The CEA and his Russian partner had been a team for eleven years. Their success rate was the stuff of legends; no one else came close. Alexander Waverly tried hard not to brag about the Solo/Kuryakin team to the other Number Ones, but sometimes, he just couldn't help himself. Today was one of those times.
"Gentlemen, my team saved the Southern Hemisphere from total destruction by typhoons generated by THRUSH weather machines. I'm so very proud of them."
Number One, Section One South America Jorge Garcia replied, "I get that you are proud of your team, Alexander; but their obvious attachment to each other must create a problem for you sometimes."
It was the last night of the Summit Five meeting and traditionally, the Number Ones gathered for a gourmet meal planned by the Number One who had hosted the meeting. This year, the Summit Five had been held in Japan, so the meal was a plethora of Asian delicacies and the men had feasted on Kobe beef, raw and cooked seafood, fine Japanese whiskey, and much, much more.
Waverly sipped more of his tea and sighed. "Your CEAs have been employing what Mr. Solo taught them, have they not?" *
"My CEA," Mr. Garcia said, "does not think much of your method, Alexander. No disrespect meant, but my CEA Rodriguez feels like the bond that develops between the agents is not, how do you say, appropriate? I have, as I'm sure you have, heard the rumors about the nature of the Solo and Kuryakin relationship. Our culture in South America is very macho; such a relationship would not be tolerated."
"You disappoint me, Jorge," Waverly replied. "Listening to gossip. It's quite…distasteful. Here is the truth of the matter: Solo and Kuryakin do love each other. As brothers in arms and as family. When you match people up using their strengths and weaknesses as guides, they will bond. You want them to bond. That bond is the glue that holds the partnership together. The team I allowed Mr. Solo to form, Mark Slate and April Dancer, has also gelled into a very good working relationship. Mr. Solo did an admirable job; not only did he have to look at those agents' skill sets and decide whether or not they matched, he had to take into account that this was the first male – female team. We knew that whatever male agent was selected had to be able to see Miss Dancer as an equal with training to match his own, not someone to dominate or protect or romance." Staring at his South American counterpart, he added, "That is why I insisted Miss Dancer be attached to North America because, as you said, Jorge, the culture is very macho in South America. I don't think Rodriguez would have been very fair to her."
"You're not wrong, Alexander," Jorge replied. "How did you and Solo know Slate and Dancer's relationship wouldn't turn sexual?"
"We didn't. We could only hope. Over time, we saw that, like my CEA and his partner, they love each other as siblings. As time goes on, I'm certain that teams put together in other Headquarters using The Waverly Way will help UNCLE become even more effective and besting THRUSH or any other threat to world peace." He finished his tea. "I'm leaving early in the morning, so I will take my leave. Good night, gentlemen."