Little Flower -- AVENGERS

14. blood

Friday 2nd September - 2011 - 1705
Bolshevik Island - Russia

Mila couldn't stop crying, she couldn't wrap her head around what she'd done to deserve this - clearly, HYDRA was getting rid of her otherwise she wouldn't be bleeding. Mila sat curled up against the cold concrete wall, Sebastian wasn't there. He'd been moved to a different section weeks ago and her head seemed emptier since then. The blood just continued to slowly but surely pool near her legs. The door scraped open to reveal one Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. His eyes grew wide.

"Medsestra!" Strucker yelled out. Mila's head shot up and she started to cry more, the pain in her stomach worsening a little more.

"Pochemu ty menya ubivayesh'?!" Mila cried out. Strucker slowly shook his head, stepping aside for the nurse to come through. The same nurse who had helped her with her scars that were too scratchy - most of the staff didn't make it past the two-year mark but this nurse had been caring for Mila since she was seven. Four whole years.

"O, moy dorogoy." The nurse kneeled down next to Mila and pulled her up on shaky legs. "Vse budet otlichno." The nurse kept repeating, pulling Mila towards the medical bay.

"So I am not dying?" Mila asked, after being cleaned up and introduced to sanitary pads and tampons. The nurse laughed and shook her head.

"No, sweetie, you're now a woman." Mila frowned.

"I am only eleven." She replied. "I don't want to be a woman." The nurse shrugged her shoulders.

"Every girl has to grow up. It's normal for girls your age to start their periods."

"Do you have your period?"

"Yes, but not right now. It comes only once a month."

"That's stupid." Mila cracked a small smile, her legs dangling on the edge of the small white bed.

"Mila there's something I need you to know - you cannot tell anyone else though, do you understand me?" Mila looked at the brunette nurse, Julia was her name, and nodded. Julia scooted closer to Mila and grabbed her hands. "Now that you've bloomed, the Matron will be keeping a closer eye on you. Girls your age and older will start to develop feelings for the boys and they want you to only be focused on the task at hand." Mila nodded.

"Yes, but I'm not interested in any boy," Mila replied. Julia nodded and brushed strands of straight brown hair from Mila's face.

"They don't know that though. they've taught you to lie - and you're a damned good liar. When it's time, they'll tell you that you're ready to join the other girls, the ones more advanced than you in order to continue your learning."

"And?"

"And they'll have a ceremony for it - along with the rest of the girls who have had their first or even second periods." Julia cupped Mila's cheeks.

"Julia - you are scaring me," Mila whispered, her thick Russian accent forcing her to stumble over her English.

"In the ceremony, they'll take you to a medical bay like this one but somewhere else in the facility. They'll then do what's called sterilization. Do you know what that means?" Mila shook her head. Julia took an uneasy breath in. "It means that they take away the ability for you to have children in the future - it means that you'll never form bonds with anyone and it'll make being one of their assassins easier - more efficient."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Russian)
Medsestra - nurse
Pochemu ty menya ubivayesh' - Why are you killing me
O, moy dorogoy - Oh, my dear
Vse budet otlichno - Everything will be fine