I should probably be devoting some of this creativity to my animation project. XD College profs. are not forgiving...and yet you all still get Ch. 10. XD I hope you enjoy it!
Uh oh.
"Talk?" Svetlana repeated, still twisting the ring. "…about what?" Alfred glanced at the ring, then up at the woman's face. She had brown hair, long, but tied back and wrapped up on her head. She had smooth, pale skin and…purple eyes? Alfred blinked. There were only a few people he knew with purple eyes…and they were all nations.
"Your father." Ivan continued. "Alexi Iconovitch." Svetlana stopped twirling the ring and adopted a guarded look.
"….you are from law enforcement, da?" Alfred started. 'Da'? Only Russia said 'Da'! "Looking for Bratva?" She frowned. Ivan nodded.
"We know about Trick Club. We were here for it." Svetlana sat back.
"Obviously…Beth's Pub closes after the broadcast." Alfred leaned forward on the edge of the table, speaking next.
"You know Nathan Cameron, don't you?" He could feel Ivan glaring at him for interrupting and changing the topic, but he shoved aside the automatic shiver and focused on Svetlana. The young woman smiled softly and nodded.
"Yes….I know Nathan." She began twisting the ring again. "I've been his manager for a while now…" Alfred glanced at the ring.
"And something else…?"
"….yes." Svetlana's thumb rubbed over the red stone on the ring - a class ring, Alfred now noticed. "It got complicated, a while back…" She looked up at Ivan. "You were about to ask my connections with Alexi Iconovitch?" She guessed. Ivan nodded. "I am his legal ward, and technical heir. To what, I do not wish to know." She snorted. "He is nothing but deceitful coward who hides behind those he sweet-talks into trouble." Alfred leaned back, a little surprised by the venom in the young woman's voice.
"Alexi tricks people only looking for thrills and fun into paying him fees for sponsorship," Svetlana continued. "And then he makes sure they pay." Alfred glanced sidelong at Ivan, but the Russian seemed satisfied with this answer, so he spoke up.
"How did Nathan get involved in this?" Svetlana looked at him.
"…you are Jones, da?" She chuckled quietly. "Nathan has spoken highly of you. He does not make new friends that often." Her small smile faded. "He got involved the same as any other. He wanted to trick ride for fun, but…after few bad crashes…Alexi offered to pay repairs. Nathan agreed, and started riding again." Svetlana paused. "…this was before Nathan and I met. By that time, Nathan was already in debt. Pretty deep."
"Deeper than most?" Svetlana glanced at Ivan, somewhat suspiciously.
"…yes."
"That would require a countless amount of crashes. Nathan is only 18, da?"
"19." Svetlana narrowed her eyes, but Ivan kept his childish smile in place.
"To crash so often, and be so deep in debt, he would have some serious scaring, da?" Svetlana didn't answer. "Perhaps he would walk with limp? Yet he walks just fine." Ivan's smile widened just a little. "Or has he crashed many times over longer period?" Svetlana stiffened. Alfred glanced at Ivan.
"Dude, what're you doing?" He stage-whispered. Ivan just grinned.
"Alexi Iconovitch is not your real father, correct?" Svetlana's hands fell still, laying the ring on the tabletop.
"No." She replied quietly. "He is not. He adopted me, officially, in 2000." Ivan's smile seemed to shift into a devious smirk.
"My sources say you have not aged much at all since 1959." Svetlana froze, and Alfred looked at Ivan incredulously.
"Okay, WHAT are you talking about, crazy commie?"
"Yes," Svetlana added. "Do explain." Ivan grinned.
"Okay. In 1890, I got lonely, so I had affair with Russian woman. It only lasted one night, and I have not seen her since, but when I got Miss Iconovitch's file, I got curious, so I looked up that woman and traced her family tree. She never got married, but she had one daughter." Ivan paused, letting that information sink in. He watched as first Svetlana understood his story, and (several minutes later) Alfred. The childish smile widened.
"Let us start over, da?" He held out his large hand. "Hello Svetlana, I believe I am your father."
When the limousine finally stopped, so had the snow. It had built up to at least six inches, and the wind was still blowing when the men opened the doors and assisted (dragged) Nathan out into the cold. They ignored his yelps of pain and escorted (dragged) the young man into what had been, at some point in the past, a roadside gas station. Now, the pumps were gone, the store was gutted, and most of the windows were boarded shut.
Nathan was escorted (dragged) underneath the overhang that had once sheltered refueling cars, and was released (tossed) ahead of the two men. "Wait here." One of them ordered. "Mr. Iconovitch will be out momentarily." The two men turned and walked into the board up store portion of the station. Nathan looked around, putting all his weight on his right leg, as he was sure his left wouldn't hold him up. He watched the flatbed pull in on the other side of the station and unload his bike. It still looked drivable, so if he survived this meeting, he could still drive home…
At least the cold was numbing his broken limbs.
"Ah, Mr. Cameron!" A smooth voice called out. "So good to see you again." Nathan cringed, but slowly inched his way around to face Alexi Iconovitch. The man was about Nathan's height, with salt-and-pepper hair, dark stubble on his chin, and a stocky body. He smiled, and Nathan cringed, both for the thinly-veiled malice and the tobacco stained enamel. "I trust you have $3500, as agreed."
"Um….y-yeah…ah….about that…I….I need another day….or…two…" Alexi dropped his smile and 'tsked', walking forward through the light snow dusting the wind had blown beneath the overhang.
"Nathan, Nathan…" He shook his head, and patted the young man on the back much harder than necessary. "You know I do not like to wait."
"I-it's not like that!" Nathan protested, trying to remedy a situation he'd already obviously soured. "I have $3000, I-I just need a little more time to get the last $500…" He unzipped his jacket awkwardly, pain lacing every movement as he reached inside and pulled a wad of cash from an inner pocket. "I-I swear I can get it…." Alexi reached up and plucked the money from Nathan's hand. He held it up, as if examining it, all the while holding Nathan in a friendly one-armed hug that did a remarkable imitation of a chokehold.
"You say you need more time, da?" Nathan nodded miserably, already watching his chances of success freefalling. Alexi sighed as he slipped the money into an inner pocket of his own jacket. "Alright." Nathan's mind ground to a halt.
"Wha'?"
"You may have your extra time." Alexi released Nathan and patted his cheek in a frightening impersonation of a friendly gesture. "How does three days sound?"
"F-fantastic…" Nathan squeaked, unsure if this were a good or bad thing. Alexi turned and walked back toward the boarded up store, where four of his henchmen were waiting, fanned out in a semi-circle.
"You are one of my best riders," Alexi called over his shoulder. "People never think you will win, so they bet against you, and then lose big when you score highest for your crazy tricks." The mobster chuckled. "I know you are reliable…if not a little immature." Nathan wisely held his tongue on that remark. "However…." Alexi stopped in front of the doors and turned around. "I cannot be having you think you can get away with extra time again." He snapped his fingers, and his four men moved forward.
"You may have your three days….but consider this a warning, Nathan Cameron. You will not be given more."
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Alfred threw up his hands in frustration. "YOU have a KID?"
"It is true." Ivan smiled. "Even I did not know until now."
"But…but…" Alfred floundered. "I didn't even know we could HAVE kids!"
"Not so loud, Jones." Ivan warned. "There are still eyes watching." Alfred glanced behind them and noticed the bartender, paused in mid-swipe of a dirty rag across the counter. The woman looked away quickly once caught, and Alfred frowned.
"….why don't we take this outside?" Ivan nodded.
"Smart, for once." Svetlana slid out from behind the table and stood up, straightening her coat.
"We can talk in the extra parking area….they do not place cameras beyond the front door." The young woman led the way out onto the snow-covered street, then across to the now empty parking lot, where they stopped just beyond the glow of the dim street lights. Svetlana crossed her arms against the cold, looking up at Ivan, who seemed nonplused with the weather, despite his bare arms.
"So…you are different, too, da?" She guessed. "You heal quickly? You live long? You cannot die?" Ivan nodded.
"I personify the nation of Russia. I would not be surprised if you do not personify some part of my country, as well." Svetlana didn't answer right away.
"…I assume you did not look for my mother after that night?"
"Nyet. There was no reason to. We were both lonely, and kept each other's company for a long, cold night. After that, we parted our ways."
"And yet here I am." Svetlana smirked mirthlessly. "You never even thought this might happen?" Ivan shrugged.
"I had spent a lot of time with a vodka cellar. My head was not clear." Outside this conversation Alfred's mind was spinning. Ivan had a kid? Russia - psychotic Russia! - had a kid? With a human? Wait…if Russia could have a kid with a human….then…..
Alfred's eyes widened. Uh oh. Ivan wasn't the only one who'd slept around. What if he….? But how would he find-…..wait….several details began to click in Alfred's head. The similarities…the dog tags he wore for good luck…..the faded name patch on the jacket he thought he'd lost long ago….
"Where's Nathan now?" Svetlana and Ivan looked at Alfred, the prior a little surprised by the seriousness of his tone.
"…probably with Alexi." She replied. "There is old gas station where he brings his riders when they need to play…" She shivered, though not for the cold. Things happen there that should not be legal. I-….I can take you there," She offered. "He has brought me there before. I think I can remember the way." Ivan and Alfred shared a look.
"I was dropped off." Ivan replied. "You shall drive, Jones." Alfred was already pulling his keys from his pocket.
"Black Sedan. Get in and buckle up."
Three segments this time, but longer ones. ^_^ Cliffhangers and Determined!Alfred abound! I'm always worried about how I write my villains...is Alexi Iconovitch believable?
1) Rain Karami - Yes. Yes she is. XD I'd say Russia was pretty blunt about it, wouldn't you?
2) Sile Authoress - Thanks for catching that! Even when I'm sick, I should still use Spell Check...
3) Triangular Prism and LuckyNumbers - Shockingly, England only has one kid. XD But considering her personality, one is plenty!