Chapter Text
There are 12 officers with us as we eat breakfast. For the past 2 days we've been constantly watched, never left alone. We've also been training a lot more as well. We spend most of the day in the training room taking turns fighting different officers, not using weapons. The Soldier has been around but we haven't gone against him. I've been trying not to stare at him as much as I do and it's hard. He's alluring, your eyes naturally gravitate towards him. Whether that's in fear or fascination. It's obvious that Ivan’s been very restless and anxious lately. He always has something to nitpick at. When we fight he tells us we're doing something wrong or that we need to practice more. He's been critical about things he doesn't need to be critical about. It's annoying and that just leads me to believe that something's going to happen. Better yet, someone's coming. I've also been anxious for the last 2 days and I can tell Yelena is too. We try to avoid talking about what will happen next and who we think will become the Black Widow. It's not something I want to discuss with her. Maybe because we already know the answer.
The silence in the room is suffocating, almost like everyone's holding their breathe. When we’re done eating, we follow Ivan out of the dining room and up the staircase. When we reach the second floor, instead of going to the training room we're led to Leonov’s classroom. Only a few officers stay in the room with us while the rest of them wait outside. Today Leonov goes over a few languages with us. German, Japanese, and Spanish. Questions and answers, it's easy enough. All too quickly his class is over and we’re being led back to the dining hall for lunch. My eyes never leave Ivan's face as we eat. He's been glancing up at the clock every few seconds and biting the inside of his cheek nervously. All of a sudden, the distant sound of doors slamming causes Ivan to nearly bolt out of the room. Nikolay tells us to stop eating and to stands up. He then escorts us out of the room and towards the doors that lead out of the building. Ivan opens the doors, causing a gust of cold air to fill the room, and steps outside with 3 officers following behind him. We can hear people talking and laughing from outside and then footsteps coming towards us. Ivan enters the building followed by a group of about 13 people, KGB officers. Ivan gestures for his officers to stand aside to give them room, making me want to roll my eyes. The KGB officers line up in front of us and I immediately recognize one of them. Right in front of us is General Kovalev, staring down at both me and Yelena with a smug grin plastered onto his face. He was there when we danced at the Bolshoi. It looks as though he's trimmed his beard and the wrinkles on his face has gotten deeper. Kovalev glances up and by the way his smile falters and an intimidated look flashes in his eyes, I can tell he's spotted the Soldier. He clears his throat and turns to Ivan.
“Please introduce me.” He smirks playfully and steps back. Ivan comes to stand next to us, looking both proud and hopeful.
“This is Yelena and Natalia.” He gestures to each of us, glancing up at the General as if looking for his approval. The General nods and brings his hand up to play with his beard.
“Where are they heading next?” He questions as he runs his eyes up and down our body, studying us. It nearly sends a shiver down my spine. His eyes are pitch black and it unsettles me.
“The training room. They’ve been constantly training.” Ivan says quickly and he smiles as if he's gotten a right answer. I have to keep myself from making a face at how pathetic he's being.
“I want to see them dance.” Kovalev brings his hand down from his face and places both of his hands behind his back. Ivan's eyes widen for a split seconds but manages to compose himself.
“Of course. Right this way.” Ivan forces a smile and begins to lead the way to Madam Oksana’s room, the rest of the officers following behind us. When we enter the room, Madam Oksana looks up and a sour look flashes crosses her face. She gives the General a courteous smile as me and Yelena go to put our shoes on. There has to be around 20 to 30 officers standing at the front of the room watching us. Ivan is standing next to Kovalev while the Soldier is on the other side of him. Nikolay, Anton, Dominik, and Sadovsky are all lined up as well, eyeing the KGB officers carefully. Me and Yelena get in place and wait for the music to begin. As soon as the first note plays we start to dance. We move in sync almost like we're one person. I completely tune out everyone that's in the room and pretend that it's just me. We spin, leap, jump, and twirl across the floor with as much grace as we can muster up. All too quickly the song ends and I realize I'm breathing heavy and someone's clapping. Kovalev is grinning, looking more than pleased as he applauds us. My eyes find Madam Oksana at the corner of the room and she looks proud. I want to smile at her but Kovalev is walking towards us. Me and Yelena stand up straight and wait for him to speak.
“Such beauty, such grace. You girls are mesmerizing.” He praises us almost in a fake, sarcastic manner. I don’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth. “I could just watch both of you dance all day.”
I try not to show my discomfort and I can tell Yelena is struggling with the same thing. Kovalev then spins around with a grin towards Ivan.
“Where to next.” Ivan for a second looks startled but quickly holds his arm out for them to exit the room. Me and Yelena put away our shoes and follow them out and down the hall. When we enter the training room, everyone gathers off to the side and starts to talk while me and Yelena wait at the edge of the mat. We can't quite hear what they're saying since they're talking so quietly but Ivan and Kovalev point to a few of the KGB officers that came with him, while everyone else stays quiet. The Soldier stands right behind Ivan, taking in everything they're saying. Every now and then, Kovalev glances down at the Soldier’s left arm and the Soldier barley squints his eyes at this. He makes the General nervous. Finally they disburse and line up side by side. Ivan steps forward and onto the mat.
“You ladies will be fighting 2 of the General's officers.” Ivan begins, a fake sense of authority radiating off of him. “Then you will go against the Soldier.”
We wait for him to say more but Ivan instead steps off of the mat and takes his place next to Kovalev. I know this is it. We're going to find out who will make it out of here. Who will be the Black Widow and I'm both ready and nervous.
“Yelena, you will be first.” Kovalev speaks up and makes room for me to stand next to him. I stand between him and Ivan while the Soldier is on the other side of Kovalev. A well built KGB officer is the first to walk onto the mat and stand in front of Yelena. He looks down at her, amused. She looks nervous, can't really blame her, but also confident that she can beat him. I hope she does.
He's the first to attack and Yelena easily moves out of the way, dodging his punch. He lunges for her again and this time manages to punch her in the stomach. Yelena hunches over and stifles a painful grunt. Before the officer can pull his hand away, she holds onto it and twists it behind his back. The officer then grabs the back of her head with his left hand and flips her over his shoulder and onto her back. Yelena lands on the floor, trying to catch her breath but the officer doesn't give her enough time to do so. Instead he grabs her by the arm and forces her up onto her feet and punches her square in the face. Blood immediately starts to drip from her nose and she holds the back of her hand against it to try and stop the bleeding. The officer's about to punch her again but Yelena quickly grabs him around his torso and knocks him to the ground. It's like something snaps in her and Yelena just throws punches one after the other until the officer's face is completely covered in blood.
“That's enough.” Kavolev speaks up, looking amused. Yelena’s head snaps up and she quickly gets off of the officer, who scrambles off of the mat. She looks guilty and confused as to why she acted like that but her face goes hard again as the second KGB officer approaches her. He walks with an uptightness that instantly begins to irritate me. The officer looks down at Yelena with a smug look and I can see that she knows she can use that to her advantage. This time she's the one that makes the first move by jabbing him in the throat and swinging her leg up to connect with his ribs. Yelena then grabs him by the shirt and throws him on the ground. Instead of getting on top of him, she alternates between kicking him in the stomach and in the face. The officer suddenly shoots his arm out and pulls her down on the mat with him but Yelena surprises him when she flips him over and has him in a choke hold. Ivan looks pleased as the officer gets back in line. Instead of the Soldier going to fight Yelena next, Ivan orders her to leave the mat. Kovalev looks down at me with a raised eyebrow and I walk to where Yelena was standing before. Another one of Kovalev’s men stands before me and assess me thoroughly. He's very big and tall, around 3 times my size. Using his weight against him will be my best bet. In a flash he lunges towards me and I try to kick him in the stomach but he's too strong and heavy. The officer wraps his arms around my torso and lifts me up, then slams me hard against the mat. I roll away before he can get on top of me and in return he takes a hold of my leg and drags me across the mat. When he finally let's go, I get to my feet and duck when he throws a punch meant for my face. I take a hold of his arm and jerk it to the left, causing him to let out a painful wail. I didn’t twist it hard enough for it to break but it is fractured. Flipping the officer onto his back, I then begin to walk circles around him. Adrenalin is now coursing through my veins and I feel the blood pumping in my ears. As the officer gets to his feet, I start to run towards him. Hauling myself onto his shoulders, I bring my elbow down hard onto his head repeatedly. When I feel his hand grip into my shirt to throw me off, I tighten my thighs around his head and throw my body down. I land on my feet just as his back hits the mat and the officer let's out a low groan. The officer pulls himself back up and faces me. Just as he takes a step forward, I punch him in the stomach and throw him across the room by the front of his uniform. The officer then begins to run towards me and I start to sprint towards him. Just as we near each other, I drop to the ground and slide between his legs. I quickly get to my feet and climb up his back and onto his shoulders. The officer shoots his arm up to hit me but I grab it and throw myself back, bringing both of us down. We land with a loud thud and my thighs tighten around his neck causing him to fade in and out of consciousness. Before the officer can pass out, Kovalev calls for the officer to get back in line and for another officer to take his place.
The other KGB officer that now stands in front of me looks ready to tear me apart. I admire his confidence. Just as his arm shoots out towards me, I grab it and swing my leg up to connect with his stomach. I then twist his arm back, then turn so my back is to him and elbow him in the face. With my back still to him, I grab onto his head with both hands and kick my feet up. Bringing my body down, I slide down between his leg and quickly get to my feet. I'm standing behind him now as he tries to comprehend what just happened. The officer is on his hands and knees, breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath. Gripping the back of his shirt, I force him onto his back and sit on his chest. I'm able to get a few punches in before he flips me over him and onto my back. The officer stands up and takes a hold of my hair, dragging me a few feet closer to where Kovalev and Ivan stand. When he lets go, I kick the back of his knee and get to my feet. His hand shoots out towards my face and takes a hold of it, squeezing my cheeks in his hand. He then grabs my hair again and pulls, forcing my head back. The officer brings my face close to his and he breathes in deeply, causing a smirk to form on his face. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I bring my knee up to connect with his crotch and slam my head against his when his grip loosens. Tightening my hold on his neck, I bring his head down to connect with my knee. Taking a step back, I spin around and swing my leg up to connect with the side of the head. The officer falls to the mat, unconscious and 2 officers hurry to drag him off. Ivan calls me back in line. As I make my way off the mat, the Soldier starts to walk towards me and his right shoulder barely bushes mine. Yelena follows behind him and she's not hiding how she feels very well. She's scared. The Soldier stands in front of her, menacingly and I know he's not doing it on purpose. That's just how he comes across. Yelena makes the first move by throwing a series of punches and kicks towards him, all of them he dodges. The Soldier at first doesn't make any move to fight her, but that's until he catches her fist and flings her across the room like she weighs nothing. The Soldier then stalks towards her and I can see that Yelena is trying not to cower back. Getting to her feet, Yelena manages to block a few of his punches until he gets her in the jaw with his left fist. Before Yelena can recover, the Soldier grabs the front of her shirt and slams her head against his. A loud crack is heard and she lets out a cry of pain, her forehead immediately starting to bleed. Yelena’s eyes nearly rolls to the back of her head in pain as he grabs a hold of her leg and flings her to the ground. He's too fast for her and Yelena can barely get a hit in. He punches, kicks, and throws her around and she's barely able to keep up but she doesn’t give up either. She's holding her ground, when she's knocked down she gets back up. Yelena's face is now a bloody mess as well as her clothes. Finally the Soldier has her pinned down on her stomach with both of her hands behind her back. The Soldier glance over at Kovalev and the General nods, allowing the Soldier to let her go. Yelena limps off of the mat and a sense of dread and excitement washes over me knowing that I'm next.
His face is blank as he stares down at me and I won't lie, his height is intimidating. He's larger than most of the men here and unquestionably stronger. I know I won't beat him but I can at least try to be somewhat of a challenge for him since he’ll be going a little harder on me than normal. I remember the bruises that littered his stomach from when I saw him a few nights ago and decide I should try to aim there. The bruises should be nearly healed by then but I could just make new ones. The excitement overtakes the nauseous feeling in my stomach and I'm just itching to hit him. Without warning, the Soldier’s fist shoots out and I barely have time to block it. While I kick at his shin, I manage to connect my fist with his right cheek causing the nearly healed cut to bleed again. The Soldier gives me a small smirk and kicks my feet out from under me. Landing on my back, I roll away just as his right fist connects with the mat where my head was. Wrapping my arms around his right one, I bring my legs up to circle around his head and roll over so my back is against the mat and his head is against my lower abdomen. I tighten my thighs around his neck and hold his arm against my chest. The Soldier brings his left hand up and grips my leg a few inches above my left knee and squeezes, causing a jolt of pain to run up my leg. The Soldier then pries my leg from around him and flips over onto his knees, pulling me towards him by my legs. The Soldier hovers over me and grips my throat with his right hand. I dig my nails into his skin but he doesn't even flinch. Wrapping my legs around his hips, I jab my hand against his throat and the Soldier loosens his grip. Placing my hands on either side of the Soldier’s head, I bring it down and slam my head hard against his causing a low grunt to escape him. I kick the Soldier off of me and crouch down in front of him. He's crouched on his right knee as well and in a flash he lunges towards me. The Soldier gets a few hits to my face using both hands and at some point my face goes numb. The throbbing feeling goes away as well as the feeling of blood sliding down my face. I know I must look a mess but I don’t really care. All of a sudden, the Soldier grabs a fist full of my hair and places his right arm against my neck. Without thinking I lean forward and bite into his arm as hard as I can, causing the Soldier to immediately let go. I ignore the taste of blood in my mouth as the Soldier watch's me carefully. The Soldier is quick to throw another punch but I catch it and place my hand on the floor, swinging my legs up to wrap around his head and roll onto the ground. Again I have his arm against my chest and my legs tightly fasten around his head. The Soldier punches at my leg hard and I know there will be bruises tomorrow. Eventually it becomes unbearable and I have to loosen my hold, allowing the Soldier to get up and force me onto my feet. His left hand shoots out to wrap around my neck and he tightens his grip enough for me to struggle to breathe but not pass out. The Soldier then lifts me up by my neck until my feet’s dangling in the air. The Soldier smirks thinking it's over but I'm not quite done with him yet. Placing my left foot against his shoulder, I bring my right foot back and kick him square in the face. The Soldier’s head jerks back and he drops me to the floor. Quickly getting to my feet, I throw a few punches and kicks to his stomach. I connect my foot with the back of his leg, throwing off his balance and kick his feet from under him until he's face down on the mat. Grabbing his metal arm I force it behind the Soldier's back and hold it down with my knee. Then I take his right arm and wrap it around his neck and pull so he's cutting off his own air way. We stay in that position for a few seconds and I finally stand back up. The Soldier gets up from the mat as well and glances at me from the corner of his eye, giving me a slight nod in commends. I'm shocked that I actually was able to pin the Soldier down. I know he wouldn't ever let anyone win so the fact I was able to pin him down is surprising. Again I know he was going easy on us and I can only imagine the destruction he would cause if he didn't hold back. Glancing over at him, I find the bruises on his face have faded a great deal but in a few hours new ones will appear. His cheek’s still bleeding as well as his nose and seeing his injuries makes me feel proud. The Soldier takes his place back next to Ivan and Kovalev orders Yelena back on the mat next to me. We stand there and no one speaks. Me and Yelena glance at each other questioningly, not sure what's going on. I thought they would tell us who did better between the both of us, so we would know who's going to be the Black Widow.
The smirk Kovalev gives us make something click in my head. I should have seen it coming. Of course he would pull something like this. Turning to face Yelena, I give her a look. She looks confused at first but when I get into a fighting stance, she realizes what we have to do. At first she looks hesitant but nonetheless, gets into position as well. I ignore the sickening feeling in my stomach and the guilt in my chest. This is what it comes down to. Her or me. This is survival. One of us is going to walk out of this room alive and the other will be carried.
Yelena takes a step forward but I'm already lunging towards her. I go for her stomach first and then her face, the sound of my fist connecting with her skin echoing through the room. I take a step back as she tries to catch her breath, allowing Yelena to now make the first move. I let her knock me down and get a few hits to my face. Flipping us over, I pull her to her feet by her shirt and knee her in the stomach. I then slam my head against hers and throw her to the ground. I can't go easy on her and she knows that. Yelena shakley gets back to her feet and sprints towards me. I start to run as well and when we finally meet, I throw myself at her. Wrapping my arms around her upper half almost in a hug, I throw her back and we both tumble down. Releasing myself from her, we both get to our feet and watch each other. Finally Yelena swings her fist at me and I step back to dodge it. Grabbing a hold of her hand, I flip her onto her back and pull at her arm while placing my knee on her chest. Yelena claws at my leg, leaving angry lines but I just being my knee up and press it into her neck. Finally, Ivan tells me that's enough and I take a step back. Yelena gets to her feet and we both stand next to each other. We're both breathing heavy as Kovalev talks to both Ivan and the Soldier. After a few minutes, Kovalev hands the Soldier a gun and he makes his way towards us. The Soldier stands right in front of me and Yelena and studies our faces. Finally he holds out the gun. Looking down at the weapon that's in front of me, I take the weapon from the Soldier with shaky hands. My eyes begin to sting with something unfamiliar and I bite my tongue, willing the tears away. The Soldier steps off to the side and I turn to face Yelena. Tears are already sliding down her face but she's still giving me a small smile. I feel something slide down my face but I can't seem to care.
“It's okay.” I hear her whisper. Yelena looks at me with sadness and acceptance, and pride? I want to see her angry, I want to see rage and hatred in her eyes. But all I see is her accepting her fate and wishing me luck. “We knew this was going to happen. It's okay, just do it. It's okay, Natalia.”
I grip the gun until my knuckles turn white, trying to stop my hands from shaking. Lifting it up until the barrel is pressed against her forehead, I stare into her eyes. The sound from the gun echoes throughout the room followed by the sound of her body hitting the floor. Closing my eyes, I force myself to turn away. I don't want to see her like that. I feel someone carefully take the gun from my hand and I open my eyes to find the Soldier looking down at me, his eyes soft. Turning to look at the group of people still watching me, I find Kovalev and Ivan with huge smiles plastered to their face.
Everything that happens next is in a blur. At some point I'm being led out of the room, then I'm left alone in the washroom. I can hear talking and laughter coming from a different part of the building but tune that out as I look at myself in the mirror. My lip is bleeding as well as the cut on my cheek and my nose. Bruises are already starting to form, on my face, around my neck and legs from where the Soldier had his metal hand, and on my stomach. I don’t feel the sting from my injuries when I turn the water on. I don’t feel the cold water biting into my skin. I don't feel the aches of my muscles. I don’t feel anything. Eventually I'm in the basement and dressed for bed. Instead of going to the dining room for dinner, I crawl under my thin sheets and cuff my wrist. I force my eyes closed so I don't have to see the empty beds. Laughter can still be heard from upstairs but after a few hours everything goes quiet. All I can hear now, is nothing. I don't think about Yelena, or the bruises and blood that was all over her, or the look in her eyes, or what she said to me, or where she could be right now. I don’t think about how much she appreciated me helping her or how she was the closest thing to a friend I've had in years. Instead, the only thing I can seem to think about is how lonely this basement is when it's just me. How satisfying it was to fight the Soldier and make him bleed. How exhilarating it was to pull that trigger. And how after years of endless training, punishments, and competition, I'm finally the Black Widow. I survived. I beat 27 other girls. I should be happy, excited, thrilled. But all I can seem to feel is nothing.
Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter for this book. Please comment and share. There is a second book so don't worry and better yet the first chapter is already up.