Roanapur Nights

A Rosario+Vampire and Black Lagoon Crossover

Chapter 20

Baba Yaga admired the world around her. The stories from those they brought back to their community had all been wondrous in their descriptions. A world of light that never shut off, and a world of wonders to behold and experience. It was a world that she had been made afraid of by Joseph Stalin. He'd made promises, brought her to his capital, and there he began to force her to do things. She'd used her magic in perverted ways that couldn't even be mentioned.

Magic was more than mere spells to be recanted and used. It was the very lifeblood of the universe. To pervert it the way that he'd forced her to had made something terrible come about. It'd forced a new evolution, and it had created a new breed of monster that she was thankful had died. A bastardization of science and magic that forced soldiers that could feel no pain, no fear, and needed no sleep.

They weren't the flesh golems that some had created, but instead they were a new kind of creature. Made from using mechanical parts and intertwining them with human bodies. She'd seen it, helped to create it, and she'd felt sick over it. There was no need for such a thing to exist. It was a perversion plain and simple. Still, instead she saw a world before her that seemed to stretch out into eternity. Lights lit up along the street, hundreds of people walking around, and none of them were afraid. It was a city of predators, and she knew that. It was a place where monsters could exist.

She heard the sounds of footsteps and turned to see the one that had sent the invitation. She was similar to them in some ways. Her blond hair hung in a simple ponytail, and she gestured toward a seat. Baba Yaga moved toward it, and sat down.

"Thank you for accepting our invitation," Balalaika said as she smoked her cigarette, "To be honest I was afraid that you might decline. I can understand that the world you likely knew wasn't exactly kind to you. Especially since I was filled in on how you were treated."

She nodded, "I have been treated better here, yes better," she replied, her voice holding onto the small amount of dignity she had left, "Boris had promised that you would treat me better, he did."

She saw the small smile on Balalaika's face, "He is a dedicated man, and his answers were honest," she said as she looked at the witch, "Which brings me to my proposal. I will not ask anything that you do not wish to do, but should you wish to assist us from time to time I will happily accept."

Baba Yaga studied her. So far none of them had lied to her. Boris had told her the truth that they would not force her to do anything, and he'd said that likely they would ask that perhaps she help heal those returning. A small penance for opening a world to her. It was a world she believed would always be held at an arm's length. That she would never fully know or experience it since what had happened before. Instead she was experiencing this new world, and she had to admit that she enjoyed a fair bit of it.

One of the new things she got to experience was shopping. It was an experience that she never would have believed possible before. There were so many shops, so many different choices, and one could merely walk down the street and see everything that was available. There was no worry about what food to get, no worry about clothes, but instead everything was simply available.

It was so completely different from what she knew. It was the kind of thing that could be considered insane, and yet she understood it so well. This was what the world had to offer. It was more than she expected, and more than she realized that she could have.

She had been given a token gift. Some currency in which to purchase goods, and she had enjoyed it. It was a chance to step out and enjoy the world. She had done so with her sisters. To her surprise both of them were as enraptured with the experience as she had been. Both of them loved the idea of simply being able to purchase goods without searching for the materials in the wild. It was practically a small miracle to behold for her. She knew that it was the woman speaking to her that made it possible.

"What may I help with exactly?"

As she spoke it was Balalaika that listened. She knew the type of voice she used. The older ones, the soldiers that were under those that had been under Stallin had told stories of the old interrogations. In some ways they were far kinder than their predecessors had been. The kind of damage that had been done to her was easy to see. Monsters didn't mean invincible. Baba Yaga was something of a boogeyman for some of the more superstitious of her brethren.

To know that she was real was certainly one thing, but to know the extent of the damage that had been done to her was another. Normally it wouldn't matter, but she wanted to cultivate a relationship with the witch. As such she studied her, "Mostly I would like to see if you would be willing to help with healing my people, but additionally if there is a way to make them more resilient to damage."

She listened to her request and then nodded, "Resilient to damage, able to shake off attacks, to not be hurt by mortal means, yes?"

She nodded, "Just as you say," she replied, "I want them to be able to withstand most mortal weapons, if possible. I want to allow them to do their work without worry, and of course continue to protect those that are important to us."

She studied her for a moment, "I can do this," she replied, "It is a simple brew, one that must be taken once a day. When the day is over the protection is over. It can not be taken more than five days at a time, no more, no more, doing so will be terrible, terrible."

Balalaika studied her, "Terrible how?"

She looked at her, her eyes twitched slightly, "Different monsters, horrible kind, ones that know no loyalty, that kill all before them, ghouls," she said, her voice soft, "Worst of the worst, hunters of vampires, hunters all of all monsters. They feast on the strong and the weak. They are madness, indifferent, worrisome."

She heard her and then nodded, "I see," she replied as she leaned back, "So, if they take it more than five days in a row they become something nearly impossible to kill, and something that kills without regard. I will keep that in mind, but is it something you can do?"

She nodded, "You invited us here, allowed us to connect our homes, our people are here now with us, we will assist."

Balalaika smiled at the answer, "Very well, thank you," she replied sounding relieved, "Then if you would I will get you all the materials you need."

She looked at her, "The shops, they have much, so much, but there is something else we need," she said as she looked at her, "We need a vile monster, something that harms others for fun. We need it to sacrifice. The protection must come from one that willingly takes from others, never returning anything. No loyalty, no help, only taking and taking. An orc or something similar will do."

Hearing the words Balalaika couldn't contain her grin. She'd seen orcs in the video, and she knew what they were like. Vile was just the beginning. Finding them shouldn't be difficult. They seemed to be attracted to young women. If there was one thing that Roanapur had going for it was the number of women that showed up here. Those escaping to what they hoped was a better life, those captured and brought in as slaves. There was practically an unending supply of women, and it was practically a buffet for the orcs.

Finding one would be easy, capturing it doubly so. She nodded, "We will find one and bring it back. Tell me, what kind of altar do you need?"

Baba Yaga studied her, "We used a cleaning hut," she said, "A room where we could hang one upside down. A place where they would be tied in place, and then we would slit their throat."

She grinned, "Oh, we have a cleaning room already," she replied, "I will make sure that it is prepared for you."

She stood and took a moment to look at Baba Yaga. The witch was not that she had been told as a child. She was not some horrible witch determined to eat children that were naughty. She wasn't ugly, but she instead she was actually quite beautiful. Her trauma however told far more. She had suffered at the hands of others, and from what she had been reported to about those things were done under the order of Joseph Stallin himself. The way she spoke had only cemented it.

There was no denying that she believed herself to be a soldier, and she had proudly served her native country. She did until they turned their back on her. Until she was told that they were not to be used in their missions anymore. Instead they were nothing more than liabilities. That had been the straw that broke the camel's back. At that moment she left, deserted, and so did her entire platoon. Together they came here, a place with no laws, and they founded something impressive. A place where they could have a final war, a true one, and she waited for that day.

Now, she was going to do something more. She studied Baba Yaga, and she could not deny what she had already seen. Boris was often reserved, as much as she was at times, but there was no denying what she had seen between him and Baba Yaga. The witch seemed to cling to him like a life preserver, and he in returned gave her the grounding that she needed. The two were drifting toward one another, and she would not stop it. In truth, if Baba Yaga was to claim Boris as hers, was to marry him, then it would cement her position in Hotel Moscow.

Having one of the most powerful witches of all time on their side was certainly something worth having. Knowing that monsters were real had been eye opening, but then she realized that she shouldn't have been surprised. There were plenty of times that monsters had been present before. Just because they were hidden in the background didn't mean that they weren't there. The truth of the matter was that they were present.

They had been for ages, and they had just not taken the time to notice them. Witches, vampires, and kinds of monsters likely existed. Thanks to the little bird that she had met earlier there was no doubt that the monsters of legend were all real. So, having someone with massive power on their side was well worth it. She walked toward the cleaning room and she saw a few of those that came with the sisters after they arrived.

She was told that they were unable to live in high temperatures, and so they were allowed to roam the halls of their building that was kept at an acceptable level for them. What they wanted, and needed, were gathered for them, and of course once the colder temperatures set in they would be allowed to travel outside to the markets. Although she had already warned the sisters of the potential dangers. Humans were monsters of their own. They were no less dangerous, and no less destructive.

There were elements in Roanapur that would make others disappear without a question. Of course Hotel Moscow would track them down. No one would be allowed to harm a guest of Hotel Moscow and get away with it. To do so would be death, and she would gladly ensure that they met their end. Loyalty and honor were important to her. It was the driving force behind their true mission. Her loyalty to her men, their honor stripped away from them by their homeland. They would meet their end with honor, and they would do so on a battlefield of their choosing.

She moved toward her second in command, and she saw him studying the tapes that she was converting into DVD and BluRay. Recordings of things done in the most horrific way to people that likely didn't deserve it. It was the kind of thing that sold across the world in the back alleys and the seedy porn swaps that barely existed. Those places of legend that were slowly disappearing thanks to the internet.

She stepped in, "So, she is going to help us, and we get to hunt."

He looked toward her, his eyes betraying his normally stoic face. She could see his confliction. He would be loyal to her, there was no doubt, but he had begun to care for her. It was fine, for him to care for her was to finish laying the welcoming mat for her to join them, "Good," he replied, "So, what do we need?"

She moved toward him, "An orc," she replied as she fished one of the tapes she'd already worked on. She pushed it in, and he watched as horrific looking creatures took the perverse pleasure in torturing and raping a police officer. She paused the film on one that showed its true nature, "This," she said as she pointed to it, "Is what we're after. She needs to bleed one to give us the edge we need."

He studied it for a moment, "A monster that is a rapist," he replied, his voice not betraying his feelings, "Somehow that almost seem poetic."

She laughed a little, "It could be considered so," she admitted as she studied the image, "But the truth is that we need to capture one. I know that there is likely one in Roanapur already, possibly more. The tape was with our shipment, and I've tracked down the police officer. She was one of the last few official shipments that Chang had delivered before he came begging for our help. If needed, we can retrieve her."

He stood for a moment, "Why?" he asked, his eyes focused on the Orc, "If we were to bring her in there is a chance that she would betray our motive. I doubt that she would simply allow us to capture one. She likely would want to kill him."

She looked at him, and the look she gave was one of conviction and understanding. She didn't look down upon him for his thoughts. If anything he was more often than not her moral compass. Still, she had no reason to lie to him, "Yes, and I plan on it," she said as she studied him, "We need the orc alive when he is brought to us, but at the same time I want to see how durable they are. I have no doubts about the abilities of our men, but I want to see if someone trained as mere peace officer would be able to harm them."

The answer seemed to suit him, and he gave a nod, "Ah, that makes sense."

With that settled she watched as he continued to study the creature. He seemed to take in every single angle that was given, and she understood why. Knowing one's prey was often the difference between a successful mission or death. Dying in a grand war was fine, but dying because of a stupid mistake was unforgivable. Their desire was to fulfill their end goal. To find a worthy war to wage. They wanted to ensure that whatever war took them was one that would be remembered for ages to come. A theater as grand as the one that plagued the entire world was acceptable.

Death in a war such as that would be meaningful, but dying because they didn't understand the creature they were seeking was essentially meaningless. It was something that she wanted to avoid if at all possible. No, she wanted them to accomplish much, and thanks to Baba Yaga they would have that chance. There was even a chance that they could turn the tides of a war already fought. Still, that was farther off, and she would wait until she was certain of Baba Yaga's place.

"Tell me," she said before she turned to leave, "You seem to have gotten closer to Baba Yaga. What do you think of her?"

There was a moment of quiet, and then she heard the slightest of grunts, "She is not what I had envisioned when I traveled to find her," he said, his voice even, "I expected a monster that ate the naughty children. I expected to find some despicable creature that was beyond evil, and that would kill me where I stood. Instead I found a woman that had been wounded. She is a pleasant person, kind, and yet I understand the place she has come from. She suffered, as we did."

She paused for a moment, "She did," she replied her eyes on the door before her, "And I believe that it has possibly made her stronger. Do you think that she will fit in with us?"

There was another moment of silence, "I believe so," he replied, "Major, I should tell you, we are.. We have.. There is no easy way of saying."

She laughed a moment, "The two of you are attracted to one another, and you've become physically intimate, correct?"

She didn't see the nod. It wasn't as if she needed to see it. To be honest the clues about what they had been doing were there for anyone to see. The way they acted toward each other, the way Baba Yaga treated him like a lifeline. There was no doubt that the two of them had become very intimate together. There was something to be said about the possibility of her robbing the cradle, but then for all she knew Baba Yaga was effectively immortal.

The stories surrounding her were far older than most cared to guess at. They were even older than the stories about Rasputin. The mystic that gained the ear of the wife of the Romanoff's was well known, and yet Baba Yaga's stories were older than that. It meant that she had lived for an exceptionally long time. She waited, and she heard the movement, "We have," he finally admitted, "We have shared a room, a bed, and she has told me that she feels safe with me. I do not know why. She is clearly able to end the lives of so many without much trouble."

It was finally Balalaika's moment to look at him in a moment of confusion. She had been a major, and she was currently the head of their division of the Russian mafia. She was known for being ruthless, and there were countless lives that had ended on her orders or by her hand. And yet, she understood exactly what Baba Yaga meant. For Boris to not understand, it confused her. She finally shook her head, "It is not about strength," she said as she looked toward him, "It is about being able to be with someone and not feel as if they use who you are against you. You have shown her that you are loyal, and she has embraced that. It has endeared her to us, and I cannot understate the importance of that. You have done well with her, and whatever happens between the two of you, let it happen naturally."

She moved and shook her head as she left, "Never did I think the day would come that I would give relationship advice."

She moved down the hall, and she moved toward the room that they were going to prepare for Baba Yaga. The room was mostly white. A drain was made into the floor, and at one time it had been a mere shower. The bulk of the fixtures had been removed, leaving only the drain, the tile floor, and the wench that was used to hold bodies over the floor. It was a room that had been used multiple times to bleed out those foolish enough to challenge them. Perhaps for one of the first times it was going to be used for what it was supposed to be used for.

"This should work," she said as she studied it, "Depending on the weight we may need to change the wench, but it should work. Yes, our newest guest will be brought in here, and if we are able to obtain the police girl, well she will be a test."