Chapter 45

A/N: you can join patreon for additional chapters (p@treon com/GreekGreenGlass)

...

After Natasha and Yelena left, the man clutched his neck, struggling to stand. He leaned against the wall and pressed the communicator on his chest.

"Coulson?" he muttered, covering his earpiece.

"Barton, are you okay?" Coulson's voice crackled through.

"Yeah... I just got beaten up without even putting up a fight," Barton replied with a helpless smile. It was the first time he'd experienced something like this. If other agents found out, they'd never let him live it down.

"What's your assessment?" Coulson asked.

"The target matches our analysis. Her skills are much better than an average agent's. But this woman, Natasha, she's different from the reports. Her strength and speed are far beyond that of a normal person. I suspect she's either enhanced or... maybe even a mutant."

"Maybe. You might've been a bit too hasty this time, Barton," Coulson replied.

Coulson's voice came through, calm but serious. "This mission was supposed to be a simple contact and capture of Yelena. No one expected Natasha Romanoff, missing for years, to suddenly show up."

Barton had initiated an attack, but it had gone beyond the mission's scope. While Barton had the authority to make decisions on the ground, facing two Black Widow-level spies was a daunting task, with a high risk of failure.

Barton nodded, replying, "I'll report to the director." Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "So, what's the next step?"

"The situation's changed. From what we've gathered, Natasha might've made contact with a mysterious force during her disappearance. We don't know much about it yet, but it's far from ordinary. We'll continue investigating and tracking her movements."

"Got it. Heading back to HQ to file the report," Barton confirmed.

"You won't need to. I'm in the headquarters," Coulson said.

"Alright."

He ended the call, walked over to his damaged motorcycle, righted it, and revved the engine, speeding out of the alley.

Unbeknownst to him, Natasha was nearby, hidden just out of view from the street surveillance cameras, silently watching. Her frown deepened as she observed him.

A moment later, Yelena approached from the distance, casually holding two ice cream sticks.

Yelena handed Natasha an ice cream and snapped, "You really don't trust my hiding skills?"

"Barton is an elite agent. You'll get spotted easily," Natasha replied bluntly, taking the ice cream. Her nonchalant response made Yelena even more frustrated. No matter what, in front of Natasha, she always felt like a little girl who hadn't quite grown up.

Just as Yelena was about to fire back, Natasha pulled out her phone, entering an encrypted passcode with one hand. Intrigued, Yelena leaned in, pressing her ear against Natasha's without asking, casually licking her ice cream as she listened in. Natasha shot her a look of annoyance, but Yelena wasn't deterred, shamelessly staying put.

With no other choice, Natasha allowed her to listen.

The call connected quickly, and a calm, magnetic male voice came through the line. "Have you had a good couple of days, Natasha?"

Hearing this, Yelena's eyes lit up with curiosity, her face full of gossip.

"I found Yelena, but..." Natasha began explaining the recent events. There was a brief pause on the other end before the voice replied, "I see. Looks like they've noticed us, but as long as they don't provoke us, we won't pay them any attention."

"What are your plans now?" the voice asked.

"I want to find Melina," Natasha said after a short pause.

"Go ahead. We'll support you, Natasha," came the warm reply.

"Thanks," Natasha responded, her face softening. Yelena's nosy expression grew even more exaggerated.

When Natasha finally ended the call, she turned to see Yelena, still licking her ice cream, staring at her with a mischievous, gossip-hungry grin.

"We can go." Natasha said, irritated, as she headed toward the street. Yelena followed closely behind, chirping away with endless questions.

"Who was that? Your lover?" Yelena teased.

"I can't believe you've actually fallen for someone! What does he look like? What's his job? Is he just an ordinary guy?"

"You can shut up," Natasha snapped, her patience wearing thin.

The two figures gradually faded from sight as they walked down the street.

....

Meanwhile, on the lawn of his estate in Long Island, New York, Leon sat in a chair, placing his phone on the table next to him. His eyes drifted to the four little ones on the grass, deeply engaged in a 1v1 battle.

His mind lingered on his recent conversation with Natasha.

"Keisha," Leon called out.

"I'm here. What are your orders?" Keisha's voice responded instantly.

"Get inside the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division's headquarters. I need to know what Nick Fury and Coulson are up to."

"Understood. Intrusion successful. Would you like the virtual screen transmitted?" Keisha asked.

"Transmission," Leon replied.

With a quiet whoosh, the scene in front of Leon shifted. Suddenly, it felt as though he was inside an office filled with advanced technology, within the heart of the SHIELD headquarters building.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office was a one-eyed Black man, wearing a black trench coat, his bald head gleaming under the light. Behind him stood a middle-aged man in a suit. The two were in conversation.

"Director, Barton's mission failed. Natasha Romanoff appeared, showing superhuman speed and strength. Barton suspects she might have undergone an enhancement procedure or possibly awakened mutant abilities," said the middle-aged man—Leon recognized him as the future SHIELD Director, Phil Coulson.

The bald man was none other than Nick Fury, the current Director of SHIELD.

Leaning back, Leon sipped his iced juice, listening intently to their conversation.

"So, she's finally shown herself? Just as I suspected. Her disappearance was not a simple matter," Fury responded, turning to look at Coulson, his one eye reflecting deep thought.

"Director, based on what we know, Natasha Romanoff, though a highly trained operative, shouldn't be capable of this kind of power. Yet, she's showing much more strength than expected after disappearing. Could it be that the organization she's working for has a way to enhance humans?" Coulson speculated, his eyes searching Fury's for answers.

"Perhaps," Fury mused. "Remember the Stryker incident? We investigated that base and found those bodies. It wasn't the work of the X-Men. Most of the kills were done with cold weapons, and the victims didn't even have a chance to resist. Instant kills."

Fury paused, his voice lowering slightly. "And despite our efforts, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters stayed silent. It's clear there's some kind of understanding between them and these new players."