Building Superheroes at Marvel

"I'm sorry, my team didn't know your true identities, which led to some complications," Gasco apologized after Natasha and Barton had been given the antidote. Slowly, the paralysis left their bodies, and Natasha pushed herself up from the ground.

Gasco was the first to speak, making it clear that, for now, they would be kept under his watch until the mission was completed.

"It's fine. Since this was all a misunderstanding, we'll head out now," Natasha said, her instincts telling her it was better to leave as quickly as possible.

But just as she took a step back, a cold blade pressed against her neck.

"Don't rush off, we can still discuss cooperation," Gasco's voice, almost ghostly, whispered in her ear as she was held at knifepoint. The suddenness of it left her no room to resist.

With strength like his, Gasco could easily take down her and Barton without breaking a sweat. Under his complete control, Natasha had little choice but to comply, for now.

"Tell me, what's your mission?" Gasco asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

With the second floor sealed off and isolated, there were still two hours before the crucial auction began. The area was under constant surveillance by the Red Queen.

"Our mission is to assassinate an arms dealer named Kent Threll," Barton said, his voice quiet. Natasha did the talking now, as Barton remained silent, wary of drawing attention.

Gasco listened closely, then nodded in understanding. "Our mission target is also Kent Threll, and we have something in our possession that he wants," a team member added, confirming the similarity of their objectives.

Natasha and Barton exchanged a look. This team was far beyond what they were used to. If they worked together, this mission could be as simple as a walk in the park.

"Well, it looks like we're all comrades in the same fight," Gasco said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he formulated a plan.

---

Half an Hour Later

"Yuck!!!" Natasha grimaced as she spit something out of her mouth, leaning against the wall, bent over in regret. She had just climbed through a sewer.

On the other side, Barton couldn't help but feel a little sympathy but also amusement. If it weren't for his build, it would have been him crawling through the muck.

"Hahaha, this is priceless!" Gasco chuckled, clearly enjoying the irony. Natasha had planted a bomb in the sewer, a plan that had been scrapped until she was called in. The team was too large to fit into the small tunnels, but Natasha's agility had turned the situation around.

"My vacation!" Natasha muttered under her breath, longing for the warmth of a beach and a glass of champagne, not crawling through sewers and setting explosives.

But it was too late for regrets. The task was done, and now they only had to leave everything in Gasco's hands.

---

On the Second Floor

The nine enhanced warriors, now disguised in plain clothes and wearing masks, had slipped in through a secret door, blending into the crowd in the auction hall.

"I've found him, follow me," one of them said after a prolonged search. They had located Kent, sitting in the front row of the auction hall, and immediately sent word to the others.

Drawing his weapon, the warrior swiftly approached four guards and killed them with precise strikes to their throats, quickly silencing them. He dragged the bodies to an unoccupied corner, donned a guard's uniform, and rejoined the crowd.

In the black market, few were innocent. The death of a few guards was no cause for alarm.

"No. 129 and 130, guard the gate. No. 127 and 128, come with me to retrieve the elements. The rest stay on standby," ordered Number 125, taking charge.

Wearing their masks, they entered the auction hall, and no one batted an eye. It was common in such places for people to hide their identities.

But what followed left the crowd stunned. The enhanced warriors revealed weapons—Gatling guns—and aimed them at the room.

"Hi, everyone!" Number 125 said with a smile, then opened fire. The six-barrel Gatling guns roared to life, unleashing a hail of bullets.

Against the overwhelming firepower, the bodyguards had no chance. A few dozen rounds of ammunition shredded everything in sight.

When the Gatlings fell silent, the warriors lowered their weapons.

"Pretty good. This guy didn't even keep the box with him when he was attacked," No. 129 commented as he found Kent's body, throwing the box aside in his panic.

"Should've held onto it better," another remarked, but the job was done.

"Alright, those gunshots will draw attention soon. Let's pull out," Number 125 said, eyeing the cracked box. It was still intact for now, but time was running out. They needed to transfer the box into a professional radiation protection case before it was too late.

"Mission complete. Let's go," he said, signaling his team. They swiftly changed clothes and made their way out, alerting the rest of the team to retreat.

At the same time, Gasco received confirmation of the mission's success and moved out with Natasha and Barton in tow.

---

Outside the Forest

Gasco had prepared a secure isolation box to contain the radiation. The team arrived and placed the boxes they had retrieved into the protective container.

"Alright, let's enjoy the fireworks," Gasco said, shooting Natasha and Barton a look as Number 125 nodded in understanding.

Then, as explosions erupted in the distance, the ground shook with deafening blasts. Just as Natasha and Barton tried to react, sacks descended from above, trapping them.

"Not good!" Natasha shouted, but their strength was no match for the enhanced warriors. They were helpless, their struggles weak against their captors.

After a few failed attempts to break free, Natasha and Barton were knocked unconscious and swiftly carried to the car.

"Everyone, retreat!" Gasco called, and the enhanced soldiers quickly piled into the vehicle, leaving the area behind them. Tomorrow morning, they had a flight to catch to New York.