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"Great men know when to listen," T'Challa responded to Menat's tale. "Which I am hoping the man showing us his patronage will lend his ear to us as well."

Soon enough they were lead into a large chamber with guards standing in line towards a giant throne at the end of the room. On top of it sat a monster of a man, or perhaps he was no longer just a man. Wrapped in bandages and his head adorned with a pharaohs mask the man calling himself Anakaris was an imposing figure indeed. Lead to the steps of the throne and T'Challa was quick to go down on his knee in reverence. "Great Anakaris, we thank you for allowing us this audience-" Before he managed to continue a voice boomed from Anakaris.

"You come to my kingdom which such high praise to my name, yet the offering you brought me was death."

Even with the mask on Menat could tell that T'Challa was taken a bit aback by this. "I have done no such thing o great and wise king." Again he was cut of by Anakaris before he could continue.

"Diplomatic? You choose ignorance then?"
Motioning with his hand a number of soldiers bring in what seems to be a corpse wrapped in bandages. "Can your words allow you an escape from the truth I wonder?" Ripping the bandages away revealed the dead body of a woman dressed in the traditional garb of the Dora Milaje. "Your envoy skulked in the shadows causing a massive explosion before my soldiers brought her down. Tell me, king, can your silver tongue explain this?"

T'Challa looked intently at the body before he spoke next. "I admit the outfit she wears appears genuine, but, I know all of the women serving under me and I have never seen this woman in my life." It was at this point when T'Challa removed the crest that he had taken from the bombed area and held it high. "Here I am with similar grievances as you. My land attacked by cowardice and the crest of your kingdom right in the middle of it." A murmur erupted out among the men and women inside the chamber as Anakaris and T'Challa continued their back and forth. Perhaps another voice of reason among the sea of voices was enough to lift the doubt in the great kings eyes?

@Yun Lee
 
Anakaris was not what Menat had expected at all. She could totally see how he was a 'large presence,' though. He was huge!! And she honestly had no idea if he was actually a mummy or just really liked the outfit...

As he and T'Challa exchanged words, Menat listened quietly, as shocked as T'Challa once the corpse was brought out. Wait a minute...

"Um, excuse me, Your Majesties!" Menat piped up, waving her hand to draw attention. "I was a witness to the destruction in Wakanda. Oh-and my name is Menat. I'm from neither kingdom." She quickly bowed, remembering formalities for a minute. "I'm a fortune teller sent to try and give important fortunes all over the world...and this whole Convergence thing has made me a lot busier recently."

She produced her crystal ball, showing Anakaris the flames that T'Challa had seen. "This is the fortune I was supposed to tell King T'Challa. A great danger was brewing here, and if left unchecked it would lead to destruction. And then the explosion went off, and we discovered that crest...though the body it was on had been burnt to a crisp. You couldn't really tell from how shiny and new it looks."

@Jeremi
 
Anakaris was not what Menat had expected at all. She could totally see how he was a 'large presence,' though. He was huge!! And she honestly had no idea if he was actually a mummy or just really liked the outfit...

As he and T'Challa exchanged words, Menat listened quietly, as shocked as T'Challa once the corpse was brought out. Wait a minute...

"Um, excuse me, Your Majesties!" Menat piped up, waving her hand to draw attention. "I was a witness to the destruction in Wakanda. Oh-and my name is Menat. I'm from neither kingdom." She quickly bowed, remembering formalities for a minute. "I'm a fortune teller sent to try and give important fortunes all over the world...and this whole Convergence thing has made me a lot busier recently."

She produced her crystal ball, showing Anakaris the flames that T'Challa had seen. "This is the fortune I was supposed to tell King T'Challa. A great danger was brewing here, and if left unchecked it would lead to destruction. And then the explosion went off, and we discovered that crest...though the body it was on had been burnt to a crisp. You couldn't really tell from how shiny and new it looks."

@Jeremi

Anakaris sat silently on his throne before rising up and with heavy steps came down to where T'Challa and Menat were. "Then what," He boomed. "Are you implying?"

"That we have both been played for fools."
The king of Wakanda finally spoke. "It is no secret that our alliance has been..shaky." T'Challa waited for Anakaris to say something but with only silence in response he continued. "I surmise that a third party attempted to pit our nations against each other. As to why I can not say."

"You say that as if it is the only truth."
It seemed Anakaris was still not convinced. "This could all be a trick orchestrated by you and your country."

"To what gain?"
T'Challa asked with a slight hint of frustration in his voice. "And why would I come to you and reveal all my cards."

"If not you then who? Who would dare?"
It was clear that Anakaris was still not content with the explanation and T'Challa was running out of options.

"Menat, can your crystal ball give us something? I'm afraid we seem to be at a stand still."

@Yun Lee
 
Oh yeah, that was a good idea! Better than her suggestion that it was someone who liked bombs and fire. "Right." Menat nodded, looking down at her crystal ball. "Well, little guy? Think you can help us out here?"

@Jeremi
 
Peering inside her crystal ball Menat had a hard time to work out anything from the vague and garbled images that it was showing. What she could make out though was the dead woman laying on the ground talking to someone obscured by shadows. On her right shoulder Menat could make out a logo of some sort, a black bird and a name starting with RO before the image disappeared completely.

@Yun Lee
 
"Uh...oh!" Menat looked up at the two rulers, that particular image hopefully enough to clear both their names. "That woman...she was talking to someone. She isn't a citizen of Wakanda at all! ...I think. Whoever she was, she had a strange logo on her shoulder: a black bird and a work that started with RO. Does that mean anything to anyone?"

@Jeremi
 
Menat didn't have to wait long for a response. "Roxxon Energy Corporation." Realizing the blank faces he was getting from the other two T'Challa elaborated. "A corporation native to this world, one that is morally questionable in its action. Has been since its creation. What they would gain from a war between Wakanda and Anakaris' kingdom however I do not know. Perhaps our Vibranium? But even then..."

"It does not matter."
Anakaris voiced boomed out loudly. "If this 'Roxxon' wishes a war then that is what they will have!"

T'Challa would try to calm down the mad pharaoh. "Great king, I understand your anger. But this is a corporation that for all intense and purposes is a legitimate business. Attack their HQs will bring trouble to your doorstep far worse then anything you could imagine."

His words seemed to reach Anakaris who seemed to calm down. "What then, do you purpose we do?"

"That is simple. Find out what they want."
While he had the mask on it was quite clear that T'Challa was grinning as he said his next words. "What do you both think about...infiltration?"

@Yun Lee
 
"...infiltration?" Wait, what did he mean by, "you both?" Was she officially a part of this thing? Well...okay, she always had been, considering she gave the fortune. But wow! Working with two kings of these massive rich nations? This was so exciting!

Okay, focus, Menat. "I'm sure it could work," she said. "And it's only fair, since they infiltrated both kingdoms first. But what sort of infiltration did you have in mind?"

@Jeremi
 
"Infilitration?" Anakaris spat out in anger. "We go to their seat of power and show them what it means to trifle with us!"

"It will not be that simple," T'Challa assured the undead pharaoh. "As I said, we can not attack their seat of power with out suffering severe repercussions."

"Then what, King T'Challa do you suggest?"

T'Challa looked over to both Menat and Anakaris. "Have either of you ever been to Sweden?"

Two days later...


Small islands sprawled out in the Swedish archipelago as a modern cruise liner broke the water surface as it silently continued on. There was a rumor that powerful people had gathered on this ship for an auction of some kind, hosted by Roxxon CEO Dario Agger. If the opportunity of visiting the belly of the beast is presented to you then you have to take it.

T'Challa was out of costume dressed in a formal black outfit flanked by Menat, who had also changed her dress to something more fitting of a place like this, as well as an Egyptian man in his mid thirties dressed in an all whit suit. "To hide my frame behind this illusion." The man lamented.

"I believe your real form would have tipped off us being here,"
T'Challa responded. "This is one of Agger's private cruisers, which implies that he has a personal database on this boat. With the information on that database we will be able to figure out what his plans are for our kingdoms. For the time being however let us play nice house guests, perhaps the auction itself might reveal something to us."

@Yun Lee
 
Man, of all the things that she had done so far, finding a proper disguise was not one of them. All of Menat's clothes were a bit on the unusual side-hey, it helped give off a mystic vibe! At least she had one "normal" outfit, and that was her school uniform.

sfv-school-menat.jpg


It didn't look too much out of place, especially when she was near T'Challa and Anakris. Master had even helped her disguise her crystal ball as a schoolbook! Well...tome, technically. But still!

"Be polite and friendly, huh? Can do!" That would be super easy! And plus, play your cards right, and you'd be able to hear a few things along the way...

@Jeremi
 
The ballroom they trio were standing in looked like it was taken from a fancy castle with a large table on the side housing a multitude of different foods as well as a large number of people all of them wearing expensive suits and dresses.

One man however caught Menat's attention. Dressed in a plain dark gray hoodie and jeans he casually walked through the ballroom with out much of a care for any stairs he might have gotten. As he walked past the trio they could see that he had a security nameplate on his chest. Despite that they had seen other security people walking the ship and they were all dressed in the same black suit and sunglasses.

"A mystery for another time perhaps."
T'Challa's eyes followed the man until he left the room. "Anyway, according to the schematics the data room should be located on the lower floors of this cruiser. I will be able to get in when we get there but it is going to take some time. After the auction during the night we shall strike. Menat, has your seer powers revealed something else to you about our current situation?"

@Yun Lee
 
"Uh...let me check." Menat looked around, then quickly ducked out of sight behind Anakris. Even if her ball was disguised as a book, it was still mystical and would be a red flag, even with this whole convergence going on. "Okay, let's see if I can pick anything new up..."

@Jeremi
 
The ball revealed to her the door to the server room opened, from there the scene shifted to that of a massive silhouette of what Menat could only assume was a monster of sorts with massive claws. Finally, images swirling into crimson flames engulfing the vision and leaving her orb dark once again.

While it seemed they might succeed in their mission to infiltrate the room, something was clearing going to be in their path.

@Yun Lee
 
TyJSorX.png


"Aw, rats...and here I was hoping to just deal with humans!" With a sigh, Menat closed the book, looking up at the two kings. "Bad news, Your Majesties. We've got company, and even more fire and brimstone! But hey, at least we have an idea of where to go: the server room was the first thing to pop up."

@Jeremi
 
"I would not be surprised for Agger to have a few surprises in store for us," T'Challa responded. "He has the money and connections to hire more than just regular soldiers, we better tread carefully."

"Be that as it may, any wall will be broken and any foe will fall. My will decrees it and so it shall be."
Anakaris wasn't worried about any threat in their way, but it was hard to say if it was false bravado or if he genuinely had the skill to back it. Before they could continue an announcement echoed from the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the auction is about to start, please move to the ball area on deck six."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting."
The trio navigated their way through the cruiser and soon enough found themselves at the auction venue. Sitting down in the back all three of them had a paddle with a number on it. T'Challa had a 94, Menat's had a 95 and Anakaris' had a 96. When all the seats were filled the auction started with the auctioneer getting to the podium upfront.

"Welcome everyone. I hope your stay so far has been a good one! Remember, the Roxxon Energy Corporation are our lovely hosts for the journey so let's give them some warm applause." Some complimentary claps echoed in the hall before the auctioneer continued. "These items we have for sale today are all mystical and magnificent artifacts from the other worlds! Imagine to add any of these items into your collection! With that said the first item for sale..."

latest


A golden tank with a M emblazoned on it. "This artifact was found in a futuristic world where robots are a common place! The design alone makes it a sought out item that you can display in anyway you see fit and we'll start the bid at a half a million dollars."

As the bidding war started T'Challa turned to Menat. "If you see something that attracts your attention, do not hesitate to bid for it. I will trust your intuition on the matter. After all, you have not led us astray yet."

@Yun Lee
 
Ooh, shiny. This stuff was all so fancy! Too bad she would never be able to afford any if it, though...ugh, stop getting distracted! Menat was here for a reason, and that reason was not to be dazzled by all these things! And as pretty as that tank was (with an M for Menat-no! Stop!) it was just that, and nothing of note whatsoever.

"I won't let you down," she said, keeping her eyes on the stage with a focused gaze. Come on...something had to speak to her! ...it'd be pretty embarrassing if it didn't.

@Jeremi
 
The M-marked item was finally sold just shy of ten million. Despite the fact that it was clear that this item wasn't worth nearly close to that it seemed that the people gathered in the room were only interested in the exclusivity of owning something from another world.

As the auction continued different items were brought up on display but nothing really seemed to catch Menat's attention. "And now final piece up for sale."

256


The staff brought forth a sinister looking crest with six jewels etched into it. "For this rather exquisite piece of craftsmanship we'll start the bid at one million!" Menat couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about this crest that made her think it shouldn't go home with just anybody.​

@Yun Lee
 
During the auction, Menat had an easy time paying attention. Like everyone else gathered here, the mystique of otherworldly items was too great to ignore. In fact, she almost didn't realize how important that last item was until the bidding started.

"Oh!" She almost raised her arm in the air, before remembering she wasn't exactly rich. Instead, she excitedly whispered to the two kings, "That's it! That's the one! We have to have that thing!"

@Jeremi
 
T'Challa nodded at Menat and raised his paddle to bid for the item, and as he did a war began. A bidding war. Paddles rose back and forth as well as bids off shore, but one by one the bids started to dry up, until all who were left were T'Challa and a mystery person on the other end of a phone line.

"Ten million."
T'Challa said raising his paddle for added emphasis. The caller on the line raised it to 20. This went on for a good while until. "55 million dollars." The operator doing the phone bid looked up to the auctioneer and shook their head.

"55 million going once...going twice...all is fair warned...sold to the man in the back! And with that the final item of today! Thank you to everyone who joined us here today and for those who won their bids, the items will be delivered to your cabins before we reach shore. Please continue to have a good time." With that the auction was over and people started to leave.

Still sitting at their spots T'Challa leaned over to Menat. "I thank you for pointing in the right direction. I too sense that there is something peculiar about that item."

"It reeks of magic,"
Anakaris interjected. "Dark magic, I do not trust it."

"Then perhaps it was a good thing I managed to secure it away from interested hands."

@Yun Lee
 
"Whew!" Man, talk about thrilling! Menat had been on the edge of her seat the entire time that bidding war was going on. Who knew auctions could be so much fun? If only she had money to burn like these guys did...

Oh, right, they had a job to do. "I'm glad we were able to get it, too," she said. "I wonder why something like that of all things would feel so sinister. I mean sure, it's got that creepy demon thing on it but...isn't that just something you'd hamg on your wall?"

@Jeremi
 
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