1: The New Red Room Assassin

Chapter 9

Ana's POV

I was woken at 7 for breakfast, Natalia said the good thing about moving into the Avengers Quarters is much nicer food, but honestly compared to the stuff in the Red Room this food is delicious. I loved these cereals, even more so when the guard explained I'm meant to poor the cup of milk into it! I'm now trusted with a flimsy plastic spoon for meals, but still no knives and forks, which I guess I can understand. Lunch was normally a sandwich of some kind, Clint actually asked what my favourite kind was, but I didn't actually know. Even on missions with the Red Room the food we ate was mostly bland. Bread, or cooked potatoes, or baked beans. Sometimes I got to go out to a restaurant on a mission, but I'd often get overwhelmed my the choices and unsure what I would actually like, but one time my handler let me go to this frozen yoghurt place, and oh my god it was the best thing I have ever tasted. He let me have any flavour I wanted, which again was stressful as there was so much choice, but he suggest vanilla and chocolate, and then gummy worms, chocolate cookie dough and chocolate sauce. It was so good. Unlike normal I ate it fast, practically all in one mouthful, I didn't want him to change his mind. So when Clint asked what sandwich I liked I kind of shut down. I didn't want to explain that I didn't know, that I hadn't exactly tried a variety of food. I tried to play it off asking for the options, he said Ham, ham and tomato, ham and cheese, egg, cheese and chutney, tuna, chicken...I cut him off there, it was too many options and my head was starting to spin. I'd had tuna before, it was bland, and wasn't all that exciting but it was known, it was familiar. So I said that. Dinner was normally something cooked, it was bland, and mostly familiar, boiled potatoes, chips, chicken, some type of fish, rice, honestly they could put anything down and I'd eat it. I'd ask the guards after each meal what each part was, and they'd look at me strange, but most would go on to explain. Honestly the hardest thing about this is the thirst. I'm allowed a cup of juice with each meal, and a cup of water, in between meals if I asked for a cup of water most would ignore me. I was hopeful that I'd be able to get a drink whenever I wanted when I was training, when I was shown around there was water fountains and water coolers in the training gym, and all over the compound. But I didn't know if they'd trust me with those cups. There's not all that much I can do with those flimsy ass things, I mean if someone got close enough I could slice their skin with it, but unless they were tied down I couldn't exactly kill anyone. Annoyingly.

It was a Monday, my first day starting training. Breakfast for the Avengers was 7 also, but they could be eating up till 8. I only had till 7:30 and then my food was taken. But the remaining time wasn't a problem, I showered, I had to ask the guards for a towel and a change of clothes. I wasn't allowed to keep spare clothes in the cell, but could have them temporarily. Once clean, I put the clothes and towel by the door and pressed the call button to signal that it was done. The guards still held up guns when they came in, I was used to it so it didn't phase me. When collecting things, two guards would come to the cell, one to pick up the tray, or clothes, and one to point the gun, which was a fair enough tactic. There was no means to dry my hair, even brushing it, Natalia often stopped by in the mornings after she finished her breakfast to literally just stand there whilst I brushed my hair. This time I'd be going to training with her though.

Just like normal, quarter to 8, she knocks on the door. I know it's her, she's the only one that knocks. She came in, and got straight to the point,

"You nervous?"

"Me? Nervous? Never...I've been waiting to kick some peoples asses" I replied bluntly, putting out my hand waiting for the brush, and she smirked and raised an eyebrow, giving me it,

"Careful there Lenkov, people might think you actually have a since of humour" she combated, earning an eye roll from me.

I felt her watching me as I ripped at my hair, my hair was still like straw, so dry, it knotted and was impossible to brush after I had washed my hair, I ignored her as she stifled a laugh, not giving her the satisfaction of a reaction from me. Honestly since being here my hair was gotten worse...I didn't think that was possible, maybe it's from the stress? I don't even know at this point. But honestly I would shave my whole head to make this easier.