Chapter 172: C168
After hurling the truck, Abomination didn't hesitate. He turned and leaped high into the sky.
Yes, driven by fear, he chose to flee.
The thrown truck was a deliberate distraction, meant to draw the attention of that "foul woman." As Abomination soared hundreds of meters into the air, he couldn't resist glancing back through the roaring wind.
That single look almost made his heart stop.
At some point, Natasha had appeared behind him, her figure poised effortlessly in mid-air. Her beautiful, delicate face bore a playful, almost mocking expression, and the hem of her windbreaker fluttered in the rushing wind.
"Hey, good evening, Mr. Abomination. Are we competing to see who can jump higher? We're not done playing yet," she teased, her tone light and mischievous.
"This is impossible~~~!" Abomination screamed in disbelief.
"Oh, it's very possible," Natasha replied softly.
With a graceful twist of her body in mid-air, Natasha positioned herself and unleashed a powerful kick with her right foot, slamming it into Abomination's back with all her strength.
The terrifying speed and explosive power of Natasha's kick left Abomination unable to respond in midair. He could only watch helplessly as the strike landed squarely on his back.
Boom!
The immense, crushing force sent Abomination hurtling toward the ground like a meteorite, colliding with a towering building below.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, Abomination smashed through the building, crashing through each floor one by one. Glass shards and debris exploded outward as he descended, until he finally hit the ground with a resounding impact that shook the earth itself.
Dust and rubble were swept into the air by the shockwave, and fragments of shattered glass flew in all directions. The once-towering building groaned under the strain before it completely collapsed, disintegrating into a heap of ruins that buried Abomination beneath it.
Meanwhile, Natasha descended gracefully from midair, landing lightly atop a slightly bent streetlamp on the street.
She turned her gaze toward the distance, where the large truck Abomination had hurled earlier had been split in half. Its shattered remains lay on either side of the road, about ten meters away from the crowd at the intersection.
Peter Parker, who had been observing the battle, now stood near the crowd. He had clearly rushed forward, intending to shield the people from the incoming truck. However, Natasha had preemptively dealt with the threat, slicing the vehicle cleanly in two with a flying slash, rendering Peter's efforts unnecessary.
This quick thinking and decisive action earned Natasha's quiet admiration. After sparing Peter a glance, she turned her attention back to the ruins ahead, watching the dust and smoke that shrouded the aftermath of her attack.
"It's almost over, but if you keep playing, you'll regret it."
Unwilling to waste more time, Natasha hopped down from the streetlamp with a light step. Moving gracefully, she extended her index finger and made a small, deliberate motion downward.
Boom!!
A terrifying blue slash of energy erupted, carving through the ruins in front of her. It created a clear passage, just wide enough for one person to walk through. At the end of the newly formed path, amidst the rubble, lay a massive figure sprawled on the ground, motionless and uncertain if alive or dead.
Under the watchful eyes of onlookers, Natasha strode confidently toward the figure. Reaching him, she extended her foot and nudged the Abomination's massive body with her toes. With the faintest push, she flipped him over, the movement accompanied by a dull, cracking sound.
Abomination's face twisted in pain as he let out guttural, low growls. Natasha's earlier kick had landed with surgical precision, fracturing the bones in his back. These were critical structural supports for his body's movement, and their breakage left him unable to control his limbs. Simply put, Abomination was now in a temporary vegetative state.
Even with his formidable self-healing ability, it would take time for him to recover.
"Still conscious, huh? I underestimated your resilience," Natasha murmured softly. Then, tapping her earpiece, she spoke: "Clarice, I need a portal."
"Got it, Sister Natasha," came the cheerful reply from Clarice.
A moment later, the air behind Natasha shimmered and warped, as though pierced by an invisible dagger. The distortion grew, tearing open into a swirling portal bathed in a soft purple glow. It radiated with the shimmer of endless starlight.
Through the portal, the faint outline of an empty platform was visible on the other side.
Natasha's right foot lightly pushed against Abomination's body, sending it slightly airborne. With a swift motion, she delivered a sideways kick to his chest.
Bang!
Abomination's massive frame was launched through the portal, disappearing into its swirling light. On the other side, his body crashed onto the platform with a thunderous impact.
The portal shimmered briefly before closing. Natasha gave a satisfied nod and then turned, walking gracefully toward Hulk.
When she reached him, Hulk, to her surprise, obediently crouched down, lowering himself to her eye level before she could even speak.
Natasha blinked in momentary surprise before smiling. "Do you want to come with me, Hulk?"
"Hulk," he replied without hesitation, nodding eagerly after calling his own name.
For Hulk, Natasha was one of the few people in the world who treated him with kindness. Her invitation needed no second thought. He didn't hesitate at all—not because of romantic love, but out of a deep bond of friendship and dependence.
Hulk craved connection, and Natasha had become someone he trusted and admired.
Natasha wasn't surprised by his response. She had successfully earned his trust and friendship. She even intended to take Hulk with her. But not everyone was pleased about this development.
General Ross, who had been observing from a distance, was far from happy. Seeing Abomination disappear into the mysterious portal and Natasha reappear—this time seemingly "kidnapping" Hulk—Ross acted quickly.
"Lower the helicopter!" he barked.
At the same time, a large contingent of Ross's soldiers had already surrounded the area. However, knowing the immense power of Natasha and Abomination, Ross had refrained from involving his men directly in the earlier fight.
As the situation entered its final stage, General Ross immediately ordered his soldiers to move into the neighborhood.
In other words, Ross intended to leverage the authority and reputation of the U.S. military to strengthen his bargaining position.
With this added support, Ross exited the helicopter, accompanied by a small group of soldiers and Betty, and began walking toward Natasha and Hulk.
"Apologies, ma'am," Ross said in a firm tone, his expression stern but controlled. "We appreciate your service to the people of New York and the military, but I'm going to have to ask you to hand over both the Abomination and the Hulk."
Heavily armed soldiers surrounded the area, their presence creating a tense atmosphere. Meanwhile, several helicopters hovered overhead, their spotlights piercing through the night to illuminate the confrontation below, casting bright, focused beams on Natasha, Hulk, and Ross.
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