08-30-2017, 02:42 PM
Ivan listened carefully. It was a serious thing he was considering. So....what were his options? Try to stay under the radar? He was Domovoi, part of the Monster Squad. His abilities were going to become public knowledge regardless.
Which meant that no matter what, those he cared about- and those in his circle, like Vega and Cruz- where going to be at risk. The though gnawed at him. He had a family. And friends.
He thought for a long while. He remembered Uncle Pol, the way his face twisted with rage and pain, fists clenched. He'd only been a boy at the time. But he'd known Olena. His first crush. His first kiss. Inseparable. Their fathers had been at the Academy together, came up together, served together.
Both good men; honorable men; devoted men. Neither were chasing after a name or glory. But it was Pol who had made the traffic stop that night. Which turned into confronting one lieutenant or other from one of the families. Confrontation and deadly force. And suddenly one man is dead and another's life has changed forever. Pol suddenly found himself with enemies high up the food chain.
A transfer didn't matter. Protection did not matter. Someone with a vendetta had marked him out. And in the worst way possible. Equal pain.
Olena gunned down and bleeding out in Pol's arms. For Ivan, it was the beginning of futility. Nothing they did made a difference. Olena was dead. Uncle Pol was destroyed. Father's work meant nothing. Olena had died for a broken tail-light. He still remembered her laugh. For nothing.
And it felt that way for a long time, until Father had been hurt and the community rallied around him. That despite the casual cruelty and easy evil that seemed to dominate, the underlying people kept their ties and supported one another. That had been his turning point.
So now, here he was. The crossroads. These people were his enemies for many reasons. The most basic was the most simple. They wanted him dead because he existed. There would be no reasoning with them, no buying them off, no hiding, not if they were as good as Nox indicated.
So would he run? No. He would find a way to protect his own. But run or not, they were coming for him- for Nox, for Cruz and Vega and anyone else he had the balls to be born different. For Olena, he would do it. For Pol.
And for Papa. It could've Papa who'd made the stop. And then it could have been his mama or sister or brother who lay dying in the street.
He felt anger burning inside him. It was not his style, but this was not his scene either. Times had changed. He might be alone, for now, but he had people he thought he could trust. Alex. The new guy Calvin seemed like he had his head on straight- with the advantage that he hadn't been there for anything and didn't know anything. The Cap and LT. And maybe others.
He'd met the Sigma- now Consul over...whatever it was called. The Consulates always had long names. Anyway, maybe the guy could put him in touch with others like them who might help. Probably not, but in either case, if they didn't already know it, someone should start helping channelers to learn their powers and protect themselves.
"They're coming for us regardless. We're already on their radar, especially if we have a mole. So everyone in our circles are already in danger. I'd rather hunt them back than sit and wait."
He stood. "Vega's is fine. At the very least he can know what's going on. And he might have some ideas too."
Which meant that no matter what, those he cared about- and those in his circle, like Vega and Cruz- where going to be at risk. The though gnawed at him. He had a family. And friends.
He thought for a long while. He remembered Uncle Pol, the way his face twisted with rage and pain, fists clenched. He'd only been a boy at the time. But he'd known Olena. His first crush. His first kiss. Inseparable. Their fathers had been at the Academy together, came up together, served together.
Both good men; honorable men; devoted men. Neither were chasing after a name or glory. But it was Pol who had made the traffic stop that night. Which turned into confronting one lieutenant or other from one of the families. Confrontation and deadly force. And suddenly one man is dead and another's life has changed forever. Pol suddenly found himself with enemies high up the food chain.
A transfer didn't matter. Protection did not matter. Someone with a vendetta had marked him out. And in the worst way possible. Equal pain.
Olena gunned down and bleeding out in Pol's arms. For Ivan, it was the beginning of futility. Nothing they did made a difference. Olena was dead. Uncle Pol was destroyed. Father's work meant nothing. Olena had died for a broken tail-light. He still remembered her laugh. For nothing.
And it felt that way for a long time, until Father had been hurt and the community rallied around him. That despite the casual cruelty and easy evil that seemed to dominate, the underlying people kept their ties and supported one another. That had been his turning point.
So now, here he was. The crossroads. These people were his enemies for many reasons. The most basic was the most simple. They wanted him dead because he existed. There would be no reasoning with them, no buying them off, no hiding, not if they were as good as Nox indicated.
So would he run? No. He would find a way to protect his own. But run or not, they were coming for him- for Nox, for Cruz and Vega and anyone else he had the balls to be born different. For Olena, he would do it. For Pol.
And for Papa. It could've Papa who'd made the stop. And then it could have been his mama or sister or brother who lay dying in the street.
He felt anger burning inside him. It was not his style, but this was not his scene either. Times had changed. He might be alone, for now, but he had people he thought he could trust. Alex. The new guy Calvin seemed like he had his head on straight- with the advantage that he hadn't been there for anything and didn't know anything. The Cap and LT. And maybe others.
He'd met the Sigma- now Consul over...whatever it was called. The Consulates always had long names. Anyway, maybe the guy could put him in touch with others like them who might help. Probably not, but in either case, if they didn't already know it, someone should start helping channelers to learn their powers and protect themselves.
"They're coming for us regardless. We're already on their radar, especially if we have a mole. So everyone in our circles are already in danger. I'd rather hunt them back than sit and wait."
He stood. "Vega's is fine. At the very least he can know what's going on. And he might have some ideas too."