Marvel: Superman Strength in a World of Heroes

What… what just happened?

Black Widow's head was still spinning from being slammed into the floor.

Her consciousness blurred, her mind foggy.

The feeling of her face pressed to the ground was not only humiliating,

it was also downright painful.

At this moment, she found herself in a daze.

Who am I? Where am I?

It felt like she'd fallen into a whirlpool of chaos, her mind thrown into utter confusion.

Gradually, her memories began to return.

Department of… Homeland Security.

Nick Fury.

The mission.

Obadiah.

Carl.

…

And now, Carl was behind her, pressing her head down against the floor.

As she started regaining clarity, Black Widow instinctively tried to resist.

But she quickly realized,

No matter how much strength she used,

she simply couldn't get up.

The hand holding her down felt like a skyscraper weighing on her back.

No matter how she struggled, it was all in vain.

What the hell is this…?

Wasn't Carl Smith supposed to be an ordinary man, according to intel?

Everything, his previous speed, the force he just used,

None of it was remotely "normal."

She had reviewed Carl's file.

And based on that, she had assumed this mission would be ridiculously easy.

She hadn't even brought much weaponry.

Most of what she carried was just disguises and a few spy gadgets.

After all, Carl was just a playboy.

There should've been zero challenge.

But the way things had unfolded,

had completely blindsided her.

First, the seduction tactic failed.

Then, just as she was regrouping and reporting intel,

he showed up out of nowhere and smacked her down.

Black Widow was a top agent of the Department of… Strategic Homeland Intervention.

Her expertise in firearms and combat was unquestionable.

With the department's intelligence network backing her,

even someone like Kingpin wouldn't faze her too much.

Which was precisely why she almost never failed a mission.

Until today.

She was beginning to question everything.

The intel network she had trusted so implicitly…

Had made a catastrophic mistake.

Carl Smith, was no ordinary man.

『Carl』: Still haven't learned your lesson, huh?

Carl smiled down at the Black Widow pinned beneath his hand.

He didn't actually have anything against the heroes of the Marvel world.

Otherwise, this wouldn't have ended with just a bruised head and a bit of dizziness.

She would've been obliterated.

Yes, literally.

Boom.

But this woman clearly didn't know when to back off.

Carl hadn't even planned on hurting her when they first crossed paths at the restaurant or on the street.

And yet, she actually had the nerve to follow him home?

Now he was full from dinner, had just finished a relaxing walk, and was in a great mood.

He hadn't meant to get sidetracked.

But when he casually activated his X-ray vision and spotted her in the stairwell,

well, what choice did he have?

She came looking for trouble.

So even though he held back,

he hadn't exactly been gentle either.

Black Widow lay on the floor, processing his words.

After a long pause, she finally spoke.

『Black Widow』: Carl Smith.

『Black Widow』: I advise you not to do anything rash.

『Black Widow』: I'm only here to investigate Obadiah's death.

『Black Widow』: If you had nothing to do with it, then I won't lay a finger on you.

Though she was pinned to the ground, her voice was steady and unwavering.

『Carl』: And what if I told you Obadiah's death was my doing?

『Black Widow』: Then I'd have to bring you in for questioning.

Her tone carried an obvious threat, one she made no attempt to hide.

After all, Carl was a citizen of the United States,

and she represented a legitimate government agency.

No one in their right mind would want to cross them.

『Carl』: Then I guess your little organization has a death wish.

『Black Widow』: What did you just say?

『Black Widow』: Do you even know who I am?

『Black Widow』: I'm not from S.H.I.E.L.D., as you keep saying.

『Black Widow』: I'm a senior agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

『Black Widow』: And I'm currently investigating Obadiah's death.

『Black Widow』: And yet, you dare attack me?!

Despite the dread she felt from Carl's overwhelming power,

this wasn't the time to show weakness.

『Carl』: And what makes you think I won't?

Then it clicked.

He recalled that S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't always gone by that name.

Back in its earlier days, it had that convoluted title instead.

Honestly, if he didn't have a super brain, there's no way he'd remember it.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was a much better name.

He looked down at Black Widow and continued:

『Carl』: Like I said earlier, if you people keep bothering me…

『Carl』: You'll end up just like Obadiah.

『Carl』: Because yes, I killed him.

『Carl』: So what are you going to do about it?

Carl didn't bother hiding it.

There was no point lying to S.H.I.E.L.D., the FBI, or whatever agency came knocking.

Let them come.

He welcomed it.

『Black Widow』: You… it really was you?

Carl had already hinted at it earlier with all the talk of S.H.I.E.L.D., Obadiah, and consequences.

But she'd been too on edge to process it clearly.

Now that he was repeating it outright, she couldn't ignore it anymore.

Still, she didn't understand his motive.

From what her intelligence files showed,

there wasn't any deep enmity between Carl and Obadiah.

Both were shareholders in Stark Industries.

Their relationship wasn't particularly close,

but neither was there any animosity.

The only possible conflict had been earlier that day, at the party.

But that... hardly warranted murder, right?

The truth was, Black Widow didn't know.

And Carl didn't particularly care to explain.

Obadiah had hired assassins to kill him despite being saved by Kingpin.

Frankly, the man brought it on himself.

『Black Widow』: Then why did you kill him?

『Black Widow』: You two didn't have any real grudge.

『Carl』: No reason. He pissed me off.

『Carl』: And now, you're starting to do the same.

He didn't elaborate. There was no need to.

Black Widow still wanted to press him,

But Carl was already done talking.

He had better things to do tonight with Erika.

Suddenly, Black Widow's vision blurred.

When she regained focus,

She realized she was no longer in the stairwell.

She was lying on grass.

The cold, hard tile had been replaced with sharp green blades.

The scent of fresh grass filled her nose.

『Black Widow』: Wait… what?

She blinked, stunned.

How had she gotten here?

As she struggled to make sense of what just happened,

Carl grabbed her by the collar and effortlessly lifted her up.

『Carl』: Natasha Romanoff.

『Carl』: I actually don't dislike your organization.

『Carl』: The Strategic Homeland-whatever, it's got some charm.

『Carl』: Weird name, though. You guys should really work on that.

He raised an eyebrow, his tone suddenly firm.

『Carl』: Let me say this clearly, one last time.

『Carl』: Stay out of my way.

『Carl』: Next time, I won't be so lenient.

With that,

He flung her into a nearby tree.

THUD!

She hit it hard.

The impact nearly snapped her spine from the pain.

That's lenient?

First he smashes my head, now he throws me like a ragdoll…

Black Widow slowly got to her feet, staring at Carl.

She wanted to say something, anything, but couldn't find the words.

She wasn't stupid.

She knew now was not the time to provoke him further.

Earlier, she had dared to threaten him.

Now?

Now she knew better.

She had no idea how she'd gone from a stairwell to the middle of a park.

But that wasn't the worst part.

Because in the next second,

She saw Carl.

His eyes lit up, literally,

unleashing two crimson beams of energy.

The lasers tore through the air and struck a massive tree nearby.

It was an ancient tree, easily large enough that three or four people couldn't wrap their arms around it.

Must've been over a hundred years old.

Yet the moment the red light touched it,

The tree evaporated.

Instantly. Cleanly.

Gone.

Black Widow stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.

Am I hallucinating?

Carl Smith… what is he?

Not only did he possess speed and strength far beyond human limits,

He could shoot death rays from his eyes.

And that laser had just disintegrated a centuries-old tree.

What would happen if it hit a person?

She didn't want to find out.

Carl Smith wasn't just unusual.

He was terrifying.

She'd never seen anything like it before.

Red beams from the eyes?

It sounded ridiculous.

But it was real.

And she was completely overwhelmed.

By the time she gathered her senses,

Carl had vanished.

Only a voice echoed faintly in the breeze:

『Carl』: Consider this your warning. Stay out of my business.

『Carl』: Next time… I won't be so kind.

Black Widow gave a dry, bitter laugh.

『Black Widow』: Kind… huh.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

Hey everyone! 🌌

Loving the battles, twists, and wild multiverse encounters?

✨ Get early access to chapters before anyone else. Unlock secret events, surprise battles, hidden lore, and power-ups ahead of the curve.

It's like a VIP mission in the System, exclusive, epic, and just for the chosen few.

🔹 Dimension Walker – 15 chapters ahead

🔸 Reality Shifter – 35 chapters ahead

Your support helps me write faster, go deeper, and expand this universe even further.

📍 patreon.com/MrBehringer