Picture Info- This is what the suit, which is mentioned later, looks like. The three big differences are, there is no yellow on the suit, it's almost completely black, there are fishlike fins on the arms legs and back, and there's no shoulder mounted weapon. I do not own the photo.
Natasha's POV
As I walked along the deck, I made note of each passing second, accounting not just for my movements, but Percy's as well. While I walked towards the couple to thank them, I estimated that Percy had reached the sub. By the time I returned to the captain, I was pretty sure Percy had managed to gain entry, yet I confirmed a few details with the stern-faced man to gain a few buffer seconds.
When I couldn't stall any longer without seeming suspicious, I allowed the captain to lead me onboard and down to the control room. Once we arrived, I stripped out of the padded clothing, handing it to a young man, and moved slightly to reacquaint myself with my unhindered body.
Shield's disguises are quite nice, but even they couldn't make padded clothing comfortable.
I leaned against the wall, waiting for the captain to finish his inspection and start on our journey. It was interesting to see the holographic displays and glowing buttons, if I didn't know they actually worked I would swear I was on the set of a B-list Sci-Fi movie. As I was observing the room a shadow passed by the monitor next to me, it was probably nothing, but it still sent a whisper fine feeling running down my spine.
To reassure myself of Percy's presence and calm myself down, I pretended to move my hair out of my face, while actually feeling the micro communicator that laid behind my ear. The tiny film was still securely attached to my skin and hadn't received any emergency signals. I released a breath I didn't know I had been holding and settled in to wait.
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The submarine had finally descended to a depth where long distance communication was impossible and thus we were secure enough to discuss the final details of the mission. The captain stayed in the control room and a special officer walked with me into the depths of the ship. We reached a large metal door with almost as many security procedures as Percy's home. Both the agent and I had to complete every single one before we could enter, and even then the agent had to leave before the mission details were revealed.
As the agent left the door slid shut behind me with a barely audible, click. I knew this was a level eight vehicle/ facility, with all of Shield's incredible defenses, yet at the sound I tensed up and scanned the room for the fourth time since I'd entered.
The room was the same as it had been just seconds before, when I'd performed my third check. Light grey walls, security panel beside the now closed door, plain metal chair and matching table bolted to the floor. Walking towards the table bathed in bright light, whose source I could not locate, I saw a wafer thin case lying on the table.
Contrary to it's diminutive size, the case had more security measures than the door had. The mission was actually starting to worry me now. Even compared to the few level eight missions I had completed, this mission had an incredible amount of security involved.
When the case was triplely sure I was who I said I was, the top slid back and up, turning into a touch screen with a black background and a small white play button in the middle. I tapped the button and a heavily distorted voice started speaking.
"This is a highly classified mission, if the one listening to this recording is not Agent Romanov you will be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law and beyond. If this is Agent Romanov, Canary, Dublin, Fenrir, Jigsaw, Alchemy."
Startled I unconsciously straightened my already straight spine. The seemingly random words were a code so secret that even thinking of them evoked terrible images. They were only to be used when indicating a mission whose level I never thought I'd reach, a Level Nine Mission.
The voice continued, "You know what this means, this mission will be one of the most difficult of your career, but if you can successfully complete it, you will have protected the world from an incredible threat. I truly do not care to what means you must resort to, as long as the target is acquired and any intel about the details of the mission is kept on an absolute need to know basis." The voice paused to let me fully comprehend the enormity of the situation, then began again, "Your mission is to retrieve an encrypted file from a downed level nine Shield vessel. It is believed to have been downed by unknown hostile forces. Before the ship's mainframe completely died, it activated emergency protocol 137, which as you know calls for the ship's engine to self destruct and destroy any technology or intel aboard. If the information stored aboard the ship was of level seven or below we would permit it's destruction, however this document is dangerous enough where there is no copy of it nor a digital file, and if it was destroyed we would lose decades or work. Thus we canceled the order, but in doing so the engine became partially activated and if given enough of a stimulus could become an uncontrolled bomb. Therefore you must carefully enter the ship and unless there is absolutely no other option you are not to destroy the file. Best of luck Agent Romanov."
With that metaphorical bomb about a literal bomb, the recording cut off and the previously blank screen lit up with a list of items required for the mission. They were mostly high tech scuba equipment, but there was also a near impenetrable case for the file and a few Shield grade underwater weapons. I was also given permission to bring along any other items I felt necessary, but it warned me about accidentally activating the bomb, twice.
Once I'd thoroughly read through the list, I set the tablet back on the table and waited for my next instructions. Exactly five seconds after I'd set the list down, a wall slid open, revealing a metal corridor with arrows indicating I was to head down the inclined passage. With steady steps I started to down the hallway, doing my best to hide my nervousness. I'd gone on countless missions before and having Percy here made things even easier, but none of those missions had been level Nine.
In lower level missions, Five or below, a level up or down wasn't a huge difference, but after level Seven each increase in level was like the difference between heaven and hell. Natasha knew that if she wanted to make it out of the situation alive and with the all important file, she most definitely would need Percy. So while pretending to tie her hair up, she tapped the code that meant "Need help, but no current danger" onto her hidden communicator. After a few seconds Percy signaled her back "Confirmed"
Feeling less nervous after her confirmation that Percy would be able to help her, she continued walking down the hall.
Eventually she made it to a room she was positive was surrounded by a good five feet of solid metal, which contained all of the items that had been on the list. Stripping quickly she donned the skintight scuba suit.
Unlike commercial suits, this one would protect her from harmful objects, the pressure of the ocean and would automatically adjust so she could see regardless of the lighting. There were oxygen tanks she had to wear, but the suit could also act as a temporary rebreather, which was the best current technology could do. It would allow her to breath for a minute if she lost her tanks. And one of the best features was the retractable fins. They would run down her spine, between her fingers, extend from her feet, and grow from her arms and legs when extended. This helped compensate for the loss of reaction time, due to the water which had significantly more drag than air.
Natasha grabbed the waterproof communicator and attached it to her wrist. While they were too far underwater for it to work as a communicator, she could still use miniature computer and utilities inside of it. She then clipped the needles, mico explosives, collapsed propulsion device and USB with authorization codes, onto the utility belt that came with the suit.
Satisfied with her required items, Natasha then proceded to clip multiple knives, a few flash-bangs, a garrote, and some other nasty surprises, all over her suit.
Then with a heavy heart, she tucked a small, but incredibly powerful explosive into a hidden pouch on her wrist. She hated that she had to bring a last resort, because she knew the explosion wouldn't just kill her, but Percy too. However the guilt she felt over bringing it was outweighed by the knowledge that if they were captured or lost the file to hostile forces, death would be the best option by far. It also helped that she knew Percy carried around her own form of a last resort.
Fully equipped, Natasha walked over to a reinforced airlock. She pressed a few spots on her suit and it's silky material retreated from her hands and face so that she could deal with the finger and eye scans. Once she'd gotten past the first door she had her suit return to it's earlier position, fully covering her without leaving a single inch of skin bare. She swallowed nervously, knowing there was only a single door left between her and the ink black, unforgiving ocean. But never the less, she went to the control panel besides the door, typed in the code and braced herself.
The water poured in, in small streams, allowing her to adapt to the pressure the suit couldn't take off her body. She knew that if she was in a regular suit she would be freezing from the small amount of water, and for probably the hundredth time that day she thanked the fates for Shields amazing scientists.
Eventually the room was completely filled with water and Natasha was left in a world of muted colors, with only the sound of her heartbeat to keep her company. Before she left the ship, Natasha flexed her arms, legs and back. As she did so the retractable fins came out, completing her transformation from land to deep sea.
With one last look behind her to the nice (kind of) safe Shield vessel, Natasha pulled out the propulsion device and unfolded it. It quickly became a triangle, about the size of a watermelon, with handles sprouting from two of it's corners. With a flick, the device hummed awake and Natasha grabbed on as it sped to the last known coordinates of Shield's downed vessel.
A/N
I apologize for the little hiatus I took, I was having terrible writers block and the little bit I did write was absolutely terrible. But here's the new chapter, which I was inspired to write when I saw people commenting on my story. Even more than votes (which I like too) I find comments to be the best motivator.
Also here's some shameless promotion, I have another Fanfiction I'll be posting! It's a Harry Potter story called, The Emerald Eyed Savior. The premise is, what if Voldemort wasn't actually evil, which is a pretty common type of HP story, but I think I have an interesting plot planned out.
I actually started writing my other story because of the bad writers block I was having with this story. I found that if I worked on one while I was frustrated with the other, it helped me write at a level I was happy with. So if you wouldn't mind I would deeply appreciate if you checked my new story out.