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CHAPTER XIX. The Battle of New York
Elina took a deep breath, steeling herself as she said her final goodbye to Blake. The moment was heavy with unspoken words and lingering tension, but there was no time left for anything more. The mission awaited them, and soon enough, Elina was aboard the quinjet with the rest of the team, hurtling toward New York.
She sat silently, her gaze fixed on the window as the landscape below blurred past. The distance between her and her sister felt like a chasm, and the tension between them had only grown since their last conversation. Elina had stubbornly refused to speak to Natasha, her anger and hurt still too raw. Even now, as they flew into what could very well be their final battle, she couldn't bring herself to break the silence. The towering skyline of New York gradually came into view, the familiar buildings a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside her.
As they closed in on Stark Tower, something caught Elina's eye-a light blue beam shot into the sky, its intensity nearly blinding. Her breath caught in her throat. She had been on countless missions, faced numerous threats, but this... this was something entirely different. Her heart pounded in her chest as the reality of the situation began to sink in.
Her eyes widened as she watched in disbelief. The beam had torn open a portal in the sky, and from it, an army of Chitauri began to pour through, their numbers overwhelming. The sight was like something out of a nightmare, but there was no time to be paralyzed by fear. Elina's hand instinctively went to her katana, the weapon lying in wait for the battle that was now unavoidable. She gripped the hilt tightly, her mind racing as she tried to prepare herself for what was to come.
Natasha maneuvered the quinjet, firing the jet's weapons at the nearest Chitauri. The plan had been simple, but now, with the sheer scale of the threat looming over them, it felt inadequate. Stark Tower loomed ahead, and Elina knew they had to reach Loki before he could cause more destruction. But just as they got close, Loki struck first. A blast from his scepter hit their wing, and the quinjet shuddered violently.
The aircraft spiraled out of control, alarms blaring as they plummeted toward the ground. The team braced for impact, but the crash was still brutal. Metal screeched as the quinjet smashed into the street, debris flying in every direction. Elina's world spun as they hit the ground, the force of the crash slamming her against the side of the jet. Pain shot through her, but she couldn't afford to dwell on it. They had a mission to complete.
The moment the quinjet came to a stop, the team was on the move. They burst out the back of the wrecked aircraft, sprinting into the chaos that had overtaken the city. The streets of New York were unrecognizable, turned into a war zone in the blink of an eye. Flames licked at the edges of buildings, smoke filled the air, and the deafening roar of the Chitauri drowned out almost everything else.
