âAre you for real?â Natasha was baffled after hearing Leoâs words.
âOf course!â Leo shrugged. âDid I look like I was messing around when I was speaking just now?â
âButâŠâ Natasha hesitated.
âBut what?â Leo countered, âDidnât you yearn for the vastness of the starry sea? Donât you want to go?â
âItâs not that. Itâs 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.â Natasha was torn.
âFriends, hobbies, even the food I like, all of them would change. Completely.â 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 didnât want to lose it.
âYou donât have to worry about these,â Leo waved his hand and began to console. âWe are just passersby in the boundless expanse of the universe. Earth will always be our home. Besides, we arenât going to stay in space forever. We can always come back to Earth and take a break.â
âCan we come back?â Natasha widened her eyes.
âWhy not? We surely can come back. Did I ever say otherwise?â Leo raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Natasha expressed her concerns, âBut 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 chambersâŠâ
âWho told you these misconceptions about space travel?â Leo interrupted Natashaâs words.
Natasha was slightly stunned, âThe laws of physics, theory of relativity, and various sci-fi movies. They all say the same thing.â
âNo, no, no!â Leo rejected before continuing, âAccording 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 youâre worried about donât exist. Space travel wouldnât take nearly as long as you imagine.â
Natasha was dumbfounded. Leoâs words challenged her deeply ingrained knowledge of physics. After a long while, she finally spoke, âIt appears that my knowledge is insufficient. I should learn more.â
âNow then, are you willing to travel with me into space now?â Leoâs voice carried a charming tone.
âYes, Iâm willing to go!â Natasha answered loudly, then suddenly whispered, âWith you.â
At an altitude of over 35,000 kilometers in Earthâs geosynchronous orbit, Natashaâs 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.
âBuzz! Steam is also willing to go with Master! To space!â Steamâs voice suddenly echoed simultaneously through their communicators, breaking the awkwardness.
âCough, cough!â Leo hurriedly changed the subject, âNatasha, tell me about your suitâs idea. What kind of suit do you want?â
Natasha sighed, unsure whether to be happy or disappointed, but she knew she had acted impulsively. Seeing Leo diverting the topic, she cooperatively responded, âIâve studied Teacherâs Winter. I really like the slim and lightweight design.â
Leo nodded, signaling for Natasha to go on.
âBefore this, I didnât want the suit to fly because it didnât 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.â 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 Natashaâs silence, he asked, âIs that all of your requirements?â
Natasha nodded. Leo thought to himself that the requirements were quite straightforward and the rest would be up to his creativity.
âGot it, Iâll be able to design a suitable suit for you soon enough. If youâre not happy with it, I can make further adjustments.â After saying that, he prepared to take Natasha back to Earth.
However, just before leaving, Natasha suddenly added, âActually, I have one more request.â
âWhat is it?â Leo asked.
Instead of speaking, Natasha tapped her chest. He immediately realized what she meant and slapped his head. If it werenât for her reminder, he might have forgotten about this.
HoweverâŠ
âHow big?â 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 Natashaâs hand and left the communication satellite, leaving the geosynchronous orbit and heading towards Earth.
Soon, they were back to Natashaâs bedroom and removed the Viper Mark IXs before storing them away in Leoâs belt.
After a moment, Leo expressed his intention to return to Erwin Research Center to continue his work since there wasnât much for him to do at home.
Natasha didnât try to persuade him to stay because she knew she couldnât 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 wouldnât have to experience that awkward situation again.
âŠâŠ
Back at the lab, Leo first restored Steam to its original size and let it out.
âBuzz! Steam has grown again! Happy!â
âAs long as youâre happy. Did you have fun today?â Leo patted Steamâs spherical head, feeling its smooth texture.
âBuzz! Steam had a blast today, especially with Erik! Happy!â
âNow that youâve had your fun, is it time to work?â
âBuzz! Yes, Master.â
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 didnât have much confidence in locating the Kree spaceships ahead of schedule, since he had allocated three days for the search, he wouldnât 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.