March 23, 1981
Perseus Base
Moscow, USSR
"Comrades, just a few days ago you brought me intel surrounding the U.S and its allies attempting to make amends with one another. After further digging I can confirm that it is true. In just two days they will be holding their even at a Hotel in Paris." Perseus showed images of the hotel on the projector infront of them all. "Suprisingly enough this area wasn't exposed to the explosion nearly as much as any other places such as Spain. Many ambassadors will be there so Benedikt you will be going as an American Ambassador by the name of Marshall Klein." He said looking towards Benedikt.
"Quite the name, I might keep it." He said.
"And Portnova you will be going as his plus one." The older man shifted his gaze towards Perseus' newest asset.
"Your a field agent? I just thought you were just brains." He asked her.
"It may suprise you considering our last encounter but I'v put many enemies in their graves through hand to hand combat."
"And agent Park, you will be working a 'shift' as one of the hotel's musicians. Don't panick you won't actually be displaying any actual musical talent. As you three wander around the building I want bombs planted inside. Agent Park will plant the final explosive underneath the hotel's piano and attatched to the pillar it leans against. Once all explosives have been planted make your way out of there and blow the place to peices."
"And our exfil?" Park asked.
"You will see a red Aston Martin pull into the rounded drive way. You can't miss it."
"What about our names?" Portnova asked.
"We only had time to manufacture Agent Romanov's identity unfortunatly and two days will barely be enough time to make one. The two of you will have to inprovise. In the meantime I have a few codes that need decripting. You two go ahead and get started." He said to Park and Benedikt.
He watched as the two left the room, leaving only Portnova left.
"I have a side assignment for you agent."
"How good is your French?" He asked, searching the desk of papers and maps for a marker.
"Assez bien." She replied, flipping a switch on the table, allowing light to shine through the papers.
"How many languages are you fluent in?" He became curious.
"Seven." She said simply.
"Nine." He pointed at his chest.
"I don't beleive you." She chuckled.
"Αρκετά καλό." He said.
At that moment Portnova walked in the room, seeing the two getting materials together.
"What did he have to say to you that he couldn't say in front of all of us?" Benedikt asked the new agent.
"Nothing much. Just wanted to tell me how vital this mission would be and how we can't throw any red flags or our covers would be blown." She said, picking up a marker of her own.
"Did he at least tell you what we were doing this for?" He entended his arm out towards the table full of papers.
"They're just the locations of a few small CIA safehouses. While we're out on mission he'll be sending a few men to take care of them."
"Well, lets see if your math and cryptography skills are any better than your fighting skills." He joked.
They spent hours successfully decrypting code after code, with Benedikt and Portnova doing the hull of the work.
"This doesn't make any sense." He tossed his marker aside in frustration.
"Why don't you try looking at it from this angle." Portnova shifted the map and adjusted some numbers.
"Well, Perseus did right by recruiting you. For once, I might have actually met my match. Nice job." He patted her back.
"My father taught me how to adjust what your looking at. If what your seeing isn't right, then try looking at it from a different perspective."
"Sounds like a wise man." Park said.
"He was." Portnova smiled weakly.
"I'm going to go hand these into Perseus, I'll be back." Park said, gathering a handful of papers and placing them into a folder before she left the room.
"So I take it you two are..." Portnova said.
"Uhm." He paused for a moment, hesisitant on how to respond. "Yea, I suppose you could say that." He smiled.
"The way you two look at each other gives it away." She said, flipping the switch on the table off. "Might I offee you a peice of advise?"
"Sure." He responded awkwardly.
"Both of you are soldiers. You cannot have love and war. We fight so that others can live that life. Those types of storys just don't end well."
"Well if your right then we'll just have to see." He said, tired of being told these things. Although he had to admitt that part of him did beleive it.
"I'll be seeing you Comrade." She said leaving the room. She held the door open as Park returned.
"Did I miss something?" She noticed a downcasted look on his face.
"No." He brought her in for a hug. "Nothing at all love." He let out a peaceful sigh.
March 25, 1981
Paris, France
Meeting of the United Nations
"You two ready comrades?" The driver asked Benedikt and Portnova.
"Ready." He responded.
The vehichle pulled into the driveway to let them out. He had to be careful when he moved. Sneaking in c4 explosives was quite a tricky task but even more dangerous. They were restricted with what they could do because of their attire so Benedikt had to wrap an explosive around each of the back of his lower leg. Once he planted his he would hand Portnova hers. Before they arrived he had asked Park how she would sneak hers in. To no suprise she said she would figure it out.
When they arrived at the front door he wasn't shocked to see French DGSE agents on duty by the front door.
"Marshall Klein." Benedikt said as he handed his identification over. For reasons not exactly known after enduring Adler's final intterogation he no longer spoke with an accent that would make sense. He didn't speak with a Russian nor did he speak like Park, rather his mind had made his default to American. The two of them had discussed the starnge side effect before but could never find a scientific answer. What made it even more strange is how Mason had no change in his speech unlike Benedikt.
"And her?" The gaurd asked, looking over towards Portnova.
"The Mrs." he replied simply.
After a skeptical look the agent cleared for them to enter.
Walking into the lobby, Benedikt wasn't suprised to see how nicely decorated the lobby was. Everything looked absolutly spottless. He looked around to see many ambassadors from around the world. The U.S, U.K, France, Spain,.. most likely all of Europe that was nuked and a few of the countries with the United Nations.
"Blend in for a bit. We can't go right into things, not yet."he said as they continued walking around the large lobby.
"Drinks?" An employee of the hotel came around with a trey offering glasses to everyone.
"Thank you." Benedikt said grabbing one for each of them.
"Can't keep a simple drink down?" Portnova joked, taking a sip from her glass.
"Not when it tastes like a house plant, no." He coughed before setting the glass aside on a nearby surface.
"You two Americans?" A man and his wife walked over to speak with them.
"Yes sir, Ambassador Klein." He introduced himself with a handshake.
"Kurt Moreno, I am Italy's ambassador." The older man shook both of their hands as well as his wife.
"So how long have you served?" Kurt's wife asked.
"Going onto my fourth year now, it is quite the responsibilty as you may be familiar with. But I don't think I could have made it this far without her." He nudged over to Portnova with a fake smile.
"I can say the same here." The man said, looking over to his own wife. "I hear America is in quite the mess right now, yes?"
"Unfortunatly. Just about everyone here beleives our people did it on purpose, while we may not have the brightest past the launch of those nukes was the work of our enemy in an attempt to black mail us." He said with a sorrowful look.
"I may be one of the few but when we had found out the news, something just didn't sit right with me about it, like there had to be a bigger story. Even with the leaked files, I just have this feeling." The man took a sip of his drink.
"We tried to get our people to think about it, but they were just so convinced with the evidence. And how could they not?" His wife commented.
"I wish there were more countrys that thought as you do. Unfortunatly we don't have that luxury." Portnova said.
Benedikt could feel the explosive on his right leg slipping. He tried adjusting it by moving his leg around. His plan failed when it fell to his ankle with a noticable thump. Luckily it was still concealed with just parr of a strap barely hanging out from the bottom of his pants.
"You ok there, Ambassador?" Kurt asked, rasing an eyebrow.
"Marshall! I told you not to bring that in front of all the other ambassadors!" She elbowed him. Portnova's eyes went wide realising what actually happened and decided to come up something on the fly.
"Yes sir, just a uhm." He bent down to adjust the explosive back onto his leg. He noticed agents walking around as security, one of them had eyes on the group. He had to come up with something. "Ok look." He lowered his voice, 'confessing' to them his secret. "This is going to sound absoluty insane but I have a pet squirrel, and I couldn't leave him alone with nobody to watch him so I had to sneak him inside. I hope you can understand, but please do me a favor and don't tell anyone!" He begged as Portnova continued to play along and roll her eyes.
Out of the corner of his eye he watched an agent of MI6 continue on his way.
"Uh, sure thing Mr. Klein." The man assured him. Kurt and his wife had the most peculiar look on their faces, still confused as to what they just witnessed. "Well, you will excuse us, I must speak with Noway's embassasor."
"Nice meeting you two." His wife said with a kind smile before walking away.
"And to you as well." Benedikt replied, watching the two walk away.
"Only in America.." he heard Kurt say.
"Out of all the things... A squirrel?!" Portnova asked him, wondering how in the world he even became one of the world's supposed best agents.
"Would you had rather me say an elephant because it almost slipped out?!" He said, their voices both low.
He noticed as the crowd began to circle around the center of the room. Many abassadors sat themselves at a large rounded table while others stood around it.
"Ok, now's our chance, I'll go plant mine. I'll be back, once I return you'll be up." Benedikt whispered.
Sneaking away from the crowd he managed to dodge most of the hotel's security. He had never seen so many agents from so many places all in one place. Making his way upstairs he snuck around the most cenetered pillar on the second floor. He quickly attatched it to the pillar from underneath a table, allowing it to be concealed. Looking around for any gaurds he noticed how even more brilliant the second floor was.
Just before he was about to go back down stairs he noticed an agent walking his direction. He quickly snuck into a nearby closet and shut himself in. His quick actions drew attention of the agent as the man opened the door to the tall closet. As he opened the door the man readied his pistol for any potential threat.
Benedikt nearly had to make his heart stop beating, even his own breathing could be too loud when he was just above the enemy. Taking a closer look he saw the man had a scar on his face all to familiar. His eyes went wide as he looked down at Adler. Luckily the man didn't look up or he would have seen Benedikt holding himself up using his arms and legs.
He took a moment to collect himself. Did he just see a ghost?