Chapter 169: C165
The entire neighborhood trembled as fists collided with azure slashes, their impact erupting into bursts of brilliant light. The dark streets lit up with layers of vibrant, dazzling patterns that danced across the night.
But beauty often signifies extreme danger, a truth painfully evident to everyone watching this scene unfold.
Abomination, the hulking monster impervious to bullets and heavy artillery, found himself struggling against the radiant blue slash. His massive body was forced back, his feet dragging across the ground as he slid involuntarily. The devastating 100-meter vertical slash continued its relentless path, slicing through the entire mall building, leaving a trail of sparks and destruction in its wake.
Abomination roared in frustration and fury, his voice echoing through the shattered streets. He had believed himself to be the ultimate super-soldier, an unstoppable force. And yet, here he was—pushed back by a single woman's casual flick of a finger.
It was a humiliation he couldn't bear.
Seething with rage, Abomination braced himself with his left hand against the ground. He raised his massive right arm, muscles bulging grotesquely, veins popping as if his body could barely contain its power. With a deafening roar, he unleashed another devastating punch.
Bang!!
A punch with all his strength finally disrupted the blazing slash. In an instant, blue sparks erupted across the sky like a cascade of fireworks, dazzling and violent. But Abomination—thrown back by the force—was driven into the second floor of the building. Walls, floors, and ceilings were sliced cleanly in half, and the severed circuits erupted in a shower of dense, crackling sparks.
Abomination stood still, chest heaving, eyes burning with rage. He didn't move.
What... is this?
The thought echoed in his mind. Not just his mind, though—everyone watching this moment shared his disbelief.
The police frozen in shock. Passers-by gaping in the streets. General Ross on the helicopter gunship hovering above, alongside Betty, staring in stunned silence. Even the government, military, and shadowy institutions monitoring from their remote locations.
Everyone asked the same question: What just happened?
And as the realization dawned, many of them scrambled into action, desperate to uncover Natasha Romanoff's identity.
Was this the ability of a mutant?
Theories flew wildly. Strength and speed that far surpassed anything they'd seen—even more exaggerated than Abomination. She had overwhelmed him with a single blow and, in the same motion, cleaved through an entire shopping mall like it was nothing more than paper. It was terrifying—inhuman.
For the military, the government, and even the institutions used to dealing with the strange and supernatural, Natasha Romanoff was a nightmare that didn't fit into any known paradigm.
Even General Ross—seasoned, ruthless General Ross—felt his confidence shake. His life's work, the Super Soldier Serum, had cost him years of research, mountains of manpower, and endless resources. And what did it yield? A freak accident that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk.
The Hulk had been a revelation for Ross—a symbol of untapped potential, of raw power that could change the world. And yet, here was Natasha, wielding a strength and skill that made everything Ross had sacrificed and struggled for seem... trivial.
The emergence of the Hulk had opened General Ross's eyes to a new possibility. To him, the Hulk was more than a destructive force—he was the ultimate template for a super soldier, raw and untouchable.
Driven by this belief, Ross had made sacrifices most wouldn't dare to consider. He had severed his relationship with his daughter, Betty, pouring years of his life into tracking and capturing Bruce Banner. His obsession knew no borders, even leading to arrests and international incidents. Yet, time after time, accidents derailed his efforts, and the Hulk escaped, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Each failure only fueled Ross's obsession. His anger burned brighter with every loss, every close call. To him, the Hulk wasn't just a problem—he was the solution, the epitome of what a super soldier could and should be.
But then Emil Blonsky had happened. A man desperate to surpass even the Hulk, Blonsky had recklessly injected himself with a sample of Hulk's blood. What resulted was Abomination—a grotesque mirror image of the Hulk, twisted by ambition and rage. From a combat standpoint, Abomination seemed, at first glance, to be the superior creation. A perfect, if horrifying, super soldier.
Until now.
Ross watched in disbelief as Natasha Romanoff—just a woman—suppressed Abomination with shocking ease. One hand, one strike, and Blonsky was overpowered. How? Why? The question roared in Ross's mind, louder than the hum of the gunships overhead. His eyes locked on Natasha as his thoughts raced, trying to piece together this impossible display of strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Behind Natasha, the Hulk, who had been sulking in relative silence, came to life with gleeful enthusiasm. His bestial instincts took over, and he pounded his chest in triumph. The sight of Abomination—who had bullied him relentlessly—brought low by Natasha filled him with raw joy. Hulk roared in primal celebration.
Meanwhile, Abomination dragged himself to the edge of the crumbling second floor. The gunship spotlights illuminated his monstrous form as he leapt down onto the street below. Slowly, he straightened, his towering figure casting a long shadow.
His hateful gaze flickered between the Hulk and Natasha. His expression contorted with rage, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.
Finally, his eyes settled on Natasha, and he spat out a question, venom dripping from every word:
"Who are you?"
"This has nothing to do with you. You bullied my friend," Natasha said calmly, her voice steady but sharp. Her words cut through the tension in the air. She repeated herself, this time with an edge of finality: "You bullied my friend. For that, you must be punished."
The Hulk, standing behind her, seemed visibly moved by her declaration, his massive form softening with a touch of gratitude.
Natasha tilted her head slightly, her tone shifting into something almost playful. "In addition," she continued, "you look like you'd make a perfect sparring partner. So, here's the deal—you've got two choices. Either you punch yourself out and faint like a good little monster... or I knock you out myself. What's it gonna be?"
The entire area fell into stunned silence. The only sound was the faint hum of the distant helicopters and the crackle of fires scattered throughout the battlefield.
Then, Abomination let out a booming, guttural laugh that echoed through the neighborhood, shaking windows and startling bystanders.
"Hahahaha! Are you kidding me, you stinking woman? You might be the strongest woman in the world, but that's all you are! You're the one who's worthy of being my sparring partner!"
With a deafening roar, Abomination threw his head back and opened his massive, bloody maw. The roar rippled outward in a shockwave, shaking the ground and compressing the air around them.
Natasha, however, had already read his move. The instant his jaw began to part, she shifted into action. She wasn't about to subject herself to his noxious breath. In a blur, she launched herself forward, her right foot hitting the ground with precision. Her figure vanished in an instant.
When she reappeared, she was already at Abomination's left side, her body poised like a coiled spring. She struck upwards with her right hand, landing a perfectly aimed blow to his chin.
Bang!
The impact reverberated through Abomination's massive frame, silencing his roar and leaving his head spinning. The force of the punch briefly disoriented him, but his warrior instincts kicked in. Blindly, he swung his massive fists in every direction, attempting to ward off Natasha's follow-up attack.
It was a good idea in theory, but in practice, it fell apart. Natasha moved like smoke, her lithe body weaving through his attacks with impossible precision. Each of his wild punches came close—but not close enough. She slipped past his every strike, just out of reach, as if she were no more than a shadow dancing at the edges of his vision.
The physical strength of Abomination seemed nearly limitless. His wild, random swings hardly drained his energy, and for most, even getting close enough to attack was a death sentence. Being struck by one of those punches was no different from being hit by a speeding train.
But from Natasha's perspective, it was all calculated—each move broken down into its vulnerabilities, every wild swing leaving a brief but critical opening. She clenched her right fist, her sharp eyes locking onto her target. Her left foot dug into the ground with such force that the pavement cracked beneath her. With explosive precision, she launched herself forward, her right fist driving straight for Abomination's chest.
Boom!
The impact was nothing short of earth-shattering. The sheer force—easily two hundred tons—slammed into Abomination's massive chest, sending him skidding backward. His feet barely touched the ground as they scraped across the pavement, carving deep gouges into the road that stretched for tens of meters.
When his momentum finally stopped, Abomination wobbled slightly, struggling to regain his footing. But Natasha wasn't finished.
The air around her exploded outward as she surged forward again. This time, she raised her right leg with pinpoint accuracy and aimed it directly at Abomination's head.
Boom!
The devastating kick twisted Abomination's face with its raw power, snapping his head and upper body violently to the side. The colossal creature toppled, his massive frame crashing toward the ground in the opposite direction.