UNCLE's two top agents sat holed up in a cave in the Adirondacks, trapped there with no means of escape. They'd gotten off a distress signal before the frequency was cut off by some sort of jamming device, and hoped it had lasted long enough for the local field office to have picked it up.

Both men sat in silence while they returned a periodic shot fired at them by the half-dozen or so murderous moonshiners who'd cornered them.

Napoleon and Illya had surprisingly stumbled upon a hooch-slash-bomb making operation with the men somehow having had aligned themselves with THRUSH.

"Who would have thought, Moonshiner Anarchists?" Napoleon quipped as he and Illya had run from them; they were just too out-numbered.

Solo looked at his partner, seemingly lost in thought. "Making your peace just in case?"

"You should know by now that I expect to die on every mission, so 'making peace' as you call it is not a consideration."

"Oh, that's true," the American's hushed tones echoed slightly against the darkened cave walls "I forgot, you're not the optimistic type."

"No optimism is your purview my friend."

There was silence again for a few minutes before Illya spoke up again.

"Napoleon what do you fear the most? Is it death?"

He was taken back by that question. "Fear? I don't think I've ever really thought about it. I know it's not death, otherwise I would have chosen another profession. If I had to pick something I was afraid of, it would be dying alone..."

Illya nodded his head, saying nothing in response.

"Well aren't you going to say something encouraging like, 'I'm your best friend and I'll never let you die alone?"

"No. I may have your back Napoleon, but I cannot be with you twenty-four hours, seven days a week, so that would not be possible."

"Gee thanks for cheering me up." Solo repositioned himself, after another bullet ricocheted a little too close for comfort.

"You are welcome," Illya tried not to snicker.

"And what about you? What are you afraid of Illya Kuryakin?"

"Me?

"Yes you. You're the one who started this, now answer the question."

The Russian barely paused, giving his answer immediately. "I am afraid of nothing. I am the fatalist remember? I expect the worst always, that way if things do not go bad, I have a pleasant surprise."

"You're such a liar Illya Nickovich." Napoleon smiled as he heard helicopter blades whipping the air in the distance." Ugh oh."

"What is wrong?"

"I suddenly thought... I'm afraid it could be THRUSH reinforcements and not ours..." Napoleon shrugged.

"No no Napoleon, I am the fatalist, you are the optimist remember? Now ready?" Illya smiled at him before they made their exit from the cave, guns blazing fearlessly.