Appearing in "Die By the Blade - Part 2 of 4"
Featured Characters:
- Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) (Only in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Living Blade (Only in flashback)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Only in flashback)
Locations:
Items:
- Black Widow's Gauntlets (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for "Die By the Blade - Part 2 of 4"
Years ago in Madripoor, Black Widow engaged in swordplay with another assassin, the Living Blade. Thinking back, she wasn't unique among other heroes and has had long-term enemies in her career. But fear was her only true enemy as it would hasten her reach to death, so she sought to conquer it. The only issue being that, no matter how strong your armor, something can always render it obsolete, and the only man Natasha truly feared was the Living Blade. Doing standard recon, Natasha was unsure how he came upon her, but it was likely their directives intercepted. With their battle going nowhere, Natasha threw a knife into a power transformer to force distance between them with live electrical lines. Grappling away, her tether was cut by the Living Blade moving to intercept and ensure she didn't escape. When she crashed into a night club, damaged on her right side, Natasha moved to offensive and flanked the Living Blade. However, her grappling maneuver was quickly routed, forcing her to escape again into a vandalized men's room as a new fighting venue. After a vicious fight, Natasha leaves through the ventilation and stumbles upon some Frenchmen buying women, but lets them flee as she was unable to enact any wrath. Pondering if the Living Blade's mission was the young women, she allowed an opening for them to flee, but they were hesitant as they'd simply be taken back later. With a blade in readied defense, the Living Blade found Black Widow but chose to end the fighting upon finding the scene. Now alone, Natasha knew that she'd only bought herself time, and that anything could claim her life between then and her rematch. And she knew there'd be a rematch.