Chapter 93: A Good Feel
On the rooftop of the base, Black Widow, now dressed in her signature black tactical suit, boarded the helicopter parked on the roof and began to operate it, slowly lifting off.
She had successfully obtained all the research data and now planned to take advantage of the chaos in the base to escape and deliver the data to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Let Hawkeye handle the cleanup later!"
The intelligence she had gathered today was immense—not only Rice's mutant clone weapon project but also the rejuvenated Wolverine and a group of mutant children hiding in New York.
However, just as she got the helicopter off the ground, a figure with snow-white wings suddenly appeared in front of the helicopter.
"Flavido!"
George cast a Transfiguration Spell on the helicopter's rotor bearing.
Under the influence of the spell, the mechanical bearing transformed into a solid rock, causing the rotor to jam and stop spinning. The helicopter plummeted back onto the rooftop.
His Transfiguration Spell wasn't yet powerful enough to transform the entire helicopter, but altering a single component was well within his capabilities.
A single faulty part was often all it took to render a complex machine inoperable.
"You're quick!"
Before the helicopter fully crashed, Black Widow sensed something was wrong and leaped onto the rooftop. With remarkable agility, she began to make her way down from the roof to escape.
But for George, this wasn't enough to shake him off. With a burst of speed, he flew ahead of Black Widow and intercepted her on the rooftop.
"Natasha Romanoff, the renowned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent known as Black Widow, please hand over the copied research data."
"You're not one of Rice's men. Are you Wolverine's ally?"
Black Widow raised her right hand, where her Widow's Bite was ready:
"If you're Wolverine's ally, then we're not enemies. Our goals align—we both want to destroy Rice's plans."
From the distant explosions, it was clear that the base was still under attack. Rice was likely too preoccupied to notice that she had copied the research data and sent someone after her.
Moreover, even if he had noticed, it was unlikely he would know her true identity so clearly.
Therefore, the winged figure who had brought down the helicopter with his powers was probably Wolverine's ally.
"Since our goals align, please hand over the research data. This mutant cloning technology must be destroyed. Otherwise, even if we stop Rice this time, someone else will take it up later."
George extended his hand with a smile.
Black Widow shook her head:
"I can't make that decision. My mission is to deliver this data to the Director, who will determine whether to destroy it.
But please trust S.H.I.E.L.D. Whatever decision is made, the ultimate goal is to protect this world.
If you don't believe me, you and Wolverine can come to S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sure the Director will give you a satisfactory answer."
"It seems you're unwilling to hand it over. Then I'll have to take it myself!"
George didn't waste any more time. He raised his hand and cast a Stunning Spell.
"Stupefy!"
However, Black Widow was no ordinary soldier. With her extensive combat experience and the enhancements she had received during her training in the Red Room, she far surpassed regular agents.
The moment George raised his hand, she performed a tactical dodge, evading the magical beam. At the same time, she fired a micro-electrode from her Widow's Bite, delivering a 30,000-volt shock.
"Quick reflexes, but it won't help."
Seeing Black Widow dodge his spell and counterattack, George smirked. Using his magnetic powers, he redirected the micro-electrode back at her.
Since the micro-electrode contained metal, it was inevitably under his control.
Black Widow was shocked when her own attack was turned against her. She bent her body with incredible flexibility, trying to dodge the returning micro-electrode.
Unfortunately, the micro-electrode wasn't just rebounding—it was fully under George's control.
Just as it seemed to fly past her, the micro-electrode suddenly dropped in a way that defied physics and attached itself to her chest.
The 30,000-volt shock erupted, causing Black Widow to convulse on the ground.
"You should've handed it over earlier. Now you're paying the price."
George walked over to the immobilized Black Widow and shook his head with a smile. He began searching her and soon found a micro-USB drive hidden in a concealed pocket inside her suit, just below her chest.
"Nice figure, and it feels good too."
With a teasing remark, he crushed the USB drive in front of her.
Then, he pointed at Black Widow, who was struggling to overcome the convulsions and get up:
"Obliviate! Memory Modification!"
Yes, he intended to erase and modify her memory, just as he had done with Coulson.
He knew that the Memory Charm and Memory Modification Charm weren't flawless. While they might work on ordinary people, agents were rigorously trained and had highly analytical minds.
Upon reflection, they would notice inconsistencies in their memories and begin to question their experiences.
But for George, this wasn't a concern. He only needed the modifications to hold for a short time.
Even if Coulson and Black Widow later used S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources to restore their memories, it wouldn't affect him much.
After dealing with Rice, George planned to go into seclusion again to study and enhance his magical abilities. He wouldn't be going out much.
The only lead S.H.I.E.L.D. would have on him was Tony Stark.
And whether Tony would cooperate with Nick Fury was another matter. Even if he did, Tony himself didn't know where George and the others were hiding in New York—only that they were somewhere in the city.
George had never told Tony about the mutant school.
"Stupefy!"
After knocking out Black Widow with a Stunning Spell, George picked her up and flew toward the battlefield where Tony and Wolverine were fighting.
The mutant clones wouldn't stop fighting just because Rice was dead. Like X-24 in the movies, they wouldn't cease their pursuit just because their creator was gone.
Their controllers could command them, but if the controller died, they would continue to follow their last orders until they were destroyed.
So Tony and Wolverine were still battling a large number of mutant clones.
"George, help! We can't hold out much longer!"
As soon as George arrived at the battlefield, he heard Tony's desperate cry for help. Looking over, he was surprised:
"How did this happen?"
He had assumed that with Tony and Wolverine's combined strength—one handling close combat and the other providing ranged support—they should at least be able to hold their own against the clones, even if they couldn't win.
But Wolverine was being overwhelmed, barely able to fight back, and Tony's suit was in tatters. One of his arms was completely exposed, and the rest of the suit was badly damaged. Clearly, they had taken a beating.
(End of Chapter)