"What do you do when your home is taken away?"
"I smile back and weep."
France's home was taken away by the same person who took away WRRF's motherland. The Germans. What happens to lands which are broken again and again? What happens to a band of s...
No. He slapped himself for even entertaining the idea. He was not gonna surrender, not after all this hard work. WRRF refused to even entertain the idea of surrendering, the thought of losing all that he had built so far was unbearable to him. He would rather die fighting until the very end than allowing the Komis to succeed. He knew that if he refused to surrender that the war against Komi would be long and grueling. Both sides were evenly matched, and it could go either way in the end. But WRRF didn't wanna think about that right now. Right now, he only wanted to plan out the first steps for the coming war... "Plesetsk." He called out for his guards. Plesetsk heard the call, immediately entering WRRF's office once more. "You have summoned me, sir?" Plesetsk asked, standing at attention in front of the desk. "Yes... I have need of you." WRRF replied, still staring at the letter he had received from Komi. "Ready the troops down south, it's urgent... It's Komi." WRRF explained. "They declared war against us?" Plesetsk asked. "They're about to." WRRF nodded at his guard's question, confirming that the Democratic Republic of Komi was indeed about to declare war on the Revolutionary Front. "So you need me to get the troops ready?" Plesetsk asked, ensuring that he had heard his boss correctly. "Yes... get our forces down south mobilized... As quickly as possible." WRRF responded, his tone urgent. "Very well." Plesetsk was about to leave. "Plesetsk." He called out one last time. "Yes?" Plesetsk turned around. "Both of us are going aswell." WRRF calmly stated. Plesetsk stood there, with a blank expression. "on the frontlines?" Plesetsk asked. "Yes... Both of us on the frontlines... This is too important to delegate to anyone other than us." WRRF assured his guard, leaving no room for debate. Plesetsk still stood there for a moment, not quite believing what he was hearing. "You want us to be on the frontlines, with the troops..." He repeated, with a bit of disbelief in his voice. "This might be unconventional, yes, but I have direct work with that Komi fucker... I cant rely on my troops forever." WRRF explained. "What if you die, sir?" Plesetsk asked. "If I die, I die." WRRF's response was short and definitive, clearly not willing to accept any argument against it. "If I die, I die." He repeated once more. Plesetsk felt a bit shocked by his boss's blase attitude towards his own safety. "But...why you, sir? Surely one of the other generals could go, or another senior officer... Why you?" Plesetsk asked, feeling slightly worried about the situation. "This is something no besides me can know... I can't let a senior officer or a general take something so important." WRRF bluntly stated. "...It's something you're not allowed to share?" Plesetsk questioned, not quite understanding his boss's reasoning. WRRF had always been a rather secretive individual, keeping many things close... locked away. However, to do something so dangerous as to fight on the frontlines himself, just so he could keep a secret... it seemed a bit extreme to the guard. "You're not letting on just how important this thing is, if you don't mind me asking?" Plesetsk prodded. "Plesetsk." WRRF began. "you trust me, no?" WRRF aksed. Plesetsk hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what his boss was getting at. He had to admit, WRRF was one of the few people that he trusted wholeheartedly. The guard had been with him through thick and thin, and had proved his loyalty on multiple occasions. "I... Yes, I do." Plesetsk responded, letting his boss know that he did indeed trust him. "I want you go along with me, just this once, it's not only about me... but." WRRF paused. "It has something to do with the entirety of Russia and perhaps..." WRRF paused again. WRRF's pause caught Plesetsk off guard, making him wonder what else was going on besides the war with Komi that he wasn't aware of. Curious as he was, he didn't dare push his boss further. His curiosity would have to wait until he knew more. "...Something to do with the entirety of Russia, and perhaps... what?" Plesetsk asked, wanting to hear the rest of what his boss had to say.
"You know what, you'll understand everything once we get there. We have to reach the city of Komi as fast as possible." WRRF didn't answer Plesetsks question, which only made him more curious. WRRF's evasion only left Plesetsk more curious, but he didn't dare press his boss on the matter. He would find out the rest once they reached Komi. "And once we reach the city? What then?" Plesetsk asked, wanting to know the whole plan. "Well, we're gonna have to go undercover, and then reach Komi himself, and i deal with the rest..." WRRF explained. "Undercover?" Plesetsk repeated, feeling slightly more intrigued. He had never heard WRRF talk about having to go undercover, but it was definitely an interesting idea. "And then you will deal with Komi... what exactly do you mean by that?" He asked his boss. "Like i said, I deal with the rest, the rest of it doesn't concern you. Private state matters." "Understood..." Plesetsk said, nodding as he accepted his boss's answer. He could tell that WRRF was intentionally being vague, so he was not going to probe any further into the matter. He figured that if WRRF wanted him to know, he would tell him in time. "Then what exactly do I need to do when we reach the city?" Plesetsk asked, wanting to know what his role would be in this whole operation. "You make sure I don't get assassinated, that's what your job is afterall, guarding." "Then, what do we do if you do get assassinated..." Plesetsk asked, jokingly, before chuckling to himself. His boss was the leader of the Revolutionary Front, so he was under constant threat, but it was strange to think that being on the front line of the war actually presented a higher chance of WRRF being killed than usual. It was certainly one way to keep his guard up. "And what happens if I get killed by artillery or some other stray shot?" Plesetsk added onto his joke. "Well, we die." WRRF answered with not a single hint of joking intent. Oh god, he was being serious. Plesetsk suddenly went quiet after WRRF gave his answer, the reality of the situation suddenly hitting him. He wasn't joking... they could potentially both die. The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, the serious tone settling in their minds. WRRF had given him a grim reminder of the dangers that would be present once they were on the battlefield. "...And about Ukhta and her?" Plesetsk asked "What about them, specifically?" WRRF responded, his tone still serious and grim. He wasn't even going to pretend that they would all get through this safely. It would be best to be prepared for the worst. Plesetsk's mentioning of the two of them had made WRRF wonder something. It would be best to confirm his suspicions, just for peace of mind. "Are they coming with us or...?" Plesetsk asked. "No, they stay here. Ukhta would be too much of a hinderance... While I don't want France to get injured over something shes not involved in." WRRF explained. WRRF's response made sense, but Plesetsk still wondered why his boss chose to bring him along, but left Ukhta and France behind. Perhaps there was no deeper reason other than he preferred to have his guard by his side on the frontlines. Still, it was something that nagged at him slightly. "Very well then boss, I'll prepare everything." Plesetsk left. "Yes, prepare everything." WRRF agreed, and then watched as his guard walked out of the room. He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment. He knew that this was going to be a long and grueling war. And he was prepared to endure it all, no matter what it took...
France glanced out her window. It was the same as everyday. Same as everyday. France wondered why she was even here. It was tediously boring, but it's better than the Ivory Coast she supposes. Her eyes glanced at the frost collecting on her window... It had being a while since she saw such a sight. France sat by the windows of her room, staring out as the frost collected on the glass. She had been here for a while now, and while it had been boring, living in a secluded place like this was certainly better than the conditions she had to suffer in the Ivory Coast. The quiet and boring days had a peaceful serenity that she had not felt in years, but still... she couldn't stop the feeling of longing that kept on growing within her. Her thoughts interrupted by the knock on the oak of her rooms door. "Come in." France spoke, still looking out the window. "Is sir here?" Ukhta peeked inside, looking around. "No, why?" France turned around as she said that, turning to face Ukhta. "Odd, I haven't seen sir the entire morning, Plesetsk as well." Ukhta spoke. France looked up as Ukhta entered the room, noting that he looked a bit worried. His comments did worry her a little as well, for she hadn't seen WRRF or Plesetsk either. Perhaps they were just out in town, or busy doing some other tasks? But then why wouldn't they have told her anything? "Hmm, maybe they're just... out?" France suggest, but even as she says this, she has trouble believing her own answers. "Nonsense, Sir wouldn't be out for this long!" Ukhta spoke. France's concern grew as she heard Ukhta's response. It was a good point... WRRF wouldn't be out for this long, would he? She tried to brush away her concern. "Well, maybe he's just doing a little meeting with some of the other generals." France suggested, trying to find a more innocent explanation for their boss' absence. "Perhaps." Ukhta paused as he said that. "It's just us two in this entire building." Ukhta added "Just the two of us?" France repeated, now feeling a bit uneasy. She hadn't really noticed it before, but the fact that it was only the two of them felt a bit strange. "Aren't there usually more people here?" France asked. "Yeah, but I've barely seen anyone today." Ukhta responded. "Well... I'm sure that everyone will come back soon." France tried to reassure herself, but her tone was shaky, not fully convincing her. "Well, since we're here alone, might as well ask some questions." Ukhta spoke. France rose a brow. "Ask some questions... like what?" France asked. She was curious about what Ukhta wanted to ask her, particularly since they were alone at the moment. "Boss didn't tell me this but... When I was talking with him in private, he said he told you some things." Ukhta paused. "Yes, boring state matters, more specifically." France answered. "...I have a suspicion there's more to this." Ukhta added. "Like?" France rose a brow as she asked. "Well... Don't get upset but I asked him if you two have something between you two..." Ukhta finished, uncertain as to what France would say. There was a small silence, France leaned back, slightly amused. "Oh? what makes you think that?" France's eyebrows rose as she heard what Ukhta was trying to say. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the audacity of his guard.
"So... you think there's something between me and your boss?" She asked, still smiling to herself. She wasn't entirely surprised by Ukhta's response, but he had still been more direct than she had expected. She had to give him credit for that. "my boss was all flushed up and red when i asked that sooo..." Ukhta responded, waiting for a response. "Amusing." France replied. Still smiling. France couldn't hold back her laughter at Ukhta's observation about WRRF, a small laugh escaping her lips. "He was?" She repeated, finding this even funnier now that she had another point of view. "I suppose that can be taken as a confirmation, can't it?" France asked with a teasing grin. Ukhta rolled his eyes, groaning. "I fucking knew it." Ukhta muttered to himself. "I was only joking, don't take it as confirmation-" France chuckled as she said that. "But... Should you?" France teased further, unable to keep a straight face now that she was getting a reaction out of her guard. "You said it yourself, he was rather flushed when you asked. There must be something to it, right?" France added, enjoying this a bit too much for her own good. "...Your teasing me aren't you?" Ukhta asked, irritated. "Oh? Am I?" A small chuckle escaped her throat as she said that. France had to do her best to restrain herself from laughing again, as she could tell that her teasing was making Ukhta more and more irritated. She knew what she was doing, and she was enjoying it just a bit too much. "Oh, but of course not!" She responded, managing to keep her voice straight for one more moment. Ukhta rubbed his forehead. "Well, I suppose I'm gonna have to wait for boss to come back to confront him about this." Ukhta spoke, still irritated. "...Confront him?" France asked, suddenly a bit more curious about Ukhta's actions. So he was going to confront WRRF and ask about why he was flushed when the guard asked about there being something between them. It was interesting, to say the least. "Why are you going to confront him about it? Why not just wait for him to come and tell you himself?" France asked, wondering if there was any other reason besides just wanting answers. "I doubt he's gonna tell me shit." Ukhta responded. France had to hold in a laugh at his answer. His boss certainly didn't seem like the type of person to openly reveal personal information like that, so she could see where Ukhta was coming from. "Then, you're going to straight up ask him, aren't you?" She asked. She couldn't help giggling a little bit at the idea. Ukhta simply shrugged. France nodding. "Just incase if your wondering, I was teasing, don't take anything I say seriously, unless I state so." France explained before he left. France kept her smile after the guard left, amused at how much she had irritated him. He would definitely be asking WRRF about it when he came back, that was a certainty. She could only imagine the reaction she would get once that conversation happened. She would have to ask to be present to listen to what would be said in that meeting...
That meeting wouldn't come.
It was 3 weeks since that encounter with Ukhta, Ukhta would regularly come in her room, usually to bring in her lunch and dinner. But WRRF never came back. Neither did Plesetsk. France felt a sense of unease grow within her as she realized that WRRF and Plesetsk had been gone for three weeks. Neither had even stopped by to see her or even inform her about where they had gone. Was that really normal? Surely not, she must have missed something... right? Or was something more sinister going on? France couldn't tell, and the uncertainty made her feel even more anxious about the situation. Ukhta was the only one who bothered to even visit her, usually to bring in food. But other than it, most of her days were silent. France felt her sense of unease grow even further as the days passed, the silence becoming more deafening every day. The longer the silence went on, the more she feared that something was deeply wrong happening in the outside world beyond the walls of this mansion. After all, how could something like this be happening in her boss' absence? He had been gone for three weeks... he would surely have come by by now if everything was fine. Her thoughts, once again, Interrupted by a knock. She already knew who it was. "Come in, Ukhta." France let out a sigh as the knock broke the silence once more. She knew exactly who it was, and she didn't have the energy to act surprised in the slightest. For the past three weeks, he had been the only one that had bothered to visit her. "Just leave that on the table." She instructed as he walked in, not even bothering to show any reaction to his presence. "Actually, It's not about food this time." Ukhta spoke, holding what looked like a piece of paper. France's eyebrow raised as she saw Ukhta had something in his hands. It looked to be a piece of paper, based on the way he was holding it. "It isn't?" France repeated, her curiosity sparked by the guard. "What is it then?" She asked. "Boss send a letter, wasn't what i was expecting, honestly." Ukhta spoke. France's eyes immediately lit up when he said that. A letter... That certainly wasn't something she had expected either. "Wasn't what you were expecting? What do you mean?" France asked, unable to hide her curiosity at hearing this. Ukhta paused, contemplating whether to tell her or not. "...Well, It's uh." Ukhta paused. France tilted her head back slightly. Ukhta's hesitation was making her somewhat worried. Was the situation in the outside world that bad now? "It's what?" France asked, noticing how Ukhta seemed to be struggling to find the right words. "He started something... a conflict you may say." Ukhta tried to be vague, but France saw right through him. She groaned. "Another pointless war?" She asked. "It's not pointless." Ukhta argued. "Not pointless?" France repeated, finding it even harder to not roll her eyes at the vagueness of his reply. What was his boss even fighting for this time? "Then, what is he fighting for? What conflict did he start?" She asked, trying once more to get a straight answer out of him. "You talk too much." Ukhta decided to dodge the question. France gave a soft huff as she crossed her arms. She shouldn't have expected a real answer out of WRRF's guard, but his vague response was still frustrating to deal with. She was tired of the mystery and uncertainty surrounding what was happening on the outside. "Fine, I won't push you." "Very well, you should trust boss, and that's final. I believe him." Ukhta spoke. "Oh, so am I supposed to blindly trust him?" France responded, a bit annoyed by the guard's response. Was she not allowed to wonder why WRRF had gone missing for three weeks and what he was even doing now? "I have a good reason for worrying." She added. Ukhta groaned. "I don't have the energy to deal with this." Ukhta said, as he barged out the room, without any warning. Just like that. France just stared at the door for a moment, slightly irritated at the sudden end of the conversation as Ukhta just exited the room. He was so... vague, and he barely gave any proper answers that would satisfy France in the slightest. She couldn't help but sigh as she laid back in her seat, unsure what to do now...
That conversation was 7 months ago.
Even though she was in a 'country' that was actively at war, it didn't feel like it, it was silent. Atleast where she was staying. Ukhta and France's relation also deteriorated after that conservation from 7 months ago. Ofcourse he still brought her food, but never seem to speak a word. France had to admit that she was becoming used to the silence of the mansion she was now living in. Despite living in a country at war, she was still isolated from it all by the mansion's walls, making it seem like nothing was happening at all. It was rather odd, but also somewhat comforting. Even though her relationship with the guard has deteriorated, at least he still brought her food. That was more than what she could ask for, and she was grateful for that much.
Another 3 months.
Another 3 months. Officially a year, time had... gone by so fast. And yet it felt like the conservation with the guard was yesterday. France couldn't help but agree, time sure had passed by quickly. It hardly felt like it had been a full year since WRRF had left and the war began... but the passage of time was undeniable. It felt strange, to think back on a moment that felt so recent, yet now had been a full year... France sighed, wondering if she would ever see WRRF again... A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Ukhta, you need to stop knocking and just come in." France perked up as she heard the sound of someone knocking on the door. She had grown used to Ukhta's usual visits, but the guard still had an annoying habit of knocking on her door anyway. "Just come in then." France responded as she waited for him to enter. "France, we need to leave. Now." Ukhta's voice having urgency in it. Well, that wasn't concerning at all. "Leave? where?" France asked. "To Komi." Ukhta spoke from behind the wall. France froze for a moment as she finally heard something that truly worried her. "Komi? We're heading to Komi?" Her voice rose in confusion. Why there of all places? That area was a war zone by now, considering they're at war. "...why?" She asked, confused and more than a little concerned. "Boss and Plesetsk are there, they need us urgently. That's all i was told." Ukhta spoke. France's voice rose once again, her concern growing even greater now. This didn't sound good at all... "WRRF and Plesetsk are there?" She repeated, suddenly much more worried about the situation. "What is so urgent that they need us in Komi? We're not even soldiers, we're just..." She stopped for a moment as she realized how little she actually knew about the exact situation. "I don't know what the fuck those idiot's are doing at a warzone, but they need us, please just come along this once." Ukhta pleaded. France sighed, grabbing her pistol. "Let's go." France gestured him. France had a bunch more questions, but she figured it would be better to wait and discuss it with WRRF and Plesetsk themselves. For now, it was best to just go along with what Ukhta was asking. France stood up from her seat, grabbing her pistol as she followed the guard out of the room. "Just one question before we go." She said, her tone of voice a bit more serious now. "How are we gonna get in? Its a warzone, we can't just walk in." France asked Ukhta. "I've got some contacts in the military, I'm sure we can get them to help us get through the defenses and into the area." Ukhta responded, looking over to France. He made it seem as if the situation wasn't all that bad, but France still couldn't shake her worry. "You know what? We'll figure it out once we get there..." France spoke. "For now, let's focus on arriving to the goddamn place." Ukhta responded.
France walked in the crushed streets of the city of Komi, the ruination of this place looked pretty recent. Both her and Ukhta managed to get in through a manhole in the city that was dug up. And now they were here, now they just gotta find Plesetsk and WRRF... She had seen some warzones before, but this one felt more... recent, like some important battle had happened here recently. She felt a bit of unease as they searched for Plesetsk and WRRF. Where were they even supposed to meet? France kept low, she heard gunfire in the far distance but that didn't concern her. What concerned her was WRRF and Plesetsk. She was honestly amazed on how two people can be so carefree to be in a battlefield like this. When they're literally in charge of a country. Hearing the gunfire in the distance did concern France slightly, but she tried to push those feelings away for the moment. Was there something they knew that she did not, or were they simply being careless? She had no idea, but she was beginning to suspect that something was going on, something important. "I've seen shitholes that look better than this." Ukhta quitely mumbles to himself. France nodded in agreement at Ukhta's comment about the condition of the city. The place looked bad, and she felt her unease start to grow once more. Was this really where he and Plesetsk were? In such a... ruined city? She was beginning to suspect that something was definitely wrong with the situation, that much was certain. France walked across the city. This place almost reminded her of Paris of how much... shit, she was letting her mind wander again. She kept walking along the lines of ruination. Ukhta stopped in his tracks. France turned around. "Whats wrong?" France asked, as she looked where he was staring at... a flight of stairs leading to... somewhere. But that wasn't what concerned them. It was Plesetsk, laying there, breathing heavily. "SHIT!" Ukhta rushed over to Plesetsk. France also dashed forward, her eyes also now wide open. "PLESETSK, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" Ukhta asked, looking at a gunshot near his waist. Plesetsk simply stared at Ukhta for a few good minutes. Before speaking. "Some jackass tried to assassinate boss..." Plesetsk spoke through his wound. "Luckily it didn't hit him, neither did it hit any vital places..." Plesetsk continued. "WHAT WERE YOU TWO IDIOTS THINKING?!" Ukhta shouted. "Boss knows what he's doing... I'm fine, go help him-" Plesetsk spoke. "Where is he anyways?" France Inquired, concerned. "At the top of the stairs... Go-" Plesetsk commanded. "I'm not going anywhere, Jackass!" Ukhta growled at his response, pulling out what looked to be bandages to temporarily stop the bleeding. Plesetsk looked at France. "You. You go." France nodded at Plesetsk's command, and quickly rushed up the steps leading to the top floor of the building. She was slightly worried about what she would see on the top, as Plesetsk said that WRRF was at the top of the stairs. Was he hurt as well? Or was WRRF safe? She cautiously walked up the steps, and slowly looked up and around her, as she approached the top. The sun was setting, and her concerns grew. Each step. Each step she took gave her more concern. She saw the last pair of stairs. A rush of both anxiety and anticipation. She didn't stop to think... why was she caring so much about what was happening to him?
France brushed it off, for now, after all it must've been basic morality of course... right?
France stepped on the last stair. Pulling herself forward. A cold dash of wind attacking her face as she did. The orange light of the sunset illuminating the sight in front of her. It seemed to be a collection of pillars both left and right at the top. The pillars supporting a statue of a double headed eagle. Rays of light penetrating from the pillars. But that wasn't what concerned her. She saw two figures. A familiar one... and someone she didn't quite recognize. She realized the first one to be... WRRF. The second figure was still unknown to her. She had... seemingly interrupted a encounter. Both WRRF and the other person stopped what they were doing. They stopped. To face her directly.
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"Не всё то золото, что блестит" - Valery Gerasimov
- My longest chapter yet. Next one's probably shorter. also CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!
