January 21, 1981

CIA HQ

"... but I digress." Hudson finished his small history lesson.

"Back to our main point, he simply refuses to talk about any relevance to our questions. If he responds its with smart insults. From what we've seen, I don't think part of him is... all there." Adler tapped the side of his temple before sliding him film to place into the projector.

"Tag teaming it this time?" The footage began as Anthony looked up from his table to see Adler and Park walk in the room. With them they carried in a cart of tools of all various kinds.

"Go ahead... finish me off! Finish the job! I don't don't want to feel bad anymore." Anthony shouted before returning to a calmer tone. He was covered in his own blood and so were their hands.

"Well if he won't talk take care of him and move onto the next." Hudson said, the film still playing.

"We're not going to come by anything like this ever. This is Perseus' right hand." Adler paused. "I'm suggesting he go into the MKUltra program."

"You can't be serious." Hudson scoffed.

"Its been done before, Mason seemed to turn out alright."

"Mason is still undergoing a bit of a recovery process with therapy sessions."

"But he's not insane."

"No, Mason isn't. But he seems to already be missing a screw or two and he hasn't even been exposed to psychological exercises."

"I would guess his lack of sanity stems from past expereinces." Adler handed Hudson a newspaper. Terror Strikes Moscow! the paper read. 1968.

"Seems like Petrov didn't have a good day that year."

"Neither did his family."

"Someone must have really wanted to convert the boy to their side. The paper says hes dead."

"Probably Perseus' doing."

"There has to be another way for him to tell you something." Hudson tossed the paper aside.

"There isn't we've tried everything. I mean it. Everything. This could end the war and we're short on time Hudson. Right now Perseus and his men are planning their next move. Think about all the lives this kid could save." Adler sounded almost desperate.

"I can't. Its not a good idea."

"Hudson we can't afford for an opportunity like this-"

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you had taken care of it when you were told to!" Hudson snapped.

"If everyone lived in the past like you did the nations would have kept pointing fingers to one another and NATO never would have been formed. So its life or death Hudson. You either care enough to protect them or you don't." Adler said plainly. There was a long silence in the room.

Hudson let out a sigh. "Put him under. But when this thing is over, I want him dead. His very existence could cost us more than just our jobs." Hudson gave in.

"Glad to see you approve, he went under about.." Adler looked at his watch. "30 minutes ago."

The Lab

"Do we really want to try this again agent?" Anthony asked her as she and two other soldiers escorted him out of the room.

"Things are going to be a bit different this time." She peirced his neck with a needle before the two soldiers undid his restraints.

His body felt light, his mind heavier than ever. He could hear Park and the soldiers saying something to him but all he could hear were muffled echoes.

"I can't... hear you." He replied quietly as they walked the halls. His vision was becoming hazy.

He watched them open a grey door. In the center of the room was a chair in which they tossed him in. He could feel beads of sweat begin to form. As the soldiers restrained his arms and legs into the chair he looked to his right to see Park speaking with three other scientists, or doctors? He didn't know.

When he woke back up Adler was there this time. He watched the man sort through a few papers through the glass that held him in a seperate office space.

"Whats your plan now?" Anthony asked Park who was sorting through a series of tools and liquid formulas on a metal tray. His body felt weakened and his mind, sleepy.

"According to Adler, give you a second chance." She filled a syringe with a clear liquid, another with red.

"I don't follow." He let his head lay on the head rest.

"Simply put, we're making you into a new person."

"As if I won't remember my own self." He scoffed.

"That is the point of the process."

"Wait... you can't be serious. I thought MKUltra.." his eyes went wide as he looked at her. "Suka." He chuckled. "How does your husband feel about you working with psychotic people such as that Adler over there?" He assumed, letting his eyes close for a moment.

"I don't think it would matter, if he existed that is." She said plainly.

"Well no wonder he doesn't exist. I don't think I could associate with someone if I knew they spent their saturdays brainwashing some random soul. Used to before my time as a soldier I would play tag with my friends in their backyard. To me it seems like you've never had a inch of fun in your life."

She walked over to him, connecting IVs and small wires to him. "Your a strange one." She admitted. "Arguably the most talkative, witty, but yet insanley intense Russian, or POW for that matter, I've ever come across."

"Does strange earn me my ticket back home?" He looked up at her, smiling.

"Afraid not Mr. POW." She replied, meeting his gaze before returing back to hooking up the remaining wires.

There was a silence for a moment. "Will I remember myself after today?" He asked, knowing after today nothing would be the same anymore.

"You may remember bits and peices but it will be the most complicated puzzle you could ever try to solve. You might remember your name but not your age. Or your occupation but not your birthday."

He stayed quiet for a moment. "You don't know my name, do you?"

"No." She finished prepping the gear.

"This is going to sound odd."

"Coming from you it won't but go ahead." She sighed.

"After this process is complete I will have only myself and nothing else. Probably not even my own name. It would be... helpful if I had a friend to help guide me in helping me rediscover my new self. If this process is going to be how I think it is, I don't want to ever remember this life. You seem like someone just doing their job, with only one motive. I'm not entirly sure what it is but I feel like this job to you is just the waiting game or perhaps a stepping stone. I'm asking you to be my friend through this agent." He sat quietly not expecting a response.

"I don't think I've given you enough sedatives but understand this. You and I will never be friends. Its not in the cards love." She opened the door before leaving, letting the doctor walk into the room.

"What the hell..." he mumbled to himself, realising the words that had come from out of his mouth. He only thought those thoughts traveled through his brain it only occured to him that they traveled from his mouth when she responded to those thoughts out loud. He forgot how powerful these drugs could be.

The man in the lab coat rolled the tray closer to him. The two other scientists turned a projector on, allowing for film and photos to appear.

"Let's begin." The doctor said, pressing a button.

Anthony shouted as he felt electricity shoot through his body.