She could feel her temples throbbing, her heart beating half a step faster.
She wanted to protest, to say, "That's slander," but some of the details in Yongye's words...
The Insight Plan.
Three Helicarriers.
She had seen those terms in internal S.H.I.E.L.D. files.
And she had always thought it was a defensive measure.
Her lips parted, and her voice came out quieter than before.
"What proof do you have?"
"Proof?"
Yongye spread his hands, his teasing smile turning infuriatingly smug.
"Why should I give you proof?"
"Believe me or don't. What's it to me?"
"I just like that look on your face—you're saying 'I don't believe you,' but you're already having doubts. It looks much better than when you pretended to give in."
Natasha's jaw tightened for an instant.
She had lost again.
From the moment this young man sat down, every word he had said was a trap.
She thought she was drawing information out of him, but he had turned it around and fed her a heap of claims she couldn't tell were true or false.
Worse, she wasn't even sure whether what he was saying now was true.
"So..."
She drew a deep breath and composed herself again, putting on a resigned fine, you win expression. Within the confines of the armor, she shifted into a more suggestive pose.
"You dragged me here, gave me a bath, and told me all these secrets. You can't have done all that just to chat, can you?"
Yongye looked at her. This time, there was less teasing in his smile and more unmistakable intent.
"Of course not."
"I told you, the bath was the prelude to war."
"The prelude's over. Time for the main event."
He leaned closer to Natasha and lowered his voice, his warm breath brushing her ear