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49.35% Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start / Chapter 114: Black Widow's Sweetheart

Chapitre 114: Black Widow's Sweetheart

When Natasha and the others led the Widows into Dreykov's office, Dreykov had already been tied up like a pretzel by Blake, with his limbs broken.

It wasn't that Blake was being overly dramatic; Dreykov was just too cunning and treacherous. Who knew if he had some device on him that could trigger the base's self-destruction?

"Natasha, I left him alive specifically for you," Blake said, pointing at Dreykov, who was lying on the ground.

"You mean for us?" Natasha coldly replied, looking at Dreykov.

Dozens of Widows behind her swarmed toward Dreykov, their eyes filled with hatred.

Blake pulled Tony out of the office. Letting them vent their anger completely was a good idea, and it also gave Natasha some time to comfort the Widows.

"I just looked at the records," Blake said, sitting down heavily on the floor and sighing. "Since this organization was founded, they've been constantly selecting girls from all over the world. To date, at least over 200,000 girls under the age of twelve have been brought into the Red Room, and fewer than 6,000 made it out alive."

The 200,000 didn't even include those who died in accidents on the way, or the many girls Dreykov deemed defective and killed before they even entered the Red Room.

Of the more than 6,000 who survived, fewer than 3,000 remained today, including a few like Melina from the previous generation of Widows.

Tony, usually nonchalant, became unusually serious. "Where are they now?" he asked gravely.

"They're all over the world. Some are assassins waiting for orders, some are mistresses embedded with politicians and businessmen, some are successful businesswomen, and a few even hold important positions in government. See for yourself," Blake replied, handing over a tablet.

The tablet was Dreykov's control device for the entire Red Room system. With it, one could not only control the Red Room directly but also control the life and death of all the Widows out in the field.

Each Widow's control interface had a "Scrap" button. Pressing it would cause the Widow, no matter where she was, to unhesitatingly find a way to commit suicide.

"That son of a bitch deserves the harshest punishment in history!" Tony cursed.

"What do you plan to do with them? Hand them over to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Tony asked, tossing the tablet onto the ground.

"Don't joke around. I guarantee S.H.I.E.L.D. would just have them continue their dangerous work. I mean to recall all the Widows out there," Blake responded.

"We'll remove their neurochemical control. Those who want to start a new life can be given some money. For those who are homeless or choose to stay, they can maintain their current identities. We could still use an intelligence network, Tony."

Dreykov had amassed a huge fortune by controlling many real-world businesses and natural resources through the Widows. That wealth could be used to sustain this base and fund activities for the Widows who chose to stay.

"As for the company operations, I'm not familiar with that. You'll need to find someone to handle the remote management. The funds will be used for the base and the Illuminati."

In truth, this was a massive victory for both the Illuminati and Blake personally, but he still couldn't feel entirely happy about it.

Since they had decided to take over this base, they couldn't stay where they were. The group decided to move the floating base into the Arctic Circle, starting north of Greenland and heading south back toward New York.

Of course, energy was a big issue. Previously, Dreykov's ground forces had regularly supplied power to the base, but now it would have to rely on Tony Stark's arc reactor.

Who would have thought that Tony's self-sustaining renewable energy plan, which hadn't even been installed in the under-construction Stark Tower yet, would first end up powering the floating base?

The base moved slowly. It would take seven or eight days to fly across half of Europe from Eastern Europe, over the Arctic Circle, and down to New York—just enough time for Tony to slowly retrofit the energy system.

Blake could now have Yelena and Natasha begin recalling the Widows from around the world.

Having taken control of the floating base and killed Dreykov, both missions were completed.

He was rewarded with 1,000 points and a necklace.

The 1,000 points were easy to understand. Blake immediately used them to upgrade his combat suit. After all, its ability to reduce kinetic energy was quite useful. At least, when getting hit by a bomb mid-air, he wouldn't be blown too far away.

If he upgraded it to the highest level, with an ability similar to Captain America's shield that could nearly eliminate all kinetic energy and shockwaves, it would be extremely handy.

Right now, his attack power and other abilities were sufficient since most of the enemies he faced were still Earth-based, with a heavy reliance on conventional weapons.

After upgrading, he had only 600 points left, and upgrading his combat skills would cost another 800 points. He'd have to wait until next time. Then he looked at the necklace.

"The Widows' Sweetheart!"

Blake didn't know if the system had designed it this way from the start or if it was inspired by something he had said. The necklace was literally a black cord with a doughnut-shaped pendant.

The yellow "doughnut" was a gem-like crystal, and the chocolate topping was made of an unknown black gem, or crystal—Blake wasn't sure what it was.

Though it didn't look bad, it was unmistakably a doughnut, and Blake, being a straightforward guy, hesitated.

On the back of the doughnut, the words "Black Widow" were engraved in English.

Wearing it could be easily explained, given his relationship with Natasha, but still…

"System, tell me, what's the function of this necklace?"

[See for yourself!] the system replied, popping up a description screen.

[The Widows' Sweetheart:

A medal representing the rescue of all the Widows from the Red Room. When worn, it grants the wearer the gratitude and loyalty of all Widows.]

"Hiss!" Blake gasped and quickly put it on.

Then he thought of something.

"Wait, system, does that mean anyone who wears this will get the loyalty of the Widows?"

Blake needed to clarify this. What if he accidentally lost it? Natasha might end up getting taken away by someone else!

[Host, have you played too many games? Do you really think this is game equipment? You could understand it like this: the necklace contains a specific pheromone, much like the one Dreykov used that made the Widows unable to attack him.]

[But this necklace's effect is to deepen the gratitude the Widows feel toward you compared to others involved in the event, strengthening their sense of loyalty. That's all!]

"Seriously? You couldn't have just written all that in the description? Did I have to ask again?" Blake grumbled, but he was still very satisfied with the item. Most of these Widows had no family, friends, or lives of their own.

Many of them wouldn't even know how to reintegrate into a normal life. Blake wouldn't force them, but he believed most would be willing to provide intelligence for him in secret.

That's exactly what Blake needed—a powerful intelligence network.

As expected, after the Widows returned to the floating base and had their control lifted, most of them didn't know what to do next.

Their entire lives had been filled with training in espionage and covert operations. Under the influence of the Widows' Sweetheart, most of them chose to continue working as spies.

The only difference was that their loyalty had shifted from Dreykov to Blake, and the level of danger they faced was significantly reduced.

They were no longer expendable.

After settling the Widows' affairs and handing leadership over to Natasha, four days had passed. The floating base had moved from Eastern Europe to the northern part of Greenland.

"Blake, the energy conversion is complete. I need to restart the entire power system. I suggest we land first, just in case something goes wrong," Tony said, sounding exhausted.

He had been working non-stop for days—modifying the lab, redesigning the energy system, and connecting it to the propulsion system. He even had to source critical materials himself.

Finally, it was done.

The floating base would no longer need to constantly chase down energy supplies.

They slowly descended onto the icy, snow-covered northern tip of Greenland.

A few hundred meters from the base, beneath the ice, a circular shield gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

*******************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170


Chapitre 115: Captain America

"Here we have a bulky energy core, equivalent to a high-end battery, at least ten years ahead of the technology outside. But for me, Tony Stark, this is just junk!"

Tony was crouching next to a jet engine on the sky base, having already dismantled its outer casing.

"What's this thing for? Backup energy?" Blake asked, assisting from the side.

"More or less! It's like the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) you have at home. It's used when the main energy is depleted or when there's a failure in the energy lines, ensuring you can land safely."

Tony said as he twisted a wrench with force, tightening screws.

"Once I replace it with mine, it'll guarantee that even if there's an energy problem, this thing can fly hundreds of kilometers and still land smoothly!"

"Damn it! These hex screws are completely stuck. Don't they ever replace parts regularly?"

After struggling for a long time, Tony still couldn't budge the screws. In frustration, he threw the wrench to the ground.

"I got it! I got it!" Blake hurried over, picking up the wrench. There was no other way—when it came to technology, especially mechanical engineering, Tony was undoubtedly one of the best on Earth.

Blake had been listening to him bragging for a while, and now he finally had a chance to show his worth. He quickly grabbed the wrench and went for it.

"A real man can't just rely on brains, Tony. You can't take off your suit and not even handle screws. Today, I'll show you what it means to be a real man! Here we go!"

With a little force, Blake snapped the head of the screw clean off. It flew up high, bounced several times on the distant ice, and finally turned into a glimmer in the sunlight.

"Hahaha!" Tony sat nearby, laughing heartily.

"Come on, Mr. Strongman. Just rip it off with brute force. Don't worry about damaging anything, I'll clean up afterward!"

"Alright then!" Blake gripped the metal box, about the size of two batteries, and yanked hard. The base, along with the wiring beneath, was violently torn off.

Whoosh~~~~!

A powerful jet of flame burst from the torn base, and the sudden thrust sent the unprepared Blake soaring more than ten meters into the air.

Unable to control the device by hand, Blake was helpless as it spun wildly like a runaway fire hose, flinging him hundreds of meters away from the base. Only after that did he think to let go, crashing hard onto the ice.

Meanwhile, Tony was laughing uncontrollably back at the base.

"Tony, you jerk! Did you know this would happen all along?" Blake shouted angrily at Tony.

Sometimes, the joy of men is just that simple. Regardless of profession, status, or social standing, there's often a childish side to it.

Tony Stark is like this, and so is Blake.

"Just wait, Tony! I'm going to burn a hole in this ice and toss you into the Arctic Ocean!"

Flames erupted from Blake's body.

"I suspect the gods of Asgard have a way of lowering intelligence. You're starting to look as dumb as that big oaf, Thor!" Tony ignored Blake's threat and muttered to himself before shouting back at him.

"This is Greenland. Burn a hundred meters down, and you won't reach the Arctic Ocean. But you might find a human frozen in ice for who knows how many years, maybe a beautiful woman with a nice butt or something."

"Tony, Tony! Come here, I'm not sure if she's a beauty, but she definitely has a nice butt!"

"Did you really find a frozen body?"

Tony muttered as he ran over to where Blake was.

Blake had burned a small pit about a few dozen centimeters deep into the ice around him. He was now standing inside it, with a round shield at his feet.

Tony Stark was very familiar with this shield because it had been made by his father.

"Oh my God! My father searched for this guy in the Arctic for half a year and couldn't find him, and we just stumbled upon him?" Tony said in disbelief.

"As we say in novels, maybe this guy has 'fate' with the two of us!" Blake said, spreading his hands.

"Forget it! I have no interest in him. My father used to bring him up as an example every day when I was a kid, making me feel like a failure in comparison. I'm not interested in him at all. At most, I'll dig him up and send him to the New York Museum. Maybe I'll get a patriotic banner or something."

Having found the shield, the person couldn't be far away.

Tony went back, suited up, and used his armor's scanning function to find the body five meters away from the shield, about ten meters beneath the ice.

"This guy should be thankful for global warming!" Tony remarked as Blake hauled the frozen Captain America out from the bottom of the ten-meter-deep ice layer.

"Do you think the New York Museum would give us a reward or something? I remember there's a Captain America museum in New York dedicated to this guy and his team's life stories. If we hand over the shield and the frozen body, their ticket sales could skyrocket!"

"Tony, have you ever thought that this guy might still be alive? I mean, you know about cryogenics, right? Isn't there some billionaire who paid to have himself frozen?"

"I love how clueless you are, Blake. First of all, freezing requires very specific environmental conditions. Second, even if you thaw them out, there's no guarantee that the body's functions, organs, or brain would recover. I'll bet you ten dollars this guy is just a fossil—just a fresher one."

Two hours later, in the sky base's medical bay, after thorough scans of vital signs, organs, and brain activity...

Tony pulled ten dollars out of his pocket and handed it to Blake.

"Let me be clear, this is an exception, and definitely not based on sound scientific principles or data!"

"Come on, Tony, sometimes you can't view the world purely through the lens of science, you know? I can breathe fire, and there's a guy who swings a hammer and flies. What's impossible anymore?"

...

The sky base eventually stopped a hundred kilometers above the New York coastline. It had taken two days from the time they dug out the Captain to returning here. Tony's new energy source had helped speed up the sky base's travel.

Perhaps it was because they were nearing home, but once the sky base came to a complete stop, Captain America suddenly opened his eyes.

At that moment, there weren't many people aboard the sky base. Blake, worried that the Captain might wake up and get into a conflict with someone, had left him alone on the lower level beneath the fan blades.

The poor Captain, upon waking, found himself completely alone. He walked outside only to find a futuristic corridor with strange lighting.

Running outside, he realized he was in the sky, above the clouds. After standing in the hallway and calling out for some time with no response...

"Do you think if I fly over in my suit, our dear Captain Rogers will think he's arrived in heaven?" Tony laughed as he watched the security footage.

The Captain wandered around for a while before finally spotting the elevator at the connection point between the fan blades and the metal pillar.

He had actually noticed it earlier, but the door and buttons were so different from what he remembered that it didn't even occur to him it was an elevator.

As he reached out to press the button, the door automatically opened with a ding.

A young man with black hair and black eyes stood there, smiling.

"Welcome, Steve Rogers. Welcome to heaven. I am your guide, code number 1918!"

---

In the movies, Captain America was found in the wreckage of the plane, but in earlier Marvel lore, he was separated from the plane.

This was because Banner had gone to the Arctic to attempt suicide by shooting himself. After transforming into the Hulk, he smashed the icebergs, and a satellite captured an image of the Hulk roaring on the ice, with Captain America buried in the ice next to him.

For some reason, they didn't use that storyline in the end.

*******************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170


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