Kazimir's head slowly rose after he had nodded off. All he could feel was pain that radiated from his right eye and wrapped around his entire forehead and then some. He bit back his words, trying to repress a wince. He tried to recall what had happened after Anoketo had brought the scalpel to his face.

When Kazimir couldn't remember a single thing, he murmured, "I must've blacked out."

"Oh, of course you did," the voice beside him rang out.

"Anoketo?" Kazimir called, still trying to regain his barings.

"Yes?" Anoketo looked up from the bloodied tools on the tray.

Kazimir bit back a wince, struggling to contain the pained feelings. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Anoketo began with a small, sly smile, trying to play 'dumb'.

Kazimir groaned, trying to get up, but failing due to the straps that restrained him. "I can't see out of my right eye, for fuck's sake!" He winced again. "...What did you do?"

"Oh... That." Anoketo laughed. "I will admit, I've never been the best with our nation's most prized tech—-- But I did hear that Axdrouska's done the same as us." The old man paused before speaking once more. "...You know, those lovely implants we all enjoy so much." He let out a sick cackle. "I had to... Modify yours to my liking."

Kazimir narrowed his scarlet eyes on him—--a growl slipped from the back of his throat.

Anoketo made an amused expression at Kazimir's response to his own confession. "But, like I said, I've never been quite good with it... I'm a politician after all... Not a surgeon, not an engineer. And, yes, I am a big enough person to admit that I probably did more damage than what was necessary."

Kazimir swallowed, bitterly as Anoketo began to take the straps off of him. "None of it was ever necessary in the first place. You didn't need to kidnap me... And you didn't need to make me partially blind, but here we are."

The last strap fell away from Kazimir—--thanks to Anoketo undoing them—--and Kazimir sat up before Anoketo remarked, "I disagree, Mr. Petrov. My methods were wholly necessary—--in terms of getting what information I need about Mr. Hosklensky's whereabouts."

Legs achy, Kazimir tried to stand—--he felt extremely wobbly, but still, he stood... He didn't fall. Well, Kazimir began to think to himself. At least that's something... It's better than nothing. Anoketo could've messed up whatever plan he had and cut neurons, but he didn't.

Despite Anoketo being right there, Kazimir worked up the courage to make a mad dash for the door, only to have Anoketo slide something on his small tablet, making Kazimir collapse to the ground.

─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─

For a moment, all Kazimir had seen darkness—--even through the darkness, sound travelled. He heard, "Kazimir!"

Kazimir recognized this voice, stiffened. "Father?" he called, cautiously; as soon as Kazimir said this, the scene changed to a small house in a frozen wonderland.

"Dobro pozhalovat' obratno, malen'kiy odin," Kazimir's father murmured, gently, approaching the young man.

Kazimir remembered these times when his father would call him 'little one'---but this wasn't now; it was a dream and he needed to wake up.

─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─

Kazimir's eyes slowly opened. "What the hell was that?" He growled as he stumbled to his feet.

Anoketo laughed. "Just a mere memory, stored in your mind. With these implants, the more we know... The more we have access to—-- And soon enough, I'll know exactly who the traitor was that helped Hosklensky and your fellow comrades escape."

Kazimir grimaced, his head still spinning at that quick passing out and from the fall as well. "Why'd you do that? Why activate something right now? Something that wouldn't help you learn about Phelan?"

Anoketo smirked at that. "Well, I couldn't have had you leaving, could I?" He paused. "You see, Mr. Petrov, memories are powerful tools—--heavily linked with emotions. ...Pick the right memory and it has the power to stun you, leave you frozen, dead right in your tracks... Unlocking the right memory can render you useless... Give the other man the upperhand."

Kazimir growled at that, "You're sick."

"No... That boy was.... What was his name? Josef Wyentzov?"

Hearing that name—--the name of someone he had been close to in the past—--was too much to hear. Kazimir didn't even think about the fact that with every passing second, Anoketo learned more and more about him. Kazimir just lunged at Anoketo, nothing but rage building within him.

Anoketo laughed a little to himself, under his breath as he stepped to the side, letting Kazimir smack—--head first—--into the wall. Anoketo's laughter and amusement was short-lived though. His brows furrowed and eyes narrowed at the information on his tablet's screen. "You idiot! You know how much work I spend on that modification? You damaged it. I—--" He was cut off by Kazimir who had stumbled to his feet, unsteady.

Unsteady as Kazimir was, it was no match for his anger. He hauled off and threw a punch at Anoketo, colliding with the old man's cheek, knocking him backwards—--and effectively knocking him out.

Kazimir wasted no time in stomping on the tablet, breaking the screen before picking up one of the blades for self-defense if it was needed and cautiously—--but quickly—--heading out of the room and to the nearest exit. He reached an old, busted in window that he'd be able to escape through and then he'd be home free.

As Kazimir began to get ready to climb out the window, he stopped, feeling a pang of guilt. "L..." He murmured. He debated the pros and cons of either hightailing out of there or going back for the other young man, and ultimately, Kazimir chose to find L.

Kazimir continued his cautious, but swift, patrol of the halls before approaching the cell he had been in originally. He was shocked to see L still in that room, as he thought he'd have to search through a few more rooms. "L!" He hissed, to gain the other man's attention before Kazimir hurried over to where L was tied to a post, bound by rope.

L looked up at him. "What? ...What're you—-- What are you doing here?"

Kazimir sighed, exasperated, thinking that both with his current beaten up appearance, his demeanor, and the fact he was even there at all was telling enough. "I'm here to rescue you, idiot!"

"Okay. If you want to rescue me so badly, you need to unchain me from this post," L articulated.

Kazimir huffed. "Firstly, you mean, untie you, not unchain... And, yeah, I got that much from seeing you here. You know I'm not an idiot."

L smiled and brought out a semi-playful tone with the other man. "I thought as much. ...Now untie me before I rip your face off."

"Okay. Okay." Kazimir pulled the knife he had swiped up from earlier, knelt down, and began to cut away at L's binds.

The moment L was free, he jumped up and hurried to the door, peering out. "Shit. I hear guards." He turned to Kazimir with wide eyes. "What do we do?"

Kazimir pulled part of a vent off the wall. "We through this vent."

L nodded as if he knew what he had to do.

Kazimir climbed up into the vent, pulled L up into the vent, and placed the grate on the wall, struggling to fully pull it back in place.

"Here," L murmured, reaching forward and helping him steady it. "Let me."

"What the—--" A guard's voice called from outside the cell before it boomed, "He's gone. I repeat: the prisoner is gone!"

"Where's Anoketo?" another guard called. "Does he still have his prisoner?"

L's eyes widened, an anxious glint in them as the guards continued to patrol the area, raging and swearing.

"Come on," Kazimir whispered to L. "This way. The exit shouldn't be too far."

"Okay, okay," L nodded, following Kazimir through the vent.

To the two of them, it felt like the vents seemed to go on forever—--either that, or they were lost... And L voiced that concern.

"Are we going in circles?" L questioned. "Are we lost?"

"No, we're not," Kazimir said. "...Just be quiet... I need to concentrate."

When Kazimir rounded the corner, there were slivers of light; there was a grate that led out of this hellish prison. Kazimir placed his foot on it and pushed. Finally, the grate sprung loose and fell to the ground with a loud clunk.

Kazimir jumped from the vent into the snow. He turned to L. "Come on. We need to go. Now."

"Okay," L said shakily. He jumped from the vent and slowly stood up, regaining his balance, and coming to fully stand beside Kazimir. "Where to next?" L asked curious.

Kazimir replied, "To Bloodwall."