Little Dark Age

Chapter 7

The darkness, the stillness and the chilling breeze...

Natalia felt like she was going to die, or at least come close to it.

It was the price to pay, for the accident. The pain flittered at the base of her skull as she brought her knees to her chin protecting her body from any physical onslaught that was going to happen to her.

Hours or days seemed to pass as she tucked in the corner. No training felt like suffering unlike this punishment she was undergoing training made her feel worthy of something, but now...

Each beat of her heart told her she was alive and suffering, being treated like a rabid dog was less than being alive. Sometimes she wished the painful cloak of death would just swallow her whole, Drag her away from the cacophony of sounds that taunted her ruthlessly.

Then the door opened...

Groaning, scratching against the stone tiles as it slowly crept open. Heels clicked haughtily against the floor, coming to eye level with the shivering woman on the floor.

"Pathetic." The woman spat, making Natalia haul herself up, clutching the wall that gave her minimal support. Knees buckled as they held her sickly weight. Sneering at the Headmistress, who stood unfazed in her cornflower blue suit, Much unlike Natalia's ragged gown that was thrown her way when she arrived from the mission, what Seemed to be days ago.

"You did this to me." Natalia equally spat back, glaring down at her Headmistress, the Woman who had 'raised' her since she could remember. None of that was pleasant memories, broken between the feelings she felt when she carried on missions with the Winter Solider.

The Headmistress chuckled, warping her face with an ugly grin, beady blue eyes alight with unease, "I assure you dear, we did not. It was all you and that vile HYDRA soldier. I knew it wasn't a good idea but Dreykov insisted," The Headmistress paused as a look of disgust passed her face, it was evident the Woman never liked the man, She was there before him, a Widow before him. All he was, was a rich HYDRA agent who brought out and took over. In her eyes, it ruined the once hauntingly beautiful allure the widows had. Draykov now crafting them as something of a modern-day threat then a myth of the past.

"...Dreykov insisted that you be part of the next-gen project, and I didn't want to. Imagine what pregnancy would do to someone as talented as you." The woman grimaced, taking in a long drag of a cigarette she had lit blowing the smoke in Natalia's direction, "But now, what are we going to do with you?" She cocked her head looking the redhead up and down with an apprehensive look.

"You used to be so beautiful Natalia, what has happened?" Tutting as she gripped the girl's face in her hands, long, witchy nails digging into the skin of her cheeks, "That needs to be sorted out, but for now, I've been instructed too..." Natalia felt a pinprick in her neck as the icy injection spread through her veins like wildfire, leaving her to crumble into the arms of the person behind her.

The last thing she saw was the warped face of the Headmistress as the disappointment figured her gaze...

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"Agent Romanoff..."

"Agent-"

Natasha shot out of bed at the voice, robotic and sometimes oddly annoying. Crumbing as she wanted to desperately shove a pillow over her head and fall back into a blissful sleep. She looks over at the small electronic clock to her left, red letters glowing: 03:23 a.m.