INTO THE VOID. part 1. (CONTAINS THUNDERBOLTS* SPOILERS.)
The fight with Bob , or … Sentry. WHATEVER THE FUCK VAL WAS CALLING HIM , had been doomed before any of them threw the first punch. ( she'd still take that fight over what happened next though. ) What the fuck were any of them even doing. It wasn't often that Anya was scared , but when people started vanishing like they were in some horrifying Japanese horror flick , she felt that sense of fear , ALL WHILE STILL DOING WHAT SHE COULD TO HELP. All of those lessons she'd been taught about buryinig fear working until Yelena vanished.
THEN THE VOID TOOK THE REST OF THEM INTO THE DARKNESS.
Cold , damp , a shivering feeling creeping up her spine. There's just nothing. Then there's a forest. Snow. A LOT OF IT. Just outside of the opening of a cave. There's a little girl , about the age of eleven. ( the age she was when she had been taken back there after that sweet year of freedom. ) She's confused. The younger version of herself raising a hand to assess the wound on her head with a hiss when she felt the sharp pain. It was her. A younger version of herself.
Eyes went wide , looking around the cave. FEELING MEMORIES COMING BACK TO HER FROM THAT DAY. The mundane hunting trip , the avalanche triggered by the Project , being separated from her brother and dad. The way everything went black when she dove into the cave to avoid being swallowed by the wall of snow perusing her. There's a moment. A recollection of what happened that day. Then she hears a sound.
Someone's approaching. Someone she knows. It's him. Not the Soldier , SHE WISHED IT COULD HAVE BEEN HIM THAT FOUND HER. It's her handler. Sent to get her and bring her back where she belonged. Temporary damage to the head is enough to confuse her from the past year. ( defaulting back to familiar muscle memories till she assumed a mission had gone wrong. ) No. No , that wasn't right. The older Anya , the one who knows what's to come , her heart's pounding. GROWING IN INTENSITY AND SPEED. She can't let that happen. She has to do something.
“ No. No no no no no , ” Voice was frantic. ANYA SURGING FORWARD TO COVER THE GROUND OF THE CAVE. To cover her younger self. It's what she does now. She protects the ones who can't protect themselves. When she caught up , the older brunette plants herself between her and V , A COLD GLARE IN HER EYES AS SHE STARES HIM DOWN. She's not afraid of him anymore. He doesn't control her like he used to thanks to the red room. “Don't FUCKING touch her!” Voice is quiet , but it could cut like a dagger , IF THE MAN LOOKING AT HER WERE REAL. There's no fear in his eyes though. Not like there usually is when the daughter of The Winter Soldier and The Black Widow. Instead , he has the nerve to smile and chuckle at her. That same sick CONDESCENDING SMILE he always wore when he managed to outsmart her.
“ You know how this goes Anya. Honestly , thought you would've gotten with the program by now. ” She flinches back. EYES NARROWING WHIILE BROW FURROWS IN CONFUSION. The reaction itself , stunned. She knows what's coming. Her head shakes. “ I'm not a part of that anymore. I escaped that. “ Another sickening chuckle escapes him. Churning her stomach. A tsking sound , as he wagged his finger back in forth. AS THOUGH HE WERE CHIDING A CHILD. ” Ah ah , Anya. You've forgotten your place in the system. We'll fix that."
Her younger self comes out from behind her. She tries to grab for the child. To keep her back from him. “ Anya no! No he's he's not safe , please! ” It's like she's not even there. POWERLESS TO STOP HER YOUNGER SELF FROM BEING TAKEN. He had to have been close by. He could have found her.
“ Anya! ” Her alto voice rasps with DESPERATION. Runninig the couple of steps to the opening of the cave. There's no blinding light of snow. There's no aftermath of the avalance. SHE'S IN ANOTHER FAMILIAR PLACE. THERE ARE TWO CHILDREN IN A FIGHTING RING. Handlers surround the ring. The boy , a perfect image of the younger version of her brother , shaking his head while silently pleading with the younger , BRUTAL version of herself. “Anya listen to me … I'm not gonna hurt you.”
