Reze pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the red-haired woman across from her who exuded a mature charm, and instinctively began to speak:
"Auntie Natash—"
Before the word "Auntie" could leave her mouth, Reze felt two sharp glares shooting from across the table like knives.
Reze shrank her neck, her tongue slickly rolling in her mouth as she immediately changed her tune:
"...Big Sister."
"That's more like it."
Natasha withdrew her gaze, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she handed over the menu.
"See what you'd like to eat; the Piroshki here is quite good."
"Don't worry, it's still my treat."
Natasha clearly didn't know that Reze wasn't as short on cash as she used to be.
With the "friendship fees" from the Fisk Group, their household might not be wealthy enough to rival a nation, but they could certainly be considered a group of rich ladies.
The two exchanged pleasantries like ordinary best friends, chatting about the recent weather and New York's cost of living, but Reze soon lost the patience for talking in circles. She set down her glass of Kvass, her emerald-green eyes staring straight at Natasha.
"Alright, Sister, a busy person like you didn't suddenly seek me out just to treat me to some meat pies, did you?"
"Just tell me what's going on."
Natasha wiped her mouth and gave her a playful roll of the eyes, her tone carrying a hint of feigned annoyance.
"What? Can't I just simply miss you and want to catch up?"
Reze didn't say a word.
She simply rested her chin on one hand, maintaining that posture and staring at Natasha without blinking.
Reze: Stare—
One second, two seconds, ten seconds... Finally, Natasha was the one to back down.
"Alright, alright, you win."
Natasha looked away somewhat guiltily, let out a sigh, and her expression turned serious:
"There is indeed something. Or more accurately, it's not my business, but our Director's."
Hearing this, Reze's eyes lit up slightly.
Although she and Makima had "reconciled" thanks to Su Modie's efforts that night, Makima's comment about her being a "flower vase" still stung like a thorn in Reze's heart.
Indeed, working at a convenience store or McDonalds like a country mouse and living an ordinary life was Reze's dream.
Su Modie was also willing to pamper her and let her continue "wasting her talents" like this, but Reze couldn't get past her own internal hurdle.
She couldn't just rely on his favor and become complacent.
Reze desperately needed an opportunity.
An opportunity to prove her worth, give Makima a metaphorical slap in the face, and make Su Modie happy.
Now... it seemed the opportunity had arrived.
"Tell me about it."
Reze sat up straight, looking all ears.
Natasha lowered her voice and leaned forward slightly: "Do you know about... the Avengers?"
Reze's hand, which was pouring tea, paused.
As the avatar of Su Modie, she naturally knew what that name meant.
Su Modie immediately perked up as well.
Reze pretended to be confused and shook her head: "Never heard of it. Sounds like the name of some second-rate rock band."
"Close enough, maybe even worse,"
Natasha shrugged, her tone laced with a bit of mockery. "It's a special response team made up of superpowered individuals."
"Currently, this plan is still top secret; only core members know about it."
Su Modie muttered to himself: "What is Nick Fury trying to do? Does he want to recruit Reze into the Avengers?"
It wasn't impossible. Whether in terms of combat power or character, Reze seemed quite suitable.
On the other hand, Reze might not actually like working for the Avengers.
However, Su Modie was overthinking it. Natasha continued her explanation.
"Recently, this plan has run into some trouble."
Natasha rubbed her temples: "You remember that big fight between the Hulk and the Abomination, right?"
Reze nodded.
She definitely remembered.
This time, she really was "on the scene."
"Director Fury believes the Hulk is one of the best candidates for the Avengers, but the World Security Council views the Hulk as a city-destroying monster. Conversely, they see the Abomination as a war hero who tried to stop the Hulk."
As Natasha spoke, she gave Reze a meaningful glance.
Because Reze had played a major role in deepening the government's stereotypical view of the Hulk.
During the battle in Harlem, Reze had essentially pinned all the blame for her own urban demolitions onto the Hulk's head.
This was quite awkward... Even though Fury and the others had plenty of evidence to prove Reze was the one behind it, the problem was that Reze had now become their consultant.
Fury naturally wouldn't betray Reze, who was practically one of their own, to the Security Council for the sake of a Hulk they weren't even sure they could cooperate with... This left them at a total impasse. Reze sheepishly scratched her head, attempting to act cute to get away with it: "Hehe..."
"The Security Council is now putting pressure on S.H.I.E.L.D., specifically demanding that the Abomination join the Avengers to take the Hulk's place."
Natasha threw up her hands: "The Director obviously doesn't agree. If the Abomination joins, the Avengers would probably fall apart in a few days. But he can't directly defy orders, so..."
Natasha looked up at Reze, a cunning glint flashing in her eyes:
"He wants to play dirty. He needs a few unofficial consultants to form a small team to handle this matter. In a subtle way, they need to ensure the Abomination absolutely cannot join the Avengers, while also shifting the blame so the Security Council can't find any fault."
"What's the specific plan?"
Reze asked.
"The plan has three parts."
Natasha held up three fingers. "We need three people."
"The first person will handle the public-facing work. The Security Council wants to select a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent to go to the area where the Abomination is being held for evaluation and negotiation."
"The second person is you."
Natasha pointed at Reze.
"Your task is to be a bodyguard. The Agent in charge of the evaluation is a desk worker—sharp-tongued, but with no combat ability. In case the Abomination goes crazy—which is what we're hoping for—you need to ensure that the Agent makes it back alive."
"As for the third person..."
Natasha paused: "That person is responsible for handling General Ross, since the Abomination is under his jurisdiction."
"That's it. Do you have any questions about this mission?"
Natasha set down her teacup and asked seriously.
"None. So, when do we start?"
Reze agreed very readily.
Seeing Reze agree, the smile on Natasha's face brightened a bit: "Great. Since there's no problem, I'll arrange for you to meet the other two team members as soon as possible. Also, your team's code name is—Welcoming Committee."
"Pfft..."
Su Modie, who had been listening the whole time, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
They were clearly going there to discourage him, or even use entrapment to drive away the "newcomer" Abomination.
Yet the code name was "Welcoming Committee"?
Who on earth came up with this name? It's just too wicked.
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