Steve is alive!
Bucky's pupils contracted sharply after a brief moment of stunned silence.
Joker Eren's words were like a deep-water bomb dropped into Bucky's heart, instantly setting off a storm within him.
Steve Rogers had once been Bucky's best friend, his closest comrade, and one of the people he was most connected to in this world.
But during that fateful mission, after being knocked off the train in battle, he had fallen into the icy abyss of a ravine, never to see his friend again.
After that…
He was found by HYDRA stationed in the Soviet Union, brainwashed, and turned into their deadly weapon.
Meanwhile, Steve had become a hero of the US, ultimately piloting a runaway plane carrying the Tesseract, vanishing into the vast ocean.
And so, the two brothers-in-arms were separated by life and death.
When he "woke up," Bucky had tried to search for traces of Steve Rogers.
He had even sneaked into the Captain America museum.
There, he saw a wax statue of his old friend and even his own image—hailed as a war hero, forever recorded in the annals of history.
Bucky had believed he would never see Steve again.
He thought he had no family or friends left in this world.
But today…
He heard Steve's name from his boss's mouth.
A name carrying the news that Steve… was still alive.
Taking a deep breath, Bucky's voice trembled as he asked, "Steve… is really still alive?"
Seeing Bucky trembling with emotion, Joker Eren grinned.
"Oh, he's alive for sure. But his body has been frozen in Arctic ice for seventy years. When he'll thaw out and wake up, that's another matter."
"But considering that the great Captain America was enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum and factoring in the current technological advancements of the US, waking him up shouldn't be difficult."
"Maybe it won't be long before you see your old friend again."
"Hm… an old friend who's just as young as you."
Rogers had been frozen for nearly seventy years, preserving not only his body but also his age.
And over the past few decades, except for the times he was reawakened for missions…
To maintain control over Bucky, HYDRA had kept him frozen most of the time as well.
In a way, these two best friends shared a fate of misfortune.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this…
That after seventy years, they would finally reunite.
Hearing that Steve might wake up soon, Bucky remained silent for a long time. Finally, a faint smile appeared on his otherwise cold and rigid face.
"…That's good."
After he calmed down a bit, Joker Eren spoke again, "When Steve wakes up, do you want to go see him? If you'd like, I can keep an eye out for news about him and arrange a meeting for you two."
Given Captain America's status, once he woke up, it was certain that he would be heavily monitored.
At that time…
If Bucky wanted to meet his old friend openly, it wouldn't be easy.
Hearing this, Bucky fell silent for a moment. Then, to Joker Eren's surprise, he shook his head.
"No… I don't plan to see Steve for now."
His body carried too many sins.
Bucky no longer felt he had the right to stand before his righteous old friend.
Let him believe that Bucky… had died.
At that thought…
A strange idea surfaced in Bucky's mind.
Perhaps… becoming a witch wouldn't be so bad after all.
At the very least, after completely changing his appearance, he might not lack the courage to see Steve again.
And if things really turned out as the boss said—if he became a beautiful woman… then maybe teasing Steve a little could be quite fun.
For the first time, Bucky felt a hint of anticipation about becoming a witch.
...
Meanwhile…
On the other side.
As the funeral came to an end, the dense crowd slowly dispersed.
After Pepper, Tony, and the others left…
Natasha, clad in a tight black leather outfit that accentuated her curves, placed a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of a grave covered in flowers.
Seeing her, Eren, who had been planning to leave, hesitated for a moment and decided to stay.
Sure enough, not long after…
Having paid her respects to the "Laughing Clown," Natasha walked over to Eren.
Tilting her head slightly, she asked,
"Are you waiting for me? Or did you already foresee that I would come here?"
"No."
Eren shook his head. "I just happened to see you in the crowd."
"Is that so?"
Hearing his response, Natasha suddenly smiled, her cold and alluring face lighting up.
"I thought you'd say you foresaw that I would come looking for you, so you waited here on purpose."
"You fortune-teller types love being all mysterious, don't you?"
Eren chuckled. "A true diviner isn't some charlatan who only half-understands things and relies on vague words to put on an act."
"Besides, every divination comes at a cost. I don't have the energy to waste foresight on trivial matters."
"And knowing too much… is exhausting, Natasha."
Knowing too much… is exhausting.
Eren's words carried a double meaning, making Natasha raise an eyebrow. She looked at him deeply.
Ignoring her probing gaze, Eren glanced at his phone and said,
"I have something to take care of later. If you're just here to pay respects to the hero in that coffin and catch up with me, I'm afraid I'm not the best person for small talk."
"Worried your little girlfriend will get jealous?"
Glancing toward the cemetery entrance, Natasha smirked.
"Relax. I won't take up too much of your time. I'm here to deliver something."
Saying that…
Natasha slowly unzipped her leather jacket right in front of Eren.
The moment the "seal" was broken, something bounced free from its confinement.
For an instant…
The stark contrast of black and white was overwhelmingly vivid.
After unfastening her leather jacket's constraints…
With two slender fingers painted bright red, Natasha retrieved a silver USB drive from between her ample assets.
Seeing the familiar device, Eren couldn't help but shake his head with a chuckle.
Wasn't this the USB drive he had given Natasha last time?
Good one.
So, she's returning what was mine, huh?
And… the way she's doing it—is this a reminder of that little magic trick I pulled on her last time?
After pulling the still-warm USB drive from her chest, Natasha handed it directly to Eren.
"The data you gave me last time was incredibly useful. We've already used it to lock onto several targets."
Eren didn't immediately take the silver USB drive from Natasha's hand. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Locked onto targets? You haven't taken down everyone on that list yet? Looks like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency is even worse than I expected."
"No."
Natasha immediately refuted, "Our director just wants to cast a long line to catch a bigger fish."
"The list you gave us contained a lot of names, but not many of them were truly critical figures."
"For that many infiltrators to exist within S.H.I.E.L.D., we don't believe those guys only have small-time operatives planted inside. To make the most of your intel, we've spent a great deal of effort setting up a massive net. Now, we're just waiting for the big fish to jump out."
"Is that so?"
Eren responded nonchalantly before finally reaching out to take the silver USB drive from Natasha's hand.
As soon as he did, Natasha explained, "This USB contains the latest compilation of global anomalous incidents recorded over the past two months by S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I wasn't sure what kind of information you were looking for, so I just packed everything into this drive."
"A lot of the files are classified, so we've put special security measures on the USB. You can view the contents on a computer, but you won't be able to copy or extract any data."
"After three uses, a programmed failsafe will automatically erase everything inside."
Pausing for a moment, she added, "Oh, and I'd recommend you disconnect from the internet before opening the files. Otherwise… I can't guarantee what might happen."
"Tsk, so many conditions."
Eren smirked, shaking his head. "If I can't check it online but can view it offline, don't you think that's just self-deception? If I really wanted to leak the information, do you think your little security measures would stop me?"
Natasha chuckled, her lips curling up slightly. "It doesn't matter. As long as the data leak doesn't come from us, it's fine."
Huh?
Eren paused slightly, then caught the subtle meaning behind Natasha's words as he saw the playful glint in her eyes.
Clever.
So S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't actually care whether the USB's contents get leaked.
What they do care about…
Is that the leak officially can't be traced back to them.
At least, not on the surface.
That's why they bothered with all these security gimmicks.
Understanding Natasha—and by extension, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s—intentions, Eren gave the USB drive a slight squeeze. Then, when he opened his palm again, the silver USB had already vanished without a trace.
(So fast.)
Natasha's pupils contracted slightly as she stared at Eren's now-empty hand.
Despite watching him closely this time—because of what happened before—she still hadn't caught how the USB disappeared.
After securing the USB, Eren turned to Natasha and said, "Thanks for the intel. If that's all, I'll be taking my leave."
Glancing toward a figure waiting under the shade of a tree in the distance, Natasha smiled and said, "Relax, I have no intention of being an annoying third wheel."
With that, she pulled up the zipper on her leather jacket, resealing the tempting view she had just revealed.
Then, after giving Eren a casual wave, she disappeared into the crowd leaving the cemetery.
"Goodbye, my little fortune teller."
Little fortune teller?
Eren narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Natasha's departing figure.
This woman…
She really knew how to use her assets.
If it had been any other guy, one of similar age to Eren, Natasha's little provocation would have been enough to get them flustered, eager to prove themselves to her.
To make her understand she was playing with fire.
But!
For someone like Eren—who had already reached a state of calm detachment and understood Natasha all too well—
Sorry, babe.
That trick doesn't work on me.
After watching Natasha disappear into the crowd, Eren turned and walked toward another exit of the cemetery.
Soon enough, under a cedar tree, he found Gwen—who had been waiting for him.
Gwen had also attended the funeral for the "Joker."
She had agreed to meet with Eren afterward, so instead of leaving immediately, she had chosen to wait at the exit.
When she saw Eren approaching, she stepped forward and asked, "All set?"
Eren nodded. "The funeral company Tony Stark hired was pretty professional. Everything is taken care of. Let's go."
"Alright."
Gwen responded simply.
She didn't ask, like some curious girls might, about the stunning woman Eren had just been speaking with.
However, even though Gwen remained silent—
Eren took the initiative to explain, "That was Natasha, a covert agent from S.H.I.E.L.D., also known as Black Widow."
(End of Chapter)
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