Braginsky Apocalypse Home

Chapter 11

"You four can head back to the residence, if that's what you'd like, at half past two. Until then, we have business to discuss." The mayor proclaimed as he and the personifications ate breakfast in the meeting room. It was full and a rarity as opposed to what they ate back at the residence, and consisted of fried eggs with bacon, Earl Grey tea, and имбирные cookies.

"Suits us. As discussed before, there is no need to inform this to the public. If you must, share it only with trustworthy members of the Duma." Ivan moved his empty plate away from himself.

"That means lunch is included, right?" Lena whispered to her brother, who only sighed.

The mayor chimed in before the blond could respond, however: "Yes, lunch is included. I can send consumables to the residence with you. They're long overdue, anyway."

"We would greatly appreciate that." Yao stated calmly, right before Ivan had a chance to decline. Irritated that he got cut off twice, he stood up.

"Let's get to business, shall we?"

***

Much to the personifications' surprise, the mayor suggested that they talk over things outside, while taking a walk. "A benefit for health" is how the man described it. So, with that, the five were being escorted by two guards around the city.

"The Duma will send a report to the Kremlin in a week, and we need to discuss what to fill it with. I've been doing this every month since the war began. I think that you would be a valuable source for information for this report." The mayor explained, as they walked along the Nevsky avenue.

"As I stated before, we were kept in the residence with no communication with the outside world, save for- you know." Ivan's irritated outburst died down at the memory of the young taxi driver.

"I understand, but maybe you encountered something that would be helpful to the report within the residence?" The personifications stopped in their tracks at the question. Was this man hiding something? He gave off a vibe of a shady person, not to mention how he acted around the four. They immediately ruled out the possibility of him visiting the residence, as the only people who have set foot there before the war were the Braginsky siblings and the restavration workers. Could he have been one of them? No, this man wasn't even born when the construction began. He was simply someone who was spooked by the place and the events surrounding it.

"No, we haven't." Ivan calmly stated. Was this the "business" the mayor wanted to discuss?

"That's alright. You four can help me sort out the facts that I have currently. You know a lot more about this city than I do." The mayor smiled, unphazed by the decline he recieved.

"Sure, we will try our best to be helpful."

And with that, the five walked around the Nevsky avenue, and then the Neva river, talking about attack plans to secure St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast from American and European attacks. And although the personifications were skeptical about this man, they shared their thoughts and memories. This went on for a while, and conversation was interrupted by a loud thud, like that of a canon.

"Did you hear that? Are we under attack?" Yao asked, starting to panic, but the mayor just laughed.

"No, it's a tradition in St. Petersburg to fire the canon from the Peter and Paul fortress at exactly noon. It used to signal floods, which happen a lot here, but nowdays it's just a creative clock." The man smiled, and the onyx-haired male sighed in relief.

"We've taken quite a route, don't you think?" Ivan asked, himself surprised at how far the group has gotten.

"Indeed. I'll call a car and have them drop us off at the Duma for lunch." The mayor took out an Apple phone and dialed a number. In just under a minute, a glossy black BMW pulled up to the embankment.