Sorry for the long wait. At least this time it took me less than six months to do it (less then three) so I am improving. :)

Important notice: this story's title will change to Children of War with next update.

He shifted his gaze from the paperwork as he heard a light knock on the door. For a moment he thought of simply ignoring it to continue with the agonizing task of report reading. Pushing that thought aside he called out, for whoever was on the other side, to enter. Only for Him to do so. Up till now they met just three times, and every time he had to restrain himself from putting the men six feet under.

The Russian before him was as average as you could get. With a suit that every desk wormer could afford and a face that even a mother would have hard time describing, the younger agent was the pinnacle of 'that guy that I bumped into on the street'.

Waving his hand he beckoned his guest to take a seat, who promptly did so, flashing for a briefest moment an 'I know something you don't' smile that annoyed the older man to no end. Making him wonder if Russians had the 'how to annoy the hell out of CIA boss' training. They probably did.

But, in the end, he had to give it to the FSB*, the man before him was just a bit arrogant but friendly and communicative when need be, and when the situation called for it he was ruthless, cold and calculating. In other words, a perfect man for the kind of job they did.

(*FSB Russian intelligence agency, successor of KGB)

"Anything new?" he asked as he returned the brief smile with a blank stare. He might be an old man but he knew the rules of the game, hell he was at its very top.

"ISIS is making problems," said the FSB representative.

"They wouldn't be such a problem if you didn't supply them with weapons." He pointed out.

"You guys did it first." The Russian countered with a small grin.

Not even thirty seconds in the room and already pissing me off. I just hope that John is pissing off Yuri as much as this one is frustrating. With that thought he realized that he didn't know the agents name, to be fair he didn't even ask, nor did he offer his own, old habits die hard after all.

He stared at the Russian for some time before he decided to ask, "So what's happening over there, I have had trouble maintaining my sources since Washington." The older man was surprised when instead of a mocking smile or an arrogant comment, for admitting his weakness, he was met with a serious face. He liked the Russian more when he mocked him.

"Some of their more fanatical ringleaders have proclaimed that the aliens are demons sent by god to punish the western infidels."

It's a joke, it has to be.

"We need to take out those ringleaders then, kill the sheppard and the flock falls apart."

"We already tried, killed a lot of people actually, but there are always new ones to replace them. What's worse is that the idea took hold among the populace and some of the ISIS' more prominent leaders are planning on using it to their advantage." They stared each other for a moment, before the younger agent continued answering his unasked question. "They aren't the ones behind it, we checked."

"And you tell me this because?" He already knew the answer.

"We need your inside contacts." Before he could answer the Russian continued, "don't deny it," he wasn't going to, "we know that you helped create IS, and now we need them on our side or gone, your inside agents can help with that."

"We didn't create IS." The CIA boss said, guiding the conversation to another end.

The look on the other agents face was fully in are you shitting me mode, but he quickly recovered, too quickly in his option, who was now developing a cocky smirk the Russian had just few minutes before.

"Let me rephrase that, we know that you knew where the organization was heading, you even supplied it and helped it grow, even directed more extreme people to it and then helped them take control over it. Satisfied?" Finished the FSB representative, his smile fell a bit when he saw his smirk.

"Yes, but don't you have your own agents inside? You couldn't have know all that without them, a well developed network of them."

"We do, but if we are too quickly find out who is creating the alien supporting faction inside the Islamic state and through them the connection to aliens."

"You are suspecting them to be behind it?"

"Who else, no one benefits from this, no one. I have read reports from back home, the towns and cities that were liberated in Eastern Europe were empty, the fucking monsters massacred everything, man women and children. Hell they even failed to press on several advantages they had just to do that." Russian replied, and he had to congratulate him on his self control, while his voice was calm his eyes betrayed a cold fury that threatened to burst out.

The sad truth was that he could name few dozen people that would benefit from this, at least short term. But those weren't a threat, not when looking on the large scale, every war had a parallel power grab, or other way around, but the resources, no matter how meager, used for it could be used somewhere else with greater effect. Especially in this kind of war. He could use this as an excuse to seize some of their assets, god knew he would use them for something useful.

But if not short, then log term, but who and why? Who could or would do it, did someone plan on aliens wining, or worse, actively help them win? And why? Were they, whoever they were, threatened, unlikely that kind of motivation usually backfired. Were they bribed, but with what, or did they approach the aliens on their own. Anyway their plans depended on aliens wining, and as far as he knew the war was progressing well for humanity. Yes casualties were enormous, especially civilian, but most of the largest industrial centers were in human control, major supply lines were mostly undisturbed, and there were still billions upon billions of potential soldiers or workers human race could rely on.

"So, do we have your support on this?" The FSB representative broke him out of his musings.

"I trust that this is not like that case with those Satanists that your boss went ballistic over."

"No, this one is real treat, someone betrayed not only our states but humanity in general, and he or she has to be dealt with, fast."

"Ok, but there is a condition if you want my agents," he replied after some thought, "actually there are two conditions." Seeing younger agent's questioning gaze he continued. "Firsts you have to tell me what you are planning to use these men for after you deal with the current situation."

"And the second?"

"After."

"Very well." Something's wrong. The elder agent noticed almost immediately, and he didn't like it, the tone the Russian used was mechanical, like a soldier reporting to his superior, he doesn't like doing it and his superiors won't like it ether.

Is he really that concerned about what's happening over there, or better yet are Russians that desperate to get it done. That thought got him thinking, the KGB agent already knew about how Islamic State came to be, although it was basic stuff he knew that he could recite those happenings in far greater detail. He also remembered that he said that they checked who was spreading pro-alien propaganda and they came up with nothing.

CIA almost never came up with nothing, he suspected that it was the same with FSB. Someone or something had resources to completely bypass one of the best information agencies on the planet and stay hidden.

Another thought came to his mind, or better said a question, why didn't the US launch its nukes when alien ships first hit Earth's atmosphere. USA and Russia, the only countries that had missiles that could reach that high. The deal was stack to nuke the unresponsive aliens to kingdom come, Russians were to shield their own territory, eastern Europe and China, US was responsible for Canada and western Europe. And then the president changed his mind, three hours before launch, while he was inside Cheyenne Complex.

Did Russians notice this. One look at the FSB agent that was going into detail of how they are going to deal with ISIS, convinced him that they did. And if that's so at least ninety percent of what he is spewing is bullshit. He quickly gathered himself so his contra part wouldn't notice his distraught.

Yuri really did send his best.

"… after that the Islamic state could assist Israeli and Egyptians in retaking Sues canal and later Nile valley. If not we could destabilize it and make them kill each other like they have been doing till now. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes." He replied faking interest, his mind already working on how to solve the newly reviled information. "The second condition is that the commander of the military wing of the Project be an American."

"He can't be under the rank of colonel and we have to approve of him."

"Deal." He extended his hand and the younger man took it, his grim face long gone replaced with that arrogant smirk he was known for. It made him wonder just how much authority he had in FSB.

"Since we are in deal making business," Russian operative said, "this is the main reason why I am bothering you today." He pulled out a rather large and silver memory stick. "These are plans for the malchick and the process how to make it, I trust you have what we asked for."

"Yes, yes of course. I have it on my computer." He said as he received the hard drive, not really believing that the Russians would part with one of their most guarded secrets for two failed projects.

When Soviet Union tested tsar bomba back in sixty one everyone in US who knew about it was scared shitless, it showed that Russians knew how to make really big bombs, and what's worse had a system to deliver them. On the other side of the iron curtain Russians realized that such bombs were impractical and made one eighty turn and decided to make the smallest nuke ever made.

The result was malchick, with point eight kiloton yield and almost zero radiation residue.

"This can't be right."

"What?"

"It says here that the device is two meters long and weights almost three tons." He explained and eyed the Russian.

"I don't know the details but I was told that although the core is small the device that forces it to detonate is rather complicated, thus the size. You thought it was smaller?"

"Honestly, yes. Much smaller. What about nuclear contamination?"

"There is some, but insignificant. The only problem is the undetonated part of the core, it can produce problems if it gets into water system or something similar. It's the size of a marble and can easily be found with radiation meter."

"What about the effectiveness?"

"We only had two, both were tested against enemy ships. Up to eight hundred meters it will strip them of their shields and severely or critically damage the hulls of the smaller ones, for the next kilometer it will weaken their shields and after that almost no effect." In that moment the transfer finished and he handed the memory stick back.

"There. The molecular structure and the explanation how to make the carbon-titan fibers together with AHMI."

The titan-carbon fiber was first invented as a light but durable and hard replacement for the steal parts of the modern tank armor, but was too expensive and it took too long to make it to be an viable war material. On the other hand AHMI or advanced human to machine interface was an old tech that Russians had as well, there was even civilian attempts to connect human nervous system with a computer, but those as well as AHMI could transfer only the basic commands and couldn't directly feed the information back to do user. It the end it was too slow for ether the information gathering or combat use.

Guess Russians will try to combine it with their own system.

"You said that you had only two bombs?"

"Yes?" Replied the FSB operative.

"I am assuming that you are making more, so haw fast is that going?"

"That's correct, we are making more but the process is slow, we started as soon as we saw how effective was the first one and that was about a week after the aliens attacked, so the first five will be ready by the end of the next month."

"Four months for five bombs?" When the younger agent nodded he continued. "During the Soviet Union you were making much bigger ones much faster."

"Yes, but as I said the device is fairly complicated, and malchick was also an experimental weapon it takes time to make a production line for those. Some of our scientists were confident that they could speed up the process to ten a month before the year ends."

"That's nice and all but what about us. It will take our boys at least half a year to make and test one, not to mention the construction of the whole production chain." This was more and more looking like he traded nothing for almost nothing.

"We knew that, that is why there is a shipment on its way with the equipment used to make them, also one of the five will be sent your way for your study." Russian clarified.

"That will be appreciated. Anyway concerning the Project, our package, did it arrive?"

"Yes, we were able to extract it out of Vladivostok before the city was lost. It's on its way to Siberia right now. As for the scientists they are all there, except few?"

"Doctor Zimmermann is dead. Others are in occupied areas, it will take time to extract them."

"That is understandable." His contra part agreed.

"What about the others?"

"Chinese package already arrived along with men we asked for, Korea was able to send few of the scientists, while we had to extract Professor Sakamoto from Japan. As for the Europeans, everyone already sent what we asked for, excluding few people that are dead or missing, except France, but that was expected."

"Those are good news I presume?"

"Those are excellent news. We were able to gather more resources then in our best predictions and they are still arriving." He sighted. "Sometimes I am grateful that the aliens are more focused on massacring the civilians then actually vital military targets."

It was a cruel statement, but he had to agree with it. More than once the aliens were pushed back or encircled because they failed to push their advantage just so that their soldiers could enjoy some manhunt. They also left encircled or bypassed troops be, letting them to start a guerilla campaign.

"They are relying too much on their portals and the ability to summon troops directly to the battlefield." The older man concluded. "Ah, I just remembered as I mentioned the portals. Am I right to assume that your guys didn't crack them?"

"What? Portals?" The Russian snorted. "They don't know where the ON switch is, let alone figured out how they work. You had the same results?" He answered with a nod, and the FSB agent sighted second time that day. "You know, maybe it's really magic."

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." The CIA boss quoted.

"Arthur Clarke. I know. But still, as I read reports that are arriving daily I am more and more inclined to believe that it really is magic. Also it seems that soldiers on the front are more at ease with fighting a magic wielding demons then extremely advanced aliens. It doesn't help that they look like demons from holy texts and fiction." He explained. "And that can't be a coincidence."

"I agree, but for now we made no connections. You?" The Russian shook his head and he continued. "It doesn't help that the aliens that we captured don't speak any known language or if they do they spat half insane nonsense."

"I know how frustrating that can be." Younger man agreed. "It doesn't help that some of our interrogators started to actually agree with the aliens." That surprised him, he received no reports about similar events among his interrogators. Yet another thing to look into. "Some are actually suspecting that some of the alien species are capable of mild control or are at possession of an idea suggesting ability. Had to shoot some of our interrogators because of that. Anyway we are using most of them for weapon testing, there are some interesting results with biolo…"

"Sorry to interrupt sir." Said an agent that just entered the room. "Section fourteen sent a report sir, video format." As he said that he handed over an yellow envelop, after that he took his leave. Inside was a single data pad with a note attached. Yesterday, New York, 3:46, center right. He removed the note and activated the data pad, its screen coming to life.

There was no sound, just a video of four US marines taking heavy fire and returning some whenever they could. He skipped until the written time and forced his full attention on the center right side of the screen. It showed a single female marine standing up while a whole spectrum of energy attacks exploded around her. There was something strange going on, but he couldn't put his finger on it, so he watched it again, and again.

It was on the fifth try that he finally noticed it. How could I be so blind. He eyed the Russian. Should I tell him. He decided to do it, and handed over the data pad. "I believe this is Project material."

The FSB agent watched the video couple of times before his eyes went wide. "I agree. She is Project material. Retrieving her is top priority."

"Agreed. As a matter of fact I already have a unit in the city. If she is still alive we will have her."

"A corpse could be useful if she isn't. And I believe that this is my time to leave." When the Russian received a nod he stood up. As he watched him leave he remembered something.

"Wait." When the younger agent turned he continued. "I never asked you, what's your name?" For some reason he felt stupid for asking, he was sure Yuri mentioned his pseudonym at the document that arrived with the man, so he could check there. But it was something in him telling it himself, that compelled him to ask.

"Ivan Ivanov."

"That's not very imaginative."

"No its not." He replied with a chuckle. "Yours?"

He considered not answering, but decided against it, it was only a fake name after all. "John Smith."

"That's not very imaginative ether."

"No its not." Ivan smiled and left.

John picked up his phone and called for his secretary.

"Sera, connect me with general Thomas."