3967/Acclimation

Acclimation
Date of Scene:	26 February 2018
Location:	Triskelion, New York City
Synopsis:	Svetlana and Natasha meet for the first time since Lana was awakened.
Cast of Characters:	Svetlana Kuznetsov, Black Widow (Romanoff)

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Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Update - Subject name: Kuznetsov, Svetlana. Marksmanship: Qualified as Expert on pistol and rifle range. Hand Combat: Qualified as Expert. Trains multiple times daily with groups of opponents, yet Agent May can defeat her quickly. Strength: Above normal human. Stamina: Above normal human. Reflexes: Above normal human. Subject continues to push herself dispite excellent rating.

Lana is in the gym today, running a set on the weight machines. She's between sets, drinking electrolytes with a towel draped around her neck while watching the clock. Outwardly she looks like just another 18-year old girl, but her records speak otherwise.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It's been some time since their trip to Siberia. Natasha has been busy with assignments and hasn't been able to follow up on the subject who was found in the cryo pod. After the Rising Tide had been taken down and systems restored, she had gone for some down time in Vegas. Yet, the young woman left sleeping in Siberia had weighed on her mind. She had accessed SHIELD files while on vacation, reading up on on Svetlana. So, with a quick request to someone close to her who happened to have a personal teleport device, she had returned to the Triskelion to check up on the newest recruit. Of sorts.

She enters the room dressed in her 'work clothes', that black bodysuit with the red hourglass buckle. She doesn't have on her holsters and Glocks, having forgone them for the moment.

Spotting the young woman, she walks over toward her and gives a faint smile. "Privet, Svetlana Kuznetsov."

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
For her part, Lana is dressed in SHIELD-issue shorts and a t-shirt, along with cross-trainer shoes. Workout clothes.

She turns her head, offering a small smile at the address. "Privet, Natalia Romanova." she replies. Taking another swig of the bluish liquid, she turns towards the older woman and continues in Russian. "It is very agreeable to speak with someone in my mother tongue. James Barnes has looked in on me regularly."

There is no implied accusation in the statement, it's just an observation. "I never got the opportunity to thank you for retrieving me. You could have just as easily smashed the machine."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Sticking with the language they both were born to, Natasha gives a nod. "I could have." She knows Cap wouldn't but Natasha isn't above making such decisions and choices when it comes to life and death. "It seemed a waste though. You were left for a reason. It could have been many but one possiblity was that you were not willing to work for the people who put you there. It was a gamble." She shrugs a little as that faint smile returns. There is no animosity in her next words, it is simple facts. "If the gamble did not pay off, we would have dealt with the situation after." Cold, callous. At least to those not born into the world Svetlana and Natasha had been.

She motions to the bench beside the younger woman. "May I sit?"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana nods, gesturing to the bench beside her at the question. "We were told very little before they put us to sleep." she replies. "That was always the way, as you probably know. Training, conditioning, practice. No information. Our purpose was not revealed until we were ready."

The documents recovered from the site were a bit more forthcoming, however. Lana was part of a group of experimental subjects for the supersoldier serum. Hers, specifically, was a group of athletes who were selected for their competitive nature as well as pre-existing ability. The program was shut down when subjects at another facility became aggressive and caused a lot of destruction.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Taking the seat, Natasha nods to the explanation. "We have similar histories. Created to be weapons for others." She looks over toward the boxing ring where a pair of agents are sparring, watching them although her mind has gone back decades to the Red Room. "They liked those with skill sets they could build on. Athletes. Those already in excellent physical condition to avoid the extra work." Her lips twist up in a smirk as she looks back to Svetlana. "Rather practical of them, albeit quite lazy."

She leans back comfortably as she regards the young woman. "Did they tell you why they put you to sleep? Or have you been told since waking?"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana smiles wryly at that, nodding. "I was a figure skater before I was selected for the Program. I had been training for the Olympic selection process when they came for me. Very practical indeed. There were many potential skaters, after all." Using the towel to wipe beneath the long braid, she settles back a bit.

"The only thing that they told us was that we were being put to sleep until needed. We knew that we were being trained to be soldiers, and we knew that we were good at it. But no one has told me anything since my arrival here."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha tilts her head ever so slightly at the revelation no one has revealed the truth to the woman. Typical. SHIELD isn't so very different from where they originated from. They loved their secrets. Not that Natasha had a problem with it but in somce cases, she felt the truth should be shared.

"After your modification with the serum, did you see any changes in your emotional reactions? Did you feel more aggressive, violent?" she asks, going straight to the heart of the matter. They could test her all the wanted but sometimes getting the answers from the person were preferable.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana considers the question for a moment, then she shakes her head. Only a little. "Not... really. I mean they taught us to fight, to kill. Before my injections and my training I was a very competitive skater. Afterward, I was still competitive. I was just taught to kill."

Lana wasn't trained as an Agent, like Nat. She doesn't understand the difference between a conversation and an interrogation. And certainly not the way Black Widown combines the two so fluidly.

"James Barnes told me that we are not allowed to kill without orders. That is not how SHIELD works. Da?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Da, SHIELD has very different rules from Russia or Hydra. We are limited on the scope of our actions." Natasha's eyes narrow slightly. "We do what we must at times though, as any agent does when in the field. They just prefer we do not kill, but capture so they can face prosecution." She does give a little shrug. "I do not always agree but SHIELD has given me a place I can still use the skills given yet I have the choice. I cna always walk away. Something I was not allowed before."

She continues to look over the younger woman, reading her body language, looking for anything to show she is being dishonest. There doesn't seem to be, something that is reassuring. She had wondered if it was a setup, to get someone through their doors. The paranoia of spies. "I will share the truth with you because I think it is importnat. Hydra did put you to sleep, but not just for the reasons they told you. They feared you. Some other subjects who were given the serum exhibited aggression on a level that was uncontrollabe. They turned on their handlers." She waits for that to sink in.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana blinks at the mention of a choice. It never once occurred to her to simply walk away. With Hydra it was not an option. Period. The guards and the barriers and the doors made it quite plain that death would be the penalty for any such attempt. "I... SHIELD has been very understanding with me. And I have met many people who are nice to me, in spite of what I represent."

A different incentive to remain, perhaps.

When Nat starts talking about the real reason for her situation, Lana's gaze widens. For the moment she's just an ordinary 18-year old girl again. Eventually she nods, very slowly. "Yes. They were... rushed... when they put us into the tanks. There were many guns. I did not think much of it then, but now it makes more sense. They were afraid."

Then something else occurs to her. "Are you afraid? I know that -you- are not, Natasha Romanova. But is SHIELD afraid of me?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
She's smart and quick. Traits that Natasha admires. "They do not fear you or you would not have been given access to the property without escort. They do not have extra guards assigned. However, they will be cautious. Particularly when you reach the point of field work." Not if. When. Natasha has no doubts that the young woman will get her opportunities. Like Hydra, SHIELD doesn't waste assets. They will use her once they feel they can trust her. Perhaps before with a handler assigned, such as Natasha or Bucky. Since they are more intimate with her type of situation.

That thought brings a question to mind. "Had you met Bucky prior to your awakening? When you were first training?"

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
'When' is good. Although from Lana's continued efforts she clearly feels like she's behind the curve on being ready. Her mind wanders a little, until Nat asks the question about Bucky. Yes, Lana knows him by that name as well. Thank you, Darcy.

"Da. We met before I was put to sleep. They did not call him James Barnes, or even Bucky. He was one of our advanced trainers. Once we had received our full measure of conditioning, combat training required multiple opponents. They did not want us training against each other, so Barnes was brought in."

"He is very dangerous."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That earns a soft laugh from Natasha. Such simple words yet they were the ultimate truth. James "Bucky" Barnes was one of the most dangerous people she had ever met. "Da, he is. He helped train me as well. In the Red Room." She wasn't sure if that particular facility was known to the former Hydra trainee. "He was brought in to help with our advanced skills. Not just combat although that is where he excels. He was likely called the Winter Soldier at the time, da?"

So many memories. Things that had been denied to the man they speak of for most of his life. It was strange how all of them were so alike yet very different. Bucky, torn from his world and turned into a machine of sorts, programmed and wiped at will through the many years. Svetlana, taken as a young woman and turned into a weapon that they locked away in the armory until they understood better how to control it, now placed in a world very different from the time she originated from. Natasha, taken as child and put into the tortures of the Red Room to hone her to a fine edge as an agent although she had lived since that time, awake for all of it and active as an agent on one side or the other for decades. All three had their lives stolen away. Maybe Svetlana had a chance to still have one, being retrieved while she was so young. For Natasha and Bucky? They were too broken.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana lifts a brow at the mention of the Red Room. No, it means nothing to her. And why should it? The former Soviet Union/Hydra kept their black ops programs insulated from each other, with very few exceptions. "Da, he was the Winder Soldier when they brought him in." she replies in a softer voice.

For a moment she is silent with her thoughts, then she draws a deep breath and sits up a little straighter. More formal. What follows is delivered almost as a military report. "My strength is coming back a little more every day. I expect to be at full capacity again within the next month. My combat certification is acceptable, but I am still not satisfied. Agent May continues to give me trouble."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
There is no hiding the amusement at the mention of Agent May. "If it is any consolation, she gives most trouble. She is an amazing adversary in combat. An excellent agent. And a friend." The idea of that word may be strange in a world of espionage but it is how Natasha would classify her fellow agent. "You would do well to train with her as often as possible. Learn from her. She has taken many agents under her wing and guided them to greatness," she adds, giving a slight nod to punctuate the statement. Then her smile returns. "I haven't gotten to spar with her in quite some time. She is a challenge."

A glint enters her emerald eyes as she nods toward the mats. "Care to give it a try with me? I could use a little workout." And it would give her first hand experience for evaluation purposes.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana's brown eyes brighten at the offer, and she immediately nods in response. "Of course!" she replies, not quite jumping up from the bench. Lana's demeanor changes back and forth, depending on mood and context. One moment she's a soldier, reporting on conditioning or training. The next she's a teenage girl again, young and innocent and impressionable.

The sparring room is next to the weight room and she heads for the door, pausing to look back. She has done only cursory research on Natasha and James, mostly since the vast majority of the information on the two agents is classified above her entry-level clearance. But soldiers talk, and Lana knows many of the soldiers at the SHIELD facility.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It is an interesting dichotomy. For a moment, Natasha wonders if she was ever that young. She doesn't think so. Not that she can remember. Of course, hers started much younger. That youthful innocence was gone before she reached puberty. A shadow passes through her eyes for an instant but then it is gone, tucked away with a million other things that are better left alone. They simply lead to dark places. She has a hard enough time staying out of those without adding to the dangers.

Getting to her feet, she leads the way over to toward the sparring room.

Svetlana would have learned that Natasha was level 7 with SHIELD. She had been with them for about ten years. Before that, she was an agent for Russia. How long is above Svetlana's pay grade to find out. She is known as a member of the Avengers, having helped form the team a few years back when the invasion on New York had occurred. The soldiers did talk. They would whisper about the Black Widow. Her skills were a legend of sort, although it could be they were overexagerating. Some felt she was less than the legend made her seem, that it was all just smoke and mirrors. Sure, she could fight but she wasn't all that and a side of fries. So many viewpoints, so many differing opinions.

Walking to the center of that mats, sthe turns to face Svetlana, giving her a moment to find her spot. Immediately other agents begin to pay attention, a few gathering and some bets being made.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
The younger woman walks into the room alongside Natasha, setting aside towel and bottle before proceeding to the mat. She's a teenage girl, all smiles and banter as she jabbers about the cafeteria lunch menu in Russian. Then she steps onto the mat and her expression changes, along with her demeanor.

The shift is noticeable, the ready stance subtle. Straight out of the Spetsnaz manual; feet slightly apart with one a bit forward for balance, both hands held down and close to the waist. The two women are both of similar size and build, and both likely used to taking advantage of their relatively smaller size against opponents.

Both have also defeated each and every man in this room. The usual din of the room dies down quickly.