Chapter Text
The ballroom was a grandiose affair, a vast space with parquet flooring and crystal chandeliers. There were large paintings on the walls, a mixture of war scenes and religious imagery. Every inch of this room was packed with expensive decorations – plinths with plants and busts on them, tables with colourful blooming centrepieces, and golden detailing along the walls. Clearly, the retrofitting that had made the front of this building look so bizarre had not infected the rear of the hotel, as this room was untouched by the modern era, aged and classy.
It was packed wall-to-wall with people, throngs of party-goers in suits and ballgowns filling the room. They were gathered by the bar getting drinks, sat at the tables around the sides of the room, and twirling and spinning on the dance floor in the centre. There was a string quartet in one corner, elevated on a platform, playing lilting classical music. It sparked a strange feeling inside you, being around so many people with their faces disguised, knowing that you too had your face hidden. The anonymity was freeing. Maybe that’s what Ghost and König liked about it.
“Stick to the plan.” Ghost muttered to you all, lifting his drink as if he was making a toast. “Remember, we have to talk to ‘em, but we’re still a company. No one stray too far for too long.”
Soap went to drink first, polishing off the last of his champagne.
“Understood.” He said, placing the empty glass down on a nearby table. “I’ll see you shortly.”
With that, he was off. This was Ghost’s plan – for all of you to part and rejoin periodically, trying to find the right balance between information gathering and not looking too eager to pry. Setting off alarm bells here would be a death sentence. You were in the belly of the beast, deep in enemy territory. Milena probably had Konni troops on call, ready at a moment’s notice.
König was the next to act, stepping away from the table, his eyes cast across the room. He seemed to suck in a deep breath before speaking, as if he had to gather himself first.
“I think I just spotted one of the special guests.” He said, giving the two of you a nod. “I will go and attempt conversation.”
This wasn’t his specialty, you supposed. Complex social situations weren’t exactly his forte, nor an area of confidence for him. You could see it as he walked away, the way his shoulders were slightly slumped, how rigidly he was holding his glass. Unlike Soap, he could not disappear seamlessly into the crowd. His height certainly didn’t help, but the horns atop his head made his presence even more obvious as he began walking over to the bar.
Well. No time like the present. You gave Ghost one last nod, before slipping away into the crowd yourself.
-
You’d managed to situate yourself in a group of tech bros, who were currently spitting jargon at each other about whether or not Python was the best programming language to code an AI. You had limited knowledge on the subject, but the dossier you’d been issued had given you just enough information to join in. This was your supposed role in the fake company – lead designer.
“That’s only if you’re trying to encompass image generation.” One of them was saying, a scrawny man in a Venetian style half-mask. “Otherwise, the point is moot.”
“Well, you want to leave your options open.” Someone else replied. This one was a tall man in a Guy Fawkes mask, just like Soap’s. “If you restrict yourself now, then you’ll have trouble later.”
It was probably time to move on. No one had said anything of note yet, and there was a group just a few feet away with one of Milena’s direct reports in it.
That was when your earpiece crackled to life, and a voice came through the radio.
“No luck.” Soap grumbled, voice as clear in your ear as if he was tending right next to you. It almost made you jump. “Three conversations, no room number.”
Then, Ghost’s voice came through. “Me either. Tried to approach the target, but she went into a back room.”
“You gotta get in there.” Soap replied. “I’ve got an idea, but I’ll have to leave the ballroom. Ghost – meet me at the back door with a ciggie?”
God. It was impossible to focus on the conversation you were pretending to be a part of when another was happening in your head. Any more of this, and you’d have to excuse yourself to the bathroom until they shut up.
“Rog’.” Ghost said. “See you in a sec.”
All fell quiet in your ears again. Good. The less distractions, the better. The conversation had moved on, the guests around you now discussing crypto currencies. The man in the Venetian half-mask was clearly way too invested in doge coin.
Just as you were about to interject, a sight caught your eye. A pair of antlers bobbing above the crowd, getting closer and closer.
Your role in this conversation was definitely over.
“You’ll have to excuse me, gentlemen.” You smiled, before stepping away from their little circle. A couple of them raised their glasses as you left, but Venetian Half-Mask was far too busy ranting for anyone to say something.
As soon as you stepped around them, there he was. Glass in hand, striding towards you.
“Hey.” You whispered, moving to a spot that was out of earshot of your new nerdy friends. “What’s up?”
“I thought that seeing as we are alone in here now, we might stick together.” König shrugged, eyes looking over your head and around the room. “We are due for one of Ghost’s ‘regroupings’ anyway.”
You bit your lip, considering the prospect. “He did use the word ‘regroup’ way too much earlier.”
That’s when, as if in cue, your radio suddenly came on. Ghost’s voice played in your ear, a little hushed. “Come in, you two.”
König reacted first, putting a hand to his ear, pretending he was adjusting his mask. “Affirmative. We are together.”
So much for being alone with König. Whatever Ghost and Soap were doing clearly hadn’t taken that long. König placed a hand on your back, gently guiding you into motion. It was as if he knew as well as you did – Ghost was going to use that bloody word again.
“Good.” Ghost said. “Meet me at the bar. Let’s regroup.”
You stifled a chuckle. König shot you a look, a silent glance of amused acknowledgment. He obliged your commanding officer immediately, leading the two of you swiftly over to the bar. Thankfully, it wasn’t that far away from where you had been stood. You got there in no time, finding a stool to perch yourself on.
It took less than a minute for Ghost to arrive, the sight of his shiny metal mask easy to pick out amongst the crowd. When he spotted the two of you, he came right over.
“Alright. Johnny’s sorting the room.” Ghost said, nonchalant as anything. Whatever their plan was, he clearly wasn’t going to elaborate at a crowded public bar. There likely wasn’t a private spot in this whole ballroom. You would just have to trust them, to deal with that lack of information. Ghost continued, too focused on the task at hand. “Now we just have to deal with our little pest problem.”
The bug. He couldn’t say it here, but that’s what he was talking about. It was part of the covert equipment package you’d been given by the armoury, back on base. Everyone had been given one and ordered to hide it on their person. You delved your hand inside your bag, just to check. Thankfully, the bug was exactly where you left it, in the inside pocket. If Soap was dealing with Milena’s room, then all there was left to do was plant the bug on her.
“I haven’t seen our friend all evening.” You replied, shaking your head. Since everyone was wearing masks, locating her in here was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. “I don’t think any of us have.”
Suddenly, König stiffened up. He tapped you on the shoulder. “You may want to speak for yourself.”
“What?” You turned, following his gaze. At first, you didn’t see anything, just another crowd of masked strangers. It wasn’t until he placed a hand on your head, guiding you to look further to the right, that you spotted her. A woman with short brown hair, wearing a large fluffy coat and a sleek white mask that covered her eyes.
Milena Romanova.
She was further towards the centre of the room than you’d anticipated, standing just off the edge of the dance floor. There was a small crowd gathering with her, watching one particular group of dancers that seemed to be doing a coordinated sort of group dance. König lit up next to you, clapping his hands together.
“Perfect!” He beamed. “It is a Gruppentanz. We must join in.”
Ghost folded his arms. “A what?”
“A Gruppentanz. That is the German word for it, anyway. It is a dance of four pairs that involves swapping partners when the music changes.”
Okay. So not just a ballroom dance in front of everyone, but a fancy one with moves you didn’t know. And König was expecting Ghost, of all people, to dance? It felt preposterous.
“No chance.” Ghost sunk into a stool. Not one part of you was surprised. “I don’t dance.”
“It is the perfect opportunity.” König urged him, his voice hushed. “We will get up close and personal.”
He wasn’t wrong. You couldn’t think of a better excuse to be that close with a target, to be able to slip a bug under the collar or into a pocket. It wasn’t a job that could be done from afar, and any other way of getting close would probably involve direct conversation, which was risky. None of you spoke a word of Russian, so you’d stick out like a sore thumb if you tried.
There was only one problem, however.
You shrugged. “I think it’s a good idea, but I don’t know how to dance like that.”
“I do. I can teach you whilst we wait for the next dance to start.” König got off his stool first, before offering you a hand. “It is easier than it looks.”
You took it, and König helped you get to your feet. Ghost’s eyes followed the two of you closely, though he didn’t make any effort to move. His posture was firmly settled in place, relaxed on his stool, leaning an elbow on the bar. König hooked his arm in yours, gently tugging as if to get you moving.
But you didn’t budge. It just didn’t feel right to split up. Ghost himself had said it earlier. This was a big room, full of enemies. The safest place was together. You fixed him with a pointed stare.
“Not coming?”
Ghost folded his arms. “Like I said. I don’t dance.”
“We are at a ball. That is what a ball is for.” König was tapping his foot impatiently, arm still linked with yours. After a second, he smiled. “Well. We will go and dance, and you can watch us.”
That seemed to spur something within Ghost. He glanced between the two of you for a moment, eyes lingering on your linked arms, before finally, he got to his feet.
“Alright. Fuck.” He groaned, shaking his head in contempt. “Show us the fucking dance.”
König began talking you through the moves as the three of you walked over to the dance floor, joining the small group of people waiting to join the next quadrille. The air was heavier here. The centre of the room was a lot hotter than the outskirts, moisture and sweat making it feel almost muggy. It certainly didn’t help your nerves. At first, you were extremely daunted by König’s long list of instructions, but watching the actual dancers helped it make a little more sense. It was really just one set of moves, repeated over and over again. You kept a close eye on them, practicing the moves as subtly as you could whilst the melody slowly drew to a close.
After the dancers lined up and did their final bow to each other, they cleared the floor. Your group took their place, lining up in four pairs. König was facing you, to be your first partner. Next to you, Ghost had ended up paired with an older woman, wearing a pink feathered mask. Her greying hair was all trussed up in an updo, the pearls around her neck shining white. She gave him a small smile. To your surprise, he gave her one back.
Milena was at the end of the row, far away from you. Her partner was wearing a shiny blue mask that covered most of his face. If it was someone important from the files, you wouldn’t have a hope of recognising him. Although, you supposed, the swapping of partners meant that you would end up dancing with him eventually, so it was a thought best revisited later.
The music was starting up again. All of your thoughts were concentrated on the moves, trying desperately to remember what König had told you. There were so many eyes all around, so many people to notice if you put a foot wrong and made a fool of yourself. You stepped forwards, and it began. His hand slipped around you, coming to rest on the small of your back, as his other hand grasped yours. You took a hold of his shoulder for stability, though it was a little bit of a reach.
Though König had spent every other second of this event clearly anxious as hell, it was indecipherable now. He took the dance in his stride, confidently taking the lead. You only just remembered the moves, stepping left just in time to avoid getting your foot trodden on.
“Careful, schatz.” He grinned. “Remember, turn left, and then right.”
God, he was infuriatingly good at this. How was he making it look so easy? He was so fluid, practically gliding across the floor.
“Where the hell did you learn to dance like this?” You asked, incredulously. “How are you so good?”
König let out a chuckle. “I was in a similar situation to this one a few years ago. I kept up with lessons afterwards, for fun.”
He was talking about a previous mission, of course. But carrying it on after? The idea that König took regular dance lessons was both absolutely hilarious and completely adorable. But even more hilarious was the far more important question on your mind, the one you couldn’t ask right now – dance lessons where, exactly? At KorTac HQ? Was KorTac supplying them?
Did… did KorTac employ dance instructors?
The second you were out of this ball, you made a mental note to ask him about it immediately. That was too funny to forget.
“I can’t believe you got him to dance.” You mumbled, trying to keep your voice low to avoid being overheard. Ghost was still nearby, just off to your left, gently swaying from side to side with the older woman. Surprisingly, he wasn’t actually that terrible at it. A little stiff, sure, and certainly clunky in comparison to König, but not awful. “And he actually remembers the moves.”
König glanced towards Ghost, a mischievous look in his eye. “Let’s show him one he won’t know.”
With that, König squeezed your hand tight and pulled, twirling you effortlessly around. A blur of the room whipped past your eyes, body fighting to keep balance. When König caught you, he pulled you in close, your hand desperately grasping his lapel.
“Hey!” You squeaked, holding on for dear life. You were relying on him so heavily that he was practically carrying you around the dance floor. “Warn me first!”
“Sorry, schatz.” He chuckled, like he had not a care in the world. His eyes were fixated off to the side, somewhere over your left shoulder. “I’m just having a little fun.”
You didn’t need to follow his gaze to know he was still looking at Ghost. You squeezed him a little tighter, trying to recapture his attention. This was not the time or the place for that. Milena was a few feet away, for fuck’s sake. If they drew too much attention, they could blow the whole operation.
“Hey.” You hissed. “Stop having fun and focus.”
“Alright. You’re right. I just couldn’t resist.” He said, calm as ever. After a moment, he softened, taking his hand off your waist to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear. “You look so beautiful tonight, schatz. The prettiest woman I ever laid my eyes on.”
You could feel the hot pink flush on your cheeks as you smiled back up at him. That was certainly a surprise. “Uh, thanks.”
You wanted to elaborate, to return the compliment, but there wasn’t time. The melody was changing, shifting into a different part of the piece. It was a clear signal, the sign that you were supposed to swap partners. König stepped backwards, releasing you from his grasp. The two of you walked around each other, bowed, and then König turned to the right.
Ghost stepped into his place. When your eyes met, he winked. You barely remembered to stop for the bow before you were swept up into his arms. The melody began to pick up pace, and the dance started again. Thankfully, this time you remembered to turn left first.
“Alright, darlin.” He said, slowly spinning you around in time with the music. “Try not to step on my feet.”
“I still don’t believe this.” You said, a grin spreading from ear to ear as you watched him move. “You’re actually dancing. You. Dancing.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t do all that fancy shit.” He grumbled. There was a clear harshness in his tone, a hint of jealousy. As if trying to make a point, his hand gripped you a little tighter, holding your waist. To see him out of his depth, a little uncomfortable, was very strange. “But it’s gonna serve a purpose, at least.”
“How the fuck is he so good at it?” You hissed, casting a side-eye over in König’s direction. He was currently dancing with Milena, eyes laser-focused in her direction. His attention was on her, on the mission, and not on either of you. “He spun me around like it was nothing.”
There was a moment of silence. He leaned in, voice lowered to a murmur.
“In the car, last night.” He suddenly said. Immediately, your heart was pounding. “You said you let him into your bed.”
Shit. You did say that. It had completely slipped your mind until now. Life had been moving at breakneck pace, no time to stop and chat, to have a real conversation. Was he angry? This was definitely not the time.
You swallowed, hard. “I did.”
Ghost nodded, taking that in. Though you were searching for it, there was no malice in his expression. “And he was… respectful? Nice to you?”
Oh. That was a completely different direction to the one you were expecting. Ghost was gazing down at you softly, watching your expression with interest. Your smile was mainly relief. “Of course he was.”
Memories came flooding back. How gently König has undressed you, the way he stopped to check in, how it felt to lay with him afterwards. Warmth spread through your body just thinking about it, a fuzzy feeling in your gut.
Ghost nodded, taking that in for a moment. It only took a second for his expression to crack into a smirk. He leaned in, lowering his voice. You could feel his hot breath hitting your face through the slit in his mask.
“Did he make you cum?”
Your eyes widened. You gave him a playful slap on the chest. “Hey! You can’t ask me that!”
“I can ask, but you don’t have to answer.” Ghost shrugged, unbothered by your shock. “Though, if you don’t, I guess that’s the real answer.”
You cast another glance in König’s direction. This was ridiculous. Even if he seemed to be oblivious, he was barely a few feet away.
“He is right there.” You hissed, urgently. “He wouldn’t want me to share that with you.”
There was another pause. Ghost was still gazing down at you with that smug look on his face, now dancing with a little more gusto. The two of you had finally found the beat, allowing yourself to go through the moves without thinking about it. You frowned back up at him.
“If you ask again, I’ll assume it’s because you want to join in.”
He murmured something under his breath, but you didn’t catch it. It was too late, anyway, as the melody was starting to change. It was time to change partners again. Now Ghost would be dancing with Milena. Your next partner was the only man you’d hadn’t taken note of yet so far, a gentleman in a blue suit and a red mask.
Thankfully, he didn’t try and make conversation, and he didn’t smell bad. It was certainly a little strange, being so close to a total stranger, but it was for the mission, so you dealt with it. The next two rounds of the dance passed without issue, neither of your partners speaking a word beyond a polite nod at the beginning and end. As the dance reached its final crescendo, all of the pairs turned to bow towards the centre, and finally, it was over. The group dispersed as the music came to a close, the musicians taking a moment between songs to take a drink and tune their instruments.
You followed Ghost as he walked away from the dance floor, König in tow beside you. If either of them had managed to plant a bug, then hanging around the target only risked raising suspicion.
“Come on.” Ghost said, as the three of you reached a quiet corner. He settled himself into an armchair, gesturing to the other free seats. “Sit.”
You plonked yourself down in the one next to him, grateful for the seclusion. Fuck a gun fight. That had been way more stressful, the pressure far higher. Being able to sit in a comfy chair where no one could see you was a blessing. König sat across from you, his long legs bumping into the coffee table that sat between you all.
“Johnny. You read me?” Ghost said, reaching a hand to his ear. “Got a status update?”
The response came instantly. “Good copy, sir. I’ve got the key, and I just found the room.”
“Perfect.” Ghost settled further into his chair, legs spreading a little wider. “Let us know when you crack the safe.”
“Roger that.”
The radio fell silent again. Soap’s task wasn’t particularly difficult – the device he had been given would crack the code for him, no calculations or guesswork needed. The issue was making sure the coast was clear, meaning the three of you needed to stay down here and keep an eye on Milena, to ensure she didn’t go up there and give him a nasty surprise.
Thankfully, she was still easily in view, stood by the edge of the dance floor. You were about to point her location out when you noticed König, sat with his arms folded, eyes flicking between you and Ghost.
“So.” He said, slowly. “What were you talking about?”
You gulped. “What?”
“When you were dancing together, you kept looking at me.” König clarified. “What were you talking about?”
“Did you manage to plant the bug?” Ghost retorted. “You nodded at me, so I assumed – ”
“Yes, yes, the bug is planted.” König waved a nonchalant hand, like it was the most unimportant thing in the world. A side note. Not the job that you’d travelled half way across Europe for. “Answer my question.”
You and Ghost exchanged a look. If you didn’t tell König, then he clearly would. And he wouldn’t be as nice about it as you.
“We were talking about… last night, in the car.” You said, hesitantly. Avoiding Ghost’s true line of questioning felt like the best course of action. You had no idea how König might react to that. “When I said I’d slept with you, I mean.”
König’s eyes widened a little. He sat up a little straighter, tugging his suit into place. The way the buttons strained to keep his chest contained was magnificent.
“… Oh. I see.” He replied, shooting a smirk in Ghost’s direction. “And you are jealous?”
“No.” Ghost shrugged. “I wanted to know if you made her cum.”
For fuck’s sake. You leaned forwards pinching the bridge of your nose. He just couldn’t keep his fucking ego contained for two seconds.
“She didn’t answer.” Ghost continued, the smug look back on his face. “Which I guess means you didn’t.”
“Oh my god.” You groaned. “I told you not to ask that. I fucking told you.”
For a moment, König was silent. It took actual effort to restrain yourself from slapping Ghost across his stupid masked face. But then, König’s eyes creased into a smirk.
“Twice, actually.”
“… Twice?”
Suddenly, the radio activated. The sound of Soap’s voice was enough to silence both of them, cutting that conversation short.
“I’m in!” Soap chirped. “Planting the bugs now.”
Ghost seemed to visibly wind down from the confrontation with König, angling his body away and letting his shoulders drop. Though Soap couldn’t see him, he still nodded. “Good shit, Johnny. Let us know when you’re out of there.”
A second passed. No one spoke, still waiting for the next message from Soap. It didn’t take long for him to reply.
“All done.” He sounded a lot breezier now, meaning he was probably already out of the room. “I’ll see you guys in a few.”
“Good copy.” Ghost replied. “We’ll have a drink waitin’.”