9. A Show

     FUCK. HOW LONG HAD SHE BEEN here?

She wasn't sure exactly, but it had to have been at least a year now. A year of training her to be their newest cold blooded warrior, a year of training her to turn her into the weapon they needed her to be, a year to prepare her for her debut.

They had been whispering about it for months. She was a success, their most prized possession, but now they had something new they wanted to test and Strucker needed a way to spark some intrigue. So, he decided to use her to show others what they could become. It didn't matter that she had been forced into this life, forced into having these powers, all that mattered was her ability to convince others to willingly give themselves over to Strucker's devious experiments so he could have more guinea pigs.

Cecelia Stark was going to put on a show.

"A good one," Strucker growled. "Or else, the next guard who gets a shot at you will be the worst one yet."

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FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, Cecelia was in a room with a two way mirror. Not only did Strucker want these people to see her, he wanted her to see them and most likely him as a reminder of what would happen if she failed. Around her, there seemed to be an abundance of guards, all of them bearing a smug smile at the opportunity to humiliate her in front of people.

She saw Strucker approach out of the corner of her eye and with his threat echoing in her mind, she moved backwards to the group of men as they began to form a circle around her. Eyes darting from side to side, she channeled her anger into all her training; into her powers and into combat.

Taking the initiative, one of the guards lunged at her, his fist aiming for her cheek. Before he could make contact, the brunette dropped to the ground, sweeping her leg to the side and knocking him off his feet. She pounced on his fallen form throwing one perfectly aimed punch to his jaw, rendering him unconscious and, at once, all the guards began to attack.

She tackled the nearest guard to the ground and, using him as a trampoline, she bounded off of him to the side of the room, elbowing one of the guards in the head. She was yanked off of him and thrown into the arms of another soldier who attempted to hold her as a punching bag, only for her to throw her arms around her captor's neck and push her weight onto him effectively pushing her off the ground and giving her the opportunity to kick the incoming guard in the stomach. Throwing her legs forward, she lifted the guard behind her off the ground and tossed him over her head into another guard, both of them slamming into the mirror where the audience stood captivated at her.

Before anything else could happen, Cecelia smirked, her eyes glowing that familiar blue-green color and she jumped backwards into a portal disappearing from view. The audience gasped and murmured amongst themselves at the trick, too oblivious to notice the scowl growing on Strucker's face. The remaining guards in the room looked around anxiously some of them even pulling out their guns in fear.

Suddenly, a battle cry sounded through the air and Cecelia fell through another portal brandishing a spear and slamming it into the back of one of the guards. Spinning on the weapon, Cecelia flung herself towards another guard and knocked him back into a portal before disappearing once again. This time, when she came back she harbored nothing but a long metal staff. Terrified, the guards shot at her, but Cecelia twirled it expertly, deflecting the bullets. Holding the staff in both hands, Cece used her powers to separate it into two smaller bow sticks before transforming them into a sleek pair of knives. And before the guards could even debate begging for their lives, she had already slit their throats. 

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"YOU'RE NOT DONE YET, PRINCESS."

Cece's brought into another room and strapped onto a metal table as her eyes scan over the crowd. Her face remained emotionless as she realized that most of the people watching her were kids, some barely even a year older than her. Releasing a breath, she closed her eyes attempting to ignore the fact that Strucker brought in minors to be experimented on.

At the sound of a hinge squeaking and keys clicking, she opened her eyes to see a cart being wheeled in, and on top of it was a staff of some sort. Cece studied the object taking in as many details about it as she could. It was a shiny, golden scepter with a long silver blade curving out at the end to a point. There was a shorter blade on the opposite side of it and held in the center of the two was a blue glowing orb.

As the item was brought further in the room, a low hum filled the air; the sound increasing as the scepter was lifted off its stand and closer to Cecelia. The orb glowed brighter as it powered up and before anyone could react, the scepter released a powerful blast of energy at the girl. Cecelia gasped at the impact, arching her back as she strained against the restraints, her veins bulging out and glowing an even brighter blue than before.

A rush of power surged through every cell in her body and she opened her mouth in a desperate attempt for air as her heart pounded rapidly against her ribcage. She felt as if her lungs were burning, collapsing in on themselves as they screamed for the sweet relief of oxygen to flood through them. Her hands curled into tight fists, nails digging into her skin and drawing blood. And with a blood-curdling scream, Cecelia slumped against the table, a blue streak manifesting in her hair.

It was silent for a moment, all eyes on her limp form before she woke with a gasp; the cuffs flying off their hinges at the sound. Without thinking, she lunged at the guard, intent to take him down, but a perfectly timed punch sent her tumbling to the ground.

She clenched her jaw, glaring at the guard. Stretching her lips into a thin line, she attempted to lunge for him again, but a sharp jab to her neck — almost like a pin prick — stopped her. She looked to the side, seeing a soldier stood there, smoking gun in hand. She reached up, yanking the item out with a hiss.

Fucking darts, she thought throwing it over her shoulder. Slowly, the world began to fog up in front of her and as she took what she hoped was a threatening step, the floor rushed up to meet her. She groaned, rolling onto her side, her eyes managing to lock on a pair of kids who stood in the corner away from the rest of the group. Their figures blurred in and out of her vision, but she was still able to make out a few details about them; one with long brown hair that reached pass her shoulders and the other with fluffy brown hair, several strands falling in front of his eyes.

And then it all went black. 

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"SHE VAS LOOKING AT US, SESTRA," the brunette with fluffy brown hair said.

"Do not be ridiculous, Pietro," the female replied, rolling her eyes in response. "You are just imagining things."

"Trust me, Wanda," Pietro waved her off. "She vas looking at us, it is a sign. This vas meant to be."

"So," Strucker started, drawing the siblings attention back to the man in front of them. "Would you all still like to volunteer? I can assure you that type of thing doesn't normally happen, it's just a safety precaution to make sure no one accidentally harms any of the staff or volunteers."

Pietro looked at his sister, an eager smile etched on their faces. The two shared a look before they turned back to face Strucker, nodding in agreement with the rest of the group.

Strucker grinned.

Oh yes, quite the show indeed.