Night. A full moon hung high.
Female agents in black bodysuits moved through the fallen city.
Like phantoms in the night, they silently killed sentries and guards, sneaking closer to the prison where their targets were held.
One Skull Division soldier after another died by various means before they could react.
They were secret agents of the Soviet Union, collectively known as Black Widows.
Taken to the Red Room from childhood, they endured all manner of training and specialized in infiltration, rescue, assassination, and other missions.
Inside the cells, the scientists were asleep.
After all, sleeping helped them forget their hunger.
Clang!
A specially made smoke grenade was tossed inside, releasing a faint mist.
The special gas entered everyone's nostrils and instantly woke them up.
By the moonlight shining through the ventilation window, they saw two Black Widows watching them from beyond the iron bars.
"Don't speak. We're Soviet agents, here specifically to rescue you."
One of the Black Widows explained, "The gas just now was a special stimulant that can temporarily unlock your potential. Remember, you must follow the arrangements throughout the entire operation."
The scientists nodded in unison, their faces brimming with excitement.
Escaping to the Soviet Union was undoubtedly their best option.
The Black Widows easily opened the locks and began counting heads.
When they finally reached Allen, one of them demanded, "Who are you?"
"He's an idiot persecuted by the Axis powers. Don't ask," a scientist reminded her.
"I'm Agent Durex Dupont, codename 008."
Allen made a gun shape with his right hand, looking absurdly confident.
"Fine. Come with us."
To the Black Widows, saving one more person or one fewer made little difference.
As for verifying his identity, professionals would handle it once they returned to the Soviet Union.
Anyone imprisoned with scientists was a scientist too. To the Soviet Union, they were all treasures. Even if he looked mentally unstable, perhaps he could still invent something extraordinary.
The Black Widows had a detailed plan for the mission.
Their evacuation route had long been arranged with absolute clarity.
Along the way, Black Widows hidden in the shadows gathered together and entered a civilian house under cover of darkness.
They lifted the carpet and pulled open a wooden hatch, revealing a tunnel that had already been dug.
Allen asked the Black Widow beside him, "What does it take to become a Black Widow?"
"You can't."
The Black Widow gave him an indifferent glance.
"Why?" Allen pouted stubbornly.
"Black Widows recruit women."
"How can you assume my gender? Are you discriminating against me?"
Allen asked earnestly, "Is it too late for surgery now?"
She stopped, looked him up and down, then continued walking.
But Allen was Allen. How could he possibly give up an opportunity to strike up a conversation? Putting on a mysterious expression, he said, "Actually, I know one of your Black Widows."
"You don't believe me, but her love life is a mess."
"She's dated tons of people—Captain America, Winter Soldier, Hulk, Hawkeye, Iron Man. There are too many to count. You really shouldn't learn from her."
Allen grinned wickedly. "There's a saying online: when Hulk smiles faintly, Black Widow's life hangs by a thread."
"Her name is Natasha. You know her, right?"
At that moment, the Black Widow turned and stared at him, her tone icy. "I am Natasha."
"..."
The atmosphere instantly froze. Allen's expression stiffened for several seconds before he awkwardly said, "Don't mess with me. Her hair is red, and yours is blonde."
"I dyed it."
Natasha's explanation was flawless.
For the first time, Allen felt thoroughly shut down, but he forced himself to remain calm. "I had an episode just now and was talking nonsense. Do you believe me?"
"I don't."
"You're being such a jerk. I don't want to play with you anymore."
Allen felt deeply defeated.
When they emerged from the tunnel, they were already outside the city, where off-road motorcycles had been hidden in the woods beforehand.
Each Black Widow took one scientist. Allen looked awkwardly at Natasha because everyone else had already left.
Natasha said coldly, "Get on."
Allen climbed onto the back seat and held her by the hips. "I knew big sis wouldn't stay mad at me."
With a twist of the throttle, the motorcycle sped down the muddy road.
"Big sis, the part of your pelvis I'm holding has a special name: the love handle."
"Big sis, you looked better with red hair. It made you look so wild."
"Big sis, are you pretending to be cold because you won't talk?"
"Big sis, do you have something on your mind?"
"Big sis, I used to be a fortune-teller. Let me read your fortune."
"Big sis, you've got a tough fate. You'll be swarmed by romance in your old age."
"Big sis, was my reading accurate? Aren't you happy?"
"Big sis, I have a secret..."
Bang!
The motorcycle crashed straight into a tree.
Allen and Natasha were flung away, rolling several times across the ground.
"How do you even drive? Do you have a license?"
Allen spat out a mouthful of dirt. Just as he was about to unleash his nonstop machine-gun chatter, he felt something cold against his forehead.
Natasha pointed a gun at him and warned, "If you don't shut up, I'll blow your head off."
"I, Yan Shuangying, bet there aren't any bullets in your gun." Allen remained perfectly composed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three deafening shots rang out, yet Allen remained unruffled.
"Come on. Get on."
Natasha walked toward the motorcycle, preparing to pick it up and continue on.
"What did you say? I can't hear you."
Allen's ears were still ringing, and he added, "I knew big sis couldn't bear to kill me."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several shrill whistles sounded as flare after flare shot into the sky, dyeing the dim wilderness crimson.
The roar of vehicles came from the distance. The Skull Division must have discovered that the scientists had escaped.
Anxiously, Natasha pulled Allen onto the motorcycle and sped toward their rendezvous point.
"Big sis, were those three shots just you declaring ownership over me?" Allen shyly leaned against Natasha's shoulder. "A domineering female agent pursuing a spirited young man—three shots to announce to the world that we'd never part through three lifetimes."
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
Natasha viciously twisted the throttle, trying to use the engine's roar to drown out Allen's voice.
The problem was that Allen's ears were ringing now. He could not hear the engine, so he kept babbling tirelessly.
Veins bulged on Natasha's forehead. If she had not been on a mission, she truly wanted to put a bullet through that irritating bastard.
At the designated location, a speedboat waited by the river. The rest of their journey to the Soviet Union would be by water.
Everyone else had already taken other speedboats and left ahead of them.
By the time Natasha and Allen had driven their speedboat some distance away, Skull Division soldiers had reached the shore and began firing at them furiously.
Unfortunately, they were beyond effective range.
"No need to see me off. I'm leaving."
Allen waved at the people on shore.
Dr. Zola, who was commanding the troops, raised a hand to signal them to stop firing. Satisfied, he said, "The first step went very smoothly. I hope they pass inspection."
Naturally, there were Hydra spies among the scientists.
Hydra had always been willing to spend lavishly. To lure the Black Widows into rescuing them, they did not hesitate to sacrifice numerous soldiers. Those who sought great things did not sweat the small details.
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