Edward Richtofen is a former military and intelligence director, and one night, he gets a visit that will forever change his life.
Every person has a shadow, something that follows after an individual only when there is a source of light. Edward Richtofen is no different, his shadow towering as he walks up the porch steps to his house, rain falling down onto him and soaking through his coat and matting his hair. He unlocks the front door and pushes it open, quickly placing himself in the warm comfort of his lonely, dark habitat. He shuts the door and turns the three locks he has installed, a sense of security easing the weight on his shoulders and he shrugs off his coat and hangs it on the coat rack. He loosens his crimson red tie and kicks off his shoes, walking over to the living room and turning on the lamp he has sitting by a loveseat. He goes over to the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge and taking out the leftovers from the night before and a bottle of some cola one of his former co-workers bought him.
Edward walks back to the living room, lightning striking against the dark clouded sky, a strange shadow standing outside the window next to the front door. Eddie is oblivious to it, sitting down and turning on the old television, an old movie he inserted in resuming from where left off. He watches the black and white film with mild interest, feeding his growling stomach with cold food– he normally would cook a hot, fresh meal but it's been a hard day for him. Too engrossed with the film and food, Eddie doesn't notice the shadow move, eyes watching him closely. It's too late when he feels eyes on him and he sets his plate down gently, standing up and remaining calm. He leaves his living room and goes back to the kitchen, using his peripheral vision as he grabs another cola, flinching when a harsh knock vibrates his front door. He turns and looks at it, edging closer and looking through the door viewer to see a figure standing outside his door. They knock again, and Eddie feels his stomach fill with dread.
He steps back, unsure what to do, but before he can react any further, his door is kicked open. He stumbles back, eyes wide as he stares at the stranger – a woman with stormy blue eyes that had him shrinking back.
"Edward Richtofen."
"Who the hell are you?!" Eddie exclaims, his blood running cold when the woman steps into the dim light and he feels that he knows her...but it's impossible.
"Lilja Alekov. There's no time to chat, we have to go" Lilja says, gesturing out the front entrance but Eddie shakes his head.
"You're crazy to think I'll be going anywhere with you. Leave my house, and maybe I won't press charges." Eddie glares at her, but Lilja growls, closing the distance between them and grabbing ahold of his collar, forcing him to lean down to her height.
"You've been experiencing weird dreams that feel like memories from somewhere a long time ago. But you know what they are, the Aether, Samantha, everything. You know the truth, and so do I. The world is on the brink of collapse by the Dark Aether, and if we don't do anything, all dimensions will collide and it's a shitshow that ain't pretty."
Eddie tries to keep up the facade he put on, but the words the woman spoke were all right. He remembered a past he lived in, a long time ago and he has vivid dreams of living that life – a life he knows he and Samantha Maxis shared. Yet Samantha didn't seem to remember anything, and Eddie needed her to remember. He didn't care if she never remembered him, he needed to know he wasn't the only one.
"Why should I trust you?" He questions, voice quiet and Lilja gives him a pointed look, although her eyes seemed to fog over with something.
"Samantha needs help, and we've worked together before. A different universe, but it's still us. Please, Edward, I need your help." Lilja looks at him with sad eyes, and despite being strangers, Edward knew she was honest. He trusted her, he had dreams of those stormy blue eyes and elegant accent guiding him somewhere safe. If she knew Samantha, if she knew the lives they lived before, if she was just like him, then he can trust her. He needed the truth, and she knew it.
"Okay" He whispers, and she gives him a strained smile. She steps back, giving his choice of wear a lookover before moving to shut the door, wincing at the realization that she dented the hinges.
"Go change, we need to secure three other people. They are our comrades, we can trust them. Dress appropriate for the winter, doctor, we're going to Moscow."
—–—–—–—–—
The car ride to wherever Lilja was taking him was quiet, said woman focused on the road ahead and Eddie thinking about what he just got himself into. He did the right thing, shutting down Requiem and Omega. But both agencies obviously had a bounty over his head, and he's heading to Russia, where the military is not going to be friendly with him now. He trusts Lilja though, to get them to that border safely.
"Who's in Russia?" He speaks, and Lilja reaches back to the backseat, grabbing a bag and dropping it on his lap. She gestures silently at it, and he opens it, grabbing a hold of a stack of folders. The first one has a picture of him paperclipped on the front, so he sets it aside to see the next one. There's a picture of a man wearing sniper gear, Soviet insignia on his uniform, marking him. He flips open the folder, eyes racking over the important information documented.
Nikolai Belinski, 31 years old, former Soviet sniper and infantry. Honorable discharge, injury on his left calf and right shoulder. Widowed. Lives in Volgograd.
"We're here." Lilja announces, turning off the engine and grabbing the bag and folders out of Eddie's grasp. She places them back in the bag neatly and gets out of the car, Eddie following after her. Eddie feels his nerves strike when he sees two people waiting for them, a woman with red hair in a ponytail and a man with brown hair and a gray turtleneck.
"Beck, Portnova, thanks again." Lilja says, and the woman smiles.
"It's no problem, comrade." Portnova tosses the keys to Lilja, who catches them with ease. Beck walks over and hands Eddie a map, and Lilja nods.
"Good luck" He says, his accent making Eddie raise a brow. An East German and Russian helping a Latvian and West German.
"Get in, we're on a tight schedule," Lilja says, and they nod goodbye to the two before hopping in the small plane, Lilja attaching something to it while starting it. Eddie glances at her nervously, holding onto the small strap that served as a seat belt.
"You do know how to fly, ja?" He asks, and his blood runs cold when the serious woman gives him a small smirk that screams mischievous.
