- The world is in panic over a new invasion... -
Click
- During the Battle of London, the damage was done….
Click
- I call for this mutant to be punished for his actions against our landmark...
Click
There was no need to listen to this any further, so Nick Fury turned off the TV and turned his gaze to his only agent in the room, who was standing and waiting for orders.
- Looks like the Avengers saved the world again –
Fatigue was clearly visible in the shield director's eyes. Every day, some kind of devilry occurred, forcing the spy's brain to work, despite the fact that he learned much simply from reports.
- You planned it that way and now your plan is working –
The shield director glanced at his subordinate with his one good eye and handed over the folder.
- Agent Romanov, how well do you know Ledov?
Before answering, the agent opens the folder and sees the shield's dossier on the voiced object.
- It depends on the purpose – the short professional answer did not surprise the director of the shield
"Since Ledov became known worldwide, he's begun to expand his influence. The city he's settled in is practically a private enterprise, given the amount of money being spent on development. He's constructing an entire complex of buildings. He's working with media outlets. He's even hosted several live broadcasts where he interacts with people. He donates a great deal of money to charity. At the same time, he maintains a monopoly on services no one else can offer."
All this time Natasha just sat and calmly listened to her boss; the dossier had not changed since the last time she read it.
- He is gaining strength and this gives the Russians a lot of maneuvering in the political arena, the higher-ups don't like this, but they are already putting pressure on me, although the fucking idiots themselves can't really do anything.
- What do you want from me?
Fury's face remained calm, but his eyes were deeply thoughtful. He spoke slowly:
"Ledov is no longer just a mutant, but a strategic player. His influence is growing, and he's using his popularity and wealth to expand his control. This poses a threat not only locally but also internationally."
He paused, then added:
"We need to understand his true goals. If he's acting for power or influence, that's one thing, but if there's something more behind it, we must be prepared for the worst."
Agent Romanoff carefully closed the folder and looked at her boss:
"So what do you propose? We have several options: try to negotiate with him, or prepare a neutralization operation. But both options require precise information and very careful actions."
Fury nodded:
"I want to explore his plans and understand how dangerous he is to us. So far, he seems more interested in strengthening his position than in open conflict. But that could change at any moment."
He looked up at Natasha:
"You'll handle this. Use all your contacts and resources. We need to know everything: from his financial flows to his connections to politicians."
"But why me?" Natasha glanced at Fury, her face calm, but a hint of confusion and question in her eyes. Fury slowly turned to face her, his gaze penetrating and calm.
"Because you're one of the few who already knows Ledov. You've dealt with him directly, so you can better understand his motivations and weaknesses. Your knowledge and experience are our greatest asset in this game. Plus, you know how to operate discreetly and effectively—exactly what we need now."
He paused, then added:
"I trust you. And I know you'll do the best job. We need to understand his ultimate goals, and to do that, we need someone who understands his language and style."
Natasha sighed, softening a little:
"Okay. Then I'll take care of it. But I want to know: what will happen if he finds out about our intentions?"
Fury replied calmly:
"Then we'll have to proceed very carefully. But as long as he doesn't suspect our plans, we have a chance to get the information we need without unnecessary risks."
- What about Steve? I'm his supervisor now.
Fury waved his hand dismissively. "I'll assign another agent to Rogers. Right now, it's more important to understand Ledov's plans, and you're the only one I can send to him who might get something useful."
- Okay, sir, the order is clear. May I carry it out?
- I authorize you, Agent Romanov.
With one of his best agents gone, Fury could only hope it didn't spark any future conflict that would hit America.
Sunshine, a quiet lake, and a bit of sand. What could be better to spend a day away from everyone? Helping the wounded, working with the press. Russian intelligence services, who were trying to get me out of London as quickly as possible. It was enough to divide up several spaceships between the countries. The British wanted to take everything for themselves as the victims, but there was just a little pressure, and of the five that survived the battle, they only got one. Of course, they didn't like it, but there was nothing they could do.
After returning and checking on current projects, I decided to take a short vacation for myself, where there were fewer people, to relax and get my thoughts in order.
The house was specifically chosen and built on the lakeshore. This location was chosen specifically to ensure a constant state of readiness, yet still allow for a good time in the sun. But even idleness wasn't the purpose of this vacation. The book in his hands was far more important than any textbook; it was a gift from an alien queen. When the conflict with the elves ended, many problems were resolved, and the flow of wounded ceased. Thor approached and began asking and inquiring about how he could repay his people for helping him. Of course, his first thought was to tell Thor that he needed some kind of alien weapon like his hammer, but such thoughts had to be suppressed. Maintaining a good relationship with the future king was crucial, and such requests could spoil the impression. Besides, the ships they were transporting could provide a major technological advancement. Thor heard his proposal rejected, prompting the Prince of Asgard to press his offer even harder. Of course, the prince ultimately insisted, and my thoughts were correct, as the thunder god began to float options for weapons or treasure. But receiving a request for books was a bit of a shock. It all gave him pause, and even unsure how to approach the reward, he turned to his mother for help. She was able to help, reward his savior, and solve his son's problem. One of the books was a Pyrexian textbook with some notes to make learning easier. It was amusing to watch the guards' reactions when Sif appeared from a beam near the house, handed over several books, and then headed back. Oh, what a fuss that made. It's one thing when there's a war going on and Asgard uses biwrest for tactical maneuvers, but quite another when aliens simply show up to deliver gifts from the ruling family to a citizen. So, everyone who started calling and gently inquiring about what all that was was sent on a long journey using diplomatic language.
Time seemed to fly by while studying such important gifts. It was in this state that the security post reported the arrival of a Shield agent. Upon learning who it was, it became clear that even one day of self-indulgence was too much.
"Good afternoon, Natasha. It's a pleasure to meet you again." Continuing to read when such a woman visited would have been rude, so when she was escorted to me, the book was put aside, and the spy herself was greeted warmly. It was hard to tear my eyes away from her guest—leather boots, jeans that hugged her athletic legs, a leather jacket, and a dark T-shirt. Her fiery red hair framed her beautiful face. "Even though meeting you isn't a surprise, it's still a pleasure."
"Hello," Natasha greeted happily, sitting down on the chair that was brought and placed next to her. "Am I disturbing you?"
- It depends on why you came.
- Well, we haven't seen each other for a long time, so I decided to check on you.
"You know, you have some very good qualities. But lying... No, you're also a very good liar," the voice sounded soft, but with a hint of irony. "As much as I'd enjoy spending time with a woman like you, we both know it's not true. So I'd like to quickly resolve our affairs, and then we can unwind."
Leaning back and grabbing a bottle of soda from the ice cube next to her, Natasha didn't even try to hide her intentions. "Why don't you want to believe that I just came to visit you?"
"Because Fury sent you to spy on me," he said, leaning back in his chair and continuing to look straight into her eyes. "I know your mission is to turn me, but unfortunately, your mission will fail."
"Do you mind if I know why?" Natasha sat and sipped her drink, her expression unclear whether she really cared to talk about anything or whether she was simply enjoying the view of the lake.
"For me to want to re-enlist, it would have to be beneficial to me, but as far as I know, your management can't offer me anything useful." Oh, that feminine, "really?" look. "Look, here I can afford practically anything, but if I were in America, they'd immediately take me into their laps, unless they just put me on the table for purely scientific reasons."
- What an interesting imagination you have. But I think you're exaggerating. Nothing happened to me.
"Well, there are several reasons for that. First, your espionage skills are a favorite of this black pirate. And secondly... you may have been injected with serums to enhance your body, but you're not a mutant, so there's little point in gutting you on the table."
The mask on Natasha's face disappeared for literally a second, which made it clear that such a possibility existed.
- But since you were sent to join my circle, you will have to earn it by doing what I say.
"So what am I supposed to do?" a little coquettishness entered her voice.
It was difficult to resist, so I moved a little closer to her and said the words with the most obvious subtext in her ear: "Whatever I want."
Natasha still didn't fully understand what to expect from this task.
After the Battle of London, the world was in turmoil again. Aliens in spaceships, holes in the sky, and persistent unexplained phenomena caused renewed anxiety among all levels of government. Fortunately, thanks to the Avengers and the military, Earthlings escaped with only a few thousand casualties.
This time, the focus was on Thor, Tony, and Alex. While the former disappeared after the battle, the others were busy. Stark was confiscating spaceships while Ledov himself was tending to the wounded. Natasha herself might not have been involved, but that didn't stop her from keeping her finger on the pulse and studying the reports.
Of course, working for Ledov wouldn't be like working for Stark. There, she had to go undercover, concealing her identity, but Ledov already knew who she was. So a different approach was needed.
Much has changed since their last meeting. Whereas Ledov was once simply a mutant with certain connections, he is now becoming increasingly involved in global politics. Thanks to Shield's reports, he has practically an entire city living off his personal funds. He is also amassing his own private army, although by all accounts it is simply a security service. Reviewing the personnel files of these employees, Shield discovered that they were all former military personnel and all had relatives who had once passed through Ledov's hands. This showed that finding an informant among these people, even if it were possible, would be costly, and the information itself was not entirely reliable.
Of course, Natasha wasn't particularly worried about these people. Her most important goal was to gain Alex's trust. The most obvious way to do this was through sex. But there are several nuances to this.
Firstly, Alex himself only has to wave and any woman will fall head over heels for him. This was proven by the agents who followed him. They recorded various model-looking women arriving and leaving at different times, making it unlikely that they were business partners.
Secondly, this method worked well when her target didn't know who she was. Even if it worked, the information she received would be far less reliable than under other circumstances.
So she had to be useful to him. But knowing she was here to spy on him, he wouldn't let her in on anything important. And if she started snooping around, she'd quickly end up at the bottom of the lake. Natasha understood that no matter how Alex treated her, spying or sabotaging her would end badly.
The Russian spy was thinking all this through as they walked from the lakeshore to the house. They entered a large living room with several sofas in the center and a coffee table between them. A large television hung on one wall, playing a video of a young woman with glasses and long brown hair tied in a ponytail, shooting a basketball.
Moving her eyes from the screen, she glanced at Alex, who had sat down on one of the sofas, motioning for her to sit on the other. Several folders with documents lay on the table next to where she sat.
- And what do you plan to do to win my favor?
- I could help resolve the issue with the groups that are causing unrest throughout the country - Natasha received messages that one of those she once met, nicknamed "the winter soldier," showed up in the country and it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one stone.
"You don't have to worry about them. They're just two gangs fighting over a street. You'll be involved, of course, but not in the way you might think. But before we begin, I want you to know that nothing you learn today is to be shared without my permission."
- And what is this secrecy?
"You know, Natasha, when you arrived in Russia, I wasn't entirely sure why you were here, but I still prepared. You're a woman with many talents. Some you've already discovered, some you haven't. But our work together would be more fruitful if you put an end to the shield and started working for me."
Such statements did not surprise the former Russian spy; many wanted to recruit her, but by working for the shield, she believed that she could at least partially erase her past. She also had too many enemies to not have protection, and who could provide more protection than an American spy agency?
-And why should I do this?
Alex simply nodded at one of the folders. Opening it, she wasn't surprised by its personal file. It contained a lot about her past, about her biological and adopted parents, about her younger sister. Her past in the Red Room, many of her cases in the Shield. Of course, it wasn't everything, but it contained a lot. Having finished studying it, she looked at Alex.
- As you can see, I didn't sit idle and also got to know you better. - Having finished her study, she looked at her interlocutor, not fully understanding what he meant.
- Now that you know I can gather a lot of information, open another folder.
Eyeing him suspiciously, Natasha carefully opened another folder, and her gaze immediately fell on a photograph that looked very familiar. Looking back at her was a young woman of about twenty, with blond hair and expressive eyes, Natasha immediately recognized it as Elena Belova, her sister. Oblivious to her surroundings, she began to study the folder in detail. The various information and photographs confirmed that her lost sister was alive.
- Where did you get this?
While Natasha was studying the case, Alex took out a tray with a bottle of vodka, several glasses, and lemon wedges.
- Before we begin, what do you know about the red room?
Of course, the conversation with Natasha wasn't easy. The spy herself didn't know much about the Red Room. As a trainee, she hadn't been told anything other than its goals. So, after transitioning to Shield and "killing General Dreykov," the project's leader, she decided to shed that phase of her life.
It was personal to her, so she didn't share much information. I had to tell her part of my erased biography. That after the accident with my parents in the hospital, I was diagnosed with the mutant genome, although little was known about it at the time. This information fell into Dreykov's hands. Naturally, he didn't squander potential. Several years of study and training had revealed numerous talents, including a talent for healing. Of course, the general tried to brainwash me so he could control such a resource, but after the deaths of several dozen of his scientists, who died even when they put their test subjects under anesthesia, he stopped and offered a deal. His desire was motivated by the fact that at that moment Natasha decided to visit him, and after the explosion, his daughter was seriously injured, which prompted Dreykov to do so. After several weeks of work, no one could say that the mutant in service hadn't made enough attempts to bring the little girl back to normal life. Dreykov's little daughter was wounded not only physically but also mentally. It took a lot of work, but she couldn't be completely cured. The external wounds weren't difficult to remove, but she would forever remain a little girl in her growing body. Seeing his little daughter joyfully resuming her life in his arms, Dreykov kept his promise and released his captive—of course, for a reason, and they kept in touch periodically.
The news that Dreykov was alive, and with him, the Red Room. That her sister was now working for the general under compulsion. All this information really pissed Natasha off. Pointing her gun at me, she tried to extract more information, but it didn't make an impression, only eliciting a smirk. After holding the gun at me for a minute, Natasha lowered it, took a few swigs straight from the bottle, and then made a decisive offer: "Give me back my sister and do with me whatever you want."
Of course, there's no point in rushing things in such matters, so the best course of action was to send her to her room to think about everything she'd learned for a bit. Of course, after checking that there was no signal in that room.
Right now, I'm sitting and thinking about how best to use the talents of a fatal beauty for my own benefit until I was distracted by a voice from the screen.
"What's so special about her that all the men are so hung up on her?" The young woman who had previously been shooting hoops now looked at the host with a disgruntled expression, which only caused him to burst into laughter.
"You already know a lot about her talents, you're just jealous of her looks, Yumiko." The Asian girl didn't answer, but simply turned her head to the side in disapproval, which only made things more amusing. "You better tell me what they know about our 'patriot' now?"
Silently and disgruntled, the girl on the screen simply waved her hand, and the image itself changed. The screen now showed a recording of a man in a suit resembling Captain America, only with the Russian flag's tricolor. Using a shield and pistol, he reaches one of the armed men and simply throws him into a wall. The recording itself was being recorded from a phone in the city, where clashes between groups had flared up again. The guard himself was covered by a squad of soldiers in modern uniforms. Within ten minutes, thanks to the guard's superior force, both groups were neutralized.
"Are you sure he'll do what you say? I think he's enjoying his power," Yumiko's voice was already coming from the phone speaker.
"Let him rejoice, these are his enemies for now. It'll be interesting to see how he'll calm down mutants with various abilities. Besides, he needs to build up his reputation. Otherwise, it's kind of ugly: America has its own super soldier, so why are we any worse?"