#Mutuals OC | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

welldonekhushi · 2 days ago

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To Be Free.

Universe: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Characters included: Nadezhda Pugacheva/Jodie Hall, Vasili Mikhailovich Sokolov/Vincent Stephens

Special mention: @imagoddamnonionmason

Summary: Jodie urges Vasili to help The Rook uncover the Pantheon's plans, but Vasili himself struggles with his loyalty, torn between betrayal and redemption — as they reunite with one thing that has kept their bond stronger.

Warnings: A bit of profanity (Yup, just Woods being Woods. You're warned, haha!)

Vasili made his way down the long hallway, his boots softly echoing on the old floorboards. He passed by several rooms, his eyes scanning each one as he moved, looking for the rest of the crew. Door to door, he searched, each room offering no more than the silence of an empty house. Yet his gaze wandered beyond the immediate task at hand, he was also observing the house itself. The Rook. The place where they all had taken shelter in, where the team now lived, hidden away from the world.

Before his capture, Vasili had been in Bulgaria, living off the grid. Away from the KGB, the Pantheon, and lastly, from all this chaos. It had been an unexpected and uneasy refuge. Little did he know, his presence there had not gone unnoticed. Woods and the rest of the team had been in Bulgaria too, unaware of each other's proximity, until it was too late. They had all discovered it to their surprise, especially Woods himself that Vasili was alive.

It was an even greater shock when they learned that Vasili had previously joined forces with the Pantheon, after his last encounter with Russell Adler. The revelation hit them like a hammer blow, especially poor Jodie. She couldn't believe that Vasili would ever do that.

She kept denying it, over and over, tears welling up in her eyes. The reality was too much for her to bear, and yet, the truth hung heavy in the air. But the revelation was even more devastating; he had been the one to kill Hudson. Vasili had targeted the agent for manipulating Dimitri Belikov, his old friend, into joining the CIA, that had also ultimately led to Belikov's untimely death.

Vasili had never forgiven Hudson for what he had done. He spoke of it with a coldness that chilled everyone to the bone, recounting how his hands still ached whenever he thought of the last time he’d held Belikov. Years had passed since that moment, but the pain lingered.. a constant, gnawing reminder of the loss he could never undo. Driven by anger and desperation, he had turned to the Pantheon, seeing it as his only path forward. For Vasili, the organization offered not just power but the freedom to finally carry out his vengeance and eliminate Jason Hudson. After Hudson, he wanted to go behind Adler too, for what he did to him during the Cold War.

But whenever Mason’s name came up in conversation, who also fell victim to Menendez's plans in Panama, Vasili would fall silent. The words froze in his throat, his expression an unreadable mask. He didn’t want to talk about it, knowing deep down that if Jodie, or especially Woods, learned the truth, they would come to hate him. Vasili knew exactly what had happened, because he had been there. He had witnessed it all, and the guilt had haunted him for years.

Despite the freedom the Pantheon claimed to offer, he had come to realize that it wasn’t true freedom. There was always a control — subtle, invisible, but inescapable. Whether it was good or bad, Vasili couldn’t say. All he knew was that it had its claws in him, and it wasn’t letting go. The weight of that control, combined with the choices he had made, was only making his suffering worse. As if he kept on being punished for what he did.

And he did. He saw it in Jodie.. the way her eyes reflected anguish and disbelief at his actions. Even with his personal grudge against Hudson, Vasili couldn’t ignore the man’s role in her life. Hudson had given Jodie a place in the CIA, shaping her path and bringing her to where she was now. To her, Hudson wasn’t just a name — he was someone who mattered, and that was something which made the two different from each.

"I trusted you, Vas.. I trusted you with all my heart.." The tears filled into Jodie's eyes, as they threatened to fall on his cheeks.

And then there was Woods, whose fury burned brighter than anything Vasili had expected. When he learned that Vasili had played a part in Mason's death, it drove him to the edge.

"You fucking son of a bitch, Vas. You fucking son of a bitch!" Woods shouted in anger. "If I ever tried a bit harder, I would have strangled you to death back there."

To Vasili’s dismay, the words cut deep, not because of the threat, but because Mason had once been someone he was incredibly close to — back when he was still Bell. As if his pain was finally getting shared with. Watching the Pantheon eliminate Alex Mason in Panama, as a twisted response to Hudson’s death, felt like a cruel trade to him. One life for another, and yet both left a void he couldn’t escape. It truly felt like the Pantheon betrayed him back.

And yet, despite the heavy guilt weighing him down, Vasili chose to remain with the Pantheon, despite everything that happened. Perhaps it was because he had long accepted the bitter truth, that he was nothing more than a tool, a killing machine, an expendable asset. It was a role he had been forced into since his days under Perseus and Adler, a role that had consumed him, leaving little room for anything else. The dreams he once had —of serving his family and his country with honor felt like distant memories, now tainted by the blood he had spilled and the betrayals that had shaped his life.

The opportunities he had wanted to pursue, the hopes his family had placed upon him, all seemed irreparably stained. The Vasili who had once been proud and determined now felt hollow, crushed beneath the weight of his failures and the burdens imposed by a merciless world. Yet he clung to the Pantheon, not out of loyalty, but because it was all he had left. A means to channel his rage, to fulfill a purpose, however dark and fleeting. It wasn’t freedom, and it wasn’t redemption, but in his mind, it was better than succumbing entirely to the emptiness. He wished if his friends hated him, truly. He knew it was too late to change things.

Under certain circumstances, Vasili found himself simultaneously seeking shelter from the Pantheon after his capture at The Rook. Despite being in enemy hands, he refused to betray the organization he had aligned himself with. During the interrogation, he was questioned about the Pantheon’s plans, but Vasili remained resolute, offering nothing. His loyalty to the organization and its ideals ran deep, even as the weight of his choices pressed heavily on him.

Adler, however, refrained from harsher methods. Instead, he chose to give Vasili time.. time to reflect, to weigh his loyalties, and perhaps, to confront the conflict brewing within him. It was a calculated move, one that recognized the fractured man Vasili had become, hoping that with patience, he might find a reason to let go of the darkness that still held him captive. It was surprising how Adler was pretty calm with Vasili this time, but he still didn't trust him a bit.

Vasili wandered through the hallway of The Rook, his steps unhurried as he explored the safehouse. Passing by an open storage room, something inside caught his eye, drawing his attention.

He stepped in and switched on the light. The room was cluttered with broken items, ropes, chairs, paint buckets, and frames leaning against the walls. Amid the mess, his gaze landed on something that stopped him in his tracks. A guitar.

For a moment, he stood still, staring at it. The sight of it stirred something deep within him, a feeling he couldn’t quite place. It was old and worn, but it called to him in a way he hadn’t expected.

He did have a distant memory of it—practicing the guitar back when he was Bell, years ago. Seeing it now felt surreal, like a fragment of a life he thought was long gone. But the real surprise was that it was still here. He couldn’t help but wonder who had kept it safe all this time. The thought lingered in his mind as he slowly reached for the guitar, the weight of the past pressing down on him. He grabbed a chair and sat down, placing the instrument gently on his lap. His fingers brushed over the strings, strumming them lightly to hear the sound.

For a moment, he hesitated, glancing toward the doorway, wondering if anyone might be watching. Part of him wanted to set it aside, but curiosity was killing him. He wanted to see if it still worked..

Gently, his hands started to do the trick, strumming the chords but at a slower pace, warming up a little before he prepares to play the instrument.

Jodie walked through the hallway, her mind restless. Ever since Vasili revealed his true colors, she couldn’t shake the anger and disappointment. It felt like he had moved on, leaving the past, and everyone who once loved him.. behind. She had trusted him like a brother, only to realise a bitter truth, and a betrayal she never thought to be possible. She was making her way to forget it all, until —

She heard a voice. A voice that puts her whole mind to a pause. That soft, melodious voice, with the strumming of guitar filled through her ears. Her eyes widened, and eyebrows furrowed.

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"Temnaya noch, tol'ko puli svistyat po stepi.."

(Dark night, only bullets are whistling in the steppe..)

The sound was coming inside of the storage room, the one she just passed by. Jodie was still trying to process if this was all just a dream, or a reality. She walked back with her feet, peeking through the storage room. There, she saw Vasili, playing the guitar that was originally kept in the storage room, seated on a chair as he sang while strumming the strings of the guitar.

"Tol'ko veter gudit v provodakh, tusklo zvyozdy mertsayut.."

(Only the wind is wailing through the telephone wires, stars are faintly flickering..)

Jodie watched it all in horror. But, it was more like, as if she can't believe it. The moment Vasili continued to play the song, all of her anger suddenly vanished, and her own emotions started to take all over the place. She tried to control herself, but the visual for her was too painful to see. The flashbacks hit her head, the times when Jodie and him used to be in Die Landerbahn with Adler, Park and the rest. Vasili told Jodie that Park gave him a guitar, and he was determined to learn his favorite song. Time passed, Vasili struggled to learn it, but he didn't give up, and it was finally time to show Jodie his new-found skill.

"This is my favorite song.. I hope you like it, Jay." He strums his guitar, playing the same tune he practiced. Jodie carefully listened to him, excited to hear what the man learnt so far. The tune was so painfully familiar, and it was suddenly breaking her apart. The scene transitions back into the present, witnessing this moment.

Just like in the past, Jodie silently entered the room, not making Vasili notice, grabbing a chair and sitting on it, her hands clasped and listened to him. Her eyebrows were furrowed, lips slightly parted as she patiently listened to his song, closing her eyes.

"I poetomu, znayu, so mnoy nichego ne sluchitsya.."

(And that's why I know nothing will happen to me..)

Strumming the guitar a few more times, Vasili let the final notes fade into the silence. He remained still, the weight of the song lingering in the air around him. It felt like an echo of his own story. His struggles, his pain, his search for meaning. The melody seemed to embody his longing, perhaps even a faint glimmer of hope.

He didn’t know if he would be remembered as a hero or a villain, but he had resolved to endure it all. If suffering was the price of survival, then he would pay it. He just wanted to keep living.

Yet, the guilt gnawed at him. He hated the suffering his actions had brought to others, the pain he’d inflicted. Still, deep within, he hoped to find a way to end it all, a way to make it right.

In the distance, he heard the faint sound of someone softly sobbing. The gentle, broken cries pulled him from his thoughts, his attention instinctively turning toward the source of the sound. He saw Jodie, seated on a chair, her posture relaxed yet vulnerable, eyes still closed as if she were holding onto the remnants of the song. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks, her breaths uneven as she sniffed, her lips trembling ever so slightly. Vasili's eyebrows furrowed in worry, finding out Jodie was here the whole time when he was singing with the guitar.

"You?" Vasili softly whispers at her, keeping the guitar aside. Jodie opened her eyes, and stared at the man back with her teary eyes, immediately wiping them off.

"You still remember the song, do you?" Jodie asked, moving her attention away from Vasili.

"I.. I do. I thought I completely forgot it." Vasili replied, shrugging gently.

Jodie then looked back at him. "Then where's the Vasili I know?"

Hearing this from her mouth made him silent for a sudden. He had no words to reply to Jodie's comment, but he could only cast his head down, in speechlessness.

Jodie stood up from her seat, and walked towards him, who was equally devastated as her. She kneels down to his height, and caresses his face, with the heaviest tears streaming down from her eyes.

"Please. Come back to us, Vas. We need you," Jodie sobbed, her voice trembling with desperation as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. The weight of her emotions, long repressed, spilled out in that moment.

For so long, she had believed Vasili was gone, lost forever, a memory that would never return. But when he did come back, it wasn’t the man she remembered. Instead, she was faced with a version of him she dreaded, a man shaped by pain and choices she couldn’t bear to accept.

She never wanted him to be dragged into the darkness that consumed him. All she wanted was the Vasili she once knew, the brother she had lost. She just wanted him back. And it was equally killing Vasili from the inside.

Jodie couldn’t forget the day Vasili vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but his stuff. Among them was his journal, filled with entries about his experiences at the safehouse, and the guitar he used to play.

Vasili had assumed they would have discarded those things long ago, forgotten with the passage of time. But Jodie would never allow that. To her, those items were pieces of him, precious memories of the brother she had loved. She held onto them, refusing to let them be lost.

Through all the years, she kept the guitar safe, carrying it with her as a reminder of who Vasili once was, and the hope that she might see that version of him again. She was longing to see Vasili too. Both of them were longing for something they had once lost. And they both were suffering because of their unattended needs.

"Wherever you are, Vas.." Jodie whispered, her voice breaking. "I know you're still there. If you can remember this song, then you can remember who you are."

She pulled back from the hug and cupped his face gently, her eyes searching his. "Please Vas, end this. Let go of your revenge and think about what truly matters. The Pantheon is about to unleash their plan, and the world is at stake. If you want to redeem yourself, to find hope again, then help us."

Jodie continued. "This path you’re on will only drag you deeper into regret. Would you really let millions suffer just to settle a score with the one person who ruined your life? Think, Vasili. The Cradle isn’t just a weapon, it’s a threat to countless innocent lives. We need you to make the right choice."

Her plea was simple but filled with hope, a call for him to return to the man she still believed in. Vasili closed his eyes, letting her words sink in as memories flooded back, the faces of those he felt he had failed. Mama. Papa. Belikov. Mason.

Maybe.. little Sofya and Maksim would suffer. Because of him?

Each name carried the weight of his guilt, a reminder of what he had lost and the choices that led him here. Jodie's words stirred something deep within him, a faint flicker of the man he used to be.

"I'm.. sorry, Jay." Vasili faintly responds. "But, I feel.. it's too late—"

"It's never too late. It never is!" Jodie said softly. "By saving others, you can save yourself too. I believe in you."

"But.."

She paused, her voice trembling. "We really need you back, Vas. Please. Just.." She tried not to break again, lowering her head down so she could hide her face from him. She didn't have the courage to face him anymore, as she stormed away, crying.

Vasili, left alone, pondered his choices. Should he continue chasing his long-held grudge, or finally confront his own pain and heal? Could he set aside revenge to fight a greater threat and save the world?

What did Perseus give him? What did the Pantheon give him? He survived, but in the end, he gained nothing. Only pain, regret, and a hollow existence. He sought meaning, but all he found was more suffering.

This was his only chance. To be finally free.

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