Ever since 2B awakened to self-awareness and emotions, she has regarded Loren as the most important person in her life. After learning about the special relationship between boyfriends and girlfriends, she silently came to see Loren as her man.
Of course, she usually called him "boss"—never "her man."
But just because she didn't say it aloud didn't mean she didn't feel it in her heart. So whenever she saw other women trying to approach Loren, she would instinctively react with hostility. According to her understanding, this was what humans called jealousy.
On the other side, Loren watched as 2B kicked Natasha away.
He couldn't help but gasp. "How painful must that kick be!"
He flinched, afraid to look at Natasha's battered condition.
Neither Loren nor Natasha had expected what happened next.
Natasha hadn't even seen who was coming before she was sent flying.
Fortunately, she'd been wearing Heavy Armor A when she went out—otherwise, that kick alone would have sent her straight to hell.
"Damn it! Who are you?"
Natasha crawled out from the rubble, her hair disheveled and her face flushed with humiliation. Without hesitation, she drew a pistol from her waist and opened fire on 2B.
2B responded instantly, flicking her katana with practiced ease to deflect every bullet. Her blade was a versatile weapon—deadly in close combat and capable of intercepting projectiles midair.
"Fox spirit! You still dare to resist? You're asking for death!"
Seeing Natasha fight back, 2B's expression turned icy. She lunged forward, thrusting her katana toward Natasha's chest.
Natasha barely managed to roll aside, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.
Not wasting a second, she pulled a strange device from her belt and hurled it to the ground.
The moment it hit the floor, a powerful magnetic pulse erupted.
In an instant, it wrenched the katana from 2B's grip, temporarily disabling her primary weapon.
But what Natasha didn't anticipate was that the device affected more than just the blade.
To her shock, the woman herself seemed caught in the magnetic field—struggling visibly to break free.
Natasha froze in disbelief.
Magnetic devices only worked on ferrous materials—they had no effect on the human body.
Yet here was this woman, clearly being pulled by the force.
Wait… that's not right.
It wasn't that the device suddenly worked on flesh—it was that something inside the woman's body was metallic.
"What's inside you?" Natasha stared at 2B, eyes wide with astonishment. "Why is the magnetic field affecting you?"
"If you care," 2B snarled, "you'll die!"
Furious that this seemingly ordinary woman had so many tricks, 2B immediately commanded Pod 042 hovering nearby to fire a laser at the device. With a deafening bang, the gadget exploded into a heap of smoldering scrap.
Freed from the magnetic restraint, 2B moved like a fish returned to water. Her katana—retrieved in a blur—shot forward, aiming straight for Natasha's chest.
But Heavy Armor A held. The blade didn't pierce through.
Still, 2B's strength was no joke. Though the armor absorbed the penetration, the sheer force sent Natasha hurtling backward like a kite with a severed string. She slammed hard into the steel wall behind her.
With a resounding crash, Natasha crumpled to the ground—unable to rise.
At the same time, a mouthful of bright red blood spilled from her lips—her expression utterly miserable.
After stabbing Natasha with a knife and leaving her defenseless, 2B didn't stop there.
She swiftly closed in, raised her katana, and prepared to finish Natasha off for good.
But at that moment, Loren's voice rang out, calm and measured:
"Well, just teach her a lesson. Her crime doesn't warrant death."
At the sound of Loren's command, the blade poised to sever Natasha's neck halted mid-strike.
2B sheathed the sword and tossed it over her shoulder.
"You're lucky," she said coldly. "Don't let me catch you near the boss again—or next time, I'll stab you to death."
With that threat hanging in the air, 2B turned and strode back to Loren's side, instantly transforming into her usual well-behaved, almost doll-like self.
Loren watched, secretly stunned by how quickly her demeanor shifted. So this is what happens when a female android gains emotions—her temperament becomes as changeable as the wind!
And judging by the look on 2B's face, she wasn't just eliminating an enemy—she was getting rid of a love rival under the guise of duty.
But then again… a love rival is still an enemy.
"Boss, what are you staring at?"
2B's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp with barely concealed resentment.
Her tone dripped with displeasure, teetering on the edge of an outburst.
"N-nothing! Nothing at all," Loren stammered, quickly averting his gaze. "I was just thinking—you fought really well. Seriously, amazing!"
He forced a casual laugh, then leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of rainbow light that shot skyward.
Watching Loren and 2B vanish with such arrogance, Natasha's eyes filled with bitter humiliation.
She and Clint had come to support Minister Pierce—only to fail spectacularly.
Not only had Pierce been murdered right before their eyes, but they'd been utterly overwhelmed, left powerless to fight back.
What a crushing disgrace.
And worse: a member of the World Security Council had been assassinated—in his own office.
This wasn't just arrogance anymore. It was outright lawlessness.
"What happened to you two?"
Coulson burst into the room, his face etched with urgency.
Seeing Natasha and Barton in such a wretched state, he couldn't hide his shock.
"Where were you just now? Didn't I send a support request?" Natasha demanded.
"Why didn't you use the Quinjet's weapons to back us up?"
"What? You sent a message? I never received it!" Coulson replied. "The Quinjet's operating system suddenly went dark. I've been troubleshooting this whole time—I had no idea what was happening here. Are you both alright?"
"I'm not dead yet… but Pierce is."
"What?!"
Coulson's eyes snapped to the body slumped nearby—Alexander Pierce.
"Who did this? Did you identify them?" he asked, his expression grim.
Natasha shook her head. "There were two of them—a man and a woman. The man wore bat-like armor; his face was hidden, but he's incredibly powerful—clearly skilled in information warfare.
Our S.H.I.E.L.D. systems, the Security Council's networks, and even the Quinjet blackout you just mentioned… all his doing.
I did see the woman's face, but I've never seen her before. She must belong to some newly emerged criminal faction. I'll need to run a full investigation to uncover her identity."
"The Quinjet was hacked?!" Coulson cursed. "Damn it—where the hell did these monsters come from?!"
"Who knows?" Natasha sighed, slumping weakly against the wall, her expression heavy with foreboding.
"One thing's certain—the world's growing more chaotic by the day. I fear the sky itself is about to change."