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Chapter 253: South Asian Superhero's (2)
🕑 Added 2025-03-01 13:59:16 +0000 UTCShe was known as the "Black Robe Heroine" and reportedly possessed a mystical bracelet. (TL/N: I couldn't find exactly whom the author is referencing here, but she is probably an ancestor of Ms. Marvel.)
In fact, the two Indian superheroes had fought against her before—and nearly lost.
Unbelievable. A female superhero from Pakistan, a country known for its strict religious conservatism? That sounded like something only Marvel writers could come up with.
But none of that mattered to Josh. His goal was simply to stir up trouble for India.
Pakistan’s affairs had nothing to do with him. In fact, if Pakistan’s superhero was stronger, that was even better.
Besides, this wasn’t the first time India’s superheroes had lost.
According to Ophelia's information, Raju supposedly inherited the legacy of Rama, a legendary hero from Indian mythology, and was skilled in archery.
Bheem, on the other hand, was believed to carry the lineage of King Bhima, known for his immense strength and unbreakable body.
In short, they were basically India’s version of Hawkeye and Captain America.
This combination of heroes was no joke—an ordinary army might not even be able to deal with them.
Logically, with powerhouses like these, the British shouldn’t have been able to continue ruling India.
But the reality was that they did—for more than twenty years.
The reason was simple; the British had supernatural beings of their own.
Of course they did. After all, they had been the world’s most powerful empire for nearly a century. In this particular world, it would be ridiculous if they didn't have at least a few superpowered individuals.
According to intelligence reports, the British hero who defeated the two Indian superheroes was a knight clad in black robes.
After that battle, it seemed some sort of agreement was reached. Raju and Bheem never again attacked British forces or openly disrupted British rule in India.
Unlike the two Indian heroes, Josh was much more familiar with this British superhuman.
The Black Knight, huh?
Tsk, if Josh remembered correctly, the inheritor of the Black Knight title in the Eternals movie was played by Kit Harington. (TL/N: The name of the character mentioned is Dane Whitman)
Of course, based on timelines, that particular inheritor wouldn’t even be born for several more decades.
“Well, I’m bored anyway—might as well play with these two Indian superheroes for a bit. And just in time, the first batch of Jedi Knights has graduated!"
Josh put down the intelligence report and pulled a satellite phone from his system inventory. Then he dialed a number.
"Master!" The voice of his butler, Jia Ying, came through from the other end.
“Send the first Jedi squad to New Delhi… This mission will serve as their graduation test.” Josh gave precise instructions.
After finishing the call, Josh put away the satellite phone and stepped out the door.
"Boss?" Vito, standing guard, looked surprised to see him emerge.
"Notify the British and the Soviets. We’re going to see Nehru. It’s about time we laid our cards on the table.” Josh waved a file in his hand.
This wasn’t the intelligence report on the Indian superheroes—it was something Ophelia had compiled over the past few days. It contained evidence pointing to various Indian extremist factions, as well as Kingo Sunen's involvement.
In truth, the names listed in this file carried far more political weight than a mere movie star like Kingo Sunen.
But precisely because of that, no one would suspect that Josh’s real target was a minor actor.
After all, in this era, movie stars weren’t held in very high regard.
Before long, representatives from the British and Soviet investigation teams arrived at the hotel.
Even though Josh had been keeping a low profile these past days, neither the British nor the Soviets dared to underestimate him.
While he wasn’t as publicly famous as someone like Howard Stark, within the world’s political elite, Josh was far more influential.
"Miss Voyant, long time no see."
When the group arrived, Josh greeted the Soviet delegate first. She was none other than Claire Voyant, head of the Red Room—someone who had clashed with Ophelia multiple times and had even met Josh in person before.
Standing beside her was a cold-faced young woman with traces of Asian heritage.
Clearly, another product of the Red Room.
“Long time no see, Mr. Kahn. How’s Dottie doing in America? I miss her very much." (TL/N: For those who forgot, she is Dottie Underwood, the first Black Widow who chose to stay in USA.)
Claire Voyant greeted him with a smile, but if she hadn’t been grinding her molars while speaking, Josh might have actually believed her sincerity.
Josh wasn't the director of the CIA, but anyone at a certain level could see how much control he had over it.
No one really minded, though, because in the U.S., this was pretty normal.
As long as the CIA's actions benefited the country and didn’t seriously threaten the interests of those in power, no one cared.
It was the same with Hoover and the FBI.
The only thing people didn’t know was Josh’s true identity as a Hydra member.
The Soviets had a similar understanding of Josh.
Because of that, the failure of Leviathan in the U.S. was naturally blamed on him.
Especially Dottie’s defection—it had put Claire Voyant in a tough spot, earning her quite a few scoldings from her superiors.
So she absolutely despised the CIA. And Josh, as one of its top operatives, even more so.
But hatred was one thing—she couldn’t actually do anything to him.
Even though Soviet and American intelligence agencies battled for decades, their fights rarely reached the highest levels.
For example, assassinations usually stopped at mid-level operatives. Going after high-ranking officials was practically unheard of.
This was an unspoken rule between great powers—no one wanted to live in constant fear of being killed.
Josh had already moved past that danger zone, so at most, Claire could throw a few verbal jabs. Anything more would be crossing a line.
“Heh, I’ll be sure to pass on your concern to Dottie, Ms. Voyant. She misses you too, actually." Josh grinned, then glanced at the girl standing beside her. "Pretty girl. If she’s by your side, I take it she’s your chosen successor? What’s her name?”
With the way the Red Room operated, almost every Black Widow resented them—it was just that most had no way to escape.
If given a chance, except for the ones fully brainwashed, most would turn out like Natasha Romanoff.
At Josh’s question, the girl’s pupils flickered slightly, but she remained silent.
"Hmph! Her name is Ayla. Mr. Kahn, let's get to the point," Claire cut him off, clearly not willing to waste time talking.
The British representative, meanwhile, simply stood by, smiling as he watched the two exchange words, not saying a thing.
“No rush, Ms. Voyant. The main guest isn’t here yet. We'll talk when he arrives." Josh continued to smile.
"Boss, Prime Minister Nehru has arrived!" Just then, Vito came in to report.
"Well, speak of the devil." Josh raised an eyebrow.
"Hahaha, Mr. Kahn, I hear you have some important leads. How could you not invite me?"
Nehru entered with a big smile.
Josh, of course, hadn’t invited him.
But he showed up anyway.
