The Mind of a Soldier [1]

15

     The room was cool and blank. The walls were an ugly beige color while the only object in the room was a chair. Sitting on it dead center of the room was Alena. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater. Wanda had given it to her when she was cold, before this whole thing started. What it was she didn't exactly know. At one point she was beside her siblings, gripping onto Pietro's loose sweatpants while a scary man was in front of them. He had no hair and one strange monocle. The twins were both speaking to him, then everything seemed to change. She was grabbed by two guards as they started to pull her away. Screams and cries rang throughout the hall as she got farther and farther down it.

"You sick bastard!" she could hear Pietro yell. So she yelled back, but soon all voices were silent. Now here she was, without the two of them in a strange room with a strange window that looked inside another strange room. Within there was a man she would soon recognise in the future, Alexander Pierce.

"Hello Alena" he said into a microphone. His voice rang out of a P.A. system making the young girl jump. "My name is Mr.Pierce"

"Where are Pietro and Wanda?" She asked with a tear streaming down her face. Pierce's fake smile began to fade, irritated he took the mic once again.

"Your brother and sister have traded you for something they desire more than you. Whether that affects you or not it shouldn't matter, there is nothing you can change about it"

"But I want to speak to them" she said pushing back the tears.

"As I said before Ms.Maximoff, they traded you for something more. They no longer need to see you and you no longer need them. As of this moment you and Sargent Barnes will be helping me with project insight. You do not have a choice in this matter and won't in the ones to come. Hydra has no time for complaints when trying to cure the world of it's troubles." After that Pierce disappeared form Alena's view. She could feel a hole in herself that felt as big as the atlantic ocean. Why had they done this?

     Alena's pillow sheets were soaked with tears while her sleep wear was covered with sweat. "They gave me up" she said under her breath. That's why she was separated from them for this long, they didn't care about her. They gave her this life of killing and being unaware. It's their fault and yet she couldn't shake this feeling of wanting to see them more now. Her heart ached for the moment she could possibly ask why? When she could look up into their eyes and finally receive an answer. Whether it was rational or not didn't matter. She just wanted to see if these people, her family, were the good guys or the bad guys. At this point it was a guessing game and she didn't want to play, she wanted the truth and only that.

     Wiping her tears and walking out to the kitchen area she realized that the soldier wasn't there like usual. The living room was also clean of any 100 year old greasy haired geezers. This only added more logs to the flame. He hasn't left in ages, why go away now? In the moment she needed him most. Life seemed to just keep throwing punches at her and it hurt like hell, but it was far from over.

     Glancing towards the kitchen she saw a crumpled up piece of paper. It sat on the counter just waiting to be picked up. Unraveling it Alena realized it was the soldier's writing.

Dear Alena,

     I can't take care of you anymore. I'll only end up hurting you and I can't do that, I won't. There's enough food in the fridge for a week, after that i don't know. Look just act normal and maybe someone-

     She didn't finish reading the note. It was torn apart bit by bit before she could. Tears of frustration and confusion rushed down her face as if her cheeks were the rocks behind a waterfall. Now, all the of the people she had ever trusted in her life had betrayed her. She clenched her fists. The rage filling her was unbearable. She needed to leave, to escape. So without even thinking she grabbed Bucky's spare hoodie and headed outside of the apartment.

     The streets of downtown were just like they were when she first saw them. Crowded and uncomfortable, although this time she wasn't afraid. If anyone tried to harm her she could take care of that in an instant, she already had the last time. So what if she wasn't like everyone else? So what if she didn't do things the way other people did? She tried to be normal, she tried not to smash the TV, but she did it anyway. It was no use trying to fight it, this is who she was and anyone would be screwed if they tried to mess with it. Literally, considering her track record.

     People couldn't help themselves but look at the teenager. After all she was roaming around in the open with her sweatpants, tank top and a brown hoodie. Alena however didn't give a rat's ass what they thought, they weren't what mattered. Finding the soldier was. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, to show him what she could really do. That maybe it wasn't him she should be scared of, but actually herself and her abilities. She was done with being this petty little child, who listened to orders and only got treachery and deceit in return.

    Suddenly within the crowd she could see a hand, but not just any hand, a metal prosthetic. "It has to be him" she thought, speeding up and making her way towards the figure. She wouldn't confront him now though. No, this was too soon and too crowded. She would follow and wait until the time was right, except this time she wouldn't let him notice. The museum was a practice round, this right here was the real deal and she had all the control. That she knew of.

     The man kept wiggling his way through the sidewalk traffic for four more blocks before heading elsewhere. He took a sudden turn down a dark and mysterious alleyway. "Quiet and toxic, a good hideout for a wanted fugitive. He'd fit right in with the drug dealers." she thought while sneaking behind him. She had never really seen a drug dealer, just read about people and places like them. Soon enough it was showtime, there was nobody around and Barnes was in a vulnerable spot.

     Alena charged at him, quickly grabbing the metal arm and trying to flip him to the ground, except Barnes was much more lightweight than before. In fact, she realized that she didn't flip him at all, she pulled the metal arm right out of its socket, clean and pristine just like that. Just like that? This didn't make any sense. Turning back to Barnes she realize this man wasn't exactly who she thought he was. His face was not the one that belonged to Barnes, it belonged to her brother, Pietro. The long brown hair wasn't brown at all, it was blonde, and the combat boots were actually incredibly worn out sneakers. Taking off the big dirty jacket and somewhat smelly hat he turned to Alena, concern filling his eyes. This didn't make sense, it all felt like some messed up dream that she would wake up from. She was in a daze, too angry and aggressive to realize that the arm was a fake, heck even his freaking hair was a different color! But why do this now? and why here of all places?

"W-why!?" she yelled, unable to form the rest of the words.

"Alena please," Wanda's voice said from behind, she was walking up to join Pietro. "We just want to talk" her brother said, putting his hands out as if he were calming a bear.

"You gave me away! T-They did things to me, They made me forget!" Tears started forming in her eyes.

"We know" Wanda replied, looking incredibly shameful.

"You know!?" Alena screamed even louder. Pietro kept his eye above her. It only took the young teenager a moment to realise that on top of the three buildings surrounding them, were guards. Each and every one of them were equipped with a sniper rifle. She was too upset to care.

"The pain we have caused is-"

"Pain?" Alena asked. "You know, I've spent 13 years studying words and pain is a weak one. What about agony? That right there is good word to describe it."

"We're sorry" Wanda said quietly. That was the last straw. Alena ran and jumped up into the air ready to pounce on either one of them, except she didn't. A dart lodged itself inside her neck penetrating her skin. She could feel it sticking out as Pietro ran in a split second to catch her in his arms. Picking the dart out he shushed her cries as she fell into a deep sleep. They had a long journey to Sokovia to prepare for.

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