Several buses pulled into a fenced-in area in the woods. As Natasha exited the bus, she realized she was in a former children's camp, which had closed some time ago. Various artifacts, like old swings where children had played, could be seen, something no longer found in modern society. The common area was sparsely maintained, but most importantly, several residential buildings had recently been renovated.
Looking around, she saw how all the widows were carefully, and sometimes hugging each other, getting off the buses and also examining the place where they had been brought.
Before she had time to do anything, an employee approached Natasha and started telling her what was there.
He explained that several buildings are already ready to receive people. They have everything they need for a peaceful life. Most importantly, for now, there will be only a minimal staff, consisting mainly of cooks (who will go home after preparing the food) and doctors to monitor their health. Everything has been done to ensure the girls can recover without any interruptions.
"Who's responsible for all of this?" The determined look Natasha gave the employee confused the man.
- I don't have such data.
"Okay, I understand," she said, then turning to the crowd of women, "This place will be your home for the near future. I'll go away for a while, and this man will show you everything. Please don't kill him."
After the last phrase, the man swallowed, finding himself under the close attention of many women.
Natasha needed to resolve this issue with Alex.
*****
Alex had been suffering from a severe headache for several hours. No sooner had it been relieved than it would return within half an hour. Fortunately, the pain became less severe each time.
To prevent the device from knocking out the Water Lord, it was kept in Dreykov's office. With a slight, satisfied smile, he realized that interrogations of the captured scientists would confirm exactly what had happened. It was good that it hadn't impaired his abilities. Systems for blocking mutant abilities hadn't yet been developed, but that didn't mean they weren't trying to create them wherever possible. Therefore, it was also necessary to think about a means to counteract this.
Now, in his hospital room, Alex was dressing in the clothes they'd brought him. The doctors who admitted him were shocked that he'd even arrived there unconscious and advised against work, but no one tried to stop him or oppose his actions.
Now, as he buttoned his shirt, he tried to figure out where to start.
There were people to prepare for the space rescue mission, a meeting to be arranged with the president to discuss future plans, the widows to be found out, and a bunch of other little things that needed to be sorted out during his absence.
Standing in front of the mirror, Alex noticed an unusual tremor in his hand. He looked at it and analyzed his body, even gathering a little water around his hand to check if everything was alright.
All the data he received indicated he was fine. He was probably simply shocked to learn they could be preparing for his arrival. If he hadn't sent a squad to retrieve Dreykov, things could have turned out badly. It wouldn't have changed the situation. He would have won anyway. It's just that everyone inside the Red Room would be dead. His men wouldn't have left them alive, purely out of security concerns.
Alex's thoughts were interrupted by quiet footsteps approaching his room. Since the hospital staff weren't bothering him right now, and many didn't know he was there, only one person could be his visitor.
"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe it would be better to spend a couple of days in bed?"
Alex looked at his new deputy for operations and saw genuine concern on her face.
Without answering, he walked up to her and simply kissed her.
A few seconds of gratitude for her concern passed in complete silence until they broke the kiss.
"I'm fine. Better tell me how it went after I lost consciousness."
"Well, we did everything you said. Jose took that son of a bitch," Natasha said, a little taken aback, surprised that Alexander's former killer was already working for him. "All the staff were evacuated and... I transported the widows I found to where I was told..."
Natasha explained to Alex in more detail how transporting nearly a hundred women, who were clearly in a difficult emotional state, had been a difficult and highly emotional experience for her. It had been especially difficult to convince them they weren't being transported to prison, where they would later be tried for their previous actions.
Alex, listening to all this, slowly but tightly hugged her, expressing his silent support.
"I don't fully understand what you're going through," he began softly and tenderly. "This whole situation with Shield, Hydra, Drake, the other widows. It all happened too quickly, and there are still so many unanswered questions."
Listening to him, Natasha relaxed from his gentle voice.
"If anything's bothering you, you can always count on me. I don't have all the answers, but we'll face any challenge together, and as long as we're working together to build the future, no one can stop us."
Natasha remembered that Senate hearing and felt a certain satisfaction, seeing all the horror experienced by those who, not long ago, could have caused so many problems for her.
"What are you planning to do with them?" Alex's gaze clearly said he knew what she was asking, but he wanted her to voice it. "I'm talking about the girls."
— I'd prefer you to do it. If you want to, of course.
"Me?" The spy's gaze expressed genuine disbelief.
"Of course, you. The situation is such that I can't simply unleash a crowd of women on the world because they're dangerous, but I also can't do nothing. So it would be better if you took this matter into your own hands."
Natasha couldn't say anything, her thoughts had already begun to flow in different directions.
- But I...
"Who are you? A man who knows much more about them than they do." Natasha still looked at Alex in disbelief. "Only you can bring them into this world without them posing a threat. Especially to themselves. Of course, I'm not insisting. If you refuse, I can put someone else there…"
"No," the spy replied sharply, seemingly having come to a decision. "They'll only make things worse. I'll do it myself."
Alex enjoyed the determination he saw in her eyes.
"You don't have to worry about anything. If you need anything, make a list, and you'll get it as soon as possible. Consider this your personal project. You'll be in charge, and the final say will be yours."
As soon as he finished his sentence, the spy pounced on him, trying to somehow show through a kiss how much she appreciated all of this.
They were inseparable for several minutes until they ran out of breath.
"If it were up to me, I wouldn't let you out of my arms right now." Alex ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping away a single tear. "Unfortunately, I can't afford to lie around all day right now."
After which he broke free from her embrace and continued getting ready.
"Besides, I need to check on your sister. Otherwise, I'll probably disappear for a few days. You have a lot of work now, too, and that's not counting your new responsibilities."
While Alex was buttoning his buttons, he heard an uncertain female voice.
— About my sister...
*****
The former Soviet children's camp had been quite lively lately. Many widows had slowly begun settling in. And for the first time in their lives, they could breathe freely. They were already aware that they were being watched and that patrols were nearby, but these patrols weren't just for them. A military base nearby, manned by Alexander Ledov's men, kept watch over the area for any uninvited guests, and they also kept a close eye on the women.
Not everything was rosy for them; they had their own problems. One of them was currently being resolved in the gym of one of the buildings.
Punch, block, strike, sweep.
Around a hundred people were now watching as the most famous Black Widow demonstrated her effectiveness.
After the sweep, Natasha's opponent quickly rose and charged again. Natasha parried a series of her blows with cold confidence and managed to grab her opponent's arm. Without a second thought, she broke it, eliciting a cry of pain from the woman.
Before the widow could even begin to fight again, the Avenger knocked her unconscious with one powerful blow.
There was no applause after Natasha's victory. Natasha simply proved to everyone that she was strong.
With a slight tiredness and the rare marks left by her opponent on her face, Natasha looked around at everyone.
— Does anyone else want to show their strength or are you ready to start listening to me?
The silence and glances between the women brought satisfaction to Natasha's face.
"I understand you have a lot of questions and you're worried. Just know this: if they wanted to do something to you, they would have done it already."
Natasha continued to look around the room as she spoke.
"You were brought here to help you cope with what happened. As soon as it's clear you don't pose a danger to others, you'll be issued documents, and you'll be able to go wherever you want. While you're here, you can think about it and decide what you want to do."
Whether Natasha's speech was good or bad, it raised a number of questions among the women around her.
…
— I am responsible for everything that happens here.
…
"It's okay if you don't believe me about freedom. You'll see for yourself."
…
- I will stop anyone who puts everyone in danger.
…
"While you're here, you're protected. If you escape, I can't guarantee your safety."
…
"It won't cost you anything. I've been through the same thing as you, and I want to help."
Convincing so many agents who had been taught to trust no one was difficult for Natasha. But she understood their pain and knew where to push to get the desired result.
Natasha wasn't shy about talking about her past: how she escaped Dreykov, ended up at S.H.I.E.L.D., then became an Avenger, and how she ended up here. It was all very general, so as not to reveal any dangerous information, and, of course, she didn't dwell on her personal life with Alex. They would understand in time, but right now, it wasn't that important to them.
The longer the conversation went on, the more the atmosphere changed. After a while, they were simply sitting on the floor and talking. Natasha knew what she needed to say now to calm them down.
In the end, she was able to make progress and convince many women that it was better for them to stay here now and prepare, if not for a normal life, then at least for a life where they did not have to be a mindless tool in someone's hands.
*****
After making sure that all the widows understood that they were in no danger, and while they began to be checked for possible physical and, especially, mental problems, Natasha found a little time to visit her sister again.
Elena sat, engrossed in reading the instruction manual she had been given, while enjoying her lunch nearby.
The quiet idyll was interrupted by her so-called father, who tried to be quiet, but he was failing miserably. With so much mass, he couldn't simply be quiet.
"I thought you would ask Ledov to bring Elena back to her senses."
Natasha looked up from her reading to examine Shestakov in his combat gear.
"I asked him not to do it, although he was ready to help.
The guard looked at Natasha with surprise.
"Don't look at me like that," the spy snapped back, turning her gaze to the sleeping Elena. "The doctors said the process of removing the chemotherapy from her system is almost complete. They'll wake her up in a week or two."
"I'm sure Ledov could have done it in a couple of hours.
"Yes, he could." Sadness briefly crossed Natasha's face. "But what will I say to her? 'Hi, how are you?' We haven't seen each other in over ten years. We're complete strangers. It's better to let her sleep, and when she wakes up, it will be a different world for her."
Alexey understood what exactly she meant by these words: a world without the Red Room and Dreykov.
— To be honest, I thought they would call me to storm the base.
A sly but satisfied look met Shestakov's uncomprehending gaze.
"There was no assault. There was a surrender." A sinister smile appeared on the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's face. "It was one of the best moments of my life."
"I've dreamed for so long of killing Dreykov for sending me to prison. And now they won't even let me beat him up."
"Don't they give you enough missions here that involve fighting? I can provide you with those."
The guard only smiled contentedly at this.
- How could I forget, you're a big shot here now.
"Someone has to work. Not everyone here gets paid to throw punches."
Their little squabble brought grins to their faces.
"Natasha," Alexey began carefully, "there are different theories about you and Ledov being together now. No one knows for sure, everyone's just guessing."
Seeing the face of his adopted daughter, Shestakov realized that he had started asking such questions in vain.
"And why does it matter to you? You lost your right to be interested in my life when you handed me over to Dreykov."
"I... I... I didn't understand what I was doing. I ask you to forgive me for those actions. I was a completely different person then."
But his words had no effect on the spy's impassive face.
Fortunately, the conflict between father and daughter did not have time to escalate, as a ringing sound on Natasha's phone distracted her.
A minute later, Shestakov was left alone in the room with the sleeping Elena and reproached himself for his lack of restraint.
*****
Clint stood by the coffee machine, waiting for his cup of coffee to be ready.
For several days now he had been on the territory of Ledov's company, testing the "toys" while Natasha was busy with her new duties.
Just because Clint was in friendly territory didn't mean he stopped being an operative and stopped getting information.
something , seeing something, getting someone to talk—all of this could be useful for improving his girlfriend's work and giving her an unbiased report. Clint just didn't break the rules, so as not to worsen her new situation.
He also noticed he was being followed, always somewhere nearby. The Archer didn't know whether Ledov himself had ordered the surveillance or whether it was his men, but he liked it. After the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was even glad that the organization his friend had joined took security and strangers seriously. True, there were some strange things he learned about: for example, rumors about the "Widow Protocol" haunted him.
While his coffee was pouring, he noticed the television hanging on the wall. It was showing Ledov: the president had held a public and private meeting with him. The footage showed them shaking hands and acting quite friendly.
Stopping looking at the screen , he picked up his full glass of coffee and almost spilled it, bumping into a brunette model-looking woman who was standing next to him.
- I'm sorry.
— You have to watch where you're going.
Clint didn't particularly notice the rudeness in response, because something inside him stirred. Looking at the brunette, he tried to remember where he'd seen her. Her features and voice were familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd met her.
The intense gaze did not go unnoticed, and the woman also began to look at the man.
- What, Ledov put you to work too?
- What do you mean?
A cheerful expression appeared on the brunette's face.
- Exactly. You don't know.
Clint's instincts were screaming that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on what.
- Who are you?
He didn't receive an answer, only a satisfied smile on the face of the beautiful brunette.
— My name is Lyuda, and I work here. Who are you?
- Clint.
Lyuda chuckled at the monosyllabic answer.
"I never thought we'd meet again. Did you really enjoy my company so much that you're reaching out to me yourself?"
— I don't remember seeing you.
A charming smile appeared on Lyuda's face.
- Oh, we had such a wonderful time. You told me such interesting stories and helped me with my business.
Clint's mind was spinning wildly as he recalled the sight of that pretty, smiling woman.
The former SHIELD operative, who appeared nearby, prevented the SHIELD operative from answering.
- Clint, I'm done with Anna. Let's go.
- Yes, yes, let's go.
A brunette with a satisfied look saw off the departing pair of agents.
"Clint, I hope this isn't what I thought it was?" Natasha's gaze was intense, literally demanding an answer.
"Oh, God, Nat, no, of course not. There's just something so familiar about her. Like I've seen her somewhere."
Natasha remembered out of the corner of her eye the person her friend was talking to.
"I don't think Alex or Anna would let someone they didn't know in their immediate vicinity, but I'll find out who it is." Natasha showed him the documents she held. "Congratulations, I'm officially employed here now. As you can see, qualified people quickly find good positions."
Clint couldn't return the same genuine smile that Natasha gave him.
— It will be sad that we will now be far from each other.
Natasha put her hand on her friend's shoulder, calming him down.
- Don't worry, we might even see each other more often than before.
*****
The test site was now empty, and there were only two people on it.
Clint stood there, dressed in the suit he had been given.
Black and form-fitting, with panels covering vulnerable areas, a small reinforced chest plate, and a small generator in the back, a powerful power source created by Stark. The helmet sat next to him. The suit itself was very lightweight, yet offered tremendous protection due to the durable fabric it was made of.
As he waited for his partner to come out, he could only whistle at the way the suit accentuated all her curves.
"I think I know who designed your version," Clint said, pointing to Natasha's impression of how tightly the suit clung to her body, though it hung quite comfortably on him.
- I'm not even surprised.
Natasha walked up to the wall and demonstrated her flexibility by lifting her leg into a full split, demonstrating that the tightness of the fabric didn't hinder her mobility in any way. Returning to the ground, she tried a few more moves to test her flexibility in the new equipment, which only further accentuated her curves.
"Well, tell me," Natasha said with a little anticipation, having finished her warm-up.
Clint began telling her about the capabilities he'd discovered at the testing grounds. The suit's thin leather easily withstands bullets of many calibers; the interface settings allow one to enhance or accelerate one's speed; the suit's airtight seal allows one to survive for several hours without air. And most importantly, there's the invisibility field Clint created under his friend's astonished gaze, and the energy shield mode, which allows one to defend against many threats for short periods.
"All of this is provided by the generator on my back. Once you get used to it, it won't bother me anymore."
Natasha only had time to briefly read the instructions and familiarize herself with the suit's capabilities, but Clint was there to help her get used to the new technology faster.
After that, a demonstration began, where he showed how to use this or that mode, which she tried and tested.
Clint noticed that Natasha's suit had the hand-held stun guns she used attached to it, and the Widowmaker symbol on her belt.
Watching Natasha practice her new abilities, Clint realized that he was currently testing the basic model that the people of Ledov had created, while Natasha had an improved and customized version.
Seeing the childish joy on Natasha's face from receiving the toy, Clint himself couldn't help but smile.
"We should try this on someone." But now her predatory gaze frightened him.
*****
- Hey! Is anyone here?
The urgent call to the testing site didn't surprise Alexey. Given his enhanced strength and endurance, he was sometimes used as a test dummy to determine whether the product worked.
When he entered, he saw no one. Only an empty hall, which was unusual at this time of day.
- Ooooh! Who me... ahhh!
A sharp blow from the side sent the super soldier flying several meters.
- Who's here?
Right in front of him, as if materializing, a woman appeared, wearing combat gear Shestakov had never seen before. He couldn't see her face because of her helmet; only two blue glows represented her eyes.
- Damn. Those tadpoles have come up with something again.
He wasn't given much time to complain about the scientists. His opponent closed the distance between them in an instant and began striking him in various parts of his body, causing him intense pain.
After one of the grabs, the opponent simply took and threw the super soldier's hundred-plus kilogram weight over herself, and it didn't seem to cause her any problems.
Already struggling to get up after a couple of hard landings, the guard wiped away traces of blood around his mouth.
- Whoever you are, you're just lucky that I don't hit women.
This phrase, like a trigger, caused a new attack.
Several stun bolts erupted from his opponent's bracelets. Alexey even dodged some of them, but the rest struck him, sending shockwaves through his body. Unable to control his body, he fell and began twitching from the thousands of volts coursing through him.
Having somehow pulled out the stun guns, Alexei could no longer continue the battle - his body was constantly twitching, and the knife at his throat showed that the battle was already over.
- Who are you?
The answer to his question was a projection of Natasha's face under the helmet.
- Well, that explains a lot.
Without saying anything, Natasha simply walked away to her friend, who had come out of invisibility when the battle was over.
Having recovered a bit and watching his friends evaluate certain actions, Shestakov decided to go into the second round to prove that he was not so easy to take.
Only later does he realize that he decided to do this in vain.
*****
Many people around the world watched one of the superhero's rare broadcasts. For several hours, he'd been educating the world about what had happened recently.
A little history about Hydra, how it developed, its values, its ambitions, and, most interestingly, its plan to take over the world. All of this was presented in general terms for general understanding.
At the beginning of the broadcast, it was still possible to track down many people who supported the organization, but towards the end of the broadcast, their number became significantly fewer.
"And this is what we see," Alex said, pointing to the game map of the world that had been created for him based on the organization's actions. The entire world map looked more like a scorched wasteland under radioactive clouds than a blue-green planet.
"More than half the world is dead, the economy is nonexistent, famine, nuclear winter. This means hundreds of millions more deaths in the coming years. And all because of a small group of people's desire for world power. So, if you want to better understand the future that could have been, play nuclear post-apocalypse games."
Normally, no one would publicize such information, lest it frighten the public. But by showing it in a simulation where Hydra had won, the world began to watch in horror at the possible outcome and rejoice even more that the Avengers were able to stop such madmen.
If you don't believe me, that's your right, but your armchair analysis won't change the situation much.
The hero chatted with people for a few more minutes until he noticed another person in his room. After that, he decided to say goodbye and end the broadcast.
- I already thought that you wouldn't finish.
Natasha, having checked that the cameras were turned off, came over, sat on his lap and hugged Alex, clearly hinting that she missed him.
"We needed to provide people with an explanation of what we were doing and why. This would immediately eliminate those who sympathized and those who didn't understand, which would enhance our reputation."
Natasha thought for a bit and agreed with his actions.
— You were simply gone for a few days, and I think you could have been gone even longer if you hadn't been broadcasting from home.
Alex only sighed heavily, pressing the woman a little tighter to himself.
"Hydra, Dreykov, the hearings. All of this changed the world, and we had to discuss a multitude of plans with Anna, Vologin, and many others so that the entire process wouldn't stall because no one knew what needed to be done."
"I can understand Anna, but what did you discuss with the president?" Natasha recalled the news feed, which said their private meeting had been lengthy.
"There will be a ton of arrests and trials in the coming years. This will create a power vacuum, and I plan to fill part of it so that my opinion becomes too valuable to ignore."
Alex explained to her that his work with the authorities would now change slightly. He wouldn't interfere too much in their affairs as long as the general direction suited him. He also explained that he couldn't help but react to malicious liars and corrupt officials, so he warned Voloshin to keep his men quiet. If they attracted attention, the hero wouldn't be able to ignore it and would have to visit them, and they would clearly not like the results.
- And he just agreed to all this?
Natasha was perplexed by such changes in the world.
"What should he do? Go against me? The voters themselves will hang him. Besides, I'm the only one representing Russia on the international stage, and I can't be ignored now."
Natasha smiled contentedly at his words.
"It never occurred to me that a bunch of people with different abilities could dictate terms to nuclear countries. It's just madness."
Alex quietly enjoyed the beautiful woman in his arms while he carried on a conversation.
"Of course, it's not all for nothing. In return, I provide him with reputational support and help resolve crises that could weaken the country and divert its resources from space programs."
Natasha looked intently at Alex.
— Why do I think these resources will go through your company?
Ledov just calmly shrugged his shoulders.
"The time when the US and the Soviet Union competed for space is over. Now Tony and I are leading the space effort. The alternative is simply pointless competition against the backdrop of impending tragedy."
— Did you tell Vologin about Thanos?
"No, only about the base on Mars and the fact that someone sent Loki here, which means they might send someone else. So in the coming days, the news will be full of reports about strange and incomprehensible abductions."
It was as if a revelation had dawned on Natasha.
- You are preparing the ground for our mission.
"Yes," Alex answered calmly. "Plus, I'm not creating any extra problems for Vologin."
"By the way, when are we leaving? I don't think delaying this for too long is a good idea."
Alex enjoyed the simple sound of her heartbeat for a few seconds before answering.
"Don't worry, everything's almost ready. Better tell me how your days went."
Natasha pressed herself wearily against him and felt better with his hands on her body.
"I feel like being an agent is much easier now, and I'm starting to understand Fury a little. Sometimes I want to be in several places at once."
Alex sighed dreamily.
"If there were several such beauties, then I would have no reason to leave home at all.
For these voiced thoughts he received a small slap and the comment: "Vulgar."
— But seriously, find yourself a few trusted people who will help you, and everything will become easier.
A sly expression appeared on the face of the woman sitting on her knees.
- Now it's clear why I'm here: to make your life easier.
"Yes," Alex answered, not even hiding his motives, looking at her. "You're here to make my life better."
And without giving her a chance to object, he kissed her. Literally a moment of tenderness helped them both forget a little about all the things they were immersed in.
Just sitting and hugging each other, Natasha broke the silence after a while.
"Can you give me your elite group?" Alex's eyebrow rose at the request. "Please."
- You can request them yourself if there are grounds for this.
Natasha herself was surprised by her new capabilities.
- And you won't even ask why I need them?
Alex just shrugged.
"If you need them, there's a reason. Starting a war isn't your style. I just hope you'll try out that outfit that was made for you?"
The mention of the suit made her body tremble slightly. And now the spy herself began to show affection.
- This is the best gift that could have been given to me.
These words were enough for Alex to grab her under the hips, and their conversations for the day ended.