Point Of No Return

Evan ‘relieved’ Cedric Nelson, one of the many SHIELD IT professionals of his laptop and he opened it and turned it on for Natalya to begin her hack. They were in Cedric’s apartment not far from the Local SHIELD HQ Offices downtown. It was an older building than his though it wasn’t without its own charm. Cedric was a bit older than he and seemed to really like the 60s and 70s. There were walls of LP records and much of his furniture was art deco in nature. He also had a fluffy black and white cat named Bandit that loved attention. They were sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and he plugged the laptop in for her.

“Do you think you can get access? I have Cedric’s old password and he has the same user name,” he said as he slid the tablet of paper with the codes on it toward her. “I’ll make us some food I guess while you...do your thing,” he said and then began to poke around the kitchen. After a short survey of the fridge he decided on omelets since Cedric had alot of eggs, cheese, lunch meat and veggies.

Both Natalya and Evan seemed very relaxed in Cedric's apartment. Natalya sat at the breakfast bar with her long, dark hair pulled up into a messy bun. With Cedric's laptop she was certain she would be able to hack into SHIELD's records and find the information about the Dark Matter. Natalya had been well trained in pretty much everything...hacking included. She had hacked into the US Government's databases multiple times so she didn't think this would be too challenging, especially with the codes already supplied. While Evan began to cook Natalya became silent as she began to play around with the different passwords. It took several attempts, but soon she was in and she was pleased to find that Cedric had unlimited access to SHIELD's databases. Her fingers flew across the keys as she began to explore the inner workings of SHIELD. She knew that the information about the Dark Matter was not going to be easy to find and so she settled in, knowing it was going to be a long night.

While Natalya was using a backdoor into the lab scheduling Evan slid a plate toward her. It had a good, Havarti cheese melted on top of the perfectly cook omelet and as she picked up the fork and set to van frowned when she only took a large fork full and then another and then another.

“Did you even taste that?” he asked as he caught her mid shovel. “If you perhaps take a moment to taste the food that you put into your mouth you might find something you enjoy,” he added as he took a bite in his. The splash of tomato, the chives and ham and sausage went perfectly with the creamy, Havarti cheese. Evan ate not quite daintily but with well mannered, measure bites as if he had watched himself in the mirror several times. That was his mother’s doing. She absolutely HATED bad table manners. And Evan savored each bite. When she just looked at him he just shook his head and shrugged and dropped his fork annoyedly onto his plate then moved around beside her.

“Ok, what do you got? Anything?” he asked as he began to rub her back idly. Idly at first then he applied a bit more pressure but focused on the laptop and on her words.

Natalya glanced slightly at the plate that Evan slid towards her. She picked up her fork and began to eat. She took larger bites, but not grotesquely so. She just wanted to finish eating so she could continue on with her work. However, when Evan seemed upset she looked at him questioningly. What was it with him and food? She just didn't understand it! What did he want her to do? Moan and make unappetizing sounds? The entire thing confused her and she didn't understand why he was getting so upset about it. She sighed and pushed the plate aside as he got up and walked around behind her.

"Well, I was able to get into...What are you doing?" she asked as he began to rub her back. She looked over her shoulder at him not with anger, but with genuine surprise. Natalya had never received any sort of affection or love in her entire life. She had merely been a created agent that Tatiana had wanted to use as her personal pawn. Love never figured into her life in any form. Correct behavior was rewarded by not being beaten or tortured and that was all. Just like with the food, Natalya didn't understand love or affection at all.

Evan shrugged. “Oh, do you wish me to stop?” he asked. “I just felt like touching you. But if it is distracting, I can stop?

Natalya just looked at him a moment, but didn't shrug him away. She then looked back at the computer screen. "I was able to get in, but this isn't going to be easy to find. It may take a while."

...Hours later Natalya continued to hunt through SHIELD's files. It was nearing 2 am and an untouched cup of tea sat next to her. It had long since turned cold, but Natalya was too deep into her work to think about re-heating it. Finally, after nearly five hours of digging she found something. She had had to hack through several layers of security and figure out the specific code name, but she had done it.

"Evan, I've got something."

Evan had been resting with his legs over the arm of the striped couch. The cat was on his stomach purring but it jumped down off of him when he lurched up and scooted up to her. Quickly he scanned the screen and saw what she saw.

Dark Matter was still a very unusual and largely unknown element. He wiped his face and clear the sleep from his tired eyes as he read on.

“They’re not going to do more tests are they? Oh god, they are!” He exclaimed worriedly though it sounded as if he were half talking to himself too. “They’ll just keep pushing until something catastrophic happens,” he said absently. “Why is this so important? It’s like the whole world knows something we don’t,” He said and then he got up and began to pace. His long, black curls fall down to his shoulders and he lifted them up to scratch the back of his head.

“Does it list which lab?” he asked abruptly and shifted up beside her once more and Natalya brought up the power distribution matrix for the facility. A large quantity of power would be diverted at 2 PM tomorrow. “2 O’clock...we’ll have to try and take it before then. They have no idea what they have I think and I won’t know where its being kept until that time,” He said as he tried not to chew on his nails. It was a bad habit that was difficult to break sometimes. What was really bothering him was that if he did this. If anyone got hurt or killed. There would be no going back. For Natalya it was already like that and look how well she was holding up? He felt like a complete mess.

Natalya didn’t feel the least bit tired even though she had barely gotten any sleep in the past 48 hours. Finding this information had reinvigorated her. They now knew where the Dark Matter was going to be. They were close to getting their hands on it, although she knew it wasn’t going to be simple. They would need a plan. However as she watched Evan pace she knew that formulating a plan right now was out of the question. He seemed agitated and worried. They needed to both be calm in order to make this work. At first she wasn’t sure what to do, but then an idea came into her head. When Evan turned around he would find that Natalya had stripped off the tee shirt she had been wearing and she stood there in her black lace bra. Her breasts were a nice size and shape and completely natural, as Evan would well know by now. As he stood there she slowly walked over to him and began to kiss him as her hand lightly stroked the front of his pants.

Evan was completely surprised by Natalya...again. But he wondered if she did what she did...with him because of who she was or because she really liked Evan and liked to make love to him. He knew why he did it. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he honestly had feelings for her. Perhaps not love, not the kind that made a man write poetry or wait by the phone. But he did really like her. Her kiss and her touch was all it took to remove him from his thoughts and debase him into more carnal urges. He hoped Cedric wouldn’t mind them in his bed!

He kissed her back and as she removed his shirt they gradually made their way back to the bedroom. He tossed the covers over the end of the bed while she laid down and beckoned him to come to her. He did ofcourse and decided to pleasure her first, this time. Their love-making was once again a contest of who could please who more and of sexual dominance. Something that Evan didn’t mind at all. The woman knew how to take control and often Evan found it challenging to allow him to take the lead. As if it might be alien to her to allow him to guide her into an orgasm. So much resistance and yet she definitely seemed to enjoy this: Evan knew he did. This time they were carrying on for almost an hour before they collapsed in a heap in the middle of the bed. Even so he beckoned her to lay upon him and he was pleased that she did. It was some time before their breathing had normalized and they were able to talk.
Evan was completely surprised by Natalya...again. But he wondered if she did what she did...with him because of who she was or because she really liked Evan and liked to make love to him. He knew why he did it. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he honestly had feelings for her. Perhaps not love, not the kind that made a man write poetry or wait by the phone. But he did really like her. Her kiss and her touch was all it took to remove him from his thoughts and debase him into more carnal urges. He hoped Cedric wouldn’t mind them in his bed!

He kissed her back and as she removed his shirt they gradually made their way back to the bedroom. He tossed the covers over the end of the bed while she laid down and beckoned him to come to her. He did ofcourse and decided to pleasure her first, this time. Their love-making was once again a contest of who could please who more and of sexual dominance. Something that Evan didn’t mind at all. The woman knew how to take control and often Evan found it challenging to allow him to take the lead. As if it might be alien to her to allow him to guide her into an orgasm. So much resistance and yet she definitely seemed to enjoy this: Evan knew he did. This time they were carrying on for almost an hour before they collapsed in a heap in the middle of the bed. Even so he beckoned her to lay upon him and he was pleased that she did. It was some time before their breathing had normalized and they were able to talk.

“I hope you never stop surprising me Natalya,” He said as he turned his head to look at her. He smiled a warm smile and indeed he did feel a twinge of feeling for her just then. He still wasn’t certain if she were just ‘playing’ a role as she was taught but he hoped she wasn’t right now. He certainly wasn’t. The very world was at stake. There was no ‘mission’ this time. It was succeed...in whatever the hell it was that they had to do, or he feared his dreams would come true. “Did they train you to make love like that?” He said softly as he kissed her forehead and played with the damp ends of her black locks.

Natalya was breathing heavily as she collapsed onto the bed nearly an hour later. Her heart as beating hard in her chest and she heard Evan gasping beside her. She had never been with a man before who made her orgasm multiple times. She knew that Evan was unlike any person she had ever met before, but her feelings continued to confuse her. She didn't know what they were and she told herself she needed to stop sleeping with him, but as Evan beckoned her to lay upon him she did so without any hesitation. They were both sweaty, but neither one seemed to mind. Sex had never been like this before for her. She had always only used sex to get information or to coerce a man into doing what she needed. And she certainly had never slept with the same man more than once. Everything about this was new to her. When Evan asked her if she had been trained to make love like that she hesitated slightly before nodding.

"I was trained in everything, including sex. The first few times I was raped and then I was put in the training of one man who taught me how to properly seduce and pleasure a man. I was forced to sleep with a dozen different men who all preferred different things in order to prepare me for anything and everything. And pregnancy has never been an issue since I was sterilized."

Evan paused in his movements briefly as he let that all sink in. “Sterilized? Why would they do that?” he asked and then decided that that made some sense. He didn’t like it though. Nor did he like how impassively she talked about what they did to her. Like it was just something that happened. He began to play with her hair again.

“That’s so horrible Natalya. That a human being could do that to another person. A child. It wasn’t right, what they did to you. What they made you do. What you felt compelled to do. Maybe in some ways you came to enjoy...working but I think that was just your mind making it all easier on you. When you were working you weren’t around those that hurt you. When you succeeded you were likely treated better? Well, that’s all over now. Your life is your own. You can get up out of this bed right now and walk away. Go anywhere, live on some island and eat crab and coconuts. Become a supermodel or, or anything,” he said softly.

“I won’t let them hurt you again. I don’t have many friends but those that I do have I want to do right by. At least if I am able. I don’t want to classify what we are. Not with the whole world throwing us together out of necessity. But that’s the point, isn’t it? I did not just make love to you out of necessity. I did it because I wanted to. To make you feel good. To share this part of myself with you,” He said. “No, not out of necessity though the urges I have when you’re around...sometimes I feel as if it is a necessity,” he chuckled.

Natalya was rather surprised by how passionately Evan spoke against what had been done to her. To be honest she had never really considered it in any way other than being necessary. She had grown numb to it all, but ever so slowly that numbness was fading away. There were horrible memories locked away deep inside of her that she could no longer recall, but she knew they were there and perhaps one day might resurface. Natalya did not want to talk about what had been done to her any longer. Instead, she rested her head back upon his chest as he played with her hair.

"Tell me something about yourself," she said, wanting to take the attention off of her.

Evan paused and then smiled at her words. It was rare that he met a woman that didn’t enjoy talking about herself. Most of his past girlfriends had alot to say though they never really said much. Just used alot of words he thought. An awful lot of words! “Well, only one other person, besides my father, know much about me and my family. Alyssa ofcourse but that’s it. My mother is not from here...uh, Earth I mean. At least, not in the way that we know it. She is from another plane of existence. The daughter of Nyx, a Greek Goddess of Chaos. She was imprisoned for eternity until my father, a scientist and an expert in Dark Matter, punched a hole into that plane and rescued my mother. The way she describes it makes it so much more romantic I guess. But everything about her is spoken so. I guess if I had to put a timeline to it I began to notice my powers when I was 8. The shadows could talk to me, in a way. Not any real language, just a sensing of them and I also sensed that they knew me too. They started telling me things, looking out for me if you could call it that,” Evan explained.

“When I graduated high school...or by the time I had graduated, a year early, I knew what my powers were and I also knew that I couldn’t stay home any longer. My father and I...well, we didn’t get along well I guess and we argued all the time...about almost everything. I ran away more or less and joined the Army. But my abilities marked me out as someone special and they threw me at every training school they had. Rangers, Special Forces, you name it. I did take college courses though. That’s where I met Alyssa. She taught a criminal Justice course and noticed I was different than the others. She recruited me into SHIELD 6 years ago and that was that. I suspect my mother talked to someone but whenever I ask she denied it,” He said.

“You know, it’s funny, My mother always had a terrible temper but quite honestly, I think my compassion for others came from her. My father...he...he was always so into his work. He barely had time for me. My mother always had a way with him but that usually left me out of his attentions. She did what she could though, taught me alot about the world and about women,” He said and chuckled. “I guess that’s why I like you...you’re so different than anyone else I ever met. I mean, yeah I know you were trained to manipulate men like me but its like I can feel where your coming from,” He said. He knew he couldn’t explain it very well and didn’t want to bring the conversation back to her and make her feel uncomfortable.

“I don’t mean to push you, I know things will take time,” he said then shifted to lay on his elbow and prop his head up to look at her. He reached over and gently touched her cheek and jawline. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are Natalya,” he said sweetly and quite honestly. His dark eyes scanned over her naked form and that alone brought him pleasure. It was her beauty that infected his thoughts, his dreams and now his very soul he thought. Thought and worried about that too. She could be manipulating him on a scale that would have him leading her to what she wanted in order to vindicate herself. But he so much wanted to trust her. He wanted that more than anything right then.

Natalya listened to Evan with a look of genuine interest. However, when he confessed that his mother was the daughter of a Greek Goddess her look changed to that of shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing...and yet at the same time she knew somehow that what he was telling her was the truth, however crazy it sounded. She continued to listen without interruption as her mind tried to process everything he was telling her. By the end of his tale her mind had somehow accepted the idea that he was the son of a Greek Goddess. It somehow seemed to explain somethings to her. There were qualities about him that she had not been able to put her finger on...and now it made sense. She was quiet a moment before remembering something he had said about his father.

"You said your father is an expert in Dark Matter. Would he help us?"

Her suggestion made Evan almost splutter and he got out of bed quickly. “Why would you even suggest that? It would put him in the middle of everything, I’d never do that!” he said as if he were annoyed now. He faced away from her and felt his anger rising. He had obviously said to much. His experiments were secret, very secret and he foolishly just blurted it all out like she was a long time friend and ally. Distrust of her slid across his shoulders and left a sour taste in his mouth.

“Get some sleep Natalya,” he said as he began to get dressed. “I’ll wake you in a few hours,” he said in obvious hurry to get out of that room. Once his boots were on he just grabbed up his shirt and moved into the kitchen. In the freezer Cedric had some Superman Ice Cream and Evan found a spoon then sat down at the breakfast Island and began to eat it.

Was Natalya just using him to complete her mission? More and more he had doubts about her. About her true motives. Or even if the SSB would kill her if she completed her mission. Distrust was not something Evan liked to have lingering around. Especially when his feelings for her were so strong. He was far from a fool but he wondered if he was being one anyway. Was he really falling for her? Really falling for her? He couldn’t say for certain. Which only made the point seem worse inside his head.

“Time to move,” He said finally as he poked his head into the room. Get a shower, it might be the last you get in a while. I’ll fix us something to eat,” he said then ducked back out of sight. Cedric had polish sausages, cheese and pickled peppers. He also had buns perfect for a Panini. He had a press too so that decided it. When the sausages were done he sliced them then built the sandwiches and added some of the yummy cheese, mustard and mayo and a tomato slice. He cut them in two then set hers out with a tall Iced Tea with a bit of lemon and sugar for her. God he missed his phone!

Natalya was visibly startled at Evan's reaction. She had not meant that they put his father in danger, but to simply get information from him about Dark Matter to better understand what it was they might be dealing with. The look in his eyes was enough to tell him what she needed to know...he didn't trust her. And for some strange reason that upset her. Normally she didn't care what anyone thought about her, but with Evan...things were different...complicated. She didn't understand what she was feeling and didn't like the way she felt now. As he left, she decided that she needed to just finish working with him on this and then go her separate way. She no longer belonged to anything...or anyone.

She didn't sleep. She just dressed and waited in the bedroom. She sensed he didn't want to be around her so she stayed away. When he poked his head in she barely glanced at him. She didn't shower and she walked out of the room. She glanced at the plate he had fixed for her, but pushed it away. Any softening Evan had done of her tough outer exterior was gone and she had put up an even tougher wall...not wanting to ever make herself vulnerable again. She had made a mistake and it wouldn't happen twice.

Evan’s eyebrows rose at her apparent lack of appetite. And he couldn’t help but be mildly offended. Had he been too harsh with her about his father? He didn’t want his parents involved...at all. He loved them and wanted to at least try to keep them safe. He ate his sandwich and disposed of the refuse. As he did Natalya felt a jolt in her mouth. Like a small pin prick of electricity. In her early years they still did things the old way at the SSB. And a small diode that had a microchip in it could alert an agent to contact their superior as soon as possible. Like a beeper but the difference was it’s bandwidth as so low it was virtually unstoppable anywhere, even underground. It went off twice and Natalya remembered.

Tatiana Kruglov was as tough as they got. A woman who managed to weave a web of power in amongst some of the most powerful and ruthless Russian men in the entire world. Some with ties that dated back to the Cold War. They broke the mold when they made Tatiana. On the outside she looked like a blonde, retired housewife. But on the inside she was a brutally efficient killer. Not cruel, not usually but brutal. Natalya has been her greatest success until now. So much so that there was talk that if Natalya managed to complete the mission she might be allowed back into the fold. Not a lot of talk but any meant that there was a chance. A slim one bit it was better than no chance. Tatiana gained a lot of clout and power due to Natalya and she wanted that back!

“Hello, Natalya?” Evan said. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” Evan asked. “It’s time we got this over with I guess. Arm up and please try NOT to kill anyone! If it can be avoided!” He said almost pleadingly. Yet she had no reaction. Nothing, she was a stone. What had gotten into her? He didn’t know but her look was fringed with frost and it took him aback. When she armed herself he tried to explain the situation.

“Ok so, I can take us to my office and then I’ll have to try and feel the dark matter and move is to it. It might get bumpy so keep them off me if you can until I can get us to where we need to be, alright?” He asked.

Natalya ignored Evan's looks. Her eyes that had softened to him in bed only hours ago, had become hard and cold. She had deceived herself to think that anyone might actual care about her. She was not worthy of love. She never had been and never would be. Suddenly, she felt a small twinge in one of her teeth. She remembered the day the microchip was placed in one of her molars. She had been awake and without any medications to dull the pain. Since she did not carry a cell phone due to the possibility of being tracked, this was a way for the SSB to alert her. She knew that this meant that the SSB possibly wanted to negotiate with her. They had, after all, invested millions of dollars in her and though she had betrayed them she knew that Tatiana would want her back.

Natalya glanced up slightly when Evan began to speak more loudly towards her. He was starting to order her around like Tatiana and she clenched her fists slightly before forcing herself to relax. She said nothing at all in response, but grabbed a few weapons and tucked them various places on her person.

Evan didn’t like the signals..or lack there of that came from Natalya. Could she have taken what he said wrong? Had he made an error in judgement? But apparently so. Hen she came back he stopped up to her and confronted her directly by planting himself squarely in front of her and took hold of her shoulders.

“Natalya… I was… too adamant about my family earlier. I apologize if I was too harsh. I just fear for them in this, especially. I love them you see, a great deal,” he told her. “I haven’t seen them in quite a while and I guess I feel a bit guilty about it,” he said. “Ofcourse your idea is a good one, but, could I please just think about it for a while?” He asked.

Natalya pulled her shoulders from his touch. She shook her head at his statement. “No need. Let’s get this over with. The sooner we get all of this done the sooner you can be done with me and get on with your life.” She then walked away from him, pushing past him slightly, and walked to the door. She didn’t look back at him as she left the apartment and headed down the stairs.

Getting them into the office was not easy, it took alot out of Evan to move 2 people like this. He wondered if the sheer distance of it had anything to do with the difficulty. He wasn’t breathing hard as he leaned up against his metal desk. His office wasn’t huge but it was a decent size. He had a sitting space with a small bar, tv, mini fridge and the couch was very comfortable. Sometimes he slept there when he worked late. He had a full bathroom with a shower and a small area where he had a climber; A workout device that worked the entire body. He used it from time to time when he felt the need or desire.

“I’ll get us some uniforms,” he said as he tried to get his breath. If they were in uniform it might allow them a few precious moments of indecision by the guards and, if they were lucky, shield agents too. He also had a landline on his desk and a laptop computer and a larger screen just above it. He manipulated the shadows and in a moment he was gone again. As before his leaving left a shadow that slid slowly back to its original shape and position. A disturbing sight if anyone took time to watch that.

It was easy to remove the bug from the phone then screw the receiver back on. Natalya also removed her scrambler then clicked it then put it back into her pocket. The bugs in the room would now just play a barely audible squelch in the earphones of anyone who was listening and they’d not hear anything else. It did the same for video reception too. Closed circuit or otherwise. She couldn’t know Evan had activated his before he even moved them into his office.

“I was expecting your call,” Tatiana said in a low voice. She was in a large, hallway with polished black floor tiles and curved glass walls. She was in a fine, red dress and stepped away from 2, large, older men in uniform who were arguing over a piece of paper on a nearby desk.

“Arrangements have been made darling. I have a reservation in your name at the restaurant. All you need to do is give the mait ‘r de what he wants and he’ll show you back to our favorite table,” she said in code, albeit sweetly and with just a hint of encouragement. One of the men paused to look at her but then rolled his eyes then went back to arguing. Obviously he thought she was speaking to another lover. Tatiana was famous for her exploits with popular Russian men and so this particular code was a good one to speak to Natalya with.

Natalya still hadn't spoken to Evan. Any progress in softening her steel like exterior had vanished and she was even colder than she had been when they first met. She would finish what she started though and would protect Evan. Then, once this was all finished, she would leave. She glanced around Evan's office as he transported them there. She spotted the phone on his desk and knew that she was going to have to call Tatiana. She didn't want to, but she had no choice in the matter. She knew, however, that she couldn't do it with Evan in the room. He already didn't trust her and if he knew who she was calling it wouldn't help in the slightest. Therefore she felt lucky when Evan said he was going to leave to find them some uniforms. After he left she secured the line. She knew she was going to need to make this quick because she had no idea when Evan might return. She quickly dialed the number and only seconds later she heard Tatiana's familiar voice. She tensed up slightly, not knowing what to expect.

"I'm done," she finally said in Russian. "I've given away none of the SSB secrets, but I will no longer work for you."

Tatiana smiled and took another few steps away from the argument. “Well that is unfortunate. You do realize that this offer expires after this conversation,” She began and then her tone changed to near desperation. And in truth she was desperate. She had no idea who was involved or who had paid for this contract for the test cylinder until recently.

Corvus Glaive was a member of the Black Order. A super with powers far beyond anything she’d ever seen. Fear was an alien feeling for Tatiana but she felt fear now. For herself, for Natalya, for the world. She could not change what was happening and so her only choice was to endure. Tatiana was a fighter, a survivor and she would survive this.

“Natalya, I beg you to reconsider. Get the cylinder...bring it to me...please,” She said. Not quite begging but as close as it was possible for her. “You’ve no idea what’s happening. Or what these people who want the cylinder will do for it,” She said. “Reconsider,” She said again though this time it was in a less pleading voice and more demanding one.

Natalya had never heard fear in Tatiana’s voice, but she heard it now. It was strange to her. This woman had nerves of steel, but now her voice quivered and gave away the desperation she was feeling. Natalya, for a brief moment, felt obligation to her and the SSB, but that very quickly faded as memories of what had been done to her returned. She wasn’t a brainless robot...she was a person with a mind of her own...and her’s was made.

“No,” she said more firmly. “I know that a powerful super wants the cylinder. I’m not going to let him have it. Kill me if you must, but I will never change my mind in this. I’m finally going to do the right thing.”