Russian Mystique (On Hold)

When Val turned 13, Nikita was 12, but they were best of friends by then. They’d often pass time by going horseback riding or pretend-sword-fighting. They never used real swords, it was only plastic ones. The king and queen even had another little boy hang out with them to play a villain or bad guy character. His name was Pavel.

Pavel didn’t mind being the villain and he liked it actually. He’d often play his character too much and take things too far…

“If you attack him over here, I can sneak up and get him from the other side.” Nikita, a gorgeously handsome brunette boy with chocolate brown eyes, whispered.

“Okay.” a smiley, chuckling blond boy with blue eyes (Val) responded.

“So you distract him, while I go and attack from behind.”

“Got it, Nikita!”

“Okay.”

It was a beautiful day outside, in the small village in Moscow, Russia, where the Zadorovs lived. The sun was shining overhead warming the Earth, but it was a cool afternoon, with a nice crisp breeze. It felt like it was easily in the 50s. It was super nice and Nikita and Val were outside playing around with a fellow villager, Pavel Datsyuk. The two brothers looked up to see their 14 year old friend shaking his head.

Pavel sighed and then tossed his head back as he exclaimed, “Any day, you two. I've got all day in fact. Maybe while you both are distracted, I will--” He slowly lowered his head back down and as he did so, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his neck.

“No! I'm not distracted, Pavel.” Val’s voice sang out in his ear. He laughed, as Pavel wasn’t amused.

“Oy, get off of me!” Pavel shrieked, throwing punches at the young blond draped on his back like a cape.

“Not until you surrender!” Val boasted, pushing Pavel into the dirt of the ground and sitting on top of him.

Pavel kicked and wriggled under him, whining his unhappiness. “Not fair!”

Nikita folded his arms in front of him and frowned. “Valeri, no! That wasn't the plan! You've ruined it!” He began to pout and throw a mini-tantrum.

“No, no, I'm sorry Nikita. Let's do this again. Pavel was being mean and egging me on.” Val remarked, genuinely ashamed that he’d messed things up. He stood up, gesturing to Pavel, who smirked and jumped to his feet.

Pavel grabbed Val’s arms and pinned them behind his back. “Ah! Let go! Let go!” the young blond man cried.

Nikita withdrew his plastic sword out and stepped forward. “Let him go, Pavel!”

“Why? What are you going to do about it? He shouldn't have given up like that. Isn't that rule number one in any fight? No matter, he'll behave better in chains in the dungeon, as my hostage!!” He cackled evilly like a villain.

“Nikita! Help!” Val screamed, before Pavel clamped his hand over the blond’s mouth.

“Hang on.”

“Is that the best response you've got?” Pavel snapped, snickering.

“Shut up!” Nikita snarled.

“Oh Nikita Zadorov, you poor pathetic fool. I'm threatening to kidnap your brother and all you have as a response is, ‘hang on.’"

“I said shut up Pavel! I don't want to play anymore.” He threw the toy sword to the ground.

“Because the villain is actually winning?”

“No, because you are being an asshole. And I don't wanna play with an asshole.”

Val struggled in Pavel’s grip and kicked at him. He stomped down on the evil kid’s foot and tore himself free. “He said enough. To be honest, I don't want to play anymore either. Why did you kidnap me?”

“Because it's what villains do.”

The blond comforted his younger brunette brother, hugging him close. “Not here. Don't ever joke about kidnapping.”

“Sorry. I didn't know it was such a 'tender subject' for you.”

“It is. Nikita has had a rough childhood. There have been two attempted kidnappings on him already.”

“Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cross the line like that.” Pavel looked at his feet.

“It is okay, Pavel. I forgive you. But lets go inside and get some food and take a break. Your mom can come and get you then.” Nikita stated, lightening up a little bit and actually flashing a smile.

Pavel looked back up and relaxed a little bit. “Alright. And I really am sorry. I never knew.”

“Don’t worry.”

The three headed for the door, Pavel led the way. Nikita grabbed Val’s hand and they followed him. But before they reached the door, Nikita was yanked from Val’s hand.

“Val, help me!” Nikita screamed, as he was dragged backward in the arms of some unknown peasant, concealed in a white hood. A white gloved hand was clamped over his mouth.

“Nikita! HELP! Mom! Dad!” Val shrieked.

Pavel halted at the door and looked back with wide eyes. He decided to attempt to help out until the parents arrived. He could at least stall the escape of the person, who had a hold of Nikita. He rushed forward and dove for the person’s legs, managing to trip him up. “Ah-ha!”

Nikita pulled free and began to run for the castle, but two more people like the other one appeared and snatched him. Val gave his call off again and tried to handle one of the men by himself, before he was backhanded across the face and knocked unconscious by the guy.

That’s when the king and queen raced out. Sergei Zadorov had his sword and swung it at the two men, who had tied Nikita’s wrists together to make it easier to “kidnap” him. Xenia Zadorov rushed to Val, who was lying on the ground. She was trying to see what had happened to him.

Sergei finally was able to drive the kidnapper trio off and they all fled toward the woods. The king gave a whistle and soon hoards of guard darted to the woods, after the trio. Pavel scrambled to his feet and helped Nikita to get the ropes off of his arms. Sergei turned to his son and his friend.

“Are you alright my son?”

Nikita brushed himself off and nodded. “Yes, father. I am fine. Thanks to Pavel here.”

“Ah, the villain boy. Good work for the kid assigned to play the bad guy role.”

“Thank you, Sir. I was just doing what I thought was best. Not to mention I had to make up for an earlier mistake.”

"Well, thank you. The Zadorov family is in your debt.”

“It was nothing, Sir. Really.”

“You're a good boy, Pavel.” The king smiled and patted the young boy on the head and then walked over to his wife, who’d picked Val up in her arms and was cradling him. Val was still out cold and he was limp in her arms.

“What happened to Valeri?” Sergei reached out and placed one of his hands on the pale forehead of his adopted second son.

“He's unconscious, but he should come around soon. We should get them all inside at once.”

"You're right. Pavel, Nikita, come on.”

They all made it safely into the castle and headed to the big kitchen. Xenia placed Val on one of the couches. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a towel and some ice. Then she returned to the couch and found Val blinking awake. She gave him the ice and towel.

Val put it to his head and looked toward the kitchen. “Where's Nikita? Is he okay?”

“He's fine, sweetie.”

Nikita stood with Pavel in the kitchen. He held his arm, rubbing it as he watched his mother care for Val.

(Is anyone thinking that this runs similar to Frozen?)

“This is all my fault. For some reason people want to kidnap me and now Val has gotten in the middle of it. He doesn't deserve to get hurt like this. What is wrong with me?”

“Nikita...” Sergei grumbled.

The young Russian prince turned to his father with wonder in his tear-stained eyes. “Dad, please, tell me, why do people want me? Why so many attempted kidnappings?”

Sergei looked at his wife and second son and then back at his first son and heaved a heavy sigh. “It is time you know the truth I guess. Pavel, can you go assist my wife and Val, I have to show my son something.”

“Sure thing, Sir.” Pavel nodded to them both and walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, where the couch was.

“Come with me Nikita,” Sergei said.

Nikita followed his father out of the kitchen and into a long, vast hallway. They walked a few steps, passing by the library and then an office room in silence. The hallway soon opened up wider and on the left side were cut outs for clear windows, which looked out on the small village and out to the woods and Moscow, Russia.

Sergei finally spoke up, launching into his story, “When you were born, you were bestowed a special gift.”

“What is that gift?” Nikita’s eyes sparkled with a keen interest. Sergei chuckled at his childish naiivity.

“You have a magical power, Nikita. It is something that in time you will need to be trained to control. If that power falls into the wrong hands, the world as you, I and everyone knows it will cease to exist.”

“What is the power?”

“That I don't know. It will be shown in time.”

“Then how do you know I have the power?”

“An old friend of mine, Alexander told me. He and his wife, our handmaiden, Anastasia, are the ones who know you possess it.”

“Then we must find them.“

“We cannot. Nikita,” Sergei stopped them both and turned to Nikita. He grabbed him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. “my boy, you are mighty brave, but Alex and Ana, they are both not around anymore.”

“You don't mean...? Dad...”

"I'm sorry. You were too young, but during the second attempted kidnapping, they both sacrificed themselves. The wizard, if ever he shows his face around here again looking for you, will get his punishment.”

They continued on down the hallway.

“I know Val is a good boy, but I think it is time to call in a babysitter for you.”

“Babysitter? I'm 12!”

“Yes, but I'm talking a more...bodyguard maybe.”

“A bodyguard?”

“Yes. I hear there is a really talented one close by.”

“Really! Who?”

“They call this bodyguard, or warrior actually, Russian Mystique.”

“Russian Mystique?” Nikita echoed, cocking his head. The name sounded cool and mysterious and he was willing to give this a go. After all, he just wanted to be normal and play with Val, his brother and Pavel the villain.

They made it back to the living room, where Pavel, Xenia and Val were all in smiles on the couch. Pavel’s mother was there and the two were just about to leave. Sergei and Nikita rejoined them and bid their farewells. Nikita hugged his brother and thanked him for taking one for him, to which Val just shrugged.

Then Sergei talked to Xenia and they sent for the one known as Russian Mystique, a mysterious warrior...and also a rare Moscow (Russian) Princess.

Notes

Pavel's not evil...yet....
Nikita and Val! <3
A ton of action and foreshadowing in this. :)
I'm not sure quite how to conduct this one, given pretty much all of the characters are Russian. So that being the case, I might just have them all speak English maybe???? A Shruinger, you think you could help figure this out? If I end up doing the all Russian, I'm going to need the translation and all I would have to go back over the first chapter again. :P
So it is clear that this will be in English. It's Russian characters, but everything is written in English. ;)


Next up: Russian Mystique AKA: Mackenzie!