Kalle Koskinen: The Iceman

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Kakkonen league title? Check. Kakkonen Cup title? Check. Alongside a place in the final of the Suomen Cup, it was an incredibly successful season for Paimio's Peimari United. Of course, it was the players who earned the success through their unrelenting style of play which left all to waste in front of them. Deadly in attack and unyielding in defence, Peimari United had become the complete package under Kalle Koskinen's guidance.

An 86% win rate in all competitions was a testament to the ferocity displayed by Peimari United. Thirty wins from a possible thirty-five was a record never witnessed before in Finnish football. It was inhumane. It was freakish. It was legendary. Only four defeats and a draw blemished Peimari United's otherwise flawless record of results. TPV Tampere, HJK, P-Iirot Rauma and FCV were the only teams capable of putting Peimari to the sword, while MuSa Pori held Peimari to a draw in league play.

It was a magnificent record of ninety-four goals in all competitions gave Peimari their identity as an exciting attacking side, averaging 2.69 goals per game. Left-sided inside forward Riku Sjöroos was the top scorer for Peimari, bagging twenty-three goals in all competitions throughout the season. Midfielder Sasha Popovitch also hit the double-figure mark, scoring thirteen times.

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Peimari United's strikers were not as free-scoring. Teenage Danish striker Rasmus Nielsen scored eight goals, with Fisnik Gerxhaliu scoring five and former player Nico Salmiosola scored two. These were not figures expected of strikers. However, with the entire team adding to the scoring so regularly, this was never really an issue. This was exemplified by a 7-0 win over HyPS Hyvinkää in Kakkonen in September.

Portuguese complete wing back Bruno Rodrigues was the top assistor for Peimari United. The wide man assisted eleven goals, while wide attacker Mika Jussila assisted ten of his own. Almost every member of the squad assisted goals throughout the campaign, demonstrating the technical capabilities of the players who formed the double-trophy winning team.

Peimari's defence was fantastic throughout the year. Having conceded just thirty-three goals throughout the entire season in all competitions, Peimari's biggest defeat was, indeed, a 1-3 loss to FCV in August. Peimari kept eleven clean sheets in the thirty-five games played, with both Aatu Hakala and Ville Saikkonen gathering five clean sheets. Fábio Silva kept a clean sheet in his only appearance of the season.

The fans loved their club throughout the year. Peimari United recorded a total attendance of 4,736 for home games in all competitions. An average attendance of 249 meant that Peimari filled 62.25% of their stadium each game, on average. There were three sellouts throughout the season in the 400-capacity stadium, in games against MP Mikkeli, FC Inter Turku and P-Iirot Rauma.

The fans voted Sasha Popovitch as their player of the season. The roaming playmaker's goal scoring and assisting record made him a very popular figure in Paimio. He was a player capable of performing at the highest level in Finnish football and was heavily linked with a move away from HakkisPaana. Left-sided defender Lauri Parkkunen and free-scoring inside forward Riku Sjöroos were voted into the fans' top three players of the season.

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The roars of the crowd were electrifying. I was stood backstage on a makeshift stage set out on HakkisPaana as part of an end of season party set up for all those involved for Peimari United, from the players to the fans. The festivities began in the early hours of the evening, just as light turned into darkness, with a number of musicians performing for the crowd of just under two thousand who showed up to revel in the celebrations of a wonderful season of football for the club.

The event itself was completely free for everybody to attend, as a gift from the club's hierarchy to the fans who showed unwavering support to the football club during an exciting season, as well as to the local residents of Paimio and Sauvo. It was a good-will gesture appreciated by those associated with the club and the surrounding area. Alcohol was pouring freely among the adults, while children plastered in face paint of the black, green and yellow of Peimari United ran around and shrieked in delight as they played games that only they understood.

Musicians of all genres graced the stage. Most sang their tunes in Finnish, with the sweet sounds of the Suomen kieli ringing through the air. Rap duo JVG proved to be the most popular, as they performed a rendition of 'Peto On Irti' (The Beast Is Unleashed) - a song which had become somewhat of an anthem for the football club in recent months with the club's supporters identifying their players to be similar to lions in character. The players were the pride of the football club.

I watched on from behind the stage with the players, chairman and a number of other guests. The event co-ordinator, Juliette, was fuming as acts played on stage for well over their allocated time, but nobody else seemed to mind. I heard a spine-tingling roar from the crowd when one of the guests walked onto the stage to perform. It was American singer Ashley Frangipane, better known as Halsey. We had met during a UEFA social event where Halsey performed at and we had become close friends since. She was kind enough to perform at our end of season party gratis. She captivated the crowd in an eerie delight as she performed many of her chart-topping singles. Her performance was a gift that the fans had deserved, and I watched on with a proud smile.

It soon became my time to go on stage. As Halsey beckoned me to come on, the crowd began to chant my name. I took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. I wiped the sweat off my brow and combed my hair back with my fingers before marching on to stage. I hugged Halsey, who made her way off stage, before marching to the very edge of the platform. With both arms raised aloft and my fists clenched, I let out a victory cry. To my right sat the Kakkonen league trophy and to my left sat the Kakkonen Cup trophy. I raised one in each hand above my head as the crowd cheered on.

The thousands of people who stood before me were cast in my spell. The scene was surreal. I had celebrated trophy successes in front of far bigger crowds as a Bayern Munich player, particularly after winning the Champions League, but this was different. I wasn't just a cog in the machine, I was the operator. I was conducting the orchestra of voices which combined together in a passionate song joy as the fans sang on. The fans followed my every move, my every breath. They worshiped my every move. It was a circus performance and I was the ringmaster.

I spoke to the crowd for some time, sharing with them my appreciation for their support and my pride for the football club and for the local community. I summoned the players on stage and we applauded the fans in a gesture which was reciprocated kindly by those present. The celebrations continued into the night as we sang together. It was a beautiful sight to behold. There were thousands of us stood in HakkisPaana celebrating football together.

It was at that point that I had realised the revolution I had begun. Football had become more than just a hobby for these people. It had become a religion. It had become a sacred belief as strong as love, hate and every other emotion in between. It made a dynasty of the football club and every member was an integral part of the world's greatest family. In the chill of the early-winter night, we breathed, sang, laughed and cried as one. We each embodied the heart and soul of the football club and it made each and every single one of us feel immortal.

I left HakkisPaana a little before midnight with Elsa by my side. She wore a long mink coat to protect her from the cold, and we huddled as we made our way, via taxi, to my house. The taxi dropped us off at the end of the road, and we sidled slowly to the door. We strayed from entering the house too soon as we kissed for some time. The night's activities were not just a celebration of football for myself, they were a celebration of love for Elsa too. We had said the magic words to each other before, and I let her hear them once more. In the pale light of the streetlamps, in the attire that adorned her, she was beautiful enough to be a queen. I let her know of such, which prompted her to giggle cutely.

"If I am to be a queen, then you are to be my king," she replied as she grasped her hands around the breast of my shirt and pulled me towards her for a soft kiss.

I unlocked the door and we made our way inside, stripping out of our shoes and jackets as we escaped from the cold. Elsa made her way to the kitchen to pour two glasses of wine and I made my way upstairs to change out of the shirt and tie which I had been wearing. Elsa and I had been living together for the past month and I had to rummage through a wardrobe full of her clothes to find an item belonging to me.

I picked out a comfortable swear to change into but as I pulled it over my head, I heard Elsa produce a sharp screech from downstairs. Concerned, I called out her name and stepped out of the bedroom into the landing. As I did so, I was struck on the side of the head by what felt like a train. Pain and shock became one for a split second as I tried to comprehend what had happened. I collapsed to the ground and as my consciousness began to fade, a familiar man stood over me with a syringe in his hand.

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I felt dazed as I regained consciousness. It took several seconds for my vision to return to me. When I could see where I was, I regretted waking up. I was sitting on a chair in the kitchen of my house with my hands bound behind me. Bound in a chair in front of me, with her head stooped over in an unconscious manner, was Elsa. Beads of rich-red blood dripped from the side of her face down into a small red puddle which lay beside her feet.

I tried to call out her name but couldn't muster any more than faint murmur. I tried to move but found my body held in place by some invisible force. Only my eyes could move and they darted from side-to-side as if to escape from my paralysed body. I felt intoxicated by some malicious evil force which restrained me from so much as twitching. I tried to let out a scream but it was only the faint murmur which parted from my lips. I was trapped inside my own body.

It was at that point that I became aware of how I had been put into that situation. I remembered being knocked down with a blow to the side of my head and felt out with my mind to where the attack occurred. The side of my head and my hair was caked with dry blood and a pounding headache had set in. I felt dizzy and unable to focus. From previous experiences of the injury, I realised that I had been concussed by my assailant. My assailant. I trusted him, how could he do this to me?

"Don't bother trying to move, Kalle. I injected you with a serum called Dragon's Breath which immobilises almost all of your motor functions for several hours. You won't even be able to scream, so don't even think of trying to alert your neighbours. They can't save you now"

The voice came from behind me as my assailant marched slowly from behind my chair into my view. Dressed on dark blue jeans and military-style boots, with a black hooded jacket covering his torso, the intruder made his way to the back of Elsa's chair where he placed his arms on the back of her seat. His sleeves had been rolled up and his left arm was covered by a tattoo in black which depicted a dragon with its jaws separated as if it was either about to roar or breath fire. The dragon's eyes stared back at me menacingly, and a chill made its way through my body in anticipation of the danger which I faced.

The tattoo and the voice belonged to a man who I had trusted as a neighbour and as a friend. His jet-black hair fell down in long curly locks to his shoulders and a rough beard covered his jaw and around his mouth. His skin was weathered by years spent out in the sun, coloured both naturally and by the light of the galaxy's largest star. His green eyes stared right into mine, piercing my soul. The eyes belonged to Rodrigo Soldado, a man who had moved into Paimio shortly after I did and someone who nobody perceived as a threat. Until this moment in time, he had appeared to be an honest and upstanding man.

Anger filled me, starting from my chest and warming my body as I tried to break free from my invisible shackles. No matter how much I tried to break free from the chair and attack Rodrigo, I could do no more than blink. I felt broken as I sat helpless with a monster standing behind Elsa, who was either dead or in equally grave danger as myself.

"Don't worry about your girlfriend, I haven't killed her... yet. She is unconscious and has the Dragon's Breath in her system too. I will kill her, however, to torture your soul. But I will make you wait for the moment first. You see, Kalle, time is the greatest weapon anybody can have. There is no greater way to break somebody;s soul than to make them wait for the inevitable. Once your precious Elsa has awoken, I will torture her in front of you in every way you can imagine, and then I will slit her throat. Once she is dead, and you have lost everything you hold dear to you, only then shall I kill you."

From his belt, Rodrigo handled a long curved knife. The light from the ceiling illuminated the steel blade, revealing a sharp, hooked point at the end of the blade. Rodrigo placed the flat of the blade against Elsa's cheek and smiled in a cruel inhumane delight as he saw fear sink into my eyes. Rodrigo had become the judge, jury and executioner and was in a position where he could take everything away from me.

"Don't take it personally, Kalle. This is a mission assigned to me by my masters. You see, we have a client who wishes to see you suffer and to be put off the face of this planet. You have wronged him in some way and he wishes to have his revenge. I am no more than a soldier in this game, and you are no more than an objective which I must destroy. I am here today to make sure you burn."

Rodrigo re-sheated his blade and walked over to me. He gripped one of my cheeks between two fingers and a thumb and squeezed it, toying with me in my vulnerable state. He let out a cold laugh and struck me with an open-handed fist, drawing blood from my nose. He re-positioned my head to look directly at Elsa once more before striking me again. He continued the cycle several times before becoming bored of the act.

"You see how easy it is for me to destroy you Kalle? I own you now. And once I take the person in your life who you hold most dearly, I will be the man responsible for your death. I will send you to the after-"

Rodrigo was cut off by a crashing sound which originated from the hall outside of the kitchen. Rodrigo cursed and pulled his knife from his belt. He threw me and the chair I was bound to towards the ground before darting towards the door which led to the hall. My head struck the floor first and I was blinded by a bright white light which sent me in to unconsciousness once more, with Elsa's soul-piercing screams the last thing I heard as pain took over.

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The buzzing of a mechanical air vent was the first thing that I noticed when I woke up. I quickly recalled everything that had happened previously, and I felt a pit of dread in my stomach. What had happened to Elsa? Was she still alive? I felt incredibly groggy and tried my best not to open my eyes. But I was curious. I needed to know what had happened.

I was in a hospital bed. The walls were a pale yellow and there were grey roof tiles above my head. It was a very boring room with nothing on the walls aside from a clock which ticked on endlessly. Curtains acted as partitions between each of the six beds which made up the ward. The other beds were empty, from what I could see. It made the ward even more eerily quiet.

To my left sat Elsa, with padding around the right side of her head, held in place by a thick bandage. She cradled my left hand in both of hers, anxiously waiting for me to wake up. To my right was my father, Joonas. He was equally anxious. He had appeared to age a lot since I had last seen him, despite that being just a day previously. The fear of what had happened to Elsa and myself must have taken its toll on him.

"KALLE!" screamed Elsa in delight when she realised I had awoken. She reached over me and pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping both arms around my neck. The warmth of her body made me feel more alive than I was at the moment.

The three of us expressed our relief at no real harm occurring to either Elsa or myself. Before Elsa could tell me what had happened after I was knocked out for a second time, a nurse came in to examine my condition. The nurse advised both Elsa and my father that I appeared to be in good help but that she would need them to leave while she performed some tests.

"I really hate being in this room anyway," said my father as he left the room in a mournful undertone.

I was curious as to why he had said that, and in the way he had too. When he and Elsa had gone, I politely asked the nurse which hospital we were in. It was a question I had not asked before she had arrived.

"We're in Jorvi Hospital," she said with a polite smile. "You were brought here because none of the other hospitals had a spare bed at the time and your condition was under control. This ward actually used to be a maternity ward, believe it or not."

That was when it hit me. This ward was where I was born, and my mother Mia had passed away. The gravity of the situation intensified. My father must have dreaded every second he was here beside my bed, praying I was okay, I thought. After everything that had happened, we had returned to where it all began. It was the circle of life, the beginning became the end and the end became the beginning.

The nurse, Krista, was very delicate with her checks. She mostly checked the cut and abrasion I had suffered to the side of my head, as a result of the two moments of impact I had received there. She also examined my nose, where Rodrigo had struck me several times, and to my wrists which had been bound. Krista informed me that I had suffered a minor concussion and that I was to remain as a patient in the hospital until a doctor had cleared me. She assured me that there were no other issues found, and also that a Detective Max Virtanen was waiting to interview me.

Once Krista had finished tending to the bandages which adorned my head, she departed. In stepped an old friend, Max Virtanen. He was dressed in black combat pants, military boots and a black leather jacket. A small gold cross hung from his neck on a chain, and his black hair was gelled and combed back immaculately. He sported a thick moustache on his face, making him look somewhat similar to Freddie Mercury. He picked up my watch from a table beside my bed and laughed.

"This thing saved your life, you know. When that asshole was tying your hands together, he must have accidentally called me on it. I heard what was happening and assembled a team to infiltrate and rescue you two."

Max recounted what had happened. The crashing sound I had heard prior to being knocked unconscious, for a second time, was the beginning of his team's raid on the house. The blinding white light I had seen was the result of a flash grenade which had been tossed into the room. Max recounted how when Rodrigo had lunged at them with his knife, Max was forced into shooting him down. Rodrigo died almost instantly, and Max was able to rescue both Elsa and myself.

"Kalle, from the evidence we have gathered it looks like this was just a B & E and then attempted murder out of opportunity. Do you know of any reason Rodrigo may have had to try to kill Elsa or yourself?"

I pondered what Rodrigo had told me - that he was part of an organisation which was contracted to murder me by a client. I remembered the dragon that was tattooed on to Rodrigo's arm, as if it was a gang sign or symbol. Do I tell Max about what Rodrigo had said? It may be worth investigating.

"No," I replied bluntly, trying to obscure the deceit in my voice. "I can't think of any reason at all for him to try to take Elsa's or my life. He was a polite and nice neighbour, and a very quiet one too. I always thought of him as a person who lived for the sake of living, he just got on with his life without interfering with anybody else's."

Max nodded in acceptance of the information while thinking heavily. He tinkered with a couple of ideas in his head before taking out a small notepad and a pen and jotting down what I had said. He read back his notes before putting both the pad and the pen away.

"Okay, thank you for your help. I'm just glad you're okay. We've been friends for so long now that I couldn't bare the thought of you dying! Unfortunately it appears that we won't be seeing each other for some time. I will be holidaying in Italy for a number of weeks with my girlfriend before starting a new job in England as part of a security consultancy. The financial terms of the job offer meant that I just simply couldn't refuse. A few years there and I'll be set for life."

I felt a sense of disappointment. Max was a very good friend, having known each other since I completed my conscription as a teenager. He was loyal, honest and like a brother to me at times. It was disappointing to hear that he would be starting a new career elsewhere but I was also proud that he had achieved so much in his career. He was a good man and a better worker.

"Well I guess this is goodbye then," I said with a warm smile. "Try not to get in too much trouble when you're in England, Maxipad."

Max roared with laughter.

"Oh that is a nickname I will not miss! You take care of yourself, Kalle. You've done great things as a manager, don't think I haven't been paying attention to your career! Make sure to give my best to Elsa and your father. We'll keep in touch online."

With that, we clasped hands for one final time before Max left. It wasn't the end of our friendship by any means, but certainly the end of an era. Max was an inspiration to me and motivated me to push on to become the best person I could be. He would be sorely missed.

I debated with myself as to why I chose not to tell him what Rodrigo had shared with me. I knew that whoever wanted me dead was surely powerful and not an organisation to take lightly. But I wanted to find out more about my assailant and his reasons for pursuing my death. While Rodrigo had failed in his attempt to kill me, I was certain of one thing; this wasn't the end of the story. This was only the beginning.

Hello one and all. Please don't consider this as an update to the story, but rather an opportunity for me (the author) to reflect on what has happened. I won't be discussing the FM side of things too much in these type of interludes, which will happen regularly, as I'd rather describe why and how I wrote this story. I will look to cite my influences and to point out little things which you may not have spotted throughout the story. I will go through each point in alphabetical format and write small pieces on each. I won't apologise to those who don't want to read this of post; this is more for me to be able to explain the story and to help people to engage with it easier than for people to enjoy it.

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Assassin's Creed:

We've seen this franchise mentioned directly once. Youtube rapper Michael Scott posted a music video attacking Kalle Koskinen in Fan Punished For Youtube Rap. Scott brought up the death of Kalle's mother, Mia, during childbirth and painted Kalle as an assassin due to the circumstances surrounding her death.

The last time you saw your mom was inside the Animus.

The Animus is a machine in the Assassin's Creed franchise that is used by people to access memories of their ancestors through their DNA. Scott suggested that the only way Kalle would be able to see his mother would be through his DNA, using such machine.

Back to the Animus, yeah I'm talking that Assassin's Creed.

A double entendre here. While Scott directly links the Animus to the Assassin's Creed franchise, he insinuates that Kalle Koskinen was an assassin who killed his own mother by being born. Not a very nice thing, is it?!

Time of Death; 21:43: The very first episode of this story can also be referenced to the Assassin's Creed franchise. There is no doubting that Kalle's birth is a significant part of this story and it being the first episode of the story is similar to the first episode of the story set out in Assassin's Creed 2 (video game) where we witness the birth of main protagonist Ezio Auditore.

Rodrigo Soldado: Our Spanish assassin and main antagonist of this story. Similar in personality to Rodrigo Borgia of the Assassin's Creed franchise; the main antagonist in Assassin's Creed 2 and a secondary antagonist in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Both appear to be polite and friendly, but turn out to be sinister and cunning. Bot hare Spanish too, and share the same name. The only difference is Rodrigo Soldado doesn't become a pope, and is killed by a soldier (the irony to be explained later).

Dragon:

The threat of the 'dragon' was foreshadowed very early on in the story, but how many of you noticed it? Estádio do Dragão (English translation: Stadium of Dragons) played host to the first major footballing heartbreak of Kalle Koskinen's career. As part of the Finnish national team, he was cheated out of a place in a major international competition by the referee.

The Dragon: Quite an important episode in the long run. Its significance will become apparent in future updates. This episode, based in Macau, depicts an office of a person who appears to be the head of a secret organisation that wreaks havoc. The office has little-to-no decoration, except for a large bejeweled dragon's head.

The aforementioned man was inspired by major antagonists from two different franchises. The first was Charles Augustus Magnussen of the Sherlock TV series. This villain was portrayed Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, who captured the role perfectly. He was cold, cunning and calculated. Often appearing to be emotionless, Magnussen spent a significant period of time mentally visualising his targets and opportunities, much like the man we were introduced to in The Dragon. The second influence was Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Le Chiffre in Martin Campbell's 2006 Casino Royale of the James Bond franchise. Mads is, coincidentally, the younger brother of Lars, and their characters share many of the same characteristics. Le Chiffre was noted for having a scar protruding from his eye lid, which our mystery figure in The Dragon also had.

Rodrigo Soldado: We know from The Dragon that Rodrigo Soldado was an employee/member of this mysterious organisation. In Burned, we discovered that Soldado's organisation was hired by a mysterious client to make Kalle suffer and to kill him. We also discover that Rodrigo had a tattoo of a dragon on his forearm. Some sort of symbol of his affiliation with this secret organisation, perhaps?

Elsa Heikkinen:

Not much to discuss here, except the origin of her name. Elsa was the main character in hit movie Frozen. Kalle Koskinen is referred to as The Iceman. Ice is frozen water. Get it?....

Frozen's Elsa is a queen. In The Ringmaster, Kalle describes Elsa Heikkinen as a queen.

For those who have read my previous work, you may be familiar with a previous story of mine in Finland: Sami Heikkinen: The Winter Soldier. Elsa's surname is derived from that, but will Sami Heikkinen himself make an appearance in this story? Yes, he will. Stay tuned to find out how, why, when and where.

Game of Thrones:

If I am to be a queen, then you are to be my king

I am here today to make sure you burn

Some very small references here. They only occur in The Ringmaster and Burned. In The Ringmaster, Elsa describes Kalle as her king. Kalle as then struck down by a member of the 'Dragon' organisation on his landing. In Burned, Rodrigo tells Kalle that he will make sure he is burned. King's Landing, dragon, burning.... You get it?

Leijonat:

The comparisons of Peimari United to lions (Leijonat) was inspired by the Finnish national ice hockey team. They are known as Leijonat and were monstrous in their unexpected IIHF World Championship win this year. They are the pride of the country, and I wish to make Peimari United the pride of Finland too.

The players were the pride of the football club.

In Ringmaster, the players were described as the pride of the football club. A group of lions is described as a 'pride', revealing the above quote a double entendre.

It was a circus performance and I was the ringmaster.

A ringmaster leads proceedings in a circus. A circus usually contains lions. See where I'm going here?

Peto on Irti: In The Ringmaster, JVG's Peto on Irti song is described as the anthem of the football club. It translates to 'The Beast is Unleashed' in English, and is also the goal song for the Finnish national ice hockey team. Convenient, right?

Max Virtanen:

Inspired by Max Kofler and Aapo Virtanen, characters of ScottT's Max Kofler: Die Revolution and Aapo Virtanen: Don't Look Back In Anger. This soldier-turn-detective saved Kalle Koskinen's life by killing Rodrigo Soldado. I poke a little bit of fun at Jack's story in The Circle Of Life, all with good intention, of course.

Mia Koskinen:

Aside from Mia being a common name for girls from Switzerland, according to the internet, Mia is also inspired by 'Mia San Mia' - the slogan of FC Bayern Munich. Kalle Koskinen played for Bayern Munich, winning many major trophies with the club, and Kalle described it as the club's mission statement in Sie Sind Die Besten.

'We are who we are' was its translation and we played our own brand of football in our own way. We were unique and different to the world and that was what made us who we were. It was our mission statement, it was everything that defined our football club.

A powerful message by Kalle Koskinen in Sie Sind Die Besten. He may have been remembered for his mother dying during his birth, which certainly shaped his life, but he openly accepted this and didn't let his shackles hold him back from defining his own path.

Michael Scott:

This character is a bit of a satirical one. The name comes from Michael, a former admin of this site, and ScottT, a current moderator and fellow story writer (one who is far more talented than I).

This Is Real Justice

I first introduced the character in Fan Punished For Youtube Rap and he will return soon. The above quote is a statement that I (my username is Justice) want this story to be something that allows me to stray from the ordinary and to be creative, even if that means I toe the moral line at times. Eccentric can be exciting, right?

Rodrigo Soldado:

I am no more than a soldier in this game, and you are no more than an objective which I must destroy.

I won't repeat what I have said about this man before, so I shall only point out the irony in his name. Soldado is Spanish for 'soldier', which is what Rodrigo describes himself in Burned.

Soldado was shot dead by Max Virtanen, a former soldier of the Finnish army.