Melina reached the shed and ungagged Alexei.
Alexei rubbed his bruised lips, then lunged at Jack, but remembering he couldn't win, settled for a death glare.
Melina shoved the nuisance aside. "Young man, since you're Natasha's boyfriend, I urge you both to leave. The Red Room is too big for just you two—and Tony Stark—to handle."
Jack sneered. "The hardest part about the Red Room is finding it. Now that you can lead me, destroying it will take minutes."
Melina shook her head, eyes full of dread. "No, you don't understand. You'll be captured. Dreykov's methods are terrifying."
Jack grabbed an iron pry-bar. "So what does the Red Room have? Countless girl assassins?"
He folded the steel bar in half. "Or mind-control red mist?"
Melina was stunned by his strength, yet still certain he couldn't beat Dreykov.
"You don't know Dreykov—he's paranoid and careful. You can't outsmart him."
Jack lost patience. "Then watch. I'm taking over the Red Room."
Ignoring the terrified Melina, he planned to have her guide them to the Red Room's flying base when the time came.
Unable to sway him, Melina went to find Natasha, hoping to convince her to run.
If this were the future Natasha who'd known the Avengers, Melina might have considered an attack. Right now, Natasha was only a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, freshly free of the Red Room.
Seeing Tony still asleep, Jack let him rest a while longer.
He entered Natasha and Wanda's room; perhaps "flooded by memories" described Natasha at that moment.
Facing her former captors again, Natasha could no longer keep up her usual façade; grief showed plainly.
"Dear, wait a little longer. Soon I'll fix everything, and in a few years we'll have a child."
Jack hugged Natasha, then pulled Wanda into the embrace as well.
"Won't forget you. You're both my wings—neither can be missing."
In this trio's world, had time and place allowed, Melina might have become a grandmother.
After their affectionate moment, Wanda asked, "Husband, it's been months—why is my belly still flat? You're not… broken, right?"
Natasha blinked; she'd assumed Wanda was on birth control.
"You're not malfunctioning, are you? We'd better hit the hospital if so."
Jack stroked their heads. "With a mighty husband like me? I'm just controlling it, so nothing's happened."
Though they didn't understand how, they relaxed. Wanda stepped forward and cast her magic.
Melina and Alexei soon walked in.
Melina began working her computer to contact Dreykov.
Tony had hidden a dozen unmanned armors nearby; the Red Room fielded not only Widows but soldiers, and those armors were ready for them.
Tony hid with the armors, ready to tail the Red Room's aircraft.
Hours later, deep night: a fully armed team descended from an advanced warplane and ringed Melina's cottage.
Male agents entered, searched, and found the three unconscious figures.
"Target located—three down," one reported.
Watching the feed, Dreykov pondered, then ordered, "Bring them all. Send the spare to the Dissection Lab for study."
Dreykov commanded a nearby Widow, "Ready the missiles—we may have guests."
Natasha and Melina were carried aboard; Alexei was dragged by his feet, catching a post on the way.
The jolt woke him, but before he could yelp, two needles stabbed each side of his neck.
Far behind, three armored figures followed at a distance.
An hour later, Tony grumbled, "Their plane crawls—my satellites already locked the Red Room's position."
His satellite scanned the sky ahead and found a thick cloud bank; analysis confirmed it concealed the Red Room base.
Jack reminded, "Tony, Natasha's still on their craft—rescue first, then we strike."
"Fine, but my heavies can move now."
Tony ordered the heavy-fire armors trailing far behind to accelerate.
On the Red Room's bridge, the transport landed; a squad of Widows approached to take Natasha and Melina. Leading them was their familiar face—Yelena.
Yelena's eyes were icy, emotionless, robotic as she carried out Dreykov's order.
She led Natasha and Melina away; male soldiers dragged Alexei elsewhere.
Outside the Red Room:
"Sir, we're missile-locked," J.A.R.V.I.S. warned over comms.
"Have Hothead pop flares and smoke."
A crimson armor surged ahead, spraying rows of decoys toward the Red Room.
Jack itched to test his Missile Survivor skill, but to spare Wanda worry, decided to experiment alone another day.
The trio dodged the first missile salvo; next came over a dozen Red Room fighters.
Their heavy cannons couldn't pierce the armor but threw off speed and balance.
Soon that ceased to matter.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., send in Bomb-Boy."
An armor streaked forward, then split into separate thrusters that homed on the fighters.
Several jets, clipped by Bomb-Boy's fragments, became debris themselves.
Dreykov had expected tough foes, but not Tony Stark.
"Manual aim—detonate around him."
Dozens of Widows manned retrofitted launchers and fired at Tony.
"Sir, incoming missiles—decoys ineffective."
"Damn, these guys stockpiled more than me."
Tony lost his cool at the swarm homing in from every side.
"Jack, pull back—I'll handle this."
Tony forcibly veered Jack and Wanda's armors into reverse.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., deploy Lightning Superman."
As Tony finished speaking, two armors flew out, splitting into individual components that formed an electric net between them, blocking the missiles' path.
Most of the missiles were detonated by the current; the rest looped around and locked onto Tony again.
The fragments of Lightning Superman had already been destroyed by the exploding missiles.
But the Red Room's shells wouldn't stop—new missiles launched under the Widows' control, targeting Tony and the armors beside him.
Jack and Wanda watched the show from afar; Jack even wanted sunflower seeds. No man can resist watching missiles blow things up—or get blown up.
"Oh my God, honey, is that Tony Stark flying out there?"
Jack looked where Wanda pointed and saw Tony blasted away by an explosion, his armor unable to stay level as he plummeted.
"Tony? You still conscious?"
"Yeah—blacked out for two seconds. Do these guys get missiles for free? How many more?!"
Even as Tony spoke, another salvo launched from the Red Room, making his eye twitch.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., time for the ace."
"Sir, Laser Fanatic is ready."
"Fire—let them see a genius's toy."
A blood-red armor shot out, heading straight for the missile swarm.
Just before impact, the crimson Laser Fanatic split along seams, revealing dozens of gun barrels.
Watching through the missile cams, Dreykov sneered.
"Genius inventor? Nothing spec—"
Before he could finish, the guns fired slender red laser beams dozens of meters long.
The armor spun, lasers shredding countless missiles in a chain of explosions.
Dreykov slapped the table, face dark. "Reload—fast! They're coming!"
"Jack, move up."
With the biggest threat cleared, the armor streaked in, entering Red Room before the next missiles loaded.
"Tony, we'll find Natasha first, then regroup. Seal your armor's air cycle."
"Go on—I'm gonna study this ship; it breaks every law of physics."
The trio ignored soldiers aiming at them and flew straight toward the beacon.
Bullets and other obstacles were useless—if missiles couldn't crack the iron armors, small arms never would.
Guided by J.A.R.V.I.S., Jack blasted through a wall; on the other side, a Widow squad escorted Natasha and Melina.
The Red Room Widows opened fire—uselessly.
"Marissa, take your team and them to General Dreykov; I'll cover."
The big-loli Yelena gave the order and led the rest to stall Jack.
"You overrate yourselves—can't even scratch the armor. How will you stall me?"
Wanda finally lost patience; red energy floated out, immobilizing the Widows.
Only Yelena was left, arm-wrestling Jack—still zero damage.
Jack's hand closed on Yelena's pale neck, releasing a jolt that knocked her out.
Hearing the noise, Marissa's four-woman team pressed blades to Natasha and Melina's throats.
A man's voice came from Marissa's body.
"Jack? Now I think we can talk."
Dreykov finished; the sharp edge kissed Natasha's neck, drawing a bead of blood.
Jack couldn't be bothered; he glanced at Wanda. She understood—red energy instantly wrapped the four Widows.
The Widows slowly lowered their daggers and untied Natasha and Melina.
Dreykov didn't know what happened, but he knew he'd provoked big trouble—his proud control method had failed.
Without wasting a roar, he fled with his daughter to another hideout.
Taskmaster followed like a bodyguard behind Dreykov.
"Everyone—at any cost, kill the intruders."
That was Dreykov's final order to the Widows before he entered his special escape pod.
Inside the pod, Dreykov triggered Red Room's self-destruct—only to hear not the expected prompt but the familiar snide voice from the news.
"Sir, you seem to have pressed something serious—so, planning to step out?"
Dreykov suddenly heard knocking on his plane; then the hatch opened, revealing an armor with micro-missiles aimed at him and Taskmaster.
Dreykov sighed, straightened his clothes, elegant as a gentleman.
Without Dreykov's order, Taskmaster silently followed behind.
Iron armors flanked Dreykov left and right, escorting him back to the control room he'd just left.
"Welcome back—now list every crime, every Widow training base on the ground, and your partners' info."
Jack, Wanda, and Tony stayed in their armors; against Dreykov's scent-based control agent, caution came first.
Natasha tossed a notebook; Dreykov caught it gracefully, then tossed it aside.
He walked to the hologram he'd used for years and deftly pulled up the requested files.
"These are all Red Room's data." Dreykov adjusted his glasses. "Looks like I'm old—beaten by a youngster so easily."
Jack only smiled, saying nothing—rescues were his forte.
Tony, cocky as ever, recounted how he'd cracked the Red Room.
"Your Red Room security beats the U.S. government's, but it's still a tad behind me."
Tony flashed a small unfriendly finger gesture.
"Now it's personal. They're eager to face you—hope your bodyguard can handle two furious women."
Tony stepped back; Natasha stepped forward, twirling a police baton.
Taskmaster advanced, locking eyes with Natasha.
Battle erupted instantly while Dreykov sat smiling, boasting to Jack and Tony.
"Pretty impressive daughter, right?"
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