Part I: She's Been Everybody Else's Girl, Maybe Someday She'll Be Her Own

And, In the Mist There, She Rides

There was not, of course, a direct flight to Warsaw, Poland from Seoul, South Korea. It would have been quite a relief if there were – though Natasha might not have taken it. Yes, knowing that all she had to do was get him safely on the plane and then off of it again some hours later would be easier than stopping and walking through sometimes unfamiliar airports. But then it would be obvious where they were going, and Natasha didn't like that.

So she had booked several flights, with cash, that took them on a circuitous route through Asia and Eastern Europe. They stopped over in Mongolia for a couple of hours, then went south to India, where they spent the night. Jin-Taek was not very happy with that, especially as she hadn't allowed him to even pack a change of clothes. They were able to find what he needed, but he still refused to speak to her about anything that wasn't immediately relevant.

The room they shared was small, and Jin-Taek was clearly uncomfortable with it. They had bought toiletries and other supplies to make things easier. Natasha ordered room service and was relieved to take off the mask after it arrived. It soon became clear that Jin-Taek was similarly relieved – he actually started chatting with her a little. That made her feel better about how the rest of the journey would go.

Very early, they got up and headed to the airport for a flight to Kazakhstan, where they spent the afternoon. Jin-Taek appreciated that she could speak some of the language anywhere they landed, and was almost curious enough to ask her about who she was, or how she could do what she did. Not that she would have answered him, but his suspicious nature seemed to have decreased now that she no longer looked unsettlingly like his cousin.

A red eye took them to Odessa, Ukraine, and their flight to Warsaw was not until the following evening. Jin-Taek was tired of traveling and possibly regretting his decision to go with her. So she put them up in one of the fanciest hotels she could find, which was a bit difficult to do this early in the day. But she managed.

"This place is great," he told her, a rare smile on his lips.

She returned the expression as they waited to be shown to their room. By now they had a suitcase, so their presence shouldn't raise any flags. They were checking in under an old cover of hers that hadn't been used in years, and Natasha was looking forward to taking a nice bath. The bellhop took their bag and led the way to their room. Jin-Taek had wanted two rooms, both here and at previous hotels, but Natasha had pointed out the wisdom in staying together. He'd accepted it begrudgingly.

"Well. This is bigger than my apartment," he said once he'd seem the room. "No problem sharing this with you."

She glanced sharply at him for slipping in front of someone, both speaking English and arousing suspicion about their relationship, but then smiled politely. "Glad to hear it. Tip the man."

He looked momentarily at sea, but then did so. The bellhop thanked him in thickly accented English, then looked at Natasha again in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. Never one to ignore her instincts, she checked his nametag and decided to do some digging when they were safely in the room.

Jin-Taek wandered around, looking out the window and checking the amenities while she sat on the bed, searching out any information on the bellhop.

"Have you been here before?" he asked, interrupting her.

"Yes."

Pausing, he turned to look at her. "Not a pleasant experience?"

A grim smile crossed her face as she thought of the scar on her abdomen. But she wasn't about to share her secrets with a client, even if honesty was how she'd gotten him here. "I've had worse."

"I see. What are you doing?"

"Just making sure we're going to get you safely to Warsaw tomorrow," she told him soothingly, glancing up.

He hummed something noncommittal, and returned to looking outside. "I haven't been in Europe before. My cousin spent a lot of time here, I think. Keeping the business afloat, maybe. I don't know – we weren't that close. I was looking forward to catching up with her," he added, with a sidelong glance.

Natasha smiled faintly. "Well, you still can."

"Will she be there tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure, Jin-Taek. It's a need to know kind of thing."

"Do you like your job? Whatever it is?"

She stopped researching to look up at him. "Of course. It's far too stressful to stick with it otherwise," she informed him with a smirk. "What about you?"

"Oh, I love my work. There's nothing I'd rather do," he said earnestly.

The earnestness made her smile. "I'm glad to hear it. Get some rest. We'll be here all day tomorrow."

Nodding, he pulled the drapes shut and went into the bathroom. The shower started a few moments later, and Natasha focused on trying to find out something about the bellhop. It was possible, of course, that she was either being paranoid or that he was just a creep, but she would be thorough. It was in her nature.

Nothing popped, and she settled back, dissatisfied. When Jin-Taek emerged, she switched with him and enjoyed a nice bath. She had checked the room and the surrounding areas for anything suspicious, so figured she had some time to herself. Traveling with a mark or a client was always a challenge – much harder than the travel she did on her own. It was like babysitting; though, to his credit, Jin-Taek hadn't been particularly difficult after the initial convincing.

After the bath, she checked on the sleeping scientist before going out onto the balcony. It was a warm night so the air was pleasant. If she had a choice, this was what she would choose. It might be thankless and dangerous, with plenty of headaches and difficulties, but it was where she felt most comfortable. No matter what she did, she couldn't escape the life she had been brought up to have – all she could do was use her skills for better things than her handlers would have chosen.

The following day passed quietly, with them staying in the room and keeping mostly to themselves. She could tell that Jin-Taek was becoming restless by mid-afternoon, but it was just about time to go to the airport anyway. They packed up and took their time getting there, stretching their legs before one last flight. After they were dropped off by a taxi, he offered to check the bag while she got them some snacks. Amused, she did so.

When she returned to the line, he was gone. A slight panic began to flutter in her chest as she looked around for him. Maybe he'd gone to the bathroom, or was waiting near security for her. "Excuse me, but have you seen this man?" she asked the woman at the counter, holding up her phone to show a picture.

"Yes, miss. He went out those doors," she responded helpfully.

Confused, Natasha hurried after him. What the hell was he doing going outside? He wasn't a smoker or anything, so should have had no reason to leave the building. Unable to resist speeding up to a jog, she made her way up and down the sidewalk in search of any sign of him. Passerby were generally unhelpful, as they were focused on getting home and hadn't noticed an Asian man walking by.

Cursing herself, Jin-Taek, the snacks, and anything else she could think of, she searched as methodically as her frantic mind would allow. Suddenly – there he was!

"Jin-Taek!" she shouted, breaking into a run.

He was getting into a vehicle, and a large man was standing behind him. "Kronas!" Jin-Taek hollered back before he was pushed inside and the door was slammed.

The large man got into the front seat and the car sped away just as she reached it. Memorizing the license plate and considering the word he'd shouted, she began to plan how to rescue him from what was surely AIM's men.

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