The story in Black Ops II takes place in two separate arcs, one recounting events in the 1980s, and the second telling a story in 2025.
The 1980s arc tells the story of Alex Mason, fighting in Angola while he's fighting the brainwashing that was done in Vorkuta. This portion of the story will detail the rising of the game's main antagonist, Raul Menendez.
The other portion of the story stars David Mason, the son of Alex Mason, who must escort the American and French presidents after a Chinese invasion of Los Angeles. In 2025, a cyberattack is launched against China, crippling their economy, and they retaliate by banned the export of rare elements, thus sparking the start of a "second Cold War" between them and the United States.
It is revealed that it's Menendez who has control of the US' automated weapons systems and turning them against the US. He is the leader of the Cordis Die, a populist faction that is self-claimed as the champions of economic inequality.
