1935

Cassandra sat up, breathing calmly as her hand was unlocked. A little girl sat up next to her, gasping, and opening her bright blue eyes.

"It only gets worse the more you think about it." Cassandra warned.

The young girl offered half a baguette to her, and she shook her head. Sharing food was punishable by torture in one form or another. Cassandra was still sore from being whipped after offering a girl a piece of fruit when she was nine.

She stood up before the girl could ask anymore questions. She walked in line, steps perfectly in unison with the steps of the others, to the showers. Cassandra inhaled a huge breath when the freezing water hit her back, and she tried to get in and out as fast as she could. She dried herself off with a fraying towel, and tied her hair back into a braid, slipping into her uniform.

Cassandra sat in a wooden desk, eyes focused ahead of her at the projector. Her hands sat palms down on the desk, and her feet were crossed at the ankles. A film played in front of her, and she recited whatever words the princess happened to speak.

••••••••••••

Cassandra touched her chin to the top of the bar. She dropped down, her feet hitting the cold, snowy ground. She stepped back into line letting the next girl go. Her hands were freezing, and she felt like her fingers were going to fall off. A little tap on the shoulder brought her back into focus.

The little girl from the morning was standing behind her, sweating even though it was nineteen degrees out. She had a smile on her face, and she was rocking back and forth on her feet.

Cassandra gave her a look, and she ran away, back to her group. That girl was driving her crazy. Soon enough, it was her turn again, and she did more pull ups. Cold sweat dribbled down her back, and she shivered. A whistle blew, and every girl in the yard snapped to attention.

"Студенты," the woman with red lips and pale skin said. "Get changed, we have a special visitor today." She ordered.

The girls bowed, and ran to the main building. Cassandra scrubbed the sweat out of her hair, and pulled herself into her gray uniform. She stood at the foot of her bed, waiting to be taken down to the auditorium. The young girl with blue eyes stood at her bed, looking nervous. Cassandra swept a few stray hairs out of the girl's face, out of the want for perfection she knew too much about. Or maybe it was motherly instincts. Hopefully not, she couldn't get attached to this girl, and in any case she'd be gone in a year.

An instructor came to get them, and the group of twenty marched down to the large space they called the auditorium. Cassandra snapped to attention along with the others as the pale woman walked in front of them, inspecting their posture. She finished looking at all the girls, and she stepped to the side as a man stepped came forward.

"Students, please welcome Dr. Schmidt, of Hydra." The woman announced.

The girls clapped, but it was instantly stopped when the man held up his hand.

"My name is Johann Schmidt, I am the director of Hydra, Hitler's Nazi science division. We are looking for a select young woman of your skill sets, to join our organization for the coming years. You will be put through several trials, each to demonstrate your strength, durability, endurance and such." The man said.

"Yes sir!" The group said.

"Wonderful. We will start in a few moments." Schmidt said.

Cassandra wondered how they were going to do anything in their uniforms, as they weren't good for fighting, or exercising. The young girl looked scared and her eyes looked cold, and full of hate. She must've known Schmidt. Or her family had something to do with him.

"Students! Change into your sparring uniforms and be back here in five minutes!" An instructor comanded.

"Yes ma'am!" They said, before jogging to the showers.

Cassandra ripped off her dress, and pulled on her white sleeveless top, and black shorts, tucking her shirt into the shorts. She tugged a different pair of black shoes onto her feet, and ran back to the auditorium.

The young girl came soon afterward, standing next to Cassandra. Dr. Schmidt waited for the rest to enter again, before beginning to speak.

"The first challenge will be a test of pain resistance." He said, tapping a stick in his hands.

The blue eyed girl went pale, and Cassandra took a deeper breath.

"We will go alphabetical order for all of these trials, but I have been informed we start with the letter 'B', since we have no letter 'A'." Schmidt explained.

Cassandra's head screamed NO but she ignored it, just as she had been doing for ten years. She stretched out her fingers, and prepared for pain. Not that she could cry or anything. She was numb from head to toe at this point and sometimes it felt good to feel something, no matter how sore she'd feel the next morning.

"First off, can we have Miss Cassandra Barnes come forward?" The German said, beckoning her forward with his fingers.

"Yes sir." Cassandra said, walking foward.

"Excellent fraulein." He encouraged, giving her a proud smile.

She nodded her head to him, and held her hands at her sides. He turned her around so she could face the group of nineteen. The blue eyed girl looked scared for her, and she looked ready to step forward to protest for her. Cassandra gave her a slight shake of the head.

No child, do not try and save me. I'll be alright, I've done this before.

She tried to convey this thought through the smallest move of the head, and the child seemed to get the message. She relaxed, a little, still a tiny bit worried looking.

Cassandra sucked in a sharp breath when the stick made contact with the back of her knees and she hit the ground. She breathed, and stood back up again, blood dripping from her lip where it scraped against the floor. She fell flat on her stomach when the stick hit the small of her back, knocking the wind out of her as well.

Even through the pain, and the blood dribbling into her mouth, she didn't make a single sound, and tried her best not to show any kind of physical uncomfort. Sure, her mind was screaming bloody murder, but nobody in the room was going to see that.

Only when she was hit with a hard swing to the liver, did she show pain. She screamed as the stick made contact with her side, and she fell on her back, and was tempted to pretend to be dead or unconscious. But if she did that, her fate would be worse for lying.

"Next, can we have Miss Alynoya Batrova come forward. Miss Barnes, can you stand up, or do you need medical attention?" Schmidt asked, as if taunting her, leaning down to meet her eyes.

"No sir, I am fine." She answered, rising to her feet.

"Good, go back to your spot."

"Yes sir."

Cassandra walked to her spot, which had remained empty while she was gone. The younger girl looked up at her, whispering,

"Are you ok?"

"Yes I am fine." She said shortly.

•••••••••••

Cassandra stood back in the auditorium after climbing a wall, being hit with a stick, knocking out a girl, and preforming a conversation in ten different languages. She was bloody and bruised after falling from the wall and being hit with the stick. The cut on her lip had opened more, dried blood on her chin. The blue eyed girl, who's name was Dorothy Underwood, looked about ready to collapse at her feet, and a girl with dark hair was holding her up.

"I have made my decision." Schmidt announced to the half-dead group of girls. "This student has shown strength, endurance, intelligence, and power. Hydra has chosen Cassandra Barnes."

so yes. i did put dottie in there, but she's like eight years old. maybe she'll come up again sometime?

love you 3000-