Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Black Nuns.
Both sides were preparing diligently.
Natasha even approached Malrick directly.
She sensed the opportunity to eliminate Hydra had arrived. "Malrick, when do we move?"
"Soon," he replied. "Let the intel Nick Fury received circulate a bit longer."
Tony had already sent a list of Hydra operatives embedded in S.H.I.E.L.D. to Fury's inbox.
After all this time, the moment for it to explode was near.
Malrick stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the traffic along a Brooklyn street.
Even from here, he could practically hear Nick Fury cursing at someone from across the country.
"Be patient, Nata. The right moment is coming."
"But don't let this time go to waste."
"The Widows have just been enhanced. Their old combat style—stealth and speed—won't cut it anymore."
"They need to adapt to their new physical abilities. Train them. Help them find a fighting style that suits their power."
"Also, keep up the rescue missions. We're still missing some Widows out there."
"I doubt Fury will leave us waiting much longer."
Natasha nodded. "Understood."
---
A week later.
Nick Fury had yet to respond.
Meanwhile, the organization's headquarters had completed its final renovations.
Across the globe, the remaining Widows had been liberated.
Out of more than 300 agents—including Natasha and Yelena—313 chose to stay and join Malrick's ranks.
Each one had been thoroughly vetted. None were brainwashed. No Skrull infiltrators. Every member could be trusted.
On this day, in the conference hall at the top floor of the building, Malrick gathered them all.
Despite being called a "conference room," the space resembled more of a ceremonial hall.
A semicircular platform rose at the far end, flanked by carved Roman-style stone columns. The walls were made of yellow-brown stone, evoking a sense of history and gravitas.
Even the entrance was an iron door engraved with the image of Christ's Ascension.
Malrick stood on the platform in full Superman attire, his cape billowing behind him. He looked more like a high priest summoning believers than a leader addressing a team.
The agents stood silently, eyes fixed on him with awe and anticipation.
"Today," Malrick began, hands clasped at his chest, "our organization is officially born."
"I'm honored by your decision to stand here with me."
"Without knowing our exact mission or purpose, you chose to follow me—out of trust, or perhaps gratitude."
"That means more to me than you know."
"In the future, I believe none of you will regret this choice."
"But let me be absolutely clear from the beginning."
"This organization, from today to forever, has one core mission."
"To serve me."
"I didn't save you out of obligation or some grand ideology. I saved you for this."
"If anyone has a problem with that, speak now."
He scanned the room.
Silence.
No one objected. In fact, many looked even more eager. Some trembled slightly with excitement.
If this weren't an official meeting, Malrick was certain they'd already be screaming their loyalty to Superman.
Especially Yelena—whose eyes darted around wildly, shifting from joy to confusion and back again, lost in whatever bizarre scenario she'd invented in her head.
Malrick gave a small smirk and continued.
"No objections? Then I officially declare…"
"The Men in Black are born."
"You are the first generation, the founding core."
"Our main mission is to serve me."
"Our secondary mission… is to protect Earth."
He had no issue borrowing the name Men in Black—after all, the movie technically existed within Marvel canon.Malrick took a few steps forward and gestured with one hand. A massive holographic projection appeared behind him.
"I created this organization because…"
"This world is more than you know."
"Beyond what you've experienced, there are threats—hidden, alien, mystical."
A projection of green-skinned aliens filled the space.
"Some forces are supernatural."
Images of Kamar-Taj sorcerers and Qi warriors from remote villages appeared.
"And some are gods, claiming dominion over Earth itself."
Odin and Thor were displayed next, standing regal and powerful.
The Widow agents looked stunned.
To them, the Red Room had always seemed like the most powerful and secretive force in the world. But now… their worldview was shifting.
Malrick's tone grew serious.
"Some of these entities are allies. Some are guardians. And some only pretend to be."
"Our job—your job—is to stay in the shadows… and strike before the danger emerges."
In the Marvel Universe, world-ending threats were always just around the corner.
Some came from powerful interdimensional beings.
Others came from a single rogue scientist or billionaire with a vision.
The Earth was always hanging by a thread.
Malrick didn't want to return from another dimension one day only to find the planet had been obliterated.
"But we're not here to babysit the world," he said.
"We're not shields—we're swords."
"We are the Men in Black. A hidden weapon. A blade that hangs silently above every threat, ready to strike."
"Now… repeat the oath after me."
Malrick floated above them, hovering in the air.
The Widows raised their arms in unison.
"Repeat after me," he said, voice firm.
> "When the world is blinded by the illusion of peace and deceived by lies…"
"We will always remember—everything is false!" they echoed.
> "When laws suppress justice and morality binds the world…"
"We will always remember—everything is permitted!"
> "And above all, we follow the creed of the Men in Black—guiding this chaotic world to its final peace."
Malrick slowly descended.
"The oath is complete."
A hush fell over the room.
The agents stood still, absorbed in the weight of their words.
They weren't just soldiers anymore. They were guardians in the dark—warriors entrusted with protecting a world that didn't even know they existed.
Malrick raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
The stone doors behind him swung open.
Three hundred and thirteen sleek black armors flew into the room.
Each one carried a tailored black suit, perfectly fitted for its designated agent.
"This is your new armor," Malrick said. "Your uniform."
"They were crafted using global resources I had access to in another world."
"Each one is modeled after Stark's Mark 5 design—collapsible, portable, equipped with a new element arc reactor."
"From now on, you'll wear these when you serve."
The agents looked on in amazement. Every suit was fitted to their body type. The craftsmanship was flawless.
Yelena spun in circles hugging her suit, completely overwhelmed.
Malrick gestured for silence.
"From today on, you are no longer 'Widows.' You are Men in Black."
"Soldiers who move in shadow, but fight for the light."
"Your codenames will follow the alphabet. Natasha is Agent N. Yelena, Agent Y."
"For others, we'll use the first letter of your name. If duplicates appear, we'll assign double or triple letters."
The room erupted in cheers.
The agents eagerly grabbed their suits and changed on the spot.
And so, the Men in Black—soon to be legends of the Marvel Universe—were born.
But that wasn't their only name.
Because as the world would soon come to know, these women didn't just serve the Men in Black…
They served Superman.
And soon, people would call them by a different title:
The Black Nuns.
The Valkyries of the God of Earth.
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