- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 66
“Don’t use your spy tactics on me, and remember, I’m a married man. It’s important to maintain appropriate distance with the opposite sex.”
Leo sidestepped smoothly, easily avoiding Natasha’s seductive approach.
“I know what you want to ask. Hydra never disappeared, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has long been infiltrated by them. You agents are actually working for Hydra.
Do you know why Nick Fury sought me out?
He was nearly killed by Hydra agents today. He wants to know from me which Hydra agents are hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D.”
“What!”
Natasha’s expression changed dramatically for the first time upon hearing Leo’s words.
As a top spy, controlling her emotions was crucial in any situation, and Natasha excelled in this.
The earlier fight, capture, and even the impending interrogation hadn’t shaken her much, but Leo’s revelation threw her off balance.
The reason for her turmoil wasn’t just knowing that Hydra still existed or the imminent crisis S.H.I.E.L.D. faced; it was the realization that she might have been working for Hydra all along.
Why did she leave the Red Room to join S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Because she believed S.H.I.E.L.D. was genuinely committed to humanity’s safety. She wanted to atone for the countless wrongs she had committed as a spy in the Red Room, for all the innocent lives she had taken.
But if all these years she had actually been serving Hydra, how was that any different from her past in the Red Room?
Maybe he’s lying!
She finally consoled herself with this thought and followed Leo to the car.
Leo noticed and smirked slightly before his face returned to its usual calm demeanor.
There are no perfect people, not even someone like Natasha, a top-notch spy and a master of psychology. Everyone has their weaknesses, and once you find them, they are easy to exploit.
The car sped through the streets, soon arriving at the Li Group building. Leo instructed his men to wait in the car while he took Natasha to the rooftop.
Twenty minutes later, Tony, wearing his Iron Man suit and carrying a large metal box, landed in front of Leo.
“Oh, Leo, you got a new secretary? She looks pretty nice!”
Setting down the box and removing his helmet, Tony’s eyes lit up as he glanced at Natasha in her black bodysuit.
Beautiful women always pleased his eye.
“I’m not like you, Tony. I keep business and pleasure separate…ahem, she’s not my secretary. She’s my new neighbor and also a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”
Leo introduced.
Tony’s interest waned upon hearing she was an agent, understanding Leo’s implication. He pressed a button on the metal box.
“Alright, let’s see what the ever-intrusive director of S.H.I.E.L.D. has to say.”
“My legs are numb, Tony. Couldn’t you consider the condition of a sixty-year-old injured man?”
As the metal box opened, Nick Fury, with a bruised face and an arm in a sling, squeezed out, grumbling.
Tony responded with a hint of schadenfreude:
“No other container could fit you, and I didn’t want to carry an old man from L.A. to New York. You’d have been frozen solid. This way, only your legs are numb.”
“Director Fury!”
Seeing Nick Fury emerge from the box, Natasha’s expression grew more complex.
This confirmed that much of what Leo had said was true.
“Oh, Natasha, you’re here too. Looks like your mission failed. Well, it doesn’t matter now.”
Seeing Leo and Natasha together, Nick Fury quickly grasped the situation.
He couldn’t help but sigh internally. The Black Widow, whose missions rarely failed, had been exposed by Leo in less than a day.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. has really been infiltrated by Hydra?”
Even though she was almost certain, Natasha wanted to hear it from Fury.
Nick Fury nodded solemnly:
“Yes, the situation is dire. We need to identify who is friend and who is foe.”
He then turned to Leo:
“Mr. Leo, Hydra is an extremely evil organization intent on world domination. S.H.I.E.L.D. was established to protect Earth and humanity and is recognized by all nations globally.
For the safety of the planet and all humankind, I hope you can share any information you have about Hydra.”
Classic moral appeal. As expected of you, Fury.
Leo frowned at Fury’s words, then turned to leave.
“It seems meeting was a mistake. Goodbye.”
“Mr. Leo, we can discuss this calmly. You can state your demands.”
Seeing that Tony’s usual tactics didn’t work on Leo, Fury quickly changed his approach.
Leo stopped and turned back, smiling slightly:
“Now we’re talking. I haven’t complained about you sending spies to monitor me, but if you continue to treat me like a fool, it shows a lack of sincerity.”
Knowing Nick Fury’s character, Leo had no sympathy for him. If not for the current situation, Fury would have used force to detain him and extract the Hydra information.
“Mr. Leo, you’re misunderstanding.”
Fury’s face was full of sincerity.
Leo wasn’t buying it. He cut to the chase:
“I want the Super Soldier Serum sample and related research.”
“Super Soldier Serum? Mr. Leo, you must be mistaken. That serum was lost after Captain America was created. It’s a well-documented fact, and S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t have it. Perhaps you could ask for something else, like money, or I could leverage S.H.I.E.L.D.’s connections to help your company grow.”
Fury feigned surprise, then earnestly explained.
But Leo wasn’t fooled. He responded bluntly:
“Save the excuses. I need the Super Soldier Serum sample and the research data. I’ll give you the Hydra intel in return. If you don’t have it, get it. Otherwise, this discussion is over.”
Perfect Super Soldier Serum might not exist anymore, but there were surely prototypes in S.H.I.E.L.D. and the U.S. military, which worked closely with S.H.I.E.L.D.