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hallowedmuses · 4 years ago

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𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞

SUMMARY: While on a mission to keep the Lunar New Year Festival safe from a potential terrorist attack, Natasha and Bucky run into an unlikely duo that throws their whole mission for an unexpected loop. TRIGGERS: Flashbacks, PTSD, Trauma mentions WRITTEN WITH: @ofcupidslove, @ofhellsbells, @ofredsolider

BELPHEGOR: In a big festival like this, it was a given which part of it Belphegor would be most drawn to. They might've been the sin of sloth, but they enjoyed food nearly as much as sleep. Plus, the food court, let them sit down and not have to walk around as much. It was a good setting for the game they were playing with Cupid too. "So those two, they're in love?" Belphegor asked, indicating at a girl who was holding onto another man's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. This was a game that they'd played for centuries in an attempt to get Belphegor to better understand love. They were never really any good at it, but after figuring out how they felt about Cupid, it was getting easier.

BUCKY: Natasha had told him he couldn't stay hidden in his apartment forever hence why she three out this invite to Chinatown. What she neglected to mention was she was on a case that he now had no choice but to join. "You know darling, one would say your skills for muiltasking is extraordinary." He mused looking at her while they decided where their target date was going to be. He found himself looking around interested more in the food then doing an actual mission but owed Nat alot over the years so he'd forgive this sneaky way of work. "I don't know about you but I could go for some fried rice."

CUPID: Cupid was stressed which was probably why Raphael made her leave the library and come here. But still, even here, all she could think about was the big spell she had to perform in a few days. Belphegor tried to keep Cupid out of her own head which Cupid greatly appreciated as they played an old game of guessing who was in love. She glanced over at the couple in question and smiled. There were, indeed, complicated feelings there. "Yes, they are," she agreed before pausing thoughtfully. "It's more of a rekindling, I think." She felt loss and longing all at once. These people were in love once and they'd lost each other somehow. She was happy they'd found each other again. It gave her hope that maybe if she lost Bells to the truth, they'd come back to her in another life time or another universe or maybe in the Empty.

NATASHA: "It's the years of experience," she teased. "All my missions have side missions. Usually though, the side mission is to get Steve a date. Was he always this picky or is that a recent thing?" she asked. Bucky had been holed up in his apartment for so long, she had to think of some way to get him out. Unfortunately, she'd also been assigned to this mission so she had to kill two birds with one stone somehow. "I gotta say, you're doing better at blending in than he does on these kinds of missions though," she grinned. It seemed so natural walking around the food court pretending they we just on a date. Their target was some sort of arms dealer. He was supposed to meet a buyer here today and provide him with some alien tech that was likely going to be used to disrupt one of the fireworks shows tonight. Natasha planned to interrupt the sale before it got that far. She watched as the target took a seat at a far off booth; he was waiting for the buyer. "You're right. Best to not kick ass on an empty stomach. We might be here for a while." She got in line at one of the kiosks. Now this was really multitasking.

BELPHEGOR: They smiled brightly as Cupid confirmed that the couple was in love. They really were getting better at this. Dean and Chastity had both been giving them dating advice for what to do when they actually would go on a date with Cupid for her birthday, but they understood that watching other couples was good for figuring out what to do too. “A rekindling?” they questioned. “If they love each other, why would they need to do that?” Maybe their understanding wasn't as good as they'd like to think it was.

CUPID: Bells always took an interest in love even if they didn't understand it. Cupid had to admit they were getting better at noticing physical signs that people were in love. She was proud of them for making the effort and taking the time to learn. "I don't know their story," she admitted as she observed the couple at the food court. She could tell they cared about each other, but she couldn't be sure what had happened to make it so. "But there are any number of reasons people rekindle love. Maybe..." her eyes got shiny as she imagined the possibilities. "Maybe they got separated somehow. Like maybe she went off to college and he went off to war and now he's back. Or maybe she moved here to be a big shot lawyer and he stayed in their hometown and fate just brought them back together again." She liked making up stories about the couples they saw sometimes, no matter how fanciful those stories were sometimes. "Circumstances sometimes separate people, but if they love each other, they always find a way back to one another."

BUCKY: "its years of meddling, darling" he teased back chuckling softly shaking his head " Steve was hard to get into the dating world, I usually supplied the dates for our double date but none really saw him as the guy they'd go for which in turn sort of made the date fall apart." He mused honestly before looking around he supposed there were worse ways to spend his day and being with Nat felt...normal in a sense she knew what buttons not to push to make him conference enough to be out. "That's because I'm a natural flirt and right for these missions." He winked at the other before nodding his head he had their target I'm sights hence why he suggested that specific food plus he was getting rather famished hanging about all these stalls. " yes though we've both done it before. We should allow certain luxuries on this date" he teased before moving to look over the menu keeping Nat close as he felt eyes on them something he rather hated. He leaned in acting like he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear " I feel eyes on us left corner booth."

BELPHEGOR: Part of the fun about this game was just seeing how passionate Cupid got about it. Her excitement was contagious, and it was relaxing just hearing her make up potential love stories for all these people they didn't know. “So it's like us then?” They asked. “We knew each other in Heaven. The war split us up, but we found each other again.” Of course for a lot of that, Belphegor didn't know they loved her , but they still felt like it was similar. “And we'll always find our way back to each other too.” They nodded, certain in that fact.

They turned their attention when someone sat at the other side of their table. “No offense,” he said, “but I didn't expect you to look like this.”

CUPID: "Yeah," she smiled as they found the connections. "Kinda like us." She blushed when they said they'd always find their way back to her. She liked to believe that was true. Even in death, they'd found each other in the Empty. If the void ever won, Cupid knew she would go with Bells but she kept faith that she would find them, even in the darkness and vastness of the Empty. She wouldn't stop looking. She was pulled out of her thoughts as someone slid in across from them. Cupid didn't recognize the gentleman, but the man seemed to know them somehow. "What were you expecting? A baby in a diaper with a heart shaped bow?" she sighed. She hated that rumor.

NATASHA: "Meddling, spy work...it's all the same," she smiled before shaking her head. "While the super soldier serum enhanced his physique, he still seems to think he's scrawny Steve. At least when it comes to romance." He was still socially awkward but it was endearing. She'd had a lot of fun with it. "Keep your eyes peeled. Maybe we'll find him someone with shared life experience. She might be 95 though," she teased. She snorted when he said he was a natural flirt. "So, what you're saying is you're a honeypot? James Barnes, a master at sexpionage. We'll have to update your resume." She smiled softly when he said they ought to be allowed some luxuries on this date. "I'll be sure to include fried rice on the expense report for this mission," she laughed as she placed his arm around her shoulder and intertwined her fingers in his. She glanced over at the left corner booth and saw as their dealer made a move to sit across from a young couple on a date. Were they the buyers? "Intel suggested the buyer was a middle aged male, but it wouldn't be the first time a source gave misguided information. Let's see how this plays out." They couldn't intervene just yet. If they did and this turned out not to be their buyer, they'd risk blowing their cover for nothing.

BUCKY: He smiled shaking his head leave it to Nat to start meddling the moment he set foot within New York City again. "He does still think and act like scrawny Steve, its strange when I really think about it, this little boy who would almost pass out if he stayed out too long is fully formed super soldier." He mused his eyes softening when he though back on his past, Sarah and Steve had been his family and now everything was different. "He likes them brunette maybe a nice wig couldn't hurt her chances." he teased back chuckling before looking at her "Are you saying I'm not a honeypot? and here I thought you fell in love with me for my good looks, We probably should I can't imagine its had much updating in these past 75 years given how much time I actually spend out of the ice" He replied truthfully, especially given his freelance style of working lately. "Better make it House fried rice and like...three egg rolls, been awhile since I've been treated to Chinese food" he smirked allowing her to pull his arm around her holding her close wondering if it really was the buyers watching them for some reason. they didn't really stand out or look like spies at the moment either way it was something to keep one's eye on given their target just made their way over there. "True, be ready if they gain those weapons nothing is stopping them from using them on these unprotected people." he replied seriously moving his arm to rub up and down Nat's clothed shoulder making it seem like she got a chill and he was warming her up.

BELPHEGOR: It felt good to be right about these things. Being around Cupid seemed to always make them want to try to do more, both for her and for themself. They frowned as the stranger came up to them at their table. The stranger seemed to know them, but Belphegor wasn't sure if they knew the person or not. There were a lot of humans on this planet. Remembering them all was nearly impossible. Maybe he was one of their drug dealers. Belphegor talked a lot about Cupid to just about everyone, including their drug dealers, so maybe they just knew about her through what Belphegor had said.

"No?" the man shook his head, "more like someone who looked tougher."

"Oh, you are my dealer," Belphegor surmised. They talked about how strong and tough Cupid was all the time, so it was all starting to add up now.

The man scowled and put a finger to his lips. "Shh, don't talk so loud. Yes, I'm your dealer."

CUPID: Cupid didn't know who the man was but it put her slightly more at ease that Bells knew him. He was a dealer. Cupid wasn't sure what Bells ordered this time. She hoped it wasn't psychedelics. She didn't want to take those. She was afraid she'd have a bad trip and end up telling Bells everything she wasn't supposed to tell them...again. The dealer seemed a little twitchy so Cupid sighed. "Would you like us to go somewhere more private?" she asked. Humans liked to do this kind of business away from other people. Apparently, it was shameful.

NATASHA: "Rest assured, he's still a dumbass underneath all that muscle. That much hasn't changed since the 40s," she promised. Steve still went around picking fights with things that were bigger than him, but then again so did she. She laughed and elbowed him gently. Now that those memories were back, he was relentless. "I fell in love..." she breathed in deep. The memories were still painful. Well, not the memories, but the guilt associated with them. They had been in love and they'd gotten caught. He was put back on the ice and she had her memories of it wiped. It wasn't until she defected to SHIELD that she was able to regain those memories. She went looking for him, but couldn't find a trace. Not until he shot her in Odessa, and even then it was hard to get a lead on him. She pushed the guilt aside (they weren't in the red room anymore, no one was going to put him in cryostasis, no one was going to wipe their memories again...not without a fight) and deflected with humor instead. "I fell in love because you had the skills to kill me. That's an attractive quality in a man," she teased. "But you're getting kind of rusty, moya lyubov. Your last two attempts to kill me failed." She shook her head in feigned disappointment. "Zero out of ten. We'll have to start sparring again," she teased before laughing as he listed off all the foods he was going to charge to the SHIELD expense report. "You know, if you ever want to give up freelance work, there are agent positions open," she offered. She kept the young couple and the dealer in her peripheral vision, careful to make sure they didn't know she was watching them. The dealer was edgy which was understandable given that he was about to commit a felony. "If those two are the buyer, they're about to move somewhere quiet," she surmised. The food court was a nice meeting spot, but it was too busy to complete a transaction like this. "Fried rice might have to wait until the tech is in our hands."

BUCKY: "Good to know he didn't change that much, didn't really get the time to figure out everything that serum really did to my little Steve." He mused before looking at Natasha as she spoke, he'd finally pieced together what had happened there and it wasn't pleasant nor did it all come in order, he had books filled with her as he simply tired to piece together their history from the red room to when he finally escaped HYDRA. Everything about there past was bleed with red wither it was brainwashing or how many people they were forced to kill to survive. It was hard to come to terms with how many people he'd really helped end when he thought he would write down those he could remember so he would never forget again. part of him worried that one day he'd wake up and be in locked within some HYRDA Cell, them waiting to wipe his memory again to turn him into a weapon once again but he quickly shook his head free of those bad thoughts he couldn't go down that road. "I have to admit having a women who can put you on your back definitely gets the engines revving" he smirked winking at Nat before laughing. "Milaya, I will workout with you anytime, so long as you promised to not hurt me too bad." He mused before looking at her "I don't know if I'm ready yet...While the bulk of my memory has returned...i worry about being triggered if out on the field." He replied honestly using a much softer tone before also keeping the couple and dealer in his peripheral view noticing that they would soon be on the move which meant they'd have to figure out a way to trail them. "Well shoot, i was dying for some good food, but I suppose we should check out some stuff while the Food Court dies down huh Milaya?" he asked knowing they'd have to leave after this couple and dealer, So much for the Year of the Ox.

BELPHEGOR: It was a little strange that their dealer was just tracking them down randomly like this, but Belphegor didn't think much of it. Maybe his sales were just low, and Belphegor was a reliable client. Plus, they always kept a significant amount of cash on them in case they did want more drugs like this. They didn't always keep up with it well. Sometimes it got stolen, but it wasn't that big of a deal to Belphegor. They also considered the possibility that Cupid had set this up. Maybe she wanted something to help with her nerves about the upcoming curse she had to solve, or maybe she was just doing something nice for them. They squeezed her hand under the table as thanks.

“That was the plan,” said the dealer with a nod. He seemed a little nervous about his situation, which wasn't that abnormal for a drug dealer.

Belphegor just stood up and held a hand out to Cupid to help her out of the booth they were sitting at. “I know a quiet spot we can go to,” Belphegor supplied. They knew all the best spots to take a nap, which were conveniently good places to make deals with strangers who didn't want to be around anyone else. “Remember, on our way here, I pointed it out to you?” they asked Cupid, recalling how they'd pointed to an alley with a dumpster full of mattresses and told her about how comfortable it looked.

CUPID: She wasn't frightened by any means. Drug dealers were just people trying to make a living and Bells tended to buy a lot of drugs because, well, the normal human dosages didn't really have much of an impact on them. Cupid smiled and took their hand as they helped her stand up from the booth. "Oh yeah! Behind the mattress store." She wondered why someone would throw out all of those perfectly good mattresses. It was a nice place to get stoned though. Maybe if the dealer got high too, he would mellow out. He looked like he needed it. Cupid kept ahold of Bells hand as they made their way out of the food court and toward the alley just beside the complex. "So," she smiled up at the dealer. He wasn't Belphegor's usual dealer (but then again that wasn't abnormal, drug dealers got arrested often). "How long have you been at this?" He seemed like he was new at this whole thing.

NATASHA: "Change is actually something he's struggling to cope with," Nat admitted. Steve was in his head a lot more lately and struggling to find his place in a post-Accords world. "I keep trying to convince him he didn't miss out on much. Everything between 1945 and 2010 was a mess. But you know how it goes." There was always a big what if in life. Peggy was Steve's what if. Bucky had been Natasha's what if. She thought they had the survival skills to outrun Madame B and the rest of the handlers, but instead they got caught. He suffered the brunt of the punishment, but as always James was a survivor.

"Don't worry, grandpa. I'll go easy on you. You and Daisy might be the only ones brave enough to spar with me these days." Admittedly, her favorite days when training new recruits were the days they had to fight against her. They didn't like it, but she had fun with it. She nodded when he voiced his concerns about joining up with SHIELD. She had similar ones when she first defected. She was lucky to have Clint around. He trusted her even when she didn't necessarily trust herself. "It gets better with time," she assured him. Sometimes, it got worse too. She hadn't told him about the memory manipulation Fury did to her and to Daisy. That was a story for another time. It was nice to think they had time for once.

She wasn't wrong in her assessment that the couple would be on the move soon. She watched as they got up and the dealer followed them. She could tell where they were going. "You know, some things never change. Like shady deals in shady alleyways. Intel says the weapon in question is some kind of sonic blaster. Looks a bit like a vape pen. On its low settings, it'll throw you at a wall and on its high settings it can level an entire city block." As soon as the dealer presented it to the buyers, they would have to act. She waited until the couple was far enough ahead before she and Bucky started trailing them.

BUCKY: "I think we all struggle to cope with it, as much as we try this isn't the time were were born and raised into, everything is different. Being here in New York feels like home but the places we hung out around are gone and redone to fit into this new world." He replied honestly Brooklyn was always home but things had almost changed for them overnight when they got lost within their heads. "You are our only tie for such things 1945 to 2010 related, playing catch up is never easy." He replied softly thinking of how much time he'd truly lost, Steve was ahead of him in learning things but he had to work so much harder to find his mind and memories that it was a daily struggle of pain and uncertainty.

"Hey I'm hardly grandpa age, when it comes to you, and I'm always down to spar its one of the one things that makes me feel normal." He smirked thinking back to most of the training he'd taken part in Wakanda, it was different, both mental and physical they trained him there ensuring that not only was the brainwashing out of his mind but that he could keep his body in shape as well. "That's what Shuri told me, I know the words wont work any more but there are things...that give me pause or just make me outright freeze." He replied softly, the fear was always there, he was caught twice by HYDRA and messed with, what would stop them from trying again?

He knew Nat wouldn't be wrong her assessment was airtight and it helped that they could still maintain their cover, the couple and dealer seemed to be headed for the shops which worked perfectly for them to just idly walk on by. "Of course it is, I don't know where these people are getting their ideas but a Vape pen? those things hipsters use right? instead of an actual cigarette?" He questioned before moving to follow after them from far enough behind. "I miss the simpler times, you know when all you had to look out for was a gun and hostage."

BELPHEGOR: “Exactly!” Belphegor grinned. They didn't have any doubt that she would know what they were talking about. She always did. They walked with her down the street, swinging their hands between them while the dealer walked beside them. He looked a little confused by the two of them, but they weren't bothered by it.

The dealer frowned at Cupid. “Let's leave the personal details out of this. The less we know about each other, the better.”

Belphegor rolled their eyes, leaning towards Cupid to whisper in her ear. “Dealers are so secretive for no reason.” It wasn't as if Belphegor would rat them out. They didn't really see the problem with what they were doing anyways. They looked at the dealer to address the man. “If you want, you can try the thing yourself if it'll help you relax a little.”

The dealer let out a small chuckle. “And attract every cop nearby to get me arrested? No thanks.” Belphegor shrugged and kept walking. At least they offered.

CUPID: So this wasn't a talkative dealer. Fair. Cupid got them to talk sometimes, but those dealers usually ended up disappearing pretty quickly because they got arrested. This one was eyeing her and Bells kinda funny. Maybe he thought they were Narcs. They did hang around the police station sometimes to talk to Lucifer but they weren't snitches by any means. Cupid figured this guy wouldn't relax until the deal was done. When they got to the alley, Cupid plopped down on the mattress next to the dumpster. It crackled a little because it was frozen, but they could start a dumpster fire later to warm up the place. "So, what exactly do you have for us?" she asked. She wasn't exactly sure which drugs this dealer specialized in.

NATASHA: Unlike James and Steve, Natasha got to watch the slow progression of time. Granted, she hadn't always been in control of her actions during most of that time. "It's not all bad," she promised. "If you find Clint, he'll show you the best pizza places in town. According to him, pizza always drags people out of funks." She wasn't sure pizza was gonna make up for all the lost time both Steve and Bucky missed out on though. "I spent half those decades under someone elses thumb so history is a little fuzzy, but technology...now that I can catch you up on." Bucky was a quick study by nature. He would catch onto the tech in no time. "Besides, Shuri will kick your ass if you fall behind tech wise," she pointed out. "The arm she fitted you with is one hell of an upgrade."

She smiled when he remarked that training was the only thing that felt normal these days. When she was first de-programmed she felt the same way. No one trusted her and she didn't trust herself much either. She still struggled with it sometimes. Not just the guilt, but the fear that someone would do it to her again. In recent history, Fury managed to do it and she'd never felt more violated. She drew herself closer to Bucky to let him know she was here. "If they come for you, we'll find you. No soldier or agent left behind."

She chuckled as they followed the young couple. "After this we'll find you a nice, quiet bank robbery to thwart," she teased. She was being careful so as not to be spotted but the couple didn't really seem to have a care in the world. They looked to be like two kids in their early to mid 20s. One of the girls plopped down on a mattress beside the dumpster which caused Natasha to raise her eyebrow. "I'm really started to hope this isn't a kinky thing," she grimaced.

BUCKY: Bucky had to admit he didn't feel like he'd missed so much, he mostly hated the fact that he was used and abused almost for 70 years if not longer. "Will he? its been awhile since I've had a good slice and I'm sure he misses spending time with me. It doesn't do good to be a recuse huh?" he teased the other smiling softly. At times he wouldn't know what he'd do without Clint or Natasha, they'd understood what it was like to be on the wrong side of a war yet they both came out of it stronger and themselves he admired them. "Catch me up on Tech, though Shuri did enjoy watching me try and use her tools, my new arm was the best thing she'd ever made in my opinion she found away to not only return my arm...but take away the pain I could never thank her enough." He mused

He smirked looking at the other shaking his head "I've just signed myself up for something horrible didn't I?" he teased the other before he felt himself slip away. it was Nat's voice that pulled him back, reminded him he wasn't in the chamber anymore. He wasn't going to wake up tomorrow and find years had pasted from his life. He allowed himself to be pull close taking in her scent feeling himself calm. "I know you would Nat, thank you." He mused in a quiet voice.

He smiled chuckling softly "Sounds perfect but it does need to be next to an awesome chicken place" He mused following after the couple seemed pretty easy but the one seemed so strange that he had to wonder how long he'd been out of the mission game if this was normal. "I don't want to see a threeway in a alleyway.....my 1920 constitution couldn't take it."

BELPHEGOR: Try didn't really get why the dealer didn't want a taste of what they were dealing. Belphegor felt like it was a bad sign for what they were selling, but maybe he just sold things without tasting it. He did seem all business after all. Belphegor didn't really care. The dealer held out a small case, glancing around nervously before opening it up to show them. “This is one of our best pieces that we could get for you. No matter what you're wanting to do with it, it'll get the job done.”

Belphegor looked at the item in question. It just looked like an ordinary vape pen. “This is what you're making a big deal about?” they questioned.

The dealer flinched as Belphegor picked up the pen. “Careful!” he warned, gritting his teeth. “That thing packs a punch!”

Belphegor rolled their eyes. Humans were affected by these things a lot more than they tended to be. There was only one way to find out how good it was. As they put the pen to their mouth, the dealer's eyes widened in horror. He reached out to stop Belphegor, but they were already starting it up. Within seconds, they were all blasted backwards. The dealer was thrown across the alley, and Belphegor slammed back into the dumpster. It really did pack a punch.

CUPID: She glanced at the item as the dealer brought it out, but there was an unimpressed look on her face. It looked like a regular vape pen. "Oh, I have one that looks a little similar," she replied. Only hers was prettier in her opinion. She didn't get why the dealer felt the need for all this secrecy. Vape pens were perfectly legal and this one looked rather unimpressive. She wondered what was inside. As soon as Belphegor blew on it, they were knocked back into the wall along with the dealer. Cupid managed to avoid the blast but she felt the wave of energy push her down further into the mattress, leaving an imprint of her body there. "Holy shit!" she laughed as she rolled off the mattress and picked the vape back up from where Bells had dropped it. "You okay, Bells?"

NATASHA: "He'll probably make it his mission to show you around every pizza place in town," she laughed. Clint loved any excuse to eat and this was a good cover for him. "Now that you're back in town, I don't think any of us will let you be a recluse. Black Widows devour recluse spiders for a living anyway," she teased. She smiled as he explained the tech Shuri devised for him. "In a few decades she will definitely surpass Tony." Tony would probably scoff and say it isn't true, but they both knew it was. That was what all of their work was for anyway. Training a new generation of heroes so they could eventually follow the pipe dream of retiring.

"Horrible is entirely subjective, but yes, yes you did," she laughed. "And I promise you it'll be the best decision you've made so far." She nodded softly as he thanked her before opening her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it when she heard a loud bang in the alley. As the dust settled, she could see one of the buyers had activated the weapon and it slammed them and the dealer into the wall. "Shit, guess it's show time...a threeway would've been a lot easier to deal with," she teased before grabbing her gun out of her holster. "I'll block this end of the alley and you block the other so they can't get out," she instructed. "We can't let them leave this place with that weapon." If the buyers got away with it, Nat would have to clear the entire parade area before they had a chance to detonate the weapon at its full capacity and that did not sound like a fun task. "I'll see you in a minute." She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before turning and running down the alley just as Cupid picked up the weapon again. "I don't think that belongs to you." Although her gun was drawn, her voice remained calm as if she were dealing with a suicide bomber. "No one else has to get hurt today. Just put down the weapon and back away slowly."

BUCKY: "I don't mind hanging out with Clint so long as Lucky is around, plus when his mouth is full its hard to understand what he is joking about." Bucky chuckled softly, through Nat he'd gotten to know Clint and he found him to be quite a character but one he found could easily pull him out of his head and laugh. "So you plan on devouring me? Oh my just ensure we get to the mating first, I want the full widow experience" He teased back before nodding his head "She is brilliant and kind, even taught me how to text, gosh that is so much easier then talking to people, especially when they come checking up on you and you don't feel like chatting." He mused honestly it was rather nice their tech sessions and if he was honest he missed the comfort he found in her company, she usually did most of the talking.

"I wont go easy on you, no chance after all you've also signed up to spar with me, the human weapon that I am" He mused smirking slightly before he also noticed the dust flipping his switch from cute chatter to mission mode. Either way they needed to get that weapon out of their hands moving to ensure he had his own concealed gun nodding his head "Got it, don't forget you owe me after this" He mused smiling as he moved quickly scaling up the grate moving a crossed the rooftop before dropping down on the other side of the alleyway ensuring they have no exit. He allowed Nat to do the talking first and foremost keeping himself back to see if anyone made a move.

BELPHEGOR: Being thrown like that wasn't really all that painful. They did more physical damage to their surroundings than their surroundings did to them. There was a large Belphegor-shaped dent in the side of the dumpster now, but they didn't move for a moment, no longer seeing what was around them as a memory flooded their mind. It was choppy, like a skipping disc where Belphegor couldn't hear all the words, but they recognized certain parts. They were in Zatanna's shop, talking to her, and she looked angry. Her eyes glowed blue as she walked towards them. "You ... Belphegor. You ... parasite. You don't get to ... my shop and threaten me. I ... enough of your peacocking. Teg eht ... fo ym pohs,” And then they were thrown, crashing through the window of Zatanna's shop, sailing through the air until they slammed into the wall of Lux, making a dent in it just like they had with this dumpster, and that's where the memory ended.

Belphegor staggered as they stood up, too distracted by the memory they'd just witnessed to pay attention to their surroundings or notice the newcomers. They absently heard someone saying to put down a weapon, and their first thought was of their archangel blade that they'd given Cupid. You should get that back, said the Void. They walked over to Cupid but didn't see her with their blade. Maybe it was that dealer. He looked like he had something in his hand. He pressed a button, and it made a loud screeching sound. Belphegor could hear footsteps coming in their direction. It sounded like a lot of people, but Belphegor didn't pay much attention to them. The dealer was running away, and he hadn't even made them pay for the weird vape pen. Belphegor laughed once they got over to Cupid. "He was right. It did pack a punch. I think I like it." In a way, it was like any other tool Belphegor used for self harm, only it wouldn't kill them.

CUPID: "Bells?" she called out to them. They seemed a little disoriented even though a tumble like that didn't hurt them much. Cupid looked up when a woman told her to drop the weapon. She was confused...she didn't have any weapons. As the woman got closer, Cupid recognized her as the one she and Bells had been watching before the dealer showed up. "What? I don't have any weapons. This is a vape..."she held the item openly in her palm for the (maybe?) Narc lady to see. Perhaps they'd used the vape wrong the first time which is why it had such a kick back. Cupid could see there were other settings on the pen that they could try. "I'd be happy to share a toke with--" before she could finish her sentence, a loud alarm sounded and their drug dealer was on the run. Cupid looked up at Bells as they came to stand by her. "Wow, his loss," she shrugged. "We would've shared with him too." She heard footsteps coming in from the opposite direction their dealer had ran, it was probably his buddies although she wasn't sure when at what point dealers had unionized. She wasn't buying from this union anymore. It seemed like too much trouble and she wasn't in the mood to fight. She threw the vape to the Narc lady who caught it. "If you put it on the medium setting it should blast them away," she offered.

NATASHA: She found herself smiling more than usual. She missed going on missions with him. It was nice not having their handlers breathing down their necks, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of fear that someone was going to catch them and that he'd be wiped again because she was sloppy. You are not in the red room anymore. You are free. She reminded herself. "First we gotta get out of here alive and then we can talk about mating," she teased. As for sparring, she had more than a few new moves under her belt that she was more than happy to show him.

She watched as he scaled the grate and ensured he was out of sight before moving toward the couple and the dealer in the alleyway. The taller of the two was trying to play it off as if the weapon was a vape. The more she talked, the more convinced Natasha became that the kid actually believed it was a vape. Before the spy could grab the weapon from the young woman's hand, she heard the dealer sound off some kind of alarm. "Oh for fucks sake..." she sighed as the asshole ran off. She wasn't about to go chase him. Unbeknownst to the dealer, he was heading right towards Bucky.

She sighed when she heard footsteps coming toward them. More people were about to join the party. The spy was surprised when the girl tossed the weapon over to her. That was easier than she thought it would be. It didn't seem like either of the buyers were too perturbed by the situation or that they even cared that the weapon was no longer in their hands. She didn't have much time to process it as the footsteps drew nearer. "Stay out of the way and do not leave this alley," she instructed them.

She ran in the direction of the oncoming assailants, knocking down the first one with a thigh grip and the next with a swift kick to the stomach that sent him hurtling into a wall, but more were coming and they were gunning for the weapon in her hands. The deal had gone south and they were here to get their weapon back. She wasn't about to let them have it. One of the assholes managed to grab her by the hair and yank her toward him. She flinched and elbowed him in the ribs causing him to double over. While he was bent over, she managed to kick him hard in the back causing him to fall to his knees. "That looked like it hurt," the Black Widow grinned. "Let me make it better." And with that she kneed him in the face, knocking him out cold. She was really hoping that was the last of them, but then she heard more footsteps. "Son of a bitch..." she sighed. She hated organized crime rings. For every henchman that she knocked down, two more took his place.

This time though she waited. Instead of going on the offense, she took the defense. Instead of throwing punches, she started blocking them. One by one she let more henchmen get closer to her. They were encircling her now. She had to act. Oh this is going to hurt. She pushed a button to power up the weapon and before any of them could stop her she blew on it with force. Natasha, along with all of her assailants, were thrown back into the nearby buildings almost as if Daisy herself had quaked the area. The force of the blast knocked Natasha along with all of her assailants out cold. The weapon dropped from her hands as her body dropped slid down to the ground.

BUCKY: He smiled softly he always enjoyed spending time with Natasha so he couldn't even bring herself to be upset about being sucked into this mission. Part of him feared the after effects when Nat gave her report he'd have to tag along and he hadn't stepped foot in SHIELD...too scared they'd swarm him and take him down, granted he believed Daisy when she said she was reforming things but it didn't stop his fear. "Ah I'll stay alive, there is promise of food and mating, throw in some cuddles and i'll make you breakfast in bed" He teased her before switching modes. He actually loved the adrenaline he received from doing the fighting part of the mission the chase was okay but the take down was everything.

When he saw the dealer heading right for him he didn't waste anytime tripping the idiot knocking him out to stop him from getting any father. He didn't have any rope to tie him up but did move to place the man into a trash can that should prove hard to get out of before he turned his attention back to Nat, he heard the signs of fighting and he wasn't about to leave her alone as she grabbed the can dragging back towards where he'd left Nat not one to let this dealer out of his sight even while looking after the great Black Widow. He got there just in time to see Nat and the multiple assailants get knocked out cold quickly moving towards Nat checking her vials "You stubborn woman couldn't wait for back up..." he sighed glad to know she was still breathing as he looked towards to the two picking up the weapon to pocket it. "I have to call this in and wake my partner please stay right there" he leveled the two with a look before searching Nat SHIELD communicator to call this in.

"Come on Nat time to wake up" he replied softly trying to get her to wake up thinking it was better forever involved if she was awake and coherent. "Don't make me deal with the Government that's just torture and not a nice way to end a date." He tapped her face attempting to get her to wake.

BELPHEGOR: They weren't really sure what was going on. They didn't really pay attention to anyone aside from Cupid at first. "I'm okay," they told her. "I just remembered something." They weren't going to explain what they remembered now because it would make Cupid uncomfortable, but they also weren't going to lie to her about what had just happened. It didn't sit right with them. They smiled when Cupid tossed the vape to the lady. Had they seen her before? It was nice to share things like this with others either way, and the guy who ran off was missing out. They rolled their eyes as the lady told them not to leave the alley. "So we got dinner, a good hit, and a show now? Cool." They plopped back down on the mattress and just watched everything that went down. Maybe this was some kind of gang war. It was pretty clear that one of the gangs was much better than the other since they were kicking ass with just two people compared to the much bigger group.

It was nice seeing so many people knocked out, the exhaustion radiating off of everyone fueled Belphegor, and it was clear that as the man came up to worry over the woman, Cupid was feeling more fueled too. Oh, this was the couple they'd been watching before. That's why they looked familiar. If it made Cupid happier, they could try to make this situation better for her. They ignored the man's demands for them to stay where they were, and stood up, making their way over to the couple. They picked up the woman and carried her over to the mattress, so she could be more comfortable. After setting her down, they passed their hands over her, healing her, and then they took a step back so the man could get back to her. "She should be fine, she just. . ." They yawned. ". . . needs a nap probably."

CUPID: She frowned when Bells said that they'd remembered something. She wanted to ask what, but she knew better. It was something the void had done. She was afraid to ask because she wasn't a particularly good liar. What if she knew the truth behind what they remembered? She'd have to lie to them and say she didn't. Instead, she just nodded and squeezed their hand to let them know she was there and they were okay. The thing wasn't coming back and it wouldn't hurt them tonight. She sat down on the mattress beside them as the narc lady fought the rival gang that came for the vape. It was like watching an action movie play out in front of them. Kicks, punches, aerials. The narc lady's moves were so fluid she might as well have been dancing, but she was also outnumbered. Cupid watched her grab the vape and take a hit. Everyone around the lady slammed back into the wall, including the lady herself.

That's when Cupid felt a wave of love and worry sweep through the alley. The lady's partner came forward to check in on her. She grinned and nudged Bells lightly to let them know it was a love thing that they were seeing. "Partner, got it," Cupid grinned knowingly. "We would've helped but she told us to stay out of the way," Cupid explained. She stood up as Bells picked the lady up and carried her over to the mattress, watching as they healed her. "So are you guys cops or something?"

NATASHA: "Ow..." she groaned as she started coming to once Belphegor healed her. "Fuck." Her ribs still felt like they were screaming. She was going to be sore for some time after this, but at least the throw back didn't kill her. Her features softened as a fuzzy outline of Bucky came into focus. "I'm okay," she promised him and with a groan she gently sat up. "I'm sure Clint will wanna see the playback footage of that fight. We got a collection of our greatest hits going." Romanoff we're two minutes out, she heard someone say over the coms. Back up. They were responding to the signal Bucky must've sent through her communicator. "Yeah, we're something like that," she answered the girls question. She looked up at Bucky. "Did you secure the weapon?" She was worried one of them might've gotten away with the thing while she was knocked out, but neither of the two would be buyers seemed at all concerned about the weapon. "The B Team's coming. If you still wanna stay under the radar, you need to go before they get here," she whispered to Bucky. She knew how to word her mission reports to indicate she got help without revealing the source of that help, but if he was spotted by back up there would be no way to protect his anonymity from this. "I'll be okay," she promised him. "I can meet you back up at our usual place after I wrap things up here."

BUCKY: He watched the other two they didn't look like harden criminals but he was still watching them with Natasha and everyone else pretty much knocked out he was pretty much the only one left to chase them down if need be. When of them lifted Nat like she was nothing he got worried as his hand went to his hidden knife before stopped short when they set her down on the mattress he was a bit happy to know they weren't going to harm her. He quickly made his way towards Nat as she woke smiling softly checking her over. "You scared me there...." He let himself smile for a moment before nodding his head "Clint will just love to see how quickly you got taken down by a vape pen" He teased before tensing a bit, he knew if he was caught here it would be beyond red tape and surrounded by people that would make him uncomfortable but for Natasha he'd weather it if need be, he was worried when she got blasted back so much so that he didn't hesitate to call for help. "Something like that indeed" He replied towards the others before nodding his head and pulling out the containment box which held the vape pen in question. "Of course Agent Romanoff" He winked at her before passing it over before sighing softly. "I suppose I should, while I've gotten the chance to meet your new director I'd prefer not to cause you more trouble Nat" he whispered back before letting his hand gently touch her cheek "I've got the dealer in the trash can just there, wanted to make sure he stayed, and you better be at the place, in one piece or the winter solider will come out to play." He replied placing a kiss on her head before turning to towards the more talkative of the two. "Please watch over her for me, and thank you for staying put and helping her." He replied before shooting one more look towards Nat before talking off.

BELPHEGOR: Neither of them wanted to talk about what the details of their memory might've meant, but that was okay. They didn't have to talk about it. They were busy with whatever was really going on now anyways, so they just held each other's hands, knowing that they'd deal with it later.

It was nice to see Cupid enjoying herself and the love between the couple. At least that's what Belphegor assumed she was nudging them about. The lady - the man had called her Nat - finally was waking up, though Belphegor knew it was with a few side effects. Depression would've been hitting her, but that was the cost of healing her injuries. It was better than nothing. Nat mentioned Clint, and Belphegor rose a brow. They knew someone with that name. They wondered if it was the same person. "Weapon?" Belphegor asked as the man handed her the item. "That's a vape. A strong one, but still." Just because people like her couldn't handle it didn't mean it was a weapon. Agent. That sounded cool. They nodded when the man told them to watch after Agent Romanoff. "Agent Cupid and I are on it!" they declared before he ran off. They looked back at Nat. "We can get the guy out of the trash can for you if you want."

NATASHA: "Sorry," she apologized weakly. She hadn't meant to scare him. "I'll probably be paying for it later somehow." She was already paying for it now. She had a wicked headache that came with flashes of memories she thought she'd buried deep. She pocketed the weapon for safe keeping when Bucky gave it to her. "Another embarrassing story for his collection," she smiled softly. She wanted him to stay, but not for the sake of the investigation. She could finish that on her own. She recognized that she wanted him to stay for selfish reasons. But those reasons could wait until this was over. She smiled when he mentioned he had the dealer in the trash bin. "That is the best place for him," she agreed. "I'll see you when all of this is over," she promised. "And James," she looked at him as he pulled away from her briefly. "Be careful." She watched him disappear and a few moments later, the alley was full of cars and lights. Several agents stepped out of their vans just as Natasha got up. She looked at the two buyers and was fairly certain neither of them knew what the hell they'd been offered to purchase, but she still needed to take them in for questioning to find out what they did know. "You and Agent Cupid have to come back with me for a...mission debrief of sorts," she explained to them. "My team will escort you there."

CUPID: She watched as the woman - Agent Romanoff - woke up. She knew there would be side effects to Belphegor healing her, but she seemed like she could take them pretty well. She'd taken the punches pretty well, but then again emotional pain hurt more than the physical pain sometimes. At least she was planning to meet the other Agent after this. Cupid and Bells could help her make the process go by faster so that she could meet up with him at their rendezvous point. She smiled as she watched the pair say goodbye to each other. What was their story? Were they agents on opposing sides? Why did he have to leave? Cupid had so many questions. She didn't have much time to ask them because as soon as the man was gone, vans were swarming the area. People hopped out of the vans and made their way over to Agent Romanoff. She handed them the vape before addressing her and Bells. Cupid's eyes got big at the words mission debrief. That sounded pretty cool. "What do you say, Agent Bells?" she asked. They did promise the man that they'd keep an eye on Agent Romanoff after all and she was asking them to attend this debrief. Cupid got up off the mattress and offered her hand to them. There was no harm in seeing where this new adventure would take them.

BELPHEGOR: They could see the gears turning in Cupid's head, and they could imagine what she was thinking. Probably something about the love between the two agents. Since it seemed like they were going to be spending more time with Natasha, Belphegor guessed that Cupid would be asking her a hundred questions about her relationship with the man. They grinned as the woman referred to them as agents. Most people tended to doubt them about that kind of stuff. "Well, it is our job, so I guess we have to." They took Cupid's hand as they were all led towards the vehicles. Some of the agents looked between them and Agent Natasha strangely, but after a long look at Natasha, they didn't seem to question anything. Belphegor was excited to see what the base was like for their mission debrief.

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