Lark Volkov
Lark walked along the snowy trail. There was only one set of tire tracks, which had a thick dusting of fresh snow, signaling that nobody had left or entered the area for some time. At least not by car. Lark knew that they were probably smart enough to cover their tracks - or not make any in the first place. Lark assumed that they walked along the thick foliage around the edge of the fence before continuing through a stream. They didn't want anyone following them.
Viktor wouldn't be too pleased to find that Lark brought a friend. The Volkovs were always very cautious. Some might even say they were paranoid. And, well, they were. They assumed that everyone is against them.
Lark stopped at the gate, which was closed. There were cameras on posts and in the trees, as well as several sensors and death traps. She looked straight into a camera by the fence. "Ia obratno. Ia vyvel drugu. I'm back. I brought a friend." She said plainly. Now they just had to wait for whoever was in the house to remotely unlock the gate.
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail followed silently behind Lark, making his observations of the landscape and, as they got closer, of the house itself. "Eto - nastojaschee mesto." This is quite a place' He commented, mostly to himself. A single eye roved towards the trees, where a glint of light caught his eyes as the sun reflected off of a camera lense. 'Interesting...' He knew of a few other places that were highly guarded, and knew that those people usually had the potential to be very dangerous.
Lark; Adrian
Lark waited a few moments, and when she saw that nobody unlocked the gate, she spoke into the intercom. She had a way of getting what she wanted, and usually at her cousins' expense. "Ia beremennosti. Esli vy mne zhdat' v kholodnom namnogo dol'she ia raskryvaiushchemsia mertvykh. I'm pregnant. If you make me wait out in the cold much longer I'll drop down dead." She made sure her mischievous grin was not seen on the camera as she told this lie.
Soon enough, a buzz was heard and the gate was unlocked. Lark walked through and made her way toward the house. Upon entering, she smirked at Adrian, who had unlocked the gate. "Ia lgal. I lied." She said defiantly. Adrian looked back at the computer. "Ia ne znaiu, pochemu ia dazhe mozhno zdes'. I don't know why I even let you in here." He sighed, although he had to give Lark a point for cleverness.
Adrian looked at Mikhail, a bit unsure of having a stranger in his house. "Kto vy? Who are you?" He asked defensively.
Mikhail Bakunin
To say Mikhail was surprised would be quite the understatement. A rather vicious scowl was offered to Lark, "Beremennyj?! Eto dast im bol'shoe vpechatlenie ot menja." Pregnant?! That'll give them a great impression of me.' He accused heatedly. Tom would certainly have found the situation down right hilarious and played along with it, but Mikhail found no humor in it.
"Mikhail Bakunin." He stated, now offer that characteristic half-smile of his, as he held out a hand to shake with Adrian.
Lark; Adrian
Lark smiled even as Mikhail fumed at her. "Net, oni nenavidiat vse oni vidiat so mnoi. No, they hate everyone they see with me." She joked, although it was partly true. The brothers almost certainly would have hated Mikhail at first whether or not she had told that preposterous lie. Of course, it was good that Dimitri wasn't here, for he probably would have beaten Mikhail senseless.
Adrian shook Mikhail's hand, still a bit cautious. "Adrian Volkov. Ia polagaiu, vy uzhe vstrechalis' Lark. I assume you have already met Lark." He glanced at his cousin. He knew her too well by now. "Konechno, net govariat, chto ona ne vam. Of course, there's no telling what she didn't tell you." This comment was more of a joke, meant to tease Lark and intimidate Mikhail. Lark had always been secretive, and there was a lot even her cousins didn't know.
Mikhail Bakunin
That's good to know... He thought wearily to himself when she first responded. Mikhail was certainly no stranger when it came to being hated. Nor was he unfamiliar with fists - as skilled as he was in hand to hand combat, among other things, he had an unfortunate habit of getting the tar beating out of him.
Mikhail was quick to note the caution with Adrian, and shared the same sentient. He nodded once to affirm the other's question, then raised a brow at the second remark he made, "Ja predpolagaju, chto vse my imeem veschi, chtoby skryt'sja. I suppose we all have things to hide.' He replied with the faintest of smirks, for he himself was renowned when it came to keeping things secret. Well, maybe not so much as his leader... but still.
Lark; Adrian; David; Pack
Lark would have silenced Adrian, as she didn't expect Mikhail to handle that comment so coolly. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when he didn't grow suspicious of her.
David walked in the back door with a pack of five Siberian Laikas, as well as an Osprey perched upon his arm. We was surprised to see Lark here, but even more surprised to see that she had brought a friend. He wasn't one to turn hostile toward visitors, unlike his brothers. His training as an ACPD officer had taught him how to handle things calmly. "Ia bizhu, vy privel' k drugu, Lark. I see you brought a friend, Lark." His voice hinted very little caution or suspicion, although it was there. "Zto Mikhail Bakunin. This is Mikhail Bakunin." Replied Lark.
Edik, a two-year-old West Siberian Laika, immediately began growling at Mikhail. Lark grabbed Edik's scruff and shoved him to the ground, holding him there and getting into his space. The young dog was an alpha-type dog, and never liked to see a stranger in his territory. "Net!" Lark scolded in a commandeering voice, waiting until Edik calmed down before releasing him.
Ekeaterina, a sleek gray-blue cat, sta on a shelf in the living room, watching the goings-on with her large green eyes. She was a shy and sophisticated cat, usually spending all her time alone. Sometimes she wondered if her owners really loved her, as they allowed dogs into her domain.
Lark backed away from the dogs and looked at Mikhail. "Oni zdes', v zooparke. They have a zoo in here." She said, rather annoyed with all the animals. While she liked animals, she didn't like disobedient ones, as were in the pack which was owned by her cousins.
Mikhail Bakunin
The one-eyed man was not fond of this type of situation, but his paranoid and anti-social tendencies were kept veiled from the Volkovs as he presented them with a casual and rather indifferent demeanor. He gave a nod to the ACPD officer, alreadying knowing vaguely of this man from his countless hours of research done on the police force.
"Eto - nastojaschaja ustanovka, kotoruju Vy imeete zdes'. This is quite a setup you have here.' The Russian commented, shifting his gaze from the dog, to the cat, and finally back to David, "Mozhno bylo by dumat', chto Vy imeete koe-chto, chtoby ohranjat', so vsemi temi kamerami snaruzhi. One would think you have something to guard, with all those cameras outside.' The words were oh so innocent sounding, and accompanied with an almost cheeky, smug grin. It was his own way of letting them know that he wasn't to be passed as a fool.
Lark; Adrian; David
Adrian began to get nervous when Mikhail became suspicious. He really didn't know what to say. Why else would they have such high-tech security? They were obviously hiding something. Lark looked at Adrian, then at Mikhail. "My se--" Her sentence was cut off by Adrian. "Lark! Ne! Lark! Don't!" But there was no stopping the woman from giving away the secret. "My sekret gruppy. A sekret politsi. My po bor'be s bamditizmom gruppy, v osnovnom. We're a secret group. A secret police force. We're an anti-gang group, basically." Yes, they did what the cops refused to in this city. But if the cops or the gangs found out, their whole plan would fail.
David looked at Lark with disbelief. She had just spilled the whole secret to a stranger. "Lark, vy teriaete moe doverie v minutu. Lark, you are losing my trust by the minute." He said with only a hint of annoyance.
Mikhail Bakunin
The reactions of the others were noted and analyzed, as much for his own benefit as for Ben's. He wasn't nearly so perceptive as his leader, but his intelligence was nothing to be scoffed at. "Linchevateli? Ja sprosil by, pochemu, no ja ne delaju zhivo, Vy hoteli by prosvetit' menja. Vigilantes? I would ask why, but I do not belive you'd like to enlighten me.' This was said with that characteristic smirk of his still in place.
Mikhai's eye flashed to David now, "Vasha tajna bezopasna so mnoj. Your secret is safe with me.' He gave no reason to back up his statement, and in all actuality, it was a lie. Benjamin would be told about this as soon as possible.
Lark Volkov
Lark looked back at David before answering Mikhail. "Davaite prosto skazhem, chto my ne poterpim deistvitel'no prestuplenie. Let's just say that we don't really tolerate crime." She replied with a sly smile. It was their past that made the Volkovs do what they do now.
As if on cue, Viktor came through the front door. It should be noted that he did not need to be let in, suggesting that he was more trusted than Lark. After all, he was their leader. A leopard and a serval followed him on leashes, which Viktor held in his hand. "Posbol'te mne ugadat' - Lark vytashchili etot paren' zdes'? Let me guess - Lark dragged this guy here?" He said to David. Although he seemed a bit worried that his cousin wasn't as cautious as she should be in such a dangerous city, he was not nearly as paranoid as his brothers. He then turned his attention to Mikhail. "Ia polagaiu, vy drug moego dvoiurodnogo brata. Dobro pozhalovat'. Ia Viktor Volkov. I assume you're a friend of my cousin. Welcome. I am Viktor Volkov." He wasn't quite as defensive as the others. He even offered a hand to shake.
Kira, the large Amur Leopard, walked away, finding nothing to do here.
Mikhail Bakunin
Viktor was an instant curiousity to Mikhail, who noted how the man entered without all the hassle that he and Lark had been subject to. It didn't take much of a stretch for him to place the man as their leader. Or if not leader, someone of high ranking that was trusted. And if this was an important man, Mikhail knew he had to keep on his good side. A handshake was returned along with a name, "Mikhail Bakunin."
There was a lot to take note of, and the animals were another source of interest. He wondered if these guys were in the black market business, though it would seem a hypocrital thing if they were actually opposed to crime. Or maybe, like him, they found that animals made great guards and deterents for would-be spies and theives.
Lark Volkov
Lark stood next to Mikhail, looking at the door every now and then. What she had feared finally happened. A buzz came through on the computer. "Pozbol'te mne diuima. Let me in." Said Dimitri, who was standing at the gate, holding a young alligator. He could be seen on the monitor in the closet near the door. Viktor, Adrian and David all exchanged glances. They seemed to be talking to each other silently. "Ia davaia emu diuima. I'm letting him in." Viktor said after a wile. He reached for the switch, but was stopped by Lark. "Net! U vas zabyt' o tom, kak on chuvstvuet sebia v otnoshenii neznakomykh? No! Do you remember how he feels about strangers?" She was worried about what Dimitri would do to Mikhail. Even worse, she was worried about what Dimitri would do to Mikhail if he saw the stranger within 10 feet of Lark.
Viktor looked at Lark with dismay before flipping the switch. "On zhivet zdes'. He lives here too." He said simply.
Lark sighed, walking into the kitchen. It wasn't long before Dimitri came in, carrying his pet alligator. He took a quick look around, but the first thing he noticed was that a stranger was in his house. "Kto vy? Who are you?" He asked, although it was more of a command than anything. Lark came up beside Mikhail, glaring at Dimitri. "On moi drug, tak chto zatknis'. He's my friend, so shut up." She said icily.
Dimitri simply gave Mikhail a look that said "Stay away from her." Although he doubted they were 'that kind' of friend, he didn't want to take any chances.
Mikhail Bakunin
Things were getting too crowded for his comfort, and made worse by the hesitant indecision of the group when another new face arrived. Mikhail remained silent during the exchange of words, though his face hardened and his muscles tensed. If he should come to blows with the seemingly protective man, then he wouldn't go down without a fight.
When Dimitri was finally allowed access, Mikhail stood his ground, while adopting a neutral facade as he looked over the other man. A simple, single nod was offered, "Mikhail." Lark took care of the rest for him, and the Russian eased back into his usual smirk. He had certainly caught the warning look from Dimitri, and made his own mental notes about the man.
Lark Volkov
Lark kept her eyes on Dimitri, staring at him coldly. She made sure that her cousin knew that she didn't want any of his 'help' right now. "Derzhites' podal'she ot menia. Stay away from me." She said after a while, in an icy, deathly tone.
Dimitri stared back at Lark, glancing at Mikhail now and then. "Net. No." He said defiantly, obviously trying to start something.
Lark knew how Dimitri felt about her, but she didn't feel the same way about him. That bothered him. He swore not to let anybody besides him and his brothers get even into the same building as Lark. Some would say he's paranoid. He is.
Lark was almost rolling her eyes. "Ia ne vash pitomets. I'm not your pet." She snarled hatefully.
Dimitri reached for his pistol, but was stopped by David, who then put him in handcuffs. "Vy dolzhny nauchit'sia ubazhat'. You need to learn some respect." He said calmly to his brother before looking at Lark. "Ia dumaiu, Vam i Vashemu drugu sleduet iskat' gde-nibud' eshche na kakoe-to vremia. I think you and your friend should go somewhere else for a while." He actually liked having the company of Lark and Mikhail here, but they needed to figure out what to do with Dimitri.
Mikhail Bakunin
The Russian man was debating with himself, wondering whether or not he should make a stance of his own at let Dimitri know just how he felt. Common sense kept him from doing anything however, as he realized how ridiculously outnumbered he was. More than that, however, he couldn't risk making enemies with some potentially powerful people. Benjamin would certainly be interested in them, perhaps even wanting to utilize their services to some extent.
"Vozmozhno my dolzhny vzjat' eto v drugom meste."
Lark Volkov
Lark nodded to Mikhail, turning her back on Dimitri. She didn't want to give her cousin any sort of attention. "Ia khochu poiti okhota. I'd like to go hunting." She replied. It was a while since she had been hunting.
Mikhail Bakunin
Now that was something he could agree with. Anything, really, to get away from the group of people and this Dimitri fellow. "Kak ja. Kakoe-nibud' mesto v pamjati? As would I. Any place in mind?'
Lark Volkov
Lark walked into the next room, trading her MP5 for a more accurate rifle, perfect for hunting. She then walked back to the hallway and took a moment to think before answering Mikhail. "Ia slyshal, est' ruiny vokrug zdes'. I hear there are some ruins around here." She replied, waiting to see if he would agree with her suggestion.
Mikhail Bakunin
At the mention of the Ruins, Mikhail slowly nodded. He knew of at least two prominent ruins in the Valley, and was one of the only people who knew that they existed. But it had been years since he had gone to either place. "Ja, est' dva. Oba skrytye v Gorah Croal. Yes, there are two. Both hidden in the Croal Mountains.' He had also heard some curious tales of animals that lived there, though he hadn't witnessed anything himself yet.
Lark Volkov
Lark smiled, walking out the door. "Togda davaite idti. Then let's go." She replied.
Aiara met up with her owner on the way out, wagging her tail.