As a top agent, Black Widow is quite good at reading people. Despite their seemingly random conversation, she knew that Blake had no interest in joining the Avengers Initiative or S.H.I.E.L.D.
Everyone understands the concept of "too much of a good thing." For now, Black Widow and Blake are temporarily considered friends, so Nick Fury has shifted his focus elsewhere. However, only he knows how many spies are secretly watching.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark has been missing for almost half a month. The U.S. military and the FBI have been frantically searching all over Afghanistan but have found nothing.
"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?"
On the fourteenth day of Tony Stark's disappearance, Blake received a mission from the system: [Rescue Tony Stark]. Blake thought he would wait for Tony to return, for the plot to officially begin, and then defeat the villain. Unexpectedly, such a task came up suddenly.
Although Blake had seen the movie, he wasn't omniscient, such as knowing the exact location of that cave. The military and the FBI scoured Afghanistan like locusts and couldn't find the place, let alone Blake alone.
So, Blake dialed Black Widow's number.
"Compared to the current environment, yes, I missed you. Working by your side was practically a vacation," Black Widow's voice was loud, accompanied by gunshots.
"Are you on a mission? Should I call back later?"
"Wait a moment..."
Black Widow said casually. Blake heard various noises through the phone, gunshots, what sounded like a man's groan, and a body hitting the ground. Finally, there was a man's prolonged, miserable scream...
Then Black Widow picked up the phone again.
"You needed something?"
"Uh..."
The scream was a bit brainwashing. Blake couldn't help but ask, "What did you do to that guy who screamed?"
"I crushed his balls into a burrito!"
"Hiss!!!"
Although Blake had initially suggested it, Black Widow's half-joking tone still made him gasp. From the man's scream earlier, Blake felt that Black Widow was probably not joking.
For a moment, he felt a faint ache in his lower body and instinctively shifted his sitting position before getting to the point.
"Obadiah Stane, the second largest shareholder of Stark Industries, you know him, right? I need some information about him. Are you in Los Angeles? It's best if we can meet in person."
"You suspect Stane is involved in Stark's disappearance?" Black Widow quickly responded, hesitated for a moment, and immediately asked.
"That's right. Are you in Los Angeles? I think we should meet, and please, don't tell anyone else for now."
"Wait for me. I'll be there in two hours!"
Black Widow hung up the phone directly.
In fact, Black Widow arrived at Blake's door in just an hour and a half. Clearly, S.H.I.E.L.D. was very concerned about Tony Stark's situation, as Black Widow showed up in her black tactical suit without even changing clothes.
Phew~~!! Blake whistled.
"Going out at night in that outfit is an insult to the profession of hooliganism!"
"If they don't mind their balls turning into burritos, I welcome them!"
Black Widow gently pushed Blake aside and sat down on the sofa by herself.
"Tell me, why do you suspect that guy?" Black Widow went straight to the point.
"First of all, not many people knew about Tony's plan and route to Afghanistan, apart from those close to him and the military." Blake took a drink from the fridge and handed it to Black Widow.
"I believe the military has already screened internally. Secondly, who benefits the most from Stark's disappearance? He's the only one who meets both criteria. It's simple, isn't it? You just need to watch any suspense movie to know." Blake exaggeratedly said.
In fact, it's not that no one has suspected him before. When Tony Stark's father died, it was Obadiah who stood firm and helped Tony take over the entire company. If he wanted to take over the company, that would have been the best opportunity.
So, to everyone, Obadiah seemed like an Uncle figure, helping Tony manage the company, handling public relations during crises, and cleaning up his messes. This partner appeared to be the greatest asset Howard Stark left for his son.
Everyone knew this, and Blake, who had hung around Tony for so long, naturally knew it too.
He continued, "Everyone thinks Obadiah helped Tony control Stark Industries, but only Obadiah knows that Tony is a goose that lays golden eggs. He's different from Tony and his father; he's a businessman and very good at investing, whether in Howard or Stark. And now, it's time for his harvest."
Blake's words were highly credible. With the motive established, Obadiah, the bald guy, was the only one who fit all the conditions.
"I admit what you're saying makes sense, but it's far from enough. We can't arrest him based on this speculation. I'm not the Secretary of Defense!" Black Widow made a helpless gesture.
"Of course, I understand what you mean. But I didn't say we should arrest him. I just want to find out where Stark is. I just want to rescue my friend."
"If it's really him, he must have contacted the people who kidnapped Tony. There will be some clues left behind. Do you understand? You're definitely an expert in this area."
"Give it a try. If it's not him, there's no trouble. Just secretly check some of his private records, like emails or phone calls. I think that shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
Secretly investigating someone is indeed nothing for the famous Black Widow. But Stark Industries' internal network gave Black Widow a headache.
Stark Industries had its own communication satellites and an independent internal network. Accessing from the external network was not a problem, but any data leakage would trigger an immediate alarm and the network would be cut off. Simple, brutal, but very effective. It had to be breached from the internal network.
Just when Blake was thinking of getting Happy or Pepper to help, Black Widow went out to make a call.
"It's done. We just need to wait for the results!"
"Done? Didn't you just say there's no other way but from the inside? Do you have someone inside Stark Industries?" Blake asked in surprise.
"It's not me; it's us. I got the director to mobilize our people inside Stark Industries. We should have news soon," Black Widow said confidently.
Blake was unsettled.
"What? You informed your director? Damn it! Didn't I tell you not to tell anyone?"
"I'm on a mission. I can't just disappear and travel thousands of kilometers to see you without reporting. Understand? Don't worry, we are the world's largest intelligence agency. Our people are not only professional but also reliable!" Black Widow said confidently.
Blake rolled his eyes, thinking that she'd understand what "S.H.I.E.L.D." really means someday. But for now, he could only hope that the person Nick Fury had wasn't a Hydra agent. Otherwise, who knows what unexpected troubles might arise.
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