ARC 2-CHAPTER 24 (Given and taken part 2)

26th of July, 2013

Batman, Turkey

NATO Base of operations

After tracking down and eliminating the cartel officers, Nemesis Alfa returned to Turkey to wait its further orders. The room was not what it used to be. Now each part of the room was decorated to the team member's individual liking.

Franklin had an American flag above his bed as well as a framed photo of his sister on the night stand. He was writing yet another letter to his sister, this time saying how sorry he is that he can't come to celebrate her birthday.

Victoria had the flag of Great Britain above her bed as well as some motivational posters, both military and non-military. She was playing Angry birds on her phone.

Takeshi had a few techno and cyber based posters as well as a flag of Japan. He had a lot of phones in his night stand for some reason. Seems like even though he joined the army some you just can't let go.

Carla had a German flag but also a lot of posters. Mostly rappers like MC Hammer and Eminem but also some bands like AC/DC and Manowar.

Yuri was simple. He only had a Russian flag but on his night stand he had his bible, an icon of Saint Michael and the framed photo of him and his team.

Right now he's siting on a chair in the centre of the room. In front of him was Carla. They were looking at each other with cold lifeless eyes as if they were staring into each other's sole.

Both of them unflinching, unmoving. But after a while, Carla starts to twitch her eyes. Yuri on the other hand, remained still. She kept her composure for a few more moments, but eventually... blink.

Carla:"God damn it! That's the fourth time in a row!"

Yuri:"Oh come on don't be like that, you're getting further and further with each contest."

Carla:"Yeah but not far enough. This is unnatural. I'm a sniper I should win. How are you this good."

Yuri:"Years upon years of experience. When you live through what I lived through, you learn these things."

Yuri had told his team about his past. All of it. His childhood, how he murdered when he was young, how he was sent to a special correctional facility, his training, his missions, everything. He even showed them his scars. At first they were horrified. The countless bullet, stab, slash and whip wounds on all sides, even his legs. Made them wonder how he was alive. His face only had one, the single scar next to his left eye, which he got in Syria in a fight with a skilful knife wielder.

He felt shame. The truth was exposed. He showed them what kind of monster he was. But they didn't see him as one. To them he wasn't who he claimed to be. Instead, they saw him as a lost sole, desperately trying to find meaning in his existence. They saw him as a soldier that truly knows no limits. A warriors who pushes through all obstacles. And a fighter that never lets anyone or anything beat him.

Carla:"Yeah I know. I'm still bummed."

Yuri:"Second place ain't bad. Just look at Franklin, he's last place."

Franklin:"I still don't know how Takeshi beat me. He sits all day glued to that screen."

Takeshi:"Years of experience."

Victoria:"I'm just glad we get to have a brake after all the stuff we did. I mean do you know how hard it is going through a jungle?"

Yuri:"Yes I do."

Carla:"Come on Vic don't jinx us."

In that moment Captain Yildiz entered the room:"Sorry to interrupt but the colonel wishes to see all of you."

Carla sighed:"You jinxed us. We'll be there."

Zeinep left. Carla rubbed her eyes:"You gotta be kidding me! We just got done with a mission."

Franklin:"This is worse than that time the three of us were called to Colombia a couple of years back."

Takeshi:"But that was important, remember? It might be important this time, too. Like something that just can't be ignored."

Victoria:"Hate to agree but you might be right. Still, why don't they just send one of the new teams?"

Yuri:"Nemesis Beta is still relatively new. They only done a few missions in the Middle East. And Nemesis Gama is still being constructed. They can't afford to send people that don't have a hundred percent chance of completing the mission."

Carla:"Heh, you're saying it like you're complimenting us."

Yuri:"I am merely stating a point."

Takeshi:"Which is?"

Yuri:"We are the best of the best. They send us when the want someone dead guaranteed."

Franklin chuckled in amusement:"Ok then. Let's go kill some more assholes."

The team left the room.

(Later)

Meeting room 3

Colonel Mustafa prepared a projector. The team sat down in front of him. He turned the projector on and it showed a picture of an African man with a rugged beard and a scar on his bottom lip gunning down innocent people.

Mustafa:"This is Muteba Banza."

Takeshi:"That sounds familiar."

Mustafa:"Indeed. Two years ago you killed his cousin Bakome. But Muteba is worse. He is a criminal, weapons dealer, mass murderer, a warlord and worst of all, a pedophile."

This made the team clenched their fists in anger and disgust. He was truly the lowest form of scum.

Mustafa:"We finally managed to locate his position. He's in Burkina Faso, Africa. UATF has stationed American, British, Russian and Australian soldiers there. In total we have 40-50 thousand troops not counting machinery."

Franklin:"You really want this asshole dead. Can't say I blame you."

Mustafa:"Indeed. If we knew his whereabouts we would've launched an assault by now. This is why we need you. You are to locate his position and them eliminate him. Once you do sends us the coordinates and we will take care of the rest."

Carla:"Why not just send an assault once we locate him?"

Yuri:"He will notice that. A man like him has backup plans for his backup plans. It would be better if we just eliminated him."

Mustafa:"Yes. By killing him we are liberating all of Western Africa and giving a heavy blow to the rest. This mission is crucial."

Victoria:"Oh ok. No pressure at all."

Franklin:"Just treat this like any other wetwork and you'll be fine."

Yuri:"As far as I'm concerned it is just any other wetwork. We find him and kill him."

Carla:"Then let's get going!"

Mustafa:"I already prepared the Sandman. Jeff should be waiting for you."

Franklin:"Thank you colonel."

Mustafa:"You can thank me by killing that son of a bitch. I have a little girl. Men like that sicken me."

Yuri:"Don't worry, we'll get him."

(MILITARY AIRSTRIP)

The Sandman was ready for take off. As usual, Jeff was there to great them.

Jeff:"How you doing fellas?!"

Franklin:"Pretty good, and you?!"

Jeff:"Doing great! Oh wait! Yuri!"

Yuri:"Hey what's up?!"

Jeff:"I owe you big time my man! Big time! That stuff you said about telling the truth and being open?! It worked! She totally feels the same!"

Yuri:"That's excellent news! But as much I'd love to hear about your success, we have a warlord to kill."

Jeff:"I heard. Let's get you to Burkina Faso ASAP."

The team boards the plane and goes forth into their mission. Nothing new to them, just another day in the office.

————————

(Meanwhile)

Burkina Faso, Africa

UATF Base of operations 'Fort Griffin'

The soldiers were preparing the vehicles and themselves. They heard a special squad was being sent to locate Muteba and this amped them up. In the fort, a lot of native soldiers were working. Some were even officers who pledged their allegiance to the UATF in order to stop this barbaric warlord.

One of these was captain Amare Bankole. His daughter was kidnapped months ago and he's been helping ever since by being one of the few local officers assigned to assist the UATF forces.

Amare was currently discussing the preparation of the forces, when suddenly his phone started ringing.

Amare:"Excuse me gentlemen." He walked out of the meeting room and answered his phone, "Hello?"

On the other side he heard a distinct whimper. A voice of a weak girl answered:"D-Daddy, help me p-please."

Amare's expression turned to anger and shock:"Adah? Where are you?"

Before she would reply, a rough and deep voice answered:"Don't worry mister Bankole, she's safe. Or do you prefer Captain? It's difficult to tell with you army types."

Amare was furious:"Who are you?! What have you done to Adah?! Answer me!"

The man replied:"Lower your voice if you want to hear hers again." He then pulled Adah by the hair closer to the phone where she only whimpered and cried. "Now then. If you want to see her, you will give me exactly what I want."

Amare felt nothing but rage in his heart. But for the slight chance he might see him daughter, he suppressed it. After taking a deep breath he asked:"What do you want?"

The man chuckled before answering:"Simple. I just need to know a few secrets."

————————

(Several hours later)

Burkina Faso, Africa

UATF Base of operations 'Fort Griffin'

The troops were getting ready for a fight. The tanks, helicopters and other vehicles were being prepared and most are on standby. Twenty thousand men were prepared to head out while the others were still getting ready.

Nemesis Alfa had arrived. They've been greeted by the American and Australian officers who had informed them of an outpost several kilometres west of Fort Griffin. Under normal circumstances, the outpost would've been taken. However, nothing can be done until Muteba was dead.

This, is where Nemesis Alfa comes in. Their mission is to infiltrate the outpost and search for any leads on Muteba's location. This mission, was already in progress.

The outpost wasn't small but something was off. There were fifteen buildings, but only three looked like they could have people. The others were garages. This was suspicious, but it didn't change the mission.

Yuri and Takeshi went inside via hole in a fence. After entering the two story building, they killed a dozen men before reaching an office.

Yuri spoke though his comms:"Longshot, do you see anything?"

Carla:"I see a lot of activity in the garages visible. There are a lot of armoured trucks and heavy machine guns."

Takeshi then found a map in the main desk. When he opened it his eyes widened. Yuri walked over and they both stared at it. It was a plan of attack. This outpost was just one large garage built to store weapons and armoured vehicles. But it wasn't the only one, it was just the closest. Four more were scattered, several dozen kilometres away from Fort Griffin.

This was Muteba's plan. He built a reputation so to make them desperate for killing him. Once he revealed himself he knew they couldn't risk attacking head on. And now he has a plan to storm the fort.

Yuri:"We have to send this to Fort Griffin ASAP. They need to know."

Takeshi takes pictures of the map and sends them to the officers. Yuri starts looking though the papers.

Takeshi:"What are you doing?"

Yuri:"The garages don't have a lot of people so that must mean that they're somewhere else." He pulled out another map, "Found it. This is it. This is where all the troops are. Or at least a lot of them. And see how it's marked differently from the others? This is where he is."

Takeshi:"Even if we're assuming the best case scenario there are gonna be hundreds of enemies between him and us."

Yuri chuckled:"You scared?"

Takeshi smiled in response:"Of course not."

Yuri:"Then let's go."

———————

(Evening)

After learning the location of Muteba Banza, Nemesis Alfa rushed towards his direction. After coming several kilometres away from the fortified town they stopped and walked.

On the way, Yuri wasn't too focused on the mission. It just felt natural so his mind started thinking about other things. Takeshi gave him a few new mangas, one of which intrigued him, Vinland saga. The boy Torfin, reminded him a lot of himself. A normal life ruined by revenge. But Torfin never got it and yet managed to find a way to live a life without violence. Yuri was a bit envious, but he knew that this life was meant for him.

At the very least, he had people that made it easier. His new family. Random people from random places. On paper completely different and unable to function together. And yet, despite their vast differences, turned out to be something incredible. Everything was... good.

As they were walking, Carla broke the silence:"So what are you guys gonna do after this?"

Franklin:"It's obvious."

Victoria giggled:"You do love your sister. I think I'll call my uncle and tell him how I'm doing."

Takeshi:"I'll call Noriko. She misses me after all."

Carla:"Bleeh, you and your love life. All smooch smooch kiss kiss bang bang."

Yuri:"You're just jealous no one's crazy enough to deal with your annoying ass."

The team laughed at that statement. Carla replied:"Well I don't see you not being single."

Yuri smirked:"You interested?"

Carla scoffed:"As if!"

Yuri chuckled:"Well I mean we could do all the boring stuff a couple or skip to the fun stuff. Either way I-"

He's sentenced was interrupted by a sound in the distance. The town was two kilometres away and it wasn't bright out. They couldn't have noticed them even if they were expecting them. Still, this was worrying.

Franklin:"What is it?"

Yuri's eyes widened as he yelled out:"Mortar!"

Two seconds later, a shell falls near Franklin, blowing his arm and leg off and throwing him on the ground. The other jumped on the sand. They looked at Franklin's body, now laying dead on the ground.

Another pop was heard. Yuri yelled out:"Another one! Run!"

The team runs off to another direction, but we're stopped by sniper fire. Dozens of men were a few hundred meters away, shooting at them with AKs. Some even further with Dragunovs.

As they fired back, Carla shot a few snipers. However, Takeshi was shot in the chest and then in the stomach three times. Victoria wanted to help him, but Yuri pulled her back as another shell was about to fall.

All three jump away from it, but Carla was too close and it the shrapnel ripped off parts of her right leg. As she crawled towards her gun, blood was pouring out and being sucked in by the sand. When she got to her rifle she got into a sitting position and turned to Victoria and Yuri and yelled out:"Run! Go, get out of here!"

She started firing at the enemies, killing one with each shot. But there were too many and she was too weak from the blood loss and the pain. She ran out of ammo in her clip and got shot several times in the body. Her mouth filled with blood as she fell with lifeless eyes.

After witnessing this, Yuri felt nothing but rage and pure hatred. He yelled out a battle cry and opened fire on the enemies. With every burst a man fell, regardless of the distance. Quickly reloading after running out of ammo he wouldn't let up even as she got shot in his left leg. Only a handful of enemies were left as Victoria tried to help him. From the city she saw something pop out. She knew what it was and ran in front of Yuri after which she jump towards him in hopes of pushing him away.

She succeeded, but with a cost. The shell was close enough for the shrapnel to spread to Yuri left leg, it now bleeding horrifically. But Victoria got the worst of it. Her whole back littered with shrapnel, her clothes torn apart.

Both were laying on the ground. Yuri tried to lift her up, but as he rolled her over he saw her dead eyes filled with tears and blood dripping from her mouth.

Yuri did nothing but cry. His hands shaking as he touched her dead face, closing her eyes.

He broke his oath. He failed.

As the dust was clearing from the blast, Yuri noticed an old tree with space between its roots. He ran there and hid.

(Yuri's POV)

This can't be true. How? How could I let this happen? Why?

My leg. It's bleeding. Metal sticking out and the bullet still causing pain. I see the enemies. Only five of them. They... played with their bodies. Animals. How dare they!

They danced on their corpses and took their belongings. As three of them headed back, two stayed and observed Victoria. I pull out the bullet and shrapnel. My leg is bleeding so bandage it as best I can. This pain is nothing. I've been through worse and still won. I'll do so again.

I pull out my pistol and put a suppressor and walk towards them. After shooting them without mercy, I take their clothes as a disguise and head towards the town.

On the way I saw the men we killed, dozens of corpses. Most of the enemies were too preoccupied with recovering their belongings so I make my way into the town. It was fortified on the outside but the inside was relatively normal.

I saw the other three men who were defiling my comrades' bodies and followed them. They went inside of what looked like a small motel. Two of them entered a room and one stayed outside.

I make my way to him and after making sure no one was looking, I stab him in the heart. I knocked on the door and held his head on the spy hole. After one opened the door, I kick the dead body and shoot the other two in the room. A woman was on the bed naked. I put my finger on my mouth, telling her to be quiet. She nodded and I left.

Seeing how only one building had guards, I head there. After shooting the two men in front I walked inside and pulled their bodies in. Strangely the building was empty, but I could hear screams coming from the upper floor.

I went upstairs and head towards the the room with the screams. Inside the room I find a disgusting site. A grown round man with a rugged beard was trying to **** a little girl. Muteba Banza.

He spoke to me in his native language but I ignored him and pulled out my rifle, opening fire from my hip. Muteba used the girl as a shield and ran towards the door close to him. I end up killing the girl, but that didn't stop me.

I kicked down the door and find him hiding behind four more children. He starts rambling in his language again, probably making fun of me for hesitating or negotiating for his life. But I don't care.

I opened fire into them. Killing the children and wounding him. As he laid against the wall with holes in his body, he choked as he tried to utter more words. But I empty my magazine into him and send him to hell where he belongs.

When got out the room I heard men running towards me so I threw a grenade and jumped out of a window. The fall hurt my leg a lot, but I pushed through. As I hid between nearby houses I heard noises. Helicopters. So they found out.

As carnage unfolds many enemies die to attack helicopters and men that dropped from the carriers. I took off my disguise and presented my badge to them.

"Take me to fort Griffin! I have urgent news!"

The men hesitated for a bit but agreed to it. We took off in a Black Hawk.

(Later)

Fort Griffin

I was sitting in the medical room. The UATF officers came in.

American officer:"Where's the rest of your team?"

"Dead. They were expecting us."

The officers look at me in shock. British officer:"What do you mean? Were you discovered?"

"They set up an ambush and killed them before we got into the town. They knew we were coming."

American officer:"But how? Only a handful of people knew about Nemesis Alfa."

Australian officers:"Something doesn't feel right."

As the officers argued between each other I notice an African man walking in a strange pace. He was panicking as he entered a room across mine. I got up and walked towards it. When I entered it I saw him nervously typing on his phone with maps and papers on the desk.

I push him against a wall and hold him by his collar.

"It was you! You did it! You bastard! You son of a bitch!"

The officers attempted to pull me away from him, to no avail. They stop when the man started crying and pulled out a small photo of a little girl.

He answered:"Please. I just wanted to see my little girl again. I wanted to be with her, to hold her in my arms again. Please."

"Do not worry. I will reunite you."

With a swift motion, I snap his neck.

The British officer turned me:"What in the bloody hell did you do!?"

"I killed a traitor."

Guards come in later and cuff me. I regret nothing.

————————————

(Two months later)

19th of September

Moscow, Russia

(3rd person POV)

After the death of four members of Nemesis Alfa, Nemesis Beta was assigned as the primary kill team. The remains of the bodies were returned to their countries for a proper funeral. Many cried, but none more than Yuri.

Because of the murder of Captain Amare Bankole and five minors he has been court martialed. Even though it was later proven that Amare did in fact leak top secret information to terrorists and caused the death of lives, Yuri had no right to kill him until it was proven.

But nothing could hide the fact that he murdered five minors. Children. This was unacceptable and he had to pay the price. The most shocking thing was, he openly admitted everything.

Judge:"Yuri Maksimov. For the murder of five minors and an officer we sentence you to forty years of prison and hard labour. Due to influence from various branches you have been given one month to settle your affairs. Have you anything to say?"

Yuri doesn't answer, he doesn't even move, like a zombie. Some guards grab him by his arms and they leave.

As Yuri exited the building, colonel Zoran stood by a car along with captain Maksim. The colonel walked toward Yuri with a hateful look.

Zoran:"Do you have ANY idea what you've done! More than a decade of work. We were this close to perfection. We were on the verge of greatness and you threw it away! And for what?! A few replaceable soldiers?! You are one in a billion and you gave it all up! Now I see the resemblance of your father. You're both quitters."

Yuri grabbed Zoran by the throat and started choking him. Maksim ran to stop him but got punched in the nose so hard it broke and he fell.

As Zoran choked, Yuri stared at him with cold, dead eyes:"I should kill you. It would be poetic. Frankenstein killed by his own monster. But I won't." He let Zoran go. He fell on the ground and held his neck.

Yuri continued:"I want you to live and spend the rest of your life knowing you failed. Knowing your decades long plan was ruined by the very thing you sought out to create. Goodbye, colonel."

Yuri left them and walked off into the city. Where? Not even he knows.

——————————

(Two weeks later)

Outskirts of Moscow, Russia

After two weeks of drinking Yuri was a mess. He used what little money he had saved and spent it on alcohol and a motel room. After returning to said room he turned on the TV. The first thing was news on an archeological find.

Reporter:"And here I am in Rome, examining the carved images. Here you can see a large circle and figured coming out of it as well as figures going in. Now what's fascinating is that we found these carving not only in Rome but also in Spain, UK, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Balkans and Eastern Europe. Dozens of these carving all showing the same thing. What could this mean for our species? Could there be more out there? Is this life truly that special?"

Yuri threw the bottle in frustration and started laughing:"Special? There's nothing special about this."

He looked at a cross on the wall:"Tell me why. You're supposed to know all the answers! So tell me! Why can't I learn?! Emotions are weakness, weakness leads to death, I know this, so WHY?!"

He sat down on his bed and pulled out a box from the drawer. Inside was a needle, already filled with transparent liquid.

Yuri:"Is this a curse? Everyone has been taken from me. And it's all my fault. I kill everything around me. No more. This cycle ends."

He laid on the bed and injected the liquid.

"No one else will suffer because of me. The last life I take will be mine."

His body started floating. It phased through the ceiling and went into the sky, higher than the birds and clouds. After coming to the top and facing the sun, his body starts falling. As it falls he slowly opens his eyes. He was falling into what looked like a lake.

Around his body, golden flakes started appearing. They made his body lighter and he didn't fall full force into the water, but sill got knocked out. After a few moments he started to regain consciousness and swam out of the lake.

He crawled out and coughed out water. He raised his head, only to find trees.

One thought crossed his mind:"What the hell is this?"

End of Arc 2

Thank you for reading!