Sep — Roleplayer Guild

FORMER SOVIET PRISON // UNKNOWN LOCATION

1030HRS was yard time. Or rather, what used to be yard time. Steve hadn't been allowed in the yard since the summer of '85. As such at 1030HRS while everyone else went outside to enjoy the weather, Steve had the choice of retreating into the library or the gym. He and Alexei liked to alternate their days, technically speaking Alexei hadn't been banned from the yard. At this point, the guards couldn't be bothered to separate the two ageing super-soldiers. Walking into the empty gym Steve nodded at one of the guards, speaking in his broken attempt at Russian. <Good Afternoon Viktor. How are the mushrooms?>

The two guards looked at each other with a confused look on their faces, Alexei shrugged as Steve ran the words through his head again. Добрый день, Сержи. Как грибы? No, that wasn't right. He held up a finger to indicate to give him a second while he worked it out. <How are the kids? He put extra emphasis on the last word. 

Viktor nodded. "They are well, thanking you Mister Rogers." Steve nodded, guiding Alexei deeper into the gym.

"I do not see why you feel the need to do that." The old man croaked as he sat on the bench beside Steves. Steve merely smiled as he walked around the bench setting up the weights. An easy 1000lbs to warm up.

"Viktor, and many of the guards here now have only ever been good to me-" Alexei nodded.

"Many of the old resentments and prejudices seem to be gone."

Steve lay down on the cold hard bench, a familiar sensation. He pushed the bar off its rest, lowering it slowly allowing the blood to start pumping. "And yet-" he grunted as he pushed the bar back up into the air, holding it for a couple of seconds before letting it come back towards his chest. "-new ones seem to rise to replace them."

Alexei watched on, his head bobbing up and down with the bar to count the reps. "Do you really think our two countries could become allies. Resentment runs deep."

Steve smirked as he finished his set and put the bar back at rest, swinging his legs around till he was seated on the stool. "The two of us managed it, old friend."

Alexei chuckled. "I do not think our shared experiences are exchangeable."

That was probably true, Steves expression went distant as he thought back to the cold nights. To the torture, and the experimentation. He had been tested before, but what he was subjected too here -

Steve shook his head bringing himself back to the present. "How is your French Alexei?"

Alexei raised an eyebrow, then replied in French. <About as good as it was last time.>

How is your French was a code the two of them had developed for when they wanted to talk without anyone else knowing what they were saying. Yes, they ran the risk of anything they said being translated however for the very rare occasions where Steve and Alexei spoke in French to keep secrets, they spoke in French twice as often to discuss mundane things like the weather and the food. <Excellent. It is lovely weather we're having today, it's a shame I won't get to go out into the yard.>

<I am looking forward to it later while on work-duty.>

Steve nodded as he lay back down for another set. <You are cutting logs, correct?>

Alexei nodded. <Yes, we stack them in the North West corner to dry out in time for winter.> Steve nodded. <Five more reps.> Steve could feel the heat rising as his body started to work, he could easily handle more weight. The issue was the bar didn't have the space for much more.

<You do a good job with the logs, plenty to keep us warm in the harshest winter.>

<So why now?

Steve sat up after his last rep and raised an eyebrow. <What do you mean?>

<You know exactly what I mean. Why, now?>

Steve merely shrugged. <I see an opportunity.>

<And the fire?>

A boyish grin crossed the old soldier's face. <Promise you won't call me mad?>

<No.>

Steve laughed and then shrugged his shoulders. <I have tried breaking out myself several times->

<Many times.>

He nodded at the correction. <Fine. Many times, but I'm still here.> He leaned in closer to Alexei. <It's time to think outside of the box.>

They both looked up as they heard a commotion at the door. The guards saluted as a man in a red outfit walked in. White belt around his waist, a white star in his chest and his cowl had three white stripes atop it. In his left hand was a red shield. Very little while in prison angered Steve as much as seeing his shield repainted, and carried around by his captors. 

Steve stood up, standing as tall as he possibly could. Alexei stayed seated, his back to his younger replacement. "Greetings comrades! I am Nikolai Krylenko, the Red Guardian."

"For now...

Both Steve and Nikolai snapped too the old man sat atop his bench. "Excuse me?"

Alexei stood up and turned to the young Red Guardian. "How long did they give you?"

"I do not understand what you mean-"

"Don't pay any attention to-"

"How long did they tell you the serum would last for?" He indicated to himself, and his frail old bones. "I am not so old as you think." Without another word, the former Red Guardian barged his way passed. When the guards attempted to step in his way to prevent his escape, Nikolai just waved them off. Trying to appear unphased, and unrattled by Alexeis comment.

If the moment hadn't been so serious, Steve may have smiled. The old dog was cunning he had to give him that, getting in Nikolais head. Filling him with doubts over the serum. Nikolai was well into his eighties now, and while frailty was starting to catch up with him he could probably still take out any single one of the guards here without breaking much of a sweat. 

Steve cleared his throat and offered the costumed soldier his hand. "Steve Rogers-" They shook hands, Steve not reacting as Nikolai attempted squeezing his hand as tight as possible. "-shall we get started?"
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