- I hope I won't disturb you?
Maya Hansen's calm voice distracted Alexei from contemplating his youngest "daughter."
- No, of course not. Come in, Dr. Hansen.
Shestakov looked at the attractive female scientist, who had already firmly established her place in Ledov's growing empire.
- Since you are here, it means that she was also injected with your medicine.
Maya continued examining the patient, answering questions.
"Yes. When she arrived, her life was on the line, so it was decided to administer the serum. It's a good thing it didn't conflict with what they'd pumped her with before. We found so many unknown chemicals in her body that it was unclear how she'd survived at all."
Maya took a blood sample from Elena.
"Dr. Ledov said to keep her asleep until he arrived, so as not to risk the staff. What if she wakes up and something's wrong with her?"
Hearing this, the supersoldier's hands clenched into fists at the thought of what Dreykov and his men could have done to his "little girl." Seeing this reaction, Maya decided to change the subject.
"I didn't think you'd have time to check on patients with all the fame that's fallen on you."
Maya was referring to the news reports that recounted Shestakov's actions during the president's rescue, recalling his past in prison and his actions afterward. It all seemed like the triumphant return of a reformed prodigal son—and surprisingly, people loved it.
Unfortunately, for the first time, the Soviet hero didn't care. Looking at Elena's face, he had no time for glory. As soon as he learned she was here, he dropped everything he was doing and got here as quickly as possible.
"Hero... That's too strong a word. I was simply following the orders I was given."
"As far as I know, that's why they got you out of prison—to become a Hero of Russia. And now you've succeeded."
The new national hero just chuckled.
— I didn't come out to become the new Captain America.
Maya added the data to the tablet while continuing her examination.
"But in all this chaos, you became one. Is that bad for your goals?"
Shestakov understood that this was good if he played the cards correctly that Ledov and his people had handed him, literally forcing him to rehearse certain things.
"Maybe this will help," Alexey said sadly, turning his gaze to Dr. Hansen, remembering her words about chaos. "How did that 'Widow Protocol' go for you?"
Maya's body trembled slightly.
— It was... creepy. When the guards burst in and started knocking out all the women.
— And you weren't put to sleep?
"Maybe it would have been better if they'd put him to sleep. Being under constant surveillance until the order was lifted was a bit unnerving."
"Were you held at gunpoint?" Alexey imagined the guards forcing her to her knees and holding her at gunpoint.
"No, of course not. They left someone with me to keep an eye on me," Maya said, an ironic smile appearing on her face. "At least I had time to sort out the paperwork."
The supersoldier's face twisted. He'd never liked writing reports. But here he had to do it after every mission. Thank goodness he wasn't required to describe every step of the missions where everything went according to plan.
"Don't worry, Alexey. Everything went pretty smoothly in my department. After working with Killian, who created living bombs, I like it here much better."
And then it dawned on Alexey what a familiar blue glow he had seen on the president.
— So you're okay with Ledov selling your developments to others?
Dr. Hansen's face became a little sad.
— My last employer used my work to stage terrorist attacks and try to sow chaos throughout the world to satisfy his ego.
Hearing this, Shestakov visibly tensed up, remembering the recent events with AIM and Killian, which were talked about everywhere.
"If Alexander doesn't do it, someone else will. At least here my voice will be heard, not ignored. Plus, I get a decent commission on every deal and can help those in need."
— What, Ledov isn't allocating enough funds? Are they out of money? Ha-ha-ha!
Maya looked at the super soldier laughing, trying to defuse the situation, with confusion, before she responded just as calmly.
"It does. We just have a waiting list years in advance. And that's only for those who can benefit from Neo- Extremis . As for the other procedures we offer, it's best to keep quiet about them altogether."
Shestakov thought sadly about those who would have to wait years for help.
"Don't worry, Alexey. A second clinic is being built under the auspices of Stark Industries , and it will operate on a similar model."
The guard frowned slightly.
"Giving such technology to the Americans... Is that wise?" Then Alexey looked at the woman in front of him and remembered she was American. "My apologies. I didn't mean any harm."
"Don't worry. But if you're wondering who Dr. Ledov is giving something to, you can ask him directly."
It wasn't hard for Alexey to imagine that if he started asking such questions, he would simply be sent to do his job and not interfere.
At that moment, the soldier's communicator signaled that he was already expected for the next mission.
- If I can help in any way, just let me know.
— I'll definitely tell you. Thank you for your offer of help.
After saying goodbye, he left his adopted daughter's room.
*****
The Stark Tower's panoramic window opened, revealing a suit of red and gold armor and its owner. When the armor opened, a tired but satisfied Tony Stark emerged.
As he stretched, he saw his girlfriend sitting on the couch, having already watched the news and knowing what was happening at S.H.I.E.L.D.
- How did it go, Tony?
"Honestly? Boring." Tony plopped down next to her, tired. "After knocking out a couple of squads, they started surrendering themselves. Looks like they didn't expect an entire army to follow them, along with the Avengers."
Pepper Potts breathed a sigh of relief.
"Better it be boring. The very thought that you could fight against those flying ships makes me shudder."
Tony was a little amused by her experiences.
" What are you saying? We already had a plan and we were ready . As it turned out during the interrogations, they used the attack on Fury to slightly delay the schedule, so we had to go into battle less than fully prepared."
Pepper was about to hug her hero, but at the last moment she changed her mind, wrinkling her nose slightly.
- Well, it's better than when you were just flying at full speed, relying on your suit.
"Yeah," Tony was overcome with warm memories. "I remember when it all just started, a tank shell hit me right in the face."
- WHAT?!
The genius suddenly realized what a mistake he had made.
"Pep, everything's fine! I'm here, alive and well. It was a long time ago, and I don't do it anymore."
Tony tried to grab the girl's hands to calm her down.
"I'm sorry, Tony. It's just that whole SHIELD thing…" Their eyes met, and Tony saw genuine fear in her gaze. "What if they had succeeded?"
A boastful smile appeared on Stark's face, which for some reason calmed the CEO of Stark Industries.
"Believe me, Pep, they didn't stand a chance. We were several steps ahead. They just got lucky with the timing of the operation."
- I just don't understand how you found out all this.
"Well... it's simple. Alex asked me to give Fury a flash drive and asked me not to look at it."
- And you looked!
Pepper shook her head wearily, knowing it was foolish to assume otherwise.
"Of course I did! How could I not? There was some really interesting information there. Alex wanted Fury to deal with them himself, and I went my own way."
— That's why there's so much news about them now.
Pepper pointed to the television, which was showing helicarriers flying over the Triskelion .
— By the way, give yourself a couple of days off. I don't want you to miss all the fun.
"Tony, what fun? This is a very important moment for the company, we..."
Pepper was taken aback by this , and she looked at Tony, expecting some kind of answer. "In a couple of days, what 's happening now will matter a lot less."
- Tony, you scare me with this mystery.
- Just trust me.
Tony reached out to the girl for a kiss, but found an insurmountable obstacle in the form of her palm.
"I'm ready to discuss my unplanned weekend, but only after Mr. Riddle takes a shower."
Tony suddenly realized that he had been in the suit long enough and he really needed to get himself in order.
- Give me a couple of minutes and I can convince you to take this weekend.
- Good. In the meantime, I'll get everything for our... negotiations.
As Tony showered, his fatigue washed away. An evening, the woman he loved, and a bottle of wine to discuss plans. A rather satisfying end to a dangerous mission.
*****
- Yes, Ellis, this is very bad.
…
"I've already given the necessary commands. Hydra is priority number one."
…
- That's good to hear. We're in the same boat now.
…
"I wouldn't advise you to do that. Even if your people succeed, you won't like the result."
…
— It's your right. But don't say later that I didn't warn you.
President Vologin put down the phone he had just used to speak with the US President over a secure line.
Sitting in his office, which miraculously escaped damage, the head of state was able to continue working as soon as he came to after a medical examination.
Too much has happened since the discovery of the secret German organization of World War II. The mere thought of Hydra gave the Russian president a headache. He pressed his hands to his temples.
"More than a hundred killed and three times that number wounded—and that's a good result. If these monsters had achieved their goals, hundreds of millions would have died at best."
The country's leader's thoughts on the events that had transpired in Moscow were interrupted by the coughing of one of his trusted aides, responsible for internal security, who was clearly trying to prove himself after the incident. Fortunately, he could trust this man.
"We started checking everyone connected to Dymov. Also, one of my people got hold of some interesting information."
The President merely raised an eyebrow, and his eyes lit up slightly, revealing a slight blue tint.
"Bills, correspondence, conversations. It's literally a treasure trove of incriminating evidence. There's just one problem."
- Which?
"These are about twenty people who wield enormous influence and could seriously complicate your life and that of the entire country. If you look at the documents, they are all directly or indirectly connected to Hydra."
A small but cruel smile appeared on the president's face.
— Take them all. If possible, take them alive.
— And if they resist?
— In an hour there will be an announcement on TV, and they will all be recognized as terrorists.
The head of internal security merely nodded, understanding that terrorists were not citizens of the country, and therefore the laws no longer applied to them.
— Got it. Just one question about Sychev?
The president quickly recalled the oligarch who had taken advantage of the devastation of the 1990s and was now a major businessman in several industries. Therefore, it would be more satisfying to seize his money as compensation for the chaos he had unleashed.
- His daughter works for Ledov.
The President understood the unspoken question.
"Don't touch her. I don't think our 'hero' doesn't know who she is. I'd even say she's his source."
"Got it." The security guard asked with a slight grin. "And where's Ledov himself? We could really use his help right now. Especially with the impending arrests."
- Are you scared without him?
"No." The short but confident answer rang out in the office under the chief's watchful gaze. "I just don't understand why he hasn't returned yet. He could improve his reputation by helping survivors."
- He's in the US now, getting ready to get his hands on a couple more toys.
The security guard just chuckled.
"Why does he need these ships? He can..."
There was no point in finishing the sentence. They both realized they were talking about the water dragon that had been shown all over the world, and which Ledov had even petted before it disintegrated into a huge mass of water.
"At the moment, no one is controlling the ships flying over Washington. Ellis wants to regain control of them, but Stark won't give them up."
"Well, let Stark take them! Don't they have the same problems with Hydra?"
"In just a few days, Hydra has transformed from a secret spy organization into an open terrorist organization. It's clear how to fight them..."
— But how do we fight people who can block the best technology and create such monsters?
"Despite what Ellis thinks, the Avengers aren't a threat. They're dangerous, but they're not a threat. So it's best to focus on Hydra now, and then we can talk to them calmly."
Realizing the conversation was over, the head of internal security left. He had a lot of work to do, but fortunately, he had carte blanche to do whatever he wanted.
*****
A knock on the door caught the Russian hero's attention. Calmly approaching and opening it, he was a little surprised to see Natasha in civilian clothes, holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
"I thought you'd be working with Fury , considering what so many people around the world want to do to him." Without even thinking about keeping her in the hallway, he opened the door wider. "He needs every agent right now, so they don't end up with all the problems."
Natasha entered the penthouse of one of the best hotels in the US capital.
"He relieved me of that and gave me a more important task: to keep an eye on you." A knowing smile appeared on their faces, suggesting there was no actual task. "But seriously, he recommended that I leave S.H.I.E.L.D. now."
- Suddenly.
Natasha opened the bottle, poured the liquid into glasses and handed one to Alex.
"Considering that the organization had gone from a serious force to a shell overnight, he saw no point in me staying there. My presence, on the contrary, would irritate the hordes of inspectors who would spend years deciding whether something was legal or not."
— Do you think they'll dig under you?
"Of course they will," she shrugged nonchalantly.
— I can imagine how they will come to you with their complaints.
A satisfied smile appeared on Alex's face as he recalled the footage of her fighting skills.
"I thought you'd be happier that I left S.H.I.E.L.D. Considering that for the information you gave Fury , he could easily 'sell' me to you. And even tie a ribbon around my neck to placate me."
Even though there was a smile on the spy's face when she said it, they both knew it could be true if Alex wanted it to be.
- You must understand that this was not my plan.
Natasha's eyes seemed to light up after his words.
— And what, I wonder, were your plans?
She took a sip of champagne and elegantly ran her finger along the rim of the glass, casting a curious glance at him.
"I thought that, given the opportunity to leave S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury would keep you, giving you better terms or more time off.
"Are you tired of my company yet? A few days a month—is that all you can handle?"
Alex took a sip from his glass while he considered his response. It didn't help that Natasha's gaze was so distracting, it was difficult to concentrate.
"It's just that the last time you came, I managed to hide a guest who suddenly decided to drop by at the very last moment.
- And who was this guest?
"Blonde." Alex's quick, thoughtful reply only lifted the spy's spirits. "So tall, green-eyed, and a size D."
Only at the end did Alex realize that he had described the exact opposite of the woman who was in the same room with him.
"Ah, so that's who it was!" Natasha began to approach Alex with a graceful gait. "Don't worry, they dumped her body this morning."
It was said with such confidence and ease that Alex began to remember whether this blonde had actually been in his house.
— How did this happen?
"It just sort of happened." She shrugged casually and made a motion of twisting her neck. "I was so scared last night that I didn't notice, and... it just happened."
"Well, that explains a lot. I'm so sick of these models. Everyone wants to get close to the famous hero." Alex tried to suppress a smile, feigning displeasure.
"Maybe I should hang around you for a while then?" The former S.H.I.E.L.D. spy walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So that all sorts of people don't come near and ruin your life."
Their gazes met, and Alex's answer was not long in coming.
— I would be an idiot if I refused such an offer.
And the unspoken agreement was sealed with a kiss.
Of course, it would have been better to spend the evening chatting or watching a movie, but Alex's new "guard" was consumed by curiosity about some questions about Hydra, and he saw no reason to refuse her answers.
Natasha, leaning her back comfortably against his chest, calmly listened to the short story about how Alex once learned about Hydra, but dismissed it as something else entirely. Later, he began to take it more seriously, but simply didn't have the resources or time for a secret organization.
An unexpected encounter with a ghost girl gave him the opportunity to begin gathering information. Then came the Chitauri incident and his encounter with the beauty sitting next to him. As he described their encounter, he kissed the back of her head, causing a slight smile to appear on her face.
Alex wasn't telling her the whole story, clearly concealing certain facts. These were obvious to Natasha, but now they were more than enough for her to piece together the big picture and understand where Alex had gotten the information he'd passed on to Fury .
— And what are your plans next?
Considering Natasha had voluntarily joined Alex's cause, she was curious about his next steps regarding Hydra. She even shifted her position to look him in the eye.
"Actually, we do." Her raised eyebrow touched Alex, and he gave her a short kiss. "But that's not important right now. There are many other things to do."
- Tch . You've got me so intrigued and you're still saying nothing.
- What interest will there be then if I tell you all the plans?
"You even have plans for me?" And her gaze was so innocent.
Coming closer, Alex whispered in her ear as secretly and mysteriously as he could.
"I make plans for years ahead." His gaze met Natasha's. "But when it comes to you... I plan for decades."
Hearing this, Natasha's face turned serious, which slightly alarmed Alex. The Russian assassin's gaze scrutinized Ledov's face, trying to detect any signs of deception in his words.
Natasha stared into his eyes for fifteen long seconds. For a man accustomed to making quick decisions, it was far too long. Alex froze. That searching gaze was more terrifying than any fight. And in that agonizing pause, he suddenly realized: he was afraid. Afraid that she wouldn't believe him or misunderstand him, and that whatever had begun to blossom between them would quickly crumble to dust.
Still, having thought it over and made some decision for herself, the spy's entire body trembled, and her eyes began to look at him with such passion as he had never seen her with before.
Therefore, the Russian hero did not expect to be attacked by a wild cat, which the red-haired beauty suddenly began to resemble.