FOREVER YOUNG, b.barnes daughter

twelve. i forgive you

PIERCE IS A WILD MAN

ALEXANDER PIERCE HAD A WAY of knowing exactly which buttons to push. It was as if he had an innate sense of how to find the deepest, most painful parts of a person and press down on them until they broke. Today was no different. He had called Judith into his office, ostensibly for a debrief on their latest mission, but she knew better. There was always more to his summons than met the eye.

She stood at attention in front of his desk, her face a mask of indifference. Pierce sat behind his desk, leafing through some papers, his expression unreadable. He was in no hurry to speak, letting the silence stretch out until it was nearly unbearable.

"Sit down, Viper," he said finally, not looking up from his papers.

She complied, sitting on the edge of the chair, her back straight and her eyes fixed ahead. Pierce continued to shuffle through his papers for a few moments longer, then finally looked up at her.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, his voice deceptively kind.

"Fine, sir," she replied flatly.

"Good, good," he said, nodding. He leaned back in his chair, studying her. "I want to talk to you about your performance lately."

Judith's jaw tightened. She knew where this was going. "Yes, sir."

Pierce's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been... distracted. Unfocused. That's dangerous. Not just for you, but for everyone around you."

"I understand, sir," she said, her voice strained.

He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Do you? Because I'm not sure you do. I'm not sure you understand the stakes here. This isn't a game. This is life and death. And when you're distracted, people die."

Judith swallowed hard, her fists clenching in her lap. "I'm doing my best, sir."

"Your best isn't good enough," he snapped, his voice sharp. "Do you think Erik's best was good enough?"

At the mention of Erik's name, something inside Judith snapped. She glared at Pierce, her eyes blazing with anger. "Don't you dare talk about Erik," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

Pierce raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Why not? He was just like you, wasn't he? Weak. Pathetic. A failure."

Judith shot to her feet, her hands balled into fists. "He wasn't weak! He wasn't pathetic! He was my brother!"

Pierce stood as well, his smile widening. "And where is he now? Dead. Because he wasn't strong enough. Just like you won't be if you keep this up."

Judith's vision blurred with rage. "Shut up! You don't know anything about him!"

Pierce's eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step towards her. "I know everything about him. And I know everything about you. You're nothing without HYDRA. Without me."

"That's not true," Judith spat, her whole body trembling with fury.

Pierce laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Oh, but it is. You're just a tool, Viper. A weapon. And tools that don't work get thrown away."

Judith could feel herself losing control, her anger boiling over. "I hate you," she hissed. "I hate everything about you and this place."

Pierce's expression hardened, and he took another step closer. "You hate me? Good. Use that hate. Let it fuel you. Or it will destroy you."

Before she could respond, he lashed out, his fist connecting with her face in a brutal, punishing blow. The force of it sent her sprawling to the floor, pain exploding in her head. She lay there, dazed and hurting, as Pierce loomed over her, his expression cold and unyielding.