Speaking In Tongues

Musical Aid:

The sounds of war echoed everywhere else in the bunker the 2nd MSRC found themselves in. The echoes of war already took too many lives from the crew as the days got shorter, and kept getting closer and closer to seeing resurgences of the cold winter sky. For Corporal Iona Petrov, this was just another day on the job as he sat in the middle of the bunker in the 'recreational' room watching the old Bioticball game that was going on the television. Iona gently rolled his shoulders as he watched it, thinking about the life choices that got him up to this moment. Ever since they were camped out by the Adirondack mountains things were getting harsher and harsher for the crew. For starters, Service Chief Morello's declining mental condition and Oboro Khada overseeing her and the other members of the crew, Khada lost in thought of herself as she trances on a keyboard in the medical bay. The thoughts of Anne Itsuko came through his mind as Iona let out a soft smile as he thought about the first night they truly talked outside of his small shack by the river. Letting out a warm grin as he looked behind him, nodding to the incoming member of the crew. "Ah Thatcher! How are you doing today Comrade!" Said Iona in his husky Cyrillic voice, a smile glued on his face as he thought about the first time he met with him - back when the Reaper War first started.

Flynt looks up to Iona, he would be covered in grime and filth and his 2nd Lt insignia was covered in mud from the last mission, he had gone out on Deep Recon with Greene. His face would seem grim and stressed, it was easy to tell he hadn't slept in a few days. When he locked eyes with Iona, however, he smiled, masking whatever troubles he had. "Comrade, good to see you again. How have things been?"

The face of Flynt told all to the Russian as he nodded, softly saying "Well things have been good here on the homefront. We currently have a few men on guard duty right now, including Invictus and Anne." He responded with a warm glow about him, he seemed to not mind the filth as he looked at the TV, clicking it off as he said out loud "Come on then Thatcher, take a seat, no need to worry about what's on the television." He responded with a grin, Flynt Thatcher was hesitant at first, before nodding as he sat down. ”Tell me my friend, how did your recon mission go?” Iona asked with a wide grin as he looked at him. Flynt sighed in response as he responded.

”The recon trip went well, we were looking for discarded materials to send back to the Constantinople in order to help figure out more about the Reapers.” Flynt Thatcher responded - telling the partial truth of what happened. He never mentioned the child’s doll he saw that was thrown away from a bloodied bed, or the close call both Greene and Thatcher had with a Venator. The thought striking as Iona Petrov nodded as he responded back in kind.

”Well - how about we do something that’s completely different then. Iona replied as he tapped a few buttons on his omnitool, his mouth making different shapes and sounds; yet he responded in the still translated tone. ”I believe you should learn Russian, da? I know it’s not going to help you or anyone else out in the future, but I believe if I do teach you something new, it’ll help get you and me over this entire war with something of interest.” Iona Petrov replied to the second lieutenant, as Thatcher’s face went on from its original stoic demeanor to one of curiosity, the wanes of troubled sleep and stress seeping through slightly.

”Well… sure, I got nothing else to do. Flynt responded with, as Iona clapped with a rather joyful grin, as Iona motioned to his translator. ”Wha- Oh, yeah. Right. Thatcher said as he primed his own omnitool as he turned off the translator, soon the first words were spoken that Thatcher had no idea what they meant.

”Ну, мой друг; Я уверен, что вы понятия не имеете, что я сейчас скажу, но я хочу, чтобы вы знали, что вы собираетесь выучить много разных разговоров и языков, на которых вы говорите на языках.” Came from the now untranslated russian spewing out of Petrov, Thatcher shaking his head in kind.

”I’m sorry, english please? Thatcher asked as Iona shook his head as he responded again. ”Я могу пить больше, чем ты.” was what Iona said with a shit-eating smirk on his face. ”Ok, you and I both know you’re bullshitting me. Thatcher said with a chuckle, some small lines of stress going away as Iona clapped his hands.
”Perfect! You learning.” He said in broken english as he started to talk to him ”Best way to speak Russian, is food and drink. Iona said as he started to speak in tongues again, but this time each word was back in english - to russian as he kept on going throughout this process. Thatcher looked at him for a moment, before starting to understand the language and words used by Iona, soon after thirty minutes Iona popped him a question. ”Good, now. Ask me for drink and food.” The native spoke to the foreign, as Thatcher responded.

”Я ... хотел бы, вкусную кружку и стейк.” Thatcher responded as Iona laughed, Thatcher laughing along softly as he realized he got it. ”One tasty tankard, one cow meat coming right up!” Iona said which elicited another laugh from Thatcher on his lesser knowledge of the english. Iona giving a knowing nod to him about his own faults with the language.

”Perfect, you’re good already! A natural for irish man.” Iona softly said with a grin as he patted Thatchers armored back. ”Мать Тэтчер будет гордиться.” Iona said with a happy grin, before Thatcher gave him a death glare for a second. ”Что ты только что сказал о маме Тэтчер?” Came in response as Iona laughed out loud, shaking his head as he turned his translator back on for the moment. ”I said Mother Thatcher would be proud of you.” He said, scooching a inch away from Thatcher in the event he was going to stand up and get him hit in the head with a roundhouse kick.

”Ahh…” Thatcher replied as Iona turned his translator off. Iona nodding as he responded ”I hope that helped out you Thatcher.” Thatcher said as he held onto Thatcher’s shoulder for a moment ”I need help from you now.” He said as he pulled out a ring from his back pocket. ”You know Anne, beautiful woman, love of my life! Beautiful as stars in the sky.” He said excitedly ”I… I want to give her ring, it used to be my fiance, but… now Itsuko… she… she’s beautiful, I don’t want her lost.”. Petrov said as he softly sighed, looking at the ring ”Should I give this to her?” He asked, as he looked over at Thatcher. ”I would ask Ester, but Ester at New York, New York. So… you’re second choice.” He said with a hearty laugh, as Flynt softly nodded - not answering as he was struck for a moment. The events leading to Itsuko joining the crew, the events of the first time the 2nd MSRC went to London. How they gained a dog, and lost another faithful companion. How two people were pierced through the heart and rose again much later in the future, much like a phoenix.  

”Iona. Do you love Itsuko?” Asked Thatcher as Iona nodded greatly. ”Then protect her with everything you got.” He said, patting his shoulder as Iona nodded with a grin. ”Thanks for your help, Thatcher. You and I will make you learn more russian in the future, with Itsuko as wife!” He said as he jumped up. ”Hey Petrov! Came a voice from the doorway, a small asian woman as Iona ran up and picked her up, hugging her ”Anne, Love of my life!” He responded as Anne chuckled as he looked at Thatcher, Anne seemingly not hearing him. ”I will protect her for all of Our lives… He responded, as he ended the sentence his body and Anne's body slowly turned to dust. As the dust settled, the piercing scream that harrowed so many lives on the 2nd MSRC’s crew approached from behind. Thatcher turned his head rapidly as he saw the contorted face of an Asari who wailed like a Banshee, who reached into his ear. The surroundings changed from the cozy bunker that protected him for so long only for it to change to the decrepit city of London. A hulking mass above him, looking down as the piercing scream of one Reaper, turned to the sounds of a harrowing blast as a flash of red appeared, the sound of the devastating horn taking over his sensory as he could only do one thing.

Wake up.

Musical Aid:

Thatcher’s eyes open finally, he’s back in the bunker and surrounded by several Venir corpsmen as he laid in the medical bed. He sits up slightly, noticing a pain in his chest. He looks down as he sees another scar added to the others. One of the corpsmen look to him and say “Sir, you should rest, you took a nasty cut to the chest.” Thatcher pushes him to the side and gets to his feet. “I’ve dealt with worse, thanks for the patch-up regardless. Return to your normal duties.” “Yes, sir.” the corpsmen replied as they scattered throughout the medbay.

Flynt looks over and sees Uriel standing there, a few corpsmen working on his injuries. Uriel says “Finally awake? I see you’ve recovered from your wounds quickly, as usual.” Thatcher chuckles “Wasn’t even a wound, just a cut. That one guy I stabbed wanted to take me with him, I guess. Too bad he wasn’t good enough. How about your injuries?” Uriel replies “The corpsmen are doing an excellent job. I’ll be back on the field soon.” Thatcher stares off for a moment and speaks softly to Uriel.

“The lab was destroyed, wasn’t it?” Uriel gives a sad nod “So was Stolarz.” Thatcher sighs loudly “Who does Wolff think he is? I show him mercy and he decides to kill Stolarz… He really is a monster. Killed all those people on Keiva IV, destroyed my daughter’s body, then decides to scorn my mercy and destroy what I worked so hard for..” Uriel remains silent. Flynt looks to Uriel and asks “Give me your advice, do we still show mercy to people like Wolff, or do we finally deal with him?”


Uriel looks to Flynt for a moment and elects to take a moment to think. Uriel remains somewhat leaning against a pair of mechanical arms holding him up while a Venir corpsmen is busy sealing his widow injury. He remains silent for a time saying with some difficulty "I believe..Wolff is a dangerous individual, yes. He is a greater threat to us and to some of his crew as well. Killing him would be a service. As for the crew..I cannot say. Many of them seem to only follow Wolff out of blind devotion or fear. There are some however that must be dealt with if we are to convince any of them that what they're doing is detrimental to their own people. One of whom I speak of is Arglack. You know him, Thatcher." Flynt sits in silence for a moment, taking in what Uriel said. He then looks up to Uriel “Get some rest, friend. We’re going to be busy in the coming months.” He then stands and leaves the medbay, thinking about the his past and his future. And thinking about Liz.



(Written by Revival, Sly, Kravis)