The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell silent.
It was as if everyone was having a laugh before going to sleep by telling a serious ghost story. Everyone was playing those childish tricks of "There's someone behind you" and telling some internet or hearsay jokes with a hint of horror. Then, someone earnestly told a ghost story that sent chills down everyone's spines.
What was even more terrifying than the ghost story was that the other party seemed to not understand the diplomatic intent of these social invitations. The once easily lively and warm or passionate atmosphere returned to its starting point, and the initiator of this topic must bear the responsibility.
So, Ivan pursed his lips a bit, leaned forward, put his palms together, and said, "You should know that the domestic violence rate in Russia is high, right? It's always husbands beating wives, dads beating sons, or drunks making a mess at home."
"The damn cold weather and extreme living conditions force people to be in a state of constant excitement. This was originally a way to vent excitement for the struggle against nature, either it's sex, violence, or both."
"Some choose to vent their excitement by abusing their partners during a snowstorm, leading to many domestic violence and marital rape cases, and there are quite a few manslaughter cases where someone has unintentionally killed someone."
Ivan's voice was deep, while using longer sentences to describe the state of the situation, the Russian accent mixed with English was like a knife, it carved deep trenches in the relatively simple English language, making people think of snow, rust, and alcohol.
"But the murderer I saw that day wasn't like that, he hadn't been drinking, I'm sure. When the police took him away, we passed by each other under a sky bridge tunnel in Moscow."
"He was well dressed, not a homeless man, his mind was clear, not numbed by alcohol or drugs, and most importantly, he was excited not because of the excitement, but because of the violence and murder."
"Did he know the girl? Or did he just pick someone at random from the roadside?" Natasha asked.
Ivan shook his head and said, "I was just passing by, I didn't see the whole murder process, I only saw the last scene of the murderer being taken into the police car, he was excited like he was on drugs."
"He might have had a hallucination." Schiller held a cup of tea in both hands and said, "Many mental illnesses come with neuroses, and most of the illusions that constantly appear in their minds and in front of their eyes, making them unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, are related to death."
"Most murderers with mental illness claim that they saw something happening between themselves and their victims in their hallucinations, some saw their victims grow horns of a demon, and thus believed they were acting for justice, others saw the victim lunging at them with a knife, so they wanted to counterattack in self-defence."
"Maybe, he saw himself sleeping with that girl." Ivan took a sip of scalding tea, shook his head and said, "Otherwise, it's hard to explain why he was so excited."
"Scenarios linking sex and death are not uncommon." Schiller lowered his eyelids and said, "Usually, people believe that humans can experience a sensation similar to an extreme orgasm in the few seconds before death."
"Isn't that self-deceptive nonsense?" Steve frowned and asked, then he offered evidence, "I've been close to death several times, but all I felt were fear and pain."
"Perhaps some people can transform these into pleasure, but it should be a minority." Nick shrugged and said, "If death was really something very cool, then why don't those drug addicts who pursue pleasure and damage their bodies with large amounts of drugs try it?"
"I'm just trying to deduce from this..." Schiller gently adjusted his glasses, and Magneto, sitting opposite him, slightly frowned. Schiller continued, "If someone believes in this theory, perhaps he would think that bestowing death upon others is letting them experience the pleasure of ascension while also bringing himself joy. It's something infinitely close to sex, but far more pure and noble."
"Too absurd." Steve commented. He could never accept such a ridiculous logic, but then he noticed the expression on Natasha's face, who was sitting opposite him.
Steve slowly opened his eyes. When the gaze reflected in his clear blue eyes fell on Natasha's face, the beautiful female agent unconsciously turned her eyes away.
"How does it feel to kill them after sleeping with your partners?" Schiller turned his head to look at Natasha and asked.
His initial assertion was so definite that Natasha had no room to refute, so she just turned her face away, played with her cheek with a finger, and then turned back to look at Schiller and say.
"I felt that I... was full of power. Also, I killed them in the process."
"I think you should go back to sleep." Nick lowered his voice and whispered in Steve's ear, "Same routine, it's a midnight tea party with the mentally ill and the crazies... You know you can't deal with them, right?"
"Insane." Steve also leaned his head over, speaking incredulously, while Nick tried hard to lift his eyelids, only showing the whites of his eyes to others from above, and then continued, "But what's really shocking is that most of those people brought death upon themselves."
"I'm a famous agent." Natasha lifted one leg and put it on the other, crossed her arms, and laughed, "It sounds contradictory, but the Black Widow is well-known."
"I think... no one would be foolish enough to think that a female agent can achieve an almost 100% mission completion rate just by relying on direct combat abilities. Even from my appearance, I don't look like a woman who can be easily handled, but everyone is gambling."
"Men are especially adventurous in this regard. They always have a ridiculous idea that an experienced female agent will quit her career for their love. Even though my code name is Black Widow, there are always people gambling to enjoy my beauty and charm without paying any cost."
"Perhaps they do understand, they just have the confidence that they can escape." Shiller held the cup over his lips and said, "Or they think that those who have died at your hands were simply not strong enough or cautious enough, and that they themselves can manipulate you as they please."
"So they all died." The corners of Natasha's eyes and mouth were particularly sharp when she smiled, her wickedness and cruelty making her look like a real poisonous spider.
Suddenly, that astonishing aggressiveness vanished, Natasha's face softened again, with a hint of aloofness. She said, "Unfortunately, due to professional demands, I have to exercise restraint. If I were really insane, you guys might not see Tony Stark right now."
"I heard he didn't do very well."
"Far from it." Natasha rolled her eyes somewhat resentfully and said, "I shouldn't have placed such high expectations on him. It seems that the rumors about cover models being debauched were exaggerated. I don't understand how he could have such good reviews among them."
"It's Tony's wealth that earned him the good reviews." Nick laughed and said, "But no one will scorn a man just because he can't handle the Black Widow, especially if you harbored such big expectations for him."
"His looks are to my taste." Natasha lifted her upper lip when she laughed, deliberately showing her teeth to make herself seem more childish and wicked, and she said,"It's just those eyes that deceived me. When he looks at you and utters sweet nothings, you think that his performance afterward doesn't matter."
Steve covered his face, his moral bottom line preventing him from participating in such a slightly wicked topic. Yet Charles, who was from roughly the same era as Steve, and even Erik were engrossed in the conversation.
"This is the type of conversation befitting of late-night chats." Nick poured himself another cup of tea, and then said somewhat regretfully, "Unfortunately, our wine is still in the box. Alcohol makes us more talkative, doesn't it?"
"So should a male representative also join the discussion?" Natasha kicked her legs forward in slight dissatisfaction and said, "I'm no naive little girl, don't try to distract me with things like 'Respecting women' and 'gentlemanly decorum'. You can be more straightforward."
Steve coughed awkwardly, Natasha's gaze immediately landing on him, and she said,"Captain, you're the only man here with a stable partner."
"Carter and I... we're ordinary." After thinking for a long time, Steve managed to squeeze out a sentence and then said uncertainly, "I don't know if I should say this, but compared to your rich and passionate love histories, we're pure like a lamb that is yet to leave its pen."
"What about Peggy?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, and asked.
"We didn't have much time then." Steve tilted his head to one side, pursing his mouth, and said, "In a rush to arrive, in a rush to leave, I lost count of how many times our intimacy was interrupted by a mission."
"That indeed is regrettable." Nick said so, but Natasha was relentless as she once again turned to Nick.
Nick immediately raised his hands in surrender and said,"Women are trouble, and a woman like you is a big trouble. One entanglement can cost me half my life."
"Rather than continually gambling on whether you're holding a knife behind me, I'd rather tighten my belt. That's one of the secrets of how I've survived up to now and become a legendary agent."
"What about family?" asked Shiller.
"That's something I'm not worthy of." Nick took a sip of the hot tea, breathed a sigh, and said, "Agents focus on offense, continuous offense, and family needs defense when you hold still. These two cannot coexist, every dangerous professional who thinks they can balance the two relationships ends up dying horribly."
"Very clearheaded." This time it was Erik speaking.
Charles had no choice but to look at him again with his eyes, continuously glancing at him. Finding no reaction from Erik, Charles finally spoke, "But continuous offense always has its end, when things calm down, what will there be to appeal to comfort? The past is gone for good, old mate."
"You're always very optimistic, Charles." Erik spoke indifferently, but that seemed to spark burning anger within Charles. He turned his head to Erik and said, "And you're always too pessimistic."
"I'm just overly realistic, which has its advantages."
"What advantages?"
"When you're being chased like a dog fallen into water, I can safely appear before you and mock you. Isn't that good enough?"
As they looked about to bring up old grudges again, Nick cleared his throat and turned to Shiller, half curious, half trying to change the topic, "Doctor, you've used your brilliant conversation skills to involve everyone again, but you still haven't told us why you didn't choose family."
"Me? I'm on another level."
"Would you mind talking about it?"