Who Is the Prey?

Natasha, carrying the Frost Shard, leaped from a building tens of meters high. She wasn't suicidal; it was simply the fastest way to escape the Frost Giants.

She deployed her hang glider while in mid-air.

This is her habit; no matter what mission she's on, she always makes thorough preparations beforehand. Only by anticipating all possible scenarios can she survive dangerous missions time and time again.

Fortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D.. had taken this into account and designed a gliding device specifically for her, which would allow her to quickly escape the combat zone.

Unfortunately for them, the enemy wasn't stupid either.

Upon seeing such a large target in the sky, the Chitauri legions, who had occupied the surrounding high ground, immediately opened fire on her.

Natasha tried her best to dodge in mid-air, but she was still hit in the abdomen.

With a scream, she plummeted from the sky like a kite with a broken string.

Fortunately, she had a grappling hook, which prevented her from falling directly and being smashed to pieces.

Swinging on the grappling hook, Natasha crashed into the building opposite, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop. The sharp pain in her abdomen left her momentarily disoriented.

It turned out that the laser beam had actually pierced her lung!

"It just so happens to be this location..."

Natasha took a deep breath, quickly took out her first-aid medication, sprayed it on the wound, and stopped the blood from clotting.

But with her lungs damaged, it meant she was completely unable to engage in strenuous activity, which was practically a death sentence on the battlefield!

"I am Natasha — the Frost Shard is with me. Requesting backup. I repeat, requesting backup!"

After saying this, Natasha suddenly became alert, drew her gun from her waist, aimed at a certain spot, and pulled the trigger. With several gunshots, a figure fell to the ground; it was none other than Chitauri had infiltrated the area.

She couldn't stay here any longer—she knew very well that the enemy was closing in, and she had to escape as far as possible before the encirclement closed in, to buy herself some time!

Natasha, clutching the Frost Shard, ran frantically through the narrow streets.

Once upon a time, she joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. simply because she hoped to find a place to live after the Cold War ended.

To this former SI agent, saving humanity was nothing but a slogan.

But who could have imagined that she, a secret agent living in the shadows, would actually become the key to saving humanity?

Ahead, the Chitauri army was pursuing her relentlessly; behind, hundreds of Frost Giants, led by the crazed Laufey, were trying to reclaim the lost Frost Shard.

But Natasha knew she couldn't stop.

Despite being on the verge of exhaustion, her lungs expanding violently, each breath of air feeling like scalding hot oil, her throat burning as if on fire, and her legs feeling as heavy as lead, she still did not stop.

Even if she works herself to death, she won't stop!

She was determined not to let the Frost Shard fall back into enemy hands. She was prepared to perish along with the Frost Shard if she were surrounded by the enemy before reinforcements arrived!

She is a secret agent.

But she was also a human being, and she had witnessed the rise and fall of that great regime, and she had once been filled with passion!

However, that passion was gradually buried in the darkness of countless times.

But now, seeing Steve risk his life to hold Laufey back, that buried passion was rekindled in her heart!

This is not for those dirty politicians, but for humanity!

Natasha initially thought she would scoff at such a seemingly unrealistic goal, but when she truly shouldered the hope of saving humanity... a voice inside her said, "It's worth it!"

When the body reaches its limit, it is the will that takes over!

Natasha's agile and nimble movements showed no signs of injury. Surrounded by the Chitauri, she managed to break through using her grappling hook, electric dynamo, and a series of other "toys"!

It's hard to imagine that her lungs had been punctured, yet even in that situation, Natasha maintained her top speed.

However, just as Natasha leaped from one building to another, a deadly chill swept over her.

It swept in like a tidal wave!

In an instant, Natasha's legs were frozen!

Then, a seemingly thin but four or five-meter-tall Frost Giants with deep blue skin emerged from the shadows.

"Run! Let's see where you can run to!"

Laufey's face was ferocious, his expression dark and gloomy as he glared fiercely at the human who had humiliated him. He sneered, "You think you're so good at running? You lowly human, how dare you steal my race's divine artifact!"

As he spoke, Laufey conjured an ice spear and hurled it, piercing Natasha's chest.

La!

The powerful force, after piercing through her body, did not stop, but instead dragged her backward.

Until it was nailed to the wall!

Blood flowed down the wall. Natasha coughed up blood and felt her vision blur. Only then did she feel excruciating pain from her damaged lungs and her entire body.

"Sorry, Steve."

Holding the Frost Shard, Natasha looked around at the Frost Giants and the Chitauri army that completely surrounded her, a bitter expression on her face. "I... I may have to let you down."

Ultimately, she was just a human being.

It's quite remarkable that they managed to run this long, being surrounded and pursued by both the Chitauri army and the Frost Giants.

Am I going to die?

Natasha suddenly remembered what Alvin had said: they would not bring victory to humanity, but their deaths were not without meaning!

Even if it's just consuming one enemy bullet, it's still laying a cornerstone for humanity's march towards victory!

As Laufey approached, Natasha bit her tongue, her eyes bloodshot, and growled menacingly, "No, even if it means death—I will not hand it over to you!!!"

She was mentally prepared that if she were cornered by the enemy before reinforcements arrived, she would perish together with the Frost Shard!

However, Laufey had already seen through her plan and used magic to freeze Natasha from the neck down, turning her into an ice sculpture.

"You think I don't know what you're thinking?" Laufey sneered, seemingly confident of victory, and slowly walked towards him. "No one can stop the rise of the Frost Giants, not even Odin!"

Boom!!!

However, the moment he uttered those words...

They saw the solid, thick cement wall next to them smashed open, and a figure like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, dragging a dark afterimage, kicked Laufey away with incredible speed that was hard to catch!

Bang!

Laufey, who had been thrown out, felt as if his bones were about to shatter. He stared incredulously at the figure that had crashed through the wall and burst in. "Who are you?!"

Compared to Laufey's horror, Natasha, who was frozen in ice, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief after seeing that figure.

Thankfully, I made it in time.

"Dark Angels Sub-Commander, Black Watch Chapter, Ollsen." That imposing figure, clad in armor as black as Wraith Daemon, was deeply etched into Laufey's eyes.

While Laufey was in a daze, four more figures appeared one after another at a building nearly a hundred meters away.

With a running start and a leap, he crashed into the place like a meteorite!

Very good, target confirmed – eliminate the heretics!

At this moment, Laufey, surrounded by five Dark Angels, experienced a rare feeling of fear. The chill that seeped into his bones made him realize immediately that he was the prey!