Chapter 148: Natasha's Intelligence
"My back has been killing me for more than a month."
Old Matt stood in front of the examination table, rubbing his lower back.
"I bend over all day unloading merchandise. Every time I straighten up, it feels like someone is stabbing me."
"I've been to three different hospitals."
"They all told me it was lumbar muscle strain and prescribed rest."
He snorted.
"Who's supposed to run my store if I rest?"
Lynn gestured toward the chair.
"Sit down."
The examination took less than a minute.
The All-Seeing Eye instantly completed a detailed scan.
L4-L5 disc herniation.
Compression of the left sciatic nerve.
Not dangerous.
But painful enough to seriously affect daily life.
Lynn performed a precise manual adjustment.
The vertebral alignment shifted back into place with a soft click.
Afterward, he administered an anti-inflammatory injection and a nerve pain suppressant.
Ten minutes later, the treatment was finished.
"Come back in three days."
Lynn removed his gloves.
"No heavy lifting until then."
Old Matt stood up.
Tentatively straightened his back.
Then blinked.
The sharp pain that had tormented him for weeks was almost gone.
"How much do I owe you?"
"One hundred dollars."
Old Matt paid without hesitation.
Compared to the pain he had endured, it felt like a bargain.
As he reached the door, he paused.
Then turned back.
"Dr. Lynn."
"Yeah?"
"Please don't disappear again."
Old Matt scratched his head awkwardly.
"While you were gone, a lot of regulars around here didn't know where to go."
Lynn smiled faintly.
"I'll try."
Only after Old Matt left did the clinic finally become quiet again.
Lynn opened the appointment ledger.
Empty.
Completely empty.
Every appointment scheduled before his vacation had long since expired.
For approximately ten glorious minutes, he enjoyed absolute peace.
Then Tony Stark arrived.
The orange Lamborghini announced its presence long before Tony stepped out.
The sports car screeched to a halt outside the clinic, leaving two dark tire marks across the pavement.
The clinic door burst open.
Tony walked inside carrying a bottle of wine and a thick folder.
His eyes immediately locked onto Lynn.
"You're actually alive."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"I'm not disappointed."
Tony threw the folder onto the counter.
"I'm furious."
Then he collapsed onto the sofa.
"For over a month."
"Not one reply."
"Do you know what that was like?"
"No."
Tony pointed accusingly.
"I gave JARVIS a standing order."
"Every day."
"Scan every known communication channel connected to you."
"Every. Single. Day."
Lynn poured himself tea.
Tony continued.
"And every day I heard exactly the same report."
"'No target signal detected.'"
"Thirty-seven consecutive days."
"Do you know what hearing that thirty-seven times does to a person?"
"No feeling."
Tony stared at him.
Lynn calmly poured another cup and pushed it across the table.
"Drink your tea."
"Try not to raise your blood pressure."
Tony accepted the cup.
But didn't drink.
Instead, he asked the question that had been bothering him for weeks.
"Where did you go?"
"Vacation."
"Where?"
Lynn remained silent.
Tony leaned forward.
"Do you know what I did?"
"I had JARVIS scan commercial flights."
"Private flights."
"Railway systems."
"Highway surveillance."
"Border checkpoints."
"You haven't appeared in a single transportation database for over a month."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Did you walk there?"
"Walking."
Tony almost choked.
"You—"
"Tony."
Lynn interrupted calmly.
"I'm a doctor."
"Not your employee."
"I have the right to take vacations."
"And I have the right not to disclose my travel itinerary."
Tony opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Because unfortunately...
Lynn was right.
Again.
The reason Tony was truly irritated wasn't because Lynn disappeared.
It was because Lynn's disappearance had coincided with a major research bottleneck.
For weeks he had been unable to solve it.
He had reviewed every paper.
Every simulation.
Every note.
Nothing worked.
And eventually he reached a realization he hated.
He needed Lynn's opinion.
That realization alone was enough to make Tony Stark uncomfortable.
"Fine."
Tony finally took a sip of tea.
Then made a face.
"Your tea is still terrible."
"If you don't like it, leave."
"I brought wine."
Tony held up the bottle.
"1978 Bordeaux."
"We can open it later."
"I have patients this morning."
"You don't have patients."
"It's still morning."
Lynn took another sip.
"I don't drink before noon."
Tony rolled his eyes.
After a brief silence, he pushed the folder across the counter.
"Look at this."
"A technical problem?"
"A serious one."
Lynn opened the folder.
Inside were blueprints for the latest Anti-God Armor revisions.
The All-Seeing Eye completed its analysis almost instantly.
Four seconds.
Problem identified.
Solution identified.
But naturally, Lynn didn't answer immediately.
That would be suspicious.
He slowly turned pages.
Examined diagrams.
Studied equations.
Occasionally frowned.
Occasionally nodded.
The performance was flawless.
Three minutes later, he finally closed the folder.
"Found it."
Tony immediately sat upright.
"Where?"
"The topology structure of your third energy circulation layer."
Lynn tapped one section.
"You used a fourth-order symmetrical arrangement."
Tony's eyes widened.
"Keep talking."
"The configuration generates a harmonic resonance effect."
"It doesn't manifest during the first seventy-two seconds."
"But at exactly the seventy-third second, the resonance begins interacting with the shield matrix."
Tony immediately understood.
"The phase drift."
"Exactly."
"The solution?"
"Replace the fourth-order symmetry."
Lynn pointed at the design.
"Use a fifth-order quasicrystalline structure."
Tony blinked.
"Why?"
"Because quasicrystals don't possess traditional periodic repetition."
"No periodic repetition means no harmonic resonance."
"No harmonic resonance means no phase drift."
Silence.
Three seconds.
Tony stared at him.
"You figured that out in three minutes."
"Hm."
"I spent eleven days on it."
"You should sleep more."
Tony rubbed his forehead.
Then carefully packed away the blueprints.
"What do I owe you?"
"It's free."
Tony froze.
"Free?"
"Occasionally."
Lynn shrugged.
"Don't get used to it."
Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Your generosity makes me nervous."
"If you're nervous, you can still pay."
"..."
A pause.
"Free is fine."
Tony stood up.
Collected the wine.
Collected the folder.
Then headed toward the door.
Just before leaving, he stopped.
"Lynn."
"Hm?"
"Don't disappear again."
His voice was quieter than before.
"At least leave a message."
Lynn adjusted his glasses.
"I'll think about it."
Tony shook his head.
Then finally left.
...
11:00 PM.
The clinic had already closed.
Lynn was downstairs organizing research notes he had brought back from Kamar-Taj.
Three soft knocks echoed from the rear entrance.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The All-Seeing Eye had already identified the visitor before the second knock finished.
Heart rate:
58 beats per minute.
Respiration:
12 breaths per minute.
Body temperature:
36.4 degrees Celsius.
Every physical indicator was almost perfectly controlled.
Natasha Romanoff.
Lynn opened the door.
Natasha stood outside wearing a dark gray hoodie.
The hood shadowed most of her face.
But her posture remained alert.
Observant.
Always watching.
"Come in."
She stepped inside.
Her eyes swept across the room automatically.
Freshly cleaned floor.
Fresh tea.
A pen left on the counter.
Dozens of tiny details registered instantly.
Spy habits never disappeared.
"You're back."
"Yeah."
Natasha removed the hood.
A faint smile appeared.
"Both times I visited, I missed you."
"Fury sent you?"
"Yes."
She sat opposite the reception desk.
"But I also wanted to come."
Lynn poured her tea.
"So."
He slid the cup toward her.
"What intelligence are you carrying today?"
Natasha accepted the tea.
Her fingers lightly traced the rim.
Not drinking yet.
Thinking first.
Always thinking.
"Two things."
Her expression became serious.
"First."
"Your file has been upgraded."
Lynn raised an eyebrow.
"How high?"
"The highest classification level inside S.H.I.E.L.D."
Natasha met his gaze.
"Currently, only Fury has unrestricted access."
"Even the World Security Council doesn't have clearance."
"Hmm."
Visit /ShiroTL for more chapters.