AN:
"See lights go down. I'm hanging on. You're all that's left to hold on to.
I'm still waiting. I'm hanging on. You're all that's left to hold on to".
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"Good technique, keep moving".
Her arms are on fire, and she can barely dodge the punches that keep coming from every angle. Squatting, twisting, flexing... she is doing everything to avoid them, but some of them still manage to break her guard. Thick drops of sweat race down her neck, all the way to her back. Dear god, how much time was left?
A quick glance to the huge stopwatch on the wall let her know this was almost over. She successfully blocks a few more body shots, just before the noisy buzzer announces the end of the session. She survived with little damage. Panting, she runs a towel over her arms, pours some water over her face and neck, and begins to walk out of the dojang.
"Excellent job, Chapman". Her trainer stood tall in the middle of the room. "Mister Kubra is going to be very impressed. You are one of our best trainees, with great potential. Go shower and get ready for the afternoon meal. You deserve it".
"Yes sir". She responds, taken aback by those words. It wasn't everyday that you received compliments around here, certainly not from the trainers. This possibly means that she's being considered for one of their next missions, something she's been waiting since her first day.
You're on the line every day here. If you don't meet their standards they get rid of you... for good. She's heard some skin scrawling stories that are shared by the other recruits. So it's kind of relieving to know she's on their good side.
The standards of this program were brutal; their training gruesome. They were a select group of young recruits who almost no one knew about, hand-picked by Kubra himself to become exceptionally skilled criminals. Their profiles were more or less the same for everyone here: troubled young girls with dysfunctional families, preferably ex-convicts or ex-drug addicts with basically no relatives that cared enough to look for them after they went missing.
People here were outcasts, troublemakers. Nobody wanted them. That's what made them excellent targets. Here, they were broken and rebuilt, becoming almost superhuman machines of chaos. Soldiers of an underworld who very few people knew about, gifted with a second chance in life after things didn't worked out the first time. Piper Chapman was one of them.
At exactly 6:45 pm that afternoon, she finished her shower, dressed up in her all grey uniform and headed towards the common kitchen were the other recruits waited in line for the food to be served. The last meal of the day was always more relaxed, and they were allowed to eat freely and talk with each other. Their only reward for all the hours spent on training.
She grabs her tray and goes straight to the noisiest table, were a group of recruits is sitting. "Chapman!" She hears one of them call. "Where have you been? Get your ass here before those guards kick us out".
"Nicky is right P, they're about to close this thing up and you haven't even started". A tall black girl scoots over for her to seat, patting the bench with her palm. "What took you so long?"
"I got caught up in training". She replies, before taking a bite of watermelon. "Defense. Coach told me I was doing pretty good".
"The hell you are, Piper. I've seen you moving your scrawny ass in that room. Even Coach has trouble keeping up with you".
"Uh... thanks? I'll try to find a compliment there somehow Tasha". She opens up the protein drink and takes a sip, before addressing a short haired woman sitting across her. "What about you Lorna? Did you passed the tech exam this time?"
A burst of amused laughter is heard across the table. "Passed? She didn't even finished it".
"What is it that they say? The fifth time is the charm?" Another voice adds.
"Tech guys are racking their brains out, trying to make poor Lorna understand all those numbers". One of the black girls jumps in. "Hell, even I'm having trouble with them codes".
"Don't toot your own horn here Poussey". Nicky interrupts. "That's not the only thing your having trouble with. Plus, everybody is flunking tech. Not just Lorna".
"Thank you". Lorna says, pointing to Nicky with her palms, as if she was waiting for someone to say those exact words.
"Nicky's right". Some girl adds. "They need to do something about this because it's no coincidence that all the groups failed".
"Don't worry about that Lorna". Piper says, poking some salad leaves with her fork. "The next challenge is coming soon, and is just very basic computer stuff. If you max your shooting points, and your physical part, you'll do great".
"Exactly. Just focus on hitting those targets". Nicky says. "We are going to the range tomorrow, so you can get a good practice".
"Speaking of the range". Tasha interrupts, deliberately lowering her voice. "I heard new girl over there doesn't even know how to load a gun".
At Tasha's words, everyone in the table huddles in. Some of them discreetly turning their heads around to catch a glance of the black haired girl sitting alone in the farthest table. They stay silent for a few seconds.
"I don't even know why they brought her in". Poussey finally says, shaking her head. "Rumor has it that she was actually studying in some college, leading a very decent life. They knocked her off her high castle and brought her in six months after the training began. The girl is completely lost".
"Lost and bitter". Lorna says. "I haven't heard her say a word to anyone except the guards".
"She's in Maria's unit, and Maria told me she's like a zombie, completing training half-awake". Poussey continues, pointing with her fork towards Tasha. "What you said about the range is true. Maria says that she was so frightened with the gun that she couldn't even shoot. One of the guards ended up smacking it against her face".
The statement makes Piper's eyebrows rise, and she turns around not-so-subtly to catch a glimpse of this girl's face. The brunette seems oblivious to the conversation and is just staring at her tray; it's almost time for them to go but all her food is still there, untouched. There are bruises on her face and neck.
Resting her forearms at the table, she looks as if she had been crying for a long time. Her long black hair covers half of her face; her green eyes look tired. Piper swallows involuntarily, noticing how pretty this girl is despite everything being said about her.
"This isn't fair". She hears Tasha's voice again. "We've been busting our butts here just to make it out alive; have been training for months without complaining and she gets late, and gets special treatment. Man, that's just wrong".
"The poor girl can't even keep up with the excercises". Lorna says. "Why doesn't she quit?"
"Guys, you don't know the half of it". Nicky interrupts after being silent for a while, eyebrows up. "What's the girl's last name? Anybody knows?"
The girls on the table exchange looks, shrugging their shoulders. Piper turns around again, curious of what Nicky's about to say. They are in different training groups, so she doesn't even know the girl's first name.
"Well c'mon. Spit it out Nichols". Tasha says, leaning forward on the table. "We don't have all night".
"Vause". She finally says, nodding for emphasis. "Alex Vause".
"Say what". "No shit". "Are you for real?"
The responses come at unison, as the shock is shared by all the girls sitting there. Even Piper feels a shiver running down her back at Nicky's revelation. But to be honest, she doesn't even know what to make of it, given what she knows about that last name.
"Diane Vause's daughter?" She dares to ask, looking at Nicky for confirmation.
The wild-haired woman nods, biting her bottom lip. "One of them. She had two". She throws the new girl a sideways glance. "I don't know what the fuck is going on here, but apparently Kubra and the organization have been interested in her for years now. If that is true, I don't know what took them so long to bring her in".
"Why would they want anything from one of Diane's daughters? I mean, the woman was a snitch, isn't that in her genetics too?" Poussey adds, half-joking.
"Probably". Some derisive scoffs are heard around the table, Tasha's being the most emphatic one. "I certainly hope they don't send me to the field with her".
"Yeah, me neither". Adds Lorna with a worried look. "I really don't think she's cut off for this".
Piper goes on finishing her meal, silently listening to the rest of the comments thrown in regarding this Vause girl. There is such a halo of mystery around her, and it intensifies by the fact that she's Diane's daughter. Nothing makes much sense here.
A disturbingly loud buzzer announces the end of dinner time. "Recruits, you have two minutes to clear the cafeteria and head back to your bunkers. Tomorrow's physical training will be at 0400". The instructions resonate throughout the room in the strident tone of one of the guards.
Piper gathers everything back on her tray, quickly doing as she's told. The other girls had finished eating a long time ago, so they already exited the room. As she's getting up from the table, she can't help but look back in the direction where the new girl was sitting.
She's catches her when she's about to stand up, grabbing the full tray by it's sides, slowly moving towards the edge of the long horizontal seat. Then she looks up, and their gazes lock.
Piper flinches involuntarily, feeling a weird sensation in her stomach while the brunette stands there in silence; but she doesn't look away. The bruises on the girl's face are more evident now that her hair is out of the way. They look as if they're in different healing stages. Some seem greenish, others purple... they don't appear to be from one single incident.
Piper turns around, and throws her an apologetic look. She doesn't understand what's going on or why this girl looks so incredibly shaken. She also doesn't miss how unbelievably beautiful she is.
"Chapman! Vause! Get the hell out of here and go back to your bunkers. Now!".
"Yes sir!" They respond at the same time, but Alex is the first to move, and the first to break eye contact as well. She silently places her tray above the trash can and heads out. Piper follows after her, intrigued with the mystery behind this Alex Vause.
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The very next morning after physical training, Piper and the group were changing into their regular uniforms so they could attend yet another insufferable practice of computer programming. The infamous Tech the girls so much abhorred.
It was evident that most of them were struggling to move beyond the basic software manipulations skills, to more advanced stuff they were supposed to learn before finishing their training. Piper wasn't sure why any of this mattered, since they were all training to be field agents, and the bulk of that responsibility rested on the people in the headquarters. Still, if they didn't passed this thing, they couldn't move to the next stage.
Mornings during training days were very different from their cafeteria encounters. Everything was extremely rigorous for the recruits. There were only three things they could answer to the guards. "Yes, sir" "No, sir" and "No excuse, sir". Nothing else.
Time was held to the highest standard. Penalties for being late included physical punishment, hours of walking tours in the training court or staying awake all night for surveillance of nonexistent enemies. It was medieval penalization.
With this in mind, she quickly finishes dressing and stands by the side of her bunker door with her feet together and her fists closed beside her thighs. When the guard gives the order, they all face right and begin walking through the dim-lit corridors until they reach the tech room.
One by one, each of the recruits occupies its respective seat in front of the huge monitors. But when it is Piper's turn to sit down, she notices that the seat beside her isn't empty. Vause girl was sitting there, with a pair of huge over-ear headphones around her head. She doesn't seems to notice anyone, submerged as she is on her screen.
Piper doesn't sit down immediately. She turns around and motions to one of the guards, pointing a finger in the new girl's direction as if asking: "What's she doing here?"
"Vause is going to be in the room for today's lesson". He casually replies. "She'll be working on something different, so please carry on as you normally do. For all that concerns you, she's not there".
Piper raises her eyebrows before finally sitting down in the very last row. She turns on her computer and puts her own headphones on, occasionally glancing at the monitor besides her. The screen is full of numbers and letters, and different windows close and open with mind boggling speed. She stares for a while, utterly impressed.
Alex is typing on the keyboard with unbelievable dexterity. Her face is pure focus, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. A few seconds later the word Complete appears on the screen. She leans back and removes her headphones, stretching her shoulders and neck. Just then she notices Piper's unsubtle stare.
Piper quickly averts her eyes, and begins typing whatever numbers on her keyboard trying to disguise the fact that she was watching. She feels Alex's gaze on her, and is a little disconcerting to say the least. Then she feels a hand tapping her on her shoulder. Shit.
Half-removing one headphone, she discreetly turns her head around. "What?" She says, as if Alex was the one being a disturbance.
"You need to finish with the short ones first". Alex responds, her voice hoarse and just above a whisper. She points at the screen when Piper remains silent. "See those four-digit numbers?" The brunette waits for Piper to nod before continuing.
"If you get those out of the way, you can work with the rest in order. Make sure you leave those that end in nines for last. That way they'll be arranged for the next part and you'll finish it faster. Trust me".
Piper is staring at the monitor perplexed. She takes a quick glance around the room to see if anybody is hearing them, but nobody says anything. They are not supposed to help each other during tech training, she knows that. What she doesn't know, is how much of the rules Alex understands.
"Let me show you". The brunette goes a step further and wheels her chair closer to Piper's, before she starts to type on her keyboard. Was she crazy? Her heart begins to race and she finds herself half-wanting to push Alex away before one of the guards catches them, and half-wanting her to lean even closer. She ends up doing nothing.
"There you go". Alex finally says, giving Piper a tight-lip smile. "For the next two rounds it's going to be the same thing. It's a very simple process once you know the logic behind it. I don't know why they are so bad at explaining it".
Piper is speechless. She nods at the brunette and watches how she puts her headphones back on and begins yet another assignment. When Piper gets back to her tasks she completes them much easier, and for the first time she's able to finish all the assignments of the intermediate section. She has Alex to thank for that.
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"She's a genius".
"Who?"
"Vause. She's a fucking genius, I saw it with my own eyes".
They're in front of the mirror washing their hands, taking advantage of the privacy to talk behind closed doors. Rules allowed for a five minute break between training sessions for them to go to the restrooms. Piper signaled Nicky to follow her after their tech practice. This conversation followed.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" The shorter woman is looking at her like she's lost her mind.
"She was sitting next to me in today's session. Didn't you saw her?" Piper asks, yanking a few paper towels from the dispenser. She turns around to see Nicky shaking her head.
"I asked the guard what was up with her but he told me she was working on "something different". She mimics the quotation marks with her fingers and continues hurriedly. "When I peeked at her screen I couldn't even understand what she was doing. There were a bunch of windows full of codes that I've never seen before. She finished them in seconds. I'm telling you Nick".
Nicky stands there with her hands on her hips, slowly nodding to herself apparently.
"So that's why Kubra wanted her". She finally says in a low voice. "The girl was a fucking prodigy and he knew it".
"I mean, it makes sense". Piper confirms while she dries her hands. "The only good thing they always tell us about Diane is that she was a mastermind, and nobody was even close".
"Well... Poussey mentioned something about genetics yesterday" Nicky shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe she was right after all. Well, except the snitch part. So far".
Piper lets out a airy laughter. "Do you think that's why it took Kubra so long to find her? I mean, you said she has a sister. What guarantees she's not equally smart?"
"Maybe, I don't know". Nicky crosses her arms over her chest. "But why just bring one?"
They remain quiet for a few seconds, before the shouting in the hall tells them that it's time to go back. Piper tosses the paper towels in the trash can and follows Nicky outside. The shooting range practice was next.
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After their encounter in the computer room, she doesn't crosses paths with Alex for the next few days. She kind of wants to though. More rumours are spreading regarding her unmatched performance in some of the most cognitively demanding areas.
Map memorization, target identification, French and German languages... According to the gossip spread during dinner time, she was seamlessly acing all of them. Piper is beyond impressed.
All of this is on her mind while she prepares for the next classroom lesson. They need to go back to their rooms and grab their materials before they can continue. As she reaches the farthest aisle before her room, she vaguely hears some voices coming from the last corridor. She pauses to listen.
"Better... us. It's that..".
She can barely make out what they're saying, given the echoes from the empty corridors distorting the words. A quick glance around let's her know there no guards nearby, so against her mind's own protests, she quietly walks in the direction where the sounds are coming. The words become clearer as she walks closer.
"Nobody wants you here. Don't you understand?"
A muffled groan is heard short after, followed by the sound of boots slipping on the hard floor. Piper's eyes widen and she immediately steps inside ready to stop whatever madness is taking place there.
"What the fuck is going on?" She hisses, instinctively looking above her shoulder to make sure nobody else is watching. At the sound of Piper's voice, the three women inside almost jump out of their skins. The one doing the beating turns around with her fist still in midair. Piper knows who she is: Jessica Wedge.
"Chapman?" She says, squinting to corroborate her guess. She doesn't move. "Listen. We're almost done here, there's no need to be alarmed".
"Done with what?" Piper asks, stepping closer to them to see what this is all about.
Her eyes travel across the few faces, barely visible in the dark corridor. Piper identifies Maria and another girl named Brenda. The two of them are holding Alex by the arms while Wedge is apparently beating the hell out of the brunette. Piper feels like her blood is about to boil.
"Leave her the fuck alone". She orders, eyeing at Alex who looks like she's still standing by the sole reason that she's being held.
Jessica turns around, absolutely enraged. "Get the hell out of here Chapman. You are going to thank me later".
"I'm going to thank you?" Piper responds. "For getting us all in trouble by beating another recruit? Are you out of your goddamned mind?"
An incredulous laughter resonates inside the corridor. "You don't understand, do you?"
There's a pause before Jessica continues. She turns to Alex again, who is helplessly struggling against the grip of the two other women. "I'm not going to let the daughter of Diane Vause, of all people, to take my spot as a field agent. Are you kidding me? This idiot just got here and thinks she's the shit just because she knows some numbers. Fuck her".
Another loud grunt resonates quickly after Jessica slams her knee against Alex's abdomen. The brunette bends forward but her arms are firmly locked in place. She immediately starts coughing.
"Stop it!" Piper abruptly breaks in, grabbing Jessica by the collar of her shirt and pinning her against the nearest wall.
"You feel threatened because she's smarter than you? Well maybe it's time for you to step the fuck up and quit chasing guard dicks for a change".
Piper has her forearm firmly pressed against Jessica's throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. With her other hand, she's squeezing both of her wrists, preventing her from even trying to make a move.
"Hey, easy there Chapman". Maria carefully interrupts, still standing behind them. "I mean what's the big deal? We are just roughing her up a little before the physical training".
"Shut up Ruiz". Piper responds, not even looking at her. "You're just another of her minions; doing everything she asks because that rotten brain of your doesn't let you think for yourself".
"What did you just said?"
Piper ignores Maria's protests and increases her pressure on Jessica's throat. "How long have you three been doing this to her and blaming the guards afterwards?"
Jessica can barely speak through the tight squeeze. She slightly directs her gaze to where the other girls are standing. Then her voice comes out strained. "F-first d-day".
This is the last straw for Piper, who's been holding up the rage burning on her chest for too long. With one fast movement she releases her hold on Jessica and connects a mighty fist against the girl's jaw. Jessica stumbles sideways but Piper manages to hold her in place and shove her left knee right into her ribs.
All hell breaks loose.
Piper turns around just in time to block one of Maria's punches. The shorter woman then tried to pin Piper's arm but the blonde is able to maneuver her way out of the grip and kick her right knee. This sends her directly to the floor. Piper's boot is about to connect with her temple, but a brutal strike in the back of her neck sends shock-waves all over her body.
She grunts and brings her palm towards where she got hit, a little disconcerted. Another fist comes in the direction of her face. She dodges it and pulls the girl named Brenda by both of her legs. Brenda ends in the floor, clutching her head in pain.
By this time Jessica is already up, and charges against her with her left arm. Piper feels a brutal smash on her chest that sends her to the ground in an instant landing flat on her back. She watches Maria almost in slow motion, her hands aiming for her throat. In a reflex, Piper's legs dart up, and she forcefully squeezes Maria's neck before violently smashing her against the wall. After that Ruiz didn't move.
Piper blinks a few times, breathing heavily before she pushes her torso up using her forearms. She watches the girls move frantically and it takes her a moment to figure out the scene in front.
At a short distance, Jessica's arm is wrapped against Alex's neck, hugging her against her own body. A quick reflection bounces in the dark, revealing a thin blade pressed warningly on her cheek. Jessica speaks with a menacing voice, panting.
"Get the fuck out of here Chapman, or I swear to god I'll cut her throat before you can even get up".
Piper doesn't move. She's not even sure how did Jessica came up with that blade, or why no guards have noticed before. She watches it touching Alex's skin.
Despite everything going on Alex looks surprisingly calmed. She clutches Jessica's forearm with both of her hands, just waiting for all of this to be over. There are a few red bruises above her eye, but the rest of her face looks fine. Apparently, Jessica was being very careful to keep this beatings a secret.
Before Piper has time to try something, strident footsteps are heard in the hallway; scattered shouts accompanied by the disturbingly loud sound of the building's alarm system.
"Fuck!" Jessica turns around, sheer panic evident in her face. She and Brenda exchange looks before she lets go of Alex, letting her fall to the floor in a heap. The brunette groans in pain, doubling up immediately and wrapping her arms around her stomach.
"Let's get out of here". Jessica yells to her partner while hiding the blade inside her boot. They both exit the small corridor, heading towards the rooms.
Piper jumps up and crawls towards Alex's side to check on her. Alex tries to move away but ends up shutting her eyes in pain. "Hey, it's ok. You are ok. Let me see". Piper's hands slowly lift the bottom of her shirt, careful to not cause her more discomfort, her chest rises and falls rapidly.
"What the-?" When she finally sees Alex's torso, Piper's eyes widen in horror. There are bruises all over her skin, huge round marks covering her abdomen and reaching all the way to her back. She's surprised that Alex is even able to walk. Piper swallows hard.
"What can they possibly gain by beating you up like this?" She asks more to herself than to Alex.
"For me to flunk the physical trainings. At least that seems to be their logic". Alex inhales a sharp breath. "So far is working".
Piper frowns in disgust, completely outraged with everything that Alex has been dealing with since the first day she got here, apparently. The noisy alarm keeps flashing rhythmically above them, deafening against their ears.
A second later a group of guards steps inside, pointing a gun towards them. Piper raises her hands, still kneeling beside Alex who's feebly resting her back against the wall while clutching her side. Just then she realizes how this must look like for them. One of the guards pulls a pair of handcuffs and walks straight to Piper.
"Don't fucking move".
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AN:
Ok. ok. ok. Did this chapter answered some of your questions? Please be patient friends, I'm working really hard to make this ride worth it. There are so many things that are going to happen, you'll see. You'll learn more (kinda) about Diane's story in the next chapter. Relax.
In the mean time, what do you think of Piper? Nicky? Do you like smart Alex?
Have you told anyone else about this story?
Lol. I'm just kidding. But you can consider it. :D
Peace out! The next update is going to take a little longer. Will you still be here? I really hope so.