The Orphan
An MCU Fanfiction
By Anastacia Lynn
Chapter Four
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that are copyrighted by Marvel/Disney. I do own Yekaterina (Trina) Savinkoff-Stark.
As memo before you start reading: I have no idea how speak or write in any eastern languages. So any time you see italic writing in double quotation marks, it means the speaker isn't speaking English. I will tell you what language they're speaking, as well. Hopefully soon I'll be able to type in another language. As an added remark, italic in single quotation marks is thinking.
Trina sat and watched Yinsen teach Stark how to play backgammon. She had no desire to learn the game for herself.
"Good roll," Yinsen commented when Stark dropped the dice on the board. "Good roll."
"You still haven't told me where you're from," Stark said to Yinsen.
"I'm from a small town called Gulmira," replied Yinsen. "It's actually a nice place."
"Got a family?"
"Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you Stark?"
Stark looked away with a mumbled, "No."
"No? So you're a man who has everything and nothing."
Both men looked over at Trina.
"I told you, I'm from Sokovia, and both my parents are dead," remarked Trina. She didn't want to discuss her family. She could barely remember them and Yelizabeta… No, she wouldn't talk about her.
"You didn't have any other family?" Yinsen inquired.
"I had a sister," replied Trina. "She is dead, too."
Trina then went back to her corner, signally she refused to talk any more.
Memories of Yelizabeta still haunted Trina. Trina knew rationally that her twin's death wasn't her fault but that didn't stop the guilt. The wish to have done something, anything different and to not have her sister's death on her conscience was still as strong now as it was four years ago.
The look of horror in Yelizabeta's eyes as the knife slid across her throat. The blood flowing from the fresh wound and Yekaterina pulling at the straps that held her to the chair and forced her to watch as the life left Yelizabeta's eyes.
Trina shook her head to clear the memories. Her sister's death was why she didn't fear dying; at least she would be with her sister then.
Stark and Yinsen worked to make each part of the armor, with Trina running around as their gofer. Sparks flew as the two men welded components and Trina often had to wear safety goggles, as requested by both men. In this way, weeks passed, getting them closer to escaping their captivity.
Trina, however, was concerned. She could sense the emotions of the men outside and they were growing impatient and angry. Soon watching the captives from the cameras wouldn't be enough. If these militants caught on the entire plan was ruined.
That day came almost three months into Stark's captivity. The men came into the room, shouting in multiple eastern dialects and holding their guns to the three captives. The three prisoners responded by placing their hands on top of their heads.
"Relax," said a new man who seemed to hold more authority than the others, including Abu. His name was Raza, and Stark was surprised the man spoke English.
Raza walked up to Stark and examined the arc reactor. "The bow and arrow," Raza began, "was once the pinnacle of weapons technology. It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire." While he stated this history lesson, Raza walked around the room examining everything that Stark and the other two had been working on. "But today," Raza continued, while picking up and examining Stark's weapon sketches, "whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands. And soon it will be my turn."
Raza walked back over to Stark before looking down at the girl who had moved to stand next to Stark. "We should have killed you, months ago. I guess we'll take care of that now." Raza turned to one of his men and in Pashto said, "Shoot her"
The unnamed man grabbed Trina in order to do what he was told, but he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of panic. It felt like his heart was racing and he immediately broke into a cold sweat. He then started screaming in panicked Urdu.
This caused Raza to order the man to be shot himself. Before Raza could order another man to do what the first man couldn't, but then Stark spoke up. "Could you let her live a little longer? She's a good runner and does what she's told without talking back."
Trina didn't like what Stark said, but knew from his emotions that he didn't mean the words to be as condescending as they sounded. He was trying to prolong Trina's life. But why? The man barely knew her, so why was he trying to keep her safe?
Nodding, Raza once more looked at Stark staring right into the other man's eye. "Why have you failed me," Raza said in Pashto, suddenly turning to look at Yinsen.
"We're working," Yinsen replied in Pashto. "Diligently."
"I let you live. This is how you repay me?"
"It's very complex. He's trying very hard."
"On his knees," Raza ordered, and his men quickly forced Yinsen to his knees. "You think me a fool?" He turned around and, using the blacksmith tongs, grabbed a piece of metal and heated it to red hot. "I'll get the truth."
"We're both working," Yinsen insisted.
Raza brought the red-hot piece of metal over to where Yinsen was being held down. "Open your mouth," Raza commanded.
"What does he want?" Stark asked, not understanding what's happening at first.
"You think I am a fool?" Raza asked, as he continued to question Yinsen. "What's going on? Tell me the truth."
"He's building your Jericho," assured Yinsen.
"Tell me the truth!"
"He's building your Jericho."
"TELL ME THE TRUTH!"
"He's building your Jericho."
"What do you want?" Stark asked. "A delivery date?" He stepped forward and the militants began shouting and pointing their guns at him. "I need him. Him and the kid, they make good assistants."
Raza dropped the piece of metal and it landed inches from Yinsen's face. "You have until tomorrow to assemble my missile." With that said Raza tossed the tongs away and leaves with his men in tow.
With their captures once again out of sight, Stark began working with a renewed sense of purpose. Trina could sense the man's determination to see the three of them free of this prison. She was still wondering why he saved her, though. She was certain he could still continue his plan without her. Yinsen was far more useful than Trina. Her experience with people, so far, was that they were mostly self-serving and didn't care about the lives of others. So why did Stark keep her from having another man try to shoot her.
Trina's own powers had caused the first man to have a fear induced panic attack and she was certain she could do it to any one of those men. That, however, was risky. She didn't want any of them to catch on to her abnormalities. She refused to be anyone's weapon.
The sound of metal hitting metal pulled Trina from her thoughts. Stark was using a blacksmith hammer to pound some metal into shape. What that shape was, only he knew.
Trina sat next to Yinsen as he worked in some more delicate wiring. Suddenly Stark set something on the table in front of them. It was the newly finished face plate for the armor. Trina knew that they would have to put all the parts together by tomorrow. Then they could make their escape.
Sorry for the long wait, but the rest of my life refuses to be put on hold.
I wasn't sure whether or not to include the flashback about Trina's twin. I asked five different people for advice and most of them agreed that it would be a good idea to give a glimpse in to Trina's past to show just what the organization is capable of. Some of you may already know who those people are, I did send their best assassin to acquire the twins. But, they weren't revealed to still be around till Cap 2. So, mum is the word. The twins were seven when Yelizabeta died.
For those who are confused about the term gofer: It's a person who runs errands. You know, go for this and go for that.
Also, neither Stark, Yinsen, or Trina know Raza's name. I just didn't want to keep calling him the bald bad guy. I learned his name on the MCU Wiki.