Dimitri Rascalov (Outlaw’s Saga)

Dimitri Rascalov (b. 1969 - d. November 27) was a fictional crime lord, who was initially the right-hand man of Mikhail Faustin, the original head of the Faustin Mafiya, and later the head of the Russian Mafiya after Faustin's demise. Originally from Russia, he was sent to a prison camp, the same one that Mikhail was in. The two became close brother-like friends, and eventually, they survived their prison and moved to America, settling in Hove Beach, Liberty City. Dimitri later met Niko Bellic, who was a Serbian immigrant, and eventually, after betraying both Mikhail and Niko, this would spark a rivalry that would last for at least two months across Liberty City. He will serve as the primary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV - The Rockstar Series, which is canon to The Outlaw’s Saga.
== Biography ==
=== History ===
Dimitri was born in Russia in 1969 and served in the Soviet Army during the Cold War, and at some point in time, he befriended Mikhail Faustin. They later spent time in a Siberian prison together, where Mikhail protected Dimitri from being raped by the other inmates. They have matching tattoos on the palms of their hands, which means that they are "brothers" for life. They began their criminal activities in Russia, where they were both "selling hash to tourists in Red Square" and Dimitri was convicted of murder more than once.
In the mid-1990s, he "exploited a loophole in the US immigration treaty" to move to Liberty City, as did Mikhail. Mikhail moved with his wife and young daughter. Dimitri was arrested in 1998 and 2000 for extortion and hijacking, respectively. In following years, Mikhail's addictions to alcohol and cocaine caused his anger and paranoia to spiral out of control. Dimitri abused painkillers, but remained calm. While Mikhail had taken to an extreme level of violence, even by organized crime standards, Dimitri favored reasoning with people to maximize profits, although he could still intimidate people if necessary, telling Mikhail time and time again that they had to "play by the rules."
=== Meeting Niko Bellic, 2008 ===
Dimitri first met Niko Bellic when he and his cousin Roman were kidnapped and interrogated by Andrei for killing Mikhail's employee Vlad Glebov. Dimitri wanted to have Niko and Roman killed, however Mikhail thought it better to have Niko begin working for them, Dimitri agreed. Dimitri then slapped Niko awake to explain to him what had happened to him. Mikhail later accompanied Dimitri to the basement, just in time to stop Andrei from decapitating Niko, prompting Mikhail to shoot Andrei in the hood, much to Dimitri's shock. After Mikhail had shot Roman in the stomach due to his screaming, Dimitri showed a kind gesture in having Roman's wounds stitched. However, when Niko complained that the task he and Mikhail set for Niko pulling over every van in South Broker and stealing the one carrying televisions is impossible, he smugly tells Niko that the situation is "a problem for you and your cousin, not me," which foreshadows his betrayal. Later on, Mikhail ordered Niko to kill Lenny Petrovic, the son of the city's most powerful Russian mobster Kenny Petrovic, because Mikhail had a vague, unfounded suspicion that Lenny is a snitch. Dimitri tried to reason with Mikhail, saying Lenny Petrovic is dating his cousin and that law enforcement doesn't need a snitch to keep tabs on them due to Mikhail's methods, but to no avail.
=== Betrayal and Uprising ===
With no other choice, Dimitri arranged for Niko to meet him at the boardwalk on Firefly Island, instructing him that he was able to convince Kenny Petrovic to spare Niko's life for his actions, but only under the condition that Niko must kill Faustin at his club in Perestroika. Niko successfully did so and eventually came into contact with Dimitri about getting his payment, with the latter instructing him to meet him at a warehouse off of Mohanet. Niko attended his meeting, with his friend, "Little" Jacob Hughes staying hidden behind, suspicious of not only the meeting place, but of his possible true intentions. In the end, Jacob's suspicions were proven true as Dimitri had set Niko up to be murdered in the warehouse by Ray Bulgarian, another Russian who lived on the Adriatic, due to Bulgarin's belief that Niko had robbed him during a smuggling run that ended with a sinking ship. Dimitri and Bulgarian escaped the warehouse before Niko could catch and kill them for their actions.
Later, as a response for his actions as well as to force Niko out of Hove Beach, he had his men burn down Roman's apartment and cab depot. He later called Niko, telling him the reason why he betrayed him was so that he could get ahead, while threatening to smoke Niko out of any hiding places he has. Soon after betraying Niko, Dimitri became a major figure in the Russian Mafia and started his own cocaine importation operation. He was arrested but released for attempting to bring cocaine into Liberty City along with a business associate. After they went into hiding in Bohan, he discovered that Roman still frequented a gambling den in Broker. Dimitri was owed an unspecified amount of money from The Lost MC associate Ashley Butler and used this to his advantage, sending two henchmen to her place, and convincing Lost MC Vice President Johnny Klebitz, and a member of the Uptown Riders, Malc, to kidnap Roman to try to lure Niko to his death, but Niko successfully rescued his cousin and Johnny was left in the dark as to why he had to execute the kidnapping.
In the next month or so, Dimitri allied himself with Italian mob boss Giovanni Ancelotti, becoming their cocaine supplier and to profit from his family's rackets. The Pegorino Family learn of this affiliation and decide to steal a shipment of cocaine in Catch the Wave. His first action was to extort deputy mayor Bryce Dawkins to help them control several construction unions, blackmailing him with knowledge of his gay affair with Bernie Crane. Coincidentally, Niko was an old friend of Bernie's and stopped the blackmailers. He also tried to ambush Bernie and Niko by boat while they were having lunch. Niko then allied himself with Gambetti family boss Jon Gravelli and destroyed their shipment of cocaine.
=== Downfall and Death ===
In November, Dimitri came into contact with Jimmy Pegorino, offering to sell cocaine for him to a third-party in exchange for split profits. By this time, Niko was working as a hired gun for Pegorino, and although he was completely aware of their feud, he still ordered Bellic to do this deal for him or they will have problems. Niko begrudgingly agreed, but after finding out from Roman that Dimitri was onboard a ship in East Hook and getting a second opinion from his girlfriend, Kate McReary, Niko had decided to track Dimitri down and kill him once and for all. Sure enough, in an ironic twist of events, Dimitri was onboard the very same ship that Niko arrived in Liberty City on two months prior - the Platypus. Niko then shot his way to the control tower to open a door for the cargo hold, and then shot his way to the cargo hold, where Dimitri was waiting. Niko and Dimitri then engaged in a final standoff with several other men shooting at Bellic. Eventually, Niko got the upper hand and wounded Rascalov, with the latter warning that people will not be very happy if he kills him here and now, which Niko dismissed and readied his gun. In one final act of revenge, Niko shot Dimitri in both of his legs and while Dimitri screamed in agony on the ground, Niko executed Dimitri with a bullet to his head, finally putting an end to the treacherous Russian mobster once and for all.
=== Legacy ===
Dimitri's death sent shockwaves across the underworld of Liberty City and it eventually destroyed whatever influence the Pegorino Crime Family had left in the city, causing Jimmy to freak out and attempt an assassination upon Niko, an act which backfired that cost Kate McReary her life, and later Pegorino's as well on Happiness Island.
=== Alternative Timeline ===
In an alternative timeline, Niko would take Dimitri's deal, only for him to betray Bellic once more by killing the dealers and taking the cocaine for himself, but offering to go and take the money if he can. Niko would succeed in taking the money and proceed to cut Dimitri and Pegorino off completely. However, Dimitri himself would send an assassin to kill Niko at Roman's wedding, but this would backfire, instead Niko would survive, but Roman would accidentally be killed in a struggle, prompting Niko and Little Jacob to track both Rascalov and Pegorino down. Niko would later confront them at an old casino in northern Alderney, where Dimitri would betray Jimmy just like he did with Niko, with the former saying "I did not work this hard to share the spoils of a victory" before he would execute Jimmy with a single bullet to the head. Dimitri would then flee from Niko in a helicopter, prompting the latter to chase him in a boat before Jacob would arrive in an Annihilator helicopter to pick Niko up. Niko would then take control of the helicopter and fire its machine guns at Dimitri's helicopter, damaging it. However, one of Dimitri's passengers would successfully hit Niko's helicopter with a well-aimed rocket, also causing Niko to crash. Both parties would crash on Happiness Island, where Bellic and Rascalov would engage in a final shootout between themselves. The battle would end in Niko's victory, delivering a fatal bullet wound to Dimitri's chest, with the former announcing his victory while shaming Dimitri for betraying his best friend and everyone who ever came in contact with him, while also angrily yelling that he killed his cousin, before realizing that "the survival of the fittest thing" meant a lot to him. Dimitri would then succumb to his bullet wound in front of Niko, dying a slow and painful death. Niko and Jacob would then leave Dimitri's body to be found.