14247/AEC, Part 2, 'You remember that thing

AEC, Part 2, 'You remember that thing
Date of Scene:	30 March 2022
Location:	Brooklyn Bridge Park
Synopsis:	Cap taps Natasha and gets a mebbe.
Cast of Characters:	Captain America, Black Widow (Romanoff)
Tinyplot:	Avengers Exploration Corps

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Captain America has posed:
    "Heya, Nat."

    "Yeah, it's good. We should talk though."

    "Nothing bad. Will tell you more later."

    "That's the question, isn't it? Maybe... you remember the day we met. Told you I didn't do much fishing and you told me about that place. Meet me there tomorrow?"

    "Alright. And don't bring your phone. Probably best."

    "Alright, see you then."

    Several years ago.

    The wickedly curved vehicles of the Chitauri roared by. A group of six hurtling down the street firing wildly as they chased after civilians fleeing the scene of the battle. They all flew in formation, keeping a steady firing pattern as the pilots let their gunners fire their energy spears into the crowd. It was a time of mayhem and wildness, those early moments of the battle. And it could have been purely of horror were it not for the efforts of the heroes of the city.
    One such hero was Captain America as he rushed up the stairs and said over his shoulder, "C'mon, I got an idea!" It was hard to keep up with him, the man was a dynamo of activity and she could see how he was a scourge to the Germans and now to the alien forces menacing the city on Loki's behalf. Up two flights of stairs as quick as he could, yet even though he pushed those around him... his presence seemed to energize those people to not let him down.
    Which might be how he found himself in the company of the Black Widow. He threw his shield across the room, embedding it in the wall as he ran over and grabbed the length of ceremonial bunting that had been strung across the street in preparation for the weekend's coming celebration. Only now he quickly untied the knot from the hook in the wall, adding some slack to it. Then he held onto it with both hands and ducked out of view of the window.
    "They should be coming back around, any second now."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The trip up the stairs was a rush of sound and bodies moving rapidly upwards to the floor that was Captain America's destination. There was something about hit that rally confidence. Well, it had after the initial doubt of a few officers but they immediately changed their tune when they saw what the man-from-the-past could do. It wasn't necessarily what he said but what he did, how he seemed to exude confidence, seemed sure of himself despite the chaos of an alien attack on a major metropolitan center.

Natasha hesitated as they got into the room, looking a tad confused as she held her Glocks, one in each hand, muzzle toward the ceiling so that she didn't aim them at anyone in the room. It wasn't perfect being a multi story building but pointing down would be the same thing.

When she saw him untying that line, she peeked out at the bunting then looked back at him. It was a sound idea. In theory. But the timing would have to be so perfect.

She took up a spot on the opposite side of the window, listening for the sound of the approaching Centauri on their flying attack machines. "You sure this is going to work?"

Captain America has posed:
    Even as the roar of the Chitauri chariots could be heard to be growing, the good Captain turned to her and flashed a smile. "What? Don't tell me Agent Romanoff you've never been fishing."
    And as he says that he tilts his head. Waits. Waits...
    The six alien vehicles roared around the corner, their weapons flashing and it's in that moment that Steve draws the wire taut and loops it around the hook again. Only for in the next moment for the chariot drivers and their passengers to be either garroted or clothes-lined by the suddenly tight cable that holds until several of the stones in the wall give way and tear that anchoring hook along with them.
    As well as a significant portion of the window and causing a cascade of concrete dust to fall upon the two Avengers. But the sounds of scrabbling and scraping metal from below let them know that some of them survived that fall and so without hesitation Cap /leapt/ out that hole in the wall that had once been a window...
    Landing on the back of a tractor trailer that was parked below, bouncing off the trailer and immediately rushing to the attack.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Fishing. This didn't seem to fit that. Any more than Tony's comment about bringing the Party to them during the conflict. It was not a party. Or fishing.

Yet Cap seemed to strike true. He had timed it perfectly, despite the extreme speed of their crafts. She made sure to get clear as she saw the hook starting to shift thus it was just some dust from the ceiling that landed on her instead of finding herself falling out the new hole in the wall where the window had stood.

Then the Captain was leaping out the window. She shook her head a little and shoved the gun from her left hand into the holster, snapping the keeper over the top. Then she leapt out as well but fired her Widow's Line to the opposite building. It allowed her to arc down toward the ground and she was firing as she swept through the air. Each shot hit the target and with each a Chitauri went down. The arc brought her close to the ground and she cut the line, continuing her forward motion in a run to compensate for the momentum.

Then she skidded to a stop as she watched Captain America using a shield as a weapon. He didn't have a gun. Just his physical prowess and a shield that was made of who knew what exactly. She knew there was some vibranium involved but likely somehing more than just that. He quickly took out the others that were left and she glanced around to be sure there were no threats.

"Perfect timing. I'm impressed."

Captain America has posed:
    Breathing a little heavy, trying to recapture his breath, Cap half-jogs to stand beside the Black Widow, looking around to make sure all the targets are down. He nods slowly, resting his hands on his hips, that shield locked to his forearm at an angle even as he murmurs, "Lucky shot."
    He tells her that with a frown as he looks off in the distance, then nods in one direction as he starts moving. "To be honest..."
    A beat as he flashes one of those smiles that's half-embarrassed and half-self-deprecating he murmurs, "I've never been fishing." And as he says that he breaks into a jog, and then into a run as he says sidelong, "C'mon, still got work to do!"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
And with that, he was moving away from her. Natasha shook her head a bit, unable to resist a bit of a smirk in response to his admission. "Seriously? You should try the Brooklyn Bridge park sometime. It's a fun spot."

And with that she took off behind him, quickly trading out the magazines in her weapons as she did so.

Present Day

Natasha was sitting on a bench at the park. Dressed warmly in jeans, a sweater in a lovely taupe shade, boots. She wasn't one to carry a purse so her keys were in the pocket of her jeans. Nothing else on her. Since he mentioned the phone might be an issue, she had taken the extra precaution of leaving her wristbands behind too. The gun at the small of her back under the sweater? It should be just fine.

It was a little too brisk still for the park to be busy. A few people scattered and a good distance away. Because of that brisk, Natasha had a cup of coffee from a local shop in hand, helping keep her fingers warm. There was a second cup placed on the bench next to her, obviously meant for the Steve.

Captain America has posed:
    The park was quiet this time in the morning. Rush hour hadn't quite started though a few people walked their dogs through the park. The sun was creeping up, causing long shadows and a hint of pink in the sky. She had a good spot to watch from. Good sight lines, the tree and planter blocking visibility on her from behind. Defensible if needs be, but understated as a place to lounge and watch the river.
    The park itself was a small peninsula of green that reached out into the river partially, but the North side was a beach with rocks and sand, it was there that people usually would walk along. Sometimes they'd pick up sea shells. Other times they'd watch the ships come in. And in the mornings sometimes even people would go fishing.
    Which probably shouldn't surprise her when she glances over at one point and will see the tall blond man walking along the beach. Over one shoulder is a bamboo fishing pole, held partially in one hand. In the other hand is a blue and white cooler as well as a folding stool that he sets down in the wet sand as he turns and takes up a place there, casually unfolding that seat and making use of it.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That brought a smile to her face. She had to wonder if he'd been here fishing previously. Or if this was all for show. Honestly, until he mentioned it on the phone, she'd thought he didn't even hear her comment so many years ago. He had been running away and the street was not exactly quiet. Yet, obviously, he had.

She rose to her feet, picking up the second coffee as she did so. Strolled down the pathway then strayed off onto the grass and then the beach. She held out the offering of coffee. "Black." Same as hers actually.

"You took my advice after all. How many times have you come here?" she asked curiously.

Captain America has posed:
    The tall man on the beach wasn't exactly in disguise. He did have the blue and white Dodgers cap that leant some measure of obscurity to him. And he did have a pair of sunglasses though they didn't do him much good at the moment, settled just in the breast pocket of his brown leather jacket. But nothing about him really screamed Captain America considering he just wore that jacket and some blue jeans, along with white sneakers.
    "Once before," He answers her as he smiles at her, accepting the coffee. He sets it down in the sand, digging a small divot for it so it stays upright. Then he focuses on preparing his line, casually undoing it and unwinding.
    He doesn't stop smiling as he then tells her in a tone that's serious though his features are calm, as if maintaining that show for any that might be watching from afar. "I need you to open the cooler, Nat. Inside you'll find a newspaper wrapped around a folder. Once you break the seal you'll have roughly seven minutes to read the contents before it starts to destroy itself. Just put it back in the cooler when you're done."
    He reaches into his pocket and takes out a small tin of ready bait, then starts to affix it around the hook on his line. "Alright?" He asks her, and then when he looks at her he's still got a half-smile. But his eyes are very serious.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
When it came to playing a role, Natasha had no problems. Her smile was still easy as she gave a nod. "I can do that." Which had her sitting down on the stool he'd brought for himself. Though perhaps he brought it for her since she needed to be reading a paper. Much easier to do when sitting.

She set her own coffee to the side, following his example of digging it down a little bit so it wouldn't topple. Leaning over to open the cooler and finding exactly what he said.

She pulled out the paper, unfolding it carefully and draping it partly on her lap. The folder was caught between her fingers, hidden inside unless someone was looking over her shoulder into her lap. A quick break of the seal and she started to read. There were a lot of pages but she should be done pretty quickly.

Her brow tightened as she read. She didn't rush. Seven minutes was plenty of time and she didn't want to miss something. The details were surprising. This wasn't from SHIELD. It was from somewhere else. Steve letting her in on it was a sign of his trust.

"I wasn't expecting this. Someone's been working on this idea for a bit," she commented as she flipped another page.

Captain America has posed:
    "I wasn't either," Steve says as he gets the bait affixed, then casually moves the rod around a few times before whipping the line forward and out, causing the fly to catch the air and a small splash to be seen as the float hits the water.
    Without looking at her he says, "They've tapped me to lead it. Going to take some setting up, to get everything aligned. But I wanted you for the team."
    He lightly lifts the pole a little, causing the float to bob some before he then asks, "Are you up for it? No shame in in taking a pass. This is above and beyond." Which is rare for him to offer her that out.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Continuing to read, Natasha didn't look up. Another page flipped, a bit more information stored away for later. Him leading made sense but at the same time, she found herself frowning a little when he said he wanted her along.

First and foremost, it was something she understand. On a base level. But there was far more to the request than a simple 'was it a good idea'. It was. More information was always the most important when making decisions for life and country.

Then there was the fact of who he was. And that he didn't ask things like this lightly. Even offering her an out. Because he knew if he didn't, she might just feel obligated. After all, it was rare Steve asked for anything. He was always the one being asked.

She finished the last page and started flipping through from the beginning again, focusing on a few of the more in-depth sections. "I'm torn, I have to admit. Been out there twice. Didn't like either time." Cap had been along the first time. Thor the second. "Who else are you wanting for the team?"

Captain America has posed:
    "You know them all. So far." Is Cap's response at first, and she knows that by saying that he means she approves of them. But he doesn't name names. Instead he plays the line a little bit, pulling the rod back some. It looks so very... efficient. Even though by his own admission he hasn't gone fishing very much at all.
    "Until we get things off the ground secrecy is very important. We can't discuss this with anyone else. Once we're in operation things will become a little easier." Which she knows what he means by it, as an operation like his is most vulnerable in the formative stages.
    "If this is something out of your wheelhouse, Nat, I'll understand. My main focus in this is that we get everyone back alive, and if you have doubts I wouldn't endanger that mission parameter." A gentle way of saying he knows the discomfort she has in such situations, and he's going to attach no stigma to a negative answer.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It was just past the six minute point so she folded the newspaper so she could slip the folder back inside the little cooler. She kept the newspaper out, laying it on the seat beside her after the cooler was closed. Probably not the average cooler depending on how that thing might self destruct but she was sure Steve had it well in hand.

The team being people she would be comfortable was good. BiFrost meant Thor's involvement, even if only on the periphery. She was going through others and taking them off the list due to conflict-of-interest. Still a good number of people that she would trust with her life. And the lives of the team.

She kept going around in circles, thoughts chasing each other. On one hand, it was Steve. On the other hand, it was something she had promised she wasn't going to do again after the last trip. Then she also was thinking of things which shouldn't play into her mind. But she wasn't the same woman she had been. She had someone else to think about now, not just herself.

"I'm leaning toward a no honestly. But if you can give me a little time to think on it? I can let you know in a day or two?"

Captain America has posed:
    "Alright," Cap says as he starts to pull on the rod and draw the line back in. No nibble on the bait, but apparently with her answer that's enough fishing for the day. He reels it in, then lifts the float from the water as he starts to rewind that line fully. "Let me know, but if I don't hear from you on it we'll continue apace."
    And as easily as that, that portion of their conversation is over. He then smiles at her and leans over to make sure the top of the cooler is sealed sufficiently even as around the seams it begins to vent small wisps of vapor.
    "Do what you need to, you've already done a lot for the people of this world. No one will fault you." From others a phrase like that might imply some negativity, but from Cap?
    It's clear he's sincere.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
From anyone else, she might take that as a bit of a guilt trip. Steve wasn't like that. He didn't play those games. She wasn't even sure he had it in him to do so. He was a soldier but he was also an honest man.

She hopped up from his fishing stool, picking up her coffee during the movement. She left the paper where it was in case he wanted it. If he did not, she'd pick it up to take with her to a nearby recycling bin.

"You'll hear from me. Forty-eight hours at the most." Likely less. She had a lot to think about and she wanted to talk it over with her partner. Not in detail. Never that. And she turned to walk away, leaving him to pack up his gear.