Who the hell am I (english version)

burn it to the ground

Six Months Later

The icy air whips across my face, feeling like tiny needles pricking me, over and over again, thousands at once. The forest around us is endless, a sea of pale trees bathed in the eerie light of the full moon. Snow lies like a silent shroud over the ground and branches, cold and colorless. Everything seems frozen, lifeless. It feels as if all life has been drained from this area, leaving behind a chilling gray shell.

Nat sits focused at the wheel of the SUV as we race through the snowy woods. Clint and I stand on the back, he with his bow drawn, I hold my M4 tightly in my hands. Our eyes scan every inch of the surroundings. The forest seems still and lifeless, but I know we are only a few meters away from enemy territory occupied by Hydra. My powers stir restlessly beneath my skin, as if they can sense the impending confrontation. There's never a bad day to attack Hydra, but today it's about more than just another stronghold. We need to retrieve Loki's scepter—the weapon of a god that can bring nothing but calamity in the wrong hands. In Hydra's possession, it's a threat we cannot afford. It is currently held by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, a high-ranking Hydra member known for conducting grotesque experiments on humans. I will ensure today that he never harms anyone again.

"Ready?" Steve's calm voice cuts into my ear. He rides slightly ahead on his motorcycle, the tires digging into the snow. The fact that he even asks this question. "When are we not?" I reply dryly. A brief snort is his only answer. Hardly a moment later, the first bullets whiz through the air, and the previously silent forest explodes into a symphony of fire and metal. Drones equipped with cannons and guided missiles appear overhead—typical Hydra, always ready to let others fight for them. I feel my powers tingle beneath my skin, lightning dancing at my fingertips and crackling across the sky. With a precise thrust, I shoot down several drones, which plummet to the ground in a shower of sparks. Beside me, Clint takes out a few with arrows that explode upon impact. I am constantly fascinated by his precision; every shot hits its mark before the drones even have a chance to evade. Either our Robin Hood is just too good, or Hydra's operatives can't fly drones. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a drone approaching Clint from the side. He doesn't notice it. "Clint, down!" I shout, and he immediately drops, giving me a clear shot. A pull of the trigger on my M4, and the drone explodes in a shower of sparks and metal. "Annoying pests," I hear Clint grunt as he gets back on his feet. I laugh softly, but only for a moment. Focus, Elora.

To our left, another vehicle breaks from the dense woods, a machine gun mounted on the roof ready to fire. I already lift my weapon, but before I can pull the trigger, I see Thor leap into the air and land on the vehicle. The car buckles under his weight as if it were made of cardboard, crushing beneath him. Not far from us, a Hydra lookout tower rises into the sky, armed soldiers lurking on its platform. Without hesitation, Thor raises his hammer to the sky, waiting for the lightning to strike it. With a single blow, he unleashes his power—the tower shatters and collapses as if it had never existed. I am amazed once again. I always thought my lightning was impressive, but Thor's powers far exceed mine. He has taught me so much about control and the true power of lightning. We trained for hours under the open sky, summoning lightning one after another until the city had to warn of severe thunderstorms.

I spot Steve, who is barreling through the ranks of Hydra soldiers on his motorcycle before abruptly jumping off to engage the next enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Above us, Tony hovers in his Iron Man suit, heading straight for our target: the main building of the fortress, silhouetted on a small hill. To our right, Hulk charges forward, smashing a bunker entrance where more soldiers are holed up. They fire at us repeatedly, but Bruce is not just Hulk; his powers are impressive, but also unpredictable. We have to be careful that anger doesn't overwhelm him and he causes more damage than intended. "Tony, how's it looking up there?" I ask as we leap from the SUV to engage Hydra's henchmen. "So far it looks pretty... bad!" comes the response through the comms. I'm not sure what to make of that, but there must be some deeper meaning. "No cursing," Steve admonishes over the mic. "Is he serious?" I ask Clint, who shrugs with a grin. Well, I'd probably get scolded for that choice of words too.