How was it that Natasha always got stuck on these crappy missions? She wasn't a science expert, had no sort of knowledge about science fields or hell even what this supposed shift in normality was supposed to mean. That was Bruce's area of expertise, not Natasha's, but as the good doctor was in India, and Nat had just come off a mission in Edinburgh, and as the most senior member of SHIELD around Fury had personally stepped in to ask her to check out what was going on, promising an extra vacation day if she "Got the Foster woman off his back." Apparently Jane had been incredibly persistent, as she was wont to be, and Nat had to hand it to her that her tenacity was definitely an asset. Well, it would've been if it hadn't interfered with Natasha's desire to get back home as soon as possible. She didn't mind so many missions but really? She just wanted a little normality.

Yet there she was, in the shotgun seat beside Doctor Foster's intern, the two women blathering on about the last time they'd had readings like this between the front and back seat. The poor bastard in the backseat was shooting furtive glances in the rearview mirror to Lewis, who was currently driving (like a maniac, Natasha would be sure to include in her report. Honestly, who the hell gave this woman a driver's license?), and all Natasha could think about was how she'd rather be home, soaking in the bath, listening to Clint talk her ear off about how bored he was on his own mission: successfully navigating the ins and outs of SHIELD psych care. Since Loki had taken over his mind, the man hadn't been allowed to leave HQ unless under extreme supervision, hadn't been permitted any sort of contact other than strictly mentioned SHIELD personnel, was given a damn diet to adhere to (though Nat snuck him cotton candy when he was feeling particularly down; it always cheered him up). All this because the black-haired, spoiled rotten alien of mischief and assholery had decided to get into her best friend's brain and play Operation, tugging and pushing at places that didn't need to be touched.

Bastard.

"You okay there, super spy?" Darcy Lewis asked from her place beside Natasha, looking over and swerving as a cause of it. Nat's jaw tightened.

"Perfectly fine, Lewis. Eyes on the road." She ordered, knuckles already white from where she'd been clutching her knees, body tense and all too ready to spring into action to take over driving if she had to. The parking lot they were directed to thanks to the whatever meter Jane Foster held was deserted, the warehouses that bit into the concrete dilapidated and run down enough to keep Nat on edge. They were sure this was the place that they had had the curious readings? Whatever. She'd worked in similar places, she supposed, and much worst. Jane led them inside the building, the meter held out in front of her, technobabble spewing from her lips fast enough to compete with Tony when he and Bruce got on a roll. Impressive, Nat had to admit, and it was even more so that Darcy and the Intern seemed to keep up with it. Science never had been Natasha's strong suit. She knew just enough about the biological workings about her own body and that was it. Any more than that and she had Tony and Bruce on speed dial for a reason.

There were soft patterings and Nat immediately pulled a gun out from its hidden place at her side, the jacket she'd pulled on earlier that day to combat the chill having hid it perfectly. Jane's eyes grew wide as silver dollars as she heard the clicking of the gun, but a moment later four children stepped out of the shadows, looking at the adults with plain fear in their eyes. Fear Nat had once known too much about. Slowly she put the gun away as Jane talked the children into leading them towards the curious spot they all seemed to have honed in on, ad Darcy shot Nat an interested side look as they walked.

"So, always prepared, huh?" She teased, eyeing the place where Natasha's gun had disappeared. "That's impressive."

"Part of the job, Darcy," Natasha said, blue eyes boring through the glasses and into the gaze of the other woman.

"Ever use a taser?" The brunette asked, her chest puffing out with pride. Before Nat could say anything she went on. "Because I did. And it was on Thor. He went down like a sack of potatoes and it was awesome."

Nat decided against bringing up the Widow Bites she normally kept on her at all times. Darcy didn't need to know. It would be just her luck that the girl would start asking for them from SHIELD for herself saying that it was important to keeping herself safe if she was going to be a part of the organization (Over Nat's dead body, if she was honest), and then she'd have Fury's knowing glance to deal with and it just wasn't worth it. Not even a little.

"Yeah, once or twice." A week. "Nice job getting Thor, though."

"Thanks!" She couldn't have looked any more pleased with herself about it as she followed Jane and the kids up a couple flights of stairs, Nat close behind, eyes darting from Darcy to the surrounding, likely empty halls of the old building. There was something else, if she was honest with herself. A strange wind draft that didn't make sense with the rest of the layout, a weird sense to the place that couldn't put her finger on. Goosebumps ran up her spine and covered her body. Decades of training was all that kept Nat from rubbing them away, letting it make her eyesight more keen and her senses sharper. Jane was exclaiming as she watched one of the kids throw a piece of trash down from a higher level, and with a half interested glance Nat watched it fall. What was so special-.

The piece of trash disappeared and Nat swallowed thickly, head snapping up viper-quick to watch it reappear from higher up and fall once more into the bottom portal. What was it that Tony said all the time from that video game he'd obsessed over for a week? 'Now you're thinking with-.'

"What is that?" Darcy asked, her eyes wide and her lips falling into a wide, open mouthed-grin.

The explanation couldn't have mattered less to Nat, who watched as Jane threw a piece of trash from her side of the walk into the portal. When it didn't reappear they all looked, curious, to the young girl who seemed to be the ringleader of the band of kids. Middle to low class, based on the thin coat she was wearing, decent personal grooming for a child so someone cared enough about her to pay attention, yet not enough to ask where she was after school on a Wednesday afternoon. Grammar seemed decent enough to suggest she did well enough in school, and the way she held herself screamed confidence. She'd certainly been quick enough to speak up when they'd discovered by the wandering adults.

She tucked the observation away for another day, turning instead to the strange sucking noise she swore she heard just down one of the hallways, pervading even over Darcy's insistence to her intern for him to hand her his shoe and Jane's explanation for the phenomenon going right over her head. She could think what she wanted about the woman's character, but her intelligence was beyond question. Again, she cleared her head, focusing instead on following the strange noise. Her gun was out in a heartbeat and trained on the ground, movements slow, as she stepped towards the noise, flicking her head side to side to see if she couldn't pinpoint where it was exactly coming from. It didn't seem to have a point of origin that she could find, isolating the noise to that coming from just beyond a large pair of doors, which she angled open with nimble fingers. The wood creaked and Natasha eased her way in, stepping down the hall after finding nothing but open space with more trash in front of her. What the hell could it have been?

Against her will, her body began to slide forward, heels of her boots catching on the ground, and even as she was dragged closer, heart going a mile a minute, she released a slew of bullets at the space she was being pulled to. Little good they did, passing right through the air and disappearing just before the world around Nat pitched itself forward. Dirt came up hard and biting against her palms as she fell to her knees on the edge of a cliff, the bottom of which she couldn't see but her gun had no problem tumbling into. Cursing, she blinked rapidly, attempting to acclimate her eyes to the sudden darkness where there had once been light. The same sucking noise from before came from behind her now, and after taking a deep breath to clear her head she stood up, careful not to take a step too far. She didn't want to know what would happen should she fall.

Just behind her stood a large rectangular stone, an odd red light coming from an inch thick crack between two large slabs of stone, the origin of the noise. What was more, it almost seemed to call out to her, as though her curiosity wasn't piqued already. Feet silent on the dirt, she worked her way closer, right hand ghosting over the dagger she always kept at her side just in case. A strange red tendril of what looked like smoke-or maybe it was water? She couldn't be sure, not exactly a good judge of the odd-snuck out from the space between the two. Again the whisperings started up, her breath catching in her throat as she heard her voice being called, two more tendrils reaching out to her. To her? No. Impossible. Smoke, or water, or whatever the fuck it wasn't didn't do that. She stepped alongside the side of it, taking in every possible detail, from the odd, illegible writing on the edge of the stone slabs. She took a half step backwards as another whisp of the substance stretched towards her, and a roaring filled her ears as it curved closer. No. This wasn't right.

The quick sidestep away was, in hindsight, not the greatest of ideas. While she thought it might get her away the fastest the substance lashed out, the roaring growing louder as the red liquid stretched towards her, sinking into her veins as though her skin didn't exist. The roaring grew louder in her ears and she felt her feet being lifted from the ground as power and fire and ice clouded her bloodstream, the cavern around her pitched into deep red.

"Natalia Romanova," a sweet hiss echoed over the roaring, and her head tipped back as strength she was unfamiliar with kissed every inch of her body, as sweet and caring as any lover. She felt a moan tip from her lips, felt her body arch and absorb the gift of the red substance. She saw Russia in front of her, the Red Room, Ivan-the bastard-bent over the battered body of a young woman with red curls and broken blue eyes. Saw his brains splattered on the walls. She could do that, now. She could do whatever she wanted, could set fire to the damn world and laugh as she walked through the flames without being burned, could pitch the world into eternal darkness at her every whim if she wished it-.

'No.'

When she opened her eyes it the world around her was a strange blur, the painted glass of the window panes above her filtering the last rays of the afternoon, the air chilly but not uncomfortable around her. Her gun was back in its holster, her arms crossed over her midsection. As she sat up she scratched at her veins. Had she really fallen asleep? Where was the doctor and the two idiot interns?

She rose on firm legs and with a firmer resolve to find her charges, unable to believe she'd been such an idiot as to wander off. 'Rookie mistake, Romanov.'

The flashing lights of the police cars set her off first and quickened her pace as she pounded down the last of the stairs and strode quickly towards the disheveled looking doctor. Foster's face lit up when she caught sight of Natasha, her mouth opening and asking where the hell she'd been. Nat frowned.

"You got into trouble after I was gone for maybe ten minutes?" She asked, incredulous. Ridiculous. No wonder Coulson had taken Nat aside to warn her of how reckless the woman could be-.

But it didn't make sense. Even before Jane told her she'd been gone for hours it had clicked in Nat's head, the position of the sun not coinciding with where she'd remembered it being upon entering the empty warehouse. She could worry about that later, the police officer having turned to her to demand a response. Without batting an eyelash Nat pulled out a badge, deadpanning her explanation why they were there and giving him a number where he could take his complaint to her superior officer.

It didn't do it for the man, but before he could get another word out Jane pulled Natasha aside, the humming of her machine having gotten to be too loud for the doctor to ignore.

"What happened to you?" Jane asked, her eyes rising to meet Nat's as she looked her over quick. Real concern flashed quick in her gaze and Nat almost felt bad for all the terrible things she'd thought earlier, when she'd been made to tail the doctor, even on her date.

"I couldn't say," she said, tight lipped even when Jane's face flickered with hurt. "Sorry-until I get SHIELD to clear it I really don't have anything to report." She couldn't help that it was procedure, and besides she didn't want the doctor to start freaking out. She'd had enough of that from a life time of spying and having to report to the med bay afterwards. She'd much rather deal with it herself.

Jane's mouth opened to contest it, her brow pulled tight in a frown when Nat held up her hand. Her eyes caught on the surrounding cars and police officers that had started huddling under hoods and jackets pulled up over their heads as rain poured down around them, yet Natasha and Jane were as dry as ever. The rain seemed to arc around them, Nat realized, as she turned around to check it out, the dry land made a perfect circle and-.

A blood-red cape caught her eye, the enormous, blond man it belonged to staring at her from behind a large pillar a few feet in the distance, having appeared out of thin air, his brow drawn tight and his blue eyes burning into hers with a mix of confusion and concern. Behind Natasha the scientist gasped, and Nat could practically feel the woman's heart surging in her chest. It'd been two years since the pair had last seen one another, and though the doctor had started dating and it was suggested that she'd moved on, Nat severely doubted it.

Not that she really had time to think about that. No, her mind was too busy screaming at the idiot alien for leaving in the first place, for even coming to earth in the first place and opening it up to invaders and his brother, the latter who'd nearly tried to take it for himself, the great fool. Quick feet brought her close, and brought the circle of rainless sky with her so that Jane had to hurry to catch up if she wanted to stay dry.

"Where the hell do you think you've been?" Natasha demanded before Jane or Thor could get a word out, making them both stare at her in surprise. For Jane it was probably one of the closest times she'd seen Nat to losing her temper, Thor, too, though he'd seen her after the battle of New York, at her very weakest and most vulnerable. If anyone could take it, he could.

"I'm sorry, but there was work to be done in order to right what the others have set in motion, other realms that needed to be saved from the marauders and-."

"Couldn't care. Something's up," she said with the wave of her hand, effectively silencing what she was certain was, in all fairness, a very good alibi.

Jane gaped, her jaw opening. "I care! You promised you'd come back," she accused Thor.

It was all Nat could do not to roll her eyes. Really? They had to go through the whole explanation, then? Weren't there more important questions to be asked, like why the hell he was back so suddenly?

"Handle it later, please. Anyway Doctor Foster, I'm pretty sure you'd be better closer to home with someone who understand half the crap that comes out of your mouth." Nat cut in, feeling the ground suddenly go woozy and wobbly beneath her, the words having slipped from her lips without meaning them to. Shit. That'd never happened before. Idly she wondered whether or not she'd get into trouble with Fury for speaking her mind so candidly, and possibly alienating the Doctor from Shield's tenuous good graces, but before she could manage her first apology to the woman she'd fallen backwards onto the ground. Jane reached out to grab her, the nearest, but the blast of red energy shot her backwards onto the ground and nearly managed to topple over Thor. Nat would've been impressed if she wasn't blinking quickly just to stay awake, the ground coming up to meet the back of her head. Hard. What the hell was that? Thor rushed to Jane's side, first, to make sure that she was alright, before slowly inching towards Natasha, unsure what he'd find when he neared. She didn't blame him, and as Jane stood up Thor urged her to go back.

"This is beyond my knowledge," he admitted with a shake of his head, looking purplexed as he checked Natasha's face for understanding. "I would have the healers on Asgard see what they can do," he murmured, his gaze apologetic. Through hazy eyes Nat barely caught Jane's nod of understanding, the woman far more caring than Natasha would've expected considering Nat had been so short with the poor woman. She'd have to apologize for more, she supposed, before Thor's large hand pulled her up to her feet by the shoulder.

"Alright. I'll let SHIELD know what happened," Jane was saying, far more level headed than Nat would've expected. Her sense of surprise in the doctor's ability to think under pressure, to be so calm when everything else seemed so outlandish, was definitely a mark in the woman's favor. She supposed it was always nice to be proved wrong, though she'd have to revisit the revelation when her head wasn't so fuzzy. As it was she barely managed a thanks, dipping her head in the woman's direction. Jane's tight smile was enough for her.

"Jane, I will return," Thor promised, and though Nat was sure Jane had heard that one too many times, any response she might've had was cut off by the circle of rainbow light that surrounded Nat and Thor completely. Again her ears filled with the sound of rushing air, and when she managed to open her eyes completely and consciously look around her, she found that they were zipping through-.

'No way.'

She recognized the constellations and the stars that flew past them, having stared at the stars with Barton many a time during their resting time on missions, Hawkeye having wanted a clear view of the sky and a high enough vantage point for him to locate the perp when the time came, and Nat having been too bored to refuse him. More than that, planets moved past them, huge and more colorful and numerous than she could've ever imagined. As her mind sharpened again she couldn't help but reach out to try and touch the passing by bursts of light and color, the inky sky dotted with so many she could hardly believe they all existed. Incredible.

All too soon they landed, Natasha's feet coming into contact with the dark black, marble flooring of what looked like an extravagant observatory, coming to stand in front of a very tall man decked in gold from head to toe. Her eyes went wide for half a second before schooling her face. He was enormous, and with the gold of his helm all she could think of was the ridiculous one that Loki wore when she'd first seen him in Stuttgart. Must've been an Asgardian thing. Thor came to stand beside Natasha, one of his hands doing his best to still and steady her, though she no longer needed it. The care for her well-being was appreciated, though. With a slow "shing" noise the enormous sword in the soldier's hand slid out of the platform that had once sheathed it, placing the point of it on the ground right before him instead, while his gold, nearly glowing, gaze focused on her. She could've sworn he saw through her, saw through the brave face she put on while she was desperate to break character for once to just take a look around at the gilded room around her. Her cheeks nearly heated up at the invasion of privacy.

"Welcome to Asgard, Natasha Romanov," he said, voice as intimidating as his figure, and though she'd faced opponents that were larger than he, and far more dangerous to boot, this was one man she wanted very much on her side.

"Come, we'll speak with the healers to see what is happening to you," Thor murmured in her ear, taking her hand in his own to pull her gently away from her firm footing. Without question she followed.

A/N: A prompt fill for IDamnLoveOrange, who wanted a rewrite of The Dark World with Natasha in Jane's place. I'll do my best to update as often as I can, and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so very much for reading!