Unbreakable Bonds

Captured

I woke up in a familiar, dank cell or do they make all of their bases so miserable? The same heavy metal door, the same small uncomfortable beds and the same solid concrete walls. It's clear where I am even though I haven't seen anybody since waking up. I've got a familiar collar around my neck that has the same tightness as the last one I had around me. They make them just tight enough to cut some air flow off so that you feel the constant need for a bigger breath of air. Just another way that Hydra likes to assert their dominance over us. These collars are power containers and have a shock function that the guards use to make us submit to them, they're trigger happy as well. For the 'higher level' subjects, they have collars that inject a small amount of sedative every hour, there's a bigger dose that'll knock them straight out if need be. I could easily break the collar off from around my neck this time around but I need to make a plan first, no need to alert anyone just yet. I need to seem like the frightened girl that I once was. I don't want a collar upgrade this early in my stay.

I lay on my lumpy bed, concentrating on concealing the bonds that I've formed, I'm glad that I've been practicing. I can't begin to imagine what they would do if they found that I was linked with the Avengers in any way. As I'm laying there, the telltale sound of my door being unlocked brings me back to reality. I quickly stand, facing the door keeping my eyes downcast. I hunch my shoulders to make myself smaller. I hear the door get pushed open and the all too familiar sound of heels clacking along on the concrete. "Eyes up!" an unsavoury, high pitched voice commands. I quickly snap my head up not wanting to be on the receiving end of one of Ma'am's beatings. That all any of the prisoners here knew her as, she was by far the worst of all.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Subject A has finally returned home. Turn, slowly!" She orders and I comply, slowly turning until I was facing her again. My illusion was long gone and I was now only made aware that I was in my underwear. I resist the urge to cover myself up knowing that it would only bring pain. "Disgusting. Dr Azazel is waiting for you. Come." I train my eyes to the ground again, following Ma'am like a sheep. It's not like I could do anything until I got the layout of the building. Dr Azazel was a cruel man, he was at the head of all of the experiments that were done to me. As soon as I step into the hall, another needle is plunged deep into my arm and the affects are immediate. I can't move my arms or legs but I can feel them and I am fully aware of my surroundings. The guards that were outside grab one arm each before I hit the ground and drag me behind Ma'am.

I'm more than panicking now. I can't move a muscle, how long will this last? Is it permanent? No it wouldn't be permanent, they will try to use me as a weapon. I'm dragged into a white room and thrown onto what would best be described as an embalming table, the guards quickly working to clip my arms and legs into restraints. This isn't good. I hear a door open and don't need to move, not that I can, to know who it is. "Subject A, it's so nice to have you home! It has been too long since we have been graced by your presence. I hear that you've been a busy girl." Dr Azazel says cheerfully in his rough, British accent. "Not to worry, I have plenty planned for you to make up for missed time." His intentions clear in his voice. I try to struggle, to move anything at all but I'm unable to. A single tear rolls down my face knowing what's about to happen, I am that scared little girl again. "Shhh darling, don't fret! You won't miss out on a thing I promise. That's why I had them use a temporary paralytic and not a sedative, I knew you would want to be awake for this whole experience" he grinned evilly, the way he calls me darling makes me sick. "This is going to hurt" he promises "keep her awake" is the last thing he says before driving a scalpel straight down the centre of my stomach.

***
After what I would estimate to be two gruelling hours of being cut open, sewn up, cut open again in different places and being injected with who knows what, I was mercifully dragged back to my cell. They hadn't been able to get me to project my bond which was the whole point of that 'exercise' as they like to call them. I was thrown unceremoniously onto the hard floor before the door was slammed and locked behind me. I was able to move again but everything hurt. The cool concrete felt good on my damaged body so I lay there sobbing, I wouldn't let them see me cry.

***
Days passed and the routine was the same. Wake up, get injected with the same paralytic, torture, thrown back into the cell, sob, sleep and repeat. They hadn't fed me since I'd arrived. On the fourth or fifth day, the routine was interrupted. I woke up, the guards came to get me as usual but the didn't jab me and we turned left instead of right down the corridor. I was taken to the mess hall to eat. When we arrived, the guards shoved me through the doors roughly before shutting them and locking them again. I lifted my eyes to see at least 50 other people in the same state as me. Some were young, some were old. I could tell the 'high security' prisoners by the bright orange collars they wore. A short, thin girl with matted blonde hair approached me. She had the most stunning green eyes that reminded me of. No, stop that. I mustn't think of him! "Hi, I'm Subject A10. Welcome to your own personal hell." She said in a raspy voice. I chuckled at her statement. She must have been here for a while knowing better than to use her real name. "I'm subject A, I would says it's nice to meet you but I'd rather not be here." I said without humour. Her eyes went wide when I said Subject A but she just nodded her head with a sad smile. Subject A10 showed me where to get food and quickly gave me a run down of the people here. There were only 10 subjects per experiment and they have never met the original experiments such as myself, they were under the impression that they had all died. The ones with orange collars were soldiers such as Bucky in training. Not many people made 'the cut' as she called it, they were disposed of if they didn't. We sat at the long tables mixed in with the other 'subjects'. It was a somber affair, no one dared speak more than necessary.

After we had all eaten, we were taken back to our cells. I went and lay on my bed still sore from the previous day. As I lay there trying to come up with an escape plan, I promised myself that no matter what, I wouldn't leave these poor souls behind. I was going to tear Hydra down even if it was the last thing that I did.