What followed was hell.
Natasha held nothing back. Every strike carried real combat intent, though she pulled her force at the last instant, ensuring nothing landed hard enough to cause serious injury.
Spider-Sense kept Veyric alive. He managed to dodge some of the blows, slipping past punches and kicks by thin margins. But under Black Widow's relentless pressure, he went down again and again, and hauled himself up every time.
Bruises and scrapes accumulated fast. His body became a map of purple and red. Yet each time he hit the mat, he could feel something shifting. Reactions sharpening. Muscles learning the rhythm of high-intensity combat, adapting in real time.
Three hours. Three full hours of it.
When Natasha finally called a halt, Veyric collapsed instantly. He lay flat on his back, drenched head to toe, looking like someone had dragged him out of a river.
"That's enough for today."
Even her voice carried a thread of fatigue, though satisfaction dominated it.
"It wasn't pretty, but I'll give you this: you improved faster than I expected."
Veyric wheezed. He didn't have enough breath left to form words.
"Same time tomorrow. We continue."
A towel landed on his chest.
"Now go shower and rest."
She turned toward the door.
"Natasha."
She stopped. Looked back.
"...Thank you." He sat up with visible effort, meeting her eyes. "For being willing to teach me."
Something flickered behind her gaze. Brief, unreadable.
"...Don't mention it. You're our captain, after all."
Her voice was quiet, carrying an unexpected softness.
Then she walked out.
Veyric watched her disappear through the doorway and let out a long breath, collapsing onto his back again.
"Wow..."
Venom's voice echoed through his mind, dripping with amusement.
"What's going on here, Captain? I don't even have a nose, and I can smell something romantic in the air."
"Shut up."
He closed his eyes. Every muscle ached, and the last thing he wanted was to entertain a symbiote's commentary.
"Still, I have to admit, choosing to take Black Widow's training... that takes guts." Venom pressed on.
"Tch..."
That was Venom all over. All talk, no substance. The system hadn't registered any change in the symbiote's affection, which meant the admiration was purely lip service.
Right on cue...
[Ding!]
[Black Widow's attitude toward you updated to: Complicated]
[Black Widow's affection +10. Current value: 80]
"Hm? Complicated? What does 'complicated' mean?"
Were women's hearts really that impossible to read? Even an all-knowing system couldn't figure it out?
He lay there for a long while, waiting until the worst of the soreness eased, then dragged himself upright and limped back to his room. The shower called to him and he answered.
He was halfway through rinsing off when the base intercom crackled to life, Beast's urgent voice cutting through the steam:
"Emergency assembly! Everyone to the briefing room, now! Blade's in trouble!"
His chest tightened. No time to dry off. He threw on clothes and bolted from the bathroom.
Footsteps already pounded through the corridor. By the time Veyric reached the briefing room, Beast stood at the main console, face grim, eyes locked on the screen.
"What happened?" Veyric strode forward.
Beast pulled up a map. A red dot blinked in the center.
"Blade was ambushed in Midtown Manhattan. He sent a distress signal on the emergency channel. Hawkeye and Falcon have him pinned down."
"What?" Veyric's eyes narrowed.
Hawkeye and Falcon. One a marksman who never missed, the other an aerial combat specialist.
Blade excelled in close quarters. Against those two, the matchup was a nightmare.
"Blade says Falcon destroyed his firearms in an air assault. All he's got left is his silver blade for close-range defense."
"They hold the high ground. His situation is critical."
Veyric's brow furrowed. "Where's Peter?"
"Spider-Man's heading there from the opposite direction, but he needs time. They were covering different recon zones per the original plan."
The briefing room door swung open again. Black Widow and Colossus walked in, moving fast.
Veyric didn't hesitate. "Colossus, Natasha, you're with me. We drive straight there. Hank, stay at base as our comms hub. Keep the channel open at all times."
"Understood." Beast nodded.
They sprinted for the garage and piled into an SUV. Colossus was too big for anything but the back seat. Veyric, still wrung out from training, handed the keys to Natasha without argument.
"Are you okay?" She started the engine and glanced at him, concern threading through her tone.
"I'm fine. Saving Blade matters more." He leaned back, kneading a sore shoulder. "Our base is brand new. We can't afford to lose anyone at this stage. Besides, Hawkeye and Falcon are serious fighters. They'd fill the gap in our ranged capabilities. And..."
He turned to look at her, eyes steady. "I know Clint's one of your closest friends. No matter how you look at it, I have to give this everything I've got."
Natasha said nothing. Her foot pressed the accelerator a little harder.
[Ding!]
[Detected: Black Widow's concern for Host]
[Black Widow's affection +10. Current value: 90]
The notification caught him off guard. Before he could process it, the SUV had already roared out of the bunker and into the ruins of New York, swallowed by the night.
Natasha drove like she fought: aggressive, precise, in total control. The vehicle tore through broken streets at terrifying speed without so much as a wobble.
A few kilometers from the target zone, she stopped the car.
They crept forward on foot, scanning the surrounding buildings as they moved.
High in the night sky, a dark shape circled in slow, predatory loops.
"Clint's in that building below." Natasha read the situation instantly, whether from years of experience or the instinct that came from knowing an old partner inside out. "Seventh floor of that office tower. He's using his bow to seal off Blade's escape routes."
Veyric followed her gesture. On the seventh floor, faint flashes of light confirmed the position.
"Then here's the play," he said, keeping his voice low. "Natasha, you infiltrate solo and engage Hawkeye. Colossus and I hit from the front, draw Falcon's attention, and give Blade a window to break free."
Natasha nodded and started to turn. Veyric caught her wrist.
She looked back. His eyes were earnest.
"Be careful, Natasha." Barely above a whisper. "I know you outmatch Clint, but don't get careless. Come back in one piece. Okay?"
If Endgame's forced one-on-one between Widow and Hawkeye for the Soul Stone proved anything, it was that Natasha held the edge. Saying she was slightly stronger wasn't much of a stretch.
She looked at him. Those eyes, always so sharp and controlled, softened just a fraction.
She slipped her wrist free. "Relax. I'm not losing to a guy with a bow."
Then she vanished into the darkness like smoke.
Veyric took a deep breath and turned to Colossus. "Ready, big guy?"
"Always."
"Venom, how about you?"
"Good to go!"
"Then let's move."
Night hawks circled overhead, and the battle was about to begin.