Work Text:
The Chinese Food Safety Office began to rinse the kale from Nakhon Province. The report from markets outside of China complained of a large amount of pesticide residue from the vegetables they exported. As the man who was assigned to rinse the leek plants, he found that the pour-off was bright blue.
Calling over his supervisor, he showed him the water. The supervisor then called the manager who had just finished reading a warning from the government. Next thing they knew, soldiers came, took the samples and the man who had discovered it.
The man who originally reported the strange coloring was found to have a peculiar drug in his system. It was very little but still shouldn’t have been there. A call went out to UNCLE who were invited in to figure out what was going on.
Illya and Mark were in the medical section visiting Napoleon. Illya’s antidote was working but the gunshot wound had quickened the weakness that came from the injection causing Napoleon to take longer to completely shake it from his system.
“Mark is coming with me to check out the complaint from the Chinese.”
Sitting up, Napoleon told Illya. “I could go with you. I’m not that weak.”
“Sure you can,” Mark said. “I'll bow out if you can get out of that bed and walk to the door without holding on to anything.”
Illya smirked, “I would also like to see you achieve that.”
Napoleon knew he couldn’t do it, so laid back pouting. “Just make sure you bring my partner back to me in one piece.”
After leaving medical, the agents went to their offices to gather their go bags, tickets, and passports as the Chinese insisted on it.
When the men stepped off the plane, General Zhang gave them a smart salute. “Lieutenant Kuryakin, welcome to my country. General Popovo sends his regards and said to remind you he waiting for the day he can give you your reward for working for UNCLE.” Mark looked at Illya questionably but Illya mouthed later.
As the agents were whisked away, the General explained the situation. He also explained that no one had seen Doctor Axios so they didn’t know if he was responsible but decided to quarantine the kale field that the damaged crop had come from and let UNCLE examine the field as they were the ones who had sent out the information.
Sitting in the back of an empty troop truck Illya explained, “General Popovo has hated me since I was assigned to his unit. As my family had fought for the czar, his hatred for all who supported the czar and their families caused him to make my life miserable. He had tried to stop my transfer to UNCLE but was overruled.”
“The man must hate that he couldn’t rule your life any longer. Do you think he’ll try something here?”
Illya shrugged his shoulders,
The field was brown and dying when they arrived. Mark stood in wonder. As far as he could see, the field was brown and plants rotting. “Do this look the other fields you and Napoleon examined?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Illya turned to General Zhang, “Sorry I can’t do anything about this field, but I can give your scientists the formula we have discovered so far to hopefully help the other fields. Is it fine if I take samples of the crop and some of the man’s blood who originally found the problem?”
As the General was trying to decide, and Illya gathered some samples, Mark suddenly grabbed the two men and took them to the ground. Bullets rang overhead. The agents pulled their guns firing in the direction the bullets came from.
The General guards came running also firing When the bullets stopped, Mark rose and helped the other two up. “Everyone alright?” Mark asked.
"No damage to myself,” Illya said. “But my clothes smell. General?”
The General was surrounded by his soldiers one of who was trying to wipe off his uniform. “Thank you, Agent Slate. How did you know?” asked the general as he waved the soldier away.
“I saw a flash of sun on something over there,” explained Mark.
Walking back to the truck, the General said, “You may have the samples of the crops and the man’s blood. We are lucky that no other field seems to be contaminated, but will take what you have in case of other problems.”
Climbing back into the truck, Mark sat far away from Illya, “Who do you think did the shooting? And by the way, you stink.”
Illya smelled himself and agreed with Mark, “As far as who did the shooting. Hopefully, the General people will find out. However, it could have been the General. I’m sure he has made many enemies. Or us as UNCLE agents or because we were examining the field. Again it could even be me seeing as the General mentioned General Popov. We’ll probably never find out.”
After cleaning up and catching the jet home, Illya wondered. This attack was the second time General Popov was mentioned or present at the scene of Dr. Axio's destruction. Was Dr. Axios and General Popov working together? Closing his eyes, only time would tell.