mypetitelune

[mypetitelune]

So I tried to make my Bell in Cyberpunk 2077. I loved how she looks!

Keep in mind that this isn't a final decision of how she looks.

[mypetitelune]

CH III: В тесноте́, да не в оби́де

The wind is picking up and the soreness of her scars is upon herself. She couldn’t do anything more than apply analgesic cream and take a pill. Phantom pain.

But Woods didn’t suffer from that, chronic pain, spasms, atrophy, that was the weight on his already heavy cross. She watched as the muscle jerked under her hands, jerked and jerked. Amelia kept quiet, but the face was there. However as the cream got absorbed, the relief on his face ceased her frown.

The nagging feeling didn’t go away however. Her dark eyes took in the frail state of his legs, hairy pale sticks in comparison to the tree branches she was used to. They were so white, she thought his blood flow went awry. He was like a work horse to her. Truly he was. Bruised and broken, shot and burnt, tortured by his memory and his ego. The government was his owner and the propaganda was destiny’s leash.

“Put him down.” It was calm. They always were, her intrusive thoughts. “It will save him. Don’t you want you? He will feel no more pain, no more sorrows, no more screams. He is getting sick. The morphine doesn’t help him. It’s just prolongs the inevitable. He is dying. Save him. Don’t be selfish.”

She ignored it. It was no shame to seek other’s help or resources. Plus, Woods didn’t push it. Only took them as the doctor prescribed. Only then.

“Put him down. Put the dog down, Sasha!”

“But I don’t want to!” Her voice was that of a child, innocent in its rebellion.

“We don’t always do what we want, Sasha.”

She turned around and the mighty image of him conquered her presence. Made her feel small, puny, but not weak. Only Adler made her weak. Only he did. That’s why she needs to put him down. Like the imperialist dog he is. Put him down for biting her, for clamping its jaw on her fragile neck and give her rabies.

Woods relaxed on the multiple pillows she put, too many in his opinion. His cold eyes watched warmly the Russian woman. Observed with deep interest the pensive state of her. His mind was drawn again to the missing pinkie and ring finger of her left hand. The stumps were tattooed over, filled in traditional embroidery and over them two big rings with the largest stones he seen rested. The cut was clean, maybe a clean shot or the instructed cut of a professional butcher.

“You are staring again. What’s up?” Amelia said as she stopped her massage. Her long hair was now in a bun with a braided crown on top.

“How you lose them?”

“Dropped them as I entered a taxi.”

“Very funny. Come on.” His hand played with them, taking one of her rings and put it on his hand. Her ring measure wasn’t small, quite the contrary. It fit the middle of his finger before being snug. “Damn.”

“Don’t shame my fingers.” It came through her chuckle as she pushed his arm.

“I am not. It’s just..”

“Mhm?”

“They look smaller.”

“Is that what ladies say about-“

Woods coughed abruptly resulting in her chuckling and shaking her head. The quiet between them allowed them to ponder. It wasn’t unwelcomed, the dread did make it weigh on her chest however. It was so bizarre for her; her exterior never willingly allowed her despair to be shown. Only she, since forever, had to pushed through it. She had this need, almost like the one Adler implemented in her mind to be docile, this need to succumb in the arms of a man. Amelia didn’t understand why. Men weren’t her favourite spices, especially after her close encounters with most: kidnapped, hit, kicked, stabbed, spit on, burnt, punched, shot and betrayed. Honestly, the need of partnership long went away.

“Listen, kid...”

“Let’s...for fuck’s sake, we are grown ass people. Talk freely, Woods. You can’t hurt my feelings anymore. I barely can feel as it is.”

The man shook his head. “What happened to you?”

“Elaborate.”

“After he shot you. He never contacted us. Never told us. Only Hudson told something along you got disposed.”

“Would you believe if I told you I don’t remember?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Believe or not, Bell...argh sorry....Amelia. I didn’t hate you because you were soviet. Different terms, same middleman. I didn’t trust you and you can understand that. I still thought it was unnecessary what they did. You were effectively dislocated from what you knew. Your English was limited. Your accent’s heavy. You had no allies and you would have been killed on site if you returned to the Motherland. We kept Belikov and he proved more than willing to kill an old pal of his, if he could do that, what else couldn’t he do. Plus he had sensitive intel of our missions with him. He seemed more logical of a hit. You? You were just 26, confused as fuck and docile. You took to Adler like no other. Even his first mentee, Harrow, was tougher to comb through. You? You were a goddamn dream.”

“Quite the review.”

“What can I say? You know I am a talker.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Her eyes focused on a null point, lips bitten. “I always wondered. Why he do it? I mean it’s obvious, to tie all loose ends. It doesn’t feel complete. Adler. Everything about him leads to more and more and more.”

“He does like his privacy.”

“Seems excessive. I mean he wasn’t that paranoid.”

“Who?”

“Perseus. Ампир-909.”

“That’s his official nickname?”

“Yeah, he didn’t really appreciated being called that.”

“Why?”

“Well, it wasn’t soviet so it didn’t statue as a badge of honour. Two, it was incorrectly. We never took the name of Perseus. Three, he hated how proud it made the Americans whenever they supposedly catch one of us.”

“What are you called then?”

Her silence confused the American, soon enough it irked him. Not because he was terribly impatient, no, a good hunter waits. It was because he knew the cliché answer.

“Go on, kid. Out with it.”

Her lips grinned. “It’s classified.”

11 October 1991,Szczecin Poland, 21:00

The moans of the woman under him didn’t excited him, despite his ambition and frustration. Poor woman tried her best, rubbing, sucking, teasing, biting, anything. Still, he wasn’t aroused. Out of sheer politeness, his fingers pushed themselves into her while his thumb took care of her clit.

It was humiliating. Adler was no different than the men of his generation. Prideful creatures, their masculinity laid more in their dick prowess than their intelligence. What’s good to be intelligent if no women wants to touch you with a ten foot pole? It was a stupid way of looking at life, he knew that. In a moment of clarity, he went to the doctors, thinking his days of drinking, smocking, his rapid life and aging caught up to him. No, the doctor didn’t found nothing. The box of prescribed Viagra was in the drawer, dust on it. In the moments of anger, he tried teas, herbal treatments, blaming his ex-wife for paying a witch to curse him, anything. His soul knew the cause. It knew all too well. The moment he kissed her, his faith was written. The night he spent with Bell....

That woman...that cursed woman haunted him. He didn’t loose sleep because of what he did and didn’t do, not from Vietnam, not because of Perseus or Stitch. It was her. Always fucking her. Sometimes it will start sweet. Them nuzzling after a session of passion, her nose gently pushing into the hair his chest had, biting at his skin, marking him as her own. His hands, well cared and taken off, will grabbed her chin, squeezing the meat of her cheeks despite her annoyance. With a hand grabbing into her bottom, he will pushed her up to kiss him, to engage in the rawness, the filth, the perversion their union was based on. Other times, she stood in front of him, close yet far away, rubbing her pregnant stomach. She would never open her eyes, her smile stretched.

Most times? Most times her screams filled his ear akin the waves that hit the costal rock when he shot her. Would hear her beg him, plead with him that she did all he wanted, that she chose him instead of everything she knew and had, that she was his. His agent, his friend, his lapdog. And he would shoot. What sense to take care of a mutt if it’s rabid? Her blood dripped down her obliterated mouth similarly to the sweat on his back. Her dark eyes forever trapped in horror. His guts will groan, the dread worming into them akin a parasite.

Magdalena kissed his cheek, ignoring the smoke that filled her lungs as he exhaled. Her number was on the nightstand. The door closed softly. Her heels echoed till she got in the elevator. Russell’s eyes were absent, looking at the TV. Nothing played. Bell took the music of his life. No. He did that. He did all of this.

The ghost of her materialised in front of his eyes. The shower was foggy, his skin wet and cold. Her lifeless eyes peered up in fury at him. The blood crusted on the wedding dress. The veil didn’t hide the gap in her cracked skull. Her slashed hands held into puffiness of gown. It was horrid, the dress, not fitting to her body. Tacky, deflated, cheap, his ex-wife’s dress. He never liked it, ripping it off her the moment he left the church. It belong to his former mother-in-law, her puritan ways igniting anger. Her daughter was too weak to say no.

That’s what separated her from Bell, she was weak. Bell was strong, determined, unnervingly perspicacious. She smelt his bullshit from miles away, had to give her three times a dosage once as she derailed in interrogating him. His ex-wife? She was smart, preppy, kind, too bland for a monster like him. He was thankful for birthing him two adorable twins, less thankful when she got full custody after their divorce. Especially since she used his beloved job to argument his unfitted nature. His beloved job, his career, used to stain his image? It was a slap in the face after years where she exclaimed how proud she was of him, how thankful she was to get him back from the shithole ‘Nam was. All the sudden, he wasn’t good enough. Too cold, too mean, too distant. He wasn’t the man she married.

Oh no. Bell? Bell was everything. She listened to him, hang on every word, looked at him with those doe eyes. She kept her voice just for him, like her virginity. And God be if that didn’t boost his ego! Prideful bastard that he was. It was deserved. To lose her. He deserved to have everything his sick mind wanted ripped away by a paper signed by Langley and Hudson. A very very deserving fate. Only shame she had to look at him. To see the tears in her eyes, the breaking of her voice, the trembled-

He snapped out of it when his phone rang. He walked past the ogling spectre of Bell who watched him like a hawk.

“Yes? Yeah, this is him.”

1964, Sankt Petersburg, Russia

The crisp wind of Russia’s winds pierced through the wool despite its high quality. Her only source of warm tugged her gently through the snowy streets. It was considerably late, people’s apartment flooding with light. Her eyes glimmered as they hungrily took the details in the white walls. The residential building were so imposing to her child’s mind. Just like the man beside her. His gloved hand engulfed her small one, but his touch was gentle, comforting, shielding.

Her feet hurt, hurt so bad. Despite the physical therapy, her knees hurt, trembled and crashed under medium effort. She hated that, hated how sick she was, how she couldn’t do what other children around her did, how her father’s face fell when he spoke with her doctor. She hated it.

-Papa?

-Da, iubita?

-Cât mai mergem? Mă dor picioarele.

-Te dor?

-Da, mătușa m-o pus să alerg 2 ore ieri. Anton a râs de mine când am căzut.

She frowned as she looked away, catching the eyes of some men. They waved and smiled at her. Her eyebrows clenched, body freezing. She always did this, for some reason. Freezing. Her breaths shortens, her eyes widen, her hands get clammy under her gloves. Papa observed and looked at her and then at the men. His voice came like a whip, making the younger men leave.

-Ești bine, puiu. Au plecat. Vrei să facem o pauză?

-Da.

The man wasn’t pleased with her whispered answer. He gently bent down, letting her take the choice to allow him to pick her up. Her small hands grabbed into the collar of his grey coat, mindful to not rip the pins at the end of it. Her forehead was pressed on his chin as he began singing only for her ears. Her eyes closed, lips morphing in a smile.

The restaurant was booming with the laughter of drunk men and hardy soldiers. She could hear them above the piano tunes, above the singer’s best attempts to muffle them. She could hear them despite being at the fifth floor. Her papa’s hand caressed her back, playing gently with her curls, fixing her pullover, the hair accessories. He rubbed her back with a gentle arm.

-E bun?

Her face was a mess as she smiled at him, showing the dill between her teeth. The man laughed, taking a tissue and cleaned her face.

-Dar nu îți place borșul Mariei?

-Maria face borșul cu pește. Mi-e rău de fiecare dată când îl mănânc.

-Ți-e rău de la el? Cum adică? Vomiți? Te doare burta?

She nodded.

-E posibil să ai alergie. Păcat, vroiam să guști caviarul adevărat, dar nu e problemă. Viktor are multe delicatese pentru prințese că tine.

She cringed when he flicked her nose gently. His cold eyes observed her. He always did this. To everyone, he knew. His eyes, bright blue, pierced anything in its ray: fiber, cloth, metal, skin, flesh, organ. Everything. Many felt like she did around men. They will freeze, sweat, shivered, trembled and their legs jerked as to leave. He will simply smiled at this. He never smiled when she did this however. No. When that happened....his bright eyes will dull, will become sober, sad, lips caught in a frown.

-Cine e Viktor?

-Viktor...nu ți-am spus de el, nu-i așa? Viktor este un prieten bun de-al tatălui tău. Mă cunosc cu el de când eram mici. Mici ca tine și sărăcii, doamne ce săraci.

-De ce erați săraci?

He chuckled and put her on his lap, tying her hair in a low ponytail as the waitress brought the main dish, roasted geese on a bed of pilaf. Saliva pooled in her mouth, cheeks red from the heat of the dish in front of her. Her father mumbled something to the waitress who nodded and left with a smile. His hand moved from her back to her hair, pushing the locks under her ears.

-Mănâncă și îți spun după.

The men he was supposed to see came later, long after she ate her dinner and the dessert her dad specifically ordered to be made for her. They looked tired, serious and imposing. One younger and the other older, both past their 30s. Their suits were ironed to the point, however the men appeared dishevelled. Worried. She found it odd. The blue eyes of the older one were crooked, pointing inwards, almost collapsing under the eyelid. His hair was gone for most part, cut to covered his head in a circle similarly to all the politicians that visit her dad late at night. The stiffness of the younger one, who still had his hair, lessened when he met the cold eyes of her father.

“Mr. Ivanovich! Thank you for meeting us.”

She snapped, cursing as she sees the burnt, charcoal Vietnamese shrimp chimps. Amelia tossed them into the trash, her hand rubbing on her forehead. Over the past years, she had to fight two addictions: LSD and the utter need for painkillers. Her migraines, aches...all landed her to be diagnosed with chronic pain. Even relief was prohibited from her. Anton checked on her with the strictness that often lead her to clash with the Ukrainian, at one point she cut all contact with him for 2 whole years. All of this wasn’t so she can exchange leashes or hands.

“You burned someone there?” Woods shouted from her living room.

“Yeah, how you like the meat burnt or charcoal?”

“Ha. I am more of a medium rare guy.”

“Medium rare? Since when you had tastes?”

“Hey! Fuck off, girly! I know my tastes.”

Her silence was an answer.

The movie was a typical choice. Some action, female boobs, male abs and explosions. Tasteless in her opinion. ‘We didn’t progress so much just to consume badly disguised hetero/gay porn.’ Putting the bowl of chips in front of the man allowed her to snatch the remote and put a stop to the nonsense.

“Hey! I was watching that!”

“You can jerk off to man pecks later. Time for something of culture!”

The couch groaned under her weight, bouncing the 97kg woman. Her slippers fell off, knees cracking and bending under her bottom. The room lighted with Possession playing in front of them. The fire cracked slowly, no peep from her neighbouring owls. Frank was invested in the movie, furrowed eyes widening or frowning at times. She smiled at this.

“You good, G.I.Joe?”

“Hmph? Yeah, yeah, just...”

“The movie is too radical for you?”

“What? No. My mom...she just reminds me of her.”

Her eyes blinked in surprised, leaning closer intrigued.

“Didn’t really told you?”

She shook her head, pursed her lips and clicked her tongue.

“She raised me all alone, dad walked out. The pregnancy? All of it, her parents, her people, her lover, all turned their back to her. Her...She just a 16 year old girl who woke up with the world on her shoulders. It broke her, sent her in a spiral. And when she come out of it....she was a mean vitriolic woman.”

“And when you come in all of this?”

“I was her spawn, her corruption. I don’t know, it’s bullshit really. I guess just the way Anna acts...it reminds me of her.”

Amelia let him vent, not adding or interrupting. He always been akin a guarded dog, snarling at anything it moves, especially now after the shit show in Panama. Her mind returned to it. His cross to bare, his guilt, his agony, his rage, his anguish. Judas with Barrett M8 tattoo “Do you miss her?”

The man laughed, it was painful to hear. “Kid, I ran away when I was little.”

“Гавно. Sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“Ever met up with her after?”

“She sent some letters, back when I was in ‘Nam, but it was too little to late.”

Amelia nodded.

“What’s in your mind, kiddo?”

“I met my mom.”

The American blinked. “You have a mom?”

“Wow.”

“Nah, not like that. I mean, you never said anything about...” He stopped at her look. “Right, brainwashed.”

“Not going to ask how she is? If we got close?”

“I figure you will get to it after you get me another beer.”

“Another? This is your fifth. You should cut it out.”

“Nonsense, come on. Don’t make me beg.”

Her breath came out with a deep sigh. Long hair trailed down every step. She didn’t brought him a beer, but a non-alcoholic grape beverage called Must. He frowned at her, relenting when the glass touched his thin lips. Satisfaction spread on both their faces.

“Not bad where you hid this?”

“In the basement.”

“This house has a whole basement?”

“Mhm, and a bunker.”

“Bunker?!”

“Call me paranoid.”

“You are paranoid. Real paranoid.”

Her shoulders shrugged, not bothering to deny or correct him. “That’s life.” Her three fingers extended a framed picture. In it, Amelia was hugged by a shorter older woman. Her long hair in a braid gave away her age, while a batic wrapped around it. The woman had a deeper skin tone than Amelia’s pale olive skin, more sun spots, pigmentation from aging, wrinkles. In her natural form, her mother was stunning. Big brown eyes exposed the innocent soul while the eye bags displayed her worked livelihood.

“You took after her looks.”

“She is beautiful. My mama.” Gentleness sounded so bizarre from the ex soviet. At least to Woods.

“What’s her name?”

“Mariana Elena Lupu. She worked in one of the agricultural collectives while raising 7 kids.”

“Seven? You have six siblings?”

“Now? Only two are here and alive, 1 is away and the others...dead.”

“My condolences. How did they?”

“Killed during the uprising in 14 December 1989. Along seven others. Detained, trialled and ....” She hunched, covering her eyes. “Sorry.”

His hand rubbed her back. It was so similar to her father’s touch. Disgust or relief, the bridge was too thin to pinpoint. Pleasure came from it either way. It soothed the ache in the lungs and heart. Grounded her back to the leather couch, back on the forest green knitted blanket.

“I am so glad they didn’t meet me.” Her voice shook. “Imagine their disappointment. Their sacrifice only to have a rat like me staining their names.”

“Hey, hey. Don’t say that. It’s not like you chose to be apart it.” He hugged her awkwardly. “You had a bad hand extended to you and you did what you could with the cards you were handed.”

“How will you know that?”

“While your tears don’t eradicate your actions, your grief tells me enough. I saw the ruffians the society spits out. Been with them, lived with them, eat with them. I knew I was a bastard, but not like those smug fuckers. I know pride and you are the exact opposite.”

“I don’t feel shame though. I feel...God! I feel guilt, but not shame? It makes no sense.”

“It doesn’t have to. Just feel.”

“I should have felt enough. It’s been 10 fucking years since I was supposed to get past all of this.”

“And? I still cry cause my daddy didn’t want me and my momma didn’t love me. Don’t focus on time, just on getting used to it.” He said lightly, trying to lift the room. “And their passing was just 2 years ago, that’s not long enough.”

The morning caught them, sleeping on the long modular sofa. Her head sunk into the large pillows filled with chicken feathers, legs prompted on the table in the middle of said sofa. It had an incorporated radio at the bent to which she added a cabin and a table. Woods rested on the other side, cocooned into the comforter. The warmth exuded in her two story house. Outside, the autumn’s cold settled in. The trees became bare, the animals were visiting her less, and even her damn rooster seemed hesitant to blare its lungs outside. Peace and quiet were her gold and oil. Her most precious things in this damn hellhole.

The phone’s screeching pierced it brutally. Ignoring the blabbering and insults of the 61 year old man, she got up with a groan of her own. Picking the receiver, her heart stopped in her throat. Her hand almost dropped it to shatter on the dark parquet.

“Bell? It is Adler.” Instead of her mother’s melody, the bass of his voice came through. It was him. The devil.

“We need to talk, Bell.”

[mypetitelune]

CH II: Волко́в боя́ться — в лес не ходи́ть

The rattle of her mountain bike kept her thoughts from drifting. Bell couldn’t understand why they targeted Woods? Even with all his intel, to go to this length. Felt...excessive? Not to patronise the man, but Woods wasn’t the terrifying beast she was used to. The aftermath of Panama, more specifically losing Manson, was his Achilles heel. The legend, the myth, reduced to a broken man who itched for more.

She cut the engine out. Eyes already scanned the woody environment. Thick, dense and all the same. It was dangerous, especially for someone who still had episodes of hallucinations.

“It will be alright.” Speaking of.

She turned to look at him, at Adler. He was dressed in his Vietnam uniform, paint all over his hairy arms and face. The juxtaposition was evident. How the uniform had installed great pain for the locals while it only brought comfort for her. At first, she was disturbed by how loyally she could see him, then by the frequency, however as years went and go, she grew...thankful? Thankful, that’s a good word for it. It wasn’t a surprise she felt lonely, even with the visits of Anton and Kiril. She was used with many in small spaces, the puffs of annoyance and smoke, the smell of sweat mixed with bitter coffee she refused to drink. Being alone...was a privilege and her curse.

“What are you doing here?”

“Me? Really, Bell? Came to help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Oh, sweet girl. That’s what you said back in asylum, but you sure liked when I managed to help you escape.”

She grinned her teeth in anger, eyebrows already clenched. Seeing this, Adler lose his boldness, raising a hand to calm her. “Sorry, sugar. Touchy subject. Totally didn’t mean it.” He pressed a hand on his chest.

She nodded, accepting it. She knew he wasn’t real, so forgiving him didn’t bring the aching dilemma of not being a doormat, of not losing herself for him again or any me of matter. “Okay, let’s move.”

“Ladies first.”

“How kind.” She smiled too sweet to be real, taking point.

Standing on the coastal hills of Bulgaria, the multiple story house was imperious and fore boarding. The fog ate at the old dark wood, moss absorbing the humidity given by the frequent storms, rains and the crashing waves. Too many windows. Too many access points. Too few trees. No wonder Adler and Woods spotted it in ’74. They nicknamed it the Rook. Stupid pompous shit, typical CIA.

Bell loved hearing her boots, loved the clicking of her harness, utility belts, the songs of wild birds, the waves crashing against the black rock. What she didn’t like? Hearing Russian men curse and laugh and the rubbing of her jeans. Utilising the small bushes, her body arched as she prowled. They were talking about Woods and more specifically judging how a cripple could put so much strain on them. With a blade in her gloves, she was ready to attack.

The bursting of her drums made her lay back down. She bit her tongue as the ringing installed. Her breath struggled to control herself, images flickering in her view. Adler quickly rubbed on her shoulders, shushing her, comforting her, telling her to let them roll down her back.

“I was late!”

“No such thing.” The American said with utter conviction, like always.

“But- “

“Just move on up, Bell. Woods is waiting.”

Four men came in hurry, looking to take off with their mountain bikes. Their gear was cheap and dishevelled. Not Perseus standard, not KGB. Must be low level associates from a third party. The military wasn’t much different than mafia, with the expectation of better care and money while a made man. Due the lack of tactical glasses, the smoke blinded them immediately. With the addition of her tinkering, it irritated them as well. She smiled and decided to move.

The knife found its shelter in the throat of the shortest. Distracting all of them, her hammer came down the PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) of the tallest. The sharpen claw of it ripped into his throat. 2 down. She dragged the third with the hammer by his utility belt, a second club one bullied its way into the cranium. It was risky, the ability of spraying the courtyard was ever possible. Russians didn’t care about losses unless it was for propaganda, always the propaganda.

The fourth one was ingenious and fast too. She liked that. Liked when her enemy put resistance, liked it that even with a broken arm, he still fought. Her smile spread wildly under the cloth.

“Давай, красавчик!” She said, recovering quickly from the hit of his riffle in her ribs.

“Шлюха! Я перережу тебе горло.”

She didn’t let him finish when she ran up to him, to tackle him. Bell deserved all the bullet it should have come for being so bravely idiotic. Still, the Russian soldier was young, as tall as her and skinner. Banking on his lack of experience, her arms snatched onto his jacket. Twisting him while he tried to land another kick on her head, the soldier was too dizzy to realise something. That all frags, stacked on his back, had their pins pulled.

Her laugh was maniacally gleeful. The splatter of meat came quicker than expected. Red went with everything: the trees, the corpses of his buddy, the walls, the gravel. She was spared due already being up the stairs, leading to the grand entrance. Smoke spilled without a stop. Inside, the wood moaned and the flames cursed. Its hunger grew by minute.

Her right hand crossed herself. Crooked fingers shook, the smoke mask slipping repeatedly from her hand. The 36 years old huffed, letting her head fall backwards.

“What’s wrong?” Adler’s hand was warm on her knee as he crouched in front of her.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I have at most 2 minutes to get him out or his body.”

“And? You achieved greater things, Bell.”

“I know, but...”

“Don’t. You got it! Woods is a fighter and so are you. You have the plans of the house memorised, you are fast and ingenious. Dwindling around won’t get you peace of mind and it would certainly not erase the guild if we lose him.” He patted her shoulder, moving to rub her biceps. “You got this, beautiful. I trust you.”

Her low ponytail got thrown by how firm her shake was. One more cross, her solid hands secured the smoke mask and pushed her off the floor. It was all a mess. Jackets threw around, bullet casings, broken glass, crumpled paper. The attack was definitely a surprise for the agents as no barriers or traps were placed. Bodies, bodies, bodies. Woods made work of them, but not without losses.

The attached muzzle of her XM4 pierced the fog. The mods, a flashlight and laser point, flashed quickly at 15s intervals. Useless in the grand of schemes, the trained eye could easily see it, but she got a good deal for them so might as well. Through tinted lenses, her eyes covered the entry points, the nooks between walls, the...blood path?

With her heart in her throat, Bell advanced. More of the mercenaries’ bodies decorated the fuming halls. She wondered who in their right decided this damn house to be so unforgiving with their layout. Too many access points, too many paths and alternatives. And for some reason, too few bathrooms. KGB and their weird need to overcomplicate shit. At last, she reached the end of the blood trail, her fingers slowly pushed the door opened. When she heard a click and the thud of metal on concrete, she bolted out the room back where she came from. The explosion pushed the door opened. Luckily no shrapnel.

Her cheek was between her jaws, gun steady, the 36-year-old woman started to move forth again. The room, filled with computers and broken furniture, smell of death. Strangely enough, no bodies. She ran into the right door, making sure to check for any pressure plates, grenade bouquets and so on. The light went out by the 350m mark, allowing the demonic red backup light to illuminated her path. More like to make it more painful difficult. With a curse, Bell denounced her desire to stealth and kept her flashlight on. That allowed her to see the twinkling leg of a soldier. She ran towards him, knife pinning his throat. Not friendly.

“What happened here?” She asked, her Russian bouncing on the walls.

The soldier cladded in all black chocked on his own blood, pulling down the golden cross his necklace had. She pushed her hand to pressed on the cut. It spilled, the cut deep enough for the tip of her pointer and middle finger to be succumb into. Her hot breath came out in a scoff.

“Tell me!” Her nails were daggers in his throat, making him gasp and coughed.

“The American. Caught us by surprise.”

“He? He is a goddamn wheelchair. I counted 30 of you so far.”

“He knew. I don’t know how. But he knew. Even now, the smoke was his doing. Our order was to capture him.”

“And he stabbed you?”

“No, he made shrapnel frags. Once bounced in my neck.”

“Good, that’s what you deserve. Now, you know in what direction he left?”

“He left in- “The light of his dwindling eyes was snuff by a bullet. She threw herself into the other wall, taking shelter by the decrepit cargo boxes.

“Came to get more, Commie fuck? Come get me so I can spit on your mother’s grave!”

Her panic eased as she recognised the rough almost whispering voice of Woods. She sighed, rolling her words. Raising her hands, she spoke: “Drop your weapon, Woods! It’s me!”

“Yeah right. I don’t go in cahoots with no commie!”

Rude. “Seriously? How about Belikov? He helped you and Manson.”

“Manson?! Don’t fucking dare utter his name, red stripes! Don’t you fucking dare! How do you know about Belikov? Did he send you? Did he finally open his lips?”

Clearly her tactic didn’t work as the American vet got more and more agitated. Patience wasn’t part of her arsenal; in fact, she was often reprimanded for her poorness in this aspect. Her leg burned from clenching, her mind conjuring plans to approach him. However, before she could act, the light went out.

“Woods? Woods!” Bell jumped up to search for him. Her flash spotted nothing, no wheelchair, no blood. “Where the fuck? Argh!” She choked as a plastic wire tighten on her throat. Her legs kicked before she calmed herself enough to drop her weight down. The assailant was catapulted down, letting a deep groaned.

“Goddammit!” Woods held his spine, his old bones not being able to carry the brunch of a fight like they used to. His mind was as fast as always as he quickly pulled out his military issued knife from the Vietnam days.

Bell settled on his body immediately, her arms clenching as she struggled to pin Woods’ knife down. “You idiot, it’s me! Me, Bell!” The woman’s voice growled at the incessant man, breathing hard from the sheer fight he had in him. His arm strength overwhelmed her, causing her to immediately reflect on her ignorant view of this man’s might. Still, her fury proved fruitful. One strong punch knocked him out, her fingers cracking painfully. Her eyes peered down at him, checking his pulse and huffing.

“Stupid bastard.” She put her mask on him as the smoke finally began to reach this lower level. Hoisting him up wasn’t hard, certainly not harder than she imagined but Woods sure didn’t shy away from a second helping. Her cheeks bloated, her lips mumbled, and her legs swayed a bit till the balance was regained. With the flashlight, she guided herself through the breaking lodge. Her eyes watched for any reinforcement or any debris.

Flames, flames, they were everywhere. Incessant like the smell of burning flesh, disgusting, rotten flesh. She could shut her eyes and slipped back into that foxtrot. It wasn't real, she knew that. She knew that. She knew. She.

"GOOOOOD MOOOOOOORNING, VIEEETNAM!"

Bell jumped up, all sweaty and bitten by the local insects. Her brown eyes circled around the tent, waiting on the view to get clear. The guys frowned and groaned at Smith. Smith Timothy Robert, US 092 456 950, Catholic, was one of the new dropouts. Green, crude and malleable, the 19-year-old impressed every day by his stupidity.

Back to the others, they clearly didn’t have the best wishes in mind for the Ohioan. One of them, older and lankier, decided to act by slamming his helmet into Smith’s big nogging. The sound brought a smirk on her lips and some chuckles from the others. Smith didn’t appreciate that, but he couldn’t express this as the booming voice of Adler cut through.

“Good morning, Bell, men! Another day in this shithole, another day to be patriotic. Go change and prepare yourself, the birds will drop down at 1200 hours. And do try to read the debrief, being illiterate isn’t good for your health.” The smugness in his tone dropped a bit as he approached her. His body was warm, pressed against her thigh. “What’s up, Bell? Still recuperating from the accident?”

“This isn’t real, Adler.”

His eyebrows clenched under his glasses while looking straight into her eyes. “What you mean, Bell? It’s your head again?”

She didn’t have time to protest. His palm held her sweaty forehead, the warmth softening her frown. Like a stray, she basked into his touch, real or not, basking even if poison filled her lungs. Her lungs, they were stuffed, heavy. The coughing woke her up, realising she was wasting time.

Coming from the basement, their predicament proved worser and worser. It became crystal clear, clear like Bohemian glassware, that their time was running faster than her feet could carry both of them. Her hope to gather ammo or any other supplies ceased the moment the one of the ceiling joints hit the floor before her. She gasped, controlling her pace.

Хватит терять время!

Woods woke up with the usual tardiness. Groans came out while his hands rubbed his eyelids. Arms? He was free, no bounds, no torture. Actually, the American was in a fresh quality set of man pyjamas. They were blue and made of cotton, feeling soft on the man’s washed skin. He no longer smelt of sweat and spilled beer. His nose sniffed himself.

“Lavender and lime?” His voice echoed in the spacious bedroom.

“Mhm.”

The veteran jumped, looking desperately for his knife. His blue eyes settled on a cup of water, pills, the lamp and some books: “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers, “A People’s History of the United States: 1492 – Present” by Howard Zinn and “A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia” by Gilles Deleuze. When his fist clenched around the cup, the figure came out the shadow, shouting:

“Don’t you fucking dare stain my Persian rugs, motherfucker!”

“Why not?”

“Because we are friends?”

“Friends? Flattered, sweetheart but I don’t have any lady friends. Especially none that lurk like vampires in the dark.”

He could hear her move, his arm ready to throw the cup. The sun blinded him, arms shielding him. “A fucking warning would have been nice.”

As the sun hit her figure, the young woman stared directly at him, unnervingly so. Long hair was caught in a ponytail, pieces of it falling down scarred cheek and forehead. The one on her cheek was gnarly, healed but ugly as hell. It took from under her eyes and stopped at her lips, butchering them and turning them into bunny ones. The alluring spell of her dark brown eyes was frozen by the dead look of them. She looked Eastern European, and by her accent, maybe Russian. Dressed in a black compressing blouse with turquoise lines and brown jeans, her stocky build didn’t take from her femininity. If she was a bit taller, he could see her on those catwalks shows Sev liked to occasionally watch.

“Done staring?”

“I don’t recognise you.”

“Can’t blame you. Wore a mask pretty much all the time.”

“So, who are you?”

“Bell rings a... well bell?”

“Bell? Bell?! Ha ha ha ha! Bell was a damn man and a crazy one at that. No way you are him.”

Her eye twitched as the woman exhaled in exasperation. This buffoon taught I was a man? Is he deaf?

“In my defence, I repeatedly referred to you as she.” Adler appeared beside her.

“Not now, Adler.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bell shook her head before leaving despite the shouts of Woods. What he going to do? Leave? Her hand, wrapped in gauze to keep the cream from staining, was hurting while moving the mess she had in the trunk. Finally, she took the bloodied balaklava mask and walked back in his room.

“Welcome back. Now are you finally done wasting my time?”

Asshole. Bell threw the olive mask on his lap, crossing her arms. Her lips grimaced. Her face loured at him, waiting for the wheels to spin.

“Holy fucking hell!” He whispered.

She didn’t expect the radiance in his baby blue peepers or the bright smile stretching his skin. He appeared ecstatic, happines rushing in his veins like adrenaline. Bell frowned at that.

“I fucking knew it! I fucking knew it. Fucker got attached.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“Show me where he shot you.”

“Что с тобой не так?” She began only to get interrupted by the American.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Curse me later. Show me.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” Seeing her glare, he added. “Please?”

Pushing her hair under her left ear, she exposed the healed stitches that conquered her left side of scalp. “Happy?”

Woods slapped his hands together, laughing and smiling all too pleased. “I knew it. Oh, Manson owns me so much.”

The woman softened at the mention of his deceased friend. “About that. I want to share my condolences. Your strength is extraordinary.”

“Thanks, kid.”

A sobber silence followed.

“He still owns me.”

“For what?”

“For losing the bet.”

“What bet?”

“That Adler will get too attached to you and will go behind Hudson’s order to dispose of you.”

“What?” She walked forward; fist clenched.

“Easy there. He clearly deflected.”

“YOU CALL THIS DEFLECTED? HE SHOT ME TWICE! TWICE! POINT BLANK!” Bell raged on. The gauze almost ripped by her grip.

“Listen...Listen. LISTEN TO ME GODDAMNIT!” Woods watched her stop, panting like a bull. A part of him was glad she hasn’t grown mellow. “We both know Addler is a professional motherfucker. CIA rat. He would never shoot so sloppily, especially not so close to his target. He had to give something to Hudson, so he did what he could.”

“Couldn’t he had told me? Spare me the trauma?”

“I didn’t say he was ...the most considerate out of all of us. But he cared enough to keep you alive.”

Bell sat in the bed, next to his legs. Frank could see the conflict in her eyes, the anger mixing with doubt and hope. He extended his hand, waiting for Bell’s. His thin lips spread when the three fingers of her left hand. His warm gaze wondered how she lost her pinkie and her ring finger, but that was a story for another time.

“Talk to me, Bell.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I don’t go by that. Not anymore or ever.”

“What should I call you?”

“Amelia.”

[mypetitelune]

Amelia Ivanovich-Lupu ( my fem!Bell) & Russell Adler relationship mood board

Mind you, this is after beating the shit of each other while on top of each other ;P

[mypetitelune]

Sharing about my Bell through pictures!

Part 1

(Credit to the owners of the pictures!

Body:

Face:

Hobbies:

Car:

Fashion sense:

Jewelry:

[mypetitelune]

“But if you forget to reblog Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity.”

[mypetitelune]

Hope you all enjoy it! Let me know if link works!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61279339/chapters/156616924

[mypetitelune]

hi, there just read your Adler x Bell fic, I like what I’m seeing

Hello!

Thank you so much! 🤗💖 I post the other chapters on Ao3. I will post a link here.

[mypetitelune]

I wonder what he had to endure when he was captured by Stitch in the 80s and subjected to MK-Ultra... We only saw a fraction of it: him on the stretcher, sweating, bleeding, with a face of excruciating pain and suffering, struggling to free himself from the restraints on his hands and feet. Even his clothes were drenched in sweat... his long, messy hair and unkempt beard... Then we see how he was left while sitting in the chair, with Mason trying to treat him, and he was extremely aggressive, still under the effects of MK-Ultra and completely out of his mind.

Obviously, he recovered later, but... What must it have been like to endure almost a year alone, subjected to MK-Ultra by Stitch and the other Soviets? Can we get a glimpse of that? I don’t blame him if there were days when he thought the CIA had abandoned him, though I know he’d genuinely believe the opposite because he knows his value as an asset to the agency. But I don’t doubt that even he had his moments of doubt.

I mean... Besides... What did they do to him that even Russell Adler himself, a CIA agent and soldier for decades, someone who had even survived Vietnam... fell to all that mental programming? That’s what gives me chills the most... It’s not just physical torture; it’s the total loss of his mental autonomy. What was that year like in Stitch’s hands? While Cold War only shows us glimpses of his suffering, we can infer that he was subjected to a long, brutal, and systematic process to break his mind. Mental programming with MK-Ultra isn’t instant; it requires torture, sensory deprivation, extreme manipulation, and constant repetition. (And yes, I’ve read the declassified CIA documents—spoiler: it’s not very pleasant.)

1. Isolation and physical weakening He was likely kept in a dark, cold cell for months, deprived of sleep, food, and water, slowly weakening him. Constant interrogations, beatings, electric shocks—all aimed at wearing down his mental and emotional resistance. White noise, strobe lights, and hallucinogenic drugs to confuse his perception of time and reality.

2. Psychological torture and programming Repetitive messages in his head: Constant audio in Russian telling him the CIA abandoned him, that his loyalty is a lie, that his mind no longer belongs to him. Injections of drugs like LSD and sodium pentothal, historically used in MK-Ultra to induce extreme suggestibility. Forced hypnosis: They would’ve induced a state where he could no longer discern what was real and what was programming. Distorted sense of time: They likely made him doubt how long he’d been there—weeks, months, or even years.

3. Resistance and deterioration Despite everything, Adler is a survivor. His training, mental strength, and ego would’ve made him resist longer than most men could endure. But even he fell. Because MK-Ultra isn’t just about making you say what they want to hear—it’s about making you believe what they want. And the scariest part is that his mind eventually gave in.

Did Adler believe the CIA abandoned him? Most likely, at first, he didn’t believe a word they said. He knows his value as an asset and understands how the agency works. But after months of torture, isolation, and manipulation, even Adler, with all his resilience, must’ve had moments of doubt. At some point, his own mind became his enemy. Constant nightmares of his team leaving him behind. Induced visions of Bell betraying him, of himself shooting Woods and Mason. Manipulated flashbacks to make him believe his past wasn’t real.

These are just some of the things I imagine he could’ve endured. That’s why, when we see him on the stretcher, sweating, bleeding, trying to break free with an expression of absolute suffering, it’s because his mind is fragmented, broken, invaded. And when we finally see him with Mason, still under the effects of MK-Ultra, his extreme aggression is proof that part of his mind no longer belongs to him.

How did he recover? This is where we see what makes Adler, Adler. Even after being programmed as a weapon, after his identity was eroded and his mind invaded, he managed to find his way back to himself. Thanks to Mason and the CIA, who reversed the programming with aggressive deprogramming and counterconditioning, Adler regained control. But he was never the same. Because knowing that even he could be turned into a puppet left a deep scar. That’s why, when we see him in his Agent Zero skin (from Cold War), with long hair, a messy beard, and a harder gaze than ever, what we’re seeing isn’t just his appearance after captivity—it’s the reflection of a man who fought to reclaim his own mind and won... but at a cost.

All of this happens in the mid-80s, and Black Ops 6 is set in 1991, about half a decade later. When Adler was 49, a few years after the MK-Ultra ordeal in ’84 and ’85, meaning, by 1986, Adler was 49—just one year after all that disaster. That’s when the CIA tries to retire Adler. He refuses, but in 1989, the Panama disaster happens, where Jason Hudson dies and Frank Woods is left paralyzed.

Amid all this, the CIA tries to frame him, and Adler goes on the run. By 1991, Adler has been a fugitive for 10 months, almost a year... Obviously, in the campaign, we discover it wasn’t the CIA who framed him but Pantheon, led by Jane Harrow. Adler and Woods always knew Russell Adler was the scapegoat and that Adler never left Woods paralyzed or sold out him, Hudson, and Mason for money. He’s too smart to swallow that crap, and he says so himself. Still... when he’s on the run, and what we see in the Black Ops 6 campaign, set in 1991 while Adler is a fugitive and a criminal alongside Woods, Troy Marshall, and the rest of the team for helping Adler escape, he... seems relaxed. It’s like he doesn’t care anymore.

I think this is precisely because Adler, by that point, has already lost everything. He no longer cares about anything; he’s just surviving and taking refuge in material, expensive things: expensive clothes, expensive whiskey, expensive cigarettes, etc. It’s also to project his status and imposing demeanor even amid all the chaos, but it’s not just about an external facade, I think.

Rather, after everything he went through in the 80s—starting in 1981 in Cold War, killing Bell, Perseus, years later finding out in 1985 from Stitch that Perseus had died of cancer in 1983, realizing he’d been chasing a ghost for over a decade, getting divorced from his wife in the late 70s (since by 1981 he’s already divorced), and probably losing his children (since Hudson and Mason had children despite their CIA work, so something serious must’ve happened for Adler to divorce).

So, all of this, plus what came before, makes me think that after 1984 and 1985, when Adler was subjected to MK-Ultra while captured by Stitch, even though he later recovered thanks to Mason, Hudson, and Woods, he... was never the same. There’s a breaking point, a turning point, too big to ignore. Russell Adler is a man who adapts by nature. But if his life was already somewhat stable or in decline in the 80s, after the mid-80s onward, it’s a freefall without a parachute...

The man who had already lost so much in the 80s then loses everything. He’d already lost his wife, probably his children if he had any, was tortured and brainwashed, spent 15 years chasing Perseus since Vietnam, only to find out he was dead, lost his only friends, and to top it off, his job—the last thing that gave him meaning. He’s rescued from Stitch and the torture, only for the CIA to try to retire him the next year. They don’t succeed, but then they frame him for something he didn’t do. It’s... harsh, and at the same time, the definition of a man who has nothing left to lose.

He takes refuge in material things because there’s nothing else left. I don’t know if he has a void, but by 1991, at 54... Russell Adler, I think, is in a crisis.

Beneath the jokes in Zombies mode, we see it: his hair, his physique, his age... Even in the campaign, when he scoffs and admits that the CIA wanted to retire him at 49 to make way for younger generations because they’re more creative, among other things. Again, we know this was Pantheon and not the CIA itself, but Pantheon, being within the CIA, used the ammunition the organization already had against Adler and twisted it a bit (a lot).

The last thing we know, from the campaign and the ending of Black Ops 6, is that Adler, Woods, and Troy Marshall are reinstated. They’re thanked for taking down Jane Harrow, who was part of Pantheon and the CIA traitor who framed Russell Adler in the first place.

But then... at least I think we can say it was a happy ending. But they’re reinstated to, in the words of Daniel Livingstone, the CIA director, protect them because the enemy never left, and now they’ll have all available resources.

Adler returns, yes, but he’s no longer the same man he was in the 80s, because now he has nothing to lose. And I, having lived it myself, can assure you that the man who screams isn’t the one to fear—those are just emotions. The one to fear is the man who laughs and enjoys chaos and violence, because Russell Adler is that. He’s someone who’s already given everything in his life, continues because it’s all he knows, and has learned to enjoy chaos and violence. Now he laughs because he knows he has nothing to lose, and that not only makes you lethal and dangerous but also deadly. He no longer fears death, if he ever did.

By the way, if we already said Russell 

Adler’s relationship with women was complicated, considering his divorce and how he treated Helen Park in 1981 during Cold War and now in Black Ops 6 with Sevati Dumas, I want to briefly mention how he bitterly tells us about how he personally took Jane Harrow under his wing and trained her. The same person who later framed him... He doesn’t say it explicitly, but his tone makes it clear that Russell Adler is deeply hurt by Harrow’s betrayal.

The man took her as a protégé, and maybe even as something like a daughter (since everyone mentions Jane joined young, following her parents’ example as agents). I don’t know, but from his tone, it’s clear it hurt him deeply. He even blames himself for perhaps not being the best example for her. Russell, already fragmented since Vietnam, through the 80s after MK-Ultra and his capture by Stitch between 1984 and 1985, after that... Adler is outright broken. There’s no other way to say it: Adler isn’t just fragmented—he’s broken. Not in the sense of someone who collapses and gives up, but in the sense of someone who’s been stripped of everything, gone through hell, and come out without a single tie to this world. The man who has nothing left to lose.

Jane Harrow’s betrayal was the final nail in the coffin. Russell Adler doesn’t trust many people. But when he does, he means it. He trained her. Took her under his wing. Maybe he saw her as a protégé, perhaps even as the daughter he never had. And then she destroyed him. It’s a blow that doesn’t need to be verbalized. His tone says it all. The resentment. The pain. The guilt. Because Adler has never been a good man, and he knows it. And deep down, maybe he wonders if Jane betrayed him because she simply became what he taught her to be. That thought must’ve eaten at him.

Adler’s decline: From resilience to emptiness Everything in his story from the 80s onward is a freefall without brakes.

First, his divorce and the loss of his family (which, as you say, likely included children).

Then, his obsession with Perseus, only to discover in 1985 that he’d been chasing a ghost for over a decade. After that, his capture and MK-Ultra, where his own mind was taken from him.

When he’s finally “rescued,” the CIA tries to retire him at 49 because he’s no longer useful, he’s “old.”

Three years later, in Panama, Hudson dies, Woods is paralyzed, and he’s framed for everything.

Now he’s a fugitive, without allies, without a home, without a country. Each of these blows chipped away at something inside him.

And by 1991, there’s nothing left. No love, no hope, no future. He only survives because he doesn’t know how to do anything else.

Why does he seem so relaxed in Black Ops 6?

Because he’s crossed the line. When everything is taken from you, there comes a point where nothing matters anymore. The CIA betrayed him (or so he believes at the time). He lost his friends. His own mind was taken and reprogrammed in the past. His reputation, his legacy, his identity—all destroyed. There’s no more fear. No more anger. Only emptiness remains. That’s why he takes refuge in material things: Expensive whiskey, expensive clothes, expensive cigarettes. It’s a projection of power, yes, but it’s also his last anchor to reality. It’s the only thing he has left to remind him of who he was before everything collapsed.

The danger of Adler in this state The Adler of the 80s had a purpose. He was cold, ruthless, but he had a code. The Adler of 1991... has no limits. You don’t fear the man who screams. You fear the man who laughs in the midst of chaos. This Adler isn’t impulsive or chaotic because he’s lost his mind. On the contrary, he’s more lucid than ever, but he no longer feels attached to anything. And when a man like that laughs in the midst of violence, it’s not because he enjoys it like an out-of-control psychopath. It’s because he’s already accepted his own damnation. The "happy ending": Is it really? Yes, he’s reinstated in the CIA. But he’s not the same anymore. He has no wife. He has no children. His friends are dead or broken. The CIA, his only reason for living, sold him out when he was no longer useful. Yes, they put him back in the game. But he’s not doing it out of loyalty, honor, or a sense of duty anymore.

Now he does it because he doesn’t know how to live any other way. Russell Adler hasn’t returned.

What’s left of him is just the shadow of a man who once had something to lose.

Me pregunto qué fue lo que tuvo que vivir al ser capturado por Stich en los 80s y cuando lo sometieron al MK-ultra... Apenas vimos una fracción de eso: él en la camilla sudando, sangrando con una cara de dolor y sufrimiento atroz mientras no dejaba de moverse intentando zafarse de las ataduras de sus manos y pies. Incluso su ropa estaba demasiado sudada...su cabello largo y desprolijo y la barba larga y descuidada también... Luego vemos cómo quedó mientras estaba en la silla y Mason intentaba curarlo y él estaba muy agresivo, el mk-ultra aún activo en él y fuera de sí.

Obviamente luego se recuperó pero... ¿Cómo tuvo que ser estar casi 1 año solo sometido al mk-ultra por Stitch y los demás soviéticos? ¿Podemos dar un vistazo a eso? No lo culpo si habrá tenido días donde pensaba que la cia lo había abandonado aunque sé que genuinamente creería en lo contrario porque él mismo sabe lo que vale como activo para la agencia. Pero no dudo que él mismo haya dudado.

Quiero decir...Además…

¿Qué fue lo que le hicieron para que él incluso, el mismísimo Russell Adler, agente de la CIA y soldado, desde hacía décadas, alguien que incluso había sobrevivido a Vietnam...haya caído ante toda esa programación mental? Eso es lo que más me pone la piel de gallina…

No se trata solo de tortura física, sino de la pérdida total de su autonomía mental.

¿Cómo fue ese año en manos de Stitch?

Si bien Cold War solo nos muestra destellos de su sufrimiento, podemos inferir que fue sometido a un proceso largo, brutal y sistemático para quebrar su mente. La programación mental con MK-Ultra no es instantánea; requiere tortura, privación sensorial, manipulación extrema y repetición constante. (Y si, he leído los documentos oficiales desclasificados de la CIA, spoiler: no es muy agradable)

1. Aislamiento y debilitamiento físico

Es probable que lo mantuvieran en una celda oscura y fría durante meses, con privación de sueño, comida y agua, debilitándolo poco a poco.

Interrogatorios constantes, golpes, descargas eléctricas—todo con el fin de desgastar su resistencia mental y emocional.

Ruido blanco, luces estroboscópicas y drogas alucinógenas para confundir su percepción del tiempo y la realidad.

2. Tortura psicológica y programación

Mensajes repetitivos en su cabeza: Con audios constantes en ruso diciéndole que la CIA lo abandonó, que su lealtad es una mentira, que su mente ya no le pertenece.

Inyecciones de drogas como LSD y pentotal sódico, utilizadas históricamente en MK-Ultra para inducir estados de sugestionabilidad extrema.

Hipnosis forzada: Le habrían inducido un estado donde ya no podía discernir qué era real y qué era programación.

Imagen distorsionada del tiempo: Posiblemente lo hicieron dudar de cuánto llevaba ahí, si fueron semanas, meses o incluso años.

3. Resistencia y deterioro

A pesar de todo, Adler es un sobreviviente. Su entrenamiento, su fortaleza mental y su ego lo habrían hecho resistir más de lo que cualquier otro hombre podría soportar. Pero incluso él cayó.

Porque el MK-Ultra no solo consiste en hacerte decir lo que quieren oír, sino en hacerte creer lo que ellos quieren.

Y lo más aterrador es que su mente terminó cediendo.

¿Adler creyó que la CIA lo abandonó?

Lo más probable es que, al principio, no creyera nada de lo que le decían. Él sabe su valor como activo y también entiende cómo funciona la agencia.

Pero después de meses de tortura, aislamiento y manipulación, incluso Adler, con toda su resistencia, debió haber tenido momentos de duda.

En algún punto, su propia mente se convirtió en su enemigo.

Pesadillas constantes con su equipo dejándolo atrás.

Visiones inducidas donde Bell lo traicionaba, donde él mismo disparaba contra Woods y Mason.

Flashbacks manipulados para hacerle creer que su pasado no era real.

Estas son solo algunas cosas de las que se me ocurre que podría haber vivido.

Por eso, cuando lo vemos en la camilla, sudando, sangrando, intentando liberarse con una expresión de sufrimiento absoluto, es porque su mente está fragmentada, rota, invadida.

Y cuando finalmente lo vemos con Mason, aún con el MK-Ultra activo, su agresividad extrema es una prueba de que una parte de su mente ya no le pertenece.

¿Cómo logró recuperarse?

Aquí es donde vemos lo que hace que Adler sea Adler.

Incluso después de haber sido programado como un arma, después de que su identidad fuera erosionada y su mente invadida, logró encontrar el camino de vuelta a sí mismo.

Gracias a Mason y la CIA, que revirtieron la programación con desprogramación agresiva y contra-condicionamiento, Adler recuperó el control.

Pero nunca volvió a ser el mismo.

Porque saber que incluso él pudo ser convertido en una marioneta dejó una cicatriz profunda.

Por eso, cuando lo vemos en su skin de Agente Cero (de Cold War), con el cabello largo, la barba desaliñada y la mirada más dura que nunca. Lo que vemos no es solo su aspecto después del cautiverio, es el reflejo de un hombre que luchó para recuperar su propia mente y ganó... pero a un precio.

Todo eso pasa a mediados de los 80s y Black Ops 6 se ambienta en 1991, más o menos media década después. Cuando Adler tenía 49, pocos años después de lo del 84 y 85 del mK-ultra, es decir, haciendo cálculos Adler tenía 49 años en 1986, vendría a ser 1 año después de todo ese desastre. Es cuando la cia quiere jubilarlo a Adler. Él se niega pero en 1989 ocurre el desastre de Panamá donde muere Jason Hudson y Frank Woods queda paralítico. En medio de eso la CIA intenta incriminarlo y Adler se da a la fuga. 

Para 1991 Adler ya lleva 10 meses prófugo, casi 1 año... obviamente en la campaña descubrimos que no fue la CIA realmente quién lo incriminó sino Pantheon, a la cabeza de Jane Harrow. Adler y Woods siempre supieron que Russell Adler era el chivo expiatorio y que Adler jamás dejó a Woods paralítico ni los vendió a él, Hudson y Mason por dinero. Es demasiado inteligente para tragarse esa mierda y él mismo lo dice. Aun así... cuando está prófugo y lo que vemos de la campaña de black ops 6, ambientada en 1991 mientras Adler es prófugo y un criminal junto con Woods, Troy Marshall y el resto del equipo por ayudar a escapar a Adler, él...está relajado. Es como si no le importara ya. 

Creo que esto se debe justamente a que Adler, para ese punto, ya lo ha perdido todo, ya no le importa nada, solamente sobrevive y se refugia en las cosas materiales y caras: ropa cara, whisky caro, cigarrillos caros, etc. También para proyectar aún su estatus de seguridad y tipo imponente aún en medio de todo el caos y bla bla bla, ok, pero no es solo por una fachada externa, creo.

Más bien, con todo lo que vivió en los 80s desde 1981 en cold war, lo de matar a Bell, Perseus, años más tarde enterarse en 1985 por Stich que Perseus había muerto de cáncer en 1983 y que persigue básicamente un fantasma y no le sirvió de nada, se divorció de su mujer a finales de los 70s probablemente (porque para 1981 ya está divorciado), probablemente perdió hijos. (Ya que Hudson y Mason si tenían hijos a pesar de su trabajo en la cia, así que algo grave les pasó para que Adler se divorcie). Entonces, todo esto, más lo anterior, creo que hacen que luego de 1984 y 1985, cuando Adler es sometido al MK-Ultra al estar capturado por Stich, hace que aunque luego se recupere gracias a Mason, Hudson y Woods ya...no sea el mismo...hay un punto de quiebre, de inflexión, demasiado grande para ignorarlo.

Russell Adler es un hombre que se adapta por naturaleza. Pero si su vida ya venía más o menos estable o en caída en los 80s, luego de la mitad de esa década en adelante es una caída libre y sin paracaídas... él hombre que ya había perdido mucho en los 80s luego lo pierde todo, ya había perdido a su esposa, probablemente a sus hijos si los tenía, lo sometieron y torturaron, se pasó 15 años buscando a Perseus, desde Vietnam, todo para enterarse que murió, pierde a sus únicos amigos, y para colmo, su trabajo, lo último que le da sentido, lo rescatan de Stich y la tortura, todo para que al año siguiente lo quieran jubilar. No lo consiguen pero luego lo incriminan de algo que él no cometió.

Es...duro y a la vez la definición de el hombre que ya no tiene nada que perder. Se refugia en lo material porque no le queda nada más. No sé si tenga un vacío pero para 1991 a sus 54 años...Russell Adler, creo, que se encuentra en una crisis. Debajo de las bromas en el modo zombies lo vemos: su cabello, su físico, su edad... incluso en la campaña cuando desdeña y admite que la CIA quería jubilarlo desde que tenía 49 para dar paso a nuevas generaciones porque son más creativas, entre otras cosas. Repito, obviamente sabemos que esto fue Pantheon y no la CIA en sí, pero Pantheon al estar dentro de la CIA, utilizaron la munición que ya tenía la propia organización contra Adler y la alteraron un poco (mucho). Lo último que sabemos, por la campaña y el final de Black Ops 6, es que restituyen a Adler, Woods y Troy Marshall. Agradecidos por haber acabado con Jane Harrow quien sí era parte de Pantheon y la traidora de la CIA que incriminó a Russell Adler en primer lugar. Pero entonces... al menos creo que podemos decir que fue un final feliz. Pero los restituyen para, en palabras de Daniel Livingstone, el director de la cia, protegerlos porque el enemigo nunca se fue, y ahora tendrán todos los recursos disponibles. Adler regresa, sí, pero ya no es el mismo hombre que en los 80s, porque ahora no tiene nada que perder y yo misma, porque lo he vivido, te puedo asegurar que no da miedo el tipo que grita, esas son solo emociones, realmente. Hay que tenerle miedo al tipo que se ríe y disfruta del caos y la violencia porque Russell Adler es eso, es alguien que ya lo dio todo toda su vida, sigue asi porque es lo único que conoce y ya aprendió a disfrutar del caos y la violencia, ahora de ríe, porque sabe que no tiene nada que perder y eso no sólo te hace letal y peligros sino también mortífero, ya no tiene miedo a la muerte, si es que alguna vez lo tuvo. Por cierto, si ya decíamos que la relación de Russell Adler con las mujeres era complicada teniendo en cuenta su divorcio y el trato que tenía con Helen Park en 1981 durante cold war y ahora en black ops 6 con Sevati Dumas quiero hacer una breve mención que él nos dice con un tono amargo sobre cómo acogió y entrenó personalmente y la mantuvo bajo su ala a Jane Harrow. Exactamente la misma persona que la incriminó después... no lo dice explícitamente pero en su tono se nota que a Russell Adler le pesa que Harrow lo haya traicionado. El hombre la tomó como una aprendiz, y quizás, hasta como algo similar a una hija (ya que todos mencionan que Jane entró joven, siguiendo el ejemplo de sus padres como agentes), no lo sé, pero por su tono, se nota que le dolió mucho eso de su parte. Incluso él mismo se culpa de quizás no haber sido lo mejor, o el mejor ejemplo para ella. Russell, sí ya venía fragmentado desde Vietnam, hasta los 80s luego del MK-Ultra y su secuestro por parte de Stich entre 1984 y 1985, luego de esto...Adler directamente está roto…

No hay otra forma de decirlo: Adler no solo está fragmentado, está roto. No en el sentido de alguien que se derrumba y se rinde, sino en el de alguien que ha sido despojado de todo, ha pasado por el infierno y ha salido sin un solo lazo que lo ate a este mundo.

El hombre que ya no tiene nada que perder.La traición de Jane Harrow fue el último clavo en el ataúd.

Russell Adler no confía en muchas personas. Pero cuando lo hace, lo hace de verdad.

Él la entrenó. La tomó bajo su ala.Tal vez la vio como una aprendiz, quizás hasta como la hija que nunca tuvo.

Y luego ella lo destruyó.

Es un golpe que no necesita ser verbalizado. Su tono de voz lo dice todo.

El resentimiento.

El dolor.

La culpa.

Porque Adler nunca ha sido un buen hombre, y lo sabe.

Y en el fondo, quizás se pregunta si Jane lo traicionó porque simplemente se convirtió en lo que él mismo le enseñó a ser.

Ese pensamiento debe haberlo carcomido.

El declive de Adler: de la resistencia al vacío

Todo en su historia a partir de los 80s es una caída en picada sin frenos.

Primero fue su divorcio y la pérdida de su familia (que, como dices, seguramente incluyó hijos).

Luego, su obsesión con Perseus, solo para descubrir en 1985 que llevaba más de una década persiguiendo un fantasma.

Después, su secuestro y el MK-Ultra, donde su propia mente le fue arrebatada.

Cuando al fin es "rescatado", la CIA intenta jubilarlo a los 49, porque ya no es útil, ya es "viejo".

Tres años después, en Panamá, Hudson muere, Woods queda paralítico y lo incriminan por todo.

Ahora es un fugitivo, sin aliados, sin casa, sin patria.

Cada uno de estos golpes fue apagando algo dentro de él.

Y para 1991, ya no queda nada.

No queda amor, no queda esperanza, no queda futuro. Sólo sobrevive porque no sabe hacer otra cosa.

¿Por qué parece tan relajado en Black Ops 6?

Porque ya cruzó la línea.

Cuando te arrebatan todo, llega un punto en que ya nada importa.

La CIA lo traicionó (o eso cree en ese momento).

Perdió a sus amigos.

Su propia mente fue tomada y reprogramada en el pasado.

Su reputación, su legado, su identidad: todo destruido.

Ya no hay miedo. Ya no hay rabia. Solo queda el vacío.

Por eso se refugia en lo material:

El whisky caro, la ropa cara, los cigarrillos caros.

Es una proyección de poder, sí, pero también es su último ancla con la realidad.

Es lo único que le queda para recordar quién era antes de que todo colapsara.

El peligro de Adler en este estado

El Adler de los 80s tenía un propósito. Era frío, despiadado, pero tenía un código.

El Adler de 1991... ya no tiene límites.

No hay que temerle al hombre que grita. Hay que temerle al que se ríe en medio del caos.

Este Adler no es impulsivo ni caótico porque haya perdido la razón.Al contrario, está más lúcido que nunca, pero ya no siente apego a nada.

Y cuando un hombre así se ríe en medio de la violencia, no es porque la disfrute como un psicópata sin control.

Es porque ya ha aceptado su propia condena.

El "final feliz": ¿realmente lo es?

Sí, lo reinstalan en la CIA.

Pero ya no es el mismo.

No tiene esposa.

No tiene hijos.

Sus amigos han muerto o están destrozados.

La CIA, su única razón de vivir, lo vendió cuando dejó de ser útil.

Sí, lo devuelven al juego. Pero ya no lo hace por lealtad, ni por honor, ni por sentido del deber.

Ahora lo hace porque no sabe vivir de otra forma.

Russell Adler no ha vuelto.

Lo que queda de él es solo la sombra de un hombre que alguna vez tuvo algo que perder.

[mypetitelune]

Hi!

I really love your theories and analysis. I appreciate how diligent you are with your wording and how much effort you put by translating them both in English and Spanish( I think?).

I have couple of questions if you wish to indulge me:

1. How would Adler behave around a Bell who is the carbon copy of Perseus( attitude wise) if Bell had such liberty?

2. What if he found out Bell was Perseus' blood child?

3. What type of person would be the perfect lover for a man like Adler?

4. What type of foods will Adler like? He doesn't seem to be the type to be acclimatise to homecooking.

5. Do you think he has any preconceptions in regards to women or any other minorities?

Thank you for your time!💖

Oh first, thank you very much, yes. I like to write in both languages, I speak both English and Spanish mostly. Also, the more people can understand what I write, the better (although I try not to lose the meaning of what I write in translations). Now let's go step by step:

1- About the first question, I didn’t fully understand what you meant (you can clarify, and I’ll respond better), but based on what I understood (that it’s about whether Bell could be the closest in attitude and personality to Perseus but younger), I think if Adler realized that, it would only give him more power to subject Bell to torture until he extracted all the necessary information, whether through MK-Ultra, negative priming, subliminal messages, or whatever was necessary. He’d use the CIA and leverage the 80s to make Bell more malleable to his will.

If there were any hint of Bell trying to break free from Adler’s conditioning, implanted memories, etc., Russell would definitely suppress it. The last thing Adler wants is for an asset to have freedom. As we see in Cold War, even though Bell eventually regains their memories, Adler kills them because they become a walking danger. What’s certain is that Russ would never give Bell freedom, as I don’t think he ever saw Bell as a person—just a disposable asset like so many others, only this one was valuable for longer.

2- Honestly, here I think things change a bit, because if Bell had been Perseus’s direct son, the treatment would likely have been different. I won’t ask how the team would’ve figured it out, but let’s say they knew and confirmed it through DNA tests, documents, dates, or something. Being, in this case, even more valuable, I think they would’ve tried more mental and psychological tactics before resorting to physical torture and subjugation. Maybe they could’ve even used him as a hostage for negotiation in extreme cases—if that even mattered to Perseus (which I doubt, but I don’t entirely rule it out). I think Adler would’ve manipulated him more subtly, knowing that with intelligence, Bell would cooperate more if, through a mix of lies and truth, they made him believe he should help them for the greater good, that his father is insane, or similar reasons.

Appealing to an individual’s own will and making them believe they’re part of a greater cause yields better results than forcing someone against their will to perform acts they don’t want to do. Whether or not MK-Ultra or other methods are involved. I don’t know, I can imagine Adler playing the role of being more protective and less distant with Bell, maybe Park and Sims too, along with other team members. Protecting Bell more, knowing that if he was a valuable asset before, now he’d be invaluable.

3- Short answer: Me, lol. Jokes aside, I might be guilty of using myself as a reference here, but definitely not just any woman is for Adler—I think we all agree on that. First, I’d say that at 54, age is probably the last thing he’d care about. Whether you’re 20, 30, 40, or whatever age (as long as you’re an adult), I don’t see him caring much. What he would care about is how intelligent you are, whether you can keep up with his pace and lifestyle, because he’s going to expect you to adapt to his life, not the other way around, since he’s a workaholic. I’ve known men similar to Adler—I can even compare him to my dad in many ways, like both being ENTJs—and I can definitely tell you it’s a very complicated personality type in the MBTI. Luckily, I’m an INTJ, and over the years, I’ve learned to understand this type of personality. Someone like Adler wouldn’t want someone incompetent, dependent, or inept by his side. He doesn’t want someone who becomes a burden or someone he constantly has to protect. Adler would want a lover who energizes him, someone who fills him with energy, especially now that age might be weighing on him. He’d also want a girl who isn’t submissive, who doesn’t say yes to everything, who challenges him but also lets herself be dominated.

Adler’s personality is one that solves problems before they start. He won’t order for you at a restaurant, but he’s someone who’ll make decisions for you, believing he knows what’s best for you, often without telling you. So it’ll be a constant push and pull, which can be exhausting for many. Adler isn’t someone who’ll make unnecessary scenes, so he’ll look for someone who doesn’t create drama or scenes. No one insecure or immature. She’d have to be independent, maybe even a loner like him, since she’d need her own life because Adler hardly spends any time at home. He’d probably want a lover willing to learn, especially if you’re much younger than him or your job isn’t being a CIA black ops agent. I know he’d love it if his lover asked him to teach them things like shooting and reloading a gun, boxing, self-defense, and even if you went for a drive, he’d probably explain how to evade a car during a chase—that would be his way of saying “I love you.” The girl would have to be very perceptive because Adler won’t say “I love you,” but you’ll see it in how he cares for you—gifts, advice, shared activities, maybe even related to his work, etc. He’s more demonstrative, so he’d value a girl who doesn’t constantly ask him to say how much he loves her.

That’s why, within the MBTI, one of the best compatibilities is ENTJ and INTJ. They’re basically the same, but Adler being extroverted (ENTJ) and me, for example, being introverted (INTJ), makes it so that in social situations where I don’t feel like interacting, Adler would take over the conversation without me having to say anything, which complements me by taking a weight off my shoulders. But I understand that many people might not like this, and that’s understandable. Especially in the long term, I wonder if someone who meets all the characteristics I mentioned would still stay with someone like Adler.

Being so intelligent, you’d have to ask yourself if you want to be with someone as dangerous and unstable as him, given his life, work, and emotional scars, or if you’d prefer someone more stable and reliable than Adler, since it’s very likely he’d be distrustful even with his lover or worry that something might happen to them because of him. He’d care deeply about his lover’s safety and self-confidence above all else. It’s a bit long, but I wanted to expand as much as I could (and even then, I know I’ve missed things).

As you can see, this point is very extensive because Adler is complex, and a profile like his requires it.

4- Adler is obviously not used to home-cooked meals due to the nature of his work and being a workaholic. But I know that if you cook something homemade for him, you’ll melt his icy heart, hehe. Most likely, he’s too used to ordering takeout, eating whatever’s on the go, and if by some miracle he has at least three days at home and DECIDES to cook, it’d probably be simple but nutritious dishes: steak with potatoes, vegetables with meat, I don’t know, but I get the feeling he’d carefully evaluate what he’s consuming nutritionally when he can, especially at his age and to stay in shape.

So I think if you cook him something like a broth, he’d love it. That’s why, in Zombies mode, when he drinks the Quick Revive perk and says, “MMM!! Tastes like broth!” (at least in Spanish), I think it’s because it reminds him of a more homemade dish. So cook him something homemade, whatever it is, and this man will devour it!!! Russ just wants a decent meal that tastes like home and is made with love!! As for specific dishes, I doubt he has any favorites—maybe burgers or pizza, though I can’t think of any traditional dish his mother might’ve cooked for him in his childhood. Sorry, I didn’t grow up in the 40s in San Diego, and if you ask him, he might give you a vague answer. What I notice in common with the Call of Duty guys is that they’d eat anything. They’re used to it, always being in some warzone.

5- Look, considering women make up half the world’s population, I wouldn’t define myself as a minority. This is murky territory, but if you’ve seen my other posts, you’ll know I suspect Adler has a complicated relationship with women. Beyond what one might expect given the era he was born in, I attribute it more to factors like his own personality and character. Remember, he’s an ENTJ—a VERY demanding and even overwhelming personality, combined with his ego. This already makes him hard to deal with for other men, but with women, I feel it’s even worse. Take his divorce, his relationship with Sevati (who knows she’s there because Adler pays well), and even in both Cold War and Black Ops 6, Park always keeps her distance from Adler, never going beyond a purely professional relationship. Even when Adler jokingly says, “Don’t you trust me, Park?” she replies that she trusts him as much as necessary but that he shouldn’t be surprised since he already knew that. Park and Adler respect each other professionally, but she points out that she’s worked with more pleasant people.

Adler holds women in high regard and doesn’t discriminate against them in the strict sense of the word—meaning he doesn’t separate or treat them differently from men. I just think he struggles to understand them, or it’s the emotional scars from his divorce, since we don’t have more information about his youth. We don’t have any hints of a girlfriend in his youth in the 50s, for example, that might indicate whether he already had trouble connecting with them, nor do we know about his relationship with his mother. So I choose to believe it’s just emotional scars from his life, divorce, and other factors we don’t know about.

If by minorities you also mean, for example, Black or Asian people (who still aren’t minorities given the populations of countries like China, India, or African nations compared to countries like Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, etc.), we also don’t see Adler being racist or anything like that, especially given his great friendship with Sims or even Weaver or Dimitri Belikov, who are Soviets. The man clearly doesn’t discriminate against anyone, whether by nationality or appearance. He values people for who they are, and I love that about him. We don’t see him having prejudices against anyone. And if by minorities you mean LGBTQ+, while we don’t see it directly in the game, I’d say, based on what I mentioned earlier, the guy wouldn’t care who you sleep with. If you’re a great professional and person, he’ll respect you, and that’s it. But if you’re incompetent, inept, and useless, he’ll hate you for that without adding any adjectives. Adler is a man of the Silent Generation, an American with, I estimate, German ancestry, a great patriot who definitely loves his country and will give his best to save millions of innocents at any cost, even if people don’t know about his actions. That’s why he wouldn’t hesitate to ally with anyone as long as they share the same goals or at least some common ground.

And yes, in case it wasn’t clear in all this, given his age, era, context, and everything else, he’s clearly the typical American man—white, heterosexual, conservative—and yet he still manages to charm and surprise us with his craziness and experiences. I love him, hehe. (I want to marry Adler).

I hope I’ve cleared up your doubts, and you know, you can ask me anything (especially about the first question if I didn’t interpret it correctly. My apologies for that). I hope you have a beautiful day. <3 Sorry for not answering you sooner, the power was out for over 5 hours so I couldn't reply :( Extra clarification: I write all of this with the utmost respect for all people and I do not intend to offend or mess with anyone.

1- Sobre la primer pregunta no entendí demasiado bien a lo que te refieres (puedes aclararmelo y te responderé mejor) pero en base a lo que entendí (que es sobre si Bell fuera lo más cercano en cuanto a actitud y personalidad sobre Perseus pero más joven) pues creo que si Adler se diera cuenta eso solo le daría mas poder para que lo sometiera a tortura hasta sacarle toda la información necesaria, ya sea mediante MK-ultra, primado negativo, mensajes subliminales o lo que fuera necesario, y que utilizara la CIA, y que se utilizara en los 80s para que sea más moldeable Bell a lo que Adler quisiera.

Si hubiera algún atisbo de libertad de Bell o intentara desencadenarse de Adler y su condicionamiento, recuerdos implantados, etc. Russell definitivamente lo hubiera suprimido. Lo último que Adler quiere es que un activo tuviera libertad. Como vemos en cold war, aunque al final Bell recupere sus recuerdos Adler lo mata por ser un peligro andante. Lo que es seguro es que Russ jamás le daría a Bell libertad, ya que no creo que lo haya visto como una persona siquiera, era solo un activo desechable como tantos otros, solo que este fue valioso por más tiempo. 2- Honestamente aquí creo que cambia un poco las cosas, ya que si Bell hubiera sido hijo directo de Perseus seguramente algo del trato hubiera sido distinto. No preguntaré cómo el equipo lo hubiera averiguado, pero digamos que lo saben y lo confirman por muestras y exámenes de ADN, documentos, fechas o algo. Al ser, en este caso, aún más valioso, creo que hubieran intentado cosas más mentales y psicológicas antes que tortura y sometimiento físico. Tal vez hasta podría haberles servido como un rehén para una negociación en casos extremos, si tan siquiera eso le importara a Perseus (cosa que dudo, pero no descarto del todo).

Creo que Adler lo hubiera manipulado de forma más sutil sabiendo que con inteligencia Bell cooperaría más si, a través de la mezcla de la mentira con la verdad, le hicieran creer que debe ayudarlos porque es por un bien mayor, su padre está loco o cosas similares. Al apelar a la propia voluntad de un individuo y hacerle creer que pertenece a una causa mayor se obtienen mejores  resultados que si se somete a alguien en contra de su voluntad y se lo quiere obligar a realizar actos que no quiera. Más allá de si hay MK-ultra o no de por medio u otra cosa.

No sé, me lo imagino a Adler jugando al papel de ser más protector y menos distante con Bell, tal vez Park y Sims igual, junto con otros miembros. Protegiendo más a Bell sabiendo que si antes era un activo valioso ahora sería invaluable. 3- Respuesta corta: yo ah XD Nah fuera de broma, quizás peque de usarme de autorreferencia en parte, pero definitivamente no cualquier mujer es para Adler pero creo que eso lo tenemos todos en claro. Primero diría que a sus 54 años creo que claramente la edad es lo último que le importaría.

Si tienes 20, 30, 40 o la edad que sea (siempre que seas mayor de edad) no veo que le importe demasiado. Lo que sí le importaría es cuán inteligente eres, si puedes seguirle el paso y su ritmo de vida, porque te va a exigir (no literalmente) que tu te adaptes a su vida y no a la inversa ya que es un workaholic. 

He conocido hombres similares a Adler, puedo hasta compararlo con mi padre en varios aspectos, como que por ejemplo ambos son ENTJ y definitivamente puedo decirte que es una personalidad muy complicada en el MBTI, por suerte yo soy INTJ y he aprendido con los años a entender este tipo de personalidad. Alguien como Adler no querría a alguien incompetente, dependiente o inepto a su lado. No quiere a alguien que se vuelva una carga para él o que te deba estar protegiendo siempre.

Adler querría una amante que lo vitalice seguro, alguien que lo llene de energía, sobre todo ahora si la edad le está pesando. Además querría una chica que no sea sumisa, que no le diga que si a todo, que lo rete, que lo desafíe pero que a la vez se deje dominar. La personalidad de Adler es una que resuelve problemas antes de que empiecen. No pedirá por ti en un restaurante pero si es alguien que tomará decisiones por ti creyendo que sabe lo que es mejor para ti, mayormente sin que te lo diga. Así que será un tira y afloja constante, lo que puede ser desgastante para muchas. Adler no es alguien que hará escenas innecesarias así que buscará a alguien que no haga dramas o escenas. Nadie que sea inseguro o inmaduro.

Debe ser una chica que sea independiente, tal vez solitaria como él, ya que deberá ser una chica con vida propia porque Adler no pasa casi nada de tiempo en casa. Seguramente quiera una amante dispuesta a aprender, sobre todo si eres mucho más joven que él o tu trabajo no consiste en ser un black ops de la CIA. Sé que amaría que su amante le pida o pregunte para que le enseñe cosas como disparar y recargar un arma, boxeo, defensa personal, e incluso si fueran a dar un paseo en auto seguramente te explicaría en medio del camino sobre cómo evadir un auto en una persecución, esa sería la forma de decir “te amo” de Russell Adler.

La chica deberá ser muy perspicaz porque Adler, no te dirá “te amo” pero lo verás en cómo se preocupa por ti, regalos, consejos, actividades compartidas tal vez relacionadas a su trabajo, etc. Es más demostrativo así que valoraría más a una chica que no le esté pidiendo que le diga cuánto la ama cada dos segundos. Por eso dentro del MBTI una de las mejores compatibilidades dentro de las personalidades es ENTJ e INTJ.

Son básicamente lo mismo pero que Adler sea extrovertido (ENTJ) y por ejemplo yo introvertida (INTJ) hace que, por ejemplo, me imagine situaciones sociales donde yo no tuviera ganas de interactuar con alguien y antes de que pase algo Adler ya toma la conversación por sí mismo sin que yo tenga que decir nada, lo que a mi me complementa por sacarme un peso de encima. Pero entiendo que hayan muchas personas que esto no les va a gustar y es comprensible. Sobre todo a largo plazo es cuando más me pregunto si aún alguien reúne todas las características que mencioné… se quedaría con alguien como Adler. Ya que siendo tan inteligente tendrías que replantearte si quieres estar con alguien tan peligroso e inestable, por su vida, trabajo y cicatrices emocionales, como él o prefieres a alguien no solo más estable sino confiable como Adler, ya que es muy probable que hasta pueda ser desconfiado con su amante o tema que algo le pase por su culpa. Le pesara mucho la seguridad y confianza de su amante hacia sí misma antes que otra cosa. Es un poco largo quizás pero quería explayarme lo más que pudiera (y aún así sé que me faltarán cosas). Como verás este punto es muy extenso porque Adler es complejo y así lo requiere un perfil como el suyo. 4- Adler es obvio que no estará acostumbrado a las comidas caseras por la naturaleza de su trabajo y por ser un workaholic. Pero sé que si cocinas para él algo casero le derretirás su frío corazón de hielo jeje. Lo más probable es que esté demasiado acostumbrado a pedir comida para llevar, comer lo que sea de camino y si por algún milagro tiene al menos 3 días en casa y DECIDE cocinar, seguramente sean platos sencillos pero nutritivos: filetes de carnes con papas, verduras con carne, no sé, pero me da la sensación de que evaluaría bien qué está consumiendo nutricionalmente cuando puede y sobre todo por su edad y para poder seguir manteniéndose en forma. Así que creo que mientras le cocines algo como un caldo lo amará. Por algo cuando en el modo zombies bebe el perk de quick revive y dice “MMM!! Sabe a caldo!” (al menos en español) creo que es porque le recuerda a un plato más casero. Así que cocinale algo propio, lo que sea, y este hombre se lo comerá entero!!! Russ solo quiere una comida decente que sepa a hogar y sea con amor!!

Y sobre comidas específicas definitivamente dudo que tenga alguna, quizás hamburguesas o pizza, aunque no se me ocurre algún plato típico que podría cocinarle su madre en su infancia. Perdona, no crecí en los años 40s en San Diego, y si se lo preguntas tal vez te dé alguna respuesta vaga. Lo que noto en común de los chicos de call of duty es que comerían lo que sea. Están acostumbrados, por estar siempre en algún lugar de guerra. 5- Mira, siendo que las mujeres son la mitad de la población mundial yo no me definiría como minoría. Acá es terreno pantanoso pero, si viste mis otras publicaciones sabrás que sospecho que Adler tiene una relación complicada con las mujeres. Fuera de lo que uno cabría esperar que si por la época en que nació o algo, yo lo atribuyo más a factores como su propia personalidad y carácter. Recordemos que es un ENTJ, es una personalidad MUY demandante y hasta arrolladora, sumado a su ego.

Lo que si ya lo hace complicado de sobrellevar con otros hombres con las mujeres siento que se agrava. Véase su divorcio, la relación con Sevati, que ella sabe que está ahí porque Adler paga bien e incluso tanto en cold war como en black ops 6, Park siempre se muestra distante con Adler y no va más allá de una relación meramente profesional. Incluso cuando en broma Adler le dice “¿no confías en mí, Park? ella le responde que no más de lo necesario pero que no se haga el sorprendido si eso ya lo sabía. Park y Adler se respetan profesionalmente pero ella recalca que ha trabajado con gente más agradable.

Adler tiene a las mujeres en muy alta estima y no las discrimina, en el sentido estricto de la palabra que significa separar, por ser mujeres o las ve o trata distinto que a los hombres. Simplemente creo que le cuesta entenderlas o son las cicatrices emocionales de su divorcio, ya que no tenemos más información de cómo era en su juventud, no tenemos indicios de alguna novia en su juventud en los años 50s por ejemplo, que pudiera indicar si ya le costaba tener ese feeling con ellas, tampoco sabemos sobre su relación con su madre por ejemplo. Así que elijo creer que solo son cicatrices emocionales de su vida, divorcio y otros factores que desconocemos.

Si por minorías también quieres decir, por ejemplo, personas negras o asiáticos (que siguen sin ser minorías por la población de países como china, india o países de áfrica respecto a otros países como Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Hungría, Polonia, etc.) tampoco vemos que Adler sea racista o algo así, sobre todo por su gran amistad con Sims o incluso Weaver o Dimitri Belikov siendo soviéticos.

El hombre claramente no discrimina a nadie, ni por nacionalidad o aspecto físico. Valora a las personas por lo que son y eso me encanta de él. No vemos que tenga prejuicios sobre nadie. Y si por minorías te refieres a gays o lesbianas, aunque no lo vemos directamente en el juego, diría que por antecedentes de lo que mencioné previamente, al tipo le dará igual con quien te acuestes, si eres un gran profesional y persona te respetará y ya. Pero si eres inoperante, inepto e inutil te odiará por eso sin sumar ningún adjetivo.

Adler es un hombre de la silent generation, estadounidense con, estimo, ascendencia alemana, un gran patriota que definitivamente ama a su país y dará lo mejor de sí por salvar millones de inocentes al costo que sea, aún si la gente desconoce de sus acciones. Por eso no temerá aliarse con nadie siempre y cuando compartan los mismos fines o al menos algún punto en común. Y si, por si no quedó claro en todo esto es que por su edad, época, contexto y demás claramente es el tipico hombre estadounidense, blaco, heterosexual, consevador y si, aún así siempre nos logra enamorar y sorprender con sus locuras y vivencias. Lo amo jeje. (Me quiero casar con Adler). Espero haber resuelto tus dudas y ya sabes, puedes preguntarme cualquier cosa (sobre todo la primera pregunta si es que no la interpreté bien. Mil disculpas por eso). Espero tengas un bello día. 

<3

Perdón por no contestarte antes, se cortó la luz durante más de 5 horas así que no podía responder :( Aclaración extra: todo esto lo escribo desde el maximo respeto por todos las personas y no pretengo ofender ni meterme con nadie.

[mypetitelune]

Some interesting tidbits about district assignments

Each underboss starts with one district, their "home" district, if you will. You get to decide which additional districts they get, but there's some assignments that some underbosses might like more than the others.

Southdowns - Vito/Cassandra

Pedestrian chatter indicate it had a large, if almost exclusive Italian presence before.

Vito comments on having a "favorite diner in Southdowns."

If you assign Cassandra to Southdowns, some pedestrians are concerned about the Italians and Haitians not getting along. Some pedestrians say they're getting along.

Cassandra says, "Laundry Machines, cigarettes and stereos. Southdowns knows how to turn a dollar out of everyday items. This is real good for us."

In contrast, Burke doesn't have anything interesting to say.

Barclay Mills - Cassandra

The other two comment on Barclay Mills being garbage, but Cassandra has dreams of revitalizing Barclay Mills. Curiously, Emmanuel says that that's because "she never has to go there."

Vito and Alma admit to having little experience with trains and factories.

Tickfaw Harbor - Cassandra/Vito/Burke

Emmanuel comments on the harbor being good for the marijuana business, and Cassandra likes it for general import/export.

Vito and Alma mention that the harbor would make their smuggling operation easier.

Burke and Nicki seems to be more interested in the car rackets.

Downtown - Cassandra

Burke and Vito seem more focused on the money while Cassandra's top priority is power and City Hall.

There's the usual talk about rising crime if Burke or Vito get the district, but with Cassandra, people comment on protests and clashes with the police.

Frisco Fields

All the underbosses seem to like Frisco Fields as a way to spite the wealthy, white residents there, and they don't seem too disappointed if they don't get the district.

Alma is a bit surprised if you give Frisco Fields to Vito.

Nicki dislikes Frisco Fields. It might be because she was in their ER once.

French Ward - Cassandra/Burke

Cassandra and Emmanuel mentions taking care of the sex workers there.

Burke likes vice and the rackets but Nicki seems more exasperated because of him.

Vito has little experience with the rackets there, but he seems to want to run it. Alma has no desire to run the sex rackets.

There's also some common themes in the chatter around each underboss's assignment.

Vito: Increased Italian presence, crime, protection rackets. People also comment on increased Italian cuisine. Memorable quote: "Guess what's at every crime scene lately in Frisco Fields? Marinara."

Burke: Increased Irish presence, moonshine, robberies.

Cassandra: Increased Haitian and black presence. The commentary is usually just racist remarks, but black pedestrians comment on increased black businesses and diversity.

[mypetitelune]

By the way, I have some more thoughts and hypotheses about Adler but they are more random, still, if you want I can write them down.

[mypetitelune]

Facts (and some theories) about Russell Adler - Part 2

In Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Adler is 54 years old, in 1991.

Speaking of Cold War, we can infer that Adler’s divorce was complicated, to say the least—possibly awful. He might still have harbored resentment toward his ex-wife or something similar. I deduce this from a line he says: "The CIA is like my ex-wife, it doesn’t waste even a used tissue."

Russell Adler is divorced.

In the dossier from Black Ops 6, we can briefly see that Adler apparently had children, but that part is censored.

My theory: Adler got divorced because his children died, which is why things ended so badly.

In Black Ops 6, Troy Marshall jokes that Adler likes yachts, and Russell Adler doesn’t deny it—he actually confirms it.

I’m not saying Adler owns a yacht… or maybe he does, but he probably enjoys them occasionally when he has the chance.

Adler belongs to the Silent Generation, having been born in 1937.

He was recruited during the Vietnam War, around the age of 30 or 31.

During the Cold War in 1981 (Call of Duty: Cold War), Adler was 44 years old and already divorced.

In both Call of Duty: Cold War and Black Ops 6, we can see that Adler doesn’t get along well with women. At first, I thought this was just an issue with Helen Park, since she herself says she prefers working with other people. While Adler might be a great professional, Park has worked with much nicer people. In Black Ops 6, Park tells Adler she doesn’t trust him much, but he shouldn’t act surprised because he already knows this. Additionally, in both games, they rarely agree on anything.

In Call of Duty: Cold War, Adler was 44 years old, and Park was 27. By Black Ops 6, Adler is 54, and Park is 37, and their friction continues, which strengthens my theory.

Speaking of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the same dynamic happens with Sevati Dumas. When she sees Adler, the first thing she asks is about her payment. Later, Sevati reveals that she’s only there because Adler hired her, as he believes there’s a connection between the organized crime network in Avalon that she’s investigating and Pantheon, who are hunting Adler.

Speaking of payments, I suspect Adler is practically a millionaire, because when Adler learns that $1,000—Sevati Dumas’ payment—has been stolen, he doesn’t freak out or seem worried. In fact, he acts so calm and even jokes about it. It seems like he doesn’t care about losing $1,000, even while being hunted by the CIA, Interpol, Pantheon, and others. (Luckily, Frank Woods reveals that he, Case, and Troy Marshall were the ones who took the money. Still, Adler doesn’t seem bothered at all.)

I also think Adler is almost a millionaire because of his taste for expensive clothes, cigarettes, and whiskey.

We know Adler speaks several languages: English, German, Russian, possibly Spanish, and maybe others I don’t remember, but it’s likely.

He knows how to drive cars and motorcycles, although we always see him preferring to drive himself. This is evident both in Call of Duty: Cold War (1981) and in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (set 10 years later, in 1991).

Since he works for the CIA and it’s implied that this is set in 1991, I assume he lives in Langley, Virginia, where the CIA headquarters are located.

In the MBTI, Adler is an ENTJ.

In Black Ops 6, there’s a tape where Adler speaks with hatred and resentment—something like suppressed fury—about how he despises that Daniel Livingstone, the CIA director, has been trying to retire him for five years now. If Black Ops 6 takes place in 1991, and Adler is 54, that means Livingstone has been trying to retire him since 1986, when Adler was 49… and Adler still refuses to give in.

This leads me to think that Adler is addicted to adrenaline. It’s not very normal for someone to do everything he does at 54 years old in 1991.

Well, I’m not sure if I’m missing any more details, but there’s probably more.

Remember, this is just my point of view and only conjectures, even headcanons.

[mypetitelune]

Russell Adler's Quotes in Zombies Mode - Call of Duty Black Ops 6: ENG

Adler in Zombies is still the same Adler, but taken to the extreme. Not only is he a man with a dominant and manipulative personality, but here he allows himself to be more provocative, sarcastic, and even seductive. He doesn’t have to worry about the CIA's "professionalism"; he’s in a chaotic world and can say whatever he wants without repercussions. This leads him to use language that oscillates between irony, dominance, and dark humor, with an air of shameless superiority.

Many of his lines have a highly performative, almost theatrical tone, as if he enjoys the attention or as if, despite the danger, he still wants to make it clear that he’s the smartest man in the room.

Adler has a communication style that mixes control, cynicism, and a pleasure in destruction. What’s interesting is how he uses violence and chaos as an opportunity to assert himself and demonstrate power, all while maintaining his composure.

"Rage will only take you so far, and I should know." → I like this line because it hints at his personal experience with anger, which fits his backstory and controlling personality. Adler acknowledges that anger can be useful, but only up to a point. This has implications for his story: he’s likely used rage as fuel before (Vietnam, the Cold War, etc.), but he’s learned that survival depends on more than just emotions. Analysis: A line packed with history. It implies that at some point, he himself has used rage as fuel but has also learned its limits. This fits perfectly with his background: a man hardened by his work, who has been through situations where anger wasn’t enough to survive. Subtext: He’s likely speaking from his experience in Vietnam or some mission where his rage didn’t change the outcome.

"And that, kids, is called firepower..." → He’s enjoying the moment, as if he’s giving a lesson with an air of superiority. Analysis: It has that "alpha male" tone he loves to project. He’s not just enjoying the power of the weapon but doing so with a flirtatiously mocking tone. Subtext: A bit of narcissism, pleasure in destruction, but with a certain charisma.

"I knew they’d be a hit with the crowd." → I love his mocking and boastful tone, as if even in a zombie massacre, he finds the opportunity to make a sarcastic joke.

"Hey idiot! You dropped your gray matter!" Adler angry is always interesting because it reveals his more direct and aggressive side. Though there’s humor here too (gray matter = brain), it’s a way to vent frustration without losing his sarcastic style. Analysis: An aggressive taunt, almost angry. Adler isn’t just sarcastic; he can also be cruel.

"Stacking them up like firewood!" → He shows no remorse; on the contrary, he sees destruction as an almost mechanical process. This line is brutal and reflects his ability to dehumanize enemies when necessary. He has no problem using graphic imagery to describe destruction, showing his experience and coldness in combat.

"The sweet, sweet aroma of capitalism..." → I’m fascinated by the almost sensual level of enjoyment with which he says this, as if upgrading a weapon were truly pleasurable for him. His tone of pleasure almost suggests that he equates material success and power with intense sensory gratification. He says it with an almost excited satisfaction. Adler doesn’t just believe in capitalism; he enjoys it with an almost sensual intensity. He associates power with pleasure, wealth, and supremacy. It’s as if upgrading his weapon gives him a rush of satisfaction similar to gaining something valuable on Wall Street. Analysis: This is pure Adler. His tone is one of genuine satisfaction, said with an almost sensual pleasure. Subtext: He’s not just a pro-capitalism patriot; he enjoys luxury, powerful weapons, and anything that represents status. He’s unapologetically materialistic. (I love that, honestly, haha).

"You might want to reconsider your strategy, folks." His condescending tone suggests he’s observing flaws in others (or the zombies) and making it clear he’d do better. It shows his quick observational and analytical skills in combat. He’s always assessing the terrain and looking for an advantage, which is consistent with his strategic personality. Analysis: He says it with a condescending but practical tone. It’s his way of saying, "They’re killing you because you’re idiots."

"You know, you’re not actually supposed to bite the bullet?" Analysis: A reference to the expression "bite the bullet," which means to endure pain or do something difficult. Adler, however, uses it literally with zombies, giving it an interesting double meaning. But since it’s in a zombie context, he says it literally. It’s sarcastic and dark at the same time.

"You shouldn’t stare directly at the sun; that shit will blind you." A seemingly simple line but loaded with metaphor if you analyze it. It could be interpreted as practical combat advice or a deeper warning about not facing something so dangerous head-on (perhaps an indirect reflection of his own life).

"Did I give you permission to look at me?" → So Adler... Dominant, condescending, as if even zombies are beneath him. A line of absolute dominance. Depending on the tone, it can sound authoritative, threatening, or even flirtatious in a power dynamic. Analysis: A line that denotes absolute dominance. In a zombie context, it’s funny. In another, it could be a flirtatious line with a power subtext. This line reinforces the idea that Adler sees others (including zombies) as inferior, establishing hierarchies even in chaos. Classic Adler: direct, challenging, and with a touch of arrogance. It’s a line that reinforces his authority and mystery, making it clear he doesn’t tolerate intrusions or lose control of a situation. It can also be interpreted as a provocation to maintain tension in the moment. He’s used rage to survive, but he also knows it’s not enough. It’s an admission that his own fury hasn’t always saved him, which gives a small hint of his more human side.

"It was you or me, and I’ve already decided." → He positions himself as judge, without hesitation. Cold, decisive. He has no remorse because his survival is always the priority. Analysis: A cold and decisive line. It represents his survivor mentality and lack of remorse. It’s simple but powerful. Subtext: There’s no room for sentimentality or doubt. He chooses to live, always.

"Right in the motherboard."

"If you’re going to keep getting tough, so will I..." Adler is a strategist: if the situation escalates, he escalates with it. It’s the mentality of someone who never backs down. Analysis: Reflects his adaptability. If the situation escalates, he doesn’t hesitate to escalate with it. Subtext: He’s not one to retreat or fall behind.

"I’m happy to support local businesses." Analysis: Another subtle jab, but also a reminder that he knows everything is a business. He’s not naive about war and money. Another cynical reference to capitalism. Adler knows everything is a business, but he has no problem with it.

"Another one bites the dust." → Minimizes the threat.

"Carnage is my middle name." → Reaffirms his lethality with pride.

"Enough of the metal section already."

"I could jump out of my own skin."

"Now that’s a good kick."

"You put in money, spit out firepower, and that’s the American way." → More than just a line, it’s a celebration of his capitalist philosophy, associated with power and violence.

"Consider it a mercy kill." → Here he positions himself as a judge of life and death, very much in line with his CIA history.

"Do you mind if I call you Tinker Bell?" A reference to Bell when temporarily allying with a zombie.

"You and I have work to do." A reference to Bell when temporarily allying with a zombie. Analysis: A reference to Bell. Though it’s a generic line, it has connotations of forced camaraderie, as if he’s talking to someone who has no choice in the situation.

"Is this going to cause problems? Then I love it."

"Hudson would’ve loved this shit." Analysis: A reference to Jason Hudson, another key CIA character in Black Ops. Implies that Hudson shared his mindset or would’ve enjoyed the carnage.

"I don’t care about the taste; I’m after the side effects."

"Don’t act tough; I saw you drinking daiquiris." A direct jab, typical of Adler when he wants to cut someone down who’s trying to act tough. Analysis: A classic Adler taunt. He enjoys cutting others down with sharp comments, especially when someone tries to act tougher than they are.

"I didn’t survive Fracture Jaw to die in this hole." A reference to his involvement in Vietnam, specifically Operation Fracture Jaw in Cold War. For him, surviving extreme events like that is part of his identity; he won’t accept being defeated in a "lesser" context. Analysis: A direct reference to the Cold War mission in Vietnam. This reinforces that, even in an extreme context like zombies, his identity as a soldier remains intact. Subtext: He’s survived worse than this, and he knows it. There’s a hint of pride but also disbelief.

"Dodge and strike, that simple." A practical and direct line, reinforcing his combat mentality.

"I think it even strengthened my hair." Analysis: Another line that sounds like overcompensation. As if he needs to reaffirm his virility in the most physical terms possible. Another oddly virility-focused line. As if he needs to remind himself that he’s still a strong, dominant man.

"Who wants to be my punching bag?"

"Do you know what happened to the last person who made me angry?" A provocative tone, almost as if he enjoys the idea of instilling fear. Implies he has a history of punishing those who challenge him, reinforcing his vengeful and dominant nature. Analysis: A threatening and provocative tone. Depending on the context, it could sound almost playful or like a real warning. Subtext: Adler doesn’t forget or let offenses slide easily.

Always confident, with a touch of arrogance and an attitude of having everything under control. It reminds me of how he always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else. His seductive and mocking tone could be a reflection of his need for validation, as if he has to remind everyone that he’s still "the man on top." Adler is a man who constantly has to prove his dominance. He’s strong, lethal, intelligent... but the fact that he makes so many references to strength, power, and size/powerfulness… gives the impression that he’s compensating for something.

It’s possible that Adler, deep down, feels he’s never been enough, which would explain why his masculinity manifests in such an exaggerated way in his speech. The way he enjoys his own "shine" suggests he has to remind himself that he’s still a dominant man.

Adler is a character who, despite having emotional complexity and facing dark moments, maintains a confident, challenging, and often sarcastic attitude.

His tone, even seductive, can be a way to maintain emotional control and distance from others. As an ENTJ, he’s strategic but also enjoys dominating situations with charisma and power.

Adler has a way of facing challenges with a mix of cynicism and confidence, which can make his approach more "seductive" because he seeks to take control, even through provocation.

On a subtext level, Adler’s "seduction" could be a reflection of his need for control. His mocking and confident attitude, even in extreme situations like facing zombie hordes, could be interpreted as a form of personal power, where he maintains his security and confidence at all times. Adler has lived through extreme situations in the CIA, with a background of psychological warfare, manipulation, and decision-making under pressure. This could have influenced his need to always show control, even in the face of the impossible, like zombies. His "seductive" attitude and flirtatious tone while killing zombies could be interpretations of his need to maintain a facade of power. This manifests in his way of staying superior and dominant, even in chaos. He enjoys messing with others. He’s a guy who mocks, provokes, but not just for fun—he does it to show he’s in control. His relationship with Hudson was always one of respect/rivalry, so that mention of him isn’t coincidental.

Moreover, the fact that Adler often feels more emotionally distant from others and is used to manipulating situations to his advantage allows him to adopt an almost playful approach to zombies. This could be related to his emotional detachment, where he uses humor, sarcasm, and control to avoid being consumed by fear or despair, unlike Woods and Weaver, who are more reactive in their responses. While Woods and Weaver (yes, I’ve also played with them in Black Ops 6 Zombies mode) act with a more pragmatic and sometimes brutal approach, Adler stands out for his leadership style, which is less about brute force and more about subtle manipulation. This is reflected in his lines, which not only aim to eliminate zombies but also suppress any kind of vulnerability through his attitude and words. He uses his language as a tool to assert himself and make others see him as almost untouchable, contrasting with the roughness of the other two characters. In summary, Adler’s seduction and provocative style can be seen as a manifestation of his desire for control, his ability to maintain a facade of security, and his more cerebral and strategic approach to chaos, while Woods and Weaver operate from a more visceral and reactive perspective. This approach sets Adler apart and gives him a unique layer of complexity compared to the other two characters.

General Conclusion Adler’s lines in Zombies mode reinforce his ENTJ personality to the max: ✔ Sarcastic and with sharp dark humor. ✔ Dominant and condescending. ✔ Enjoys power, both economically and militarily. ✔ Tends to use lines that imply control or veiled threats. ✔ His capitalist patriotism is shameless. ✔ There are a couple of suspiciously enthusiastic lines about power and virility. ✔ Dominant and pragmatic: He doesn’t waste time with sentimentality. Surviving and winning are all that matter. ✔ Sarcasm and mockery: He enjoys cutting others down with his sharp humor. ✔ Enjoyment of power and capitalism: He’s excited by the idea of absolute power, whether through weapons or money. ✔ Possible masculine overcompensation: Lines like "a big, powerful staff" suggest that, while he projects absolute confidence, there’s a level of fragile ego at play.

In other words, Russell Adler is a man who loves power, violence, money, and control. And he enjoys it so much that sometimes it slips out a bit too much.

Some lines have an overcompensation vibe ("it even strengthened my hair"), which makes you think that, while Adler projects absolute confidence, there’s also a level of fragile ego at play. Which isn’t uncommon for someone with a life based on control and constant competition.

Adler’s lines in Zombies are an amplification of his character, taking him to the point where his control, his pleasure in violence, and his sense of superiority become a spectacle. He speaks like someone who sees war as a stage to reaffirm his dominance, never missing the chance to throw in lines loaded with arrogance, mockery, and seduction.

His tone, sometimes blatantly sensual, suggests that power, destruction, and pleasure are intertwined in his mind. And when it becomes more obvious, like with the "big, powerful staff" line, it suggests that, yes, maybe he’s projecting something.

In the end, these lines show us an unfiltered Adler, without the need to manipulate from the shadows, simply enjoying the chaos with the certainty that he’s still the one in charge.

In conclusion: his Zombies lines are 100% Adler. True to his character, his dark humor, and his worldview, but with some interesting nuances that could be interpreted in amusingly Freudian ways.

[mypetitelune]

I’ve always wondered… What was Adler like with his former family? What kind of father was he?

I mean, we know he was married because of his comment about his ex-wife in Call of Duty: Cold War, and in Black Ops 6, we see the "children" section censored in his file. So, with the little we know about him, we can only speculate and hypothesize based on what we know about his work, personal life, history, etc. What was Russell Adler like with his former family? What was he like with his two children? And perhaps… What led to his divorce from his ex-wife? We only know that by the age of 44, he was already divorced.

What was Adler like as a husband? Adler is a reserved, controlled man, addicted to his work. His life has been marked by manipulation, betrayal, and constant paranoia, which means his marriage couldn’t have been easy for his wife. Despite that, I don’t think he was an openly hostile or cruel husband, but he was emotionally distant. His wife was probably an intelligent and strong woman, someone who initially saw beyond his coldness and believed she could connect with him. But over time, Adler’s lack of emotional openness, combined with the tension and secrets of his work, must have made the relationship increasingly difficult. The fact that he still remembers her (as he does in Cold War) indicates that the relationship wasn’t irrelevant to him. But at the same time, his sarcastic tone suggests that the relationship ended on bad terms or with resentment. It’s most likely that Adler tried to protect her from his world, which led him to hide many things, becoming even more closed-off and disconnected in the relationship. It’s possible that his wife couldn’t stand living with a man who was always emotionally and physically absent, trapped in missions, unable to share what was really happening in his life. Even if he loved her in his own way, his nature and work made him incapable of being a present husband.

What was Adler like as a father? This is where the story becomes even more interesting. In Black Ops 6, the "children" section of his file is censored, suggesting that the topic is too delicate or painful to be exposed. This could mean several things:

His children are dead → This would explain why the information is censored and why Adler never mentions them.

Adler lost custody and completely distanced himself from them → Perhaps his ex-wife gained full custody, and Adler no longer had contact with them.

His children are alive, but he keeps them secret for their safety → It’s possible he decided to distance himself from them to protect them. In any of these cases, one thing is very clear: Adler couldn’t have been a fully present father. If his children died, that might have been the breaking point in his marriage. Perhaps they died due to an accident, an illness, or even something related to his work (retaliation? a threat?). This would explain why the topic is censored and why he never mentions them. If his children are alive but he lost custody, this suggests that his ex-wife didn’t want them growing up near a man like Adler. It could be that his work and lack of stability made him a danger to his own children, and she decided to keep them away from him. If they’re still alive but he distanced himself for their safety, this would make him similar to other agents who cut ties with their families to avoid putting them in danger. But, beyond what happened to them, Adler isn’t the type of man who could have been a traditional father. I can’t imagine him playing with his kids in the park or helping them with homework. But I can imagine him fiercely protecting them, even if he didn’t know how to show affection. If his children ever saw his tender side, it must have been in rare and fleeting moments, like when they were asleep or when no one else was around. He might never have known how to express love, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t care for them. If his relationship with them ended in tragedy or forced distance, this could explain part of the cynicism and extreme hardness we see in Black Ops 6. If he was already broken in Cold War, by 1991, there’s nothing left of the man he might have been as a husband and father.

What led to the divorce? Considering all this, there are several reasons why his marriage ended before 1981:

Adler couldn’t disconnect from his work. He was always on missions, in the CIA, in covert operations. He wasn’t a present husband.

His wife couldn’t stand the paranoia and secrets. Living with someone like him must have been like living with a ghost.

If his children died or something terrible happened to them, that destroyed them as a couple. Guilt and grief might have made it impossible to stay together. It’s possible that Adler wanted the marriage to work at first, but his nature, his work, and his inability to connect emotionally made it impossible. And when they finally divorced, instead of grieving too much, he simply moved forward with more brutality, cynicism, and coldness. But the fact that he mentions his ex-wife sarcastically in Cold War suggests that, even if he doesn’t talk much about her, what happened still weighs on him. And if his children are no longer in his life, that would also explain his emotional hardness, lethality, and emotional detachment.

Conclusion: Adler, a man broken by his past Adler wasn’t an ideal husband or an affectionate father, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel love in his own way. It’s just that his way of showing it must have been clumsy, distant, and full of silence. The censorship in his file in Black Ops 6 suggests that the topic of his children is something very serious, something that can’t be revealed or that he himself doesn’t want to face. If his children are dead, if they’re alive but don’t remember him, or if he distanced himself to protect them, the fact that he never mentions them is a sign that it’s a pain he can’t afford to show. His ex-wife, his lost family, are invisible scars that turned him into the man we see in Black Ops 6. And even though he seems "indestructible," the small moments when he mentions Bell, Hudson, or his ex-wife tell us that his past still haunts him, even if he’ll never admit it. Personally, I lean toward the idea that they died, perhaps due to retaliation, and that’s why everything ended in a divorce full of pain and resentment. It would explain why the "children" section of his file is censored. Because if he had them or not, it would’ve been as simple as writing "yes" or "no." And not blacking out everything. Maybe the long line had their names and/or status, something like "John Adler, Mary Adler. Status: deceased," and that’s why the censorship bar is so large. And maybe that’s why Adler, even with sarcasm and pain, can mention his ex-wife but never his children. Because that pain is even greater, and we know that Adler can be defined as: reserved. Especially when it comes to hiding his pain and maintaining that impeccable image of a tough guy who isn’t affected by anything.

What led to the divorce?

Of these three possibilities, I lean toward the third: that his children died. Why do I insist on this? Because first comes the couple, and then the children. It’s likely that Adler’s ex-wife already knew him while he was working for the CIA or at least when he was still in the military.

Let’s remember that Adler joined the military at 18, and by his late 20s and early 30s, he was already working for the CIA. By 44, he was divorced. So it’s obvious that she already knew what being with a man like him entailed.

Obviously, she would also have to be a very independent woman. Few types of women can be with someone like Russell Adler.

Especially because no one can change Russell Adler.

So while we don’t know anything about his ex-wife, we can sketch a profile of what she was like based on what we know about Adler. Because to take THE Russell Adler to the altar, we’re talking about a VERY specific and particular type of woman.

As I said, Adler isn’t easy, so the divorce must have been over something extremely serious and irreparable. Because she wouldn’t be a woman who’s easily intimidated; she had to be someone on his level. Because Adler wasn’t a conventional husband due to his work, and you’d have to know exactly what you were getting into to get involved with someone like Russell Adler.

But it’s also true that when it’s just the two of you, life is one thing, but when children come into the picture, everything changes. It’s easy for me to imagine that she didn’t have as many problems when they were just dating or newlyweds, just the two of them.

But when the children came along, she probably tried to endure as much as she could, maybe she still didn’t mind Adler’s work too much. Also because, well, I don’t know how someone convinces Russell Adler that having children with his job is a good idea, but it must have seemed like a good idea to both of them. Maybe out of naivety or overconfidence, and that’s why if the children died in an accident or as retaliation, it would explain why when we meet Adler in Call of Duty: Cold War, he’s already resentful toward his ex-wife and already hides his pain.

During the missions in Vietnam in the 60s, when Adler was in his 30s, we still see him fairly relaxed, within his serious demeanor, not as cold, even smiling at times. But when we return to the present in 1981, the contrast is stark: Adler distrusts Bell, beyond the fact that he was Soviet, Adler is manipulative to the extreme by subjecting Bell to MK-Ultra, Adler is colder and more distant than usual, even with Sims, whom we know Adler has known since Vietnam from the "Fracture Jaw" mission. And it’s implied that the others know Adler more personally because even Helen Park strongly recommends how to deal with Adler to Bell. Maybe she even knows the real story behind Adler’s scar.

Maybe it’s because of all this that, even at 44 in 1981, Adler could tolerate or hide his pain better, but by Black Ops 6, which is set in 1991 when Adler is 54 and in the meantime has experienced the deaths of Jason Hudson and Frank Woods being confined to a wheelchair, among other events, it was like a breaking point, compounded by someone in the CIA framing him for the 1989 disaster in Panama, where Hudson was killed and Woods was left in a wheelchair, and although we don’t know for sure, Alex Mason probably died too.

So, having lost his only close circle of, the closest thing Adler could have to friends, was what finally broke him, and that’s why in Black Ops 6, we see this Adler who’s no longer afraid because he has absolutely nothing left to lose.

He’s lost everything: wife, children, friends… he has nothing left. At the end of the campaign, Adler regains his position as a CIA agent and is no longer a criminal, but… he doesn’t smile. In Black Ops 6, he smiles a little between jokes with Woods or out of pure sarcasm. But at the same time, in his room, there are beer cans scattered on the floor and several whiskey bottles, with one half-empty on his nightstand… which we can infer that everything that’s happened to him over the last ten or fifteen years, since Cold War at least, has weighed heavily on him. To the point where, internally, we see signs of a collapse or crisis. But as always, he hides it.

This explains lines from Zombies mode like:

"Hudson would’ve loved this shit."

"I didn’t survive Fracture Jaw to die in this hole."

Interesting, "Do you mind if I call you Tinker Bell?"

"You and I have work to do." Especially the ones referencing Bell, because even though he says it sarcastically, it means Bell still lingers in his memory, even though he killed him. And that’s a lot for Adler… The same goes for Hudson, whom he mentions with a melancholic and nostalgic, almost sad tone, because he’s already dead…

Returning to the topic… The theory that his children died as retaliation fits too well with the censorship in his file, his emotional detachment, and the visible transformation in his personality between the 60s and 90s. He’s a man who’s lost everything, but instead of completely breaking down, he clings to the only thing he has left: his work and his facade of absolute control. If his children died, I imagine the guilt consumed him in a silent but constant way. Adler is a man who doesn’t show weakness, but the pain doesn’t disappear; it’s just hidden under layers of cynicism, alcohol, and suicidal missions. Maybe he never got over the idea that his work, the very thing that defined him and made him feel in control, was what indirectly led to the tragedy. The fact that he mentions his ex-wife but not his children is a key detail. With her, there can be resentment, anger, or even disdain, but with his children… there aren’t enough words for the kind of loss that represents. If they survived but were taken from him, the result is similar: they’re dead to him emotionally, unreachable. And the mention of his evolution in Black Ops 6 is brutal. He’s not the same man we met in Cold War. In the 80s, he still had some structure; his mask was strong. By the 90s, he’s at a point where alcohol and nihilism are eroding him. He has nothing and no one left. He’s a ghost clinging to the only thing he knows how to do: fight. Not for a noble purpose anymore, but because it’s the only thing he has left. The detail of the Zombies lines is incredible. Especially the references to Bell and Hudson. It means that, no matter how much he pretends nothing matters, the memories are still there, etched in his mind. Adler isn’t a man who "gets over" things; he just buries them until they become part of his essence. All this makes me think… if he ever had a moment of weakness, of true catharsis, what would it have been like? Did he ever allow himself to cry for his children, even if it was in solitude, or did he just let the pain eat away at him in silence, like everything else?

What did Adler feel after the divorce? If his children died, he probably felt a mix of love, hate, and guilt. He might have loved her but also hated her for what happened. Maybe he never forgave her, or maybe he understood that she also suffered and let her go in his mind. If she just left him, maybe she remembers him with resentment and pity. She knew him when he still had a spark in his eyes, but if she saw him in the 90s, she’d know that man is broken. She might hate him, but deep down, it would hurt her to see him like that. This profile fits the idea that Adler never mentions his children but does mention his ex-wife. With her, the pain is bearable; it can be disguised with sarcasm or indifference. With his children… the pain is too deep, too real. And that’s something he can’t allow to surface.

Why do I also believe his children died, and that led to the divorce?

Because Jason Hudson was married and had children, Alex Mason was also married and had a son, though his wife passed away. So, in essence, marriage or Adler’s job weren’t obstacles to having a relationship. Even with Adler’s personality, that wasn’t the issue. Clearly, it was something so grave that it led to a breaking point in the relationship…

The marriage itself wasn’t the problem. Hudson had a wife and kids, and Mason did too, though he ended up a widower. Even Woods, with his hardened soldier’s life, managed to build a bond with his son. What sets Adler apart from them is that something happened that made it impossible for him to stay married. Something irreversible. The divorce wasn’t just the result of a worn-out relationship; it was the final point of a devastating event. And the best explanation is that his children died, and that destroyed everything left between him and his wife.

Why is the death of his children the most likely explanation?

Adler doesn’t mention his children but does mention his ex-wife.

If his children were alive, even if he had no contact with them, the way he’d talk about his family would be different.

Instead, he mentions his ex-wife with bitterness and sarcasm but never talks about his children, not even in jokes. The silence is a scream.

If his children had survived, the CIA might have given him some access to them.

The CIA has the resources to protect identities but also to facilitate secret contacts if necessary.

Hudson could see his family. Mason, though under different circumstances, could too. If Adler has no relationship with his children, the most logical explanation is that they no longer exist.

The way Adler deals with pain is self-destructive.

We know Adler is a man who, despite his control, has self-destructive tendencies.

Alcohol and cynicism are his ways of numbing himself.

If his family simply left him, it would hurt, but it wouldn’t destroy him the way losing them forever would.

The event that changed everything: the death of his children How did they die? The death of Adler’s children wasn’t accidental or natural. For it to have had such a brutal impact on his life and marriage, it had to be related to his work.

They were killed in retaliation for his work Adler made too many enemies over the years. KGB, Viet Cong, traffickers, toppled dictators… anyone could have wanted revenge on him. His family was his weak point, and someone knew it. A targeted attack on his wife and children would have been a clear message: "you’re not untouchable." If this happened, Adler probably feels guilty because he knows it was his fault. His work, his life, brought danger to them.

They died in an attack he couldn’t prevent Maybe they were in a foreign country under CIA protection, and there was an attack that went wrong. Perhaps a bombing, explosion, or shooting caught them by surprise. If this was the case, Adler was far away when it happened. He couldn’t do anything. He only received the news too late. The helplessness of not being there would have destroyed him.

An "accident" that was never clear It’s possible that the CIA officially classified it as an "accident." But Adler knows it wasn’t a coincidence. Maybe there was a cover-up, maybe he never found the responsible parties. That would consume him even more.

The divorce: the final breaking point When his children died, his wife never forgave him. Maybe she blamed him directly. "If you hadn’t been in the CIA, this never would’ve happened." "You knew we were in danger, but you never protected us enough." "You chose your job over your family, and now we’re paying the price." Or maybe she didn’t blame him directly, but the pain was too great. It didn’t matter how much they loved each other; the weight of the tragedy was unbearable. Both became shadows of what they once were. Every time they looked at each other, they only saw the memory of what they’d lost. Adler probably reacted by throwing himself into his work. He didn’t face his grief. He dove headfirst into more missions, more war, more adrenaline. His wife watched him drift away until he became unrecognizable.

What kind of man was left after that? The Adler of the 80s and 90s is a man without roots. He has no family. No home. No purpose beyond war and missions. He’s trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. But, above all, he never allowed himself to grieve. That’s why he doesn’t mention them. That’s why he never talks about his children. Because if he did, all his control would crumble. The only thing that doesn’t add up is… if his children died for any of these reasons, whatever it was, why didn’t Adler seek revenge? If the guy is unstoppable… why just self-destruct? If his children died and he didn’t seek revenge, something really messed up must have happened. The most likely reasons:

Because he never knew who was responsible If the attack was planned, it’s possible that the person or group behind it left no trace. If the CIA covered up what happened, Adler might have received manipulated versions of the events. If it was a covert attack, maybe the responsible parties were eliminated before he could find them. If it was a calculated assassination, maybe the culprits were too well-protected for him to reach. If he never knew for sure who did it, he couldn’t take revenge. And that would drive him insane. Not knowing, being in the dark, would be worse than anything else. It would leave him without direction, without a clear enemy to kill. And instead of focusing on revenge, he’d end up consumed by his own despair.

Because he already took revenge… but it brought him no peace Another possibility is that he did find the responsible parties and killed them, but it didn’t help. Maybe it was something cold and calculated, a hunt where eliminating the culprits felt empty. Maybe he thought killing them would bring relief, but the truth is that his children were still dead. When your only reason for revenge is to bring back the dead, there’s no satisfaction. If this happened, it was the final straw that broke him.

Because it was an internal betrayal This scenario is messed up, but it’s possible that his own people—the CIA—were involved. Maybe his family was exposed because someone in the CIA decided they weren’t worth protecting. Maybe the CIA covered up the truth to protect their own reputation. If Adler found out about this, he knew that confronting the CIA would lead nowhere. This would explain his resentment toward the agency. It’s not just bitterness over the time he gave in service. It’s contained rage, helplessness from knowing he was betrayed in the worst way. In this case, the self-destruction isn’t just from grief but from being unable to get justice.

Because deep down, he blames himself Regardless of who was responsible, Adler probably feels that his children’s deaths were his fault. "If I hadn’t been in the CIA, this never would’ve happened." "If I’d protected them better, they’d still be alive." "If I hadn’t left them alone, they wouldn’t have been killed." Maybe even his ex-wife said something that destroyed him: "You were an unstoppable soldier all over the world… but you failed at the one thing that really mattered." If he believes it’s his fault, then his punishment isn’t revenge but his own suffering. That’s why he doesn’t seek justice. Because in his mind, the real culprit is himself.

In honor, and in advance, for: @mypetitelune

I hope you like it. ______________________________________________________________ Siempre me he preguntado...¿Cómo debió ser Adler con su antigua familia? ¿Cómo era cómo padre?. 

Quiero decir, sabemos que estuvo casado por su comentario a su ex esposa en call of duty cold war y en Black ops 6 vemos la parte de "hijos" censura en su expediente, así que con lo poco que sabemos de él sólo cabe preguntarse e hipotetizar en base a lo que sabemos de él, su trabajo, lo personal, historia, etc. 

¿Cómo era Russell Adler con su antigua familia? ¿Cómo era con sus dos hijos? Y quizás… ¿Qué los llevó a su ex esposa y él al divorcio? Solo sabemos que a los 44 ya estaba divorciado. 

¿Cómo era Adler como esposo?

Adler es un hombre reservado, controlado y adicto a su trabajo. Su vida ha estado marcada por la manipulación, la traición y la constante paranoia, lo que significa que su matrimonio no debió ser fácil para su esposa. A pesar de eso, no creo que haya sido un esposo abiertamente hostil o cruel, pero sí emocionalmente distante.

Su esposa probablemente era una mujer inteligente y fuerte, alguien que inicialmente pudo ver más allá de su frialdad y creyó que podía conectar con él. Pero con el tiempo, la falta de apertura emocional de Adler, sumada a la tensión y los secretos de su trabajo, debió hacer que la relación se volviera más difícil.

El hecho de que él siga recordándola (como lo hace en Cold War) indica que no fue una relación irrelevante para él. Pero, al mismo tiempo, su tono sarcástico sugiere que la relación terminó en malos términos o con resentimientos.

Lo más probable es que Adler intentara protegerla de su mundo, lo que lo llevó a ocultar muchas cosas, volviéndose aún más hermético y desconectado en la relación.

Es posible que su esposa no soportara vivir con un hombre que estaba siempre ausente emocional y físicamente, atrapado en misiones, sin poder compartir con ella lo que realmente pasaba en su vida. Incluso si la amaba a su manera, su naturaleza y trabajo lo hacían incapaz de ser un esposo presente.

¿Cómo era Adler como padre?

Aquí es donde la historia se vuelve aún más interesante. En Black Ops 6, la parte de "hijos" está censurada en su expediente, lo que sugiere que el tema es demasiado delicado o doloroso como para ser expuesto. Esto puede significar varias cosas:

Sus hijos están muertos → Esto explicaría por qué la información está censurada y por qué Adler nunca los menciona.

Adler perdió la custodia y se distanció completamente de ellos → Quizás la ex esposa ganó la custodia total y Adler ya no tuvo contacto con ellos.

Sus hijos están vivos, pero los mantiene en secreto por seguridad → Es posible que él mismo decidiera apartarse de ellos para protegerlos.

En cualquiera de estos casos, hay algo muy claro: Adler no pudo ser un padre completamente presente.

Si sus hijos murieron, es posible que eso haya sido un punto de quiebre definitivo en su matrimonio. Quizás murieron debido a un accidente, una enfermedad, o incluso por algo relacionado con su trabajo (¿una represalia? ¿una amenaza?). Esto explicaría por qué el tema está censurado y por qué nunca los menciona.

Si sus hijos están vivos, pero él perdió la custodia, esto sugiere que la ex esposa no quería que ellos crecieran cerca de un hombre como Adler. Podría ser que su trabajo y su falta de estabilidad lo hicieron un peligro para sus propios hijos, y ella decidió alejarlos de él.

Si aún están vivos, pero él se distanció por seguridad, esto lo haría similar a otros agentes que cortan lazos con su familia para no ponerlos en peligro.

Pero, más allá de lo que haya pasado con ellos, Adler no es el tipo de hombre que podría haber sido un padre tradicional.

No lo imagino jugando con sus hijos en el parque o ayudándolos con la tarea.

Pero sí lo imagino protegiéndolos ferozmente, aunque sin saber cómo expresarles afecto.

Si sus hijos alguna vez vieron su lado tierno, debió haber sido en momentos raros y fugaces, como cuando estaban dormidos o cuando nadie más estaba cerca.

Puede que nunca haya sabido cómo demostrar amor, pero eso no significa que no los haya querido.

Si su relación con ellos terminó en tragedia o en distancia forzada, esto podría explicar parte del cinismo y la dureza extrema que vemos en Black Ops 6. Si ya estaba roto en Cold War, para 1991 ya no le queda nada de la persona que pudo haber sido como esposo y padre.

¿Qué llevó al divorcio?

Teniendo en cuenta todo esto, hay varias razones por las cuales su matrimonio terminó antes de 1981:

Adler no podía desconectarse de su trabajo. Siempre estaba en misiones, en la CIA, en operaciones encubiertas. No era un esposo presente.

Su esposa no soportó la paranoia y los secretos. Vivir con alguien como él debió haber sido como vivir con un fantasma.

Si sus hijos murieron o algo grave les pasó, eso los destruyó como pareja. La culpa y el dolor pudieron haber hecho imposible seguir juntos.

Es posible que Adler haya querido que el matrimonio funcionara al inicio, pero su naturaleza, su trabajo y su incapacidad para conectar emocionalmente lo hicieron imposible. Y cuando finalmente se divorció, en lugar de lamentarse demasiado, simplemente siguió adelante con más brutalidad, cinismo y frialdad.

Pero el hecho de que mencione a su ex esposa con sarcasmo en Cold War sugiere que, aunque no hable mucho de ella, aún le pesa lo que pasó. Y si sus hijos ya no están en su vida, eso también explicaría su dureza emocional, su letalidad y su desconexión emocional.

Conclusión: Adler, un hombre roto por su pasado

Adler no era un esposo ideal ni un padre afectuoso, pero eso no significa que no sintiera amor a su manera. Solo que su forma de demostrarlo debió haber sido torpe, distante y llena de silencios.

La censura de su expediente en Black Ops 6 sugiere que el tema de sus hijos es algo muy serio, algo que no puede ser revelado o que él mismo no quiere enfrentar. Si sus hijos están muertos, si están vivos pero no lo recuerdan, o si él se alejó para protegerlos, el hecho de que nunca los mencione es una señal de que es un dolor que no puede permitirse mostrar.

Su ex esposa, su familia perdida, son cicatrices invisibles que lo convirtieron en el hombre que vemos en Black Ops 6. Y aunque él se vea como alguien "indestructible", los pequeños momentos en que menciona a Bell, a Hudson o a su ex esposa nos dicen que su pasado lo sigue atormentando, aunque jamás lo admitirá.

Personalmente elijo la opción de que murieron, quizás por represalias, y por eso todo terminó en un divorcio lleno de dolor y resentimientos. Explicaría el por qué en su expediente la parte de "hijos" esta censurada. Porque si los tuviera o no, era tan fácil como poner "si" o "no". Y no tachar todo. Quizás el renglón extenso tenía sus nombres y/o estado, algo como "John Adler, Mary Adler. Estado: muertos" y explica por qué la barra negra de censura es tan grande. Y quizás por eso Adler, aún con sarcasmo y dolor puede mencionar a su ex-esposa, pero jamás a sus hijos. Porque ese dolor es aún más grande y sabemos que Adler se puede definir en: reservado. Sobre todo cuando implica que puede ocultar su dolor y seguir con esa imagen impecable de tipo duro que nada le afecta. 

¿Qué llevó al divorcio?

De estas 3 posibilidades que más creo que podrían ser me decanto por la tercera, que sus hijos murieron, ¿por qué insisto en esto? Porque primero viene la pareja y después nacen los hijos. Es probable que la ex-esposa de Adler ya lo haya conocido trabajando en la cia o como mínimo cuando aún era militar. 

Recordemos que Adler entró al ejército a los 18 y para finales de sus 20 y principio de sus 30 años ya trabajaba en la cia y para los 44 estaba divorciado. Así que es obvio que ella ya sabía todo lo que implicaba estar con un hombre como él. 

Obviamente ella también tendría que ser una mujer muy independiente. Pocos perfiles de mujeres pueden estar con alguien como Russell Adler. 

Sobre todo porque nadie puede cambiar a Russell Adler. 

Así que si bien no sabemos nada de su ex-esposa si podemos trazar un perfil sobre cómo era ella en base a lo que sabemos de Adler. Ya que para poder llevar AL ALTAR AL MISMÍSIMO RUSSELL ADLER estamos hablando de un tipo de mujer MUY específica y particular. 

Como digo, Adler no es fácil, así que el divorcio debió ser por algo sumamente grave e irreparable. Porque ella no sería una mujer que se deje intimidar fácilmente, ella debía ser alguien a la altura de él. Porque Adler no era un marido convencional por su trabajo y tendrías que saber muy bien dónde te estás metiendo para involucrarte con alguien como Russell Adler. 

Pero, también es cierto que cuando la pareja es de a dos la vida es una pero con los hijos cambia demasiado. Me es fácil imaginar que ella no tenía tantos problemas cuando eran solo novios o recién casados, siendo solo dos. 

Pero cuando se sumaron los hijos seguramente intentó aguantar todo lo que pudo, quizás hasta seguía sin molestarle tanto el trabajo de Adler. Además porque, bueno, no sé cómo convence alguien a Russell Adler de que tener hijos con su trabajo es una buena idea, pero a ambos debió parecerles. Quizás por ingenuos o sobre-confianza y por eso si murieron los hijos en un accidente y o como represalia podría explicar por qué cuando lo conocemos a Adler en call of duty cold war ya era resentido con su ex-esposa y ya guardaba mucho su dolor. 

Durante las misiones en Vietnam en los 60s, cuando Adler rondaba los 30s, aún lo vemos bastante relajado, dentro de lo serio que es, no tan frío, hasta se sonríe. Pero cuando volvemos al presente en 1981 se nota demasiado el contraste: Adler desconfía de Bell, más allá de que era soviético, Adler es manipulador hasta el extremo por someter a Bell al MK-Ultra, Adler es más frío y distante que de costumbre incluso con Sims, a quien por ejemplo sabemos que Adler conoce desde Vietnam por la misión de "fracture Jaw". Y se da a entender que el resto conocen de forma más personal a Adler, porque incluso Helen Park recomienda a Bell encarecidamente cómo tratar con Adler. Hasta que quizás ella sepa la verdadera razón de cómo Adler se hizo su cicatriz. 

Quizás es por todo esto que aún con 44 años en 1981 Adler podría de cierta forma tolerar o ocultar mejor su dolor, pero para black ops 6 que es en 1991 cuando Adler tiene 54 años y en medio han ocurrido las muertes de Jason Hudson y Frank Woods quedó en silla de ruedas, entre más eventos, fue como un punto de inflexión, sumado a que alguien en la CIA lo había incriminado por el desastre de 1989 en Panamá, donde mataron a Hudson y Woods quedó en silla de ruedas, y aunque no sabemos, probablemente también murió Alex Mason. 

Entonces, al haber perdido a su único círculo cercano de, lo más parecido que Adler podía tener como amigos, fue lo que terminó de romperlo y por eso en black ops 6 vemos a este Adler que ya no tiene miedo, porque no tiene absolutamente nada que perder.

Ya lo perdió todo: esposa, hijos, amigos...no le queda nada. Al final de la campaña Adler recupera su puesto como agente de la CIA y ya no es más un criminal, pero... no sonríe. En black ops 6 sonríe un poco entre bromas con Woods o por sarcasmo puro. Pero a su vez en su habitación hay latas de cerveza regadas por el piso y lo mismo con varias botellas de whisky, mientras que una esta a la mitad en su mesa de luz... lo que podemos intuir que todo lo que le ha pasado en los últimos diez años o quince, desde cold war al menos, le ha ido pesando demasiado. Hasta el punto donde, internamente, vemos que ya tiene señales de un colapso o crisis. Pero como siempre él lo oculta. 

Esto explica frases del modo zombies como: -"A Hudson le habría encantado esta mierda", "no sobreviví a Fracture Jaw para morir en este agujero", Interesante, "¿te molesta que te llame campanita?", "tú y yo tenemos trabajo que hacer". Sobre todo las que hacen referencia a Bell, porque aunque lo diga de forma sarcástica significa que aún ronda el recuerdo de Bell, aunque lo mató, en su memoria. Y eso en Adler ya es bastante... Lo mismo con Hudson, que cuando lo nombra, se nota el tinte melancólico y nostálgico, casi triste, porque ya está muerto…

Volviendo al tema…

La teoría de que sus hijos murieron como represalia encaja demasiado bien con la censura en su expediente, su distanciamiento emocional y la transformación visible en su personalidad entre los años 60 y 90. Es un hombre que lo ha perdido todo, pero en lugar de derrumbarse por completo, se aferra a lo único que le queda: su trabajo y su fachada de control absoluto.

Si sus hijos murieron, imagino que la culpa lo devoró de una manera silenciosa pero constante. Adler es un hombre que no muestra debilidad, pero el dolor no desaparece, solo se oculta bajo capas de cinismo, alcohol y misiones suicidas. Tal vez nunca superó la idea de que su trabajo, ese mismo que lo definía y que lo hacía sentir en control, fue lo que indirectamente llevó a la tragedia.

El hecho de que mencione a su ex esposa, pero no a sus hijos, es un detalle clave. Con ella puede haber resentimiento, ira o incluso desdén, pero con sus hijos... no hay palabras suficientes para el tipo de pérdida que representa. Si sobrevivieron, pero fueron alejados de él, el resultado es similar: están muertos para él en el sentido emocional, inalcanzables.

Y la mención sobre su evolución en Black ops 6 es brutal. No es el mismo hombre que conocimos en Cold War. En los 80 todavía tenía algo de estructura, su máscara era fuerte. Para los 90, está en un punto donde el alcohol y el nihilismo lo están erosionando. No le queda nada ni nadie. Es un fantasma aferrándose a lo único que sabe hacer: pelear. Ya no por un propósito noble, sino porque es lo único que le queda.

El detalle de las frases en Zombies es increíble. Especialmente las referencias a Bell y Hudson. Significa que, por mucho que quiera aparentar que nada le importa, los recuerdos siguen ahí, grabados en su mente. Adler no es un hombre que "supera" las cosas, simplemente las entierra hasta que se convierten en parte de su esencia.

Todo esto me hace pensar… si alguna vez tuvo un momento de debilidad, de verdadera catarsis, ¿cómo habría sido? ¿Se permitió alguna vez llorar por sus hijos, aunque fuera en soledad, o simplemente dejó que el dolor lo carcomiera en silencio, como todo lo demás?

¿Qué sintió por Adler después del divorcio?

Si sus hijos murieron, probablemente sintió una mezcla de amor, odio y culpa. Pudo haberlo amado, pero también odiado por lo que pasó. Tal vez nunca lo perdonó, o tal vez entendió que él también sufrió y lo dejó ir en su mente.

Si solo se alejó de él, quizás lo recuerda con resentimiento y lástima. Lo conoció cuando aún tenía un brillo en los ojos, pero si lo viera en los 90, sabría que ese hombre está roto. Puede que lo odie, pero también que en el fondo le dolería verlo así.

Este perfil encaja con la idea de que Adler jamás menciona a sus hijos, pero sí a su ex esposa. Con ella, el dolor es soportable, se puede disfrazar con sarcasmo o indiferencia. Con sus hijos… el dolor es demasiado profundo, demasiado real. Y eso es algo que ni él puede permitir que salga a la superficie.

¿Saben por qué también creo que sus hijos murieron y eso llevó al divorcio? 

Porque Jason Hudson estaba casado y tenía hijos, Alex Mason también estuvo casado y tuvo un hijo, pero su esposa falleció. Así que en sí, el matrimonio o el trabajo de Adler no eran impedimentos para tener una relación. Aún con la personalidad de Adler, eso no fue el impedimento. Evidentemente fue algo tan grave que llevó a un punto de inflexión en la relación…

El matrimonio en sí no era el problema. Hudson tenía esposa e hijos, y Mason también, aunque terminó siendo viudo. Incluso Woods, con su vida de soldado endurecido, logró crear un vínculo con su hijo. Lo que diferencia a Adler de ellos es que algo pasó que hizo imposible que siguiera casado. Algo irreversible.

El divorcio no fue solo el resultado de una relación desgastada, sino el punto final de un evento devastador. Y la mejor explicación es que sus hijos murieron, y eso destruyó todo lo que quedaba entre él y su esposa.

¿Por qué la muerte de sus hijos es la explicación más probable?

Adler no menciona a sus hijos, pero sí a su ex esposa.

Si sus hijos estuvieran vivos, aunque no tuviera contacto con ellos, la forma en la que hablaría de su familia sería diferente.

En cambio, menciona a su ex esposa con amargura y sarcasmo, pero nunca habla de sus hijos, ni siquiera en chistes. El silencio es un grito.

Si sus hijos hubieran sobrevivido, la CIA podría haberle dado algún acceso a ellos.

La CIA tiene recursos para proteger identidades, pero también para facilitar contactos secretos si fuera necesario.

Hudson pudo ver a su familia. Mason, aunque en circunstancias distintas, también. Si Adler no tiene ninguna relación con sus hijos, lo más lógico es que ya no existan.

La manera en que Adler lidia con el dolor es autodestructiva.

Sabemos que Adler es un hombre que, a pesar de su control, tiene tendencias autodestructivas.

El alcohol y el cinismo son sus formas de anestesiarse.

Si su familia simplemente lo dejó, eso dolería, pero no lo destrozaría de la misma forma que perderlos para siempre.

El evento que lo cambió todo: la muerte de sus hijos

¿Cómo murieron?

La muerte de los hijos de Adler no fue accidental ni natural. Para que haya tenido un impacto tan brutal en su vida y en su matrimonio, tuvo que estar relacionada con su trabajo.

1. Fueron asesinados en represalia por su trabajo

Adler hizo demasiados enemigos a lo largo de los años. KGB, Viet Cong, traficantes, dictadores derrocados… cualquiera pudo haber querido vengarse de él.

Su familia era su punto débil, y alguien lo supo. Un ataque dirigido a su esposa e hijos habría sido un mensaje claro: "no eres intocable".

Si esto pasó, Adler probablemente se siente culpable, porque sabe que fue su culpa. Su trabajo, su vida, atrajo el peligro hasta ellos.

2. Murieron en un ataque que él no pudo prevenir

Tal vez estaban en un país extranjero bajo protección de la CIA y hubo un ataque que salió mal.

Quizás un atentado, una explosión o un tiroteo los tomó por sorpresa.

Si este fue el caso, Adler estaba lejos cuando sucedió. No pudo hacer nada. Solo recibió la noticia demasiado tarde.

La impotencia de no haber estado ahí lo habría destrozado.

3. Un "accidente" que nunca quedó claro

Puede que oficialmente la CIA lo haya clasificado como un "accidente". Pero Adler sabe que no fue casualidad.

Quizás hubo un encubrimiento, quizás nunca encontró a los responsables. Eso lo consumiría aún más.

El divorcio: el punto de quiebre final

Cuando sus hijos murieron, su esposa nunca lo perdonó.

Tal vez lo culpó directamente.

"Si no hubieras estado en la CIA, esto nunca habría pasado."

"Sabías que estábamos en peligro, pero nunca nos protegiste lo suficiente."

"Preferiste tu trabajo a tu familia, y ahora estamos pagando el precio."

O tal vez no lo culpó directamente, pero el dolor fue demasiado grande.

No importaba cuánto se amaran, el peso de la tragedia era insoportable.

Ambos se convirtieron en sombras de lo que fueron.

Cada vez que se miraban, solo veían el recuerdo de lo que perdieron.

Adler probablemente reaccionó hundiéndose en su trabajo.

No enfrentó su duelo. Se tiró de lleno a más misiones, más guerra, más adrenalina.

Su esposa lo vio alejarse hasta volverse irreconocible.

¿Qué tipo de hombre quedó después de eso?

El Adler de los 80 y 90 es un hombre sin raíces.

No tiene familia. No tiene hogar. No tiene más propósito que la guerra y las misiones.

Está atrapado en un círculo de autodestrucción.

Pero, sobre todo, nunca se permitió llorar.

Por eso no lo menciona. Por eso nunca habla de sus hijos. Porque si lo hiciera, todo su control se desmoronaría.

Lo único que no me cuadra es...si sus hijos murieron por cualquiera de estas causas, haya sido lo que haya sido, ¿por qué Adler no buscó venganza? Si el tipo es imparable...¿por qué sólo autodestruirse?

si sus hijos murieron y él no buscó venganza, algo muy jodido tuvo que haber pasado.

Las razones más probables:

1. Porque nunca supo quién fue el responsable

Si el ataque fue planeado, es posible que la persona o el grupo detrás de ello nunca dejó rastro.

Si la CIA encubrió lo que pasó, Adler pudo haber recibido versiones manipuladas de los hechos.

Si fue un atentado encubierto, tal vez los responsables fueron eliminados antes de que él pudiera encontrarlos.

Si fue un asesinato calculado, tal vez los culpables eran figuras demasiado protegidas para que él pudiera alcanzarlas.

Si nunca supo con certeza quién lo hizo, no podía vengarse. Y eso lo volvería loco.

El no saber, el estar en la oscuridad, sería peor que cualquier otra cosa. Lo dejaría sin dirección, sin un enemigo claro al que matar. Y en vez de enfocarse en la venganza, terminaría consumiéndose en su propia desesperación.

2. Porque ya se había vengado... pero no le trajo paz

Otra posibilidad es que sí encontró a los responsables y los mató, pero no le sirvió de nada.

Quizás fue algo frío y calculado, una cacería donde eliminar a los culpables se sintió vacío.

Quizás pensó que al matarlos encontraría alivio, pero la verdad es que sus hijos seguían muertos.

Cuando tu única razón para la venganza es traer de vuelta a los muertos, nunca hay satisfacción.

Si esto pasó, fue la gota que lo terminó de romper.

3. Porque fue una traición interna

Este escenario es jodido, pero podría ser que su propia gente—la CIA—estuvo involucrada.

Quizás su familia quedó expuesta porque alguien en la CIA decidió que no valía la pena protegerlos.

Quizás la CIA encubrió la verdad para proteger su propia reputación.

Si Adler se enteró de esto, sabía que enfrentarse a la CIA no lo llevaría a nada.

Esto explicaría su resentimiento hacia la agencia.

No es solo amargura por el tiempo que le dieron en servicio.

Es rabia contenida, impotencia de saber que lo traicionaron de la peor forma.

En este caso, la autodestrucción no es solo por el dolor, sino porque no puede hacer justicia.

4. Porque en el fondo se culpa a sí mismo

Independientemente de quién fue el responsable, Adler probablemente siente que la muerte de sus hijos fue su culpa.

"Si no hubiera estado en la CIA, esto nunca habría pasado."

"Si los hubiera protegido mejor, todavía estarían vivos."

"Si no los hubiera dejado solos, no los habrían matado."

Tal vez hasta su ex esposa le dijo algo que lo destruyó:

"Fuiste un soldado imparable en todas partes del mundo... pero fallaste en lo único que realmente importaba."

Si él cree que la culpa es suya, entonces su castigo no es la venganza, sino su propio sufrimiento.

Por eso no busca justicia. Porque en su mente, el verdadero responsable es él.

En honor, y adelantado, por y para: @mypetitelune Espero te guste.

[mypetitelune]

Some aspects I noticed in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies mode about Russell Adler & funny things

His relationship with pleasure Adler isn’t someone who simply “enjoys” something; he experiences it intensely. He doesn’t do anything halfway. He likes control, but also power over others’ sensations. He hides what he truly feels, but when something shakes him, his reaction is almost visceral. He’s methodical, but when something consumes him, he can lose himself in it. We can talk about a “hidden hedonism.” I mean, Adler isn’t just a rough and cold man. Quite the opposite. He’s someone who feels deeply but constantly represses it because he doesn’t want others to see him as vulnerable. That’s why, when he lets go, his intensity is stronger than normal. The way he enjoys sensory things in an almost exaggerated way… all of this reveals that he experiences pleasure more deeply than he admits. We can already see a mix of masculine ego, a need for validation, and a primal side he tries to control.

The fixation on capitalism as sensual pleasure

"The sweet, sweet aroma of capitalism…"

"You put in money, spit out firepower, and that’s the American way." Here, money and power intertwine with physical pleasure. Adler literally enjoys capitalism as if it were a sensory experience… and the way he says it makes it sound almost like a fetish. Freudian conclusion: Adler finds in capitalism a source of satisfaction that borders on the erotic. A substitute for another kind of gratification? Possibly.

Dominance and control over others

"Did I give you permission to look at me?"

"You and I have work to do" (when turning a zombie into an ally, i.e., subjecting it to his will).

"Do you mind if I call you Tinker Bell?" (A condescending reference to Bell). Here, we see his need for absolute control. The way he says, "Did I give you permission to look at me?" isn’t just a dismissive phrase but a statement of hierarchy and dominance. Freudian conclusion: Adler has a clear tendency to enjoy control over others. This aligns with his ENTJ profile as a natural leader but also with certain dominance traits that could apply in more… intimate areas.

Relationship with rage and aggression

"Rage will only take you so far, and I should know."

"Carnage is my middle name."

"It was you or me, and I’ve already decided." The way he talks about rage, violence, and survival suggests that he sees aggression as a fundamental part of his identity. This is very interesting because in Cold War, we’re already shown that Adler represses a lot and uses anger as fuel. Freudian conclusion: Adler doesn’t just see violence as a means but as part of his psychological structure. Possible war trauma + emotional repression + ENTJ with a need for control = aggression channeled into his identity.

The strange pleasure in the physical/sensory

"Mmmh… tastes like broth."

"I think it even strengthened my hair."

"Ah, that’s a good kick." Some lines have an exaggerated tone of physical enjoyment. He gets overly excited about the side effects of things, as if everything he experiences with his body gives him pleasure beyond the norm. Freudian conclusion: There’s a subtext that Adler experiences pleasure more intensely than he’d admit, which could reveal that deep down, he has a hedonistic side hidden behind his tough-guy facade.

What would this mean in private? When Adler is in a situation of real intimacy, the subtext is clear: His coldness breaks, but not completely. He’s still calculating, still analyzing, but there are moments when his self-control shatters entirely. He’s not used to being with someone who disarms him. He’s used to having power, but when something or someone touches him in the right way, that power turns into pure intensity. He doesn’t admit what he feels, but his body betrays him. He wouldn’t say, "I need you," but his gaze, his breathing, the tension in his jaw—all of that would give him away. In summary: Adler enjoys, but he doesn’t want to admit how much he enjoys. And when he does, it’s with a level of intensity that’s almost dangerous.

In conclusion: Adler’s lines in Zombies are 100% him, but they also reveal some nuances that could be analyzed from a Freudian perspective: ✅ Overcompensation with big guns → Latent insecurity about his virility. ✅ Fascination with capitalism and power → Almost sensual pleasure in dominance and accumulation. ✅ Need for absolute control → Enjoyment of leadership and domination. ✅ Violence as identity → Channeling of trauma and repressed aggression. ✅ Exaggerated physical pleasure → Possible hidden hedonism. So yes, Adler has a lot of interesting subtexts behind his lines, and some of them can be read in hilariously Freudian ways.

Or is it just that for him, there’s never enough testosterone to spare, and he always feels he needs to be more masculine? Ultimately, Adler’s lines in Zombies mode that reference “testosterone” shouldn’t be taken literally but as a manifestation of his deeper insecurities about his masculine identity. Adler isn’t just trying to demonstrate physical power; he’s also dealing with his constant need to be more than he feels he is. His concern with being “masculine enough” reflects the tensions of a man living under the pressure of meeting extremely high expectations, both from himself and others. It’s important to consider that, while Adler is 54, insecurities related to body image and masculinity don’t disappear with age; in fact, in many cases, they tend to intensify as men grow older and feel the need to reaffirm their virility in more intense ways. The mix of arrogance, insecurity, and need for validation in his comments is nothing more than a reflection of these internal tensions, and it’s in his relationships with others, like younger and less experienced characters, that these insecurities become more evident and, at times, more amusing.

______________________________________________________________

Algunos aspectos que noté en el modo zombies de call of duty black ops 6 sobre Russell Adler

1. Su relación con el placer

Adler no es alguien que simplemente “disfruta” algo, él lo experimenta con intensidad. No hace nada a medias.

Le gusta el control, pero también el poder sobre las sensaciones ajenas.

Oculta lo que realmente siente, pero cuando algo lo sacude, su reacción es casi visceral.

Es metódico, pero cuando algo lo consume, puede perderse en ello.

Podemos hablar de un “hedonismo oculto”, me refiero a que Adler no es simplemente un hombre rudo y frío. Todo lo contrario. Es alguien que siente demasiado, pero lo reprime constantemente porque no quiere que los demás lo vean vulnerable.

Por eso, cuando se deja llevar, su intensidad es más fuerte de lo normal.

La forma en que disfruta cosas sensoriales de una manera casi exagerada... todo eso revela que experimenta el placer de manera más profunda de lo que admite.

Ya podemos ver una mezcla de ego masculino, necesidad de validación y un lado primitivo que intenta controlar.

2. La fijación con el capitalismo como placer sensual

"El dulce, dulce aroma del capitalismo..."

"Metes dinero, escupes potencia de fuego y ese es el estilo estadounidense."

Aquí, el dinero y el poder se entrelazan con el placer físico. Adler literalmente disfruta el capitalismo como si fuera una experiencia sensorial... y la forma en que lo dice lo hace sonar casi como un fetiche.

Conclusión freudiana: Adler encuentra en el capitalismo una fuente de satisfacción que roza lo erótico. ¿Sustituto de otra clase de gratificación? Posiblemente.

3. Dominancia y control sobre los demás

"¿Acaso te di permiso para mirarme?"

"Tu y yo tenemos trabajo que hacer" (al convertir un zombie en aliado, o sea, someterlo a su voluntad).

"¿Te molesta que te llame Campanita?" (Referencia a Bell, casi condescendiente).

Aquí se ve su necesidad de control absoluto. La forma en que dice "¿acaso te di permiso para mirarme?" no es solo una frase de desprecio, sino una declaración de jerarquía y dominio.

Conclusión freudiana: Adler tiene una clara tendencia a disfrutar el control sobre los demás. Esto se alinea con su perfil ENTJ de líder nato, pero también con ciertos rasgos de dominancia que podrían aplicarse en más... ámbitos. 

4. Relación con la rabia y la agresión

"La rabia solo te ayudará hasta cierto punto, si lo sabré yo."

"Masacre es mi segundo nombre."

"Eras tú o yo, y ya decidí."

La manera en que habla de la rabia, la violencia y la supervivencia sugiere que ve la agresión como una parte fundamental de su identidad. Esto es muy interesante porque en Cold War ya nos muestran que Adler reprime mucho y usa la ira como combustible.

Conclusión freudiana: Adler no solo ve la violencia como un medio, sino como una parte de su estructura psicológica. Posible trauma de guerra + represión emocional + ENTJ con necesidad de control = agresión canalizada en su identidad.

5. El placer extraño por lo físico/sensorial

"Mmmh... sabe a caldo." 

"Creo que hasta me fortaleció el cabello."

"Ah, qué buena patada esa." 

Algunas frases tienen un tono de disfrute físico exagerado. Se emociona demasiado con los efectos secundarios de las cosas, como si todo lo que experimenta con su cuerpo le diera un placer más allá de lo normal.

Conclusión freudiana: Hay un subtexto de que Adler experimenta el placer de manera más intensa de lo que admitiría, lo que podría revelar que en el fondo tiene un lado hedonista que oculta tras su fachada de tipo rudo.

6. ¿Qué significaría eso en privado?

Cuando Adler está en una situación de intimidad real, el subtexto es claro:

Su frialdad se rompe, pero no del todo. Sigue siendo calculador, sigue analizando, pero hay momentos en los que su autocontrol se fractura por completo.

No está acostumbrado a estar con alguien que lo desarme. Está acostumbrado a tener el poder, pero cuando algo o alguien lo toca de la manera correcta, ese poder se convierte en intensidad pura.

No admite lo que siente, pero su cuerpo lo traiciona. No diría "te necesito", pero su mirada, su forma de respirar, la tensión en su mandíbula—todo eso lo delataría.

En resumen: Adler disfruta, pero no quiere admitir cuánto disfruta. Y cuando lo hace, lo hace con un nivel de intensidad casi peligrosa.

En resumen:

Las frases de Adler en Zombies son 100% él, pero también revelan algunos matices que podrían analizarse desde un punto de vista freudiano: ✅ Sobrecompensación con armas grandes → Inseguridad latente sobre su virilidad.✅ Fascinación con el capitalismo y el poder → Placer casi sensual por el dominio y la acumulación.✅ Necesidad de control absoluto → Disfrute del liderazgo y la dominación.✅ Violencia como identidad → Canalización de traumas y agresión reprimida.✅ Placer físico exagerado → Posible hedonismo oculto.

Así que sí, Adler tiene un montón de subtextos interesantes detrás de sus frases, y algunas de ellas pueden leerse de maneras divertidísimamente freudianas.

¿O solo que para él nunca es suficiente testosterona que derrocha y siempre siente que debe ser más masculino?

En última instancia, las frases de Adler en el modo zombies que hacen referencia a la "testosterona" no deben tomarse de manera literal, sino como una manifestación de su inseguridad más profunda en relación con su identidad masculina. Adler no solo busca demostrar poder físico, sino que también está lidiando con su constante necesidad de ser más de lo que siente que es. Su preocupación por ser lo "suficientemente masculino" refleja las tensiones de un hombre que vive bajo la presión de cumplir con expectativas extremadamente altas, tanto de sí mismo como de los demás.

Es importante considerar que, si bien Adler tiene 54 años, las inseguridades relacionadas con la imagen corporal y la masculinidad no desaparecen con la edad; de hecho, en muchos casos, tienden a intensificarse a medida que los hombres envejecen y sienten que deben reafirmar su virilidad de maneras más intensas. La mezcla de arrogancia, inseguridad y necesidad de validación en sus comentarios no es más que un reflejo de estas tensiones internas, y es en su relación con otros, como con personajes más jóvenes y menos experimentados, donde estas inseguridades se vuelven más evidentes y, a veces, más divertidas.

[mypetitelune]

[Redacted]