The dust settled briefly in the chaotic street, though the tension was far from over. Rhino groaned as he pushed himself up from the wreckage of the car he'd been sent hurtling into. His suit was dented, his horn was missing, and there was a noticeable limp in his step from the hole Natasha had pierced through his foot. Yet, despite his injuries, he bellowed with rage, his small, beady eyes locking onto Natasha Romanoff like a bull preparing to charge.
Wanda Maximoff remained at the edge of the battlefield, leaning against a lamppost. Her crimson aura flickered faintly as she observed the scene with a blend of amusement and exasperation. Fracture, coiled lazily around her shoulders, hummed in her ear.
**"They're really making a mess of things, aren't they?"** Fracture said.
Wanda sighed. "Destruction seems to be their love language."
**"Adorable,"** Fracture quipped. **"But if they knock down one more fire hydrant, I'm charging them rent for all the water damage."**
Rhino roared, his massive frame lumbering forward as he barreled toward Natasha, ignoring the glaring hole in his foot. Each step shook the ground, sending tremors rippling through the street. The few remaining bystanders who hadn't yet fled screamed and scattered.
Natasha rolled her eyes. "This guy doesn't learn, does he?"
Talia, standing a few feet behind her, smirked. "He's committed, I'll give him that."
Natasha's lips twitched into a grin as she raised Rhino's broken horn, holding it like a spear. "Let's see if he likes a second helping."
As Rhino closed in, Natasha lunged forward, meeting his charge head-on. She sidestepped his hornless head with fluid precision, planting her foot firmly on the ground and thrusting the jagged horn upward. The sharp tip pierced through the same injured foot as before, locking him in place once again.
"Oh, the irony," Natasha said with a mocking laugh. "If only you were horny enough to defeat two women with attitude. But I guess you just couldn't hold up under the pressure."
Rhino let out a strangled groan, half from pain and half from frustration. "Lady, if I had a dime for every time someone made a joke about my horn—"
"You'd still be broke," Natasha interjected, cutting him off with a smirk.
As Rhino struggled to free himself, Talia took a running start, her Extremis-enhanced muscles propelling her forward like a rocket. She leaped into the air, her body twisting mid-flight as she delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to Rhino's chest. The impact sent him flying across the street, his massive frame colliding with a fire hydrant with a deafening clang.
The hydrant burst on impact, sending a geyser of water shooting into the air and drenching the immediate area. Talia landed gracefully, her grin widening as she brushed a stray strand of platinum hair from her face.
Natasha holstered her pistols, watching the scene with a smirk. "Ah, destruction—the best kind of stress relief."
"You know," Talia said, adjusting her jacket, "causing wanton violence and destruction is really good for a woman's skin. You just work out all the stress."
Natasha tilted her head, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Really? And here I thought your glowing complexion was just because you're insufferable."
Talia laughed, placing a hand over her heart. "Aw, you think I'm glowing? I'm flattered, Romanoff."
"Don't get used to it," Natasha replied with a grin.
Rhino, now thoroughly soaked and furious, staggered to his feet. Water streamed off his dented suit as he turned to face the women once more, his breathing ragged but his anger undiminished.
"Why does everyone keep picking on me?!" Rhino bellowed, his voice echoing through the street. "I just wanted to rob a bank! Is that so much to ask?!"
"Honestly?" Natasha said, her pistols back in her hands. "Yes."
"Very much yes," Talia added, cracking her knuckles. "But thanks for making it so fun to stop you."
Rhino let out another roar, his massive hands tearing a lamppost from the ground and wielding it like a club. He swung it toward Natasha, who ducked under the attack with ease. The lamppost smashed into a nearby mailbox, flattening it instantly.
"Property damage," Wanda muttered from the sidelines. "Classic."
Fracture snickered. "At this rate, the city's going to need a new infrastructure budget."
Natasha retaliated, dodging another swing from Rhino's makeshift club and closing the distance between them. With her enhanced speed, she delivered a series of rapid gun shots to his armored torso, each blow denting the thick metal plating.
"Impressive," Natasha said, stepping back as Rhino swung again. "Your suit holds up better than your attitude."
"Shut up!" Rhino roared, slamming the lamppost into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, cracking the pavement beneath their feet.
Talia seized the opportunity, darting behind Rhino and leaping onto his back. Her arms locked around his thick neck as she twisted sharply, attempting to throw him off balance.
"You know," Talia said, gritting her teeth as Rhino thrashed beneath her, "you're a lot heavier than you look."
Rhino bucked wildly, slamming his back into a nearby wall in an attempt to dislodge her. "Get off me, you crazy—"
"Oh, honey," Talia interrupted, her tone dripping with mock sympathy. "This is the closest you're ever going to get to a woman holding onto you. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Wanda, still leaning casually against her lamppost, watched the chaos unfold with a faint smirk. "You know," she said aloud, "if they spent half as much time planning as they do bantering, this fight would've been over by now."
**"Where's the fun in that?"** Fracture replied. **"Let them have their moment. Besides, I'm enjoying the show."**
Wanda shook her head, though her smile didn't fade. "They're ridiculous."
**"And you wouldn't have it any other way,"** Fracture said smugly.
Wanda's lips twitched. "Maybe."
As Talia finally dismounted Rhino, landing with a flourish, Natasha took her place, darting forward with the broken horn in hand. She jabbed at Rhino's legs, her movements quick and precise, forcing him to stumble and lose his footing.
"You know," Natasha said as she dodged another swing of Rhino's makeshift club, "for someone who talks so big, you're really bad at keeping up."
Rhino growled, his frustration boiling over. "You're gonna regret messing with me!"
"Sure," Natasha said, her tone light and teasing. "Right after I regret this next move."
She delivered a swift kick to Rhino's already injured foot, earning another roar of pain as he staggered backward.
Talia clapped her hands together, her grin widening. "Now that's teamwork."
"Shut up," Rhino groaned, clutching at his foot. "Why is everyone picking on me all of a sudden?"
Natasha smirked. "Maybe because you're the one wrecking the city?"
"Or," Talia added, her voice mockingly thoughtful, "maybe we just don't like you."
Rhino let out another bellow of frustration, his eyes blazing with fury as he prepared to charge once more. The battle wasn't over yet.
The scene was a whirlwind of chaos and destruction, the cracked pavement littered with debris and the spray of the broken fire hydrant creating an almost surreal backdrop. Natasha and Talia stood side by side, their confidence unshaken as they prepared for the next round.
Wanda, watching from the sidelines, crossed her arms. "They're really dragging this out, aren't they?"
**"Wouldn't be them if they didn't,"** Fracture said, her tone amused.
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