December 6th, 2058 - 06:00:02, ATLAS Corporation Main Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia, 30 hours in, and it appears that Dr. Danois is ready to break under Ilona's pressure. And Mitchell has been watching it all unfold the whole time.
Mitchell: (narration) It was as close as we'd ever been. Four years on Hades' trail, and now we had his number two. The doctor was the key to everything.
Ilona: So, we'll begin again. These people. Who are they?
Dr. Danois: So this is what you think of me, uh? You think I'm a rat. Fuck you!
[Ilona slams Dr. Danois head against Table Computer]
Ilona: I think you are whatever I tell you to be.
Mitchell: (narration) Ilona was one of a kind. Ex-GRU, now working for ATLAS. She could be your best friend or your worst nightmare, but you never knew which. As for me, I'm glad I'm the former.
Ilona: We have the names. Now we just need to know when and where the meeting is.
Dr. Danois: You might as well kill me. I'm already dead.
Mitchell: (narration) But once she got under your skin...
Ilona: Please, Pierre, work with me. Let us help each other.
Mitchell: (narration) ...it was all over.
11:30:17, The Pentagon, Virginia, now that the Mercenary First Lieutenant has learned that Hades is meeting with his black market accountants in his personal estate in Greece and Left Hand Squadron has verified it in person and in country four hours ago, Mitchell, Jonathan, Aurora, Gideon, Cristy and Preacher try to organize a joint op with Kingpin. At first, the General lights up when he meets the Mercenary Sergeant First Class again since the end of the Second Vietnam War.
Preacher: *smiles* No way. General Isaiah 'Kingpin' McDonnell. *laughs* Good to see you again, sir!
[Preacher and Kingpin hug]
Kingpin: *chuckles* Good to see you too, kid. I'm sorry about what happened between you and the Marine Raiders. You could've called me. No one in Camp Lejeune would've said "no" to me back then.
Preacher: I know, but you were still moving up in CENTCOM. I didn't wanna bother you. Shall we?
Kingpin: Of course. *extends right hand* Mr. and Mrs. Irons. I hope you have some good news.
Aurora: *shakes Kingpin's hand* Trust us, you will not be disappointed.
Jonathan: *shakes Kingpin's hand* We've made 100 percent sure of that. Lieutenant Weston?
Cristy: Already set, sir, ma'am.
But as the female First Lieutenant explains Ilona and Left Hand Squadron's findings, his smile disappears because he has to make the hardest choice of his career. Either approve a JTF operation and allow the C.I.A. to affect the success of the mission and the lives of Right Hand Squadron, or take his chances with them and use geopolitics as a faux excuse for the refusal of involvement.
At the end of the presentation, Kingpin makes his decision.
Kingpin: It's a single source. Has the intel been verified?
Aurora: The intel is good. Our premier black ops unit has personally made sure of it just recently. Hades is meeting with his financial backers in Santorini 24 hours from now.
Kingpin: Mr. and Mrs. Irons, the protocols for mounting an assault on—
Jonathan: This man is responsible for 50 million deaths, General. We are going in.
Kingpin: An operation on foreign, sovereign soil? It would be an act of war without congressional approval.
Aurora: Then it's a good thing that ATLAS is an internationally registered private company. We don't need congress. Major Shaw, are we operational?
Gideon: We're at the ready, ma'am, sir. You're the triggers.
Aurora: Then we want your team on the ground in six hours.
Kingpin: On whose authority?!
Jonathan: ON OUR AUTHORITY!
ATLAS Corporation
Jack Mitchell
--
Manhunt
December 7th, 2058 - 11:30:19
MSgt. Jack Mitchell
ATLAS Corporation
Santorini, Greece
Exo Type:
Specialist
Riot Shield: Activated
Overdrive: Activated
Stim: Activated
--
Without the support of USSOCOM and possibly the meddling of the C.I.A., Right Hand Squadron gets started with Cristy at the logistics helm. The first step is to confirm that the K.V.A. is on patrol under the cover of the public by finding their closed comms signal.
That is where Mitchell and Ilona, who are pretending to be a recently married couple, come in.
Waiter: *smiles* Here you go. Enjoy.
Ilona: *smiles* Thank you.
Gideon: Lean forward, Ilona. Supposed to be on your honeymoon.
Ilona: Keep your eyes on Hades, not me.
Mitchell: *chuckles* I'll try.
Preacher: All possible key men are in the Market, Bravo Team. Time to find the right one.
Ilona: You're up, Mitchell.
Mitchell: (off comms) Okay, uplink is good. Oh, you look tougher than a lot of these men. Scanning. First try. (on comms) Chess Queen, this is Bravo 2. We've passed Key Man, over.
Cristy: Confirmed, Bravo 2. Passed Key Man. I can track all of the embedded K.V.A. Survivors in the AO now. Great work. All teams, mission is a go. I say again, mission is a go. Bravo, you are cleared for Safe House, over.
Gideon: Roger that, Chess Queen.
Joker: Roger, Chess Queen. Charlie's on standby for IRF, over.
Ilona: Roger that. Bravo moving to Safe House, over.
Cristy: All teams, be advised, we've got an incoming vidlink from command, over.
Jonathan: Right Hand Squadron, I don't need to remind you how important this mission is. Hades is responsible for the nuclear terrorist attacks of the past four years. We bring him down, we bring down the whole K.V.A. network. There's no room for error. Get it done.
Now that Cristy has a locked visual on all Survivors in Santorini, it is time for the second step. Which is to take the nearby K.V.A. Safe House and use it as an observation post and launch site for the Sniper WASP Drone.
With three hostiles outside, the Mercenary First Lieutenant and the Mercenary Master Sergeant take two head on while Preacher jumps off a roof and kills the third with his ATLAS Combat Knife upon landing.
Mitchell: Loose follow, then take him out.
Ilona: Good plan. I'll clear out the back.
Gideon: Don't cock this up, ladies.
K.V.A. Survivor 1: This is private property. You need to leave.
Ilona: I'm looking for the market. I guess I got lost.
K.V.A. Survivor 1: It's not here. Go. Now.
Ilona: Can you at least point me in the right direction?
K.V.A. Survivor 1: No. Stay here, I'm calling this in.
Mitchell: *snaps K.V.A. Survivor 2's neck*
[ATLAS Combat Knife hit]
[thud]
Ilona: (quietly) *snaps K.V.A. Survivor 1's neck* Nice work.
Preacher: (quietly) Heading back up. Have fun in there, you two.
Mitchell: (quietly) (off comms) Weapons ready. (on comms) Chess Queen, Bravo has the key card, over.
Cristy: Roger, Bravo 2. Alpha Team, be advised, Bravo Team is on the X, over.
Gideon: Roger that.
[door opens]
Ilona: (quietly) Hold up, painting targets.
[Threat Grenade detonation]
[ATLAS Combat Knife hit]
[ATLAS 45 fire]
Mitchell: (quietly) Heading upstairs.
K.V.A. Survivor 4: The streets will be secure at all times, sir. Your meeting will go uninterrupted.
Mitchell: (quietly) Sleeping guy's yours, Ilona. I gotta wait for them to finish first.
Hades: It had better, or you will answer directly to me.
[ATLAS 45 fire]
K.V.A. Survivor 4: Understood.
Hades: Hades, out.
[ATLAS 45 fire]
Ilona: Clear left.
Preacher: Rooftop's clear.
Mitchell: Bravo 2 to Chess Queen, we've passed Safe House. Putting eyes on the Personal Estate's Conference Center now, over.
Cristy: Roger that, Bravo 2. Alpha Team, you are cleared for Assassin, over.
Gideon: Roger, Alpha is loading up the truck.
Mitchell: Let's kit up, Ilona. I'll assemble our Exo Suits.
Preacher: I'll put the Sniper WASP together.
Once the K.V.A. Safe House is secure, Mitchell and Ilona change into their uniforms and put on their Exo Suits, and the Mercenary Sergeant First Class assembles his best friend's Sniper WASP Drone. Three minutes later, Preacher launches the armed UAV, and the Mercenary Master Sergeant flies it to Hades' Personal Estate's Conference Center.
Preacher: WASP is airborne.
Mitchell: 200 yards to target. Zooming in on the Conference Center. Confirmed, eyes on Hades.
Ilona: *sighs* Wish we could pop him right now.
Gideon: Easy, Bravo 1. We gotta keep his men from leaving with his dead body first.
Cristy: Alpha Team's truck is parked by the gate.
Mitchell: (on comms) Alpha, go dark. WASP will start the party. (off comms) Taking the exterior guards now.
K.V.A. Survivor 5: Hey, you! You cannot park here.
Gideon: This isn't 14th? We have a delivery on 14th.
K.V.A. Survivor 5: This street is off limits. Get moving.
Gideon: Yeah, but we've got a delivery at—
K.V.A. Survivor 5: I don't care. Remove your vehicle from this street, or we will do it for you.
[Sniper WASP Drone fire]
[Bal-27 fire]
Gideon: Boring conversation anyway. Alpha ready to breach.
Mitchell: Shooting two on the balconies.
[Sniper WASP Drone fire]
K.V.A. Survivor 6: Dimitri, is that vehicle gone yet? Dimitri, report.
Mitchell: Alpha, move in.
[HBRa3 fire]
[Bal-27 fire]
[HBRa3 fire]
[doors opening]
Gideon: (quietly) Courtyard, clear.
Mitchell proceeds to maintain overwatch for Gideon, Drelick and Baron and clear the Personal Estate's Pool, Atrium, Outside Staircase and Three-Story Parking Garage. Once Alpha Team is in position outside the Conference Center, the Mercenary Master Sergeant lines up Hades nice and clean and takes the shot.
Mitchell: All interior and exterior areas except the Conference Center are clear. Moving to line up Hades nice and clean. Alpha Team, standby for breach.
Gideon: (quietly) Alpha is standing by.
K.V.A. Accountant 1: Where are the documents?
Hades: I keep it locked up in the Basement. They will be safe there. You will contact them again for further payment. They have two days.
K.V.A. Accountant 2: But that will put us at risk. The Americans will do everything they can to—
Hades: The Americans will do nothing. As long as it is in my possession, they will protect us. They will not let them see the light of day.
K.V.A. Accountant 3: Of course.
Hades: We can now operate with them. They will not lift a finger against us. The K.V.A. will grow stronger, and they will grow weaker. And soon, they will be grounded into dust.
Preacher: The hell is talking—
[Sniper WASP Drone fire]
Mitchell: Hades is down! Alpha, move in and confirm the kill!
[door opens]
[Flash Grenade detonation]
[HBRa3 fire]
[Bal-27 fire]
[HBRa3 fire]
With Hades killed via heart shot, Gideon confirms his identity.
Gideon: Scanning retina. Negative! It's not Hades! Not Hades!
Drelick: Shit, it's rigged! *pushes Gideon away* CLEAR THE ROOM!
Baron: GET OUTTA HERE, SIR!
[C4 Explosive Charge detonation]
Preacher: MAYNARD! ZACH! GIDEON! NOOOO!
Cristy: Alpha Team, come in! Alpha Team, are you still there?!
Gideon: *coughs* Body double was rigged with a remote bomb! Alpha 2 and 3 are down! I say again, Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 are down!
Cristy: Shit! *exhales sharply* Okay, a recovery team is en route. All teams, be advised, I have a stamp on the detonator's frequency. Tracing the source now. Be ready for immediate tasking, over.
Gideon: *enemy gunfire* Roger that!
Preacher: Roger that, Chess Queen! Bravo is holding until your mark, over!
Joker: Charlie is moving to assist Alpha 1, over!
Somehow, the assassination was expected, leading the real Hades to make his meeting a trap with a body double and C4. The first sacrifices made by ATLAS to stop the K.V.A. Leader are First Sergeant Maynard Drelick and First Sergeant Zach Baron as they give their lives to save the Mercenary Major by containing the explosion and shrapnel with their own bodies.
But despite the horrific setup, Cristy puts her grief aside almost instantly and begins tracing the C4's detonator's frequency in hopes that it will lead to the real Hades. While Mitchell helps Gideon escape the Personal Estate as a K.V.A. IRF arrives to kill what the trap did not.
After dealing with the hostile response team in less than 30 seconds, good news and bad news start coming in. The former is the female First Lieutenant successfully locating the actual K.V.A. Leader in the Three-Story Parking Garage, while the latter is the Sniper WASP Drone getting shot down by an enemy Drone Swarm.
Cristy: Chess Queen to all teams, I have the real Hades! He's leaving the Three-Story Parking Garage via armored convoy, over!
Gideon: Roger, Chess Queen! Maintain eyes while I go after him!
Joker: Not without help, you're not, Alpha 1!
Mitchell: (off comms) K.V.A. Drone Swarm. (on comms) Alpha 1, toss an...
[bullets penetrating]
Mitchell: ...EMP Grenade.
[Sniper WASP Drone crashes]
Ilona: What just happened?!
Mitchell: Sniper WASP is out, Lieutenant.
Ilona: Alpha 1, report!
[explosions]
Cristy: All teams on Hades! All teams on Hades! Convoy is southbound, over!
Preacher: We gotta move, Lieutenant! LIEUTENANT! We need to intercept Hades NOW!
Ilona: (off comms) *exhales* You're right. Meet you outside. (on comms) Alpha 1?! Gideon! Gideon, if you can hear me, follow Hades with Charlie Team!
Mitchell: Let's get outta here, Ilona. On me.
[ATLAS 20mm fire]
[bullets ricocheting]
Preacher: Five-man team outside the Safe House!
[HBRa3 fire]
[Bal-27 fire]
Mitchell: Got 'em!
With Hades en route to his designated marina located south of Santorini, Bravo Team cuts through a nearby neighborhood to stop him before he escapes. They save civilians from death by sporadic gunfire, sweep hostile-filled apartments, and clear out ambush spots in shops all the way to a library at the end of the street.
But there is one more serious problem they have to deal with before they can get the K.V.A. Leader.
Preacher: Neighborhood, clear! Rallying on you, guys. I think I saw glints in the Bell Tower.
Mitchell: Alright, Preacher. *opens door*
Ilona: On me.
Cristy: All teams, be advised, Hades' convoy is still southbound and heading for a marina holding his private yacht, over.
Gideon: *enemy gunfire* Southbound, copy! I'm on my way!
Joker: Understo— We have contact at the Bell Tower on—
[MORS fire]
[static]
Cristy: Charlie 1?! Charlie 1, say again your last!
Torres: Man down! Man down! Sniper in the Bell Tower!
Rivers: Hang on, I'm getting my Stinger!
Preacher: I knew it. But that Bell Tower's got some good cover.
[MORS fire]
Preacher: Shit, that's a MORS! Counter sniping him will be damn near impossible. Deploy smoke.
[Smoke Grenade detonation]
Preacher: Only way to find options against him is to get closer... NOW!
[door opens]
Preacher: Jump into that Hotel!
[MORS fire]
The only way for Mitchell, Ilona and Preacher to deal with the K.V.A. sniper is to get closer to his sniper's nest on top of the Bell Tower. So they move out and jump off the Library and land on the second floor of a hotel next door.
Preacher: Stay away from the windows, people! Stay low and run!
[MORS fire]
Mitchell: Get down and stay away from the windows!
Ilona: Everyone, stay away from the windows! More smokes, Preacher?!
Preacher: Negative! With a K.V.A. Drone Swarm still out there, we can't waste our Tacticals!
Ilona: Shit, that's a lot of open ground!
Preacher: We gotta run and suppress fire simultaneously! One runner at a time!
Mitchell: Okay, I say...
[MORS fire]
Mitchell: ...SUPPRESSIVE FIRE!
[HBRa3 fire]
[ATLAS 20mm fire]
Preacher: Ilona, go! Keep that sniper buttoned up, Mitchell!
Mitchell: Preacher, go!
Preacher: Mitchell, go! We can pin him down from here! There's half of the enemy Drone Swarm!
Mitchell: EMP out!
[EMP Grenade detonation]
[Drone Swarm crashes]
[explosions]
After finding more cover via a restaurant and destroying half of the K.V.A.'s Drone Swarm, they find Joker and Torres inside.
Preacher: Joker! Torres!
Ilona: Chess Queen, we have eyes on Joker and Torres! They've been hit, but they're still alive!
Cristy: Roger that, Bravo 1. MEDEVAC is on its way, over.
Joker: Help Torres first. *coughs*
Preacher: Okay. Hang in ther—
Torres: Find Rivers. Top of the Restaurant. Has the Stinger— *pushes Joker and Preacher away*
[MORS fire]
[ATLAS Ameli fire]
Preacher and Mitchell: TORRES!
Ilona: Preacher, get Joker inside!
Preacher: Rivers is on the top of the Restaurant with his Stinger M7! Help him! I'll help Joker!
Command Sergeant Major Dante Torres, who is already down hard, sacrifices himself to save the Mercenary Sergeant First Class and the wounded Mercenary Captain just as he lets Bravo Team know that Rivers is on the rooftop terrace of the Restaurant trying to blow the K.V.A. sniper up with his Stinger M7. While Preacher helps Joker and gets him ready for MEDEVAC, Mitchell and Ilona head upstairs to assist the Mercenary Sergeant Major.
But the other half of the K.V.A. Drone Swarm has other ideas.
[Stinger M7 fire]
[explosions]
Rivers: Mitchell, Ilona, the Drone Swarm's protecting the sniper! Tossing—
[MORS fire]
Ilona: RIVERS! Throwing EMP!
[Bal-27 fire]
[EMP Grenade detonation]
[Drone Swarm crashes]
[explosions]
Ilona: Grab Rivers' Stinger, Mitchell! I'll cover you!
Mitchell: Got it! Firing!
[Stinger M7 fire]
[explosions]
[bell rings]
Mitchell: Got him!
Ilona: Fuck that guy.
Cristy: Alpha 1, Bravo Team, Hades' convoy is four Mikes and closing fast to the Marina, over!
Gideon: *enemy gunfire* Alpha 1 is pinned down but counter-attacking! Bravo Team, stop Hades without me!
Preacher: I'll get Joker and Rivers outta here, Bravo 1, Bravo 2. Finish the mission for us!
Ilona: Roger that, Bravo 1 and 2 are moving to the Marina.
Mitchell: Through that blocked street, let's go!
With Hades approaching fast, Bravo Team splits up with Preacher extracting the Mercenary Captain and the now KIA Sergeant Major Dom Rivers while Mitchell and Ilona stop the K.V.A. Leader in his tracks.
Mitchell: *kicks delivery van aside* The Marina should be on the other side of this block. Through the alley.
Cristy: Bravo Team, Hades is two Mikes out.
Ilona: There! We can set up an ambush from down there.
Mitchell: Planting C4 on the road. Get the civilians outta here, Ilona.
[Bal-27 fire]
Greek Crowd: *screaming*
Mitchell: Detonating!
[C4 Explosive Charge detonation]
[crashes]
[Bal-27 fire]
Mitchell: Bravo 2 to all stations, Hades' convoy is down! I say again, Hades' convoy is down hard! Moving in for the kill, over!
[Grenade Launcher fire]
Gideon: *enemy gunfire* Roger that, Bravo 2! DO NOT let up! Get Hades at any cost!
The hastily prepared trap works, and Hades crashes just mere inches away from the Marina. Then, the Mercenary Master Sergeant and the Mercenary First Lieutenant eliminate his security detail in one minute flat.
Mitchell: Clear!
Ilona: Chess Queen, we are moving on Hades!
Cristy: Roger that, Bravo 1. Be advised, one last K.V.A. squad in an armored pickup truck is fast approaching the Marina, over.
Ilona: Do the honors, Mitchell. I'll cover.
Mitchell: *opens door* He's knocked out. *opens Hades' left eye* Scanning retina. YES! It's the real Hades.
Ilona: Watch out!
Mitchell confirms that he and Ilona have the actual K.V.A. Leader at their mercy just as the last Survivor fireteam arrives to save their commander. But the Mercenary Master Sergeant cartwheels out of the way and takes them out with the Mercenary First Lieutenant.
And that surprise encounter is the opening Hades needs to get back on his feet and boost slam Mitchell and Ilona, with the former taking most of the impact. The K.V.A. Leader then tries to execute the Mercenary First Lieutenant, but she almost immediately gets back up, dashes forward, swats his ATLAS 45 away, and engages in even, lightning fast mixed melee combat.
With Hades pulling out his ATLAS Combat Knife and Ilona evading and parrying almost every strike as she waits for a chance to counter-attack. Her strategy fails, and she ends up getting cut in both of her thighs.
Luckily, Mitchell recovers and saves his partner with a running jump side kick before she gets finished off. After another struggle, the K.V.A. Leader tries a quick stab at the Mercenary Master Sergeant's left eye the second he realizes he is losing.
But Mitchell blocks the strike with his left prosthetic arm, counters with a right hook, pulls the blade out, cuts Hades' left armpit open while dodging a right cross, and impales him in the shoulder. Now, on his knees and in the clutches of the Mercenary Master Sergeant, Hades gives his last words before accepting his fate.
[ATLAS Combat Knife hit]
Hades: *groans* *breathes heavily* Wait! Before you kill me, you must know. 2-0-5-2. My Estate's Basement's code. Left Hand Squadron. Jonathan and Aurora Irons. Go there. See for yourself. *closes eyes*
[ATLAS Combat Knife hit]
The Mercenary Master Sergeant finishes Joseph 'Hades' Chkheidze by piercing his left eye and brain together. Then, he rushes to help Ilona and calls the kill and the new development in at the same time.
Mitchell: Ilona! You okay?
Ilona: I'll live. Thanks for that.
Mitchell: (off comms) *kisses Ilona in the forehead* Of course. (on comms) All stations, this is Bravo 2. We've passed Assassin. I say again, we've passed Assassin. The real Joseph 'Hades' Chkheidze is KIA. Judgment. Judgment.
Gideon: FUCKIN' TEXTBOOK!
Preacher: YES!
Joker: YEAH! *coughs*
Cristy: Judgment confirmed, Bravo 2! Outstanding, Right Hand Squadron! Be advised, friendly recovery teams have completed the extraction of our fallen brothers. Sit tight now. MEDEVAC is closing in fast to pick you up. Copy that, over?
Gideon: Copy, Chess Queen. Rallying with Bravo 3 now, over.
Mitchell: Copy that, Chess Queen. Be advised, Hades told me that he's got something involving Left Hand Squadron, Power Player and Ace Attorney in the Estate's Basement before I killed him. The door code is 2-0-5-2, over.
Cristy: Understood, Bravo 2. Sending Left Hand Squadron to conduct an SSE, over.
11:55:23, while the surviving members of Right Hand Squadron wait for their exfil, Jackson, Cormack and Knox move to take pictures of whatever is inside the Personal Estate's Basement before Left Hand Squadron arrives. Just as they finish listening and watching the whole manhunt unfold.
Jackson: *laughs* Good fucking kill, Mitchell. *exhales* Fifty bucks says the C.I.A. would've killed Right Hand Squadron and let Hades escape if they were here.
Knox: Can't say for sure, to be honest. But if you're right, Kingpin made the right call.
Kane: Everything okay down there, Spycraft Team?
Cormack: *signals Jackson and Knox to stay quiet* *turns comms on* Affirmative, Aphrodite, we're good. Kingpin, did you get all that, over?
Kingpin: Affirmative, Spycraft 1. We now need you to get in the Basement, take photos of whatever is in there, and leave them for Left Hand Squadron. We need to know how they'll handle your findings, over.
Kane: And try not to get caught by ATLAS. Or Kingpin is gonna be in some deep shit with me and my bosses for not approving a joint op with them, over.
Cormack: Understood, Kingpin, Aphrodite. Moving to SSE. We'll let you know what we find. Spycraft 1, out.
Jackson: I hate her and the C.I. fucking A. So much.
Cormack: Who doesn't? Come on, we gotta beat ATLAS Corporation's premier black ops unit to whatever's in there.
--
MISSION COMPLETE
Manhunt
Joseph 'Hades' Chkheidze is dead. His final words are a mystery, as is the contents of his home's cellar he pointed you toward as he died.