Chapter 72 - Hindel(2)

15 Minutes Earlier

Nathan knelt beside Natasha, his mechanical katana resting against a nearby rock as he helped her set up the bombs.

The small, sleek devices had their surfaces glowing faintly with a soft blue light.

Natasha worked with precision, her fingers moving deftly as she armed each one. Nathan watched her for a moment, his curiosity piqued.

"You always carry bombs around?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with a hint of amusement.

Natasha didn't look up, her focus entirely on the task at hand. "You never know when you'll need to blow something up," she replied, her voice calm and matter-of-fact.

Nathan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Fair enough. But it's a little convenient that you just happened to have these on you. Almost like you knew we'd need them."

Natasha paused for a moment, her hands hovering over the last bomb. She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Call it intuition."

Nathan raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further. He trusted Natasha's judgement, and if she had her reasons for carrying explosives, he wasn't going to question it. For now, at least.

They worked in silence for a few moments before Natasha spoke again, her voice softer this time.

"Nathan… about earlier. I'm sorry for bringing up Stella. I know how much she's hurt you, and I shouldn't have suggested involving her."

Nathan's hands stilled, his gaze dropping to the ground. He took a deep breath, then shook his head.

"It's okay, Nat. I'm not angry at you. I know you were just trying to think of ways for us to survive.

And… honestly, you're probably right. That guy I fought earlier was no joke. If whoever the guy at the control room is is even stronger, we might need all the help we can get."

Natasha studied him for a moment, her eyes searching his face. "You're not just saying that are you?"

Nathan met her gaze, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No. I mean it. I don't like the idea of working with Stella, infact I detest it. But if it means keeping everyone alive, I'll deal with it."

Natasha nodded, her expression softening. "You've grown a lot, Nathan. You're not the same kid who used to let people walk all over you. You've become strong. Assertive, too."

Nathan's cheeks flushed, and he quickly looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks, I guess. I just… had to step up, you know? For the sake of my friends."

Natasha smirked, clearly enjoying his flustered reaction. "Well, it suits you. Just don't let it go to your head."

Nathan groaned, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just finish setting these bombs before Hindel decides to crash the party."

They returned to their work, the tension between them easing as they fell back into their usual rhythm.

By the time they finished, the bombs were strategically placed, ready to be detonated at a moment's notice.

"Alright," Natasha said, standing and brushing off her hands. "Now we just need to see how strong this guy really is."

Nathan nodded, his expression serious. "And if hes crazy strong, hope these are enough to give us time to escape."

************

Currently

The explosion rocked the area, the force of the blast sending debris flying in all directions.

Nathan shielded Natasha with his wings, as the nano-tech suit absorbed much of the impact.

As the dust began to settle, he scooped her into his arms as he grabbed his katana and her rifle as he flapped his wings.

"Hold on," he said, his voice tight with urgency.

Natasha wrapped her arms around his neck, her grip firm as Nathan launched into the air.

The wind rushed past them as they soared above the battlefield, the control room shrinking in the distance.

But would their escape really be that easy. Of course not.

Hindel emerged from the smoke mainly unharmed, his golden hair gleaming in the sunlight.

He whistled sharply, and a massive gryphon descended from the sky, its wings beating powerfully as it landed beside him.

Hindel mounted the creature with ease, his spear in hand.

"You think you can run?" he called out, his voice carrying over the wind. "How amusing."

Nathan glanced over his shoulder, his heart sinking as he saw Hindel and the gryphon gaining on them. "Crap. This can't be good."

But before before he could fully react, Hindel hurled his spear at them with terrifying force.

The weapon cut through the air with a sonic boom, reaching them in an instant.

Nathan twisted mid-air, his wings flaring as he barely managed to dodge the attack.

The spear did graze his side tho, cutting through the and cutting skin. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his body and threw him off balance.

Natasha tightened her grip as they wobbled in the air. "Nathan!"

"I'm fine," he gritted out, but the damage was done. Hindel's gryphon closed the distance in seconds, the creature's talons reaching for them.

But Hindel not wanting to wait, leaped from the gryphon's back, his movements fluid and precise.

He collided with Nathan and Natasha mid-air, the force of the impact sending them plummeting toward the ground.

Nathan tried to stabilize, but Hindel's grip was unrelenting.

They hit the ground with a deafening crash, the impact creating a small crater.

BOOM

Nathan groaned, his body aching as he struggled to push himself up. Natasha rolled to her feet, her energy rifle already in hand.

Hindel on the other hand had landed gracefully, his spear returning to his hand as if summoned.

He smirked down at them, his expression one of pure amusement.

"You two are chock full of surprises," he said, his tone almost admiring. "But this little game ends now."

Nathan forced himself to stand, his wings trembling from the damage of the fall. He glanced at Natasha, his expression grim.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way," he muttered.

Natasha nodded, her grip tightening on her rifle. "Doubt we have a choice."

Hindel chuckled, twirling his spear lazily. "By all means, give me your best shot. Oh I do so love a challenge."