Recruitment Underway

"Enough small talk, JARVIS. Hack into this mainframe and lift the system lockdown," Leon ordered.

"Yes, Master Leon."

JARVIS's program smoothly infiltrated the Red Room's mainframe.

The bright red password prompt on the large screen was instantly swallowed by cascading blue code.

Strings of zeros and ones flickered rapidly across the display.

Within the Red Room's mainframe, JARVIS was more powerful than ever before.

It even sighed in admiration. "Master Leon, I feel as free here as I do in the ocean. Their mainframe system has exceptional performance!"

"Then enjoy yourself here more often. I plan to give this fortress to Tony, so you can stay here permanently."

Leon watched the screen, waiting for the results of JARVIS's operation.

More than ten minutes later.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the screen, and the system lockdown was successfully lifted.

Folders popped up in orderly rows, arranged by classification level, from low-security files to highly restricted confidential documents.

Leon smiled in satisfaction.

"JARVIS, search the system for key data. Pull up information on every Red Room Widow agent," Leon issued a new command.

JARVIS responded swiftly and began scanning and analyzing the massive amount of data in the system.

A moment later, it chimed.

"Master Leon, all corresponding files have been located," JARVIS reported.

A file opened on the large screen.

Countless profile photos immediately filled the display and continued scrolling downward, revealing even more faces.

"At least three hundred Widows... Mark all their locations on the world map."

The screen flickered, and a world map appeared, with profile photos marked across every corner of the globe.

From London and Paris in Northern Europe to Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa.

From Jerusalem, the holy land of faith, to the "free and open" Chicago and New York.

More than three hundred Widow agents were scattered across key points around the world.

Some held high positions of power, some were masters of social maneuvering, while others hid among street vendors as concealed blades.

By controlling these Widow agents, the Red Room controlled the entire world.

"JARVIS, send Natasha a copy of the list and detailed files. Then transfer one hundred million dollars from my accounts to her and have her establish a new organizational center in New York."

Leon's gaze became focused.

"Master Leon, you may be able to tell Miss Natasha about those arrangements directly. They are coming to see you," JARVIS said.

"They? Natasha brought the Widows over?"

Leon looked toward the door, his ears twitching slightly as he heard a dense cluster of footsteps.

They were silent steps produced through a special method of exerting force, a technique the Widows had made into a habit.

"Wow, what did I just hear? A man is giving you a hundred million dollars! Natasha, how did you manage that? Did you take your clothes off? Teach me how to make someone give me that much money too. We'll need money badly in the future, right?"

Natasha was the first to enter. A girl behind her chattered endlessly to her in Russian.

That girl could never have imagined that Leon not only understood Russian, but could also hear her lowered whisper.

Natasha rolled her eyes, ignored the girl behind her, and walked straight up to Leon.

More than forty Widow agents of all kinds followed behind her.

Beneath their blonde, black, and red hair, blue, dark, and even violet eyes all turned toward Leon in his uniform.

Their faces still held confusion and grief, but their eyes overflowed with gratitude and admiration for Leon.

It was obvious Natasha had already explained the general situation to them.

"I brought them all."

Natasha shifted aside to make room, her expression calm, as though she had not heard Leon's earlier assessment of her.

"They're all willing to join your... organization or company and work for you."

Leon glanced a few more times at Natasha and the girl behind her. "I can tell you ran into quite a bit of difficulty while persuading them."

Natasha sighed. "This is my sister, Yelena."

She tugged the girl behind her forward. "The moment she woke up, she attacked me. She's just an impulsive child."

Both Natasha and Yelena bore injuries on their faces. One had a bruised, swollen forehead, while the other had a split corner of her mouth.

"That wasn't impulsiveness. It was punishment for you, a traitor! Your defection forced us to endure even stricter control!"

Yelena had short blonde hair and looked neat and capable. Her face still carried some youthful innocence, and she seemed slightly younger than Leon.

She first refuted Natasha's slander, then stood at attention before Leon.

"Thank you for saving us, Mr. Superman. We are willing to follow your orders."

Leon smiled at her words, just about to say a few things to win their hearts.

But Yelena immediately leaned sideways again and whispered in Russian to Natasha, completely off-topic, "Oh my god, his chest muscles are gorgeous. I think they're even bigger than mine. Have you touched them? It's such a waste for a handsome man like him to be seduced by you."

Natasha and Leon's faces darkened in unison.

Before Natasha could discipline her rebellious little sister.

Leon stepped forward first and gave all the Widow agents a recruitment introduction in Russian.

"Everyone, I won't spend much time introducing myself."

"You are certainly familiar with both identities: Superman and Stark."

"First, I want to make something clear. While one of my reasons for helping Natasha destroy the Red Room was indeed to gain your strength."

"This is not a compulsory requirement. After all, you have already suffered more than enough."

"If you do not wish to join, you may leave afterward. Whether you return to an ordinary life or make your way with the skills you possess, either is fine!"

"Those willing to join, stay."

"I will have Natasha establish a company or organization in New York that operates openly. When the time comes, all of you will be able to put your talents to use."

"That is all I have to say."

"Those who do not wish to join may leave after helping clean up the bodies in the fortress. I'll have Natasha see you off."

"Oh, and I'll also have JARVIS send you information about your birth families." Leon waved toward the large screen. "JARVIS!"

"Yes, sir. All information has been sent."

JARVIS was highly efficient. Every Widow agent present received the information on her communication device.

The Widow agents looked at one another, yet none immediately checked her own background.

For these girls who had been sent to the Red Room from childhood, family was a very distant subject.

That word, which should have been warm and comforting, sounded so unfamiliar to them, no different from a bakery they might happen upon by the roadside.

Even a future in which they could make their own decisions felt immensely unfamiliar and frightening to them.

Throughout more than ten years in the Red Room, they had never truly made a single choice for themselves.

Every detail of their lives had long been planned out by the Red Room, even the manner of their deaths.

Now, faced with the two choices Leon offered, they felt flattered and faintly exhilarated.

The girls did not discuss it. After a brief silence, they all stepped forward and gathered around Leon.

"We are willing to follow your orders, sir."

Their uneven voices conveyed the same meaning with perfect unity.

Leon's tall, straight figure stood among the black uniforms like the moon surrounded by stars.

He looked around, his gaze passing over one tense little face after another, and smiled.

"Then welcome aboard."

He spread his arms. "From now on, we will surely accomplish many great deeds that earn the world's admiration. You will never regret the decision you made today."

"Now, your first task is to clean up the aerial fortress and dispose of every body."

"Afterward, I will have Natasha go with you to lift the control over the other Widow agents around the world."

He extended his hand, and the Widows all placed theirs atop it. Every girl's eyes shone with light.