Starter Villain

Charlie rises early and begins a solitary stroll, eventually finding himself at the dolphin lagoon. He engages in conversation with the dolphin responsible for leading the recent labor dispute, known as “Blythlyn C Seventy-three.” The dolphin reveals he is a clone, as are the spy cats surveilling Charlie. When Charlie notices Hera’s presence nearby, he becomes frustrated by her continued surveillance. Charlie’s earnest but misguided efforts to negotiate exasperate the dolphin. Despite this, the dolphin reluctantly agrees to postpone any strike until after the Lombardy Convocation, acknowledging Charlie's good intentions, albeit with a hint of skepticism about his competence. Before parting ways, the dolphin gives Charlie a cryptic message to relay to Morrison: They have whales again.

Returning to Hera's suite, Charlie confronts her about her past surveillance activities. Hera reveals that in addition to monitoring him, she has also been safeguarding him from multiple assassination attempts, including one as recent as two months ago. Assuring Charlie of her genuine affection for him, Hera insists that she and Persephone care for his well-being. Hera promises to protect Charlie during the impending Lombardy Convocation, expressing confidence in his survival.

Charlie, Morrison, and Hera attend the Lombardy Convocation at the opulent Grand Bellagio Hotel on Lake Como in Italy. Overwhelmed by the luxurious accommodations of his suite, Charlie has a sense of imposter syndrome, but Morrison reassures him of his belonging. She also alerts him to the pervasive surveillance, cautioning that the room and the entire hotel are bugged.

Anton Dobrev, the convocation's head and the sender of the "Suck it, motherfucker" floral arrangement, arranges a meeting with Charlie and Morrison (123). Despite the initial hostility conveyed by the flowers, Dobrev proves amiable, attributing the gesture to Jake's insistence. Tobias and Dobrev discuss their history of attempted assassinations of each other, much to Charlie's horror. Eventually, Dobrev dismisses Morrison and Tobias to converse privately with Charlie, inviting him for a stroll.

Dobrev is elaborating on the origins of the Lombardy Convocation, tracing its inception back to the Boer War, when an assailant attempts to attack him. Charlie instinctively moves to shield Dobrev, inadvertently causing both to tumble to the ground, while Dobrev's sniper swiftly neutralizes the threat. The hotel staff promptly removes the assailant, and Dobrev resumes the conversation, unperturbed, commending Charlie for his valiant attempt to protect him.

Later, in the tearoom bustling with convention attendees, Charlie recounts his exchange with Dobrev to Morrison. Dobrev asserted that the primary aim of the convocation attendees is to gather and analyze corporate intelligence, profiting from global events rather than directly influencing them. Morrison remains skeptical and explains the convocation's dynamics to Charlie. While Jake was invited to the convocation on numerous occasions, he consistently declined, opting instead to disrupt the plans of other members. Charlie posits that, in thwarting villains, Jake might have inadvertently acted as a hero. However, Morrison dismisses this notion, asserting that the convocation members are keen to ascertain whether Charlie intends to carry on Jake's practices. Morrison also warns Charlie of potential threats from those who may seek to eliminate him.

Charlie, Morrison, and Hera attend the "Pitch and Pitch," a competitive event where aspiring villains pitch their ideas in hopes of securing funding from the members of the Lombardy Convocation. Charlie notices that each member of the convocation is seated at a separate table, accompanied by a cat, mirroring his arrangement with Hera. Perplexed by his inclusion, Charlie questions Morrison about his table assignment. She reveals that Dobrev persuaded the other members to treat Charlie as an equal peer. Charlie senses animosity from the other members, except for Dobrev, but Morrison cautions that Dobrev's friendship is merely a facade.

As the pitches unfold, Charlie is appalled by the proposals that gain approval and even more disturbed by the fate of the unsuccessful pitches: A member activates a button on the table, propelling the unsuccessful presenter into Lake Como. Despite this consequence, the remaining presenters remain undeterred. Morrison explains that such ruthless actions are considered a rite of passage within the convocation, and failure to participate forfeits future opportunities to collaborate with its members.

Charlie convenes with the dozen members of the Lombardy Convocation, including Dobrev, Roberto Gratas (whose legitimate enterprises encompass several South American mines), Joakim Petersson (a Swedish shipping magnate), Thomas Harden (scion of a once-thriving steel dynasty), and Kim Ji-Jong (from a prominent South Korean chaebol). Each member possesses an impeccably behaved cat, except for Dobrev, whose feline is leashed due to its unruly conduct. Good-naturedly, Dobrev jests about Hera, referring to her as a "mutt cat" and pointing out that their felines are all purebred. He mentions that the tradition of feline companions in meetings began after Blofeld appeared with a Persian cat in the James Bond film From Russia with Love.

The convocation members invite Charlie to join their ranks, stipulating a membership fee equivalent to 10% of Jake's assets (approximately $40 billion) and an annual fee of 5% of net income. However, they issue a thinly veiled threat, indicating that if Charlie declines, they will claim a quarter of Jake's former assets, estimated to be worth around $100 billion. Charlie calls out their "car-salesman" tactics, implying that the members are financially strained. With stinging rebukes, all members except Dobrev depart.

In contrast to the others, Dobrev finds the situation amusing. He is the sole financially solvent member among them, as all others have borrowed from his bank and are reluctant to deepen their debt. Dobrev is intrigued by Charlie's skepticism and invites him to a private discussion in his room in 20 minutes to explore potential options.

Charlie heads back to his room to debrief Morrison, who once again warns him not to trust Dobrev.

In Dobrev's suite, Dobrev attempts to persuade Charlie to join the convocation, but Charlie refuses, citing Jake's non-membership as a factor. Dobrev counters, claiming that Jake did indeed join but grew disillusioned and left abruptly. As the convocation's senior member, Dobrev recalls Jake's involvement and reveals the existence of a storeroom on Saint Genevieve Island holding billions of dollars’ worth of artifacts looted during World War II. Upon Dobrev's demise, the executor of his will is to provide Gratas with the access code, but they also require Charlie's key to enter.

Charlie questions why Jake departed from the convocation. Dobrev begins to explain when suddenly, the room erupts in an explosion.