Rules of Engagement [locked to Han Solo]

[red_room]

It's just getting on to dark in the Nexus when a familiar whine cuts through the muggy evening air. The noise from the open ramp of the Millenium Falcon grows until the underlying rumble of a motorcycle engine cuts through the thick air as Natasha pulls up just outside the ship.

Nat hops off the bike quickly, but takes her time removing all the gear she'd worn. The suit hadn't been cheap to get and getting it dirty before the onset was unheard of. She carefully removes the helmet, the track suit she'd worn over the nice clothes, and pulls the dress shoes she'd bought out of the bag of gear she'd carried along and carefully slips them on before making her way up the ramp and onto the ship.

Everything about the outfit Nat selected had been carefully considered all the way down to the cuff links. Granted, this getup is designed to impress her target and not so much a space pilot like Han is, but he should still be able to help judge the way she carries herself. Walks. Talks. She'd even taken a leaf out of the good captain's book when it came to styling her hair. Giving it a bit of the windswept wave instead of slicking it back or the like.

"Knock, knock."

It's still so weird hearing a mans voice when she talks. Wrong. But if this stays for a day or so, she'll be one more thread complete on her web.

Comments

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han nods.

He's got no interest in trying to talk her out of something so important to her ... but it's not like it's an easy thing for someone in his position to accept, considering all the risk. There's some part of this that reminds him of coming up second behind his exes' priorities too, though.

That part is a little harder for him to take.

"Yeah, I get it darlin'. This is something you gotta do." He purses his lips and runs his fingers through his hair. "I'm just at a loss for how else I can help."

[red_room]

Natasha watches Han's expression cloud over. If she ever needed a thought to kill any troublesome dick-related troubles, she thinks that hurt expression on his face is probably all she'd ever need.

It twists something in her that Nat's not too sure she likes. Having someone close enough to cause that reaction is a dangerous thing. But when the alternative is walking out of Han Solo's life flipping the bird, she thinks she'll live with it for a while longer.

"Hey."

She can't soften her voice as much as she'd like to in this body, but she's making an effort.

"Would...you feel better if I brought you with? I could teach you how to fly the Quinjet. You could stay in my safe house. Monitor the situation. Be an extra pair of eyes on the ground for me." Maybe it's the wrong thing to say. It's certainly not the best idea she's ever had. But it's also not a bad idea either.

Han's a capable guy, and there's not exactly much danger for him if he stays in her safe house. He still wouldn't be in the field with her, but well. She has a feeling neither of them would want him there.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Admittedly, the scoundrel has a hard time with the notion of 'some things are bigger than me'. It's not that he can't understand the value of coming up with a solution that helps out the most number of people. He does. It's just that he spent way too many years of his life getting the short end of the stick to not want to protect his own interests now.

Underneath it all, he doesn't want to see anybody suffering, though. In spite of his instances that he only cares about one person the choices he makes says otherwise. At his core, he wants to protect people - especially the ones he's fond of.

"I can fly your jet."

He insists. The urge to prove that he's not just an average freighter bum burns in his chest when she offers the opportunity. That and ... the chance to look out for her while she's vulnerable. It's far more at the forefront of his mind than the fact it's a slaver in her sights.

"Ain't like I wasn't planning to spend a good chunk of my time back here with you anyway ..."

[red_room]

"Good. It'll leave me more time to get myself sorted."

She takes a slow step forward and reaches up to brush her fingers through his hair gently. It's all Wrong like this. Her hands. The height between them. But it means a lot that Han's still here and offering to lend her a hand.

"And don't think you're getting out of my sight for a while once this wears off."

She doesn't lean up to kiss the other. Not like this. But the tone of her voice and the distance between them says she would if things were the way they should be.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's the eyes that make it so confusing. Everything else reads differently enough - in terms of looks, heights and proportions - that it's hard not to be aware that this is abnormal. Yet, when he focuses on the jade of her eyes he can almost forget that she's not herself. Her usual self, anyway.

The spell lasts for a moment or two while her fingers card through his hair. A tenderness that says 'thank you' without saying the words themselves. Which is fine with him. He doesn't know how to respond to praise gently.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, darling." He says with a wry smile touching his lips. "To that and maybe some other things ..."

[red_room]

"I'm taking you back with me then. We'll get you a decent disguise and you'll be with me when I get the call....or this wears off."

Natasha steps back away from Han then, her own smile small but still somehow just as fitting on her masculine face as it would normally be. Her emotions are still subtle but all the tells are still there once you get over the fact that her body has changed.

"There's a spare sofa in the safe house so...I'll stay there if you don't want to share the bed platonically."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

However long it takes for this magic to wear off ...

He wouldn't say as much to Nat, but he's hopeful that it's over before they finish getting a chance to pull off this crazy stunt - at which point they could abort or wing it in everybody's normal bodies.

When she mentions the clothes? Han wrinkles his nose in distaste. Though he knows he doesn't have much of a choice but to go along with it. He isn't gonna blend in where she's from looking like he usually does. It will be the price that he pays for going along on a spy mission.

"You know I've spent about five years living in cramped quarters with a wookiee." He says pursing his lips and shifting his weight slightly. "Even like this you're smaller and less hairy."

[red_room]

His normal outfit would turn more than a few heads. Though he could probably make a buttload of money as a Harrison Ford lookalike (oh the irony).

The doorway to Natasha's safe house outside of the Nexus is entirely ordinary and unmarked. A honey oak door that might lead into someone's bedroom if they lived in a standard mid-90's built house. Natasha unlocks it and leads Han through to 2017 Earth.

The house itself is remarkably sparse aside from a few aesthetics placed near the windows to make the place look lived in and ordinary. Natasha pulls an already packed duffel bag full of tactical gear out of a hallway closet and begins digging through it.

"I've got some mens' clothing about your size in the bedroom right over there." She gestures to an open door before going back to her things. "Feel free to take whatever fits and is comfortable, and if you find any arrows just laying around, try not to fuck with them.

Last thing she needs is one of Barton's trick arrows going off on Han.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han, for his part, ambles into the living quarters looking like he always belonged there. It isn't as if he was ever going to spend a lot of time on Earth after discovering it in the multiverse, but it feels far more alien to him than any other planet he's ever traveled to. He's not entirely sure why.

Instructions from Natasha to get clothes shake him out of that feeling. He manages to study the surroundings pretty thoroughly for someone who has such a look of ambivalence on his face. The lack of metal finish in the place makes it feel 'quaint' and perhaps borderline primitive to his sensibilities.

"Who wears this much purple?" Han mutters a little too loudly for it to stay to himself, while he searches through the closet.

The wayfaring space captain happens to notice, too, a lack of sleeves among most of the clothing as well. The garments with one sleeve striking him as even weirder. He sighs. Going through every individual hanger once and pulling out nothing.

Eventually, he settles on a pair of black pants. A mostly burgundy purple top. And then a long black coat (that he actually kind of likes) with more of that purple colored trim. A decidedly tactical look. An intervention from the more espionage savvy earther might be required ...

[red_room]

If he likes to see glass and metal everywhere he'd love visiting any of the Avengers' complexes Tony Stark has designed. Here though, such things tend to stand out and the whole point of Nat's safe house is to do anything but.

"A man comfortable with his masculinity and who likes the color." She calls out from the hallway where the sounds of zips and rummaging can still be heard.

She's sure Barton has some in tact jeans and those chevron shirts he likes so much hanging around somewhere amid all his tactical gear. A few button up plaid shirts he likes to ear when he's out on the farm with his family. Plenty of civilian wear that won't stand out when they're walking the streets.

What she's certainly not expecting is Han to be dressed to the nines as an Avenger when she walks back into the bedroom. Any commentary she might have had dies on her tongue as she stares hard at him, blinking rapidly for a few seconds before she tilts her head to the side.

"If we need to get into a fight, sure. Not going to let you walk around the streets like that. You'll attract all the wrong kinds of attention."

She needs to just walk back out of that room before she stares too long. It's a good look for him and Nat's been made a fool of once today already. She'd rather not relive that already.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's a trip for Solo to be putting on a bonna fide superhero costume, though he doesn't realize in this moment that's what it is. All that he's managed to observe is that this is far more tight than anything Han has ever had to wear. Though, to his credit, he fills the outfit out pretty well - considering that it was meant for another man altogether.

"Oh, I'm secure, sweetheart." Han murmurs, still half way through refastening his gunbelt. It doesn't particularly match the rest of the aesthetic, but it's not like he had any intention of leaving the DL-44 behind. "It doesn't get much more secure than me."

The body language that Natasha, though much less overt than it was on the ship, is once again suggesting that she likes what she sees. It's less the male response and more the fact he knows her that tells him as much. Even as the words are saying that it's the wrong time to be wearing it.

"Who's outfit is this?" He says after a lengthy pause. One long enough to make it clear that he wasn't sure about asking it.

[red_room]

Underneath the coat it's not altogether that noticeable anyway. All the better for Han to get the drop on someone if push comes to shove later on down the line. It's what he's known best for, anyway.

Yes, Han. Natasha is very much wearing her 'I'm gonna tap that so hard' eyes. As with most of her expressions it's a subtle one, but a look he's seen on her enough to know it even on a male's face. Equal parts predatory and smug as only a person who knows what they want and also knows they can have it at any time can manage.

She'd still get down on her knees for him if he'd let her. If it weren't for the fact that Natasha has no real interest in having a second dick to worry about besides the pilot's...

"Dammit." Natasha pinches the bridge of her nose and walks back out of the room shaking her head. She officially hates this body. Clenching and unclenching her jaw while she gets back to work sorting through all of her gear.

"Clint Barton's. Was my partner on Strike Force Delta back when SHIELD was still in operation. He taught me how to be a pilot, and is one hell of a shot. Though as you can probably tell, not really the biggest fan of guns."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

So this outfit is tactical and it's her partners. Makes him wonder, if only briefly, whether it's him that or if it's the man that used to wear the clothing that she has the hungry eyes for. He doesn't spend much time worrying about it, though. There's not the time for one thing and for another ... he doesn't really want her to pick up on those deep insecurities he has.

Natasha probably had already, but. There was no sense in putting it out in the open again if he could help it.

He starts pawing through the clothing again. Not really knowing the subtleties of earth culture yet, he's still not fully sure what he could grab that will actually blend in. Which seems a little bit more important than him finding something that he 'likes'.

"Well listen ..." He says frowning as she starts walking away. "You know what's gonna be better for sneaking around more than I do. I'll just wear what you think."

[red_room]

It's a fair concern to have, considering Barton is one of the few people Natasha trusts completely. Enough to let him see her at her weakest. But he has a wife and family. She can't compete and so she never tried. Any desire there had been would have been crushed years ago. Han has nothing to worry about. But he has no way of knowing without asking.

Nat stops at the concession that Han doesn't know what he's doing. She knows enough to know that he never offers up that admission easily. He sounds tense. She walks right back in and leans in the doorway, a small casual smile on her face. Supportive, Natasha. You brought him here to feel less helpless remember?

"Those blue pants there, the worn ones. The soft black shirt you just moved a minute ago. The blaster will have to be hidden while we walk in daylight, but we'll figure out a way for you to keep it close at hand." She closes the distance between them and traces a finger down the coat he's still wearing.

"And if things go south, it's good to know you can fill this out. Having competent backup with me isn't something I"m used to having."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

No. It's not easy for him to admit when he feels like he doesn't know what he's doing. Every gambler knows there's a right and a wrong time to take a chance, though. He trusts his instincts to let him know when that time is.

Funny that she still has the power to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His pulse quicken. Even in a body that he'd never pick out in a crowd as attractive to him. She's got this charisma that is very distinctly her and it's coming out a little bit now. And it's starting to dawn on him just how compelling he finds that.

"The blue pants and the black shirt." He repeats with a slow nod. Watching the finger as it trails over his chest. He purses his lips for a moment before his brain finally catches up with the conversation ...

"I think it's easy to forget how useful having a good partner is when you're used to being alone."

[red_room]

"Then you and I are the same."

Natasha agrees with one of her small enigmatic smiles that usually means she's pleased with something Han has done or said and leaves him to changing again. As much as she likes seeing the captain in a state of undress she really doesn't want to deal with the fallout from doing so.

Gear sorted, she pulls out her phone and heads over to the sofa in the mostly bare living room before dropping onto it.

"We're ready when you are. Is this happening or not?" She can hear Isaiah's disapproval when he asks who the 'we' in question is but Natasha ignores him. He may be her attorney and confidant but she's the one calling the shots. No matter what body she's in.

"Just answer the--okay. Good. Thank you. We'll be there."

Part of her wasn't certain he'd be able to pull this off, but she has her in. The mission is a go.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It takes a moment for Han to be ready to change. He'd spent time in barracks and ships with shared living spaces where he's changed in front of other men, but this ... it's weird. And there's no reason he can think of not to make this a little easier when he has the chance.

So he waits till the spy had left the room and then he gets dressed in the clothes she picked for him. He's not as big of a fan of the jeans and tee shirt as he was of the long coat, but it doesn't look too bad. It's relatively comfortable and the other outfit can come along in case they need it. He folds the tactical clothes and removes his gunbelt, settling it all carefully into a duffle bag.

When he emerges the bag is slung on one shoulder and Han waits patiently for Tasha to finish up on the phone. Idly, he wonders where the jet that she was talking about is. He can't imagine it's especially close by.

[red_room]

"Looks like everything is a go."

Natasha pockets her phone and hefts up her own bag laden full of various tech and weaponry. Strides past the pilot toward a side door leading into the garage.

"Also, you ever ride in a car before?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han falls into step with Natasha. It's been a long while since he's been taking orders from anyone, but they're easier to take from the Black Widow. He's seen her in action, for one thing, and for another he's out of his depth to an extent that even he doesn't feel confident trying to fake it.

"Seen one." Han murmurs with half a shrug. It isn't his first time on earth, but it's not like he's spent a lot of time there.

"It's a combustion engine vehicle like your bike, right?"

[red_room]

"Something like that. Made for passengers and carrying shit though."

A silver Honda in this case. Sports cars might be infinitely more fun, but this isn't the sort of job that calls for flash and she is still technically a federal criminal no matter what she looks like at the moment. Nat chucks her duffel bag in the backseat and waits for Han to do the same before they take off and head well out of the city.

Once out of the grid that is NYC (and the traffic that comes with it) the drive is a lot more bearable. Miles of freeway that lead to scenic lakeside byroads the further north they drive. Though Natasha takes one of the smaller exits marked 'NO SERVICES' and drives up an empty stretch of road for nearly half an hour before turning off again onto a gravel road that winds off into the countryside.

It's at the end of this road that Han will see a clearing and small building set up in the middle of nowhere. It looks rather official for such a backwater locale and the road becomes paved again once Natasha gains access through the gate. A black car is waiting next to an open hangar, with the Quinjet already removed and prepped sitting on the tarmac.

Nat gets out of the car and approaches the other vehicle, leaning into the open passenger window and taking the manila folder Isaiah is holding out for her.

"I'll take care of your vehicle. We only have an hour or so before this place is swarmed. You'll have to come back on your own." He knows it's not an issue. That Natasha will more than likely just take the jet to another one of her safe houses in a different part of the country.

"I'll contact you when I"m back in the country." Natasha promises. Retreats from the car and turns to show Han onto the jet. With any luck he'll have drug their stuff to the jet by the time she does so.

"Alright. Let's get this show on the road, cowboy."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

While all this is going on, Han is awfully quiet. The truth is he's not thinking much about his first car ride - which seems painfully slow to someone used to traveling the way a smuggler from outer space does - but at least it's scenic.

Mostly he's quiet because no matter what poignant observations he was going to come up with or analogous comparisons he could draw upon from his own galaxy ... he was never going to be able to tell a bunch of earthlings he knew more about the earth than they did. So he didn't waste his breath.

Besides that, he felt a responsibility to be thoughtful and useful for this event. Natasha wasn't the kind of person to trust others lightly or to bring someone she cared about into this part of her life unless the potential gain outweighed the potential cost - she might not have ever said it in those terms, but he knew ...

Her words snap him out of the contemplative fog. He's not sure that he'll ever get used to a masculinized version of Natasha's voice, but hopefully, it's not something that he'll have to adjust to for that much longer.

"Gladly." He murmurs, studying the lines of the quinjet. It sure looked fast, but then, there was a lot more that went into making a ship fast than how it looked on the outside. Nobody knew that better than Han Solo. "How long is our trip?"

[red_room]

"Long enough for you to learn your way around this thing and hopefully have some fun," she promises the pilot.

Under normal circumstances this thing could damn near fly itself for the most part, but with Natasha technically stealing this thing she really doesn't trust the autopilot programming. Besides, where would the fun in that be for Han? Natasha starts on one end of the console and points out everything and what it does before walking him through how to get the jet going. It's not entirely dissimilar to ships Han's used to dealing with.

"Think you can handle it?" It's not as though Natasha is going to leave him here to struggle alone, but she's pretty confident in his skills and the engineering Stark has lent to the development of these things.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han's eyes are tracking over his surroundings carefully as they move through the jet. Somehow, even though he's never been in an earthbound aircraft, he has the look of someone in his element all the same.

When they get into the cockpit Captain Solo's spreads his left hand over the panel and runs his hands over the controls. Right away he can tell that many of the things that he'd expect to be analog on the Falcon would be managed with touch controls on this craft. In spite of the differences, he thinks he's already figured out the sequence for lift off.

"This thing looks like it could fly itself."

He slinks into the chair and glides his hands over the keyless panel, lights flickering to life as he does so.

"Are we ready to -"

"Hello, gentlemen." The ship's AI interrupts Han question with its overly friendly tones. "You do not appear to have access to the Quinjet at this time. Please give the control override codes now ..."

Han swivels around the cockpit in his chair, glaring daggers at the AI that can't see him. He assumes that Natasha knows how to get them past this point and hopefully disables the disembodied voice.

[red_room]

"Motherfucker."

Natasha is face palming so goddamn hard at this moment. She had (incorrectly) assumed that as long as the autopilot was off there wouldn't be any trouble getting the damn thing off the ground. Stark must have upped his security protocols after the incident that split the team up last year. More worrisome to the spy is that the AI does not recognize her as Natasha. There's a few ways of getting around this. Best try the least troublesome one first.

It's not like they have all day here.

She steps forward and leans over the cockpit to press a few buttons before clearing her throat.

"Clearance code Delta 55N-37E."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

There is a moment of silence in the cockpit.

"Height/weight measurement imbalance detected." The AI says in the same too pleasant voice that instantly got on the would be pilot's nerves. "Authorization pending. Please wait ..."

Han's eyebrow raises for a moment and then it dawns on him what 'height/weight imbalance' probably means.

"Hey, sweetheart. I think your new proportions are throwing it off."