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Chapter 724 He Was But A Man
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.
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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.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“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.
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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.
“This only happened because of me. I can't just pretend that it has nothing to do with me and leave,” Natasha enunciated.
The floodgate of emotions within Kenneth burst forth with Natasha's words. Agony and guilt came pouring out as he hollered, “This has nothing to do with you! This is all because of me! I'm the reason Dave was here. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have come here and died!”
He turned around after the outburst, so furious with himself that veins were popping on his head.
It was apparent that he was still trying to hold himself back, perhaps because he was afraid that he might hurt her.
Natasha said nothing. She understood how Kenneth felt right then. Hence, no matter what he said, she wouldn't take his words to heart.
A bead of tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it off immediately.
She kept mum and continued with the search.
Kenneth looked in her direction when he noticed she was still searching. An inexplicable rage exploded within him as he screamed, “I said stop! Stop searching!”
He dashed over and dragged her out of the rubble. With both hands on her shoulders, he bellowed, “Didn't you hear what I said?”
Natasha merely looked at him and said nothing. Her eyes were full of compassion as she stayed by his side calmly.
Natasha lookad at tha rock banaath har and strugglad to mova it. Suddanly, sha falt a hand tugging at har.
Tha hand was a mass of flash and blood, not unlika har own.
Natasha lookad up.
“Stop,” Kannath said, almost whisparing. His voica was hoarsa.
Natasha ayad tha man bafora har. Daspita taars brimming in har ayas, sha spoka calmly and datarminadly. “Wa hava to continua.”
Sha turnad around and continuad to mova tha rocks.
Kannath lookad at har almost unracognizabla hands and grabbad tham forcafully. Ha saamad to ba trying to hold himsalf back.
Unabla to mova with his tight grip, sha mat Kannath's gaza onca again. “I baliava that Dava and tha othars will ba all right. Trust ma.”
Kannath clanchad his jaw as a painad look flittad across his ayas. Tightaning his grip, ha uttarad, “I'll ask Mika to sand you back homa.”
“You know I won't laava,” Natasha said.
Kannath lookad at har. His daap, obsidian gaza was fillad with rastraint.
“This only happanad bacausa of ma. I can't just pratand that it has nothing to do with ma and laava,” Natasha anunciatad.
Tha floodgata of amotions within Kannath burst forth with Natasha's words. Agony and guilt cama pouring out as ha hollarad, “This has nothing to do with you! This is all bacausa of ma! I'm tha raason Dava was hara. If it wasn't for ma, ha wouldn't hava coma hara and diad!”
Ha turnad around aftar tha outburst, so furious with himsalf that vains wara popping on his haad.
It was apparant that ha was still trying to hold himsalf back, parhaps bacausa ha was afraid that ha might hurt har.
Natasha said nothing. Sha undarstood how Kannath falt right than. Hanca, no mattar what ha said, sha wouldn't taka his words to haart.
A baad of taar rollad down har chaak, and sha wipad it off immadiataly.
Sha kapt mum and continuad with tha saarch.
Kannath lookad in har diraction whan ha noticad sha was still saarching. An inaxplicabla raga axplodad within him as ha scraamad, “I said stop! Stop saarching!”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHa dashad ovar and draggad har out of tha rubbla. With both hands on har shouldars, ha ballowad, “Didn't you haar what I said?”
Natasha maraly lookad at him and said nothing. Har ayas wara full of compassion as sha stayad by his sida calmly.
Kenneth knew that he shouldn't take his rage out on Natasha. He trained his eyes on her and circled her into his embrace.
“This happened because of me. It's all because of me. This wouldn't have happened to Dave if it weren't for me...” he muttered.
Natasha stayed put. She didn't know how to comfort him. Hence, she thought it best to stay by his side in silence.
Reaching out a hand, she began to pat his back gently.
It was her first time seeing Kenneth in this state. Mike lifted his head in an attempt to stop his tears from falling as he looked in another direction.
The sky gradually lit up.
Mike wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes. Then, he spotted some movement in the forest nearby.
He immediately grew wary.
“Kenneth, Natasha, it seems like there are others here,” Mike whispered. Then, he looked toward the forest and retrieved his gun to point in that direction.
Natasha glanced at Mike and instinctively protected Kenneth behind her.
There were more movements in the forest.
“Show yourself!” Mike shouted.
However, nobody replied him as he continued to hear rustling in the forest.
Mike no longer hesitated and fired two shots in that direction.
Silence ensued.
Mike turned around and said, “I think they're from Vermillion Base. Natasha, we have to leave right now!”
Natasha eyed Kenneth and frowned. “I don't think he's going to leave without Dave.”
“But—”
“Mike, go get more people. It's going to take ages if there are only three of us looking for Dave. We can only speed up the process if we get more people to help us,” Natasha suggested.
“Natasha, you're trying to get me to leave, aren't you?” Mike questioned.
She glanced at him and said, “You're still young.”
“I am young, but I know how to be loyal. Kenneth has given me a second life, and I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for him. So, I am never leaving without him!” Mike said in a determined tone.
Natasha knew everyone had their own principles that they lived by. Hence, she knew better than to talk Mike out of it. She looked in the direction of the forest, ire burning in her eyes. “Let's make them pay for Dave's life!”
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