but avoiding being taken down. He kicks like a mule. Or a moose. She feels a numbing sensation go down her leg but she's not going to go down that easily. So she tuckes into a roll on her dodge, giving her leg a second to recover. Her move to the side is what keeps her from getting the full brunt of that knee from Dean. She dances out of range then turns to face them both, hands held in front of her in a loose posture.

May is noted and she arches a brow in the direction of the woman. A silent question if she wants to join the fun and games. Natasha isn't in trouble, yet, but she is offering the invite to her fellow agent.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sammy rolls to the side and gets back on his feet with a grunt; it's not the easiest thing with one hand and the fall did jostle his pained ribs. He'll feel it more later, when his adrenaline is down. She's fast, and agile. How can that be countered? Well...for one thing...by not allowing it to be strengthened.

He's aware of them exchanging glances. He doubts May will turn down the invitation. He glances at his brother, and then decides to pre-empt it.

He side-steps, offering a right-legged round kick towards Natasha's midsection. But it's as much a feint in its own way as what she offered to him. He's using it to take advantage of his long stride, to let it change his position and carry him over towards May...

Where he offers a left-handed quick pop in the direction of her solar plexus before dancing quickly back to try to take a position that allows him to keep an eye on both women.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Since he missed, Dean ends up in something that more looks like a dance move; spinning on the knee on the ground with the momentum to come around and face Natasha as he gets on his feet.

A quiet glance is exchanged between brothers, but its hard to tell what they are up to. They have worked together since they were as young as they can remember. They know their subtle nuances.

As Sam approaches Natasha, so does Dean, but with Sam's feint, Dean's isn't. He throws a hard hook towards her neck from the opposite side, choosing a slightly lower location to clip her if she tries to move one way or another. Hopefully. At least thats the plan, trying to daze her. If it works, its quickly followed up by twisting to bring a knee to her stomach to try and knock her backwards.

Melinda May has posed:
Who could ever refuse an invitation like that? May raises an eyebrow in reply to Natasha to accept the offer, and then Sam's maneuvered right into her path and shoves his cast-free hand straight at her torso.

May goes from completely still to moving nearly as fast as Natasha in that same instant, stepping into and turning with Sam's jab and retreat, reaching to grab that left forearm and aikido flip him onto the floor. If she manages it, she also simultaneously mitigates the momentum of the throw just enough so he hits the floor far more gently than he should have. "Stay down, Sam."

Nat and Dean might not be pulling punches over there, but May very clearly is with Sam.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha does move to avoid the punch. She shifts to the side but the blow hits her shoulder. It spins her but she's still stepping forward as she spins, coming up on Dean's side where he just exposed his ribs from the punch. But she doesn't take the shot to the ribs as she could have. Instead, she grabs for the wrist of his striking hand and the back of his upper arm, to hold it in place away from her so he has to move away or do something equally strange to be able to reach her with his other arm. She brings her foot up to try and kick the back of his knee, hoping to disrupt his balance and take him down to the mats again.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Which is good, because even being flipped and hitting the floor at all without expecting it is far more of a tooth jarring, pain-creating thing than Sam would like. He grunts, and he goes a bit wide around the eyes, gritting his teeth as his hair flops into his face.

The thing is, he's not going to leave his brother to the two ladies either. Not even in a spar. He blinks hair and spots away, then rolls onto his back like he's intending to follow her instructions.

"Only if you're staying out of it too, Agent May," he says, earnestly and a little apologetically. "Otherwise..."

He aims a hard muley kick at her from the ground, this one more of a warning shot than a real attempt at a hit. He'll gamely let her take him down if she lets Dean one on one, because he really already knows that he doesn't have what it takes to take her down. But he also knows that Dean sure isn't going to deal with both of them without Sam having something to say about it.

It's just this hardcoded loyalty. He'll let her beat the shit out of him if it means helping Dean out, even if it's just a learning experience. He can't set it aside, even for something like this. Though he can be really, really polite about expressing that, you know, as you do.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Sam is keeping May busy and occupied, so he tries to do the same with Natasha. At least he got the hotter one.

With her to his side, kicking at the back of his knee there isn't a whole lot he can do but go down on the knee on the mat with a faint grunt from the blow. He won't be down for the count though. She's got a firm grip on his arm, so he tries to twist that arm enough to grab against her in return and yank as hard as he can trying to bring her down with him.

The goal is to get her off balance enough to try and use that momentum to throw her on the mat none too gently.

The brothers are used to having to scrap and fight for their lives. Their style might be a little unorthodox or 'bar fight' at times, but there must be something to be said for them living this long against what they fight against. Dean's fought longer and has a little more experience than his brother, but it doesn't make either less of a fighter than the other. Especially together they are rather dangerous.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Sam, though she very much aware that the instant Dean realizes Sam is down he's likely to come after her instead of Natasha. And you know what? She's fine with that. The overly defensive kid needs to see -- and feel -- for himself that everything she's done since she saw Sam in Central Park holding that sawed-off shotgun has been to try to help them.

Fending off that kick (definitely kicks like a moose), she snaps one hand toward Sam's throat in an openhand jab just barely enough for him to feel it brush his neck, then quickly backs off to give him room to try to stand again, using the movement to place herself where she can act as a springboard for Nat if she chooses. It's a stunt she's seen the redhead pull with Clint's help before, and while she's nowhere near the archer's stature, it should still work.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Unfortunately, Dean gets hold of her arm. Natasha is unable to utilize that perfect opportunity from May. At least for the moment. His grip is like steel, something she knew to look out for with the brothers. They have strength. Which is why she has to keep out of grips although she is no where nearly done yet.

She goes with it. As he pulls, she brings her legs up but she keeps hold of his arm as well. So though she ends up going toward the mats at speed, she brings her legs up to catch herself before she falls completely. She pulls his arm tightly, trying to twist his wrist into a pressure hold even as her thighs lock around his head. She ends up landing more on her shoulders, the back of her head hitting but the mats keep her from losing consciousness. She squeezes her legs around his head and neck. Technically, a twist of her body and a tightening of her legs? He could have a broken neck.

Good thing they are just sparring.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam takes that strike to the neck, grunting a little, but he gets up stubbornly. He's clearly in pain. Two shots to the mat mean that his ribs are throbbing. His arm is getting a little unhappy. He recognizes the blow to his throat probably would have put him right back down had May not pulled it. He is well aware that by now he probably would have been dead or captured, but.

He lumbers up anyway.

He can see Dean's mood. He opens his mouth as if he's going to say something about it, then snaps it shut.

He eyes May. What the Hell is she setting up for? Sadly, it really takes him long enough to struggle to his feet that for right now? He has nothing useful to offer.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean would have some kind of comment with his head between her thighs like this- but not right now. He's in a rather... harsh, dark kind of mood which might make him a little more dangerous than usual.

Especially when he's not pulling punches.

His free hand grips her leg tight from where he is now on his back with her having him in the lock. The arm that she has twisted, he maintains his grip on her arm but he does something that might just as well damage himself.

He uses his grip on her- and his brute strength- to start to slowly sit up, hoping her tight frame will maintain posture (which is why his grip stays tight to the point of pulling to get her to move with him, regardless if it pops his shoulder out of place or not), growling with a brief yell (that manly buildup of dramatic strength and force kind of thing). But he only aims to lift her head a couple of feet before he harshly slams her down on the mat with all of the force he can muster, trying to knock her hold loose, or daze her long enough for him to get free.

Though the move probably... more than likely dislocated his shoulder.

Melinda May has posed:
May can tell Sam's in pain from the way he struggles back to his feet. She's okay with Nat having not taken the stunt setup, as she seems to be doing just fine as is... until Dean takes this one step too far, intentionally risking serious injury to himself while SPARRING. She holds up both hands to Sam to indicate she's not going to fight anymore and approaches Nat and Dean as close as she dares. "Romanoff."

She'd be shocked if the redhead hadn't already come to the exact same conclusion she has.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That isn't going to happen. Not when Natasha can prevent it.

She feels the pulling, feels the strain on his joint. So she does what she has to do.

She lets go.

His arm is free and she allows herself to be lifted, to be slammed. She doesn't stop the move at all, taking the brunt. The world goes dark at the edges, fading out. She forces her mind to focus.

As she is slammed, she lets her legs go loose, releasing his head. She expects him to pull back. If he does, she will pull her knees to her chest. Her feet will meet his chest. And with all the strength in her body, she will kick him well away from her. It's not an impact, simply force to move his body a distance from hers.

Sam Winchester has posed:
May calls Natasha off. Sam clears his throat and decides now is the time for him to give Dean something to ground himself on. The fact that his brother was willing to pop a shoulder...

Well. It's a hint that there's a lot going on in there. A lot of anger, a lot of unresolved issues from his imprisonment, too, unless Sam misses his guess. Stuff he still can't bring himself to touch, for fear of breaking it worse.

May uses the name, Sam does too. "Dean."

It's gently said, full of nuance in the way that only brothers can give...when it's time to go, surely, when a certain thing is going to happen so the other can respond...but also when it's time to stop responding, when the other needs a reminder that they're not enemies here.

Dean Winchester has posed:
Dean grunts a little himself from the impact in the slam, but she took the brunt of it- it wasn't as far as a slam for him to daze him. Regardless, as she lets go, he twists just in case there is a counter, but luckily for him its just a shove.

He stumbles back a little as he gets to his feet, staying back as he rises to his full height, rolling his shoulder lightly. He will admit, he's lightly grateful that she didn't maintain hold. That could have hurt.

"Chill out, May. If she wanted to know what we were capable of, thats not pulling punches and I doubt miss badass assassin here would expect any less. Can't learn with kiddie gloves on." Even though while he speaks, his attention is on Romanoff, with May in the preferial in case she comes in for an attack on her own.

Yeah, he's got issues. And the dark edges to his eyes are something dangerous. There is a lot of fury and darkness inside of him that hasn't found an outlet, and even worse when he can't just hunt like regular around here.

Though its Sam saying his name that seems to throw chains on him, restraining him despite how much he wants to continue this fight. "Fine."

Bad thing is, he's still worked up with no way to let it out. Not without potentially hurting someone. "Fine! Goddamn." The second one is him yelling at himself inside, though outloud, brushing past Nat in a smooth movement to go collect his gun and his jacket.

Melinda May has posed:
May promptly moves to check on Natasha, letting Dean seethe if that's what he needs. "Okay, Nat?" she asks the redhead softly. She then watches Dean head for his jacket before turning her attention to Sam, silently indicating that they might need to talk seriously at some point soon. With that level of unresolved anger, Dean isn't just a danger to himself. But she already knows that if she points it out it will be very poorly received.

The temptation to shove the angry young man into a room with Rogers-rated punching bags is very, very strong right now.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'm fine, May," Natasha says. She shift s her weight back onto her hands then flips her body up, landing on her feet. She watches Dean closely. As he gets called down by his brother, the widow is frowning outright. Not because of what he did. But because of the anger she is sensing. The darkness. She knows that darkness. It's an old friend as well as a terrible enemy. She has to embrace that side of her from time to time. She's not sure what torture this man went through in his life but it has given that to him. She can relate to it in ways that others might not.

"I thought you were going to soften me up for your brother," she suddenly snaps toward Dean. "I could've taken you down about four different times in that fight. I could have killed you. Twice." She lets a sneer cross her features as she steps away from May, making sure there is a little distance in case the man goes completely stupid.

"With the Winter Soldier, you won't get second chances. He will rip your head off and play football with it." Not that Americanized stuff either. Okay, maybe not quite but hopefully he gets the idea.

Natasha knows how to manipulate. He needs to let out that rage. Fully. Completely. Until he does, it's going to eat him up inside. So she does what she feels is the right thing.

She somehow manages to be looking down her nose at him despite the difference in their height. "You couldn't take me on your best day, little man."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam stares at Natasha as if she is //crazy//. "Natasha," he says, in a different tone, but it's still a tone that conveys volumes. A tone of 'why are you provoking my brother', a tone of 'no seriously he's going to get ballistic.'

He doesn't like this at all. He steps way back from the confrontation, because he knows that this is about to get epically. Bad. And he has no idea what to do. Except to try to say: "Dean..."

Again.

As if saying it could head the storm off at the pass.

Melinda May has posed:
Okay, May knows exactly what Natasha is doing. But that doesn't mean she agrees with it or thinks it's a good idea. It's honestly a terrible idea. They haven't earned Dean's trust at all yet. Confronting him like this is so, so bad. But, Nat went there. There's no going back.

She echoes Sam, stepping back away from the confrontation as well, though she does also reach into her jacket for her ICER. She will stop him from doing something he will regret if she needs to.

Dean Winchester has posed:
For the beginning, Dean is in the middle of slowly putting on his coat. His gun is in the back waistband of his pants. Though he pauses when she tries to provoke him, his back still to her.

"That was the whole point of this thing, wasn't it?" He slides his coat back off, calmly laying it back down - which is a damn good sign the rage is building, but he's trying to fight it.

May has a damn good point. He doesn't trust them. He never has. All they've done so far is get his brother injured time and time again, being mixed up in their shit. That only makes him angrier.

"You two need to leave." He removes his gun, setting it down on his coat, but its still its within easy reach. Though when he looks to emphasize his point, he's looking straight at May and his brother. He doesn't want his brother to see him like this. And May is nothing but a pain in the ass.

He's.. really trying to stay calm despite Natasha's taunting. He's trying to give some warning before that dam will break. If Nat wants to take it, so be it, but no one else should be around. And no one should get in the way.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam hesitates. At first he thinks Dean is telling May and Nat to leave.

Then he realizes he's telling /him/ and May to leave.

And when he realizes that something crosses his face.

"Dean," he says, and there's /worlds/ of stuff in this third repetition of his name.

Deep worry.

Pleading.

Guilt.

Guilt most of all.

Finally he drops his head and looks away. This is his fault, all of it, and that realization comes crashing right down on him like a ton of bricks. May wants to talk to him about his brother, but she'll see a wall come down over him. Family, always, first, and he's not keen to spill details about Dean to May. Later...later he'll talk to her.

Right now, though, he feels like a man drowning in a tangled mess, a man who fucked up and lost something that he took for granted, and he doesn't know how to deal.

He may even be aware of what Natasha is doing, but it doesn't...it doesn't matter.

At the end of the day, though, what can he do but respect Dean's wishes?

He slips out of the abandoned dojo without another word, shoulders slumping.

Melinda May has posed:
May watches the parade of emotions cross Sam's face before he leaves, and then she turns to look at Natasha, silently asking if she's okay with being left with Dean. She already knows the answer, but has to ask anyway. Because.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha never looks away from Dean. She keeps her eyes on him, making sure that he is going to keep this to what it needs to be. She actually reaches down while this is all going on, unfastening the straps around her thighs that keep the holsters in place. Then she removes the belt. The belt with holsters and Glocks is offered to May. Her answer. She's sure of what she's doing and she is going to play fair. The gauntlets remain. Just as he has his weapons still hidden, she has hers in plain sight really. If he goes for a gun, all bets are off. But this--

She knows this is what he needs. To let out that darkness. To go all out. She had to do it recently and a friend was there for her. Took the beating she gave him just so she could restrain the beast again, until the next time it builds up too much. Then she knows he will be there if she needs that same outlnet.

"We'll catch up with you both later. Look after Sam," Natasha says softly to May, knowing that the boy is hurting from this.

This time isn't about him though. It's for Dean.

Melinda May has posed:
May takes the gun belt and with a nod to Natasha turns and follows Sam out of the building. They need to talk, all right.

Dean Winchester has posed:
With Sam's hurt and mountains of guilt, there is a tear at Dean's heart. He hates seeing him like that, but Dean's in no condition to ... talk. Not yet. But they will talk. Its not Sam's fault.

Dean steps away from his gun when Natasha relinquishes hers. Alright then.

It isn't until May crosses the threshold that it is like the darkness is released in all its glory. No holding back.

He launches at Natasha, closing the distance quickly, launching an immediate attack with a hook at her head, the other fist coming in a second behind it aiming for the middle bottom of her rib cage. His strength with the fury behind it is all there. No kiddie gloves. If she wants him to let it out, he'll let it out.

At least, she's proven more than a worthy opponent, or else he wouldn't allow her to do this. Sam is more than capable, he knows, but that is his brother. He... won't unleash hell on his brother, who he protects. He couldn't do that.