Kapitel 126: Chapter 121
Future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict.
Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish!
"Are you serious?" The Red Guardian asked in an exaggerated tone, laughter tinging his voice, "You know I'm a Soviet superhero, right? And now, you're asking me to serve America?"
Given the tumultuous past between the Soviet Union and America, Red Guardian found the proposition utterly absurd.
"Mr. Alexei, the Soviet Union no longer exists, so I don't see that as an obstacle," said the man before him. "On the contrary, I view this as a fresh start. What do you think?"
Nick Fury gazed at the Red Guardian with his singular eye. Locked in prison, the Red Guardian wasn't cut off from the world; aside from himself, a super-soldier, many other prisoners were held there. He still had access to newspapers and news broadcasts, so he was well aware that the Soviet Union had fallen apart. Over the years, he had come to terms with it, yet switching sides wasn't going to be easy for him.
"What did a lifetime of service to the Soviets get you? Your latter years spent in jail?" Fury's voice resonated again, striking a chord within Red Guardian's heart.
As the Soviets' only super-soldier counterpart to Captain America, Red Guardian had once harbored grand ambitions. He aspired to be celebrated like Captain America, to establish a legacy even greater than his American counterpart.
And what had become of those dreams? The Soviet Union had relegated him to menial undercover missions, stifling his abilities. Ultimately, differing political views had led to his imprisonment, wasting his prime years in a dreary cell.
It's worth noting that the Red Room was not what it is now. Back then, it was a Soviet espionage agency, and Dreykov was a high-ranking military official, not a leader of an assassin organization. His actions represented the Soviet Union, and resentment brewed in the heart of Red Guardian.
"Also, I believe there's someone you'd be pleased to meet."
As Fury spoke, the door swung open, and a stunning figure walked towards the Red Guardian.
"Natasha?" The Red Guardian recognized the Black Widow, his surprise apparent.
Unlike her portrayal in the "Black Widow" film, Natasha was currently just a regular S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, not a world-renowned Avenger. This meant Red Guardian was not privy to all her activities. He knew she had disappeared after blowing up Dreykov's daughter, but the aftermath remained unknown to him, as his life was confined to the prison.
It hadn't occurred to him that Natasha, another product of the Red Room, had begun serving the Americans. And then it hit him - perhaps her involvement was behind his sudden rescue?
"Hey, Alexei," Black Widow greeted him with a complex expression on her face.
"Alexei? That's rather cold. I am your father, aren't I?" Red Guardian spoke in a dramatic tone and reached out for a hug, but Black Widow deftly avoided him.
"I get it." He didn't press any further. "You're their emissary, right? Natasha, you've really changed."
"No, I'm not their emissary. I'm merely offering you a way out," she shot back sharply. "You know better than anyone that you have no other choice. Join us, or return to that sunless prison - it's been clear since you were freed."
A twitch crossed Red Guardian's mouth. "Natasha, you're still as blunt as ever," he conceded.
She was right, and he knew it. No one would rescue him without expecting something in return. The question remained: What value did an out-of-touch, middle-aged man like him, imprisoned for decades, provide? His super-soldier status, of course.
Knowing this, Red Guardian realized that if he refused Fury's offer to join the Avengers, he'd undoubtedly be locked up again. His disillusionment with the Soviets meant his mind was nearly made up.
"You two have a lot to catch up on," Fury interrupted, bidding Red Guardian farewell before swaggering out. Pausing at the base entrance, he turned back with a stern reminder. "Mr. Alexei, until I have your firm answer, you're to stay here and go nowhere else. You understand."
With that, Fury left, confident in his control of the situation.
Fury's certainty stemmed from his understanding of the Red Guardian's background and circumstances. While he believed he could persuade him to join the Avengers, Fury also had to assess whether Red Guardian was truly fit for them. This was another task for Black Widow, not just to negotiate.
"Clint, keep an eye on every move of the Red Room," Fury instructed Hawkeye upon returning to his office, assigning him an important task.
The sudden abduction of Red Guardian is bound to shake the Red Room, and they're likely to take action. This is also a perfect chance to further investigate the Red Room, a classic case of killing two birds with one stone.
"Understood, Director. I have already laid some bait."
"Now, we just have to wait and see if any fish will bite," Hawkeye Barton replied with a meaningful tone.
In the operation to raid the prison and extract Red Guardian, Hawkeye Barton had intentionally left some clues, or rather, set a trap.
Should anyone follow those leads, they would surely come to Hawkeye Barton's attention, who could then trace them back.
"Go ahead."
Barton had confidence in Fury's work, nodded in response, said no more, and sent Barton off.
Nick Fury believed that this operation should yield some results, given the significance of Red Guardian's identity.
And, as it turned out, Fury's guess was right.
"Our secret prison in Gulag has been raided, and Red Guardian has been taken?" The Red Room's airborne base.
Dreykov frowned slightly as he listened to the report from one of the Black Widows before him, his expression growing grave.
That base had been his secret operation for so many years without any issues, so why now?
Of course, it was a bit of a foolish question.
Whoever the mastermind was, they took Red Guardian, so their goal was clear.
The real question was, who could it be?
How could they have discovered Red Guardian's location and extracted him so swiftly and silently?
It suggested someone with significant power.
"Find out!"
"I want to know who did this!" Dreykov commanded the Widow in front of him without delay.
These Widows were completely controlled by Dreykov's special neurotoxins, rendered mindless puppets. They took his orders at once.
Just as Nick Fury had anticipated, the Red Room immediately initiated a thorough investigation into Hawkeye Barton's operation, tracing the leads that he had deliberately left.
"The fish has taken the bait!" said Hawkeye Barton, who was already prepared, his eyes lighting up.
Without wasting any words, he began a secret conflict with the Widows of the Red Room.
The outcome was unquestionable.
No matter how formidable the Red Room was as an assassination organization, how could it stand against a powerhouse like S.H.I.E.L.D.?
The clash was a complete disaster for the Red Room.
Not only did they fail to find Hawkeye Barton, but Barton also captured some of their Widows.
What Barton hadn't anticipated, however, was that these Widows committed suicide the moment they were captured.
Right before Barton's eyes!
Why would they do that?
Why couldn't Barton stop the Widows from killing themselves?
Because when their conventional suicide attempts were thwarted, they chose a method so shocking and horrifying that it left Barton aghast.
They held their breath to induce death by self-asphyxiation!
"Yes, it's that astonishing."
Both Hawkeye Barton and Nick Fury, upon hearing the report, were intensely shocked by the incredulity of the situation.
Fury, as a master spy, was no stranger to various forms of death. But self-inflicted asphyxiation was something he had never encountered and was barely comprehensible.
Can people truly do such a thing?
When you're deprived of oxygen to a certain extent, can you still control your body not to breathe automatically?
Nick Fury and Hawkeye Barton could not have known that the Widows didn't die of self-induced suffocation but were remotely controlled by Dreykov to do so.
The pheromone formula created by the Red Room was that horrific, it turned victims into obedient automatons.
It could also directly control the nervous system and thereby the brain, effecting cessation of breathing.
Reluctantly, Nick Fury had to admit that their operation against the Red Room was a resounding failure.
Aside from a few corpses, they got nothing.
And after this incident, the Red Room would undoubtedly become more cautious.
It was almost impossible for S.H.I.E.L.D. to catch them slipping again.
Fortunately, there was good news from the Black Widow.
"Director, he's agreed," she reported to Nick Fury just a week later.
To Fury, this outcome was not surprising; after all, Red Guardian had run out of options.
"He's made a wise decision," Nick Fury nodded, as if it were to be expected.
With that, there was nothing more to say. Fury proceeded to issue orders for the temporary, secret relocation of Red Guardian.
Because from the beginning to the end, Nick Fury had used either his own private forces or those certified by the ledger, like Black Widow and Barton, Red Guardian's ordeal had been kept from Hydra.
Now, the interlude was past, and Fury's life returned to normal, as he continued working alongside Tony Stark to combat Hydra.
Nothing noteworthy.
Until...
"Director, it's happened! The hammer!"
"A hammer really has fallen from the sky!"
Nick Fury, who was working in his office, received Coulson's report.
Upon hearing this news, Fury could no longer attend to other matters.
Immediately lifting his head, his single eye sparkled.
He had been aware of the critical information of Thor's impending fall for quite some time and had made the necessary preparations.
Now, had the pivotal moment finally arrived?
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein