October, 14th 1941

Location: Russia – Retreating from incoming German Forces

The loss of Rzhev

6 years later, I matured to an extent. I was 24 at this time. I had been such an elitist, or I believed to be an elitist over most men my age. Some who had never shot a weapon before. I took lives when I was only 10 years old. I had some experience, but those were just assassins, they weren't soldiers, I learned my lesson after Rzhev and when I learned it, And because of such a brutal life experience. I became a much better soldier. Efficient, hardened, clever…I understood the need for survival. The only difference was that I couldn't honestly allow the Soviet Union to have me tracked in their records. So unlike most, I stole a uniform of a dead Russian soldier. And with it I integrated my way into the Red Army without much consequence.

Innokenti had gripped the Mosin Nagant, Hands etched over the weapon from the stock to the handguard, there was an entire group of soldiers, they were all from the advancing armies and whilst traveling to Rzhev had the intention of trying to take the city back and also resupply themselves with the existing munitions. The Red army trailed across the Volga, The sunny morning wasn't something that brightened his day. Yet the loud explosions continuously happened one after another. Kenya merely closed his eyes quietly trying to place his mind away from the destruction, the transport truck continued to move and with it carrying a neat row of soldiers on both sides which were all falling back to a better position. It took the course of a few hours, though they eventually fell back to the Kalinin front so that they could effectively mount a defensive position for the advancing German soldiers. As the transport truck stopped at what appeared to be a clearing. Kenya's hand would grab the edge of the trucks side before vaulting out to take a look at their new location.

Examining the line between them and the ensuing German 9th Army, Innokenti felt a hand lightly tapping his winter coat. It was one of his newer 'friends' Alik.

"Evening…so what's our orders."

Kenya questioned the male, Curious as to what they had planned, Innokenti rarely asked of what he needed to do. Just overheard whatever the officers spoke of as an order. They had been currently given orders to set-up a defensive position. Alik allowed Innokenti to know upfront, especially his thoughts on the consequences of not being able to let the enemy reach Moscow.

"Ya know I have some family in the capital. I feel like if the Germans kill us here. They'll die. It's why I'm so determined to hold this line. For their sakes get it?"

Innokenti merely mumbled the words 'yes' As if he could truly understand, In reality he couldn't, Despite Innokenti being born in the U.S, His ethnicity had mostly been Russian. Yet his father and mother, even his sister, they were all confirmed dead from his point of view. All he had was himself and there was no guarantee that he'd actually survive this war with his mind or body intact. Grabbing hold of the shovel, Innokenti shoved the tool directly into the grass and lifted out mounds of dirt, Though before fully getting started, Soldiers from all around made sure that their rifles had been resting against one another in a sort of triangle to keep them placed out of the way. The Soviet soldiers crowded around the same areas stretched from one end to the other. Using their own shovels to effectively toss away extra unused dirt until mounds had been formed in the front of him, Until they tried to make something as close to a barrier as possible. The delivering of DP-27 Machine guns were issued to a few troops that had been lined on the trench. They were made for simplicity and ease of operation. Which too many were the best for the Soviet army.

A few of the soldiers had playfully joked of what they wanted to do when they reached Berlin, Or should they say get to Hitler.

"If I get my hands on him. I'd hang the Nazi by his throat in front of the 3rd Reich."

One of the soldiers had turned their attention to Alik before questioning him as well.

"What about you Alik if you see him."

Alik had removed a cigarette from the inside of his winter jacket before he placed it up to tip of his lips. Removing a rather decent zippo lighter. Alik had lit the end of the menthol before white smoke bellowed from his lips directly into the air. Even with it done, His eyes lightly shrugged answering as honestly as he possibly could about such a topic.

"Knowing me, I'd tie his eyes up with a scarf. Tell him walk 40 paces East, Then I'd shoot him."

A few smiles appeared before they examined Innokenti. He was the more reserved type, More so then Alik. With his almost solemn disposition the question had eventually landed in the male's lap. That's when Kenya removed a sharp looking spike, it was a piece of metal that had ripped out of a tank. It was almost like a really thin needle. Still Innokenti twirled such a thing across his fingers before deciding to answer.

"If I found Hitler, I'd most likely stab him in the throat with this." He wanted to state his Hidden Blade. Yet doing so could lead to a few of them thinking he was out of his mind, or if they knew of the lore, Depending on what side they'd probably question him. A way to fully keep his identity hidden, He took his father's advice and even used his father's name, Nikolai, It made things easier for him. Requesting a sur name had been difficult yet he wouldn't bother developing one just yet. Or maybe he'd have to borrow one from a dead Soviet if he could ever care to remember them. Upon finding any interest in their conversation. There had been a steady supply of food which came through the area. Innokenti hadn't eaten in 2 days and this was the best time to actually do so. Being given rations equally, Kenya had hid away his can of meat before quietly pressing the tip of his Hidden Blade into the top of the can. He'd carve out a thin line into a circle until he could see the meat inside. It appeared to be something good, or at the least it was fresher than trying to look for insects and other things that could be considered sustenance. As Kenya viciously bit the chunks of meat, the taste was decent, it was just pieces of roast beef which oddly reminded him of the days he spent with Nadya and her family. It wasn't as tasty as their cooking, but it certainly wasn't bad in the least. With his stomach settling nicely with the meager meal. Kenya had been given duty to watch the line for the evening. They hadn't any raids just yet, though from his experiences in Rzhev, Innokenti had learned that it wasn't exactly easy to fight an enemy who planned before you.

Over the course of a few weeks, they had only 3 or 4 run in's. And before they knew it, it had already turned from October to November. Their gear started to change to fit the season. After all things would only be getting tougher here on out. As the chilling winds stung the remaining soldiers unclothed from the ensuing winds, a supply truck eventually came in to make sure the soldiers had been suited and booted for winter.

"Alright!"

The Commissar spoke in Russian

"If you're feeling cold, Time to get your uniforms!"

Some of the soldiers instantly jumped up and hopping over the cold trench just to head to the truck. Alik and Kenya merely stayed in the trench a moments more before slowly getting out, there had been no rush, yet at the same time, they felt something was a little off. Along with the uniforms, one of the soldiers managed to cook some rather warm Borscht in the chilling winds. To which many of them wanted to eat once they got their gear. With the snow slowly coming in, Innokenti eventually obtained another Winter Jacket along with an white over coat and gloves, His boots had to be refitted over with another winter set in order to meet the challenge of the seasons, Though as his form nestled down back into the trench, A sense of security washing over him, A small bowl of Borscht and bred cheered him up from such an dampened mood.

"Here I thought things would be bleak."

Kenya silently whispered taking note-worthy nods at the quality of the food he had been given.

Though the week that followed, honestly showed that their superiors wanted to see some sort of breakthrough among the enemy.

"Alright up and adam soldiers!"

They all looked at the Commissar before grabbing their weapons, it was honestly time to move out, there had been Intel reading that German units had been making their way through the opposite side of the plain. Soviet soldiers who had been a part of the 29th Army could easily outmatch them if they had been given the proper lee-way in beating them to the punch. Alik picked up his PPSh-41 and watched as a neat row of men vaulted out of the trench making a mad run in the direction of the planned ambush. This was one of the things that they all were preparing for. They were fighting yet not hard as they originally intended. As Innokenti tried his hardest to cross through the snowy field he could see black specks through the array of winter winds. From here he knew there had been enemies waiting for them in a pre-planned attack.

So they know we're here?

Innokenti questioned slowing down pace and letting some of the others take the lead, There wasn't any way he'd allow himself to be torn apart from running into the face of enemy fire. That was beyond asinine in his opinion. Though when it started all he could see was a row of his comrade's drop to the ground from the first few shots. Taking a knee, Kenya trained his sights on a moving target trying to switch positions between them in order to keep the pressure on. Squeezing the trigger, a single round left his rifle hitting the German across the torso and red painting the snow a vivid crimson.

"Alik! Alik! They have an MG-34. Get a grenade over there!"

Not many of them had a grenade. Though there had been one to actually meet the need, a young man by the name of Anisim managed to take hold of the Model Stielhandgranate, Pulling the cord from the back of the grenade, the young boy had extended his arm back before tossing it as far as he could in the direction of the enemy. With the delay being just 4-5 seconds an explosion went up and with it were 2 bodies who had been caught in the blast. A wail of panic had been sent from the Germans as the assault continued to push advancing Soviet forces into their line of sight. The closer they managed to get, the further the Germans retreated. It appeared this was a small victory, among those that managed to slink back to the line. Innokenti's vision focused on the remaining soldiers. Even though there had been 40 of them. Only 28 appeared to be alive and intact. Half their group had been destroyed from the MG earlier. Calmly walking over to a few of the other bodies that laid covered in the snow. One of them had still been alive. He appeared to have been pleading for what life he had left. Yet there couldn't be an evidence of mercy on this battle field.

Kenya aimed his Mosin down at the male's head before squeezing the trigger. One round was what it took to silence the pleading male. And with his death came scavenging. Watching as Anisim slowly walked up to Kenya the male knelt down, He had quietly pulled another body from the snow. A dead German who had one of his legs blown off from the earlier hand grenade.

"Good call with the grenade comrade..."

The boy stated, His hands removing the K98K from the enemy's body, taking everything of value. Which included their remaining supplies, equipment, and spare food if they had it in order to effectively stay alive in this terrible weather. Kenya ironically found something of use from the enemy. A bayonet which had been intended for a K98K rifle had been removed along with the sheath. The Red Army didn't give out combat knives so this had been the closest thing to an up close and personal weapon. Still, as he watched them, they began to pick up whatever remaining supplies or food that had been left behind in the aftermath of the fight. One of the Machine Gunners had picked up the MG-34 before tossing the weapon across his shoulder picking up the remaining rounds. This wall they do for now. Innokenti and the remaining forces retreated back to their trenches. Unsure if they could continue to attack without being caught out in the open. It was just something small that they could celebrate for the time being. Still once they made it back to the trenches, some of the Russians gloated with the new found goodies they received from the ill-trained troops. Or in this case those that had been mixed in with experienced soldiers. Watching as one of the soldier's set-up the MG-34 and aimed it in the direction of the forest location.

Anisim eventually took a seat next to Innokenti, The dirt below them had been rock hard, and so it wasn't the best place for a person wanting to have a conversation. Though that's when the male decided to remove from the bread bag a nice loaf of genuine goodness.

"Bread bag huh…Is it fresh?"

Innokenti had been more concerned about the male's health then his own at the moment. After all, he would be the one to actually eat the bread.

"Fresh as it'd ever be, Want any?"

Innokenti removed the knife from its sheath before cutting a medium sized piece from the loaf.

"Thanks..."

Eventually the winter fighting dawned on, continuing to take upon the usage of ambushes from the German forces which continually mowed down any advancing Soviets. It was hard to say what would be the aftermath of anything that happened at this rate. Though things would only be tougher as the remnants of the 29th army who evaded pincer attacks laid down by the Germans managed to actually aide the 39th army and 11th Calvary corp. The seasons changed, an advance from winter to spring which brought upon resistance fighters known as the Partisans. Such groups had been an effective measure which made it harder for German ground troops to continue receiving supplies or stinting operations in their tracks by constant intervention. Even Kenya had given them their respective praise for such assignments. As the change of weather came to a somewhat decent warmth in the air. Innokenti switched out his winter gear to an M1942 Tunic, Along with combat trousers and black boots which extended up to his shins. The green helmet appeared to have the indication of a red Soviet star in its middle. After the intense winter fighting, their unit had been exposed to the destruction 88's pounding their positioning. Making it all the more harder to stay stationary when exposed to the elements, Forcing him and a few remaining friends to be paired with the different mixed forces.

Anisim, Alik...They managed to survive the winter, ironically he did see the destruction of his other comrades lost to the cold or died of starvation. Somehow the ones who survived still clung onto the desperate theme of hope. Innokenti watched the soldiers as they merely kept together at this new trench made in the forest. As they retreated deeper into the forest, the sounds of gunshots as one of the nearest one behind Kenya fell to the ground with a thud. What?! Eyes cut to the side in order to see a falling body right before Innokenti eventually started to spring to the closest tree. The 9th Army had been closing in order to separate and destroy the remaining pockets of Soviet resistance, Even the Partisans who appeared to be trying to continuously fight back. Despite heavy losses, Innokenti had almost been out of bullets and with that said, Threw down his rifle so he could focus on running, as they retreated deeper into the forest. They managed to push North East in order to get themselves out of the Salient, yet orders were not to move…It was a conflicting thing, knowing you could die when you virtually had nothing to defend. It was honestly too frustrating for words. Tired and starving beyond all doubt, there had been now 50 soldiers of different groups. Some clung to their guns, A few wounded from early on in the battle. There had bene wounded that needed to be treated before being redeployed to the fight. Innokenti had found a near-by tree and with it he came to take a seat. The male's last meal had been 3 days ago. He had been virtually running on empty, the only thing keeping his body moving had been adrenaline and a will to survive. It was all he needed at this most dire of situations.

"Nikolai…"

Kenya looked up, acknowledging the fake name as he turned his attention to Alik, A smile coming upon his face as he replied lightly.

"I'm sorry, but I lack the energy to move. And also the energy to talk. What is it my friend?"

Innokenti stared at him, His body wouldn't even move at this point, Feeling Alik hook his form underneath his own. Kenya had been lifted from the ground, staggering forward, it was a good thing that Innokenti had decent friends that did look out for him, in a war like this, So many would've left you to die. Though he did genuinely looked out for them. After all, they were all he had at this very moment. As Innokenti slowly closed his eyes. Feeling nothing but the constant churning in his stomach. The sharp hunger which rumbled in his gut reminding him of what he needed to do now…Eat...

That day, I was so sure I would've died of starvation, I had been fighting none stop and wouldn't dare quit. Most of us fought because our lives depended on it. I fought to ensure I could kill as many as the enemy as possible. I believed in the lies. I forced myself to believe in the lies so that I became much more ferocious. It was the only way to effectively show that I could become a true demon on the battlefield. And after that day I proved this. I managed to get some food of whatever remained. Not every soldier could eat, but I was grateful that Alik gave me a portion of his own food. I had been grateful to him for that much. While determining what I was destined to do next. That day, we linked up with the remaining soldiers. 18,000 of us had managed to escape, I now realize that about 60,000 of us hadn't been as fortunate as we. All this struggle for Rzhev and it had been honestly aggravating. Yet with next month coming up, we planned strategic assaults that virtually gave us lee-way. It hadn't been as significant as we would've liked. Though it allowed us to keep going knowing there had been a goal.

August, 4rth 1942

The entire night consisted of waiting, prepping for enemy forces which were probably going to start with a pre-emptive attack. Anisim and Alik had been away from this group and ended up in Chukov's Army section, Kenya had been alone this time unaware of the destruction that would follow suit that morning. With the SVT-40 cuffed into his hands he continued aiming watching the sun come over the horizon until a loud deafening boom echoed over the distance. This had been the familiar sound to the Russians, One of their most destructive howitzers known as the B-4 otherwise known as Stalin's Sledgehammers. The sounds went on for a while, until the familiar orchestra of Katyusha rockets rained overhead tearing apart the defensive line set up by the enemy. They were in no way shape or form would recover from such an unexpected attack. Then that's when they all heard it, the sounds of roaring, the roaring of allies coming to join them in the destructive pace of the Germans.

"Go Go Go!"

A soldier yelled, firing his Tokarev into the air before deciding to hop out and run in the wake of the destruction. Chukov's Western front had finally made their presence known on the battlefield, An entire field of Soviet soldiers dashed forward, Firing their weapons in glory as they took down anyone who had been exposed to the aftermath of their attack. Innokenti zoomed his sights on trenches and fired directly at a Machine gunner putting a bullet clean through his chest before he even had a chance to set-up his gun. With him down, He pushed forward following up behind any remnant forces that stormed the field and kept going. It didn't take long to put down their enemies, it actually had been sooner than expected. Casualties were to be expected on both sides and as Innokenti saw that the assault managed to eliminate the opposition on that side of the battle. He stalked around the battlefield looking for any useful tools for his endeavors. Lowering himself down his eyes focused on a dead Russian soldier. He appeared to be a little older then himself. Though as he knelt down he removed the soldiers holster for a Tokarev TT-33 and the handgun itself. Placing this own his own person. He'd also remove the NR-40 combat knife which were issued to only a few Soviet soldiers. It was a lucky find, At least he'd put it to some practical use on the battlefield. With scavenging leading them past the first wave of exposed enemies. Kenya saw a dirt like pathway that most soldiers took. Leading them directly to one of the first villages they hadn't seen in sometime. While moving through the ruins, of an abandoned home they had seen the first row of T-34 tanks eventually make their way directly into the village of Pogoreloye Gorodishe, Upon making their way into the village they saw, They had changed from an aggressive stance to a more passive state.

Innokenti viewed firsthand the extent of how far soldiers were willing to go based on orders, Bodies were being taken out of the area. Some of them had been half-starved to death, The Jewish population in the village mostly had been shot or sent to the Rike as forced labor. Upon seeing the arrival of Soviet occupation of the area. Some of them became much more optimistic, Out of a long time these had been allies they hadn't seen in quite some time. Some of them couldn't stand the sight, they stood there struck with grief as they watched some of them lay almost as if nothing truly mattered to them at this point. It had been rather disturbing, Still, Innokenti looked down to his rifle, Switching on the safety to his SVT-40 and placed the sling of the rifle across his shoulder, Walking with a few of the other soldiers, Some of them had taken a seat, Checking around to see if any were alive from the brutality of German occupation. Looking to some of the children that came to them, some of them oblivious to the war, a few of them rather not even think about it. Kenya had sat down with a group of soldiers whom had collectively been trying to enjoy the peace that had been given to them with the first of their movements.

"How do we just. Try and shut this sort of destruction out of our minds?"

A soldier mouthed, He had been sitting near Innokenti, and Kenya merely ignored him, wondering if the male had been speaking to himself out loud. So that's when he finally patted Innokenti's elbow to make sure he had been listening to him.

"What's your name comrade?"

Gideon had questioned, Unsure of what his new found 'friend' had been named, and Innokenti softly gave a response.

"My name is Nikolai." A lie right through his teeth. The less many knew about him the better, As Gideon nodded, accepting this much as truth. He'd merely begin to knock off dirt from his tunic. Gideon was a rather brash man, while looking at the more positive things of their situation, He made it much more tolerable to fight in the destructive nature that was this war. Gideon had soon stood up, clasping his PPsh-41 while examining the one treat he managed to take from a German officer. He'd hand a large brown bar of chocolate directly to one of the children, Watching as they all went nuts over the piece of confectionary.

"Woah! Gideon you had chocolate?" A soldier stated aloud in dissatisfaction, some of them had been fighting so intensely. So an piece of candy would definitely lighten their mood. There was that constant talk of homeland, returning to Russia, and that's when Innokenti realized, where would he be returning to? He suddenly wondered if that offer Nadia had given him, Would that option still be on the table. Possibly not, though the reverie of actually working in America…It sounded so amazing to him. Yet he still may have fought in the war either way, whether as a soldier for America or Russia. Kenya had a choice in both worlds, not many had been given this lee-way with their lives.

Still, They watched the kids try and play, Despite them having mal-nutrition, Innokenti could only stand as the sounds of the Commissar eventually showed up, An was older man, One who's gray hairs and officer uniform looked more pristine this own soldiers. This much had been typical. After all the heavy fighting, the soldiers were just thrown in like a meat grinder.

Over the course of that month, I managed to keep going, Supplies were easier coming then going. We ate whatever we could get our hands on that could be considered food. During this period we were given new directives. Slowly I was becoming a bit more unfeeling to the taking human life. It had scared me that what I was turning into. With that much in mind, I was being turned into a demon, But for the sake of lives that did not need to know of this pain. I'd rather be the scape goat for this. During this period, A month after operations carried out of pushing the Germans further back. My last assignment in Rzhev had been a cornerstone for my life.

October, 19, 1942

Village Eastern of Gorodishe

"Alright Comrades! We're moving towards the next village to free from the Germans. It is heavily guarded so this may not be exactly easy."

The choked words that came from his mouth, Lies, All lies, it was never easy, And him sugar-coating it could only make a soldier feel worse off. This may be a chance where he could actually end up a dead man, Strangely enough, Innokenti had been prepared for the inevitable.

"Grab your arms and move out URAA!"

It took them a couple of hours to cross the sections of the plain uninhabited by anything currently, Though they could all hear it, The constant bombs and artillery showers that continued. Their operation had been different than a direct attack on the trenches. Once they reached the ridge which over looked into the forest, they could easily spot the village, and one main location mostly more composed then the others, As the scout identified targets especially from the outside, Some had been idling about. Were the Germans so arrogant that they'd openly not be as vigilant as they were? They couldn't have thought they'd easily win this war especially with the Soviets coming at them full force. It somewhat agitated Kenya, Gideon had shifted his PPsh-41 from his shoulder until the weapon had been waist side. Aiming forward, all of them had been given their directive. Take the village by any means, Decimate and eliminate the enemy. With such a clear and concise directive, Innokenti raised his SVT-40, fitting the bayonet piece to the end before standing up to his full height. Examining the village thoroughly, He'd eventually make way to the creek before his hands clung to the hill of the other side of the ridge. That's when he saw a few of them also calmly trying to gain the upper hand on their enemy, Unhooking the F1-Grenade from his strap, He'd pull the pin from its top before tossing it directly through an open window. Lowering himself away from the blast radius, a ray of panic stricken dialect would begin as the explosion caught all those who had been unexpecting it. Smoke bellowed from the window after the initial blast. Causing rock and debris to fly in different locations unexpectingly. Luckily, these would be the same tactics used in the future of their war.

"Go!"

Yelled Innokenti as he watched his comrades come quickly from the hill before raising their rifles, Shooting and taking the enemy by surprise, The Germans who had been casually strolling out front had been easily pierced by the rippling rounds from their rifles. Kenya had watched as a shell shocked male walked from the doorway, a steam of smoke and dirt rose from his form, though once he noticed the gray trench coat. Innokenti raised his rifle before delivering a single round to his chest. Watching the soldier fall immediately, Following into the door, a few of his comrades managed to enter the building, those that had been armed with sub-machine guns would definitely have a better chance of eliminating the enemy. Innokenti's form took cover behind the old wood of a large china cabinet, Feeling it being splintered apart by the sounds of an MP-40. Someone had found him and they were doing their hardest to try and make sure Innokenti had been killed, though the more he waited. The more of them would actually find ease with taking him down. Feeling footsteps come closer to the China cabinet. The male's hand flexed with relative ease, allowing the nostalgia of his Hidden blade to emerge. Extending his hand upwards in a sharp thrust. A blade piercing sound filled the void of the hallway, pushing it all the way to the hilt. Kenya made sure the blow he delivered had been death dealing.

Watching as the life drained from the soldiers face, Innokenti watched as the struggle gave up with no fight that could be intended by him. Pulling away his blood covered hand, He could hear the sounds of the MG-42 nest being spun up from inside the other hallway. They must've been completely unaware that there was an invasion going on currently, or it could be to prevent any more Soviets from entering the area. As Gideon lightly tapped Kenya with the stock of his PPsh he'd nod in the direction of the MG's. They had to take them down now. Aiming the SVT in the direction of the doorway. Innokenti watched as Gideon stood at the opposite side of the doorframe. Giving the male hand signals, He'd be trying to demonstrate throwing grenades directly into the room. Finally understanding the meaning of what he had been trying to convey. They'd both unhook another F1-Grenade before pulling their pins. Nodding they'd immediately tossed them inside before hiding their heads. As the explosion shook the inside of the room. The sounds of horrid cries flaring from the enemy as they had been distraught from the explosion, Gideon entered first, Aiming waist side as he sprayed from the sub-machine gun. The three caught in his wake had quickly hit the ground, Kenya entered behind him to watch one of the men crawl. Aiming his SVT down he'd pull the trigger until the last 3 rounds emptied from his magazine. Quickly removing it and putting in a full one, He'd scan the room looking for any signs of life. Without the MG's spinning up soldiers had eventually poured into the area without consequence. Cleaning or mopping up any resistance trying to flee or make an attempt to retaliate.

Alone with my thoughts…

Innokenti whispered deeply within the confines of his own mind. This was somewhat bliss, kneeling down to examine the corpse strewn about, He'd reach down to pick up an MP-40 wondering if the weapon had still been operational. It'd be useful for later when he felt that a rifle couldn't be his best friend for an up-close encounter, while deciding to push away such petty thoughts, the male eventually shuffled from the building. The attack hadn't stopped by a mild shot. Shifting the MP-40 over his shoulder. He'd pull back on the slide mechanism until the weapon had been cocked to shoot. Aiming such in the direction of what appeared to be fleeing Wehrmacht soldiers he fired. A few of them being tagged by the few rounds which emptied from the sub-machine guns. Terminating them on the spot had been the plan, and with them all taken care of from the first assault he knew there would be nowhere they could run. Watching as Gideon wanted to pursue them. He'd extend the rifle out in front of him to prevent the male from running.

"Do not worry. They probably don't know this, but those soldiers will be running directly into our other company. They can handle any stragglers. For now the village is secure. We should head back and speak with the Commissar. If we're lucky maybe we can catch a break."

It was true, A soldier who became restless, would lose their mind, their sanity would be tarnished from the constant killing. Not being able to rest was either an advantage or disadvantage when it came to time and place. Calmly examining the village, it had been emptied. Though now it was decided to be a resting point for the soldiers whenever they had been out in the field for long periods of time. As black boots touched the brown dirt pathway. Etching further into the village as they eventually took knees to listen to the Commissars words. Innokenti could see there was some hopefulness on his face. In the attack that day, they lost about 45 men, however this was always a necessary sacrifice in being able to capture that village. It took about 3-4 hours, But Kenya managed to get the rest he so desperately deserved. Though it had been short lived, a sudden shake and he had been awoke, it was the Commissar which took him from his sleep. That had been honestly surprising especially to him. Though this conversation had been of utter importance dictating Innokenti's place in the Soviets fight for the destruction of the Fascist Reich.

"Nikolai Sokolov?"

The Commissar addressed Innokenti, Good, The extent of his fake name had been just as permanent to everyone. While sitting up from his position he'd begin to listen accordingly to his words.

"Based upon your actions, with the effort of saving your comrades in the trenches. Major Smolin has told me to speak with you. Stating that your rank has been promoted from Private to Corporal. Not only this, but you and a selective few of the veterans of Rzhev will be heading directly to Stalingrad. The way you'll be sent in will be by transport. It'll take some time to reach it maybe 2-3 days, However, You'll be able to serve on this front. With your skills, I'm sure you'll be able to teach some of the newer recruits how to survive in the city."

Kenya managed to agree upon this before he felt a sense of aloneness, leaving the Rzhev front meant leaving behind so many of his comrades.

"Will anyone from our company be joining me?"

The Commissar nodded, Giving indication that he hadn't been the only one to leave. Kenya rubbed his chin presenting the Commissar with his last question.

"So when exactly do I leave sir?" Kenya stated

"Tomorrow morning, it's the reason we captured this village, for deployment to other fronts if necessary. Since we have an opening. We'll be sending you along with 30 others. We can't spare too many, Just know the nature of fighting will change once you enter the city."

That said, He'd salute the commanding officer and catching up on his sleep.

Upon the morning though, He had been greeted by fellow soldiers who also would begin to travel to the heart of the Stalingrad. Since they had captured one of the railways, they'd have to use it to travel directly to Stalingrad. As the GAZ transport truck eventually showed, Kenya managed to grab the railings before a hand extended to him. Ironically it had been Gideon, Taking the male's hand he'd be pulled into the truck before they both sat down.

"So you're also being deployed. Never would've guessed. Looks like we're in a run for our money…Hopefully we make it out of this war yeah? Nikolai?"

Innokenti agreed, A fight, All of this had been a fight for survival. As long as he had a will to keep shooting. There was no way he'd ever perish.

Man I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, Rzhev was actually a tough fight for a lot of Soviet soldiers who had to repel German attacks constantly. Known as the Rzhev Meat-Grinder due to the fact that so many soldiers basically rushed into battle and died valiantly on the field. I give my respect to those who fought in WW2. Besides that, I had to be sure that I made accurate accounts with dates, places, and time just so I didn't over complicate or stray away from what originally happened in some of these battles. Either way, The next battle for Kenya's survival comes in the next chapter.