"Black Widow, report your status."
Natasha Romanoff's calm voice came through the comms.
"Copy that. I'm looking for the best sniping position," Hawkeye Clint Barton replied immediately.
That low humming grew clearer and clearer, finally converging at the center of a crossroads in Brooklyn. The hard asphalt surface was squeezed upward by some invisible, titanic force, warping and buckling as cracks spiderwebbed outward.
Blazing purple light burst from the fissures, staining the evening sky with an ominous hue. A fire hydrant at the roadside was blasted clean off, a column of water mixed with rocks and dust erupting into the air like a miniature mudslide. The bricks of the sidewalk were pried up and shattered as if they were fragile biscuits.
"My God! What is that?!"
The waiter at the corner café stared at the scene unfolding outside, the tray slipping from his numb fingers and crashing to the ground with a loud clang.
Panic spread like a plague.
Screams, the screech of tires as drivers slammed on their brakes, the shrill howling of car alarms — all of it exploded at once. People shoved and jostled each other as they ran, bolting away from the intersection in blind terror. Suitcases and shopping bags were scattered everywhere, abandoned by owners who didn't dare look back.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
A deafening bellow, filled with nothing but pure destructive intent, tore the air apart. A massive shadow surged up from the ruptured street!
As the dust slowly settled, the monster's true form was revealed.
It was as big as a double-decker bus, its overall shape that of a gigantic lizard, with powerful hind legs and relatively short but thick forelimbs. A long, armor-plated tail whipped violently behind it, swatting a parked SUV at the curb and sending it flying like a toy.
The most horrifying thing was that its entire body was sheathed in a thick, liquid-like purple flame. There was no skin — its whole form was made out of writhing, burning violet fire. Two "eyeballs" of even more intense purple light burned in its head, radiating endless ferocity and the urge to destroy.
The air around it rippled and twisted, the heat so extreme that shards of glass and bits of metal at its feet began to melt within seconds.
It threw back its grotesque head and roared again, the sound shaking the streets for blocks. This time, what spewed from its mouth was not saliva, but a concentrated blast of purple flame.
Boom!
A mailbox by the roadside instantly turned into a puddle of glowing red molten metal. The glass storefront of a shop facing the street shattered all at once, exploding outward in a rain of shards.
Chaos reached its peak.
Under the bridge, Saitama put down the crumpled flyer in his hand. He bent over and patted at his jeans at the knees, knocking off dust that wasn't actually there.
"Supermarket specials end at seven… better finish this quick," he muttered calmly.
The next instant, his figure blurred.
He shot out of the underpass as a streak of golden light, rushing toward the purple flames and piercing screams of the Brooklyn district. His speed was so great it left a faint sonic crack in the air behind him.
High above the battlefield, the Quinjet piloted by Natasha and Clint was hovering at a safe altitude.
The optical scanner beneath the aircraft locked onto a detail on the purple flame lizard below.
"Holy… this thing's entire body is on fire?" Clint stared down through the canopy, his composite bow already shifting silently into combat-ready alignment in his hands.
Natasha's fingers flew over the controls as she shared the live readings.
"Energy output holding at a high level. External temperature more than three times the upper limit of a conventional flamethrower. Fury, confirming the target possesses both high-energy emissions and tremendous physical destructive capability. Requesting further instructions."
"Maintain observation! Repeat, you are not authorized to engage!" Nick Fury's voice was firm and emphatic. "This thing's energy signature is too strange. I need more data… Look out!" he suddenly snapped.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]
[[email protected]/Draumel]
[Thank You For Your Support!]