The Imperial Revenge

Chapter 26

TW: Violence⚠️
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September 1928

As I had hoped, they were all pointing fingers at each other and blaming one another for being Count Romanov. The three of them stopped by my office to tell me what happened and why each of them believed each other was Count Romanov the next evening.

"Why wouldn't it be you?! You are the one that pulled the trigger!" Medvedev yelled at Yurovsky. Yurovsky snarled at them.
"Please, I am too old to play all of your stupid games! I am not Count Romanov! Let it go!"
Medvedev threw his arms up. "Why are we overlooking Nikulin? It'd be typical of a dirty Jew to do this!"
Nikulin shoved Medvedev and the two started to wrestle. I stood from my desk and yelled at them to get off each other. Things were going perfectly.
"Hey, stop fighting! This is my bloody office you are in!" I shouted. The men glared at each other, but did as I said and stood up. I grunted and pulled out a cigarette from my box of them on my desk. I lit it and deeply inhaled and exhaled.

"I cannot help any of you anymore. You are all putting me at risk too. I have no idea who this Count Romanov is but I will not get in trouble for it because of all of you."
Nikulin came to my desk and slammed his fists down. "Alexei, do not leave us! We need you."
"No, you all need my money. I have two brothers and a business to think about. My comrades, I'm very sorry. But I must think about myself for once."
Yurovsky sighed and put his hands on his head, showing that he was clearing stressing out about his situation.
"It's a shame, Alexei. I really enjoyed your company."
I nodded. "I enjoyed my time with each of you as well."

I stayed late working that night. I was sending Nikulin a bottle of whiskey, to apologize for what I had done. What he did not know, I had dropped two cyanide tablets in it. Where the hell did I get that cyanide, people would wonder? Ilya finally helped one of his brothers out, that's all I will say. I knew Rodion and Hadeon would be gone when I got home. They wanted to go to a local pub they wanted to try. I walked home by myself home and did not have a thought in my head.

I approached my house. I saw Medvedev standing on my doorstep. I was taken aback at this appearance. He did not seem scared, but angry.
"Medvedev, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to know if we could talk for a moment. Do you have the time?"
"Yes, I do. Please, come in before you catch a bloody cold." I chuckled. Medvedev kept a straight face. I could only think of one thing...he knew I was Count Romanov. It seemed impossible because he seemed like the most stupid person, but maybe he finally caught on. We walked into the house and I shut the door behind me. Medvedev took off his coat and plumped down on to the sofa. I sat across from in the chair and took off my coat.
"Do you want whiskey?" I asked him.
"No, I don't have time for that."
I shrugged. "Alright, we have no time for useless business. What are you doing here?"
Medvedev stood up and walked over to my fireplace, just staring at it.
"You know, I cannot believe I never realized it until now. But it is quite funny how we were all living our lives normally until you showed up here in Moscow. Suddenly, we are being threatened by some creep named Count Romanov."
I chuckled. "It's called a coincidence, Medvedev."
He turned and furrowed his eyebrows at me. "No, I do not think it is. You leave the moment the museum is set on fire. You come into town from Siberia and you somehow know where to find all of us. You have all these questions about the Romanov execution."
"What are you suggesting?" I stood up too. Medvedev deeply inhaled and exhaled.
"You're an imperialist."

I started to laugh very hard, but he suddenly charged at me and pushed me on to my couch. He grabbed throat tightly, making it hard for me to breathe.
"You are Count Romanov! Admit it! Admit it!" He screamed.
"Maid! Maid!" I muffled. Medvedev grabbed my throat tighter.
"It's no use. Your maid has gone to bed already. Now, what is your real name? I have a hard time believing your real name is Alexei Savenkov, so what is it?"
I was able to reach and grab a lamp from off of the side table next to the chair. I took it and bashed it over Medvedev's head, knocking him to the ground. I gasped for air and stood up for him. Medvedev looked at me with shock and blood rushed.
"I'm known as Alexei Savenkov. But my name used to be Tsarevich Alexei Romanov."
Medvedev's eyes widened and his mouth hung open.
"T-Tsarevich Alexei?"
"Say goodbye, Medvedev." I raised the lamp. But he grabbed a hold of my leg and knocked me to the ground. Medvedev and I started to wrestle and push each other and tried to grab each other's throats. I knew I was going to have a bleeding attack, I just didn't know when. But I couldn't let him kill me, not like this.
Medvedev flipped me on to my back and started to choke me again.
"Die! Die dammit!" He grunted. I felt the blood rush to my head and the feeling of not being able to breathe. I looked over to my right and saw the lamp laying there still. I used my fingers and stretched my arm as far as I could. I needed air so badly. For a moment, I saw Papa and Mama smiling at me and telling to come to them in heaven. But it was not my time yet. I have unfinished business. And when I finally got a hold of it, I bashed it over Medvedev's head again.

"No, it's your turn to die!" I yelled. I slammed and slammed the lamp against Medvedev's head. He at one point just gave up, but I was still hitting him. It was like I was in a trance.
"Alexei, what the hell! Stop!" Rodion shouted and got me off of him. I dropped the lamp and panted. I then just fell to my knees...and I started to cry. I genuinely started sobbing and banging my fists against the floor. The 13-year-old boy I once was would not recognize the 24-year-old version of him.
"I-I think I killed him. Oh God, what have I done?" I sobbed. Hadeon walked over to Medvedev's lifeless body and put his fingers to his desk. He gasped and looked at me.
"No Alexei, he's alive still. He's alive and that's enough. Rodion and I will take care of it. You go get in bed and rest. We need to make sure you don't have a bleed."
"I feel evil."
"We're all evil, Alexei. Some are just better at hiding it then others. Now, go get in bed. We must get Medvedev to the hospital if he has any chance at living."