(a/n some parts of this episode are filler and non-canon, created from my extreme stress from school. Ignore the parts that seem too weird.)
Alex POV:
The next afternoon, I came back to the exact shield building.
How was I going to get in this time? I can't use the stupid get help method this time.
From far down the street, I glare at the glass building and the people inside at the reception desk.
You know what, since this is a filler episode with no impact on the story in way, I'm gonna do what I want.
Wait, what did I just think again? Huh weird. Anyways, It feels appropriate to try out neds other plans. How about I try the Solid Snake strat?
I walk over to a nearby dumpster, just to spot a suspiciously moving upside-down cardboard box on the ground.
You know what? Maybe it's a cat stuck in there. Let me free it.
I lift off the cardboard box, and inside...
And inside was a large, muscular man, wearing a long black headband with his brown hair done up. It was goddamn Mr Snake himself.
"Drat, I'm caught." He says in a low rumbling tone, before quickly sneaking away.
Okay, what the fuck. I realize that this chapter is like a filler timeskip chapter, but like, seriously? What's with all of these cameos anyway? System, what are characters from other franchises doing here? First with the Street Fighter and God of High School guys from the tournament, then Mercy Overwatch, now Metal Gear Solid?
[All fictional franchises are connected. Just what fictional universe you are in depends on what multiverse you are in. For example, you are in the Marvel multiverse right now, but there are characters from different fictional universes here too, though they might be different, and are destined not to play as big of a role.]
What- so what youre saying is that for example, in this world, there's just an Italian plumber named Mario going around fixing pipes?
[It's mostly random, because we don't know what period they lived in, but maybe. For example, in the One Piece multiverse, there could be a random Marine who could shoot well, named Clint Barton. In this multiverse, there could be a random sailor in the Atlantic right now named Luffy.]
That's so trippy... So, there could be main characters from other franchises as extras in our world? Like Sonic the Hedgehog as a random hedgehog somewhere in the wild?
[Well, Sonic the Hedgehog in this multiverse is contained somewhere in Stark Industries... But that's not important, you should get back to the story.
Oh, I guess... Wait, are you trying to change the topic???
Well, I guess I understand now... I guess this wasn't a useless filler episode after all. I wonder if I can add someone like mercy to the party...
Screw it. I quickly grab the cardboard box and put it over my head. This feels more like Fortnite then Metal gear solid...
I shimmy my way through the streets, and back to the shield building, where the receptionists that are supposed to be working, John and Bob, I think it was, are on their computers playing... Galaga?
I crawl past them under my trusty box unnoticed. Cameras might have caught me, but I don't really care. I really should get myself a physical ID so I don't have to sneak in every time. Wait, couldn't I have just told them I lost my ID and told them to search me on the database and let me in?
Well, I guess it's too late now.
I make my way to the elevator and enter the number code that I saw the employees enter last time when we used 'get help'.
As soon as I got down into the shield facility, a wall of input crashed into my senses. There were alarms blaring everywhere around me with flashing red lights, and fully armed mobile task force members running around. I swear I could hear some meowing and honking in the background.
Just then, the speakers came on.
"ALL PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST EXIT. THIS SHIELD BASE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY A MYSTERIOUS THREAT PRETENDING TO BE A CARDBOARD BOX. TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, THIS BASE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 10 MINUTES."
Bro, author, even if this is a filler episode, isn't this going too far?
(a/n school is eating away at my brain, and this is the only way to relieve stress)
Ok fair.
Just then, Nat comes running out of one of the supply rooms, covered in scraps of cardboard boxes, reloading her pistols. Did she shoot up all of the boxes in there?
A shiver goes down my spine. I can't imagine what would have happened if I still had the box over my head. Actually, I probably can imagine. Probably a bullet hole through my brain.
She scans her surroundings for what I presume are more boxes to annihilate, but her gaze stops right at me.
She starts to step confidently towards me while keeping eye contact. Did she figure something out? I subconsciously take a step back.
She grabs my wrist.
"Come on, let's get you out of here. Can't have you blow up due to me calling you over for a class, can we?"
"Huh?"
"Didnt you hear the announcement? Place is gonna blow in 30. 29 now I guess. Lets get you out of here."
still holding my wrists, she lead us to the exit staircase, since apparently the elevator is dangerous during emergency situations.
Once we entered the staircase, she let go of me and parkoured her way up floor to floor, jumping off the railings and stuff.
I look up, only to see her already like 5 levels above me.
...Damn how low underground are we. And I'm not even going to try the parkour.
I do a quick 30-second quad stretch and start sprinting my way up the stairs.
-o-
10 minutes later. I crawl out of the secret exit that was disguised as a porta-potty. My legs are screaming In pain. I think I just ran up at least 100 levels of stairs. I shouldn't be skipping leg day so much...
Outside, Natasha was waiting for me, arms crossed, with an unimpressed stare.
"Now since, this shield base is kind of unusable," Natasha pauses, a distant boom could be heard underground. "We need somewhere else to do our lessons. Where do you want to do it?"
"Uhhhh- what about all of your other students? Am I the only person that you're teaching?" I question, confused.
"Yup. Remember yesterday, the crowd of bruised and bloody recruits heading to Angela's office before you came to my class?"
A look of recognition crosses my face. I think I remember that. I remember seeing all of them in so much pain and rethinking my decision to take this class.
She notices my look of recognition and continues. "Those were all supposed to be your classmates, and all of them quit before you even came. Its been the same since I started teaching."
She pauses and clears her throat.
"I play as the type of brutal, unkillable boss you face at the beginning of soulslike games to start the game, to show how hard it will get later in the game. Every day, its just new recruits, beat them up, they all quit or change instructors, new batch. Until you. You actually interested me."
"Thank you so much for showing interest in me. I feel so honoured." I reply sarcastically, still in pain from the stairs.
"So, yes. You're my only student who stayed with me during my almost a year in teaching." She stated briskly. "Now where do you want to train."
"I-I know this abandoned building near where I live..." I mutter unsurely.
"Well that's where we'll do it. Text me the details. Ill give you my number." she replies cooly.
She pulls out a cute iPhone with a bunch of cat stickers on the case.
...? The benevolent master spy Natasha Romanoff with a cute little teenage girl's iPhone?
She notices my gaze on her phone, instantly shoving it down her pocket and pulling out a seemingly normal black flip phone, with an uncharacteristic blush spreading across her sharp features.
"You tell anybody what you saw, and I will end your life." She growls out through her clamped shut mouth.
I just grin, now knowing I got some blackmail over one of the world's best blackmailers.
Anyway, we got each other numbers, though I got a suspicion that the number I got was her work phone, but we decide to skip the class today, and meet up tomorrow at the location.
Now I don't need to sneak into shield for every lesson, and I got the Black Widow's phone number!
Hopefully, I can get closer to her during my next few months of training with her!
2 months pass without getting any closer, only brutal training.