Chapter 15: Breaking Point
"Ser Nikolai?" a voice said ending the sweet moment. He slowly let go of them and put his helmet on.
"Yes?"
"We were about to interrogate the prisoner, considering they attempted against your life it only is fair you are invited to the interrogation." The knight captain said. Nikolai grabbed his Kalashnikov and huffed.
"I'll see you girls later. Looks like I've got more things to do." He said, before Emilia could protest he shut it down.
"I'll be fine, worry about yourself. Puck, keep an eye on her please."
"Of course she is my daughter after all" he said smiling. As Nikolai was about to leave he noticed Beatrice following.
"I know I won't convince you otherwise. But... I don't want you to think any less of me for what I may do" he said letting out a sigh.
"Betty would never think less of my contractor I suppose."
"You are very cute you know that Betty?" He said smirking.
"Of course I know that, Betty is the pinnacle of cuteness I suppose." She said proudly.
"Yup" he said chuckling. They were guided through the palace, endless hallways leading downstairs to what seemed to be the dungeon. The place was mostly empty to his surprise. No one was there all cells were empty to his surprise. They arrived at a cell door with 2 guards posted on them. They saluted and Nikolai walked in.
The room was cold and damp, only lit with a candle. What he saw there surprised him. Reinhard had been the one to interrogate the man. Once the redhead noticed Nikolai he smiled at him but he quickly realized there was a slight edge to him.
"Nikolai it's good to see you." He spoke in a friendly tone although something hid underneath it. Betty held his hand tightly as he walked closer.
"So what have you found?" He asked walking closer.
"Shut up you piece of shit" a voice said. He saw the prisoner had short brown hair and green eyes. Although young Nikolai noticed the multiple scars that adorned his arms. But what surprised him the most was his eyes. The look of pure rage was something he had never seen. The resentment this person had against him was something he didn't expect.
"Mr... Mikhail has confessed to his attempt on your life and explained the reasons for his attack." Reinhard explained calmly.
"I've never seen him in my life" Nikolai said confused. The prisoner stood up his chains barely holding him down as he tried to reach at him. Beatrice ready to blow him to kingdom comes. "Calm down Betty it's all okay."
"You might not know me but you know damn well who you are you piece of shit!" The man bellowed as Nikolai searched in his memories who this man could be.
"No clue what you are talking about" he said neutrally.
"I don't know how you got so many people to believe you but we will kill you. You will pay!"
"What Mr Mikhail is saying is that he levels the accusation of you being the leader of a bandit group known as "Silver Hounds" between some of his claims there is the murder of innocents, pillaging, looting." Before Reinhard could continue Nikolai took off his helmet. His face portraying the confusion he felt.
"I never did any of those things" he said. Reinhard looked at him intently. Before he smiled.
"You are not lying. Yet this leaves us in a difficult position. Because Mikhail has also not lied to me."
Then it hit him like a truck. Whoever this person was he made it to this world the same as the Duty soldiers did.
"I think I know why..." Nikolai said settling his helmet. "Mikhail have you heard the theory of parallel worlds?" Nikolai said seriously. Although confused for a second he started to put the pieces together.
"You can't expect me to-"
"But I do. I'm not him, at least not version."
"You murdered, Gus and Artyom!" Nikolai looked down for a second before looking back at him.
"You tried to murder me and expected me to lay down and die?" He asked coldly. "I have people I need to protect. And you put them in danger. I killed them as I deemed it necessary."
"You soulless bastard..."
"But I know one got away" he said getting closer to Mikhail. "Who's the sniper?" He asked putting his hand on the back of Mikhail's head.
"Fuck you-" before he could finished Nikolai slammed his head on the table.
"I don't think it's-" Reinhard began saying until he saw a sort of melancholic smile on Nikolai's face.
"I will do only as necessary for him to talk." Nikolai pulled his head up his nose bleeding. "You want to keep them safe I know. But the only way to do that is to tell me where they are so we can arrest them before things get worse." Nikolai said trying to reason with him.
"F-fuck you! They will kill you." Nikolai slammed his fist in his stomach as the man coughed violently.
"Look we don't have all day. You don't want them to end like your two friends tell me where they are!" He said pulling him up.
"You'll kill her..."
"A woman? Very well... I promise I won't kill her." The man chuckled dryly.
"As if I would believe you."
"Well truth be told I don't care if you believe me or not. But... If you must know promises are important in this world. Unlike our own they carry weight."
"How will I know you won't kill her."
"I will vouch for Ser Nikolai." Reinhard said surprising him. "I will make sure he doesn't kill her. You have my word" he said. The man hesitated for a second before speaking.
"She's probably planning how to get us out. Probably at Tortuga's Den." He explained laying it out.
"Name? Description? Anything?" Nikolai pressured before reinhard signaled him to calm down.
"Ser Nikolai, do you mind waiting outside?" Reinhard asked. Nikolai clenched his fist but walked out regardless.
"You need to calm down I suppose" Beatrice said as he paced around the hallway.
"As long as whoever that person is alive you're all in danger!" He said not stopping. "Had I not jumped in you could have died!" Her eyes widened, he was not taking what happened well at all.
"As a contracted spirit if I die protecting you it's okay I suppose." She said, Nikolai stopped for a second and turned around even if she couldn't see his face she could feel his eyes narrow.
"Stop it! Seriously! I'm fucking tired of people thinking their lives aren't worth it! Your life is worth it to me! Rem's life is worth it to me! Emilia's life is worth it to me!"
"I-"
"I'm not losing more people you got me!? If I want to take a bullet I fucking will! If I want to take the hit I will!" He yelled.
"What about me I suppose!? Betty doesn't want to be alone again!" She said taking Nikolai aback. "Betty wanted to die! I had lost all hope I suppose. You're the only thing I have in fact!"
"I..."
"Betty would rather die than be alone again I suppose..."
"Beako..." Nikolai muttered. He clenched his fist and punched the wall. The force of the exoskeleton making a small crater. "Heh I guess we both are fucked up..."
"I wouldn't use such... Crass words I suppose but there seems to be something wrong with both of us."
"You won't be alone ever again..." He muttered. "I'll make sure that even if I'm gone someone will take care of you..."
"Nikolai has given Beako a chance I don't want anyone else I suppose." She said smiling he chuckled and picked her up spinning her around. "Put me down I suppose!"
"Aw come on Betty you totally enjoy this!"
"Hmph put me down you brute I suppose!" He put her down and chuckled. Her pouting was cute too cute. Out of the cell came Reinhard his expression serious.
"What we got?" Nikolai said going serious again.
"Not much to go off on. Whoever this person is never showed her face. Short woman early twenties, blonde hair. She goes by the name 'Baba Yaga'."
Nikolai burst into laughing. "Baba Yaga? Really? Out of all the names she picked that one?" He asked as Beatrice and Reinhard looked at him confused. "Oh right... You don't get it. Baba Yaga is an old folk tale of some old woman in the woods that eats children. Just some old tale to scare kids."
"Why would you tell that to a kid I suppose?" Beatrice asked horrified.
"To keep them in line I guess," Nikolai said shrugging. "Well we have a location to hit but... I think I need to change. I go in with this exoskeleton and I'll be shredded. I need to go incognito..."
"About what you said in there..." Reinhard said his voice serious.
"It's true I come from another world. I'll explain it better when we are back. Right now we need to get ready. I promise to explain it as well as I can after we make it back."
"Very well, I trust we will talk when we're back." Reinhard say.
An elite contingency of knights was sent to the area. Between those Nikolai noticed Julius and Felix. They all gathered around Nikolai.
"Okay here's the plan. These people seem resourceful, whoever they are they planned things surprisingly well. If we barge in they will probably have multiple exit strategies ready." Nikolai said calmly.
"I take it you want us to surround the perimeter?" Julius asked as Nikolai nodded.
"Yes, do not underestimate these people. They are armed with weapons like mine. If they get the jump on you... You're as good as dead." Nikolai said grimly. "I scoped the place" he pointed at his vitorez. "At least one of them has taken point outside, but with the drunkards that are sprawled around the main entrance it will be hard to pinpoint which one it is."
"Who will be going in?" Reinhard asked.
"Me of course, they have a bone to pick with me. If they see me around they will take this chance to kill me."
"You are using yourself as bait?" Felix asked surprised. Nikolai quickly noticed the disapproval in Betty's face.
"Yes, I'm the one with the best chance of drawing them out. I believe I can have this go smoothly. But if the shooting starts close the perimeter and move in but leave one exit in the formation."
"Why not just close them down completely." One of the knights asked.
"A cornered animal is more dangerous" Nikolai reasoned. He was using his normal combat fatigues. He was going in with only his pistol and bayonets. Anything else would be too visible. He put a cloak over himself and got ready.
Much to his dismay there had been no way to convince Beatrice to stay back. She had put a cloak over herself too even though her dress was hard to conceal and there was no way to convince her to change.
"God you won't change to something less... You know secretive..."
"This dress was given by mother I suppose." She said proudly.
"Well... If we get turned into swiss cheese it's your fault" he mumbled.
"Swiss cheese?"
"A metaphor, keep your head down." He said. They started walking down the alleyway. Nikolai noticed the knights getting in place as they approached. He picked up a bottle from one of the nearby drunks.
"What are you doing I suppose?" Beatrice asked, barely hearable.
"Keep your head down. And just keep walking I have an idea. Tell me if someone reacts to this." Nikolai took a swig and started singing an old folk song in his native language although most people wouldn't care about the drunk mumblings the lookout would probably react.
"Red shirt, brown hair" Beatrice whispered. As they walked past the bar the man stood up a d walked towards them.
"Hey! You a fellow stalker?" The man asked as he put his hand on Nikolai's shoulder. He quickly turned around and stabbed him in the chest. The man's eyes widened as tried to say something but his voice was cut as Nikolai continued stabbing. Nikolai caught the man and put him against the wall. He quickly checked the man and found a makarov a cross and a picture.
The picture had what he believed was their group all drinking at Rostov. For a brief second, Nikolai felt guilt. He quickly shook it off and entered the tavern. He sat with Beatrice at a table. A young woman walked up to them.
"What may I get you both?"
"Ale if you have some" Nikolai said before putting a small bag on the table. Slowly the woman took the bag and opened it, her eyes widening seeing the amount of gold coins. "And some information..."
"Umm... What would you like to know?" She asked a bit fearfully.
"Where is Baba Yaga?" He asked his eyes narrowing.
"Second floor! Third room on the left!"
"I see... And her friend? I know she is not here alone."
"Um... He's sitting next to the stairs. With the green shirt" she mumbled.
"Thank you, now get out of here through the back entrance." He suggested or hide in the kitchen. She quickly left as Nikolai let out a sigh.
"What is the plan I suppose?" Beatrice asked.
"Hm good question. Place seems to be empty enough, we need to kill him quickly." Nikolai reasoned, "after that we can move on her."
"May Betty ask something I suppose?" She said surprisingly soft.
"Of course! Go ahead."
"If you can go back to your world would you leave?" She asked, Nikolai quickly realized she was still worried about being alone.
"No, there is nothing left for me in that world. I would stay here in a heartbeat" he said ruffling her hair.
"Well, Betty is happy to hear that I suppose" she said smiling.
"Okay lets do this. Hey you got any spell that could maybe hide us while moving in?"
"Betty thinks she has the correct spell. El Shamak" she simply said.
"What did you do?"
"I took control over his body I suppose."
"Nice, creepy but nice! Make him come over to the table." The man rigidly moved towards them. As soon as their eyes made contact he tried to scream but couldn't.
Nikolai moved towards him. He could see the fear in his eyes. In a single move he sliced his throat. The man eyes widened as he struggled but his eyes soon lost their brightness as life escaped him.
"I'm sorry you're roped into this Beatrice." He said calmly. "I know it's not pretty business."
"Nonsense, Nikolai does what he must and Netty follows."
They both slowly made their way upstairs. They slowly approached the door he pulled out his pistol and put his hand on the handle. Before he could open it he heard a scream outside, probably someone had found the body.
Nikolai barely had time to dodge as he pulled Beatrice back. A shotgun blasted through the door as the woman kicked the door. Nikolai returned fire as he kicked the door of another room in.
"Minya!" Beatrice said as a barrage of purple shards. The woman threw a grenade. They both got out as the room exploded.
Nikolai's ears ringed as he got back up. Fighting like this in close quarters meant she was willing to die here as long as Nikolai also perished.
"Minya!" Nikolai used this moment to charge. As the woman stood up and tried to shoot Nikolai grabbed her wrist the sawed off shotgun blowing a hole on the roof. The woman kicked his shin as she pulled out a knife. Nikolai tackled her against a table pulling out his bayonet. He thrust forward as she blocked the hit. She wrapped her legs around his neck as she tried to wrestle the knife away from him. She twisted his wrist as he let go. He lifted her and smashed her through the table.
She let go of the blade as a crystal whistled past her. Beatrice was being very careful with attacks. One wrong move and she would impale Nikolai instead. The woman applied pressure on the chokehold. Nikolai slowly being deprived of oxygen. Lifted her and ran off the second floor. They hit a table on the first floor with a sickening thud.
They both groaned in pain as Nikolai shook his head he got on top of her. He delivered a right hook then he did it again. He was running on pure adrenaline at this point as the woman feebly tried to block the hits until... Crack .The gas mask shatter as it flew off Nikolai stared in shock and horror.
Underneath him laid a bloodied young woman, one Nikolai knew all too well. That blonde hair, those blue eyes. Nikolai froze for a second, Tanya reached out for a pistol but the gun was destroyed by a shard.
"Try to hurt Nikolai again and Betty will not restrain herself I suppose" she said coldly. In a blur knights stormed the area and arrested her. Nikolai could hear the muffled voices of those around him as the ringing in his ears grew.
"God... Why again?" He asked to no one in particular as he collapsed on the ground. The voices grew dull as he slowly passed out.
And cut! Thank you for waiting guys I know its been a while but work has been hard and I haven't had much time to write. But finally it's here, a new chapter!
With a familiar face entering the picture Nikolai now must come to terms with things as events are set in motion.
I wanted to give a special thank you to all those who pmed me asking me about the story, all those who followed and favorite the story. It really makes it all worth it. I will try to be more consistent with updates but no promises!
As always feedback is always welcomed! Have a good one! UltimateMetroMan out!!