Realistic or Modern Of Ivanov Blood Reboot//All spots full!

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

“Hurt? No, Masha. You have me confused. When my people imprisoned me I wasn’t hurt, I wanted fucking blood. And if these sisters of yours imprisoned you then you should embrace the anger. Forgiveness only goes so far.” Was Katya being too blunt? Perhaps, but the way Masha was acting…it was like she’d forgive the sisters for their transgressions. The people who had betrayed Katya paid for their sins, and if the sisters did this to them then they’d have to pay for theirs. It only made sense. Plus…Katya felt off. She didn’t feel like sugar coating things for Masha at the moment, no matter how sensitive the matter.

“Tsk tsk, Katya dear is that how you really feel?” Though the voice was feminine and kind it also had a hint of malice to it. As the petite woman spun around to look outside the bars Katya could see an older woman with a syringe in her hand walking through a dimly lit doorway, her cold smile something that made her blood run cold. The woman was in her habit, she appeared to have come just from the church but she had anything but godly things in mind. “Whoever the fuck you are, if you let us out I promise to let you live. I’ll punish you, but you’ll still have your life.” The voice Katya used was just as cold if not colder, she meant every word of it.

“Now now dear, let’s start with introductions. Masha already knows me, but I’m sister Maria. I was one of the women to raise your mother. She was supposed to bring me both girls before she passed away. When she left us I feared the worst, that we’d never find her other daughter. But like a gift from God, you found us. I simply can’t let you leave, you were meant to serve God like your mother had done all her life. Masha is my good girl, she’d be easy to get to comply. You’re our complicated one though, dear.” As the woman opened the door Katya looked for a way out, a way to bring the woman down. But the injection from last night still had her feeling weak. “Masha run, okay? Don’t look back.” Katya shifted as she whispered to her twin before she immediately moved for the woman. The fight, however, was short lived. Normally her martial arts training would have worked, but the old woman jabbed the needle into Katya’s neck and forced her to drop to the ground before she could take her down. “Masha, tend to your sister. You’ll be here until she learns to get with the program. Try to teach her to be a bit more lady like, like you.” The woman smiled a cold smile at Masha before leaving the cell and locking it once more. “Your meals and water will be delivered, I’ll see you in a few days. Make sure she eats.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella

“Yes Zofia, I’ll accompany you to the church. Come, let’s speak with this sister.” With a small warm smile she gently placed a hand on Zofias back to lead her out, though her eyes shot daggers at Stefan. ‘FIX IT.’ Was all she mouthed at the man before they made it out of the room. “We’ll find the girls, Zofia. Mikhail and Nicholai are like blood hounds, and if Sophia is as helpful as you hope then that’ll only lead us to them faster.” It was hard to believe that Anna only came here for investigate the mafia; now she cared about what happened to Katya and the others? Especially Masha; that poor girl didn’t deserve any of this! All because her sister was some hotshot in the mob? The officer and the woman who served in Italy’s armed forces was not about to let her fall as some innocent and tragic victim. Hell no, if the boys couldn’t find them then Anna would. Mikhail wasn’t the only one who felt like a failure.

After a quick car ride to the church Anna walked in with Zofia with observant eyes. “Find the sister, I’ll keep watch out here okay?” Or investigate the church, both were necessary objectives. “Don’t take too long, I’ll come looking for you.~” As always Annabella gave a sweet smile and waved as she walked off to explore the large church. Were there trapdoors, secret rooms? Caves? Lairs? This place had to have something here that led them to the girl. After checking out a few spots she noticed an older nun walking down a dimly lit hallway. Something about the woman gave her chills, but she remembered that Masha introduced her when she started staying here. Sister Maria, one of the older nuns of the church. She had always given Anna an uneasy feeling…

Just as she ran down the hallway after her a loud clang rang echoed through the hall leaving no sister in sight. The thing that stuck out? A iron barred door that led to something that didn’t look like a basement. Gently she tried to open the door but, alas, she found it locked. Would Sophia or Zofia know where the stairs behind the door led to? Only one way to find out. Quickly she ran through the church until she found Zofia and Sophia, flashing a bright smile at the girls. “Where do those stairs in the west hallway lead to? You know, the one with the giant iron barred door. Super creepy and ominous, why would sister Maria be down there?”

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

“I, uh, don’t think this is a wise idea Mikhail.” Stefan gave a small nervous laugh as he suggested Annabella tagging along with Zofia to the church. Didn’t she need someone big and strong and intimidating by her side, and not the fucking cute baking guard? Besides…leaving Stefan and Aleksi together was NOT a good idea. Was he scared of Aleksi? Absolutely fucking not, he was a pretty boy with a scary guard and a gun. He didn’t have to work for anything in his life, and the one time he had someone good for him he fucked her up by making her feel like shit. Zofia deserved more than that…more than him.

After a while the men disappeared to go do their separate tasks, leaving just Aleksi and Stefan in the living room together. “I get I’m probably the last person you want to see right now, and when the girls are found you will not have to see me again. But you will have to apologize to Zofia for being a fucking asshole…and let her know you understand any of the choices she’s making. She’s trying to move on from you, you really hurt her and she doesn’t know how to talk to you about it. That or she doesn’t want to talk to you about it. But, what’s the difference really? She’s a great person and she didn’t deserve any of the pain you’ve caused her.” There was no use dancing around the topic, they wouldn’t be able to work with this tension between them. If they talked about it now then they’d be able to focus on finding the girls.

“It seems to me like you’re in love with someone else. Maybe next time don’t drag down someone who’s already sensitive in the love department, figure your shit out first.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

“Well I guess this once again just proves that despite us looking alike, we are completely different.” Masha spoke softly, turning away from Katya as the woman explained that she was angry not hurt when they were basically kidnapped. How could someone be so angry all of the time? Especially someone, who is Mashas mind, had everything you could ever want… Katya had a family and a good place to live. She knew who she was and where she came from. Masha didn’t have any of that and still she always tried to see the good.



Being lost in thought meant that the new voice added to the mix made Masha nearly jump out of her skin. As someone came towards the bars of the cage she felt herself instinctively sink away but when she saw the woman step into the light Mashas face lit up. But only for a moment. Sister Maria began to speak and Masha felt her body begin to shiver, her hair standing on end along her arms. Why was Sister Maria acting so scary? Saying such strange things… Why did she have a needle?



Masha simply watched in horror as Sister Maria injected Katya with something. Katya told her to run but she couldn’t move, she was simply cemented to the ground in fear and before she knew it the sister was leaving and the cell was being locked once more.



After Sister Maria left, Masha quickly moved to Katya and brushed some hair from her face. She looked so out of it. Masha was too, simply from the experience of what just happened and she wasn’t even the one who got drugged. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes she would have never believed that Sister Maria could do something so wicked… “Katya let’s get you into the bed okay? You’re going to be okay. And we will figure out a way out of here okay?” Masha struggled to pick up her sister from the ground as tears began to sting in her eyes. What the hell was going on?

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia

“She’ll help us, Sister Sophia has always been different than a lot of the others. For one she actually likes me but she’s also always been honest with us for the most part. She’s always acted like she was protecting Masha from something, and me too but…” Zofia sighed as she explained to Annabella on their way to the church. It was comforting to hear that Mikhail and Nicholai were trust worthy with this but Zofia was just so fucking stressed out. She only hoped that Sister Sophia would have something that would help them figure this all out.

At the church Annabella instructed Zofia to find Sophia so that was exactly what she did. It wasn’t hard as the woman seemed to have a textbook schedule and was in the kitchen at this time reading since it was one of the only places she could get alone time away from the children and the other nuns. “Sister Sophia?” Zofia spoke softly as to not startle the poor woman but it clearly didn’t work judging by her jumping and grasping at the rosary around her neck. At first Zofia could tell that the woman was gearing up to scold her for startling her but she must have noticed the worry on Zofias face because her tone changed fast. Zofia sat at the table with her and explained everything that was going on and what had happened. The look on the sisters face clearly showed that she was horrified… but not shocked.


Sister Sophia was in the middle of explaining about how Masha was brought to the church and the story of the twins mother when Annabella returned in a rush. “The west hallway? Do you mean that creaky old door that leads to the cemetery?” Zofia looked between Sophia and Annabella with an eyebrow raised and suddenly Sophia let out a gasp.

“I think I might know where the girls are. I cannot… no I can but…” Sister Sophia sighed and was clearly struggling with something. “There has always been some radical minds around here. I always thought that despite that we would have the girls best interest in mind but I don’t think that’s true anymore. I don’t want those girls in the hands of that family any more than the rest of the women around here, not after seeing what it did to their mother. But … Zofia dear I trust you. You would go to the ends of the earth for Masha, if you two are together inknow you’ll stay safe in any environment. And…” Sophia eyed Annabella, “Most of this new generation of Ivanovs I have had the displeasure of meeting recently aren’t terrible.” Sister Sophia reached into the cowl of her dress and pulled out a key on a chain before handing it to Zophia. “I’ll keep your favorite window unlocked my little hellion, the key will get you into the door that leads to the catacombs. I haven’t been down there in ages and I don’t think there is anything down there that could imprison anyone but… Sister Maria is radical. If she’s acting strange and Masha is missing you might find a clue by going to her stomping grounds. Now you should go, come back when it’s dark. And Zofia, this church is a place of god but do not mistake it all for light. There are people here you mustn’t trust.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov
Aleksi simply looked at Stefan in a stunned silence as he spoke to him. Did this man fall and hit his head? Aleksi wasn’t normally one to pull rank or flash his title or strength but… it had been a while since someone was bold enough to talk to him like that. And the fact that it was about Zofia only made it worse. “I will do what I see fit. I don’t need you to fucking tell me what to do. I don’t know why you think that fucking her once makes you understand the situation but I’ll refrain from taking your advice. Thanks.” Was he angry? Yeah. Was he being an asshole? Yeah. He was working through this whole fucking thing and he sure as hell didn’t need the man who slept with his girlfriend to fucking coach him on what he NEEDED to do.
Then when Stefan made the comment about being in love with someone else it made Aleksi snap. He didn’t even say anything he just pulled back and punched the fucker right in the eye and soon a full out brawl between the two of them broke out. It went on for a while with some of the Ivanov men trying to stop it before they were finally successful at pulling the two men apart.
“If you ever speak another fucking WORD to me, I will kill you like the rodent you are.” Aleksi spat as he was pulled away and shoved onto the couch, he was bleeding from a split lip and he was sure he had some bruises but he didn’t care. He didn’t need to hear about the pain he caused Zofia, he KNEW. He didn’t need to know about being in love with someone else. HE KNEW. He was actively trying to get over it, ready to get over it! Then he walked in to find Zofia in that fucking guys clothes! Now Katya was missing and possibly in danger and it was just too fucking much.
After that the men were silent. Sitting and simply waiting for the others to return which thankfully it didn’t take too long. They came back and explained what had happened… then Stefan and Aleksi had to explain they got into a spat but didn’t say why… thankfully it was mostly glazed over for now so that they could focus on the real issue. They made a plan that they would return to the church once it was completely nightfall so they could avoid being seen or startling the children at the church. They would all go but Mikhail and Nicholai would be in charge. Time moved slowly after that but eventually it was time and the whole group had made their way to the church.
“Okay Zo, so what window are we going into again?” A

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

How long had it been since Masha helped her to bed? Hours...days? The Ivanov boss kept losing consciousness, her whole body feeling cold and weak despite her struggling to stay awake. Something was wrong and she could feel it, but at the same time she knew she couldn't say anything. Masha was going through so much already, and Katya's death was the last thing she needed to stress about. Besides, she knew she could die at any point since she was little. She was blessed to live this long, her only regret was dying in this fucking cell. Her usual porcelain skin however was deathly pale, her skin was cool to the touch. What would probably be a normal sedative for someone had overdosed Katya, that was her only guess as to what it was. "Mash, I'm sorry." Her pale hand pulled the blanket up as she took a deep breath. It was one of the few moments she was awake for and she wasn't sure how long it was last, or if it would be her last. At this point she wasn't sure if Masha knew anything was wrong or not, but she just wanted to talk to her sister. "I would have loved to grow up with you, maybe I wouldn't be such a cold bitch. I always knew I'd have to take over the family, I've been raised for it since I was little, so this attitude just became natural for me."

For a minute she was quiet, contemplating on what she should say. Masha was too trusting, she needed strength. Katya was too strong and didn't trust anyone at all. "We're like yin and yang, I think. We just need to learn from each other and we'd be better off, I know I'd like to be a bit more soft like you. But, um, if...anything happens to me, and you'd like to take over the family, I'm sure Mikhail would help you. No pressure, I'm sure whatever you choose to do in life will be amazing. Because, well, you're amazing." Katya was definitely dying, there was no way she'd ever be caught saying anything nice like this to anyone. "When Mikhail comes here to save us tell him I'm sorry, and if you see Alekis tell him I'm sorry too." A shiver shot down her body and she suddenly felt even more weak. If she went to sleep again she was sure she wouldn't wake up.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella

The talk with sister Sophia was chilling. There were radical members of the church just like they had thought, but nothing about that was reassuring. Masha had lived here all of her life, had they been watching her like a hawk just waiting for the right moment? Were they grooming her to be just like them, like her mom had apparently been? The thought was terrifying, so she was thankful that the sister was willing to help them out. If not...well, Anna would have resorted to some non church friendly ways to get the key. They had to wait, but that gave them time to gather the boys and to come up with a plan. Plus, it didn't seem like the radicals wanted to kill the girls, they'd be safe until they rescued them.

Once they got back to the manor all Anna could do was sigh and shake her head. Of course this was coming, they left two boys fighting over a girl alone together. A fight was inevitable. All she could do was roll her eyes at the immaturity and let Zofia pass along the information they received, and the plan for the night. Nicholai and Mikhail would be in charge, naturally, Anna would keep watch, Zofia their guide, and Stefan their getaway driver. Back in Italy Anna had done a few other search and rescue missions, but this one gave her far more anxiety for some reason. Guys with guns weren't intimidating, crazy nuns on the other hand sounded terrifying.

Anna followed the group with her gun at the ready, her hands casually tucked in her pockets so no one would see it. She didn't want to freak Zofia out with it drawn, but if she had to shoot a crazed nun she would. "You said it was this window earlier, right?" Slowly she walked over to the window and gave it a small tug, smiling as it slid open. "In we go." Quickly she dipped under the window and climbed into the building, peeking around as she did. The lights were out and it was clear that it was sleep time for the church, she only meant that the crazy sisters were asleep too.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

The fight was unexpected, looking back at it he probably deserved it, but Aleksi seemed far more angry than one should have been. That didn't stop him from throwing his own fists into his face for a good while. While the men tried to pull them apart he ignored them and even punched a few of them so he could focus on Aleksi. He was angry for Zofia, angry that he broke her heart like that, so he had no problem fighting him. Eventually the guys did pull them apart and threw Stefan into the wall which managed to knock some sense into him. The boss was missing and so was her sister, they had to focus on finding them. Of course he couldn't help but laugh and roll his eyes at Aleksis empty threat. "Guess you should stay away from Katya if you don't wish to see me again then. Damn shame." Thankfully the others soon arrived with news, but of course they had to give an explanation on what happened. Aleski and his split lip, Stefan and his black eye, it was just a fight of two stubborn ass men.

The news they brought was promising, so much in fact that they were quick to make a plan. They'd sneak in at night, they all had their roles, and if all went well they'd get out with the girls. Then of course they'd have to work on a counterattack for the church, that of course would come later. Thankfully Stefan was the getaway driver, he did NOT want to be around Aleksi. Of course he felt bad that Zofia was stuck with him, but they did need to talk. It would make her feel better, at least he hoped. "Stay safe guys." The black SUV turned off as soon as they parked near the church, making sure that they blended in with the night. He flipped on the headset he had connected to Mikhail and Nicholai. "I'll let you know if anything happens out here."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

What was happening? Why was this all happening? Masha was stuck with her mind just going back and forth between those two thoughts over and over. The Church was good. She was good! Her entire life had been about God's will and being a pure girl and being a good girl and this was how the world rewarded her? Was it all because her faith waivered? Well this sure as heck wasn't making it any better! Finally Masha got to learn a bit about her family and it was all trauma and danger. Now her sister was near death for like the fourth time since they met! It was all too much.

Katya began speaking and it made Masha quickly turn to her, startled a bit since she had been asleep and quiet for so long. Masha quickly moved to her side as her twin pulled on the blanket and she reached out to help, tucking her in a bit tighter and taking a seat on the edge of the cot. Tears began to form in her eyes as she listened to her speak. "Don't apologize. Okay? If anything you need to be sorry for acting like you're dying. You're the badass one Katya, you sound like me." Her voice waivered a bit as she spoke, reaching out to smooth over her sisters hair and jumping slightly at how cold her skin was. This wasn't good. They needed help.

"Mikhail would kill himself if anyone but you were running the family and I think he might kill himself TWICE if it were me. So no dice sis. It's you or no one. We are both going to be okay, we are both going to get out of here because we are BOTH amazing." Masha spoke determinedly before standing up and peering over at the bars. Maria wasn't acting like she wanted Katya dead... maybe if they knew how bad it was they would come open the door. "You just stay awake okay? I have an idea."

Masha moved over to the side of the cage closest to the doorway Maria had came from and simply began screaming for help, that Katya wasn't breathing and that there was blood. It was an exaggeration sure but... if it worked it was worth it.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

Everything that Sister Sophia shared was deeply concerning and scary, she had never seen the woman speak so darkly and serious in her life. And the type of things she was saying about some of the sisters at the Church? Honestly they made a lot of sense even to Zofia who was slightly out of it all the time. Most of the children left after 18 but Masha had been groomed to be one of them, no adopters even ever considered her and now it made Zofia wonder if she was ever actually able to be adopted. Hell even Zofia was only still at the Church because Masha asked... Zofia assumed they treated Masha differently because she was such a good person but maybe there was a darker reason behind it all.

Annabella and Zofia had returned to the house after that to be faced with the fact that apparently Aleksi and Stefan had fought. Part of her was flattered and the other part was fucking annoyed. Either way both parts of her agreed to put their shit on the back burner for now until they found Masha and Katya.

That night they all returned to the Church and they all began slipping out of the car and headed towards the grounds. Before Zofia slipped out she leaned forward to talk to Stefan. "Make sure you turn off your headlights and pull across the way. The old guy who takes care of the graves sometimes comes out at night and freaks out on people. I know, he has caught me many of times sneaking back in. But his eyesight is not amazing anymore so no headlights means he wont see you. Oh and..." She paused to plant a soft kiss on his cheekbone that was starting to purple under his eye. "You're stupid but thank you."

Zofia jumped out and quickly caught up with the others, Annabella had already found the window and Zofia was the last to climb through. Their group found their way to the creepy iron door and unlocked it. At the bottom of the stairs they found themselves in a basement that had a long hall leading off of it. "That must be what Sophia was talking about, the corridor that leads to the catacombs and the mausoleums." They began to make their way down the hall, lead by the two guards then Annabella and finally with Aleksi and Zofia trailing behind.

You could tell both of them wanted to say something and she knew they needed to talk... so finally after a few moments of awkward silence as they walked through the dark corridor Zofia finally spoke up quietly. "Did you two really fight? How stupid are you? I - I don't even get why you're upset Aleksi."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi
“We fought. Yeah.” Aleksi sighed, “Did you two really?” The look that crossed Zofias face only confirmed what he already knew. Honestly, Aleksi wasn’t mad about it, hurt yeah but he was past the point of angry. Maybe it was the split lip that did that. The next question out of Zofias mouth though made him completely stop in his tracks for a moment out of shock before quickly moving to catch back up with the group the two of them were trailing behind.

“Zofia, I was so ready to be with you. But as much as I’m sorry I hurt you, that I’m an asshole and any other thing you want to call me… I still don’t think we should be together.” Aleksi paused to clear his throat, rubbing his arm awkwardly as he kept his voice low as they all walked through the eerie caverns of the cemetery. How was it this large? “I love you, I still do. But I realized that I wasn’t IN love with you after seeing her again. I-it’s shitty. I know that. But Zofia you are worth someone who looks at you and only you, who has no questions or what ifs or baggage. I think you deserve the stars Zofia, I just think that Katya is the stars. It had just been a long time since I had seen them…”
Aleksi’s voice trailed off as he finally got it all off his chest. He meant every word of it. She deserved someone who loved her and was in love with her and only her. Aleksi wasn’t that man and deep down he kind of always knew it.

Off in the distance of the damp dark cavern they began to hear someone screaming. “D-Did you hear that?” They all started running, as they got closer and closer the screams became words. Someone was screaming for help and it was a voice that sounded very familiar.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Sommers

Mikhail was on edge, he was upset, he was pissed off, he was scared and he was defeated. And on top of all that, during this hopeful rescue mission of theirs, he had to deal with the fucking Petrov clan and Zofia? This would have gone so much better if they did things differently but no, everyone was too concerned and wanted to help and refused to listen. So here we were. Thankfully at least fucking Stefan agreed to stay in the car.

Annabella led the way and showed them all to the window that Sister Sophia had left unlocked for them all. Then after a few moments Zofia came past them all to unlock the door that had been mentioned to them all.

Mikhail and Nicholai took the lead with guns ready for whatever may happen. They weren't even sure this was where the girls were but it seemed their only hope for now. Plus whatever Sister Sophia had to say made Zofia and Annabella fairly sure this would be where they were. He only hoped it was true. The corridor was dark and damp, only lit by lanterns every few feet. It felt wrong being down here and not a lot felt morally wrong to Mikhail. But knowing that the dead were trying to rest not feet from where he was walking made him slightly uncomfortable.

However that feeling of uneased was completely wiped away by springing into action when he heard a scream. He couldn't make out words yet but he could hear someone echoing down the stone walls. He didn't wait, he ran. As he got closer and closer he could make out words like help, blood, not breathing. Then finally he could tell it was Masha screaming and Mikhail's heart dropped to his stomach. Soon he turned one last corner and found himself in a room that was lit slightly better than the hallway was, there was a cage in the center of the room and he could make out the outline of Masha standing at the bars screaming, though she stopped when he entered the room.

Mikhail rushed over to the bars and began yanking on the door to try and open it with no luck. He looked up and past Masha to see Katya lying on a cot. She looked bad but she was still breathing and there was no blood that he could see... Was Masha bluffing to try and escape? For a moment he was kind of impressed but it was quickly overshadowed by her worry. Then it dawned on him. Mikhail reached into his chest holster, normally he would be reaching for his gun but this time it was something different. It was where he stashed a backup bottle of Katya's medication. "Masha get her this. Here." Mikhail handed it to the girl through the bars, "You handle that and we will find a way to get you both out ok?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

"Badass...yeah. I have things to compensate for, though. I never got to tell you how much you lucked out being the twin you are." It was like speaking was getting more and more difficult as her sister went on, but Katya couldn't help but smile to herself. For once the girls weren't fighting, Masha wasn't looking at Katya like she was some monster. For the second time this week she wished that she wasn't born into the family. If she was a regular person she could be with who she wanted, she could be the normal sister Masha deserved. Too bad she wasn't going to live long enough to try and be that sister. "Mikhail would be fine, he knew that this was coming. He'll be blessed to have you as my replacement. Maybe the men need a nicer leader." Having Masha next to her made her feel less scared. She knew this was coming for a while...why was it so scary facing this?

Soon Masha was moving to the bars and telling Katya to stay awake, and for a moment she thought to ask her to come back. Dying alone, the thought suddenly terrified her. She especially didn't want to traumatize Masha by dying there...so Katya did her best to stay awake. As Masha screamed her voice faded in and out as she struggled against her heavy eyelids. Just as she began to give in she heard another voice. A familiar voice...Mikhail? "You took your sweet time finding us." Was she joking or scolding him? She couldn't even tell at this point. "Here, Mash. Give me a few." Once she had the pills in hand she tossed them back, heaving a heavy sigh afterwards and laying her head back onto the pillow. The results wouldn't be immediate but, she hopefully wouldn't die. Today at least. The pills were basically a heavy dose of adrenaline and caffeine, something that never failed to give her heart the jolt it needed. Her fathers own creation, something she had been taking since she was young.

"The old hag left the key down here, I think. I couldn't see where she put them, but it sounded like she hung them up somewhere before she exited this forsake dungeon. Now, can someone explain why you brought Nicholai? Doesn't Aleksi need you?" It didn’t bother her that Masha had discovered Katya’s failing health, but it bothered her that Nicholai was seeing it. The thing that would make everything even worse would be if Aleksi had found it. It was Katya’s pure stubbornness and determination that allowed her to live to this point, she hated the idea of him seeing her as weak. Even if they were just friends…acquaintances. Whatever they were.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella

The tension in the group seemed to have eased, and while that would normally make her happy she couldn't help but to still feel uneasy. The girls were missing still, they were traveling the cold and creepy catacombs in hopes to find them, and the whole thing made her uncomfortable. Anna had her fair share of creepy missions as both a naval officer and a cop but this really took the cake. However, as they moved deeper into the catacombs she too heard the yelling. She recognized that voice, and for the first time since the girls disappearance she felt hopeful. Quickly she took off after Mikhail, a bright smile spreading across her face when her eyes landed on Masha. Mikhail ran over to help her and while Anna knew that her role was to keep watch, she couldn't help overhear something about a key.

Quickly she looked around the dark room until she spotted an old, small key hanging from the hook on the wall. "I've got it." Anna ran to the cell door and jiggled the key inside the lock while she prayed that it would work. Luckily it seemed the key was a good fit! The door slid open and Anna took a step back. Masha was tending to Katya, who looked like she was on the brink of death, and she knew that Zofia would want to be the first one to hug her. Anna made her way back to the doorway so she could lean against it and keep watch.

While the boys worked on getting the girls out Anna felt a chill run down her spine. Did she hear steps? "Guys we need to hurry." Anna withdrew her gun and took a deep breath. It was just her imagination, but that didn't explain why she was moving towards the steps. She...would just rather be safe than sorry. It didn't take more than a few minutes of walking until she found herself face to face with an older nun in her habit. "Hold it lady, we're taking our friends back-" Anna couldn't even finish her sentence before the nun rushed her. She didn't want to shoot any of the women, she knew how much they meant to Masha and Zofia! She found herself wrestling the woman, dodging the large knife in her hand. It was when the nun plunged the knife into her side did she find herself fed up with the fight. Quickly she bashed the nun with the butt of her gun before standing back on her feet, groaning loudly as she touched the knife in her side. She'd need to stitch it up, that could wait until they got home.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

Ever since Zofia had gotten back from the church he could tell something was wrong. Maybe not wrong, but something was definitely off. It wasn't just him and Aleksi's fight, though he was sure that had a small part to play in it. He'd apologize to her later, and he'd even be the bigger man and apologize to Aleksi for the way he acted. She just wanted peace, so he would make peace. Later they'd have to talk about what happened at the church, but for now they had to focus on getting the girls. Masha was the most important person to Zofia, Katya the leader of their family. Each were irreplicable, failure tonight was not an option.

"Oh?" A small smile played upon his lips as Zofia leaned forward to talk to him, his steely blue eyes focusing on her. Before he could give some witty remark though he found his cheeks heating up as her lips landed on his cheek. "Be safe, Zofia. I'll be waiting." Watching her go was almost painful. This was her home, she should be safe but with the situation he knew that no one was safe right now. That was an uncomfortable feeling. He trusted the others to keep her safe, he had his role to play despite the urge to go in and protect her.

Stefan had the lights off and he pulled to the spot he was directed to. His earpiece was in, his phone on the dash, and his eyes were glued to the yard. At first it was quiet and he didn't see anyone, but as time went on he noticed a shadow. Initially he thought it to be the groundskeeper so he didn't think anything of it, but it was a woman in a habit? The sister walked underneath the dim light of the church and in her hand he could see something shimmer. Was...that a gun? "Well this mission is playing out to be a bit more dangerous than we thought." Stefan muttered to himself before clicking on his mic to communicate with the others. "Guys there's a sister making rounds around the church it seems, and she has a nice little pistol in her hand too. Should I take her down or keep an eye on her?" How were things going for them, he wondered.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

This all made Nicholai feel extremely uneasy. The church at night, the sneaking around in the catacombs, and the way Aleksi had been acting lately. Just yesterday he told him that he was done with Katya, that he was going to fix things with Zofia. It had took Aleksi fucking years to get over Katya, he wanted to get him as far away from her as possible. He didn't want to let her or Masha die, and he didn't want to watch Mikhail go through all of this alone. Those were the only reason he was here. "I hope you know what you're doing, Aleksi. Your dad is still kicking and your mother has been watching your every move lately...just remember that. I'll always be here to back you up though." Nicholai glanced over at Aleksi, letting him know that he was up to something he would have vetoed.

The yelling made him freeze. Anna and Mikhail ran off towards the voice and he took a deep breath before turning to Aleksi and Zofia. "You two just stay behind us, okay? We don't know what we're walking into." With that said Nicholai drew his gun and ran after the others. The corridor was dark and cold, but the room they entered was dimly lit with lanterns and had cells in it. It...looked like a dungeon under the church? Why would they need something like this? Why would they lock the girls away down here? "What is that?" As Nicholai approached the cell next to Mikhail he watched as he handed over the pills, his eyes staring at Katya as she threw down the pills and greeted them.

"Charming as ever miss Katya. The young master sent the whole family to search for the two of you. He's here with us, so is Zofia. I'm glad you're both okay." Well, okayish, but Katya's tone made it seem like she'd be fine. Soon Anna was opening the cell door then going back into the hallway. "The exit is dark and rather long, do you need someone to carry you? Masha are you wounded at all?" In his ear he heard Stefan’s voice go on about a nun with a gun and he couldn’t help but sigh. “They either know we’re here or are doing their rounds. We’ve got to get a move on.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Why was Katya talking like that? Dying was inevitable for anyone but she was acting like she could die any day, Masha supposed anyone could but... maybe it was because of her position in the family? That sort of made sense but it didn't feel right. It felt like Katya was being oddly cryptic about the whole thing. Masha took a break from screaming to look back at her twin and scowl, "Stop talking like that! You're not dying! Not when I just found you okay?" Not more than a moment after she turned back to the bars to begin screaming, someone walked in. At first it caused her to jump back from the bars, afraid it was Sister Maria again but when she saw it was Mikhail she nearly jumped for joy.

Mikhail came to the bars and held something out for Masha which she quickly took without question. Mikhail was always serious but this was a different vibe and she didn't dare question him. Katya spoke up behind her and Masha moved quickly to her twin with the bottle of pills in hand while the others worked on opening the door of the large cage. It was almost instant that there was a change in her sisters demeanor and it made Masha finally breathe a sigh of relief. Behind them she heard the door open and the short exchange between Nicholai and Katya. It seemed everyone was here and Masha was so thankful for that fact because she wasn't sure they could handle getting out of here alone, no matter how much she had just been acting like it.

"I-I'm okay, just really shaken up. Hah." Masha responded to Nicholai's comment as she struggled to help Katya out of the bed. "If time is of the essence someone should help her. Someone who isn't me. " Masha smiled sheepishly as she struggled to hold up Katya. It wasn't that she was heavy, it was that Masha was weak. Thankfully Aleksi quickly moved to that plan, he had been silent since he entered the room but as soon as the opportunity arose he was at Katya's side and helping take over. Looking at them like this... the whole family rivalry thing was stupid but she couldn't say that now. It wasn't the time.

Masha led the way out of the cell and headed towards the door where she heard the dull thump of a body hitting the floor. She peered around the corner and found Annabella standing over a Sister Maria who was now unconscious on the floor and Masha was about ready to scold her for knocking out a nun until she saw the glimmer of a knife in Annabella's side. It made her gasp and quickly move to the woman, "Annabella! Are you okay? I mean clearly you're not there is a knife in your side. Oh my lord in heaven." Masha was panicking and the near sight of it was enough to make her feel woozy and like she was going to pass out. "W-What do we do? How are you standing?" Her legs began to feel like jello and her brain went fuzzy.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

Zofia was taken aback by how honest Aleksi was being, his entire way of speaking was different from normal and despite being mildly hurt by what he was saying she had to admit that she was thankful for honesty. The way that he was talking about Katya made Zofia feel a bit wounded but it also made her understand. She didn't want to be someones second choice just as much as Aleksi didn't want her to be. The more she listened to him the more she realized that... she didn't see Aleksi that way either. Did she love him? Yes. Did she see herself spending her life with him? Until recently yes but... honestly it all boiled down to the fact that her and Aleksi had fun and got along really well. If other people didn't exist they would be a good couple. But those people did exist. The way that he spoke about Katya was like fairly tail love, love that Zofia would have said wasn't real until she was listening to him now. "I'll be rooting for you two." It was all she could say to him before they heard the yelling.

They all moved quickly, Zofia and Aleksi staying behind Nicholai and the other guards like they were asked to do but the moment they were in the room that all went to shit. Mikhail was working with Masha while the rest of them went to work trying to find a way out of the damn cage. Zofia on the other hand was frozen in place. What the fuck was this place? Why was there a giant cage down in the cemetery? What in the fuck was this church? They were never coming back here. Ever. It was cemented in her brain and if Masha tried to fight her on that fact, Zofia would lock her in a fucking cage herself. A thought dawned on Zofia as Annabella found the keys and got the door open, she turned to Aleksi and looked at him seriously. "You owe me a favor." She didn't say it as a question, it was a clear demand. "It doesn't have to be today but I want your family to get Sister Sophia out of here safely. And make sure she has what she needs to start over somewhere. She won't be safe here when we escape, they'll know."

Then Zofia moved past Annabella at the door to hug Masha tightly before her friend moved to help Katya. "Jesus you two look rough." Classy as ever. Aleksi moved to help Katya and Zofia swallowed hard before wrapping an arm around Masha as they made their way out of the cage and towards the corridor. That was when they were hit with the sight of Annabella standing over the nun and Zofia honestly had to stifle a laugh until Masha went running forward to the red haired woman and pointed out that she had been stabbed. "Woah! Guys we got to get out of here." A voice chimed on through what she assumed was Annabella's walkie and she heard Stefan mention the nun with a gun outside. What the FUCK was this place? "Okay SUPER need to get out of here."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

Aleksi was kind of shocked that Zofia didn't slap him or yell at him, he would have deserved it but no. She actually even said she would be rooting for them and if it wasn't for the yelling in the distance that caused him to move, he might have even been so shocked that he stayed frozen for a moment. But now wasn't the time for that, the girls were in danger and someone that sounded a hell of a lot like Masha was screaming for help.

Mikhail and the guards led the charge with Nicholai telling them to stay back. That was another person he needed to talk to but now clearly wasnt the time. Aleksi wasn't stupid, he knew that he was under a magnifying glass from his family and that Nicholai didn't exactly approve of the choice that had been made today but he couldn't help it. It was Katya... what else was he supposed to do? Even if he wasn't completely head over the heels for the woman, how embarrassing would it be to let a group of fucking nuns take out the leader of your rival family?

In the dimly lit room they entered to find Masha and Katya in a large cage and Katya didn't look good. He went to move to them when he was stopped by Zofia mentioning her favor. "Done. She's the reason we were able to find them, I'll handle it as soon as we get out of here." That was likely another choice Nicholai wouldn't like but so be it. Apparently he was the king of pissing people off recently. Aleksi stayed back a bit after that, watching as Mikhail handed some pills to Masha and Katya took them. It seemed to help her out quite a bit but... what were they?

The sound of Masha saying Katya would need help caused Aleksi to move again, swiftly making his way into the cage and wrapping an arm around Katya's waist to take her weight off of Masha. "I got you. Don't worry about it okay? Just focus on staying alive over there okay?" He spoke quietly before adjusting to move another arm under her knees and carefully picking her up in his arms. Her body was cold and he could tell from standing next to her that her breathing was labored. Aleksi wasn't sure what the hell had happened down here but he knew one thing for sure; he was scared. He had never seen her like this, Katya was always the strong one, the one who handled everything with an iron fist and took no shit. Right now? Seeing her like this was scary. He wanted to ask about the pills and ask her about what had happened during the time they were missing but the sound of Masha panicking and Stefan alerting them to someone with a gun outside only meant they had less time than they thought. "Let's get you out of here."

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Sommers

"Yes well, they were there to help and I wasn't exactly in a position to deny. Plus we got to see Aleksi be authoritative for literally the first time in his life today as well as learn her got into a fight with Stefan so. Not really wanting to deal with him any more than I already had to today." Mikhail sighed when Katya got snarky about Nicholai and Aleksi's presence. It wasn't as if Mikhail wanted the whole fucking crew to come with, it was just how things happened. It was a good sign that she was being snarky though, that meant the pills were doing their job and that she was already feeling better. Mikhail didnt exactly LOVE that members of the other family got to see that interaction but that was an issue for later.

Stefan came over the speaker while the others worked on getting out of the cage and room and it made Mikhail groan. "I would like to spare as many nun casualties as we can, despite them being clearly fucking insane, dead nuns will be sure to cause a stir in the city." Mikhail responded quickly before turning to head out of the room. That was where he found everyone stopped behind a nun on the floor and Masha freaking out over Annabellas stab wound.

"My lord." Mikhail groaned and eyed the wound, it probably hurt but she would be okay if they kept it in until they got her medical attention. Masha on the other hand was clearly about to pass out. This was why he didn't want extra bodies dammit. Mikhail went back over the mic to Stefan and sighed, "Change of plans, pull up on the fucking lawn and knock out anyone who sees you. We will be out the window in 3 minutes or less. Be ready." He clicked off and looked at Nicholai, "Can you help Masha, I'll lead the way with Annabella behind me. You're okay to walk right?" Mikhail looked at his student with a raised brow before moving past the group and leading the charge. Thankfully they didn't come across any other nuns or people in general and soon they were making their way up the stairs back to the hall with the window they snuck in through. "Arlighty lets go people. I'll follow you out."

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

There was so much Katya wanted to talk to Masha about, how Katya wasn't just being dramatic about this whole death scenario. However she couldn't, the others were joining and she was not going to talk about it with Nicholai there. However, when it came to her attention that everyone was seeing her in this situation, taking her pills and being weak, she wanted to die right there. Great, there went her biggest secret. It was fine letting Masha in on it, but the whole fucking crew was seeing her like this! It was only made worse as Aleksi found his way to her side. "Wait, no Masha I can walk-" It didn't seem like Aleksi or her sister were listening to her though; she was scooped into his arms like she weighed nothing. Tears stung in her eyes and she quickly rested her face into the crook of his neck to hide them. He had never seen her so weak and she felt embarrassed, Katya was always a tough cookie and she was sure that was why he liked her in the first place.

"I don't think I've ever seen you take charge, let alone fight someone. Damn shame I missed it." Katya was trying her best to make light of the situation, but she couldn't help the tears falling down her pale cheeks. "I-I'm sorry, thank you for coming to our rescue." It didn't matter if he was here for her, or to rescue his girlfriends best friend, Katya would love him until the day she died. This was why she had to push him away, he deserved someone to make a life with, not her. That's what her dad had drilled into her head when she was younger.

When they got to the stabbed Anna they were quick to pull her out with them. The nun was still alive, same as the one that Stefan knocked out. The team climbed in the car and headed back for the manor. There Aleksi rounded up the families to tell them that the girls were found, and Nicholai was able to stitch Annabella back up. It allowed Katya a moment to regain her composure, splash some water in her face, and take a deep breath. Thanking them wasn't the problem, it was the explaining everything that happened.

Once all of the family members were gone and it was just the eight of them Katya found the courage to go downstairs and address them. "I would like to thank you all for everything you've done to save Masha and I. Your teamwork was impressive and, Aleksi, your leadership even more so. I suppose I owe everyone an explanation for that little scare. I wasn't born with the strongest heart, my father said it was a birth defect. Since I found Masha though, I assumed it was because I was the weaker of the twins. They suspected that I'd die early on, but I am just as stubborn as my father. They said one day my heart will stop beating, he told me to fight back though so that's what I do. The pills are basically a high dose of caffeine and adrenaline to get my heart beating fast. The nun tried to sedate me and in turn nearly killed me doing so."

Katya glanced over at Aleksi and gave him a small, sad smile before continuing. "I didn't want anyone to find out about this, but here we are. I do ask that you try to forget it. Girls, my home is open to you and you are free to stay for as long as you'd like. Boys it's been a long day, if you're tired feel free to stay here. I'll start cleaning up the church tomorrow." Though she knew that it probably wouldn't be the best thing for them to stay, she thought to at least offer. She'd like the opportunity to apologize to Aleksi once more, she had hid this secret for years from him and she felt bad. Maybe guilty? It was her first time feeling this.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella

"Wh-oa there girly, it's not my first rodeo, I've been in my share of fights." Truth be told the knife indeed did hurt, but if she was to tell Masha that she was sure she'd fully faint. Despite the pain in her abdomen she moved to gently hold the small of her back and cup her elbow as to make sure she wouldn't fall. Her pretty red painted lips smiled down at Masha, though her smile fell slightly as the others made their way to them. "Miss Katya you're looking quite rough." It was her job to make light of the situation and try to put everyone at ease, though as soon as Mikhail questioned her she gave a firm nod. "Yes, sir. I'm good to go." Once Nicholai was sent to help Masha however, she paused. Anna knew she was in no state to help Masha walk out of here, Anna knew that she had to focus on not knocking the knife loose, but she still didn't like it. She felt a sense of responsibility for Masha and she didn't want to share it, if that made sense.

"Fine. Be gentle with her." With that said they were off. They quickly made it to the car where Stefan had parked next to a knocked out nun---sorry, a nun that was packing! Why would nuns need guns? Anyways, they made their way back to the house. It appeared that Nicholai was also a jack of all trades and was able to remove her knife, stitch her up, and not kill her. "Thanks, doc. You don't have to give me the spiel; I know to be careful until the stitches fall out. Yada yada." Anna fixed her shirt and jacket to cover the now stitched up wound before stretching. Was it just her or was the adrenaline of that adventure still pumping? She was not tired at all. Quickly she hopped to her feet and walked into the living room to find the girls. "Masha, Zofia, how are you guys holding up?" Finding out that the people that raised them had ulterior motives had to be breaking them up.

After the last of the men left their side of the manor Katya came down and explained pretty much everything. Was that why she looked so rough? "You're still the boss I've gotten to know and respect, so while your situation sucks I won't look at you any differently. Oh! I made dessert last night, are you guys hungry? It'd be a shame for the tiramisu to go to waste."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

This was...exhausting, to say the least. Seeing Aleksi and Katya like this reminded him of the time before the rivalry; when Aleksi and Katya were inseparable, when Nicholai and Mikhail started seeing each other. That time was so pure and blissful, it made his heart fucking ache and he felt like he wanted to vomit. Was he jealous of the two of them? When Nicholai and Mikhail's relationship ended Aleksi's dad could see that something was wrong with Nicholai. It seemed like he put two and two together, and before Nicholai knew it he was getting a long lecture. He'd be better off with a girl, some sweet mousy girl who relied on Nicholai. Not a man that was as equally as stubborn as he is. This was the boss that Nicholai had respected since he joined...he had to listen to his words. Since then he hadn't seen anyone, he didn't even look at anyone. It was clear Mikhail had no feelings for Nicholai anymore, so...yeah. He was jealous of their connection.

The group began to move quickly out towards their exit up until they came upon a bleeding Annabella. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh as he shook his head, of course they had to have people wounded during the operation. Thankfully no one had died, he was hoping to keep it that way. "Masha?" His eyebrows raised curiously before he looked over to see the woman on the brink of fainting. "Yeah, sure." Quickly he moved to her side, furrowing his brow as Anna gave him a hard time. "Woman, you're bleeding. Take care of yourself and I'll take care of her." With that said he scooped Masha up gently bridal style in his arms. "Stay with us girly, we'll get you guys home." Nicholai held her in his strong arms and gave her a warm smile before he quickly moved after the others.

Surprisingly they made it out without further incident, save for the knocked out nun on the grass. Once they arrived at the manor however, the fight didn't stop there. The men were satisfied that they succeeded in their mission, they were happy the girls were alive and (mostly) well, but there was some push back when they dismissed them for the night. They all wanted answers, answers they didn't even have yet. Thankfully Nicholai was able to focus on patching up Annabella. "I have to be prepared for whatever the young master gets involved with, I don't put it above him to get himself stabbed. Looks like you'll live another day." Nicholai gave a small sigh and moved to wash his hands in the kitchen, making his way over to Mikhail once that was said and done.

"How are you holding up?" With a small smile he gave him a firm shoulder squeeze as Katya came down. Everything was explained, and despite his anger he couldn't help but just feel exhausted. "It's your call if we stay or not but I vote we leave, we're in for a long talking to with the boss when we get home." She'd been sick since they were little and Mikhail never said anything about it, and he was pretty sure Aleksi didn't know anything about it either. While he understood why they'd keep this secret he couldn't help but feel ticked off.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

"Sure, just leave the lawyer to knock out the nun. I need a raise, this wasn't in my job description." With a heavy sigh Stefan revved the engine and peeled into the yard of church, jumping out and running up on the nun. She aimed at him with the gun but before she even fire he was tackling onto the ground, knocking the butt of his gun onto her head. She'd live but she'd definitely have a headache when she woke up. By the time the others had gotten back to them he was already in the car and the nun was lying passed out on the grass. Anna was hurt, Katya looked like shit, and Zofia looked like she had seen better days. Hell, evne Nicholai was carrying Masha. What the hell happened down there?

The drive home was awkwardly silent. He had a million and one questions but they had to focus on one thing at a time right now. Getting the girls home safely was priority number one, cleaning up the havoc with both the Petrov and Ivanov men was second. "Today was rough on you, I'm sorry. At least we got the girls back?" Stefan moved to Zofia with a small smile and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, his brows furrowing as Katya walked downstairs to them. She was announcing what the pills were she took, her condition. Stefan thought it was odd Katya made a will the day her dad died, he just assumed that it was because of her position as the head of the family.

"Today's been a long day, I propose we rest and take up the rest of this in the morning." Stefan stood with a long stretch and a small yawn.