Day 2: 00:31:21
Grestin Monastery,
Somewhere overlooking the the village of Pristupin,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

Oksana scowled when Borys covered the muzzle, all circumstances that she blew his hand off vanishing with the thought that she should be more responsible. His sick stank a little, but, could be worse. Realising the mindfuck was likely new to him, so probably going easy on it was best. He was drunk, but he wasn't entirely a moron.

But on Prigo, he was right. The man deserved to die falling through a rural toilet into a cesspit, she thought to herself.

Lovely.

The situation had changed, as Oksana, the team, and the tension built.

Then Borys stood up and drunkenly started slurring and running.
"Nice one." Oksana saw clearly when he couldn't, the chaos of Borys blending perfectly with the precision of being able to see exactly where to put her bullets, and on that note, execute.

Meanwhile, Felix glanced to Silas, hearing his mumble, addressing it anyway.
"Eh. I've been chewed out worse." He crackled the smallest of jokes that fit inbetween the chaos that was about to erupt, looking to Rowan, and proceeded to watch Rowan go absolutely fucking mad.

The PSA militants yelled out, trying to turn on her but already, Roxie had sniped the one that was left of the group she hadn't straight up merked, Felix clattering the group further down the hill, deciding against the 870 for now. Rowan was going wild, understandably so, like weeks of rage were just pouring out.
"Silas, keep her covered, I'll pin their side! No fucking chance I'm eating them alive after Babushka's food!" Felix called out, moving along the wall, bullets lashing out as an LMG erupted, the RPK staring to pick apart their position.

Felix moved fast, slotting two men with clean headshots as Roxie clapped two from her end, his rifle spitting out big caliber rounds into skull after skull. The bullets rang out as Felix kept in cover, bullets sending bricks and masonry dust everywhere.

"Right, I've got one last trick up my sleeve. Don't follow my Copy Cat!" Felix called out in comms, looking to the other group, Roxie wondering what exactly that meant.

With it, it looked like Felix seemed to leap the wall, and run straight towards enemy fire, past Rowan, the illusion shattering as bullets flew, Felix using the muzzle flash in the dark to clatter one of the men, Okasna picking up the others.

The gunfire died down a bit, as one more hostile was clattered by the last round in Roxie's mag, a smooth effort that blew his brains across a tree.

"Everyone breathing?" Felix asked, looking around as he dumped the mag into his vest and slid a new one in, patting himself down, looking to Borys, stumbling.

"Silas, you might want to hit Borys. He's resistant to bullets, but not to...." Felix began, as Oksana called out another fireteam of reinforcements coming through and bullets forced them to scatter.

"More on the other side of the rocks!" Gunfire rang out as Felix dragged Rowan by her vest into cover behind a particularly large tree, Oksana switching to her Vityaz as one of the men actually stood on her, the round going through his groin and out of his head as she lept up and shoved him away, the moss-like bush trying to avoid getting crossfired upon. Felix took out one of the men at Oksana's flank, covering Borys who would have been very exposed. And now in need of more impact from Silas. He was taking bullets, plenty more accurate than he would have expected.

The effort to repel the fireteam was good, but it wasn't enough to stop one of the SA soldiers taking a flare gun, and pointing it at the sky, after a radio callout. In a pain that felt hopeless to stop, Oksana just couldn't have got their in time to shoot it out of his hand. The flare got launched, but instead of going into the sky and illuminating the dark forest like a Christmas decoration.....it got caught in the branches of a relatively tall pine tree, and immediately, caught light.

Polavian flares really did burn well, huh.

And now it wasn't so much an alert, but a forest fire.

Oksana had already seen it happen, the angle, the point of it was never going to clear, but in the gunfire, namely, the last round she sent through the skull of one of the militant who fired the flare from her 9mm SMG, this was not exactly it. The flaming treetop did enough to bring a hurl of gunfire in from the village, the flare and the radio call out enough to identify Rowan as there, and not in the village itself.

And within a short period of time, they had gone from a firefight, to a.....fire-fight?

"Bastard! Okay, we definitely can't hang around. Rowan, you probably saved that entire village, but fuck me, we really need to talk when we're done with this! We need to head north east, head for the rail line, and fucking hope we can get some distance in! Everyone, move, move, move!" Felix exasperated, new magazine in, Borys smacked into a mixture of sobriety and health (and maybe another bottle), and Oksana having reloaded all her kit, picking up pace past the defilade and on the other side of what was now a rapidly growing fire in the pines, and gunfire flying towards them.

The team were breaking into a run- because fighting back seemed like a shitty idea with just how much attention they were getting. The DSR team had broken off given the gunfire noise seemed to stop sounding like DSR-grade rounds. More gunfire slapped into the trees, as it turns out, that flare that set one tree on fire had decided to now set multiple. It was interference. A nice ability to put trees and fire between them, but also, light that cast onto them.

"More of them coming in from our three o'clock!" Oksana called out, seeing a pair of mercs forming up, moving on a ridgeline, the two that moved in getting clattered by Felix, as he knelt and put rounds into them, before breaking back into a combat run.

"Clear! Keep fucking moving!" Felix barked back, as the sound of a heavy machine gun could be heard clattering into trees. They were idiots, but putting on fear. The team were now running and gunning. Through the moss that had previously given them shelter, between the large pine trees that now decided to burn behind them, slow but inconvenient in every way.

"Can't you lion out and get fed?" Oksana barbed, the sound of vehicles and lights breaking in the sides, giving them a tunnel to break through.

"Your babushka fed us full, no chance! I can barely run as is!" Felix called, clambering up and over a ditch, trying to think that move but nothing happening. He wasn't going lion now, but his hearing was at least astute enough, as he passed a hand to Rowan, who stayed with him, pulling her through, Oksana leaping across before looking back to Rowan and offering a hand, then seeing Borys, of whom had taken shorter steps. Realising she probably shouldn't have gone this far ahead without checking on him.

"Ah." Oksana realised, as more bullets flew, and Felix ran back, stopping him from running and using his height to clear it easily back again. And like nothing, simply throwing him across the waterlogged ditch, like the dwarf that he was, into Oksana.

It was clumsy, but they all picked up the gauntlet and ran.

The team were in varying states of sprint, the cracks of gunfire making the wood feel like a version of hell, rather than a safe retreat. SA were not giving up. They were going to burn this place, and them to the ground if they got even a body of Rowan to revive.

More gunfire was pouring in as they started to approach the far end of the wood, towards a small clearing before the woods continued again down to the trainyard lit up in the distance.
"Hostiles front, boss, we can't go around!" Oksana called into comms, as the squad ahead called it in, the 12.7mm rounds blasting from their DShK armed UAZ into the trees all over, and Felix inclined to agree that indeed, they were pinned. They had to confront a squad at least, and an idea formed in his mind.

"Borys, Keodis, put down some suppressing fire, Silas, Rowan, get on the flank, see if you can. We might want to scavenge that vehicle if we're getting a train!"

"Fuck me, my vision is all spent! You need to stop the big gun shooting, it's like a fucking rave!" Oksana was honest, her voice in full pant.

"Alright, we'll drag his attention, get ready!" And with it, the team had some objectives, the slight slope down towards the rail-line in the distance. Oksana cursed, moving from tree to tree before diving down, exhaling hard, her accuracy all over the place from sprinting, calming herself down.

You can do this, she told herself.

Felix didn't have the same thoughts, taking direct fire in the rocks he was pinned behind, spraying bullets blind over, down to much fewer mags than he would like. He leaned out from the side, aiming down the holographic, the lion inside still not wanting to come out of its hide. So 7.62mm it was for now, as he picked off one of the squad, with a scatter of rounds to the torso, before clambering back in cover, the .50 aimed at him for now, giving Borys a chance to spray out any of the other hostiles around the UAZ and catch their attention, while Silas and Rowan could get in closer, and use their shotguns to make a royal mess. Oksana would cap off the move, and once she had her breath, and her sense of seering back, she could wipe the gunner out. The ratios were still poor, but one way or another, they'd make this work.

Day 2: 00:31:21
Grestin Monastery,
Somewhere overlooking the the village of Pristupin,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

Soundtrack: Go To Hell - Motorhead

Rowan had allowed her anger to fuel her attacks as she unleashed the rage she was feeling at being hunted and Felix’s judging stare at those hunting her. She had taken out five of the attackers that had been on the other side of the wall. She was preparing to leap back behind the wall into cover when she found herself pulled down off the wall by Silas. He had managed to grab her broom for leverage which was still strapped diagonally across her back. She found herself falling backwards off the wall as she was pulled. Silas’ strong arms catching her and pushing her forcing her to move with him. Silas growled at her as he pushed her head down into cover. "Do not make my job of all things harder you damn fool! Be angry, kill people. But do not kill yourself!"

He then pulled her with him behind one of the stone pillars. Rowan was so surprised by his actions that it shocked her out of her anger. She was stumbling and trying to recover her footing as he finally let go of her to peer around the pillar and fire towards a group of the enemy approaching. Rowan didn’t know whether to be angry or amused as he began growling and cursing in language she didn’t know. "Gamóto, tha katouríso to spíti sou kai ólous tous syngeneís sou!"

Rowan just looked at him and laughed as she finally recovered her balance and breath. She honestly didn’t know how to react to being manhandled back into cover. Rowan had created her own cover as the smoke screen potion hid their movements from those below. She patted Silas on the shoulder. “Yeah yeah whatever back at ya. Look, I can handle myself. I appreciate the assist but you could have fucked up a cast by breaking my concentration. Don’t do that again.” Rowan began to use her whip on anything that got close. She was rationing those bullets. She didn’t have many and the others were better shots at a distance than she was. She began to watch the battlefield for opportunities to cast or throw potions. She thought about hopping on her broom but it would make her a target if she moved up where she could see, then they could see her too.

Rowan’s anger returned as she heard Felix’s voice and was reminded of his glare. Rowan yelled back at Felix. “I am not okay Felix. The psycho sadistic asshole you wouldn’t let Oksana shoot wants to torture me to death and resurrect me and do it all over again. Then you glare at me like it’s my fault. I am breathing but you and I are having words later if you are still breathing.”

Rowan jumped into action as she guarded Silas’ back. She took out the SA members that had managed to get past his gun and were coming on them from the back or side. Her whip lashed out cracking into the air sounding almost like gunshots with its ferocity.

Rowan had stepped out from behind the stone pillar as she began to chant softly under her breath. She needed to see her target and have a direct line of sight. A SA member had a bead on Silas and was coming in from an angle. Her lightning bolt left her hand just as Felix grabbed her by her vest and dragged her behind a large tree.

Rowan was grateful that her spell had already fired off or she would have suffered the mana backlash from it misfiring. “Felix what the hell!” Rowan was once again thrown off balance by one of her team mates. She managed to regain her footing as he released her and got back into the fight. She hoped Felix made it through the fight so she could give him the chewing out he deserved. She turned and pulled her pistol and shot a SA member who had been trying to sneak through the trees on Felix’s left. Rowan shoved her annoyance down as she got back into the fight. She took up the close quarters work as Felix and Silas tried to drop the SA members at range. All at once one of the SA shot a flare up into the sky turning the pine tree into a torch blazing into the sky. Rowan wondered if the rest of the team understood how highly flammable pine trees were due to their sap.

Rowan rolled her eyes as she called out in a sarcastically cheerful voice. “Welcome to Hell! This is going to spread fast. We need to move!”

Rowan heard Oksana’s frustration as she addressed her.

Oksana: "Bastard! Okay, we definitely can't hang around. Rowan, you probably saved that entire village, but fuck me, we really need to talk when we're done with this! We need to head north east, head for the rail line, and fucking hope we can get some distance in! Everyone, move, move, move!"

Rowan ran as she tried to keep trees between her and what looked like a small approaching SA army. She dodged around trees and tried to stay close to Oksana who seemed to know where they were going. Rowan knew she needed to conserve her mana for their desperate attempt at an escape. She felt bad leaving the forest to burn behind them but she didn’t know how much more she would need to do before they were out of this mess and safe for a moment or two.

Rowan never stopped moving. She kept her whip in one hand as she chanted constantly under her breath. Her hand reached up to the sky and became a fist as she pulled lightning from the sky to land and fork out among the SA team on the ridge. She heard Oksana and Felix sniping at each other like siblings and rolled her eyes and just kept going. She wanted to snap at Felix too but it was more important to keep casting. Rowan went to jump over the ditch when Felix offered a hand. She took it as she was pulled over the ditch. She tried to decide where she could help the most. She couldn’t help the snort of laughter as she saw Felix hurl Borys across the ditch as his body crashed into Oksana.

Rowan paused at the tree line before the small clearing that led to the train yard. They had hostiles blocking their path. There didn’t seem to be a way around them. Rowan fought the urge to roll her eyes as Felix was once more giving orders. She privately thought, who had put him in charge? I don’t remember agreeing to that.

Felix: "Borys, Keodis, put down some suppressing fire, Silas, Rowan, get on the flank, see if you can. We might want to scavenge that vehicle if we're getting a train!"

Rowan didn’t acknowledge Felix. She simply turned and moved to the flank position. She hid behind a tree as she pulled out a few potions. She tossed a poison gas potion as far as she could towards the incoming squad. She then chanted holding onto her whip’s handle. Her hair stirred as wind began to pour from her hand. She used the wind to push the poison cloud into the operatives coming up on their flank. Rowan waited to see how Keodis did with the large gun. Rowan had an idea but she would give them an opportunity to deal with it first.

Silas growls, getting to his feet after getting into cover with Rowan. He grumbles the first fire fighting running it's course. He only then rounds on Rowan, "Better to be alive then standing in the open. Broken casts, and forgiveness are easier to recover from and get then a bullet in the forehead." He tugs his coat and plate carrier back into place after the brief wrestling match.

He gives her a strangely caring look, no not caring. Almost parental. He sniffs and shakes his head. Before he looks away though, she has about enough time to gasp in surprise as his big fist whistles through the air and smacks her on the shoulder. His knuckle dusters glowing. And his healing magic rippling through her.

He turns away from her with abit of a smile, "Okay let's see, anyone else?" He looks around spotting Borys, he nods, "Ahhh I see." He checks everyone else visually first making sure no one else needs help. He's crossing the distance between them, when that UAZ mounted DShK starts to cough. Silas snarled, "Ahhh Malaka!" He dodges back, then digs into his pack, "Damn! I forgot to grab smokes." He growls. He ducks and Roadie Runs the rest of the way to Borys. He looks him over, pawing at him to check him over, "Ahhh you're relatively okay." And the rabbit punch to his shoulder sends that wave of healing magic through Borys, he then turns and checks for a clearing during the fire, growling back at Borys, "Don't make me do it again too soon!" Silas racks his shotgun and coughs one, two rounds the way of the UAZ and the approaching OpFor, "I don't know if we want to wait here for too long!" He shouts as he Roadie Runs back to Rowan. Sliding on his knees into place beside her. He nods to her, "Looks like we can't stay apart huh?"

He moves onto the flank with her, ducking from cover to cover. As Rowan hid behind a tree, Silas again Roadie Ran his way up closer. Close enough that he could hear the SA soldiers barking at each other. He waved to Rowan to give her a visual signal of his location. He saw her draw another potion and that ugly cloud of gas forming. He nods, waits, until some of the baddies started to cough in reaction. That's when he swung out from behind his cover and pumped the last of the rounds in the tube of his shotgun into the SA thugs from the side.

Thump, Thunk, Crunk, Ka-dun.

He chortles, "Ahhh like doing the work of the Gods." He says as he swings back into cover and begins to reload his shotgun. Ducking down low when a few of the thugs wicker rounds at his cover, "Your aim leaves alot to be desired!" He calls to them keeping those few with their attention on him.

Day 2: 00:31:21
Grestin Monastery,
Somewhere overlooking the the village of Pristupin,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

Borys took several deep breaths, verifying his ribs were bruised but not broken and turned to give Felix a thumbs up when he called for sitreps when he got shot again.

He gave up on trying to get back to his feet when his first attempt was thwarted by another round, instead crawling around his rock pile to try to get himself out of the way, glancing at the wine bottle in his vest with every subsequent bullet impact.

He must’ve seen that bottle 20 times in half as many seconds.

At last, the fight was over, Borys finally getting up as he sniffed the air. “Someone’s making shashliki?” He asked, seemingly completely missing and having to be made aware of the forest fire heating up behind them.

Getting to the ruined monastery hadn’t been that hard, the team walking slowly enough to let him mostly keep pace. But two dozen bullet impacts later, with the lingering mental wobble of still having Oksana’s vessel on him and now having to run like he was stealing chrome parts off a Zhiguli and got caught by the owner was a bit much for someone in his state and with the length of his legs. He had finally caught up the 30-odd meters when the team got held up by a ditch, heaving air and wincing at the pain in his ribs that shot through his arcane alcoholism’s increased tolerance. He took a breath and a few steps back to get a running start - or what would pass for one, anyway - when he felt an upwards pull on the back of his vest.

He realized what was happening. He wouldn’t have thought of it, but he saw it happen.

The fucking gall of the pussycat…

The absolute balls on this motherfucker.

“The mirror, mirror, debil!” Borys protested as he got yeeted over the ditch, sprawling out on landing and face planting into the dirt instead of the instinctive tuck and roll he would have attempted normally had he not also foreseen the sounds of cracking glass.

He hit the dirt when the Dushka started barking, knowing full well there was no walking away from that one. He was just trying to think of what to do about that when Silas ran up, the punch doing to the pain in his ribs what PSA used to do to human rights - making them disappear without a trace.

Then, an idea.

Borys took a magazine out of his pouch and pitched it in the UAZ’ general direction like a grenade, using the distraction and Keodis’ support fire to move over to where Felix was holed up. He grabbed Felix’ arm, probably messing up a few shots as he pulled him back behind cover. “Got an idea.” He said like it would explain anything and waited for Felix to ask what it was before raising Svetlana up and bringing her down fast, smacking the shovel-stock into Felix’ stomach as hard as he could with one hand while shoving his finger in the DSR operative’s throat to get him to throw up and do his lion thing.

In Borys’ plastered mind, it was a solid plan.

And also quid pro quo for getting picked up like a wet cat.

And Oksana could probably thank her guardian angels for the chaos of the Dushka not letting her see 17 versions of it.

Day 2: 00:45:10
Outside of Koley Railyard, Koley,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

The fight was going nicely. About as good as it could considering they were not meant to be in full blown warfare with a forest behind them gently catching alight, but armed recon in stealth. Silas and Rowan on the flank were dragging bullets their way, the poison gas and Rowan's magic were making them think differently, while Borys was moving up on Felix. The Libolian wasn't quite sure what was going on, but Borys decided to take matters into his own hands.

Well, fingers, as Felix was about to kick the shit out of him as Borys pulled his finger out, the gag interrupting Felix's words....

"Borys, the fuck are you...."

BLRUGH.

Felix immediately chundered out a mass of...what can only be not described, and immediately cleaned up his mouth, so close to just putting a bullet into the pisshead, him thinking this was a game. Silas and Rowan were laying down fire effectively, 12.7mm rounds slamming into trees, as Felix put two and two together. And realised what Borys was trying to do. A bit of sick had landed on Borys, mind.

Suddenly feeling rough yet pumped with adrenaline, Felix decided to take a little imitative, breaching fibreoptic in hand, feeling the mana burn a little inside of him, the reserve tanks on for energy inside to get him through this fight. As any good operative would need to do. He hoped the team had his back, looking at Borys square.

"Stop fucking drinking and start shooting." Felix tapped Borys on the shoulder, and the lion that Felix switched to nearly barged him over.

Clearing the ground through the grass, what looked like Felix was just running out into the open, the MG switching to blast fire onto Felix, the illusion falling apart, and the lion, what the PSA militia thought was actually the illusion, kept going.

Diving into the back of the UAZ, the distraction was grateful, as Oksana took the opportunity of the gunner and the remaining fireteam pulled in too many different directions to act, into actually getting a bead on the gunner. And that she did. The bullet felt divined, in how it covered about 150m of ground and splattered into the gunner's head, before Felix casually took a chunk out of one of the guys taking cover behind it, a filet steak sized portion of shoulder and neck that crunched in his teeth like butter.

The others cleaned up nicely, Oksana pipping two more in the rocks in the clearing, easily putting them out with surgically placed bullets.

Felix showed in that moment, why perhaps maybe his ability was a little bit broken.

The last man standing, the former driver screamed as he tried to run, but Felix was so much faster. He didn't play with his food. He just went for the neck and thorax, jaw peeling him apart like a tangerine, spitting out the bits of lung he'd caught that he really wasn't a fan of. His digestive system, and his lion's were a little different. And now all of Babushka's food being empty in his human form had meant that as a lion, he had a gap to fill.

The lion turned back around, playfully running along as Oksana ran down the hill, all enemies clear, their team leader unable to communicate but from his enhanced hearing and sight, not seeing much. A graceful ginger-haired lion covered in blood in the middle of a chilly Polavian forest felt a little contradictory, but hey, he didn't choose this life.

"You diabolical fuck!" Oksana called out almost in shock, as Felix gave a playful roar, a grin if possible on the lion's face that they were out of the woods. He made a move to the UAZ, shifting back, looking around as he broke into a jog, taking in his handiwork. A little almost embarrassed, but, impressed at the same time by Borys unleashing him.

"I'll give Borys credit where due. Consider a career as a beastmaster if this shit doesn't work out because....nobody's made me be sick for that. Please don't be sick yourselves. I'm uhh....cannot help it. I'm a pescatarian!" Felix added, awkward, as the Polavian sniper jogged down, Oksana looking at the state of the body by the UAZ, accustomed to the images on the internal emails that emerged when he was at work.

"I'd have been sick by now if I wasn't. Ammo is getting low my end. We got a plan apart from getting shot by another patrol and you feasting on medium rare Polavian at Mach Fuck?" The Polavian dryly retorted, flicking a new magazine in, direct in thoughts.

The sound of tracks rustling in the distance and a train horn made echoed made a plan for the unofficial team leader quickly.

"Idea. Rowan, jump up on the DShK. I'll drive.....we have a train to catch, if it's cargo, we can sneak aboard. You're right that the resistance is too heavy, we're going to get squished if we head to the trainyard with this lot on us. Just means we need to burn any tail first." Felix asked, as Oksana looked around.

"Easier said than done. Polavian trains do not slow down for anyone. Big efficiency drive. Mostly because the train drivers get to finish once they complete their shift. Our window is small." Oksana retorted, realising that Felix was proposing jumping onto the train. A poor idea in a field of potato-powered bullshit and very rare human meat.

"Well, that sounds like an even bigger win to me. They in the pocket of the Albani?"

The team clambered in, as Oksana replied to Felix's question, loosely sitting in the back of the open-topped communist jeep, loading a new mag into her Vityaz, counting her remainders out.

"Mostly not. Don't need to pay them when the containers are." She replied, as the UAZ chugged, Felix turning the key inside of it.

"Come on!" Felix yelled, as he slapped the dash, and with almost a comical timing, the engine belched out black diesel smoke, the former Captain awkwardly shoving it into gear, with more abuse than a Kalan prison getting put into the gear shift into second given he realised the UAZ was a machine built on BDSM like demand. It understood no other language than mechanical violence, in exchange for questionable quantities of oil.

"And you still look think you're in control?" Oksana asked, the question open, knowing Rowan was thinking it, and increasingly, so was she. This was a complete fucking mess.

"Trying. Not got much choice but to play the cards we're dealt, aren't we?" Felix replied, as driving down, more PSA tracer fire darted above, as Felix kept it as steady as he could over the rough and tumble of the forest tracks, another patrol in the forest firing on them and the team firing back. Spotlights were out, as mud and dirt sprayed everywhere, the ride about as bumpy as a trampoline made of bare concrete.

"Contacts!" Felix called out, as another UAZ emerged, more swearing and shouting audible, and bullets flew from the team. Oksana sprayed her PP-19, taking out a couple of the. There was something to be said about it all, as Felix turned left, a massive hit to the vehicle as it bumped and rattled alongside the train track, where the train was still at running speed. The UAZ behind tried the same move, and two of the PSA militants were actually thrown out by the size of the bump, skidding to a halt to pick up the two that had been flung out.

"Hah! Okay! Here!" Felix yelled, keeping the UAZ alongside, gunfire dying down, peeling alongside the train, the box cars a mixture of ISO containers and traditional cattle wagons, old units put into service that were also being used to store loose goods. Felix kept the revs high, next to one such container, as Oksana unbolted the latch and drew it open, making a bigger opening than the gap between the carriages, which would be insane.

As Felix kept throttle pinned, Oksana helped Borys in, given his shitfaced nature, it was best he went and caused as little hassle here. Then next up, she offered a hand up to Silas, the bumps difficult but her holding the frame to give him a chance to leap up, before she would follow.

But something hit her mind and immediately set her off. The visions halted.

"Wait, not yet!"

"Oksana, fucking go!" Felix yelled back, as Oksana did as she was told, despite the burning feeling in her. It was impossible, like a hunch backed by so much more. Because the moment she made the jump, following after Borys, throwing herself into the carriage, the car had to dodge a gap in the road, that then suddenly was filled by the emergence of another UAZ smacking into the side of it.

---

The crash was a hard hit, with Felix and Rowan scattered, thrown from the UAZ, the jeep in bits and them lucky to be breathing.

The other UAZ that had smacked into it was a write-off too, but the militia inside had fared better.

Felix groaned, as the PSA team from the crashed UAZ flooded the area, at least a fireteam's worth, four or so in his vision.

"Shit. You're not friendly are you." A hit to the face and a hard kick was that reply, Felix was aware that any switch or escalation now would be a risky move. One of them was carrying a big iron looking staff, and it was throwing him completely for everything. No craft available to him with a ward like that. Probably why Oksana was not able to see that coming. That was a smarter move, Felix realised, as before Rowan could move, she got kicked in the side and thrown to the floor.

And next to him, Olygarkov, emerging from a polished looking Range Rover, cigarette in hand, breathing it out. Ushanka and leather coat on, he didn't half look like the evil spawn of a police state.

He walked along the crunched glass of the UAZ's windscreen, cackling almost, looking around at the two he'd managed to get in his hands.

"Rowan Morgana! I cannot believe this, you have made my day....and fallen right into our palm. With another caster causing us..... inconvenience." Olygarkov announced as if he was some minor noble, almost rather pleased with what felt like a lot of other works, not his own.

And leaning in, as the other militant held her up, Olygarkov's smile became like that of a Cheshire cat.

"What is it they say? Two for one? Capitalist scum come in capitalist numbers! You, and the fucking lion.....for free!" Olygarkov was now monologuing. Like any two-bit wannabe bureaucratic, secret policeman.

"And you followed him after it all? After what he did? He does not know what to do. No.......he got you in front of us though." Olygarkov yanked her by her plate carrier, dragging her away from the mess, leaning her against the car, bloody and hurt, away from where Felix was now getting attention.

"But now we have you, nobody else has to die. The rest of your team need not worry." Olygarkov added, his voice trailing from the Libolian's view, as rifle was still pointed at him. The next words were likely going to be to shoot said lion, he thought to himself. People full of themselves did that.

Felix looked up, sighing, coughing up, the hurt deep inside him, watching Rowan get dragged away. He didn't make too much noise, staying compliant, not wanting to rile his captor while the boss talked. He might have been full of bad decisions, but this was a moment where even without vision, he could make a good one.

"Two for one is a bad deal." Felix lept up and yanked the AK-103's barrel from the hands of the man in front and kicked at the same time, taking a couple of rounds from the ward-carrying militant before turning the rifle he'd stolen onto the man who held him, before putting a round through the head of the ward-carrying soldier next to him. It wasn't much to crawl and hurl it as far as he could across the tracks, as Olygarkov and his other soldier reacted. But he was bleeding. Badly. Felix barely was up before stumbling forward and about to look like he was going to drop dead, a bullet through his side and top of his throat, making him fumble, and fall to the floor.

As Olygarkov turned and pointed his Makarov at him, trigger pulled to finish the job, the special forces operator vanished.....and the lion appeared.

And that lion tore off his arm as Felix darted forwards and up, the AK dropped, as he snarled, before then leaping onto him and ripping out his stomach, another soldier leaping on top of Felix with a knife.

Brave trying to fight a lion, but Felix felt the cut into his side of the big knife, but rolled across and drove forward, making a really brutal, horrid scene of it, basically just putting his jaw to the militant's head and taking a bite.

From behind, it was a bloody scene, probably worse than anyone had seen Felix do from earlier.

By the time Felix was done, he was licking bits out of his teeth, panting hard, bleeding. He couldn't change back, not until he saw a medic in his human form. He'd been hurt badly there, the cut bad now, but managable. He sauntered across to Rowan and put one of his sharp paws into her arms as carefully as he could pulling her and the ziptie down, but peeling through it, looking on at the train that was now getting further away, with their medic aboard. He brushed his mane and paw against Rowan's broom and her headset, and stood rampant with his....arms, legs, front legs? Whatever they were, looked her in the eyes and made a bark that sounded like the low frequency rumble of a V8, giving a nod (as best as a lion could), and turned his head to the train, making a pained noise. With that, he proceeded to bolt, running towards the train, leaving her there and then. Hoping she would understand what to do next, where to go, the Range Rover still running, but another option available to her. He wasn't getting on her broom to get where they were going.

The lion strained, Felix hurt, full, and most of all, feeling like he would crash out. He had to get to that train. He'd make it. He just hoped Rowan would because they'd do so much worse to her if she didn't.

It must have been a strange response, irrespective of how Rowan treated that situation, but he was chasing the train, and she had alternative means. It had happened so fast, Rowan must have been confused, but in a strange way, perhaps he hoped in that moment that she'd get herself to safety.

---

Meanwhile inside the train, Oksana exhaled, watching on as the car was hit, and smacked into a rock, barely as she clambered up, looking back and realising that Rowan and Felix hadn't joined them.

"Rowan? Felix? Come in! I fucking told him....fuck's sake. No chance we get him back. Every time I throw myself out of this thing to save his stupid ass, I break myself. Rowan though....fuck. I hope she can make a run for it." Oksana blurted, exhaling, realising jumping from the train at this speed now would be broken legs territory. She didn't want to rely on luck, so trusted they'd get themselves out. Or at least, worst case scenario, the lion that had caused all the shit they were in was left behind.

Peering out of the train as it hit a right hand curve, the sound of distant roaring could be heard, a lot of screaming, and it seemed to continue, more than the gunfire had.

"Felix, Rowan, status? You both alive?" Oksana asked, her foresight unclear, the sound of clinking making her stop.

They hadn't actually checked what was in the modified train car, as Oksana looked to Silas and Borys. The wooden floor and feeling of it felt like it was from 100 years ago, not a modern train system.....yet Polavia felt like it sometimes didn't always roll with the times.

"Oh god. You're not going to believe this." Oksana tittled, gently pulling the fabric cover off the container behind her, revealing dozens and dozens of crates of vodka bottles.

There was more Medlandia than Borys had likely ever seen in his entire life, but the awe must have been completely broken when Oksana tapped her fist against the side of a crate, it making a loud clink, rather thank the deeper.

"Empties." She added, drawing one from the near hundred crates in this carriage alone, and rolling it backwards across the floor, looking to Borys and Silas, a realisation she was with two of the team who could hold their own in drinking.

"We are definitely going to Novy Jork......"

Day 2: 00:45:10
Outside of Koley Railyard, Koley,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan’s plan was working as the conjured wind was pushing the poison gas cloud into the small group of enemies. She smiled as she saw them begin to clutch their throats and scratch at their skin on their faces. The poison burned on contact with airways and was a form of mustard gas mixed with a contact poison. The enemies caught in the small cloud were quickly on the ground screaming. Rowan kept the wind circling them before pushing the gas further away from them. When she released the wind spell she didn’t want the gas blown back in their direction. She released the wind spell and dove back into cover. Between her and Silas they had managed to take out all the enemies trying to flank them.

Rowan had been busy fighting and missed Borys forcing Felix to throw up so that he could shift into his Lion form. She did notice when the big gun stopped firing at them. Someone had managed to do something about it. She did hear Felix’s roar and realized he had shifted into his lion form. Rowan had begun a fighting tactical retreat towards the team with Silas. Between the two of them the squad trying to outflank were dead or dying. They came up as the team was debating the next step in their plan. Rowan couldn’t help but think sarcastically They had a plan?

As they were debating you could hear the sound of a train horn and the clanking of a train moving along the tracks in the distance.

Felix: "Idea. Rowan, jump up on the DShK. I'll drive.....we have a train to catch, if it's cargo, we can sneak aboard. You're right that the resistance is too heavy, we're going to get squished if we head to the trainyard with this lot on us. Just means we need to burn any tail first."

Rowan didn’t roll her eyes at him this time. The vehicle made sense to move the team quickly towards that train. They needed to be on it when it left the area. She ran for the vehicle and hopped easily up into the back. She offered Silas a hand to help pull him up into the vehicle as Felix and Oksana had their discussion.

Oksana: "Easier said than done. Polavian trains do not slow down for anyone. Big efficiency drive. Mostly because the train drivers get to finish once they complete their shift. Our window is small."

The team had all clambered into the vehicle. Rowan couldn’t help but laugh as the vehicle refused to start at first. Then Felix yelled at it and slapped the dash and it caught and turned over letting out a belch of greasy smoke. “How typical of everything in Polavia so far. Slightly run down and only responds to violence.”

Oksana and Felix were once more trading verbal barbs back and forth. Rowan did her best to hold on and stay in the vehicle as it bumped over the rough forest track. More patrols took potshots at them as they raced by. Rowan didn’t try to use her pistol at range. It would not be that effective. She sparingly used her area of effect potions. She tossed out another potion vial that shattered against a tree and exploded into a gaseous cloud behind them. Screams could be heard that were muffled by the forest foliage.

Rowan was watching for more shooters to pick off when the UAZ made a sharp left turn. The vehicle pulled alongside the train even as their vehicle was hit by a vehicle driven by an SA goon squad. The gunfire had died down as their vehicle kept pace with the train. Oksana unlatched the train car door and pulled it open. Oksana helped Borys into the train car. Rowan laughed as hope surged that they would make it. They were going to make it out of the area and away from the goons hoping to capture and torture her. Silas went next with his short stature to be followed by Oksana. Rowan was on the far side of the vehicle and was waiting for the others to clear the way before leaping over into the car herself.

Oksana had just leaped up into the train car and she was stepping over to the other side of the vehicle when another vehicle slammed into the side of their vehicle. Rowan had no clue what had happened since she had been facing the train car. All she knew was that she was jolted violently and was thrown from the antiquated jeep. The jolt was too sudden and unexpected for her to do anything about it. She landed poorly and her head hit the ground and bounced knocking her out. It was lights out.

---

Rowan was just beginning to stir. She was in pain and disoriented. Her head hurt and she felt sick to her stomach. Her body felt bruised and ached all over. Rowan tried opening her eyes and sharp pain stabbed her behind her eyes. Her eyes were watering and everything looked blurry as she tried to get her bearings and learn what was going on around them. Rowan groaned and she started to try to move and sit up.That was when someone kicked her in the side knocking her flat to the ground once more. Rowan’s side exploded in pain where the kick landed. She was fighting to get her breath back. She managed to open her eyes a crack as she finally managed to gasp pulling in a deep painful breath.

Rowan heard the Rang Rover pull up but couldn’t see it from where she was laying on the ground surrounded by SA goons. She heard footsteps crunching on the gravel as Olygarkov approached them.

Olygarkov: "Rowan Morgana! I cannot believe this, you have made my day....and fallen right into our palm. With another caster causing us..... inconvenience."

Rowan couldn’t help thinking that she had almost felt sorry for the man who had his family threatened. She couldn’t care less what happened to him now as he began to monologue like a villain in a bad action flick.
Rowan found herself heaved to her feet and her arms wrenched behind her back painfully. Her hands were tightly secured with heavy zipties. Her sore ribs protesting the abuse. Her head spun as her ears rang. She would have fallen back down if she had not been held upright by her captors. Olygarkov leaned in close to her with an evil smile on his face. He obviously couldn’t resist gloating. Rowan was fighting nausea, pain, and dizziness. She was having trouble following everything going on. She was disoriented as hell from hitting her head. She frowned as Olygarkov continued to talk. The pain in her ribs and having her arms wrenched behind working to help clear the confusion and fogginess from her head as Olygarkov gloated.

Olygarkov: "What is it they say? Two for one? Capitalist scum come in capitalist numbers! You, and the fucking lion.....for free!And you followed him after it all? After what he did? He does not know what to do. No.......he got you in front of us though."

Olygarkov yanked her by her plate carrier, dragging her away from the mess, leaning her against the car, bloody and hurt, away from where Felix was now getting attention. Rowan found herself pressed against the side of a vehicle. They had bound her hands but had not taken any of her gear. She could feel her whip still held in place on her hip where she had put it away when they had climbed into the vehicle to make their run towards the train. She could see Felix was there with her but they had separated them. Felix had a rifle pointed at him and was being held by other members of the SA goon squad.

Olygarkov: "But now we have you, nobody else has to die. The rest of your team need not worry."

She simply frowned at him. She knew better than that. Now that the SA knew that they were in Polavia. They would hunt them down wanting to confirm that she had not told them anything about this Manticore project that they thought she knew about. She knew better than to believe his lies. Rowan spat at Olygarkov and managed to get bloody spittle in his face.

Rowan: “Like I can believe a word you say! Asshole!”

Rowan doing her best to keep Olygarkov’s focus on her and away from Felix. Maybe he would forget about Felix if she pissed him off enough. About then she heard Felix say something and heard gunshots. Rowan tried to yank herself free. Olygarkov had spun with his Makarov in his hands. Felix looked ready to drop with blood pouring out of him when he shifted into a lion and pulled off Olygarkov’s arm. Rowan swayed and tried to get herself to move and get in on the action. The gunshots caused her head to explode with pain from the sound. Her world once again spun around her as the soldier supporting her let her go and pulled a knife on Felix. Rowan shook her head trying to clear it but that only made it worse. She found herself sliding down the side of the car. She had lost her balance and felt weak. She was once more disoriented and lost a little time.

She was clawing her way back to reality once more when she found Felix in his lion form removing her zip tie cuffs. Rowan managed to lock eyes with Felix.

Rowan: “Go! Make it to the train. Don’t let them catch you again.”

Rowan blinked as she tried to focus on Felix. Her vision doubled and she saw two of him. How many legs was that? Six? Eight? She blinked as Felix gave a rumble. He seemed to be trying to tell her something when he took off for the train. Rowan breathed out a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t be the reason he had been caught and tortured by these assholes. She might be upset with Felix but he didn’t deserve whatever these assholes wanted him for. Rowan managed to use the car to get back to her feet. Felix had taken out the guards but she could hear the motor from another vehicle and knew more where on the way. She was unstrapping her broom when her radio crackled to life. She winced in pain as she heard Oksana’s voice come through the earpiece.

Oksana: "Felix, Rowan, status? You both alive?"

Rowan spoke into her comms. “Not so loud! No, I am a figment of your imagination.”

Rowan had managed to use the car side to get upright once more. She knew this part was going to suck. She pulled her broom free and managed to mount it. Now if she could just stay on it and focus enough to use it. She blinked and pulled a healing potion out and downed it. She grimaced as she downed it. At least it healed her enough that she might make this work. She still had a splitting headache but the body aches had lessened. Her vision cleared up. She focused on channeling mana into her broom. She urged it up and faster. Her broom shot off as she followed the railroad tracks. She saw Felix ahead of her as he managed to leap onto the train and into the car. Rowan could feel her Mana draining fast. The fight, the chase, and then the injury made it harder for her to channel.

She had already used quite a bit of her Mana during the fight. She needed focus for the constant channeling required to fly on her broom. That was hard to do with a splitting headache. She was pretty sure she had broken ribs and a concussion before taking the minor healing potion. It had been necessary if she was going to be able to get herself out of the predicament she had found herself in. She also realized she must have been hurt more than she realized to still have a headache. She was pushing the broom to speed up so she could catch the train when her nose began to bleed. She managed to keep it together and match speed with the train. She flew in the open door before allowing the broom to lower to the floor of the car. Her feet hit the floor and she collapsed in a heap. Her head was pounding once more and blood was flowing from her nose. She allowed herself to pass out this time. Blessed sleep would help her recover from the Mana strain.

Day 2: 00:45:10
Outside of Koley Railyard, Koley,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

Borys did not take further part in the fight. After nearly getting bowled over by the lion, he simply sat back and watched his plan work perfectly with the content smirk of someone drunk enough to give alcohol testers anxiety. A normal person might have been disturbed by the sight of what he helped unleash. Borys simply lamented the fact that his only pack of semechki was buried too deep in his backpack to grab it before the show ended.

“Molodets. Not bad.” Borys laughed as he clapped Felix on the shoulder after he turned back to human form, using the gesture to wipe the bit of Felix’ lunch that had landed on his hand against the Libolian’s shirt.

”We got a plan apart from getting shot by another patrol and you feasting on medium rare Polavian at Mach Fuck?”

“I think that’s called ‘zoomies.’ ” He chuckled as he was wiping down blood from the floor with ripped army jackets and throwing out dismembered body parts of former regime personnel. You could say he was tossing out pieces of pieces of shit.

”How typical of everything in Polavia so far. Slightly run down and only responds to violence.”

“Excuse you. Who are you calling ‘run down?’ ” Borys grumbled at Rowan as he stole a wrist watch from one of the dismembered limbs in the car, not challenging the rest of the statement.

Loading up, Borys took full advantage of his Craft, the lack of Dushkas on the pursuing vehicles and the fact that he was pissed enough for his ear drums to be practically immune to gunshots by that point and basically became a living gunshield for Rowan for the duration of the rolling firefight.

When it came to boarding the rolling train, he actually appreciated getting half-thrown that time. Falling itself would only have been disastrous once the PSA goons caught him, but there was not enough alcohol in all of Polavia to let him survive falling under the train’s wheels. He quickly checked that there was nothing threatening inside the cattle wagon before helping others in, low center of gravity and sheer guns helping offset his blood alcohol content when he didn’t have to move.

And then the UAZ got kamikaze’d.

Borys leaned out of the open door, realizing they were too far away for him to make an accurate shot at whoever was holding Felix and Rowan with irons and his blood alcohol level and turned to jump.

He probably would have been fine.

Fortunately, the last sober brain cell in his skull reminded him: ‘How the blyat are you gonna get back on the train, debil?’

“They’re fucked harder than a Kalani emigrant porn star.” He stated almost flatly, but with an undertone. Not sadness. It was the Polavian evergreen: Drunken fury. He’d almost leaned back into the train car when he saw it. A woman on a broom and a lion charging after the train. He leaned out again, one hand holding onto the inside of the train car, the other outstretched to grab onto Felix’ armor and help him on board when he caught up.

With the lion safely aboard, Borys turned to Oksana, lightly tapping the rangefinder she’d given him with his finger. “Do you want this back? Because if not, I’ll gladly keep it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fucking weird, but really useful.”

Once Felix had been healed and back in human form, Borys pulled out the package from Oksana’s babushka. “Hungry?” He offered.

As the first fire fight died out, Silas went around the team. Even if they didn't need it he slugged everyone magic , green for healing, sparkling off his knuckles. All except Borys and Felix. They got to watch him stalk towards them and pull his cudgel. They had about 12 seconds between them before he swung for center field. And lucky them he remembers to turn his healing magic in! Only the impact and the healing and none of the damage the spiked cudgel would have done.

As things die down he goes about the field and starts to pillage abit. Bandages, a few vials of morphine, a really nice antibiotic autoinjector from one of the officers.

And just as hea about to jump aboard the trucks he slows. Then whistles. "Hello there my dear." Bending over and pulling a KS-23 from the cooling hands of one of the bodies. Rifling through pockets he finds a handful of the large shells meant for the immense scatter gun.

As he boards up he pulls the smaller scattergun off his shoulder and offers it around, "Anyone got room? I just found something even better." He pats the big cannon with s grin.

He sets the smaller shotgun in a carry bin in the back and as he plays scavenger in the back of the truck for.more ammo the rolling fire fight begins. He snails, "we cannot catch a break!" Drawing his pistol he rattles off some shots. Plugging one of the passengers. Then turning and shouting "Malaka what did I tell you about needing to heal you again!" He shouted having to watch Borys hold up.against shots again.

Ad they approached the train he helped get people aboard before boarding himself. And just in tome as their ride got rammed. He leans out the car, "Rowan? Felix? Malaka!"

But soon they are racing back. He motions, "Come on!" Helping to get them on board and if the haymakers he gives them.both are a little bit more vehement then needed well that's a Healers Rage for you.

He does pull his cudgel and wails on the big cat for abit making damn sure he's healed. One blow...two...three...four. he expects someone to stop him at one point. Right before he stops himself.

He flops to the train car floor, "you know what...a few days ago...while.doing house calls i thought i missed this crap...Wonder why?" He slugs his way over and cracks a crate, "hmm don't think they'd miss a bottle huh?" Rwaching into his medbag he pulls a wicked looking knife using it to Crack the top, "emm..." and he tips back before offering the bottle around, "might be the only joy we get for awhile." He expound as everyone catches their breath.

Day 2: 00:51:20
Outside of Koley Railyard, Koley,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

The lion paced along rail track.

All the thoughts in his head.

Clara. Seeing her wasn't a priority, but....Lyra was.

His daughter.

Getting shot in the neck, he thought about that a lot. But he was lucky enough to have nine lives. Well, as a lion, he was basically just a cat with slightly more than claws, he had teeth. He could rip, tear, pierce, take whoever he wanted.

Not that it was exactly working well for him, but, he had saved Rowan. That was enough for now.



Oksana helped Rowan out as she half-elegantly broomed her way into the door, holding her up as she struggled, burnt out, down on her mana, down on her luck, and about to drop. The Polavian rested her down, peeling out a tonic and grabbing her own first aid kit, the modified batch having a bunch of needles in it, as Rowan stabbed in a cocktail of sugar and liquid-dissolved blueberry-like mana into her vein, using a more typical cotton bud and wipe to patch her bleeding mouth and nose. It would save Silas beating the shit out of her, at least, not having to keep swinging like there was no tomorrow. Speaking of....

As Felix was peeled in, he roared as if by reaction, as hurt as Rowan was in his lion form, this somehow still being better than his other form, which was near death. He appreciated Borys scooping him up, but had little way of showing it, as he slumped across the floor, panting heavily, the sort of groan that sounded like a knell. Rowan got some attention first, of course.

But when Silas started swinging at Felix, he yelled, not an angry roar, but like he'd got his foot caught in a trap. A diffuse, broad, yell. He hadn't interacted with his magic yet.

And he shifted.

Felix switched to his human form, blood pouring out of his lower neck, a weird schlurp sealing up the wound.

The next punch sending him back as the big cat reappeared, the lion's roar back albeit the cuts and couple of bullets he'd taken vanishing.

Before the next punch got his human form again, his gear staying with him through some absolute, critical bullshit, his wound on his neck seemingly sealed.

Before the final punch hit, and the lion returned.

That lion of Felix seemed healed, back to life, as he groaned, peeling a paw back onto floor to stand, not quite as majestic as ever, the coil spring pulling back in...

And the zoomies were there. He immedately went to Rowan, giving her a sniff, as he lept across before Silas got up from sitting on the floor in his tired state, giving him a solid, massive, lick on his neck and back, basically towering over him and wrapping his front legs over his shoulders, like a hug. It was like velcro, and the blood and gore was all but gone. It was like a cat showing love, as he shifted away.

Felix couldn't shift back. Maybe his other self was healing? Felix couldn't make sense of it, but he had a feeling his other self would appreciate some rest right now, as he looked around at the others. Non verbal.

"Okay.....we choosing being a cat? Or we coming back? I am so done with this. Convenient. Sure. But I can't even look into your future. Only that you got us here, and now, we can't even talk to you!" Oksana simply retorted as if she was angry at thin air rather than just Felix, checking over Rowan once more, who was passed out asleep, sitting herself down, checking her pulse, looking across to Borys, as he approached her.

With the lion safely aboard, Borys turned to Oksana, lightly tapping the rangefinder she’d given him with his finger. “Do you want this back? Because if not, I’ll gladly keep it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fucking weird, but really useful.”

Oksana put her hand out and took the rangefinder back.
"That's what everyone says. I appreciate it, but I'd like to hang onto it for now." She added, watching as Silas looked around the empties of the train, and in what was a Christmas miracle in Spring, found one crate that was full.

He slugs his way over and cracks a crate, "hmm don't think they'd miss a bottle huh?" Reaching into his medbag he pulls a wicked looking knife using it to Crack the top, "emm..." and he tips back before offering the bottle around, "might be the only joy we get for awhile." He expound as everyone catches their breath.

"How did you find the only full one?" Oksana asked, as Felix walked over. She was in the right place to take a swig, feeling a brush against her leg, taking the bottle from Silas before Borys could, brushing a shot down.

Felix wanted involvement.

"Oh fuck. Really? You nearly fucking died? Now this?" She added, watching the lion shadow her. He wasn't changing back as readily. Felix groaned, as she realised that the lion was asking for booze. And he didn't seem keen on switching back. Gently swiping an unclawed foot against Oksana's foot, brushing his mane on her. Cats couldn't drink, she thought? Yet the lion rolled over at the Polavian's feet. Oksana knew this from her own cat. But fuck the guy, if he wanted this, then he was getting a bad decision. She poured more than a shot measure into his jaw, Felix moaning out and straight up purring.

This absolutely fucking wasn't weird. Were lions able to drink alcohol? Could their livers even do it? Her cat couldn't, but a half man, half lion? Like, biologically, where the fuck were they? Did Felix know what was going on? So many questions. So, so many questions. Oksana just came out with them.

"Felix, you fucking dipshit, why on earth would a lion want.....fine....did you kill Olygarkov at least? In exchange for....the best thing I'm gonna find this side of catnip? If you shit anywhere, I swear on all the Gods, I'm going to climb in that jaw and rip out your tonsils!" Oksana asked, her vision enough to see the dickhead Polavian from earlier coming into view when she jumped in, but not confirm quite what had gone down. Felix's delightful growl all but confirmed it, literally, licking his lips.

"I'm not even going to ask why you can't change back." Oksana asked, then looking to Borys, wondering if he had a method to get him back. Felix was hurt in both forms, clearly, but he was stuck as a lion right now. Oksana was now wondering if the pisshead had any more great ideas. Silas could punch him, maybe, but she didn't want to hassle the medic. He had earned his vodka, and surprisingly, Oksana didn't care enough to ask the shorter Libolian to smack his compatriot, even if she really wanted to herself.

Borys was making a great beast-master. But unlike a drunk with his favourite cat, this was a bit more extreme in every scale.

Once Felix had been healed and back in human form, Borys pulled out the package from Oksana’s babushka. “Hungry?” He offered.

Felix shifted back in, the height difference putting his head too close, nodding with a smile as he took the sandwich and gulped it down, inhaling the pastrami and cheese sandwich, despite the fact he felt half sick. Actually processing the booze now. He slid the ring off his human-now fingers, pushing it back into Borys's hand. The signet ring, with a fragment of tooth in it. Something before the inevitable.

"Thanks, I'm burnt out, the injury is going to keep...." It was him cut off by involuntarily shifting back, the wound in his neck still hurting a little bit too much. Borys would have seen it heal, but the lion was clearly the more stable of the two states right now. The vodka bottle was put into his hand as he would have looked, and turned to see Oksana letting Felix flicker back.

The ring would have felt weird in Borys's hands. His hearing, night sight, touch would have felt a lot stronger. But it was the last Felix could give for now.

Staying put as a lion was now a bit weird it was involuntary, but the lion seemed to actually break a smile, nuzzling close against Borys, the salty crumbs licked up off the floor, as he stood before him, like a cat that was at least seven foot long. A magnificent golden-red mane, a few cuts across his face, and a belly full of the most succulent cuts of Grandma's sandwiches and Polavian commie-fascists.

It would be hard to talk to him. But if a lion could talk about now, he was appreciating Borys a lot more for that sandwich, as he gave a big stretch, a massive yawn that revealed the mass of teeth, limbs and jaw that an African Lion possessed, and proceeded to leap up onto a wooden crate, a tiny bit above Borys's eye level, curling up and falling asleep, with a gutteral, loud snore that kicked in within the space of about a minute.

Oksana sighed, disappointed, taking the bottle out of Borys's hand before he got too shitfaced, and took a serious swig of the Polavian Standard, wiping her lips, before passing it across to Silas.

Words weren't coming out. Nothing was. They all seemed broken, exhausted, burnt out.

She took a moment to compose herself.

"Your Western movies say this is the bit we all contemplate life. Is it?" Oksana asked Silas, shaking her head, the Druid Witch staggering herself to a bit of floor, and proceeding to dump herself onto the ground, looking to the others, more in general.

"The train takes about six hours. The lines are shitty. But with any luck, we can make it to Novy Jork. Worst case, we dump his ass in a zoo." Oksana remarked, as Felix gutturally moaned somewhat quietly in disapproval, the lion in the corner making his opinions heard, despite being very fast on the way to being as cold out as Rowan was.

"Or, best case, there's a hotel we just need to get to. Should be easy. We just need to get off the train, find somewhere quiet so someone can grab us some civilian clothing, then get to Pavel's. Get papers. Done. End this fucking nightmare. But if they want Rowan, I wonder what we do for her. The Lieutenant Colonel will keep hunting if he wants something. Polavia will not be safe if so. And I can't think or see the fucking future when I'm this tired.....anyway. We should rest." Oksana commented, yawning herself at the end with her word salad, the fact that the team were partially drunk, on a train, after six of the most intense hours of their recent weeks, hunted by a growing number of paramilitaries and special forces, and now, stuck with a fucking lion that didn't seem to want to change back.

She leaned back against the bulkhead, and didn't yet close her eyes, letting others react, talk, say words, before her head drifted back against plywood.

---

The train clattered, the forest through the tiny crack in the door always there, shut now, the clinking of a points change or a rough railway sleeper jolting everything.

The night continued, as the team licked their wounds, Felix asleep, Oksana fading in and out. They should have kept a patrol. But they were all feeling the affects of adrenaline, burnout, wiping through mana, and most importantly of all, being drunk.

Rowan had been passed out a while, and Oksana had slept next to her, head leaning against her collapsed overcoat.

And Rowan was likely to be experiencing something very, very weird. Well, just her at first, then Silas, then Borys....

------=============================///////////////////////////////////////////////////===============---

With this much mana, especially of a chronomancer's kind, Oksana was playing back a memory.

A memory, a dream, a nightmare?

It seemed to tie Rowan in, as Oksana played it back.

Running across that border. Turning and shooting at the wall. As the Polavian looked to her side, seeing Rowan, in her usual garb, looking on.

"Ah. Uhhhh.....yeah, my dreams have a habit of this. Really sorry. We might want to get out of this one." Oksana exclaimed.

This was a lucid, if not outright perverse dream. Nailing perfect headshots sadly came with the worst of time-dilated effects. And as any dream played out, it was the realisation none of this was quite real, but the faint, centre of eye details were.

Rowan, if she looked to her side, the look of Oksana a bit different to what she normally looked like. Younger. Much, much younger. Barely out of being a teenager.

"I have really, really powerful dreams. Side-effect of ketamine, kurwa! This one usually comes back lately....." Oksana simply retorted.....as if it was another Tuesday, seeing Borys asleep by a bit of barbed wire, as she pulled a spare grenade and threw at him, pin unpulled, as if to wake him up, gunfire then erupting as a klaxon went off.

"We need to keep running! That MG is gonna chew us out!" Oksana yelled back at Rowan, as suddenly, the sound of a machine gun opened up, a full alarm going, and it seemed to almost turn inside out. What looked like a portal opened ahead in a ruined house in No Man's Land, as Oksana dived over the concrete block, and shot back with the SVD she'd managed to tack. It was always that. The machine gun stopped as her bullet found mark, and she looked back at Rowan, Borys and Silas.

"Run! I'd head for that exit!" She yelled, as with it, Oksana then sprinted out, across, and out, towards the door, the others phasing through and getting spat out into their own dreams. Or awake.

For others, their dreams might have continued. But for Oksana, the portal was hollow. She kept on running. And going. Until it all went grey, and then....

---

Act Two: Redirected

Part Three: Bottoms Up

Day 2: 05:35:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

Waking up, Oksana was in a cold sweat, as the train clattered along, that dream not being one she'd seen in a while. And while possessing control in a spirit dream, after the intensity of what had just happened, she would rather that didn't happen. Drink, ketamine, seering, exhaustion. The unholy four that could fuck any good witch of the east up.

It turns out when you've got this much mana in you, your dreams pull others in. Why Rowan, Silas and Borys? She wasn't sure. She hoped they'd remain asleep, but Rowan, well, she was that close. She wouldn't brush that off.

The early dawn was yellow lit with gas lamps, as they passed slowly through a trainyard, the speeding up of the train indicating they were moving faster post-yard. They were closer to the capital, that much was for certain.

She rubbed her eyes, seeing lion-Felix snore, bottle of vodka next to him, breaking out in laughter, exhaling hard as she walked across, sitting down and rubbing her hand through his mane and through his top, before looking back to Rowan, setting herself down. She'd likely woken the DSR native up, Oksana putting Rowan's witch hat back on her abdomen, sitting down, sitting by her side, sipping down water from her canteen.

"Morning. I apologise you saw that. It's this weird memory that seems to have come up a lot the more I come here."

Oksana looked to the side, breathing deeply, running her hand into Rowan's, offering the canteen first, letting the Chemical Witch sip down. She offered some electrolytes in her spare hand.

"I escaped Polavia when I was younger. Ran across the border. Shit, sorry. You don't want to hear it. You saw it there. Sort of." Oksana cut herself off, realising, looking across, then back at Felix. She almost, for a half second, showed vulnerability. The Polavian was hard as nails, blunt, but Rowan would feel a third of a lifetime in her hands that had more wear and tear in it than it really should have.

Sliding across her rangefinder, Roxie passed it into her hands.

"So, they want you dead. Makes two of us. So, if you get into a fight again, this might give you an edge. Should allow you to seer into the future a little. Whatever they want you for sounds serious, if it's chemical weapon related. But we shall work it out. Together." Oksana added, passing it across, the vessel held by Borys earlier now in Rowan's hands. Her brutal, blunt, almost comically sharp Slavic tone held no empathy, but it was to the point. It was something Rowan was likely getting used to by now, Roxie's cold, almost leaf-like hand against Rowan's.

"So, did Olygarkov say anything before he died? I don't recognise him. But he looked sleazy before Felix turned him into a pie. So I assume he's one of that fat bastard's cronies." Oksana asked, as in the background, there was a rustling.

Felix shifted, rolling off the crate, and yelping, human form suddenly shifting as he fell away.

"Ahhhhh! Fucking cunt!" Felix added, clutching his side as he rolled over, Oksana about to run up and check he was okay, as he patted himself down, looking around, standing up in a panic.

"Did I do anything stupid last night? Sorry. When I'm hurt, I can't switch as easy. We seem okay though? Plan worked?" Felix spoke matter of factly, as Oksana giggled, shaking her head, almost frisbeeing his hat across to him, as he caught it. "Where are we?" Felix asked, looking to the others, who were now waking up, after their team leader had literally woken up out of bed the wrong way.

From Rowan, who was recovering, to Borys, who was probably waking up considering a hair of the dog, to Silas, who was no doubt, burnt out himself, exhausted from what the fuck he had been brought into.

"Yeah, noted. It fucking worked. Barely." The Polavian's rasp was barely hiding her disdain, but, in a fucked up kind of way, she was glad he was back to normal, and more importantly, away from the PSA and DSR hunting them down, for now. There was actual optimism.

She looked across to Silas, looking around Borys, hand up as if to get attention.

"What does he owe you? Like, what are we saying, how many dollars for your services is it he's seriously in debt to you for?"

Act Two: Redirected

Part Three: Bottoms Up

Day 2: 05:35:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan had collapsed in the train car after landing safely. She was exhausted and hurt. Retreating into sleep was a great idea. Her mana exhaustion would heal with some rest. The minor healing potion had at least stabilized her injuries. She was hoping that sleep would take care of the monster headache that had been throbbing behind her eyes.

Rowan rarely remembered her dreams. She was confused as she seemed to be having a lucid dream as she was aware she was dreaming but why was her dream about being in a firefight with a younger Oksana? Mana exhaustion had never given her weird dreams before. Rowan woke up with a start. The hat landing on her tummy woke her. She stretched but didn’t move to sit up yet. She was taking stock of her body. Her headache had retreated to a dull ache but her body throbbed and ached in places especially along her ribs. She groaned as she sat up and leaned back against the wall of the train car.

Oksana: "Morning. I apologise you saw that. It's this weird memory that seems to have come up a lot the more I come here."

Rowan accepted the canteen that Oksana offered her. Rowan frowned slightly, unsure of what Oksana was talking about. She was not quite fully awake and her brain was not firing on all cylinders yet.

Oksana: “I escaped Polavia when I was younger. Ran across the border. Shit, sorry. You don't want to hear it. You saw it there. Sort of."

Rowan blinked as it finally clicked. She had been pulled into Oksana’s dream somehow. She simply shrugged. It was not her business. She sipped the water and electrolyte solution drinking deeply before handing it back to Oksana.

Rowan gave Oksana a simple nod. “Thanks.” She looked at the rangefinder that Oksana had slipped into her hands. She looked at it and was slightly queasy.

Oksana: "So, they want you dead. Makes two of us. So, if you get into a fight again, this might give you an edge. Should allow you to seer into the future a little. Whatever they want you for sounds serious, if it's chemical weapon related. But we shall work it out. Together."

Rowan handed the rangefinder back to Oksana. “I don’t think I can use this. It makes me queasy to even hold it. It will break the concentration I need to cast. Best you use it.”

Oksana: "So, did Olygarkov say anything before he died? I don't recognise him. But he looked sleazy before Felix turned him into a pie. So I assume he's one of that fat bastard's cronies."

Before Rowan could gather her thoughts to answer Felix woke up. Rowan smiled at the entertainment Felix provided. He was almost comical in his panic and shifting.

Felix: "Ahhhhh! Fucking cunt!" Felix finally shifted back to human.

Felix: "Did I do anything stupid last night? Sorry. When I'm hurt, I can't switch as easy. We seem okay though? Plan worked?"

Oksana threw Felix his hat as Felix inquired where they were.

Oksana answered Felix’s question. "Yeah, noted. It fucking worked. Barely."

Oksana: "What does he owe you? Like, what are we saying, how many dollars for your services is it he's seriously in debt to you for?"

The conversation was moving too fast for Rowan. She was struggling to keep it all straight in her head. She shook her head and decided she would answer the most important questions first.

Rowan: “Well Olgarakov would be the name of the train that ran me over last night. Okay bear with me. I still have a headache and am not fully functional yet.”

She blinked and pulled her pack around and pulled out her thermos. She smiled as the coffee was still hot enough to taste good as she sipped at it. She could feel the caffeine helping her poor brain kick into gear.

Rowan: “Let’s start with what we know. No one seemed to know that I was in Polavia, until I helped Felix out at the pub. Then the DSR team reported my presence here when they reported their failure. Somehow the SA intercepted their communications. We learned this from the rant by Yezhov Prigostin. Prigostin ordered Olygarkov to find me. When he asked Prigostin about why they needed me, his response was that if the DSR had sent a team after me, I must know about Manticore.”

Rowan paused and looked thoughtful.

Rowan: “The DSR is looking for me but they had no idea I was in Polavia. After running into their team, they now know that I am Polavia. I am willing to bet they got new orders to capture me along with Felix.”

Rowan took another drink of coffee as she furrowed her brow trying to put the pieces together.

Rowan: “I have already told you all that I had been on a mission for Reactor in Kalan. Rumor at the time was the mission was being farmed out to Reactor by the DSR and other governments that wanted plausible deniability. That mission was to take out a chemical weapon that they planned to use to brainwash the dissidents among their population. The gas was supposed to suppress a person’s free will and make them open to being controlled. Basically a mass form of brainwashing. My team was successful in destroying the weapon but we were caught on surveillance cameras on our way out. I am the only member of my team to make it out of Kalan alive. Reactor disavowed my entire team. By the time I made it out of Kalan and back to the DSR, I had a huge bounty on my head. I also heard that the DSR was looking for me. I took what I could and bugged out fast. So I know that the DSR is looking for me but not exactly why. My best guess is that they want what I learned about the weapon or are looking to use me as a scapegoat. If they wanted me for a scapegoat, I don’t think they would need to capture me to do that. So I am not sure what it is everyone seems to think I know. I have no idea what this Manticore is.”

Rowan looked over at Felix with an angry glare.

Rowan: “I appreciate you coming back to help me Felix. But what the fuck was that glare for? I had already told you what I knew! It is not my fault everyone seems to think I know about something that they want!”

Day 2: 00:51:20
Outside of Koley Railyard, Koley,
Libor Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

Borys watched Felix go around the team, acting like a dog greeting its owners coming back home. “Try to lick me, Puss in Ballistic Vest, and I’ll punt you back out like a football.” He threatened the lion, the ethanol in his system and sheer Polavian levels of ‘fuck you’ making it genuinely unclear if he was being serious or not.

”The train takes about six hours. The lines are shitty. But with any luck, we can make it to Novy Jork. Worst case, we dump his ass in a zoo.”

“Maybe that’s a group retirement plan. Felix and I put together a ‘trained lion’ routine, Sana can do four second ‘Is this your card?’ tricks... We’re already a traveling fucking circus, blyat, might as well make money on it.” Borys grumbled as he made the mistake of donning the ring that Felix had given him. The train car lit up in shades of black and white like grayscale night vision goggles, he began hearing the rush of air around the box car, his stubble started to itch and he realized he had a pebble in his boot that he hadn’t been aware of before. Then he immediately took it off when he smelled his own breath, subconsciously shuffling further away from the other operators.

He was the first non-injured one to conk out, his sudden snore interrupting Oksana as she spoke, the alcohol feeling like a blanket had been pulled over his brain once the adrenaline crash arrived.

---

Borys woke to a grenade being tossed at his chest. The gears in his head started spinning. Grenade, Oksana, grenade, Rowan, grenade, no train, grenade. He rolled over on his stomach, grenade under his chest, yanking the wine bottle out of the pouch to protect it as he did.

…three, four, five, six, seven…

He looked at the grenade, spoon in place, pin unpulled. “Are you fucking retarded, Spoiler Alert?! Get over here, I’m gonna turn your face into fucking cheburek filling!” He thundered in the harshest Polavian prison slang imaginable, looking like he was actually about to try to beat Oksana senseless when a burst of machinegun fire from somewhere far off forced him back into the ditch.

In the moment he did as told, following a Seer’s advice and heading for the indicated exit despite that same seer being the reason he was seeing red.

---

Day 2: 05:35:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

Borys woke - for real this time - late, his drunken snoring loud enough to be heard over the clatter of the train car the entire night. He disentangled himself from his robe he’d slept wrapped up in like a bedroll, greasy hair sticking out in all directions like it was trying to escape his head. “Anyone have water? I’ll suck it out of radiators, no problem, just point me to water.” The Polavian rasped, bleary eyes at half mast looking around the space, clearly looking for something - the vodka bottle Silas had found, Oksana having preemptively hidden it long before the snoring dwarf came to - before giving up and taking a sip from the wine bottle in his vest.

He shuffled over to the open side door, the cold wind helping him wake up. “Your dreams are bullshit, you know that?” He uttered in Oksana’s direction between sips of cold cabbage soup from babushka’s care package without any trace of the dream’s fury, “Seriously, who has invasive nightmares?”

Day 2: 05:37:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan handed the rangefinder back to Oksana. “I don’t think I can use this. It makes me queasy to even hold it. It will break the concentration I need to cast. Best you use it.”

Roxie took the rangefinder back in hand, nodding to Rowan.
"Only if you're sure. Let me know if you need it, it will make entry into buildings a lot easier." She simply replied, sitting adjacent, looking on, peeling a cigarette from her pouch, offering one to Rowan before lighting up herself, taking a strong suck before exhaling smoke.

"You are strong, Rowan. A good person in a field of bad rye. You will need it to stay strong in Polavia." Oksana said with a strongly Slavic accent, holding Rowan's hand tight, watching alongside her as Felix did his thing.

--

Rowan looked over at Felix with an angry glare.

Rowan: “I appreciate you coming back to help me Felix. But what the fuck was that glare for? I had already told you what I knew! It is not my fault everyone seems to think I know about something that they want!”

Felix got angry back at Rowan.
"Because I wanted you to get the fuck out of there!" He exasperated, sighing, sitting down.

"Because, I didn't want you to die. Alright? And I didn't think I'd make it given the size of the bullet in my neck, so I wanted one last look at you. Not when the only person that could have saved me was Silas and I was hurt in both forms. I've lost enough people lately. And whatever they want, it seems serious enough you shouldn't have gone through that. Manticore could be linked. I couldn't say the words I wanted to without dropping dead." He added, shaking his head. "Whatever they want you for, they clearly want to kill a lot of people over. But I have a feeling a lot more people are gonna die if we don't." Felix added, sitting down, the train clattering at a points, while Oksana and Borys chatted, Felix and Rowan were apart.

"I'm sorry, Rowan. That was.....a bit much. But I wish I could help more. Like, I want to escape this too. I want to see my daughter again. Even my ex-wife. I don't want to be here. But I think we're in over our heads. So I apologise, if I can't get you all the answers you want. But you weren't dying on my watch. Not when I thought there were more of them coming." Felix added, shaking his head, checking over his mag on his 417, looking as Oksana stood up.

"Calm it, you two. Both of you got the fuck out of your situations. Nothing makes sense right now, not the least the PSA even exist. Felix, what's our sit rep, when we hit Novy Jork? We look ready for war. We're not going to get a B-Uber (yes, said in the same way as the animal named in the Bober Meme) and roll into the Grand Polavian Hotel looking like we're about to topple a democracy." Oksana asked, "Apart from maybe getting a new team leader. But, Borys is pissed, I've got a ketamine problem, Silas is our medic, Rowan's...." She thought to herself, actually contemplating it.

"She is probably a decent shot at it? Yeah, I think so too. You'd benefit if I was less lion. Luckily, I don't feel like turning back. Not after breakfast." Felix joked back, as Oksana sat down next to him, looking out of the window at the countryside, as Felix looked back up. "Literally, not metaphorically." He added, as Oksana sighed at that awful pun.

"Add it to my list of bad ideas. Anyway, plan?"

"Ideally, we ditch, this train, find some civilian clothes. And find Pavel."

--

He shuffled over to the open side door, the cold wind helping him wake up. “Your dreams are bullshit, you know that?” He uttered in Oksana’s direction between sips of cold cabbage soup from babushka’s care package without any trace of the dream’s fury, “Seriously, who has invasive nightmares?”

Oksana turned to Borys, chuckling, shaking her head, putting a bottle of water into his hand.
"It's called being a seer, darling. In the same way...." She poked hard at his skin with a nail, "You seem to rely on being an alcoholic to be invulnerable, the universe decides if I'm gonna see the future, I'm never gonna stop." Oksana sighed, shaking her head, looking out of the train car, looking back.

"A gift and a curse. You saw one dream. I live with it all the time." She almost said philosophically and in a sorrow, knowing that Borys might be too pissed to understand that she never stopped having these dreams. They tied others in, sure, but they always played back for her irrespective of if it did or didn't. "If I end up in one of yours and found out you were beaten as a child, would that help me understand why you're so fucked up?" Oksana dryly joked with him, sitting alongside as they watched the world go by outside.

---

Day 2: 06:10:21
Somewhere in Novy Jork
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

As the train slowed to a crawl, Novy Jork's skyline could be visible beyond the crack in the cattle truck. Clothing had been secured, and carried on packs.

But they weren't in the city centre. They were further, on a hillside overlooking it, the train not even in a big cargo yard.

It was rolling into a railhead. A stop.

And the gigantic red brick and concrete buildings that were outside, alongside the magnificent brickwork and fencing meant they were inside a very prestigious place indeed. This train was delivering something back to a factory, of some kind, rather than just stopping in a major cargo terminal.

It was delivering empty vodka bottles. Well, not all. But mostly.

And it was like the kitten inside Felix's brain had jumped on the wheel and ran fast enough to load a thought.

"Polavian Standard" was the final giveaway, in a brutalist neon sign on the side of the building.

"Oh, fuck no." Felix said, as Oksana broke into laughter, shoving Borys with a gentle nudge.

"Haha, time to find out how much this man's craft can take! You literally took Polavia's number one drunk to the Polavian Standard factory! Let's fucking go!" Oksana actually broke from being usually dour and upset, to not even being able to see this outcome. This was comedy gold. This was fucking brilliant, and if they weren't all geared up to the teeth.

The factory complex was sprawling, a distillery, bottling plant and all of Polavian Standard's marketing teams all under one massive roof. At 6am, there were unlikely to be civies. But still, Felix was careful, knowing they were wanted and geared to the gills.

"Well, we'll have no trouble finding booze for Borys then. We need to get the hell out of here though. I think we're too early for the tour." He added, making as best of a tactical assessment as he could before they would get off here.

And get out they did before it finally rolled into the far end of the massive yard full of containers likely full of vodka ready for export.

Hopping off the train, Felix led the group, as the birdsong chirped, the road noise significantly louder beyond the brick walls of the factory. He was looking for exits, easy ways out. The gates were locked, and covered in barbed wire, making an escape near impossible there. But once the train rolled past, Felix realised they were even more screwed.

A lot of Mercedes, BMWs and Audis were parked up in the main parking area, in a scattered, jumbled up way. This was an intercept. Of the team, or the factory? Moving from point to point, Felix ushered for Oksana to move forwards, and she did so, moving from a shipping container to behind a concrete post, peering around.

"So, they found what train we were on and are meeting us here, or, we stumbled into the PSA seizing the means of vodka. That's terrifying. Rowan, if you said they were interested in Manticore, they have started beating up train people to get to you. That is impressive by Polavian standards. Don't worry. We'll get our answers." Oksana teased Rowan once more before going serious again, drawing her rangefinder and looking on at the group of them, scattering around. They were speaking to a foreman, threatening them, which made Oksana twitch a little.

"What are they saying, Roxie?" Felix asked, as she looked on, watching as the PSA militants moved forwards, most of them basically thugs in Adidas at this point, but a few of them in old tattered uniforms. The car park for factory workers was empty

"They're a protection racket. Gangsters and PSA. They didn't mention us. But they're here for something. Most senior guy is that warlock looking dude in the Adidas." Oksana replied, as she put her rangefinder down, slinging the SVU back into hand.

"We can make a risky play to run out. But between us and those gates, there's a car park with zero cover. Even if I Copy Cat us, at least one of us is getting shot when shit starts. No cars either." Felix started, looking across from where they were, in a loading bay where the trucks full of vodka were loaded, or in some cases, containers at a railhead. The train driver had left and exited through an unknown gate, not that Felix wanted to tell him they'd snuck in on one of his carriages and not paid a fare.

"But we could sneak through the building. That's the bottling plant there, then the distillery on the left of it. Gotta be an exit there if these goons hassle security." Felix added, as Oksana looked to him as if he was insane. Again.

"You want us to go right where a group of PSA are having a factory tour of the nation's best vodka manufacturer?" Oksana couldn't believe this shit sometimes, pulling the vine into hand, showing Felix, as he shook his head.

"Can you forsee any situation working out well where we run that way, towards zero cover? Even if you snipe them, there's at least a dozen more that'll react to the bullets. Without cover, we'll be fucked." Felix retorted, pointing to the field of concrete that she had to admit, by the second, was looking unappealing. Another option of heading to the exit over the wall was tempting. She didn't give Felix an answer. The Team Lead actually had made a point that proved he wasn't completely high.

"What about throwing my vine on the wall? How about the other way, I throw up this vine, we clamber over the barbed wire? It grows lots when I throw it at stuff. Might hold even your fucking weight." She chirped, as even the Team Lead had to admit, that was a point. It would have been useful to know that earlier. The green hoodie wearing, brown-red haired operator adjusted his stubby hat and nodded to her. About to move on that idea instead.

"It's a valid argument." Felix added, turning his head around the container, seeing a few more militants come their way. And then a bigger group. "Wait, shit, they're inspecting the train. No chance. Only way is through there unless you want to frag a lot of them and make noise. We'll need to punch out. With any luck, we can hide it out until they leave." Back to the original plan.

"Shit. Okay. Point taken. Polavian Standard getting extorted by the PSA was not on my list. You don't need to put a psychoactive drug into vodka, blyat. It IS, the psychoactive drug." Oksana commented, getting a chuckle from Felix.

"It must be some serious shit. Maybe they haven't got their hands on it. And they need a distributor when they do. Which means...." Felix's gears turned some more as the kitten ran inside his brain even more. Oksana had made him realise just what the hell was going on.

Manticore, drugs, vodka. In Polavia. Fuck!

Oksana beat him to saying it.

"Well, that's why they're here. Still feels like we're missing something entirely. Why package it up, if they haven't got hold of it? It'll get found out within the first batch. Fuck knows what they want to do with it." Oksana replied, as Felix cut that line of thought out for now. If they didn't leave, they wouldn't get to think about this anymore. The PSA militants were milling about, clearly wondering if this was the train that had the team inside it. So no way back to the train, as they hid, out of view behind containers and industrial equipment, forklifts and such.

Felix on that note, made a command to the team, realising they should probably not sit and wait.

"Team, let's get moving. Move from cover to cover. Rowan, I need you to work on tech, start casting on any CCTV you see and zap it out. Borys, keep point. We'll push through the loading bay and their warehouses, move into the bottling plant. See if you can break inside, and we'll follow on you. Silas, back up Borys, both of you need to break in. Oksana, keep guard on rear." Felix called out through the comms, with it raising his rifle and peeking the corner, giving a move command to Borys, and with it, crossing the concrete pad past

The team would move forwards, but watching them, a certain DSR ex-spook would have them in sights.

The team would head inside, into the loading bay where vodka in massive crates sat ready to be loaded, and into the warehouse, where Borys, no doubt, was about to discover the greatest piss up in a distillery could still be on. The PSA militants hadn't made it in yet, so the team were moving at their own pace.

The factory complex was arguably, the most industrial, grimy part of it. But there was a glass fronted visitor centre, with offices that would be on the far side of where the team were, and the complex, despite most things in Polavia being dirty, seemed to be oddly the one part that felt invested in. Gone was the backward villages and dirt and mud. This, for some strange reason, felt actually like someone had money to spend. But a monopoly on vodka to the west for decades, and their own people had made for one hell of a business....

Day 2: 06:10:21
Somewhere in Novy Jork
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Daylight. The sight of it rouses Upswing from his state of relaxation. How long is it going to take them to get here? There isn’t much of anywhere else the train could be going; they’ve passed all the switches. Unless the damned thing threw it in reverse somewhere along the way, they should be arriving now. There’s nowhere else they ought to be.

Then again, it’s often hard to pin down where a Reactor operator goes, mostly because they’ve a habit of ending up places no man ought to be, period.

Upswing’s perch is inside of a large public housing building about a quarter of a mile from the factory, unfinished by the time of the Old Regime’s collapse and separated from the railroad by a decaying chain-link fence. From what he’s heard, it could have been done ten years ago were it not for the expenditure of a frankly embarrassing portion of the public fund on a Novy Jork monument to communism that ended up blown up in the revolution anyway. Fuckin’ waste, all of it. At least squatters—and Upswing, though he might well be one of them—get good use out of this place.

Polavian Standard. He can see the sign from the third-floor flat he’s chosen. What the bloody hell are these people doing going to a vodka bottler?

It’s no matter to him. He lifts a thermos of soup to his lips and drinks while he watches the place go. Tracksuits and old uniforms; he prefers the former. At least gopniks know what they are.

“Rowan Morgana, ‘ye dumb broad, where ‘ye be?” he mutters under his breath.

Look alive, Upswing.

The train’s come in. It screeches past, old brakes wailing in protest as the inexorable mass comes to a slow stop. He watches as the gopniks in the parking lot start, begin to converge on the train. He watches one of them talking with the engineer; another seems to be threatening the factory’s foreman. In the midst of it all, he sees movement he can’t identify off-rip. Someone’s flitting between the concrete pillars; someone’s sneaking about. He laughs a little. Unless the universe just gained a fucking massive sense of humor, Upswing just scored big.

Quickly, quietly, he stoops down and retrieves a long, slender rifle from its resting place against the wall, its muzzle ending in an insectile silencer. He clears the chamber just in case, gives it a cursory look, then snaps a mag into the well and carefully draws back the bolt until he hears that sacred click. One in the hole. One gloved hand gently pushes up the window screen until he’s free to poke the barrel out.

He’s watching now through the scope of his rifle, one hand shielding the lens from the sunlight to keep the glare down. At the same time, with a thought and a rather crude-looking hand signal, the dark of the abandoned apartment seems to wrap around him until he’s barely visible, the only hint of his existence the barest black circle of a suppressor’s end.

“Come ‘ye forth, ‘ye chemical witch,” he taunts, “let me see what Kalan gave ‘ye.”

Day 2
Somewhere in Novy Jork
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Silas had fallen asleep with the one single liquor bottle clutched close.

Loose and relaxed as they slept in the rail car.

So excuse him for being shocked as he woke in the middle of a hellscape. He looked around in confusion. Trying to make sense of whats going on. Then a big round whiskers past his left ear and he threw himself to the ground, rolled getting muddy and then into a trench. He crawled about geowping out "Ah Putanas yos." He looked up spotting Borys and Rowan, he got to his feet and roadie ran to them, "Malaka what the hell is going on...and do we have anything too..." he trailed off, some felt odd about this.
Magic...Craft...the dream felt real but everything else felt off. "What the hell is this? Who's head are we in? How do we get out?" He growled as another barrage of MG fire began. Kicking up close of dirt and mud, "ahhh i want my KS...I wanna put a few rounds down at that thing."

He looked around st those gathered, Felix, Borys, Rowan. He growled peeked over the berm, "An exit? Maybe? I'd like to return to reality thanks!"

When the group begins running he does too, staying st the back of the group ready to pick some one up if he had too. Along the way he urged them to keep going, or get in cover.

As soon as he can he does what no medic would do in a situation like this he dives for the way out.

---

A few minutes later he wakes groaning, "I have not drank enough to have earned this bsd of a headache." He blinks fully awake and almost chases the bottle as its yanked from his hands. "Ahhh balls keep it." He rolls to his feet and coughs, then smells coffee. He waddles over procuring a tin cup. "Dreams...who's got bad karma and pulled in half the group into a dream?" He sighs and sits the coffee. Getting to his feet again a second time and grabs his medical bag, and ta da like a stage magician one of those craftless hacks, he produces some food. Ration crackers, a pair of cookie rations, and some Polavian Jerky strips. He offers the food around, "if we gotta jump train best to do it with some food."

Maybe hes not really that big of an asshole.

---

When they do they jump off the train. He loads 3 big honking KS shells and ghost loads a fourth in the reciever. He slips into the formation best he can big scatter Cannon held carefully. As roles are given out he nods and moves up side up with Borys, "let's get moving then. Push comes to shove i can always blast a lock." He pats the big KS23 he looted from the machine gun jeep fight.

As they moved he helped Borys jimmy open doors, second point man position his big shotgun leading.

As they got inside he spit to the side, "can't even take care of a liquor making facility? These poor spirits." He trumped his back up against a pile of crates hearing glass clink inside "almost enough to make you cry."

He followed on Borys heel, "are we passing through or stopping here?" He asks as he holds the opposite corner as Borys moves forward.

Day 2: 05:37:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan looked over at Felix with an angry glare.

Rowan: “I appreciate you coming back to help me Felix. But what the fuck was that glare for? I had already told you what I knew! It is not my fault everyone seems to think I know about something that they want!”

Felix got angry back at Rowan.
"Because I wanted you to get the fuck out of there!" He exasperated, sighing, sitting down.

"Because, I didn't want you to die. Alright? And I didn't think I'd make it given the size of the bullet in my neck, so I wanted one last look at you. Not when the only person that could have saved me was Silas and I was hurt in both forms. I've lost enough people lately. And whatever they want, it seems serious enough you shouldn't have gone through that. Manticore could be linked. I couldn't say the words I wanted to without dropping dead." He added, shaking his head. "Whatever they want you for, they clearly want to kill a lot of people over. But I have a feeling a lot more people are gonna die if we don't." Felix added, sitting down, the train clattering at a points, while Oksana and Borys chatted, Felix and Rowan were apart.

"I'm sorry, Rowan. That was.....a bit much. But I wish I could help more. Like, I want to escape this too. I want to see my daughter again. Even my ex-wife. I don't want to be here. But I think we're in over our heads. So I apologise, if I can't get you all the answers you want. But you weren't dying on my watch. Not when I thought there were more of them coming." Felix added, shaking his head, checking over his mag on his 417, looking as Oksana stood up.

Rowan couldn’t look more confused or gobsmacked as Felix began expounding on how he had been feeling. Her jaw dropped in honest shock. “But you glared at me like it was my fault that the team was being hunted by the SA goon squad!” Rowan’s thoughts raced as she replayed that scene in her mind over again. She still came away with the same interpretation. She shook her head as this was getting her nowhere. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Felix. She climbed to her feet and made her way over to him. She gave him a swift hug and pulled back to look him in the eye. “I am sorry I misinterpreted your glare. I am sorry you have been forced away from your family. That sucks.” She reached into a pocket and pulled out a granola bar. “Peace. Thank you for the assistance.”

Their make-up session was interrupted by Oksana. Rowan sighed and sat back down to finish her coffee. She pulled out another granola bar and began to munch on that for breakfast.

Oksana: "Calm it, you two. Both of you got the fuck out of your situations. Nothing makes sense right now, not the least the PSA even exist. Felix, what's our sit rep, when we hit Novy Jork? We look ready for war. We're not going to get a B-Uber (yes, said in the same way as the animal named in the Bober Meme) and roll into the Grand Polavian Hotel looking like we're about to topple a democracy." Oksana asked, "Apart from maybe getting a new team leader. But, Borys is pissed, I've got a ketamine problem, Silas is our medic, Rowan's...." She thought to herself, actually contemplating it.

Felix: “She is probably a decent shot at it? Yeah, I think so too. You'd benefit if I was less lion. Luckily, I don't feel like turning back. Not after breakfast." Felix joked back, as Oksana sat down next to him, looking out of the window at the countryside, as Felix looked back up. "Literally, not metaphorically." He added, as Oksana sighed at that awful pun.

Oksana: "Add it to my list of bad ideas. Anyway, plan?"

Felix: "Ideally, we ditch, this train, find some civilian clothes. And find Pavel."

Rowan sighed as they talked about her like she was not sitting right there next to them. This team was weird and didn’t communicate well. She then laughed and wondered what her old team had thought of her. That thought brought a swift pain as that reminded her that they were all dead. She soberly straightened up and tried to be grateful that anyone was willing to hang around her. She was already a target. Now it felt as if half the world was looking for her.

She looked over at Felix and Oksana and dryly told them. “I brought a change of civilian clothing with me. Don’t forget that we have some potions left.”

She began to dig through her backpack to see what supplies she had left. Rowan had gone through her pack. She had chosen not to change as they might face fighting yet. It depended on what they found as they left the train. If they could manage to sneak away then stealth and staying under the radar would work. If the SA had troops waiting for them, they might have to shoot their way out. Rowan shared what was left of her coffee with Silas. She accepted a piece of jerky and gnawed on it as she took stock of what potions she had left.

---

Day 2: 06:10:21
Somewhere in Novy Jork
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan smiled as Oksana pointed out that Borys should be happy to have an almost unlimited supply of alcohol at his disposal. Rowan nudged Oksana with an elbow. “Hey just because one man’s vice is another man’s armor is no reason to pick on Borys.” She snickered a little with the passive aggressive defensive line before laughing outright. “The challenge will be getting him to leave at all.”

Rowan looked around and took in the situation as they tried to plan how to break free. They needed to get into Novy Jerk without being followed or killed. She was glad she had not switched to civilian clothing. An illusion potion was only good for so long and too many SA had artifacts, tools, and skills that could see through an illusion. Her bright red hair was like a fiery beacon even though it was common. Rowan made sure her long curly red hair was pulled back in a braid and tucked under her witches hat. She wanted to attract as little attention as possible. If there were people looking for her based on a description, that cloud of curly bright red hair would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Felix: "Team, let's get moving. Move from cover to cover. Rowan, I need you to work on tech, start casting on any CCTV you see and zap it out. Borys, keep point. We'll push through the loading bay and their warehouses, move into the bottling plant. See if you can break inside, and we'll follow on you. Silas, back up Borys, both of you need to break in. Oksana, keep guard on rear."

Rowan grabbed the handle of her whip and began to cast. She gathered electrical energy and began to channel it through her hands. She pointed a finger and aimed at the cameras. She began to send small surges of static electricity into them one by one. It would be enough to cause the cameras to malfunction. Someone watching the feeds would be getting a snowstorm on the screens. She gave a wicked smile as she followed Borys and Silas.

Day 2: 05:37:52
Somewhere near Novy Jork
Krumov Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

He took the water bottle and downed the whole thing with the speed and efficiency of a man who had grown used to downing five shots in one go as a response to getting ambushed by gunfire.

“It's called being a seer, darling. In the same way…” She poked hard at his skin with a nail, “You seem to rely on being an alcoholic to be invulnerable,”

“I’m not an alcoholic.” Borys growled, carefully holding the soup tin to not spill any when she poked at him before his voice softened for the punchline. “I’m a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings.”

”A gift and a curse. You saw one dream. I live with it all the time.”

“Blin, maybe you should start drinking too. Ten. fifteen swigs of the good stuff and I don’t dream at all.” He said with the utter seriousness of a medical diagnosis.

”If I end up in one of yours and found out you were beaten as a child, would that help me understand why you're so fucked up?”

“No, but I’d give up a kidney to see your face if you lived through how I unlocked through one.” He shot right back, his brain actually working properly enough for wit when 15% of his blood wasn’t ethanol and the rest small man’s anger - and somehow doing so despite that state being a semi-regular occurrence for him for the past 12 years.

Sometimes he wondered to what extent his Craft protected him from alcohol induced brain damage, but then he always got tired of thinking and had a drink instead.

---

Borys recognized the building immediately even without the sign on the wall.

“Leave me, I’ll hold them off.” Borys pretended to brace himself against Oksana’s shoulder as she shoved him, a dumb grin on his face. “Tell babushka I love her. If you don’t know which one, tell all of them.”

“I’m walking out of here clinking like a glass recycling bin.” He turned to Rowan, “And it’s not even my birthday. Maybe Felix isn’t so bad after all.”

Borys slipped Felix’ ring back on again as they dismounted, the smell of wheat grain hitting his nose from across the factory as he scanned the parking lot for something similar to the ancient Ladas he used to break into, old enough to be started and driven without a key.

”You want us to go right where a group of PSA are having a factory tour of the nation's best vodka manufacturer?”

“You mean the world’s…” Borys snorted, “But they don’t yet know we’re here and the enemy never expects an insane plan.”

”Borys, keep point. We'll push through the loading bay and their warehouses, move into the bottling plant. See if you can break inside, and we'll follow on you. Silas, back up Borys, both of you need to break in. Oksana, keep guard on rear.”

“Davai.” Borys acknowledged, making sure Svetlana was primed and ready and Silas was behind before setting out, bounding cover to cover in what might have been a jarring display of sense and competence to the operators who only knew the ‘drunk’ part of the Polavian merc.

”Let's get moving then. Push comes to shove I can always blast a lock."

“Let’s not go loud until we have to, I hate fighting sober if I don’t have to and I will definitely need to be drunk if something catches strays here.” Borys said, probably the first time in his life that he’s been worried about collateral damage.

Entering the loading bay was easy through one of the open gates, but the bottling plant was separated by a door - locked, obviously, vodka was no trifling matter in Polavia - a row of windows allowing one to see from the warehouse into the bottling plant and vice versa. A small office sat on the other side, its own window facing where the team stood. Borys unstrapped the mirror from his backpack, leaving the latter aside to streamline his profile and setting the former on a nearby crate. He climbed up onto the box, stepped onto the mirror and fell into it like it was an open manhole, coming out of the office window feet-first, face-down on the other side with a hollow thud as he hit the ground followed by Polavian grumbling.

“Suka blyat, idi na khui…”

He picked himself up after checking his surroundings, dusting himself off and checking that the wine bottle hadn’t broken in the fall before walking over to the door, placing a hand on the crash bar and pushing the door open, hoping it wasn’t wired to an alarm. “You said something about entering my dreams, Butterfly?” He shot Oksana a grin, gesturing into the bottling plant as he waited for the rest of the team to enter. “Step right in, don’t be shy.”

”Are we passing through or stopping here?"

He carefully packed up his mirror again. “We keep moving.” The short Polavian said as he was rifling through nearby crates, visibly annoyed to find flat packed cardboard boxes instead of full bottles.

Day 2: 06:15:42
Polavian Standard Vodka Distillery,
Novy Jork,
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Moving in, the cardboard box of the warehouse eventually giving way to the actual stores of vodka. Row after row of crates of vodka bottles, all pristine, beautiful, white, ethanol-rich gold, well, on the far side of the door that Borys had opened up.

He picked himself up after checking his surroundings, dusting himself off and checking that the wine bottle hadn’t broken in the fall before walking over to the door, placing a hand on the crash bar and pushing the door open, hoping it wasn’t wired to an alarm. “You said something about entering my dreams, Butterfly?” He shot Oksana a grin, gesturing into the bottling plant as he waited for the rest of the team to enter. “Step right in, don’t be shy.”

Oksana cracked an incredibly rare smirk, the butterfly-tattooed arm of the Polavian resting an arm against hers. "Check you haven't damaged your head. I think you are already there." She crassly remarked, Vityaz in other hand as she walked on through, checking the office, looking around for anything useful, paperwork, reasons for why they were here. But nothing. This was just an admin office, and at this time of morning, nothing was going on. But the frontage beyond it was staggering. Looking on at the world of endless bottles of vodka, stationary on the line.

"Oh....wow." Oksana added, the operation pristine. It went from grim and horrid to modern, cutting edge, even. A vodka factory would seem like an easy place to cut money, but Polavian Standard was world-class. And world class vodka demanded a production that met world demand.

Felix paced forwards, adjusting his hat, the Libolian peeking through the next door as he opened it, Felix moving on the catwalk, moving down stairs and towards the end of the production process. The olive tac-hoodie wearing, gazelle-skull attached operator not taking the time to take it in, but provide overwatch.

He contrasted to Oksana, whose sage green shirt and Ghillie (now rolled off her head and off her arms so it didn't snag) with her stubby green hat was following, long SVU on her back, shorter SMG in hand.

"Up ahead. Looks like we have hostiles." Oksana mentioned, taking a knee behind a leg of machinery, the quiet suggesting no hostiles here yet.

"Any way to route around them? I'd prefer not to take on more PSA." Felix replied, as Oksana, shrugged with a lack of options she could see in the killzone in the corridor ahead of them.

"Negative. Every time I run forwards, they spot me. It's like they're looking into the other side of the plant. Where the distillery is." Oksana replied, Felix using that to inform his tactical brief.

"Splendid. I got lights high, and another cabin ahead. Looks like a party. May as well go aggressive. Hit them before they hit us. Then keep moving to the exit." Felix replied, rifle from point to shoulder, looking over shoulder, keeping to a wall filled with vodka bottles. "Silas, on me, we'll take the high road. Borys, Rowan, Roxie, take the cabin ahead."

Oksana turned to Silas. "One for you then. If you want to see inside, this might help. You'll be able to seer." She offered the medic the binoculars, knowing the two hadn't really interacted, but then again, the Libolian had been so far, a bulwark to the team in how he held them up.

On that note, they split up, and moved forwards, getting ready to spring the trap on the PSA, rather than vice-versa.

---

Felix kept a low profile, 417 poking up as he checked the maga-imbued 7.62 rounds, cradling position on the catwalk, holding low against bottles of vodka that were stationary on the factory line.

"Okay. Clear." Felix added, keeping point ahead of the team's medic, keeping his feet careful on the metal, the place claustraphobic underneath more pumps and machinery.

Looking to Silas, Felix stacked up against the door of the SCADA control office, the large office overlooking the entire bottling operation.

The machinery suddenly erupted into life, as bottles moved along. It was like a series of giant grabs moved along with empty glass bottles at the rate of hundreds a minute, each in cradles, being injected with vodka at the far side where the distillery was set up, then sealed via an automated process that stamped a lid in.

This was incredible. Polavia invested in robotics? Since when? He expected someone to be at the far end of the line, but the bottles instead were being sent into an automated batching system lower down, that was supported by workers that were moving down the stairs, out of sight.

"Okay. This, this is a flashbang that really messes with things." He started, peeling it out, the Holy Flashbang imbued in a brilliant, beautiful purple across its patterned, knurled cross section.

"Switches people in place if they're in zone. Do not look at it when it goes off, or you will switch positions with someone in that room. Lot more people in there than there are us from what I can hear. Doesn't sound like workers." Felix added, pin pulled, clutched tight in hand, ready to hurl hard through a crack in the door once he bust the lock open.

"Can you tell me how many there are inside, you got an angle or can you see what happens if I kick this door in? Then we shotty them up." Felix asked, guessing the vessel that Roxie had offered Silas, if he had chosen to take it, might help. The Libolian switched to the shotgun on the 417, the Masterkey able to live up to that if he kicked this door in, and the KS23 from Silas able to support. Said masterkey would open more than hearts and minds, using regular 00 buckshot over mana-enfused shells for this particular party.

---

Lower down, that was where Rowan, Borys and Oksana could see bottles be transported along, full of vodka, into another cabin where a shift of workers were in the next cabin across from theirs, dutifully pulling them into cardboard boxes, clinking loudly. Civies. A small shift for the morning, but the main noise was PSA soldiers in the cabin, a fairly large facility where the bottles were QA'd and even one of them was yelling as he shotgunned a bottle for himself.

"Okay, sit tight." She said, PP-19 in hand, kneeling and seering, eyes going all off colour, imagining it.

She stood inside and ran. Bullets flew. She could see them all. A guy with a armoured up helmet. Another one with a standard Uley. All carrying AK-74Us. She got filled with rounds, and her dying look was watching Rowan's head get splattered with a shotgun round.

Roxie stopped seeing. And started believing.

"Guy with an armoured helm left, he's got a shotgun." Oksana called out. "Okay. Rowan, think you can cast something to haze them? I can see if it'll work. Perks of sight." Oksana commented, knowing Rowan would be confused. "Tell me your plan and I'll see it. Then we execute it." Oksana added, looking to Borys, tapping him on the shoulder. "Every scenario I see though, this drunk fuck doesn't die though. Recommend we use him as a pointman. And fill him with enough booze to take on a tank." Oksana chuckled, looking to him as she adjusted her hat, checking her mag, before sliding it back in, riffing behind him, ready to kick the door in on Rowan's command (as she called it) and follow Borys.

---

Meanwhile, inside of the block that Upswing would be sitting inside of, yelling could be heard.

Someone had rumbled him.

Who? It was hard to say. But, it looked like things were about to get active.

And that he might have to find a way to quietly get away. He would be good at covering his tracks, of course, but the PSA had a way of finding out where people were. Some thought telepathy, even if that was literally possible, but more often than not, was just solid local intelligence. And now, he had choices to make.

But they were up against an illusionist. So their odds were poor.

Day 2: 06:15:42
Polavian Standard Vodka Distillery,
Novy Jork,
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Rowan followed Borys and Oksana as they entered the factory proper. Rowan chuckled as Borys helped himself to bottles as Rowan continued to use static electricity to interrupt the data being recorded and sent by the security cameras in the area. She was sending static electrical pulses into the cameras to short them out. The static electricity flowing through the network from one camera to another. Rowan smiled as smoke poured out of the security cameras as they stopped moving and their power indicator lights blinked off. She snickered and gave Borys an elaborate bow.

Rowan: “After you, kind sir. The eyes in the sky have been disabled.”

Rowan followed along after the others as they did a quick search of the administration office. They didn’t find anything of note. It was all production and shipping schedules. It was not information they could use or needed at the moment. Rowan slid up behind Oksana as she took a knee behind some equipment. Felix had ordered her, Oksana, and Borys to take the cabin ahead. She followed behind Oksana. She had taken out the cameras in the area.

Oksana: "Okay, sit tight."

Rowan noted that Oksana’s eyes changed color as her abilities activated. She put some thought into ways to find out what was going on in the next room before they got there. She began working on a new cast under her breath. Maybe just maybe she could give herself a form of sight that would allow her to detect or see mana or heat in the room ahead like a heat vision camera. She felt something and then the world went sideways on her. The room span and her vision swirled and became a mixture of different colors swirling together. Hmm maybe this was not such a good idea. How did she determine what the hell she had done? When would she learn to test shit like this out when she wasn’t heading into a fight.

Oksana: "Guy with an armoured helm left, he's got a shotgun." Oksana called out. "Okay. Rowan, think you can cast something to haze them? I can see if it'll work. Perks of sight." Oksana commented, knowing Rowan would be confused. "Tell me your plan and I'll see it. Then we execute it." Oksana added, looking to Borys, tapping him on the shoulder. "Every scenario I see though, this drunk fuck doesn't die though. Recommend we use him as a pointman. And fill him with enough booze to take on a tank." Oksana chuckled, looking to him as she adjusted her hat, checking her mag, before sliding it back in, riffing behind him, ready to kick the door in on Rowan's command (as she called it) and follow Borys.

Rowan was heard muttering curses under her breath.
“I need just a second. That didn’t work as planned. I was trying to see through the wall to determine how many people and where they might be. Now I am seeing in technicolor but am not sure what the hell I am seeing!”

Rowan began working on cancelling the spell she had used on her eyes. Her head throbbed as the bright colored swirling effect made her almost nauseous. She wouldn’t be trying this again any time soon. She took a moment to recover as the spell was cancelled as she focused on what Oksana had told her. She was blinking furiously as her eyes watered some.

She grinned as she had a thought. “Well who said we had to use the door? What if we went through the wall instead of the door? I still have some acid left. They might notice that before we got through. I could freeze the wall and then channel a lightning bolt into the wall causing it to shatter inward.” She turned to Borys with a smile. “There might be some collateral damage though. You wouldn’t hold that against me, right?” She made a blow up motion with her hands to indicate shattered bottles.

Day 2: 06:15:42
Polavian Standard Vodka Distillery,
Novy Jork,
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

---

“The biggest mystery of this country is how this place hasn’t been tunneled out to oblivion.” Borys noted as they walked through the silent factory. Between the former secret police integrating into the mob, the military becoming- continuing to be a weapons market for the mob but not hiding it anymore and supposedly ‘privatized’ state enterprises’ CEOs looking remarkably similar to former party officials, just with nicer suits. “The biggest crime being committed here is that they’re only running two shifts instead of three.”

Soft contact happened eventually, inevitably. Because it would appear the team couldn’t have nice things. Aside from babushka’s cooking. And a trip to the Polavian Standard factory. But aside from that, it was pretty bad.

”Any way to route around them?”

“Yes, please, let’s not break anything here.” He supplied with utmost seriousness.

”Silas, on me, we'll take the high road. Borys, Rowan, Roxie, take the cabin ahead.”

“Hm, what?” Borys glanced up when his name was mentioned, having been loading up his vest and pack with vodka and having absolutely zero clue what was being discussed. “Right, on you.”

---

He waited for Roxie to do her thing, preferring to not think about how she was seeing what she was seeing but having an uncomfortable idea anyway. “Well?”

”Guy with an armoured helm left, he's got a shotgun.”

“So in five minutes, one of us will have a shotgun.” And one could tell he meant it, his mental operating system running on foolproof Polavian math - you have a 50/50 chance of success, you either make it or you don’t. And he was stone cold sober, too.

”Every scenario I see though, this drunk fuck doesn't die though. Recommend we use him as a pointman. And fill him with enough booze to take on a tank.”

He already had a bottle in his hand. Because of course he did. “Say no more.” He actually grinned at Oksana, slamming the equivalent of five-odd shots in one pull. “Give it a minute, then tell me if shooting me in the chest works or not.” He wasn’t even kidding when he said that.

Borys listened to Rowan lay out her plan. “I’ll take the door, get them to look at me, you make a door, mop them up. I like that. I mean, I don’t, but I’ve made peace with my Craft long ago. Alternatively…” He tapped the gas mask case he carried and held up one of his tear gas grenades, “You take a breather and I commit assault and battery.”

”There might be some collateral damage though. You wouldn’t hold that against me, right?”

“I can and I will.” He grinned, standing up with a slight wobble, his left hand hovering near the door handle. “Ready on you.”

"Oh good, all these empty crates are making me misty anyway." Silas hikes big shotgun beast up to his shoulder, and step forward. Next room and all that. At that go he reaches down one handed and digs on his belt producing his tin hip. Reaching back to offer it to Borys, "Not Vodka but it'll still kill braincells. I want that flask back don't lose it."

After a little sneaking they come across what sounds like a party. He sniffs, "well, they're right in front of us..." He looked back as orders were made and nods, then looks up "Alright, no one get shot immediately please."

Then begins to climb to the next level up "Ahhh Malaka...okay..." and there the door to the upper level.of the party room. He takes a deep inhalation. Steeling himself.

But with a grin he look at the holy glad ang, "well long time since I've seen one of those. Let's go." He tests the door now as Felix stacks beside him, "Clear..." and edges the door open enough that Felix and get the flashbang inside, "Let's make some noise yeah?"