Chapter 157: Wakanda Base

"This design is really nice. How long will it take to complete?" Arthur asked, looking at the design rendering animation of Tony Stark's undersea base ship.

The entire undersea base ship was massive, comparable to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier. It did not require any special propulsion system; it only needed sturdy metal to prevent the hull from being crushed by the immense pressure of the deep sea.

The overall structure was a circular warship with four interior decks and an exit hatch on top to allow small submersibles to enter and exit. The general design fit Arthur's aesthetic well, and there was no denying Tony's eye for design.

"It might take four months because we are planning to incorporate vibranium into the outer metal shell, and the power source will also be supplied by vibranium, which will extend the construction period a bit," Tony Stark said.

Good grief, Wakanda really was lavish and wealthy. Just how much vibranium would it take to build a warship out of it?

"How is your recent research going?" Arthur asked, looking at Tony Stark. Lately, the billionaire had been particularly obsessed with T'Chaka's nano-vibranium suit.

"I've discovered a new metal that can replace vibranium. Its properties not only allow for nanotechnology applications, but it can also generate enormous amounts of energy. I still need to continue my research," Tony Stark replied.

"Okay, when you get back, don't just focus on research. Spend more time with Pepper, or you might end up single," Arthur advised Tony Stark.

"...She hasn't been paying much attention to me lately. Once I get back this time, I'll properly spend time with her," Tony nodded and replied.

"What's wrong?" Arthur suddenly noticed Steve Rogers holding his phone with a strange expression.

"She has passed away..." Steve Rogers spoke up in response.

It was Steve Rogers' girlfriend, Peggy Carter, who had passed away. Earlier, Arthur had found it strange that, logically speaking, this event should have happened days ago, but it hadn't. Now it seemed it was merely delayed by a few days.

"My condolences. Let me go with you; if you go alone, I'm afraid the U.S. government might try to target you," Arthur said to Steve Rogers.

"Alright, let's go." Steve Rogers nodded, feeling that Arthur made a valid point.

Arthur opened a portal and left with Steve Rogers.

The remaining people continued to busy themselves around the base. Only Natasha currently had nothing to do. Previously, she was responsible for the Avengers' diplomatic affairs, but now that the Avengers had transitioned from the public eye to the shadows, she was relieved of those duties.

Natasha finally didn't have to spend every day in meetings with world leaders.

"I plan to take a few days off. The pressure has been too great lately, and this time I can properly relax," Natasha told everyone.

The other Avengers nodded. Natasha undoubtedly had the most exhausting workload among the team members; she didn't need to engage in combat, but she had to oversee the big picture, especially given the pressure from various nations she had faced daily over the recent period. Thus, everyone understood her.

"No problem, go take a good rest for a few days. We've got things covered here, and for now, there isn't much to do except wait for the new base and laboratories to be set up," Dr. Banner said to Natasha, and the others chimed in, urging her to take a break.

"Do you need me to provide you with a place to rest?" T'Challa asked Natasha. The rooms in the new base were not yet ready, and the Avengers were still staying with the Wakandans.

"No need, I have some personal business to take care of," Natasha walked toward the Quinjet and called back to T'Challa.

"Alright, then goodbye. Contact me if you need anything!" T'Challa said.

Natasha nodded, cast a glance at Dr. Banner, and then turned to board the jet, taking off and leaving Wakanda...

"What happened between you and Natasha?" Tony Stark walked over to Dr. Banner and asked.

Why had he felt that the two of them had grown so distant lately? Did they have an argument? Tony Stark wondered to himself.

"Nothing of the sort. Everyone has just been too busy lately. I wasn't willing to stay at the London base before, which made Natasha a little displeased. Once she gets back, I'll just spend some time with her to make up for it," Dr. Banner said with a wry smile.

"Yeah, women's thoughts are always rather hard to guess," Tony sympathized with Dr. Banner. Lately, his relationship with Pepper had also been growing worse. Ever since Tony converted Stark Tower into Avengers Tower, Pepper hadn't given him a single warm look.

"I'll leave the rest of the matters to you all. I still have to head back to New York to deal with a pile of issues," Tony got a headache just thinking about facing media inquiries and high-ranking American politicians upon his return.

"Don't worry, we'll handle things here," Dr. Banner said.

The other Avengers bid farewell to Tony. Among all the team members, only Tony Stark could not stay in Wakanda for long; all his assets were in New York, and he couldn't just walk away on a whim.

Tony suited up in his armor, blasted into the sky, and left Wakanda, while Dr. Banner, Rhodey, Bucky, Wanda, Pietro, and Scott remained behind to organize the new base.

...

Following the Avengers' refusal to sign the Sokovia Accords, the United Nations immediately issued new measures.

It strictly prohibited members of the Avengers from conducting operations in countries other than their own home nations, strictly prohibited Avengers members from participating in foreign wars, and strictly prohibited them from using weapons of mass destruction.

If the Avengers members failed to comply with these regulations, the United Nations would have the right to arrest them and prosecute them according to the law.

In other words, although the Avengers had disbanded, its members would no longer be able to operate legally. If they were discovered acting on their own accord, nations around the world would have the authority to arrest them.

Although the United States had not issued an official statement, the members of the Avengers all knew that Ross would no longer allow them to operate within the U.S.

Natasha flew a Quinjet to a small town in Norway, where an old friend of hers was waiting for her.

In a forest stood an RV, which had once served as Natasha's temporary hideout. It was several kilometers away from the city, and no one knew of its existence.

Natasha planned to rest in this place for a few days, far away from the city, to relax her mind and body.

She walked into the RV and was left speechless upon seeing Mason sound asleep on the bed. This friend of hers always seemed like he hadn't slept enough.

"Why are you sleeping in my bed?" Natasha kicked Mason awake and said.

"I... I was tired, I didn't even pull the blanket over," Mason said, his sleep-fogged eyes finally recognizing Natasha.

"Did you buy everything on the list I sent you?" Natasha asked Mason.

"When have I ever let you down? Everything you asked for has been bought, and I even thoughtfully prepared a Norwegian passport, visa, and local driver's license for you," Mason said, handing Natasha a stack of documents.

"Good job!" Natasha praised.

"There's a generator outside, it runs on gasoline, and the septic tank will need flushing in a few weeks... You'll also need to take the trash into town, which is only a 20-minute drive. I hid your basic hardware gear under the stairs," Mason rambled on, giving Natasha instructions.

"You've done well," Natasha looked at Mason and said.

"Are you okay?" Mason asked, noticing the exhaustion on Natasha's face.

"I'm fine," Natasha replied.