บท 237: Chapter 238: The Appearance of the Darkened Supreme Sorcerer!
On a dirty and messy alley, Natalia Colosnikova hid behind a garbage bin, breathing heavily.
"Am I going to die here?" She leaned against the wall, feeling like she couldn't muster the strength to move a single finger.
"They're nearby. It's only a matter of time before they find me. I won't survive," Natalia Colosnikova thought with a hint of irony. "It's just a pity I couldn't free more sisters."
Clatter, clatter! She heard footsteps.
She raised her head to look.
Sure enough, under the cover of the night, three Black Widows entered the alley. They held weapons, aiming their dark barrels in her direction.
"They've found me," Natalia Colosnikova resigned herself to her fate, leaning against the wall and gazing at the moon in the sky. "Dying at the hands of my sisters could be considered a decent ending."
But instead of hearing gunshots, she heard sounds of a scuffle.
The fight ended remarkably quickly, taking just a few seconds.
"What's going on?" Natalia Colosnikova was astonished. She looked over and saw that all three Black Widows were lying on the ground. Standing nearby were a man and a woman.
"Hope Tony's antidote gas works," the man said.
"In the field of science, we can always trust Tony," the woman added.
Then, Natalia Colosnikova saw the woman use a spray on the faces of the fallen Black Widows. Instantly, they regained control of themselves and woke up.
"Who are they?" Natalia Colosnikova was full of suspicion. Was that woman also a Black Widow? Then why hadn't she ever seen her before?
And who was that man?
Clatter, clatter! Lost in thought, she saw the woman approaching her.
"Don't be afraid. My name is Natasha Romanoff. I was once like you," the woman said to Natalia Colosnikova.
"Thank... thank you," Natalia Colosnikova allowed Natasha Romanoff to help her up. "You were a Black Widow too?"
"That's right. I destroyed the Red Room and escaped. But later, I found out the Red Room wasn't really destroyed," Natasha Romanoff shrugged. "So I came back to finish what I started."
"You... you're her!" Natalia Colosnikova suddenly recalled a rumor among the Black Widows about a traitor who nearly destroyed the Red Room. She had always treated it as just a rumor. But now, seeing Natasha Romanoff, she knew it wasn't a rumor.
"Natalia, I almost killed you. I'm sorry," the other Black Widows came over, expressing their apologies to Natalia Colosnikova.
"I know it wasn't your intention, sisters," Natalia Colosnikova smiled. Suddenly, she thought of something and couldn't help but ask, "Miss Romanoff, where did you get the detoxifying gas?"
"A friend synthesized it overnight," Natasha Romanoff replied.
"Overnight?" Natalia Colosnikova was shocked. Who could be so skilled to create detoxifying gas overnight?
She knew they had spent years researching and developing it!
"He's quite talented in this field," Clint Barton said.
"If it's Iron Man, it wouldn't be surprising if he made it overnight," one of the Black Widows, who had just attempted to assassinate Natalia Colosnikova, spoke up.
"Iron Man?" Natalia Colosnikova widened her eyes. "The Iron Man from the Avengers?"
"The Iron Man from the Avengers."
"If Iron Man created the detoxifying gas for you, then you must be..." Natalia Colosnikova couldn't help but size up Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.
"Natalia, it's time for you to reflect on your ignorance. Standing before you are Black Widow and Hawkeye," another Black Widow said.
"Ah!" Natalia Colosnikova exclaimed. "So I was saved by the Avengers."
"Natasha, what's our next move?" one of the Black Widows asked.
"The plan is simple," Natasha Romanoff said. "Kill Dreykov, free our other sisters, and destroy the Red Room."
"Is that really simple? It's nearly impossible, no matter how you look at it!" Natalia Colosnikova listened to Natasha's words, but she couldn't fully believe it. She was a Black Widow herself, so she knew the vast extent of the Red Room's power and the incredible strength of the Black Widows. Killing Dreykov and destroying the Red Room were tasks bordering on impossibility.
If it were Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor, she might have some confidence when they spoke of destroying the Red Room. But Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton... they didn't seem to possess that kind of ability.
However, having come all the way from the United States to help, she refrained from uttering such words.
Drip, drip, drip! At this moment, Clint Barton's phone rang. He took it out, glanced at it, and said, "Tony just sent the coordinates of the Red Room."
"How soon can you get a plane?" Natasha Romanoff asked Natalia Colosnikova and the others.
"We can have one tonight," Natalia Colosnikova replied.
"Then the Red Room won't exist by tonight," Natasha Romanoff stated.
"Isn't that a bit overconfident?" Natalia Colosnikova still had doubts.
Although skeptical, she complied fully with Natasha Romanoff's request. Two hours later, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were already on a helicopter.
"If we can't kill Dreykov, let me die on the way trying," Natalia Colosnikova checked her weapons, a look of resignation on her face. She had resolved to die, to give her all in an attempt. "Even if we can't kill him, we must show him our resistance. Let him know we're not toys he can manipulate as he pleases!"
"Natalia, relax. Nothing's going to happen," Natasha Romanoff chuckled at Natalia Colosnikova's demeanor.
"Yes, we'll be fine," Natalia Colosnikova said, though she wore an air of calm acceptance.
"You can get some rest," Clint Barton tinkered with his bow and arrows. "I'll wake you when it's time."
"I can't sleep," Natalia Colosnikova said. She was going to rest for a long time soon, with no chance of waking up. How could she sleep now?
"Alright, suit yourself," Clint Barton didn't press the issue.
"Found it." After flying for about half an hour, Clint Barton suddenly spoke.
"Found it?" Natalia Colosnikova gazed out, seeing nothing but boundless night and endless clouds. Where was it?
Clint Barton didn't explain. He simply knelt down and began stringing his bow.
"Mr. Barton, what are you doing?" Natalia Colosnikova looked at him, puzzled.
"Shooting Dreykov," Clint Barton replied.
"Killing Dreykov? You must be joking!" Natalia Colosnikova couldn't help but exclaim. In this vast night sky, let alone the Red Room, not even a bird was visible. What was he aiming at?
And besides, you're bending a bow inside a helicopter. Was Dreykov in the helicopter?
"You got it right," Clint Barton said.
Swoosh! The next moment, an arrow was released.
"This Avenger is way too playful!" Natalia Colosnikova's mouth dropped open. Shooting an arrow from a helicopter to kill someone? Was this a joke?
"Alright, Dreykov is dead now," Natalia Colosnikova heard Clint Barton saying so again.
"Ah? Dead?" Natalia Colosnikova's face showed an incredulous expression.
"Mr. Barton, Dreykov is really dead?"
"Mr. Barton, you're not kidding with us, are you?"
Other Black Widows chimed in.
It wasn't that they didn't trust Clint Barton, but his actions were too surreal.
It was the middle of the night, and they hadn't seen anything from the helicopter. Now he was saying he killed someone with an arrow?
Wait a second...
Where's the arrow?
Why didn't the helicopter see the arrow?
"You'll see in a moment," Clint Barton didn't explain further. With his keen senses and his arrow-piercing abilities, assassinating someone was this easy.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Clint Barton bent his bow again and shot a few more arrows.
"Mr. Barton, since Dreykov is already dead, why are you shooting more arrows?" Natalia Colosnikova asked.
"Oh, these arrows are filled with detoxifying gas," Clint Barton explained. "Your sisters are free of control now. The Red Room is just a building now."
"Is this really true? Can all these problems be solved by shooting a few arrows from a helicopter?" Natalia Colosnikova still felt dazed. Until now, she didn't even know where the Red Room was.
But if the other side was fabricating lies, she absolutely wouldn't believe it. She didn't pay attention to the earlier arrows, but in the later ones, she saw clearly that the arrows were shot directly from the helicopter.
"Look! That's the Red Room!" At this moment, she heard her companion's shout. She turned her head and indeed saw the steel fortress suspended in the air.
"Alright, let's go down and take a look." After the helicopter landed, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were the first to disembark.
Natalia Colosnikova and the other widows exchanged glances, gripping their guns with extreme vigilance, and followed suit.
When they entered the Red Room and saw their sisters free from control, and when they saw Dreykov with an arrow piercing his forehead, all doubts vanished.
In their place, there was a deep sense of admiration.
Killing Dreykov and saving their fellow sisters was considered an almost impossible task in their eyes, something nearly unattainable.
Yet, when the Avengers intervened, they simply shot a few arrows and resolved the situation.
"Even the seemingly 'insignificant' Black Widow and Hawkeye possess such abilities. Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of them must be truly formidable," the widows were truly astonished by the Avengers' prowess.
"Natasha, it's you. You saved us?" Among the widows, Yelena Belova undoubtedly had the closest relationship with Natasha Romanoff.
"Yes, Yelena. Dreykov is dead, and the sisters are free," Natasha Romanoff was excited to see Yelena Belova too. "What are your plans now?"
"First, I want to lead a peaceful life for a while," Yelena Belova said.
"Alright," Natasha Romanoff replied. "If anything comes up, remember to let me know."
...
Whether it was Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton dealing with the Red Room, or Peter Quill and Tony Stark blowing up Ego, it had nothing to do with Stephen Strange. He was deeply engrossed in his studies at Kamar-Taj, focusing entirely on learning magic.
His mind was dedicated to learning, and he lost track of time.
Although Wong didn't lend him the book about astral projection this time, Stephen managed to obtain it through a portal and learned how to astral project.
In the days that followed, he would astral project to read books while sleeping, doubling his productivity.
"Stephen, come here for a moment." One day, while Stephen Strange was practicing spells, the Ancient One suddenly called him.
Stephen Strange could already guess what it was about, but he wasn't anxious. He followed the Ancient One's footsteps.
"Right in this room, you once pleaded for me to teach you," the Ancient One led Stephen Strange to a room. "Now you're telling me you doubt all the teachings and want to learn on your own?"
"In this room, you asked me to broaden my horizons. Now you want me to blindly accept rules that make no sense?" Stephen Strange said something similar to what the Ancient One had said.
"Are you referring to the rule that prevents you from freely using the Sling Ring in the library?" The Ancient One countered.
"Wong snitched?" Stephen Strange was quite surprised. He never expected that someone as burly as Wong would do something like that.
"In terms of magic, you're indeed progressing quickly. Now you need a safer place to practice," the Ancient One said, extending her hand.
Crack!
The sound of breaking glass rang out as the space in front of them shattered like glass.
"Mirror Dimension!" Stephen Strange blurted out. He hadn't seen it in real life, but he had encountered that technique in the Time-Lock realm.
"Correct, the Mirror Dimension." The Ancient One stepped into the Mirror Dimension.
Stephen Strange followed the Ancient One's steps into the Mirror Dimension. However, instead of entering it, he found himself in complete darkness.
"Back to the questioning again!" Stephen Strange knew what had happened.
As he looked around, he confirmed his suspicions. The space was once again crowded with a bunch of people, his old "questioning friends" who had participated in previous sessions.
"Quill, did you really blow up Ego?" Thor looked at Peter Quill and couldn't help asking, "Heimdall saw a massive explosion."
"Yes, Ego is gone," Peter Quill confirmed. "His schemes have been thwarted."
"And what about the girl with the antennae on her head?" Stephen Strange asked, "She was there in the video when you guys blew up Ego."
"She's now a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy," Peter Quill replied. "Ego is dead, and I took her with me."
"What about the other Guardians?" Natasha Romanoff asked, "Did you see them?"
"I heard that Drax assassinated another Ronan member. I tried to reach out to him, but he didn't believe me," Peter Quill said. "I'm trying to find a chance to contact Gamora."
"Natasha, I remember you said you wanted to visit the Red Room. So, did you go?" Scott Lang asked Natasha Romanoff.
"Yes, I went. The Red Room has been destroyed, and the widows have all gained their freedom," Natasha Romanoff replied.
"Freedom?" Nick Fury asked, "What do you mean, Natasha? What are they all doing now?"
"Just as I said, they're free. They can do whatever they want, which means they don't have to report to anyone for anything, including me," Natasha Romanoff explained. "So, I don't know what they're all up to. I only know about my sister. She plans to live a normal life for now."
"If those widows don't have a place to go, you can introduce them to me. S.H.I.E.L.D. has a place for them to contribute," Nick Fury said.
"Fury, they're all victims. Don't think of taking advantage of them," Natasha Romanoff said.
"Having more options might not be a bad thing for them. Think about it, after living a life filled with danger, how many of them can adapt to a 9-to-5 normal life?" Nick Fury replied. "You can ask them if they're willing to come."
"Alright." This time, Natasha Romanoff didn't refuse.
[The Q&A session is starting. Prepare yourselves, participants.]
[Question 1: Who tore Doctor Strange Stephen Strange's red cloak?]
[A: Doctor Strange Stephen Strange]
[B: Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff]
[C: Cosmic Tyrant Thanos]
[D: Dark Dimension's ruler Dormammu]
[Correct answer rewards the "Darkened State." Wrong answer deducts one year of lifespan.]
"This question is about parallel universes again." After reading the question, Stephen Strange said, "In our world, my cloak remains intact until Thanos turns to dust."
"Your cloak seems to have its own sentience. It can understand your commands. It even autonomously saved me in the zombie world," Scott Lang said, "Such a fantastic thing was torn apart. What a shame."
"There's even an option for yourself, that's quite absurd," Clint Barton commented, "Would you tear your own cloak?"
"I definitely wouldn't," Stephen Strange said, "And I believe Wanda wouldn't either. Wanda and I are on the same side, we're friends. Why would she tear my cloak?"
"Besides, I don't even have that ability," Wanda Maximoff added. "I certainly don't think I'm stronger than Stephen."
"Maybe in that world, you're stronger than Stephen, and you're a villain, giving you plenty of reason to attack him," T'Challa said.
"That's possible, but that kind of possibility, like me being a helpless weakling or Thanos being our lackey in that world, is baseless speculation without any evidence. It doesn't hold any logical value," Wanda Maximoff stated.
"Even in parallel worlds, situations like befriending Thanos are the exception. In most cases, parallel versions of ourselves remain consistent with our world," Tony Stark also said, "So, let's reference ourselves from this world. While it might not be 100% accurate, it's the most reliable. Speculating wildly without any basis only increases the complexity of reasoning."
"The person capable of tearing the cloak must be stronger than me," Stephen Strange said, "From this perspective, both Thanos and Dormammu have that strength. But clearly, Dormammu's power is greater. So, I choose D!"
[Answer wrong! One year of lifespan deducted.]
"Stephen, you've lost a considerable amount of lifespan by now, haven't you?" Nick Fury couldn't help but remark, "If you keep losing lifespan like this, you won't make it to facing Thanos. You'll die from lifespan exhaustion, right?"
"I believe the Q&A space won't allow that to happen." Tony Stark said, "For those of us who answer and get things wrong often, the Q&A space replenishes our lifespan. Initially, it happened to me, Captain, Bruce, and later to Peter as well. I believe Stephen will have his lifespan restored soon."
Before long, the video started playing.
In the beginning of the scene, Stephen Strange walked out the door, but what he saw left him shocked. The cars, skyscrapers, roads, and even pedestrians on the street began to transform into black water, slowly disappearing.
"What did they put in the whiskey?" Stephen Strange suspected he was hallucinating.
Suddenly, a brilliant light emerged from behind him. Stephen Strange turned around and saw a figure walking out of the light. He immediately assumed a defensive posture, but realized it was the Ancient One.
"Hello, Stephen." The Ancient One radiated light as she landed on the ground.
"No, wait, you're supposed to be..." Stephen Strange began in astonishment.
"Dead?" The Ancient One said, "Indeed."
"So, this must be..."
"A psychological illusion sent from another branch of the multiverse." The Ancient One started walking around Stephen Strange, "Yes, consider me an echo."
"I was going to say this definitely meant the end of the world." Stephen Strange said.
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[END OF CHAPTER]
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