Phase 1: Addressing the international committee

You'd hoped you might have a chance to rest when the Gambit landed-- maybe a nice hotel or a trip back to some of your favorite haunts-- but instead, you were ruthlessly lead off to the conference chambers. It seemed you weren't even going to see your accommodations before you were put in front of the committee. It was actually a good thing you'd had a chance to confer with Goodbye on the ride over, because that appeared to be the last chance the two of you were going to have to talk amongst yourselves before speaking to the others directly. Once you entered the halls of CEDIT's London headquarters, another subterranean base, the privacy you'd had was gone for good.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. At CEDIT Russia, you'd been received little better than an enemy, but here in London, you were treated like a hero, even if the committee wasn't willing to let you have the relaxation you'd have liked. Every agent had a smile and a wish of congratulations ready to greet you. Londoners you recognized as old colleagues were appearing all around you to shake your hand, offer you gifts, or just salute you for being the one to lead the charge against the world's worst terrorists. The fact that you were still alive was amazing enough. When added to the fact that you'd participated in so many legendary missions, it made you something of a legend yourself. You thought some of them seemed a bit full of themselves, like knowing the man who saved the world made them heroes themselves. It was overwhelming, but also quite flattering; Goodbye seemed to enjoy this aspect of the mission, introducing herself over and over again while grinning and taking photos.

"Wooow! You really were on good terms with everyone here, huh, Mr. Speck? No surprise, I suppose! A model agent, through and through!" Goodbye giggled, pleased with the reception and the attention you both were getting.

It would be nice to think that you'd been called here just to enjoy some glad-handing from all of CEDIT, but once you pushed open the heavy oaken doors to the meeting room, the time for absent-minded niceties was over. Around the room were world leaders, in the truest sense of the word. These were the shot-callers in CEDIT, the ones who had come up with your mission to head to Washington and handle the Goodbye Girls to begin with. Some of them you recognized, while others were new faces from places like China, South America, and etc.

At the center, in the seat dedicated to the one intended to lead the meeting, was the head of CEDIT London herself: Madison Pettigrew. She cut a nice figure, as always. The wunderkind of CEDIT London had descended from a line of fine CEDIT officers and become the new head at the young age of 24. Six years had passed now and now, at the age of 30, she seemed not to have aged a day, though some aspects of her appearance had changed to fit her station. She wore her blond hair short, cut into a sort of sweeping, Princess Diana style that had become popular in the present day. Her eyes were deeply brown and her ears, slightly standout due to the cut of her hair, were tipped with dangling white gemstones. Ridiculously, she'd worn the same powder-blue color as Goodbye, causing their outfits to make them look like sisters... with very different body types. While you'd grown a certain affinity for Goodbye's squat, curvy figure, Madison's had the more conventional type of appeal, if a bit too far on the other side of the spectrum: she was quite thin.

Her face was as stern, yet pretty, as always; disappointingly, she greeted you without the same fawning that the others had, instead simply gesturing towards your seat. It almost felt like you were being subjected to an inquiry... the seat at the center of the room would put the others facing you in a ring. Goodbye wouldn't even be at your side; she'd been placed in line with the others, to take a seat between London and Japan. "Greetings, Nathaniel. We're proud to have you back in London, if only for a temporary stay," she began, crossing her hands in front of her on the desk. Goodbye as a boss seemed like somebody's idea of a caricature... this woman was, frankly, the type who looked like she could be president of the known world, with such composure and dignity. "I hope you'll have time to stay and enjoy the town after your mission here. What did Ms. Goodbye call it... Operation Heavy Sword? You really do have the funniest naming sense, Ms. Goodbye."

"P-Pamela is fine," Goodbye responded, seeming like her glasses were fogging up from embarrassment a bit. You pitied her; being surrounded by all of these other powerful women had her acting flustered, like she was back at the base with the Goodbye Girls.

"Ah, Pamela then. Good, good. I didn't mean to joke at your expense. I really do find that sort of wit on an agent to be a pleasant quality." Madison smiled charmingly at you from across the table, while the others shuffled into their seats.

While most of them were unknown to you, you did spot one other you recognized immediately. With her metal hand, her thick cigar, and her wild black hair, she'd be hard to miss. The figure to the far right of the room was Milaslava Bortnik, of CEDIT Russia, smoking indoors like it wasn't the year 2020. As usual, her green uniform made her look more like conventional military than CEDIT personnel. The grin on her face was as challenging as ever, as she puffed rings of smoke in your direction, then spoke around her cigar. {if Tschau Spared Bortnik = 1}"Nathaniel! We didn't leave on such good terms last time, did we? You are lucky you got results, or else, I may have been persuaded to steer this inquiry in a different sort of direction..." Her words were as threatening as you'd expected. Having her brother stolen from under her nose and taken into CEDIT custody had clearly left a sour taste in her mouth. {endif}{if Bortnik Killed Himself = 1}"Nathaniel! We didn't leave on such good terms last time, did we? You are lucky you got results, or else, I may have been persuaded to steer this inquiry in a different sort of direction..." Her words were as threatening as you'd expected. Having her brother stolen from under her nose, only for him to die under mysterious circumstances, had clearly left a sour taste in her mouth.{endif}{if Dr. Bortnik in Russian Custody = 1}"Nathaniel! It's a genuine pleasure to see you again. I hope we'll have a chance to enjoy that vodka I mentioned, after the hearing... I have a lot of ways in mind to show you how thankful I am." She didn't seem to care who in the room heard her throw that offer; you thought you saw Goodbye throw an aggravated look in her direction.{endif} Once she was finished joking around, she yielded the floor to the leader of the meeting, who now seemed ready to address everyone.

"People of CEDIT! I understand that everyone's time is valuable, and as such, I want to keep this meeting short. There are two issues we should address. The first: a round of applause for CEDIT Washington, both Pamela and Mister Speck. Under their guidance, the Goodbye Girls have succeeded like never before. CEDIT has stripped the fangs from Adder. We've taken the fire from the hands of the Deliverers. Those are just a few of the heroic feats performed by that sterling operation. I know we also owe a debt of gratitude to your teammates and I assure you, their time for recognition will come soon enough. Everyone, applause!" Madison finished her opening statement, then began to clap her hands together in crisp slaps, leading the room in yet another show of appreciation. The effect was powerful: these were the most decorated agents in all of CEDIT, now giving you a standing ovation. It made you feel as though the whole world recognized your efforts.

If it had ended there, you could count this as a fun trip-- a chance to catch up with London while enjoying everyone's sunny outlook on your operations in Washington. Unfortunately, there was a second item still on the docket, which turned out to be nearly opposite in intention from the applause you'd just received. "The next matter of business is a fair spot less rosy, I'm afraid. Mister Speck, you know our feelings towards the Goodbye Girls. As much as we appreciate their efforts, they are wild cards that we cannot fully control. Au Revoir-- violent and, frankly, bloodthirsty, with an Adder heritage. Vaarvel-- a complete enigma who deceives her own allies for sport. Tschau-- an uncooperative modern day ninja with no loyalties but to her own code of justice. Despedida-- a hacker who effortlessly manipulates CEDIT's gadgetry and securities without any proper channels of clearance. The four were allowed to assemble into the team called 'The Goodbye Girls.' I now see this as an error in judgment. They've accomplished much, but how much more could they have accomplished working hand-in-hand with CEDIT? Instead, they deliberately hide their pasts, their present activities, and their intentions for the future. They are, simply put, not a team we can afford to continue relying upon-"

To your surprise, Goodbye interjected, straightening her glasses and dragging her untucked tie against the podium in front of herself. "N-Now, hold on! What are you suggesting? You can't be aiming to cease operations of the Goodbye Girls totally, based on these suspicions, right?!" she questioned. You weren't sure if she was sticking up for her team or trying to protect her prestige as the boss for the most legendary team in CEDIT. "How do you intend to act upon these accusations of yours? Imprisonment? That would be some reward for everything they've accomplished!"

Madison raised an eyebrow, surprised by Goodbye's passion, then closed her eyes and spoke calmly. "Nothing of the sort. We have gone over several proposals and decided upon the most logical course of action, though it can only proceed with sign-off from the people who know the Goodbye Girls best," the leader of CEDIT London suggested. "We would like to encourage that the Goodbye Girls be broken up. One agent will remain to operate out of Washington, while the others will go elsewhere. By breaking up the Goodbye Girls, we minimize their threat, while still allowing them to contribute as field agents. Our specialists have theorized that if the Goodbye Girls were to work together, they could overrun the Washington headquarters and kill every agent inside. Split up, damage control and monitoring becomes far, far easier. Additionally, other locations-- specifically London, Russia, and China-- will be equipped to handle new threats as they emerge across the globe, with the assistance of these top-notch agents. There is simply no reason for all four of them to be assembled in Washington."

Presented that explanation, Goodbye seemed to lose her protest... You imagined that prospect actually sounded pretty appealing to her. Her sense of justice wouldn't allow her to see the Goodbye Girls punished for the crime of working together to save the world, but being safe inside her own base would be a blessing for her. Plus, Madison may have a point about the team's ability to bolster other locations around the world.

But... what of the team? You'd seen a few instances now where they seemed to be closer knit than you'd initially thought. Furthermore, several of your missions had relied on having two of them together under your handling. Could Promethia's attacks have been stopped by just one of the Goodbye Girls, working alongside regular agents? Could any other two agents besides Au Revoir and Vaarvel have provided you the assistance you needed to take down Adder Adjutant aboard his own Palm of Royalty cruise-liner, surrounded by so many henchmen? Were the Goodbye Girls the tool that CEDIT needed to solve these unusual cases, or was the dangerous, unpredictable element of this team, acting largely on its own whims, posing just as great a threat as the terrorist groups they seemingly worked against? You considered Madison's proposal...