Chapter 3866

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Cobblepot family's charity banquet!" The Penguin's fat body stood above the atrium on the second floor, blocking a large area of light. When his shadow fell on the ground, it looked like a sea turtle swimming in shallow water, looking a bit funny, but no one dared to laugh.

"I know it hasn't been peaceful lately," he continued in that very gentlemanly tone, "Someone keeps killing people, and someone wants to save people. I think you must be the latter. So in this precarious time, I have to stand up and release some signals of stability—how could the city collapse because of a mere murderer?"

"I hope you believe that I will ferret out this damn bastard sooner or later. Perhaps in a few days, or perhaps today." The Penguin shrugged his aquiline nose, which made him look exceptionally fierce. He gritted his teeth and said: "I believe the murderer is among you, or at least you know his tracks. Is anyone willing to stand up and provide some clues?"

The venue was quiet. Many people lowered their eyes, and some showed fear. But the Penguin suddenly laughed wantonly a few times and said: "Alright, I'm joking. You are all decent people, how could you be any killers? I won't let the dirty water of the lower city stain my floor. Alright, everyone eat well and drink well, dance to your heart's content. I guarantee, tomorrow morning, everything will return to normal!"

After speaking, he turned and left. After he left, the dead silent atmosphere in the venue finally regained some vitality. People whispered, but as the minuet played, the dance floor was soon crowded.

The Eden Killer had made too much of a stir; since the mayor's death, Gothamites were panicked, and there hadn't been a decent banquet for many days. Socializing is the blood of the upper class; they can't live without balls for a day. With the Penguin's guarantee, whether he could really do it or not, at least tonight they had a reason to numb themselves and spin to their heart's content.

Seeing Natasha withdrew her gaze from the Penguin, leaned slightly against the edge of the window, so as to be able to take in the entire banquet hall. But her attention was not on the spinning men and women on the dance floor at all, but had been focused on Shiler.

"When you made up that story, I should have known," Seeing Natasha said, "People without this experience won't have this line of thinking. It's just that I'm a bit curious, I've been with Greed for so long, and he never showed any special interest in me."

"Have you ever spoken Russian in front of him? Excluding cursing."

Seeing Natasha opened her mouth and said defensively: "Give me a reason to speak Russian among American superheroes? Aren't their red allergies severe enough?"

"So you haven't spoken it?"

"Maybe once or twice," Seeing Natasha said, "I occasionally spoke a sentence or two when communicating with those KGB agents at SHIELD. But I would soon be interrupted because those Americans couldn't understand."

"Did Greed hear it?"

"He was right next door, he should have been able to hear it," Seeing Natasha thought for a while and said, "No, that's not the point. The point is he should have realized..."

"Realized you are a Soviet orphan? You think you should play a more important role in his plans?"

"That's not necessary. It's just that you are the same person after all, but you differ quite a bit on this issue. How can I not be suspicious?"

"You gave up," Shiler also leaned by the window, looking into the banquet hall and saying, "... he didn't."

"'Didn't' refers to?"

"The universe I'm in has no tombstone."

Seeing Natasha raised her eyes abruptly.

"Although it's hard to say how much soul is left, at least the shell is still there. There are new sparks, new... comrades. (Russian)"

This was a very long sentence in Russian, thick, solemn, cold and heavy. But listening to it in the ear, it was so short that it seemed like a butterfly that only stayed on a petal for a moment, light, fluttering, and fleeting.

Like a string of footprints, like an avalanche. Like one person's determined death, like a group of people's vast world.

Seeing Natasha let out a long sigh.

"Didn't give up?" Seeing Natasha looked into Shiler's eyes and said, "If he didn't give up, but wanted to cultivate you and let you reverse the tragedy, you absolutely wouldn't be like this now. Answer me, didn't you see that tombstone in his heart? (Russian)"

This passage was longer and heavier, just like that tall, majestic tombstone that was enough to occupy eighty percent of a person's soul's weight.

It was also like a father. A silent, desperate father, every bit of love and hope for that ignorant child was personally filling a shovel of grave soil for the tomb, carving a word on the tombstone.

While Shiler was distracted in thought, Seeing Natasha saw a kind of gentle light in the gap of the shadows under his eyelashes. So she knew she wouldn't find that name in that masterpiece, but more likely in a picture book or storybook.

So she realized that she wouldn't find her name in the masterpiece either, but more likely in those ridiculous romance novels. In the past, she regarded them as superficial and absurd, thrown into the basket under the bed, not bothering to look at them.

"You also think he should be a bit more superficial," Seeing Natasha said, "Valuing your appearance rather than your soul, using your abilities rather than dedicating himself to you, enjoying the sense of achievement of conquering you rather than accepting all the pain and happiness you bring him. Unfortunately, he didn't."

"Unfortunately, he didn't. (Russian)"

Seeing Natasha exhaled, poured the remaining large mouthful of wine in the glass into her mouth, pulled Shiler's arm and said: "Let's go dance a dance."

Shiler was clearly unwilling, but Seeing Natasha used the posture of linking his arm to press the Widow's Bite against his ribs, and then said: "I tried the dosage on another you, thirteen tranquilizer darts were clearly a bit too many, maybe ten would be enough. Do you want to try?"

"Thirteen?" Shiler looked at him with some surprise, "I thought long-term contact with Greed had already given you some understanding of us. I dare guarantee, if you add two more, the one who wakes up won't be an agent."

"That's left to Batman." Seeing Natasha didn't care about those, she pushed Shiler into the dance floor, and she walked in too.

Maybe because the city itself is very dull, Gothamites prefer cheerful dance music. Most of the songs are quick steps, which can turn from the cathedral into the Cat Getan River. Seeing Natasha wore an incomparably bright red dress, looking like a drop of blood smashed into the snow when spinning.

Three steps forward, stop and spin. Who saw whose shadow on whom? Superficial, profound. Take another step back, side step and spin. Who saw the same tombstone with whom? Tiny, tall. Continuous retreat, continue forward. Who speaks the same language with whom? Past, present.

The song ended, Seeing Natasha held her dress and walked toward the outside of the crowd, Shiler followed behind her. Seeing Natasha said without looking back: "Did you tell the agent?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to use him to block those peach blossoms."

"You can't do it, there's no need to tell him."

"Why?" Seeing Natasha moved somewhat roughly to take a glass of wine from the waiter, turned and stared at Shiler and asked, "You think I can't handle him?"

"I think he can't handle others," Shiler also brought a glass of wine, "There are too many people willing to fly into the fire for people like you. Oh, not just people, maybe gods too. If you think he can handle an existence like Lucifer, then pretend I didn't say anything."

"So you're just emphasizing this to me?" Seeing Natasha turned around again and came to the window, she was clearly a bit drunk, leaning her head against the window glass.

Shiler stood beside her with a wine glass and said: "He definitely didn't tell you, he is considered to be created by Greed. If something happens to him..."

"Greed will be very sad?"

"Greed will beat up your suitors for him. The agent can't handle Lucifer, Greed might not necessarily. If you don't want to lose some universe administrators there, it's better not to do this."

Seeing Natasha sighed again, suddenly turned around and showed a big smile at Shiler and said: "I think you're not bad."

"Sorry, Madam?"

"I think you are the perfect shield," Seeing Natasha nodded while saying, "Considering your past, you have a very sufficient reason to pursue me. And you can use your mind-reading to scold all of them, making them flee in panic. That way I'll be quiet."

"With all due respect, I'm afraid it doesn't have the possibility of operation," Shiler shook his head and said, "First of all, I don't have mind-reading."

Seeing Natasha rolled a huge white eye at him that didn't even have a bit of pupil left.

"Secondly, do you think they don't understand?"

"What?"

"Do you think your suitors don't know what kind of people they are, or don't know what kind of person you are?"

Shiler's eyes changed, and Seeing Natasha knew he was going to spray venom again. She dodged a little further away, almost covering her ears.

"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, Mrs. Romanoff. They are very clear about what they are attracted to, know what they are doing, know what kind of person you are, and know what you want. But they have no way, they cannot control it."

"Is this based on your own experience?"

"Perhaps," Shiler's aggressiveness weakened a little, he said, "Bucky Barnes, hmm, I've seen him. I'm very sure, you can't ask him to fall in love with anyone else after falling in love with the 20-year-old you. Clint Barton, you can't ask him to fall in love with anyone else after falling in love with you at 20."

"Great, Batman doesn't love me," Seeing Natasha breathed a sigh of relief.

Shiler pursed his mouth somewhat helplessly and said: "I was just about to talk about him. He indeed hasn't fallen in love with you yet, but he is very curious about you."

"That's not bad, at least he won't fight the first two. The trouble I have to deal with is at least reduced by half," Seeing Natasha looked much more relaxed.

"Don't rush, wait until I finish analyzing what he is curious about, you probably won't be so optimistic," Shiler said. Seeing Natasha was sure she found a trace of gloating on Shiler's face. Done, she thought, sure enough they are one person. And the fun that can make Greed gloat is usually terrifyingly big.

What could be more fun than three ex-boyfriends fighting in a group? Seeing Natasha couldn't help but think.

"So what exactly is Batman curious about?"

"The Soviet Union."