undergrounds | The Newcomer Affair

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The Newcomer Affair

i) The security
Redbright Institute, early January

Overall, he had no strong opinion of the woman in charge of the Redbright Institute. He had been sent to observe and carefully decide what he thought of everything. That was what he was to report to UNCLE. So superficial meetings? Weren't important. In a few months, he'd be more certain.

The school was interesting. Russia had their own, but they tended to be more segmented. After his father had been arrested, he'd attended one that could closely be called a military school. Still, it seemed like a proper way to educate young people able the abilities they were born with.

His job in and of itself was uneventful. He basically only had to stand in the hallways and make eye contact with the obvious troublemakers. Everyone else understood not to even try. With his fellow staff, he was just as quiet, but he didn't look at them like he was daring them to attempt making trouble. If anything, at times, he ignored them more often than not.

ii) The scout
Enfield, early January

Part of his real job was to monitor the situation in London as a whole. Which was why he found his way to the borough claimed by Circle Midnight.

On the outside, it looked no different than anything else in London. The supernatural community kept their heads down, and he approved.

Magic wasn't something he could sense, so he could do nothing but walk the streets, casually sipping a cup of coffee. It would take some time to gain access to the varying groups, but it was what he needed to do.

However, it had been easy enough to follow a trail of paperwork. Not that it hadn't been well done, plenty of proxies and the like. But with a computer and time (both of which he had and knew how to properly use), it could be traced.

Which was how he came to the Seven Sisters. A cute little psychic shop that was a front for the Shadow Coven. The outside was entirely unassuming, and he looked at it like a proper sceptic. Which was why it was easy enough to glance to the side, where someone else was.

"Have you ever been here?"

iii) The renter
Ealing, mid January

"I'm sorry, sir," the girl at the counter said. "That card isn't working."

Even though he knew that it was likely Waverly who had figured the budget incorrectly, Illya's first inclination was to blame Solo. To be sure it was the thief who'd somehow 'changed' where his funds were.

"Do you have another form of payment?"

"No," he replied, a bit more sharply than he meant to. "I'm sorry."

Even if he didn't sound like he meant it, he did.

But he stepped out of line and some distance away before he began texting on his phone, swearing under his breath in Russian.

iv) The observant
Westminster, mid January

The Night Council headquarters had a small, somewhat expensive little deli across from them. It was there that Illya sat, enjoying his light lunch. A bit of soup to keep the chill out, and a sandwich to fortify the meal further. For a drink, he had only ice water.

From his seat inside, he could see the building across the way. He watched the people come and go, made mental notes of who he saw talking to whom, and who seemed to be intentionally avoiding people. The game was ancient, but London was a different board, and he had little information about the players. Whatever files UNCLE could provide were useless for really knowing someone.

After all, there had been a lot his files hand't said about Miss Teller and Mister Solo.

All he could do now was watch and learn. His presence at the Institute would help, he thought. Establish him and let him learn about all of these people.

v) The watchful
Croydon, late January

Fae were disinclined to ignore insults. And from what he'd heard of the matters in this borough? The fae were no doubt thoroughly insulted. Which made the small victory gained recently an indication of danger to come. At least to him.

So, he walked the streets after dark with only a few days until the full moon. His nerves were frayed, and his senses were sharpened. Every corner threatened to have something dangerous around it. Of course, he also knew he was probably just as threatening to quite a few people.

But he heard something. A little hint of noise that certainly didn't come from a car or the like.

"Who's there? Show yourself."

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Alex was briefly worried, but covered it up quickly and nodded at his explanation. "So far they're fine," she said, trying to be noncommittal.

The waitress came with their food, and Alex took the brief moment when plates were being set in front of them to decide what to say or ask next. She didn't really want to pry into his past. Not that she wasn't curious, but if he was who he said he was, it wasn't really her business. Once the waitress was gone, she simply said to him, "Thank you. For the food."

Illya thanked the waitress without even thinking about it, defaulting to Russian. He realised it once it was out of his mouth and shook his head at himself. He'd thought he'd get a bit of time to go home. To see Moscow, however briefly. Other soldiers. Just a hint of something familiar.

But that hadn't worked out. Which was simply how life.

"You're welcome. I've found that a meal rarely goes amiss. Even with strangers."

Alex kept her face carefully blank, trying to pretend that she didn't understand any Russian. It was good to hear her native language again, though, even if it was just one word.

"I usually eat alone." She took a bite of the food and swallowed hurriedly before demanding, "You're here looking for dark magic, right? Have you found a lot of it?" She was trying to get a feel for the city, and knowing where the dark magic users were could be useful. Maybe one of them could help her figure out a way to kill Semak.

"Not a lot," he said. There wasn't much he could say on that front, but he also knew better than to attempt to be totally secretive. It was better to pick and choose what to hide. "But I have not been able to properly search Enfield."

It was no great secret, after all, that Circle Midnight had its base of operations there.

She'd heard something about Enfield, but it was good have a confirmation of sorts. That was why she'd started doing taking late-night walks, after all, to make sure she knew where everything and everyone was. She made a mental note to go through Enfield soon, preferably before Illya got there to stamp out all the dark magic. That could be her project for tomorrow night.

"Do you like your job?" she asked carefully, trying to test the waters to see if maybe she could enlist his help. If he didn't turn out to be an enemy, he could potentially be a very useful resource.

Illya chuckled a little at the question. There was even a faint hint of a smile on his features when he replied. Because, well, he wasn't going to lie to her. Honestly, he didn't even know the answer to her question. Not really. It was less of a job and much more simply his life.

"I am good at it."

"That's not the same thing." She returned the faint hint of a smile he gave her with an almost-smile of her own. Alex was good at what she did, but that didn't mean she liked fighting and killing. Those were simply the only things she knew how to do.

The fact that he laughed suggested he wouldn't mind her pushing a little. "Do you really care about all this dark magic stuff? Enforcing whatever they tell you to enforce?"

"I care... about doing my job," Illya admitted. "It may not be the same thing, but it is close enough for me. What I do is to protect people. In Russia and outside of it, so. Yes. I enforce what I am told to enforce."

At least under Oleg he had. How his missions would change with Waverley at the reins, he couldn't be too sure. But he wasn't talking about UNCLE. No one knew about that. No one needed to. Not yet.

That was disappointing. A stickler for doing what he was told probably wouldn't be interested in bending the rules, even if she offered him whatever money she had left. But after two months of no leads, no help, and not knowing what to do or who to turn to, she was getting desperate.

"I need to get into Russia. Quietly, under the radar." That would be the easiest part of her goal, but it was somewhere to start.

Illya's brow arched, and his head cocked to the side. An interesting approach. Very direct. Well, at the very least, she had his attention.

"To what end?"

After all, his loyalty was, so far as she knew, to Russia ultimately. Which meant he couldn't simply agree to assist with such a thing. But... Depending on what she was after... It might be of use or at least interest to UNCLE.

Alex didn't see much point in lying to him, at least not about her basic plan. If she wanted his help, he'd have to have some idea about what he was helping her do.

"One of my enemies has gotten too powerful. He's in Russia, and I have to kill him."

"Who?"

It was a simple question. Because, well, he couldn't do anything without that. He couldn't just get someone into Russia. For all he knew, she might be after Oleg. Which was no longer his concern, but it still mattered to him.

Knowing what he might unleash, if he got involved at all.

And that was the question she wasn't sure she should answer. If he'd heard about the massacre six years ago, he might have heard about the little girl who supposedly died but whose body was never found. He might be smart enough to connect the dots.

On the other hand, it wasn't a totally unreasonable question for what she was asking of him, and he might have useful information about where Semak was living now. Maybe he hadn't heard about what had happened, maybe he wouldn't put the pieces together.

"You have to swear you won't tell anyone." She glanced around, making sure no one was listening to them. "If you tell anyone, I will kill you." She'd certainly try, anyway.

Illya crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward a bit, looking at her carefully. His lips pressed together slightly, and he kept his gaze very easy.

"I make no such promise. If I believe you a danger to those I consider under my protection, I will not suffer the threat."

After all, he was, so far as she knew, still a Russian agent, ultimately. Whatever her designs were, he wouldn't protect them if she complicated his tasks.

She felt a sudden rush of anger at the thought of sitting across from someone who would consider Semak under his protection, but she gritted her teeth and got it under control. "And if he's not? You have to swear."

If he was protecting Semak, she'd want him dead anyway. If he wasn't, then he should have no problem promising her to keep the secret. And he seemed, from what she'd gathered in the short time she'd known him, to be the kind of person who would do his best to keep a promise.

"If it does not concern my job, then I will have no reason to interfere."

But that was impossible to tell who she might have a grudge against. It might be necessary for him to get involved, but, if not, he certainly didn't need to make it his business.

That was good enough. Alex leaned forward and lowered her voice, not wanting to risk being overheard. "Sergei Semak. Alpha of the Zetrov Pack in Moscow."

Just in case, her hand dipped into her jacket pocket, reaching for her knife.

"Sergei Semak. He replaced Udinov."

The actual politics of werewolf packs weren't his business. He didn't really belong to one, after all. But their feuds and territories mattered because they could disrupt the rest of the political standings.

"What do you have against Semak?"

She nodded, keeping her face carefully blank at the mention of her surname.

"He wants me dead, does it matter why? Will you help me, or is Semak under your protection?" Her hand tightened around the knife hilt.

"At the moment, no, and I won't warn him you're coming." If he got hired to protect the man -- extremely unlikely at this point, but odd things had happened, certainly -- he'd do it. But he'd keep that promise.

"I have no interests pertaining to him."

"Good." Her grip on the knife relaxed. After a brief pause, she felt like that wasn't enough, and added, "Thank you." She did appreciate the promise not to warn Semak.

But the more important thing was, "Will you help me get into the country?"

"I doubt I will be of much use. I have no plans to return to Russia any time soon."

Simple but true. After all, he didn't even work for the Russian government any more. Not that he'd tell this girl that. No. That was a specifically Need To Know basis. And no one in London needed to know.

"You must have contacts in Russia," she pressed, not willing to admit defeat just yet. She was getting frustrated, but tried to keep outwardly calm. "Government, criminals, supernatural or not, you have to know someone."

"I do," he agreed. There was no point in denying that. He'd be a poor agent if he even pretended not to. "But I do not know if any of them owe loyalty to Semak. If they do and know you, I have only helped get you killed."

"Let me worry about that." Alex already had plenty of people who wanted her dead - as far as she was concerned, one more wouldn't make much difference. It would be worth the risk if it meant getting one step closer to killing Semak.

"Just give me a name and a way to contact them."

The Newcomer Affair

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