"I need to schedule a time to take you to see the Director."
When they were alone, Natasha continued the conversation from earlier about joining the Avengers.
Penny searched for the nearest food store on her phone: "You're right, I desperately need a new job."
"Besides that, you'll also need to undergo some physical tests or experiments."
Natasha revealed this to her in advance.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is a vast intelligence agency, and collecting information on super-powered individuals is a necessary condition."
"Of course, our suggestion is that you don't have to reveal your Spider-Man identity yet; it's your choice."
"No problem," Penny shrugged.
Anyway, she never intended to fully disclose her abilities from the start.
She had no intention of admitting to anyone else that she was the famous Spider-Man from Queens back in the day.
The fewer people who knew, the better.
A hero?
She didn't want to be one at all anymore.
Not after Gwen died.
"But if things move too quickly, I'm afraid the Director will take back the free apartment he just moved into."
Natasha seemed to deliberately want to complete her mission a few days, or even weeks, later.
Her missions over the years had always involved obtaining intelligence in other countries or dangerous assignments, constantly on the move.
It was rare to have an easy job, and she didn't want it to end so quickly.
"Huh?" Penny, however, couldn't wait.
But she also didn't want Natasha to move out.
Because Penny had decided to move back to Queens, not wanting her lonely Aunt Mei to be by herself.
It definitely wasn't because she wanted to be neighbors with Natasha Romanoff that she moved back.
Penny seriously held up a finger: "Since that's the case, then I'll add an extra condition."
"That is, Agent Natasha must be my neighbor, otherwise I will absolutely not join the Avengers!"
Penny thought for a moment and added.
"If Agent Natasha is no longer my neighbor one day, then I will no longer be a member of the Avengers!"
Natasha paused slightly, then smiled: "You mean, as long as I am your neighbor for one day, you will be an Avengers member for one day?"
This was the first time Penny had seen such a bright smile on Natasha's face.
Before, they were always subtle or faint.
Penny nodded firmly: "Yes! That's exactly what I mean."
"That's a good idea," Natasha readily formed a united front with her.
And they agreed to meet the Director tomorrow.
Penny returned her attention to her phone's navigation: "Turn right here and we're there."
It was a bakery, currently offering a buy-one-get-one-free special on bread, perfect for Penny, who had just been fired.
The two of them walked around the bakery twice, then Penny pointed to the most expensive breads.
"Don't want this one, this one, or this one; wrap up all the others!"
This made both Natasha and the clerk widen their eyes.
Unfortunately, with the current energy, it's still far from enough.
But it's barely on the safe line, so today will have to do... The next day.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in New York is located in Manhattan.
As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main command center on the East Coast, it is primarily responsible for monitoring and handling threats in New York and surrounding areas.
Natasha called for a car.
Seeing that the driver's clothes were the same as those worn by the black-clad men last time, Penny knew they were also from S.H.I.E.L.D.
An hour had passed by the time they finally reached the Manhattan headquarters.
If she had to commute to headquarters for work later, it would be two hours round trip from their home to Manhattan.
The commute would probably be very hard, and that's with a car.
They walked into a building that looked like an ordinary structure from the outside.
And in fact, the inside was also a very ordinary office building.
This made Penny a little curious.
Natasha seemed to notice her confusion and proactively explained.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. also has many ordinary departments; this is just one of its disguises."
Only after taking Penny through strange passages and elevators did they reach S.H.I.E.L.D.'s core facilities.
Access to this area required appropriate authorization, such as the Level Seven access card Natasha held.
She introduced Penny to several areas, such as the Command Center, used for coordinating missions and monitoring global threats.
And the laboratories used for researching high-tech weapons and alien technology.
However, there were fewer people here, as if no alien technology had been discovered yet.
—I knew there were no aliens!
Penny thought.
Then there was the Training Facility, which provided combat and tactical training for Agents.
And the Hangar, used for parking quinjets and other aircraft.
The entire interior of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s core looked very cool, much cooler than Stark Industries, which only made weapons before!
However, I heard that Stark Industries had already relocated and built the super-tall Stark Tower.
—Hmph, evil capitalist, Rotten Iron Man!
Penny cursed sourly in her heart.
"Before seeing the Director, we need to do some physical tests," Natasha said as she arrived at the Agent Training Facility, where the space was very spacious.
"If I can't pass, will I not be allowed to join?" Penny asked.
Natasha chuckled: "How could that be? Do you think there are many people in this World with special abilities?"
Just then, a slender, agile woman walked over.
"If you cannot meet the standards of an Avengers member, you can first become a regular Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
She had neat short hair and sharp, deep eyes: "We will also arrange for specialists to formulate a series of training programs to adjust your physical functions until they meet the standards."
Then she extended her hand: "Hello, Miss Penny, I am Melinda May, please call me Melinda."
Penny quickly shook her hand: "Hello! You can call me Penny too."
Melinda nodded and introduced her to the upcoming test content.
This included basic physical tests and her own special abilities.
Melinda led her into the training room and instructed her on the precautions during the test.
"So I just need to punch this dummy with all my might, then run at full speed on this treadmill."
"Finally, I just need to control these heavy objects with psychokinesis as much as possible, right?"
"Yes," Melinda left the training room and went to the control room, speaking through the loudspeaker: "Please start whenever you are ready."
Penny didn't rush to act; she was thinking about how much force to use.
Because the information she received earlier was that if she didn't pass their standards, she would apparently have to undergo their training.
—I'm a science student; physical training is out of the question!
—So I must exceed their standards to shut them up.
—Don't even think about making me participate in any subsequent specialized training!
Penny only planned to get a salary and coast along.
Just like when she was a research assistant at Stark Industries; she was clearly researcher material, but she only wanted to be an assistant.
—But what are their standards?