The morning sunlight streamed through the living room window, illuminating the intertwined bodies on the sofa, who had only just fallen asleep not long ago.
Even with her enhanced physique, Natalie couldn't withstand an entire night of relentless motion… No, correction—there was only rising, hardly any falling!
Feeling the warmth of the sun, Shane opened his eyes comfortably.
Natalie was curled up in his arms, her slightly flushed red curls cascading down in the sunlight. Her face, still tinged with the remnants of last night's blush, rested against Shane's chest, her entire body subtly rising and falling in sync with his breathing.
As Shane lifted his hand and gently ran his fingers along her back, Natalie's eyelids twitched slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. Then, as if dissatisfied with the harsh sunlight, she quickly shut them again.
"Mm…" The little kitten in his arms let out a soft murmur.
"Morning~" Shane greeted.
"Mm…"
Thinking back to last night's madness, Natalie felt a tinge of fear. She had survived countless missions filled with gunfire, explosions, and assassinations unscathed, but last night was the first time she genuinely thought she might die. Every shoot… Ugh! It felt like every time Shane would shoot, it would come out of her mouth. But… it… felt… good…
Shane reached out to grab the unfinished drink from the coffee table, but before he could, Natalie reacted swiftly and grabbed his wrist.
"Don't…"
"Hm? What's wrong?" Shane asked, puzzled.
"Last night… some of it splashed inside. If you want a drink, I'll pour you a new one." Natalie's pale cheeks flushed even deeper.
Shane was momentarily stunned. Then, as his lowered hand touched the still-damp carpet, he finally understood what she meant.
"Then you'd better hydrate quickly. While you're at it, pour me a glass too. Thanks." Shane smirked teasingly.
Seeing the smug look on Shane's face, Natalie's anger flared. Some balls he had to talk to her like this even after what he did last night…
She smacked his muscular chest before using her strength to prop herself up. Wrapping herself in the sofa blanket, she stumbled toward the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, Natalie immediately checked the device on her wrist. After a thorough inspection, she found no issues.
Then why didn't she use it last night?
Did she miss her chance? Impossible! She had never failed before.
In the end, Natalie could only attribute it to Shane's luck. Perhaps her bracelet had malfunctioned last night—after all, such things weren't unheard of.
But she was actually overlooking a critical detail.
Her bracelet could release a powerful electric current in an instant—strong enough to incapacitate even a large beast. If Shane had really been struck but was still completely fine afterward, that meant his physical endurance was terrifying.
However, because of Shane's bio-energy field, Natalie only felt a warm and soft sensation when touching him, which misled her judgment. Thus, she ultimately concluded that her equipment had malfunctioned.
Still, last night wasn't a complete loss. At least she was certain that Shane's physique was far beyond ordinary. He was at least stronger than she was.
Eventually, Shane left for work, full of energy, while Natalie decided she needed a proper rest and took the day off.
The moment Shane was gone, Natalie immediately contacted her boss.
"How's it going, Agent Romanoff? Any findings?"
"Other than an unusually strong physique, nothing for now." Initially, Natasha had intended to report everything that had happened last night, but for some reason, she changed her mind at the last second.
Nick Fury remained silent for a second before saying, "Keep observing."
At this point, Natalie was getting frustrated.
"Sir, why are you so sure that there's something wrong with him?" Natasha was a bit puzzled.
Nick Fury didn't answer her question. If he had to give a reason, it would be that he never fully trusted anyone.
"Tony Stark really is Howard's son—his personality is even worse than his father's. Stay at Stark Industries for now. If anything happens, you'll be able to respond immediately. I have a feeling that things in New York aren't over yet." Fury shifted the topic.
"Understood, sir." Natasha, being a professional, didn't push for further answers once Fury dismissed the topic.
"Mm. Also, don't overlook any clues about Shane Hunter."
"Got it, sir."
After hanging up, Natasha stared at her bracelet, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Shane, listening to Natalie's conversation with that bald egg from within the apartment, curled his lips into a smile.
All his efforts last night weren't in vain as it seemed like there was some effect after all. But the fact that Fury had been suspicious of him all along… That was a problem.
Shane's smile gradually faded, his brows furrowing slightly as he started contemplating his next move.
As predicted by Nick Fury, the seemingly calm New York was brewing a new storm.
Bruce Banner and his former girlfriend, Betty Ross, had escaped from General Ross—Betty's father—at Culver University in Virginia. Now, they were heading to New York, hoping to find a way to permanently cure Bruce.
As they neared the city, they were forced to abandon the old pickup truck they had picked up along the way due to an identity checkpoint. After some haggling with a middle-aged man at a port, they managed to secure passage to New York by boat.
While the fugitive couple made their way to Grayburn College in Harlem, an unexpected guest arrived at the NYPD.
Police Commissioner George Stacy was barely holding back his frustration as he stared at the arrogant General Ross.
It was almost the end of his shift. George had been looking forward to going home, hugging his adorable daughter, and maybe even lifting her up high for some fun. But then, this guy showed up, demanding that the NYPD assist in capturing a fugitive.
What was even more infuriating was that Ross didn't want them involved—just to lead the way. He even had the audacity to say that if it weren't for public relations concerns, he wouldn't have bothered talking to George at all and would have simply handled the matter himself.
As for the fugitive in question? Ross refused to give any details, only stating that the target was extremely dangerous and that this was beyond what regular cops could handle.
George Stacy gritted his teeth, barely suppressing his anger. If it weren't for Ross's military status, he would've already smacked him across the face.
'Is this how you ask for help?! You'd better adjust your attitude, you damn shithead! Show some respect!'
Still, despite his frustration, George knew when to pick his battles. In the end, he decided to personally lead a small team to accompany Ross and his men in capturing the fugitive. He wanted to see just who dared to cause trouble under the jurisdiction of the righteous Commissioner Stacy.
But when George saw the elite soldiers and high-tech weapons that the military had brought along, he suddenly felt like maybe… he hadn't brought enough people.
Unfortunately, there was no time to call for reinforcements. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and move forward.
To George's surprise, the capture went shockingly smoothly.
Locking down the area, identifying the target, neutralizing him—it all happened in one seamless operation.
He watched as Bruce Banner—a mild-mannered, even slightly scrawny man—was carried out of Grayburn College's laboratory building, completely restrained by the soldiers.
George turned to Ross, utterly baffled.
'This? This is the "dangerous fugitive" you were talking about? This is the "ruthless maniac"??? This is the "extreme threat"????'
Ross ignored George's bewildered expression and quickly strode up to the stretcher.
Leaning down, he whispered menacingly to Bruce.
"If you make it disappear, I will make sure you wish you were dead for the rest of your life."