Chapter 19: Gathering the Pieces

The hum of the jet's engines was the only sound that filled the cabin as Natasha sat in one of the seats, her hands resting on her knees, her mind still racing from the intense battle inside the facility. Beside her, Snake Eyes quietly cleaned his katana, his movements methodical and precise. The tension in the air was thick—though they had successfully shut down the enhanced soldiers in the underground chamber, the weight of what was still to come loomed over them like a shadow.

Stark's face appeared on the large screen in front of them, his expression still tense. "Alright, we've crippled one facility, but there's no time to celebrate. I've been monitoring the Overseer's communications, and it looks like he's already shifting his focus to the other bases. He's not slowing down."

Natasha nodded, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the screen. "He'll double down. He knows we're coming for the rest of his network. Every facility we haven't hit yet will be on high alert."

Snake Eyes glanced at Natasha, his eyes meeting hers briefly before returning to the task at hand. His silence didn't bother her—it was something she had grown used to, and she valued the way they communicated without words. He was always ready, and his presence was a steady anchor amidst the chaos.

"Stark," Natasha said, her voice steady, "how many facilities do we have left to hit?"

Stark tapped a few keys on his console, and the world map they had been studying earlier flickered back onto the screen. Red dots still marked the locations of several facilities across the globe, scattered in remote, hard-to-reach places. Each one represented a critical piece of the Overseer's plan, a place where enhanced soldiers could be created, trained, and deployed.

"Seven facilities," Stark said, his voice grim. "But here's the problem—they're all going to be expecting you now. After what we just pulled off, they're going to have every security measure in place. And that means getting in won't be as easy next time."

Natasha's jaw clenched. She had expected this. The Overseer was no fool—he would have learned from their assault on the first base. But they couldn't stop now. The stakes were too high, and they couldn't afford to let the enhanced soldiers be unleashed on the world.

"What's our best option?" she asked, standing up and pacing across the cabin. "We can't hit all of these facilities at once."

Stark leaned back in his chair, thinking. "We're going to need help. S.H.I.E.L.D. already has a strike team mobilized, but they're spread thin. We'll need to coordinate multiple assaults, and we can't do it alone."

Natasha stopped pacing, her mind racing through the possibilities. They had allies, but bringing them into this fight wasn't a simple decision. The Overseer's network was powerful and hidden, and exposing their allies to it would mean putting them in harm's way. Still, she knew Stark was right. They needed more than just the three of them to bring down the Overseer for good.

"I'll reach out to Fury," Natasha said, her voice firm. "He'll get us what we need. But we're going to need a plan, something that hits them hard and fast."

Snake Eyes stood up, his katana sheathed and his gaze steady. He didn't need to say anything—Natasha knew he was ready, whatever the plan might be. He had faced worse odds before, and this time, the stakes were higher than ever. For both of them.

"Alright," Stark said, a hint of determination returning to his voice. "I'll start mapping out an assault plan. We'll divide the remaining facilities into clusters and hit them simultaneously. That way, we'll overwhelm them before they can reinforce each other."

Natasha crossed her arms, her mind already turning over the logistics. "We'll need to be surgical about this. We can't afford any mistakes."

As Stark worked on the plan, Natasha tapped into her comms and sent a direct message to Nick Fury. She didn't bother with pleasantries—there wasn't time. The message was simple: We need backup. Now.

It didn't take long for Fury to respond. His gruff voice came through her earpiece a moment later. "I heard about the facility. What's the situation?"

"We've got seven more to hit," Natasha replied, keeping her voice steady. "The Overseer's ramping up his operations. He knows we're coming, and we're going to need everything you've got."

There was a brief silence on Fury's end, and then he spoke, his tone as resolute as ever. "I'll have a strike team ready within the hour. You'll have S.H.I.E.L.D. resources at your disposal, but you're going to need more than just firepower for this. The Overseer's network is deep, and he's got people everywhere. We can't trust anyone outside our immediate circle."

Natasha nodded, even though Fury couldn't see her. "Understood. We'll keep this operation as tight as possible."

"Good," Fury replied. "I'll brief the strike team on the plan. You give me the targets, and we'll hit them hard. But Natasha—watch your back. The Overseer's playing a long game, and we don't know all the pieces yet."

"We'll be ready," Natasha said, her voice firm. "And Fury—thanks."

The line went dead, and Natasha turned back to Snake Eyes and Stark, who were both watching her.

"Fury's in," Natasha said, her expression serious. "We're going to have S.H.I.E.L.D. strike teams hitting the other facilities, but we're still going to need to lead the charge. We take down the core targets, the rest will fall."

Stark glanced at the map, his brow furrowed. "So, what's the plan?"

Natasha took a deep breath. "We divide the remaining facilities into groups. We'll hit the two largest facilities first—those are the main hubs where the enhanced soldiers are being manufactured. Once we take those out, the rest of the network will be easier to dismantle."

Snake Eyes nodded in agreement. He knew that taking down the hubs was key to crippling the Overseer's entire operation.

Stark tapped a few more buttons, bringing up the blueprints of the two largest facilities. They were heavily fortified, with layers of security and defenses that would make infiltration nearly impossible. But impossible wasn't a word Natasha or Snake Eyes paid much attention to.

"These two hubs are in Eastern Europe and South America," Stark said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can handle the secondary targets, but we'll need to take these down ourselves."

Natasha stared at the screen, her resolve hardening. "We'll split into two teams. I'll lead the strike on the Eastern European hub, and Snake Eyes can take South America. Stark, you'll coordinate from here, making sure we've got all the intel we need."

Stark raised an eyebrow. "So, you're splitting the dream team?"

Natasha gave him a small, wry smile. "We don't have a choice. We need to hit them simultaneously, and that means dividing our forces. But we'll stay in constant communication. As soon as one hub falls, we regroup and move on."

Stark nodded, though his expression was still serious. "Alright. Just make sure you guys stay alive out there. We're going to need you if we're going to finish this."

Natasha gave him a reassuring nod. "We'll finish this. One way or another."

As the jet flew on, Natasha couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The Overseer had been quiet for too long. There was more to his plan, and she knew they hadn't seen the full scope of his operation yet. But that didn't matter. Whatever came next, they would face it head-on.

As long as she and Snake Eyes stood together, they would stop the Overseer. They had to.