Winters War Phase 3: Some Kind of Monster

Chapter 4

She threw a double right jab. Blocked. A low kick with her left leg. Blocked. Julia growled angrily as her male opponent, Lex, blocked her hits.

Suddenly Lex grabbed her shoulders, bent her over and kneed her hard in the gut. She fell to her knees, arms around her stomach. A gloved hand landed on the back of her neck. It grasped her firmly but she didn't flinch. She looked up at Lex and clenched her fists as she regained her feet. He tried to keep her down, but she was stronger than him. She couldn't see his eyes because of his dark glasses, but she could tell he was amazed by her strength. She grabbed his wrist from her neck and gripped it so strongly she could feel his bones cracking. He let out a scream of pain. Before he knew it, Lex was flying over Julia's shoulder. His glasses fell off and he hit the ground.

Julia stepped on the glasses and broke them as she came closer to Lex on the floor. She placed her foot on his chest and put her weight onto it.

Suddenly he grabbed her ankle, pulled her leg, and kicked her other leg out from underneath her. She fell to the floor, and Lex was on top of her in an instant. He grabbed her throat with his gloved hands and began to strangle her. She drew up her legs and kicked him away. He flew through the air, bounced off the wall and smacked into the ground.

"Enough!" they heard Madame HYDRA call out.

Julia scrambled up and got back her breath. Madame HYDRA stood in front of her and slapped Julia's face with the back of her hand.

"This fight was sloppy! You disappoint me. You can do better!"

Julia bowed her head.

"My apologies, Madame," she mumbled, as she looked down and away. "I'll do better."

Madame sent Lex away with a look. She took a small blue notebook with a white hexagon on the cover out of the pocket of her pants. She opened it, flipped two pages and started to read out loud.

"Zhelaniye." [Desire.]

Julia watched her handler with a furrowed brow.

"Chetvertyy." [Fourth.]

The blonde teenager closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Bol." [Pain.]

"No," the teenager moaned as she moved her hands to her head.

"Otorvannost. Doma." [Isolation. Home.]

Julia grasped her hair and fell to her knees as a sharp pain rose in her skull.

"Please don't," she begged in a groan with gritted teeth.

Madame HYDRA smiled at her.

"Vozrozhdennyy!" [Reborn!]

The teenager screamed in pain. A new opponent, a tall, heavy, muscular man, entered the training room.

Madame HYDRA continued.

"Nikto. Mechtatel." [Nobody. Dreamer]

She curled herself into a little ball as she screamed.

"Potrogat." [Touch.]

Madame HYDRA closed the notebook.

"Istrebitel." [Destroyer.]

Julia stopped screaming. Slowly she stood up, her breathing returning to normal. Her green-gray eyes burned with anger.

"Soldat?" Madame HYDRA called to her as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Gotov soblyudat," Julia mumbled without emotion. [Ready to comply.]

"Fight him and win," her mistress demanded.

Madame went to the side of the training area.

Julia saw her opponent cracking his knuckles. She charged at him and tackled him down to the floor. The man was amazed by her swift action and received a number of blows to his face. He then grabbed Julia by the wrist and shoulder and threw her meters away. Julia smacked against the wall before she landed on the floor.

While she struggled to her feet, he wrapped his arm around her neck and put her in a chokehold. She removed her glove and grabbed him in the face. His energy flowed into her body while he screamed out in pain and let her go.

Suddenly Julia's body stiffened in a cramp, and she gasped for air as she released her opponent. After a moment her body relaxed and she fell limp into the floor. Madame HYDRA walked up to her with a one-button-remote control in her hand.

"Enough with your powers! Get up and fight with your fists!" Madame HYDRA demanded.

With heavy breaths Julia stood up and looked at her opponent who had recovered from his dizzy spell. Julia was in pain but she had learned to ignore it. She replaced her glove and raised her hands, ready for another fight.