"He's a Soviet hero. Why would he be locked up in prison…"
When Natasha recognized the man in the photo, Smith didn't bother explaining why the Red Guardian, Alexei—who had once been promoted as a Soviet counterpart to Captain America—ended up imprisoned while the American icon was treated like a god.
Instead, he handed her another photo—this one of Melina. Natasha took it and gently stroked the image, murmuring:
"…Mom."
"You even found her…"
Seeing her emotional reaction, Smith turned up the heat.
"We didn't just find the two who posed as your parents for three years—we also tracked down information on your biological mother."
Eyes reddening, Natasha responded calmly upon hearing that:
"I'm just a discarded orphan… thrown away like garbage."
Smith raised a finger and wagged it.
"No, no, no."
"That's not what we found. You weren't abandoned."
"You were taken—stolen—after being selected for the genetic potential program by the Red Room."
"Your mother even confronted the man in charge at the time: Dreykov. But you can probably guess how that ended—he killed her."
"Of course, you can ask Dreykov yourself when you see him."
Tears finally spilled from the corners of Natasha's eyes. All this time, she'd believed she'd been tossed aside, unloved and unwanted. But now she knew the truth: her mother had searched for her, had loved her—and had paid for it with her life. And today was the first time she was hearing it.
Smith couldn't be sure if her tears were genuine. As a top-level spy, Natasha was capable of faking almost anything. But having seen the real story unfold, he believed this was one of the few times she truly let her guard down.
He continued:
"As for your sister, Yelena… I'm afraid we don't have a photo."
"But according to intel, she's the next generation Black Widow—your successor—and still under the Red Room's control."
Hearing that, Natasha wiped her tears and looked directly at Smith.
"The Red Room… still exists?"
"Was that entire mission just a S.H.I.E.L.D. performance?"
Smith didn't answer her directly. Instead, he said:
"That's for you to find out yourself. But I'll take you to Melina. She can confirm that the Red Room never truly disappeared."
"And Dreykov… Don't you want revenge for your mother? She gave everything to find you, only to be killed by that man."
"And your sister, Yelena—she's still being controlled by him."
Smith knew that if he simply told her it was all a show put on by S.H.I.E.L.D., she might not believe him. But letting her see it with her own eyes—Dreykov still alive, the Red Room thriving, and her long-lost family—would solidify her resolve.
After all, intelligence you uncover yourself carries more weight than anything someone tells you.
Natasha took a deep breath and composed herself.
"What do you want me to do?"
Hearing her use a respectful tone, Smith gave a satisfied nod.
"It's not about what I want you to do…"
"It's about what you want to do."
Natasha fell silent for two seconds, then said:
"I want to see Melina. I want to confirm whether Dreykov is alive, and whether the Red Room still exists."
"I want to save Yelena—and burn the Red Room to the ground. That place should've been destroyed eight years ago."
Smith clapped his hands slowly.
"Very decisive. But how do you plan to do that?"
"On your own?"
"Or are you counting on S.H.I.E.L.D.? Do you even trust them anymore?"
"Do you think you alone can take down S.H.I.E.L.D. as it is now?"
"If not, then how do you expect to destroy a Red Room even more powerful than before?"
Natasha had no answer to that. Truthfully, she didn't fully trust S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. And her time with them had taught her just how indestructible such an organization could be. She couldn't defeat S.H.I.E.L.D., and therefore, she couldn't defeat the Red Room—at least not alone.
Smith wasn't wrong. In the future, Natasha had succeeded in destroying the Red Room because the stars had aligned—timing, allies, and an antidote. Without that antidote, even she would've died on the spot, let alone succeeded.
In her current situation, rushing in solo would be suicide.
"I may not be able to destroy it," she said, "but I'll do everything I can to sabotage it."
"Even if it costs me my life—I won't let them get away with this."
Smith smiled at her answer.
"Then let me show you a better way."
"We start by breaking Alexei out of prison and bringing him to Melina."
"With him there, Melina won't drive you away. And only then can you start learning the truth."
"As for saving Yelena, taking down the Red Room, and killing Dreykov… that comes later."
Natasha stood up, eyes locked on Smith.
"Why are you helping me?"
Instead of answering, Smith threw the question back at her.
"Before you infiltrated us… didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. tell you about the mission of the Assassin's League?"
At that, Natasha recalled the dossier she had reviewed before accepting this mission. It contained not only Smith's profile, but the League's development and beliefs.
"'Nothing is true, everything is permitted'…"
Smith added, "Justice must be forged by our own hands, even if it means spilling blood."
Natasha stared at Smith, memorizing his face. She believed him—ninety percent. The remaining ten would have to be proven in the missions to come.
"Then let's go to the Deep Well Prison," Smith said, "and rescue your stand-in father—Alexei."
Smith and Natasha left the office. After confirming that John Wick knew how to fly a helicopter, they boarded a private plane and headed for Siberia.
---
Meanwhile.
At the Triskelion headquarters…
Phil Coulson gathered the intel Natasha had sent the night before, along with his own analysis. He compiled the information into a full report and printed it out. Learning that Director Fury was in his office, Coulson immediately headed there.
He knocked on the door, walked in, and handed the documents over to Fury—then began his briefing.
—End of chapter—
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