Summary:Things are suspect in Genosha and a diving expedition is planned. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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"And in other news the Ministry of Production has confirmed that the Hammer Bay Multi-Resource Production plant's full opening has been delayed by at least four years due to an unforeseen construction defect that caused catastrophic structural collapse." The News Broadcast is not in English but it is dubbed by rather clever Wakandan Technology. T'Challa is sitting in the Embassy briefing room on the second level with his lunch watching it. Spread out in front of him are papers and reports on the activity around the island.
Lunch is fish with a pepper sauce. It is quite good. Unfortunately the Prince isn't properly enjoying it. He's looking through the latest intelligence intercepts and news to try and parse what the HELL is going on here. At least Steve and Shayera's operation was a success, judging by the news.
Arriving at the briefing room quietly is one Steve Rogers. He's in what appears to be business formal attire, even a tie about his neck, and if he's sore and bruised from the kerfuffle being discussed on the display, he isn't showing it. A sigh leaves him as he moves up to stand by T'Challa, his hands now hanging off his pants pockets by his thumbs.
"Amazing how they can spin words to make it sound like an innocent affair, that whole building. Bluff the public into sympathy." A shake of his head even as he continues watching, true-blues bright and edged. "Anybody figure out what engaged with Hol? Know perfectly well who I tangled with. Owe him another kick in the teeth," the Captain adds as he glances over at the Prince.
Mari looks relaxed as she sits down to lunch, but it's a facade that she's learned to perfect. "I should employ their PR department to work for McCabe." She says quietly. She is, of course, dressed very nicely and there's no sign of Vixen in her demeanour.
Vixen will come out to play … later.
"From what Shayera said, the guy had reverbium. Knocked her for six when she wasn't expecting it." beat "What has you looking so grim, T'Challa?" Yes she's noticed the look on his face.
T'Challa fishes a dossier from beneath a scattered pile of other papers. "According to Wakandan Intel, a ghost, not quite literally. A corporate raider with a high tech suit of some manner that enables him, or her, to become invisible, intangible or… do other things as we saw. Prior to now the Ghost been mostly involved in corporate espionage. The fact that it is here working with HYDRA is a new and unusual development."
The Prince looks up at the news and watches it for a few moments before smiling to greet Mari. "I've been trying to figure out what HYDRA is hiding in that compound they have been allowed to establish. So far no direct luck but I do have a couple of leads. The good news is that nothing has emerged to tie you, Steve, or Shayera back to the facility you wrecked so we are all still free to move about ore or less. The bad news of course is now their security services will be more on alert."
He fishes around in the papers and pulls out another file. "How do you all feel about underwater operations? We have some kit here that we can use for it. And our monitoring stations have picked up unusual seismic vibrations just off the coast that they have determined is artificial in nature."
Steve isn't much more sunshiney alongside his fellow Avenger. His smile is quick and faint for Mari's thoughts on borrowing the PR department, a sign of agreement in matters if drolly so.
"Reverbium…" mutters the Captain. By his tone, he's very, very done with the metal. Folding his arms across his broad chest, he listens to T'Challa's report. A nod is pleased to hear, despite the stupendous amount of pyrotechnical display of the hangar's collapse, no one's been tagged for it.
"Security being punished for slacking isn't too much of a surprise," he muses, glancing from the man to Mari and back. "Just gonna have to be more cautious now. As far as underwater operations…?" Steve tilts his head back and forth. "Probably gonna need more'n a snorkel, I'd assume?"
"Thats what Shayera said. He went insubstantial and she couldn't hit him. Ghost. It's a good name for him." Mari sighs and goes to pour coffee for all of them. She's finding it difficult to just sit still and knows how to disguise that with activity.
"Underwater T'Challa? If you wanted to see me in a bikini, you just had to ask." The joke feels flat to Mari "But I'm game. I haven't tried the abilities of fish for a long, long time. I'm sure though we can make it look like I wanted to be frivolous and you two decided to indulge me."
"You are yes but we have rebreathers and armored wet suits. I'll even have yours painted patriotic colors if you like, Steve." A smile ghosts across T'Challa's face and he winks at Mari. "You won't want a bikini for this, trust me. Or well, maybe you will but from the information I have its deep ish. Not so deep that we can't get there by swimming but still…"
The Prince looks through his papers and finds it. "Ah here it is. The vibrations are suspected to have come from a dry-air environment. So an underwater cave network or an artificial structure. While we have no direct evidence, Wakandan Intelligence suggests that this may be connected to HYDRA, given that they have what appear to be submarine pens in their compound."
More shuffling of papers. T'Challa accepts a coffee and takes a drink. "In other news, both of you are generating a significant amount of interest in the Genoshan press. I am… well. People here are familiar with my name. Wakanda much closer than America. But the both of you have rumors swirling around you of all sorts. I wonder if it is possible for us to use that…"
Happily and with a murmured thanks, the Captain accepts the mug of coffee offered to him. He doesn't take it doctored in the least, content to have it sans sugar and cream; its quality is still leaps and bounds over the trench sludge he knew in the war. A sip and roll of lips as if to better savor the taste as he looks from Mari to T'Challa.
"Maybe no patriotic colors this time. Shield's enough, I think." Still, he returns the Prince's faint smile. Another sip of coffee as he glances to Mari and then to the display of the news.
"Wonder what the old grapevine is growing this time…? It's possible. Done it before to sow misinformation." He shrugs a shoulder, glancing over at Mari. "Though what can you do with fish abilities? Breathe underwater?"
"I was joking, T'Challa…" Mari stops to drop a kiss on his cheek before settling down again. As much as she can, that is. "But it sounds like something we should investigate. Will we be able to get away long enough to do so? I don't fancy a deep sea dive in the black of night."
"What sort of rumours, T'Challa and what do you have in mind. You know that I love a good intrigue and using this type of thing to our advantage just makes it more … delicious."
Steve gets a grin from the dark skinned woman "That, yes. The ability to bite and attack like a shark, emit electric current. Once I've seen a creature, I can channel their spirits and their abilities."
"Mari is quite versatile. If I were still on the team I would recommend we put some serious thought into recruiting her. She would have helped out back in the day, I think." T'Challa says with a small laugh.
"As to the grapevine? All sorts of wonderous things. On the one hand there's the conspiracy theorists who say you are here spying, that you're gathering data for an American invasion, or a SHIELD invasion. Or that you're here signing up their government to the new world order, whatever that is. Or that Mari's involvement with me is just a cover and she's really here WITH you. On the other hand there's the speculation that maybe you're here to defect. Or that one of you is ill and you have come seeking medical treatment. Or… well take your pick really."
Oh the blogs and news sites he's had to read to get all this. T'Challa takes another sip of coffee.
"One of the more popular rumors at the moment is that you are both here to liaise with secretive factions within the Genoshan government. Which has had the amusing effect of making all the factions within the government wonder who is talking to whom and what they're being left out of. Paranoia is a way of life here, so everyone HAS to take that possibility seriously."
"Bite like a shark." This is echoed with a mildly amused dubiousness and a slow nod. The mental imagery apparently requires another deep sip of coffee. He stops himself before the idea of 'manta rays' gets too far ahead of himself.
T'Challa explains the pickings on the grapevine and a very pleased calculation flickers through Steve's expression. Much more innnocently, he wonders, "Be a shame if suddenly, everybody from those factions decided they wanted to court us, show up 'nd dance a little tune to see if we bite…see what they have to offer for information."
"Among other things, yes. It's been a while since I've been able to exercise those abilities." Mari smiles. "And if you were on the team, I'd join in a heartbeat." she adds to T'Challa. She's worked with the Avengers on and off over the years.
"I like the idea of formenting unrest between their factions. Let's use that angle and see who comes a'courting." She agrees with Steve. "Having a good story to share with them will be key, but so too will having a couple areas of dissonance as well. It will drive them mad as they try to work it out and who knows what they'll tell us in order to clarify."
"It would be a shame… for them. And it would also keep them more distracted spying on eachother than spying on us. I have, conveniently, already had Intelligence send me the brief on their government, its main divisions and their leaders." He slides yet another folder forward.
"Just in case anyone wanted to read it. In the bathroom or something."
Light reading, right?
"And yes, bite like a shark. Not quite 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee' but it gets the job done. Now… Steve, is there anything you would like me to ask for subsequent to your… last set of encounters? Because Ghost and Crossbones are surely still out there. I doubt we've seen the last of them."
"Yep, some innocent little holes in the stories just to make 'em wonder," agrees the Captain with Mari. When the folder is proferred, the man sets his coffee mug aside to then sit on the edge of the table. It's flipped open and he scans over the first page, flicks to the second, to the third, skimming rather than reading in fine detail — that, he'll do later, perhaps in the quiet between galas and snorkeling.
He thinks. "If you can frame it like we've got concerns 'bout security after the explosion, might be best — anybody who'd be able to provide 'proper' security 'nd who it is. Both Ghost 'nd Crossbones're mercs."
Mari wonders whether T'Challa was offering Steve resources that only Genosha could provide. She doesn't say anything though, not being sure just how much Steve knows - she'd assume as much, if not more, than she.
Mari takes a copy of the brief and settles in to read it. She'll read it several times before she's through. "I think this will make good bedtime reading…" Not that they can leave these things laying around. Who knows who'll see them, otherwise.
"I'll do that, reach out to both our hosts and our own people for increased security." Where the mercs working for HYDRA or Genosha? T'Challa has no idea. But he will do his best to find out. "We'll arrange our water outing soon. I'll frame it as leisure. We'll make sure they think we're goin somewhere other than where we actually are and I'll make sure they have a hard time tracking us. Now… I have an interview to do in a couple of hours and I suspect you both might want some rest. Or maybe to poke around on your own."
The ebon skinned man grins. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't."