Loki Laufeyson - The Experiment {1}

Chapter Twenty Six - Training

Steve took us into a separate training room as the others were still training when we got into the training room, which was actually a whole separate building joined to the compound by only a pebbled dirt path. The separate training rooms were the same as the ones in the tower, maybe slightly bigger. Steve gave me a pair of training clothes, which he said was an old pair of Wanda's and I changed into them in one of the bathroom cubicles. Instantly, I hated the short sleeves and I stared at my scared arms in the mirror, rubbing them self-consciously.

"Do they fit okay?" Asked Steve from outside of the cubicle. I stared at my figure in the mirror and took in a deep breath.

"Yeah, they're good." I slowly opened up the door, looking down as I fiddled with my bracelets. I felt his eyes quickly running over me, no doubt hovering on the scars covering my arms. I was grateful that the pants he had given me were leggings that went to my ankles before any skin showing was covered by the socks and joggers that were apparently one of Nat's old pairs.

"Come on." He said to me after a few awkward seconds. "I thought we might practice punching, it shouldn't be too difficult." I nodded and walked over him, looking over at the other Avengers as they trained, giving Wanda a small smile as she smiled at me. Steve walked into one of the small training rooms and I noticed a bunching bag hanging in the middle of the room. I had seen many punching bags before at HYDRA, it was mainly the agents using them, but I had never used them myself.

"I'm not sure I can punch." I said softly, fiddling with the bracelets nervously.

"Which is why I'm going to teach you." He replied, walking over to a drawer against the wall and pulling out a roll of tape which I immediately recognised as punching tape. I mainly saw it on the other HYDRA agents when they were training, normally using the punch bags, but sometimes I got it as well when they got me to spar. That was rare though, they didn't tend to care much about what damage training did to me.

"Hold out your hands." He told me and I followed his instructions, letting him gently wrap the tape around my hands.

"How does that feel?" He asked after once he had taped one up. I flexed my hand and nodded, letting him tape the other one up. When he was finished, he put the tape away in the drawer and turned back to face me.

"Try forming a fist." He told me and I curled my fingers into a fist, flexing them a couple of times to loosen up the tape. He corrected my fists and nodded to the punching bag.

"Hit it." He urged me and I hesitated for a moment, looking up at him before I took a couple of steps towards the punching bag and hit it, though I barely put any force into it and the bag barely swung. Steve didn't say anything and walked over, standing in front of me.

"Which leg is your dominant leg?" He asked and I paused for a moment.

"I'm not sure." I replied softly, shaking my head.

"The easiest way to find out is to stand like this." He said, standing straight up with his two feet together and hands at his side. "So slowly let yourself tip forward," he continued, "and when you are about to fall, your brain will get your dominant leg to move forwards." He began to tilt forward and just when I thought he was going to land flat on his face, he stepped forward with his right leg. He straightened and nodded to me. I stood how he did and began to get myself to fall forward until my right leg moved forward to balance me.

"So, you are the same as me." He said as I straightened, flushing slightly as I knew I probably looked really stupid. "That will make it easier. Now, I want you to hold your hands up near to your chin but in fists." He demonstrated with his hands and I copied him, feeling weird.

"That's it. Now, when you punch, you want your knuckles to face forward to where you are punching, like this." He punched the bag in slow motion. "And as you punch, you want to swivel your body forward, but only slightly." He punched the bag again in slow motion and I watched as he swivelled forward, giving his punch more power. "You give it a go, try with your left hand first."