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Chapter 25 –The Thorny Way to Heaven
The forests of Sokovia were unnaturally empty. Not a single deer scampered through the foliage. The trees were void of woodland creatures as snow fluttered to the ground. Dancing in the air with graceful loops and flourish.
Nature had abandoned these woods, retreating from the ongoing battle that was raging deep in its heart.
Ophelia swooped down from the clouds with her fists ablaze, nailing two HYDRA soldiers in their chests as she lowered her flight closer to the ground. Weaving between the densely packed trees, the brawler protected Clint and Nat's truck. Sending blasts of nuclear energy to anyone that obscured their path.
"Don't miss me too much," Ophelia yelled out with a grin, shooting back up to land brashly in the middle of a horde of soldiers.
"There isn't a subtle bone in that girls' body," Clint called out to Natasha from the back of the truck.
Just as Natasha was about to answer, an HYRDA soldier attached himself to the side of the truck. Making a grab to throw her from the vehicle, the Russian kicked back her leg; landing two brutal blows and throwing him off the truck with a guttural yell.
Ophelia made quick work of the soldiers that surrounded her. She cocked back her fists and delivered a barrage of punches that left third-degree burns and deep gouges on the unfortunate enemy.
One soldier tried to aim his assault rifle at the hero, but with a nonchalant glance she gripped the back of his neck and threw him up. Just in time for Steve to fly in the air on his motorcycle and bash the HYRDA soldier with his shield.
"Who knew Nazi's squealed like pigs?" Ophelia chuckled to herself, kicking the legs of a hastily built watchtower and watching the enemy platoon crash in a heap of broken limbs.
"Focus on your objective, Lia," Steve warned as he skidded precariously through the trees.
"Yeah, yeah gramps. Try not to throw your back fighting." Ophelia joked, spying Thor as he wreaked havoc on a group of HYRDA soldiers from the corner of her eye.
It disturbed the brawler how much she had missed the chaos of battle. Most of the other bases she had taken down with her team were undermanned and built more for secrecy than defence. But this was a fully-fledged army, armed to the teeth and eager to prove their worth by killing off Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
It was invigorating being in battle again, after all, Ophelia had been a hunter long before she became a hero.
On the move again, the brawler rocketed back in the air. Joining the rest of the Avengers as they simultaneously leapt from a ledge in the battlefield. The world momentarily froze for Ophelia as she took it all in, flanked by Tony and Steve as Hulk came barrelling from behind, the Delacour felt invincible at that moment. Nothing could touch her, not when she had her team by her side.
