Nathan didn't move a muscle. He had no intention of stepping into the chaos erupting behind him.
It wasn't his problem.
And considering he was still being hunted by HYDRA, any unnecessary exposure could prove fatal. He pulled his hood up, turned away, and prepared to leave the open-air restaurant unnoticed.
But just as he turned, his gaze settled on the figure locked in combat.
And his eyes narrowed.
He recognized her.
In the middle of the fight, surrounded by HYDRA agents with mechanical exoskeletons, was none other than Natasha Romanoff—Black Widow, elite field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
She was dressed in civilian clothes, sunglasses slightly askew, her hair whipping around as she dodged yet another punch that cratered a wooden support beam.
"Damn it... this is getting out of control." Natasha ducked under a swing and rolled to the side. "These exo-arm freaks... they're faster, stronger... enhanced."
She had been in plenty of tough situations before. But this? This felt excessive.
They were clearly after the data she'd stolen—HYDRA's trade operations in the South.
Information too valuable to let go. Or so she thought.
Across the street, Nathan had already turned to leave.
He wasn't interested in S.H.I.E.L.D. agents or in old grudges between HYDRA and their enemies. He just wanted to disappear.
But fate, as always, had other plans.
One of the HYDRA agents turned and spotted him. Then another.
Their eyes widened.
They whispered frantically to each other.
"That's him!"
"It's the target!"
"Do we switch?"
"Switch now!"
"Forget the woman—we go after him!"
Without hesitation, the entire HYDRA team abandoned Natasha and charged toward Nathan.
They dropped their pursuit of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents—and rushed him instead.
Natasha blinked in disbelief.
One moment, she was bracing herself for a desperate defense.
The next, her enemies had completely forgotten she existed.
She stood alone in the aftermath of broken tables and splintered chairs, fist still raised, surrounded by silence.
"What the hell just happened...?"
She looked at the scene across from her: a lone man in a black hood standing by the road.
Tall, lean, with sharp features and a silver glint of something metallic strapped to his back.
Her brow furrowed.
"Who the hell is this guy?"
She didn't recognize him.
But clearly—HYDRA did.
They were willing to abandon valuable intel just to go after him.
"That information was a critical asset. Why would they leave it? Unless..."
Natasha's sharp instincts fired all at once.
"This man... he must be worth more than the intel I have."
She narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully.
"If HYDRA wants him that badly... then I absolutely can't let them take him."
She shifted her stance, preparing to join the fight and help him escape.
But before she could move—
Nathan acted.
He reached into his jacket and lobbed a small, cylindrical object into the path of the oncoming HYDRA agents.
"Grenade!"
One of the agents yelled.
"Get down! He's insane!"
"It's too close, we're all going to—"
Buzz—
There was no explosion. Instead, a sharp electronic hum filled the air, followed by a visible wave of blue-white energy rippling outward.
The HYDRA agents froze mid-step, their exoskeleton arms locking up instantly as if someone had pulled the plug.
It was an EMP grenade.
Natasha's eyes widened.
She had seen HYDRA's tech before. She recognized the paralyzing wave that short-circuited their mechanical enhancements.
Then came the bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In less than two seconds, Nathan had drawn a compact pistol from under his coat, raised it, and fired.
Each shot was perfect.
Three agents down. Then four. Then six.
Each one with a bullet between the eyebrows.
Dead center.
People nearby gasped.
"That guy... he just gunned them down like it was nothing."
"The way he moves... it's not human."
"Fastest draw I've ever seen."
"He didn't even flinch."
Even Natasha, with her years of combat experience, felt a chill. "That was... Hawkeye-level marksmanship. Maybe even better."
But he wasn't using a bow.
He was using a sidearm like an extension of his own mind—fluid, instinctive, lethal.
She watched him holster his weapon without a second thought.
The street fell silent.
All of HYDRA's agents were down, their bodies still, weapons disabled.
Nathan exhaled slowly and adjusted the strap on his shoulder.
He hadn't planned for this. But once HYDRA recognized him, he had no choice.
He needed to finish the fight before they could relay his location.
Because if a squad of Winter Soldiers showed up, even he would be in trouble.
He didn't even glance at Natasha.
He turned, grabbed his helmet, and began walking back across the road toward his motorcycle.
The crowd still stood in shocked silence.
Buzz!
He revved the engine.
And then—
Vroom!
The bike tore off the pavement and into the wilderness, kicking up dust as it vanished beyond the trees.
Natasha finally shook herself out of her stupor.
"Hey—wait!" she called out, but it was too late.
He was gone.
She stared after the trail of dust, eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you?"
She pulled out her phone.
Or tried to.
It sparked and died in her hand.
The screen was fried.
"Of course... an EMP." She muttered. "He hit me with it too."
She sat down briefly and began piecing things together.
"Enhanced physique. Precision shooting. Custom EMP weapon. Unknown identity. HYDRA priority target. Tactical retreat..."
She stood back up.
"Whoever you are, you're a serious wildcard. And I'm going to find out exactly where you came from."
---
Later, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters...
Natasha stood in front of Nick Fury, handing over the encrypted drive she had recovered.
He sat behind his desk, reading through the files with one eye, the other covered by his iconic eyepatch.
He gave a curt nod. "You did good."
But he noticed her expression.
"Something bothering you, Romanoff?"
She folded her arms. "Something happened during the retrieval. Something... unexpected."
Fury's brow furrowed. "Unexpected how?"
Natasha took a breath. "HYDRA ambushed me. At least a dozen enhanced operatives, full exoskeleton arms. I was fighting them off when they suddenly stopped mid-fight."
She paused.
"Because they saw someone else."
Fury leaned forward. "Another target?"
Natasha nodded. "Some guy. I didn't recognize him. He wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D., wasn't HYDRA... but when they saw him, they all switched focus instantly."
"They dropped the mission—completely. Ignored the intel. They were laser-focused on him."
Fury looked up sharply. "Describe him."
"Early twenties. Asian. Athletic. Wore a black hood. Carried what looked like a metal shield—probably custom-made. And he moved like someone trained... no, enhanced."
"Enhanced?" Fury echoed.
She nodded. "Yes. He took down all of them. Threw an EMP grenade that disabled the entire squad. Then pulled a sidearm and executed every shot with near-perfect accuracy. Speed was superhuman."
Fury was silent.
"I don't know who he is," Natasha said, "but I know this: HYDRA wants him bad."
Fury tapped his fingers on the desk. "Then so do we."
He pressed a button on his intercom. "Hill, get me everything we have on enhanced individuals who've recently surfaced. Start with Asia, cross-reference with known HYDRA targets."
"Yes, Director," came the response.
Natasha looked toward the screen on the wall, still showing maps of HYDRA's movements.
"Something tells me," she said quietly, "that this man is going to become very important."
Fury didn't disagree.
He stood slowly, crossed his arms, and muttered, "Let's find out who this ghost really is."
___________________________________
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