The white skeleton lay there quietly, the smell of blood mixed with a sense of void after liberation, permeating the air of the sixth floor underground.
There was no crying, no screaming; all the girls just stood quietly, looking at the pile of bones as if saying goodbye to their own unbearable past.
Antonia sheathed her dagger, walked up to Peter, and bowed deeply. Her voice was still a bit raspy, but perfectly clear: "Thank you."
The girls behind her followed suit, bowing in unison.
"Alright, alright, everyone stand up." Peter waved his hand with a calm expression that said 'it's no big deal, don't mention it.' "The great vengeance is served. What are your plans next?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the scene fell into silence again.
"You are free." Peter looked around at the group of girls, whose average age was barely over twenty, and said calmly, "From today on, you are no longer anyone's tools. You can have your own names and live the lives you want to live."
Free?
This word was too foreign and too heavy for them.
They had received inhumane training in the Red Room for as long as they could remember; their World consisted only of missions, obedience, and killing.
Now, the shackles that bound them had been shattered, but they were like birds that had been kept in a cage for too long, suddenly not knowing how to fly.
Bewilderment was written on every single face.
Natasha looked at them, a flash of pity in her eyes.
She understood this feeling all too well, just like when she first left the Red Room and stood on the streets of New York, watching the busy traffic and bustling streets, yet feeling completely out of place with the rest of the World.
In the long silence, Yelena suddenly sighed:
"We don't know how to do anything except kill people. Does this World really need people like us?"
These words clearly resonated with the girls; they each showed expressions of self-deprecation, looking like orphans abandoned by the World.
Seeing their lost and helpless looks, Peter hesitated for a moment before finally speaking:
"I have an idea. Of course, I'm just making a suggestion; it doesn't matter to me whether you accept it or not."
"My foster parents are planning to open a charitable foundation in New York. If you really have nowhere else to go, you can work there."
"Helping more unfortunate people and feeling the warmth of this society might help you resolve the knots in your hearts."
"Of course, if some of you don't want to deal with too many people, you can also try going to the countryside to start a small farm together."
At this point, Peter kicked the skeleton on the ground:
"This guy must have accumulated a lot of ill-gotten wealth, enough for you to buy a farm and enjoy a peaceful pastoral life undisturbed by others."
"Additionally, you could also form a mutual aid society specifically to hunt down those unscrupulous wealthy people or scumbags who toy with emotions."
"If during this process you feel that you have completely integrated into society, you can also just leave and enjoy your own lives."
After Peter finished speaking, the entire office was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
The girls looked at one another, and finally, it was the relatively lively Yelena who spoke:
"Good idea! No wonder you can be my brother-in-law. I've decided, I'm going to join your family's foundation."
As for Antonia, after thinking for a moment, she spoke hesitantly:
"I... I don't know how to do farm work."
"That's simple." Peter turned his head to look at Natasha and said:
"I remember you said before that your Mama set up a farm, right? Why not let the rest of the girls go with your Mama to start a farm in the countryside near New York?"
To this, Natasha naturally nodded.
Antonia and the other girls were also very happy to hear that they would have one of their own to help them run the farm, and their eyes sparkled as they looked at Peter.
Yelena looked at her 'companions,' then at the composed Peter, and finally walked quietly to Natasha's side and whispered:
"Hey, you'd better keep a tight leash on your man, don't let him go around flirting with everyone!"
Hearing this, Natasha's lips twitched speechlessly, but after a moment, she still whispered back into her sister's ear:
"I can't control him, but you can rest assured, his standards are very high; he wouldn't be interested in a little brat like you."
Yelena's small round face instantly collapsed.
Sisters are the absolute worst!
...
After making their choices, the girls of the Red Room split into three factions.
Most of the girls decided to join the Parker Foundation with Yelena.
Another group of girls prepared to lead a secluded pastoral life with Antonia.
Finally, there were seven or eight girls left who were used to the life of killing and missions and intended to maintain the status quo.
Peter therefore established 'Black Rose' as originally planned, letting these girls join to help him secretly monitor high-level politicians in America and prevent them from plotting any more conspiracies against his family.
After getting all the girls onto the quinjet, Peter did not leave Europe immediately.
He still planned to do two things: pick up Natasha's mother Melina and her father, the Red Guardian Aleksei Shostakov.
Although these two were only Natasha's fake parents, those three years of undercover life were the only memories of family warmth she had from her childhood.
Moreover, this pair of fake parents were not heartless bastards; in fact, in the movies, they also cherished this little family.
Aleksei, as the Red Guardian, would later join the Thunder Agents along with Yelena.
Peter hoped that Natasha could still feel the warmth of a home even when he wasn't by her side.
So, he decided to pick up these two as well and take them to the United States.
...
Siberia, Seventh Prison.
This was the most heavily guarded prison in Russia, housing the most heinous criminals.
A stout, heavily bearded middle-aged man was arm-wrestling. While defeating challengers one by one, he loudly boasted about his past exploits of fighting Captain America for three hundred rounds.
This person was the former Red Guardian, Aleksei Shostakov.
"Who else! Who else dares to challenge me, the Red Guardian!"
The Red Guardian finally defeated all challengers. He laughed loudly, proudly displaying his biceps.
Just then, the prison alarms blared loudly.
The heavy alloy door was kicked open from the outside. Sunlight streamed in, and three figures appeared at the doorway.
The Red Guardian narrowed his eyes, but once he saw clearly who had come, he was stunned on the spot.
Standing before him were the three family members who had haunted his dreams for many years.
After rubbing his eyes as if he didn't care, the Red Guardian broke into a smug smile and rushed forward happily with open arms:
"My little Natasha! And my little Yelena! I knew you wouldn't forget your heroic father!"