Chapter Text
Prologue
SHIELD still reeled from Tony Stark’s off script and reckless “I am Iron Man” fiasco. However, Nick Fury had never expected Stark to tow the party line, so to speak, and briefed him on the initiative. Fury didn’t reveal the team details, he wasn’t an idiot, but revealed enough to pique Tony’s disinterest in taking part. After all, Stark had a company to clean up and weapons to recover. He didn’t have time to play superhero with a bunch of government stooges, which suited Agent Romanov just fine. Said Agent currently stood in Fury’s office not believing what she heard.
“What do you mean build my cover ‘the old-fashioned way?’ We do have the best tech people, do we not? Or have there been budget cuts?”
“I mean Tony Stark isn’t a regular mark. Despite the playboy image, the man is a genius. And he doesn’t trust outsiders. You need to leave a trail, as he will be able to unravel any digital fingerprints our techs can throw at him. So you’ll be living as Natalie Rushman for a while before you’ll be on site at Stark Industries.”
“And that includes college? Dorm rooms, sororities, friends? Nick, you know I”
“I think you could use some normalcy after Budapest.”
“Normalcy. Pretending to be a college co-ed in order to engage in corporate espionage. That’s normal.”
“Natasha, it’s one semester. Columbia. Four months in New York City. No, you can’t communicate with Barton, that’ll be too hard to explain. Your courses are in the dossier. No showing off in the language classes.”
Natasha flipped through the dossier. Natalie Rushman, formerly of Iowa State, transferring into Columbia’s law program, Dean’s List, former gymnast and ballerina, mother was Russian, died in car accident, estranged from her wealthy father, took time off between high school and college to travel the world and ended up modeling in Japan. Nick had enrolled her in Spanish, Latin, an intro to intellectual property law, and a women’s studies course.
“So, Natalie is a well-traveled, athletic feminist?”
“Don’t forget wealthy. Didn’t want you to be without the designer clothes you’re so fond of.”
“I do wear them so well. How long?”
“Student check-in is in three days. Classes start a week after that.”
“And then?”
“You’ll start getting calls from Japan in October. By Christmas break you’ll decide to put your advanced degree on hold to go model, in March you’ll get your foot in the door at SI. Eventually I’d need you to get close to Stark himself.”
“Want the Iron Man schematics?”
“This doesn’t leave this room. I had a tech I trust to run a simulation. Howard Stark’s idiot kid put a nuclear powered magnet in his chest. If Stark’s as smart as I think he is, he already has the data we do. Which is, he will get sick, possibly die. Not sure how the armor is powered, but I’m guessing that reactor has something to do with it.”
“So I’m playing nurse?”
“You’re to report directly to me on this. If he takes a turn for the worse, I have someone else working on something for the symptoms. Not ready yet, but he doesn’t need it yet. Look, Natasha, enjoy a typical American experience for the next few months. Drink some asshole frat boys under the table. Take photos. I need a laugh.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that, their meeting ended. Natasha went to her quarters to memorize her dossier and pack. She needed to pass as a normal early twenties, American girl. She’d done it before, years ago. She could do it again.