𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 - 𝐖. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟

nine

                        SMACK. Katerina's head whipped backwards as the fist connected with her jaw and she clenched her teeth together, ignoring the burning pain in her face as she turned her head back and faced forwards once more, her eyes meeting the angered ones of Alexander Pierce. She knew exactly what was going to happen when she appeared inside the HYDRA base and was dragged straight into the 'torture room.' So far, he had only punched her, but she knew that was going to change soon enough.

"Alexander," Madame B's sharp tone rang throughout the room and Katerina's eyes shifted to the dark corner of the room where the tall woman stood, her hands clasped in front of her, her calculating eyes scanning over Katerina's face, noting the bruises that were already starting to form from Pierce's fists. "I will handle it, go deal with the problem." Madame B's tone left no room for argument, even for the leader of HYDRA as he huffed out a few angered curse words before he took his leave, slamming the door shut behind him.

"You've left us in a predicament that we don't like to be in," Madame B stated, walking closer to Katerina and tilting her head up with a finger under her chin, lifting it to the side so she could see the bruise that was forming. "You allowed the Avengers to capture you for days and still didn't manage to complete your mission and kill Natalia or Yelena." She released Katerina's face with a harsh flick before turning around, her back facing Katerina as she nodded to the Taskmaster who had been standing in the corner ever since Madame B had walked into the room.

Katerina knew what was coming, but she didn't try and fight against her restraints to get out of the sticky situation she was in. She believed that she deserved the pain that she was about to endure because she had messed up her mission. She knew that if she flinched, she would have it ten times worse, and it was better to just take what you were given, so as the knife came down and plunged straight into her leg, she didn't move. Her jaw clenched as she fought to keep from crying out as the jagged knife pulled back out, blood pooling on her thigh and dripping down her leg and onto the cement floor.

Stabbings weren't uncommon for Katerina. She had lost count of how many times she had been stabbed and was sure it would take ages to count all of the scars. Katerina didn't move as the Taskmaster did what he wanted with her, slicing her skin with his knives, shooting a bullet through her shoulder, whipping her back and tearing it up.

By the time the Taskmaster was finished, Katerina had been reduced to flesh and blood, no part of her skin left untouched. That was how it always went when she failed a mission, although she hadn't failed in years. The back of her suit was torn open, ripped to shreds and showing the gruesome cuts that the whip had caused which were oozing blood. Her cheek had been sliced with the Taskmaster's knife, one that would most definitely leave a scar, but Katerina knew that's what they wanted.

They wanted her to scar so that she would always remember what happened if she failed, so that she would never forget what they did to her, and she let them scar her.

"Make sure she gets enough care that she doesn't pass out on us," Madame B's tone swims in and out of Katerina's hearing, her vision blurry from the blood loss, her head slightly bobbing as the Taskmaster unchained her and slid his arms under hers, half carrying, half dragging her out of the torture room.

Katerina's eyes could barely focus on anything as they made the familiar route to the medical wing. A hiss of pain escaped her lips as the Taskmaster practically threw her onto the bed, the doctors immediately moving to take care of the worst of her wounds.

The sting of a needle being pushed through her skin seemed to register something deep within her as she shook her head, clearing her vision and pushed herself off of the hospital bed, turning around and grabbing the doctor who had just started suturing her up and pinning him to the wall by his neck.