MARVEL: THOSE YEARS I WAS UNDERCOVER IN S.H.I.E.LD

Inside the Convenience Store!

At this moment, Natasha Romanoff sat in a chair, casually chewing gum as she stared at the shopkeeper lying on the ground. She tilted her head and said, "It hurts, huh? Sorry, I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice. The matter is too urgent—I could only do this!"

The shopkeeper, lying in a pool of his own blood, his body covered in countless wounds, trembled violently.

God knows what had happened in the past half hour!

A nightmare. No, this was worse than the worst nightmare he had ever had!

Who would have thought that this beautiful, sweet-looking woman could be so ruthless?

Damn it!

Even the most terrifying dreams of his life didn't compare to one-tenth of the horror he had just endured.

If I survive this, I'll shut this damn shop down and flee to the ends of the earth!

Even if he had to spend the rest of his life in isolation, it would still be better than this hellish situation!

"Look at you. Poor thing. You've lost so much blood from the knife wounds that your face is turning pale. Keep this up, and you'll bleed out and die," Natasha remarked nonchalantly.

"So, tell me what I want to know."

"I get it—black market rules. If you talk, you die. But if you don't talk, you die too."

"So think about it—would you rather take your secret to the grave, or tell me and maybe get a chance to live?"

With that, Natasha stood up and walked toward the restroom.

Seeing her rise from the chair, the shopkeeper flinched in terror, fearing she would pull out that damn dagger again.

His limbs felt ice-cold. If he stalled any longer, he really was going to die.

He forced himself to lift his head and stare at the deadly woman heading into the bathroom. He wanted to scream for help, to run, to get out of here!

But the moment he remembered her cruel methods, his lips trembled in despair.

When Natasha emerged, her hands washed clean of blood, the shopkeeper's voice shook as he finally spat out a name.

"Eleanor Graves… Madam Graves!"

Hearing the familiar name, Natasha's brows furrowed. A second later, she remembered exactly who the shopkeeper was talking about.

"Damn it! What do these people want with Helium Glaze Spar?"

Muttering under her breath, she turned to the shopkeeper and suddenly smiled.

"I suggest you get to a hospital immediately. Of course, after you're patched up… I might just come looking for you."

She smirked.

"Oh, and by the way, Grimclaw's intimidation tactics work pretty well, don't they? So… thanks for your cooperation."

With that, Natasha slid on her sunglasses and walked out of the store.

"Psycho… absolute psycho!"

The shopkeeper muttered through trembling lips as he watched her disappear into the night. Then, with a hand covered in tiny scars, he scrambled to grab his phone and dialed the hospital for help.

There were at least a dozen wounds on his body now, far beyond what any underground doctor could handle.

Outside the Store

Natasha got into her car and drove straight toward the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. branch.

As she navigated the city streets, she pulled out her phone and dialed Clint Barton.

The call connected instantly, but before Clint could even say a word, Natasha spoke.

"Hey, Clint. Grimclaw and I ran into some trouble here. It's turning into a bit of a mess."

"I know you wanted to enjoy the whole 'new dad' thing, but I need you back. So… any chance you can cut your vacation short?"

On the other end of the line, Clint glanced at his wife, Laura, then gently handed their daughter over to her.

Then, he chuckled. "I'll be there soon."

Satisfied with his response, Natasha ended the call and immediately sent a message to Grimclaw.

New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Branch – Grimclaw's Office

Inside his office, Grimclaw frowned as he read the name Natasha had just sent him.

He looked up at Selina, who stood nearby, awaiting instructions.

"Assemble the strike team. The target is near Hell's Kitchen, at a Hand distribution base."

He passed her a list.

"Use the three team members I just assigned you. Also, have the other two teams on standby outside."

"Yes, sir!"

Selina glanced at the list and immediately sprinted out of the office. She had no idea why Grimclaw had handpicked these specific operatives, but she never questioned his orders.

Once she was gone, Grimclaw leaned back in his chair and murmured to himself.

"Pierce is going to know about my team selection soon enough."

"The Hand. Hell's Kitchen. Bring both of these factions into play, and New York is going to descend into chaos."

His fingers tapped idly against the desk.

"And since the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. branch is under my control now, I need to create a force that follows my lead."

His lips curled into a smirk.

"HYDRA, huh…? I can't wait to see Alexander Pierce's reaction."

There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

His desire to take the fight to HYDRA had never been stronger.

Want to read more? Visit patreon.com/Jozy_sr to support the story and get early access to exclusive chapters!