Chapter 32: Are You Kidding Me? S.H.I.E.L.D. Was Infiltrated by HYDRA?
Actually, Black Widow was quite satisfied with her current life.
Though it was similar to her time in the Red Room.
She would often undertake dangerous and thrilling missions.
Some missions were even more perilous.
But for Black Widow, there was no comparison between the two.
Previously, as a Widow of the Red Room, she was just a cold-blooded executioner, helping Drakov eliminate all obstacles.
All the killings, the blood on her hands, were only for Drakov's personal gain.
It had nothing to do with justice; it could even be called evil.
But what about now?
Black Widow, Barton, and other S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were doing meaningful, correct things.
They were making this World a better place!
It was precisely because of this that Black Widow felt her life had meaning.
Though it was tiring, hard, and dangerous.
No matter what, it couldn't be described as 'miserable,' could it?
Even if she sacrificed her life for it, it would be a worthy death.
It would be glorious!
How could it be miserable?
What exactly did she encounter in her future?
['From a young age, she was taken by the Red Room, endured hellish training, and survived.', 'She became a 'Widow' in the Red Room, living a life on the edge.', 'Later, she finally destroyed the Red Room and joined S.H.I.E.L.D., seemingly changing her life.', 'But in reality, it was all for naught.']
All for naught?
Black Widow couldn't help but frown slightly.
Why would that Zhou Cheng say that?
Is the Red Room still around?
That's impossible!
She and Barton had blown up the entire Base.
The Red Room's leader, Drakov, was also dead; everything was over.
The Red Room was completely destroyed!
Although the battle in Budapest was the cruelest and most dangerous she had ever experienced.
But yes, the Red Room was destroyed!
Not only that.
Destroying the Red Room was Black Widow's initiation into S.H.I.E.L.D., and S.H.I.E.L.D. had 'verified' it.
Everything was fine.
Why would the diary say it was all for naught?
"Red Room?"
Tony Stark keenly noticed this term.
"Jarvis."
He immediately called out to Jarvis.
Although he only spoke a name, Jarvis, the super AI, naturally knew what his boss meant.
He immediately began to search and retrieve information.
"Sir, I only found one Red Room that matches the diary's description."
"That was a KGB spy training institution during the former Soviet Union era."
Former Soviet Union?
Tony Stark was a little surprised: "So, our Black Widow was originally a Soviet? An ordinary Soviet Agent?"
The diary had said that Black Widow was a superhero and an original Avenger.
Tony Stark had initially thought she was a super-powered individual, like Scarlet Witch, who controlled some extraordinary power.
But it turned out.
She was just an ordinary Agent?
Can an ordinary Agent become a superhero?
['It's one thing that the Red Room still exists, but it has even grown stronger than before.', 'Black Widow worked tirelessly for S.H.I.E.L.D. for most of her life, intending to atone for her sins.', 'To atone for the evil she committed in the Red Room.', 'But in the end, she discovered that she was working for HYDRA!']
"This is truly... absurd."
Black Widow couldn't help but sneer.
The Red Room is not only fine, but it's even stronger than before?
That's just nonsense.
As for working for HYDRA later, that's even more ridiculous.
HYDRA doesn't even exist anymore, okay!
Everyone knows.
It was wiped out by Captain America leading the Howling Commandos during World War II.
Their leader, Schmidt, was also killed by Captain America.
As Captain America's plane crashed into the vast ocean, the infamous HYDRA became history.
Under such circumstances, how could she serve HYDRA?
Could it be that HYDRA, like the Red Room, still exists?
And has even infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.?
The other party even implied that her Officer, Coulson, was a HYDRA mole!
That's an international joke.
So~
What exactly did that Zhou Cheng want to tell her through this method?
Why not just say it directly? Riddle people are really annoying!
"HYDRA still exists?"
"And it has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Compared to Black Widow, Tony Stark had a considerable degree of trust in this news.
After all, he was an 'old-timer' who had held the diary for a long time.
"They truly are an unending swarm of cockroaches."
However, Tony Stark only sighed slightly like that, nothing more.
He didn't intend to interfere much.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded by his father, what did any of this have to do with Tony?
['But how to put it, in the end, HYDRA was still single-handedly destroyed by Black Widow.', 'Of course, the Red Room was also eliminated by Black Widow.', 'It can be considered a complete severance.', 'Just looking at this, it's definitely a big female lead script, but unfortunately, she still died later.', 'Not even the Snap could save her.', 'It's truly too heartbreaking.']
Black Widow couldn't help but shake her head.
She was growing increasingly dismissive of the diary's contents.
It had just finished saying that she was controlled and manipulated by the Red Room and HYDRA.
But then, in the blink of an eye, it said she destroyed both organizations?
This plot twist is too obvious, isn't it?
Are you writing a diary or a wish-fulfillment novel?
If HYDRA is really as powerful as the diary says, even capable of infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and making a Level 7 Agent like herself a puppet.
Then what kind of scale would it have developed to?
Is that something a S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7 Agent can solve?
The Red Room is the same.
Didn't the diary also say it had grown stronger than before, making it even harder to deal with?
Of course.
Theoretically, it might not be impossible to succeed, but Black Widow didn't want to delve deeper.
It was all just speculation.
What she was more interested in at the moment was another piece of information the other party revealed.
She died!
Black Widow was an outdoor Agent, and any mission could be fatal.
There was nothing to dwell on.
Black Widow didn't care.
But what the hell is the Snap?
This word appearing here is completely out of place, okay!
Furthermore, according to the diary, in general circumstances, people who died could be brought back through a 'Snap.'
This really bewildered Black Widow; how could a Snap possibly do such a thing?
The Snap here surely isn't the kind she understands, made by snapping fingers, right?
So.
What exactly is this mysterious 'Snap'?
Thanks to book friends 08a and 'Naming Is Not Hard' for the rewards!