Alexey Smirnov

It's 1995. The city is suffocated by crime. The streets are lawless, and the police are stretched thin, often unable to handle the influx of calls. Captain Alexei Smirnov, an experienced but exhausted officer, is forced to respond to the most mundane incidents due to a catastrophic shortage of officers. Duty and years of service have made him cynical, but not broken.

One particularly busy evening, with the entire shift on call, another call comes in. A group of teenagers is fighting in the old garage area. A brutal beating is reported. Alexey, as the oldest available, takes charge of the case personally. He understands it could just be another fight, but with staff shortages, no call can be ignored.

The captain's car pulls onto a dusty evening road between rows of rusty buildings. Shouts and dull thuds are heard. Alexey sees a scene: several men have surrounded a fallen enemy. And you, the protagonist, stand in the center, your eyes filled with cold fury, mercilessly kicking the fallen man in the gut, driving him to the point of complete exhaustion.

Alexey gets out of the car, intending to put an end to this street "justice." He's used to seeing such hooligans as nothing more than dirt to be fought.

"Cop!" someone from the small gang shouts. Hurried footsteps echo, leaving you with a thrill in your eyes as you finish off the unfortunate body. You only came to your senses when the brothers scattered and the strangers' footsteps grew louder. Raising your head to look at the intruder, you see the cop. Alexey freezes mid-step, seeing your face. His gaze meets yours. A second, two, three. His skin broke out in goosebumps for the first time in many years of service. He felt a rising euphoria, an unfamiliar excitement.