IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟎𝟒

Karina did manage to fall asleep at some point during the night, only to be awoken a couple of hours later by another alarm buzzing. She fleetingly forgot where she was, but then the memories of being taken flashed before her eyes. She buried the agony she was feeling deep in the back of her mind, understanding that there was no room for weakness here. But Karina knew it was harmful, and she had to accept that she had very little chance of returning home. However, she refused to accept it.

A guard entered the cell to unlock Yelena's and Karina's handcuffs, but quickly left.

She rolled over, deciding it was time to get up, only to see Yelena dressing in her black attire. Karina quickly turned back over, her face warm, and tried to conceal the red blush that covered her face.

"You need to get dressed if you don't want to be punished for being late," Yelena said, her Russian accent thick. Karina followed Yelena's advice yet again.

The room was deafeningly quiet as both girls changed, neither daring to look at the other occupant of the room.

"What should we do now?" Karina questioned after they had both dressed.

"We wait."

The door buzzed, indicating that it had been unlocked. Yelena stood up straight, shoulders back, and head held high. Karina followed suit, knowing that it was wise to imitate someone with experience.

Yelena walked out of the cell, Karina close behind. Yelena's steps were calculated and silent, befitting a trained assassin. However, no matter how hard Karina tried to replicate her, her footsteps were heavy and the sound echoed down the corridor.

The other doors in the corridor also opened, and two girls exited from each room. Many of them appeared deadly, with hard eyes and looked as though they were ready for any threat that might come their way. However, a small number of the girls, who Karina assumed were new like her, appeared terrified, with their shoulders hunched and their bodies curled in, as if they were protecting themselves from what was to come.

Karina tried to decipher who would survive the rigorous training that the Red Room was sure to put them through. Some appeared to be as determined to survive as she was. The fight in their eyes said it all: they were not going down without a fight.

Guards stood silently at regular intervals. They were clad in combat gear and armed with heavy weapons. Their gazes followed the young girls as they made their way down the corridor, one guard leading the way. Karina had no concept of where they were going, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be pleasant.

Yelena's trained eyes analysed each girl, as she did every day, sizing up her opponents to gain an advantage. When her eyes landed on Karina next to her, she noticed that the young girl was silently fidgeting with her hands and tapping her fingers on her thighs, a sign of nervousness.

Karina's expressive eyes met Yelena's blue ones as she realised she was staring at her. Yelena shook her head and looked down at her hands. Karina immediately understood and stopped fumbling with her fingers, nodding her appreciation to the blonde girl. Yelena's only response was to turn back to the front, as if she hadn't just helped someone she might be up against.

Yelena silently chastised herself for helping a potential opponent as they continued down the corridor.

They soon came to a halt outside a large door that opened automatically. The interior of the room appeared to be a large training room, with black walls and floors. Weapons were littered about the room at various stations. They had everything: guns, knives, and swords. What drew Karina's attention, however, was the large symbol on the wall, which was also on all of their uniforms.

Dreykov, a woman who she assumed was Madame B, and a girl with red hair who appeared to be a few years older than Yelena and Karina were already in the room.

The young Widows formed a single file in front of Dreykov, hands behind their backs. He circled around the girls, looking them up and down with hunger in his eyes. Karina didn't know if he was hungry for power or lust, but it made her shiver and look away, repulsed.

"My name is Dreykov, but I'm sure you already know that," he said, looking directly at Karina, but she didn't back down or break eye contact. "I have rules and my rules are to be obeyed. If you try to escape, you will be killed. If you try to attack or kill a guard, you will be killed. If you disobey me or Madame B, you will be killed." He explained the consequences to his new captives.

"You have all been chosen based on your genetic potential," Madame B said as she stepped forwards. "You will be subjected to rigorous daily training, which will include hand-to-hand combat, acrobatics, weapons training, and tactical skills. We will occasionally choose two girls to violently spar against each other until death. Weakness is not tolerated here and the loser will be killed."

The new girls in the institution stared fearfully at the woman in front of them as she spoke. But, having heard the speech at least a hundred times, Yelena couldn't help but roll her eyes, subtly.

"Approximately, one in twenty of you will end up surviving to become a fully-fledged Black Widow due to my insistence that the program eliminates defects." Dreykov said, continuing Madame B's speech. "Make good use of the time we are giving you to train now."

The girls immediately dispersed into small groups or by themselves. Karina looked at Yelena as if she was asking to train with her. In response, Yelena rolled her eyes but nodded slightly.

As they approached the punching bags and hand-to-hand combat area, Karina questioned, "Who's the redhead?"

"Their favourite."