Love Grown Cold

A New Kind of Job

Several months later

Erskine is dead .... the thought kept running through Natasha's mind. It was a horrible rotten thing. He had been such a kind man, a father to everyone. And now he was dead simply because HYDRA wanted something they shouldn't have. The super soldier serum. The same one that currently could only be found in three people living: the Red Skull, Steve Rogers, and her, Natasha Romanoff. It was almost strange how Nat had become a super soldier. Everyone wanted a man, wanted Steve, to be the first. Everyone except Natasha.

A few weeks prior

"You guys are all insane!" Nat cried, whirling on General Phillips, Erskine, and Peggy Carter.

"You've seen his work, Natasha." Peggy began, soothingly. "Shoot, you've known him longer than anyone here. You of all people should know he's the most qualified one for the job."

"I'm not arguing with that." Natasha said, rolling her eyes. "I'm arguing with the fact that you want to put a completely untested serum into my best friend, who IS the best candidate for Project Rebirth, and see if it'll kill him. That's what I'm arguing about."

"It's not completely untested..." Erskine offered, knowing full well that this would only set her off more. But quite frankly, he wanted to see her solution, one he knew she'd had in the making for a long time.

"Yes and THE ONE PERSON who has 'accidentally' this serum, currently happens to be working with Hitler and running the most evil organization currently known to mankind! Yes, yes, I know the serum enhances everything someone has, good or bad, but what if it doesn't work right? What if it damages Steve so bad he can't function? What are you gonna do then, huh?" Natasha ended this rather long tirade by sitting heavily in a chair across from the rest of them.

"All right then, Romanoff," Phillips said, sighing. "What's your solution?"

"Test it on me first." Natasha said calmly. For the next few minutes, no one was able to hear themselves think over the sound of Phillips' ranting. It ended much the same way Natasha's had, with him sitting down again, calm enough to listen.

"So? Thoughts?" Phillips said finally, knowing that nothing he said would change Natasha's mind. "Erskine, talk her out of this fool plan!"

"I think it's a good idea." Erskine said slowly, causing Phillips to roar "WHAT?!" at the top of his lungs. "Just listen, General." Erskine said soothingly. "This way we can make sure the serum works. We won't have all the pomp and ceremony of course, but then Project Double wasn't supposed to get out there. It won't be hard. The equipment is already set up, and if we do happen to black out the city, no one will trace it back to us."

"Carter?" Phillips asked with a sigh, knowing that she would side with Erskine and Natasha.

"I think they're right. If the serum does go wrong..." here she looked apologetically towards Natasha "we'll be able to contain Natasha better than Rogers. And besides, the eye of the public won't be on us, so if there's a mistake, who's to know?"

"Well it looks like you folks have this thing all worked out." Phillips said, rather bitterly. As a matter of fact, Peggy and Natasha had worked this whole thing out previously, knowing that if their argument was strong enough, Erskine would join their side and Phillips wouldn't have a choice.

"When should we inject the serum?" Peggy asked Erskine quietly, trying not put Phillips any more on edge.

"It will take a few days to prepare the equipment and Natasha, so how about four days from now?" Phillips groaned at that and Natasha merely nodded.

"All right then!" Peggy said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Let's start getting ready!"
                                    *
Everything had gone according to plan, and since Natasha hadn't had any negative reactions, though plenty of positive ones, they had proceeded to do it to Steve. And now, with Erskine dead, Steve was forced to be some kind of dancing monkey, while Natasha was hiding out trying to plan her next solo attack against HYDRA.

There was a knock on her door. Natasha, immediately on edge, grabbed her gun and pointed kit at the door.

"Who is it?" She asked, already moving behind the door.

"It's Peggy, Nat, so don't shoot me, OK? I'm opening the door slowly..." The door slowly creaked open, but Nat remained on edge until Peggy poked her face in. "See?"

"All right..." Natasha said, slowly setting down her weapon. Even though she trusted Peggy, one could never be too careful. "What's up?" She asked, motioning for her friend to take a seat.

"It's just that..." Peggy sighed. "There's no painless way of telling you this, but Steve is out doing missions."

"What?" Natasha wasn't angry, but she was shocked. She had seen her friend after his transformation (briefly and without him knowing that she too was a super soldier) and she knew that he was battle ready. But he had also been caught up doing some Senator's thing and unable to help. So this development, while welcome, was a bit drastic.

"How did it happen?" Natasha asked, quickly recovering.

"Well..." Peggy began. "It happened when he was doing a show for the soldiers and found out that his friend Bucky had been captured..." that was as far as she got before Natasha interrupted.

"What?! Bucky's been captured? What are we doing sitting here?! Let's go help him!" Natasha started for the door, but Peggy blocked her.

"Wow, I guess saving Bucky is what happens when you spend all your time with Steve." She sighed. "Look, Barnes is fine. Steve rescued him. But now he had a team that's doing raids against HYDRA. Big ones."

Natasha, calmer now that she knew Bucky was fine, raised an eyebrow. "So? Steve can handle it. He's a born leader. I really don't see a problem."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "His team consists of six men whose names are Bucky, Dum Dum, Frenchie, Monty, Gabe, and Jim."

Natasha nodded. "Sounds like the kind of crew Steve would put together. Still doesn't sound too bad."

Peggy eyed her. "Remember how you told me that Steve picked fights with any kind of bully no matter how big?" Natasha nodded. "He's applying those same tactics to hitting HYDRA. Hit them hard and extremely obviously."

"Ok now I'm seeing the problem." Natasha said grinning. "What do you want me to do?"

"Keep an eye on them. You don't have to fight, just make sure that they don't die doing their job. You're a born spy; spy on them. And if they do something stupid..."

"Get them out of there." Natasha finished. She actually wasn't opposed to the idea surprisingly; in fact, she rather liked it. "One last question: are you here on Phillips' orders or yours?" After Erskine has died, Phillips had wanted her and Steve experimented on to see what made them work and hopefully replicate the serum. Steve had only gotten out of it by being a dancing monkey, but Natasha had disappeared entirely to fight the war in her own way. Needless to say, she wasn't super eager to do anything Phillips wanted at the moment.

"Mine," Peggy replied with a smirk. "Phillips still doesn't know I know where you are. In fact, I think he's rather forgotten you."

"Good." Natasha said, smiling. "Then I'll do it."