Wade scrutinized Jason with deep suspicion. Such a specific and elaborate oath seemed strangely sincere.
He studied the man's eyes intently, searching for deception but finding only conviction.
"Even if I switch sides, we're still outnumbered," Wade argued. "Adding just one more fighter to your side won't tip the scales."
Jason responded with a confident smirk. "The most dangerous opponent is Speed Demon. I can neutralize him personally." He lowered his voice further. "Watch for three flashes of light—that's your signal. Until then, pretend you're still hunting me."
Wade took a deep breath. Only he understood the desperation that came after receiving a terminal diagnosis; he'd been like a fish flopping on desert sand, grasping for any chance at survival.
"Fine," he conceded. "You're calling the shots."
"Don't worry," Jason assured him. "I'll honor everything I promised—double pay, cancer treatment, and looking after your girlfriend. For now, distract your teammates and give me some cover."
"Understood."
Wade stepped dramatically away from the pillar, suddenly shouting, "Hey! Who's there? Come out!"
All eyes immediately turned toward him. Jason seized the momentary distraction to reposition himself, slipping closer to another target.
Wade gestured apologetically to the others. "Sorry—my mistake! Just a massive rat. Thought it had mutated and grown hair..."
The others dismissed his antics with knowing looks, accustomed to his erratic behavior.
Jason had intended to ambush Black Widow from behind, but she wasn't a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for nothing. Her situational awareness was extraordinary.
She pivoted smoothly, dropping low to sweep Jason's legs with a graceful series of movements before wrapping her arms around his neck in a textbook chokehold.
Damn it! Jason thought. If my chest weren't already injured, she'd never have caught me this easily.
Feeling the deadly yet undeniably feminine form pressed against his back, Jason briefly entertained inappropriate thoughts before reality reasserted itself. Focus, idiot—she's literally choking you to death!
He grasped Black Widow's forearm and rasped through his constricted airway, "Bucky is still alive!"
"What?" Black Widow faltered momentarily.
Jason mentally cursed. Wrong approach. Let me try again.
"D-Dreykov is still alive!" he managed.
"What?" This time her reaction was unmistakable—her entire body tensed with shock.
If Bucky the Winter Soldier represented a significant chapter in Captain America's tragic history, Dreykov embodied the root of Black Widow's traumatic past. He was fundamental to her origin story.
She vividly remembered eliminating him alongside Hawkeye in Budapest.
"His Red Room still operates," Jason continued desperately. "Your sister Yelena remains under their control!"
Black Widow's momentary hesitation provided the opening Jason needed. He twisted violently, breaking her hold and reversing their positions in one fluid motion. Before she could counter, he clasped his hand over her mouth.
They struggled across the cold concrete floor, bodies intertwined in deadly combat rather than passion. Eventually, Jason managed to secure her.
The exertion sent pain radiating through his injured body. His labored breath washed over Black Widow's neck, causing her to momentarily stiffen.
Detecting the subtle scent emanating from Natasha, Jason forcibly suppressed inappropriate impulses.
"Are your colleagues waiting outside?" he whispered. "Why haven't they intervened? Kingpin is about to win this round."
Black Widow's eyes widened. "Mmmmph?"
"Stay quiet and I'll release you."
"Mmm!"
Jason continued, "Is S.H.I.E.L.D. really collaborating with a criminal mastermind who deals in murder, narcotics, and human trafficking? Have you abandoned all principles?"
He cautiously removed his hand from her mouth.
"This isn't collaboration," she hissed back. "It's strategic exploitation. After we apprehend you, Kingpin won't escape either."
"What crime have I committed that warrants this relentless pursuit?"
"You massacred dozens and released toxins throughout Manhattan!"
"The 'poisoning' was a misunderstanding!" Jason protested. "As for the killings—I eliminate those who deserve elimination. I'm fulfilling the mission that police, FBI, and agents like yourself have neglected! I'm doing your job for you!"
Black Widow began to respond, but Jason tightened his hold. "Work with me. Once we leave here, I'll discuss everything with S.H.I.E.L.D. We can address Dreykov, the Red Room, and your former family in detail."
After a weighted silence, Black Widow relented. "Fine."
Jason hesitated briefly before deciding to trust her. Not because of any misplaced confidence in his charm, but because he recognized the significance Dreykov held in her psyche.
He relaxed his grip and whispered into her ear, "When you see three flashes of light, that's your signal. Until then, I'm your prisoner..."
"I've got him!" she called out.
Everyone converged on Black Widow's position, with Wade deliberately lagging half a step behind the others.
Kingpin's laugh rumbled with satisfaction. "Excellent work, Natalie. I'll consider adding a bonus to your fee."
"Appreciated," she replied coolly, stepping aside.
Kingpin gestured casually, and the elegant woman in black who had remained silent throughout—The Bride of Nine Spiders—flicked her wrist. A slender needle embedded itself in Jason's chest.
He quickly extracted it, noticing the dark blue-black discoloration indicating potent poison. His expression darkened.
With a solid wall behind him and enemies forming a semicircle before him, his situation appeared hopeless. Injured and seemingly cornered, escape seemed impossible.
"Did you anticipate this outcome, Hell's Butcher?" Kingpin's mouth curled with smug satisfaction. He tapped his cane methodically. "You should never have challenged me—neither at the gallery nor by using my property to distribute your toxins."
Jason rolled his eyes in exasperation. The drug burning incident was genuinely a misunderstanding. Why does everyone insist on misinterpreting it?
I'm a decent young man from a drug-free socialist country—my unfamiliarity with narcotic protocols is perfectly understandable!
I give up trying to explain.
Jason raised his gaze to Kingpin while surreptitiously assessing Speed Demon nearby. The speedster represented the most significant threat on the field.
The costumed villain glared at Jason with obvious hostility. Though his mask obscured his features, his eyes revealed an impatient, volatile temperament.
Jason had already formulated his counter-strategy: electricity. But given Speed Demon's reaction time and velocity, even this approach wasn't guaranteed. He needed the perfect opportunity.
He'd been waiting patiently for this moment—when everyone perceived him at his weakest. Now the opportunity had arrived.
Jason coughed deliberately. "I must admit, the dogs you've hired today are surprisingly competent."
Though his statement was general, his gaze fixed exclusively on Speed Demon, his multi-faceted expression containing four parts sarcasm, three parts mockery, two parts provocation, and one part pure contempt.
Already smarting from being tricked earlier, Speed Demon bristled visibly at the targeted disrespect.
Kingpin noticed Jason's focused antagonism and felt a surge of foreboding. He quickly extended his arm to restrain Speed Demon.
But the mercenary's moniker wasn't hyperbole—his speed was extraordinary.
Kingpin's hand had barely moved a few centimeters when Speed Demon launched himself forward.
He materialized before Jason in an instant, his fist becoming a blur as it rocketed toward Jason's face.
What Speed Demon failed to anticipate was that Jason had stepped forward the moment he finished speaking, arms spread wide as if welcoming an embrace.
This unexpected posture caused everyone to gasp in confusion. Even Kingpin's normally shrewd eyes widened with bewilderment.
"Oh my~" Wade exclaimed with theatrical innuendo.
Though Jason absorbed a solid punch to his already injured chest, the satisfaction of feeling Speed Demon's weight in his arms prompted a triumphant grin.
Got you, you magnificent bastard!
A crackling sound filled the air as brilliant silver-white electrical arcs illuminated the space, temporarily blinding everyone present.
FLASH!
FLASH!
FLASH!
After the third discharge, Speed Demon hung limply in Jason's arms, his body completely incapacitated.
Recognizing the signal, Wade reacted instantly. He drove his blade forward with lethal precision, impaling Sowande through the waist before the man could register the betrayal.
Black Widow moved with equal efficiency, delivering a devastating strike to the back of Echo's head with her weapon's hilt. The woman collapsed unconsciously to the floor.
In mere seconds, the balance of power had completely reversed.
==============================================
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================