Avery watched her petite legs work together in order to carry her to the place she needed to be throughout the red room, the ballet hall.

She paced slowly behind the two other girls who happened to be in front of her. Just like her they wore their ballet clothes which consisted of a black tight fitted leotard and pink shaded tights. The only difference was that they were holding their ballet slippers while she clutched tightly onto her pointe shoes that were specially made so that they could fit her.

Apparently they don't usually make pointe shoes for children her age but she was different. She was special. Her ballet instructor Madame Popova had said so herself. Avery could do ballet movements that the older girls could do and she often was taken out of designated school time in order to spend extra time doing ballet.

Madame Popova had told the young blond that there hadn't been anybody as advanced at ballet in the red room as her ever before, she was one of a kind. Her instructor though had also informed her that they once had a red-headed widow who came close to Avery's gifted talent but deflected before they had any more of a chance to perfect her skills, it was such a shame Avery believed because who would give up their chance of being one of the best ballerinas?

On the other hand she was always told that she had a way better skillset of ballet than her mother obtained when she use to be training in the red room. Her mother was Yelena Belova and everybody still spoke about her to this day throughout the red room. The teachers spoke quite highly of her and how they expected Avery just to be as exceptional as her though Avery didn't know if she could live up to her mother's standards. Her mother sounded so amazing and she definitely aspired to be just like her.

Avery also doubts that her mother was an ounce bad at ballet considering how highly everyone speaks upon her. She believes that her ballet instructors just tell her information such as that to keep her motivated but she doesn't need any push in the right direction when it came to ballet.

Ballet was her passion.

Ballet was what got her through each day, the good days and bad days, the days where she is challenged with tough tasks, the days where they lock her up in the isolation room when she becomes to angry with everybody and everything, the days she overworks herself. It was all worth it for ballet.

The fluid, graceful movements were not only satisfactory to view with one's eyes but to also partake in and do herself. Every movement felt like flowing free, away from every single problem that the world threw in Avery's way. The moment she danced everything else that spun around in her tiny brain came to a precise halt and her thoughts no longer consumed her whole. It was as if she suddenly became invisible to everybody but herself, no other feeling could ever possibly compare to it.

As soon as the young girl had entered the ballet hall she made her way over to an abandoned corner in order to stay as far away as possible from everybody. There was no such things as friends in the red room only acquaintances and she didn't seem to exceed at having any. While she sat herself down on the polished floor to put her pointe shoes on the rest of the girls stayed huddled in small groups while putting on their ballet slippers.

It didn't matter that the others had people who they could talk to, it didn't matter that the others had acquaintances when she didn't because she would succeed to a high extent in ballet while they're still only learning the basics. She is already better than they could ever be, Madame Popova had even told her this many times.

She didn't need anybody but herself to succeed.

The girl started to tie the ribbons of her pointe shoes securely around the arch of her feet like many times before, it was common nature to her now. While the two girls who she had been trailing behind earlier approached closer to where Avery sat while trying to hold back fits of giggles. Avery gave no mind to these two figures as she was used to this. The girls always made fun of her no matter what it may be about, her ballet, her lack of hacking skills, what ever you could name they would probably pick on her about.

At first when the teasing and making fun of her had started Avery would immediately become frustrated and lash out at the people who did it, many girls ended up either gaining small injures or getting called very disrespectful names by her which she always ended up regretting after her little episodes but never showed this as there's no room for empathy when you are a widow in training.

She's improved a lot over the past few years and now she had mastered the ability of ignoring the individuals who try to bring her down though it doesn't mean that while trying to tie her pointe shoes that she didn't do it a big more aggressively then needed in order to suppress her anger.

The moment Avery finished putting her pointe shoes on Madame Popova had clapped her hands together vastly in order to get everyone's attention. "Everybody in a straight line now!" She barked strictly.

All the young girls flooded around the hall in a hurry until they eventually had got into a line that was as straight as a tightrope stretched taut. Each tiny ballerina stood in croisé, at a ninety degree angle with their heads high in order to seem poised and comptent.

Madame Popova slowly made her way across the line with her hands clasped firmly behind her back with a whip contained in her grasp. She viewed every girl as if they were a mannequin on display, porcelain dolls that could be easily broken with the right amount of damage.

When the intimidating instructor had gotten to where Avery stood in croisé, Avery had made sure to raise her head even higher than it already had been, her chin now practically was aligned with the upper wall. Madame Popova stopped and trailed her sharp irises over the blond for a moment before giving a nod of approval and moving along to the next person.

Eventually the woman had completed her inspection and moved to the middle of the room so that each and every girl could see her in full view. "Vera. five pirouettes" she demanded to a young girl apart of the group called Vera who had jet black hair and was quite tall for the age of seven.

The girl gulped a little before placing herself into the middle of the hall and prepared herself to hopefully complete five perfect pirouettes. The rest of the young widows watched in anticipation expect Avery who knew that Vera wouldn't be successful. Avery observed the rest of her classmates a lot due to how isolated she was from everybody else. Only yesterday she had been watching Vera practice over and over again to complete more than one pirouette and she could never do it no matter how many attempts she had partaken in.

Vera had shakily tried to complete the pirouettes but as soon as she had turned halfway in her first pirouette she lost her balance and fell with a loud thud to the floor. A few girls gasped knowing what this meant while others looked down at their own two feet not wanting to watch.

The only girl there that had watched with no intention of looking away or closing her eyes was Avery. She had stared with a blank stare as Vera was whipped with Madame Popova's whip five times for the five pirouettes she did not manage to complete. Avery was so use to that whip being used on her that it wasn't hard to watch anymore like it had first been when she was younger.

The jet black haired girl now had tears rolling down her cheeks once the punishment was over and Madame Popova scoffed at the girls reaction "Pathetic. Widows do not cry" she muttered, her thick Russian accent snapping through.

Even though Avery stared at the situation ahead of her as if she didn't give any care to what had just happened, she secretly cared a lot. She felt bad for her classmate as she wouldn't be used to the whip like she was. Avery remembered the first time that the whip was used on her as a form of punishment and even though she hadn't cried it had stung so much that she had found it harder to breathe than usual which she had later learned had been from a panic attack and she had only been five at the time.

There was nothing Avery could possibly do to help Vera though, she would have to deal with the aftermath of her punishment on her own. Nobody was ever there for her when she was punished so she doesn't believe that anybody would be there for Vera either.

After Vera had returned back to her spot in the line while wiping away at a few tears, more girls were called upon to do different movements. Some had been successful and had received praise while others had failed and were met with the whip as a form of punishment.

Avery was not called upon but she knew this had been because these moves that everybody  had been asked to do was to simple for her and that she had already perfected them all so there had been no real point in her participating. Though she never let her guard down because her ballet instructor was simply full of surprises and she could be called upon at any given moment.

Avery had ended up being correct in keeping her guard up because a few moments after one of her classmates had completed a flawless arabesque Madame Popova had then called upon her. "Avery you may now demonstrate the combo you have learned this past week for the other girls"

The blond stepped out of the line with boldness in her steps. She had this in the bag. She had done this combination a various of times now that it was practically engraved into her mind like a collection of photographs.

She started off powerfully. Firstly she completed five graceful pirouettes unlike Vera then commenced into a few chaînés which she executed with ease. Next she did around three changements then balanced herself into an arabesque. To finish the combination off she moved into some piqués though on the last piqué she slightly stumbled and fell out of it.

Her breathing suddenly paced up a little at the realisation at what she had just done. She was supposed to be good at this, she was supposed to be the best how did she fall out of her piqué that she's been practicing for a whole week?

She held out her arm slightly as she waited to be whipped for what she had just done, she had embarrassed herself in front of everybody. Though no whip ever came in contact with her skin which provoked her to look in her instructors direction in confusion.

Madame Popova's arms were folded tightly towards her chest as she looked down upon Avery with no intrigue at all. "What a disappointment" was all she spoke, making her statement clear for everybody in the ballet hall to hear.

Avery couldn't let her instructor believe such things about her. She could do better, would do better. She needed to attempt the combination again. "I'll do it again. I can do better" she declared, her tone full of assurance.

Madame Popova shook her head slightly at this. "You only get one chance in life and you failed. You're a failure"

This infuriated Avery. She was not a failure. She could do everything and more than anybody else in the room could do and she would prove it. Once again she began to do the combination even though she was not supposed to. Her movements had ended up being completely sloppy and ungraceful due to her angered state and eventually she had fell right onto the ground harshly.

All the ballerinas watched silently, some having to contain their laughter at how much Avery had humiliated herself. Meanwhile Madame Popova let out a sigh at how pathetic the seven year old behaved while signalling to the two guards stationed at the entrance of the hall to take her.

The two strong builded guards quickly paced over to the girl and each grabbed her harshly by one of her arms without any hesitation. Avery could feel their grip ripping into her skin as pain radiated through her arms. She screamed at them to let her go many times while her legs flailed with her attempts to kick at them but she was not in any right mindset at all to fight anybody off.

The guards dragged her across the floor as she continued to kick and scream relentlessly though as soon as she realised they had passed the isolation room where she would usually be placed into during times like these, her anger turned into utter perplexity. Where are they taking her?

It wasn't until they were right outside a certain office that she realised where they were taking her. She was being taken to General Dreykov's office.

This immediately made Avery straighten up in fear. She had to make a good impression on General Dreykov or else she would be in an immediate amount of trouble. The last time she had gotten in trouble with Dreykov things definitely didn't end well.

She was dragged into Dreykov's office and the first thing she saw after standing herself up back on her own two feet was the man who ran the whole entire red room himself, Dreykov. He sat perched up at his desk. His black rimmed glasses added onto the coldness in his eyes while his round figure was leant back against the desk's chair in a relaxed manner.

Avery, without a second thought poised herself into a self-asserted form just like how she had in ballet class though excluding the croisé posture. Dreykov looked the seven year old up and down a couple of times before asserting his gaze to the two guards looking for somewhat of an explanation as to why they had brought her here.

One of the guards began to explain, a hint of trepidation evident in their tone. "You informed us that if she were to act up again then to bring her to you"

Dreykov gave another glance to Avery who stayed exactly in the same stance not moving an inch while staying completely silent. He then brought his sight back to the guards "she caused a scene again?" His thick Russian accent questioned.

The guard who had given the explanation nodded firmly to his question.

Dreykov let out a hefty tut. "What a shame, she had been a good asset when not throwing temper tantrums"

The guard who had yet to speak took a small, unsure step forward. "What should we do with her general?" They asked.

Dreykov let his gaze linger darkly on Avery.

"Exterminate her"

—✿—

MADDIE TALKS!!

Okay first of all the first chapter is complete!! Avery is so interesting to write especially since she's currently on the more younger side. She really challenges me because I have to put myself into a seven year olds mindset.

Second of all I am NOT a ballet expert so my use of these ballet terms may be incorrect and if they are I'm sorry please correct me 😫

Also I hated having to write Avery on pointe because she's only a baby and no seven year old should ever be wearing pointe shoes :( though it's relevant for the story.

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!