Stephanie Malik was somewhat puzzled by Natasha Romanoff's sudden involvement.
In her eyes, this spy had always maintained a subtle, arm's-length relationship with the Sovereign. Putting someone like her in direct control of those modified assassins could only send chills down one's spine. And yet, to bring her into his plans, Solomon had spent years slowly and imperceptibly influencing her. Now, Natasha Romanoff had embraced his ideals with natural ease.
Stephanie had deduced a few possibilities. At this moment, she was scrutinizing her new colleague—clad in matte black, specially tailored power armor—with thinly veiled jealousy, trying to read Natasha's expression through the pristine skull-shaped mask and crimson lenses. She immediately noticed the uniqueness of the suit. This power armor, built for special operations, was not only complex in craftsmanship (she herself had handled some of the schematics and data disks that had filled more than one bookcase), but also extremely costly. Regular assassins could only access simplified versions.
The suit Natasha Romanoff wore was made from the highest-grade materials. Solomon had spared no expense, ensuring optimal combat performance and maximum safety. Unlike standard power armor, an assassin's suit had more segmented plating, greater flexibility, and a silhouette-hugging design that emphasized her physique. Its internal power core, actively regulated thermal vents, and radar-reflective coating made the wearer incredibly hard to detect during infiltration missions. The gauntlets featured pop-out data ports for lightning-fast information extraction and disruption of enemy comms. Meanwhile, the vambraces and greaves were equipped with alien tech weaponry and Olympus-grade servo motors that operated in total silence yet delivered exceptional power—making the wearer a terrifying force in both frontline and behind-the-lines engagements.
Moreover, the armor was enhanced with magitech co-developed by Malbus and Solomon. As long as the power source held out, it allowed the wearer to perform a short-range teleportation spell every few seconds, similar to the Misty Step spell. Natasha Romanoff's suit had an even more advanced teleportation system—capable of long-range jumps.
The head of the Department of Internal Affairs transmitted the files Natasha needed to the assassination division's data terminal. Natasha lowered her head, fingers wrapped in vibranium-plated alloy armor gliding across the interface. After a moment, she nodded and thanked Stephanie in a satisfied tone. It wasn't a kill list—it was a list of individuals from international financial syndicates, along with the locations where they hid their secrets. Solomon needed Natasha to lead a team of assassins to steal those secrets. Only by unraveling the complex ties between those secret societies could he truly destroy them.
"He really does dote on you, doesn't he, spy?"
"Maybe. After all, the Eternal City has all kinds of people. He needs all kinds of people." Natasha responded with a light laugh.
She seemed to be implying something, and after a moment of thought, Stephanie understood what Natasha meant. She was fairly certain that Solomon had shared certain secrets with the head of the assassination department. But since it was a directive from Solomon, Stephanie wouldn't question it. That didn't stop her from feeling other emotions toward Natasha Romanoff. Still, one glance at Natasha's lower abdomen made her smirk smugly and dismiss any implications in Natasha's words. Natasha simply shrugged, clueless, and walked out of the Internal Affairs office with a light step.
She liked the design of the office building. Compared to the minimalist, tech-heavy style of the Avengers headquarters, the Eternal City had masterfully blended opulence and technology. Even the deep red wallpaper in the corridors was adorned with dazzling gold patterns. She was sure all of it had been custom ordered by Solomon. With the oil paintings and sculptures lining the hallways, the entire building exuded an air of refined elegance.
It was quiet. Civil servants from Internal Affairs passed by her with light footsteps and in silence. After a near-case of death from overwork, some of the document-heavy positions had been replaced with employees fitted with minor biochemical modifications. The upgrades were cerebral, and unless you checked the personnel list, there was no way to distinguish them from ordinary staff. Most had shaved their heads to devote every waking moment to work.
That's exactly how HYDRA operated! Natasha Romanoff silently condemned Stephanie in her thoughts. Once she joined the Eternal City, Solomon had finally revealed a portion of its secrets—including information about HYDRA, the Avengers' long-standing enemy. The HYDRA currently being chased by Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were merely discarded radicals. Like those secret cults of god-worshipping oligarchs, they were Solomon's enemies. The HYDRA integrated into the Eternal City were conservative defectors. These HYDRA members had abandoned their faith and now worked for Solomon's vision.
She didn't trust HYDRA. She feared they might one day take control of the Eternal City.
She needed to secure her own power—soon.
"Agent Romanoff." A voice called out from the end of the corridor. The lighting wasn't particularly bright—the pale yellow glow resembled candlelight. Fortunately, her lenses had enhancement functions, allowing her to clearly identify who was speaking.
"I hope you're rediscovering that old work instinct. I mean S.H.I.E.L.D., not the Avengers. Though we're now in separate departments, I believe we can still cooperate like we used to."
"As far as I know, you're supposed to be aboard an aircraft carrier in the North Atlantic, Victoria. Or is it that I lack the clearance to track your location?" Natasha removed her helmet, her coiled red hair slightly messy. Though the assassin helmet had a voice module and built-in comms, she preferred face-to-face conversations with old friends.
"Our superior has some secret tech, Agent Romanoff. But I have to say, using the teleport chamber to return to the Eternal City for debriefs is not a pleasant experience." Victoria smiled. "Your next assignment will require Intelligence Department support. But before we coordinate, come with me—I'll take you to pick up your stealth aircraft."
"Here? But this place is underground!" Natasha tried to recall the internal structure of the Eternal City. She was sure the cargo and passenger elevators couldn't transport a plane to Rome's surface. Even the helicarrier she'd seen earlier had been brought in via portal.
Victoria didn't bother with much secrecy.
"You probably haven't seen the Eternal City's hangar. I guarantee you'll be shocked—"
"—You were right, Victoria. I am shocked." Although the suit's life-support systems ensured she didn't suffer from high-G effects, it was still nearly unbearable for an unaugmented human. Perhaps to distract herself, Natasha, now riding her heavily modified Quinjet as it was vertically launched from the sea, couldn't help but send a sarcastic message to the Intelligence Department, violating standard comm protocols. "The hangar is a damn water park! I just saw a slide!"
"It's an unfinished water park," Agent Hand corrected. "It'll probably be complete in fifty years."
"How's that possible?"
"Money. We contracted the project under the local mafia's name. To be precise, we are the mafia."
(End of Chapter)
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