"Ivan?"
Ivan jolted from his seat, the magic fading away from the corners of his mind. He groaned, shaking his head. He could already feel the headache coming on…Anyone that knew him closely knew not to interrupt him when he was studying. And hardly anyone that wasn't his friend really talked to him. So who…
Ivan glanced up and found that it was none other than Natalia who stood over him as he sat at a table, his books in front of him.
"Yes?" Ivan sighed irritably. He checked the time on his phone and discovered that he had plenty of time left for class, so there really was no good reason for his sister to talk to him. But he couldn't really get mad at her, she was his sister after all. He disregarded what looked like a couple missed calls to look up at her.
"I really am sorry for interrupting you," Natalia said carefully and Ivan frowned. She wasn't acting like her usual self…what had happened? "Sister called me, she's been trying to reach you for quite a while."
"Yes, and what does she want to talk to me about?" Ivan asked carefully. Katyusha hardly ever called him, unless it was urgent.
"She heard some news about the Detainment Center that happened last night, did you hear?" Natalia asked, sitting down beside him. "I hadn't heard from you since yesterday, either, so I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"What happened?" Ivan pressed. His blood ran cold, thinking it might have something to do with The Dictator. He inwardly cursed himself. What if he had done something to someone else that wasn't as compliant as he was? And Ivan hadn't told anyone he passed about it, it would be his fault if anyone actually got hurt.
"They're not releasing a lot of news," Natalia grumbled as Ivan started to feel butterflies swarm in his stomach. If something bad had happened…oh God, he'd only been working there two days for crying out loud! "But reporters said that there was some kind of explosion underground, it caused a small earthquake around the Center. You weren't there?"
"No, I must have left before it happened," Ivan shook his head. He steadied his trembling hands…if this was his fault…what would he do? "Was anyone hurt?"
"The Detainment Center was quick to affirm that," Natalia shook her head grimly. "They didn't say where it occurred, but an explosion? Underground? It had to be The Dictator, right?"
"I can't tell you that," Ivan shook his head. He was strictly forbidden from talking about The Dictator's location, as some people would attempt to free him or try to kill him, the possibilities were endless, really. But if it was underground…it had to be something to do with The Dictator.
"Fine," Natalia squared her shoulders.
"You're sure no one was hurt?" Ivan asked.
"Well, they could be lying," Natalia sniffed. "But you're fine, that's all I needed to check on, for both sister and I."
"Thank you for telling me," Ivan nodded, taking hold of her hand with a smile. "I know the people that work there, it's good to know that they're most likely safe. And there's no other news at all?"
"No," Natalia shook her head.
"Good, anyone escaping the Detainment Center at all would be bad news," Ivan nodded, looking at his books. He had plenty of time before class, but focusing enough for studying was out of the question. He would wind up just sitting there and thinking, wondering if this had something to do with The Dictator, if there was some way he could have prevented this. "If you excuse me, I need to return these and go to class."
Natalia raised a brow at that. Of course she knew Ivan's schedule. Regardless, she could understand when Ivan really needed alone time. She also had this impeccable sense to tell when Ivan didn't need to be alone, rather needed someone with him. In that case, it was impossible to get her to leave his side.
"Right, of course," Natalia nodded, standing up. "You should tell sister that you're okay."
"Of course," Ivan nodded, gathering his books before walking off into the stacks. He stopped when he was just out of Natalia's vision, letting out a long sigh. So something had happened at the Detainment Center…nothing had happened there for…decades. They had no mess ups, they couldn't afford to have any, considering who they kept inside. Ivan worried his lip, holding the books closer to his chest.
There was no way he could focus on any of his classes throughout the day, luckily there were no tests scheduled or he would have a problem. A large part of him wanted to skip his remaining classes to go to the Center, but he couldn't afford to make it look like he was…desperate. After all, he never skipped his classes. That would be strange…
Ivan groaned, looking around the stacks to make sure no one was looking at him strangely. Okay…so…he would just have to be patient, maybe come to his shift early to see if he had the luck of seeing someone. Chances were, they were going to talk to him about what happened, especially if it had something to do with The Dictator. He had to stay updated if he was to work there at all…
So Ivan would just have to wait until he went to work…Well, that was going to be torture.
A thought made a chill go up as spine as he returned to first book to its rightful place. All considering, would The Dictator be able to speak with him again? But why would Ivan care about that at all? This wasn't his concern…In fact, The Dictator shouldn't be speaking with him at all and he should have reported it the second it happened.
So why didn't he?
Ivan tried to swallow his nerves as he walked, a little too quickly into the Detainment Center. Really, he was terribly nervous. He'd dropped his coffee earlier today when he tried to study the old fashioned way, which was terribly embarrassing, but he tried to get past that. There was also the fact that he really hadn't paid attention in any of his classes so he would have to study even more on his free time to make up for that loss of information. He hoped he'd be able to make it up, at least.
When he walked into the Detainment Center, he felt the butterflies in his stomach return with a vengeance and he hoped that he would be able to make it through this well enough. Immediately upon walking inside, however, he noticed Arthur and Francis at the front desk. Ivan's eyes widened at the sight of scars across Francis' face and hands. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he walked up to them.
The two were in the middle of a discussion that seemed to border on an argument, but they immediately quieted once Arthur took in Ivan's presence. They straightened up to turn towards him.
"I'm sure you've heard the news by now?" Arthur asked with a heavy sigh. He looked like he hadn't slept, which he probably hadn't, all considering.
"Yes," Ivan said carefully. "Did it have to do with The Dictator?"
"In a way, yes," Arthur scoffed, turning to glare at Francis' who put his hands up in surrender. "We've had quite the time shooing away the paparazzi, and they're gone for now. Come with us, we have something to show you before your shift starts."
"So nothing changes for me?" Ivan asked curiously as they both started for the elevator. He followed them closely. "But something happened."
"It was a technical failure of some kind," Arthur scoffed. "It happened while Francis was attempting to mess with the machines."
"I wasn't messing," Francis scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I was looking into them, I didn't do anything!"
"Luckily both he and Lovino were downstairs to keep the damn thing running," Arthur scoffed. "We've managed to fix it, but we can't afford to tell the public that something happened to nearly lead to The Dictator's release, so you aren't allowed to tell anyone, am I clear?"
"Crystal," Ivan nodded as they all entered the elevator and it began its descent.
"Due to the malfunction, we've installed a few new features, just to make sure that nothing like this happens again," Francis said. "We've enhanced the spell holding him captive, made it even more complex so that the chances of it failing increase."
"At the same time, wouldn't it make it more complex to recreate should he escape?" Ivan asked carefully.
"We've considered the risks," Arthur scoffed. "He hasn't showed any signs of escaping yet, which means the chances of him doing so on his own are slim. Why? Are you starting to get paranoid now?"
"No," Ivan shook his head. "Just covering all of the bases."
"Well, we need to give you some information just in case another failure does occur, which is unlikely," Francis said simply as the doors to the elevator opened. Ivan nodded as he followed them through the familiar corridor. Nothing seemed out of place, which meant that they must have cleaned up quickly.
"Of course," Ivan nodded. "Out of curiosity, what happened to Lovino? Was he harmed?"
"No, he's fine," Arthur shook his head. "Sadly, we can't afford that any of our guards take a day off, so he'll be working later today, but that's not anything you need to worry about. Just a few scrapes from the explosion. He got of far easier than Francis."
"You just love seeing me covered in scars, don't you?" Francis rolled his eyes as he opened the door. "If you don't mind staying out here, my dear?"
"I am not your anything," Arthur rolled his eyes as Ivan followed Francis inside. This was curious, considering a maximum of two guards could enter the room, but they did have their reasons to it…
"Ah, hello!" Antonio smiled, peeking out from the other side of The Dictator, who hadn't so much as moved since the last time Ivan had seen him. That was always a good sign… "You must be that student, the new guy!"
"Yes," Ivan nodded, focusing on Francis again. Antonio, after all, had to focus on his job. Not on Ivan and Francis.
"I think your invention is cool," Antonio chimed. "No matter what Arthur says."
"You are too kind," Francis grinned, walking to the platform with Ivan in tow. "Now," he turned to Ivan, "nothing really has changed, this still acts as it normally would and the machines will continue to produce the spell with your help. What I have added here, just in case another incident occurs is what happens when you place your hand on the platform a second time in the same day."
Ivan nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw The Dictator appear just on the other side of the platform, looking at Francis intently, and with a small smile. Ivan gaped at him and The Dictator sent him a sly wink.
"Gold star if you don't tell anyone," The Dictator smirked and Ivan stood stock still, trying to look like he was paying attention to Francis. The Dictator was only in his head, so no one would be able to see him. And Antonio was just humming to himself, leaning against a wall and staring at the floating Dictator in the center of the room.
"And with using that spell comes a series of defenses that the machines should bring up," Francis continued on like nothing was wrong. Ivan bit his lip. Now would be the time to tell him what he was seeing, if there was any time. But…the words refused to rise to Ivan's throat as he watched The Dictator take in Francis' presence with interest. "There's enough magic already in here so it shouldn't take up a lot of your magic. You'll be free to use any kind of spells to defend yourself. Do you understand?"
"Y-Yes, I understand," Ivan nodded. The Dictator's smirk only grew as he watched them in interest.
"Now, when you have your magic in the system for regular guarding, you shouldn't feel much of a difference," Francis continued as The Dictator listened closely. "The spell grew more complex, but it's using the same amount of power, so it shouldn't affect you on a regular basis. Now, as long as nothing tries to explode again, we should be fine. Do you have any questions?"
"No," Ivan shook his head numbly.
"Wonderful," Francis smiled, patting Ivan's shoulder. "It's been nice getting to know you, aside from our little run-in yesterday. I look forward to getting to know you better, Ivan."
"You as well," Ivan nodded, numbly placing his hand on the platform and feeling the familiar pull of his magic once again.
"Awesome!" Antonio laughed and left with Francis, just about to tell him a joke of some sort. Ivan let out a long sigh when he was finally left alone. Well…mostly alone…
"Wow, gold star for you," The Dictator laughed and Ivan glared at him. "You know, I half expected you to have the guts to say something, turns out I was wrong."
"Did you cause the accident yesterday?" Ivan asked seriously.
"Oooh! You're trying to be intimidating now?" The Dictator smirked. "I'm terrified, can't you tell? I'm shaking in my fucking boots."
"Did you?" Ivan asked.
"No," The Dictator shrugged. "It was some short that was a long time coming, I guess. I dunno. Got so close to being able to wiggle my toes!"
"I see you've gotten more comfortable with our way of speaking," Ivan scoffed and moved away from the platform. The Dictator eagerly followed him.
"It's not so hard once you get used to it," The Dictator shrugged.
"Have you shown yourself to the others?" Ivan asked curiously.
The Dictator smirked, leaning close to him. "I've looked into the minds of everyone that's been guarding me. I find it quite the compliment that you have so many people watching over me, really. But you're the only one with a mindset that assures me you won't tell anyone."
"And if I do?" Ivan asked.
"I'll be surprised," The Dictator shrugged. "And you'll probably find a way to shut me back up inside my head. But I know you won't do it."
"Why not?" Ivan asked.
"Because you haven't done anything yet," The Dictator laughed. "Come on, man, I've been inside your head. I might not know a lot of your memories, but I know enough about personality, what you will and won't do."
"Fine," Ivan sighed, letting the topic drop for now. "So then what's the point of this? We proved yesterday that you're not getting out."
"I wouldn't say that," The Dictator laughed, turning to walk and look at his suspended body with a frown, like he was almost sad about it. "I'm just coming up with another plan. I've got plenty of time. I can't use magic yet, but who knows what'll happen once I get even more wriggle room?"
"At least give me your name," Ivan sighed and The Dictator looked at him in interest. "You know mine, it's only fair. Most information about you has been lost to history."
"Fine," The Dictator nodded. "But, in return, I'm asking for a favor." Ivan raised a brow. "I looked…hard…through your memories for her, but I couldn't find her. So I want you to try as hard as you can to find any information on Amelia Jones, you got that?"
"Why?" Ivan asked.
"It matters to me, okay?" The Dictator shrugged. "We got a deal or not? It's harmless information, I swear. I just…need to know."
"Fine," Ivan nodded and The Dictator smiled widely. "Your name?"
"Alfred," The Dictator supplied happily. "Honestly, I'm a little offended that my name got lost. As famous as I am, how could you guys forget my name? It's not that hard."
"Remembering your name gave you too much credit," Ivan said simply. "It was to prove that you didn't change the world as much as you wanted to."
"Oh, I think I changed the world plenty," Alfred gave a devilish smirk. "And giving me a name like The Dictator only makes people even more afraid of me, doesn't it? You know, I enjoy the feeling so much. You're even afraid of me, just a little bit."
"You're confusing apprehension with fear," Ivan shook his head. "You don't scare me."
"Then why did you walk away from me that first time?" Alfred laughed. He took a step towards Ivan and Ivan, out of instinct, stepped back. "You know just how dangerous I am, what I've done. And what I still can do. Besides, I'm immortal, not like you can even dream about killing me!"
"Then I can only hope that you stay stuck in this prison forever," Ivan said simply.
"I'll be seeing you around," Alfred smirked. "How about we start with you telling me a little about yourself? You already know some stuff on me, it's only fair, right?"
"I know basically nothing about you," Ivan snorted.
"Wanna know something about me?" Alfred smirked, "We can keep trading. You give me information about you, I do the same. Deal?"
"Why do you want to know about me?" Ivan asked.
"Please, it's harmless," Alfred scoffed. "The better I know my enemy, the better for my plans, simple as that. It goes both ways, doesn't it? Considering how intimate and emotion-inducing your story is, I'll share something equally emotion-inducing. Fair?"
"Maybe," Ivan said simply.
"Well, if not, we can both just sit here in boredom," Alfred shrugged, turning around to look up at the ceiling of the room. "Or we could always have some more fun with each other. It's entertaining seeing you all bothered like that."
"What do you want to know?" Ivan sighed heavily, trying to get away from that topic of conversation quickly. He didn't want a repeat of what happened last time.
"You got a family?" Alfred asked simply and Ivan sighed. He'd already committed to this, hadn't he?
Small panic for everyone involved, but machines malfunction all the time, so it's fine. And we see more of Alfred, and we finally have his name, jeez. Oh, and if you're curious about Amelia, it's just me not willing to make an OC for that character. She is important, not just a passing thought, so don't worry about it. (And, no, she is not his sister). Anywho, I believe that's it for now…
So, see you next time!