The atmosphere in the office became tense and heavy.
Natasha's fingers subconsciously curled in, and the smile on her face froze.
"You know my sister, or are you getting close to her for some other purpose?" John asked quietly, his expression unreadable.
He leaned forward slightly, and it felt as if the very light in the room dimmed around him.
"Hush..." Natasha exhaled, and though the air was not cold, her breath came out white. The hairs on her arms stood up, and goosebumps prickled her skin. A chill climbed her spine and settled at the base of her skull.
As an agent, Natasha had always relied on her instincts—a flash of inspiration was often more important than hard work. This was her sixth sense, and as a woman, hers was particularly sharp. Right now, it was screaming at her that whatever answer she gave might lead her into an abyss from which she would never return.
The person in front of her was extremely dangerous. Even though John's face was young—he looked like a high school student—the danger he radiated was the most immediate and visceral Natasha had felt in years. Her throat tightened, and her mouth opened slightly.
Beauty is a powerful weapon, but some people are simply immune. John was one of them. He was the destroyer, the murderer. Natasha understood this clearly. There was only one chance to answer, because the madman across from her did not care about SHIELD or about whether killing someone would lead to a lawsuit. He had no regard for the law. Most criminals fear breaking it; John simply did not care.
She had seen many people—even the playboy Tony Stark—act within the law, or at least pretend to. But John was different: his confidence and his indifference put him on a level equal to, or even above, the law. This was a kind of superiority that transcended even the United States' own sense of exceptionalism. This man was a lunatic.
Outside, the sky over Queens was dark. The clouds shifted like a child's moods, and what had been a bright day turned into gloom and depression. In the office, John seemed to vanish into the shadows, his presence everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Tell me, Natasha Romanoff," came his voice, echoing from the darkness. Natasha could not tell where it came from. He became a shadow that engulfed the room.
Natasha loosened her fingers, and her charming smile disappeared. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, was silent for a long time, and finally said, "She told me about you."
Her expression was complicated as she recounted the past.
"I knew her earlier than you did. I knew you thirteen years ago." She looked up as lightning flashed across the window, the white light reflecting John's shadow.
"At that time, I had just escaped my previous organization, and SHIELD was hunting me down…"
This was a story few knew: the Black Widow, who terrified her enemies, once met the family of the underground king.
"I started a fight with Clint and was cornered, fleeing into the streets of Budapest, trying to use the crowd to lose my pursuers. But I underestimated SHIELD's determination. They cleared the streets in advance. Just when I was about to be caught, a car came to my rescue."
Natasha sighed. "It was your family. They were traveling, and that's when I met Ariana."
John's eyes narrowed. "You joined SHIELD later. You also got close to my family."
"Yes." Natasha felt a sting as she admitted it. The killing intent in the room was like a needle against her skin.
She forced herself to continue. "I needed SHIELD's help at that time. After I defected from my old organization, I cooperated with SHIELD to destroy it."
She could not hide the hatred in her eyes. As the Black Widow from the Red Room, no one hated that place more than she did. So when SHIELD offered her a deal, she agreed without hesitation. After the Red Room was destroyed, she officially became an agent of SHIELD, carrying out missions all over the world.
Until one day, she received a special assignment.
"Getting close to Ariana Wick was my mission." Natasha's clear eyes looked directly into the shadows where John sat. "Ariana and I were similar in age, and we were students at the same school."
"You deceived her," John said coldly.
Unexpectedly, Natasha's response was immediate and emotional. "I didn't! She recognized me, and I told her the truth. She was different—she wasn't angry. She told me"…
Natasha's voice softened, her lips curving into an unconscious smile as she remembered the girl with angelic blonde hair. "She said, 'I protect you, Natasha.' She meant it. She was serious, just like when I was most helpless in Budapest."
From that moment, Natasha resolved that even if she betrayed SHIELD, she would never hurt Ariana.
The Wick family had always been the focus of agents from around the world, and Ariana was no exception.
"Do you know?" Natasha asked, looking at John seriously. "The power Ariana has?"
John's heart clenched.
Natasha continued, "The day after that graduation photo was taken, an attack came. I tried my best to protect her, but the man who came was too powerful—especially his left hand. It was indestructible."
Natasha's voice trembled as she relived the memory. "I was shot. I almost died. No, I was meant to die."
She remembered it vividly. "Cortana, run!" she had cried, struggling to her feet after being knocked down, rushing to grab the killer's waist. The masked man barely glanced at her. His steel left hand grabbed her hair and slammed her against the wall. Natasha felt her ribs crack. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde girl—Ariana—refusing to run, holding up a pink pistol.
Ariana pulled the trigger, her hands trembling but her aim true. The attacker was hit once, but his metal arm deflected the bullet. He raised his own gun, and Natasha rushed to stop him but was knocked away again. Sparks flashed, and a bullet tore into Natasha's abdomen, exploding inside her, leaving her helpless.
Ariana ran to Natasha, trying desperately to stop the bleeding, but Natasha's injuries were too severe. Her consciousness faded, but she felt a strange power enter her body, pushing out the bullet fragments.
The attacker's gun was trained on Ariana. He was an emotionless killing machine. He pulled the trigger, the bullet spinning toward the girl. Natasha thought she saw black energy pour from Ariana's eyes—then everything went black.
"I don't know what happened next," Natasha said, shaking her head. "When I woke up, the house was in ruins. Only the corner where we were was untouched. Ariana was huddled there, clutching her crown-like bracelet. I asked her what happened, but she just muttered, …" Natasha's lips trembled. "'Brother.'"
Natasha's eyes were red. "After that day, she became withdrawn. Later, she stayed away from me. Before she left, she said she was afraid of hurting me because she was… a monster."
A mutant born from a young wizard. Ariana was the Obscurus, and it tormented her.
John's heart ached as if pierced by a needle. His nails dug into his palms, and drops of blood welled up between his fingers.
"I didn't know," John said bitterly. "I didn't know this happened to my sister. She was calling for her brother, but I wasn't there."
He looked at Natasha. The tears in her eyes were real. Legilimency told him she was telling the truth.
Natasha looked away, regaining her composure. "I've searched for her attacker for years. Most agencies don't believe he exists, but those who do call him the Winter Soldier."
"The Winter Soldier…" John repeated. The name echoed in his mind, strangely familiar.
"You'll find him yourself," Natasha said quietly.
John leaned back, the murderous intent fading from his eyes. "I can trust you. Tell me, what's your real purpose in approaching me?"
"SHIELD asked me to monitor you, hoping to get information about your father. But I personally want to protect you," Natasha said, her voice steady now. "The Wick family is kind to me. I won't stand by and watch you die."
"The person who attacked your father has a complicated background. It might even involve high levels of government. You're now the target of public scrutiny, and your high-profile acquisition of shares has drawn even more attention."
John smiled at her honesty. "Protect me? Have you changed your mind?"
"Yes," Natasha nodded. "I thought Watson Wick hid you to protect you, but I was wrong." She remembered the murderous aura she'd felt earlier. "He hid you because you're the craziest one."
John once told Fury that if anything happened to his father, he would destroy the country. Even Fury thought it was just anger, but after what Natasha had just experienced, she believed it.
Although no one knew the source of John's confidence, his methods were clear: in half a day, he'd made the King of War of Taran Industries surrender his throne. Watson Wick had left everything to his son—the underground alliance, the shares, and the liquid assets. The young man in front of her looked immature, but in reality, he was already a billionaire. He wasn't hiding; he was simply in the magical world.
John said quietly, "Since you're my sister's friend, I'll give you a privilege. You can tell Fury everything—truthfully."
He stood, leaned forward, and looked into Natasha's blue eyes, a faint smile curling his lips. "But there's one condition: he can't stop me."
Natasha wanted to lean back, but she held her ground, staring into John's red-brown eyes. "I'll tell him. But I can't stop you, can I? What are you going to do?"
"You know, I'm crazier than you think." John picked up Natasha's assistant ID card between two fingers and said softly, "The harm my family has suffered will be repaid—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
He let the ID card drop and said, "Become my personal assistant. You don't have to follow the company's deployment."
There was a knock at the door. Natasha turned instinctively.
"Here comes General Ross, Mr. Wick," came the secretary's voice.
Natasha was surprised. "General Ross? Why is he here?"
John replied calmly, "Of course he's looking for me."
He walked past Natasha, chuckling to himself. "It's fun to be a businessman during my vacation."