Last Goodbye Chapter Three~ # 9 in the Illya series)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

link to chapter two: http://section7mfu.livejournal.com/73741.html
______________________________________________________

It was finally time for another goodbye as Illya Kuryakin bid farewell to jolly olde England. His leaving did not pull at his heartstrings as had leaving the Soviet Union. It was now time for another type of training to begin, one in he was confident would be a successful, and possibly easy endeavor for him.

"Survival School...this is what they call it?" Illya mumbled to himself, as he looked around the lush plant life on the semi-tropical island. He and the fourteen recruits disembarked from the submarine that had brought them there and made their way up from the pier along a path cut through the foliage and palm trees. It looked more like paradise than a camp, especially when he remembered his survival training back in Russia.



His thoughts went instantly to the forced marches during his GRU training in three feet of snow wearing only underwear and boots. "That was survival" he said to himself. Though he was already finding the temperature a bit uncomfortable on the island as he was not accustomed to heat and humidity.

As they approached the compound Illya stopped himself, feeling a bit uneasy. It was fenced in such a way that it reminded him of a concentration camp...the only things missing were the armed guards in watch towers. The recruits moved through the gate as it was opened for them and quickly lined up in formation and dropped their dufflebags at their feet. One by one a man called out the names of the recruits and each acknowledged themselves.

"Jacobs, Miller, Stone, Anderson, Lerhner, MacKenzie, Spinelli, Jablonski, Kuryakin.” Jules Cutter stopped at Illya's name, momentarily eyeing the Russian up and down, then shaking his head; he proceeded with the rest of the names, “Kennedy, Schmidt, Paulsen, and two female recruits, Jackson and Savio.”

"Welcome to the agent training facility of The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. I am Jules Cutter the head of this school. You are here to learn the skills that will keep your sorry asses from getting killed in the field as operatives for this organization."

Many of you have experience from your previous jobs and I tell you right here and now that doesn't mean squat! So forget any namby-pamby training that you had. Your candy-asses are mine here, and you are nothing but a blank sheet of paper for me and only me to write, on am I clear?"

There was no answer at first and he repeated loudly, "AM I CLEAR?"

Those with a military background took the lead responding,"Sir, Yes Sir!"

Cutter spotted one of the recruits with a little smirk on his face.

"You think that's funny Mister? Cutter snarled as he looked down at the list of names on his clipboard "...Jablonski?"

"No sir," replied the man, now embarrassed for having been singled out.

"I can't hear you...you little puke!"

"NO SIR!" answered Jablonski.

"Well boy...you drop and give me twenty- five right now!

The man instantly lowered himself to the ground and began to perform push ups, counting aloud as he did so.

"I am not here to coddle you and to hold your hands people, so get this through those thick little skulls of yours right now. You are here to learn to survive! If you make it out into the field as agents, there will be no one to pick you up off your butts if you fall down... unless you are good enough to earn yourself a partner with this here organization!"

"You will be quartered in barracks number four...the females in number seven. Now get yourselves settled in and back here in fifteen minutes dressed to run. HOP TO IT!" he barked," Dismissed!"

"Holy crap!" Illya heard one of other recruits mutter," I didn't know we'd be back in boot camp?

Yeah," said another" do you believe that guy?"

lllya picked up his bag, heading for the building and once inside he chose a bunk midway down the line. He unpacked his clothes and toiletries as nothing else was permitted. His weapons, communicator and everything else "UNCLE" that he possessed had been sent on to headquarters in New York and awaited his return from this mysterious island located somewhere in the middle of the Pacific ocean. There was obviously no doubt in Alexander Waverly’s mind that his Russian would pass Survival School.

He quickly changed to his running shorts, a loose fitting t-shirt and sneakers and headed immediately out to the compound, finding he was the first to arrive.

Jules Cutter walked over to him."So Comrade, you're Alexander’s pet project?"

"Excuse me sir?' Illya answered, not letting on that he had heard that term spoken before in reference to him.

"Don't pull that with me you little "Pinko faggot!"

Illya had heard that term before referenced to himself as well.

"I do not understand, sir. Can you please clarify the need to refer to me with such slurs?"

"Shut your mouth Kury-a-kin! You, with your sissy-Mary long hair, will not address me unless asked and you will not question the manner in which I speak to you! Now you drop right now and give me fifty!

Illya sighed, lowering himself and beginning his push ups.

Cutter leaned down to him, whispering, "And just for that sigh, you can add another twenty-five to the count. Now let me hear you, you sorry son of a bitch!"

Illya began calling out his count...seven, eight, nine..."

Most of the other recruits had arrived and lined up around the Russian as he completed his punishment. Illya rose to join them in formation; his t-shirt soaked in perspiration, clinging to his skin, but he was none the worse for wear.

A man in running gear had joined Cutter in front of the recruits and began to speak. I am Professor Franco Manetti otherwise known as "Il dottore"_the doctor and I will be your lead trainer for your stay at this facility. Gentlemen and ladies, we will begin with a five mile run across the island, going forward we will do this every morning a zero-five hundred hours."

"The course will vary each day, and it will be filled with traps and obstacles. It is your job to navigate and complete this course without getting caught. There will be days when you run it in teams. You will learn to cooperate while completing the course. I warn you now, trust is not a thing to be given and must be earned. At times in this course, some of your fellow recruits may or may not be instructed to work in opposition to you. You will learn to be vigilant at all times! NOW, let's go PEOPLE!"

They moved out, following Il dottore along a path leading into the jungle and after a short distance, the man disappeared, leaving the recruits on their own to find their way, tracking through the dense growth, looking for signs telling them the way to go.

The majority of the recruits were "gung ho" and Illya knew that sort of attitude would get them into trouble...so he hung back waiting and observing. One by one he watched them get caught in snares, pits and other assorted traps until he and the German named Lerhner were the only ones left. After completing the run, the two emerged from the jungle and back to the compound unscathed.

Over the next five months Illya and Eric Lehrner developed a sort of rivalry, being the only ones who managed to consistently evade capture during the morning runs. The recruits received not only physical training, dodging bullets in live-fire obstacle courses, weapons and explosives training, but in the art of dead-drops, interrogation and so forth... all things that Illya Kuryakin was very familiar with already, giving him a bit of an advantage over the others.
He never flaunted his abilities and kept to himself, sometimes not by choice as most of the recruits did not like the idea a Russian Communist being among their ranks. Illya found it ironic though that when it came time for teamwork and team competitions, his help was generally sought out.

Cutter threw things at the Russian, constantly increasing the difficulty of his tasks trying to trip him up and each time Illya surprised the man by succeeding again and again, sometimes barely, but he succeeded none the less. It was then that Illya began to hear the name "Napoleon Solo" repeated by Cutter and the other trainers.

Solo had graduated from Survival School two years earlier and his unparalleled performance had now set the standards by which all new recruits were judged. Illya managed to tie and even break some of Solo's records and begrudgingly, Cutter began to see the Russian in a different light.

Illya Kuryakin was smart, hardworking and dedicated. The man took what ever was dealt him with strength and stoicism and had not uttered one word of complaint . And though he seemed to be a loner, Kuryakin still was able the function as a team member when it was required of him. The prejudices of the other recruits were not lost on Jules Cutter, who had been guilty of it himself when it came to the Russian, but now his feelings were changing.

When it came time for he the final oath of allegiance to UNCLE to be sworn in blood by nine of the original fourteen recruits, including the Russian; Jules Cutter knew that he had misjudged Illya Kuryakin. It was only Kuryakin and Lehrner that were graduated as Section II agents...though no one knew Illya had been previously classified that while stationed in London... another of Waverly's well-kept secrets regarding his Russian.

Jules Cutter called the Illya into his office asking him to sit for a moment.

"Listen son, I know I rode you pretty hard, but I have to say you came through with flying colors. I was against Alexander’s idea of bringing a Soviet into the organization, but now after seeing you in action, I realize that you are a man of integrity and honor. I'd like to offer you my hand in a personal welcome to the fold."

"Thank you sir," Illya replied. " I will try not to let you down." He was flattered that a "hard nose" American patriot like Jules Cutter was now willing to accept him, a Russian Communist, on equal terms.
,
As a reward for Kuyakin's successes and attitude; Cutter asked him to stay on for the month after graduation to teach one of their courses in explosives... an area in which Illya displayed a definite knowledge and talent for.

Illya finally left Survival School in the spring, heading to his new life in New York, where he knew he would eventually meet Napoleon Solo. He felt himself bristle slightly at the thought, as his competitive nature surfaced. That meeting he, was sure, would be indeed interesting and wondered if a rivalry would develop between the two of them as it had between himself and Eric Lehrner.

Eric was a pompous, self-absorbed ass that Illya would not miss, and was glad he’d been assigned to the West Berlin office.

Would Napoleon Solo be such a man as well...only time would tell.



FINIS (well we know, not quite...)