Project Vita Nova || Yelena x oc

Chapter 20

A 21 year old Valary sat hunched in her cell for what seemed like eternity. It always felt like that in between the experimentation sessions that Delick liked to perform. Her body was still sore from the last one, but most of the pain had gone away.

From what she could tell, she had been at this new testing facility for a year, maybe two. Time was still a hard thing to keep track of for her. She had been transferred to this new facility after she became Delick's first success when it came to receiving powers and keeping them stable. So Delick started phase two of the project by researching and implementing Hydra programming into Valary's mind. She hated it, the feeling of watching without having any control over her actions. After the first few months of creating the new programming, Delick crammed his new creation into her brain. He insisted on pushing the boundaries of the new programming by sending her on mission after mission to execute target after target. The point of the new programming was that it was unbreakable, so each target that Delick sent her after slowly became more and more personal to Valary. She always saw them dead as she relived the mission in her sleep.

During her time in the new facility, she would often think of Ellah, trying to hang onto their shared childhood memories. It was the only thing Valary could do to keep herself sane when all she ever saw was the results of her own violence. It was a small miracle that Ellah was still alive at this point since Delick had managed to kill the other 22 test subjects. She had received her powers before Valary, given the fact that Ellah was number 23. However, as a result of the operation, she was left in a permanent state of fatigue. She could use her powers, which was pyrokinesis, but she had a hard time keeping herself from passing out.

Valary played with the chain that bound her hands together. The bonds were tight and had long ago rubbed her skin raw. Her mind began to wonder what Ellah was doing right now, or if she was even still alive. Delick was well aware of the friendship that was shared between the two girls, but he never condoned or punished them for it. Ever since Valary was transferred to a different facility, she had no idea what purpose Ellah still served to Delick. But she kept her hope up that Ellah was still alive and that the two would soon find some way of escaping Hydra.

She jumped at the sudden sound of a door opening and footsteps rushing through. Valary looked up to see Tren and several Hydra soldiers march into the room. They were escorting someone, and the sight of them sent both relief and fear through Valary's bones. It was Ellah, bound in similar chains with her usual tired posture that would forever plague her. Valary watched through the bars as the Hydra soldiers escorted Ellah to one side of the room and shoved her down to her knees.

Tren walked over to Valary's cell door, unlocked it, and slid the door open. He walked in and yanked Valary up off the floor by her bound wrists. Valary didn't resist him. She had learned the hard way to not resist Tren a long time ago. He dragged her over to the center of the room and pushed her down to her knees, mirroring Ellah's position.

Valary's heart dropped when she realized the truth of the situation. She knew what Delick and Dr. Anar were going to have her do. She knew it was what nightmares were made of. She looked at Ellah, who met her eyes with fear. She also could tell what was happening. Valary whispered a small apology as she could feel her eyes begin to water. Ellah looked at her with a whisper of understanding. She knew what was going to happen.

As if on cue, the main door to the room opened once again. Delick and Dr. Anar walked into the room, both holding notebooks that were primed for research.

"So, are we ready?" Delick asked Tren who had joined the two doctors.

"Both are in position." Tren informed, standing at attention while he was being addressed.