As far as the world was concerned, in 1991 the Soviet Union slowly collapsed beneath the weight of seventy years of bad economic and social policy. The truth, however, was far more interesting. On three occasions that year the world was just a heartbeat from destruction. Operatives on both sides, both human and metahuman, scrambled for a piece of the crumbling empire. It was a wild time in which anything could happen. At one point there was even a dragon involved in the drama. Nobody has ever been able to explain the dragon. At the end there were winners and there were losers. Yuri Kasov was one of the losers.

New Year’s Eve found the agent once known as the Red Menace on all fours, weeping outside the flaming remains of his home in what was still being called Stalingrad. The country he fought for was gone as was his family. Yuri’s KGB handler, Novgorod, had betrayed him. Yuri’s wife and children took the brunt of that betrayal and lay dead in the burning house.

Nothing mattered anymore. There was no family to protect and no country to defend. Yuri decided to die with his family. He stood, held his head high and walked toward the conflagration. He stopped when he heard the footsteps approaching down the street.

The rhythm of those steps was familiar; confident and cocky. Yuri turned to find a broad shouldered figure emerging from the smoke and fog. Of course Soldier Boy would be here. That just topped off the tragedy with a great big, red, white and blue cherry.

Yuri found a purpose. He would kill Soldier Boy here and now or die in the attempt. Their years of conflict required a conclusion. Either outcome would do fine.

Yuri squinted to make out the form in the haze. Soldier Boy was carrying something. Was it a weapon? A person? A child? Yuri’s heart swelled. “Gregor!” Yuri snatched his son from Soldier Boy’s arms and then collapsed to his knees hugging the boy.

“My son. You saved my son.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Soldier Boy said. “I wasn’t quick enough to save your wife and daughter. I’m so sorry. I did everything I could. I'm so sorry.”

Yuri nodded.

“There just wasn’t enough time. I’m so sorry.”

“You saved my son. Thank you for my son. I can’t believe you did this, you, my mortal enemy.”

“Can we let go of that mortal enemy shit now. I ain’t never seen it that way. You and me was always just about the job. You remember that one cartoon with the wolf and the sheep dog? They’d be all buddy buddy until they clocked in for the day and then they’d try their damnedest to kill each other until the shift was over. I always saw you and me like that. It was never personal.”

“Never personal,” Yuri echoed. The words didn’t sound right coming out of his mouth.

“Nope. Not to me.” Soldier Boy pulled Gregor from Yuri’s grasp. “Come here, little fella, your daddy has to go talk to a man.”

“You mean Novgorod? He’s long gone by now. He had his escape well planned. It will take me years to track…”

Soldier Boy tossed a set of car keys and Yuri caught them. “He’s in the trunk of a yellow Audi I left in an alley three blocks that way. Tell the son of a bitch I said hi.”

“You captured him?”

“It was mostly dumb luck, but yeah, I got him, and I let him know he broke the prime number one rule.”

“Which is?”

“Family is off limits.”

Yuri erupted with tears. “You’re a good man. You’re a good man.”

“Jesus, don’t sound so surprised. You go do what you have to. Me and the boy will be at your old safe house down by the river. You know the one.”

“My debt to you. I will never be able to make it right. Never.”

“I won’t hear that talk, now you just go show Novgorod how nasty you can be.” Soldier Boy and Gregor Kasov disappeared into the haze. “Give him hell,” Soldier Boy said.

Fifteen minutes later, Yuri was driving the yellow Audi at breakneck speed through the streets of Stalingrad. Novgorod, whom Soldier Boy had hog tied pretty well, was propped up in the front passenger seat. Yuri wanted to give the man a good view of his demise. Novgorod alternately swore at Yuri and bargained with him, but Yuri was in no mood to listen. His thoughts were occupied.

Family is off limits.

The Audi caromed down a rickety dock causing some revelers to dive for cover. Novgorod realized Yuri’s plan and screamed. The Audi erupted from the end of the dock, crashed into the black water of the Volga River and began to sink.

Novgorod couldn’t swim and had always been terrified of the water. Yuri tried to enjoy the man’s panic as the car flooded with water. Yuri was unconcerned for his own life. It would be easy enough for him to escape to safety once he was sure Novgorod was dead, but he wondered if he should bother. He knew he should live for Gregor, but otherwise he felt he deserved to die.

The car slipped into the darkness and Novogorod's screams just became background noise. Yuri tried to stay in the moment, but his mind wandered. He didn't want to, but Yuri thought of a day five years earlier when he became the last person to see Soldier Boy's first wife, Emily, alive. He saw her through the scope of his sniper rifle right before he squeezed the trigger.

Family is off limits.