Dimitri Belikov (dusterofdeath) wrote in zombieslogs, @ 2014-02-27 20:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | dimitri belikov |
Who: Dimitri Belikov
What: First lesson: don't hesitate
When: Yesterday through the next couple of days
Where: Out of Everett
Warnings: Dimitri was adopted by Aurelians so he's trying to get the brood down.
Dimitri Belikov had grown up with five women. His mother, grandmother, and three sisters. The day his nephew Paul had been born he'd shown an uncharacteristic display of smugness towards the rest of his family. He'd still been in school at the time, but he finally had an ally in the Belikova household. An ally he would use to his full advantage one day who happened to grown up not only acting like the only Belikov son, but looking so much like him too. His sister Karolina had scoffed and said her boy would grow out of his Dimka phase. Over the years that proved to be the exact opposite. He had the eyes, the hair, and the height. The last time Dimitri had seen his nephew was during the trip back to Baia with Rose after he'd been restored. He remembered being so nervous going back. They knew he'd been turned Strigoi and had naturally held a memorial service for him. A celebration of Dimitri's life rather than a focus on what he had become.
Sometimes he would still remember those few months of darkness. They'd sneak up on him in the most quiet moments attempting to lure him into that hole again. No, not to become Strigoi, that was impossible now, but the hole he'd been in the first few weeks after his restoration. It was the people he surrounded himself with now that helped him stay out of that hole. They were able to break him out of those thoughts simply by being themselves.
It wasn't their first meeting, but Dimitri found himself thinking back on the day he'd left the prison with Shannon to rescue Connor and Faith from Buffy and Angelus. It seemed such a long time ago now, but in reality it hadn't even been a couple of years. He remembered some of the first council meetings they'd shared and finding out that they while they came from completely different backgrounds and circumstances, they were more alike than either realized. He didn't remember exactly what had sparked the conversation, probably one of Selene's desperate attempts to convince others to be handed over for test subjects in her line, but they'd had a direct and completely honest conversation with each other. Dimitri knew Connor's complicated past and Connor knew his. Dimitri couldn't be turned again into a Strigoi but he still had no idea if other vampires could turn him or not. Was spirit's reach that far?
Neither man wanted to live their lives as vampires. Dimitri had come back from the experience and had his own share of scars to carry with him for his entire life. Connor had scars of his own but of a different kind. The common denominator was wanting to look death square in the eye rather than wake up again as the living dead. They'd promised one another they'd take care of it if it ever came down to that. Well, it had come down to that. As Spike had said, it was the worst case scenario that Connor had never wanted to happen.
The first couple of days after his turning Dimitri desperately tried to find his friend in order to fulfill that promise. Spike had said that Drusilla had taken him out of town, but he still searched anyway. He went to the lake and found the deep red blood still in the snow. He found the bodies of the two humans not far away and just as Spike confirmed, the trail ended abruptly. He hadn't given up, but he was waiting until Connor surfaced and he wasn't left waiting long.
It took some time to track him down. Just like with himself, if Connor didn't want to be found he wouldn't be but he'd stayed in Everett so it was only a matter of time. Dimitri kept his distance and only watched in the beginning. He needed to learn more about who he was going to be killing. It didn't matter that he knew Connor's fighting style after so many afternoons of sparring until neither could hardly stand upright. They didn't go easy on one another then but that didn't mean the vampire would fight exactly as the human did. Similarities, yes, but the exact same? No. Dimitri knew that from personal, first hand experience. He couldn't help but have a since of deja vu when it came to watching Connor. It wasn't that long ago that he'd followed his sister to the Inn and studied her behavior too. He'd been so confused in the beginning and had a difficult time understanding how she was so different as Strigoi when he'd been ruthless and sadistic himself. Viktoria was the most like him out of all the Belikov siblings and yet she couldn't have been more different than him as Strigoi.
The stake, wooden not silver, was in his hand on the second moment of spotting him. He wasn't sure if Connor knew he was being followed or not, but Dimitri wouldn't have been surprised if he did. Half of Everett was looking for him. Right now he was alone and it would have been so easy to make a move. Even with the element of surprise it wasn't going to be an easy fight. The stake felt foreign with its rough surface instead of the smooth of the silver he was used to carrying. It felt wrong. All of this was so wrong and he shouldn't be here facing down his friend who had become his brother. What was it the slayers referred to themselves as? Sister slayers? Connor was Dimitri's brother and now he was here to kill him. He'd argued with Shannon once upon a time about one of her sisters. She shot hers in order to save her and Dimitri had to stake instead of shoot.
He didn't know what it was that made him stop. His eyes hadn't left the spot where Connor was standing, but there was a moment when he was seconds away from jumping out of hiding spot but an invisible force held him back and then in a blink of an eye Connor had disappeared.
"Why did you come here?"
"Because you hit me on the head and dragged me here."
"You forgot my first lesson: Don't hesitate."
No. He couldn't do this. He wasn't ready. Years upon years of training were lost in one split second because he couldn't separate who Connor used to be from the vampire he was now. So, he left. He couldn't prepare himself in a place where he'd be bombarded with memories that he was trying to escape long enough to get the job done. He'd be able to grieve the loss later. Grieving now only endangered himself and others he loved.
Leaving probably wasn't the smartest idea, but it was the best option he had. He worried that his past actions would catch up with him once again and someone he loved would be used against him as Viktoria had, but he had to take the chance. Rose left with him and he knew that she understood better than just about anyone else why he needed to do what he was doing. She'd left Lissa and St. Vladimir's to come after him. She'd nearly succeeded and on that bridge Dimitri even thought that she had until he hit the water below and realized it hadn't been enough.
He was quiet during the time away but focused. Determined. He ran until his lungs screamed at him to stop and his legs gave way. He sought out vampires of all kinds to eliminate. Ones that had been preying on survivors instead of helping them. He found zombies to kill and other monsters. The more he ran and fought the more determined he felt, but it was still hard to tell if it was enough. He'd told everyone that it would only be a couple of days until he returned and he hoped that he wouldn't have to go back on that. He owed it to Connor not to take any longer than that.
Dimitri had always held responsibility above family but over the past two years he'd realized something he hadn't during his time as a guardian. Family and responsibility went hand in hand.