"So if you want to push, I'm a shove. If you want to spar we can do it no gloves." Don't Get In My Way by Zach Hemsey
The freezing cold water woke me up in an instant.
The cloth bag over my head just made my gasps for air more intense.
The hands roughly pulling my body up left an instant sting.
"Get up! Get up!" they were screaming in German, but my head was too muddled from exhaustion and fatigue that my body couldn't fully comply nor defend myself. Valkyrie strength be damned, I couldn't even properly hold myself up after three days of no food or water. They grabbed and kicked at me until I stood on my own two feet, shaking from the cold water that drenched my face and hair. They shoved me forward and seemingly out the door.
They yelled and moved me down a seemingly endless hallway. Despite everything, I could feel the damp chill coming from the walls. This only seemed to further my misery as my hair dripped cold water down my simple shirt and armoured leggings. My bare feet splashed against random puddles and a musty smell permeated the fabric over my face. The room they kept me in was always a warm temperature that greatly contrasted the bitter cold I was currently feeling.
They kept yelling at me to move forward in rough German. Whenever I would stumble I would feel the sharp sting of a club against my back and shoulders. Hands would grab my upper arms and push me towards an unknown end, ripping the shoulders and arms of my shirt in the process.
The hallway seemed endless until I heard the distinct sound of a metal door opening. I was shoved forward and I harshly fell onto my hands and knees, further adding to my endless list of bruises. The men continued to yell as they grabbed me and lifted me onto a shockingly cold metal bed. In quick and rapid movements they secured me with what felt like leather straps that constricted my entire body. The straps held me down across my chest, stomach, thighs and at my wrist and ankles. Everything was cold and I was beginning to lose feeling in my toes and the tips of my ears.
The bag was never removed from my head because my tormentors deemed it fit to pour more freezing cold water over my head. The water mixed with the cloth bag made me feel like I was drowning in a frozen lake. It reminded me of the time a young noble girl was walking by a stream next to the keep in Asgard. She slipped and went head first into the cold water and she remained under until my sister Hara dove in to save her. This must be what the young girl felt. Gasping for air and only receiving a mouthful of water in return— breathing in that water making the cold burn my lungs and chest. Over and over they poured buckets on my face. My lungs began to ache as they refused to give me any more than a moments respite. I felt like I could die like this: a mortal woman gasping for air with no hope of rescue. Where was my winged saviour this time? I kept asking myself this, only for the darker voice in my mind to remind me that all my saviours abandoned me long ago.
When they finally took the soaked bag off my head I started to thank fate that it was over. The praise was barely formed in my mind when the fist collided with my jaw. My head snapped sharply to the left and my body strained against the straps cutting into my skin. I spat out a bit of blood and turned to glare at my assailant. I saw that I was surrounded by four men dressed in head to toe black that covered everything including their eyes. They looked as if they came from an age that has yet to pass. Every bit of them, from their goggled eyes to their armoured chests, screamed HYDRA.
My captors then decided that I would be pushed further as they took the opportunity to assault every inch of my body that they could reach. They all punched me repeatedly anywhere they could land a fist. No part of me was spared and I could already feel the bruising and swelling begin to form.
After a few minutes of this, I'd like to think they got tired of beating something that couldn't fight back. After all, where was the fun in that? Somewhere along the line I had closed my eyes and balled my hands into a fist that was so tight that my nails began to cut through my skin. Their punches got slower and less forceful until they eventually stopped. A few breaths passed until I heard them begin to file out the room and then slam the metal door shut.
At the loud groan of metal against metal, I finally opened my eyes through heavy lids. I stared up at a dark concrete ceiling that was dripping with moisture. Taking in my surroundings I saw that I was in a dirty workshop of some sort, but I wasn't familiar with any of the machinery nor utensils. Looking down at my body I saw that the straps that I thought were simply leather were steel reinforced and about a quarter of an inch thick. I was kept down by five straps lining my body from chest to ankles. I could barely even move my wrist side to side with how tight my restraints were, and the notion of breaking through them was a far-fetched fantasy. I knew that even with my Asgardian strength my body was on the verge of shutting down from malnutrition, so getting through these straps would be impossible in my current state. I knew that nothing would help me here.
Was I so easy to resign to this fate? Would I not be willing to fight through in an attempt to salvage my situation? The strong and proud Valkyrie side of me wouldn't allow myself to give up without a fight. This side would continue to hold out and push me through any pain or trial. However, a smaller, more pessimistic side would whisper through my proverbial cracks and make me question all of my hope. Like a small demon, I'd seed despair and allow myself to give up any inkling of saving myself or being saved.
I didn't know which side of me would win in this mental spar, but I knew that both parts placed the blame on my own selfish needs. I could curse Odin and HYDRA until the sun set in the east, but I knew that this all started and lead to this predicament because of my stupid actions. I had to question the gaps in Asgardian history, and I had to forsake the life I was content with living. I would continue to curse my captors and those I left behind in Asgard because the process made me feel the smallest bit better, but there was in reality only myself to blame. Damn you Odin and damn you HYDRA. I said this like a mantra in my head until exhaustion overtook me and my world went black.
-x-
My entire body hurt when I finally opened my two-tonne eyes. Everything was blurred and I felt like I had an axe in my skull. The constant throbbing pain started at my ankles and went all the way up to my face. I knew that my pain was a lot less than it could be, and for a small winking moment I was grateful for my Asgardian resistance. Despite the fact that I healed at a more accelerated rate I was still uncomfortable with my stationary position and blooming injuries.
"At last she awakes," came the grating Germany voice that within two days I grew to loathe. My body tensed up as he walked into my damp room and came to stand over me. From my position on the metal table, his scars on his face were far more defined, and they looked more fresh and prominent up close. Curiously I followed the line up his jaw and behind his ear with a sickening feeling growing in my stomach.
"How is my little bird faring today?" He sneered down at me. "I'm sorry about the dramatics earlier, but I wanted to get my point across." He started to walk around my metal table and stared me down like a hawk— an evil, grotesque hawk.
"Did you reconsider my offer little bird?" He asked me as he came to a stop on the opposite side of me. I wanted to laugh. Not a small chuckle, but a full-blown roar. He was on a disappointing road if he believed that I would ever partake in anything having to do with HYDRA. After he decimated an innocent village, killed the Keeper, and beat me it was clear that he would have a lot to fear if I ever got out of my restraints. I stopped looking at his scarred skin and turned my gaze towards the dark, mouldy ceiling.
"Ignoring me again my Valkyrie? I would have thought you learned the first time," that was all he said before a hand snapped my head to the left. The slap resonated throughout the room and my fury spilt over like a waterfall.
"You will NEVER be a god," I snapped at him as my teeth ground and my body began to shake with anger. My hands curled into fists and I began to struggle against my restraints, the steel cutting into my skin and drawing blood in some places. I wanted nothing more than to strangle the life out of his body. I did the next best thing I could and I spat at his face, watching with satisfaction as saliva landed on his cheek. A wide smile spread across his face at my boldness.
"Ah, there is that Valkyrie fury!" he said pleased as he clapped his hands in joy and then reached up to wipe away the moisture. "Doctor Zola!"
I turned and saw the door opened and a small, mouse-like man entered. He looked apprehensive at first but as he got closer to me the resistance melted into awe. When he came and paused on the side of my bed I saw his gaze rake over my skin that was exposed through a rip in my shirt.
"Amazing isn't she, Doctor? I told you the pattern was beautifully etched in her skin." the Nazi crooned to the small doctor as he continued to gaze at my exposed shoulder. His short fingers came up to lightly grasp the ripped black fabric and he began to push it back. I struggled against my restraints and he quickly jumped back as if I burned him. I glared daggers at his pale face.
"I thought you s-said she wouldn't be able to g-get out of these straps?" Zola stuttered, gazing at the Nazi with a flicker of fear.
"And she won't. These straps can withhold a lot more than her." The Nazi brushed his fingers over the straps holding me down as if to emphasize his statement. I turned to look at the Nazi and struggled even more as his fingertips danced over the strap on my stomach. They were both teasing me, and pushing their boundaries by virtually touching me. "Unfortunately she has denied my offer once more."
Zola came closer once more and continued to look at me as if studying and memorizing everything he could. "Would you like me to begin with the testing on her?" My head snapped towards him at the word 'testing.'
"No, in the light of her rejection lets see how far we can push her before we start looking for results." I snapped to look at the Nazi so fast I could have gotten whiplash. Their conversation made me curious but also fearful.
"What would you prefer I do?" Zola asked as he pulled a pair of small scissors out of his pocket and began to cut the fabric above my elbow.
"Do what you please, Doctor. Just make sure she isn't too broken when we begin the real testing." And with that, the Nazi turned on his heel and strode out of the dark room in a flurry of leather and sharp steps.
Zola's small fingers cut my sleeve above my elbow and pushed the loose fabric down my arm to rest at the restraints holding my wrists. I watched his every move, which were slow and careful. I would occasionally twitch or shuffle and his beady eyes would shift to stare at me with veiled fear. He walked across the room and shuffled with a metal tray and placed random objects on it. I saw very little due to his small body blocking my view but I wasn't familiar with anything I did see. When he came back to stand next to my metal gurney I saw that he had two large syringes and a damp rag on top of a dusty metal tray which he placed on a small table above my head that I didn't notice. With steady hands he took the rag and began to wipe down the skin on my inner elbow, ridding the area of the sweat and small blood droplets. He put the rag down and took one of the two syringes which held a white, cloudy liquid.
Taking the syringe he quickly plunged it into my elbow and injected me with the liquid. In a few rapid movements, he stuck the second needle in my skin and forced the second dose into my body. After wiping the small dot of blood from the injection site, Zola took the tray in his hands and scurried out of the room. "Enjoy your night," he quickly threw back to me before closing the metal door and locking it.
Within a minute of him leaving I began to feel a slow burn move its way from my my elbow and bloom in my arm. The burn began to intensify into a fire as it spread to my upper arm and fingers. Within a few more seconds it spread to my upper chest and it felt like I was literally on fire. I thought my body was set ablaze and that my skin would blister from the burning. The pain was excruciating as the burn spread across my entire body and engulfed me from head to toe. A scream escaped my throat as everything felt like fire. Red-hot pain ballooned everywhere, my temperature rose, and my heart started beating rapidly. The inferno was too much as more screams were ripped from my mouth. There was no respite, and I screamed from the inferno in my body for what felt like hours before the pain finally made me see black.