The Mind of a Soldier [1]

1

     The soldier fell to the ground for good. His lungs struggled to cooperate while they filled up with blood. The gurgles and coughs could be heard throughout the silent room. The only other sound was the exhausted panting of a young girl. The one responsible for the soldier's death. Her hair got in her face while sweat dripped down her back. With her hands covered in blood she Looked to the observing window. Her heart raced as she waited for a sign of approval. Behind the glass a man nodded almost smirking. A sigh of relief washed over the girl as footsteps could be heard from behind. Like always a metal hand's grip tightened around her arm guiding her outside of the room. She looked to see the Winter Soldier's emotionless face staring straight ahead. His boots stomped across the hallway while the girl's bare feet pit patterned along with them. She liked making them synchronize with each other, tilting her head as she watched each foot go right in front of the other. The soldier eventually stopped making the girl run into him, her eyes still plastered on the floor. He gently pushed her away and scanned his good hand to make the door open. It revealed a quaint little room with a bed and nightstand. The girl frowned, knowing this room all too well. The man placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her in although she was quite hesitant. Before he could close the door the girl spoke.

"Good..." she uttered, thinking of the right word. "Goodbye" she finally said smirking at her victory. The man's face didn't smile but you could see a glimmer in his eyes.

"Goodbye Alena" he said softly closing the door and walking away. He never talked to her much, No one did and yet they were still intent on teaching her the english language. Every letter of the alphabet was painted onto her wall in strict typewriter like font. The capitals and then the lowercase all in a straight line. Underneath was the girl's writing, making a whole range of words that filled the blank space. She loved them all, especially big words that had more vowels like a and e, because there was so many ways to shape them. Alena began tracing her hand along all the letters. Cursive or not it somehow entertained her in a way that combat training never could. The tall soldier was the one who taught her all of the things she knew. She rarely saw anyone else in her her life, except for days like today, Test Day. The day that she gets to show her abilities to Mr. Pierce, the man behind the window. When Alena saw him nod minutes ago she could only guess that he was satisfied, but guessing wasn't knowing.

     When the door slid open for the second time she could tell it was not the Winter Soldier. This person's shoes were not combat boots but business loafers click clacking their way across the room. Alena immediately ran to sit rigidly on her bed looking back at the man. Alexander Pierce had a weird look to him, with a full head of hair and an expensive suit he could look like any other business guy, except he wasn't. He had a fake smile put on his face like always and his eyebrows clearly stated he had better things to do. Alena had her back up to the wall, nervously tracing imaginary letters onto the blankets.

"You did good work today" he said breaking the silence. "Do you know how to spell that? G-O-O-D"

"Good, like goodbye" she repeated quitely, wishing he would say the same and go back the way he entered. 

"Yes, good is in the word goodbye, it's funny you say that though, because someone told me that you've been breaking the rules again" Alena immediately looked up, her face going pale with fear. "With this" Pierce held up the notebook she so carefully drew in from time to time. "Do you know what this is for?" he asked.

"Writing letters" Alena's tracing became faster. Pierce opened the book to the seventh page holding it out to her. 

"Is this a letter Alena?" The paper showed a drawing of a forest, unusually detailed. Three people starred in it: a teenage girl and a boy beside her the same age. The boy held a little girl in his arms protectively. That girl had a star tatoo on her right arm identical to the one Alena has. "Answer the question"

"No" she hesitantly replied.

"What is it?" Pierce asked in a more serious and impatient tone.

"A drawing" she slowly replied. Procrastination was a word she knew well, and would often use while with Pierce. She didn't like telling him things because then she would have no secrets of her own. Something she found unfair as the mystery man had so many of his own.

"Who is in the drawing? Do you know them?" Alena stiffened, that was the only thing she had that was private to herself, until now.

"I'm not sure"

"You know what happens if you don't cooperate Alena, we are doing this for the good of the world. The planet. Do I have to describe those words for you?"

"No"

"Who is in the drawing?" He asked more pressingly this time. 

"I-I guess I know them, from somewhere."

"And their names?" he asked. The child squinted her eyes. Whenever they came into her mind the only thing she felt was heartache. Pietro and Wanda were the only two things she didn't understand in this world and judging by Pierce's tone, he wasn't going to let her find out. Shaking her head she refused to continue and that was the last straw for the businessman. Looking towards the security camera in the top corner of the room he nodded.

"I thought you did good today you know. You're improving on your combat skills very quickly, but if you can't be honest with me then we have a problem, a big problem. Maybe this will help you learn." Suddenly the room became bitter and bleak with cool air rushing in and frost appearing on the walls. Pierce had left the area and suddenly she was all alone in the cold. Frost started covering up all the letters on the wall making every surface impossible to trace. Impossible to calm down. All she had for warmth was a poorly knitted blanket and sheet. Nuzzling under the covers she desperately looked for warmth but it seemed to be out of sight and out of mind. Nothing was her own here, everything belonged to hydra, she belonged to hydra.

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