❝ kid, get off the ground. spit your blood, and bare your teeth; go down a savage, go down fighting. ❞
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AFTERshe was wiped, Anastasia was escorted into the training area. There, a man and a woman stood, in front of other guests.
The woman was short with a proud face. Her skin was olive and her brown hair was pinned back in a slick bun. Anastasia saw the forming wrinkles around her mouth and at the corner of her eyes. Clearly she had been alive for many, many years now.
The man's face was etched into disproval and anger. The deep wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth gave it away to her. His cheeks were sunken in and she notices the heavier bags under his eyes than the older woman.
"Enigma," the man who stood beside her spoke English now. "Do you recognize anyone here?"
She only shook her head, eyes travelling from face to face. He jutted her chin, directing it at the pair. "You don't recognize Mister and Missus Perova?"
He moved away, slowly pacing about.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the first of many stages. We call it the Winter Soldier Program. Our first subject of the project is located in Moscow. After his positive results, we expanded to other locations.
"Phase one will be the shapingprocess; seeing who is well enough to proceed. Of course, our guests—mister and missus Perova—have graciously joined us and offered a few of their own from the Red Room Academy. The next will be by injection..."
The man twisted on his heel to gesture to two doctors. Anastasia noticed they looked unsettled to be in the room.
"...We are currently undergoing experiments and tests. Erskine's serum was one of a kind," he chuckled darkly. "But I think we are close. After that, we spread out across the country; finding and creating more Winter Soldiers."
The older couple, along with a few doctors and others gave a small round of applause.
Anastasia's eyes stayed glued to the floor and she didn't move an inch.
"All right, bring in the subjects. Let's begin." He glared at Anastasia darkly. "You let me down, I will shoot you down on the spot. You can be replaced."
He walked away to safety, at the far end of the room. No one seemed to bat an eye at his comment, seemingly blasé to such behaviour.
A heavy metal door opened behind the small group of observers and a small line of adults shuffled through, with a few younger ones; ranging from the twenties to mid-thirties.
