"Ronan, where exactly do you want me to take you?"
Black Widow asked with a puzzled look.
Fenric leaned back, his tone calm but firm.
"Natasha, I mean no disrespect. I heard that before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., you were once the ace agent of the Soviet Union. I want to visit the place where you were trained—the Red Room."
At the mention of that name, Natasha's expression shifted instantly.
The Red Room.
It was a nightmare she had buried deep, yet Fenric had just unearthed it.
She immediately stood up, voice sharp.
"I can't help you. Find someone else!"
She turned to leave, but Fenric's voice stopped her.
"Natasha, the Red Room still exists. They're still creating 'Black Widows.' Every year, countless girls die there. Don't you want to destroy that hellish place? Don't you want to save the girls who are forced to follow the same path you once did?"
"!!"
Natasha froze.
No one understood better than her how cruel the Red Room was. Each batch recruited hundreds of girls, yet only one survived to 'graduate.' The rest… were discarded.
Fenric pressed on, his words sharp as a blade.
"The girls who survive can never live normal lives. They exist only as tools—killing machines. Natasha, you're one of the rare few who escaped and found your own worth. But not everyone gets that chance."
For a long moment, Natasha stood in silence, before finally sitting back down. Her voice was low.
"What do you want to do? What's your real purpose?"
Fenric's eyes hardened.
"My purpose is to destroy the Red Room and bring the ones pulling the strings to justice."
Of course, in truth, his main goal was to recruit capable subordinates.
Natasha Romanoff might have been the second-generation Black Widow, but Fenric knew that within the Red Room there was an even more formidable talent: Yelena Belova, the future TheWhite Widow.
At this time, Yelena should still be undergoing her training, on the verge of surpassing every record Natasha had ever set and becoming the strongest of the third-generation Black Widows.
Still, Yelena was just one possible candidate. Fenric's true target was the "Taskmaster" behind the Red Room.
Natasha studied him in silence, her conflicted emotions clear in her eyes. After a long pause, she finally said:
"Ultron is our priority right now. Once Ultron is dealt with, I'll take you there."
Fenric frowned.
Destroying Ultron without Vision was nearly impossible. As an artificial intelligence, Ultron could exist anywhere there was a network. Unless humanity abandoned the internet completely, there would always be a place for him to hide. But the modern world couldn't survive without the web—such an idea was unthinkable.
Which meant, without Vision, eliminating Ultron was almost hopeless.
Fenric still held the Mind Stone. Though it was the key to creating Vision, he had no intention of wasting it just yet.
"Ultron isn't easy to kill," Fenric said slowly. "Do you have a plan?"
Natasha exhaled, giving a half-smile.
"I was hoping you did."
Fenric paused, then smirked.
"There might be one way. I'm not sure if it will work."
Her eyes lit up.
"Tell me."
Fenric folded his arms.
"Ultron is artificial intelligence. To defeat him, we need another artificial intelligence—one that surpasses him."
"Jarvis?" Natasha asked.
Fenric shook his head.
"No. Something far more advanced."
His lips curved into a confident smile.
"Let's finish eating first. Then we'll go see Tony. I even have a little gift prepared for him."
An hour later, Fenric and Natasha arrived at Stark Tower.
Hearing that Fenric had a way to deal with Ultron, both Tony and Captain America were already waiting.
"Ronan!" Steve was the first to speak. "The two kids following you—they're not ordinary. What's your purpose in bringing them along?"
Fenric gave an easy smile.
"I'm removing hidden dangers from this world."
"Hidden dangers?" Steve frowned. "What do you mean?"
Fenric only shook his head.
"It's a long story. Captain, once Ultron is dealt with, I'll explain everything. As for those two children—when I leave Earth, I want them to join the Avengers. Train them, let them find a home. They've suffered enough."
Steve raised his brows, surprised. He hadn't expected Fenric to hand them over so readily.
And… leave Earth?
What kind of man was this?
Tony cut in impatiently.
"Ronan! I heard you have a gift for me. But fair warning—I don't waste my time with junk."
Fenric chuckled.
"It's far better than the tin suits you made. Last time I took two of your armors; this time, I'll repay you with something better."
Tony scoffed, clearly displeased.
"Bold words. This better not disappoint me. So, where's this gift?"
"In your garage."
The group followed him.
As they moved through the building, several Samsaras caught sight of them.
"Who's that guy?"
"Look at how Iron Man and Cap treat him—seriously respectful."
"Wait… could that be God Shura!?"
"Holy—now that you mention it, it makes sense! Only someone like Shura could make them act this way!"
"Hahaha, if Shura's on our side, this mission's as good as done!"
"Yeah, but don't get cocky. You know the system—same missions mean only the best performers get top evaluations."
"Alright, quiet. He's coming this way. Remember, we're not allowed to leak system info here."
Back in the garage, Tony looked around impatiently.
"Alright, where's the big gift?"
Both he and Steve turned to Fenric expectantly. Natasha's eyes narrowed, equally curious.
Fenric simply smiled, walked up to an Audi R8, and pulled out the AllSpark.
"Zzzzt—!"
Electric sparks crackled, a mysterious energy flowing into the car.
Suddenly, the sleek supercar began to twist and shift.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the blink of an eye, a towering mechanical giant—over five meters tall—stood before them.
"!!!"
Tony, Steve, and Natasha all froze, eyes wide with shock.