Strange felt something press against his waist. The female agent had somehow circled behind him, one arm around his neck, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"Where's the secret order?"
Strange grabbed Natasha's hand with one hand, turned to look at her, and said, "Is it important to you?"
"I've been tracking him for a month!" Natasha's tone grew increasingly hostile.
Strange had no doubt the gun barrel would leave a bruise on his waist, but he still said unhurriedly, "Tell me who Hydra are first. Maybe they're my enemies too."
Natasha's arm stiffened. "I think you already know the answer. If you knew nothing about them, how could you have caught him so precisely?"
"I may indeed have dealt with them before, but it was only an accident. Where were you six years ago?"
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Six years ago, the Manhattan boss was killed. Do you know who did it?"
Natasha frowned, but Strange said, "Looks like your clearance isn't high enough, or someone erased the traces. Either way, you'll run into him sooner or later."
"Sounds like he'll be Big Trouble." Natasha chose her words carefully. "Is there anything you can tell me? Sir?"
Natasha was merely being polite, and Strange knew it. Right now, all she could think about was the Hydra agent she had pursued for over a month, along with the secret order now in Strange's possession.
"They don't trust you," Strange said. "Even though you came here from the Soviet Union more than a decade ago, you've never been able to enter their inner circle. Forget Director Pierce of S.H.I.E.L.D.—you can't even touch the real power centers of those departments."
Natasha's expression turned cold. She stared at Strange and said, "Who exactly are you?"
"If I said I