FOR LOVE IS OF GOD
(Streets of Jerusalem, Palestine region, July 2134)
"All things considered, I am quite glad to be here, never thought I would say this," commented Sean, looking over the city through the live camera footage in the armoured vehicle.
"Literally anywhere in the former Israel and Palestine region is the WORST place anyone can be deployed to," concurred Louis.
Following the court hearing and one month of detention from the mess they created in London, Team Zero are pulled away from frontline service in a 2 month observation period.
Hence, when the commander of the United Nation Administration in the Middle East (UNAME), Brigadier General Naomi Yashar caught wind that a Tier 1 squad is idle, she immediately grabbed them from General Ling. The reason why she is so eager is because that UNAME is plagued with manpower shortage due to its notoriety.
UNAME is formed in the aftermath of WW3 in accordance with UN Resolution 9810. It gives the UN the right to remove destroyed nations their sovereign rights in the post-war reconstruction if they are deemed to be possible schisms in humanity that can be exploited by aliens. The lands that these former nations own will be placed under the direct administration of UNSSD under the title of UN administrations; until the UN decided that they are fit for self-governance, and none had been deemed capable as of 2134.
The nations of Israel, Palestine and Jordan were plagued with the incessant infighting between the Jewish and Arabian populations during the war, effectively bogging down the entire war effort of the Middle East and North Africa region, creating the opportunity for traitors of Earth to wreck havoc.
Using the chaos generated by the 3 nations, the entire region fell to the collaborators in a month, with the defenders barely holding the line at Kerman, Iran.
After the war ended, the 3 nations are flagged by the UN, placed under direct UNSSD rule. As expected, the local populations did not take that too well, and soon the UN found itself in the shoes of the British in Palestine all the way back in 1946.
The attacks became so frequent that its violence levels stick out like a sore thumb in the overall peaceful region, and became the worst place to serve in for UNSSD personnel on Earth.
"What is it like here?" mused Jay. "Mondays to Wednesdays Zionists attack, Thursdays to Saturdays radical Islamists attack, Sunday both sides take a break, and repeat the cycle next week!"
"Oh, and while they are at it, they also shoot each other," he finished.
"It's like Hokkaido all over again..." complained Phineas.
The armoured vehicle convoy drove by the wreckages made from a riot that the citizens of UNAME walked by calmly, the violence all too familiar to them.
They soon arrived at a high school campus built by UNSSD, the building formerly the site of the famed King David Hotel.
They disembarked from the white and blue armoured vehicles that have the UN logo painted on them, wearing their equipment. All of their live guns are slotted on the slings and strapped over their shoulders, and each of them carried a Benelli M4 shotgun or a Remington 870 shotgun loaded with riot control rounds.
Which, in Sean's opinion, are absolute necessities in this corner of the Earth.
Sean looked at the crowds of protesters chanting slogans and knocking on the fences, hurling insults at the UN personnel separating them from the journalists reporting on the high school with a frown.
He peeked at Phineas, who had already disengaged the safety on his Remington 870 shotgun, clearly still having some PTSD from his experience in Hokkaido, especially now when he is in an even more dangerous place.
"VIP protection and enforcing a security perimeter, quite an overkill for people of our talents," joked Santos, covering his eyes from the bright Sun.
Nanami chuckled.
"This high school is one of the most important projects undertaken by the UN to try to stabilise the area. Through the use of de-radicalising, integrating education policies, as well as providing non-discriminating employment opportunities, UNAME hope to finally end the centuries long blood feud here," she explained.
"And fun fact sweetheart, the report published from the UN General Secretariat office which UNAME based its policies on came from the hands of our team leader himself!" she said proudly.
"Since when are you a sociologist?" exclaimed a surprised Santos at Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I only participated in the research, Director Kovac had more to do with it."
"Now that you mention it, the Director really does hold you in a high regard, maybe that's why we got let off lightly," said Nanami.
"Perhaps he sees you as a potential successor and is grooming you," said Nanami laughed. "Promise me that you won't forget about us when you have succeeded in life babe," she cooed.
Xiao Tian snickered, ordering them to get back to work.
Their task is to set up a security detail for High Commissioner of the
"Oh look, Zionists!" exclaimed Jay, looking at the slogans raised by the protesters. "Today is Thursday though, weird."
The protesters' vile words and rowdy behaviour are ignored by the UN personnel who still kept their eyes peeled for any threats. Curious students from the high school peeked out of the main gate at the fence outside to see what is going on, before being chased back into the campus by their teachers.
Just then, a few protesters managed to pry open a gate in the fence, and they swarmed in, right next to Team Zero. They yelled insults, attacking the other UN personnel caught off guard near them.
They immediately got to work. Xiao Tian, Nanami, James and Jay immediately flipped down their visors on their helmets, grabbing their riot shields and police batons, stopping them from advancing. Sean and Frederica quickly rushed to the gate and cut off the protesters rushing in by firing warning shots into the air with their shotguns, prompting them to stay back. Xu Qing then called a robot sentry over, blocking off the gate.
Phineas worked the pump on his shotgun, warning the protesters that have managed to rush in to stand down.
"I AM BURNING THIS PLACE DOWN!" yelled a protester, raising a Molotov cocktail.
Santos immediately raised his M4 shotgun at him, ready to pull the trigger.
"NO, NO, NO!" exclaimed Louis, who quickly rushed over to him, boxing him in.
"Calm down," he said in fluent Hebrew. "There are kids here, put down that bottle, no one has to get hurt here," he said, raising both of his hands up, leaving his M4 shotgun hanging over his body armour, wanting to defuse the situation.
Ariel reached for her rifle loaded with live ammunition, only for Xiao Tian to stop her, glancing at the media cameras that have now focused on them.
"You are a Jew?" asked the protester, surprised at Louis's fluency.
"Aye, my mom is Jewish," said Louis.
"Now please, my brother," he said with a smile. "There is no good in doing this."
"God won't want to see his chosen people fighting! For love is of God isn't it?" he said, trying to play the religion card, which is extremely ironic from the perspective of his teammates in Team Zero, as they all know he is a secular Jew who does not even keep kosher.
The protester hesitated briefly, but his eyes soon turned back to raw hate.
"A land without a people for a people without a land!" he roared, yelling the Zionist slogan, ready to throw the Molotov cocktail.
"Bang!" Louis fired from his shotgun quickly, subjugating the protester, the Molotov Cocktail slipped from his hands, landing on the floor, shattering, the flames it created are quickly put out by water generated by Louis.
The protester groaned in pain as he is swiftly detained by the UN personnel rushing over to reinforce.
The other protesters still tried to attack them, fighting back ferociously against their riot shields.
After Xiao Tian is sure that the media cameras have recorded the full story, he gave the order to engage.
Very soon, these protesters are beaten down, tased and shot with riot shots, lying on the floor in pain. All of them are subsequently detained.
"That was easier than I thought," remarked Sean.
Just then, Xiao Tian received a call from General Yashar. His frowned, then assuring her that he will be there as soon as possible.
"Just got an order, General Yashar and the High Commissioner's motorcade are stuck on the road to the high school, just 50km out, they had a bad case mechanical failure. To save time, she ordered us to go pick the VIPs up and escort them over."
"Move out!" he ordered, and Team Zero all got on to their 2 armoured vehicles, driving out of the fences, past the protesters and onto the open road.