WHAT IF...: Marvel OC One Shots

| Unnamed; Unburied I |

"There is no escape,
least of all,
for me."

—————

{ Красная комната | Red Room, UNDISCLOSED LOCATION(S) | BEFORE }

"nachinat'." Begin.

       The two girls that took fighting stances on opposite sides of the black fighting mat could've been mistaken for caged animals, the way their eyes glinted with anticipation at the instructor's command. For a brief, singular, fragile moment, the air thinned as the girls locked eyes. Zmeya, one of the watching soldiers muttered under his breath as he eyed the brown haired girl with green eyes who stood on the left of the mat— viper, in the way her eyes bore into the other girls', in the way she resembled a starved asp that was sizing up her next meal. She was quick too, ruthless in her attacks, volatile when cornered— zmeya. She didn't flinch at the gash in her thigh left by the ghost of a creature whose body had already been dragged off to the side of the large training room to join the other fallen. She didn't show the burn of her muscles from endless hours of fighting, her expression was unmoving, unfeeling, unfazed as she raised her firsts and dipped her chin, her bright green eyes never drifting from her target across from her.

The girl that stood on the right side of the mat was smaller than her in stature. Younger looking, even with the blood sprayed on her face that added centuries to the depths of her hollow brown gaze. She'd heard the guards murmur when another instructor had led her into the room earlier— zhertva; sacrifice. She was doomed the second her instructors cleared her to compete against an older class of girls. The fact wasn't hidden that she was seen just as the soldier had called her— a sacrifice. Prey.

Along the edges of the black training mat stood two rows of girls on either side, their chins high, backs straight, arms still at their sides and their eyes trained on the two girls at the center, if only to watch, if only to study for the eventuality that one of them would have to face the winner, and on and on, until the instructor was satisfied. There was no pity among them. No trace of fear. Simply, stern-set eyes, still limbs and a heavy silence that only lasted another stolen breath before the two girls at the center of the mat sprung toward one another.

       The viper wasted no time, she threw herself to the ground, maneuvering quickly to sweep the prey's legs from beneath her only to meet her on the ground. The prey, the younger girl, ducked into a front flip as she fell to the ground, smoothly evading the green eyed viper that tried to pin her. In quick recalibration, the viper threw a kick to the brown eyed girl who took the hit to her cheek with a grunt. Her lip curled downward in a scowl as she mimicked the vipers first move, sending a harsh kick to the green eyed girl's knee to swipe her balance from beneath her. The brown eyed Widow was quick to take advantage of the momentary weakness, moving over and pinning the viper's arms to the ground.

The viper thrashed violently, her head coming up from the ground in one quick and near neck snapping jolt to slam her forehead into the other Widow's nose. The brown eyed girl grunted and let go of the green eyed girls arms, instead, her hands quickly seizing the girls throat and squeezing tightly. The viper used her arms to push off the mat, twisting her torso until she was on her side, gasping for air even if she'd managed to loosen the girls grip on her neck briefly. It was all she needed to gain the strength to send a swift elbow to the brown eyed girls throat, and then another hit to her abdomen.

The brown eyed girl heaved for air, but there was no fault in the way she threw herself backward, using the momentum to land kneeling on the ground after a smooth, grounded backflip. she raised her head to catch the viper already charging toward her. She sprung up using her back leg, gritting her teeth as she jumped, her lithe body moving swiftly through the air as she grabbed onto the girls shoulders, using the force of the jump to swing both her legs all the way around the viper's torso. The brown eyed girl flipped a full circle around the other Widow, as if they were partaking in some quick paced gymnastics routine. She came to a quick stop as she planted a leg between the other Widow's, twisting her body outward until the green eyed Widow had no choice but to fall to the mat once more.