To The Moon and Back (A Marvel Fanfiction)

#14 (Flashback): Smoke and Mirrors

At ten years old, I thought I had it all figured out. I was at the top of the pecking order, I had cool powers that on one else did, and I thought my dad was a cool man. He finally started to show me some attention, he said he'd been testing me for years and I'd passed. He said I'm a great daughter and my days as an experiment were limited. And I believed him. 

I mean sure, sometimes it hurt when his people stuck their needles in me but he always told me "it's for the good of everyone Katya, a warrior never sheds tears over the good she does for her people."

But of course, being the crybaby I am, I shed lots of tears. Still, I looked up to my father and admired his work. I strutted the hallways unleashed, and I snarled at wolves in the hallway as we passed each other. I laughed when they shrunk back. It felt good to be powerful. As I grew closer to the father I've struggled to trust for years, I grew apart from Vulcan. When I went to tell him of all the awesome things I did he just pretended to act happy for me and nodded or sighed and turned his head away. I could tell he was very unhappy. At the time I thought he was jealous. I was wrong.

"Katya," Says my papa. "у меня есть еще один тест для вас."

I have one more test for you.

"What is it papa, I'll do anything for you?" I reply.

"I know." He says, picking up my face in his hand. "You are a good girl, and obedient like all girls should be. That is why you have made it this far."

"What is the challenge?" I ask.

"Let me explain." He says.

I'm in the atrium, about to face my biggest enemy. I walk in with Zelda, unleashed of course with my wings at my side. I'm in my wolf form. As I walk in, I don't see my challenge. I look around and bark.

"Katya!" Booms my father.

"Look down and straight ahead."

I look and sniff the air, I smell a doggish smell and I see a dog in the middle of the atrium. I run up to them and I skid to a stop. It's a young male wolf, he looks at me with big eyes.

"Who are you?" He asks.

"I'm Katya." I say.

"I'm Dobycha." Says the young wolf.

I look to my father and bark, in my peripherals I see the young wolf flinch.

" убей его." Says my father with that cold look he gets in his eye sometime. Kill him.

"Wait!" I bark. "Is he a person?"

"Yes I'm a person!" Dobycha stands up.

I turn back to my father. "Why then?"

My father doesn't respond, he just waves his hand.

Oh. It's the challenge.

I look at the wolf. It won't be too hard, I've killed plenty of things. Rabbits, and squirrels and mice...he's little, so I'll just snap his neck really quick, he won't feel anything.

"Do you know where my family is?" Dobycha asks.

"Your family?" I scoff.

"My mama and papa." He says.

Nope.

"чем раньше ты его убьешь, тем легче будет!" Says my father. The sooner you kill him, the easier it will be.

He's right. I step over to the small wolf.

"Hold still." I say.

I bend over him and pick him up in my jaws, he yelps as his feet leave the ground, now all I have to do is...