Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 753 Perhaps it's a coincidence (First Update)

Where is Natasha Romanov?

Faced with such questions, even Clint Barton, who knew her best, could only shake his head.

The last communication he received from Romanoff indicated she needed to attend to some personal matters, and Clint was no longer surprised by Natasha's elusive behavior. However, this time her disappearance lasted an unprecedented amount of time, so long that she hadn't returned even when the Avengers were tracking down leads on Hydra. Steve Rogers first questioned Agent Hill, then Clint Barton, but received no definite answer; it seemed as if Natasha Romanoff had simply vanished into thin air.

"If she doesn't want anyone to find her, then there's something she doesn't want us to know," Clint shrugged. "If she needs help, she'll find a way to contact us or leave clues. I don't think she'll be in a worse situation than being captured by Ultron. I know her; she's faced many difficulties, but she's always managed to overcome them."

"If it were me, I wouldn't have such an optimistic outlook, Clint."

The information network established by the former S.H.I.E.L.D. was inherited by the Avengers, with Agent Hill playing a crucial role in tracking down Hydra's trail. Rogers knew he had no chance of finding what he was looking for in the vast amount of documents; only top intelligence analysts from S.H.I.E.L.D. could detect the slimy trail left by Hydra in the dark—one of the most valuable legacies left by the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Maria Hill, a sharp information weapon forged by countless retired agents from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.

"Especially now that we've just tracked down Hydra," Captain Rogers sighed. "We need her now."

"Actually, we've already been discussing retirement plans, Captain," Clinton said softly, as if afraid his words would unleash a devastating storm. He offered a somewhat flustered explanation before continuing, "I know we're both good agents, but Natasha and I are just ordinary people; we'll retire sooner or later. I have a family, Natasha…"

"I know, I've seen my comrades retire, and I won't force you to finish your work. That's why the Avengers recruit new members," Steve Rogers said with a smile. "Sam is adapting very well to the base, and Pietro's abilities and information processing speed are far beyond the average person. I believe we can eradicate Hydra from this world. It won't be long before everything is fine, including your retirement plans."

"I hope so." Clint shrugged noncommittally and leaned back on the leather sofa.

Captain Rogers's lack of rejection of his idea brought him a sigh of relief; all he wanted now was an ice-cold beer. Fortunately, the refrigerators in the Avengers lobby were always full. Pietro had demonstrated at a party how to empty a refrigerator in a minute and slam it onto a sofa like a rock, after which Tony Stark instructed logistics to speed up the refilling process. Clint had some reservations about Pietro; he believed the Avengers should send Maximoff to school like his own brother—even with Pietro's feud with Hydra, he should still prioritize his education. That was the responsibility these older members should have towards the younger generation, not keeping him in the base training or participating in anti-Hydra operations.

However, Pietro himself rejected the proposal, with Tony Stark believing Pietro should do what he wanted. Stark argued that Salomon had already taught Pietro science and engineering, and that his current knowledge was sufficient unless he aspired to a career in academia.

However, Tony Stark agreed with some of Clint's points, especially after learning about Wanda Maximov's academic progress through Natasha Romanoff's channels. Driven by a competitive spirit, he promised to send Pietro to business school after the mission to eliminate Hydra was completed, at least to obtain an MBA degree that would qualify him for a management position at Stark Industries.

"Will Stark participate in this operation?" Clint couldn't help but ask. "Is he still as enthusiastic about this as ever?"

“No, he has other things to do.” Steve Rogers shook his head. “There are a lot of questions coming in from Congress about the Avengers, and the Supreme Court seems to be taking action. He needs to bring his lobbying group… I think Sam and Pietro are enough to handle the work ahead. There’s no need for Stark to get involved.”

"We still have Vision."

"Ah, Vision! He's our intelligence support. And I don't think the mercenaries really need Vision's involvement, especially considering the recent attitudes of various countries towards artificial intelligence..." Steve Rogers' eyes flickered, hesitating whether to continue. Vision was a big problem; all sixteen US intelligence agencies wanted to use his power to hack into networks and gather information, but Stark had refused them all, making the US government even more displeased with the Avengers.

Agent Hill's sudden entrance into the living room drew everyone's attention, and Rogers breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to transfer the pressure he was under to his team; he felt that as a member of leadership, he had to conceal some bad news that could negatively impact their mental well-being.

Based on his wartime experience, for those soldiers who were promoted to officers on the front lines, the command method given by their superiors, in addition to providing more operational information, was the principle of "support is coming soon"—no matter how bad the news from the front was, the officers had to say, "Support is coming soon, you idiots better hold on if you don't want to die!"

Clint raised an eyebrow and asked Agent Hill why he had suddenly barged in.

"Langley has been attacked." Although Maria Hill tried her best to maintain a serious expression, she couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude at the sight of her old rival in distress. "The attackers are unidentified."

"Hydra?"

"The intelligence analyst suggested this possibility," Agent Hill nodded. "It's possible that the Avengers' recent aggressive actions led to this behavior."

"Do you need any help?" Clint asked.

"I think that's impossible. Stark is in Washington, but his request for assistance was rejected. The CIA would never allow anyone else access to their server rooms, especially someone like Stark who has access to high technology. This attack is comparable to the attack on MI6 headquarters, but Langley's losses are greater. Footage from the scene shows the attackers escaping in a modified Quinjet, which almost certainly proves it was the work of Hydra remnants infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D." Agent Hill moved her lips, managing to utter a few words with difficulty. Faced with the information she knew, even the last bit of schadenfreude vanished.

"It was a massacre," she said. "It was a fucking massacre. Lots of CIA agents died, including a supervisor. Although nobody mourned them either."

Two days later, Victoria Hand handed the file to a hooded man. It was one of those damp, garbage-strewn alleyways typical of Clinton, the stench of which hung over every puddle. She was here to see this man, her target. "Your former boss, William, is dead. He's your target, isn't he?"

"What do you know?" Frank Castle grinned. "Why did you kill him?"

"I'm sorry, this isn't something to be happy about, but I can assure you it's a coincidence. Our agents made a small mistake while gathering intelligence, so we had to send in more agents for the rescue. Your old superior in Afghanistan, William, who ordered the killing of the Homeland Security informant, just got promoted, and he just happened to be in your way."

"I don't believe it."

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(End of this chapter)