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Chaos erupted around them as Chang used a combination of his telekinesis and a powerful kick to make the gates to the Emperor’s palace fly off their hinges into the center of the great courtyard. The Wolves and Pabu leapt to the center of the courtyard landing with Chang on top of the gates. There were screams of panic, and the hollers of guards all around them. The wolves immediately drew their weapons, and formed a protective ring around Chang and Pabu as they were quickly surrounded.
One of the guards raised his rifle and opened fire on the intruders. Had it not been for the fact that they had forced their way into the palace grounds, things might have been different. Chang wanted to make a statement, and this was the way to do it.
The bullets from the guards rifle never made it to the wolves. With a wave of his hand, the bullets stopped in mid air, and fell harmlessly to the ground. At the same time all the guards weapons flew out of their hands and rose up into the air, where they started to swirl in a cyclone like effect.
At almost the same moment, Pabu threw his arms into the air, his staff held firmly in his right hand, and threw his head back. He emitted what sounded a lot like the roar of some unknown ferocious beast. Chang felt the staff resonate with Pabu’s mental energies. It was acting as a focus and amplifier. He wanted a closer look at that staff. It seemed disturbingly familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. However now was not the time for that.
From the guards perspective, out of the boy's open mouth flew a roaring golden dragon that grew in size until it was well over fifty feet long. It had a long serpent like body with powerful legs and claws. It’s head was bigger than the cab of a semi and it’s tail ended in a forked barb that looked lethal. It hovered for a second or two then, 'looking' down at the guards, most of whom were now cowering on the ground. The dragon threw its head back and let out another roar so loudly that several windows nearby shattered and many of the guards began to bleed from their ears.
With surprising grace for something of that size, the Dragon sinuously flew down towards one of the few guards that were still standing. With a deliberate slowness it brought its snout to within inches of the guards face. Blowing out hot air through its nostrils, the Dragon opened his mouth and spoke. "Bring the Emperor here. He will answer for the crimes that have been committed." Then his mouth curled into a snarl that showed off its jagged teeth.
The dragon’s head moved back up several feet, but the guard had yet to take a step. To his credit, he looked almost defiant yet terrified at the same time. "MOVE!" The dragon bellowed as his head shot forward like a striking snake, causing the man to fall over backwards. Several more of the windows shattered, and several covered walkways began to sway as if there were an earthquake. The guard picked himself off the ground, looked defiantly at the dragon. He bowed stiffly then ran for the palace, but in a measured gate rather than that of someone in a panic. Chang studied the man making note of his grit. Someone who would not back down from a dragon was potentially trouble if things went badly.
The Dragon took one more look around before it threw its head back and roared again. Most of the windows that had not shattered the first time did at this. Then, without warning, it gracefully spiraled upward, twisting its body like a corkscrew, till it was several hundred feet above the palace before flying swiftly off into the distance. It was only then that Pabu lowered his arms, and sagged in exhaustion.
For a small moment, Chang was slightly upset at being so soundly upstaged by the small boy. He looked over to the twisted hunk of metal that all the guns had been turned into by his vortex and thought, "Not bad." He would have to admit that Pabu's 'entrance' was more grand than his was. This brought a small smile to his face. "I guess I will just have to work harder next time." He sighed to himself. As if he sensed the older boy’s thoughts Pabu turned his head and made eye contact for just a moment.
Things were deathly quiet for the next few minutes. The Wolves stayed at the ready waiting for anyone to try and attack. The guards had finally all gotten to their feet. Several had taken up a position between the palace proper and the intruders, but the majority had retreated to a corner of the small courtyard near where they had entered. Chang was happy to see that some of them had drawn weapons from hidden places on their bodies, and were at least ready to use them if needed. Those were true warriors worthy of his respect. The rest though, were of no concern to him, they would flee before fighting a more powerful foe if it came down to it.
They waited a few minutes before two large doors opened, and more guards poured forth. Chang was pleased to see that, while all of them had some type of gun on them, to the last, they only had hand weapons drawn. It was immediately obvious that these Guards were of a much high quality than the ones that had been first encountered. These guards had a focused, almost stoic, look about them. The weaponry they carried looked like extensions of their bodies. An older man, wearing very ornate robes, came striding out. With him were a contingent of guards in full Shan Wen Kai Armor1. Chang recognized at once that these were the true Warriors of the Palace guard. These warriors would give him and the Wolves problems if it were to come to a fight. He felt the power emanating from several of them. It was tangible and hung about them like a cloak. Of course there were also several others, wearing suits, or other finery. These men were quickly dismissed from Chang's list of people to worry about, as they were simply bureaucrats.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Emperor exclaimed as he pushed past the guards.
With a mental command from Chang, the Wolf Pack moved back from their fighting stances, and sheathed their weapons. Chang and Pabu took a few steps forward, the wolves falling in behind them. The guard was almost instantly between the emperor and the invaders.
"Stand aside! I will see who has invaded my home and insulted the honor of the Chinese People!"
When the Emperor approached, making his way through his guard as they parted, both Chang and Pabu took a knee, showing their respect for the Emperor. The Wolf Pack in unison emulated Chang and Pabu. This made the tension in Emperor's guards relax some. Someone who was there to do harm to their protectee would most likely not show more respect than a bow. They never let the emperor more that a couple of feet from their watchful eyes. Chang, Pabu, and the PACK all took note of the armed guards that now surrounded the courtyard from above and had them all in the sights of their rifles.
Chang and Pabu stood again, the Emperor looked down at the boys and spoke his question again, although this time in a softer tone. "What is the meaning of this?"
Chang spoke softly as he pulled something from his pocket. "Emperor Puiy Tao, yesterday, your troops attacked a village, killing every man, women and child there, save one." He said as he nodded towards Pabu. "This is in violation of a treaty that you're family made several generations ago." Chang then held out the medallion that Master Takamura had given him the night before. It was a gift from the Emperor of the time to Takamura, signifying that the Emperor would allow Takamura's people to live untouched by the outside world.
The Emperor gasped, took the amulet and looked at it closely. Slowly he nodded to himself, as he paled slightly. He looked to his advisors, and saw one of them shift slightly. That was all it took. "ARREST HIM!" The Emperor exclaimed, and immediately, two of his guards had their weapons out, facing the man, while two more grabbed him by the arms.
Chang's eyes narrowed while the man tried to claim his innocence. Chang focussed on the man who began screaming and tossing his head back and forth. The guards, of course, did not listen, and started to drag him away, until Chang called out loudly, "WAIT!"
The Emperor nodded his ascent, and the guards stopped. All eyes were now on Chang. For several moments, he simply stared at the man who shook and begged for him to stop. When he finally looked towards the Emperor, he spoke loudly enough for all to hear. "Take this man where you want, but make sure he is not harmed. There is much yet that he has to tell. However, for now, I feel it is best that we speak privately."
The Emperor, not knowing the full extent of what was going on, nodded to his guards. He was sure of one thing. An ancient treaty had been violated and it had the potential to end his rule and possibly his family. The guards took the man away. He turned towards Chang and spoke softly. "The man that this was given to," he started while holding up the amulet, "once saved my family from certain death, when traitors tried to take control of the empire. By having this, I am assuming you know of this man?"
Not knowing how much he wanted this man to know, he hedged his response. "I am of that family." Chang said simply.
The Emperor bowed slightly then looked towards where the babbling man had been taken away. He took a deep breath then turned to the closest of his guards. "Hand me you're sword." The man only hesitated briefly before he drew his sword, reversed it, and handed it to the Emperor.
The old man looked at it for a few seconds before he turned it, and offered it to Pabu. "When the pact was made, my family swore, on our own lives, that the sanctity of you're village would never be disturbed. I have failed in that." The man dropped to his knees. "My life, the fate of my family, and this country is yours."
Pabu took the sword from the Emperor, and looked at it for a moment. Many emotions were twisting and churning under his calm exterior. His control began to slip just a bit and flickers of the emotional whirlwind in his soul could be discerned. Chang placed his hand over top of Pabu’s gently. Then once Pabu looked up at him, he very firmly said, "There is much more going on here than we know. This man never ordered your family to be murdered. He knew nothing about it."
PPabu looked deeply into Chang's eyes, and through them Chang could see that the Young Dragon had a battle that was raging. His reptilian need for vengeance was at war with his more reasonable side. With a deep sigh some of the tension fled from the Young Dragon as his more sensible side won out. He knew that his Master would not want him acting only through rage. His loss hit him again and tears almost came to his eyes, but he found his center kept his emotions to himself. He knew what he had to do. "We were warriors, my people, but we were not a bloodthirsty or savage people your Highness. Find who did this and bring them before me for judgement. I find no complicity in you. Forgive my rage your Highness, but my people are no more and this is cause of great pain in my soul."
The man let out a deep breath and nodded. He struggled to get back to his feet, then turned and handed the sword back to his guard. Chang knew that every single guard there not only wanted to stop what was close to happening, but also wanted to help the man back to his feet. However, they all knew it would be an insult to the man's honor to do either. You could see the loyalty and genuine love for their Emperor. It spoke volumes to Chang about the man’s character as a person and a leader. The Emperor turned and looked at Chang. "Shall we retire to someplace where we can speak openly as you suggested?"
Chang nodded in agreement. The man simply nodded himself, turned and started to walk into the palace, knowing that Chang, Pabu and the Wolves would follow.
When Adam appeared, several people gasped in shock. Logan rushed to his side and asked,"Whats going on?" He was trying to keep the concern from his voice.
Adam understood why everyone was surprised. It was not a well kept secret that the Pico Bot Battle Armor existed. It was common knowledge amongst the troops that it was a very advanced piece of technology that was made specifically with the Genesis kids in mind. Most everyone living on the UNIT bases had managed to find out that a normal person could wear it as well. In keeping with Logan’s directives, the details of everything it was capable of were highly classified. The rumor mongers only had vague ideas that the armor provided advanced weaponry, communications, and sensor integration, but not what they actually were and could do. The one thing that the mighty UNIT gossip mills had found out that really annoyed Logan was that the Core UNIT had already been outfitted with the new body armor. Adam remembered laughing at him when he had bitched about it the other night. This, however, was the first time that anyone outside the core UNIT and the people who had worked on the project had been able to actually see it.
Adam collected his thoughts and looked around the room at everyone before settling his eyes on Logan. "There is something personal I need to deal with." He said it in a voice that Logan had not heard in a long time.
Logan stepped back and looked Adam up and down. "You're going off to war." It was not a question.
"I am." Adam said simply, causing Logan's eye brows to raise. After several moments of scrutinizing Adam, he nodded. Adam knew Logan could easily read what was going on from his mind, but he also trusted Logan to not do it, though he was sure Logan had a good idea what was going on.
Logan nodded again and hugged Adam close. After a few moments he broke the hug and took a step back. Adam nodded, then simply turned and walked away.
As Logan watched his love walk away, he remembered the last thing they did together just for the two of them. They had watched a movie together. One that Logan thought Adam would really like. He was right, from the moment the movie started, Adam was enthralled. By the ending, Adam was was so impressed that he commented that he would have loved to be back in that time... in that movie, one of the 300. Logan couldn't help himself. He called out to Adam. "SPARTAN!"
Adam turned around, and smile on his face. "Yes my Lady?" Playing along with the lines form the movie.
Not being offended by the term lady, Logan smiled gently at his love. "Come back with your shield... or on it."
Adam smiled fondly and nodded. "Yes my Lady." He turned and walked away, after a few steps, Daileass teleported him to the middle of no-where Siberia.
Chang found himself being led into a very nice sitting room. Having been in Alexei's palace, he knew what nice looked like. This was different, obviously, but he could still tell how richly those that lived here were. Had he not understood how powerful a signal it was to the people, that their leaders lived in this type of splendor, he might be upset. But Logan had helped him realize that a majority of the people take great pride in the fact that their leaders live like this, and to do anything else, would be like telling the people that their wishes for their leaders were worthless.
The Emperor bade them to sit, so Chang and Pabu did. The wolves spread themselves out around the room, glaring at the Emperor's guards who stood across from them. The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he looked at the amulet that Chang has shown him. Finally he looked up and spoke quietly. "Please tell me what happened."
In a voice haunted with the terror of what had been done, Pabu began to speak. "They came as the sun fell behind the mountains. We had just finished our evening prayers. They came out of the trees and walked right into the temple. They brought weapons into the temple." Pabu was staring off into space, tears silently falling from his eyes, as he relived the events.
"I had gone to the home I shared with my family to prepare for the evening meal I was sharing with the master, when I heard the gun fire. The military man in charge was trying to force my master to tell them where I was at. He would not tell them. They killed his grand daughter... only 5 years old, and still he would not tell. Then they started to kill everyone until I came forward. Thats when I started to fight. Others tried to fight too, but they were cut down. Me, they wanted alive." Finally Pabu moved his eyes as he met the old man's eyes. "They killed everyone I knew, everyone I loved... because I wouldn't fight for you!" Pabu's eyes burned red, and he had to fight back the desire to destroy this man.
The Guards, seeing a threat to their Emperor, started to take a step forward, when the man held up his hand, stopping them. "Do not ever raise your hand against this boy. My life has been his and his line since long before I was born. If any of you even think of harming him, I will have you executed." Even through the fear that had gripped his heart, he moved forward and knelt in front of the boy. He knew only rumors and legends of what the Dragon could do, and what he knew made ice grip his heart, but his Honor demanded no less than what he was doing. If he were to die at this boy's hands, then that is what would happen, and he would not turn away from it. "I knew nothing about this. I would never have violated the arrangements that my fathers made many years ago. I know nothing I say can bring your family back, but I swear to you, I will find those responsible, and they will be brought to justice. I feel that I failed in my duty to you. I and my family should have had measures in place to secure your people’s safety."
For several moments, a war played out on the Dragon's face. He had thought that this man was the reason for his families death. He was fighting with his need for vengence.
"Remember. He is speaking the truth." Chang said, causing the Dragon to look up at him sharply.
Finally after several more minutes of silence, the Dragon exhaled deeply and sank back into his seat. "To hold someone responsible for actions they did not commit nor even know of would be dis-honorable." He sat forward, and put his hands on the man's shoulders. "Please forgive my anger. It is not meant for you."
The Emperor nodded while letting out a deep breath of his own, "The wisdom you show is that of one much older than your years show. I swear to you, these actions will not go unpunished." The man stood up and bowed to the boy in front of him. He turned to re-take his seat, when the boy spoke again.
The venom in Pabu's voice was back. "I will be the one to deal with those whom you find. I am demanding that right."
The man sat down and nodded. "Nothing less will happen." He paused for a moment as he thought about something, then nodded. He turned to one of his guards and spoke. "Please ask Jian Hui Lin to join us."
The guard bowed deeply, and rushed form the room. The Emperor sat back in his seat, and smiled gently. "Jian Hui Lin, my daughter, will attend to you while you are here. She is about you're age, and has been asking for more responsibility. I believe this will be a good project for her. While you are staying here, my house is your house."
Chang stood, causing the other two to stand as well. "Thank you, Wànsuì2 I am sure your hospitality will be more than adequate. I believe the one thing that our young Dragon could use the most right now is food and a good rest."
Pabu looked at Chang and was about to get angry, but then he saw the look in the boy's eyes. It was the same look that his older brother always gave him. It said. 'You might be the Dragon, but I'm still you're elder brother and will look out for you. Whether you want it or not.' Inside it made him feel good to know that someone was still around that cared about him like that. It was such a mixed feeling that, not trusting his own voice, Pabu simply nodded.
A knock came at the door, and the Emperor called out, "ENTER!"
The first to enter the room was the same guard that had left a few moments ago, following behind the large man, was a smallish girl about thirteen years old, and even Chang couldn't deny that she was beautiful. But what he mostly saw was the intelligence, and cunning that was behind those eyes.
A few moments later, Chang and Pabu were following her out of the room, allowing her to lead them to rooms that they could use.
"What happened to Adam?" The concerned boy asked as Logan walked up to him and forced a smile. Logan could easily tell that, yes the young Tsar was worried about how Adam's absence may effect the trip to Moscow, but mostly he was worried about his friend that just went off to war.
"Don't worry about him." Logan said trying to sound convincing. "Adam knows what he's doing; something just came up that he has to deal with personally. Everything else will happen just like we planned." Logan didn't really mind taking command of a situation, but he preferred to play in the background. He sighed to himself. He knew that he would have to be in the lead for this one.
He looked over at General Krolikov, and Cadet Captain Damien Azarov, and simply asked, "You guys ready?"
"Yes sir," General Krolikov stated. "My men report that nothing is going on out of the ordinary in the Church. However, there are a lot of people starting to fill in for the food lines, and showing up to help out. I believe we will find a very interesting situation when we get there."
"Okay," Logan said, then mentally opened up a connection to Jory, who had taken over the Main Russian Command center inside the palace. When he heard what was going to happen, he and Will decided that they had better be in the command center, simply to be on hand if things went bad. "How are things looking there bro?"
"Well, besides the riots going on all over the US, and the shit reports we're getting out of London, things are quiet in Russia. However, there's a lot of people showing up in Moscow at the church. Mostly homeless and those there to help them. Things look to be going surprisingly well. However, Misha just told us that somehow word has gotten out that Alexei is on his way, and people are starting to gather. Although we can guarantee that word did not leave the base on it."
Logan sighed, "Well it was bound to happen. We're just about ready to leave. Send word to the troops there that we'll be there momentarily."
"You got it boss man," Jory said with a chuckle.
Logan chuckled and shook his head as he walked back over to Alexei. "Okay Alexei... we're ready to go at anytime. This is you're show now, I just ask that you listen to us when we're there. If we tell you to move, please don't argue. I don't think anything will happen, but I don't get paid to assume things are good."
Alexei smiled his understanding then turned to Sergei and General Krolikov. When he got nods from both of them, he activated his own UNIT issued communicator, "Misha, would you be so kind as to transport us to the designated location."
"As you wish Your Highness," Misha said, and the next thing the group knew, they were standing in a large park across the street from a very large and ornate church. "So this is Red Square?" Logan said as he turned in a circle looking all around him. Part of him was admiring the architecture, while another part was looking for threats.
Immediately, many of the guards fanned out, making a wall between Alexei and the UNIT people, and everyone else. It only took a few moments for someone to start making noise about the 'Tsar being here.' Almost immediately people started to rush from everywhere to try and get a look at the young Tsar.
The smile on his face was almost painful to see, Logan thought. Alexei looked around quickly and then moved over to a car that was parked on the side of the road. "Logan," Alexei said, speaking to the Wolverine that was at his side the second he started to move. "Please give me a boost up."
Logan grabbed the boy under his arms, and growled softly. "I don't like this... you're too exposed. If you hear me tell you to get down, do it, and quickly."
When Alexei nodded his understanding, Logan hoisted the boy easily up on the roof of the car. As soon as he did, several large speakers appeared near by, with Misha saying to Alexei. "Just speak normally, I have tied you're communicator into the speakers."
Alexei simply smiled and nodded slightly. He waited for several moments as people rushed from all over to get close enough to see him. He did see that many people that were standing outside of the Cathedral were also moving over to get a better look. "Also, I have placed speakers all over the Square," Misha said quietly. "That way everyone in the area can hear you. There were more than I originally expected."
After waiting several moments, Alexei raised his hands to quiet down the quickly growing crowd. He looked out over the people with a smile before he started to speak. "Thank you all for the warm welcome. I am so happy to be able to be here..." His voice trailed off as he saw something happening off to the side. In an instant, he had jumped from the car's roof and was running at full speed.
Reacting instantly, Logan, the wolverine, started to shout orders, clearing the way for Alexei to get wherever he was going. At the same time, he had his rifle out, and was trying to catch up to the surprisingly fast boy, yet again cursing the fact that his legs were so short.
He caught up to Alexei just as he reached a uniformed officer. Alexei shoulder blocked the man, sending him stumbling a few feet away. The officer, not knowing what had happened, spun around, and swung the baton he had in his hand at Alexei's head.
Alexei for his part was looking down at a small boy who was laying on the ground. He would never have seen the attack coming, but Logan's huge paw caught the man's wrist before the baton made it to Alexei's head. With a brutal snap, he twisted the man's wrist backwards, causing every single bone in his wrist to snap. He didn't stop there. Using his grip on the now shattered wrist, Logan turned the man around. A well placed, although much more forceful than needed, kick to the back of the knee, and the man was on the ground. The man's knee shattering completely.
Most sane people would have stopped there, but Logan was completely enraged to know that someone was trying to use a billy club on his charge. Logan came down on the small of the man's back with one of his knees, the crunch that was heard caused the man to scream, but only for a moment. He passed out, not realizing that he would never feel anything... ever again.
"LOGAN!" Alexei cried out, and Logan spun around, snarling, ready for someone else to be attack his boy. Instead what he saw was Alexei on his knees next to a smallish boy, dressed in what Logan wouldn't even consider rags, who wasn't moving. There was a pool of blood near the boy's head, and his arm was in a very unnatural angle.
Instantly the anger fled from the hybrid as he dropped to his knees next to Alexei. "Is he?" Alexei asked, as the UNIT guards started to push everyone away from the Tsar. "No..." Logan said softly, "but I'm sure he needs help." He backed off slightly as one of the UNIT kids he knew ran up, and dropped to his knees beside the boy. Instantly he had a medical tricorder out, and was running it over the small boy.
Alexei stood up and his loud, clear voice was heard through out the Square. "Does anyone know this boy, and what happened here?"
"I do..." A young voice said hesitantly, and immediately the crowd moved so that Alexei could see where another boy, who was maybe six or seven, was standing. The boy was dirty, and had the same kind of rags that the injured boy wore. Alexei slowly walked towards the boy who was nervously looking around, most likely for an escape route.
"It's okay..." Alexei said softly, even thought his voice was still being projected over the speakers, but now there were four small, almost silent helicopters flying above the Tsar, recording what was going on. All across Red Square, the large video screens that were usually playing ads for different products, were now all showing the events that were happening. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
"Yeah..." Logan said from where he stood, next to where the medic was working on the prone boy. "If anyone tries to do anything to you, they'll answer to me." Logan knew that the boy was scared of him, which is why he didn't try to move towards him, however, he hoped that his words would be helpful.
When he looked around, he did see the three triplets, standing a few feet away, their eyes glowing bright blue, and the other Logan, the scary one, was standing there slowly nodding and smiling. When they're eyes met, Logan, the scary one, spoke inside the wolverine's mind. "You did good, Logan. You did real good." The wolverine didn't acknowledge the words, he didn't need to, Logan knew how proud he was to hear those words.
The boy stood still, although nervous as hell, until Alexei was just a few feet away from him. Alexei stopped there and spoke softly to the boy, making sure that the young boy could always see his hands. "Who did this, and why?"
"I.. I don't know his name," The boy said, pointing to the still motionless cop on the ground. "Daniil says we come here to get good food. But then the mister stops us. Says Tsar here, we can't go. But Daniil says we need food. We need warm clothes."
The small boy started to cry. He watched the medic who was now helped by a doctor as they worked on the unconscious boy. He couldn't have been more than nine or ten years old. Through his tears the younger boy managed to tell Alexei what had happened. "The Mister took out his, and... and... hit Daniil in the arm. When Daniil began to cry he hit him in the head. He said, 'Here! I give you something to cry about!' He hit him a few more times, then before you came he hit him in the head hard. The Mister said, 'No filthy little street trash is going to make Red Square look bad for the Tsar.'" The last part came out fast with little sobs making it hard to follow.
Alexei opened his arms, and took a step forward. The boy hesitated for a small moment, then lurched into Alexei's arms. The boy was shivering in the cold, and because of the small amount of snow on the ground, Alexei was shocked to see nothing on the boy's feet.
Alexei turned to Sergei, who had made his way up to the small crowd, and spoke softly but urgently. "Help me get my jacket off." With a little bit of work, they got Alexei's jacket off, while never separating himself from the small boy. "What's your name?" Alexei asked as he pulled away from the boy slightly.
"It's... Yegor." The boy sniffled as he was enjoying the warmth for a few moments.
"Here, put this on." Alexei said as he draped the jacket across the small boy's shoulders. Alexei then turned and put his arm around Yegor's shoulder. "Come on, lets go see how your friend is doing.
"Brother..." Yegor said, hesitantly. He didn't want to anger the first person who'd been nice to him. Alexei could tell the boy still had no idea who he really was.
"Brother..." Alexei said nodding, doing his best not to show the anger he was feeling. When they got up to the small boy on the ground, the medic was just closing the tricorder.
He looked up and tried to smile, even though Alexei could see the worry. "We're gonna take him back to the palace, he needs more attention than we can give him here. Mama Janet is getting a... room... ready for him."
Alexei knew what the boy had meant. Janet being involved meant it was bad. The room meant they were going to have to do surgery on the boy, just like the one he'd been a part of a short time ago. Alexei just nodded. When the medic, doctor, and patient disappeared, Yegor started to really cry. "He's gone... No one's left now."
"What do you mean, Yegor?" Alexei asked gently.
"Both my parents died last year, when the snows came. Then my older sister and brother died later. Daniil and me went to stay with the others, but now Daniil's dead...." He lost it then, and really started to cry.
"Shhhhh..." Alexei said, "he's not dead, he's gone to the hospital to get better. He's getting help by one of the best doctors I know."
The boy looked up with hope, but also some fear. "Really?" Then the hope faded, and he gave Alexei a more resigned look. "Will you tell the doctor I'll pay the cost when Daniil's better."
Alexei looked perplexed for a moment. "What cost?"
Yegor looked at Alexei like he was stupid or something, then sighed. "I'll pay for it with my body. Thats what they always want when one of us gets sick. Usually it was Daniil who paid the cost, but he won't be able to this time."
Alexei stood there completely stunned, he just could not make what the boy just said register in his brain. Doctors treating patients and then demanding sexual favors from children as payment...
Both Alexei and Yegor jumped slightly as behind them, Logan had picked up the discarded billy club and was looking it over. When he heard Yegor's statement, the billy club suddenly became nothing more than a pile of tooth picks. However, it was enough to move Alexei out of his mental stupor. "No Yegor, no one will have to pay THAT sort of price. Daniil will be as good as new in no time, and neither of you will have to worry about paying for it."
"Really?" Yegor asked, not really daring to believe the truth of the words, but hoping nonetheless.
"Yes.. you have my word on it." Alexei said as they started walking again, this time towards the Cathedral that was their original goal. The entire square was packed with people, but it was almost completely silent, as everyone watched what was going on. "Now..." Alexei continued, "Would you like to go see the Cathedral with me?"
The boy stopped dead in his tracks, causing Alexei to stumble for a step. "I can not." The boy said urgently. "The Tsar is there. He can not see me!"
"Why not?" Alexei asked confused.
Yegor looked at him in the way only a six or seven year old boy could, when someone didn't know something that was simple. "I'm a street kid, worth less than nothing. He would not want to even lay eyes on me."
"Why do you say that?" Alexei asked, tears coming to his eyes.
Yegor looked at Alexei then down at the ground for a moment as he thought. "Daddy said that the old Tsar really cared about all the people of Russia. But the new Tsar was too busy living in his palaces to worry about the people. The few times daddy went to ask for help from the Tsar's people, he got laughed at. He said he was told that the Tsar didn't care about the poor anymore. They didn't do anything important so they didn't matter to him. The last time daddy went, they beat him with sticks, and told him to never bother them again." Yegor looked up into Alexei's eyes with a look filled with terror. "Please don't make me go see the Tsar... I don't wanna be beat with sticks like Daniil was."
Alexei was crying openly as he listened to Yegor's words. He had no idea what to think, what to do, how to act. Part of him wanted to rant, rave, scream and throw something. Another part of him just wanted to crawl into a ball and cry, maybe even die. Thankfully someone else was able to figure out something to say.
"Yegor is it?" General Krolikov said gently. When the small boy hesitantly nodded, the big burly general got down on both knees in front of him. "Do you see this thing right here?" He asked, pointing to the place on his uniform that showed his rank. The boy nodded, so the General continued; "It means that I'm a general. You know what that means right?"
The boy's eyes went wide with wonder as he looked at the rank insignia, then at the man, and back again. "Yeah... it means you're in the military. Daddy was too, but he never made it very high."
General Krolikov nodded, and filed that little bit of information away to look into later. "You see all the men around here wearing uniforms like mine?" The boy looked around, and for the first time really noticed how many people were there, and how many uniforms he was seeing. The General saw the boy start to get nervous, so he gently put his large hand on the boy's small shoulder. "Don't worry about them, they answer to me. And I say that NO ONE is going to hit you with a stick. You don't have to worry about the man that hurt your brother. He is dead."
The boy looked into the big man's eyes for several moments trying to figure out if he could trust him. Finally, after seeing nothing but honesty in the man's eyes, the boy hesitantly nodded.
When Adam had first appeared, he was in a beautiful river valley. He took a brief moment to look around, and appreciate the view, before he took a deep breath. "Okay Daileass, which way?"
"The facility is north by north east, 28 miles away. I've uploaded the map into you're suits HUD. I'm hoping that the Pico Tech will actually be able to withstand the geological disturbances, but I'm not positive."
Adam sighed as he turned his armor's HUD display on, and saw a line moving towards the North East. Taking another deep breath, Adam took off at a fast, distance eating jog.
That had been half hour ago, and he'd already covered almost ten miles, when he suddenly stumbled then stopped. It felt like part of his mind had been ripped out. He couldn't feel that gentle buzz that had been in the back of his mind since he first met up with Logan, and the boy had started up the links.
He quickly backtracked, and suddenly it was there again. 'Adam, you okay?' He heard Logan's concerned voice say.
'Yeah, I guess the geology of this place messes with more than just Daileass' scanners. I'm afraid I'm gonna be going pitch dark for a while.' 'Pitch Dark.' It was a term that was now used in the higher levels of the UNIT. No communication ability at all. Nothing technology based and nothing telepathic either.
He heard Logan sigh, 'Okay Adam, just be damned careful. The protocol says you have 24 hours to make contact. You bet your ass if you're one minute late everything the UNIT has and then some will be coming after you.'
Adam couldn't help but smile. 'Don't worry Logan, I'll make it back well before the 24 hour mark. And when this is over, I owe you a dinner on Archnania.'
'You're damned straight you do,' Logan said, trying to sound angry, but they both knew he wasn't. This was something they both knew could happen, and they were ready for it. Well as ready as they could be.
With out saying anything else, Adam took a deep breath, and took a few steps forward. This time he was ready for it, but the lack of 'buzzing' still made him uncomfortable.
With one hand in Alexei's, and the other in General Krolikov's, Yegor nervously walked towards the Cathedral. Unknown to Alexei and a few others, Misha was still broadcasting everything that was going on around them. Several Russian, and foreign news organizations picked up the broadcast, and were also showing the events live.
When they got close, several priests walked up towards them. With them were more than a few Jewish Rabbis, and even a few Muslim Clerics. "Welcome honored guests!" One of them said enthusiastically, holding his hand out for them to shake. All of them shook not only Alexei's hand, but also the General's and they all made a special show of shaking Yegor's hand. "Come come... let us show you around." The main priest said after the introductions were made.
Alexei looked over his shoulder. He saw that the Triplets, Sergei, the Cadet Captain, both Logan's, and several other people were right behind them as they made their way inside. Before they made it more than a few feet inside, a young muslim cleric came running up with a small pair of shoes. He dropped to his knees in front of the group. "Please young one," He said to Yegor. "Allow me to give these to you. You should not be walking around this time of year with nothing protecting you're feet."
Yegor looked to both Alexei and General Krolikov before he nodded. The young Cleric helped the boy put them on, and tie them up, after helping him put on some very thick comfortable looking socks. After the boy had his new shoes on, the group was lead into the main worship chamber of the Cathedral. To their surprise it was filled to over capacity with people. The only place free of people was the Alter area, which had been roped off. Otherwise, the pews were filled with thousands of people, many of them obviously homeless, and over half of those were children. Alexei shook his head. He look at the General and said, "This is a disgrace General. We should be ashamed that we have left so many without homes and a means to support themselves. This will end. As the Tsar of Mother Russia I swear this to my people!"
The elderly priest grinned as he motioned to all the different religious leaders that were there. "After your speech last night, many of us got together and decided that you were right. What good are the riches of the church, if they are not being used to help God's children. No matter who they are. We all agreed that God would care more about all of his children being warm, well feed and safe, before he cared about what name His children called him."
General Krolikov smiled, "You know, there are many who would say the words you just spoke were blasphemy."
The Priest that spoke chuckled, but it was one of the Muslim Clerics that responded; "And we would say that they are ones that do not really know the will of God. Too many people have lost their lives to such silly notions as 'what we believe is the only proper way to believe.' We all agree on one thing above all else. God wants us to love each other. We are ALL His children, and to fight and kill any of His children is wrong. Yes, there are areas that I disagree with my fellows here. However, when compared with the suffering we see just here in this room, those disagreements suddenly become much less important. Once there are none left that need a warm place to sleep, a good meal to eat, and a place to lay their heads... once there is no more pain and suffering in the world, THEN and only then can we deal with such petty things as when and where we worship, what we call our God, and all the other things we disagree on."
One of the Rabbis laughed heartily and slapped the Muslim Cleric on the shoulder. "And I personally cannot wait till we can sit down and have those discussions, however, I do not believe we will see such a day."
"Have faith brother," The main priest said with a fond smile.
Alexei smiled back, "You have no idea how much it fills my heart to hear you all say these things. However, would it bother any of you if I were to go spend some time with my people?"
"Of course not, your Highness." The Priest said with a small bow. "May I have the honor of showing you around?"
Alexei just nodded, looked at Sergei and a few others to come with him. He then turned and said to Yegor. "I know you have many questions, but I would ask that you wait here with General Krolikov, and he will answer what he can. If he cannot answer, please feel free to ask me when I am done."
Yegor simply nodded. Then Alexei and several others walked away. Yegor got a puzzled look on his face. Finally he looked up at the General, and in a small frightened voices asked a question. "Is he... I mean he seems... Sorry mister. I uhm... Is he someone important?"
The General could not help laughing at the innocence of the question. "Yes Yegor, he is." The General knelt down in front of the boy, and took a hold of the jacket that he was wearing, the one Alexei had given the boy to stave off the cold. "Do you know what this symbol means?"
Yegor looked down at it questioningly, then his face went pale, and he started to shake slightly. He looked up with huge eyes, "you mean... he's the Tsar?"
The General smiled and nodded. Yegor closed his eyes tight, and for a moment the General was afraid he was going to pass out, but then Yegor opened his eyes, and a smile appeared on his face. "So I really am safe?"
"Yes Yegor, you and Daniil, and many many others are safe now. Alexei can't fix everything in an instant, but he is trying to help his people as much as he can, as quickly as he can." Yegor nodded and smiled as he watched Alexei move through the people, taking a moment to say something to every person he came across. 'Yes.' The General thought to himself. 'He is very much his father's son. Nikolay you would be proud of your little boy.'
Alexei finished things by giving a speech to the assembled crowd at the end of which he was approached by an elderly Rabbi.
"My Tsar. I would like to extend an invitation to see our work to make our Temple a large shelter. I hope I am not being too forward Your Highness." Alexei readily agreed and they began to head that way. Alexei lost himself in his thoughts for a bit. This was just what he wanted from his country. He realized that the Rabbi was still talking and he did not know what was being said. So he refocused on the what the elderly Rabbi was saying. "What we are doing is basic. We are going to house people here. We have kitchens that we haven't used much in years so we can feed everyone too. Our parishioners have been very generous with donations." Alexei thanked the Rabbi for his efforts as they found themselves at the entrance.
As Alexei made his way into the Temple, Logan Hayes was right beside him. "At the moment, everyone is at the Cathedral, and then they will come here later. It gives us a chance to clean things up, and get the food ready."
They were nearing the kitchens when Logan the wolverine stopped and sniffed at the air. "Does anyone smell...." He never finished his statement as suddenly the other Logan turned and threw himself over Alexei. At the same instant, an explosion ripped the kitchen apart. The shockwave, and debris threw everyone to the ground.
Alexei's ears were ringing, and he had a weight on top of him, but he was able to scramble out from under it. He couldn't hear himself as he yelled out for Sergei, to see if his mentor and tutor was okay. When he turned he saw who had been on top of him. Logan Hayes was laying there, not moving. Alexei screamed again, although he heard nothing but ringing, when he saw a piece of metal sticking into the back of Logan's skull. At almost that same instant, he saw people begin to transport in.
One face he immediately recognized was Janet. She looked around and spotted her son on the ground and ran over to him. Alexei was stumbling around, having no sense of balance at all, and saw the Rabbi struggling to get to his feet. One of the medics that just appeared, ran over to the Rabbi, and helped him to his feet. The man had blood dripping out of his ears, and from a cut on his forehead. The Medic ran his tricorder over the man, then they both disappeared.
It was then that someone grabbed him, and spun him around. It was General Krolikov. The man tried shouting something, but Alexei couldn't hear anything. The man then started to grab him all over, trying to find out if he was injured. Alexei angrily shook the man off, and pointed over to some of the others who were still laying on the ground.
The General shook his head, and grabbed a medic as the boy ran by. He pointed to Alexei, and the boy nodded. He pulled out a tricorder, and started to run it over Alexei. He nodded to Alexei and spoke something that Alexei couldn't hear, however, the next thing the boy knew, he was back at the palace in the Hospital wing.
Immediately, Alexei was taken to a room and laid down on a bio bed. The ringing in his ears had gotten worse, and he suddenly had the urge to throw up. He wretched to the side, and emptied the contents of his stomach all over the floor. When he was finished and dropped back down on his back, the medic pressed something to his neck, and the next thing Alexei knew was darkness, as sleep over took him.
When Alexei woke, the ringing in his head was gone, his stomach felt fine, other than being empty, and his headache was gone too. He slowly moved his head to the side and smiled when he saw one of the triplets, Morgan he was pretty sure, sitting there looking back at him. "Well, good morning, sleepy head."
Alexei began to sit up, and Morgan was right there to help him. Although when Alexei got a good look at him, he saw his left arm in a cast, and a bandage above his right eye. Thats when it all came back to the boy. The temple, the explosion... "What happened, is everyone alright?" Alexei asked, and then he remembered Logan. "Oh God, Logan..."
"Shhh...." Morgan said with a sad smile. "Logan's fine, at least Mama Janet says he'll be fine, he just needs some time to rest. She says she sees a few anomalous readings, but that is normal for Logan. His brain is significantly different from everyone else."
"So... what happened?" Alexei asked, running a hand over his sore chest.
"I'm not really sure yet." Morgan said, sadly.
Almost immediately, Misha's voice came over the speakers in the room. "Your Highness if I may?"
Alexei looked up, as he had picked up the habit that everyone else had when talking to one of the AI's. "Okay..."
"Even before the last of the injured were teleported out, we had investigators on the scene. Jory Casey himself came to investigate the explosion. Between myself, Daileass, and even some help from Ark and the other AI's, every bit of evidence was analyzed and re-analyzed, trying to determine who had set off the explosion. What we concluded is the following; most of the Temple kitchens had not been used in years, since the Temple was only used once a week for services. When the various religious leaders got together and made their plans, all the kitchens got turned back on, and were going to be used a great deal. What seems to have occurred is that in their exuberance to feed the needy, they did not have a professional come to check the gas lines. When your party entered the Temple, one of the Rabbis who had a cold and couldn't smell anything, was getting ready to light the pilot lights on their stoves and ovens in one of the unused areas of the kitchen. When he struck the match, the room which had been filling up with gas simply ignited." Misha said as factually as he could.
"So it was simply an accident." Alexei said almost in disbelief.
"Yes. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I see. I was worried... How many were injured?" Alexei asked as he swung his legs back and forth while sitting on the edge of the bed. His mind was running in about fifty different directions. He was so pained by the hurt caused to people who were already so down, but he was also grateful that it was not because of him being there that people were hurt.
"All told, about fifty, with Logan Hayes being the most seriously injured. We had one fatality, the Rabbi that ignited the explosion perished in it," Misha responded, and even Alexei could start to hear some of the emotions in the boy's voice. It was so difficult at times to remember that Misha was an AI.
"How bad was Logan?" Alexei asked, really worried about the boy who may have saved his life.
"Mom had to do surgery to remove a piece of debris that had embedded into his skull, thankfully it did not make it through, and damage his brain. However, due to some swelling around his brain, Mom is keeping him in an induced coma to allow the swelling to go down. She is 100% sure that Logan will make a full recovery in just a few days." Alexei slumped in relief. Obviously he didn't like the fact that Logan was as injured as he was, but knowing that he was going to be okay, made him feel a lot better.
"You're personal Guardian, the Hybrid Logan, is also under sedation right now, but that was simply because he refused to rest as Mom had ordered." Misha said with a bit of a snigger, which Alexei shared.
"That sounds about right. How about the others?" Alexei asked.
"Well, Maddox and Malcolm are both sleeping peacefully having received only minor injuries. Sergei had two cracked ribs that were healed by a bio bed, and a few bumps and bruises. He is currently in the palace making sure everyone knows that you are fine and that the explosion was nothing more than an accident. Although he is currently on his way here, having asked to be notified when you woke."
"Good, I will have to make an appearance shortly. What else?" Alexei said, now in full Tsar mode.
"Other than more scrapes, bumps and bruises, everyone else is fine. However, there are two little boys in the room next to you that are very anxious to see you and make sure that you are okay." Misha said and Alexei could see the grin on the AI's face.
"Daniil and Yegor..." Alexei said as he stood up. He swayed for a moment, but Morgan was right there to steady him.
"Hey, take it easy, it's gonna take a few minutes for you to get stable again." He said as he kept a hand on Alexei's arm. Alexei nodded and stood still for a few moments, keeping his eyes closed as he fought to regain his balance now that he was standing. When he opened his eyes again, he was ready to go. He looked up at Morgan and nodded. The other boy kept a hand on his arm as they walked out of the room, and to the room next door. Before he entered he looked up and said, "Misha. Make sure that the Temple is rebuilt and that everyone who was injured is properly cared for. I want them and their families taken good care of and I want it done now. Also see to it that we have temporary housing for everyone that needs it."
"Your wish is my command your Highness. I will see to it all personally."
Alexei shook his head. It was just so hard not to imagine a person when talking to the AI, but then even though he didn’t have a body, that is what he was in Alexei’s mind.
Upon entering the room the first thing Alexei saw was the two brothers laying together on one bed. Their heads had been shaved, and they were both wearing hospital gowns. Daniil had a slight bruise on his cheek, and his arm had a cast on it. Yegor also had a slight bruise, but this one was on his upper chest, near his left shoulder. Also in the room was a boy that Alexei recognized. His name was Alan, and he was only eleven years old. He had been the one that had given a Cardiac Massage to Cody, the only surviving member of the ambushed Strike Team.
Alan nodded to Alexei when he walked in, and then went back to making notes in the chart that was sitting on the end of the bed. Alexei was slightly surprised to hear Alan speak to him, mentally. 'Both boy's had a bad infestation of lice, requiring both of them to have their heads shaved. Daniil's arm was broken by the cop, however it was set, and healed by the bio bed. He's in a cast now simply to give some extra support while it heals. Mom says it'll come off tomorrow. He also had swelling of the brain and she had to operate to relieve the pressure. Also, just so you know, Daniil is nine years old. Yegor only had a few bumps and bruises from the explosion, and he is actually seven.'
Alexei heard Alan hesitate for a brief moment before he spoke again, still only in Alexei's mind. 'Both boys are suffering from extreme malnutrition, and we treated Daniil for two different sexually transmitted diseases. However the worst part was both boys were treated for, and will need extensive follow up care to treat their addiction to inhalants, as well as to counter the effect of the addiction.' Alexei used every trick he had to keep the smile on his face. Alan's briefing happened in the space of two or three seconds, all the while the two boys were hesitantly watching Alexei as he slowly walked around the bed.
"Hey guys," Alexei said trying to sound upbeat.
"Hi..." Yegor said hesitantly.
"Are you really the Tsar?" Daniil asked defiantly. Earning him a slap from his little brother.
"Hey now..." Alexei said as he stepped up next to Yegor and gently grabbed his hand. "You're brother's hurt... you shouldn't be beating him up. Anyway, he's just trying to look out for you, it's what every good big brother does." Yegor looked down, but nodded. Alexei then turned his attention to Daniil. "Yes, I am Tsar Alexei Romanov."
Daniil looked over at Alan who simply nodded his head with a smile. "Oh boy..." Daniil said, as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry for the trouble. Are you gonna send us to one of the mines?"
"Absolutely not!" Alexei said with conviction. "Please look at me." Alexei said since neither boy was actually looking at him. When they raised their eyes to meet his, he sat down gently on the edge of the bed. "Look, I know you guys have been hurt a lot, and have no reason to believe me, but... I promise you, I'm gonna look out for you guys from now on. You won't have to worry about ever getting beat up, or going hungry, or anything like that again."
Alexei could see that his words were falling on deaf ears, and tried to figure out how to convince them when both boys gasped in shock, looking behind Alexei. Instantly Alexei was out of the bed, and looking with shock at the same thing. Standing at the foot of the bed were four translucent figures. "Mama?" Daniil breathed out.
At the same time Yegor almost shouted, "DADDY!" Both boys tried to get out of their beds, but Morgan and Alan were quick enough to stop them. At the same time, their dad stepped around the bed, moving towards Yegor, while the mom moved towards Daniil. The two other figures, one a teenager, and the other an almost teenager, stood there smiling gently.
"I'm sorry son, but you can't touch us." The father said as he 'sat' down next to Yegor.
"But... but... how are you here." Daniil asked through his tears, looking up at his mother.
"The Highest sent us here to help you out. We've been watching you two ever since we passed. We're both very proud of you two." She answered with a gentle smile.
"But but... I've done..." Daniil started.
"Shhh baby, it's okay. We know what you've had to do, and none of that is important anymore. What is important is you both survived this long. Now it's time to let go of that life and start a new one."
"What do you mean?" Yegor asked.
It was the father that answered. He looked over to Alexei and opened his arm, beckoning him to come forward. "Alexei here has already said that he will take care of you guys. You need to let him." The man then looked at Alexei, right in the eyes and spoke, more to him than anyone else. "I know what you are thinking about. You not only have our blessing, but our eternal gratitude as well."
Alexei gasped, as the idea had just come to him, and he was trying to work out all the different angles. 'Oh screw the angles!' Alexei thought to himself as he smiled and nodded.
He pulled himself up fully, looking as regal as he could in a hospital gown, then looked over at Alan. "Alan Hayes... You are a full member of the UNIT and the Clan, is that correct?"
Alan, not knowing what was going on, but knowing an official situation when he saw one, straightened himself up, and put down the chart he was 'studying', trying to stay out of the way of this family reunion. "Yes your Majesty, I am."
"Very good." Alexei said, then looked up towards the ceiling. "Misha please begin recording the events in this room."
"Acknowledged... And recording." Misha said just as the door opened and Sergei walked in. Alexei smiled and nodded to him, as Morgan motioned for him to stay quiet.
Alexei looked back at Alan. "I know you are telepathic. Are you fully trained to use you're abilities?"
"Yes sir," He said formally. "I have had full Vulcan training, and can act as a Vulcan Telepathic Witness."
"Very good," Alexei said. He'd never seen this done before, but he'd been reading up on the Clan as much as he could, and now he was going to use the full authority of the Clan to help out a few boys who needed it.
"As the properly recognized leader of Russia, as well as a member of Clan Short of Vulcan, I hereby invoke the 'Safe Haven Act'. Firstly I invoke section 3.1...
To remove any and all children found in unsuitable environments and to place them with a person or persons in environments that are healthy, loving and nurturing.
It is my belief that the two boys, Daniil and Yegor have been subjected to violations of Articles 10 through 14 as well as Article 17. As such I am directing that the children mentioned shall be immediately placed in a household that is conducive to their well being and growth." Alexei was hoping that he got everything right.
Alan stepped forward, and in a perfectly emotionless voice spoke to the assembled group, and the recording AI. "I concur with your assessment, Tsar Romanov. The children, Daniil and Yegor shall be placed in a family as you have stated. Do you have someone, or someones in mind to place them with. As you well know it is not just the decision of the caretaker, but the children must agree as well."
Alexei stood up even straighter if that was possible and nodded to Alan. "Yes I do have such a placement in mind." He then turned and looked at Daniil and Yegor. "If the two of you agree, I would like to adopt you myself." Several gasps could be heard in the room, the only ones not to gasp were Alexei, the boys father, and Alan. Undaunted, Alexei continued. "It would be an honor to have you two as my children, giving you both all the rights and responsibilities that would entail. I promise that I will do my best to help you two become responsible adults, and to give you every opportunity to reach out and attain your dreams."
The two boys were stunned into silence for several moments, but finally Daniil was able to speak. "But... we're not good enough..."
"Yes you are," Alexei said forcefully. "It is my job to make you see that you are good enough. But remember...." Alexei said, letting his voice drop to a soft, loving and understanding tone. "This is you're decision. If you do not want this, I am sure there are many many others that would love you and love to have you."
Daniil looked over at his mother, who nodded, then his father who also nodded. He then looked at Yegor who had an excited, tearful look on his face, when their eyes met, Yegor nodded as well, and spoke a very soft "Please... I don't wanna be cold anymore."
Daniil let a few tears slip down his face as he looked back up to Alexei. When he nodded, Alexei broke down and flew around the bed to hug both of the boys... his boys.
Several moments later, Alan spoke up breaking the emotional mood in the room. "As a fully recognized member of Clan Short of Vulcan, I hereby certify that all parties involved have agreed to this arrangement. Further as a certified Vulcan telepath, it is my conclusion that this placement is in the best interest of the children involved. Misha, please end the recording, and make the appropriate notifications."
"It will be my pleasure," Misha said, somewhat choked up. This was the first adoption that he'd been involved in, but hopefully not the last.
Alexei drew himself up and looked at Sergei. "On a more serious note, Sergei. I want you to find out about the mines that Daniil was afraid of being sent too. If there are children being forced to work in them I want everyone responsible punished and all the children to be taken care of by us. Also look into any an all forced labor whether it involves children or adults. This has got to stop. We cannot keep treating each other this way."
"It will be as you say, my emperor," Sergei said seriously.
Alan then switched back into doctor mode. "Alexei, I'm sorry to say this, but you're new sons need their rest, and I am sure they would like some alone time with their family, since I am sure they don't have much time left here."
Alexei smiled as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Of course," He said, then looked back down at his new boys. "As soon as the doctors allow you to leave, let me know. I'm gonna have some rooms made ready for you guys, in my apartment. Then, if you guys want, we can spend some time just the three of us."
Both boys smiled broadly and nodded. They still couldn't believe the turn of events. Alexei turned and left the room, Morgan, Alan, and Sergei followed him out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Sergei grinned, "You know this is gonna cause quite the stir."
"Yup." Alexei said with a grin of his own. "And I don't care. Those boys need me, and I think I need them just as much."
Sergei grinned as he threw an arm over Alexei's shoulder. "I think you're right..... Dad."
Laugher echoed through out the area as they left the hospital ready to face what ever events were going to come their way next. It was a welcome respite from the tensions and pain of earlier in the day.
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1 Elaborate ancient Chinese armour development includes the Shan Wen Kai or "Mountain pattern armour"[citation needed] It began to appear during the Tang dynasty and was further perfected during the Song dynasty. It is made from a multitude of small pieces of steel that are vaguely shaped like the Chinese character for the word shan (Mountain). This would thus explain its name. The pieces are then interlocked and riveted to a cloth or leather backing. It effectively covers the torso, the shoulders and the thighs while remaining comfortable and flexible enough to allow movement. Also during this time to the early Ming Dynasty, Chinese officers used plate armour, which were culturally decorated, for "important" body parts instead of covering their whole body since too much plate armour hinders their martial arts movement. The "Other" body parts were covered in cloth, leather, lamellar, and/or Mountain pattern. This overall design was called "mingguangjia."
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_armour
2 The phrase wansui (萬歲; literally "ten thousand years") was once used casually. During the Tang Dynasty, it came to be used exclusively to address the emperor as a prayer for his long life and reign. Then, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, its use was temporarily extended to include certain higher-ranking members of the imperial court,[1] but this tradition was relatively short-lived: in later imperial history, using it to address someone other than the emperor was considered an act of sedition and was consequently highly dangerous. During certain reigns of weak emperors, powerful eunuchs, such as Liu Jin and Wei Zhongxian, circumvented this restriction by styling themselves with jiǔ qiān suì (九千歲, literally "9000 years") so as to display their high positions, which were close to or even exceeded the emperor's, while still remaining reverent to the title of the emperor.