Chapter 83: Season 2 Ch 83: Job Application

Yo guys, I’m back with the new season.

Actually, my father was sick, so I had to take a longer break. Everything’s fine now. And here’s your chapter, enjoy!

_________________________

Natasha groggily opened her eyes. It was nighttime. She felt the warmth of a bonfire nearby and realized she was lying on a bed of leaves.

Maria Hill sat on a log a few feet away, roasting fish over the flames.

Memory rushed back in an instant, and Natasha jolted upright. “Where are we right now, Hill?” she asked, rubbing the back of her neck. “What happened to the Helicarriers?”

Maria let out a slow sigh and kept her eyes on the cooking fish. “We are in India. And I have no idea what happened out there. It has been three hours since we were teleported, and about an hour since I woke up to find us stranded in this jungle with no way to contact anyone.”

Hill was a top-tier spy, so figuring out their location was basic operational training. While it was still the middle of the afternoon back in America, the sky here was pitch black and filled with a beautiful spray of stars… and it was not a good idea to roam the forest at night.

She was calm because there was nothing they could do about anything. And also because whatever could have happened would have already happened by now.

Hill then filled Natasha in on the last thing Veritas had said before she lost consciousness. She explained his grand declaration about a worldwide purge.

“A worldwide purge of sinners, huh?” Natasha muttered. She scooted closer to the fire and accepted a roasted fish from Hill. “So that is why he threatened me on the Lemurian Star to get a copy of Zola’s algorithm. He wanted to modify it to target his own list of sinners instead of whoever Hydra was planning to kill.”

Hill nodded with a shrug. “Indeed, the world is full of genocidal maniacs.”

.

.

.

.

The next morning arrived quickly. The two women started moving through the trees to find a way back to civilization.

Fortunately, they only had to walk a few kilometers before stumbling upon a dilapidated ship garage. The dirt around the old building was marked with tire prints that looked only a few days old.

Hill instantly realized what this isolated place was. This had to be the exact rendezvous point where Veritas and Batroc’s mercenary team had met before the Lemurian Star hijack.

She was the one who had informed Veritas of this place, after all.

Her expression soured a bit at the thought of that annoying terrorist, but at least they had figured out a clear path to civilization.

They started their hike at five in the morning, and just two hours later, they finally found a small, bustling town.

Natasha sat on a wooden bench and sipped steaming hot tea from a small clay cup. Somehow, the clay made the drink taste even more refreshing.

She casually flipped through a local Tamil newspaper, half-reading the headlines while quietly eavesdropping on the tea stall owner and his friends as they discussed yesterday’s near-catastrophic events.

The entire issue seemed to be devoted to what had happened. Page after page was filled with reports, photographs, and speculation about the chaos that had nearly consumed the world.

One of the larger headlines reported that thousands of people had been apprehended across the country after openly confessing to crimes during yesterday’s mass panic or taking part in the violent riots that erupted in several cities.

The newspaper also reported violent clashes between opposing mobs. Some groups had taken to the streets chanting Veritas’s name and praising his declaration, while others had confronted them, furious at what they saw as the glorification of a mass murderer.

What began as arguments had, in several locations, escalated into full-blown street fights, leaving dozens injured and prompting police and security forces to intervene.

Natasha slowly lowered the newspaper.

Sure, everything turned out to be okay in the end, but looking at the pictures and piecing together the global panic, the only thing she could think was a simple, quiet “damn.”

Hill came back with a brand-new minimalistic phone bought with cash withdrawn from a nearby ATM, one of the perks of being a spy… she never had to worry about money in any part of the world.

She walked back over to Natasha, accepted a cup of tea, and sat down beside her.

“What did Fury say?” Natasha asked.

“He’s sending a chopper in an hour. That’s your 4th newspaper. Found anything different on this one?” Hill took a sip and said the latter part half-jokingly.

Natasha sighed. “Just making sure yesterday actually happened. Not some fever dream.”

The worldwide panic, the riots… Veritas. Destruction of all SHIELD satellites… and SHIELD itself.

Hill just gave a dry, humorless scoff.

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the people on the street.

“So,” Natasha said, “what are you gonna do now? SHIELD is completely gone.”

Hill stared into her tea for a long moment. “Probably join some big corporation that can actually pay me well. My skills are worth something on the private market.”

“A proper job,” Nat said quietly. “that sounds nice,”

Natasha smiled slightly at that. “Sounds nice. I think I might roam around the world for a while and see what happens.”

.

.

.

.

Elizabeth Braddock, also known as Psylocke, managed to sneak into America illegally yesterday.

The whole journey took her six long hours, even after she played every card she had to get here as fast as she could. Sadly, the man she came to find was long gone by the time she touched down.

But that wasn’t the real problem; she knew he would show himself again very soon… the real issue was… Money.

She only had a handful of crushed dollar bills left in her pocket. The rest of her cash went into securing the trip, buying fake documents, and dealing with other useless complications along the way.

Her stomach gave a loud growl as she spotted a hot dog stand down the street. It had been a very long time since she ate something like that.

Back in Genosha, the food options were mostly vegetarian. She was completely sick of eating plain tomatoes and beans every single day.

She figured spending a couple of dollars would not hurt.

“How much?” she asked the chubby stall owner.

“Twelve dollars, missy.”

“That is actual robbery!” Betsy shot back as her mind immediately conjured a horrifying vision: A white empty form with a big bold heading… JOB APPLICATION.

.

.

.

.

While Psylocke angrily haggled over the price of a hot dog, a very different scene was playing out nearby.

Inside an elegant and expensive cafe, a beautiful blonde Asian girl in a dark black outfit sat alone. She rested her head on her hands and stared intently at her phone. A cup of black coffee sat untouched on her table.

A woman with striking green eyes and dark hair walked over. She pulled back the chair across from the blonde girl and sat down. “Misa, right?”

The blonde girl looked up. Her eyes went wide, and her jaw practically dropped to the floor.

“Holy shi-” she started, quickly slapping both hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming out loud.

“Lunaticia? You are Luna Graham!!” she whispered frantically.

The green-eyed woman, Luna, just smiled and tilted her head.

The internet was a very interesting place. Luna was smart enough to hide her own digital footprints, but she had managed to track down Misa’s real identity just by studying her chat history on Veritas’s streaming platform.

It also made things a lot easier that Misa actually used her real name in the live chats. It was not the smartest move on Misa’s part, but it was a lucky break for Luna. She reached out, and the two girls quickly agreed to meet at the cafe.

However, they barely spent five minutes at the table before Misa insisted they leave. She wanted to go back to her apartment because they could not talk about her favorite topic in a crowded public space.

Luna agreed right away. She had verified the girl’s background.

The real reason she tracked Misa down was not something she wanted to discuss in front of strangers either.

.

.

.

.

“You have a really nice place, Misa,” Luna said as she stepped inside and looked around the apartment. It was a little messy, but the overall gothic aesthetic was actually quite nice.

Misa thanked her with a bright smile. She told Luna to make herself comfortable in the living room, closed the front door, and quickly hurried into the kitchen to grab some snacks and drinks.

Luna walked over to the living room couch and sat down. As she settled in, she noticed a decorative pillow digging into her back. It was a bit uncomfortable, so she grabbed the pillow to move it aside.

What she found behind it made her pause.

A cute, hand-stitched plushie of Veritas sat there in his white mask and signature suit. It was surprisingly well-made, clearly crafted with real care and attention to detail.

That wasn’t the shocking part.

The shocking part was the absolutely massive silicone dildo standing between the legs of the tiny stuffed terrorist.

“Oh…” a small voice squeaked from the doorway.

Luna looked up to see Misa standing there. She was holding a tray of chips and sodas, and her cheeks were turning bright red.

“You saw that, huh?” Misa giggled sheepishly. She looked slightly embarrassed as she walked over and set the tray down on the glass coffee table.

Misa held up her free hands in a sudden panic. “Just so you know, I do not insert that giant thing inside me! It’s physically impossible. I just like to sit on it.”

“Oh, wait, not that kind of sitting! I just rub myse…” Misa stopped talking abruptly and sighed in resignation. “Oh, there is no recovering from that, is there?”

“Probably not, but I don’t judge.” Luna deadpanned.

“Anyway, I’ve contacted you to offer you a job.”