What could he say? Monsters, big and small, could only live in one nest.
"It's hard to imagine that this world would have such horrific monsters as you," Abomination said, staring at Lomon Losov with a mixture of disgust and curiosity.
"Monster?" Lomon replied, unfazed. "Sounds a lot like praise."
"I'm not stupid enough to praise you," Abomination shot back.
Lomon's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "It's strange, though. Bruce Banner's mutation created another conscious Hulk, but you didn't."
Abomination smirked, his grotesque face twisting into an expression of both pride and derision. "Because I don't need a second consciousness. I'm a soldier and a warrior. If another consciousness tried to take over my body, my first thought would be to kill it—not let it grow independently."
The venom in his voice revealed disdain, not just for Bruce Banner but for the concept of sharing control.
After mocking Banner and the Hulk, Abomination fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. A memory stirred in his mind—a piercing gaze that once robbed him of his will to fight. It was a look that felt almost divine.
"So, the strength you possess... was it all given by him?" Abomination asked, his voice tinged with something close to reverence.
Lomon didn't need to ask who "him" referred to. He tilted his head, meeting Abomination's eyes without hesitation. "Yes, everything we have was given by him. When we were at our most desperate, he appeared—like the sun."
"From the lowest depths, he led us to see a completely different world. He broadened our horizons," Lomon added calmly.
Abomination let out a bitter laugh. "What an incredible person. Just when I thought becoming Abomination had made me the most powerful warrior in the world, she woke me up."
"She?" Lomon raised an eyebrow.
"That woman—Natasha." Abomination's tone turned venomous. "The fall from thinking I was at the top to realizing I was nothing... It's unbearable. Especially for someone as proud as me."
"If you're planning to seek revenge on Natasha, I'd advise against it," Lomon said coolly. "She's worse than me. Even with your so-called 'strong self-healing abilities,' you wouldn't last long."
"I'm not that stupid," Abomination muttered, shrugging. Then, almost as an afterthought, he said, "If I told you I wanted to join your organization, would you accept me?"
"Join us?" Lomon looked at him with mild surprise. Despite his composure, he couldn't hide his curiosity. After all, Abomination wasn't known for his honesty or reliability.
"Yes," Abomination confirmed. "I want to join you."
"Why? Tired of being a sparring partner?"
"When I was a child, I was bullied relentlessly," Abomination began, his voice uncharacteristically calm. "My father told me tears wouldn't solve anything. He said if I didn't want to be bullied, I had to become strong. Truly strong.
"So, I joined the army. I trained harder than anyone else and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually joining the special operations force. But it wasn't enough. No matter how good I was, there were others who surpassed me—those with superpowers, mutants, even Iron Man flying around in his shiny suit.
"It filled me with rage."
He paused, his monstrous form trembling slightly. "Then Hulk appeared. He gave me hope. I waited for my chance, and when it came, I gambled everything on a blood sample. I became Abomination.
"I thought I'd finally reached the top," he continued bitterly, "but then you showed up. You shattered my illusion. In front of you, I'm just a ridiculous clown—a sparring partner. If this continues, I'll die full of resentment, surpassed by kids younger than me."
Abomination clenched his fists, his voice raw with desperation. "I don't want that. I need to get stronger."
At that moment, all traces of cunning and deception disappeared from Abomination's demeanor. He bared his soul, revealing the singular drive that consumed him: the desire to become the strongest warrior, no matter the cost.
Lomon studied him intently. His ability to sense emotions and truth—his Observation Haki—confirmed that Abomination's words were genuine.
"Interesting," Lomon said with a faint smile. "So, do you think you're worthy of joining us?"
Abomination met his gaze without flinching. "Do you?"
Lomon didn't hesitate. "It's not my decision to make."
Abomination nodded, understanding immediately. The final decision rested with someone else.
Lomon tapped his earpiece. "Clarice."
From the other end came the cheerful voice of Clarice. "Wow, you actually killed my character, brother Lomon! You owe me compensation."
"Fine, fine," Lomon replied with a sigh. "I'll buy you whatever you want. Just get ready."
"Hehe! It's open!"
With a triumphant laugh from Clarice, a portal shimmered into existence.
Half an Hour Later
Abomination stood in the vast hall of a sky base, his nerves on edge. Below the transparent glass floor, he could see thick clouds and the faint blue of the sky.
The hall was eerily quiet, save for the distant sounds of children playing. Abomination's focus, however, was elsewhere. This was a pivotal moment in his life, and his anxiety was palpable.
He rarely felt fear, but now his heart pounded in his chest.
Suddenly—
Weng!!
A burst of golden particles filled the air, coalescing into the shape of a tall, majestic figure. The golden cross-shaped starburst illuminated the hall, signaling the arrival of someone extraordinary.
...
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