Chapter 6: Entries of Resistance
24th March - 21:00
Dear Diary,
It's official,the war against Alfred and his NATO begun today in the early morning in a form of the bombings. My president has informed me about it and I was shocked. This will be the second time that I got bombed in my life,the first one being in 1941 when the Nazis have bombed me for two days.
I write this to you because I need to have someone to keep my entries so that I can memorize for the future. I always have done that since WW1.
I know that you aren't a living being,but it's only you that,if absolutely no one's with me,shares my happenings around me. You're my only friend when I'm alone. I wish I bought a pet dog for myself,to be honest.
Anyway,where was I...Oh yes!
Ten hours ago,my sister Arisha has told me that if I had any trouble,I would've called her. She'll be there with me even if,and I quote her "...even if I have to jump from the plane in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean,for I prefer to die trying to get you before meeting with that pindo.".
Three hours later,I called her while she was flying towards America to take another IMF loan. She told me that she loathes doing it and that it's Yeltsin that occasionally wants to take them so that he wouldn't declare bankruptcy like he did last year in 1998.
"A...Arisha!" I exclaimed,in a shaky tone "I...I have to tell you something urgent!"
"What's that?" She asked,in a shocked tone.
"Alfred has chosen the bombing attack,not the invasion." I explained,rushingly "P...P...please,come to me,I need help."
"I...I will be with you,though I can't hear you clearly." she complained,loudly "What's that noise? I can't hear you!"
"The bombs!" I shouted,breaking the noise of the bombs.
"BOMBS!?" She exclaimed,loudly enough to hear her.
"Yes,they're raining all around Yugoslavia randomly. The citizens are running towards the shelters and the underground places to save their families,the police and the military have guided them to the refuges and one of them has shouted "QUICK,GET OUT,GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!"." I begged her,with a louder tone "I repeat,the bombings have just happened! I need you!"
"I see." she concluded "I'll be with you as quickly as I can possibly muster. Maybe at five or six hours I'll arrive here in Belgrade."
It relieved me,and even more so as I'm still in Belgrade since 22nd March. I didn't had to rush towards the Capital anymore.
"Th...thank you!" I said,with an agitated breathing "Y...you're the best..."
And that's when I ended the call with her. As a result,she begged her foreign minister Yevgeni Primakov to retreat towards Russia and to make an "U-Turn" from Washington to Moscow.
Once she and Primakov did it,she immediately departed to Yugoslavia with her fighter from her military hangar in Moscow.
At around 19:30,she and Athene Karpusi,my best non-sibling friend,have arrived. While they rushed towards me,I waited at the Tasmajdan Park,holding my good-old AK-47. I was pale and,by comparing myself to the rest of the running people,I looked like a ghost.
"Vuk!" They called me at the same time.
I turned at the opposite direction and it's them,Arisha and Athene.
I ran towards her and launched myself at her arms,crying disconsolately. I was trembling with fear.
"Don't cry,my love…I'm here…" she whispered,caressing my hair.
"Arisha…he can't stay here,Alfred will kill him." Athene said,urging us to go to her house.
After that,she threw her house and car keys at Arisha's hand,trapping it. She also told us where does she live,at the Thanos Apartment in Larissa.
We were at Athene's car while she helped the citizens to evacuate to the shelters. She assured us that she'll be there soon.
Before she started the car,I told her that my body was cold. She took off my coat and let me cover with it.
"T...Thanks…" I said,in a tearful whisper.
As we quickly fastened out seat belts,we rushed at Larissa,and as soon as the bomb fell near us,it made her accelerate at the maximum speed to get out Belgrade. She didn't stopped until she reached Athene's city.
25th March
I've spent most of my time in Athene's apartment,napping near Arisha. I got a high fever again,but it was comfy in there.
"It's cold..." I whispered.
"I brought something for you to refresh," Athene said,in a sweet tone,placing the humid rag on my forehead "The last time I touched you,you were burning."
Athene has always been hospitable,especially towards me and her own younger brother called Atreus from Cyprus. She loves us and she would risk anything to protect us. Despite the Cold War,I and her have managed to contact with one another.
Not only did she brought a humid rag,but she also brought an entire medical kid. She brought it because she saw that I had various scratches,showing my right hand to her. She bandaged my arm and cleaned my wounds with a humid cotton. It tickled me,which also made me giggle.
Aside from that,Arisha has told me and Athene that she has just petitioned an emergency UN meeting to stop the bombings and retake dialogue. She said that this meeting will take place at tomorrow morning.
If she succeeds,I'll forever be thankful to her for stopping it. I and Athene have held our thumbs as a sign for our support to her.
26th March
Arisha has just came out from the UN and she had a very bad mood because of it. Her proposition for the instant end of the bombings was rejected by the Security Council and she was only supported by her best friend Liu Wang and,for some reason,Dalmaine Ayushe from Namibia.
When she explained to us about the situation in the UN,she complained that this was "The most tense and aggro Security Council meeting I lived in all the UN existence",as she put it. She also told us that Alfred has deliberately bugged her by his predictable label of "Genocidal Brat". Additionally,she also claimed that Alfred has paid the rest of the UNSC members to vote against her,though I assumed that the rest of them have abstained.
"Alfred is such a jerk." Athene snorted,when she finished telling us what had happened.
I got curled up in her lap. I'm feeling better,and right now I don't have a fever anymore. But hearing that Arisha's Proposal had been rejected by the UNSC had been a real blow.
"So...I assume the war is going on,right?" I asked,looking up slightly.
"I'm afraid so, my love..." Arisha replied,caressing my cheek.
"Fuck it,then" I said,sitting up suddenly,surprising Athene and Arisha. "If that's what he wants,it's a war what he'll get."
"Better tomorrow,Vuk." Arisha said,smiling,putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Nai,you need to rest." Athene added,but also with a smile. She got up from bed and headed to the door. "Well,good night,y'all!"
Shortly after the dinner was finished,and then putting pajamas in and going to bed,she also asked why did she,Liu,Emily and Adele allowed the UN to be settled in New York and not somewhere else. Athene argued that the UN Headquarters should be resettled in Moscow or Geneva,but then Arisha answered that it's not this simple.
27th March
We've just returned to Athene's house by lunchtime and,my God,this day was so glorious.
It all started when I and Arisha were in Budjanovci,fighting the bombers from the ground. I was with one of the army's divisions next to an anti-air missile system,manufactured in the early 60s,that Arisha had sent some years ago.
I complained to her that the radar won't detect anything,but she advised me that I can always pay attention to the sound and the sky,should the radar detect nothing. She also said that the NATO is using some "special" planes.
While she was helping to take down more boxes from the truck so that she can create a humanitarian center to help the people in that village,I simply,after I saw a plane running through the skies,told the captain to step aside,took the controls,aimed near it and shot.
The fire was so strong that I fell backwards,and Arisha has helped me stand up.
"Are you okay,sweetheart?" she asked me.
"I...guess so?" I replied,then I pointed my head towards the direction from which the plane fell,the smokes being the main hint of its falling place "Let's go to the smokes."
We and the division have approached the destroyed plane. She knelt and examined it,cleaning up the dust from the wings by her hand.
"Oh my...this isn't just any plane," she said,impressed,placing her other hand at her mouth. Then exclaimed "It's the Nighthawk F-117! It was one of the latest military planes,it couldn't be detected on radars,apparently. The pindo has bragged a lot about it."
I couldn't believed myself for what I've just heard from her. I asked her if it's true and she said that it is. I climbed on the rests of the plane,placed the Yugoslav flag on the ground within the rests and let it wave by the wind.
"Everyone,look!" I shouted,proudly,loud enough to have the villagers hear me clearly "We've overthrown the pride...OF THE AMERICAN AIR FORCE!"
After I shouted,the villagers came towards it and cheered and celebrated that small,but brutal victory. I,along with Arisha,have hugged each other out of joy.
"I'd pay anything just to see the pindo's face when he hears that his precious "ultimate technology" plane got shot down by you with a weapon he considered an "obsolete junk"!" She exclaimed,grinning and laughing.
"I can't wait for that." I said,also laughing,getting down of the remains of the plane. Afterwards,we made a high five.
Shorty after we came to Belgrade from Budjanovci,Arisha has called Athene about what happened today. Once she did,both of them have laughed out of excitement.
"Vukie is so great!" Athene replied,after she managed to calm down for a bit. "I'm already imagining his reaction!"
"Me too!" Arisha said,also between laughs.
I on the other hand didn't laughed at all. Ok,fine,I'll admit,I giggled,but I wanted to know how would Alfred react. I'm saving the laughs for it and I'm so excited as much as they are.
Seven hours and a half later,Athene has arrived at the dinner time. She chuckled for half a minute,holding a camera and thumping at the desk. A tear has slipped through her eye.
"H-he...here's the video!" She said,laughing while breathing "You'll piss your pants out of laughter!"
We were ready to watch it,but before that,I asked her if that's her camera and she said that she borrowed it from Feliciano Vargas because she forgot to bring her own. She also told me that Maria Fernandez has denied her request because Maria wanted to show to his brother Andres and her siblings from Latin America.
Athene said that this video is ten minutes long,though the actual video is just minute and a half. She said that Feliciano forgot to end the recording.
The start of this video showed a large hallway with a podium and the NATO flag behind it. The first five seconds showed Alfred walking towards the nearest window and punching it hard,thus creating a large hole with the cracks surrounding it.
Next,he held his fist with his other hand,knowing that it hurt,walking towards the board for another five seconds. He took the chalk box and the first two chalks,broke them in two and threw them at the board. After that,he took the entire box and slammed it on the broad. It lasted for ten seconds.
Then,he walked towards the podium slowly for eight seconds,having his right hand (the one which he broke the window) going through his messy hair,shaking himself.
"H-how did that little savage brat DARE!?" he shouted at the mic,making that mic give a loud feedback,slamming his right fist in rage. He was quite livid.
There was a few seconds of silence and then Emily Kirkland rushed towards him and grabbed him by his leather jacket.
"Alfred,stop it!" she shouted at him,angrily "Can you please calm down?! It's just a plane,not a bloody intercontinental ballistic missile fired up your arse in New York!"
"I-I was in there!" he snapped at her.
"Oh God! Who cares if you were in it or not!" she snapped at him back "You're going to cause even more property damage bec..."
She was cut off by one laughing boy and two girls,one of them of course being Athene. He calmly placed her hands to remove her grip and turned at the mic,fixing his hair.
"Hey! You three!" he snapped at them,while still at the podium "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Y...Y...Your…Your reaction!" Feliciano replied,breathing in a fast pace.
"Dios mío,you look like a brat. Wait,no,you ARE a brat!" the first girl added,pointing the camera at her,cleaning her tears with an embroidered hanky.
By the looks of her and the other one,they had their cameras placed on their foreheads. And yet,this idiot didn't seem to notice them.
"Urgh...what's so FUNNY!?" Alfred growled,angrily,slamming his same fist again,turning his head on his left side for one second,as the camera turned at him again.
"Heh...'what's so funny',huh...?" Athene mocked him "Your so-called "invisible plane" has been downed by a small and far more weaker kid you call the "Genocidal Brat"! So much for being "invisible",am I right?!"
Afterwards,for two seconds,they all said "Huh" towards each other and then bursted laughing. Alfred then jumped out of the podium and rushed towards them,slowly raising his right hand in the progress. The laughter has been slowed down,seeing his head,hand and eye pupils tremble with anger,ready to slap them hard. He gave a tiny smirk from his angry grin.
Now that the camera was up-close,I noticed that he had three tiny twigs around his hair,his clothes were dirty and one of his lenses were slightly cracked. Yep,he indeed was inside the Nighthawk,which only made it better.
When he tried to do so,Emily has grabbed his arm,preventing him to slap the second girl.
"What are you doing?" he turned at her and asked her "Let me finish them!"
When he raised his second hand,Adele has grabbed it.
"Oh...it's you again." he said,turning his head at Adele "What? You don't want to see your sis ge..."
Adele punched him by his jaw below his ear,knocking him out and his glasses have fallen down,and after that,they dragged him out of the hallway,and Emily picked his glasses down.
Once they exited the hallway,after seven seconds,Adele has shown up.
"Have you seen this cheval?!" she shouted,growling "Urgh..."
Once she re-exited the hallway,Emily has opened the door.
"We're sorry for the technical difficulties." she tried to assure the members "The Leader will be fine,he just ha..."
"Get back inside!" Adele exclaimed,grabbing her head backward and slamming the door closed.
Athene,her friends and the rest of the members have laughed their ass off when Adele knocked Alfred down and even more so when Gilbert suddenly spoke.
"Look at them!" he said "They're going to the Zoo! What animals they are!"
The remaining five minutes were just showing the hallway full of members getting ready to go and lowering their laughing volume. The last ten seconds had Maria,the first girl,exclaimed at the Italian boy.
"You still didn't turned the camera off?" she exclaimed "Give me that!"
And then the video ended with the black background. We laughed our asses off in the midst and at the end of the recording.
"Someone didn't took very well the downing of the Nighthawk,apparently." Arisha guessed,after she managed to calm down a bit.
"Does he always act like this?" I asked,curious.
"You bet,little bro." Arisha replied,mocking Alfred's mental injury. "He always has a tantrum every time things don't go as he planned."
"Yet I'm the "brat"." I complained,crossing my arms,half angry "And not just a "brat",but the "genocidal" one!"
We chuckled for several seconds.
"Oh,I almost forgot to tell you both." I exclaimed "H-he also was inside that plane!"
"Even better!" She shouted,joyfully. Arisha has also followed the suit.
"Yeah,he can't see shit even with his glasses on!" I increased the funniness. We laughed yet again until we got the tummy ache.
That's what,my dear diary,made this day alone so marvelous. You should've experienced it if you were a real person. Although,had Alfred captured me while I was on the plane,there would've been no fun and laughter,and I would've had my head getting crushed into the window,instead of his fist.
I'm so grateful that the division and the villagers were there with me. Otherwise,it served him right. He doesn't know what's "Gravity".
29th March
Well,I have nothing much to tell you except that my sister gifted me the white eagle plushier,that Athene gave me a magazine to read and that Arisha was writing a "special letter" for Yeltsin to read.
She's still preparing to get rid of him.
30th March
I announced that I have to return back to Yugoslavia because my people need me and in particular,because my president has given me a small mission to capture a vehicle in order to stop getting into Kosovo.
After we finished the breakfast,Athene drove us to Skopje,wishing us farewell. We got out of her car.
"We'll meet again soon." Athene said.
"Da,I hope so." Arisha replied.
"Uhm...I'm not sure if I could succeed in capturing a truck..." I intervened,believing that this would be a disaster.
"Of course,sweetie,you can handle them." She assured me.
"H...How do you know?" I asked,raising slightly my sight,cleaning one slipping tear.
"Because I have already seen you fight in other occasions,little bro," she replied,winking at me. "You have something that the pindo doesn't: bravery,honor and dignity. You can do it!"
"Kick that pindo's ass,Vuk!" she told me,after a short pause,standing up.
"Oh,sure I will!" I shouted.
"That's the spirit!" Athene exclaimed,giving us the high fives.
After the shared hug with one another,my sister has gone to Moscow,Athene to Larissa and I started walking towards Algunja,the village where my comrades are waiting for me.
31st March
This is it! Our mission was successful! It's only a matter of time before Alfred surrenders before us.
We set an ambush against the American Army truck. We shot their truck with our machine guns,trying to scare them off. Then,my men have knocked them down.
There were four captured soldiers. Well,actually,three soldiers. The last one wasn't a soldier,it was Alfred Jones. It was the moment where his second humiliation,the first one being the Nighthawk day four days ago,is about to come.
While I allowed my men to interrogate those three soldiers,I put Alfred on the chair and bounded him by the chair,while still unconscious. Before I knocked him up,I briefly analyzed him if he really was Alfred. Blonde hair,slightly broken glasses,blue and baggy eyes,leather jacket,oxford shoes...Yep,that's him.
"W...whe...where am I?" he asked me.
"In Antarctica." I answered,sarcastically "You're in Algunja to interrogate you. You'll be released as soon as you declare that you surrender."
"W...what? GET ME OUT OF HERE,YOU LITTLE BRAT!" he yelled at me,angrily.
"Only if you promise to leave the Yugoslavia and the Balkans...FOREVER!" I snapped at him,also angrily. Then,I warned him "Also,I'm not a "Brat" to you,I'm the Commander and if you don't behave properly and refuse to surrender,you'll stay there as long as I feel like it."
"Like HOW MUCH?!" he snapped at me,again.
"About a day,a week,month,year,decade,century,millenium..." I listed,emotionlessly "The longer you resist me,the more you'll stay. Is that clear?"
I mean,the reason why I said that I'm the "Commander" is because I wore my old Commander Uniform that I had since WW1. I couldn't find my current military uniform or my greatcoat. It's been so long since I wore it,though I would no longer wear it anytime soon.
During my interrogation against him,I messed with him by pulling his glasses on and off (and then trying to bite my hand,usually unsuccessfuly,because I usually quick at avoiding his bite),mess his hair up and sometimes ordering him to jump up and down until he slipped and fell. He would growl and threaten me,but it didn't affect me in a slightest,since he's the captured one and not me.
Aside from the fun that I had,I got really serious and started asking him questions like "Do you have parents?" or "Do you lead this group?" If he misbehaved or addressed me in a wrong way,I always threatened him to shave his hair bald with a shaving machine. Truth be told,I don't actually have nor have I brought it with me,but I oh-so wish that I did,he would get humiliated for life.
"You're lucky that you're held hostage by me. You would get a far more harsh treatment from my division,but you WILL stay for as long as I want." I would often warn him with some similar sentences like that.
I won't sleep today,I have to watch for him if he tries to escape. Wish me luck.
1st April
I'm now going to burn you,you no longer ne...Just kidding,it's April Fool's Day!
Joking aside,he fucking escaped! And he left a short note for me.
So long,sucker!
You may have captured and fucked with me,but from this day foward,I'll no longer be soft towards you. You had your own week of getting the upper hand,but now,it's my turn.
We'll see who's going to ruin who then!
AFJ. The Leader.
Before that,I tried my best not to sleep,but in the end,sadly,I fell asleep anyway,but only around 04:30.
As soon as I felt asleep,he opened his eyes,quickly cutting the ropes that bounded him,wrote a short note and escaped. What's worse is the fact that he PRETENDED to sleep. He was that patient,successfully waited for that moment of tricking me.
I'm currently waiting for him to announce his surrender. If not,well...the bombings will go on. Either way,what happened yesterday was broadcasted on the RTS Television for propaganda purposes. Another victory for me!
10th April
My president has phoned me that he just agreed with Ibrahim Rugova that the only way to solve the Kosovo Conflict should be dialogue.
In fact,Rugova also demanded NATO to stop the attacks,but the Atlantic Alliance refused...and much less Alfred.
12th April
There's something sad and angry that I must tell you...the Atlantists,the term that I'll use for NATO for now on,thanks to Arisha,have bombed a passenger train near Grdelica,killing 20 people and missing 40. I mean,why the kurac would they attack a fucking train?! It's not as if this train had some stashed weapons or resources?!
Nevertheless,I cried...and I don't remember if I cried more than that day any other time in my life. But the question here is this...Why did NATO go for innocent people who have done nothing to them and still have the guts to say they do it for "humanitarianism"? What's so humanitarian about bombing a passenger train? And more importantly,why the fuck does "humanitarianism" have to do with anything?! Alfred's becoming more disgusting after each attack.
I called my sister to come to me in Grdelica,while still crying. I was in Grdelica to help the survivors,with all the rescue teams that I can get,to survive...and everyone within that village have ran in all directions.
When I saw the RTS journalists near the train,I came towards them and...as I was with them,I saw Arisha and Athene running towards me. I rushed at them and gave them the hug,starting to cry again.
As Athene decided that she'll help her medical teams from Greece in order to send some of the survivors to the ambulance. I stayed with Arisha.
"W...Why h...have he done this…" I muttered,between tears.
She didn't answered. I don't believe that she's hiding it,but I think that it's just that Arisha didn't wanted to traumatize me further...and I thank her for it. Besides,Arisha sometimes has no time to explain anything.
In the end,we arrived in my house in Visevac at 23:30. I introduced Athene to this village and agreed to sleep here for only this night.
Arisha has told me that,just after that train was destroyed,Athene has tried five times to call Alfred rant at him about the Grdelica attack,but she didn't got him. Before she gave up,she tried to call him for the last time,but she got ignored.
"Damn it..." she concluded and sighed,in a calm but angry and irritated tone "It's no use..."
14th April
I just came back from Djakovica to Belgrade,exhausted from all the running but happy that I've,for the first time in a year,found Dhimiter Luka,or Dimitrije Lukic in Serbian.
The reason why I was in Djakovica is because I wanted to take the opportunity and find him. It cost me risks,but I didn't cared. Besides,I don't plan to stay long here. I don't want to worry Arisha and Athene even more. They've done enough for me...they are the best.
While I told the captain that they should go to Djakovica,turn the anti-aerial alarms on and put the refugees to the safety. Back then,I suspected that Dhimiter he's doing better than me and that NATO wouldn't attack this village,since it's located in Kosovo and that it's near the Albanian border.
No sooner,I've found Dhimiter,standing at the rock and pointing at the sky,probably to tell the refugees that the planes are coming towards the village. I rushed towards him.
"Dimitrije!" I called him and repeated it for the second time.
He turned at me and ran towards me.
"You have to hurry,NATO is coming!" I warned him,taking his hand. I didn't retire. "Come on,the Serbian troops are in the city,they'd take them to the refuges."
"NATO?..." he said,suprised.
"Yes,the Atlantic Alliance." I said,confirmingly "Let's go before it's too late!"
We both rushed towards Djakovica. I took him in my arms,he's incredibly tired,he almost lost the balance when he was at the top of the rock and because,if I hadn't taken him in my arms,NATO would have probably killed him. Few bombs later and everything went black. Once we regained our conscience,we hid behind the tree,not far from the road.
Everything was silent,with the exception of the Atlantic planes,flying away. Observing him I realize that,of physical health,he's even worse than I am and I'm not feeling precisely great. While it's true that he didn't get bombed,he's far more fragile,as I've noticed that his clothes were in rags and that he had no shoes nor socks.
When he asked me what had happened,I answered that it was a NATO attack,objectively. I hugged him afterwards. Normally,it's me that receives these types of hugs,but now,I think that Dimitrije deserves the comfort that he needs from me.
I felt the need to cry,especially for all the shit that this criminal hypocrite called Alfred Jones had thrown at me for committing "genocide". It's been him who did that. In fact,once I asked a survivor from Djakovica about how many of them have died,she said that 73 of them had died and that 38 of them were wounded.
We promised ourselves that we'll both tell the truth. But,after I saw what Alfred has done there with his backing of the KLA,I think that the NATO's methods of protection of the Albanians are at least questionable.
15th April
I just came back from the deployment at the aerial combat that I had with my comrades against the NATO planes. Arisha said that I'm a good pilot,but the truth is that I'm not that much of a good pilot,since I'm used at fighting on land and not on air,and much less on sea. But I thank her for her compliment anyway.
While me and my squad were fighting the enemy planes,I've seen something unexpected. When we were flying over Grocka,I saw someone jumping in parachute from a plane,and then that same plane crashed against two NATO planes,thus creating an explosion in the sky. I explained this experience to Arisha.
"I don't know who did that,but it saved us the last combat. The NATO had had far more air superiority than us." I concluded,smiling. Then asked " Do you think it was Athene?"
"I don't think so. I called her at that time and she was at her house." she replied,rubbing her nose.
"I think NATO has given us a truce." I proclaimed,still smiling.
"Don't take too much confidence" she warned me,hugging me "NATO isn't known for giving truce to its enemies. You must NOT lower your guard."
I was silent,but agreed by nodding my head up and down. She's right,I must not be overconfident at the dire situations. She also told me that she met a small child called Milica. She didn't told me her surname,but she said that she got along with her.
16th April
Turns out that I was wrong. NATO indeed doesn't give any truces,at all. This time,they've returned to bomb the capital. Arisha has called Athene to come and Athene said that she'll take the plane to Belgrade.
I,Arisha and her volunteer named Vlad got into the bus and ran towards New Belgrade. I told them that there are no anti-aerial shelters,but there's an underground entrance nearby for the citizens and their families to enter. Many of my people have gone there as an alternative.
"It's a good place." I said,as the driver stopped,getting out of the bus.
"Vuk,which neighborhood is this one? I think I've been here yesterday..." she asked me.
"Batajnica." I replied.
Arisha swallowed and told me that in this suburb,Milica lives there. What a coincidence.
When I saw Milica getting tripped,I quickly took her in my arms and ran to the underground's entrance,to take her with her mother. Arisha and Vlad followed me in response.
In the midst of the rushing,a bomb came towards me from the sky and,by luck,exploded out of nowhere by a bazooka shot before the bomb was about to reach the street.
I and Arisha looked up when Vlad asked what was that,looking at the smoke over our heads. And what we saw was a figure that jumped from the roof and landed in front of us. It had a bazooka hung in its back. A black hood covered its head and a red and purple neckerchief covering its mouth. It wore long,dark blue trousers and a shirt with a green military pattern.
"It was me." It said.
"Who are you?" Arisha asked,surprised.
"Vesna." It said,after doubting for a moment,confirming that it's a female. "Now,we can't remain stopped,we need to take people to the refuges."
"Yes but,there are no refuges in this area,they're on the underground near us." I informed her.
"Then to the underground." She said,starting to follow us.
When we got to the underground,Athene finally arrived and got there,thanks to Arisha's information that we're in the underground at Batajnica.
Once she came towards us,Vesna said that about a week ago,Maria Fernandez had had a huge rant with Alfred Jones after a NATO meeting,related with the bombings. She said that Maria denounced that he was ordering to bomb civilian targets and prizing those who did and that her complaints cost her threats from him,but she just ignored them.
Apparently,Vesna met and knew her.
And before we went to sleep,we argued if Vesna or Maria was the one who did the Kamikaze act against the NATO planes. But Athene told us that,despite the passage of time,missed a lot the Spanish Republican Era. I alleged then that it could also be the daughter of a Serbian brigadist of the Spanish Civil War.
Probable or not,we shall see it tomorrow.
17th April
A sad and outrageous thing happened today,Milica has died by a bomb,giving her severe injuries which made her die like faded flower. She was three years old...THREE YEARS OLD! A fucking baby! The Rakic Family have been scarred for life. Alfred and the Company of NATO have,at this point,made a war on defenseless civilians,on children and babies,who are unable to fight back. I swear,Alfred is proving me more and more that he's worse than what I can ever imagine.
Anyhow,before I was with the Rakic Family,we rushed towards the Rakic's apartment. As we did,Vesna saved us again by hitting the bomb that failed to fell at their building. Her bravery is astonishing,but I got scared and Arisha grabbed me by my arm and took me to the second floor,where this family was at. The environment in Batajnica was even more chaotic than yesterday.
When the Rakics saw their very injured daughter,we along with them went to the hospital. When the doctor came out of the room,he called us to enter it and announced that she's dead.
I cried,her mother cried and everyone inside the room cried,though the doctor and my sister tried not to cry. Vesna on the other hand,knelt by the mother of Milica Rakic and hugged her,crying disconsolately. When Mrs Rakic grabbed her shoulder,her cape fell and left to sight a brown hair furled with two red rubber bands and strawberry-shaped earrings. Athene said that it's Maria Fernandez and our suspects were right all along.
At 14:15,we went to the Athene's apartment and Maria came with us. She was kind enough to help Athene prepare the lunch. When Arisha asked her how come she's here,Maria answered that she can't remain with her arms crossed while NATO commits war crimes. When Athene asked her about her reaction,she said that she reminded her of a mother from Guernica in 1937.
She also said that she doesn't want to feel more of an abettor than she already feels…and because she said that she's no fascist. I feel that it's not because of the Doctrine of Fascism per se,but much referred to Nazism,but because it's the Fascists and Nazis that bombed Guernica,the first civilian target ever bombed in history. I asked her if she was the one that jumped from the plane and she confirmed that she did.
"The yankee doesn't get through his head that I'm not a little flamenco doll that he can manipulate at his own will." She said,now smiling,showing her defiance.
Five and a half hours later,she remarked that we had her support. But before she went back to Madrid,I intervened.
"Before you go,I need to ask you something." I said,trying to prove if she's a traitor or not "Had Javier Solana told you that you support NATO?"
"Like I give a mierda." she replied "He doesn't represent me and the majority of the Spanish people oppose and hate NATO and that yankee."
"Then why did you joined NATO in the first place?" I asked her further.
"Because I was really dumb back then,I shouldn't have joined it. If I had knew that Alfred Jones was still obsessed with war and the fight against Leftism,despite the end of the Cold War,I would've denied the entry with passion." she continued "In truth,I never loved nor liked Alfred to begin with,because of so many reasons that can only be summed up into one book. The only sibling that hates him more than I do is Edu Varela of Mexico. He hates him long before Alfred attacked me for "destroying his ship" in 1898,even though it was committed by a boiler."
"Thank you for helping us. I hope that we can meet each other again." I said,in a hopeful tone.
"You too,mi querido." She said,leaving us.
I can't believe that even some of the NATO members are against the bombings. As of now,my allies and friends are Arisha,Athene and,since today,Maria. The more allies we can get,the better.
19th April
Her best younger sister called Natalia Arolvskaya has arrived in Arisha's apartment. She complained that Arisha didn't told her I was there. Before that,I slept longer than usual.
"I was going to." Arisha explained "There's something you need to know..."
"What happened?" Natalia asked.
I straightened again and,after finishing putting on my shirt,I couldn't avoid a tear to slip through my cheek.
"NATO has..." I began speaking,but stayed quiet and lowered his head,out of shyness.
"The Atlanticists have murdered a little girl..." She finished the sentence for me,trying her voice not to tremble,without much success.
Natalia didn't know how to react immediately,though she ended up standing up and kicking the wall hard. When she sat again by our side,she had her face red of anger and her cheeks wet in tears.
"That imperialist criminal..." she said,under her breath. "I wish someday he finishes like..."
She didn't knew what to say next. I asked her what did she meant and she was still silent. Arisha finished her sentence.
"One day he'll will end up like the Nazis." she completed,hugging us both.
If only the destiny and life was that lucky for us. Wishing for something can be good,but it won't be that much easy to make it into a reality.
"Да,he'll go to the courts!" Natalia exclaimed,smiling.
"For being a criminal and a murderer!" I added.
Afterwards,we separated from Arisha and I and Natalia jumped on the bed next to her,laughing. Consequently,she let herself fall between us and we both hugged her.
"Do you think it'd be possible to tell the truth?" Natalia asked,straightening up again.
"Not only it's possible but we must do it." Arisha replied,looking at the window ornaments.
"But...How would the Imperialist take it?" she said,in a worried tone,though she couldn't avoid to raise a sassy smile.
"Not well,to say the least. But sometimes the truth is uncomfortable." Arisha explained,raising her shoulders. "At some point he'd have to realize the harm he is causing with his lies and wars."
"I'm already telling the truth..." I whispered,looking at the window.
"How?" Natalia asked,surprised.
"RTS." I replied. RTS stands for Radio Television Serbia.
"You're incredibly brave raising your voice against him." Arisha said,then,carefully caressing my cheek "I told you,you've bravery,honor and dignity,моя любовь,three things the pindo doesn't."
After that,we went to the Red Square. While she was playing with some children who passed by the square with their parents,I and Arisha sat on the bench,observing the scene,while laying on her thighs. It was a solid day,neither bad nor good.
24th April
That criminal Alfred Jones has been at it yet again. This time,he attacked the RTS Headquarters in Belgrade,killing 16 and wounding at the same number. I was weak during this day and Arisha comforted me. The only actual crime that they've ever "committed" was doing their jobs.
"It's... I-It's not fair...They didn't do anything bad...!" I exclaimed,trying to hold the tears "Neither them...nor M-Milica...nor anyone..."
And once Natalia heard about it from Arisha,she was rightfully outraged.
"That imperialist scoundrel!" she screamed,turning red out of rage. She kicked her ball,which slammed against the wall and bounced,finishing by a distant tree's foot. "That's what I'd do to him!"
Hitting him with a ball? That's it? That's nothing,I thought to myself. Maybe a large rock or a brick could be a better item to throw at him,if she insists.
And finally,while I was sleeping yesterday at the near midnight,I overheard them. They talked about the current situation of getting rid of Yeltsin.
"The good part is that I'm convinced that he won't make it to the next year." Natalia said.
"He will resign?" Arisha asked.
"I suppose,I don't think there's anyone in the Duma who has in mind kicking him out," she shrugged. "What I don't know is who will substitute him until the elections. I hope the CPRF wins the elections this time."
Elections? That's a non-violent way to get rid of him,but then,the next Russian elections will happen in 26th March 2000,and I don't want the bombings to endure for an entire year because of this.
"Yeah,so that I can finally get rid of this disgusting drunkard." Arisha sighed,looking at the window,thoughtful. Then,she proclaimed "Someday,I'll create a global communication channel to uncover all of the pindo's lies and propaganda...With facts,non-Western facts,which is what annoys him the most. In fact," she continued "I once remembered the time when a handful of the majority of his people stood against him during the Vietnam War,proclaiming the truths he didn't want to hear,which made his brain crack every time. And even to this day,if he gets confronted unprepared,he'll shake himself and then cracking. It comes from my self-experience and I really wish I could confront him against any time soon."
That's very great to hear,in fact,intriguing. As I've said before back in Rambouillet,he'll lie in order to save his face and sanity. But whatever they're up to,their plans are going to be built up.
27th April
I and Arisha were playing chess and she told me that Athene has announced through her phone to Arisha that she knows a NATO supply line and that she's going to go with some of her citizens to make them a "little visit". Or as Athene has put it "...to have a face to face with the Devil."
I assumed that it's Alfred that she's going to confront. As such,Arisha also told me that the reason why she's going to do it is because she's sick of Alfred and his abuses,particularly for the death of Milica Rakic and the destruction of the RTS building.
We wished her luck.
29th April
Yesterday,Athene finished her battle against him and sent a long letter to us. I slept during her reading and she was able to explain to me when I woke up today.
On that same day,the Avala Tower has been destroyed. No one has died,but NATO removed our only largest observatory in Yugoslavia,which was one of the largest towers in the World.
Back to Athene,after I red Athene's letter,I made a conclusion that while she indeed enjoyed it,she sacrificed her patience and nerves to accomplish it. The best part of this letter was when Athene threw a tomato at Alfred's face,given by her friend Violet,a journalism student. I suspected that the tomato was rotten. Also,she and some of her people have also thrown fruits and vegetables at the walking military vehicles.
While still in Arisha's apartment,Natalia has bought a British newspaper which had a heading that read "Angry Greeks hit NATO supply lines. Protests: Trains blocked and strikes threatened."
Arisha and Natalia have started laughing and I just came out of the dining room asking what's going on. I also started laughing at it.
What I laughed at wasn't the headline. Far from it,I've found it irrelevant. What it DID made me laugh was the headline picture and...he,he...and the picture...Oh God,the picture.
This picture depicted Alfred positioned of being hit and he tried to run from it. He had his left face pelted red and his glasses moved diagonally,meaning that it also made his glasses move below by the hit of it. And the picture headline which read "Paint it red: Alfred F. Jones,Leader of NATO,attacked by "wild and primitive" mob." I suspect that the "wild and primitive" mob were Athene's people,labeling them as such for daring to humiliate him yet again.
It was so great that I cut the picture and kept it for now on,and I also printed that picture for them to see,along for Athene.
And before we went to eat breakfast,I called Athene.
"Athene?" I said.
"Yes?" she said.
"Was the tomato that you threw at him rotten?" I asked.
"I didn't checked the smell," she said,starting to giggle "but let's make it that it was."
When I ended the call and informed Arisha and Natalia about it,we both launched into another wave of laughter because of it. Again,serves Alfred right.
2nd May
Today,Arisha announced to me that her long-time friend named Liu Wang,the one from 26th March UN meeting,will come in her house as a guest. I couldn't wait for me to see her in person. I also asked her if we can return to the battlefield in Yugoslavia and she said that we must do so,but not after she talks to Liu.
She called for the demand that the Russian volunteers and the Serb soldiers to give all information about what has been going on while she and I were in Russia. And the Saint Basil's Cathedral was monumental,both by its meaning and its colors.
When Liu arrived at 12:30,they both were silent at each other,because of the very deep disputes they had over the last forty or so years.
When they talked about their past conflicts and laughed at it for being stupid over it,and then befriended each other,Liu broke the one-minute silence.
"What happened? she asked,approaching us.
"NATO's attacking him." Arisha replied.
"I heard that on TV,but why?" she asked again.
There are many reasons why,but I forgot to bring the ultimatum letter with me. So I thought a short but acceptable answer.
"Because Milosevic is a Socialist and a Serb Nationalist." I replied,firmly,after managing to calm myself down "The rest of the "reasons" are excuses."
"I've always knew Alfred was a criminal." Liu snarled,rolling her eyes.
"We're planning to return to the battlefield in a while,if you want to come with us..." Arisha told her,in a slightly shy tone.
"That'd be great,but someone needs to handle the defense at the international institutions." she thanked Arisha,smiling. "Leave that to me,you go help the people to defend and protect themselves from NATO,I'll try to have a Security Council meeting called."
I wanted to tell her that it wasn't worth it because of what happened in 26th March,but I didn't do so because I didn't wanted to upset them.
6th May
Me and Arisha are at nearby the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. We're here with a group of volunteers and firemen,ready in case anti-aerial alarms start ringing again. While I was playing with a rubber ball,Arisha played with a stick.
Ten minutes later,she suddenly and angrily broke the big stick she played with,probably because she thought about something provocatory for her. It made me turn at her and started a conversation with her.
In that conversation,I tried to guess the roots of Alfred's desire and,dare I say it,the will,to destroy me,but once I said it,she replied that he had it all planned. It made me threw the rubber ball at the field violently. Luckily,a fireman picked it up for me,and I thanked him for it.
"Why?!" I asked,angrily "Because I shot down one of his planes?! Because I didn't allowed him to build his stupid camps in its territory?!"
"It's probable" she replied,taking my hand "Alfred Jones is a coward...an imperialist and a coward. Remember when Lien was fighting for her independence? When he realized he couldn't confront her militarily,he used Agent Orange on her camps and forests."
"He bombed her with oranges?!" I asked,shocked.
"No,you silly,he didn't." she replied,giggling and caressing my hair for not knowing that I asked claimed something stupid "That's his codename for chemical bombs and napalm. He didn't liked getting resisted for more than a decade."
"I see." I concluded,then whispered "Am I really a criminal?"
It shocked her to the core. It made her believe that I'm trolling her,but that wasn't my intention. I told her that I asked it because I had a feeling that I somehow deserved it. I also told her that I have a fear of failing anyone,my friends,allies,my president and our cause. She understood me and she told me that I should think about something nice whenever I have this unique but bad feeling.
The Anti-aerial alarms have sounded again. We all stood up at once. Arisha and I hugged,before our volunteering groups separated.
7th May
We're at Athene's house,just like with Liu,I was silent until I find the point where the conversation gets interesting. It got interesting to me when Athene said that Liu stands against Alfred too,which made them laugh sourly,because the affirmation wasn't comical.
"Would he attack Liu as well?" I asked,getting serious straightening in bed and laying in Arisha's lap.
"I don't think so." she said "She has nukes."
"So…If I had nukes…He wouldn't attack me?" I asked,raising my eyebrow.
"No. He's an imbecile,but not that much."
"Can I get some?"
"Arisha could transfer some to you." Athene suggested.
"She could?" I looked at her.
"I'd love to,but I can't." Arisha sighed,tired "It's forbidden by the international law and I don't feel like downgrading myself to Alfred's level."
"Oh,that's true,silly me." Athene said,sadly.
"And my president can't start up a nuclear program,because we ratified that treaty." I said,annoyed.
And because it's too late. I mean really,has anyone built a nuclear program at the midst of a war? Yugoslavia doesn't even have any RESOURCES to accumulate and build one big nuke,let alone a program for it. If he did,Alfred would have no guts to label me with that annoying "Genocidal Brat" name,and much less attack me.
"There's always the option of withdrawal,but it's actually a pretty dirty trick." Athene pointed out. Her tone indicated that she had thought of an action as serious as that many times,but with NATO.
"Yes,but no,I'm not like him." I replied,giggling.
Or am I?
8th May
Another attack has happened yesterday,this time against Liu's Embassy,killing three people and injuring twenty. Arisha said that it's probably because Liu tried to ask for another UNSC meeting.
"D...Didn't…D...Didn't y...you say…t...that with n...nukes…y...you were…m...more protected?" I muttered,fearfully.
She covered her face with her hands and screamed for five seconds in anger,probably because she thought that Alfred outsmarted her belief that he can't attack others with nukes. After that,she fixed her hair by removing her bangs.
"I...I'm as surprised as you are,my love." she sighed.
"Who isn't?" We turned. Athene has returned. She left her jacket in the armchair and sat in the chair by our side. "Seriously,what a disgusting criminal Alfred is."
"Has NATO said something about it?" Arisha asked.
"This hasn't been NATO,surprisingly,this has been perpetrated by Alfred because he wanted the usual." Athene explained,angrily "Anyway,I've just spoken with Maria and she told me about it."
I don't know how would Liu react to this. But I know that she'll be furious.
9th May
Today's the Victory Day,the day when we defeated and vanquished Nazism. But,Arisha didn't smiled at it,especially because of the Soviet Collapse in 1991.
I kicked the ball at her foot to cheer her up. I asked her to play with me and she did.
When Liu entered Athene's house,she slammed the door,making us jump in our seats.
"What happened?" Athene asked,offering her a chair."
"Alfred happened." Liu answered,sitting in it,looking at her.
An uncomfortable silence followed her words,but Athene broke it.
"Did he gave you an explanation?" Athene asked.
"Yes and that's what pisses me off. He said that it has been an accident." Liu replied,angrily. "I mean,if it really was an accident,why did he launched four missiles against my embassy?!"
After her words,we successfully cheered Liu up after few minutes,so that she doesn't grow more angrier.
After we managed to calm her down,she said that her people have protested today against NATO and Alfred,carrying the Nazi signs and shouting the Anti-American Slogans.
Athene suggested that we should visit Acropolis,and we did. We stayed there for some time and afterwards,we went to our homes.
12th May
While I walked over Kragujevac and I saw,as if it were from nowhere,four trucks holding two flags,slowly moving towards Belgrade,along with around 100 soldiers. One was black with red and white cross with red and white circle with five black "B" letters,and the other one was the Nazi flag with a completely different symbol.
Nazis?! What are they doing here? I didn't knew that some of them would help me. I approached them.
"Excuse me." I asked "What are you doing here,and are you Nazis?"
"No we aren't." one of the soldiers have said "We're the BWB,a sub-group of the AWB or the Afrikaner Resistance Movement. We're here to volunteer because we sympathize with the Yugoslavian people's cause."
"We sent a letter to the Yugoslavian embassy and our government of Suid-Afrika asked that we should be allowed to send the force." another soldier has said.
"Intriguing." I said,doubting them "Who's your leader?"
"Andrew Ford,if you mean by the leader of the BWB." the third soldier approached us "But if you mean who's the Leier of the AWB,his name is Eugene Terre'Blanche. He's currently at South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and he's still in prison."
"Understood." I concluded.
"Do you want a cigarette?" the second soldier asked,showing me the cigarette.
"Uhm...ok." I agreed,lighting the cigarette with their lighter "Thanks for the offer."
I can't really remember when was the last time I smoked a cigarette,maybe at Racak,but I don't really smoke. Arisha would kill me is she caught me smoking,believing that I'm still too young to smoke.
"Now,if you want to give help to my people,go to the major cities,particularly in Belgrade,and start helping the others by creating humanitarian aid or placing them into shelters." I advised them,in a serious tone.
"We're heading towards it. Kid,where's Belgrade?" the first soldier asked me.
"Just go straight to the north and then to the left." I told them,navigating the direction with my finger,pointing to the north "But you should be careful of the NATO planes,they started targeting civilian targets since the beginning of the April. Also,my name is Vuk Misic,not "Kid"."
"Thanks!" the third soldier exclaimed "We'll remember this and tell our leaders about it."
"You're welcome." I ended the conversation,leaving them to their ways and then headed towards Visevac.
First the Russians,then the Greeks,after that the Spanish and then the South Africans came here. Many volunteers from all around the World have,apparently,started to slowly see that by helping Yugoslavia would benefit their cause and in return,ours.
14th May
Once again,that criminal...no...I should no longer refer him as a "criminal",it's too soft. That MONSTER Alfreak has targeted another Kosovar village called Korisha,near Prizren. Under this attack,which is by far the most deadly attack as of now,he killed 86 and wounded 100 people,all of them being the Albanian refugees.
I was there and the scenes were almost the same as they were in Djakovica,only this time,I had the time to ask him if he's absolutely sure that he's with Alfreak,and he said that he isn't and that his government couldn't do anything about it. We tried to save them,but the planes were quicker enough to massacre them.
When I came back to home at the near midnight,I received a call from my sister and she told me that her plan is now ready for action,and that she'll execute it at tomorrow afternoon. She also said that her plan would be the most riskiest action she'll ever taken,since the Cuban Missile Crisis. I wished her luck and farewell,and I also prayed that she doesn't end up in prison,and then brutally beaten by Yeltsin for failing at it.
And not only that,my people have started,since late April,to lose hope and morale. I saw many of them around me and they feel betrayed,lied to and left to rot because of the Russia's absence. Even Milosevic has started considering to slowly prepare for our surrender. I and Arisha can't let that happen and Arisha must succeed...or else I'll start to lose my own hope as well.
At this point,my dear diary and the comrade from nowhere,I'll end this conversation with you. You were my companion since I brought you at the start of the WW1,as my own military diary. Yes,I have many for each important event,but you're the new one since 24th March,when the bombings began.
I wish you good night and goodbye. Thanks for everything.
Here's the Sixth Chapter. This chapter is by far the most longest chapter in this fanfic. It oversimplified the events from the beginning of the bombings until 14th May,i.e. from this - slytherinroja/art/The-Other-1999-No-more-West-766333000 to this - slytherinroja/art/The-Other-1999-Sour-Victory-804656824.
On the next chapter,the point of divergence will show up and everything afterwards will be completely altered and created in a custom and unique fashion.
Again,to know about my Alternative History of the 1999 bombings,copy this link here - /FAlavanja/status/1215255011732742144.
Thanks for reading.