Expose on Kiril Angelov Pt.1

January 5th, 2038:
"Profile of a Sociopath"
By: Petar Batchev
Ages are often defined by the quality of men living within them. We are privileged, in our current era, to be blessed with an abundance of visionaries striving to make the world a better place. But the sad truth is, and always has been, that the work of a thousand good men can still be overshadowed by even one monster. This is the peril we face today, in this critical time of change. And for Bulgaria, this monster's name is Kiril Angelov.
From general during the Resource Wars, to Bulgaria's most persistent menace, the aims of Kiril Angelov have had a lasting effect on our society. When the world looks to Bulgaria and says we are "unstable," it is because of the actions of this singular man. It is my hope, with this disclosure, to be able to demonstrate why Kiril Angelov is the single biggest threat to the Bulgarian people today, and how he is solely responsible for our reputation on the world stage.
Kiril, and the handful of soldiers he represents, maintain that they represent a faction of Bulgarian society largely being ignored in the current political agenda. The ranks of Kiril's Homeless Mercenaries are swollen with jaded ex-military types who feel that they have lost their place in modern society. Instead of embracing this age of peace as a positive thing, they assert that war is an inevitability of human existence - and claim to be protecting Bulgarian society through their civil disobedience. 
I have often wondered about Kiril's motivations. Does he really believe the nonsense he spews in his headache-inducing speeches? Is it all just hot air to pump up his already inflated ego? Or is it all merely a front to sway ex-soldiers to do his bidding? These are questions I have sought to answer in my disclosure. 
A brief history of Kiril Angelov, before I begin.
Kiril Angelov was quite literally to the manor born. His mother, Yuliyana Zlatev, was heir to the Zlatev family fortune, and his father, current President Nikolay Angelov, is only the most recent in a long line of Angelovs to enjoy political influence. As an only child, Kiril's every whim was indulged and his family spared no expense to ensure every opportunity was afforded to him. Despite the possibilities, there was only one path in his life which truly held his attention - the Bulgarian Armed Forces.
His own father has been documented as saying that even as a child Kiril had and endless fascination with the military and demanded to be taken to every public parade or demonstration that was taking place. As he grew, this fascination became streamlined to the Air Force, in which his own great-grandfather, Aleksey Angelov, had served as a Lieutenant-General during the Second World War. Though Aleksey had died before Kiril's birth, stories of his military achievements had been passed down generationally, glamorizing for Kiril the image of the seasoned warrior. 
Kiril Angelov's military career is nothing short of formidable. Kiril joined the air force the day of his 18th birthday, and quickly rose in the ranks, although he was a far cry from the perfect soldier. His early training records show multiple instances of disobedience and Kiril was often described by his drill sergeants and instructors as being particularly stubborn and hot headed. He would rather go down fighting than admit to being wrong. Slowly, Kiril learned to control his rage. I would postulate that this was not out of obedience or respect, however, but was merely a tactic - a way to bide his time until he could rise to a position of power and influence. And rise he did. In just three years he made junior lieutenant, and by the age of thirty-one Kiril Angelov even outranked his great-grandfather as a General in the Bulgarian Air Force.
But let it not be said that Kiril Angelov is a single-minded war machine, groomed for combat and bent on power! Oh no, the ex-general is also a deeply complex and emotional character. A little known fact, guarded closely by Kiril and his family, is that from the time he was an adolescent, and until he joined the military, Kiril Angelov was seeing a juvenile psychologist for issues with anger and depression. I came by this discovery most innocuously, and my source has requested anonymity but it stands to reason this allegation is true. To channel his feelings, his psychologist had recommended that Kiril turn to art as a means of healthy expression. His atrocious attempts are still available publically, as Kiril to this day attempts to sell to sell these expensive pieces of kindling for much more than their worth (their actual worth being zero).
The themes present in his paintings however, which include images of a young man (likely self-portraits) lavishly adorned with kingly finery, illustrate a mind highly obsessed with delusions of grandeur - not to mention an ego of epic proportions. The assessment of this psychologist after spending years with Kiril was submitted to his father Nikolay and promptly buried in the grave of family secrets of the rich and wealthy, but my source maintains that Kiril was diagnosed as a border-line sociopath with narcissistic tendencies. Hardly surprising, but not something the Zlatevs and Angelovs wanted as common knowledge.
What this all surmounts to can first be observed in Kiril's military history during the Resource Wars. More so than any other section in the air force, the men serving under Kiril Angelov have been charged with war crimes. It may come as a surprise to some, but I would actually advocate a degree of mercy for these misguided individuals. According to men who served under Kiril, the general operated under a strict policy of obey or face the consequences. One soldier's accounts in particular can be referenced from the final years of the Wars, while Kiril's regiment was serving in the hostile Middle East. Prior to his death, this soldier had secretly filed complaints to his superiors about Kiril's very physical methods of dealing with dissention in the ranks. It is no surprise that this soldier was eventually silenced permanently when Kiril ordered him on a veritable suicide mission in Iranian air space in 2022. It is highly unlikely that this account stands alone.
Kiril's success and power came to a halting stop when most hostilities ceased in and around 2025. From the moment the Wars ended, the world began to shirk away from all associations with the military, and Bulgaria was no exception. Though it would still be several years until our official disarmament, the outcry against Kiril and his ilk was swift and widespread. Almost overnight all influence and power Kiril had gained through his military achievements were swept away and to all but other ex-militaries he became a bad memory best forgotten.
It was natural that this would have a devastating effect on Kiril's massive ego, but the blow struck even harder as it came from his own father. 
Nikolay Angelov was elected president in 2033. While Kiril had been spending the Resource Wars enjoying the spoils, his father had been working tirelessly as a diplomat to end Bulgaria's involvement. He was the logical next choice for the now peaceful country. When Nikolay fulfilled his election promise by signing the Consortium Mandate in 2035, Kiril's carefully controlled rage broke free. From general, to outcast criminal - here we see the birth of the Homeless Mercenaries. 
While it's true that Kiril can be tied to criminal activity, such as the smuggling of discontinued fire arms across Bulgarian borders, as early as 2029, it wasn't until this alliance with the Consortium that he became a figurehead for it. From this moment on, Kiril and the Homeless Mercenaries have not missed an opportunity to shake things up, and the publicity it's generating is not flattering to Bulgarians. Since the Peace Week Riots of '37, Bulgaria has been described by various international news sources as a "hotbed of social unrest," a "haven for exiled war criminals," and most recently on the Global Newswire itself: "The surge of organized crime rising within the borders of Bulgaria runs the risk of pouring out into neighboring countries. President Angelov must move quickly in shutting these forces down for good, or else risk his nation taking a giant step backwards, while the rest of the world moves ahead." 
As a proud Bulgarian, one who has lost members of his own family to the Resource Wars, these statements shame me. Kiril Angelov is a remnant of a past best left forgotten, and for this reason needs to be exposed and discredited. This message must ring loud and clear for all who might be swayed by the romanticism of his speeches: This man is not a leader, not a visionary, not a hero. He is a narcissistic sociopath, aiming only to bolster his own power and not save Bulgaria. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Kiril Angelov...
Category:Kiril Angelov
Category:Petar Batchev