text: [Themes: edutainment, drama]
  
  You burst down the street, hurrying around the corner as you rush as quickly as you can. Your boots thud along the pavement as you rush as quickly as you can, occasionally turning around to fire back at the men who are sprinting after you,
  
  "Michael, we need to get out of here! What's the plan?"
  
  "Stop shooting and run faster! Maybe we can lose them!" you say.
  
  You continue to
  
  "They're shooting at us! Plan?!" Joseph yells.
  
  "I'm thinking!" you between breaths as you keep sprinting away.
  
  "I don't see them, what's the plan?" Joseph asks, breathing heavily as he sprints.
  
  "OK, fine. I have an idea."
  
  > keep running
  "Just keep running!" you say.
  
  The two of you continue sprinting through the streets, disappearing down alleys and rushing through them to avoid patrols. Thankfully, your work with the IRA here means you know the various escape routes through the city, and it's not long before you've successfully outran them. After a few minutes of running, you've lost them in the complicated streets of Cork. Once you're sure you're definitely away from them, you quickly find yourself heading out to the outer areas of the city. You turn, looking back at the city center, which has gone up in flames.
  
  "There's no way we can help. Today, all we can do is stare into the true face of the British."
  
  You pause, as the city erupts into absolute chaos. There's distant screams and gunshots as the Black and Tans enact their revenge. The flames spread through the city, as city hall is engulfed. You watch as frantic Black and Tans exist out the side. Seconds later,a fireball, as whatever the Black and Tans inside did comes to fruition, not doubt destroying the City Hall. You watch as the flames lick the black sky, feeling utterly helpless.
  
  "Jesus," you mutter.
  
  You watch the destruction of endless buildings, the end of dozens of businesses and the jobs from them. The Black and Tans have truly made their mark, showing just how far they're willing to go as they scorch their path across the second largest city in Ireland. They'll pay for this. This won't break the nationalist movement. It will only strengthen it.
  
  "We need to get out of this city," Joseph says after a few minutes. "We can't let this happen to Dublin, or to Mary or Ma."
  
  "We'll organize heading back," you nod.
  
  You'll plan to organize a return soon enough. But for now, you just stare at the flaming city around you.
  
  > A Few Days Later...
  After the burning of Cork, the focus of the British forces quickly shifts to a brutal suppression of Cork. With that, you and Joseph decide that your it's about time to return to Dublin. Given the escalation of the war, you're spending most of your time hidden out in safe-houses and drilling either way. Thus, you're left to head back North to Dublin. You make the arrangements with the Cork division. Apparently, Fionn has risen to a commander of a small flying column up there, and is more than happy to have the two of you come back to serve as his lieutenants, if only from the fact that he knows you and you've garnered a fair bit of experience in the past two years.
  
  As the year shifts to 1921 and after several months in Cork, you and Joseph are heading home to Dublin.
  
  > return to the farm
  You walk down the old track to the house, staring at he farm around you. It's fallen into a bit of disrepair, but it's actually better than expected. Fionn must've had a few of his men help out with a few things. You'll make sure to thank him for it.
  
  You walk up to the old house, floorboards creaking as you move up the porch. You push into the old house, where Ma and Mary wait. Mary rushes up from her seat, wrapping her arms around you while Ma hobbles from behind to do the same. There's a brief moment where you're completely contented, allowed to hold your family again.
  
  "Mary! Good to see you, sweetheart! You too, Ma! How are you two?" you say.
  
  After a brief hug, you step back, looking down at Mary's sizable bump.
  
  "You've certainly grown," you say with a smile. "Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?"
  
  "I didn't know how," Mary confesses, although a bit more solemn and quiet than you would've hope.
  
  "Is that... OK? It's wanted, isn't it? I mean, premarital, sure, but..." you say.
  
  "Is it Arthur?" Joseph interrupts. "Is that scrawny coward refusing to marry you or accept that it's his?"
  
  "No, it's not that!" Mary says, as your homecoming quickly becomes emotional. "Arthur's been the best. He's been very sweet and kind and we're to marry in Spring."
  
  "Then what is it?"
  
  "I..." Mary says, before pausing, unsure of herself.
  
  Ma squeezes Mary's hand, as she nods, closing her eyes as her voice quietens to little more than a whisper.
  
  "I haven't actually... done it with Arthur," Mary says softly.
  
  Your face darkens as a gloom sets in over you. Mary's not the type to cheat, obviously, which really leaves only one possibility. Joseph, perhaps a moment slower, laughs.
  
  "So what, our sister's been gifted with the virgin birth like the original Mar..." Joseph seems to understand the situation about halfway through, and quiets down as a silence defends over the group.
  
  "Does Arthur know?" you ask after a moment.
  
  "He does," Mary nods.
  
  "And he's still willing to marry and raise the child?" you ask, as Mary nods. "Then we just don't tell anybody what happens. Not the community, not the Church, not even the child. We can move past this."
  
  Mary nods quietly, as tears begin to run down her face. You grab her, hugging her tightly against your chest.
  
  "Don't worry, doll, we'll deal with that."
  
  You all embrace each other, gently hoping you can get through this.
  
  > Months Later...
  It's now April, 1921. After a few months back in Dublin, you've quickly went back into the thick of it, planning out ambushes and raids and serving with Joseph as Fionn's seconds. Ever since the Black and Tans showed up, there's been a huge amount of recruits, meaning you spend quite a bit of time training and drilling them. Although the war continues to be brutal, exhausting the forces of both the British and the Irish, it's clear the war's reaching a boiling point for both side. Victory or defeat is on the horizon, although you can't tell which.
  
  You stroll into Fionn's farmhouse, followed by Joesph. Although it's not a training day and there's no attack planned, he's called for you to come talk to him. You move inside, where Joseph sits at his kitchen table, his little brother sitting next for him, buttering some bread.
  
  "Oh, good, you're here," Fionn says. "Aidan, give us a few minutes, can you?"
  
  "Can't I stay and listen?" Aidan asks, as Fionn shakes his head.
  
  "No, get out of here," Fionn says, as Aidan leaves the room.
  
  "Is everything alright?" Joseph asks.
  
  "Not exactly. I need your help making a decision," Fionn asks. "I'm having a bit of trouble with loyalty."
  
  "There's a traitor among our unit?"
  
  "There may be, but if there is, it's me," Fionn laughs.
  
  "You're not thinking of surrender, are you?" you ask, worried.
  
  "Of course not. However, the President of the Dáil has asked for some of our men to attend an attack on the Customs House."
  
  "And?" you ask.
  
  "Eamon DeValera's plan is that a significant attack of like 120 IRA soldiers in full uniform on a major British target would help to show that we're not a terrorist movement of criminals. It'd be a huge propaganda victory and be a massive symbol for the success of our whole movement."
  
  "So what's the issue?" Joseph asks.
  
  "It'd be a massacre, that's the issue. Michael Collins pointed out that our success so far has been through guerilla warfare, and he's right. In outright battles, we'd be decimated. Michael Collins called for units to increase in guerilla warfare as a counter to this, but he's been outvoted. So I need to decide whether I'm lending my unit to the Customs House attack in a months time, or whether I'm to simply increase in our use of guerilla warfare and raise the attacks. So, I've come to you. We can join in the symbolic attack to prove we're a real army, so that maybe the outside world will recognize us and this war can end. Or, we can keep the fight going as guerilla fighters. I need your opinions."
  
  "I'm not a tactician. I can lead in battle, but I sure as hell don't know how to command the forces on that grand a level," Joseph admits. "Michael?"
  
  > follow Collins in an increase in ambushes and guerrilla warfare
  "We follow Collins' idea and increase guerilla warfare. Let them find their men from elsewhere for their suicidal attack on the Customs House. Make up some excuse for why you can't join. It's not like the Republican government is strong enough to actually see if we can or can't join in."
  
  "Good advice, I suppose. I'll do that, then. We need to increase the amount of attacks. We'll be organizing an ambush soon enough. I heard there's an arms transport in about a week's time. I'll have our informants looking into that, and see we can do," Fionn says. "Goddamn, this war's never going to end. It'll be the death of every man here."
  
  "We'll do our duty to the country. We'll never surrender. Eventually, Britain will break," Joseph says.
  
  " I hope so. Fada beo Eireann," you say quietly.
  
  "Fada beo Eireann," the other two say, as you sit there, wondering how far you'll need to push the British before you reach a breaking point.
  
  > A Week Later...
  You stand in the road, staring down at the small barricade in front of you. In order to deal with the transport of arms and the movement of the Flying Columns, the British have set up barricades across country roads to try deal with this. You wait in cover, your squad slowly approaching the small checkpoint, with only two soldiers on duty. You aim your rifle, ready to take the checkpoint. Once that's yours, Fionn and Team 2 will set up for the ambush, while your men will join him. You and Joseph will take the uniforms off the soldiers, and you'll be used to slow the men down in order to let the ambush strike.
  
  "OK, we're in range. Do we open fire?" Joseph asks.
  
  "Wait," you say, nodding at the four soldiers with you, two new recruits, Liam, an old veteran from back when you served in Dublin, and Joseph. You stare down at them, your gun raised.
  
  "Maybe. We could try force a surrender."
  
  "Dealing with prisoners during this kind of thing could be hard," Joseph says.
  
  "But we'll get the uniforms in better condition," you say.
  
  "We should kill them all! We don't leave Brits alive!" one of the recruits says. "Black and Tans...!"
  
  "These aren't Black and Tans. They're soldiers. They're just doing their job. It's better to take them alive," Liam says
  
  "How would you know?" the recruit says.
  
  "I used to be a soldier. I served in the Great War," you say. "We shouldn't treat the enemy like dogs. They're people, same as us. Hell, I was one of them."
  
  The recruit doesn't respond, as you stare down your iron sights at the soldiers.
  
  "Michael, what's the order?"
  
  > Open fire
  "Fuck it, it's easier to go to violence. Aim for the heads, fire on my mark. Try to avoid straight chest shots, it'd be too obvious."
  
  You pause, raising your rifle as you aim for one of the soldier's head. You've a straight, close shot through the side of the head. You take a deep breath, pausing.
  
  "Mark," you say, as the guns go off.
  
  There's a volley of gunfire, as the two soldiers drop almost instantly, not even seeing what's happening. You quickly rise up to your feet, moving in a hurry down the street, rushing down the path. You hurry down to the two soldiers, as you motion for the others to stand guard as you and Joseph get dressed. You grab the first soldier, pushing his body over. A bullet wound has taken the back of his skull off, so you quickly rescue the cap from the pool of blood and brain matter. You hurry to unbutton his jacket, finding a bullet whole through the shoulder and a growing blood stain.
  
  "Bollocks," you swear, quickly pulling off the jacket.
  
  You pull the jacket on, before removing the man's boots and trousers. It's not long before you're fully dressed, as is Joseph. You nod to other three soldiers.
  
  "OK, I'm finished. Take the corpses out and find somewhere to dump the corpses out of view and join up with the others," you say.
  
  The others quickly go to work, as you turn to Joseph. His uniform isn't bad, only blood around the collar from a throat shot and a bloody patch at the knee from a recruit's badly placed shot.
  
  "Does it look alright?" you ask.
  
  "The shoulder's a bit obvious. We should be fine."
  
  You stand by the road as the ambush position is set up, as you patiently wait as the rest of the unit dumps the bodies off in a field and sets up the ambush.
  
  After about an hour, the two weapons transports begin approaching. Two trucks filled with a mixture of soldiers and weaponry. You wait patiently, as the truck begins approaching. You stand by the road, holding up a hand to motion for them to stop.
  
  "They're slowing down," Joseph says. "Thank Christ."
  
  You pause, wondering what's going on as a mixture of emotions crosses the front driver's face. The truck stops slowing down, although it doesn't speed up either. You stand straight and continue gesturing, trying to stay calm and casual.
  
  "They might've noticed something," Joseph says. "Stay calm or hit now?"
  
  > raise your rifle and attack
  You raise your rifle, opening fire. You drop to a knee, raising your rifle as you aim ahead, trying to get a shot in at the driver to stop the truck and block up the road. You press the butt of the rifle against your shoulder, tilting your head and staring straight down the iron sights.
  
  However, attacking this early leaves the trucks out of the firing range, and also in raising your gun and firing, it actually takes a moment for the other IRA soldiers to realize you've changed the signal. The truck drives forward as the driver attempts to speed off, having a brief moment where you're the only person shooting at him. The bullets bounce off the car side, the window shattering, but they don't slow down. The truck drives forward, slamming into you as you're sent spiraling down the street. You bounce against the hard ground, rolling along, before the truck continues driving. Your body crunches as the heavy truck rolls straight over you, as you're killed in such a brutal manner.