Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

After rushing Hawkeye to the nearest hospital and ensuring he was stabilized, Black Widow pulled Tony Stark aside. Her voice was firm as she demanded, "Alright, now tell me—what the hell happened? Who did this to Clint?"

"I've fought the Mandarin's enhanced soldiers before. There's no way they could've done this to Clint," she added, her eyes narrowing.

Tony, wearing a hastily thrown-on disguise, exhaled heavily and nodded. "It wasn't one of those guys. This was someone else—someone with a metal arm."

He proceeded to recount everything that had happened after Hawkeye appeared, detailing the brutal fight and Clint's devastating defeat.

"That guy... he's a monster. Believe me, even Rogers might not be able to take him down," Tony concluded grimly.

Black Widow fell silent, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

"If it was him, then Clint's condition makes sense," she finally murmured.

Tony's head snapped up. "Wait—you know who he is?"

"Not exactly," she admitted. "But I fought someone like him before. Metal arm, deadly combat skills. Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear physicist out of the Middle East. Near Odessa, someone took out our car's tires. We crashed off a cliff but managed to escape... only to find him waiting."

She lifted the edge of her top slightly, revealing a faded but deep scar.

"He shot me straight through the body and hit the physicist behind me. Soviet-made bullets. No rifling marks."

She smirked wryly. "Guess bikinis are off the table for me now."

Tony stared, momentarily lost for words.

"Does he have a name? A code name? You're telling me S.H.I.E.L.D. has nothing on him?" he asked after a beat.

"If they did, do you think Clint would be in this condition?" she shot back. "If anything, Fury might know something, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database? Nothing. If he were on record, field agents like Clint and me would've at least heard whispers."

Tony clenched his fists, frustration mounting. Just as he was about to vent, Natasha spoke again.

"He's called the Winter Soldier. Some agencies don't even believe he's real. But in the past fifty years, he's been credited with over twenty high-profile assassinations."

Tony blinked. "Fifty years? Did you see how fast that guy moves? You're telling me he's been active for half a century? What is he, a seventy-year-old assassin?"

Black Widow shook her head. "I didn't believe it either. Not until I saw Steve Rogers alive and well."

Tony rubbed his chin, his mind racing. "So... you're saying this guy is a super soldier too?"

"He's something beyond that," she said grimly. "He's ridiculously strong. Too strong."

Tony exhaled, shaking his head. "If there's an organization out there producing guys like him, then Clint isn't safe here. We need to get him out once he's stable. And you? You can't take on this Winter Soldier alone. We need a plan."

Black Widow nodded. She knew her limits. If Hawkeye had been at full strength, the two of them together might have stood a chance. But alone? She wasn't foolish enough to try.

"Problem is, S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised. Where do we even find backup?" she asked.

Tony considered his options. "What's Rogers up to these days? If anyone can handle a super soldier, it's another super soldier."

Natasha gave him a look. "Forget it. You think Fury sent Clint and me here just to help you out? No. He's keeping Steve in reserve. He's Fury's last card."

Tony sighed. "Great. Well, that crosses out my best bet. Can't get hold of Ned, and Banner is too unpredictable."

He ran through the list of Avengers in his head. None seemed like the right fit.

"For now, help me track down this address," he finally said, pulling a folded document from his jacket. "Got it from Mrs. Davis. Might be one of the Mandarin's main bases."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You're serious? You still want to go after the Mandarin when we've got a super assassin hunting us?"

"One problem at a time. We can't do much about the Winter Soldier yet. But we can take down a terrorist cell."

Tony's confidence stemmed from one undeniable fact: the Black Widow was standing right in front of him. Even without her enhanced colleagues, she was one of the deadliest operatives alive.

"Alright," Natasha said, flipping through the documents. "I'm here to help you, Stark. Just don't get me killed, or I swear I'll haunt you."

She snapped the file shut. "Give me a minute. I need a computer."

"Got it."

As she left, Tony glanced around the hospital, then smirked. Spotting a group of nurses, he strolled over, ready to turn on his legendary charm.

A short while later, Natasha returned to find him sitting on the floor, sulking.

She arched a brow. "Tony Stark looking like this? What happened to you?"

"Hmph!" he grumbled. "These nurses… they actually rejected me! Me! Tony Stark!"

Turns out, the moment he had tried to flirt, the nurses had simply shot him a look of pure disdain and shooed him away.

His ego, bruised beyond repair, left him feeling more defeated than any battle ever had.

Natasha chuckled. "I suggest you put on a suit, maybe wear a nice watch. Oh, and definitely get back in your Iron Man armor. They'd love you then. Maybe pose in front of a 'World's Greatest Arms Dealer' poster while you're at it—oh wait, you're retired now."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Now, did you get the location?"

She smirked. "Got it. You sure you want to do this?"

Tony's expression turned serious. "Absolutely. Let's roll."

--------------

T/N:

Access 40 Chapters in Advance on my

P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals