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In a dimly lit café on the edge of Times Square, Ron sat at a corner table sipping a hot cup of black coffee—his first real taste of this new world. The rich bitterness grounded him. The ordinary feeling almost made him forget that, just a few miles away, military satellites were scanning for him like he was a nuclear bomb.
Outside, people lived unaware. Laughing. Chatting. Living.
Behind him, Aria stood guard, her expression unreadable. She scanned every corner of the café, silently commanding the space like a queen protecting her emperor.
And then—she arrived.
A red-haired woman in a black leather jacket pushed open the door, the bell above the frame ringing softly. She walked in casually, yet her movements were too precise, too smooth.
Ron didn't need his system to know who she was.
> [Target Detected: Natasha Romanoff – Code Name: Black Widow]
SHIELD Agent | Assassin | Intelligence Class A+
Threat Level: Irrelevant
She ordered a latte, then walked over to his table like it was all a coincidence.
"Mind if I sit?" she asked, flashing a polite smile.
Ron glanced up, calm and unreadable. "You already know who I am?"
"Not exactly," Natasha replied smoothly. "But SHIELD doesn't ignore people who vaporize Quinjets in midair and walk into Times Square without triggering every camera in existence."
Ron leaned back, amused. "So they sent the beautiful one first."
Natasha's eyes narrowed slightly but kept her cool. "They sent the one best at reading people."
She sipped her coffee.
"Care to tell me your name, mystery man?"
"Ron," he said simply. "No last name. I outgrew it."
"And what are you, Ron? Alien? Mutant? Something worse?"
"I'm none of those," he said. "I'm… inevitable."
There was silence.
His words didn't carry arrogance—they carried truth. It shook her, though she wouldn't show it.
Then, behind him, Aria stepped forward.
"Shall I remove her, Supreme One?" she asked coldly.
"No," Ron replied. "She's curious. Curiosity deserves answers."
He leaned forward, eyes meeting Natasha's.
"I was a nobody. Then I died. Now… I'm not just someone with power. I am power."
Natasha's fingers twitched slightly. Even without trying, Ron's presence suffocated the room. His very existence felt like standing in front of a black hole.
He smiled faintly. "You're not here to threaten me. You're here because SHIELD is scared."
She didn't respond—but he was right.
"Tell your boss," Ron said, rising from his seat, "that war is not what I seek."
"But if I must… I'll end everything."
Natasha stood too. Her heart pounded.
For the first time in years, she felt fear.
But strangely… there was also intrigue.
As Ron walked past her, she turned.
"Ron," she said, "what do you really want?"
He paused.
And without turning back, he said softly, "To live. To love. And to never regret again."
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