Shadow Cadet: Rising Shadows

4 {Promises}

17 years ago~
Moscow, Russia
The Red Room

Alarms blared loudly as red lights flashed brightly in the dimly lit hallways, they knew. Anastasiya Fedorova held onto Natalia Romanova's hand tightly as they darted through the maze of hallways and down several flights of stairs. They had no time to waste.

Footsteps of guards thundered against the marble floors several feet behind them as they made a sharp left, down a hall with no end. "Hurry!" Natalia cried as they worked together to lift the sewer grate at the end of the hall.

Natalia went down and was about to pull Anastasiya down with her but she pulled away shaking her head. "I'll hold them off. Only one of us is gonna make it out of this and it needs to be you." Anastasiya whispered trying to close the grate.

"I'll come back for you with help. I promise." Natalia held out her pinky making Anastasiya link hers.

"Go!" Anastasiya yelled as she was forcibly ripped back by a guard.

She tried her hardest to fight them off of her but it was no use, there were too many and they were beating her with batons causing her to yelp and cry in pain. They threw her into a solitary cell before locking the door sealing her in darkness.

Dread filled her as she realized what may soon follow, she began to sob uncontrollably until she heard the door open. "Where is she going?!" DreyKov yelled as he drew closer making Anastasiya crawl backward until she reached the concrete wall.

"I-" She couldn't breathe.

"Answer me!" DreyKov yelled again before kicking her.

"I don't know!" Anastasiya cried trying to use her hands and arms to block his foot as he continued to kick at her.

"I know you aren't stupid! Where is she going!?" He asked again this time grabbing her and lifting her to her feet, grabbing her face in his hand and forcing her to keep looking at him.

"I don't know, I just helped her escape!" Anastasiya spit at him before she tried to wriggle herself free which was a mistake because it only pissed him off more.

"You, little bitch! I should've gotten rid of you long ago! I'll let Ivan deal with you in any way he sees fit." He grumbled throwing her against the wall and making her yelp in pain as the back of her head hit the concrete.

Once again sealed in darkness Anastasiya tried to regain her composure before Ivan came in. She didn't know if being more calm would work better in her favor or not. Ivan was more cynical and oftentimes unpredictable. He was the only reason she was alive right now, if he hadn't picked her for his group of girls DreyKov or Madame B would've had her killed.

"Clearly I've given you too much leeway. Mind telling me what you've done Fedorova?" Ivan's raspy voice filled the echoey cell.

"I- I'm sorry." She mumbled. She really wasn't sorry, she was just scared of what he would do.

"See, I don't believe you. Not for a second. You know, when I picked you I hoped you would be the one to make me proud, you were always secretly my favorite. And you did, you did make me proud... until now." Ivan stated, his hand wrapping around the back of her neck. "DreyKov wants to sell you to HYDRA. Maybe they can make you perfect. Make you the perfect little weapon you were meant to be."

A shudder ran down Anastasiya's spine as Ivan's hand stroked her cheek.

There's no place for you in the world. You don't belong.

A tear rolled down her cheek, those words echoed loudly in her head. "And what do you want to do?" She asked turning to look at him.

"I want to throw you in the chair and make you forget Natalia Romanova ever existed. I want to make you perfect myself." Ivan chuckled eerily as Anastasiya wriggled out of his grasp and moved to the other side of the room. "Unfortunately we all can't get what we want. I hope HYDRA causes you so much pain because you deserve it." He chuckled before leaving Anastasiya alone in the dark again.