Book 1: What We Had in the Beginning

Chapter 2: Blue Eyed Soldier

Me and Yelena have been training for a good 3 hours now, and it hasn't been easy. She's slow, which will definitely get her killed, but she's a lot better than how she was earlier today. I'm not sure what time it is but I know in a couple hours the other girls will be waking up, we'll have to head back to bed soon or else we won't be able to wake up for our test.

So far I've taught Yelena how to always stay on her feet, block and dodge punches and kicks, and how to get out of being trapped by your opponent. She learns quickly, but needs to work on her speed. Give it a couple more nights and she'll be as good as Nora, out of the 14 girls that are here Nora is number 12 on the score list. It's better than being the last person. Me and Yelena are now lying on the mat looking up at the cracked ceiling, white moon light seeping down onto our faces.

"Do you remember growing up?" She asks me. I don't have to turn my head to know she 's looking at me. I think about her question. Growing up? I never really thought about it. All I know is that Ivan's always been with me.

"I remember a fire, blood, and a lot of screaming, but that's about it. There's a lot of blank spots." I answer her. I don't specifically remember where the blood's from or the screaming but I do know the fire's from when my parents died. I really don't know how I remember that, I had to have been at least 2 when it happened.

"Me too, but instead it's just a lot of blonde hair. Maybe it's my mom's, I'm pretty sure she had blonde hair." Yelena continues to go on about what she remembers from when she was growing up, which isn't much, and what she thought her parents looked like. All any of us really know about our parents is how they died and where they're from, but none of us know their names or what they look like. It's a little odd really. It's not that I don't care about what Yelena's saying, it's just we aren't allowed to talk about our childhood and it makes me slightly uncomfortable.

"We should head back to bed." I interrupt her, sitting up. Standing up, I put the lamps back in the corner and blow them out. We both silently walk back to the basement, then go to our separate beds. I really hope she doesn't think we're friends just because I'm helping her, I don't need friends. They'll just distract me from what's really important.

I take the handcuff that's dangling from the metal bedpost and wrap it around my wrist, locking it in place. I don't remember waking up in the middle of the night and going into a killing rage but on more than one occasion I have woken up with a bloody wrist. It scares me to think of what I might be capable of when I do go into one.

As I try to fall sleep, my mind keeps drifting to what might happen tomorrow and who this Winter Soldier is. I've heard some things about him but I can't be sure what's true or not, I didn't even think he was real until now. My curiosity gets the best of me and that's all I can think about for the rest of the night. What does he look like, how did he become such a good assassin, where is he from? These are dangerous thoughts and I don't like them. None of those things matter, all that matters is passing the test tomorrow so I can train with him and eventually become the Black Widow. The title isn't what's important to me, but living is what I really want out of all of this. I'll do anything if it means staying alive.

**

The next morning Ivan personally comes to fetch us. We all quickly change into our training clothes and follow him out of the room to the 3rd floor. As me and the girls make our way to the washroom to freshen up, I can't help but look around in surprise. Everything's in absolute chaos, there are officers running around and shouting orders. It's like when you stomp on an ant pile and the ants start running around in all different directions. I guess the Winter Soldier's a bigger deal than I thought.

"Get ready, then wait to be escorted to the training room." Ivan orders, then leaves us. While I brush my teeth I can't help but listen in to what the other girls are talking about from across the room. I mean it's hard not to, they aren't really being quiet about it.