BLOODY BALLERINA ▹ barnes-romanoff ✓

five.

"Be careful of that girl; there's a fire burning behind her eyes. She makes kingdoms fall - and monsters wish they had never been born."

Seven Years Ago, Red Room Academy

As the year after the new century approached, there came a cold winter in Russia, colder than usual. Even in the daytime, the sky was a dim white-gray while the ground matched its emotionless color. The wind was frigid and it carried icy flurries as it grew closer to December. The earth felt empty and barren, but Natalia Alianovna Romanova was not. She was full of life. And she was terrified. Natalia constantly prided herself and the madame on never being afraid. She never felt fear, remorse, anxiety. She felt duty and she felt pride.

A child changed all of that.

Her child changed all of that.

It had been easy to hide being pregnant for about five months until she began to show and things became more difficult. Every morning, she would tie long strips of cloth around her abdomen, attempting to pull herself in. The other girls and the madame continued in their ignorance for about another month.

She was sleeping on her designated cot in the middle of the room. It was a few hours before dawn and before the drill sounded, waking them all for their day of training. Her wrists were handcuffed to the bed as they always were. She didn't mind it so much anymore; she was used to it. It had been, after all, nearly twelve years since her parents sold her to the KGB and she became a student of the Red Room. It was usual of the instructors and the madame to chain each of the girls to their beds to ensure they couldn't escape. Natalia never tried to before. She knew there wasn't a point, but, ever since she discovered that she was pregnant, the thought wouldn't leave her alone. She began to plan.

And now it was time for her plan to come into fruition.

Natalia's green eyes flew open and danced around the room, studying her peers for movement. They were trained to hold still and she felt stupid for thinking that any of the girls still alive would actually be shifting in their sleep. But she couldn't leave anything to chance. She had to make sure everything was absolutely perfect if this was going to work. She listened for the deep sounds of breathing from the others. When she was confident that all of the others were asleep, she set to work. She flicked her wrist and a small paperclip slid out of her nightgown's sleeve. Her fingers easily twisted the small metal prang within the locks. The handcuffs had advanced locks, but she knew exactly what she was doing.

She always did.

The handcuffs fell from around her wrists and her hand stretched back quickly, snatching the metal things before they clinked against the tile floor. She rolled up to her feet, slid her socked feet into her boots, and pulled her backpack out from underneath the mattress. As she moved soundlessly through the rows of cots, she began peeling the nightgown off of her so she was left in the tight suit she was already wearing underneath. She bundled the white material up and stuffed it into the pack just in case she needed it later.

Her hand just touched the door handle when she heard a voice speak from behind her, "Now, where is little Natty going?"

Natalia's hands curled into fists as her head snapped over her shoulder, meeting the other girl's dark, twisted eyes. Dina Sadovsky always hated Natalia. She was second best. Naturally, she hated the one who beat her at everything.

"Sdelayte kakoy-nibud' khod ili zvuk, chtoby ostanovit' menya, i ya zadenu sheyu," Natalia harshly whispered in their mother tongue. Make any move or sound to stop me, and I will snap your neck.

Dina smirked as her feet soundlessly moved closer, "Vy budete? YA ne uveren, chto vy smozhete." Will you? I am not so sure you will be able to.