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Chapter 264 Natasha’s Confession
TL: Kyous
“Are you for real?” Natasha was baffled after hearing Leo’s words.
“Of course!” Leo shrugged. “Did I look like I was messing around when I was speaking just now?”
“But…” Natasha hesitated.
“But what?” Leo countered, “Didn’t you yearn for the vastness of the starry sea? Don’t you want to go?”
“It’s not that. It’s just… I have lived on Earth for so long, and suddenly leaving Earth and venturing into space makes me feel homesick. A sense of emptiness.” Natasha was torn.
“Friends, hobbies, even the food I like, all of them would change. Completely.” In the end, she had these emotions because, over the past year or so, she had experienced rare comfort and finally felt a sense of home. So she cherished it immensely and didn’t want to lose it.
“You don’t have to worry about these,” Leo waved his hand and began to console. “We are just passersby in the boundless expanse of the universe. Earth will always be our home. Besides, we aren’t going to stay in space forever. We can always come back to Earth and take a break.”
“Can we come back?” Natasha widened her eyes.
“Why not? We surely can come back. Did I ever say otherwise?” Leo raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Natasha expressed her concerns, “But the distances between planets in the universe are measured in light-years. It would take at least a decade for a single journey in space. If we travel back and forth a few times, our whole lives would pass by and we would have to lie in hibernation chambers…”
“Who told you these misconceptions about space travel?” Leo interrupted Natasha’s words.
Natasha was slightly stunned, “The laws of physics, theory of relativity, and various sci-fi movies. They all say the same thing.”
“No, no, no!” Leo rejected before continuing, “According to Lilith, regular civilian spacecraft can achieve speeds approaching sub-light in space travel. There are also countless jump points in the universe that allow for jumps spanning millions of light-years in a single leap. So, the problems you’re worried about don’t exist. Space travel wouldn’t take nearly as long as you imagine.”
Natasha was dumbfounded. Leo’s words challenged her deeply ingrained knowledge of physics. After a long while, she finally spoke, “It appears that my knowledge is insufficient. I should learn more.”
“Now then, are you willing to travel with me into space now?” Leo’s voice carried a charming tone.
“Yes, I’m willing to go!” Natasha answered loudly, then suddenly whispered, “With you.”
At an altitude of over 35,000 kilometers in Earth’s geosynchronous orbit, Natasha’s words sounded like a confession. Leo was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Thus, a silent yet awkward ambiguous atmosphere settled between them.
“Buzz! Steam is also willing to go with Master! To space!” Steam’s voice suddenly echoed simultaneously through their communicators, breaking the awkwardness.
“Cough, cough!” Leo hurriedly changed the subject, “Natasha, tell me about your suit’s idea. What kind of suit do you want?”
Natasha sighed, unsure whether to be happy or disappointed, but she knew she had acted impulsively. Seeing Leo diverting the topic, she cooperatively responded, “I’ve studied Teacher’s Winter. I really like the slim and lightweight design.”
Leo nodded, signaling for Natasha to go on.
“Before this, I didn’t want the suit to fly because it didn’t match my fighting style. But after experiencing this flight with you, I suddenly fell in love with flying. So, I also want a flying suit.” Natasha stopped after saying these while Leo took note of all the requirements she had mentioned.
He already had a general idea for the suit. Seeing Natasha’s silence, he asked, “Is that all of your requirements?”
Natasha nodded. Leo thought to himself that the requirements were quite straightforward and the rest would be up to his creativity.
“Got it, I’ll be able to design a suitable suit for you soon enough. If you’re not happy with it, I can make further adjustments.” After saying that, he prepared to take Natasha back to Earth.
However, just before leaving, Natasha suddenly added, “Actually, I have one more request.”
“What is it?” Leo asked.
Instead of speaking, Natasha tapped her chest. He immediately realized what she meant and slapped his head. If it weren’t for her reminder, he might have forgotten about this.
However…
“How big?” Leo hesitated for a moment but had to ask the question.
Prepared for this, Natasha swiftly provided several sets of mysterious numbers, including her body measurements, weight, and height. Leo had Steam record all these important details for easier simulation once they returned to the lab.
Afterward, he took Natasha’s hand and left the communication satellite, leaving the geosynchronous orbit and heading towards Earth.
Soon, they were back to Natasha’s bedroom and removed the Viper Mark IXs before storing them away in Leo’s belt.
After a moment, Leo expressed his intention to return to Erwin Research Center to continue his work since there wasn’t much for him to do at home.
Natasha didn’t try to persuade him to stay because she knew she couldn’t make him change his mind. She accompanied Leo to the living room, watching as he left with Steam. Then, she returned to her room alone to freshen up.
While changing into her pajamas, she instinctively rubbed her chest.
The interior of the Viper was quite flat. Although Leo had made the chest plate slightly larger, it still felt cramped and uncomfortable over time. Fortunately, she would have her own suit soon, and she wouldn’t have to experience that awkward situation again.
……
Back at the lab, Leo first restored Steam to its original size and let it out.
“Buzz! Steam has grown again! Happy!”
“As long as you’re happy. Did you have fun today?” Leo patted Steam’s spherical head, feeling its smooth texture.
“Buzz! Steam had a blast today, especially with Erik! Happy!”
“Now that you’ve had your fun, is it time to work?”
“Buzz! Yes, Master.”
Next, Steam began to work with Leo to design the models. The 3D holographic simulation platform slowly rotated, displaying three spaceships and a satellite. With the communication and positioning issues resolved, it was time to start modifying the spaceships as planned.
While Leo didn’t have much confidence in locating the Kree spaceships ahead of schedule, since he had allocated three days for the search, he wouldn’t cancel it without reason. Moreover, the communication satellite brought back from Wakanda still needed to be deployed into space.
Time flew by in the midst of their busyness, and soon a week had passed.
At this point, he had successfully completed the modifications on the three spaceships and the satellite was fully under his control.
So Leo, accompanied by the spaceships and the satellite, once again soared into the sky.