Italics are translated from Russian.
Unspecified location
Morning
Dragon opened the door of a hotel room. One of Gregor's men, the only one to survive his and Oliver's assault, tried to yell but the gag around his mouth muffled his scream.
"You're gonna tell me what Kovar is planning. If not, well, I can make your death quick and painless or long and excruciating. Your choice really," Dragon said darkly as he pulled out a knife.
Bratva Hideout
Same time
Gregor had the bag removed from his head as he blinked. He was tied to a chair, in the bar that acted as a Bratva hideout he realized. Oliver, Anatoly and Viktor stood before him, all with grim looks on their faces.
"You said if I kill you, I kill myself. Why?" Oliver demanded.
"You will find out soon enough," Gregor said with a weak chuckle.
"You're gonna tell me now, or I'm gonna put a bullet in you," Oliver said as he pulled out a pistol.
"Go to Hell," Gregor snapped.
In response, Oliver pulled the trigger. Gregor jolted, howling in pain as he was shot in the abdomen, blood staining his shit as he bled out.
"Are you mad? He will not talk in that much pain," Viktor snapped as he yanked the pistol out of Oliver's hand.
"You honestly think we can believe anything he says? He's a traitor and a liar, he won't tell us anything even if we torture him. Lying comes as easy to him as breathing," Oliver pointed out.
"What you are talking about, it has to do with your deal with Kovar, yes?" Anatoly asked Gregor, ignoring the squabbling between Oliver and Viktor.
"Samovolshtina. If you knew what was and what is coming, you would beg Kovar to spare you," Gregor taunted through his shallow breath.
He did not speak again. Anatoly checked his pulse before shaking head.
"He is dead," Anatoly said as he lowered his hand back to his side.
"Good," Viktor said vindictively. "Good riddance."
"What do we do about Kovar?" Oliver asked.
"It does not matter. Our Pakhan is dead. We need to swear in a new one," Viktor said.
"We have men loyal to us and men loyal to Gregor, all without Pakhan," Anatoly noted grimly.
"How do we choose a new one?" Oliver inquired.
"Pakhan is determined by seniority," Viktor said before looking at Anatoly pointedly.
It took only a moment for Oliver to understand. Part of Oliver wanted to laugh, because of course it would be Anatoly. An honorable Pakhan to replace the corrupt and self-serving Gregor. It was like the universe was laughing at Gregor from beyond the grave.
Russia
Same time
At Tatiana's clinic, Bobbi laid in bed, a blank, lifeless look on her face. Dragon walked into the room and took one look at her. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that she was in a bad place.
"Are you gonna come in or just stand there?" Bobbi asked after a moment, her voice devoid of all emotion, a stark contrast to her usual self.
After a moment, Dragon entered the room.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down in the chair beside her bed.
"I lost my baby. How do you think I feel?" Bobbi asked bluntly and Dragon nodded.
"I'm sorry," Dragon said. "I know I gave you a hard time about your relationship with Oliver…but no one deserves to go through that."
"Thank you," Bobbi said in what was probably meant to sound grateful but just ended up sounding monotone. "Where is Oliver?"
"He's with the Bratva, working on a way to get us to Kovar," Dragon explained.
Bratva Hideout
Afternoon
Gregor's body was laid out on a table, surrounded by candles, knives, and rubbles. As Oliver and Anatoly watched from the corner of the room, a member of the Bratva placed some rubbles in Gregor's jacket pocket.
"Why is he doing that?" Oliver asked Anatoly.
"It is for journey to afterlife. It makes good gift in heaven, but even better bribe for Satan," Anatoly said with a wry grin.
"Are you ready to take your place?" Viktor asked Anatoly as he approached.
"Da," Anatoly said with a nod.
Viktor held his arm out in a show of welcoming Anatoly as he walked over to Gregor's body. Anatoly walked over and Viktor looked back at Oliver.
"You can get in there to. You're one of us," Viktor said.
The words were nice, but they just seemed so…fake to Oliver. Like Viktor was putting on a show, Oliver had seen it many times growing up as Robert Queen's son, how his parents put on shows depending on which business associate they were dealing with at the time. Still, Oliver nodded and walked into the circle of Bratva, taking his place at the edge.
Viktor walked over and picked up a knife on the table before removing the ring of the Pakhan from Gregor's hand.
"Our Pakhan is dead, but the code of the thief and ties of the brotherhood live on. To our new Pakhan we pledge our loyalty," Viktor said before placing the ring on Anatoly's hand.
"And I pledge mine to the Brotherhood," Anatoly said with force as he raised his hand in a fist.
Viktor then took Anatoly's ring hand and stuck it slightly with the knife, Anatoly wincing as Viktor made a slight cut across Anatoly's palm. Then, as Oliver watched, Viktor made a matching cut across his own hand before clapping their wounded hands in a handshake.
"To our new Pakhan," Viktor said.
They then dropped hands and Viktor offered Oliver the knife. After Anatoly gave him a subtle nod, Oliver accepted the knife. Viktor stepped away as Oliver stepped forward, taking Viktor's position. Oliver made a slight cut across his palm, not even wincing. Pain was an old friend by this point.
"To our new Pakhan," Oliver repeated as he clapped hands with Anatoly.
Later, Oliver and Anatoly walked out of the bar, their cut hands in bandages.
"I think Viktor cut into a tendon," Anatoly noted as he looked at his hand.
"I don't think he's happy you're Pakhan," Oliver noted.
"You think, I know," Anatoly chuckled slightly. "So, what is your plan to deal with Kovar? You have one, da?"
"When Agent Dragon and I attacked Gregor, one of his men was left alive. While we dealt with Gregor, he tried to get any information from Gregor's man," Oliver said.
"And it was time well spent," Anatoly almost jumped as Dragon stepped out of the shadows. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"You did not," Anatoly lied, trying to save face.
"What did you find?" Oliver asked pointedly.
"Nothing good. Kovar is planning to overthrow the government," Dragon explained and they started. "He's staging a coup tomorrow night."
"Kovar does not have enough men for that," Anatoly pointed out.
"Which is why he's got a weapon. It's in a shipyard in Moscow. Kovar is going for it tonight," Dragon said grimly.
Kovar's house
Same time
"Everything is going according to plan," Kovar said as he had a meeting.
"So you have handled SHIELD?" Alexander Pierce inquired and Kovar chuckled.
"After tomorrow night, SHIELD will not be able to do anything to stop us," Kovar said gleefully.
"Hail Hydra to that," Pierce said as they clapped hands in a handshake. "Good luck old friend. We're all counting on you."
Moscow
Night
In the shipyard, Oliver, Anatoly and Viktor pulled up in a truck with a few more Bratva members. Dragon watched from his position on a crate as the trio of Bratva members found Kovar's shipment. They entered the crate and found the box. Oliver and Viktor opened it to reveal four tanks of gas. Oliver hadn't learned to read Russian, but he could tell from Anatoly and Viktor's faces it was bad.
"What is it?" Oliver asked.
"Sarin gas. Enough to kill thousands," Anatoly said grimly before looking over at Viktor. "Load it onto the truck."
Viktor, Oliver and the other Bratva grabbed the gas and carefully loaded it all onto the truck, extremely weary of even the slightest movement. They had barely finished loaded it onto the truck when Dragon contacted Oliver by Comms.
"You have incoming," Dragon said.
Oliver whirled around just before they heard the roar of engines. Kovar and his men were approaching in a trio of vehicles. Dragon pulled out pistol and fired. His bullet hit some barrels, which exploded. The explosion blinded the driver and his vehicle crashed into some crates. However, the other two vehicles reached their destination.
Kovar and his men got out, opening fire on the Bratva. Oliver, Viktor and Anatoly took cover as a fire fight broke out. Several of the Bratva were killed and one had the unfortunate honor of being by the gas as a bullet ricocheted off it, causing a slight break. A stream of gas erupted, hitting him in the face. He dropped on his side, his face breaking out in hives as foam leaked from his mouth.
From his position, Dragon opened fire, getting some of Kovar's men as Oliver engaged a few. Pulling out a knife, Oliver slit the man's throat as Kovar snuck up behind Anatoly.
"Good evening, Pakhan," Kovar said before striking Anatoly from behind.
Kovar then headed towards the front of the truck. As he met the Bratva member who was supposed to be the driver, Kovar shot him in the chest, killing him instantly. Seeing what was happening, Dragon fired at Kovar but none of his marks hit. Kovar got in the truck and drove off as Oliver looked back, realizing what had happened.
"Kovar, he has the gas," Oliver breathed as Anatoly got to his feet.
"Then we are all dead men," Anatoly said grimly.
"And soon, so will the Russian government," Dragon said darkly.
Bratva hideout
Later
After returning to the bar, Anatoly went to lie down to recover. Oliver sat at the bar, deep in thought as Viktor stormed over to him.
"You have brought madness and death into our lives," Viktor sneered.
"What?" Oliver asked as he looked over at him.
"Your vendetta against Kovar has put us all at risk," Viktor snapped.
"Are-are you kidding? Gregor was betraying the Bratva for Kovar. Tell me, the moment the government is wiped out, who do you think Kovar's next target will be? The Bratva is a threat to Kovar! Whether I was here or not, Kovar was always gonna come after the Bratva," Oliver snapped before standing up and walking away from Viktor.
"Where are you going?" Viktor asked.
"We have one of Kovar's men in the basement. Time to see what he knows," Oliver said simply.
Not long after, Oliver was in the basement, pulling out a variety of tools and weapons, placing them on a table. Behind him, tied down to a table not unlike the one Gregor's body had been on earlier was Kovar's man, a blindfold over his face.
"Please, I don't know anything," he said pitifully.
"Be quiet," Oliver said as put a knife down.
Picking up a machete, Oliver walked over to the man.
"Have you ever heard of Natasha Romanoff?" Oliver asked randomly.
"What?" the man asked confused.
"She trained me. She thought I had a special…talent. She taught me things," Oliver said.
Oliver then brought the machete down on the man's wrist and made a slight cut. The man cried out in pain and Oliver, satisfied that the man got his point, lowered the blade.
"Tell me what Kovar is planning or I will use everything she taught me on you," Oliver said bluntly.
"I don't know anything," the man lied and Oliver shrugged.
"I guess it's time for show and tell then," Oliver said darkly.
Oliver then picked up a small knife and stabbed the man in the stomach, twisting as the man cried out in pain.
Sometime later, Anatoly walked down into the basement, his blood running cold as he heard screams of agony, inhuman screams. Entering the room, he saw Oliver yank a bloodied knife out of the man's stomach.
"What is this?" Anatoly asked, alerting Oliver to his presence.
"Please…help me," the man said weakly.
"You should be resting," Oliver said as he put the knife on the table.
"I woke up with headache, I came to find you. I did not expect…this," Anatoly said as he walked over. "What are you doing?"
"He had information on Kovar. He needed a little…persuading to share it," Oliver said roughly.
"I already told him everything. A while ago," he man told Anatoly desperately. "Please…help me."
Oliver pulled out a gun and, before Anatoly could do anything, pulled the trigger. A shot rang out as the man was hit in the head. He did not speak again. Anatoly stared at Oliver, barely recognizing him.
"What has happened?" Anatoly asked after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.
"I saw it first when you shot Gregor, and now I see it again. Something has happened, something you have not told me," Anatoly said and Oliver did not deny it. "This madness, this rage…I have seen it before. Slade Wilson. Vengeance, it consumed him, just as it is consuming you now. He allowed it to turn him into a monster. Oliver, I beg of you, do not let whatever has happened turn you into one as well."
Anatoly, with one last look at Kovar's man, walked out. Oliver was left alone, looking down at his blood stained hands as he considered Anatoly's words.
Given the nature of the Gregor/Kovar alliances in this fic as opposed to canon, Anatoly having a meeting with Gregor just wouldn't have made much sense.
Obviously, the major difference here from canon is Oliver not skinning Kovar's man alive. I always hated that because it was just so inconsistent with season one Oliver and was only done to recon Oliver into a sociopathic killer. It was just more of the writers Oliver hate.
