Within the dimly lit corridor, a body sprawled across the narrow landings of the hallway. Alfred stood on the step above, while Kira was below him.
Kira holstered her gun, lowering her head to look at Benjamin's body and said, "Mr. Pennyworth, you can attend to your duties now, I'll handle this."
"The duty that I have to deal with is eliminating him." Alfred descended the stairway to stand opposite Kira, thanking her for the information she passed on to him. "Valeria, thank you for the intel."
Kira frowned, looking at Alfred with dissatisfaction, "I already had someone send you a message a month ago, warning you about their conspiracy against Wayne Enterprises, why did you still let him come?"
Kira sighed, "This matter isn't as simple as it seems, on the surface, they are investigating the Philby List, but everyone knows that the list is just outdated information, with no real use other than covering up the CIA's operational errors."
"We all know that the 1980 economic crisis caused boundless complications, the East Coast was heavily affected, but there were also those who benefitted, including the Luther Group and Wayne Enterprises."
"Those tycoons who fell in the face of a new era are constantly trying to reclaim their former power. Wayne Enterprises and Luther Group have too big of a piece of the pie, and that pack of wolves is green-eyed."
"They are really foolish, Alfred. I was nearly driven insane when I heard their plan."
"They actually want to suddenly gather all the celebrities of the East Coast, then take advantage of the chaos to eliminate the heads of Wayne Enterprises and the Luther Group, and push the blame onto Soviet agents..."
Kira held her forehead with her hand; even just repeating the plan left her speechless.
"They actually think that with the testimony of these celebrities, the whole matter would become justified, without considering that this could push them into another economic crisis…"
"Valeria, you should know that in this world, those who are intelligent are in the minority; even people of average intelligence are outnumbered by imbeciles."
"I have been to France, England, Italy, and eventually came to America. But only after I served in the air force and worked up to its mid-ranks, then got selected to enter the CIA, did I discover that the notion of elite politics is simply a scam."
"Elite?" Kira shifted her gaze back to Benjamin's body, her face contorted in disgust. She said:
"Lacking vigilance, presumptuous, unable to anticipate certain possible consequences, and holding a fluke mentality to those adverse outcomes they can predict."
"Able to think of ten thousand flawed plans every day, but after creating a mess, they blame their subordinates for not executing them well and persist in emphasizing the importance of having a team of elites. The ordinary people at the bottom of the ladder are the ones left to pick up the tab..."
"Alright, that's enough complaining, Valeria. Haven't you worked here long enough to understand their character?"
Kira sighed in resignation and shook her head.
She looked at Alfred's face, which had grown older since their last meeting. The reflection of the snowflakes from the outside window illuminated the age spots on his cheeks, making them all too clear.
Kira also saw her own reflection in the glass. She wasn't young anymore, no longer the naive, passionate young girl. Women her age should be married by now, or planning to have children. Yet here she was, still the junior partner of Alfred.
Kira remembered how she met Alfred. The CIA had been manipulated by some people, and the plan to target the Wayne family wasn't just recent. Their investigations into Gotham had already begun years ago. Unfortunately for Kira, she was one of the first agents to step into Gotham.
When she received the order, she thought her undercover identity had been exposed. She didn't dare to believe that the CIA's higher-ups had approved an idiotic plan to target the two most significant organizations on the East Coast.
The CIA hoped this group of agents would uncover certain ethical violations by the group controllers. Kira didn't want anything to do with this foolish plan, but she had to go because of the order.
Before going, she never imagined Gotham to be such a dangerous place; less than two days after entering Gotham, she was brought before Godfather Falcone.
However, she should be thankful because she was able to meet Godfather Falcone alive, all thanks to her skills honed in the Soviet Union. Her companions didn't have such luck.
The conversation with the Godfather was far from pleasant and Kira had already prepared herself to die protecting her secret identity. However, on that day, another old man visited the Godfather. They seemed to be old acquaintances. On that day, that old man revealed her identity as a Soviet agent, and she was sent out of Gotham.
It was only after that communication that Kira learned the old man was Alfred Pennyworth.
At first, when Alfred exposed her identity, Kira thought he was a potential recruit. Being the Wayne family's butler held significant influence, and if she could turn him, it would greatly benefit her homeland.
So, she began to correspond frequently with Alfred. Yet, she didn't exactly know when, the tone of their letters shifted.
Kira found that the old man she was corresponding with had an extensive wealth of espionage experience. He wasn't the layman Kira initially assumed him to be. On the contrary, he was a spy more advanced and seasoned than her.
Kira started asking him questions about different techniques in her letters, and in return, she also shared information about the CIA with Alfred.
Under Alfred's guidance, Kira's disguise became more and more meticulous, and as she started to appear more like a CIA agent, she was promoted within the CIA due to her improved work performance. In just two years, she had become the adjutant of Benjamin, the captain of the special operations team.
That was already a high-ranking position, as the special operations team had very extensive authority. Now that Benjamin was dead, the role would inevitably fall on Kira.
Thinking about the years Alfred had tirelessly taught her the skills of an agent, Kira started to worry. She frowned at Alfred and asked:
"I've told you this before. I've relayed the information to you in advance. Why did you still let little Wayne get involved? It's very dangerous..."
"More dangerous than Gotham?"
"Um…"
Kira was taken aback, but she still retorted:
"You can't compare them like that. It's true that Gotham has a lot of mobs, with gunfights happening every day. There are quite a few crazies running around, traffic is chaotic, and disasters continue to occur. Even the children are full of untamed energy, it's not really a place that you would say has order…"
The more she spoke, the softer Kira's voice got. In the end, she sighed helplessly and said: "Okay, it does seem Gotham is a bit more dangerous."
"Bruce cannot always be sheltered under someone's wings. He must learn to face these conspiracies himself."
When Alfred's aged voice echoed in the corridor's stairwell, Kira heard the sigh in his tone.
His tone made Kira start to miss her hometown. She remembered the last person who spoke to her this way was her father. They stood on the expansive snowy plains of Lake Baikal, discussing her future and the future of their great country.
"Today, certain oligarchs and the Central Intelligence Agency came up with a stupid idea. They used a crude method to trick him into coming here. Even the personnel they had prepared were not professional."
"But what if he had never seen these methods before? How will he face it tomorrow when the truly powerful and intelligent people create a crafty plot and make full preparations?"
"Forgive my frankness, Alfred…" Kira was still somewhat worried, she said: "If it's just Benjamin and his agents exerting themselves for little Wayne, that's one thing. But the object in the basement of the Metropolitan Mayor's Mansion could be very dangerous..."
Kira sighed and began to reveal some unknown information:
"Most people who knew about this subject assumed the former mayors or even earlier individuals were conducting secret radiation experiments underground. Americans love to fantasize about such things, and indeed, their government is fond of doing so."
"But internally, the CIA has more detailed information. My rank isn't high enough to view all the files, but Benjamin once revealed to me that there is indeed a mysterious radioactive mineral underneath. But this mineral doesn't exist to irradiate people."
Kira said worriedly: "From what I know, it might be used to seal something far more dangerous."
"I don't know what it is, but judging from Benjamin's and his superiors' attitudes, it definitely isn't anything good."
"It's an egg." Alfred suddenly said.
Kira's eyes widened at him, then she squinted because from Alfred's face, she only saw calmness. Apparently, he knew what was going on.
"It's an older tale, but you may have heard of it. Do you remember the case that happened in Gotham thirty years ago?"
"Um... At that time, I was not yet assigned to America, but I do seem to remember glancing at the records. The notes were a bit cryptic, I couldn't quite understand..."
"Valeria, I remember telling you in our correspondence that sometimes, an agent doesn't need to understand what the intelligence is about. You just need to bring it back, and naturally there will be professionals who can analyze the truth."
"But now, you no longer have to do that. Because this case happened nearly 30 years ago. Intelligence has a shelf-life, and after so much time has passed, it would be unlikely to draw any attention."
"So what's the deal? I'm kind of confused. Weren't you always in Gotham? How would you know what's in the Metropolitan Mayor's Mansion underground? What does it have to do with the case from 30 years ago?"
"Don't rush, let me explain slowly…"
Alfred's tone returned to the leisurely British accent of his everyday speech. It made people somewhat impatient, but soon, the content of his words drew Kira in.
"Coming to serve as a butler for the Wayne family was not my first time in Gotham. My first time here was approximately 26 years ago, in the spring of 1962."
"The reason I came here was because I was given an important mission..."
Kira saw a glimmer of light gradually brighten in Alfred's eyes, as if recalling his youthful days gave him a sense of pride in the great deeds he once performed.
"In March of 1962, I received an order from Moscow to find a way to contact the heavily-guarded Harold Kim Philby and bring back a list to Moscow that contained the names of all the spies."