FILE n°888 | SUBJECT RED
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the red room academy
russia, unknown
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december 19, 2012

tw : this chapter get pretty gruesome, i mean, it is a bloodbath

The next few months were gruesome, to say the least. Temperatures dropped drastically within the facility, causing the roof to freeze over and collapse unexpectedly one morning. Three of the older girls were killed, five guards died of their injuries. Sashenka knew that things were not going the way the Madame had planned. Access to the Red Room was cut off and HYDRA was not able to send more guards to help with the cleaning up and keeping the place running so, the Madame had to suspend further training for a few weeks and the remaining girls were solicited to clean up the damage and bury the bodies.

No one wanted to touch the bodies, so Sashenka did. The Madame handed her a shovel and told her to bury them six feet underground, near the facility. No one helped move the bodies, so the now ten year old Sashenka had to drag the eighteen, nineteen and twenty one year old dead girls out of the academy herself.

Truth be told, the girl had somewhat forgotten the concept of time since she arrived at the Red Room. Each year, on the day they were born, the Madame and their instructors would wake them up before any of the other girls at the crack of dawn, and lead them to the shooting range, they were blindfolded and not told of what was going to happen until they made it and the piece of cloth that smelled of dried blood was removed. Standing in front of Sashenka each year, was a range of different human beings, of all ages, each with a cloth wrapped around their head, tied to chairs. These were all people that had betrayed HYDRA and the Red Room in some way. The Madame would then have one of the instructors roll in a tray of weapons that Sashenka would get to pick from. The rules were simple really, the faster you killed them, the more food you'd get for breakfast.

The first year she had arrived at the facility, Sashenka had killed five traitors under ten minutes.

She was five years old.

The second year, she had killed six of them under nine minutes.

She was six years old.

Yesterday, December eighteen, she had killed ten of them in under four minutes. By the time the Madame had stopped the timer, Sashenka stood, covered in blood, in the middle of a circle of ten slaughtered individuals. She was ten years old.

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The ten year old girl tried not to look at their faces. But, when you were dragging three bodies and in charge of burying them, it's inevitable to steal a quick glance at their faces. Sashenka had never been one to be afraid of death and destruction, no, she was gruesomely fascinated with the whole ordeal. She didn't enjoy looking at dead bodies or seeing the people around her die in the most tragic ways. But then why couldn't she look away from tragedy?

Yelena had told her that she thought that looking at destruction actually triggered a human being's survival instincts. She called it the 'fight' or 'flight' response. "We continue to stare as a way to face our fears without risking immediate harm, Sashka." Yelena had once told her in the middle of the night, after a grueling training session. Sashenka could picture the moment very clearly in her head : How she had suddenly blurted out the question to her aunt, how her Tetya, which meant aunt in Russian, had asked her if this had anything to do with her mother before suggesting they take a break.

Sashenka had denied the suggestion that Yelena was making. Truthfully, Sashenka did not think of her Mama often, she had picked up the habit of blocking any intrusive thought she may have about the woman who she believed was dead. For her Papa it was different, because Sashenka would hear his name in most conversations with HYDRA that the Madame had, which she had gotten used to eavesdropping on. Yelena scolded her for this behavior, saying that she would end up getting shot.

The girl didn't know how to behave around Yelena. After so many years of people coming and going in her life, Sashenka was weary of getting attached to yet another human being who was going to be ripped and erased from her life again. Yelena understood, she never pushed the girl to show affection with her but never rejected the moments where she would slip up. These were small moments yes, but Yelena took notice of whenever the ten year old fumbled for her hand occasionally when she heard a loud noise, or when she would stand closer to her, watching her wrap her hands before a session. Yelena compared her relationship to Sashenka like raising an abused puppy. She had to gain the child's trust to get anywhere, first. And slowly she was starting to.

The blond woman couldn't deny the strong feeling of protection that would stir up in her chest whenever she tied up her niece's hair before she went back to the dorm when she was too sore, so no one would be suspicious, or when she watched the ten year old mindlessly start putting together a few ballet steps whenever she felt nervous or on edge. Wherever her sister was, Yelena felt like she owed it to Natasha to care for this child. Yelena knew that her time with Sashenka would be short, but she felt the need to protect her, until they would meet again.

After successfully dragging the three bodies through the Academy and through the snow, Sashenka ended up settling for a small secluded area near the forest under the giant, frozen pine tree. There, she started digging three holes, side we side under the tree. The whole process was going to take her the entire day given her age and strength, but Sashenka would rather be outside in the freezing storm than inside trapped. Don't get it wrong, because even outside, Sashenka was still trapped. Surrounding the perimeter of the property, was a wall of at least ten feet tall electric barbed wire fences, with guards standing at each entrance, guns fully loaded, ready to shoot anyone who made a sudden move to escape. So, Sashenka kept digging in silence, finishing the first grave when suddenly, her shovel hit something hard. She looked over her shoulder, relieved to find that the guards weren't focused on her anymore, instead on the black wagon that was slowly making it's way towards the facility in the horizon. The girl took it as her only cue and discretely bend down to start digging whatever she had hit out of the dirt and snow.

Her curiosity made her work ten times faster, and she managed to pull out a medium sized wooden safe out of the dirt in just fifteen minutes. Making sure that again, no one was looking, she ducked behind the pile of snow behind the tree. The box was kept shut with a small rusty lock and it took one hard swing of the metal part of her shovel for it to shatter in two. Sashenka wasted no time in pulling the lid off the box that was caked in dirt and moss. She didn't know what she had expected but never did she expect to find hundreds and hundreds of poems, handwritten on old musty paper. Curiosity got the better of her and she delicately pulled one of the poems out of the box, careful not to accidentally rip it.

In that moment, Sashenka was grateful that she had been taught how to read in Sokovia.

"I cling to your presence
like the addict clings to
his poison of choice.
You make me feel
whole again.
Without you,
I was lost.
A lost soldier who forgot
he had a home.
Until,
you gave me one.

- Siegfried

Sashenka recognized this poem. The name of the author had not been included by the person who wrote it on this paper but she recalled Pietro reading it to her one night in the HYDRA Facility in Sokovia. Carefully, she slipped the poem in her pocket and picked up another one.

"We were like
the raging sea,
a winter love
that could not be.
My love, tell me
what do you say
to running away
with me?

- Odette

All three hundred and sixty or so letters were written by Odette and Siegfried, each one detailing the way they loved each other. Each time one of them wrote a letter, the other wrote back. Until, three hundred or so letters in, Odette was the only one left writing. She wrote about the first love that disappeared and the loneliness she felt. But, she was not alone, because in all her letters since his vanishing, she referred to "both of them" missing Siegfried. Sashenka had shoved at least ten of their letters in her skirt's pocket.

Sashenka had the horrible feeling that none of them would ever come back to get their letters, so, she dug another hole, behind the tree, where she placed the safe and covered it with dirt. Never to be found again, the safe would remain hidden, it's existence now rested with Odette, Siegfried and Sashenka.

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She finished burying the three girls by sunset. Choosing to make her way back inside just as the black wagon finally made it's way into the Academy's perimeter. The curiosity inside of her wanted to stick around to see who or what would come out of them but one of the guards came out to escort her back inside under the Madame's orders. Once inside, she was dragged into the woman's office by the guard who took sick pleasure in electrocuting Sashenka with the cow prodder whenever she moved.

"Spasibo, Strazh, ostav' yeye zdes'." The Madame didn't lift her eyes up from the file she was currently reading when the guard walked into her office, dragging the ten year old behind him. Thank you Guard, just leave her here.

The Guard nodded walking out, but not before delivering a kick to the back of Sashenka's knee.

"Privet, tema RED" The woman finally addressed Sashenka, closing the file and standing up to take a closer look at the girl in front of her. Hello, Subject RED.

"Bozhe moy, posmotrite, naskol'ko vy vyrosli s tekh por, kak vpervyye stupili syuda." She dragged her cold, bony hand across the ten year old's sunken cheekbone. "Eto bol'she ne rebenok. Eto ubiytsa iz mramora." She suddenly retracted her hand and sent a nod to the guard that was standing near the door. My, my, look at how much you have grown since the first time you set foot here. This is not a child anymore. This is a killer made of marble.

"Privedite yego." She said. Bring him in.

The guard nodded and opened the door and Sashenka had to restrain herself from turning away from the Madame to see what was going on. She was curious, yes, but she had no desire of taking a beating for the third time since yesterday.

A few seconds later, a white male, dressed in a business suit with salt and pepper hair and small beady eyes walked in. He took long and quick strides to get to where Sashenka was standing. The girl's blood ran cold, he was with HYDRA. He was there when she had met her Papa all those years ago. The American double agent. It took him only a few seconds for his face to break out into a massive grin when he first laid his eyes on her and for him to start laughing.

"Amazing!" He said pointing at Sashenka. "Man," He directed his next statements to the Madame. "I gotta admit I had my doubts with leaving my Subject in your hands but look at how much this child has grown!"

Alexander Pierce looked at his translator and said. "Isn't this amazing?"

"Rebenok sposoben na vse, na chto sposobny yego roditeli. Ona iskusna v boyakh, shpionazhe i yazykakh. Ona mozhet govorit' na semi iz nikh. Ona proshla polnoye obucheniye, kotoroye predlagayet Akademiya Krasnoy komnaty." The Madame spoke, her gaze never once leaving Sashenka's one.

The man translated for Pierce. "The child is capable of everything her parents can do. She is skilled in combat, spying and languages. She can speak seven of them. She has received the complete training that the Red Room Academy offers."

Pierce clapped both of his hands together in ecstasy. "Well, this is just great! Everything is going according to our schedule just like we planned less than eleven years ago."

"Yeshche koye-chto, mister Pirs. Rebenok mozhet byt' prekrasnym predmetom, no on vse yeshche ne zavershil programmu." The Madame spoke again, finally turning to look at Pierce. "Chtoby ona mogla uyti s HYDRA, yey nuzhno ubit' vsekh ostal'nykh uchastnikov programmy, inache ona umret."

"What did she say?" Pierce asked his translator who scurried to find the right words to explain.

"The Madame says that while the child may be an excellent subject, she still has not completed the program. In order for her to be able to leave with HYDRA, she needs to kill all the others in the program, or she dies."

Sashenka's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Pierce asked, taking a few steps towards the Madame. "Let's get these girl's in an arena and do this!"

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Before bed, Sashenka and the girls were brought into the shooting range, none of them knowing what was about to take place, with the exception of the red headed girl. Most of the girls were yawning, tired and yearning for a night of sleep. They were all barefoot, each of their hair braided in two simple braids. The only thing that was heard in the hall was the soft padding of the thirteen girls' feet on the marble flooring, their white nightgowns making them all look like ghosts.

Their instructor lead them past the older girls' rooms, all of them were aware of what was going on and some of them had gathered in front of their doors to see the girls one last time. Because only one would come out alive. Sashenka's eyes darted from door to door, her heart beating out of her chest, desperately searching for the one person she had grown to care for in this horrible place.

And there she was, Yelena Belova, standing against her door, her blond hair gathered in a single braid. Her green eyes met Sashenka's blue ones and among other things that were left unsaid, one was crystal clear. Remember how to survive.

And here it was, the moment that both of them knew would come but were not ready for. And it was in this moment that Sashenka realized that she could never get to hug her aunt. One way or another, she was either going to die tonight, or be taken away from someone she loved, again. And Sashenka was tired of it.

Yelena wanted to scream. This was too familiar, this felt like the night Natasha had left for Budapest and never returned. This was the night that an entire family had been ripped apart and it was happening again. But, after all, what could she do without getting Sashenka killed? Nothing. So, the twenty six year old just settled for a reassuring smile that she sent her niece's way.

Before she knew it, her only remaining relative, the only piece of her sister she had left, was ripped from her heart. Just like that.

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Sashenka wouldn't cry. She couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness.

They were lead into the shooting range, that had been cleared out of all target practices and dummies they used to improve their aim. Now it was just a vast, empty room with mirrors for walls, that was overlooked by a second, open floor, where the Madame, Pierce and the translator were seated. They looked like they were about to watch the beginning of an Opera.

When the doors closed with a loud bang, everyone in the room seemed to realize what was going on and murmurs of panic spread among the girls, the severity of the situation pulling them all from their now forgotten sense of tiredness. The guards brought out a tray of weapons, just like they did when each of the girls turned a year older, but this time, there was no reward, because only one would survive. The weapons consisted of everything that ranged from daggers to metal pipes to pieces of wire. Sashenka noticed that they had excluded the guns and bullets.

They all knew that they needed no explaining of what was going to happen in a few moments, because any and all rules were off the table, rules didn't matter when it was a fight for survival. Only one would be left standing.

"Zaymite svoi mesta" Madame announced. Take your places.

The guards pushed each of the girls in separate spaces, dispersed around the room, each girl waiting for the moment they could run to the center of the mirrored room and grab a weapon.

Sashenka's eyes never left the dagger on the tray, but her mind was in a thousand of different places at once and for once, she thought of her Mama. The woman she had never asked about, the woman who had no name, no face, but was the reason she existed.

And for the first time, Sashenka didn't want to survive, she wanted to live.

"Nachat'." Begin.

Immediately, chaos ensued.

Annika punched Irina and took advantage of her position to slash her throat open.

Lada attempted to stab Lizabeta but she blocked, tripped, and slashed her with a kukri. Lizabeta then got on top of Lada and stabbed her multiple times. Zasha saw this and tried to make a run for it, but Sashenka was standing behind her and pinned her arms down, snapping Zasha's neck, and she fell limp on top of Lada. She stared at Lizabeta for a moment before the poor girl tried to break into a run, but she wasn't too lucky because Annika tackled her to the ground, biting down hard on her ear as she screamed out in pain. While Annika choked the life out of Lizabeta, Sashenka lunged for the dagger and without thinking brought the blade down on Arina's hand who tried reaching for the lead pipe. Arina yelled out in shock but her scream was cut short when Sashenka kicked her in the face and pushed the dagger into her heart.

Donka pushed Elina and stole her throwing ax. When she refused to let go, Donka smacked her in the face with her elbow, winning the ax. She swung her ax at Elina but she dodged, however when it came back around it smacked her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Sashenka and Ludmila fought for a spear. Ludmila yanked the spear off the tray in a sudden movement and tried to run, but Sashenka grabbed her and pulled her back into the bloodbath, knocking the girl's head against the table until she heard a sickening thwack before dropping her. Her head fell against the tray as she bled out.

There was seven of them left. Six were bleeding out on the floor. Pierce whooped and clapped, the Madame just nodded in satisfaction.

Annika tripped and fell, allowing Nonna to escape her death grip and bring the hilt of her bow down on Annika's head, knocking the girl out. Nonna pushed her foot down on the girl's neck until she heard it snap. Nastja took a sword and tried to attack Nonna female with it to avenge her sister, but she was brutally beaten and pushed to the ground, causing her to let go of her sword and for Nonna to slash a enormous gash across her chest.

Sashenka grabbed a sword and slashed Masha's leg, while Raisa looked through a pack and found throwing knifes and a sickle. Masha got up and Raisa slashed her with her sickle leaving her to bleed to death. Sashenka took advantage of this and grabbed Raisa's arms, dislocating it. She pushed the squirming girl against Masha's body and threw a knife at her stomach.

Masha and Raisa were dead.

There were two of them left.

Sashenka and Nonna stared at each other from across the room. Each girl was covered in blood and it was dripping down, staining the marble floor forever.

Nonna was the one to make the first move, she threw her dagger at Sashenka, a bold choice, because the girl ducked and the dagger went flying into the mirror, making it shatter into pieces, the shards falling made a deafening sound in the room.

Nonna was now weaponless. Sashenka took this as her chance and lunged for the girl, wrapping her arm around her neck, getting her opponent in a choke hold as she pressed the dagger against her side.

"What are you waiting for Subject? Kill her!" Pierce shouted from where he is standing.

Sashenka ignored him, but this time, she didn't look over to the Madame for her approval, she just snapped Nonna's neck, the sound of the bone breaking didn't make her flinch for the first time at she now stood alone, thirteen bodies surrounding her, her once white nightgown, tainted blood red.

Sashenka was not even thirteen, but today, she killed thirteen girls in less than five minutes.

Pierce was going ballistic, cheering and screaming in victory as if he had just won a lifelong bet.

The Madame's expression remained cold and stoic. She looked beyond Sashenka's shoulder and gave the guard a nod.

The last thing Sashenka felt, was a cold, metal arm keeping her arms pinned to her side as a needle was pushed into the vein in her neck and she lost consciousness.

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I don't know about you guys but this was a roller-coaster for me to write.

Until the next chapter, I guess ;)

edit 20/12/2021 : istg the number of russian baby names i had to look up for this chapter when i wrote it was astounding I STILL GET PREGNANCY ADS ON MY COMPUTER FROM THIS