SANCTUM | Avengers

3

- THREE -

Delirious, the lack of sleep plagues me. My legs keep moving, but their aching fails to cease during the never ending periods of  training.

The sun has risen and fallen three times on the other side of the fogged, glass windows, but the only contact we've had with anybody else, excluding each other, is when the emotionless faces walk in to remove the lifeless bodies off the floor or bring us small portions of food.

Out of the thirteen girls that entered the room days ago, only three are left. Days of strenuous training have left all of us physically drained, but with each breath, it's evident that greater tolls have been taken. Any level of brutality caused by taking a life has been ripped away from us, just as violently as the action itself.

"Now we finish this. Only one of of you will leave here," Teacher whispers, prowling behind us. She stops right behind my left shoulder. I lift my chin up higher, begging her not to find anything wrong with me. Calmly, she keeps going.

"You will go through your ceremony and you will go and find your place in this world."

She leans closer to me. I can feel her only inches away. Quietly, I dare to whisper the words she has said to me since I was a young girl.

"I have no place in this world."

She just nods. She walks around in front of us now and her smile is purely feline. Cruel.

"Now, you will rest one last time before our final day."

"But do not be selfish," she continues,, "learn from all of your many mistakes. Do not make any of them again. Hesitating means death. For both you or your future opponents' lives."

She pauses once more, purposefully looking us all in the eyes.

"Fail now and you are done."

She turns on her heels and walks out. She doesn't even look back.. Her small-heeled shoes click harshly against the ground as she walks out the large wooden doors.

The idea of sleep sounds too good to be true. The though of lying down almost makes my knees weak. But I grimace; she would not just give us rest unless she knew we would need it.

Lying on the ground in the darkest corner, I shade my face from the other two girls. My eyelids feel like they're being weighed down by bricks. As they begin finally begin to close, a quake tremors through the room.  Instantly, I'm on my feet, treading to the window to observe where the tremble came from. It was not an earthquake. I look out the window too see and- the glass explodes, shards flying everywhere. An arrow soars through the empty frame, impaling itself in the wall.

Quickly, I grab the arrow and step back into the shadows. Just as I fully slip away, a small man in a purple and black tunic jumps through the window.

The other two girls have crept into the shadows, too. He must think he's alone. He takes a few hesitant step forward. Speaking into an earpiece he mutters, "The large combat room is empty, Nat. I don't see any sign of there being training in here."

"He's not here as a part of our training?" I think quickly. And then it clicks in my brain. I strain my eyes to see a silver pin glinting in the moonlight. The "A" on his chest is the only hint I need.

This is them. The Avengers.

Emerging from the shadows, arrow head bared, I take heaving strides towards him.

"Guys!" he shouts into his intercom. "Not alone. NOT ALONE! "

I strike with the arrow, using my one hand to flip around to his other side. Dodging the arrow heads' downward stroke, he kicks out, lifting my legs off the ground. Falling onto my back, I kick up, landing on my feet once again. I throw myself forward, launching his legs out from underneath him. Unlike how I'd expected, he rolls out of it- just like how I'd been trained. Reaching over his shoulder and grasping on to his quiver, I pull it off and kick his bow out of his hand. Loading it quickly, an arrow is pointed at his head.