OR2-EP1: Perun Awakens (10)

Trying to reach Kiev was not easy, the road leading from East Ukraine to Kiev was filled with refugees on the run, panic spreading and making the situation get out of control, this shaking of the order gradually spread to Kiev, and in turn, gave more voice to the armed militias in Kiev who were planning to use the opportunity to seize power. After several days on foot, they finally got a chance to make a quick getaway: a highway robbery-murder, in which several robbers stopped the jeep and shot the driver, was witnessed by a crowd of passers-by, and the ill-intentioned robbers obviously didn't want to spare any witnesses who might denounce their crime. However, the hijackers had the wrong man for the job, and after a five-minute gunfight, all four were killed, while the deserters, at McNeil's suggestion, seized the jeep and drove off in the direction of Kiev.

Of the two U.S. troops with whom they had an awkward encounter in the public restroom, Captain Alfred Shields was a half-acquaintance with McNeil, while Corporal Lucas Randal was the other deserter Captain Shields encountered halfway across the country. According to Capt. Shields, they were being pursued by Russian drones after suffering a rout on the front line, and the two had previously seized a large truck, but it broke down halfway across the road, and the two men abandoned it and walked without any means of repairing the truck, whereupon the two groups encountered and almost clashed in a public restroom. Tom himself had absolutely no recollection of the incident, and was too delirious to recall any of the events leading up to it when he was dragged into the public restroom. By the time McNeil recounted to him the story of what had happened on the road, Tom heard it only as a joke.

"Now we finally have a car." McNeil decided to let someone else drive the car, who wasn't quite skilled yet, "I have a suggestion: when we get to Kiev, don't rush to contact the outside world, and figure out how to protect ourselves first. Kiev is a mess ... the whole of Ukraine is a mess, and we don't look like there's any easy way to escape, don't waste time on pointless things."

Sgt. Salas echoed McNeil's thoughts, adding that if the Russians moved westward in the meantime, they would have to find a way to escape out of the Ukraine and find friendly forces at U.S. bases in other countries so that no one would be held accountable for their sins, either. Should Ukraine fall completely, punishing a few soldiers who had no impact on the war effort is certainly not a model example that can be held up for propaganda. The United States needed more heroes right now, and telling the public how many cowards existed here would only spread fear faster.

The Sergeant was in charge of the car, with McNeil in the passenger seat, and Captain Shields and Corporal Randal in the back tending to Tom, who was in poor health. Tom felt ashamed that he had not been of much use, but had dragged everyone down with him. If they were still in the middle of the ice, the men would have had to choose between abandoning Tom or taking him with them to their deaths, but fortunately they got out of it in time and managed to find their way to Kiev.

"There's no need to be thankful for us, we just weren't in a desperate situation." McNeil's response seemed a bit ungrateful, "There are no great benefactors here, and you would do well not to expect too much."

However, McNeil wouldn't really just abandon his comrades, he thought he was capable of handling a wide variety of occasions, and it was only by facing difficult situations together that he had any hope of victory. Otherwise, spending all of one's intelligence on counting one's comrades would end up with all of them not seeing tomorrow's sun - perhaps that was a bit much, so it would be more practical to say instead that tomorrow's sun would surely shine on their tombstones.

Of the five soldiers, Captain Shields was the only officer who had mastered Magic, a power that McNeil was curious about, and as a qualified military expert, he wanted to explore ways to apply it to a wide variety of fields. Most of the military technology in the world can play its part in the civilian realm, and McNeil believes that magic is no exception. If it was true that magic could only be applied in the military realm, then that meant that there would be countless people in the world who were born to be driven and utilized as weapons, just like the Forgottens who couldn't choose their own destiny. Captain Shields didn't look very eager to discuss the topic, and he always acted withered. Every time McNeil talked to him, the captain from California looked like he was about to take a nap, and even Sgt. Salas thought the captain was slacking off on McNeil - even though officers weren't required to treat their subordinates well in the first place.

"This is more than just a killing technique." The Captain repeated.

"So, say the car we're driving is now under the control of a computer virus, do you have any ideas on how to get it back to normal?"

"In theory, yes." The Captain pointed to Sergeant Salas who was still driving in front of him, "If the car we're driving gets hit by a virus and goes out of control, then everything in the car is equivalent to being under enemy control. And all I can do is compulsorily make it continue to act the way we want it to ... demo be spared, we haven't had an occasion like that yet."

According to Captain Shields' explanation, superpowers named magic could be used against all objects, but he wasn't yet sure if there was any magic that directly targeted the human spirit itself. McNeil had previously assumed that the man was using something like mind control to confuse somatic time, but now it appeared that was not the case, and that the Captain was simply skillful in some of the little tricks that allowed him to move quickly himself. In any case, magic to McNeil was a relatively materialistic concept, altering external phenomena directly by one's own will, seemingly a power reserved for the gods. McNeil didn't think humans could make good use of it, and he was wary of the development of some dangerous technologies. Since the humans here tried to see magic as a science, it was all the more important to be cautious about new technologies that could pose hidden dangers.

They didn't run into any more trouble this time, and the group was spared many worries for the time being, except for the realization that they were each out of money when they were charging at a gas station halfway through the trip. Money was a big problem, McNeil had none on him, he couldn't remember having any deposits in a bank in the United States proper, and several others, who also seemed to be big spenders with a sprinkling of money, had told McNeil they couldn't come up with any spare cash. Sergeant Salas had three children to support, Tom's entire family were laborers, Corporal Randal's family's crops had failed, and the only other deserter from a well-to-do area seemed to have lost a large amount of money due to some accident.

"I'm sorry, but when I first graduated from college, I took my parents' savings and lost it all in stocks." No guilt could be heard in Captain Shields' tone.

"Money's a big problem." McNeil sighed, "I've got bad news, all the cash we all have on us adds up to only ten dollars."

"It could be transferred or used in electronic accounts and credit cards-"

"Stupid, that would definitely expose us."

"What else can we do?" Tom grumbled in a low voice, seeing that the atmosphere was off and knowing he was in the wrong. He knew he couldn't help his teammates as a near-injured character, "We can't really go robbing, can we?"

Sgt. Salas braked suddenly, catching the crowd off guard and nearly hitting the glass and seats. Covering his forehead McNeil looked exasperatedly at the thoughtful Sergeant, who had come to a similar conclusion.

"Robbery it is then, I see that's the only way out."

Technically, the solution was feasible. The situation in the Ukraine had been quite volatile lately, and many citizens, worried that banks would fail due to the economic stress and chaos of the situation, were rushing to exchange cash, and Kiev had now seen at least two robberies targeting citizens exchanging cash. With Ukrainian police officers busy dealing with the citizens of Kiev and armed militias, no one is bothered about ordinary civilians who have lost their money. While McNeil initially disapproved of the scheme, he was forced to admit that they had to get cash quickly, and a robbery was the fastest way to do it. Looking out over the monotonous landscape of the roadside, McNeil couldn't help but marvel at how quickly hearts fell. Their actions not too long ago didn't seem to count as righteous; the robbers had killed the owner of the car at the time, and by killing the robbers in turn and taking over the car, they were half robbers, they just didn't have to take the blame for the owner's death.

They were checked one last time before entering downtown Kiev, and Captain Shields, who came to their defense, falsely claimed that they were commissioners from a mining company in the United States, and showed them protective suits that he had grabbed halfway across the country - if the owner of the car had been an unemployed hooligan when he was alive, one wonders how Shields would have covered it up! - and thus succeeded in muddying the waters. Instead of rushing to find a place to stay, they parked the car on the street, with Tom staying inside to rest, Sergeant Salas standing near the car to patrol it from other robbers, and the other three going off to scout the neighborhood for targets. They ran head-on into the parade and had to walk around to avoid getting hurt in the clash between the two groups. A somewhat fearful McNeil ran a few dozen meters away before looking back from time to time to watch the intersection that had become a battleground. Armed militiamen with clubs and Molotov cocktails were fighting hard, and there was not a single police officer in the vicinity.

"God, these people are crazy." McNeil sighed heavily as he looked at the citizens who were smashing the windows of the stores on the side of the road with their bats.

"They've already behaved themselves by not rushing up and taking a direct swing at you." Captain Shields, still with an indifferent expression, grabbed three coats and some scarves from a ransacked store on the side of the road, asking the other two to cover up their true colors. This time they were 100% robbers, and anyone who saw these three men rampaging down the road would subconsciously make way for them. Even those citizens with weapons in their hands had to retreat when they saw them, they couldn't figure out if these guys who dared to casually go out on the streets without a murder weapon in their hands were even crazier thugs or not.

They quickly found their target, and when a middle-aged man close to two meters tall dragged a package out of a nearby bank, he suddenly slipped under his legs and fell heavily to the ground. The three men hiding nearby immediately sprang into action, McNeil running with the package in his arms while Corporal Randal, who was close behind, seeing that his opponent was not easy to deal with, rushed forward and strangled the Ukrainian man with his strong arms to the point of unconsciousness on the spot before leaving. Captain Shields, who was strolling nonchalantly past the bank entrance, graciously flung at the unconscious man a couple of ration tickets, which had been used to buy food and belonged to the previous owner of the car ... Hopefully the poor man, who had been robbed of his savings, still had the money to buy food.

Sgt. Salas saw McNeil running from a distance, clutching a black package, and he rushed to open the door of the car, and just as he started the car, McNeil had rushed to the passenger seat, and the other two men had gotten into the back. The group withdrew from the scene in a huff and double-checked the details to make sure that the Ukrainian police in Kiev were unlikely to catch them. The daring Sgt. Salas took advantage of the confusion on the way into town to remove the license plate plate of an unowned car on the side of the road and put it on their vehicle, and by the time the Ukrainian police realized what was going on, they were long gone from this hellhole.

Unable to contain their joy, the deserters began to check their haul, a giant package totaling close to ten million Ukrainian hryvnia, not a huge amount, but enough to support their activities in the Ukraine for the last few days. McNeil looked up the various major hotels in Kiev on the travel website and chose a hotel with a slightly out-of-the-way address as their temporary lodging. Any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a big problem; it was the accounts that couldn't even be counted that were fatal.

"We're rich now, but it's a pity that we can't bring this money back home." Sergeant Salas looked sadly at McNeil who was still counting money.

"How about ... we convert this money into dollars and divide it?" Tom suggested.

"Divide it? How?" Corporal Randal looked at the shivering Tom, "Someone which, didn't contribute from the beginning to the end, but is diligent when it comes to dividing the money!"

"Shut up and cut the crap." Capt. Shields stepped out of the car, removed the fake license plate number and threw it in the trunk. The group booked five rooms in the hotel, during which McNeil proposed that the group take turns looking after Tom, who was suspected of being ill, which was supported by the other three. Tom insisted that he wasn't sick and said that he was unconscious at the time solely because he hadn't eaten for too long, but within a couple of hours he had a fever, and he had to settle down to be watched over as a patient. Corporal Randal seemed to have a hard time with Tom, who was not working, so Captain Shields gave Sergeant Salas the job of looking after the sick man.

They had a rare few days of calm. Tom's health was finally back to normal, and the entire daily life of the group consisted of squatting in the hotel and watching the forces mingle in the streets of Kiev. Every night they would collectively watch the local news channels of the United States of America follow the situation in the Ukraine, but they still didn't get any useful news. There was so much disinformation in the native Ukrainian media that McNeil didn't think the reports were worth believing.

In the midst of the vocal and various confrontations in Kiev, a strange organization caught McNeil's attention. The color scheme of the Trident Shield, the emblem of Rurik that represents the Ukrainian national coat of arms, should be blue and yellow, whereas the group that is currently dominating Kiev is using a red and black color scheme.

"I can't imagine we've supported them before." McNeil quickly retrieved information about the organization on the Internet. Ukraine has always had strong anti-Russian sentiments since it became fully independent, as evidenced by the ban on speaking Russian, but this organization's antipathy toward Russia reached a level that bordered on paranoia. Not only that, but the more dangerous fact is that lately they seem to be targeting all foreigners in Ukraine.

"Yes, they're mad dogs, but the OUN is still our mad dogs after all." Captain Shields didn't seem concerned with the facts.

As long as the guys who were still causing mayhem on the streets weren't messing with them, McNeil figured the best thing they could do was get through the tough times at hand. By the morning of February 2, McNeil's alarm was raised when a group of heavily armed militia tried to attack the hotel and were repelled by the hotel security. These guileless fellows would leave no premises untouched where they could loot, even seemingly upscale hotels and clubs were not spared; after all, the men were storming the presidential palace-the president was reportedly planning to flee to Romania. At 1:00 p.m. on February 2, the five men assembled in McNeil's room for a brief meeting to discuss the what to do next.

Over the course of a few days, the most noticeable change in appearance was that of Sgt. Salas, the oldest, who became unkempt and looked a dozen years older. The sergeant himself said that he was really worried about his family, and even more worried that they would make a serious mistake in an irrational manner after mistaking him for dead, and the thought of these things made him so sad that he couldn't eat.

Corporal Randal, who had been playing the game, scoffed at this, confused as to why there were so many people in the world who were so busy getting married only to regret it afterwards.

"From the way things have been going the last few days, they may be coming for real." McNeil jumped to a conclusion first, "The streets of Kiev are saying that our forces have suffered a complete defeat on the Eastern Front and arguing that our interference and suppression of Ukraine has caused just as many Ukrainians to die senselessly. The OUN has issued an ultimatum to the President at yesterday's rally, and I'm told their President is now seriously considering fleeing to Romania."

"That's ridiculous too." Tom thoughtfully observed the confronting militia below from the window, "They have completely lost control of all force in such a short period of time, the military and police have no way of restoring order ... I don't understand how this is happening, mind you he's the president! All the president needs to do is to give an order to eradicate these guys who are taking to the streets and causing trouble, so why are they so weak and incompetent?"

"Because he got into office by bribery and doesn't have the backbone to be the first to move against his opponents ..."

Either way, they can't let OUN actually take control and threaten their personal safety. McNeil was carefully calculating every possible omission, and GDI didn't penalize soldiers who deserted during the Third Tiberian War because their main force was wiped out by SCRIN. Since Captain Shields claimed that they could accomplish some unexpected surprise attacks with the help of magic, McNeil went along with a risky plan: the OUN had piled up a large amount of supplies on the nearby streets, and McNeil planned to sneak up on their position in the middle of the night and burn all of the supplies. Of course, doing so would inevitably make the conflict more violent, except that McNeil simply didn't want to see OUN in the Presidential Palace, and organized evil was much harder to deal with.

The group left the room promptly at around 10:00 p.m., pretending to go out and purchase merchandise, and detoured into the underground parking lot and removed the weapons they had hidden in their cars. They left along the dead end of the security cameras and made their way to the street, by which time most of the citizens involved in the standoff had left, and those still wandering the streets were inevitably the core members who had been paid. Following the intel provided by Corporal Randal, they proceeded lightly toward the west side of the street and soon ran into a roadblock set up by the OUN. At this point a van carrying an unknown cargo suddenly pulled into the street and spotted the group, McNeil, who was still crossing the barricade, made the immediate decision to raise his gun and fire, the driver being the first to be killed. The other occupants of the van, who had never seen an opponent with a real gun in their recent confrontations, were momentarily disoriented and were shot one by one by Corporal Randal, who was concentrating on the exit of the vehicle from the rear. Knowing they had been exposed, the others swarmed the van and began searching it. To their dismay, the van contained nothing but bills and a few tickets, but only two strange boxes that seemed to contain some sort of valuables. Whatever these items were, it didn't matter to them, they needed the Miracle that would allow them to return to the army without suffering any punishment.

As the battle continued, nearby OUN members thought they were being attacked by a rival organization and rushed to reinforce them. For the purpose of street confrontation, the OUN members had made many homemade weapons, they were currently incapable of actually controlling the military and police departments, and it seemed difficult to obtain firearms and armored vehicles. There was no telling when the last batch of firearms would make it into their hands from the black market, and these unlucky guys were facing a bunch of real fighting machines. A dozen or so OUN members armed with improvised weapons were unsurprisingly all but wiped out in a gunfight, with one of them getting his head bashed in with an iron bar by a standing Corporal Randal as he tried to get close to McNeil and grab a gun. Before the next group of enemies arrived to surround them, McNeil set fire to the supplies piled up in the road and escaped with the others down the path, dropping the clothes they had been wearing to disguise their identities in the underpasses and replacing them with the regular clothes they had been using to hide their faces in the hotel. It was only after completing this aftermath that they decided to return to the parking lot the same way they had come and made their way back to their rooms after eluding the cameras in the same manner.

To McNeil's some surprise, he didn't feel any satisfaction after delivering justice, there was only an emptiness inside. No one was good, and a firefight between villains would only be a joke to others, and perhaps those who stood behind the scenes manipulating the situation were watching this new monkey show with great interest. For those manipulators who dare to see themselves as pawns, all losses are quantifiable, no idea is sacred or noble, only profit is eternal.

TBC


Chapter Notes:

Readers hoping to see world-renowned generals commanding large armies may be a bit disappointed, as the focus is on these characters single-handedly exploring other parallel worlds and surviving ... and their transformations.

Descriptions involving the Russo-Ukrainian War may create some inappropriate connections to reality, so real-life characters will not appear in this work in the vast majority of cases.