Arc 2-Chapter 6 (Progress)

May 1997

Fort Rasputin, Warden Novakov's office

A woman entered the office. The secretary was confused:"Sorry m'am but you're not allowed to come in yet. If you could please step outside and-"

Grigori stops her:"Tanya. Leave us."

Tanya turned to him:"S-Sir?"

Grigori:"Go back to your desk, I'll handle this."

Tanya leaves and the woman gets closer to Grigori's desk:"So. May I have a seat?"

Grigori:"Sure. But first, your name."

Woman:"Natasha." She sits down,"Natasha Cetinski."

Grigori:"You already know who I am so I'll skip the introduction and get to the point. Why are you here? What is it that you want?"

Natasha leans back into her chair:"Well isn't it obvious? It's that boy Yuri."

Grigori:"I suspected that but that still doesn't answer my question. Why?"

Natasha:"He's... special, unique, interesting, all of the above. He's something you can't really find in a city. At school I majored at PTSD and all the types of military psychology. I wanted to help people forget about battle and killing. But this boy... I'm not even sure I can make him forget. If he forgets it, he might forget how to live."

Grigori leaned forward:"What do you mean?"

Natasha:"Think about it. He's WAY above a normal soldier. The only match are the Spetsnaz and even then that's questionable. Every soldier was a normal person once before they got turned into soldiers. They all had lives outside the military and the army teaches them to suppress this so they can be more effective. Things like a moral compass and a sense of right and wrong, all these things are suppressed because they hinder them. But that's just it, Yuri didn't have a life before fighting and killing to begin with. He must've been born into it and then shaped into what he is now."

Grigori:"This sounds like ancient Sparta. Little kids were taken from their families and turned into the greatest soldiers in history. You think this is the case?"

Natasha:"I'm positive. His parents must've been those who made him this way."

Grigori:"Well his mother was an average person but his father was former Soviet special forces. He's probably the one who trained him and his brothers."

Natasha:"Yeah I heard about that. Their deaths must've been the switch."

Grigori:"The switch?"

Natasha:"Yes Mr.Novakov. The switch. More specifically, two switches. The deaths of his parents being the first one. His mind cracked. All those suppressed emotions he didn't know how to control almost bursted out. His brothers were the once who held his mind together. He lived for them and he kept his cool. But then came the second switch. His mind shattered. All of those emotions burst out and him not having any experience, didn't know how to control it. Everything, all the rage and hatred was aimed and a single target because that's all he knew. And we both know what happened then."

Grigori put his hand on his mouth. She's right. Yuri is emotionally unstable and dangerous. If he's released into the world, God knows what he will do. And if he's given to the army, he'll become a great asset but his life would be a never ending cycle of killing. There really isn't anything they can do.

Grigori:"So what do you propose? Should we kill him as an act of mercy?"

Natasha:"Absolutely not. I just believe that I can teach him, help him."

Grigori:"You just said he can't forget about this way of life."

Natasha:"No. But that's because he doesn't know the alternative. If we can show him, we can help him forget."

Grigori:"He's dangerous and emotionally unstable. What you're planning to do isn't safe."

Natasha chuckles:"Seriously? YOU are lecturing ME about safety. You run what's basically a glorified asylum for teenage gangsters and mobsters. I am a psychotherapist that specialises in the military field of psychology."

Grigori frowned:"Still, that doesn't change the fact that-"

Natasha:"And also, you already excepted my request. I'm doing this."

Grigori sighs and rubs his eyes:"Fine. But if this backfires, it's on you."

Natasha smiled:"What ever you say warden." She stands up and walks to the door,"My office will be at the end of the second hall to on the first floor. Bring Yuri there tomorrow at noon."

She leaves the room.

Grigori sits at his desk and thinks:"Damn, what the hell have I gotten myself into?"

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(The next day)

Noon

Cell block B

Yuri was in his cell doing his daily routine workouts. Miki was sitting on the top bunk bed. He was telling Yuri stories about himself. A LOT OF STORIES. But Yuri didn't mind him. It's not like he was a bad guy or an asshole. He was just an idiot and a blabbermouth.

Miki:"So anyway, after tripping those asshole bikes, I walked up in a bar and asked for a beer. But that fat fuck of a bar tender kept saying *YoU aRe A mInOr. YoU CaNt DrInK.* to which I replied with *Yeah? Why don't get over and say that to my face?! If that fat ass of yours can fit through door!* and he got PISSED. Then some other fat assholes came by, one had an ugly ass goatee, and started chasing me around.", he started laughing,"Aaahhh, good times. ANYWAY lemme tell you 'bout the time I kissed a girl! Of course her boyfriend saw me and started punching me in the face. IN MY DEFENCE... she was very pretty. So then I-"

The cell door opens. Two guards with blue shoulder pads and numbers, one had the number 4 and the other had 6. Yuri stood up straight.

Guard 4:"Yuri Maksimov."

Yuri:"What is it?"

Guard 4:"We need you to come with us."

Yuri:"Why? It's past breakfast and we're not allowed into the courtyard yet."

Guard 6:"That's none of your concern. You are to step out of your cell and come with us."

Miki started biting his nails:"Oooooh boy Yuri. This ain't good."

Yuri looked at Miki and then back at the guards:"Fine."

He stepped out of the cell and the guards cuffed his hands and led him down the hall. After walking for some time they stop at a blue door. The guards knock. A moment later, a woman's voice came out from behind the door:"Enter."

They stepped into a white room with paintings, a white carpet, a grey couch, two blue chairs and a window. A woman was sitting on one fo the chairs. She looked up at Yuri and smiled. She got up and walked closer. She was about five inches shorter so Yuri had to look down at her. She looked at the guards:"Uncuff him."

The guards looked at each other with confusion.

Guard 4:"M'am, you do realise who this is, right?"

Natasha:"And you do realise who I am, right? Warden Novakov gave me authority and you are to listen to me. Now uncuff him."

The guards were hesitant by them did it. Yuri was a bit confused. Who is this woman? She wasn't with Grigori at the introduction. And why do the guards listen to her?

Natasha:"Excellent. Now, leave us."

The guards left the room and Natasha sat back in her chair. Yuri stood and didn't move from his spot.

Natasha:"Well come on. Sit down. It'll be easier to talk that way."

Yuri slowly walked to the couch and sat down. He was the first to ask:"Who are you and why am I here?"

Natasha chuckled:"Straight forward I see. That's good. I prefer men who don't beat around the bush."

Yuri:"That didn't answer my question."

Natasha:"Ok. My name is Natasha Cetinski. I am this institution's psychotherapist. I was assigned by warden Grigori Novakov to help you solve your... problem."

Yuri:"What problem?"

Natasha:"Well, you don't consider it a problem. But everyone else sure does. The fact that you are... open, to killing people."

Yuri:"I hate repeating myself. Repeating the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. You read the report so you already know why I did it. Skip the cliche mind games and get to the point."

Natasha laughed a bit:"Well well well, aren't you a sharpe one? But not sharp enough it seems."

Yuri:"What's that supposed to mean?"

Natasha:"Well you know. The fact you couldn't save your brothers."

Yuri clenched his fists.

Natasha saw this and continued:"I'm just saying, if you were faster and more skilful you could've of prevented their deaths."

Yuri got angry:"Stop."

Natasha:"Turns out you weren't as strong as you thought you were. I wonder if it was your fault or was the incompetence of your father, not being able to teach you well enough."

Yuri got angrier:"Stop!"

Natasha leaned forward with her legs crossed:"You let them down Yuri. You weren't good enough."

Yuri got furious. He stood up and grabbed Natasha by the throat and pushed against the wall. He was chocking her. She looked into his eyes and came to a realisation, he wanted to kill her out of hatred. But she didn't see the eyes of a killer. Instead, they were the eyes of a lost boy. A boy who walked down the wrong path and wasn't able to turn back from it. This gave her more reason to help him.

Yuri:"AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT, HUH?! YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

At that moment the two guards rushed in. Number four tried to hit him with baton but Yuri dodges and punched him in the helmet, pushing him back. Guard six grabbed him and ran him into a wall. Yuri kept elbowing him in the back but it didn't do much cause of the armour. Guard six was pushed down but guard four hit Yuri in the face with his baton. Yuri fell to the side. Guard four kept beating him while he was on the ground. Natasha caught breath and yelled out:"STOP!" The guards stopped hitting him,"Put him in solitary. We'll continue this another time."

Yuri turned his head towards Natasha. She looked at him:"I'm sorry Yuri. You might hate me now, but soon you'll realise, that I'm only trying to help you."

Guard six kicks him in the head knocking him out.

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(Two months later)

July 1997

Warden Novakov's office

Grigori:"YOU WANNA DO WHAT?!"

Natasha:"You heard me. I want to resume my therapy sessions with Yuri."

Grigori laughed:"I'm sorry, maybe it's my age or maybe you're still not feeling well after he ALMOST CHOCKED YOU TO DEATH!"

Natasha:"I remember what happened and I fully recover from that."

Grigori:"So why?! You saw that, my guards barely beat him down. If it weren't for their protection they might of lost and I would have to send reinforcements! And you still want to go through with this?!"

Natasha:"Yes. I made a breakthrough."

Grigori:"Oh? And what would that be?!"

Natasha:"He hates me."

Grigori:"And this is good because?"

Natasha:"I angered him and he used force. He didn't use his words he used his fists. He doesn't know forgiveness, and that's what I'm gonna teach him."

Grigori:"You plan on teaching him forgiveness?"

Natasha:"Yes. By forgiving he's taking his first steps to getting rid of his killer intentions. Besides, doesn't the bible say we should forgive our enemies?"

Grigori:"Tch! Touché." He sighed,"Fine. But hear this. One more thing goes wrong. I'm putting and end to this permanently. Understood?"

Natasha nodded:"Transparent warden."

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(The next day)

Noon

Therapy room

Natasha sat down nervously. She knew that an approach like the last one is gonna ruin everything. She needs to solve this as calmly as possible.

Natasha:"Alright. This is it. When he gets in, I will start thing of smoothly. I have to get him to trust me."

Natasha heard a knock on the door:"Come in!"

Two guards walked in the room. With them was Yuri. He was chained up and had a mask covering his mouth. He sat down on the couch. Natasha signalled the guards to leave.

Natasha took a deep breath:"Ok... you wanna try this again?"

Yuri didn't respond.

Natasha:"Ok. I'll ask you some questions and you will answer them. First:How did you feel when I was insulting you and talking about your family?"

Yuri:"You already know."

Natasha rubbed her neck:"Yes well, I want you to say it."

Yuri:"I felt anger, hatred... I thought of you as an enemy but, I don't know why. I was taught to defend myself when I'm threatened or attacked, but you did neither of those things."

Natasha:"Not true. I was attacking you but not physically. I was using words, thus attacking you verbally. I wasn't aiming for your heart, I was aiming for this." She taps her head with her finger."Words can do more harm than any weapon. With words you can control people and you can also hurt them. That's what I did."

Yuri:"Why?"

Natasha:"Because I wanted to show you what your father didn't. Life isn't black and white. There's the good and the bad and MUCH more in between. You lived isolated from the world and you never learned about this."

Yuri:"There was never a need for it."

Natasha:"Exactly. You lived your life without deep emotions. That's why you didn't know how to deal with them."

Yuri looked down. He never thought of it that way. Natasha leaned forward and placed her hand on his knee. He looked up at her and their eyes met. Yuri could hear his mother's words in his head as he looked at Natasha:"There will always be people you can trust Yuri. You just have to find them."

Yuri relaxed and Natasha leaned back. She turned a piece of paper on her file:"Ok second question:"Can you tell me more about your life in the mountains. With you family."

Yuri started to trust Natasha. He felt something he never felt towards anyone other than his family, trust. For a moment, it was as if everything bad that happened just faded from existence. He was at peace when he was with her:"Alright, I'll start from the beginning...". Yuri told Natasha everything. His training with his father and brothers, his hunting assignments, how he took care of them when their parents were gone.

Natasha's eyes were widened the whole time she was listening. She thought he had a difficult life but she never knew the full gravity:"It's no wonder he's like this. He didn't choose this life, this life chose him. This poor boy."

Natasha:"Wow I-I never knew. I'm sorry."

Yuri:"Don't be. You didn't do anything."

Natasha:"You really did love them."

Yuri:"Yes. They were my... everything. They made me whole and without them, I'm empty."

Natasha:"It's why you were angry when... you know."

Yuri:"Yes."

Natasha:"That brings me to my second question: How did you feel after that?"

Yuri:"What do you mean?"

Natasha:"I mean. What did you feel while you were killing them? What did you feel when you pulled the trigger?"

Yuri:"The recoil. It was a small gun so it wasn't strong."

Natasha leaned forward:"Yuri, what... did you feel?"

Yuri looked down realising what she meant:"I felt... at pease. I was... relieved that they were dead. I was somewhat happy because I knew that they were dealt with and that they will never repeat what they did ever again."

Natasha:"I see."

Yuri:"Guess in the eyes of the world, I'm a terrible person."

Natasha places her hand on his knee:"No Yuri. You're not a bad person. You did something you thought was right and no one can blame you for it."

Yuri:"Yet they do."

Natasha:"I don't. And I never will."

Hearing those words, all Yuri could say was."Thank you."

Natasha:"Ok. I think that's enough for today. I will see you again in a week. In the mean time, you should try and socialise."

Yuri:"With who?"

Natasha:"With the others. That Miki kid seems... nice."

Yuri:"He's just a blabbermouth."

The both laughed.

Yuri:"Fine. I'll... try."

Natasha:"No. Either do it or don't. There's no try."

Yuri tilted his head in confusion. Natasha face palmed herself:"Oh right you never saw Star Wars."

Yuri:"Why would there be a war in a star? And what does that have to do with what you said?"

Natasha:"Never mind. I'll see you next week."

Yuri then exited the room and the guards took him back to his cell. On his way back he was puzzled by what Natasha said:"Star Wars?"

End of chapter 6