2014, Present Day

Winter Shadow's POV

"No, not again." I pleaded while panting.

"You will do as I say." Said my superior, waving me off.

I swing a right-hook, only for it to be caught by a strong metal arm. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, my face grazing the cold concrete.

"You're getting reckless and sloppy." He said in Russian.

That man, who I referred to as my superior, is a HYDRA general, who is responsible for training the other winter soldiers at this particular HYDRA base in Siberia.

The man I was sparring with was considered The Winter Soldier. His strength was around the same as mine, and I guess he'd most likely been here as long as I have. Here being HYDRA.

"This is going nowhere." I mumble to myself.

My superior must've heard me because he put his hand up.

"Pause." He commanded.

The Winter Soldier came to a halt. He stood up straight, waiting for further instructions.

The HYDRA soldier paced around me in circles while eyeing me down. He grabs my face, and spoke into my ear with an unsettling, clear voice.

"I'm sorry Soldier, do you think that you get to do whatever you want with me around?"

I violently shake my head. "No, no sir." I prayed that didn't come out as sarcastic.

He let go, his hand most likely leaving a red print on my skin.

"Right, so you will continue training down here with me and.." He smiled at the Winter Soldier before continuing. "And my star soldier over here."

The favoritism was clear. Can't say I was flattered by it.

I get back into a fighting stance, bracing myself for his attack. Winter Soldier stood ready and prepared. Here we go again..

The next few hours followed by the same events as the ones before that. More kicking and punching, dodging and countering. It was exhausting.

I knew this training was beneficial, especially for my promised mission that I would be sent on soon. A man by the name of Alexander Pierce had stopped by the facility to assign us to a team mission. I can take a lucky guess on who I'd be working with, and he was currently beating my ass in combat.

In the last few minutes of our training, I felt my legs beginning to tense up and ache. I couldn't let it distract me, it's best to just ignore it.

I landed a hard strike to his knee, causing to it buckle and for him to suddenly jerk downwards. Annoyed, he took my tiredness to his advantage and skillfully kicked down towards my legs. Unable to jump in time, I was knocked off balance. Before I could hit the ground, he jolted up and kicked me straight in the gut, resulting in me flying straight into the brick wall behind me.

"Very well, that's enough for today." The HYDRA soldier said dismissively.

I brush myself off and loosen my ponytail. God it feels so much better to not have my face feel as if it was being ripped off, but I just can't risk it getting in the way when I'm training.

Before I was escorted, the soldier pulled me aside, along with the two other soldiers that would take me back to my cell.

"Winter Shadow, you have become much more reluctant to cooperate recently." He said. "Where is this coming from? I've known you to be quite the assassin of HYDRA, but I've noticed a recent change in your attitude. We cannot have that here you understand?"

"Yes sir, I apologize." I say.

"Good." He nodded, turning and leaving.

The two HYDRA soldiers grabbed me firmly by the arms and walked me to my cell. As we approached the elevator, the guards exchanged glances. One of them hesitantly let go of me to briefly push the elevator button. He scrambled back to his grasp on me, I could sense his fear.

As we walked down the dark corridors, one of the two soldiers abruptly spoke, sounding as though he had been debating on whether to say anything to me at all.

"You should try to be more like The Winter Soldier, Miss Shadow." He said.

I didn't look at him. The best thing I could do was to simply take whatever insults and unneeded feedback he'd give me.

"He has always been our most valuable killer, I suggest you take note from his habits."

He was pissing me off now. I restrain myself from losing my cool.

"Don't get me wrong Miss Shadow, but you do come in at a close second."

Weren't they afraid of me just a minute ago? What made them think my resent towards them had changed at all, especially with this not-so-constructive criticism. It's possible they were ordered to lecture me, because the others  were sick of doing it themselves again.

It wasn't my fault that I was being treated as a sidekick rather than a strong soldier. Ever since they had been discussing something called Project Insight, they had been training every winter soldier injected with the serum, along with other HYDRA soldiers, to be prepared for something that would apparently leave a grand mark in HYDRA history. The Winter Solider was supposedly the best for this operation, but I don't see why I'm not either.

We got closer to my cell each step, but for some reason, time felt slower, as did this short walk from the basement to the cells.

It's my turn to say something now.

"Project Insight, what is it?" I question.

They both smirked. "We can not provide that information to you soldier." He said.

"Then at least tell me why I am not taken as seriously as The Winter Solider, I personally believe our strength levels match up equally." I state.

"Miss Shadow, you are a strong soldier, but your attitude and your stubbornness does not help with the fact, that you, will never reach a level like The Winter Soldier."

Something switched on in my brain, with my following actions being uncontrollable. I grasp my arms around the two men, and flip them both, smashing them into the floor.

I couldn't hear a thing. My vision became foggy, as I beat the two soldiers senselessly, surely breaking and fracturing several bones in each of them.

Something inside me was maneuvering my muscles, like I had a deeper reason to assault these HYDRA soldiers, like someone else was here with me, angry and distressed. Whatever it was, whoever it was, I was getting stronger by it.

It was relieving.

Winter Soldier's POV

The grunts and pained groans came from down the hall. The soldiers around me seemed to hear it as clear as I could. It was a woman's voice, I recognized it.

I hurry over to the fight, stopping to take in the scene I was witnessing. The Winter Shadow was on her hands and knees, punching and beating at a HYDRA soldier, another behind him laying limp on the ground.

She took one second to glare at me, completely unrecognizable to me. She hadn't had that same look when we trained, this, the look in her eyes was different. It wasn't The Winter Shadow.

Her eyes were filled with pure resentment, despair and hatred. It was as though someone else was avenging themselves, like they were hidden deep inside of her, waiting for her to lose control over herself so they could finally do what they'd been waiting to do. This woman, was not the Winter Shadow.

I snapped out of it, and quickly grab her to restrain her. I was expecting her to fight my grasp, but right when I came into contact with her, she stopped. She blinked a couple times, until her expression changed. She glanced over at the two men she had just beaten to a pulp, and stared at them wide eyed.

She cleared her throat. "They.. they um.. deserved it."

It was obvious she hadn't expected herself to go to such lengths. I wave my hand to gesture the other soldiers to leave, I'd be the one to take her to her cell this time. She didn't reject my hold on her, she just went with it, not wanting to cause any more chaos.

As I pull her along, she turns to view the scene that she had just caused once more. I can briefly remember training the newer winter soldier recruits some time ago. I'll never forget the pure rage and brutality it came with. They had become nothing short of dangerous, uncontrollable weapons who's goals were to attack whomever dared to make eye contact with. I never saw Winter Shadow as that, but what if that would one day be the case?

Why should I care though, I'm not meant to. I'm meant to be an emotionless weapon, and I'll make sure it stays that way. HYDRA makes sure it stays that way.

We finally approached her cell, which she voluntarily stepped into. I slam the door shut behind her, locking it securely.

"You will be retrieved once they are ready to brief us on that mission." I tell her.

"Right." She said quietly.

I walk away, leaving her clinging to the iron bars.

Usually in an outburst such as this one, I am supposed to inject and sedate the out-of-control soldier. I'm glad it didn't come to that.

As I headed down the hall, a soldier approached me. "We will be briefing you shortly, please wait in the basement." He said. I nod and proceed down the facility.

This was a highly important mission from what I'd heard. HYDRA has been secretly operating inside the government military agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since it was founded. It's possible that the mission was to eliminate someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. that had discovered HYDRA's actions.

I descend down the countless flights of stairs, all the way into the basement. A couple of soldiers and scientists stood, waiting for my arrival.

"This way soldier." They directed me into a room with two steel chairs with thick metal restraints attached to them.

I didn't question anything, so I sat down in one of them, the one on the left to be specific, and waited for their instructions. The electronic wrist restraints automatically clicked together after placing my arms on the armrests, with the ankle restraints immediately mimicking them.

I glance to my right and at the door. Winter Shadow should've been here by now.

"She'll come soon." One of the scientists said, reading my questionable look. "We thought that she needed some time to cool off, especially from what we will eventually tell her." He said.

I narrow my eyes, unsure of what he meant.

"She will only be used as backup, in case you come across any trouble." He admitted.

I didn't respond, only nodding my head. In my mind though, I questioned why they would assign her as a backup soldier. Surely she wouldn't take it very well, especially after what happened. Part of me wanted to ask him to reconsider, but I came to an agreement to myself that I'd only be starting an argument.

"Now, you are being ordered to kill the S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury. I thi-."

He was cut off by being tapped on the shoulder by another man. They whispered something inaudible, and turned back to face me.

"You will be informed of your mission in just a few minutes soldier." He said.

Just then, four soldiers entered the room and were tightly holding a distressed Winter Shadow. She had obviously been unaware that they would go so far as to assign four strong soldiers to keep a hold of her. They gestured for her to have a seat on the right of me.

The soldiers had all left to stand in the far left corner, with the scientists all discussing something among themselves quietly. Despite the amount of times I'd been wiped, I recognized the burgundy journal one of them held in their hand. Winter Shadow had seemed to recognize it as quickly as I had, and wore a panicked expression on her face.

It was clear they were about to use the trigger words.

The feeling of being under the triggering was almost indescribable. You could see and hear everything, but your actions were completely uncontrollable. Your body went into autopilot,
attacking anything that you saw as a threat. Unpleasant was an understatement.

The soldiers in the corner each seemed to have one hand placed on their revolvers, in case we went berserk, which we probably will.

The scientists had finished whatever they had been discussing, and now one stood in front of us, holding the journal.

He cleared his throat before he began.

"Longing."

A jolt of pain pierced through my head. I could already feel my blood begin to boil in my veins.

"Rusted."

"Furnace."

My breathes became heavy and fast. A flash of a nightmarish memory flashing in my mind, but quickly faded.

"Daybreak ....seventeen."

I could hear Winter Shadow's screams echo through the room. My own, soon joining her.

"Benign... nine."

I began to lose myself. Any control I had was slowly going away and converting to rage.

"Homecoming."

The restraints were cracking little by little, both of us close to breaking free. I was slowly blacking out.

"One."

"Freight car."

I was gone. We were no longer in control.

"Miss Shadow, Winter Soldier, status?"

"Ready to comply." We said monotonously.