182 Chapter 180

Natasha soon arrived at the nearest station to the palace before getting off and starting to walk.

In a few minutes, she had already reached the palace and began walking towards her room where a great responsibility awaited her.

Antonia.

She was a heavy burden on her conscience.

Upon entering the room, she saw the girl asleep in bed, a childish face with brown hair.

Approaching, Natasha sat beside the bed and reached out to touch her face before stopping.

She had asked Damian to restore her body because she wanted her to have the childhood that she had taken away from her.

But for that, her memory would also have to be restored, and that was the point she hesitated on.

"Are you still hesitating?" Damian suddenly said, appearing behind her.

"Do it, there's nothing good to remember after the explosion. Yelena told me Dreykov sent her to the Red Room, and from there, it was only missions," Natasha said, suddenly deciding.

"Hm," Damian nodded before approaching the girl and placing his hand on her forehead.

With his experience, it wasn't very difficult; he simply made a chronological sequence of her entire memory, even the parts she couldn't remember, before cutting off everything that happened after that day.

Damian took a small, glowing green sphere from her mind and stored it.

This way, it was almost impossible for her to recover her memory, and if necessary, he could undo it.

"It's done. Now, she only remembers going to sleep the day before the explosion," Damian said, looking at Natasha while stroking her head, not liking to see her distressed expression.

"Am I being selfish?" Natasha asked, looking at Damian, using his handsome face to seek help.

"Does it matter? You can be as selfish as you want. If helping her have the childhood she couldn't have makes you feel good, then do it," Damian said, kissing Natasha's head.

"Hm," Natasha nodded.

"Well, I'll leave. You have a girl to convince; after all, she'll wake up in an unfamiliar place," Damian said after holding her in a hug for a few seconds.

"Can't you help me?" Natasha asked Damian, using his beautiful face to help her.

"Nope, handle this on your own," Damian said, kissing Natasha's lips before leaving the room.

Natasha could only sigh before sitting back on the bed and waiting for Antonia to wake up.

Suddenly, Antonia's eyes fluttered before she gently rubbed her eyes while sitting on the bed and giving a small yawn.

"Hm, what time is it?" Antonia murmured, moving her feet to get off the bed but suddenly noticed that they bumped into something soft.

Focusing her eyes, she saw a red-haired woman looking at her.

Antonia grabbed her blanket hesitantly, leaving only her head outside as she looked at Natasha with suspicion.

"Hello, Antonia," Natasha said, trying to give her the best smile.

"Hello, who are you?" she asked with a slightly scared voice, as she wasn't even in her room.

"I'm Natasha, actually an old acquaintance of your father, and-" Natasha said before stopping.

"Antonia, how old are you?" Natasha asked, looking at her.

"I'm 12 years old," Antonia said, still cautious with Natasha.

"Hm, you're old enough," Natasha nodded.

"You see, your father was the leader of an organization called the Red Room," Natasha said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

"Do you know what an organization is?" Natasha asked Antonia.

Antonia nodded slightly while still looking at Natasha.

"What the organization did was kidnap or buy girls with good potential to train them as tools for various purposes," Natasha said seriously.

"I was also part of it. When I was a girl, I was snatched from my mother, trained hard, my bones were broken, and I was subjected to brutal treatment to make me stronger."

"When I was older, I got tired of it, so I tried to break free. I planted explosives in your father's office before blowing everything up," Natasha said, watching as Antonia's expression turned to horror.

"But your father didn't die; you got injured in that explosion, and I feel guilty for hurting you. After all, you are an innocent child, just like I was when they took me away."

"So, I want to make it up to you. I'll take care of you until you're older, and then you can do whatever you want."

"What do you say?" Natasha asked, looking at Antonia.

"I don't feel hurt," Antonia said with doubt.

"I made you recover; I erased your memories from what happened. It's better if you don't have them if you want to grow up normally," Natasha said.

"Can I see my father? I still find it hard to believe everything," Antonia said, looking at Natasha with fear.

"Of course," Natasha said, nodding and extending her hand.

Antonia looked at Natasha's hand before hesitating and finally giving her hand.

She noticed that Natasha took it gently and helped her sit on the edge of the bed before handing her socks and a pair of shoes.

Antonia quickly put on the shoes before standing up.

Natasha again extended her hand, which Antonia took with a little more naturalness this time.

Both quickly reached an elevator; Natasha pressed a button that immediately displayed a scan before the elevator began to descend.

Soon, it stopped before opening its doors and letting them in front of a long hallway.

Natasha began to walk and gently pulled Antonia's hand. Along the corridor, there were several individual prisons with glass showing what was inside.

In reality, there were only three prisoners in this place. The first to arrive was Ivan Vanko, and the second person was Maya Hansen.

And finally, the last to arrive, Dreykov, was also the one who received the worst treatment since he barely received any healing after the constant beating he endured.

Soon, Natasha arrived with Antonia in front of Dreykov's prison.

Another quick scan made the door open, and on the prison bed was Dreykov. He still had several bruises on his face and didn't seem to be in high spirits.

"Daddy?" Antonia asked with doubt, resembling her father but much older.

Antonia's voice seemed to make Dreykov, who was pretending to be dead, react, as he sat up with some difficulty and looked at Antonia in amazement.

"Antonia... is it really you?" Dreykov asked as if he couldn't believe it.

As quickly as he could, he approached Antonia, looking at Natasha cautiously.

"Papa, is what she told me true? Do you buy and use girls as tools?" Antonia asked, looking at her father.

Dreykov was surprised by Antonia's question before looking at Natasha, who was watching the scene calmly with a smile.

"Of course, it's a lie; they just want to turn you against me. They are just monsters," Dreykov quickly denied.

Antonia immediately believed her father and hugged him tightly, while from the corner of her eye, she saw Natasha watching the scene calmly.

"Hm, it seems that's it. Come, darling," Natasha said, approaching Dreykov and taking Antonia away from him.

"No, I don't want to leave," Antonia said, kicking.

"Listen... you can't live here; this is a prison," Natasha sighed while easily releasing Antonia and taking her away.

She couldn't help but sigh because she really seemed like some kind of villain.

"Come on, calm down. If I wanted to do something bad to you, I would have done it by now," Natasha said, rolling her eyes as she carried Antonia on her shoulders.

"My dad already said you're a liar," Antonia said, looking at her angrily.

"Doesn't it strike you that your father looks so old?" Natasha asked, getting into the elevator.

Antonia's tantrum stopped as she thought about it.

"You're 12 years old now; think for yourself. You look like a twelve-year-old, and you have the mind of one, but in reality, you should be around 21 years old," Natasha said.

"For now, try to live normally. When you grow up, some things will be revealed naturally," Natasha said, getting out of the elevator and walking towards one of the cars.

Natasha put Antonia in the back seat before fastening her seatbelt and securing the door.

She quickly sat in the driver's seat before starting to drive towards her parents' house.

"I know it must be hard for you to understand; your father, the person closest to you, suddenly gets captured, and they tell you he's not a good person," Natasha said as she drove.

"But you can't change anything. I have a deep resentment against your father; it's impossible to free him. For now, just try to live well; it's easier for you since I had to survive," Natasha said.

Antonia remained silent throughout the journey, pondering how her life had suddenly changed.

Despite being only 12 years old, she was quite intelligent and quickly analyzed the situation. For now, she decided to go with the flow, as the red-haired woman had suggested; there was no way to change anything.

She resolved to do everything possible to gain power of any kind, with the hope of one day freeing her father.

Seeing the determined look on the young face, Natasha smiled faintly; at least it seemed like she would be calm for a while.

...

Bruce was looking at himself in the mirror while adjusting his tie, wearing a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

"Come on, don't make that face," Betty said, laughing softly as she hugged him from behind.

"I really have a bad feeling about your father wanting to have dinner with us. I'd prefer him to come to us instead of us going to his place," Bruce said, frowning with distrust.

"Sigh... come on, I don't think he's trying to harm you," Betty said, looking at Bruce through the mirror.

"Besides, he's the last family I have. He said he genuinely wanted to mend things between us. If there's a chance, I really want that."

"I'm not worried about him doing something to me; I'm worried about you," Bruce said, shaking his head, fearing not a fight he'd inevitably win but that Betty might get hurt in the process.

With both of them ready, they walked to the garage before getting into their car. Bruce began driving to the location following the GPS.

They quickly arrived at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city near the sea. Bruce eyed the surroundings distrustfully; an isolated and lonely place was perfect for an ambush.

Betty walked hand in hand with Bruce towards the restaurant. Seated at the only table was her father. Both were astonished to see Ross looking much younger.

"Hello," Bruce said calmly before sitting with Betty.

"Hi, Dad," Betty said more amicably.

"Betty... Bruce," Ross said, smiling amicably.

At that moment, several waiters served them drinks while handing them menus.

Bruce idly noticed that the waiters were soldiers; their movements and attitudes betrayed them. There were only two types of looks people usually gave him – either fanatical for being an Avenger or fearful for also being a giant green creature.

"I'm glad you came," Ross said, smiling.

"Dad, why do you look so young?" Betty asked, looking at Ross.

"Hm, it's a long story, which actually has something to do with why I invited you," Ross said.

"How are you, Bruce? Have you had any issues with your transformation?" Ross asked, turning his gaze toward Bruce.

"No, I can control it quite well unless I get too angry," Bruce said, looking at Ross in the eyes.

Ross smiled slightly seeing Bruce, finding him more visually appealing than before. His attitude had changed, and he no longer seemed like a frightened mouse but a man unafraid of conflicts, much more suitable to protect his daughter.

Betty pinched Bruce's leg gently since his words almost sounded like a threat.

"Let's order something to eat," Ross said, taking the menu and signaling to one of the waiters.

Bruce idly noted that Ross seemed much younger than expected, but he dismissed it as a result of some undisclosed technology.

Ross quickly finished eating, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and then looked at Bruce.

"Here we go," Bruce thought.

"I plan to run for the presidential elections," Ross said. His words surprised Bruce more than if he had suddenly announced that the food was poisoned.

"We've had a tense relationship in the past, but that doesn't have to be the case in the future. You're my daughter's partner, and to some extent, we're family," Ross continued.

"Over the years, I've been building my faction, gaining important politicians, and refining my strength," Ross said before his eyes turned green, and his body began to inflate.

His skin turned red, and the temperature rose a few degrees. Soon, in front of Bruce and Betty, there stood a giant nearly three meters tall, completely red.

Feeling the danger, Bruce also immediately began his transformation. His body quickly grew to a height of three meters, 15 centimeters taller than Ross.

"Why can you transform?" Bruce asked slowly with a deep voice, placing his large hand on Betty's back, alert for any attack.

Betty also looked at her father in astonishment.

"Why ask something you already know the answer to?" Ross said, chuckling between his teeth hoarsely.

"Let's be allies, Bruce. I want the United States to become the number one power in the world again. My soldiers have nothing to envy Madripoor," Ross said, gesturing.

Soon, dozens of soldiers, two meters tall, wearing exoskeletons and advanced weapons, surrounded them.

"You ask me to be your ally but surround me with your soldiers. Anyway, I expected this situation, but what I didn't expect was that you actually injected yourself with my blood," Bruce said, grunting slightly.

"But you're still underestimating me," Bruce said, propelling himself quickly towards Ross before kicking him in the chest, sending him flying dozens of meters away.

The wind caused by his movement and the shockwave upon impact made Betty fly a few meters before falling to the ground.

Bruce apologized in his mind before quickly running to Betty and taking her in his arms, giving a great leap away from the scene.

The soldiers who were originally on the lookout for Betty could not react, and shooting was impossible because they were not supposed to harm Betty.

Bruce landed, doing his best to cushion the impact before jumping several times away from the place.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, looking at Betty in his arms.

"I feel like I went on a roller coaster," Betty said, standing up while holding her head.

"I'm sorry; you had to endure a bit to get out of there quickly," Bruce said, gently caressing Betty's face with his large hands.

"It's really incredible to see you like this," Betty said, taking Bruce's huge hand.

"This isn't over; he'll come soon," Bruce said, looking into the distance.

"I don't like this, being a damsel in distress. Wasn't I the one who always defended you in college?" Betty said grumpily, looking at Bruce.

"Don't even think about it," Bruce said, immediately knowing where Betty wanted to go.

"Come on, what's the problem? It used to be terrible for you, but now it's just an advantage. Besides, it seems you age much more slowly. Do you want to see me become an old woman?" Betty said, putting her hands on her hips and starting to lecture him.

Bruce sighed as he looked at Betty; from his perspective, she looked so small and adorable, even making annoyed gestures.

"This is something irreversible; are you sure?" Bruce asked, looking at her.

"Absolutely sure," Betty said, nodding as she looked at him with excitement, seeing that he seemed to accept.

As the daughter of a general, she has always been a bit troublesome and has often gotten into fights. Many guys in college tested their luck with her, making them avoid her.

So, seeing superheroes on television, in a way, also made her want to fight, to feel the excitement.

Bruce could only sigh and nod, causing Betty to jump excitedly and hug his neck.

----

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