1x1 King's Dead

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"Yes," Shuri replied. "They have not been very picky about who they give these gifts, and while it has brought with it some good...it's a very turbulent time." Was the only thing she added as they continued the final leg of the journey in silence.

Soon enough they came upon Anakaris' kingdom and landed on the head pyramid where they were met by his delegates. "Welcome, the mutant delegates are already waiting in one of our chambers. Lord Anakaris will sadly not be able to join you but he wishes you have a pleasant and lucrative stay."

The servants lead the two women through the pyramid into a private chamber where they found four people waiting. One of them a large blue fellow with a friendly smile was the first to greet them.

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"By my stars and garters, Princess Shuri!" The man came up to give Shuri a friendly handshake. "It's been quite some time since we've seen each other!"

"It has been indeed Dr McCoy," Shuri smiled before motioning towards Menat. "This is Menat. the one we mentioned."

The blue man turned towards her with the same friendly smile. "The fortuneteller, of course! You even dress the part! I'm Doctor Henry McCoy, I also go by the superhero moniker of the Beast. I'll give you two guesses as to why I use that. The others gathered with me today." He motioned towards a black-haired Asian woman. "Xi'an Coy Manh, or her current alias, Karma."

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"Karma will do just fine. It's nice to meet you."

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"And I don't need someone to introduce me. Because only I can do it justice. Bobby Drake, and when I'm on the clock you can call me Iceman. It's very...nIce to meet you."

Beast groaned "Of all the puns to break the ice...No pun intended. Anyway, last but certainly not least we have Mystique."

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"Charmed." The blue mutant gave both women a sly smirk. Menat would realize that Shuri gave the woman a tense look before she replied to them.

"Thank you all for coming, I realize you had no reason to heed my brothers call."

Beast nodded. "Indeed, it's not like the destruction of our home isn't something we get to hear on what certainly feels like a daily basis but...a certain someone on the council got the rest to see the light, as it were. Perhaps then," He turned towards Menat. "You could give us a first-hand explanation as to what you saw and how you saw it."​

@Yun Lee
 
Honestly, meeting these four made Menat feel at ease. They were all so nice! Even Shuri seemed happy to see a few of them...Though that Mystique lady she seemed to be unenthusiastic about? Hm...either way, this wasn't her place to pass judgement on any one. She had a job to do here!

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Menat said, giving the sane curtsy to them as she had with T'Challa just a few days ago. She brought forth her crystal ball, holding it before all gathered. "When I use Soul Power to channel through this, it allows me to see the future...well, a future. Things can always change, as long as the recipient is willing to change it." Wanting to make sure they knew the fortunes weren't set in stone, she continued. "I didn't see much, but what I saw was an island on fire, the name Krakoa, and...remnants of Shadaloo. Tbat's an evil organization from my own world, one we thought had been destroyed." To give herself a bit more credibility, Menat attempted to bring forth that prediction again, or at least one relevant to their situation.

@Jeremi​
 
The four huddled up close to Menat as she did her thing with the crystal ball. None of them were really expecting anything out of it but soon something came into view.

A similar image to what she saw earlier but now there was a silhouette of an ominous figure among the flames before the fire consumed the entire image and the orb went dark.

"Well..." Beast removed his glasses from his nose and cleaned them with a handkerchief. "That was certainly an ominous message you showed us. If Shadaloo are involved that would explain the crates we found in a warehouse from where some from our ranks rescued mutants."

"Are you suggesting that Shadaloo are targeting mutants specifically?" Shuri asked Hank.

"It is possible, the question now would be. If what you showed us was true, Menat. Then how can we stop it from happening?"

"Other than beating up the bad guys?" Iceman chimed in.

"That's usually what we end up doing," Karma said with a sigh.

"So melodramatic, though I have a question," Beast cut Mystique off before she had the time to pose her question.

"Even if they are from another world. Humans are still humans and we will not stop them dead."

Mystique rolled her eyes clearly disappointed in the answer.

@Yun Lee
 
"Well, usually it involves taking action," Menat said. "The last prediction I had was vague, but it was about King T'Challa and King Anakaris being framed for terrorists attacks against each other. Once we figured that out, we prevented the bad future and brought a peaceful one. It should be the same for Krakoa. Find the source of the problem, which in this case is probably Shadaloo, then take care of it."

Menat looked down at the crystal ball, pursing her lips. "It's weird, though. The first time I saw this future, that shadowy figure in the flames hadn't been there..."

@Jeremi​
 
"Perhaps a new factor added to the equation," Beast mused aloud.

"That doesn't help us much though. We've dealt with Shadaloo but obviously we need to find their actual base before we can do something," Iceman replied looking at his compatriots.

"Do we have any idea of their base of operation?" Karma asked.

"I could speak to my contact in the underground, those that still wish to speak with me," Mystique added.

"A good idea, but I'm afraid we might be running out of time. If we are to do something we need to do it quickly. Mutant genocide is not something I wish to see."

"How lucky that at least one human seems to think that." Mystique snarked.

Shuri looked like she was going to say something but Beast quickly stepped between them to defuse the situation. "You are right, of course. We need to get to the bottom of this and fast. Perhaps returning to that warehouse could give us a clue of some sort."

"That sounds like a sound plan," Shuri replied. "I'll prep the plane. I know of your current teleportation technology, but that will not work for me and Menat will it?"

"I'm afraid not, but, perhaps in a show of camaraderie we will join you and travel the old fashion way?"

"Then follow me. There's no time to lose." Shuri shared her thanks with the guards and to tell Anakaris thank you for allowing the meeting to happen in his kingdom before she, Menat and the mutants headed to the airship. "Where was it that you stumbled on this operation?" Shuri asked as she started typing in coordinates.

"Madripoor," Beast replied.

Shuri sighed. "Of course, Madripoor." The ship ascended and soon enough they were heading towards their destination. There were enough chairs for everyone and most sat in quiet contemplation. Though their new friends seemed approachable enough if one wished to start a conversation with them.

@Yun Lee
 
Madripoor? Menat was about to ask more about that place, but judging by the way Shuri reacted to it, it may be for the best to stay mum on that. Tensions were bad enough with her and Mystique. No need to stoke a fire...

But she didn't want to leave things in an awkward silence. "So!" Menat smiled at the group, hoping to ease up the mood. "Besides the whole Shadaloo thing, how has this Convergence stuff been treating all of you?"

@Jeremi​
 
Beast was looking through his PDA but turned to face Menat. “We have actually been quite fortunate, all things considered,” He replied with a friendly smile. “Krakoa has not had the same problem of uh, come togetherness, which the rest of our world has exhibited.”

“Some new pals,” Iceman added. “Potential boyfriend…”

Karma rolled her eyes. “Please don’t ask him about it, he’ll never shut up.”

“The entire Shadaloo thing as you so flippantly put it,” Mystique came in before the Karma and Iceman discussion could continue on. “New enemies, always new enemies. Perhaps that’s the only constant multiple Earths have. The fear of the unknown.”

Mystique having soured the mood a bit Beast tried his best to in turn change the subject again with an awkward cough. “Well, yes, some times you have to take the good with the bad, but despite the circumstances, I feel the good far outweigh the bad. I am part of a group of scientists actually who are trying to unravel the entire situation. Massive undertaking with so many people from other worlds can be quite staggering in times. Crisis’ brings out the good in all, and I think we are on the right course.“

“Well said Dr McCoy,” Shuri replied from the captain’s seat. “It will take us a bit longer to reach Madripoor, and I do not expect a friendly welcome so, get ready.”

@Yun Lee
 
"...yeah." Okay, maaaaybe now was not the best time for smalltalk. Sure, 3/4 people being receptive to it was good, but with Mystique being so negative, she really wanted to watch what she said, lest it be used against her again. "I'm just glad I'm able to help out during this whole thing, I guess. The less destruction caused by this Convergence, the better."

@Jeremi​
 
Beast gave her a friendly smile and a nod. "Right you are."

The rest of the journey continued on in silence and soon enough the group found themselves in the airspace around Madripoor.

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From up above, it didn't seem much different from any of the usual pretty tourists' traps around the world, but the island held many secrets, most of them involving something related to a criminal nature. Shuri had the cloaking on the ship as they flew by the shoreline until Beast pointed them towards a harbor area where they soon landed.

"Which one is it?" Shuri asked as they came down the walkway from the ship.

"Just ahead," Beast replied. "It will not be hard to miss."

"You'll know it by the hole we blasted into the wall last time," Mystique added.

"As I said," Beast replied. "It will not be hard to miss."

@Yun Lee​
 
So...look for a hole in the wall. Got it. Menat kept her crystal ball handy, eyes trained on the walls as they started for their destination. After last time, she expected anything, really. It's not like the threat of flames meant they'd be getting through this without a fight...

@Jeremi​
 
It didn't take them long before spotting a warehouse with a hole and police tape around it. That seemed to be the only sign that someone had been there. "Surprised to see the Madripoor police even bother to show up," Shuri replied as she walked up the hole ripping the tape away so that they'd have an easier time entering.

"Well even in a corrupt system," Beast said as he cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief before putting them back on. "You have to at least act like you care."

"True enough," Shuri replied as she stepped into the warehouse.

Menat meanwhile would find her crystal orb to be surprisingly silent. She'd find Iceman looming over her as she tried to get any clues. "So that orb of yours huh...fortunetelling, that's a pretty neat job huh?"

@Yun Lee
 
So this Madripoor place had some serious issues, huh? No surprise that Shadaloo was lurking about, then. As Iceman spoke to her, Menat responded with a nod. "It's certainly not boring," she said, idly tossing her ball up in the air and catching it as she spoke. "And it can be fun, too, if the fortune gets me involved in stuff like this." She pursed her lips. "Sometimes, though, it gets me in a load of trouble...it's why my master taught us how to defend ourselves in a fight, too. How about you? What's Krakoa like? Judging by this, I bet you deal with a lot, too."

@Jeremi​
 
"Oh yeah, Krakoa's great!" Iceman exclaimed. "No guys out to kill us, except when they are. No real problems, except there's a lot...huh." He rubbed his chin. "Other than the mutant unity, nothing much has changed."

"We are at least striving for a change," Karma responded as she continued investigating the area. "If only humanity would be so willing to accept it."

"Perhaps if your leaders weren't so willing to strongarm leaders of the world into submission," Shuri remarked. "Then perhaps you'd have a slightly easier possibility?"

"I think both you and I know it is never that simple," Beast remarked with a friendly smile. "We are just using the tactics that humanity has always used. Perhaps they have no realized it's not as fun when they are on the other side?"

"Unless you actually want to do what we are here for instead of just talking politics." Mystique was fiddling with some sort of security panel she had found on one of the walls. "I found something." With a bzzt a secret door would open next to her.

"Well would you look at that." Beast removed his glasses in surprise. "There is our secret that we missed the last time."

@Yun Lee
 
"...huh." Well that was certainly not what she'd expected. Honestly she was grateful for Mystique's curtness this time around. Things were starting to get a bit tense.

Menat peered into the doorway. "Are secret passages a regular thing in Madripoor?" From what she'd gathered through their talks it wouldn't surprise her one bit if that were the case.

@Jeremi​
 
"Depends on who the lease is under," Beast quipped as he took point and peered inside. "Stairs leading down...best be on guard. Who can say what we'll find down here?"

Heading down in single file the group readied themselves in their own way with Mystique pulling out a pair of guns. Seeing the look Shuri gave her the mutant just smirked. "Rubber bullets. I don't know if you heard, princess, but we have strict laws against killing any humans."

"Could you two pipe it down?" Iceman said with an exasperated sigh. "I don't want any bad guys getting ready for us down here."

"I don't detect any brain activity down here," Karma replied having taken a position in the back. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful."

"Quite right, so, people, let's exercise some caution shall we?" Once they finally got down to their destination they'd find it eerily silent. There was lab equipment and some computers around them as well as large tubes filled with green liquid.

"This seems to be a lab of some sort," Shuri responded heading over to the computers. "Perhaps there is some information still left on these computers..." Beast would go and assist Shuri while the other mutants scattered to investigate the area more closely.

@Yun Lee
 
Well...Menat certainly hadn't been expecting a secret lab down here, but at least they were able to find what they were looking for. With Shuri and Beast at the computers already, Menat went ahead and checked out those weird tubes. What on Earth was Shadaloo doing down here?

@Jeremi​
 

As Menat leaned in for a closer look on the test tubes she noticed that there was something…floating inside. Suddenly a monstrous-looking face came into view inside the liquid. There appeared to be some sort of creature inside the tube! On closer inspection, it seemed to be dead, or at least not moving.

@Yun Lee​
 
"Guh...!" Menat took a step back from the tube, shuddering at that gross thing. Ugh! Why did bad guys always need their stuff to be so scary? What she'd give to go up against a giant bunny rabbit once in a while...

But for now, she decided to explore the lab a bit more, hopefully away from something so nasty.

@Jeremi​
 
Menat would find more of the tubes further into the facility. Karma sensed her thoughts and smiled at her. "Whatever those things are they aren't alive," She assured the young fortune teller. "I can't detect any brain activity from them at all. Though that just leaves what they were meant for?"

@Yun Lee
 
"I have no idea..." Menat stuck her tongue out as she spotted another of those things facing her way with its lifeless eyes. "Maybe they were trying to reanimate them or something? For what though I have no clue..."

@Jeremi​
 
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