"Are you serious?"
The Red Guardian, upon hearing this, let out a laugh filled with sarcasm. "You know I'm a Soviet Union super-hero, right? And now, you want me to work for America?"
Considering the relationship between the Soviet Union and America back then, the Red Guardian found the whole thing absurd.
"Mr. Alexei, the Soviet Union no longer exists, so I don't think that obstacle is relevant anymore."
"Quite the opposite, I see this as a fresh start. What do you think?"
Nick Fury gazed at the Red Guardian with his one eye.
Although the Red Guardian was locked up in prison, he wasn't completely isolated from the world.
Besides him, a super soldier, the prison also held many other inmates.
Furthermore, the Red Guardian was able to read newspapers and watch the news.
So the Soviet Union no longer existing was something the Red Guardian naturally knew; he'd come to terms with it long ago, after all these years.
But even so, it wasn't easy for the Red Guardian to change allegiances so quickly.
"And, what did you get for dedicating your entire life to the Soviet Union?"
"Spending the rest of your life in prison?"
"I'm the one who pulled you out of that hellhole!"
Nick Fury's voice rang out again, hitting the Red Guardian right in the heart.
The Red Guardian's expression couldn't help but change.
As the Soviet Union's only super-soldier comparable to Captain America, the Red Guardian had initially harbored enormous ambitions.
Wanting to be a superhero lauded like Captain America, even one with greater influence.
Wanting to achieve a cause even grander and more magnificent than Captain America's.
But what was the reality?
The Soviet Union only had him carry out those frustrating undercover missions, preventing the Red Guardian from utilizing his full capabilities.
And ultimately, he was imprisoned due to disagreements in political views.
His best years were wasted within the dark and gloomy prison!
It's worth mentioning something.
The Red Room back then wasn't what it is now; it was then a Soviet spy agency.
Dreykov wasn't just the head of an assassin organization, he was also a high-ranking official in the Soviet military.
Therefore, his every action represented the Soviet Union.
Under these circumstances, it would have been impossible for the Red Guardian not to harbor resentment.
"Also, I think there's someone you'll be very happy to see."
Nick Fury said this, and the door suddenly opened.
A figure with a very hot body walked right up to the Red Guardian.
"Natasha?"
The Red Guardian naturally recognized Black Widow, and it was precisely for this reason that he was somewhat surprised.
Unlike the movie Black Widow, the Black Widow was still just a regular S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Not yet a world-famous Avenger.
So, the Red Guardian wasn't all that clear on some of the Black Widow's affairs.
He only knew that the Black Widow had disappeared after blowing up Dreykov's daughter. He really didn't know anything about what happened afterward.
After all, the Red Guardian was in prison.
His contact with the outside world was limited to chatting with his cellmates, and the news on TV.
So, the Red Guardian never imagined that Natasha, who also came from the Red Room, would start working for America.
Wait a minute!
Furthermore, the Red Guardian suddenly understood something.
Why would the American intelligence agencies suddenly rescue him? It must have something to do with Natasha.
"Hey, Alexei."
Black Widow glanced over with a complicated expression, then greeted Red Guardian.
"Alexei? That's so cold, little Natasha. I'm your father, aren't I?"
Red Guardian shouted in an exaggerated tone while making a gesture to embrace Black Widow.
But Black Widow easily dodged it.
"I see."
Red Guardian didn't bother to be friendly when it wasn't reciprocated. "You're the messenger they sent, right? Natasha, you've really changed."
"No, I'm not here to be their spokesperson. I'm just giving you a way out."
Black Widow's words were sharp, hitting the mark. "You know better than anyone that you don't have a choice."
"Either you join us, or you'll be sent back to that hellhole of a prison. You knew that the moment you were rescued."
Red Guardian's mouth twitched. "Natasha, you haven't changed a bit. Always so blunt."
Black Widow was right.
Red Guardian wasn't an idiot. How could he not understand? No one would rescue him for free.
Regardless of who this one-eyed… egghead was, they wouldn't have gone to all this trouble for nothing. They definitely had an agenda.
So, what could an old, fat man, who'd been locked up for decades and was completely out of touch with the world, possibly offer?
What's the point?
It's just that super-soldier status, isn't it?
Red Guardian was certainly aware of this, so when the bald head proposed the Avengers Initiative, he knew.
If he didn't agree, the other party wouldn't hesitate to lock him up again.
Coupled with his disheartening experiences in the Soviet Union, Red Guardian already had his answer in his heart.
The reason he was still acting proud in front of the bald head was nothing more than the art of negotiation.
"You haven't seen each other in a long time, I think you have a lot to talk about."
Nick Fury's voice rang out. After greeting Red Guardian, he turned around and strode away.
However, when he reached the gate of the base, Nick Fury stopped.
Nick Fury gave a serious reminder to the Red Guardian, "Mr. Alexei, until you give me a definite answer, you'll have to stay here and can't go anywhere. I'm sure you understand."
After saying this, Nick Fury swaggered off.
He acted like he had everything under control.
And in fact, he did.
Considering the Red Guardian's background and experiences, Nick Fury was quite confident he could persuade the man to join the Avengers Initiative.
The real issue wasn't that. Nick Fury needed to assess whether the Red Guardian was even qualified to join the Avengers Initiative.
This was another task Nick Fury had given to Black Widow, not just to act as a mere persuader.
"Barton, keep an eye on everything happening at the Red Room."
Back in his office, Nick Fury assigned Hawkeye Barton another important mission.
The sudden abduction of someone like the Red Guardian would undoubtedly alarm the Red Room, and they might take action.
This was also a perfect opportunity to test the waters and further investigate the Red Room, killing two birds with one stone.
"Understood, sir. I've left some bait," Hawkeye replied meaningfully. "Now, we wait to see if any fish take the hook."
During the raid on the prison to rescue the Red Guardian, Hawkeye Barton had deliberately left some clues, or rather, set a trap.
If anyone followed those clues, Hawkeye Barton would know and be able to track them back.
"Go," Fury said.
Hawkeye Barton was reliable, so Nick Fury only nodded in response and didn't say anything more, dismissing him.
Nick Fury believed they would get something out of this, considering the Red Guardian's identity was quite significant.
And as it turned out, Fury's guess was correct.
"Our secret Gulag prison was raided, and the Red Guardian was taken?"
Inside the Red Room's airborne base.
Dreykov frowned slightly as he looked at the Black Widow standing before him, reporting the news. His expression turned serious.
He had secretly managed that base for so many years without any issues. Why would something suddenly go wrong?
Of course, that was a rather stupid question.
Regardless of who was behind it, the fact that they'd kidnapped the Red Guardian made their target crystal clear.
The only question was, who was it?
The fact that they could find out where the Red Guardian was being held and then kidnap him so quickly and silently...
...indicated someone with considerable power.
Whoever it was, they were definitely someone important.
"Investigate!"
"I want to know who did this!"
Dreykov immediately issued this order to the Black Widow in front of him.
These Widows had all been controlled by Dreykov using special neural agents, turning them into puppets devoid of their own consciousness.
The order was carried out without delay.
As Nick Fury had anticipated, the Red Room immediately launched a full investigation into the operation targeting Hawkeye Barton.
And they quickly found the clues Hawkeye Barton had deliberately left behind.
"The fish is biting!"
Hawkeye Barton, who had been prepared, immediately brightened.
Naturally, there was no need for further ado, and he began to secretly clash with the Red Room's Black Widows.
The final result was beyond question.
No matter how powerful the Red Room was, it was, at best, an assassin organization, and moreover, a clandestine one. How could it compare to a behemoth like S.H.I.E.L.D.?
This confrontation could be said to have been a complete defeat.
Not only was Hawkeye Barton not found, but he managed to capture some of the Red Room's Black Widows.
What Barton couldn't have foreseen was that those Black Widows all committed suicide the moment they were captured.
Right in front of Barton!
Why would they do such a thing?
Why couldn't Barton and his team stop the Widows from killing themselves?
Because after their conventional suicide attempts were thwarted, those Widows chose a method that was shocking and even hair-raising.
They held their breath and suffocated themselves! That's right, it was that extreme.
It even shocked Hawkeye Barton, a seasoned veteran who had seen countless storms.
Hawkeye Barton was utterly dumbfounded; he'd never heard of anyone committing suicide by holding their breath. It was almost unbelievable.
"They... they held their breath and killed themselves?"
Not only Hawkeye Barton, but even Nick Fury, upon hearing the report, was deeply shocked, finding it incredibly hard to believe.
As the master spy, Fury was accustomed to all sorts of deaths.
But this, killing oneself by holding one's breath, was something he'd never heard of.
He even found it difficult to comprehend.
Could a person really do something like that?
When a person held their breath until they were severely oxygen-deprived, would they still be in control of their own body? Wouldn't their body automatically try to breathe?
What Nick Fury and Hawkeye Barton couldn't have known was that those Black Widows who died by holding their breath didn't do so willingly. They were being remotely controlled by Dreykov.
That's right.
The pheromones developed by the Red Room were terrifying, capable of turning anyone affected into a compliant automaton.
They could also directly control a person's nerve ganglia, and thus their brain, even stopping their breathing.
So, although he hated to admit it, Nick Fury had to concede that their operation against the Red Room had been a complete failure.
They'd gotten nothing but a few corpses.
And after this operation, the Red Room would undoubtedly become even more cautious.
It was almost impossible for them to reveal any weaknesses that S.H.I.E.L.D. could exploit again.
But fortunately, there was good news from Black Widow.
"He agreed, sir."
Just a week later, Black Widow reported to Nick Fury.
Fury wasn't surprised by the outcome; after all, the Red Guardian didn't have many options left.
"He made a wise decision."
Nick Fury nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
There wasn't much more to discuss.
Fury began issuing related orders, secretly arranging for the Red Guardian's temporary accommodation.
Because throughout the process, Nick Fury had only used his private resources or individuals like Black Widow and Hawkeye Barton, who had been vetted by the notebook, the matter of the Red Guardian had, for the time being, remained hidden from Hydra.
It wasn't discovered by Hydra.
This little incident passed without further consequence, and Nick Fury's life returned to normal.
As always, he worked with Tony Stark, fighting against Hydra.
Nothing of note happened.
Until...
"Sir, it's here! The hammer!"
"There really is a hammer that fell from the sky!"
Nick Fury, who was processing relevant documents in his office, received a report from Coulson.
Nick Fury, upon hearing this news, couldn't be bothered with anything else.
He immediately raised his head, a glint flashing in his single eye.
He had known for a while, from the information in his notebook, that Thor, the God of Thunder, was about to fall. Nick Fury had made some preparations for this.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)