BLACK WIDOW

extirpate

extirpate
(v.)
to destroy or remove completely

•••

"You were unsure which pain is worse—the shock of what happened or the ache of what never will.'"

•••

It was time. She and Anastasia's final test. Natalia and Anastasia stood shoulder to shoulder against the dark wood wall in a small foyer before two very large men dressed in black with Madame B waiting by the open door. Anastasia looked down to Natalia with no traceable emotion on her face, which startled Natalia. But Natalia knew that she wore the same expression.

The girls looked straight forward, waiting for further instructions. "Pin them," Madame B's voice finally rang. "No knockouts.".

Anastasia then looked at Natalia with a different look. Though just as intimidating. She had the eye of a killer. She wanted to win so badly. And she was going to. Natalia, however retained her poker face.

"I will fight. And I will win. And you will burn. The Red Room will stand under my shadow and you... you won't even be remembered," Anastasia snarled under her breath. It didn't bother Natalia, however. She knew that she want to do this program. But she also knew that she wanted to keep this life inside of her safe. And that desire far outweighed the former.

After only five minutes of struggling, Anastasia's fighter was barely pinned to the floor. At this moment, Natalia, who had been pretending to struggle with her fight, let the man take her by the neck. She could have easily avoided it. She could have easily gotten out. But she wanted to lose. She slapped at his arm signifying he had won. Breaking free of his grasp, she doubled over and breathed heavily. Madame B hadn't even acknowledged Anastasia. She was only looking upon Natalia with disgust.

"Sloppy," she barked. "Pretending to fail." She took a step closer. "The ceremony is necessary for you to take you place in the world."

"I have no place in the world," Natalia responded.

"Exactly," she responded. Then she leaned closer to whisper into her ear.

"I know what state you are in," she whispered into Natalia. "It changes nothing. It only makes you more compassionate. Now pin this man faster than Anastasia or both you and the fetus will die."

Natalia looked at her instructor in horror. How did she know?

"Go Natalia," barked Madame B. In a daze, Natalia pinned the man down with ease in a fourth of the time it took Anastasia. Anastasia looked upon her with her jaw dropped and Madame B with an evil smirk.

"Good, Natalia," she spoke. Then she looked to Anastasia phlegmatically.  "Take the other one away."

Anastasia's brows furrowed in confusion as she backed into a wall. "Take her!" Madame B repeated. Anastasia began yelling in Russian as the men took her by her arms and led her down the hall to her immanent death.

The Madame B turned to look at Natalia with a wide grin. She placed a hand on either shoulder and looked down at her. "The ceremony will begin in an hour. Then we will test you. After that, Phase Three begins."

She wanted to know more of what was to happen to her. If she was going to be made to do this, then she might as well fully immerse herself.

A gurney was rolled in. "Sit. They will take you to a room to be prepped."

"I thought the ceremony was in an hour," countered Natalia.

"I did not say you would be prepped in an hour," Madame B said as she stomped out of the room.