Summary:Arriving in Genosha, Shayera, Steve, T'Challa and Mari prepare Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It has been an interesting trip thus far. The group had first taken a flight from New York to Wakanda on a Wakandan airline, stopping in what very much looked like a small, poor city in a small, poor nation. Steve and Mari both know better at this point but while Shayera is being looked at very carefully by Wakandan security they hadn't cleared her yet to know some of the states deeper secrets. Maybe on the flight back. The stop had been necessary partly to switch over to a Wakandan diplomatic plane - which despite allegedly being from a small poor nation is rather nice.
Another interesting bit had been Shayera herself. Of the many backgrounds present in Steve, Mari and T'Challa, none of them are investigative and while Shayera is most decidedly NOT a diplomat, she does have a background of being a trained observer and when one is ferreting out secrets that's quite necessary. As to how they had gotten her to do that…?
Well Wakandan Intel knows more about her than she does about them. They'd reached out quietly to Akah Ma'at and made them an offer of some serious aid and knowledge if she could be convinced to accept SHIELD's invite to take this little field trip. Exactly what form that convincing took, though, probably only Shayera knows.
At any rate, the sleek little diplomatic aircraft landed in Hammer Bay an hour ago and after some somewhat tedious pleasantries with the local welcome wagon and a promise of even more tedious pleasantries later in the form of a state dinner, they had retired to the Wakandan Embassy to plan next moves and catch everyone up on the latest that intelligence has been able to provide.
The Embassy itself is well guarded and quite private, behind both a wall and a hedge. The facilities are generous and furnished in dark wood tones. Lots of polish, lots of art on the walls, nice food in the refrigerator and beds for those in need of a nap. Good gym too.
T'Challa is just coming out of a meeting with the ambassador and the local head of intelligence and is making for the kitchen after securing the keys to a ground car.
Steve has, without further ado, ensconced himself in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. Even super-soldiers get jet-lag, it turns out. He's found the machine and the pot still has some volume to it, given he's only one cup in. His clothing is proper enough, a blazer sewn to fit his shoulders overtop a button-down and slacks, Oxfords on his feet (his combat boots are in his suitcase, around here somewhere assuredly).
He glances up at hearing footsteps, ready to greet whomever they are from his lean on the counter, one hand occupied with his coffee and the other rested off his pocket by sling of his thumb.
Mari is sitting on a stool in the kitchen, a cup of coffee by her hand as she checks her tablet. She's wearing a dress with a short skirt, heels - lowish in height and her hair is a stylish … mess.
She's been casting looks towards the doorway since T'Challa left them here and engaging in small talk with the others. "Ah, that sounds like him now …"
The flight over to Wakanda was uneventful enough, even if Shay had to waste time before the initial takeoff explaining WHY she could not just sit down and put on the seatbelt like all of the non-winged people. If it weren't so time sensitive, she would have offered to just fly herself on over. She ended up having to very uncomfortably drape her wings over the back of her own seat and onto the heads of everyone behind her. Stupidly inconvenient.
But really, she couldn't care less what Grounder people think of her even while she herself can definitely be a judgey mcjudgeypants, especially about things she as unfair disparity. The second plane, after seeing the small city they'd stopped in for the changeover, gets a sneer from her, and she's even less apologetic about having to put up with the ungainly wing situation. Again.
The pleasantries get not a stitch more than silence and an impatient scowl from her, and now she's sitting gratefully on the backless stool next to Mari. No coffee for her, she's drinking water because she's already irritable enough. Caffeine just makes her even more volatile.
Her only response to T'Challa's return is to fluff up and spread her wings slightly. They're still a bit twingey from the flight.
"Everyone gotten as comfortable as possible?" T'Challa smiles at Mari and then nods to Cap and Shayera. "Good." He has a tablet and finds one of the smart TV's that's in the dining area, normally tuned to news sources. "We're going to have a busy time here. I've just been finding out what our local officers here have been seeing and as they say it's a doozy."
So. Here we go. T'Challa knows that Shayera got a barebones brief - probably nothing more than 'SHIELD wants her to help them catch an international criminal' - so he's going to have to fill in some detail.
An image of a rather scarred and truth be told ugly man in a calf length leather coat getting off of a boat surrounded by men in green and yellow uniforms comes up. "Firstly we do have confirmation that Baron Zemo did arrive at Genosha nearly a week ago. He has been splitting his time between the local government offices in Hammer Bay and a fortified compound on the northern shore." Arial images come up. Compound doesn't quite do it justice. It looks like a full on naval base complete with fabrication buildings and what look very much like submarine pens. Very industrial. Very militant. Very worrying.
"Wakandan intelligence suspects that Zemo has gotten that area in exchange for assistance with a facility here in Hammer Bay that is doing something with the 'plant extract serum' that they've been getting from Klaue. It would be… good for Wakanda and for the world if they were to lose any data they had associated with that. Also, obviously, SHIELD, the US and most of the world would like to see Zemo back behind bars, but we might have to settle for disrupting whatever plans they have here. Any questions so far?"
Because that was a lot and he's got more.
Steve, as usual, is not impressed to see Baron Zemo present. It brings his fine features into a ferocious scowl rarely seen and this takes effort to smooth out. He listens, sipping his coffee while T'Challa expounds, and in the pause, he thinks.
"Nobody's managed to act the double-agent within the compound so far? This's all second-hand information?" he asks, true-blues resting on T'Challa. He's certainly unsettled about the militant might on display through the aerial images — and here his favorite sniper is back home!
Shayera looks at T'Challa then at the TV as he starts to explain, openly wrinkling her nose at the image of Baron Zemo. "Damn he got hit with the ugly stick," she mutters to herself. It's a phrase she heard some schoolchildren use recently, and it seemed appropriate.
"Yeah, ,a couple. Do you prefer that data go away electronically or mechanically or both?" Because right now, smashing some computers to tiny bits sounds really appealing. "And would it be easier to start by messing with that plant extract facility?"
Mari offers a smile to T'Challa and stands to press a kiss to the dark skinned mans cheek. "Well, it's something we've got a positive ID on him." She looks at the aerial images and shakes her head. "What about the compound itself? Is there any preferences as to how that is handled? Or should it be left alone?"
As Shayera and Steve speak, Mari considers and adds "Do we have any information as to whether Mister Zemo has company we might know?"
"Several times." T'Challa nods to Shayera. "The data should go away in every possible form. Ideally in manners that it cannot be later retrieved." So smashing the computers would work juuuust fine.
"You are correct, Steve. No one has gotten a plant inside that compound so far. Everything we know comes from the outside and from trying to pick up bits of information as we can. We have no idea what they're doing in there but… being HYDRA it probably is not good."
Mari's question is a good one and leads to a few other important bits of information. "Until we know what they are doing there we can't really say what the optimal way to have it handled is. Since we cannot just level it - we are after all state guests at the moment - we will probably have to find a way to sabotage it."
T'Challa taps on the panel again and brings up a new photo with three figures. One is Zemo. Another is a Genoshan in a rather severe uniform and the third is a distinguished looking winged man.
"The Genoshan on the right is Chief Magistrate Tyrese Coetzee, head of the Magistrates here in Hammer Bay. They're a sort of secret police. The one on the left… we don't know who that is. But he showed up five days ago and has been meeting frequently with these two. He may be a mutant of some kind, though it is unusual for Genoshans to work with mutants." It's a good assumption but it is wrong. Shay knows who that is. His name is Kelso Mez.
"All in all it will be easiest to deal with the facility here in Hammer Bay first, but to do that we need to find a way to get you in undetected. Late tonight there will be a ship docking that we think is carrying the latest shipment of Klaue's herb extract. Mari and I will go to distract the locals at their State Dinner. If we do so, can two get onto that boat and find a way to hide inside the cargo being delivered?" Or find some other equally sneaky way in? "That late at night the plant should have minimal occupancy. Though… there will probably still be security."
The instant the new image appears, Shay straightens and curses harshly in her native language. "Kelso Mez. He was exiled from my home city several years ago." She really REALLY wants to put her mace through Mez's cranium right about now. "This means getting in by air won't be as easy as I was already thinking it would be." She's not got owl wings, after all. "But we could always give it a try. And as long as you don't go and eat an entire restaurant before we set off, Rogers, I should be able to carry you."
She's already mentally resigning herself to having to dust her wings with some kind of dark powder to make the white feathers a little less, well, white. She HATES having to do that. It feels awful.
Mari frowns at the images that are displayed. "Magistrates…." They aren't nice people as far as the ex-model is concerned. "… it might be nice if he were to have an accident as well." Of course, they can't arrange that but gee it would be nice.
The man with the wings has her looking between the image and Shayera, cocking an eyebrow in question at the other woman.
"Ah, we're to be the distraction. I have just the outfit as well, I promise to keep everyone breathless wondering if I will fall out …" She's teasing, but the outfit she's chosen is somewhat risque.
Her look then moves to Steve in question. She would love to go do that, but distraction is very important.
"Kelso Mez? Why was he exiled?"
T'Challa chuckles. "We may have to drop some leading hints in conversation as well Mari but I assure you that I believe you and I are up to fully occupying their attention for an evening." That'll let Steve and Shayera sneak in to the plant however they choose to do it. "If it were to catch fire, I would not be sad so long as the mysterious arsonists are not caught." If they can't manage that, smashing anything technical within it should work fine. And of course taking anything that might give them a hint as to what they're up to.
"There is one - OTHER - wrinkle while we are here. Nothing that directly impacts what you're doing yet but…"
Another image. This time of a man in a really weird looking helmet giving out weapons to people who look poor, dirty, and angry. "That was taken two days ago. The people receiving the weapons are mutants." And the weapons look a great deal like the ones found in Zemo's base.
Steve, and probably only Steve, knows that the man handing them out is called 'Kraken'. He is another one of HYDRA's leaders and when more than one of them are in the same place it is often bad news. And it begs the question: Why is HYDRA simultaneously working with Genosha's government and… arming dissidents?
"Yes, Shayera if you could tell us more about this Mez, that would be wonderful. What do you think he would be working with these people on? And who are the other winged people he arrived with?" Other winged people? Maybe that… strange group with the odd tech speaking the language Shay didn't recognize.
"Security should be no problem." Steve seems sure of this, at least, between his Vibranium shield and Shayera's aerial tactics. He fields Mari's glance with a lift of brows and then looks back to T'Challa again.
The Captain certainly isn't pleased to see Kraken involved as well. Great. The name last circulated at an Asgardian feast table, deliberately dropped on a note alongside with the cherry on top of Kraken himself demanding they NOT get Captain America involved — too late now. "Looks like HYDRA's also handing out the tech they've made to anybody willing to pull a trigger," he says, brows knitted. "Maybe fuel a revolt."
The Captain nods towards the image of the weapons being handed out. "That'll be Kraken. Dealt with him before, he's also HYDRA. He needs to be dropped down a dark hole 'nd left there after a trial."
"He was conducting immoral experiments on people, modifying their DNA and causing many deaths in his experiments. He had some sort of political influence, or the Council would have had him executed as a murderer." She's intentionally glossing over a LOT of details, figuring that all these three really need to know about Kelso Mez is that he's a lunatic, and he's only too willing to spend lives like water to achieve his goals.
"Other winged people?" She makes a decidedly disgruntles noise low in her throat, something akin to a growl. "That is likely another populace of winged people that he has convinced to help him with his insane experiments. I've run afoul of them a few times in New York already." And the fact that they're still mostly unknown variables truly irks her.
"Oh, I'm sure we could give them something to occupy their attention, T'Challa." Mari smiles. There's a reckless streak to the woman and it's showing right now. "I do hope there's dancing …" But leading hints, she can do. "We should discuss what we want to drop, before we go."
"That's a dangerous game to be playing, Steve - both sides of the coin. Then again, an unstable Genosha leaves the field wide open for HYDRA, I suppose."
"Immoral experiments on people, Ms Hol? Then he'll fit right in with the Genoshans." The ex-model says dryly. "It might be helpful, might it not T'Challa, to get what data we can on that before the facility meets an untimely end."
"And possibly the Genoshan government dependent on HYDRA aid? It's possible." T'Challa nods. "We should find out more, if we can. Mari and I will follow up on what we can but we're going to mostly be running interference and making sure the authorities don't ask too many questions about you two." Steve and Shayera that is.
Which might be tricky but Mari and T'Challa both have experience handling paranoid people.
"Immoral experiments on people. Then he may be involved with the mutant and mutate population here. Whatever it is…" It can't be good. Seems to be common refrain.
"Hopefully by the time you two have dealt with the facility we will have more information on the base Zemo is holed up in. Is there anything we can provide you two before you head out? And Mari, is there anything you can think of that we might need for our own part of this?"
Steve muses at T'Challa's question. Most of his coffee then disappears in one fell swoop before he goes over to the pot filled and steaming still.
"Figure it'd be best to have a disguise if at all possible — something to fit overtop the stealth-suit." Pouring himself another cup seems appropriate, given it only somewhat dents the lack of proper sleep in his metabolism. "No disguising the shield, at least not easily 'nd in a way where I can get to it in a heartbeat." He's wearing a wry little smirk as he turns, sipping carefully at the newly-poured brew. Hot. "That, 'nd maybe some weaponry that'll take down anybody with wings who isn't Shayera here. Parachuted into the middle of anti-aircraft fire before, but those tends to have straighter flight paths'n something with wings." Shayera is given a semi-apologetic glance from the pragmatic man.
It's clear from her expression that Shayera is NOT happy to be saying this, but she doesn't hesitate. "I'll need a powder of some sort to darken my feathers, otherwise I will glaringly obvious if we choose to go in after dark." If they do this during daylight hours it won't matter either way.
She doesn't seem at all offended by Steve's requests for something that work against other flyers like herself. She's trained in that style of combat, he clearly isn't. "I still can't believe you Grounders actually expect pieces of FABRIC to protect you when you throw yourselves at the ground." Yes, she's teasing.
"Well now, T'Challa, that depends on how much you want to keep their attention on us." Mari grins and gives the Prince a wink. "Tonight, I'll just need your charming personality but going forward, we'll need to arrange some demonstrations and the like, to keep their interest firmly trained on us."
Shayera's request gets a nod from Mari. "I have something in my bags. All … good … models have similar to keep the shine down. It won't wash out till you want it to - and we'll need to be careful that no one sees you with your wings like that." Of course, Wakanda might have something far more upscale than that.
"Legend has it that Steve doesn't need the fabric." T'Challa isn't sure if that's true but he's heard things about Steve jumping places with no parachute. Things that, presumably, Steve never told Bucky.
Cosmetics are, largely, cosmetics and no Wakanda doesn't have anything better than that. The alternative would be some manner of camouflage which would either be the same thing OR be a grease based paint. Not… pleasant for Shay.
"I will see what I can rustle up for you before we all go make our rounds. In the mean time if you want to take a look around the city the Embassy staff are at your disposal. And the bedrooms are as well. I think we're all going to have a late night."
And if Steve and Shay can pull it off… there are still more late nights to come. Because whatever Zemo and Kraken are up to here, it can't be allowed to continue.
"Well, I am going to make some poke in the meantime. It got popular in Wakanda before I left the throne and island fresh fish are as good as it gets." So he's going to be deliciously busy for a bit. As to everyone else? Well, they'll get whatever kit they can and then it's just a waiting game until the real fun starts.
.~{:--------------:}~.