Chapter 16: Monster

Sorry for delay, as this chapter was deleted by mistake, so I have to do this again. ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

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Chapter 16: Monster

"What's the matter?" Smith inquired as he noticed Colin gazing silently into the dense fog ahead of them.

Intrigued, Smith glanced in the same direction, only perceiving a murky gray landscape.

"It's nothing," Colin replied, shaking his head and diverting his eyes.

Colin didn't want to dwell on the presence he had glimpsed. It could have been an ordinary civilian who happened to emerge in the thick fog.

He reassured himself silently.

Suppressing his thoughts, Colin motioned to Smith discreetly, indicating that they should wrap up and from a direction that the camera couldn't capture.

Their live broadcast was an urgent news report, connecting them with the studio host through live coverage.

Since they couldn't obtain any further valuable footage at the moment, there was no need to continue occupying airtime in the studio.

Following Colin's cue, Smith complied by angling the camera upward.

"In the upcoming hours, we will endeavor to retreat to a safe location while keeping a close eye on the on-site situation. We will promptly relay any new information to the studio. This concludes the latest report presented by Colin Luper, a correspondent from The Daily Bugle," Colin stated.

Bang!

Before Colin could conclude his final statement, the camera swiftly returned to the studio host.

In mid-air, an enormous figure suddenly materialized, crashing heavily not far from their position.

"What's going on, Colin? Colin, can you hear me?" the studio host anxiously inquired.

Colin, present at the scene, had no time to address these questions. He strained his senses and turned his gaze toward the point of impact.

The forceful collision caused cracks to spread like a spider's web. Such a powerful impact could be fatal to anyone. However, contrary to expectations, the figure at the epicenter seemed to be struggling fiercely rather than succumbing to its injuries.

Thump, thump, thump!

The figure's desperate efforts were accompanied by heavy panting, growing increasingly urgent.

Due to the distance, Colin and his team couldn't fully discern the figure's appearance. They could merely catch a vague silhouette through the fog's haze, revealing a colossal monster that surpassed human imagination.

"Could it be the Hulk?" Colin pondered, observing the massive figure in the mist, initially associating it with the green giant, the Hulk.

Nevertheless, as the figure continued to struggle and roar, and as its blurry outline gradually became clearer amidst the mist, Colin realized that it wasn't the Hulk.

Unlike Colin's conception of the Hulk, although the monster within the fog possessed a similar colossal size, towering over three meters, its overall skin tone was a vivid red, resembling flesh. Its body brimmed with twisted and deformed muscles, intertwined and exuding an overwhelming sense of power.

Boom!

Within the fog, the monster swung its muscular arm, generating a deafening sonic boom as it forcefully slammed it onto the ground.

Boom!

The mighty impact left a massive crater in the earth, with countless debris scattering in all directions.

Witnessing the flying rubble, Colin quickly raised his hand to shield himself from the incoming stones. The shards struck the back of his hand, causing a prickling sensation akin to needles. The cameraman, Smith, next to him, emitted a series of pained cries.

Despite the considerable devastation caused by the monster's actions in the thick fog, it also tore through the surrounding mist, enabling Colin and the others to gain a clearer view of its appearance. Atop its muscular and contorted body, there was a relatively ordinary head with thick brown hair and bloodshot eyes.

On its chest, a deep, blackened wound, exposing bone, was visible, rapidly healing as wriggling muscles enveloped it.

Evidently, this monster not only possessed tremendous strength but also remarkable regenerative abilities.

So, this wasn't truly the Hulk? Or perhaps, it was indeed the Hulk, just not the version Colin had envisioned?

Witnessing the ferocious appearance of the monster, Colin's heartbeat skipped a beat.

His mind began to wander, contemplating the possibility of survival if he were to be struck by the opponent's arms, which were thicker than an average person's.

"This is not the place for you to come..."

At this critical moment, a slightly hoarse voice sounded.

Immediately after, they saw a hot-bodied redhead girl, whom Colin and the others had not noticed when she appeared behind them. She grabbed the shoulders of the two men and looked at the monster in the dense fog.

"It's Black Widow from the Thunderbolts!"

Seeing the woman appearing behind them, Smith couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.

Black Widow? Natasha!

Upon hearing the cameraman's words, Colin's expression on his face changed slightly.

He looked at Natasha, who calmly accepted the gaze.

She had a signature red hair, paired with a black tight-fitting uniform and matching boots. Her lips slightly curled upward, seemingly undisturbed by the scene before her. The Black Widow before him gave the impression of being in control of everything.

It was just like Colin's impression of Black Widow.

[Contact distorted time nodes, collected a small number of time fragments ×3]

[Black Iron Mark (7/10)]

At the same time, faintly visible words flashed before Colin's eyes.

But it reminded him that Natasha also possessed the [distorted time nodes].

"So, are you journalists?"

Her gaze swept from the camera in Smith's hand, and Natasha asked Colin and Smith.

"We are employees of The Daily Bugle. He is Colin, the on-site reporter, and I am Smith, in charge of filming."

Before Colin could speak, Smith, who was beside him, answered first.

Glancing at the excited cameraman beside him, Colin understood why he had been so cooperative during the filming earlier. It seemed he had a purpose in mind.

"Sorry," Natasha shook her head.

"According to the regulations of the Registered Hero Confidentiality Agreement, the upcoming scene may not be suitable for further filming."

"No problem. We will fully cooperate with the Thunderbolts operation."

Upon hearing Natasha's words, Smith immediately put down the camera in his hand and promised confidently.

I didn't expect this from you, Smith. Colin had worked with the cameraman for some time, but it was the first time he had seen this side of him.

When Dexter Bennett, the new owner of The Daily Bugle, acquired the newspaper, you never cooperated like this.

Witnessing the entire conversation between the bearded Smith and Natasha, Colin couldn't help but shake his head, a hint of speechlessness appearing on his face.

Give it up, Smith. You can't handle her.

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Advance chapters available at my patreoñ

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