The first thing Natasha did when she returned to her hotel room was take off her wig. She was barely in the door before she was unpinning it and tugging it off her head. She set it on the nearest table then pulled off the wig cap and bobby pins before scratching at her head. Forgetting that Steve was right behind her, she reached next for her dress zipper.

As her dress fell around her ankles, Steve let out a surprised snort from behind her.

"Oh, please," she snickered, stepping out of the dress and going in search of her pyjamas. "We've been through this whole embarrassed-when-I-change thing before."

"That doesn't make it any different." 

Steve waited to turn back around until she assured him that she was fully dressed.

"Since we couldn't talk in the taxi, I assume the meeting went well?" Steve asked, shedding his jacket and draping it over a chair.

"Smoother than Stark's cars after he oils them." She sat on her bed. "You're looking at Hydra's newest scientist."

Steve frowned. Even if it was for a mission, he never liked the thought of one of them joining Hydra. Nevertheless, it was a current job requirement.

"What about me?"

"They know I have my own personal bodyguard," Natasha told him, making Steve raise an eyebrow. "When you're a wealthy woman who likes to get in trouble, you need a personal bodyguard." She winked then and Steve rolled his eyes. "Don't worry."

"Just because you tell me not to doesn't mean I won't," he argued. It was a growing habit of his. 

Still standing between the door and the rest of Natasha's suite, Steve seemed to realise he should leave at the exact same moment she did. There was no further reason to stay and now that their mission had officially begun, they needed to stick to their covers.

"Anything else for tonight?" Steve asked. Natasha shook her head. "Let me know if Fury calls, yeah?"

"Yeah," Natasha said softly. "See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning."

* * * *

Natasha wasn't sure what she expected from Hydra, but it certainly wasn't for them to send a car to her hotel the following morning. She and Steve had just finished their breakfast and were conveniently in Natasha's suite when the call came that Maria von Kant's driver was waiting for her. 

While Natasha managed to remain calm on the phone, there was a flurry of action as soon as she hung up. Fortunately, she had left her hair braided from the night before, so she quickly pinned the braids up and tugged her wig on over top of them. There was no time to search for her wig cap before she and Steve raced into the elevator to meet the driver in the lobby. 

As soon as they stepped off the elevator, Natasha recognised the driver as the bodyguard from the club. 

"Who is your friend?" he grumbled, eyeing Steve.

"My bodyguard." She gestured at Steve who merely blinked. He had no idea what they were saying. "I was told I could bring him."

The driver didn't look convinced, but he led them both into the car nonetheless.

The drive to the base was long. Even without a speed limit on the roads, it was still nearly two hours before Natasha spotted it. As soon as she did, she knew they were in over their heads.

Despite Fury's reassurances that this was an amateur set-up, the drive up to the base was protected by numerous checkpoints. She never got a good look inside the checkpoints, but the soldiers that appeared outside the car had weapons that could rival her own. When they finally stopped outside a square building, Natasha knew they needed backup. 

"Follow me," the driver ordered.

Natasha got out of the car and followed the driver into the building with Steve close behind. The route they followed was meant to confuse them, no doubt, but Natasha tracked every hall they walked down and counted the stairs. When they finally stopped outside a tall door, however, she knew they were deep inside the base.

"Director Schmidt is inside, Frau von Kant."

When she didn't respond, the man unlocked the door and stepped aside for Natasha to walk in. Steve followed, aware of the man's suspicious gaze the whole time, and as soon as he was inside, the door was pulled shut. Across the room, a man looked up and gave Natasha a short smile.

Immediately, he addressed Natasha in German. Steve pursed his lips and waited, but then the man addressed him and he faltered.

When Steve didn't respond, the man narrowed his eyes and turned to Natasha for an explanation. Not for the first time in his life did Steve wish he'd taken up a second language.

"He does not speak German," Natasha said quickly when Schmidt's eyes landed on her. "He does the job, but he's useless when it comes to anything else."

Schmidt hummed, eyeing Steve condescendingly. Turning back to Natasha, he moved on from the topic of Steve and began discussing her lab with her.

As per their arrangement, she would have her own lab with multiple assistants at her disposal. Natasha only tried to argue this once before realising Schmidt would not allow her to have a private lab. Reluctantly, she agreed. If it came down to it, she and Steve could easily take care of a few lab techs without too much hassle.

Finally, Schmidt motioned for her to follow him out of her office. With Steve trailing behind her, Natasha walked with Schmidt through the base until they reached the room that would be acting as her lab.

"As long as you provide us with what you promised," Schmidt said with a hum, "I'm sure we will get along very well."

"Without a doubt," Natasha replied despite the many growing doubts in her mind.

Satisfied with her response, Schmidt pushed open the heavy lab door and let Natasha walk inside. She had hardly stepped through the door when she noticed a rather major problem. The lab techs that Schmidt had promised her were not, in fact, lab techs but instead soldiers in ill-fitting lab coats.

Beside her, Steve inhaled a little too sharply and she knew he'd noticed too.

"This is Frau Maria von Kant," Schmidt announced, gaining the attention of the soldiers. "She is your new supervisor."

The soldiers only briefly acknowledged her before returning their attention to whatever was in front of them. 

In the doorway, Schmidt gave her a polite smile and nodded towards the lab supplies."Good luck, Frau."

The large door slammed shut, locking behind him with an audible click.