Chapter 148

Half a year later.

HYDRA was having another meeting, and the atmosphere was much better than in previous gatherings.

Their attack plan on the SHIELD base had been successful, and they managed not only to capture Blonsky but also Sterns, the creator of Blonsky's transformation.

When they found Sterns, he had green skin and a large head, and he seemed to be waiting for them. He simply told them that he would create more like Blonsky for them.

HYDRA gladly accepted, and they began to cooperate.

Sterns was an expert, perhaps even more so than Bruce, in matters of enhancement with gamma radiation, as Bruce's intention from the beginning had never been to create soldiers.

"Do we still need to keep hiding?" one of the holographic figures asked with annoyance.

"After the chaos we caused, yes. SHIELD and Madripoor have become more aggressive in hunting us down after that attack," the red-haired man said.

"And the Red Room just stood by, watching us wear ourselves out," one of the holographic figures said in irritation.

''It doesn't really matter, there are too many people on this planet, we can recruit more, the important thing is that we got what we wanted and more, with Sterns we already have 10 people who have survived the experiments.''

"The project is only in Phase 1, and the soldiers are only as strong as Captain America. But at least that's a foundation to operate better," another holographic figure said.

"If we had hundreds like Blonsky, wouldn't it be easy to dominate the world?" one of the holographic figures said.

"If it were like Blonsky, there wouldn't be a world left to dominate after releasing them. His strength is incredible, but something we can't control is of no use to us," Pierce said, shaking his head.

"Well... we must continue to bow our heads and gather power. We mustn't forget the terror of Madripoor. Their soldiers are not only stronger than ours, but their technology is far superior," one of the holographic figures said.

"The soldiers aren't the concern; it's that man," the fifth holographic figure, who doesn't usually speak much, said.

The other four remained silent, in agreement.

...

Natasha was using Clint's bow while he watched from the side and occasionally laughed when she missed.

"I admit it's nice," Natasha said, lowering the bow after firing an arrow.

"I prefer it to firing a gun," Clint shrugged.

"Your wrists can't handle the recoil?" Natasha teased before setting the bow aside.

"Tell me, have you thought about retiring?" Clint asked, changing the subject suddenly.

"Not yet. It's what keeps me active. Have you thought about it?" Natasha asked, looking at Clint.

"Yeah, now that my oldest son is 8 years old. I was thinking about retiring and living with them," Clint nodded.

"Hm, I'd miss you," Natasha said, smiling at Clint but still understanding.

"Nat... tell me, should I move my family to Madripoor? I've been thinking about it for a while. Even though my family is safe, they have to live in isolation. Laura and the kids can't have friends or do the things kids do nowadays," Clint said, a little embarrassed to tell Natasha.

"I think it's a good idea. Madripoor is really safe, and your family can be free. Actually, even if you didn't tell me, I would recommend it to you. The world won't be safe for long," Natasha said, hesitating with the last sentence.

"What?" Clint furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Just trust me, it's a good idea. You can do it whenever you want. As the queen of Madripoor, I'll help you," Natasha said proudly, with a hand on her chest.

"A queen whose subjects don't even know her," Clint teased, shaking his head, and didn't ask Natasha any more questions.

She's his closest friend, the one he can trust with his back.

At that moment, the training room door opened, and Steve walked in with a relaxed smile.

"Well, look who's back. You're even tanned now," Natasha laughed, seeing Steve.

"Yes, you took quite a vacation," Clint said to Steve with a smile.

"Yeah, I must say Madripoor is a truly wonderful place. It's hard to get in but even harder to get out," Steve chuckled.

He looked visibly more relaxed and didn't have the concern on his face that he had when he first woke up.

"Did you enjoy Madripoor?" Clint asked with curiosity. Who better to ask than someone who had just arrived?

"It's a really nice place. No crimes, people live well, they're friendly and have a smile on their face. It was a bit scary at first," Steve chuckled.

"I really would like to meet the famous king."

"Not everything can be good, right?" Clint asked with doubt.

"Oh no, of course, there are problems, like arguments, and the most I saw was a fight between two people. But that's normal; we're human. If we didn't have conflicts or problems, we'd still be human, right?" Steve asked more to himself.

"The good thing is that none of it gets out of control."

Clint only nodded and said nothing more; he still wanted to go and see for himself if it was a good place for his family.

"You came back to work as an agent?" Natasha asked, looking at Steve.

"Yes, I haven't really found a purpose for my life at this time, so I'll take care of the organization Peggy created for now," Steve said with a smile.

"Fair enough," Natasha said, nodding with a smile.

"I went to see Fury, and he told me there were no missions at the moment. What do you guys usually do?" Steve asked, looking at Natasha and Clint with a smile.

"We're really lazy when there are no missions. Sometimes we do small sparring sessions or practice our aim. Otherwise, we order food or play video games to pass the time," Natasha laughed.

Steve was surprised before laughing lightly. In a way, he was glad that both of them were laid back and didn't seem like the prototype of cold, emotionless spies.

"Speaking of sparring, want to give it a try?" Natasha asked, excitedly smiling.

"Sure," Steve said, also nodding with interest.

Clint was also very interested and even planned to take out his phone and record.

Natasha and Steve approached the ring before each putting on gloves and padded shoes.

"Don't hold back," Natasha said more seriously as she raised her fists and tensed her legs.

Clint rang the bell, indicating the start of the fight, causing Steve to observe Natasha's stance as he prepared.

Natasha propelled herself forward with her legs and calves before turning her waist and sending a kick towards Steve's face.

Her muscles were in total synchrony, unleashing great force.

Steve quickly put his forearm up to block the kick, but he was overwhelmed by her strength, and his guard fell to the side.

Natasha swiftly propelled herself with her other leg before placing her fist in front of Steve's face.

"I told you not to hold back," Natasha said, shaking her head with a smile before taking two small hops back, intending to start again.

Steve still seemed in a state of shock before slowly becoming serious and raising his fists, now going all out.

Natasha smiled before lunging towards Steve, making the same move.

Clint squinted slightly at the loud sound resulting from Natasha's kick against Steve's forearm.

This time Steve had applied his own force outward, resisting the blow, though he couldn't avoid moving his sore forearm a bit.

Steve looked at Natasha before starting to advance towards her, throwing several straight punches that were either blocked or dodged by Natasha.

Natasha also took advantage of small openings to deliver strong kicks that were halted by Steve.

Natasha's kicks really took a toll on his arms, and Steve winced slightly as he blocked them.

Clint also narrowed his eyes a bit at the loud impacts of Natasha's kicks. Even if she were a normal human, she could easily knock down a grown man.

Her muscular control was truly perfect, and she could deliver kicks using all the muscles in her legs and core, generating a force much greater than one would expect from her small frame.

Steve finally stopped trying to block Natasha's kicks and started to dodge them, taking a step back or crouching.

They both constantly exchanged blows for a good while before stopping.

Neither of them landed a direct hit on the other's body; they were just training.

After all, it was just a sparring session, and it would take a long time to determine a winner with similar physical capabilities.

Clint also stopped recording and smiled slightly as he watched them fight. It was truly a fantastic bout to behold.

"You're very good," Natasha said, smiling at Steve.

"You too. You really surprised me. You're the best fighter I've faced," Steve said, looking at Natasha with respect.

"Come on, don't be exaggerating," Natasha said, laughing and shaking her head before stepping down from the ring. She didn't want to have to tell him that he wasn't even close to being the strongest opponent she had faced.

With the terrifying people living in his house, Steve looks physically like a normal person.

"Guys, want to come over for dinner at my place?" Natasha asked, looking at Steve and Clint. She had told Steve that she would introduce him to her family some time ago, and since Steve said he wanted to meet the King of Madripoor, she felt a little naughty about playing a joke on him.

"I'd love to," Steve said, nodding kindly, while also curious about Natasha's family.

"I guess," Clint said, scratching his head as he shrugged. He didn't really like going to Natasha's house much. Damian had made him feel uncomfortable lately, even though he really liked the guy. Somehow, his presence made him tense, as if he were facing something frightening.

Natasha looked at Clint with a complaint in her eyes, but she still understood what Clint was talking about.

Damian had an imposing presence, and since he increased his magical circles, this had intensified. If you didn't live with him and get used to it, it could be a bit uncomfortable.

She had been gradually working on controlling it, but there was still a bit to go before things returned to normal.

"I'll go take a shower. See you in a bit," Natasha said, heading to her room to take a shower.

Clint looked at Steve's red forearms and smiled ironically while unconsciously also touching his forearms, which had received slightly weaker kicks from Natasha.

"Have some ice," Clint said after going to the refrigerator and getting something for Steve.

"Thanks. She really packs a punch with those legs," Steve said, wincing from the contact with the ice.

"Yeah, she's a woman who could kill someone with a kick," Clint joked.

"I wonder who her husband is," Steve also joked.

"Yeah... well, you'll find out soon," Clint said, smiling somewhat awkwardly.

Natasha took a quick shower before dressing casually and heading out to the parking lot where her car was parked.

She had texted Clint to meet her there with Steve.

Natasha started checking her phone and exchanged messages with Damian. She always laughed at the messages he sent her.

At that moment, the passenger door opened, and Clint greeted her.

"Steve has a car now, so I'll go with him," Clint said, smiling at Natasha.

"Alright, don't lose me," Natasha said, laughing before starting her car.

Clint chuckled before going back and getting into Steve's car, reminding him not to lose her.

Natasha stepped on the accelerator and sped through the streets before leaving the densely populated areas behind and driving towards the outskirts of the city.

Steve did his best not to lose her; driving vehicles was not his strong suit. In fact, he ended up 70 years in the future because he crashed one.

As Steve drove, he realized they had left the urban area and entered a more rural area where there were large, luxurious villas.

"Is Natasha very wealthy?" Steve asked casually while driving. He knew she had money from the cars she drove, but being an agent wasn't bad either; it paid quite well.

"Well, I'd say she's more than just wealthy," Clint said, laughing while shaking his head.

Steve was a bit confused but continued driving until they arrived in front of a large mansion with a rather old-fashioned style. Steve wasn't an architecture expert, but the structure looked old yet very well preserved, giving it a very elegant look.

"This place feels familiar to me," Steve said a bit confused. His memory is incredibly good, and he usually doesn't have trouble remembering something. He's sure he saw a photo of this house, but he doesn't know what it's related to.

"Hm, don't be too surprised," Clint said, smiling slightly.

Both entered behind Natasha's car before parking the vehicle and getting out.

Natasha looked at them and smiled, indicating for them to come in.

Steve nodded, looking at Natasha when suddenly he saw a giant white tiger lurking behind Natasha before lunging at her.

Steve panicked and tried to run towards her while warning her.

----

Remember that you can support me and see 10 advanced chapters at patreon.com/Fast_Reader