The Agent Crown Dilemma part 1

The agent climbed to the top of the train winding its way through the Swiss Alps. He knew the next set of cars would potentially be filled with operatives and going over them to reach his target at the front of the train was his best option. Once he got to the roof, he saw that one of operatives was ready for him and armed with a knife. “Wouldn’t want this to be too easy,” the agent said to himself and braced for battle. The operative lunged forward, making quick stabs. The agent side-stepped the blade each time, making sure not to lose his footing while the train zipped along a mountainside with a sheer rock wall on one side and a long drop on the other. Finally, the agent caught the operative’s knife hand after an attempted slice across the belly. Over his shoulder, the agent could see another operative climbing the ladder to the top of the train.

With the agent still holding on to his assailant, he managed to reach into his blazer and produce a gun. He aimed under his arm and fired. The operative behind him fell off the train, his dead body flailing down the cliff as the train continued on its way. The operative pulled away and they squared off once more.

Ahead, the agent noticed the train entering a tunnel and it was apparent they wouldn’t make it from a standing position. He dropped, flattening his body against the roof; the operative with the knife did the same. They flew into the tunnel, going several miles per hour. The concrete ceiling was just tall enough that the two men could remain in a prone position, but any movement beyond that was a risk.

The operative held his knife flat against the train and attempted to slide it into the agent’s neck, but the agent swung the butt of his pistol to block the attack. He knew that shooting his enemy at this range would send a dead body rolling into him and that could potentially knock him off the train-top, so he had to be practical – the agent fired a bullet at the tunnel wall as it flew by and the ricochet sent the bullet past the operative’s head, giving him pause. As the train left the tunnel, the two men rose back on their feet.

The train went along a bridge with metal beams and a deep chasm on either side. The operative threw himself forward; they collided and bounced along the roof of the train before they both slid off on either side. The agent held on to the edge of the train, his feet dangling precariously. As the train continued along the bridge, he saw a piece of equipment flying toward him. He pressed himself against the train once more to avoid getting hit and once the train cleared it, he climbed back to the roof and noticed the operative was likewise getting back on top. Thinking fast, the agent discharged his mag into the air. Due to the velocity of the train, the mag looped around and found its way into the operative’s face. The operative almost lost his footing, so the agent thought fast and laid down on the train roof. He slid along and his foot landed hard against the operative’s stomach and sent him over the side. For a moment, he seemed to hang in midair before landing against one of the many steel beams on the bridge.

Moments later, the agent entered the train car through an open window, produced the extra mag from his back pocket, and reloaded his gun. It was then that he noticed one of the train officials standing in his path, giving him a curious stare. “Not to worry…,” the agent told him while producing a piece of paper, “… I have a ticket.”

Daniel Gibson was the latest person to call himself Agent Crown. A holdover from the Cold War, the initial concept of the Agent Crown code name was created partially for propaganda purposes. MI6 cultivated a “rumor” of a super spy to lower Soviet morale and inspire the British public. This agent was meant to be the definition of masculinity: strong, courageous, smart, fashionable, and a seducer of women. That’s not to say the agent didn’t exist. There were actual MI6 agents going on highly dangerous missions with little more than high-tech gadgets and their own skills and the exploits of these men formed the basis of the Agent Crown “character”. To keep up the illusion, each man followed a loose script. It wasn’t enough that these men always ordered the same drinks or drove the same expensive cars. They needed to be witty, seductive, and memorable. The idea was that these herculean missions were all completed by one man named Crown. Certainly, only the most elite agents became Agent Crowns; combining all their exploits as the adventures of one agent created a boogieman for the Soviets and a legend for the West.

The first agent to be dubbed Agent Crown was a half-Scottish, half-Irish agent named Conner Wilson. He was active between 1962 and 1971. When MI6 needed a secondary Agent Crown, they chose an Australian man named Roger Langworthy who had a brief but significant stint in the late 60s before retiring early. Then there was Timothy Moore who was active until the early 80s. The last two Agent Crowns active in the 20th century were Craig Ellis and, of course, Sean Pierce in the 80s and 90s.

Sean Pierce saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and was the first Agent Crown to be declassified. The theory that Crown’s accomplishments were actually the acts of multiple agents had been around for decades. After all, there was simply no way a human-level agent could have been on active duty for nearly 40 years (to say nothing of Agent Crown reportedly operating in multiple places at once). It didn’t help that Soviet agents such as Red Steel personally fought many of them and knew it wasn’t the same person. The British government decided to declassify Agent Crown and with Pierce being the only active agent at the time, he became something of a national hero. After retiring, he would go on to become the director of the IMD but the Agent Crown mantle didn’t disappear.

Daniel Gibson was the next in line to be given the famous codename, years after Pierce retired. In the aftermath of the War on Terror, the British government sought to reignite the public’s favor. He was a strong, skilled MI6 agent that brought down multiple terror cells around the globe which made him a suitable successor.

His latest mission dealt with stolen data on former MI6 agents. As the information was outdated, it was still contained on a hard disc that was taken from a MI6 vault. This particular group was willing to sell classified information to clientele looking for revenge against old enemies and it was his duty to stop it.

Once he dispatched the operative on top of the train, he found his way through the car to the private cabin at the end. Once he slipped on a pair of special sunglasses, he could see the heat signature of a single individual. The man held a briefcase on his lap and the agent knew what was inside. He placed a device on the locked door, but he stopped when he saw movement in his peripheral: someone was coming down the aisle. Before he could fully react, a silenced pistol fired twice. The MI6 agent fell to the train floor with two holes in his head.

Weeks later, at Brookwood Military Cemetery, a large gathering watched a casket get lowered into the ground. Among the attendees was Sean Pierce and his Badges. Since Agent Bronson was British and Agent Jones was Australian, there was more of an obligation for them to attend the funeral of an Agent Crown. Less so for the others, particularly Dafne Mansoor, who was no longer in the IMD (at least not officially).

“Thank you for coming, Mansoor,” Pierce told her.

“I’ve heard Daniel Gibson was one of the best,” she answered.

“They always are,” Pierce answered back, then he began to whisper, making it impossible for anyone to hear that didn’t have enhanced senses, “Any news to share concerning our friends in the Commission?”

“They’re involved in their individual solo missions, at the moment,” she answered in a troubled tone, “No organized activity to report.”

“As always, keep me posted,” he answered back.

Mansoor was beginning to have second thoughts about spying on her teammates in the Commission. She had grown closer to them as they proved to be capable of stopping world-ending threats. The innocence of Astra Machina was particularly troublesome as it made Mansoor feel guiltier. Mansoor hadn’t always seen eye-to-eye with Pierce, such as with the formation of the Elite Squad, but she followed orders. “I’ll let you know when next we meet,” was all she said to him.

During the funeral, Pierce spotted some familiar faces: Timothy Moore and Craig Ellis were in attendance, which made sense as they were both Agent Crowns at one point or another. Conner Wilson wasn’t present, which made sense as well, since he was now in his 90s. With the circumstances surrounding Langworthy’s early retirement, it was unlikely he was in the crowd anywhere (not that Pierce had ever met him or would be able to recognize him immediately). There was something sad about there only being three Agent Crowns at a funeral for one of their own; made all the more bitter by it being a funeral for their youngest member. The other figure he recognized was Chief of Secret Intelligence Service, Judi Lee, a hard-nosed older woman who was once a highly-decorated field agent that once told Pierce “I could’ve been Agent Crown too, if I had been born with the proper equipment between my legs”. After the funeral was over, Pierce approached her first as he was curious about Gibson’s death.

“Gibson was somehow the first one of us to die despite being the youngest,” he told Lee, “And the only one to die on a mission.”

“An unfortunate pair of records to break,” Lee responded.

“Any leads, Judi? I’m not in service any longer, but I’d like to know the details when one of ours gets killed.”

She leaned in and spoke quietly, “There’s a group willing to sell information on former operatives to the highest bidders.”

“Former operatives you say?”

“Yes, and as these are mostly retirees being targeted, the potential buyers are equally old: IRA, Russians who never got over that damn wall, agents of WRATH… the usual sort.”

“Where are the sellers now? It’s not within my jurisdiction, but I could be of some use, I’m sure.”

“Sean Pierce,” she shook her head and smiled, “Always a stickler for the rules… but not when it’s personal. Typical Agent Crown behavior.”

“Old habits.”

“I appreciate the offer to help, but fortunately, Gibson supplied enough intel that we’ve located the group to a cheap apartment in Maribor. I can have a team at their doorstep within the week, provided the Slovenian government gives me clearance to move in time.”

“And you’re sure you don’t need anything? There must be a reason why you’re telling me this much.”

“As I said, former agents could be targeted if this information gets out,” she began to take her leave while flanked by her bodyguards, “I thought it was best to give you fair warning as I’m sure the director of the IMD has a whole host of enemies.” She motioned past Pierce’s shoulder as she walked away, “Be sure to tell those other two relics as well, would you?”

When Pierce turned, he saw Ellis and Moore approaching. Timothy Moore was the oldest of the three. Of all the Agent Crowns, he was known as the most jovial and somehow managed to find himself in more off-kilter missions. Ellis was between Pierce and Moore in age and was much more serious and brooding. He was instrumental in fighting drug cartels in the 80s.

“Pierce,” Moore shook his hand solemnly.

“Moore. Ellis,” he shook their hands, “Rather unfortunate that a reunion between us involves a funeral.”

“Indeed,” Ellis responded, “I see you and Madame Lee are getting reacquainted.”

“I wanted to know who or what was behind Gibson’s murder. Seems some information was leaked regarding former agents. This might just be the beginning.”

“If that’s the case, it’s best to be on our toes,” Moore said and then leaned in jokingky, “You lads still have all your toes, don’t you?”

Ellis brushed off the joke, “Should we speak to the others? Give them a heads-up?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Pierce responded.

Moore nodded, “Conner Wilson has been on bed rest for some time. I’m not sure what sort of protection he has.”

“I suppose I’ll be the one to address the elephant,” Pierce said with a sigh as he placed his hands in his pockets, “Has anyone heard from Roger Langworthy?”

“Never met the man, personally,” Ellis said sharply.

“I have,” Moore explained, “And I’m not at all surprised he hasn’t shown up today.”

“But it might be best to reach out just in case,” Pierce explained, “I’m sure he’d appreciate the warning.”

“I’m not so certain he would…,” Ellis told him, “… Not from one of us.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Pierce sighed, “All the same, I’ll see if I can find a way to contact Langworthy and take whatever tongue-lashing he dishes out. Additionally, I’ll only be in Manchester for a few more week since our building in Lyon has been restored. Let’s have a pint soon, shall we?”

“Only if you’re buying,” Moore told him cheekily.

That night, Pierce sat at his office in Manchester. Since the headquarters in Lyon were fully repaired, he had been packing up his belongings to get ready for the move. While he was pouring over some last-minute paperwork, he decided to take a break and look into the whereabouts of Langworthy.

Even though Langworthy was the second man to don the Agent Crown mantle, his tenure was marred in controversy. Like other Crowns, he went up against the WRATH organization and nearly brought it down single-handily, but after his final mission, he and his wife were targeted. After he took matters in his own hands, his license was revoked and he was sent to trial. Despite this, Pierce considered him a peer.

Pierce looked him up to see if there was a way to contact him. What he found instead was an obituary. He apparently died in a car accident near his home in Perth almost a month earlier. It didn’t seem like foul-play to Pierce but it was still curious that he was actually the first Crown to pass away and did so fairly recently. Obviously, he was something of a black sheep, but it was odd that there was very little chatter concerning his death. Did someone make sure to bury the story?

Two Crowns were dead. Was there a connection? Judi Lee certainly felt old agents were potentially at risk. Pierce didn’t rule anything out and if his theory was correct, there was only one question at the moment:

Who was next?

Continued…