Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Lark had become worried when Dimitri didn't come back home. There was only one other place he could be for this long, she thought. His 'secret base.' She approached a house deep in the forest. It was a small cabin, surprisingly well-built, as it had been standing strong for years. She first knocked on the door. No answer. She turned the doorknob. It was unlocked, so she went inside.
Dimitri was on the couch, half-asleep, and apparently drunk. He held a gun in one hand. "He's a murderer, Lark." He mumbled. Lark had no idea what her cousin was talking about. "Dima, what's going on? Put the gun down, please." She said softly, trying to remain calm. Dimitri opened his eyes and looked at the woman. "My birth father. I was doing some research on him. He was a serial killer. He was mentally insane." He replied icily. Lark took a few steps closer. "Dima, you're scaring me. Give me the gun, please." She still spoke in that same soft voice. She didn't want to upset her cousin in this state. Dimitri laughed. "You've always been so kind, Lark. Mental illness can be inherited. If my father was mental, I could be too." He brought the pistol up to his head. "I don't want to hurt you, Lark." He had a cold, blank look on his face. He was serious about this.
Lark really didn't know what to do at this point. "You're hurting me right now. I don't want you to die. If you die, I will be hurt forever." She replied nervously. Dimitri grinned. "I'm just like him. Remember when you brought your friend to the house? Remember the look on my brothers' faces when I walked in? They knew I'd start something. I'm insane, Lark." He clenched his fists, as if bearing himself for the pain.
Lark took a deep breath, speechless for a few long moments. "You're not going to kill yourself, Dima." She said after a while. Now this was something that got the man thinking. "Yeah? Why not?" He asked, letting the hand with the gun fall to his side. "Because you're not like your father. You weren't angry at my friend because you are insane. You were angry at my friend because you wanted to protect me. You're not insane - you're just a very good friend." Lark explained, stepping closer and reached out to take the gun.
Lark had Dimitri for a minute, but he wasn't falling for her tricks. "Net! No!" He shot back. "It will happen someday, Lark. I'll lose it and I'll hurt you. I don't want that to happen." He brought the pistol back up to his head again. "Ia liubliu vas. I love you." He put his finger on the trigger, ready to pull it any time now and make it all go away.
Lark was at a loss for what to say. It looked like there was no stopping her cousin from doing this. She needed help.
Mikhail & Surjay
As usual, Mikhail hadn't had his cell phone on, and thus has missed the rather important call from Ethan. He was also away from his house at the time that Tom lead Jason and the others to gather up the Kolkov and gas masks to make the raid on the Akatsuki residence. And it was just as well, for Lark was in an equally pressing situation.
The wolf hybrid moved along with grace and confidence as he followed the trail of Lark. The air was still and the ground thick with freshly fallen snow, offering Surjay not only the visual trail of the woman, but an easy scent to follow.
Mikhail had spoken with Benjamin already, and the leader was keen on setting up a meeting with the Vigilantees, which encouraged the man's little venture right now. Rather than face all the guard animals and security by going directly to the Volkov home, he'd use Lark as a sort of liason to set up the arrangement. What he didn't bargain on was walking into the middle of a standoff between a man and an itchy trigger finger.
Very slowly, Mikhail stepped into the doorway, setting his single eye on Dimitri. Surjay stood solidly beside his master, trying to figure out just what had made the man tense up suddenly. Could it be the stench of alcohol? The hybrid knew that the liquid could drastically alter the behavior of humans if they drank it.
"Miss Volkov, what's going on here?" The Russian questioned in a level, calm voice, even though his eye was still pinned on Dimitri.
Lark; Dimitri
Lark looked nervously at Mikhail and Surjay. "He just found out that his birth father was...a murderer." True, her cousin was adopted, and research on Dimitri's biological father had shown that he was mentally insane. "He thinks that he's the same." It was hard to fight back the tears. She had only seen Dimitri like this once or twice before, for different reasons.
Dimitri gritted his teeth when he saw Mikhail. "It's for the best." He said darkly, closing his eyes and counting. "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."
Lark was on the verge of screaming. She had to keep herself from doing something drastic. "If you die, I will be miserable. You say you love me. Do you really want me to be miserable?" She said shakily, tears now flowing from her eyes.
"five... four......" Dimitri kept counting, the pauses getting longer with each number. He seemed to not hear anything around him, or he did a good job of ignoring it.
Lark looked at Mikhail as if to say, 'Do something.' She really didn't know what she could do at this point to stop her cousin. Right now, they just needed to get that gun away.
Mikhail & Surjay
A keen mind went to work right away, seeing Dimitri as the prime subject for Ben to manipulate. He was a man on the edge, with an obvious flaw that could be so easily exploited... He had to keep the man from killing himself.
"Dimitri, who will protect Lark when you are gone?" The Russian questioned sternly, not taking a step nearer to the other man, incase he should panic more and pull the trigger early. "Vy dejstvitel'no sobiraetes' ostavljat' ee prjamo sejchas? Are you really going to abandon her right now?' This time, he dropped back into their native lanuage to make more of an impact.
Surjay stood quietly as before, ears perked alertly up. He gazed occasionally up at his master, before settling his sight back on the man with a gun.
Lark; Dimitri
Dimitri opened his eyes and looked at Mikhail, silent for the longest time. He brought the gun away from his head. "I zashchitit ee ot sebia? And who will protect her from myself?" He questioned boldly. "Ia soboi bol'shoi ugrozy, potomu chto ia vsegda riadom. I pose the largest threat because I am always near." But Mikhail had made a point. There would be absolutely nobody to protect Lark if he died, he thought.
Lark watched her cousin sorrowfully. He was fading away before her eyes. "If you were crazy, you would shoot me right now. Go ahead." She said, trembling.
Dimitri raised the gun and aimed it at the woman's head. He had his finger on the trigger, ready to fire. There seemed to be something keeping him from pulling that trigger and ending it. After a long, tense moment, he lowered the pistol again. "You win." He said, taking a deep breath.
Lark managed to smile. "You're not the same as your father, Dima." She said, relieved that it was finally over. She approached her cousin and cautiously took the gun from his hand. They'd still have to be careful for a while, though, not letting Dimitri get anything with which he could hurt somebody.
Lark looked at Mikhail now. "I think we should have him on suicide watch." She said coolly before picking up a keychain and locking the gun closet in the back room. She then moved to the kitchen, hiding all the knives and other sharp utensils.
Mikhail & Surjay
When the gun was pointed at Lark's head, Mikhail remained rather calm and collected, as if Dimitri were pointing nothing more than his finger at the woman. And when the weapon was finally lowered, the Russian released a quiet breath that he had been holding during the brief stand-off. "It appears that you do have control over your actions, Dimitri." Mikhail pointed out with a raise of his thin brow, "And I would agree with Lark on the matter of a suicide watch."
Lark; Dimitri
Lark continued to put anything away that Dimitri could use to hurt himself or somebody else.
Dimitri sat back down on the couch, feeling his legs grow weak. "Sure. I'll talk to your friend." He said bitterly, almost absently. He got the feeling that he lost and won the battle at the same time.
Lark walked back into the living room and leaned against the wall. She was more upset than she showed, but she was still obviously distressed. Everything was going wrong. She was attacked and sassed by a girl and her animal friends, and now her cousin was losing his mind. She took a deep, quivering breath, trying not to have a breakdown.
Dimitri, in his state, didn't notice that anything was wrong.
Mikhail & Surjay
Exploiting weaknesses wasn't exactly his forte, but that didn't stop him from taking mental notes on how the two were handling the obviously stressful situation. He was careful about how he handled them, not wanting to come off as too casual and disconnected, but at the same time not over-do any emotions.
"I will arrange a meeting then. When would be a good time?" Mikhail questioned lightly, sounding almost professional as he spoke, and at the same time considerate and polite.
Unlike his master, Surjay wasn't one to mask his feelings, and certanily wasn't a coniving creature. He may not be able to understand what all was going on here, but it was clear to him that two of these humans were upset. Dropping his ears back, the hybrid padded toward Lark as she leaned against the wall. Tail wagging encouragingly, he nuzzled his wolfish muzzle at her hand.
Lark; Dimitri
Dimitri sighed, glancing at Lark before looking back up at Mikhail. "Now would be fine. I just want to get it over with..." He said exhaustedly.
Lark slid onto the floor and reached her hand out as Surjay padded closer. She stroked the hybrid's fur, but didn't show any sign of emotion whatsoever besides the tears from her eyes.
Mikhail & Surjay
"Very well." Mikhail quietly moved out of the house, taking out his phone to dial Ben.
Surjay's tail thumped lightly against the ground and relished at the fingers moving through his silky, dark-gray fur. Yellow-gold eyes lifted upward and searched over Lark's face, trying to dicern her emotions. Like any good canine pet, he was rather good at judging human feelings, and it was clear she was not a happy camper. The hybrid slowly brought his front paws up on her leg, while reaching his lengthy muzzle forward to give her a few licks on the cheek.
After a few moments, Mikhail returned, looking rather grave. "I'm afraid now is not a good time. However, I can offer to take you both into town, if you wish to wait."
Lark; Dimitri
Lark managed to smile when the dog licked her cheek. She continued to stroke the dog's soft fur.
Dimitri rose to his feet. "Fine. I just want to get out of here." He said dully.
Seeing that they would be leaving soon, Lark stood up, but kept her hand on Surjay's head, running her fingers through his fur.
Mikhail & Surjay
Good, he could keep the two in his sights at least. But... just where to go? Not being much of a people-person, nor one that was fond of large crowds, he certainly didn't want to go the the bars or night clubs. "Any suggestions on where to go? I think the Cafe would be an excellent place to wait."
Surjay stayed glued to the woman's side, tail slowly wagging as he delighted in the petting. For as young as he was, he had the manners of an aged golden retriever, patient and doting.
Lark; Dimitri
Dimitri sighed. There was a long pause before he spoke up. "Sure. The Cafe sounds good." He replied dully.
Lark walked to her cousin's side, but kept her eyes on Surjay. Neither of them had been to the Cafe before, and neither cared to get directions either.
Angela Volkov; Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Lark was about to turn around and exit the house when she saw somebody at the door. It took a moment for her to recognize the teen girl. "What are you doing h..." Her words were cut off when Angela hugged her.
"Lark! I knew I'd find you here!" She backed away with a smile on her face. "Adrian said that you'd probably be at Dimitri's house."
Dimitri sighed, glancing at his little sister. "Why are you here?" He asked impatiently.
Angela stuck her tongue out at Dimitri. "I was finding Lark. So shut up." She said mockingly. It was then that she noticed Mikhail. "Who are you? Lark, who is he?" She asked nervously.
Lark put her hands on her young cousin's shoulders. "Angela, calm down. He's our friend, okay? His name is Mikhail and he EATS LITTLE--"
"Lark! I thought you said that you were more saner now!" Angela said, trying to hide her laughter. This was Lark's way of getting her young - and very shy - cousin used to new people. Somehow, it always worked. Angela usually resisted at first for the sake of being stubborn.
Dimitri shook his head. He'd never understand the girls, and he didn't intend to. He just wanted to get out of here. For once, he wanted to be in a populated area.
Summer Hollow
Summer Hollow was still walking with the two little pups when she heard sounds.Turning she saw Angela and some others.
The pups seeing Angela again ran to her letting out small yips of excitment.Silently she jogged over to get them."Sorry,"she said.If Lark didn't know any better she think that Summer was Crystal.They looked the same except the eyes and she had darker black hair.
Angela Volkov; Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Angela walked inside the house and stood behind Lark. She was a bit nervous around Summer and the dogs.
Lark looked at Summer suspiciously, a deadly look in her eyes. "What do you want and why have you disturbed our meeting?" She asked impatiently, staring the slightly younger woman down with her cold, gray eyes.
Dimitri came up behind the girls, looking at the stranger arrogantly.
Summer hollow
Summer looked up at the older woman."Sorry i just came to get my sister Crystal's pups,"she said calmly.She wasn't intimated she had seen worse.She glanced at the pups.
The pups were sitting at Angela's feet wagging their tails silently.
Angela Volkov; Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Angela had bad experience with dogs, having been attacked by one at a young age. "Get them away from me!" She screamed.
Dimitri looked down at the dogs. He wouldn't hesitate to kick them if he had to. It seemed a bit suspicious to him that they'd be out here in the first place.
Lark narrowed her eyes. "Then hurry up. Get your dogs and go away." She said bluntly. "What are you doing out here in the first place?" She asked with a slightly angered demeanor.
Dimitri was really mad now. "Did you follow my sister here? You low, dirty..." He was cut off when Lark threw the "I'll handle it" look.
Summer Hollow
Summer grabbed the 6 week old pups before they could be harmed."I didn't follow your sister.I was walking around.I went the opposite way then she did.I'm just exploring cause i just moved here,"she said.Her eyes were blazing with anger.How dare they say that she had tracked a little girl.She waited cause if their was nothing left to say she leave.
Angela Volkov; Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Dimitri would have punched Summer's lights out if young Angela wasn't here. He didn't want to give a bad example for his little sister to imitate. He narrowed his green eyes, glancing down at the pistol Lark held in her hand. Oh, if he could just get his hands on that...
Lark turned around and looked down at Angela. "Angie, would you like to come to the Cafe with us?" She asked without thinking twice. Unknown to her, there were people at the Cafe right now who wanted her dead.
Summer Hollow
Summer narrowed her eys right back at Dimitri."Good day,"she said with an edge to her voice.Then she turned and left carrying the pups secerly between her arms.
The pups didn't protest.
Angela Volkov; Lark Volkov
Angela smiled up at Lark. "The Cafe? I know where that is!" She said excitedly before running off.
"Wait! Angie!" Lark called out. Before She could be heard, though, Angie was gone. Oh, well. She could take care of herself for a few minutes. Besides, it's not like there's really anything that could hurt her at the Cafe, right?
Mikhail & Surjay
This was not an idealic situation for him, but the Russian kept his cool and silently watched the scene play out before him. Never was his hand far away from his pistol, ready to whip it out in an instant's notice to defend himself. Fortunately, the need for such actions never presented itself, and the turmoil smoothed itself out as Summer left and Angela headed out.
A suspicious, slightly accusing eyebrow was raised as he looked questioningly to Lark. But he didn't say anything on the sujbect, and instead spoke only on their destination. "We'd best be going." Clicking his tounge, he commanded Surjay to forward as he began to the trek back to town.
Lark Volkov; Dimitri Volkov
Lark and Dimitri followed Mikhail out the door, hoping that for once their destination would not be filled with violence and danger.