POV: Amora.
Washington, D.C.
(I believe I should reconsider the level of importance of this event.)
According to WarDogs' intelligence, Hydra has no access to this kind of technology. But now, in front of me, stands a woman wearing armor similar to Iron Man's. Besides, she definitely has more skill in using it than that drunken idiot.
Her sword is also unusual. The wound on my hand caused when I held it should have stopped bleeding and started to heal by now, but it hasn't. In fact, the wound was still open, bleeding as if my body were that of a common mortal. The woman clearly is also a master assassin in martial arts.
After our brief standoff, we separate and study each other. Her recent attack almost caught me off guard; her poison was strong enough to blur my vision for a few seconds.
In these moments of peace, I glance around. Natasha and the Novice are working together to deal with the men who came with the Winter Soldier. They all have considerable firepower, delaying them, but they'll be done with them soon. Rogers is still in close combat with his friend; their physical abilities are almost equal, but the Soldier surely has more experience than Rogers.
(Things aren't looking good for our side.)
Even though it seems like we're winning, it won't be long before Hydra reinforcements arrive with heavy weaponry, wiping out this entire street in the process.
(We should retreat then)
If Rogers is too preoccupied with his fight to notice this, I don't mind taking command, but my opponent acts first. Since half the street is frozen due to my previous magic, she swiftly flies towards me and spins her body in the air to kick me. I duck, but she twists her body in mid-air using thrusters to kick downward, which I deflect using my wrists.
I push her upward, making her somersault in the air. She manages to stabilize herself several meters above the ground. Instead of attacking me again, she points her wrist at the battlefield behind me where my other comrades are.
From her wrist, she fires a missile that explodes a few meters above everyone. The explosion isn't fire and smoke, but the same green mist she used on me earlier, Poison. If that green substance gave my body trouble, it will surely kill everyone below. In a moment of pure folly, I turn my back to my enemy, facing the green mist that is about to descend upon everyone. I extend my two hands and create a telekinetic bubble, gathering all the mist to prevent it from dispersing. It's a laborious move.
I know this is another trick to kill me. So, I'm not surprised when I feel her attacking me from behind. I can't dodge; if I do, the magic will be broken. So, I calculate where she'll strike, and I turn my body a few centimeters to the side. Her blow, which was aiming for my heart, lands squarely on my shoulder, piercing it. I endure the pain as best I can, focusing my attention on the venomous bubble in the air. After compressing all the mist to the size of a pea, I snap my fingers, making it disappear.
All of this happens quickly enough for my enemy to do nothing but withdraw her sword from my shoulder. But it's time to show her that this queen isn't prey she can handle. When she withdraws the sword from my shoulder, I notice she's about to retreat. I move quickly, turning my body to face her, pointing my two fingers at her helmet, and firing a concentrated green energy blast aimed at her forehead. The cursed rogue manages to defend herself using the blade's side, causing my attack to ricochet and hit a store on the other side of the street, which explodes into green flames. Not only can the damn sword harm me, but it can also reflect powerful magical energy like this, truly remarkable.
"Amora!" Natasha shouts, calling me. She seems to have finished off all her enemies.
"We need to retreat now!" she shouts, pointing to the horizon. I see small dots in the sky; enemy reinforcements are arriving. Unfortunately, Rogers still hasn't managed to defeat his friend.
(Well, as if I cared.)
I look at the enemy in front of me, and although I dislike retreating in a fight, it's what I do.
"For the Chains of Krakkan!"
Long metal chains materialize from my fingers and fly toward my enemy. She tries to break the chains, but these magical chains move strangely and wrap around her entire body, temporarily restraining her.
"I will allow you to live for a little longer, mortal. But it won't be long before you pay for the blood you spilled," I say.
The armored woman doesn't bother to respond, still trying to break the chains that wrapped around her arms. I see the enemy ships a few kilometers away, and I use my next magic.
"For the Vapors of Valtorr!"
A thick mist appears around us, covering the entire street. This is not just any mist; it can conceal any being within it, even the most powerful scanner ever created by mortals won't pick up any readings from this mist. With a thought, the mist takes shape and envelops all my current comrades and me. Then it dissipates; now we're no longer on the street, but several kilometers away in a completely different street.
The street we appeared on was the farthest location I could bring them all together. Everyone seemed puzzled by the location for a moment, but then we began to walk slowly, looking for transportation. My group was certainly tired, but only Rogers and I were injured; he had a few stab wounds all over his body, while I had my shoulder still bleeding and pain undermining my concentration. I can heal the wound using magic, but this isn't the best place to do it.
We continue walking slowly in silence. Rogers seemed quite grim. I think he finally saw the identity of the Soldier and is still digesting the fact that his friend, long thought dead, is now alive.
"How about that one?" the Novice says, pointing to a van parked in the middle of the street.
If I remember correctly, this type is called a van. Surely a vehicle that everyone would fit in comfortably. We all move towards the vehicle to steal it, but when we're about to cross the street, another black van stops in front of us, the front window rolled down, and in it is a woman with black hair wearing a tight black uniform similar to Natasha's.
"Hurry up and get in!" she shouts.
"It's good to see you too, Maria," Natasha says, opening the driver's side door.
If I recall correctly, Maria is the right-hand woman of the one-eyed spy. Anyway, we're not in a position to deny her transport.
"Let's go fast, STRIKE is nearby," Maria says again, urging us.
When we all take our seats, our driver speeds as fast as she can down the lanes, taking us as far away from that place as possible. I finally had time to heal my wounds and then analyze what happened in my last fight with that unknown woman.
After four silent hours of travel, we arrive at the farthest point from Washington, just vegetation everywhere. We haven't seen a car in an hour; it's certainly a very isolated place. We didn't talk much during the journey; everyone understood it was better to converse when we reached what Maria claimed to be a safe base. We arrive at the location—a large dam that appears to be deactivated. A perfect choice for a base; such a dam can withstand a full bombardment.
Maria leads us to a small gate, and we enter a damp tunnel. A man in a suit rushes towards us.
"She seems to be injured in the shoulder," Maria says, looking at me.
"We'll take her to the room now," says the man, who must be a healer.
"I don't need your healing services. I'm already fully healed," I say, wiping the blood from my shoulder, revealing the intact flesh.
"Then, does anyone else need a doctor?" the healer asks.
No one sustained serious injuries, so none of them accepts the man's help.
"Let's go then, he's waiting for you," Maria says, moving forward, leaving everyone confused.
We walk through the tunnel until we reach the command center, where a few men are working. I'm sure these are the only ones who know about Hydra and are loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. They're all working tirelessly in hopes of reclaiming their home, but unfortunately, this small number of people won't make any difference in ending the current situation.
S.H.I.E.L.D is finished.
We are taken to a small room next door, where we see a man lying on a hospital bed with various monitors around him, a black man wearing an eye patch. The man lifts his head from the pillow and speaks to us.
"It's about time!"
POV: Third Person.
Triskelion, Washington, D.C.
At the Same Moment.
On the top floor of the Triskelion base, seated at his desk, Alexander Pierce is not pleased with the outcome and the direction things are going.
"You failed!" he said to a woman wearing green armor who flew in through the balcony. The woman didn't respond; she removed her helmet, revealing her long black hair and her beautiful face with eyes as green as emeralds.
"The Queen's interference wasn't part of our plans," she said, taking a seat in front of Alexander.
"A failure is a failure. Now they know we have an armor, and they know you too," Alexandre retorted.
"That won't matter in a few hours anyway," the woman said, ignoring her ally's tone.
"I agree. But the Captain's new ally creates many more possibilities for them to thwart us."
All members of Hydra are aware of Baldur's power, but their Queen hasn't been forgotten by them either. Just the fact that she managed to restrain her husband for some time shows her level of power.
"My poison didn't work very well against her, but my sword worked perfectly," the woman said, looking out the window, recounting the facts of the recent battle.
"So, are you sure you can defeat her, Lady Hydra?" Alexandre asked.
"No. That woman was holding back against me, but we don't have to defeat her; we just have to contain her until the plan is operational. After that, I doubt she'll survive a Helicarrier bombardment."
"I agree. But if the Queen is here, the King could also appear. Let's move part of the contingency here. Only then can we ensure victory."
Then the woman stood up, put on her helmet, and as she was about to leave, she turned as if remembering something.
"During the previous combat, Captain America discovered the identity of the Soldier," she said.
Instead of getting angry at this news, Alexandre smiled.
"Excellent. Now he will hesitate during the fight against his friend, increasing the chance of being killed by him."
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