Fallout

[Ascendancy]

Continued from Into Erebus

And A new consulate

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Kremlin Clinical, the locals' name for Central Clinical Hospital was guarded by Custody Security Service Alphas group, the brothers of the Barrier Preator agents assigned to the Ascendancy's detail. Viktor's car was stopped by CSS at the hospital gates, but a quick flash of credentials and a retinal scan confirmed his identity as the second most powerful man in the CCD, and he was admitted without hesitation.

The car dropped him off at the emergency entrance, where more Custody Barrier agents waited.

"Where is he?"


"He's in surgery, sir. He was shot in the chest and apparently burned all over. The Sigma was also found injured at the scene."

The Sigma. Why was Marcus DuBois with Nikolai tonight? A question that didn't have an answer. Much like how the hell did intruders gain entrance to the most secure set of rooms in the whole god damn world?

Viktor ground his teeth and peered down the hall. The staff would never betray the confidentiality of the situation, but it would get out. And that was only the least of his worries. The man could still die.

An hour later, Viktor was sipping a cup of coffee alone in a dark waiting room. His jacket had long ago been deposited on a chair, his sleeves rolled to elbows. The news was silent on the wall, so far the story of two ambulances leaving the Kremlin was minor.

Information trickled in over the last hour about the events leading up to tonight. As far as Viktor knew, after the completion of the monument, the Ascendancy retired to rest-fatigued by the feat. But ZARS received an order from the Ascendancy of complete secrecy-that he was going to allow the infiltration of known hostiles in order to capture or kill them. Bound by direct service to the Ascendancy, ZARS awaited his command to enter. When the order to engage was activated, they found the scene in chaos, and everyone in the room dead or dying. Viktor couldn't fathom what possessed him to do something so dangerous.

He looked up as one of the surgeons walked in.

"I'll be blunt, Deputy-Consul, we are still repairing the wound. His blood pressure has dropped three times to critical levels. We already had to restart his heart once. He's weak. Weaker than he should be."


Viktor frowned, thinking back to the fatigue after the monument.

"There is still have a lot of work. We will continue to update you."


Viktor thanked the man and sank to a chair once alone.

What if he didn't make it through surgery? Nobody really believed the Ascendancy was truly immortal. There were all these elaborate plans on what to do with the Custody if he died, but the idea had been so hypothetical it was nearly absurd.

Clearly, the Ascendancy wasn't immortal. He was one of those channelers, yes, but he could be killed like anyone. Channelers died all the time, only by a different name-Sickness. If only there was a way to-

Viktor shot upright.

"Oh my god,"
he uttered and dialed his under-Consul.


"Pull up the magic registration. Filter it for Moscow and keyword search for a man I saw earlier. He claimed he could heal injuries. Get him here. Now."