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"What do you mean?" Natasha was stunned.
Lyon began tidying up the workbench, preparing to create a batch of inhibitors.
"I help you take down the Red Room, and you and your comrades switch sides to work for me. How about that?"
No one could refuse a group of top-notch sexy female agents, skilled in both combat and various other tasks, serving them worldwide.
"I get a team of elite agents, you destroy the Red Room, and the other Widows break free from control and find a new purpose. It's a win-win-win!"
As for the original "win-win" he mentioned, Lyon was hinting at how he not only achieved the goal of eliminating the Red Room but also gained a team of subordinates—so he wins twice.
"What do you think of my proposal?"
As he casually spoke, Lyon's hands continued to work. His movements on the workbench created afterimages, yet each operation was precise, with every milliliter of reagent perfectly measured.
Natasha watched in amazement. "How do you plan to take down the Red Room?"
For some reason, she had no doubt about Lyon's words. Deep down, she believed he could do it as long as he wanted to.
"Do you think I'll be able to~"
"You'll definitely be able to destroy the Red Room, which terrifies me."
"So, you're agreeing?" Lyon asked without looking up.
Natasha was silent for a few seconds. "I agree. After we destroy the Red Room, I'll help convince the other Widows to join you."
"But I can't guarantee they'll agree. As for me, I'm yours now."
Natasha's straightforwardness made Lyon pause in his work.
"Are you serious?" He looked up, slightly surprised. "You're not even asking what I want you all to do?"
What kind of inexplicable trust was this?
Normally, wouldn't she carefully consider the situation, then make an agreement with him, ensuring he couldn't order the Widows to do anything unethical?
For some reason, as Lyon looked at Natasha, he found her even more captivating.
Natasha shook her head. "Trust me, as long as you can destroy the Red Room, they'll be willing to do anything for you."
"And what about you?" Lyon asked.
"I told you from the beginning, I owe you my life." Natasha leaned on the table, moving closer to Lyon and looking into his eyes.
"I'll do whatever you ask. If I can't, then I'll just have to give you back this life I owe you." Her breath brushed against Lyon's face.
Natasha's eyes were sultry, perfectly capturing a man's desire to conquer. Though the meaning behind her words was that she wouldn't do anything against her will, she phrased it so delicately that it became a promise to repay with her life if she couldn't fulfill his demands.
Such a total commitment, even Lyon might find it hard not to be moved by it—except, of course, this time.
"Oh! The smell on you! Don't come so close! I've been meaning to say this earlier that you can use the bathroom in my room upstairs whenever you want, but for now, go clean up!" Lyon quickly pinched his nose and distanced himself from Natasha with a look of disdain.
Though he managed to suppress part of his super sense of smell, being close to Natasha, the faint sewer-like odor lingering on her still made him uncomfortable.
"My... my smell!?" Natasha was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
Lyon didn't bother explaining and simply ordered Dum-E, "Dum-E, push her out. Don't let her back in until she's clean. She's of no use to me while I'm making the inhibitor!"
Dum-E obediently rolled forward, using its mechanical arm to gently push Natasha out.
Even as she walked into Lyon's bathroom, Natasha was still in a daze. It was the first time she'd been rejected for being too smelly while trying to charm someone.
"Am I really that smelly?" Natasha raised her hand to sniff under her armpit. "No... the chemical deodorant should have covered the sewer smell."
Skeptically, she took off her hospital gown and tapped the electronic screen on the wall to release the hot water.
"Hmm, it's been a long time since I've had a hot shower like this. It feels so good... Could it be that Lyon was actually concerned about me?" Her red lips curled into a smile. "So, he's just a tsundere little brother after all... He only looks about seventeen or eighteen."
...
"It looks like you're ready? Perfect timing, I've also prepared enough inhibitors."
An hour and a half later, Natasha and Lyon met in the living room.
By then, the huge sun had set below the horizon, casting the Stark mansion's living room in a warm orange glow, stretching the shadows of all the furniture.
Natasha was now dressed in her black combat suit. However, after taking a shower and using the smart cleaning machine to wash and dry her suit, Lyon was finally able to appreciate her appearance properly.
—Natasha's figure wasn't particularly tall, but she was at her peak, with a curvaceous, hourglass shape that exuded strong feminine allure.
But what drew the most attention was her aura and those amber-colored eyes.
Every look from those eyes seemed to conceal countless unspoken words, telling a thousand different emotions.
As Lyon looked into Natasha's eyes, he thought to himself.
'No wonder Natasha never wears a mask during missions.
Her eyes are just too distinctive.'
Even if her entire body were covered from head to toe, anyone who had seen her before would recognize her immediately upon seeing those eyes.
"So, we're ready. What's the plan? The way you're talking, it sounds like we're about to head out and attack the Red Room right now," Natasha said, eyeing Lyon curiously. "And why are you wearing a trench coat? Are you hiding your Iron Man armor underneath?"
"Wait, did I just guess right?"
Given that Lyon is Tony Stark's brother and the arc reactor and suit were built by Stark Industries, Natasha wouldn't be surprised if Lyon is the one inside that Iron Man suit.
"Are you wearing the armor because you're planning to take me to overthrow the Red Room right now?"
Natasha asked a series of questions, feeling a mix of excitement and hesitation.
In the Red Room's assessment system, the most valuable aspect of the Iron Man armor was actually the technology it contained.
As for the armor itself, at best, it would be as powerful as a small flight squadron.
And the Red Room has no shortage of flight squads.
"Shouldn't we come up with a plan first?" Natasha tried to persuade Lyon to reconsider.
Lyon shook his head, placing the case containing the inhibitor on the ground.
"A plan? Heh~ The plan is to find the Red Room and then eliminate all its members."
He grabbed the collar of his trench coat with both hands. "But you did guess part of it right."
"I am planning to take you directly to the Red Room."
"However, it won't be in an Iron Man suit."
"Not wearing the Iron Man suit? It's not that I don't trust you, Lyon, but maybe you don't fully understand the Red Room. I think we could still… What the fuck!!"
With that, Lyon pulled the collar apart and casually tossed the trench coat onto the sofa.
Natasha hesitated, trying to convince him further.
But in the next moment, she saw Lyon pull open his collar, revealing the S-shaped symbol on his chest, and she instantly lost her composure, blurting out a curse.
"You're Superman!?"
Natasha was both surprised and delighted, feeling as if a giant cake had suddenly fallen from the sky, smothering her face with cream.
"Are you really Superman?"
She wasn't entirely sure and asked again, but her eyes already sparkled with excitement, looking as beautiful as crystal.
"Of course."
Lyon spread his arms, and Natasha immediately stepped forward, pressing her hands against his chest, feeling every hard muscle.
"Oh my God, it feels just like an ancient Greek sculpture!"
She couldn't stop marveling, "No wonder you're so strong, no wonder your chest muscles are so perfect!"
"So you really are Superman!"
Natasha now felt no pressure at all.
Suddenly, she was extremely happy, like a little girl entering Disneyland for the first time.
To her, Lyon was like a giant, soft Mickey Mouse plush.
This was Superman!
As the top agent of the Red Room, how could Natasha not have known about this global sensation who had become a huge internet star in recent days?
Even the top superpower countries had to be cautious of his strength; dealing with the small Red Room would be a piece of cake.
At this moment, Natasha felt that invading Stark's mansion earlier was absolutely the right decision.
"Ahem, that's enough touching. Are you ready? If you are, let's head out!" Lyon cleared his throat, interrupting Natasha's rather invasive actions.
Reluctantly, Natasha withdrew her hands and nodded seriously, "Let's go!"
At this time, the golden-orange light of the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The sunlight fell on Lyon, casting his shadow onto the farthest wall of the room.
Natasha stood within this shadow, and in her eyes, Lyon seemed to be cloaked in a layer of golden light.
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