His impeccable image as an invincible man crumbled right then.
The helplessness he felt in the face of death was like poison, engulfing him from the inside.
Natasha had never seen this side of him. Her eyes became teary, and at that moment, she realized that he was not an invincible figure who could do everything. He was but a man, fraught with emotions and vulnerable.
Without saying a word, Natasha walked over and started searching through the pile of debris.
Seeing that, Mike wiped away his tears and did the same.
The three of them searched in the rubble for a long time.
Even when their hands were torn and red from rummaging through the rubble, they did not stop.
The search continued late into the night. Soon, the sun began to rise.
In the end, Mike was so exhausted that he plopped onto the ground.
Then, he noticed that Natasha was still rummaging through the pile of debris. Her hands were all scratched up. He furrowed his brows and said, “Natasha, your hands...”
“I'm all right,” Natasha said.
Natasha's slender and thin fingers had turned into a mess of dirt and blood.
Mike then turned to look at Kenneth with knitted brows.
“Kenneth, I know it's difficult for you to accept the reality. I don't believe that Dave would... But we have to accept it.”
However, his words appeared to have fallen on deaf ears. Kenneth's eyes were blank as he continued searching the rubble pile.
“Even if you don't care about yourself, you have to think about Natasha for a second. We can go on, but she's a woman, and her hands are all torn!” Mike pleaded, looking straight into his eyes.
Kenneth abruptly stopped searching after hearing that.
Natasha turned around to look at Kenneth and said, “I'm all right.”
“Natasha...” Mike's frown deepened.
“Let's continue searching,” Natasha said before lowering her head to proceed.
She knew how loyal Kenneth was to his sworn brothers and how he blamed himself for what had happened to Zavier for many years. It was only not long ago when he found the letter that Zavier had left him that Kenneth started to gradually move on. If anything were to happen to Dave this time, Natasha couldn't even begin to imagine just how distraught Kenneth would be...
Hence, she just wanted to be by his side in her own way.
Natasha looked at the rock beneath her and struggled to move it. Suddenly, she felt a hand tugging at her.
The hand was a mess of flesh and blood, not unlike her own.
Natasha looked up.
“Stop,” Kenneth said, almost whispering. His voice was hoarse.
Natasha eyed the man before her. Despite tears brimming in her eyes, she spoke calmly and determinedly. “We have to continue.”
She turned around and continued to move the rocks.
Kenneth looked at her almost unrecognizable hands and grabbed them forcefully. He seemed to be trying to hold himself back.
Unable to move with his tight grip, she met Kenneth's gaze once again. “I believe that Dave and the others will be all right. Trust me.”
Kenneth clenched his jaw as a pained look flitted across his eyes. Tightening his grip, he uttered, “I'll ask Mike to send you back home.”
“You know I won't leave,” Natasha said.
Kenneth looked at her. His deep, obsidian gaze was filled with restraint.
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