Hello again, everyone. With the three-pronged assault on all our known Hero interns having been carried out, the time has officially come to start laying down the pieces for the endgame of the Hokkaido Arc. It's so exciting to finally have managed to claw my way through to this point in this original event, and I hope you've all been enjoying reading your way through it along with me.
If you've been liking what you've been reading here so far, if you could leave an honest review telling me what you think, it would be very appreciated. Reader 'kurtzmichael3's pointed critiques, I feel, helped drive me into making a couple chapters exponentially better than they were, so perhaps that should serve as an example as to why I'm always asking for reviews, so that I can truly make this story the best it can be.
Another grateful shout-out to my two beta readers, consultants and friends Mizu and Jonny for their continuous support and help; as well as to my two story artists for the chapters and profile on DA, 'ubasnaga.' Feel free to give those a look on there, the pieces for the most part are attached to the uploads of their corresponding chapters. And if any of you want to make some supportive artwork for this story yourselves, please send me a PM on here. I'd love to see if my little passion project has sparked some inspiration in anyone out there this story just happened to reach in just the right way.
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters, the original events surrounding them, and the alterations of established events that occur because of them.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 77
Fortification
(Укрепление)
Gagaringrad, Friday, September 12th
For many of the people in Gagaringrad, this day was passing along just the same as any normal day; all of them completely unaware of just what was unfolding in three separate cities in Hokkaido at this very moment.
However, for their devout and loyal priest, Father Sergei Cherenkov and his teenage son, Andrei; after what had ended as just a seemingly normal day, ever since the latest hours of the night; they had both been going through a torturous experience like neither of them had experienced before.
It was akin to what the boy could only assume was a hangover, but he and his father both immediately knew to be so much worse, almost as though their skulls were trying to crack open from the inside, their brains were in such a state of conflict against themselves.
Being the ever attentive and responsible father, Sergei had taken to seeing his son stayed in bed until they both rode this pain to its natural conclusion. However, what Andrei never knew, was that even despite his own outward confusion as to why this was happening, the truth was that the old priest was already beginning to recollect and form a very good idea as to why.
Even from the moment he had first woken up to this agony so early in the morning, he could feel things coming back to him that, despite having been buried away in his subconscious mere hours ago, already felt like a lifetime's worth coming back to the surface. What was more: he immediately remembered exactly who was to blame for him and his son ending up like this.
When his train of thought was finally able to start straightening itself out, Sergei could already tell this had to be akin to what Leonid Viktorovich Briner had been suffering in his personal office no more than a day ago; only for the amount of time the town's official leader had lost because of Pietro's Memory Rewrite Quirk, it was no wonder he'd suffered so extensively so much longer than Sergei was.
However, he knew he couldn't let himself be too thankful for the fact his memories of the truth were already coming back, precisely because he could just feel in his gut that if Pietro had been alerted enough to go looking for Leonid when he did, then there was no doubt in his mind that the man would do the same for him now. Surely he had to know when the tethering link between his Quirk and the people he used it on was severed, and would therefore know when to act.
That thought frightened the old priest more than anything right now, hence the moment his pain was at least beginning to subside, he'd already made up his mind on what the first course of action was to be: taking Andrei into their old car and hitting the road to get as far away from Gagaringrad and to the nearest Hero Agency as quickly as possible. If, for whatever reason, Leonid had failed in doing so, then Sergei had to have faith he could be able to succeed and put an end to whatever treachery Pietro was really concocting behind his approachable public façade.
However, he knew far too well that getting himself and his son out of here wouldn't be as simple as that. Andrei was a good boy, but he could be far too willful at the least opportune times, and after having spent nearly the boy's entire life here, serving as a spiritual and moral figurehead for the people of Gagaringrad; there was no way he would be able to simply tell his son that they were leaving, and not be asked a near endless stream of questions as to why; and dissecting all the details along the way.
As such, the old priest figured the best way to save time would be to at least make sure their physical means of getting out would actually be feasible. His car was old and had rarely been driven over the years since he'd re-settled here, but surely it had to still be in good enough shape to at least get them to Arakisu City if not any farther. Not wanting to leave such things to chance, Sergei calmly made his way around the back of the church to a small fenced-off area behind it, where his personal fuel tank and the car itself were sitting in wait.
Once he was satisfied that neither the lock to the gate, nor the locks or wiring to his car had been tampered with while his back had been turned, Sergei finally proceeded to start refilling the vehicle from the gas tanker, all the while trying to ignore how much his heart was racing with quickly growing anxiety.
[[Putting together some travel plans, Father? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, once it all started coming back to you.]] The suddenness of Pietro Dobrynich Granin's voice behind Sergei's back nearly gave the old priest a heart attack, jumping into a shocked spin off his heels to face the man…only to immediately find himself regretting it when he saw the trench coat-adorned figure before him; his already scarred face now barely resembling the man he once was, with one eye having lost its lids entirely, and his eyes now a grotesque milky white, while his head now only had a few frayed patches of graying black hair scattered about his scalp amid the lacerations and burn scars. On top of all that, his left hand was clearly replaced with one made completely of metal and wires.
[[Pietro Dobrynich…Lord in Heaven have mercy, what happened to you?]] The question automatically came up Sergei's throat in place of a frightened gasp at the sight of Pietro's current state, even if he had no real idea the extent of the man's bodily damage under his current get-up.
However, Pietro's lack of a reaction made it clear he'd all but expected such a reaction, hence why he still remained as calm as he'd ever been as he stepped through the gate, effectively cutting off the priest from his only exit out of this fenced-off area.
[[I've seen the face of God more than once in my time…and not a single one of those meetings has left me unscarred, Father.]] He stated this so matter-of-factually, but Sergei couldn't hide his shock, not only at Pietro's disfigurement, but also the callousness with which he uttered their god's name in such jest.
Of course, Pietro was not blind to this subtle change in Sergei's demeanor, thus he went on: [[Oh, don't be so upset; I'm not. If anything, those instances have been a real transformative experience for me. For all my life I've felt as though I were in a constant state of conflict with myself; a tug-of-war between living by my logic and my emotions…but now, for the first time I can ever recall, my uncertainty has finally gone. I've stepped out of the mire, and I actually now feel a true sense of direction as to what it is I am meant to do…what we are all ultimately meant to do.]]
Anyone who didn't know any better would have listened to the casual calm to Pietro's voice as he said this, and wouldn't have thought anything more of it, than simply a man having a religious experience and feeling born again. Father Sergei Cherenkov, however, was far wiser than most people; having long since known how to identify the ramblings of a despot or a madman through more than just their words.
That was why, the moment he felt there was even a chance he could be able to pull it off, the old priest actually tried to dart around Pietro's form for the open gate. If he had to pluck his son up out of bed and carry him the entire way to Arakisu City on foot, then God willing, he would.
THOOM!
Unfortunately, the old man had barely been able to get past Pietro's standing form to reach the gate, before he lunged his right arm out in a rear spinning grab to his right; practically clutching Sergei by the face entirely, his fingertips already phasing into his brain before he finally spoke; his voice once more taking on that deeply penetrating resonance that turned his target's memories into a moldable clay.
[[Don't run yourself so ragged with fear, Sergei Cherenkov. You have no reason to fear me, not once in all the years we've known each other. We're friends for life and brothers in arms, remember? Besides, you swore to me that you would always be there to hear my thoughts and provide your services in all ways possible. Right now, that's exactly what I'm in need of.]]
Just as he'd been expecting, all the tension in Sergei's body vanished the moment he retracted his fingers from his head. It would take about a minute for his senses to fully come back to him, but the last thing Pietro needed right now was for an especially nosy local to come wandering by here and asking unnecessary questions as to why the two men were out here like this. As such, he silently guided the light-headed priest into the car; both men soon sitting together inside in silence.
After a couple of minutes passed by for all of Sergei's mind to recollect itself; Pietro could clearly see the old priest didn't remember anything of what had just happened, and was instead once more meeting him with that gentle and compassionate smile that only a man of his position could give. [[I know you're not often the kind of man to come to me with concerns, Pietro Dobrynich. Please, tell me, what is on your mind?]]
With his hands folded, Pietro's eyes stared straight ahead, past everything that was actually before them; staring off into a horizon he hadn't been able to stop seeing ever since first coming here, now made clearer than ever in his current mental state. [[Ever since the Siberian Flash, I feel I've been chosen for a much grander purpose than what I had before. I had to go through my fair share of suffering in order to come to that epiphany, as you can clearly see. I used to think I could bide my time, put things together slowly but surely, and I would be able to realize that elusive purpose with little to no risk for myself.
[[However, I know now how foolish I was to think that I could accomplish something so great with no risk. No, now I know much better than that…and I also know now just how unprepared I was for the trials and tribulations I needed to cross in order to do what I'm meant to do. The people I've already taken under my wing to prepare for the difficult times ahead; as skilled and loyal as they are, the fact is that they simply aren't enough. No, in order to achieve the vision I've been guided by for all this time, I realize now that I not only need them, but I need everyone in Gagaringrad as well, to help us achieve our rightful destiny.]]
It almost sounded as though Pietro was seeing this abstract vision of his as he spoke; as Sergei could clearly make out an emotional trembling to it by the end. However, even despite his calm smile, his eyes reflected a clear confusion. [[Forgive me, old friend, but exactly what is this vision that you claim lies before you so vividly as to need the personal assistance of all these people?]]
When Pietro turned to look the priest in the eye, the sheer intensity and clarity together was enough to render him silent; never having thought it possible for such empty eyes to convey so much deep-rooted feeling. [[I speak of the vision wherein we, the outcasts, finally unite as one to take back our home from those that had driven us out and hunted us like dogs over all these years, of course. For the first time, the pieces I've needed as to how we could accomplish this have finally started to fall into place, just as I'd always hoped they one day would.]]
However, while Pietro looked and sounded like the man who had at last achieved his lifetime's goal of pure enlightenment; Sergei did not reflect the same; his eyes instead reflecting a deep-seeded concern. He remembered just as well as everyone else, just what Russia had been on the fast track to becoming by the time he and his son had finally fled in his infancy. Countless people that had come into Gagaringrad had confessed to him so many stories of just how much worse it got. If Pietro was genuine in his belief that he was going to actually help all these people really gain any of their homeland back from the government that now ruled…then logic could only lead him down the one feasible path Pietro had before him to have any hope of that, and that was what didn't sit well with the priest.
[[My friend…surely you can't expect me, a sworn man of God, to actively condone you or anyone else committing violence against anyone; even the people responsible for us having to have fled. Yes, the years for many of us have been especially trying since the Siberian Flash, but even you must surely see that the people here have worked hard and reclaimed a decent life for themselves. Yes, it may not be as big a piece of land as many are used to, but it's still something we can call our own, that we can call home.]]
Pietro watched with a foreboding stillness as Sergei tried to ask him to reconsider just what he was saying. Disappointing as it was, it was to be expected from a man of the cloth. Such people, he knew, were always so stubbornly attached to their dedications to the Lord's laws; and it was that very dedication that left them most resilient to any fiery outburst of impatience or rage.
The scar-covered man's response was just as imploring and down-to-earth as that of the priest himself: [[At first, I did realize that, my friend. I also thought that we'd suffered enough to get here, and could at least while away our time out here in peace…but that was before the government back in Russia sent a handful of its secret assassins all the way out here to kill us…and subsequently left me looking like this.]]
Sergei once more took in the scope of Pietro's scars; and while he was still unbearably curious as to just how it was that the man before him hadn't died of such grievous wounds, he didn't dare ask, as he could just feel a simmering tension brewing just under the surface.
Pietro continued further: [[This incident has helped me realize two things, Father. One: no matter how far we may go to try and escape their iron-fisted rule of law, the fact is that Mother Russia and those that have enslaved her will never allow us to exist, no matter our intentions. Even if I was able to deflect this latest attack, there will only be more to come, and they will get worse.
[[Two: this present danger is clearly a sign from God Himself. He gave us the trial of exodus to see how much we were willing to fight in order to get here, and after He let us have time to lick our wounds, He's now testing to see the strength of our resolve to survive once again, this time with a directly aggressive threat to our very existence. Can you honestly sit there, and as a conveyor of His word, tell me that He wants us all to simply roll over out here, expose our bellies, and let our fates be decided by those who would happily see us all dead?]]
Pietro could see that, to his relief, his imploring seemed to be getting through to the old priest beside him, even if Sergei did look like he was in a true state of conflict with his logic and his deepest-seeded beliefs.
With his hands clenching his pant legs tight, and a shaky breath of frustration let out in surrender, Sergei finally answered: [[I still can't rightfully condone violence…but neither can I deprive these people of the freedom to make their own choices. Free will was ultimately God's greatest gift for us to use, so if you wish, we can have the people gather here so you can inform them of what's happened and the potential risks, and they may make the decision of what they themselves want to do from there.]]
The sigh that Pietro gave in response was unmistakably of gratitude, as he planted a surprisingly firm hand upon Sergei's shoulder; the smile on his face uncomfortably warped, thanks to his scars. [[Thank you, old friend. I promise you won't regret this. Go ahead and call a town meeting to the church to be held within the next few hours. I want you to ensure that every man, woman and child in Gagaringrad is there this time around.]]
[[Don't worry, Pietro Dobrynich, I won't let you down.]] Sergei promised with a thankful nod of his own; already about to step halfway out the passenger door to the car, before realizing that Pietro's grip on his shoulder wasn't loosening up.
Looking back, the priest momentarily froze as he saw Pietro's cloudy eyes looking at him with intent; an unmistakable air of focus emanating from his body as a whole. [[Forgive me, my friend; but in all the time we've known each other, I realize now that I never once took the chance to ask you: how is it that your Quirk works, specifically? Is it simply a means to boost the volume of your voice and nothing else?]]
To his surprise, Sergei's initial reaction was to actual let out a rather aged-sounding, but no less hearty chuckle as his hand instinctively reached for his neck. [[Between you and me, for the longest time, I actually wondered that, myself. However, over time I've come to the understanding that my Quirk actually allows my words to connect with the innermost emotions of whoever it is I'm speaking to, thus allowing a stronger emotional resonance to be established between us. It's helped me to calm down men lost in the deepest throes of rage; to restore hope in those that had truly lost any semblance of it on their own; and it's essentially what allows me to connect so strongly to the congregation I have here. Yes, it may not be as flashy as most other people's Quirks, but in its own way, it's proven invaluable to me in my calling.]]
It was obvious from the outside just how fascinated Pietro was by this news. It was certainly a very unique mental-based Quirk, there was no denying that, and in the silence of his mind, he was already figuring out how best to utilize such knowledge when the time finally came.
With further farewells until the town mass would be called, Pietro proceeded to make his way back for the hospital headquarters…but not before once more quickly slipping into the church to tie up the one remaining loose end that was Andrei, with another track-covering application of his Quirk. After all, if he could have the boy convince his friends to come to the mass, then that was a little bit of extra enforcement on his side he couldn't say no to.
As soon as Pietro was finally leaving the outskirts of Gagaringrad proper, he was quickly intercepted by the bruised and visibly exhausted form of Tuule, virtually warping into the middle of the dirt path leading to the hospital. Of course, the man's hardened resolve prevented him from being caught off guard by her sudden return; instead taking it as the hopeful sign he'd been waiting nearly the last hour for: [[Comrade Gust, so you've returned. What news of the others and their missions?]]
Upon catching her breath, the lavender-haired Estonian girl dutifully answered with a salute: [[Commander, I'm pleased to inform you that everyone's mission was a complete success. We've flooded the undersea rail line to the mainland, knocked out the Hokkaido Hero Network tower, and we already have the target, The Giver, in Comrade Alyosha's lab. It was rough for many of us; the entire Giver-extraction team got knocked out, but Comrade Ocean Master managed to recover most of them, and I was at least able to extract most of the Hero Network tower team, myself.]]
Much as she'd dreaded, the news that not all of his soldiers had come back had immediately gotten the worst of Pietro's attention. [[What do you mean most of them? Who all are we missing?]]
Clearing her throat, Tuule immediately replied: [[I'm sorry sir, but circumstances kept me from getting Comrade Blowback away from the Asahikawa City Heroes they got into conflict with; and Comrade Ocean Master was forced to leave with The Giver, and Comrades Petto, Blackout and Anatoly. Everyone else in that team has otherwise been captured by the Heroes.]]
The creaking of metal was unmistakable as Pietro clutched his artificial left fist in a quietly seething rage. [[And where are the other comrades of yours that were able to make it back here now?]]
Pietro was already making a beeline for the hospital, before his young soldier hurriedly took the initiative, grabbed onto his arm, and immediately warped them both to the hospital courtyard; the commander completely unshaken as he made his way through the front doors while she just as quickly answered: [[We all got pretty roughed up, Commander. The Pro Heroes and all their interns have proven a lot tougher than we thought.]]
By now they had already reached the second floor, where Alyosha's lab was located, but Pietro's demeanor only intensified, especially by the time he'd thrown the door to the lab open, where Alyosha and the other soldiers (surprisingly, except Ocean Master) were already standing in wait, having their own wounds tended to. [[Dammit, this is exactly what I was hoping wouldn't happen. It's only a matter of time before the ones that have been captured will ultimately crack and tell the Heroes everything they need to know about what we're doing out here. We're going to have to bump up our timetable much farther ahead than I'd expected.]]
Thankfully, this momentary exclamation of frustration was able to clue the other soldiers and their resident doctor and scientist on just what it was that pained him; and thus Danila took it upon himself to try and answer their leader in kind: [[Commander, you can't really think the others would break that easily, do you?]]
The intensity in the glare that Pietro sent their way, immediately shut all the other newer soldiers up in an instant; all while Hristofor, Ljubomir and Eliška stood aside, the Czech woman's voice ringing with more than a little resentment: [[You'd be a fool to think otherwise, Scythe. We should've gone for better recruits than Knot and Blowback. Impressive as their Quirks were, they're still ultimately too weak for us, especially in terms of sheer will.]]
[[And that's why we need to start fortifying ourselves with people of a much stronger will…and that's another reason I wanted you all to help bring our newest comrade here to me.]] Pietro's eyes fell upon the unconscious form of The Giver as he reached this point, slowly approaching and reaching out to finally stir her back to consciousness…before a sudden pang of indescribable pain shot out from his chest, nearly bringing Pietro to his knees with the utmost ease.
Already, the rest of his soldiers were hurrying to his side to help him back to his feet, only for Pietro to start coughing with growing harshness, ultimately spitting up a noticeable touch of blood by the time it had finally stopped. Even his deformed face couldn't hide the delirium and dizziness Pietro was now going through as it finally became clear to him what was happening. [[My body…it's shutting down again! Valera's Quirk…it's already…losing its effect! Get…him down here…NOW!]]
Without a moment wasted, Tuule was hurrying to grab their youngest 'recruit', while the others were all helping Pietro onto a nearby empty operating table as his breath grew more ragged and strained with every passing moment.
[[Alyosha Stepanovich…please tell me…how are we looking on our equipment detail?]] As soon as Pietro forced this inquiry out, the scientist happily motioned towards his ever-loyally-running compound production setup, as well as what actually looked like a brand new version of the same armored rigs as Konstantin Khodamchuk's soldiers.
[[The tasks you've given me over these last few days have motivated me like nothing I can recall over the years, Comrade Pietro Dobrynich! I've already managed to make a version of that reinforcing rig that's perfectly able to fit you, even with some personal improvements; and our supply of the Quirk-Explosion bullets is already at a point where we could have up to ten clips of them for every soldier here, with plenty more to spare for any future recruits we bring into the cause.]]
At that very same moment while their backs were all turned, The Giver was actually starting to regain consciousness; and her sense of alertness was clearly already running at an all-time high, as she immediately realized the unfamiliarity of her surroundings, alongside the fact that she was currently being heavily restrained to a cold steel slab.
The lingering pain in the back of her head made it hurt to try and speak, but as she kept trying to turn her gaze so that she could get a better idea of just where she was outside of the blinding fluorescent lights, she was soon able to finally see the first sign of people; and while she at first felt the natural urge to scream when seeing the almost inhuman-looking man on the operating table beside her, the rest of the familiar-looking young faces around him, as well as the tattered and messily repaired military commander uniform upon his body, made it all click in her head just who she was looking at:
"Oh my God…Pietro Dobrynich Granin? Is that you? What in God's name happened to you? Where are we? Why did you people attack us?!"
However, instead of surprise that she had regained consciousness; The Giver was met with looks of expectation and purpose in the eyes of everyone before her, leaving her blood going cold as Pietro hastily motioned his head for the others to wheel his operating table closer to hers, reaching his one flesh and blood hand for her.
With Ljubomir pinning her down by her shoulders, The Giver found herself unable to try and escape before she felt the tight grip of Pietro's hand clutch onto her head; all of her senses going as numb as though she were in a sensory deprivation tank as his fingertips phased into her brain.
THOOM!
[[You are home with your comrades and family, just as you have always been. I took you in when nobody else would, and it's time to honor your oath to use your Quirk in my service. You will provide for all of us, you will fight for us, and if need be, you will gladly die for us. Do you remember all of this now, Comrade Giver?]]
With that, Pietro's breath hitched in his throat as he retracted his fingers from out of the young Hero's mind, watching to see when her senses would come back to her…which she did with a speed even he wasn't expecting, as her eyes were already taking in the faces of all the people around her, and then back to him.
Only for her momentary calm to once again turn into abject resistance and fright, writhing her body against her restraints to try and get as far away from his still outreached hand as possible, much to his and his soldiers' unanimous confusion. "What the hell do you people want with me? What did you do to my partners?! Give me some answers or let me out of here right now, dammit!"
Just as quickly did all of Pietro's already scarce calm instantly vanish, as he too began writhing and thrashing in his anger. [[WHY THE HELL DIDN'T MY QUIRK WORK ON HER?! WHY IS SHE STILL RESISTING?! IS IT THE LANGUAGE BARRIER?! IS THAT IT?! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THAT WITHOUT THE LINGUIST HERE, ALL THE EFFORT TO GET THIS LITTLE GIRL HERE WAS A WASTE?!]]
Of course, nobody could bring themselves to answer that, for the excessive outpouring of violent emotion caused Pietro to break into another bloody coughing fit, spurring all the soldiers away from The Giver and back to his side; all while she could only watch with complete confusion and apprehension.
Not a moment later, the laboratory doors nearly burst open, drawing everyone, including The Giver's attention to the newly returned Tuule, with a noticeably pale and deathly weak-looking Valera in her arms.
The moment her eyes saw the once lively little boy from the start of this week in such a heartbreaking state, The Giver's natural sense of protectiveness took the reins from her sense of reason, as she once again began to fight against her constraints, angrily exclaiming to all of her captors: "How could you people do such cruelty to a child like that?! Let him go! Valera-kun, please, don't let them force you, get out of here! If you scum hurt that boy, so help me-!"
However, all of her reactionary energy dissipated when she saw the small child actually look to Pietro upon his operating table, and actually begin willfully reaching out to him. [[Papa Pietro, are you sick again? I can make you all better. Can you please hold my hands?]]
To everyone's surprise this time, though, Pietro actually turned away from the child in Tuule's arms; his agonizing face now lined with an unmistakable quiet rage. [[What's the point if the times I'm able to stay alive through his Quirk are only going to keep getting shorter every time he uses it, and every single one is just going to keep making him weaker and weaker? What use can I get out of a miracle Quirk if I can't keep using it indefinitely?]]
At this point, The Giver could see an air of despondency fall upon many of the youngsters gathered around their commander…before Eliška turned back to look at their captive Pro Hero; her eyes reflecting a grim determination as she suddenly spoke: [[Commander, if the language barrier prevents you from being able to bring The Giver to our side through your Quirk…then couldn't I feasibly use mine on her to make her use her Quirk to make all of ours that much stronger instead? She wouldn't be able to physically fight it, and I know that when Quirk users are under my control, I can activate them just as easily as they can.]]
This one momentary theory of hers rendered the rest of the lab silent, and soon enough, Pietro was able to lift his head just enough so that he and The Giver were able to make eye contact; the intensity of his cloudy gaze making the young Pro Hero instinctively shudder with fright. [[It could indeed work, Comrade Petto. These past experiences and subsequent practices have helped me figure out already the overall scope of my Quirk as it is…but with her Quirk's boosting to its overall power, just imagine what any of our Quirks could be able to do at their strongest…especially Valera's.]]
[[Yeah, for all we know, it could finally be able to make him resurrect you for way longer, and without any unnecessary risk to himself! Sounds worth it as hell if you ask me!]] Gazsi exclaimed with growing eagerness, while Eliška was already starting to close in on The Giver, plucking a single hair from the back of her head in preparation; neither of them ever breaking their eyes from each other.
[[If I may propose a potential alternative, Comrade Pietro?]] Alyosha suddenly interjected, bringing all the other proceedings in the lab to a halt, as now all eyes were upon the scientist, who was continuously eyeing his automated compound replicating setup. [[If I could be able to draw a small sample of the boy's blood, I'm confident I could be able to crack the genetic makeup so I can replicate the Quirk Factor in it, much like I've done with the blood in the compound of the Quirk-Erasing bullet. If anything, the process could be even shorter, since I'm not having to find a way to reverse-engineer the intended effect like I was then.
[[I'm just thinking that, on the off-chance that The Giver's Quirk doesn't in fact prevent the deteriorating side-effect that his using his Quirk has on him, it could do us a world of use to have another set of similar rounds we could use to resurrect you or any of our other fallen on a moment's notice in the foreseeable future. I'm nearly certain I could be able to provide such a thing for us if need be.]]
At that very same moment, upon everyone looking, it was already clear, just from the look of satisfaction and confidence on Eliška's face, that she had already enabled her complete control over the Giver through her Quirk. This was already such an encouraging sight for Pietro, but he likewise couldn't deny the logic behind Alyosha's proposal. There were still too many factors about Valera's Quirk they simply didn't understand, nor have the time to study. And honestly, at this point, what else did the man himself have to lose?
[[Alright, Comrade Alyosha Stepanovich. Go ahead and take however much you need. In the meantime, Comrade Petto…have our new Comrade start putting her Quirk to use on Comrade Valera now.]]
The effect of Pietro's Quirk upon Valera had reinforced an incredible resolve in the little boy; he never even let out a single cry when Alyosha had produced the syringe and drew out two ounces of his blood from his upper right arm.
Without even a second wasted afterward once Alyosha had gotten what he needed, Eliška was already subtly motioning her fingers, having since already removed the restraints from all over The Giver's body, and forcing her to start vigorously rubbing her hands together as though she were a mountaineer trying to keep warm in the midst of a terrible snowstorm; the amount of glowing sparkles emanating from between her hands nearly blinding in their intensity.
With almost perfect timing, as soon as the young Czech woman had forced The Giver into placing her glowing hands upon Valera's head, so too did Pietro watch with an expectant smile, before his already cloudy eyes rolled back, his body went slack, and he let out one final raspy exhale as his body finally gave out entirely, leaving nothing but a once more lifeless shell, just waiting to be restarted…and just as quickly once his Quirk had been immensely strengthened at a touch, did Valera not hesitate, in the remaining time of being under Pietro's lingering Quirk influence, to place his hands upon the man's body, and bathe the lab in that same heavenly golden glow.
The moment the glow had dissipated, Pietro's eyes once again opened; remaining the same cloudy white as they had been before, with no other visible physical changes to be seen this time, other than that his physical energy seemed to have reached its peak, as the man nearly jumped from his operating table, landing flat on his feet and stretching out his joints with a satisfied groan.
Watching this display from their returned leader, the other soldiers all looked to Valera, as he too watched the vigorous new life he'd given their leader with what actually looked like pride. Finally, Hristofor spoke up: [[Comrade Valera, how do you feel?]]
Despite still being as pale as he had been upon his being brought here, the little blonde-haired boy looked to the curious people all around him and gave a naïve, innocent smile. [[I'm still dizzy…but I'm okay. Did I do good?]]
THOOM!
Without hesitation, Pietro answered by phasing his fingers into the little boy's brain once again, but keeping his gaze focused upon all his previously rewritten soldiers before him as he began channeling his Quirk through the amplification provided by hooking himself up to Valera: [[You've all done astoundingly, just as I knew you would when you swore your loyalties to me. Everything you have ever done and ever will do is for the sake of our mission, our ultimate purpose as an army, and as a family. You've helped secure the continuation of our glorious campaign for retribution…and now the time has finally come for us to bring about the official beginning of that campaign. Ah, I haven't felt this alive in years!]]
With nothing but an all-communicative glance given to Eliška, she immediately could tell just what he was asking of her; and thus she began motioning her fingers to have The Giver start rubbing her hands together vigorously again, producing another multitude of the sparkles that showed her Quirk building up in the strength of its effect.
After nearly half a minute of this, Pietro stepped forward, and as soon as his Czech soldier forced the Pro Hero to transfer her built-up power into him through placing her hands upon his face; the man nearly felt like his body was going to be torn asunder from the inside out just from the physical sensation of the Quirk within him growing exponentially even stronger than it already had proven to be over the course of this week.
Of course, once that initial shaking sensation in the fibers of his physical being had run its course, his clouded eyes widened with the unmistakable knowledge of just how much stronger he now was.
At the same time, Eliška likewise had The Giver hurriedly build up her own power again before transferring it into her next; and after riding out the same shaking sensation of first having The Giver's Quirk work on her, she too had a similar smile of knowing upon her face, flexing her fingers in near anticipation as to finally exercise the new fullest extent of her own power.
As such, she quickly proceeded to pluck out several more hairs from the back of her head before flicking them all out towards the majority of her fellow soldiers all at once, and with a subtle motion of all the fingers on one hand, she proceeded to force all the soldiers but Hristofor into a shoulder-to-shoulder line, before then having them all encircle the man and proceed to each give him one heavy punch to his upper arms.
[[GAH! WHAT THE HELL, PETTO?!]] The Bulgarian exclaimed once they'd all done so, earning a deeply amused chuckle from the young woman before she gave a single snipping motion with her fingers, effectively severing her Quirk's connection from the rest of the soldiers; leaving them all visibly disturbed at the physical sensation of being controlled against their will.
[[Sorry, I just couldn't resist, I needed to know for certain what I can do now. I've never been able to control more than one person at a time before, you know that. Besides, you kinda deserved that for constantly flirting with other girls, Comrade Blackout.]]
While she kept grinning excitedly to herself, Pietro's eyes were once more focused on the horizon of the future, as he didn't even look any of his soldiers in the eye as he spoke up: [[Comrade Petto, this is indeed an incredible new boon for the cause, but we still have much more work to do in preparation. Have The Giver keep powering up her Quirk and apply its effect to the rest of our comrades here, and have her keep powering up even after that. She's going to have plenty more future comrades to empower before this day is through. And Comrade Alyosha, go ahead and get to work on Comrade Valera's blood, and let me know as soon as you make any kind of noteworthy progress with it.]]
With that, Pietro finally took his leave from the lab, while Eliška already was forcing The Giver to start rubbing her hands together while the rest of the soldiers began lining up to get their own taste of a whole new extended level of strength to their Quirks. And all the while, no matter how much she wanted to try and fight against this control over her body, the young Pro Hero simply could not; she couldn't even speak up in protest.
Right now, the only thing she could possibly do to keep herself sane in these terrible circumstances, was to keep mentally asking herself how she could have possibly let herself get into this situation…and above all else, hoping beyond hope that the rest of her fellow Heroes in the Kapenta Agency were somehow still okay.
The anticipation Pietro was experiencing was enough to make his heart race. Having put extensive practice into just how much his Quirk was actually able to do beyond a single person was exciting enough, but now that he could feel this expanded power just within his fingertips, he was increasingly eager to give it a real test run, and while he still had the town mass to look forward to, he found himself going back more and more to the idea of going down into the basement and giving his Quirk a new kind of test run beforehand.
[[Pietro Dobrynich.]]
The sudden interruption of a voice both alien yet undoubtedly familiar, stopped Pietro dead in his tracks before he could reach the lobby and basement door. Turning to the direction it came from, the man was stricken by the singular sight of Ocean Master standing before him, not only with his right arm and left leg missing, now replaced with much cruder prosthetics in comparison to his own prosthetic left arm; but also with the surprising sight of his orange dome helmet being gone, removing the electric filter to his voice and revealing his even more horribly disfigured face to all the world.
Pietro could already feel his old comrade's eyes burning solely into him, but he wasn't about to let that get to him, as he instead greeted the man before him: [[Comrade, it's good to see you. I was surprised I didn't find you in Alyosha Stepanovich's lab with all the others.]]
The man called Ocean Master, but truly known as Volga, didn't give any visible sign of reaction, instead simply replying: [[Yes…well, I'd gotten back here with the team sent to retrieve that Pro Hero shortly before Gust returned with the Hero Network tower team. They needed the time to recover, and I needed the time to have our doctor make me these temporary replacements…and to think. Those Kapenta Agency Heroes…their interns…they're certainly a lot more powerful than I expected, as you can see.]]
As he began motioning to his completely exposed face, Pietro had no immediate answer. He could tell there was far more on his comrade's mind than simply missing his helmet and having gotten a noteworthy fight out of some upstart Hero teens.
Pietro's momentary silence wasn't lost on his comrade, either, as he crossed his arms and kept his eyes locked entirely on the cloudy white ones before him. [[You seem to be in especially good spirits, Comrade. I can only assume that means your assumption of that Pro Hero's Quirk and its effects on you and the others actually turned out to be accurate. So, now that everyone's accomplished their missions…what exactly do you plan on doing next?]]
It was clear that Pietro was taking his asking this as a good sign, for the man began to look to the door leading down to the basement cells, and upon turning back, was visibly smiling with what could only have been described as eagerness. [[The time has finally come to start the final preparations for our grand return campaign, old friend. We need all boots on the ground, willing and able, so I'm going to draw the whole crew of that gunboat you and the others captured onto our side so they can operate it and the submarine. Of course, that's ultimately not enough manpower, so I told Father Sergei Cherenkov to call a town mass soon…and that's where the mass drafting will really begin. With my training, even with what little time we ultimately have, it'll still be enough that we'll have enough people who know how to operate the submarine especially. This is the moment we've been waiting all these years for, Comrade.]]
Pietro was already reaching for the doorknob to the basement as he made this final declaration of hope, but Volga didn't follow, instead simply letting his arms fall to his sides as he stared into his ally's back. [[That's good to know…but answer me this, Pietro Dobrynich: do you plan on telling all the townspeople the truth as it really is…or have your skills in deception grown stronger along with your Quirk?]]
Pietro froze like a statue when he heard those words; slowly turning back with an incredulous look to his eyes, only to finally see a clear anger simmering behind those of Volga in return. [[Comrade…what in the hell has gotten into you? You've never spoken to me like this before.]]
Finally, this was what spurred the former Hero to stop leaning back against the wall and start standing tall to the man he once saw as his friend. [[Like I said: fighting against the Kapenta Agency Heroes forced me to take some time to really, really think. You see, the Pros were easy enough to deal with; the others had already whittled them down. Their interns, especially just for being mere children, were another story. One of them…a boy, clearly not Japanese like the others…he called me 'Uncle Volga.']]
Pietro could feel his heart momentarily seize, already starting to get an idea just what was going on here, while his oceanic partner continued with a slowly growing volume and intensity to his own voice: [[I hadn't heard that name in thirteen years, Pietro Dobrynich…and there is only one person in this world who ever referred to me as such, as 'Uncle Volga'…and the more I looked at that boy's face, the more undeniable it became to me. That wasn't just any random foreign child trying to learn how to become a Hero back there. No…that was Nikolay Olegovich Bezpalov; Tunguska's son! The son of the man I called my brother in Heroics; both of whom you told me all those years ago, with the gravest certainty, were DEAD, just like the rest of The New Bogatyrs!]]
Pietro was instinctively bracing himself for some kind of physical reaction from Volga before him; and while his horribly burnt face was undeniably twisting with anguish and rage altogether, when he momentarily glanced to the outside through the front doors; his blue-and-yellow eyes visibly softened, as too did his breathing.
When Volga finally looked Pietro in the eye again; the old military commander was stricken by the sight of his most powerful ally…actually looking hopeful for the first time in thirteen years. [[Comrade…don't you see what this means? Kolya was barely more than a baby when the Siberian Flash occurred. He couldn't possibly have been able to survive himself all those years…but they found Gamayun's body like everyone else…except for Tunguska himself. That means he must still be alive somewhere out there; here, in this very country even! He must be; it's the only explanation why I would suddenly run into that boy so grown up, here of all places…and you must've known it, too…but for how long?]]
Just like that, the brooding intensity and accusation had returned to Volga's voice as he began staring daggers into the still defiantly-standing Pietro, who by now had gotten past his initial shock and was now trying to physically exude the authority he always did.
[[I didn't know…at least, not for as long as you may be thinking, Comrade. I only realized it when those Heroes came here that first day this week. When that boy had introduced himself to me by name, it became clear to me…and the fact you're reacting this way right now is precisely why I didn't want you to know or see them.]]
[[WHY?!]] Volga suddenly shouted with a fury that left the whole lobby deathly silent; but affording Pietro no chance to try and plead his case, before steadily approaching him with growing aggression: [[If you knew for a fact that a fellow New Bogatyr was still alive, then you knew, just as well as I do, that there's now a chance for us to be able to retake even a parcel of our homeland back without having to involve all of these kids or anyone else! We both know Tunguska like brothers; surely you must realize this! Why would you choose this path of destruction and bloodshed instead?!]]
Pietro hadn't seen the true Volga side of the man before him in so long, he had nearly forgotten what it looked and sounded like…but while there had been one point where such a sight and outwardly noble sentiment would have inspired hope and comfort in anyone else, this was not the case for Pietro himself, who instead continued to stand his ground: [[Because it's the only realistic option any of us here have anymore, and you know it! Do you really believe that, after all the years of persecution and systematic execution those people and their families have been subjected to and forced to flee from in their own homeland, simply because of they or their loved ones possessing Quirks; that any one of them would honestly give two shits what happens to Russia and the tyrants that have taken it over?
[[At least with my approach, they're being given their rightful chance to finally exercise that resentment and anger on the people who most deserve it! I would think that you, of all people, would be able to appreciate being given that kind of justice! It's a damn sight better than just withering out here like cowardly worms, waiting to die in obscurity…if their death squads don't come here in the dark of the night to kill us all first!]]
There was no mistaking the sheer conviction in Pietro's words; he believed every single one from the bottom of his heart. And yet, despite his respect for one being so willing to stay true to their convictions; the same had to go for Volga as well, as he defiantly shook his head in denial as his response: [[My old friend…you must surely realize that, as a Hero, I can't possibly just sit back and allow for you to do this, to put all of these people's lives in the direct line of fire, when we both know there's a better way.]]
To hear the man refer to himself as a Hero again had stricken a surprising nerve in the pit of Pietro's chest as he exclaimed: [[What happened to that spark, that fighting spirit?! That's what's been driving you for all these years, just as it has been for me; and you're telling me that just like that, just because you find out a kid you believed to be dead, and his father are still alive, THAT'S all it takes to suddenly make you turn your back on everything we've been working towards?!]]
Even in the face of the kind of volatile rage that Pietro had started to embody in his pitiful physical state, Volga still stood tall on his own, fists clenched: [[That was because for all those years, you had me believe that all the Heroes I knew and loved as comrades and brethren were dead, and all those that could have hoped to take our place were gone; that all hope was gone! You knew how much of a figurehead of that hope Tunguska was for all of us; for me to believe he and his were all dead and gone was despair incarnate!
[[But now I discover that not only is he alive, but so too is the boy he asked me to be godfather to when he was born?! What more clear-cut proof of there still being hope for our world after all could you possibly ask for?!]] More and more, the hideously scarred former Pro Hero before him began to re-encapsulate the hopeful image he once carried all those years ago…and more and more did that nostalgic sight and those nostalgic sentiments ignite the anger flowing through Pietro's veins.
[[You're a naïve goddamn fool if you think hope is what we need to achieve our goal, Comrade Ocean Master! After everything we've lost, everything we've gone through, all the sacrifices we've been forced to make in order to prepare for the campaign for justice at hand, you're actually going to back out from that for something as paltry as hope; hope born from simply knowing an old and a grown up face are alive?!]]
Even with the countless scars, Volga could see how red Pietro's face was turning as his body began to tremble with anger. [[Pietro Dobrynich…what on earth has happened to you? You were never like this before a few days ago. Even long before the Siberian Flash, I never imagined you capable of a vicious mentality and attitude like this, even at your worst.]]
However, even this attempt at looking back on the past did nothing for Pietro, as his face twisted with pure bitterness. [[Before a few days ago, I hadn't been genuinely killed and only brought back by the discovery of a miracle among Quirks, MORE THAN ONCE! Don't you get it? I've had my eyes opened to the way this world truly works now! Over the years we all knew each other, I'd forced myself to accept the fact I could never be a powerful Hero like you, Tunguska or the rest of the New Bogatyrs, so I thought I could just use my position to try and do the right thing, even when the Flash spelled the beginning of the end for people like us back home.
[[But now I know that Heroes aren't going to do what we need them to most; that responsibility falls on our shoulders alone, and in these hopeless times, there's only one feasible way for us to do what must be done to ensure our survival…but I can't pull that off without your help. The rest of these soldiers don't even come close, even with their Quirks being enhanced as they now are.]] Finally, Pietro's churning anger sounded as though it were dying down, as he let out a shaky sigh of pure emotion.
Volga could see this reflected clearly even in the empty whites of Pietro's eyes, as the two long-time comrades kept their gazes locked, and Pietro continued: [[Don't you remember where you were when I found you after the Flash, Volga? Just where we both were when we made this pledge to make things right? All the suffering we endured and had to watch others go through just to get the people we had when we first got here? All of this, what we've done, is to make sure that our losses, those of everyone that suffered to make it all this way, weren't all for nothing. Are you truly willing to risk dishonoring all of that for the sake of a desperate sentimental gamble?]]
With Pietro no longer shouting but instead beseeching him, Volga let out a deeply emotional sigh of his own, bowing his disfigured head in shame. No matter how much he disagreed with the approach his old comrade was taking now that he knew in his heart there was an alternative; there was no denying the truth behind Pietro's words. The two of them, their three loyal followers and everyone in this town had gone through their own tremendous amounts of suffering in order to survive. For them to go all their lives without their losses being given some kind of greater meaning against the people responsible for them simply wasn't right.
But with his old Hero's heart reawakened, only now did Volga finally find himself looking back on exactly what all they had done already, and asking himself just where the justification for it was. The soldiers they had ended up killing up until now; surely a good portion of them had nothing to do with the eviction and arrests of people. A good number of them had to be no more than teenage conscripts, surely.
Taking that into consideration, Volga couldn't possibly keep the one question that came to mind to himself, quietly uttering: [[How much more blood has to be shed before we finally say it's enough? Before we could end up becoming even worse monsters than the people back home already think we are?]]
Pietro quietly approached Volga, as the River Hero lifted his ehad to meet his clouded eyes directly again. [[Pietro Dobrynich…I have no intention of letting everything we've all lost go to waste…but please, I've never asked you for anything in the years we've traveled in this new post-Flash world. Now I only ask you this one thing: let me go to Kolya and speak to him. If I could perhaps get Tunguska to come here so I could finally speak to them both, I could be able to plead the case for our ultimate cause, and we can find a better solution that doesn't take more from these people than they've already lost. You've known us both for so long, Comrade; you know he would listen to me if you gave me the chance. With Kolya involved, he would come running, no question.]]
Pietro was now the one to bow his head, sighing heavily in thought as he rested a tired hand upon the Hero's shoulder. [[[I wish that were the case, Volga. You have no idea how much so. But…if Tunguska was truly the unshakeable Number One Hero we all believed him to be in those days…then how come he never came looking for you in all that time since the Flash? It's not as though any of the Bogatyrs were vaporized completely out of existence, he surely would have heard the news that your body had never been recovered…and yet he never came. It's like you said: the three of us have known each other for nearly a lifetime's worth. Knowing there was even a sliver of a chance you could've survived, he would have turned the whole of the Motherland up by the root to find you. Yet, again, he didn't.]]
Pietro could feel the slightest trembling shoot across Volga's shoulders as he thought about this. [[What's more, after his son had first come here, and I knew who he was, I'd decided to do a little research. As it turns out, that boy and Tunguska have been here in Japan since last November…and yet it was only a couple months ago that he suddenly surfaced to the public eye, carrying on as though he were still the Pro Hero he was then, carrying on as though nothing had happened before. Never mind the time before he suddenly popped up again, ask yourself this instead: if he was truly the People's Hero, then why would he be going around out here, when we all knows there are still so many people back in the Motherland in much greater need of his help?
[[The fact is, he's abandoned the very people he'd sworn to protect under any and all circumstances. He betrayed the very oath that you and all The New Bogatyrs had taken to serve and protect the people of the Slavic world from any and all threats. That's why it falls to us alone to take back what is rightfully ours, and fight for the well-deserved justice of every single person here. And the only way we can have any hope of doing that anymore, is through bloodshed, in return for all the would-be Heroes our home has lost in the wake of the Flash, and the murderers that came into power because of it.
[[They deserve retribution for what they did to the people that could have continued to carry your old torch and protect the people that needed it…and if Heroes like Kolya and Tunguska, or any other, would dare to stand in the way of us delivering that very justice…then we need to remember what we both swore if that were to ever prove to be the case: we need to treat them as though they were just as much our sworn enemy.]]
Volga's face was wrenched with anguish as he struggled to meet his old friend's impassioned words of growing righteousness: [[But it's precisely because we've all known each other for so long that we still have to at least try, Comrade; surely you must realize this as well. I've already lived this much of my life fueled by nothing but anger, simply because I believed I had nothing left.
[[But if there truly is another option to consider, then I have an obligation to try and see it through. That boy and his father are family to me; I swore to look after him on my honor as a Hero…please, don't ask me to cast that aside so soon after I find they're still alive to give us all hope.]]
When Pietro swiftly lifted his head to stare Volga down, there were numerous stinging tears running down the canyons carved and burned into his face. [[Don't you remember what happens to those that try to be Heroes in this new world of ours? Don't you remember just what happened to us when I tried to be a Hero for you when first we found each other in the wake of everything? I don't know about you, Comrade, but I for one am tired of trying things that simply don't work anymore.]]
[[And you really think that rewriting the memories and manipulating the emotions of an entire town of people will succeed instead? When there's even a sliver of a chance that we could do this without putting their lives at risk, you really think this is the better option?]] Volga's passion was tinged with desperation, solely for Pietro to reconsider.
[[Of course I don't think it's the better option, but it's the only realistic option we have left anymore. How many different ways do I have to say it before you finally start seeing reason again?]]
If it wasn't the unmistakable last fringes of patience lining his tone that were finally cluing Volga in to just how truly far gone Pietro was; it was the intensity upon his face, the twitching of his grip on his shoulders, and simply the lack of hesitation his old friend was speaking with in regards to more bloodshed.
[[My God, Pietro Dobrynich…all those brushes with death…they truly have broken you beyond repair. All these years of anger, and whatever that boy's Quirk did to your head, continuously pulling you back from beyond the veil…you're not the man I called my friend for all that time. You're insane.]]
However, even as Volga tried to step back, Pietro's grip on his shoulders refused to loosen. [[On the contrary, Volga; I'm saner now than I ever was before. Besides, we all know that insanity is to simply try the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result each time. After it's gotten so many people we've cared about killed, you really want to try going back to playing things by the Hero's handbooks, and act like this time it'll actually work out? You think you can really do that after everything we've already done to prepare? I think that puts which of us is which into a much clearer perspective, wouldn't you?]]
Pietro's fingers slowly crawled up the sides of Volga's neck, as he could see the years of internal conflict already reflecting in his frustrated eyes. [[Don't you remember just how much you had the situation that fateful day entirely in your control, Volga? You could've resolved everything…but that arrogant fool Tunguska decided to go beyond the known threshold of his power, even though he knew the risks it posed for all of you; ignoring every warning you gave him to just give you those few precious minutes. Look back at what happened because of him, the man we once called our friend and brother. Think of all the irreplaceable comrades we lost because of him that day and the years that followed.
[[It's time to face the facts, Comrade: Tunguska was never our friend or ally! He was nothing but an egotistical and reckless brute, who got everything handed to him, and cost countless others everything they had because of it! And then, he goes and disappears into hiding like a damned coward, only to then pop his head back up out here, instead of fighting for the good of the people back home, going on pretending to still be the great Hero he'd deluded himself into thinking he was, like a child!
[[And now, he's gone and turned his own son and all the other Pro Heroes like him against us! All so that we can't show the world the results of his selfishness, and bring unto him the punishment he rightly deserves! He wants the people of the world to still think he's the real Hero who came out of the fires of the Siberian Flash that day…but you and I both know we are the real Heroes of this tragedy. And that's why we need to fight this war my way. You swore to fight alongside me then, Comrade. Am I still able to count on you for that?]]
To Pietro's immeasurable relief, all of the anguish and uncertainty in Volga's eyes finally seemed to fade as he finally answered: [[On my life, Comrade Pietro.]]
THOOM!
With his fingertips finally phasing out from the back of the River Hero's head, Pietro's smile reflected as much compassion as could be communicated with all of his scars. [[It does my heart good to hear that, my friend. Now, go to Comrade Alyosha Stepanovich's lab and have him make you some better replacement limbs. Comrade Giver will also give your Quirk a boost just like the others. He can also give you a replacement helmet if you want it as well. We need to be ready for the recruitments to come…and everything else to come, as well.]]
With a dutiful salute, Volga made his way for the stairwell, leaving Pietro to stand silent and alone in the lobby; fists clenched as he had to take a deep breath to steady himself, a minuscule show of the emotional side that still lingered beneath all the outward rage and violent bravado he was now so much more prone to show.
To think that the man he once considered his closest and most loyal comrade had been shaken in his dedication enough to force Pietro to use his Quirk on him for the very first time was an exceptionally painful fact to swallow. His will had certainly proven to be one of the strongest he'd ever encountered, hence all the effort he'd needed to put towards actually weakening that steadfastness enough to where his Quirk would finally work as intended on him.
In the end, though, all Pietro could bring himself to care about was that the deed was done, and now there was nothing left to stand in the way of his getting the rest of his intended forces together, as he finally began descending into the basement. He alone had suffered far too much to simply do away with his goals now, no matter what any of his comrades would dare to say if they could.
The gunboat crew would be easy enough to mold as he saw fit. The only real problem now was the parents of his young soldiers occupying the rest of the cells besides Konstantin Khodamchuk's. Experience with his Quirk years before had proven to him the problem of having someone affected by his Quirk be in the presence of one they were directly related to, even if they too were under the same affect.
He'd never bothered to figure out why, it was simply a considerable hindrance to what he had long since desired to accomplish since coming here…and it was a hindrance he would see effectively taken care of once it was time to finally mobilize, which he felt with every fiber of his person wouldn't be too much longer, now knowing what their first major step to take would be.
Konstantin Khodamchuk had long since given up trying to keep track of the passage of time. Ever since he'd been left all by himself after his team's failed attempt at escape, resulting in the death of Elena Ustinovka, he'd finally found himself slowly but surely falling into the depths of true despair. To not even know if his two remaining comrades were alive anymore, or had been turned into yet more of Pietro Granin's pawns was torturous in a way words couldn't adequately describe; all compounded by the reminder that he had well and truly failed in his mission to try and save the Motherland from the threat a man he once followed with the utmost loyalty now posed to it.
So deep into the recesses of his despairing mind had Konstantin fallen, that he at first failed to even notice the grinding sound of the door to his cell being opened; only turning to acknowledge whoever it was when his body could naturally sense the presence of another.
Looking to the doorway, he was met by the sight of the lavender-haired young girl with the Warp Speed Quirk he could vaguely recall, but it was the sight of Anatoly Grischenko standing dutifully beside her with a wheelchair in hand that finally spurred a real reaction out of the man: [[Anatoly…what is all this? Oh, don't tell me they-]]
WOOSH! WOOSH!
In less than the blink of an eye, Tuule had swiftly closed the distance so as to grab Konstantin by his collar, before just as quickly throwing him with the momentum of a second warp right into that very wheelchair, with her and Anatoly hurriedly fastening a number of leather straps around his neck, wrists, biceps and legs; all before she finally capped it off by fastening a large piece of duct tape over their captive's mouth.
[[Don't bother, old man. The Commander wants to have you for an audience, not a conversation, so you might as well just stuff it all down your throat right now.]]
With that spiteful message given, and confident he wasn't going to be able to say anything or try to escape with these restraints, Tuule proceeded to push Konstantin up from the basement to the lobby and from there out to the courtyard via his wheelchair prison.
Once they were outside the walls lining the hospital courtyard, however, that was when she proceeded to send them both warping forward in rapid succession; unknowingly to Konstantin, at a far greater distance than her normal limit had allowed, now being able to Warp herself forward at over 50 meters at a time; expertly navigating both their way through the densely forested hills.
In a matter of less than five seconds, Konstantin, albeit very dizzily, now found himself and his Estonian watchdog perched atop a small outcropping within one of the hills overlooking the heart of Gagaringrad, expertly hidden by the foliage of the trees.
This spot provided a damn near perfect view of the empty space in the town square where the Orthodox church stood tall, where even from this far, Konstantin could very easily imagine he was looking upon the entire population of the town gathered in congregation before a single small wooden odium that stood before the front doors of the church.
Before his mind could even begin to wonder just what on earth he'd been brought out here for, the church doors suddenly opened, and out stepped a single older man with a long white beard and priest robes, who approached the podium with a purposeful stride, before briefly rubbing his fingers to his throat upon reaching it.
As he looked upon the crowd gathered before him, Father Sergei Cherenkov finally spoke up; his already powerful voice now echoing with an unnatural volume that reached the unseen Konstantin and Tuule all the way up with incredible ease and clarity: [[I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice, everyone. I know this is highly unusual, but a notable member of our community, and a dear old friend, has come to me with news that he has seen to be of the utmost importance that you all know of as well. Before he comes to speak to you all, I must ask that you all please temper yourselves and try to keep any instinctive reactions you may have to yourselves. Our speaker has gone through a very unpleasant experience in order to be able to tell you all what he's told me today.]]
Finally, from out of the shadows of the inside of the church and into the daylight stepped Pietro Dobrynich Granin, finding himself addressing the entirety of Gagaringrad at once for what he realized was the very first time since first setting foot on these shores. Yes, he'd gotten himself at least introduced to everyone gradually, but now he stood before them all as a new figurehead.
[[Oh my God, what happened to you?! How is he even still alive with scars like that?! What the hell happened that could leave a man looking like that and we wouldn't even know about it? Father, what is going on here?!]]
It was hardly surprising for either Pietro or Sergei that many of the townspeople would start reacting like this the moment they saw Pietro in the state he was in. Even some of the scattered frightened crying of the children throughout the crowd was hardly unexpected.
Nevertheless, Sergei tried his best to try and reach out from where he stood to the crowd: [[Everyone, please, I implore you all to please be calm. I promise you that there is nothing to be afraid of here-]]
THOOM!
As soon as he knew the priest's attention was focused solely on his congregation, Pietro had subtly inched in closer behind him and phased his fingertips into the back of Sergei's head; the motion expertly disguised as though he were simply trying to reassure the priest with a pat on the back.
'This is it. Time to see if The Giver's Quirk's effect for my own is as strong as I'd hoped. I never imagined one day using it on such a crowd of this size. I just hope my theory was correct.'
Standing tall and confident beside the momentarily silenced priest who was now unknowingly acting as the conduit to further amplify his voice and his Quirk through it, Pietro finally decided to speak up to the people of Gagaringrad: [[Father Sergei's sentiments are indeed noble…but I'm afraid he is mistaken in saying there is no reason for us to be afraid. The unfortunate truth is that we, as a community, have a great deal to be afraid of. You see, earlier this week, a team of covert assassins were sent here in the cover of darkness to kill not just me, but all of us gathered here today…assassins sent by our very own Motherland, no less. It was only because of the training of my young recruits that you were all spared the same awful experience.]]
This was what finally put the pin in everyone else's instinctive outcries, leaving Gagaringrad in a deathlike silence; exactly what Pietro was waiting for, as he cleared his throat and continued; his clouded eyes focused as they slowly panned over the watchful faces of the entire crowd before him:
[[I know how awful this is to hear, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you all the truth, no matter how much it hurts me to do so. After all, we all came here together, gathered and collected under my leadership to build this community from the ground up; suffering untold losses over the years in order to make it this far and rebuild a life for ourselves and our children, out of the reaches of the animals that took over our country after the Siberian Flash.
[[It infuriates me to know things have unfolded this way, just as I know it must be the same for you all. We thought we'd endured for long enough, sacrificed enough to rightfully call this place home, safe from persecution, and free from the all-encompassing hoax of Heroes we foolishly place all our trust in, only for their hubris to take away everything we hold dear.
[[But now? Now I know for a fact that Russia will never allow us to breathe easy. Their Anti-Quirk government and its attack dogs will not rest until every last one of us is dead and buried. They will come after us in the dead of the night; slinking in with long knives and bloodlust to the very beds your children sleep in! We all swore as one that we would fight against those that would threaten us once we'd settled here, and the time has now come for that debt to be paid by every single one of us! It's time for us to stop cowering under this societal rock, and finally start taking the fight back to those that seek our demise as a dislocated people! They already took what homes we had left after the Flash, they ultimately drove us all the way out here to these foreign shores, but now it's our time to take back the land that is rightfully ours!
[[However, we cannot go to our host nation of Japan for help. The fact is that their Heroes will never truly be able to understand our plight or why it is we must fight back. They would happily rather see us as subservient refugees too scared to use the Quirks we've been given to defend ourselves. We only have ourselves and each other to rely on. You all have me to look to for guidance and leadership, just as it's always been for these past thirteen years. Let yourselves feel all those years worth of sadness, of anger. Let it fill you all and give you the spirit to finally fight back! Harness it, and let me be the one to help you all shape it and your Quirks into the tools you'll use to tear down the tyrants that drove us out, and regain us our true home, just as I promised I would all those years ago to every one of you!
[[We ultimately rediscovered a family in one another in our years I guided us through the unforgiving world, and it is now as a family and an army, that we shall finally come back stronger than we ever could have imagined; striking as one collective fist into the heart of those glorified thieves and murderers sitting in Moscow as we speak! Ours is a lifetime of anguish and a hunger for justice, and I have been amassing the means for us to finally take our rightful justice for ourselves! Are you all with me?!]]
The once silent air hanging over Gagaringrad erupted into a ravenous cheer of nearly two-hundred voices, ignited with a zealous fervor that never could have naturally come from a good number of them; all applauding and crying out their artificially instilled loyalty and praise to the scarred man that now towered over them all like a veritable messiah upon the podium.
The swelling of inconceivable pride and accomplishment that built inside Pietro's chest was one of the most gratifying sensation he had ever experienced, and that only emboldened him even further as he waited for the cheers to die down even the tiniest bit before once more speaking up; never removing his hand from the back of Sergei's head all the while:
[[You all make your commander and leader the proudest man alive, to know you all treasure loyalty and promises even this long after the fact. The road ahead will be difficult, and not all of us will be able to see it through to the end, but I promise all the same to prepare you all the best way that only I can. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side. It is sadly inevitable that the Heroes here in Hokkaido will come here to try and talk us out of pursuing the one true purpose we have left in our lives. I have already managed to buy us just a little time, but we must all still make haste.
[[That is why we must be prepared to mobilize at first light tomorrow morning. Until then, I ask you all to please report to the old hospital up north. We will officially register all of your Quirks to ascertain your positions in our army for when we head out, and you will all be given the necessary training to use your Quirks to their greatest effect when the fighting eventually starts. This is the beginning of a whole new life for all of us, my Comrades! Rejoice, and know that what we do from this day forward shall be etched into the annals of history, as the day the downtrodden and despised finally said 'NO MORE,' AND RECLAIMED OUR TRUE HOME!]]
The cheers persisted on and on, even as the congregations of people (ultimately including Father Sergei himself) began to slowly but surely march in file out of Gagaringrad and up to the hospital.
As he was watching his newly formed army already moving in tandem with his orders; Pietro's heart was feeling as light as a feather. When his eyes glanced upward to the very spot within the distant woods, he could just feel the piercing yet horrified gaze of Konstantin Khodamchuk within.
Of course, this was exactly the kind of reaction he'd been hoping for. There was nothing more he had wanted when this mass would finally come, than for the man who had started him down this path to be personal witness to the beginning of the end of everything his betrayal had allowed him to build for himself.
Even from this great distance, Pietro never broke eye contact with the restrained man within the forested shadows, before his scarred mouth slowly but surely formed into a smile of pure vindication. Everything was finally coming together as it was meant to, and he couldn't have been more prepared for whatever the future was to bring him now.
[[Very well done, Comrade. Even when they've all fallen into complacency, you're still able to rouse their loyalty.]] The voice of Volga spoke out in congratulations from behind the nearby corner of the church, as Pietro had finally decided to descend from the podium after signaling for Tuule to warp herself and Konstantin back to the hospital and to the cells.
The former Pro Hero now stood before the commander with a much more encouraging-looking set of replacement prosthetic limbs and a fresh new dome helmet mounted onto the shoulders of his armored uniform. Such a now-familiar sight was a great comfort to Pietro, as he placed a grateful hand upon his shoulder.
[[A commander without the loyalty of his soldiers is barely a commander at all, Comrade. We just need to ensure their training is time well spent…with what time we have to spare.]] Pietro admitted as he turned back to see the procession continuing along; none of the people even paying the sight of Volga or Ocean Master any mind.
[[Surely you must have something in mind that can help buy us just a little more.]] Volga suggested; bringing another knowing smile to his old comrade's face.
[[Indeed, that's why I asked you out here to begin with. The Giver helping to make your Quirk even stronger is going to be a great boon for us. You've always had complete mastery over water in all its forms…but now it's time to see what you can accomplish now with the strength you possess. I want you to try and see if you're able to keep our inevitable intruders out of here entirely.
[[Our comrades all ran into troublesome Heroes and interns on their respective missions, just as you did. It'll only be a matter of time before those Heroes start putting the pieces as to who was responsible together, ultimately regroup and join the authorities in retaliation. If the other interns our people ran into are from Yuuei as Kolya and his friends are, then they're bound to be a considerable handful as well. We need to keep them from intruding here for as long as we can until everything is set up for our departure.]]
Volga gave a single affirming nod, understanding exactly what was being asked of him; and most importantly, already having a very good idea of how to do just that, as he began making his way for the dead center of Gagaringrad without a word.
Upon reach that spot, the former River Hero suddenly fell onto his hands and knees, breathing in deep and with growing strain as he tried to channel every ounce of focus and expanded power through every fiber of his being, as though he were trying to mentally connect with not only the very rhythm and flow of the entirety of the ocean behind his back, but even the abundant groundwater below the soil his fingers were gripping into.
As his comrade continued trying to summon up the untapped power his Quirk now had, Pietro could soon start to hear a growing rumbling emanating from out of the ocean, forcing him and soon many of the other newly recruited citizens to look out towards the blue horizon; unbearably curious to see what was about to happen.
BWOOOOOOOAAAAAAASSSH!
With a hissing burst of pure natural fury that nearly resembled the single greatest undersea volcano eruption imaginable, the ocean waters to the north suddenly erupted into a towering wall of pure whitewater that earned the cacophonous outcries of surprise from everyone watching all the way to the hospital.
As Pietro watched this incredible display; before his very eyes, that same white water wall actually looked to be growing in its length, to the point where even the commander knew for a fact the water was spouting upwards from where he knew there was dry land.
As this wall continued to extend through forested hills one after another, it soon became clear to Pietro just what was happening, once he turned around to look at Volga again, only to now realize there was now a second identical whitewater wall forming from the other side, similar tearing its way upwards through the very earth itself in order to ultimately meet with the first wall.
Volga was essentially carving the entire territory of Gagaringrad out from the rest of Hokkaido, channeling all of the water he could reach within the earth to rip and tear through the bedrock, and effectively form a wall of razor sharp water pressure that was already reaching well over 200 feet into the air.
To Pietro's amazement, even as Volga finally got back to his feet and turned back to face his commander, the water wall was not subsiding, instead continuing to ascend with just as much sheer power a from the onset. Such an encouraging sight had the biggest smile adorning the commander's face as he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself: [[Amazing…absolutely amazing, Comrade. You may have single-handedly bought our campaign all the time it needs for us to finally mobilize. Do you think you can maintain this wall through all of that?]]
Looking back, and then facing Pietro again, Volga simply cracked the joints in his neck. [[Before we had Comrade Giver to assist us, I would've had my doubts. Now…it almost feels as though that would be too easy, but it will be done, Comrade.]]
Pietro felt an immense warmth in the pit of his chest at this confirmation as he finally continued on his way to the hospital. This had to be what euphoria felt like; he was all but certain of it, as the smile on his face simply would not wane.
'This is incredible! Fate truly is on my side! I have weapons, equipment, and now the soldiers to use them! With The Giver strengthening all of their Quirks beyond their thresholds, what could any number of these damn Heroes possibly do to stop us?! We're finally taking our homes back!'
A couple hours earlier, Arakisu City Municipal Hospital
In the time that had passed since the end of the attack on the Kapenta Hero Agency, all throughout the treatment of all their respective injuries; all Nikolay, Mina and Kyouka could think of was whether or not their classmates and schoolmates in Asahikawa City and Sapporo were alright, now knowing what they did about what had happened in each location. The fact that they hadn't been able to actually get a call out to either of them to make sure, only made their shared anxiety and concern that much worse.
It was only when they and their Pro Hero teachers that were still in good enough condition to be on their feet (ultimately, High Noon and an otherwise heavily bandaged De-Condenser) were informed of the sudden arrival of Pro Heroes and interns coming from those cities, that spirits were finally raised; especially when they all came racing down to the lobby.
"IIDA-SAN!" "YAOMOMO!" "Oh, thank God you're all okay!"
This was all the three Class A students could bring themselves to say as they rushed to greet their visibly bruised and bandaged, but otherwise okay class representatives; both of whom were looking immensely relieved as well to see their classmates and friends still on their feet as well.
"Yaoyorozu-san and I had managed to get in contact shortly after our incidents had come to an end. We came as soon as we'd heard what had happened to your Agency." "Yes, we were so worried when we couldn't get in contact with any of you. I'm so glad you're both alright."
As Tenya and Momo explained this (the vice president quickly regretting her choice of words when seeing the bandages all over Nikolay and Mina's arms, legs and sides, and wrapped around Kyouka's forehead), the rest of their Class B counterparts: Tetsutetsu, Pony, Yui, Monoma and Reiko, were hot on their heels alongside their respective Pro Hero mentors, Knightfall and Whiteout. Unfortunately, the overlying sense of dread that hung over this entire situation all three groups were now involved in, did away with the usual star-stricken reaction the Kapenta trio would have had when meeting two more genuine Pros in the flesh.
Then, of course, there also came the big surprise for the Kapenta Yuuei students when spotting the pink-haired, goggle-wearing and brightly-smiling form of Mei Hatsume quickly rolling in right behind the whole lot of them, not even acknowledging the dour atmosphere before giving them all a hearty greeting: "YOO! Glad to see everybody's finally all together in one piece! I didn't miss anything important, did I?"
"Hatsume-san? What are you doing all the way up here?" Nikolay immediately asked, neither expressing apprehension nor relief; with the overly eager Support girl planting her two heavy suitcases down at her sides once she removed her makeshift rollerblades from her feet, exclaiming before Tenya could even get his mouth open to answer: "Ah, no big deal, something about a possible Support internship, but never mind that! Three simultaneous Villain attacks on a whole ton of Heroes?! That sounds like the perfect opportunity to make and give you all the helpful little babies I can, doesn't it? I'd be crazy not to jump on it!"
"So, what are we all waiting for? You said we were meeting Bezpalov-san and Ashido-san because of the Quirks those assholes in the tunnel had, so let's get right to it!" Tetsutetsu immediately exclaimed as soon as he'd finished likewise greeting Tenya's classmates; all while trying to ignore the shocked looks in their eyes when seeing even he looked to have been considerably roughed up, with all the band-aids on his face, and the bandages adorning his arms, legs and torso.
Of course, brushing off his impatience, Tenya and Momo both knew there was no sense prolonging the other purpose that drove them here; and thus commenced a heavy recollection from all three groups of just what exactly happened at each of their cities, and most importantly, the Quirks of all their respective opponents, between students and Pro Heroes alike.
By the time everything had been shared that possibly could have been from the onset, Nikolay finally summed up everything as it stood: "God…I didn't want to believe it, even as it was all happening…but it really is true, isn't it? All those people in Pietro's army really are Villains."
While the Class B students didn't have nearly the same kind of context as to why this news was hitting Nikolay and Mina as hard as it was, even after their own fight; Tenya and Momo thankfully were sensitive enough to know to let their friends have a moment to really process the facts from yet more sources than their own. They had spoken of these people once like hopeful future friends. To now know they were instead their enemies in this situation would be painful for anyone.
This unavoidable truth, the lingering pain of their injuries, and the overwhelming guilt at having lost The Giver, had Mina and Nikolay both trying to fight back their tears at just how low they were in this moment; the pink young Hero struggling to put her words together: "I…I-I just don't understand why this is happening. Why would Maja-chan…why would they all suddenly just turn on us…on everyone like this?"
"That's honestly what we were hoping you all might be able to help us figure out." Whiteout admitted to her fellow Pros, while High Noon and De-Condenser both had their brows furrowed, similarly trying to make sense of this insane situation for the first time now that they were no longer in the heat of battle.
"I may be able to help you with that, everyone." The sudden sound of an old man's thickly accented voice speaking loud and purposefully, drew all the gathered Pro and intern Heroes' attention, to find Leonid Viktorovich Briner standing in a nearby doorway, his stomach wrapped in extensive medical gauze, leaning on crutches and flanked by two police officers on both sides. "We apologize, everyone. We tried to keep him in bed, but he insisted that he had information that could help you all to know how to resolve this situation as it stands."
The old man stood steadfast and focused, completely ignoring the instinctive exclamation from Monoma at the sight of him ("Who is this Leo Tolstoy impersonator?"), while Nikolay, Mina and Kyouka quickly got to work introducing Leonid to the rest of their allies, while their respective Pro mentors introduced themselves in kind.
"We understand you've been through a lot recently yourself, Briner-san. If it's too much strain for you, you don't need to feel the need to push yourself. We're all friends here, and we won't rest until we rectify whatever's really happening here." Momo initially tried to assure the strained-looking old man once all the introductions had been made; Tenya, Tetsutetsu and Pony instinctively voicing similar determined sentiments right alongside her.
Despite this, Leonid never even let out a sigh to show if he was forcing himself or not. The man was the definition of driven, as he looked all the Heroes before him in the eye. "I have no doubts of that, young lady…but there is a great deal more going on here than any of you could realize just from what you've all gone through. This is something I know has been slowly building for the last several months behind the scenes in Gagaringrad, and you all need to know exactly what it is you're getting into if you want any hope of succeeding against these Villains. I can only try to tell you everything I myself know…and hope that it can somehow be enough."
The Heroes all looked concernedly to one another. There wasn't a single one of them willing to just back down after everything that had happened. They were all wanting to bring an end to whatever was really going on out here more than anything else…but the overlying air of mystery that Leonid was suggesting had them all deep down feeling especially ill-prepared.
But prepared or not, they were all still willing to face the truth head-on if it meant putting an end to this insidious conspiracy, no matter just how awful that truth could potentially be.
And there it is everyone, the new chapter for the week, and our Heroes have all finally reunited. But with Pietro having officially sunk the hooks of his Quirk into the entire town of Gagaringrad; will even this many driven Heroes be enough to put a stop to his invasion plans?
I hope you're all as eager to find out as I am to show you. If you liked what you read here today, please leave a review, and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week.
Thank you all so much for your continued readership, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 05/21!