The Man From U.N.C.L.E. When in Rome

Chapter 1 - Check In

Solo checked his reflection one last time. He was alone in his suite while Illya and Gabby... well, did Illya and Gabby things. He was never sure with those two. Sometimes they ran hot and cold. Either way, they had one night to become acquainted with Rome and then it was business as usual. And by business, he meant another dangerous expedition that was bound to get them into trouble. Solo thumbed through the file Waverly had given them before they left Germany. The trio had only been a team for six short months and out of all the missions, this was his holy grail. The moment he read the report, Solo was overcome with a sense of excitement that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

He stared down at the photo of Natalia Pavlovsky. It was the first image of the elusive thief that had been captured of her in a decade. They had both worked during the same time, but he had never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance. It appeared that he would now. It was a pity that it was under these circumstances. Solo was sure that in another life, such a meeting would have been very interesting. Before his capture and stint with the CIA, He'd known her only as "The Cat." No one knew whether The Cat was male or female. They only knew that she was best. Well, second best. But in all her years in the profession, Solo never imagined that she was a thief for hire. Most cat burglar's preferred to work under their own terms.

According to the file Waverly had given them, she was working for the Cuban government. Over the course of the last twelve months, their intel placed her in the island country several times. There was also a trail of missing Jewels in her wake. Solo suspected that some of the "jobs" were red herrings used to throw everyone off her scent. She was after something more valuable than pieces of clunky jewelry for a Cuban dictator.

Solo casually made his way over to the wet bar in his room to pour a drink when his hotel phone rang. He waited a beat before answering.

"Solo," Waverly's crisp British voice came through the airways.

"Waverly. I've barely been in Rome five minutes and you're already checking on me."

"Well, I had to be sure that you're staying focused on the task at hand."

A smirk twitched at the corner of Solo's lips. Of course, Waverly would be a nervous wreck. There was always a possibility that he would jump ship at any moment. And if there was ever a mission to tempt him, this was it.

"I assure you that I am focused. Relax, Waverly. If I were going to slip away, I'd have done it years ago."

There was a pause on the other side of the line. "Well, none the less, I wanted to make sure that you understood the objective."

Bored. "Get the girl. Stop a nasty explosion from destroying the world. Got it."

"Your oversimplified summation of the mission doesn't give me much confidence, Solo."

"My oversimplified summation is exactly straight to the point. Like I've said since you gave us this job, assign it to another team if you don't think I can handle it."

Another long pause. Solo waited for Waverly to say something. There was no other team as good as his. Grant it Illya was a deranged psychopath and Gabby was a little too green, but their mix made a perfect cocktail. That's why Waverly had given them this mission even though he worried about Solo's ability to stay honest. It was tempting. Very tempting.

"I do think you can handle it," Waverly said, finally. "As a team. So, don't go off getting any ideas, Solo. I'm watching you."

Solo glanced around his hotel suite. Of course, he was. He was always watching them. "Then I'll have to remember to give you an interesting show."

He heard his boss make a tiny indignant sound before the phone went dead. Solo chuckled to himself. In all honesty, Waverly had nothing to worry about. Napoleon would never admit it to anyone, but he rather enjoyed his work. How many people got to say they were a "secret agent."He wagered not too many. While the call of his previous profession was tempting, he wouldn't go back to it any time soon.

++++

"How was your evening in Rome?" Solo asked his teammates the next morning over breakfast. They had gathered on his balcony for room service and an ocean view.

Gabby shifted in her seat and shot a quick glance at Illya. "Uneventful," she answered around a sip of her mimosa.

Solo studied the duo across from him with a raised brow. There was always something up with those two. He wondered if the tension between them would lighten if they would just hop in the sack and get it over with.

"It was a bit damp out," Illya said in his thick Russian accent.

"Hmmm yes, it can get quite wet...here." Solo took a sip of his coffee to hide the smirk that threatened to give him away.

"So, now that we've had a chance to review the file, do any of you know how we're going to approach this. I want to at least pretend like we actually know what we're doing this time," Gabby said.

"She is Russian. I think I should take the lead. I know how to handle Russian women," Illya said.

"Slow down, Peril. You may know your way around the red curtain, but I'm fluent in complicated acquisitions. I've known this woman for years."

Gabby lifted a skeptical brow. "You know her? This Cat?"

"The Cat... and it's more like I know of her."

Illya made a scoffing noise. "Which means you don't know her."

"In my former line of business, we were familiar. I might have missed her a few times. But I'm sure she's heard of me."

"Then it might be best for Illya to take the lead then. We don't want our cover blown."

"That won't be a problem."

Illya shook his head. "Typical American machismo. Tell me, Cowboy, if she knows you, how do you suppose you'll keep the secret in secret identity?"

"Well, maybe I won't have a secret identity. Perhaps, I've come out of a very long retirement."

Gabby leaned closer. "That could work. Two thieves after the same prize."

"Or it could go horribly wrong and we all die." Illya flashed a sarcastic smile at his table mates.

"Your optimism is refreshing," Solo said."If I approach her as one thief to another, she may be willing to work with me. We find what she's after before her and we save the world...again." He brushed non-existent crumbs from his hands and grinned.

"Alright, then who am I?"

Solo looked Gabby over. "You'll be my mark for the night. So, be sure to wear something big and gaudy. Peril, you already know what your role is."

Illya snuck a glance over at Gabby. Whenever they were on a mission, they were always thrown together. "Well, fiance, I suppose we must get engaged again."

Gabby pulled in a breath. "Maybe one day you two will be engaged while I take the lead."

Solo's brow furrowed, and he scrunched up his nose as he looked at his partner in bewilderment. Illya's face darkened at the idea. "In Russia we-"

"I'll take the lead," Solo cut Illya off before he said anything psychotic. "You and Illya will play Mr. and Mrs. Polov, ghastly rich Russian newlyweds here on your honeymoon. And let me handle the heavy lifting. No pun intended."