September 2008. Red Room main base. Russia.
Winter Phoenix/SA-8431's POV
I stood before the man, who was currently kneeling in front of me with a bag over his head. I could hear his muffled pleas for mercy. I tried to raise the gun, but my fingers trembled.
'Пристрели его (Shoot him),' I heard the Madame say in Russian.
'Я не могу (I - I can't).' I dropped the gun to the floor. 'Я просто не могу. Я не могу. Я не хочу (I just can't. I can't. I don't want to).' I turned to see the colonel, Madame B and Winter all staring at me. I saw the colonel give Winter an almost imperceptible nod, and Winter came over to me. He picked the gun off of the floor.
'Shoot him, Phoenix. You have to. You don't comply; you get punished. It's simple,' he said softly into my ear, in English. I shook my head. He took my hand with his metal one, rather forcefully, and pressed the gun into my hand. 'Ты должен. Сделай это (You have to. Do it),' he said, this time in Russian.
'Я не хочу причинять ему боль (I don't want to hurt him),' I replied in the same language.
'Ты должен (You have to),' he said more forcefully this time. I took the gun from him and pointed it at the man once more. Winter rose, and I was vaguely aware of his large, muscular shadow standing behind me. He signalled to a younger girl near me, and the girl pulled the bag off of the man's head. I tried to back up, but I felt a cold metal hand and a warm human one settle on my waist. 'Пристрели его (Shoot him),' he growled in my ear. 'Это хорошая практика, чтобы увидеть лица ваших жертв. Ибо в поле со мной. Пристрели его (It's good practice to see the faces of your victims. For out in the field with me. Shoot him).' I raised the gun, but still flinched at the sight.
'Почему она вздрогнула (Why does she flinch)?' the Madame asked in a bored tone.
'солдат (Soldier).' Winter looked towards the colonel.
'Сэр? Должен ли я застрелить мужчину для нее (Sir? Should I shoot the man for her)?'
'No need. Tell her to shoot. Again,' he said in English. He nodded curtly and spoke the same words in my ear. I knew I had no choice. A puppet with a gun. I had to be - for HYDRA, otherwise they couldn't use me. And I would be punished. Raising the pistol and with perfect accuracy, I shot the victim straight in the head. I watched, brain matter and blood splattered out on the wall in front of me. The man fell over, dead. His eyes were staring up at the ceiling, completely lifeless. I stepped forward, then dropped the gun to the floor with a loud clang. The mirror was in front of me and I kept my head lowered, horrified at what I had just done.
There, the three behind me, especially the Winter Soldier, noticed the silent tears running down my blood-splattered face.
Remorseful.
But I couldn't do a thing about it.
I knew I couldn't cry the next time I killed.
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Winter Phoenix: HYDRA Is Your Place (A 2008-2012 Marvel Fanfiction)
FanfictionIn 1991, Adelaide Ruby Lehnsherr-Xavier died. What came out of Siberia's HYDRA base in 2008 was something else... someone else. What came out was a monster. A merciless killer, who knew nothing else but bullets, snow, ice, fire and blood. A victi...
