Eternal Winter

X: Tribulation

December ?? 2025

Area Unknown

Natasha leaned against the rough cement wall, the smell of sewer water accompanied her throughout the empty days.

She shivered as she huddled into the corner of her space, her breath fogging up in front of her.

Natasha does not remember how warmth felt on her skin, on her heart.

It has been about four days since their abduction, and four days since she laid her forest on his sky.

The door moaned, sending chills down her spine.

Trikov came in with a wicked grin on his face while chewing the last of his meal. He noticed her watching his mouth.

"Ah? Are you hungry?" His grin grew wider.

All she did was look at him with complete and utter disgust at his presence.

But she was hungry, more than hungry.

She was starving.

Natasha can feel the gnawing pain swelling in her stomach.

Trikov footed slowly towards her. She sat still, afraid of what is to come.

"You think I forgot about you. Didn't you?" He clicked his tongue.

He did not wait for a response. "Darling, how can I forget? I've been saving the best, for last."

The last few words felt like acid in her throat.

Without hesitation, he grabbed her by her neck and dragged her to a chair that was not there a second ago. A man in all black and a rifle stood near it.

Trikov placed her hands on the arms of the wooden chair and fasted a belt across them. Natasha observed the chair, it looked like one of those tranquilizer chairs they used in insane asylums.

No.

She tried to jerk free but she could not.

What was he going to do to her?

Natasha stared up at him, sheets of tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh love, this is just the beginning." It's like the devil stood in front of her.

He pulled down the lever and the shrieking commenced.

James head jolted up as he woke up from his uncalled sleep. The sound of Natasha screams made him into a wreck. He cried and yelled.

He could deal with his torture, but not Natasha's.

He could never deal with Natasha's.

Tears streamed down his face like rivers, he was shocked that he could even shed a tear since he has not had a sip of water in days.

James felt like this nightmare was never going to end.

Natasha choked on her screams. Electricity surged up her body and made her insides chard.

Nothing can express the pain that was smothering her.

She clenched on the wooden arms but even that did not help. Trikov pulled the lever back up. She sucked in the polluted air and closed her eyes. The sight of his face was like sticking her hands in a scorching oven.

He placed his fingers on a knob with numbers. She heard the hum of electricity get louder with every turn.

Another man came in with a brief case and a small table. He placed it on the table and opened it up.

Trikov began pulling out his weapons of torture. Natasha felt the metal hit the wood, she felt it in her bones.

"You see," He picked up a trident-shaped needle and sat in front of Natasha.

"I picked up a few torture methods from around the world." He raised the needle to the light.

"This is something of my own creation. I took of few pointers from some of my visits and turned it into one. Single. Weapon."

He pressed his needle on her face. Natasha could feel the chill of metal on her cheek. Trikov removed it from her cheek and pressed it on her wrist.

"These three little spikes, they pierce the three nerves on the left wrist."

His eyes gleamed with hunger. "Your left wrist."

A second later it pierced through her skin, she screamed in agony. Tears rushed down her face like waterfalls.

She bit down on her lips, trying to hold down the pain of her body shattering into millions of pieces. Like swallowing shards of uneven glass.

He pulled out the needle with a grim smile on his face. Trikov watched as the blood rushed out of her skin.

"Oh darling, I won't kill you." He snapped at his man behind him. The man responded by handing him gauge.

He placed it on Natasha's bleeding wrist. "I just want to hurt you and hurt the people you love."

He looked into her eyes, he watched them as the terror plagued her. Inside and out.

"James wasn't easy, but then I found the right buttons." He put the needle in a cloth on the table.

Natasha watched as her blood soaked into the white fabric. Her hand gripped around the gauge.

"Yours," He paused, looking down at the gauge that is now all red. He replaced it another. "Yours is harder."

Natasha turned her gaze to Trikov, her eyes suddenly blazing with new found energy.

"Harder?" She smirked.

He laughed. "Ah, the lady has spoken." His hands gripped on her legs, he leaned in. "I'll have to fix that."

He pulled out a needle and thread from his case.

She stood motionless, not showing any signs of fear.

Then the sound of falling men and arrows echoed outside the door. Trikov stood up, his men armed and ready to shoot.

Red light spilled from under the door, knocking out the men. Out of instinct, Trikov took a rifle from one of the unconscious men.

The door swung open and Trikov was glued to the wall seconds later.

Two people walked inside her room.

A man and a woman.

The brunette headed to Natasha while the man stood near the door, his bow up. Ready to kill at any cost.

"Long time no see, Natasha." Her Russian voice hung in the air around her.

"Wanda." She tilted her head towards the man. "Barton."