The two of them were running while occasionally having to dodge bullets fired from behind. After all, a trash can lid is not a shield; if the angle is not right while blocking bullets, they can easily penetrate.
Steve was hit twice, Natasha once, but neither of them had their movement speed affected. Natasha could still turn around and retaliate constantly, with the pursuers behind them dropping into the sewage one by one.
"They're using steel core armor-piercing bullets. Who are these people? Special Forces of Fur Bear?" Steve received a small Makarov pistol from Natasha and fired weakly at those behind them.
Meanwhile, Natasha's two golden bracelets were always able to produce various mini tools—flash bombs, electric shock bombs, mini explosives—which helped maintain their distance from the pursuers.
"They were my former colleagues, belonging to Leviathan's Ministry of Internal Affairs unit, specializing in hunting down defectors like me. I barely escaped to the United States, but ultimately, they found me."
Natasha's small face was covered in grime, but hope was burning in her eyes.
"Why escape to the United States? You could easily go to the Celestial Dynasty, it's closer to Fur Bear and quite peaceful and safe there." Steve still had some doubts.
However, she replied without hesitation: "Because this is the lighthouse of the free world. I want freedom, and this is the best place for that."
This deceptive line was taught by her boss, and the escape route had even been rehearsed beforehand. Steve came to Central Park for three consecutive days, sitting from morning till dusk, making his actions too easy to track.
The approach to deceive Americans and French is quite similar; just focus on 'free will,' and that's it.
Regarding the reason for yearning for freedom, Steve was not skeptical, as it's a basic human instinct. He trusted half of what the woman beside him said.
"I know who you are. You're this generation's Black Widow of Leviathan, right?" Steve changed the topic. With such skills and spear technique, combined with a variety of amazing small tools, such a sharp female special agent crossing over thousands of miles to reach the United States could not be just anyone.
What's Leviathan most famous for? It's the Red House that trains Black Widows.
"You're right; I'm one of the 28 Black Widows throughout history. What? Are you scared?" Natasha replied with a smile while turning and taking down several more figures in the darkness.
"We'll discuss your reasons for defecting once we leave here, but I've faced off against quite a few Black Widows before—they weren't like you." Steve then discerned the direction and pointed to a nearby fork in the road: "We'll go up from here; up there is the 17th precinct, where we'll find reinforcements and weapons."
Natasha nodded, quickening her pace a bit: "Is it your SSR division?"
"No, it's the NYPD precinct, which is the New York Police Department." Steve replied somewhat helplessly, stating that SSR previously focused its efforts mainly abroad, lacking any substantial safe houses or divisions domestically.
He figured it best to talk to Peggy about this matter later, but alas...
"The police station won't do; the pursuers are elite, regular cops would just die senselessly. We can't take this route," Natasha immediately expressed her disagreement.
Her refusal made Steve a little happier, as it showed she cared about ordinary people's lives, unlike those treacherous predecessors of hers. This Black Widow still had humanity.
Steve nodded and tossed a grenade behind him to increase the distance from the pursuers; his probing ended here. "Then you surely have a getaway plan when entering the sewers; where did you originally plan to go?"
"Turn left in 500 meters, where there is a maintenance room. We blow up the wall to enter the New York Subway system, then use the rapid transit to shake off the pursuers." Natasha quickly detailed her plan, not giving Steve any chance to rebut before redirecting her direction first.
Steve could only follow since the so-called intel was in Natasha's hands; he needed to protect her first.
After all, those behind them were all dead actors; even the bullets that hit the two of them were superficial wounds inflicted personally by Su Ming. Once they reached this vicinity, naturally they were allowed to widen the gap.
Once they blew up the wall, Su Ming mingled with the living dead, watching them secretly board the subway while the surrounding throngs of citizens fled all around. He quietly returned to the darkness.
After waiting a bit, those 'shot dead' earlier came back to reunite with him, looking silently at his Black Lantern Ring, waiting for the next command.
The silent army of the dead exuded a chilling aura at any moment, especially given that many of them were truly killed by Steve—their ruptured grey eyes filled with hatred.
Being undead, they inherently hate the living, let alone their killers. If Su Ming wasn't using the ring to control them, they'd surely have lunged like unleashed wild dogs long ago.
These corpses were those killed during Hydra's invasion earlier; America doesn't practice cremation, so Su Ming picked some relatively intact bodies and resurrected them with the Black Lantern Ring from the cemetery.
Fortunately, it was winter, so the bodies hadn't decomposed much, but they still needed to be tightly wrapped in coats and anti-toxic masks. Otherwise, seeing only half a head or completely eyeless individuals would reveal the act.
No bodies could be left here; if the hired actors were to be taken out, they'd have to die by explosion or flame, cleanly obliterating their remains.
The tense pursuit phase temporarily ended, leading into a relief phase. On the subway, Natasha would employ wordplay on Steve to enhance her credibility. Upon reaching their destination, the second chase phase would begin again.
In the second phase, Su Ming had arranged a classic car chase, with helicopters and rocket launchers adding excitement. A tall and strong corpse would serve as the mini-boss, followed by the third phase, the fourth phase...
"Move."
Su Ming removed the Magic Floating Cloak, which instinctively rolled up the living dead and disappeared into the darkness with the Supreme Mage.
........
"How are you?" Steve looked at Natasha slumped down in the subway seat; she was clutching her side, appearing very weak.
He himself had been shot in the shoulder and butt, but considering his physique, it wasn't much of an issue—he could grit his teeth and keep going despite severe injuries.
"The bullet penetrated, but thankfully it didn't hit any vital organs. Nonetheless, the blood loss is causing some distraction now." Natasha glanced at the distant passengers, pretending weakness while adjusting her position to slightly unzip her black one-piece leather suit, revealing a small cleavage.
Steve turned his head away; he was a gentleman and refrained from looking where he shouldn't.
"Where do we get off? You need emergency care."
"I've brought a hemostatic paste, so we'll get off at the next stop, find a car, and from there rely on you to lead. I must meet your leader." Natasha produced a black plaster-like object and stuck it on her front and back wounds, gritting her teeth in apparent pain.
Steve nodded, but the words he uttered differed: "We'll disembark at the next stop, then I'll call the Roaring Assault Team for support. Let's hope we've widened the distance from the pursuers enough for them to join us. If not, we'll drive ourselves on the road."
"Alright, it's your turf, so I'll follow your lead. Let's hope for the best." Natasha shifted the topic, starting to discuss things Americans favor, like freedom and human rights.
Steve maintained caution against her, but as the conversation unfolded, he noticed that while their opinions occasionally diverged, many of their views resonated with each other—making it feel as though she'd known him for a long time.
For example, she expressed admiration for Dual Gun Hero, claiming he embodies America's purest justice. Although Steve didn't quite agree with indiscriminate killing being justice, he respected Dual Gun Hero: a normal person daring to fight against and prevail over a gang of over a hundred, such courage requires more than bravery.
Steve's admiration for Dual Gun Hero is something known to only a handful of those close to him, not something Black Widow would know, so it must be coincidence.
There were other coincidences too; she enjoyed Wilson's Fast Food hamburgers, saying she had them during previous missions in the United States and found them unforgettable, especially the traditional beef hamburgers.
And Steve liked Godfather's House hamburgers the most, recalling the times when he and Baki rode the subway as kids during tough times, heading to the docks to find work—their payment being hamburgers, beef ones.
Everything felt like it was just yesterday.
Steve's gaze toward her grew increasingly friendly; for the first time, he discovered that Fur Bear's Black Widow was human, someone much like him.
Then he heard her briefly narrate the crimes of the Red House, revealing many dark aspects of Leviathan to Steve while sighing repeatedly.
Steve gradually grew empathetic with Natasha, feeling that Leviathan was an even more malevolent organization than Hydra, something must be done.
During the subway journey, Natasha was reminiscing about the plan while using various materials her boss provided about Steve, effectively swaying him into submission.
As for Steve wanting to widen the gap from the pursuers?
Impossible, as Deathstroke was already waiting at the next station...