Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“The thirty thousand men down there, they’re all heroes. So are you Ghost.” Adler said. Adler pulled a lighter out of his jacket and lit his cigarrete. “Soon... Things will change.” 

“No they won’t Adler.” A voice spoke from behind Ghost. The figure stepped forth, revealing a figure from Adlers past. 

[Bell POV] 

“Bell?” Adler asked. 

“Been a while Adler.” You greeted. “You must be Ghost. A pleasure.” 

“Who are you?” Ghost asked. 

“Bell. An old... ‘Acquaintance’ of Adlers.” You replied. Ghost quickly aimed his gun at you. “Easy. I’m not here to help Adler.” 

“How? How are you alive?” Adler asked. 

“Simple. Park saved me. She found me on that cliff back in Solovetsky, rushed me back to the United Kingdom. It's thanks to her that I’m still here, with a rather handsome scar to match.” You joked, rubbing your fingers along a scar on the left side of your head. 

Adler scowled. “So why are you here?” Ghost asked. 

“To stop this. Adler... what you’re doing isn’t saving anyone, you’re starting a war that will see no end, a war that will only result in billions of innocent lives lost.” You said. 

“Wrong. This war... it’s one that we can manage, it will prevent the utter destruction of the United States. Pretend one country is attacking another to prevent a bigger war from breaking out.” Adler argued. 

It was then that you remembered something Perseus had told you back when you served him. “Holy shit. He was right about you.” 

“Who?” Ghost asked. 

“Perseus. He was right about Adler.” You replied. 

“What the fuck are you talking about? Perseus knew nothing about me.” Adler hissed. 

“He once told me... that should none of those that were on his side carry on his legacy, that you, specifically you, would carry his torch, his ideals. This war... it’s exactly what he had planned to do back at Solovetsky.” You replied. 

Adlers eyes widened. “Don’t fuck with me Bell. I’m nothing like Perseus. I’m doing this for the greater good.” 

“It all makes sense now. Perseus never planned to succeed at Solovetsky. Him going into hiding, Stitch brainwashing you years after his death and now... you doing the same thing Perseus planned to do. He knew. He planned for all of this. That son of a bitch planned to make sure his plans and ideals would carry on long after his death.” You said. 

“No. You’re wrong. I’ve won. I bested Perseus. There is no way he could ever best me.” Adler hissed. 

“Obviously he did. He outsmarted all of us, even when in the grave.” You said. 

Suddenly a loud crash was heard from behind Adler. The nuke that had launched, it crashed to the ground but didn’t explode. 

“What the fuck?” Adler muttered. 

“That would be my handiwork. I was able to find out your plan not too long ago. The nukes you had planned to launch were deactivated. It’s over Adler, you’ve lost.” You said. 

“Hands up Adler, I’m taking you in.” Ghost ordered, aiming his gun at Adler. 

“No. I refuse to let it end like this.” Adler muttered. He backed away... until he fell off the cliff. You and Ghost rushed to cliffs edge. You watched as Adler crashed to ground far below.  

“So that’s how it all ends. He couldn’t accept reality and now... he rots in hell next to Perseus.” You said. 

“How did you deactivate the nuke?” Ghost asked. 

“Let’s just say some old friends owed me a favor. Take care Ghost.” You said, walking off, heading back home. 

Chapter Text

[Bell POV – United Kingdom] 

You opened the door to your home, walking inside and heading to the kitchen. “I need a drink.” You opened the cupboard above the sink and reach up to the top shelf to grab your bottle of whiskey at the back. One you grabbed it, you grabbed a glass and poured yourself some whiskey (Just a small amount.)  

You heard footsteps coming down the stairs as you took a swig of your whiskey. Park entered the kitchen. “Bell, when did you get back?” Park asked. 

“Just a few minutes ago.” You replied, sitting down with the rest of your whiskey. 

“How... how did it go?” Park asked as she sat down next to you. 

“We stopped the nukes.... but Adler... he ended his own life. He couldn’t accept reality and... walked off the cliff.” You replied, pinching the bridge of your nose. 

“It seems that things didn’t go as you had hoped.” Park said. 

“I had hoped to make him see reason, to... get through to him... but... he was too far gone. He tried... to do the same thing my father did and yet... he couldn’t see the similarities.” You replied. 

Park placed a gentle hand on your own. “Bell, he made his choice. His whole life was spent obsessing over one man to the point that it drove him to his end. Adler was always a stubborn man, always obsessing over Perseus, long before we even met. When I suggested MKULTRA, it was because I thought we had no other choice, because Adlers obsession drove him to make me fear the possible outcome if we failed. When my taskforce couldn’t find Perseus, Adler demanded to take over, claiming he would be able to find him. My superiors obviously refused, telling him that Perseus is either gone or he will remain hidden for a long time. They told him that should Perseus ever resurface, we would be ready but Adler couldn’t accept it. After he was brainwashed, after the horrible things he had done, he didn’t even feel a single shred of regret for his actions, only that it was done under the orders of someone else. After the situation with Pantheon, he went right back to doing anything to stop Perseus, even though he knew Perseus was dead. He was so desperate to prove himself better than Perseus that it drove him to madness. You tried everything you could to save him from himself, but he would’t allow it because that would mean that he would have to admit that he lost to Perseus.” Park said. 

You nodded, inhaled then exhaled. “I know. I just wished he wasn’t so bloody stubborn. As much as I hate the guy for what happened to me, he unknowingly gave me a second chance at life. I was hoping he might get the same chance.” 

“Some people won’t accept such chances, no matter what you say or do.” Park said. 

You both sat in comfortable silence until you decided to move on from the current subject. “So... how’s the little one?” You asked. 

“Good. I just put him down for a nap. He’s been very active today, I’m hoping he’ll be walking any day now.” Park replied with a smile. 

“Believe me, that little rascal will be much more trouble once he can walk. Let's just hope it’s not happening just yet.” You chuckled. 

“Oh, Jack and Emily are coming over on the weekend with their children too.” Park added. 

“It would be nice to see the whole family together, especially after what’s happened.” You said. 

“Well I hope you’re ready for being woken up at five in the morning then. You know how the grandchildren are.” Park chuckled. 

“I’m always ready for the little ones to come charging in and jumping on us before the sun rises.” You both laughed. 

You heard crying coming from upstairs. “I got this.” You said, heading out into the hall and up the stairs. You entered your sons room, finding him standing up, holding onto the cot frame. 

“Dear, oh dear. Russell Azoulay Park, what has you crying eh?” You said as you picked your son up and took him downstairs. Within moments, the tears were replaced by a bright smile. As you held your son whilst Park hugged your side, you wondered if perhaps... Adler found peace in the afterlife. 

Chapter Text

[13 years later] 

You and Park were asked if you would be willing to come into school, to answer questions from students about your time during the cold war. It wasn’t something you were excited to talk about but... It was for educational purposes and you did promise your son you would go and you were never one to break your promises. 

You and Park had already gone through the first hour with only one remaining. You son stuck his hand up and asked his question. “You mentioned your time in the cold war being one of a mixture of pain and betrayal. Can you explain what you meant?” 

It was a question you had hoped to avoid, your son knew this. He would ask at home, try to find out things about your time during the cold war, about the people he was named after. You could stay silent, walk out.... but... what good would that do? You had spent years hoping to avoid bringing it up again but.... guess the past doesn’t want to stay buried. 

You picked up your water bottle and took a sip, Park put a hand on your shoulder and leaned in to whisper “You don’t have to answer that.” 

“It’s fine. I was going to have to explain it to him at some point. Besides, Got to give the boy credit for ambushing me here.” You joked. 

“To answer your question Mr. Park... my time in the cold war was more difficult than most. I was not always on the side of the ‘Good guys’ as we call them. The side I was on, I believed we were the good ones, the ones fighting for the people of my home country, Russia. I was a part of a group known as Perseus. It was a group, an ideal and a person.” You began. 

A student asked “How can a group, an ideal and a person be called the same thing?” 

“I still wonder that to this day.” You answered. “During one of my missions, I was betrayed by a man named Arash Kadivar, a man who I had once called a friend. He shot me three times in the chest then ran away. A man by the name of Russell Adler found me, and took me in. I was kept in a facility for interrogation because of the man I worked for. Nothing worked, I didn’t speak, I revealed nothing because I believed the cause I was serving was a just one. Once all attempts to get information had failed, Mrs. Park was brought in to help with my interrogation.” You explained. Park stood up and took the microphone to continue. 

“When I was brought in, I was told that no other form of interrogation had worked, so I began digging into old files belonging to the CIA. During my search, I found several files on a project called MKULTRA, The CIAs own brainwashing program.” Park explained. 

The students gasped, your sons eyes filled with horror. You and Park saw this. 

“I brought it to Adlers attention, who was willing to go through with it. Neuroactive chemicals, Psychological torture and hypnosis. We broke Bells mind down, completely erasing who he once was, replacing it with a new person.” Park continued. 

A student asked. “Is he still brainwashed now?” 

“No. I am not. We will get to that soon though.” You nodded to Park to continue. 

“The procedure was a means of getting the subject to lead us to information, to help us find Perseus and stop him. Eventually, we hit a roadblock. We had no more leads and very little time left so... we had Bell remembered everything about himself. Once Bell was free from MKULTRA, he revealed everything of his own free will.” Park explained. 

“Once we stopped Perseus, I was left for dead. The CIA believed I was too dangerous so they attempted to have me put down, to bury what remained of Perseus. As you can see, it failed. It was only years later that the president of the United States, President Reagan, found out about the use of MKULTRA and was furious. When he found out I was still alive, he issued a pardon for myself. I had also been granted a pardon by the queen of England not long after Mrs. Park here saved my life back in Solovetsky. It was because of her that I am still standing here today.” You said. You patted Park on the shoulder then gave her a small kiss on the cheek. 

“So who shot you?” You son asked. 

You looked him dead in the eye. “Russell Adler.” everyone gasped, your son looking even more horrified. “What he did, he did because he thought he had to. I don’t hold any hatred towards him for any of it anymore. MKULTRA... he was in a very difficult position and he had to be the one to make the hard choice... and live with the consequences. When he shot me, he didn’t do it because he wanted to, he did it because he believed he had to. Perseus was a very dangerous man, who would’ve destroyed any country in the world to achieve his goals and I was what remained of his group. I did hate Adler for a long time.... but holding onto that anger did me no good, it only restrained me to the past. After I recovered, I moved to England with Mrs. Park, where I lived a rather normal life whilst Mrs. Park continued to serve MI6 for man years. I don’t condone what happened to me, but I don’t entirely blame the people behind those actions. The cold war was a difficult time for us all and there were some who had to make the most difficult of choices. And to be honest, MKULTRA gave me a second chance.” You explained. 

“What second chance?” You son asked. 

“A second chance to do what’s right, to be the person I want to be, not what someone else dictated I should be. It was because of MKULTRA that I was able to see through the delusions of Perseus’ ideals and make my own choice to stand against and stop him.” You finished. 

“So... would you say Russell Adler is a hero?” A student asked. 

“I wouldn’t say he’s a hero, but I wouldn’t say he’s a villain either. He was the man people turned to when the going got tough, when the world needed someone to stand up and make the tough choices. Everything he did, he did to protect the world, even if it meant doing things others deemed monstrous. He was a man who did what he believed had to be done. No more, no less.” You explained. 

“And what about Mrs. Park? She suggested MKULTRA, help conduct it, yet you married her, settled down and had kids with her.” You son asked. 

“That’s true, she did suggest it, she did help conduct it but she also hated it, she regretted even looking at the first file. It was because of her that I am the free man you see before you, the man who now lives his life as he sees fit. The way I see it, she was forgiven the day she saved my life back in Solovetsky.” you said, wrapping an arm around Parks waist. 

Your son smiled, a tear falling down his cheek. He would no doubt have more questions later down the line and you would do your best to answer them. 

Once all the students were gone, your son walked up to you. 

“Mum... Dad... I’m sorry for asking those questions.” Your son spoke. 

“Don’t be. I should’ve been more honest with you. I tried to keep my past a secret because I was too afraid to confront it again. From now on, I’ll be more honest to you.” You said. 

“So will I.” Park added. 

You all left the school, holding each other in your arms.