Blake spent nearly a full month before finally gaining complete control over the flame energy within his body.
The effects of the initial awakening were, as expected, barely satisfactory.
Blake could make flames appear from specific parts of his body, or transform into a person entirely made of fire.
He could even spit out a two to three-meter-long pillar of fire from his mouth.
However, he was still far from the long-range artillery mage he had envisioned himself becoming.
But during this time, Blake did figure out how to incorporate fire into his close-combat attacks, greatly enhancing his power.
It was a definite increase in strength, especially after he discovered that he could coat his Tang sword with a layer of fire.
In an instant, he felt like the protagonist in a video game.
However, the power of the Tang sword itself was already enough, and the 1,500-degree Celsius flames didn't add any extra damage.
After all, anything that couldn't withstand 1,500-degree flames certainly wouldn't be able to withstand the power of the Tang sword.
As Tony would say, "This move is as useful as creating a torch that doesn't need fuel."
Still, it was good news—he could finally leave the base, stop living in seclusion, and no longer had to sleep on a hard iron bed where he didn't even dare cover himself with a blanket.
If not for the combat suit provided by the system, Blake might have had to retreat in seclusion naked for this period.
Today, Blake was in an excellent mood. Really great.
First, because he was out of seclusion, and second, because Black Widow had returned.
Coulson hadn't lied to him; when the date of the cello concert arrived, Black Widow indeed had no missions from S.H.I.E.L.D.
And, it turned out, Black Widow was quite interested in this kind of event.
To be honest, Blake normally wouldn't attend a concert like this, but men, when pursuing women, tend to do things just to make them happy.
Blake planned to take this opportunity to fully open up to Black Widow, ultimately reaching the highest level of intimacy.
Black Widow was in an unusually good mood today as well.
After enduring more than two hours of drowsiness listening to the concert with her, Blake followed her out of the concert hall, where she, no longer in her typical agent persona, excitedly dragged him along.
She was eager to find a place to grab something to eat and maybe have a drink.
It was rare for Black Widow to have such an ordinary, relaxed day, so the two of them agreed not to drive and decided to walk for a while.
Strolling around the area to randomly find food seemed like a good idea.
Manhattan's public safety was better than other parts of New York; even past 9 PM, there were still plenty of people on the streets.
The air was crisp and cool in the autumn evening, and the light breeze was pleasantly refreshing as it blew across them.
Along the seaside sidewalk, young couples walked by, chatting and laughing from time to time.
Black Widow, giggling, pulled Blake to sit on a nearby bench.
"I swear I'll never wear such high heels again."
She muttered, complaining while carelessly slipping off her heels.
Her dress hitched up slightly, revealing her slender legs, which she swung back and forth on the bench, easing the discomfort from her feet that had been squeezed by the heels.
Under the streetlights, her pale skin glowed faintly.
Blake, staring, was momentarily lost.
"Do you like what you see?"
Black Widow asked teasingly, smiling at the dazed Blake.
"Very much!"
Blake responded sincerely. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a sudden tightness around his neck.
The next moment, a pair of fiery red lips pressed against his.
After a long while, their lips parted…
Savoring the sweetness of the kiss, Blake felt a bit unsatisfied and made a move, reaching out to embrace Black Widow.
But she gently pushed him away.
"I'm hungry, go get me something to eat!"
At some point, a hot dog cart had appeared several meters away.
The smell of sizzling sausages wafted through the air, carried on the breeze to their noses.
"Got it!"
Blake stood up and eagerly trotted towards the hot dog cart.
He had barely just risen to his feet when the sound of something cutting through the air echoed from behind.
Instinctively, Blake turned around.
He saw a small missile streaking towards the bench.
In the moment he grabbed Black Widow, the missile hit the bench.
Blake spun around suddenly.
It was hard to tell whether he turned first or the explosion happened first.
All he felt was a blast wave hitting his back, along with debris of unknown origin scattering across his back.
Compared to this, the heat and flames from the explosion were almost nothing to Blake.
To shield Black Widow, he remained standing, absorbing the full force of the missile's blast and aftershock.
As soon as the explosion subsided, Blake quickly looked in the direction the missile had come from.
A dark alley across the street, the rooftop of a building on the opposite side.
"Found you!"
A shadow flickered on the rooftop of the building opposite.
"Natasha, be careful. I'm going to catch that guy—"
"Don't go, just hold me a little longer!"
Black Widow gripped the collar of Blake's shirt tightly, gently stroking his cheek as she spoke.
It was then that Blake realized something was wrong with Black Widow—her face was pale, and her breathing was rapid.
His hand resting on her waist felt sticky.
Looking down, he realized that a piece of shrapnel at least ten centimeters long had pierced her back, and that was just what was sticking out.
No one knew how much had actually penetrated her body.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Blake cursed furiously in his mind.
He didn't dare waste a second, his hands working quickly, and fortunately, his phone hadn't been damaged in the blast—likely thanks to his combat suit.
He immediately called Coulson.
"We were attacked. Natasha's seriously injured, a piece of shrapnel is lodged in her back, and the part sticking out is at least ten centimeters long. I'm holding her and can't move. We need the most professional medical team, fast! I left the concert hall about twenty minutes ago, near the seaside. I have no idea what the exact address is!"
Blake concisely relayed the situation. Coulson would have no trouble finding the location—it was just a matter of how fast he could send medical personnel.
"You'll be fine, Natasha. I'm holding you, I'll stay with you until you're okay. Coulson is coming, you're going to be fine."
Blake spoke nervously after hanging up, unsure if he was comforting Black Widow or himself.
"I'm fine, Blake. I've never felt better. It's just… what a pity. I didn't get to eat that hot dog. I can't even remember the last time I ate something so casually on the street."
As she spoke, Black Widow reached out, gently smoothing Blake's furrowed brow.
"Don't worry. Meeting you, I'm already very lucky. Maybe it's fate. I'm not meant to live that kind of normal life and happiness. Not after what happened in Budapest…"
As she continued, blood began to trickle from her mouth, and she slowly closed her eyes, losing consciousness.
"Don't fall asleep, Natasha! Don't sleep!"
Before the medical team arrived, Blake didn't dare move an inch.
All he could do was softly call out to the unconscious Black Widow in his arms.
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, inside a hotel.
A middle-aged man lazily sat on a sofa, watching television.
On the screen was the footage of Blake shielding Black Widow, turning and standing still to take the full force of the explosion.
"The intelligence from Hydra was wrong. Blake's abilities far exceed our expectations. He's not just a super soldier. I've aborted the operation. Get our people out of the U.S. immediately. I'll find another way to deal with Natasha."
*******************************************
You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.
If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.
My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170