1091/Bread crumbs

Bread crumbs
Date of Scene:	10 April 2020
Location:	Abandoned Subway System
Synopsis:	T'Challa goes to investigate a disturbing energy reading and Shuri and Riri must come to assist. What they discover is frightening for the Wakandan King.
Cast of Characters:	T'Challa, Shuri, Riri Williams

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T'Challa has posed:
Several nights after the weapon was pulled out of the bikers hands and T'Challa is following up on information contacts within the Police Force gave as to the weapons origins. Shuri, like T'Challa, was able to trace the energy source of the weapon, and while Black Panther rarely asks for any assistance, he had told her to inform anyone she personally trusted in the even that he needed assistance.

Which is rare.. T'Challa acknowledging he might not be able to handle it alone.

Having disappeared into the abandoned subway systems a few hours ago, there was an energy pulse detected on Shuri's sensors. Invisible to almost all systems that did not have the specifics of vibranian made weaponry, this one was more in line with the magnetic pulse trams deep in the heart of the Vibranium mines.

Afterwards, T'Challa had gone silent.

Shuri has posed:
Having been told that, she really only thought of one person and reached out to Riri. She told her that she might need her armor for this and to bring it. She wasn't sure what they might find. Anyone who is messing with Vibranium or has the means to, is not someone to be taken lightly. So, she asks Riri to meet her near the source of the pulse that she sensed. She arrives there, frowning a little at the fact that her brother has not responded. It is even more upsetting cause her own suit is not really ready yet.

"Come on, Riri." She says to the air, as Riri hasn't arrived yet. She looks back over her shoulder toward the entrance, frowning some and debating going in alone. She really shouldn't but she wishes to know that her brother is ok...and to give him hell for getting himself inot trouble.

Riri Williams has posed:
     When the Princess of Wakanda asks for your help on behalf of the king? You don't really say no. Not that Riri would have anyway, since this sounded like serious business. So she'd double checked all her armor systems, loaded up, downloaded what maps existed of the system, and headed in. ...After finding an entrance she actually fit through, of course. The armored teen's approach to SHuri would be heralded by the thud of armored footsteps first, and then glowing blue lights appear. Yay for eyelights! Riri, meanwhile, is staring at a black and white world outlined in neon green from her armor's sensor suite. "Shuri. How can I help?"

T'Challa has posed:
Intermitted long pauses in almost all natural life inside the tunnels is harold to something omenous afoot. Even insects quieted every couple minutes for exactly thirty seconds, then resumed as if nothing at all had transpired in the subterranian infrastructure long left abandoned.

Large sections of wall have been cut out to reveal direct access to NYCs main power grid and knowing that, it becomes obvious which sensors to check from the plethora available to anyone not of Wakanda... to Riri's suite it is a beacon. A glowing white orb extending up over the surface... energy being drawn from multiple sources so mundane means of scanning reveal very little unless one knows to look for the product, rather than the means of production.

To Shuri it is obvious... this facility has been fortified for... at least months, but probably years, with vibranium. Enough here to start terraforming the landscape while using camo technology to mask it from the outside world. It's preventing deep scans of the complex, however...

Shuri has posed:
A smile is given to Riri and she nods, "Thanks for coming. You can help by helping me find my brother...that and being my backup." She frowns, "T'challa ran off alone. He thinks he is able to do anything." She shakes her haed, being the pot or the kettle in this situation. Either way she starts ahead, her visor already over her eyes and her wrist beads glowing, "There is something going on here. Almost like someone is using the vibranium in a way similar to how we use it. Liekt hey know what they are doing."

She starts forward along the abandoned tunnels and looks back, "Keep your eyes out. If they do know how to use the vibranium they have then they may be setting up traps." And then Shuri continues, looking around as she walks and then frowns as she points out, "See. Do you hear that?" She asks Riri, "The animals...that live down here. They cease every few minutes." She nods her head, "A pulse, likely from the vibranium."

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"I guess that'd explain why the ultrasonic mapping is throwing errors about twice a minute. AISHA, check for further anomalies."> Riri nods, starting to walk along the tunnel, staying a step ahead of her friend. No point being a wall of bulletproof armor if Shuri is squishy in front. <Riri. I am detecting unusually high spikes in power draw that coincide with the sonic anomalies. Taps and affected smart meters have been mapped.> <"Thank you Con Ed... We could cut their taps, but it might draw attention. Or cause too much draw on certain parts of the network. Some of these conduits aren't holding up very well."> A laser dot from Riri's helmet helps highlight one of the rusted conduits, bare copper visible in a few places. "What do the sonic pulses do besides jam mapping?"

T'Challa has posed:
The original design of the subway system was pretty straight forward, but whoever has currently taken residence has definitely changed a number of key elements. Sections have been dug out, new foot paths wrapping through the design that almost resembles an ants-hill. Also like an ants-hill, it's deceptively complex networking, but once inside the bubble created by the vibranium shields, becomes more clear... specifically to Shuri's software, but also to Riri's even though there's thirty second delays every couple minutes that coinside with those energy pulse.

Ahead, which is a misnomer because here's no telling how sound carries down here, there's two people chatting. The accent of one of them is distinctly Brooklyn, hard not to spot.. much like the other which is Wakandan, though some of it has been lost to a more traditional American as if whoever is speaking has been away from native speaking for many years. Their conversation breaks down to; we have intruders that we're tracking. 'Why didn't we leave after we got the King?' Because the boss wanted to test the security suite before the next buy...

And other such villain chatter that doesn't specifically give -enough- information, just little bits of it, suffice to say... they know that Shuri and Riri are there.. but they're suffering from the same problems as both of them beneath the energy pulse: No way to prevent their equipment from scrambling.

While it is definitely a shield generator, they haven't perfected it like Wakanda has.

Shuri has posed:
She is about to say more to Riri when she hears the chatting. She turns her gaze back to the direction of the sound and frowns at the words 'got the King' and shakes her head. She moves to beside Riri and gestures ahead to move forward, "Move ahead quickly, get their attention, I will strike from behind." She whispers to Riri and then slips to the side and starts moving along the wall quickly but rather quietly given her shoes. She then looks to Riri to gesture her ahead again even as she herself stalks along the wall.

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"Might be able to make use of these pulses... AISHA, see if you can extrapolate the tunnel system by tracking the seismic impact of the pulses."> It's about then when the voice comes, helpfully subtitled on Riri's HUD. A few eyeflicks disable her external speaker, cutting the eye lights as well. No point in giving her position away until absolutely nessecary. <<"Copy. Going loud.">> In ear comms are great, huh?
     The first hint the mooks would have besides their tracking of what exactly was going on would be the opening riff to Elton John's 'Saturday Night's Alright for fighting', followed Ironheart charging them out of the darkness She fires a pair of repulsor bolts before closing to melee range. No point waisting missiles on a single pair of guards. ...and she really needs to get those less lethal energy weapons working.

T'Challa has posed:
Only one of the pair is technically a mook.. The other looks like he's seen a few high end scrapes, even if he is a little on the older side. The dark skinned Wakandan is covered in tattooes, hair a near grey, but with no shortage of bursts of speed for his age. He's the first to respond, moving /towards/ Riri as soon as she charges out of the darkness as if the distraction does very little to surprise him...

The same cannot be said for the white guy.

"What the fu--" Leveling up a rifle that he fires, but it goes wild across the surface of the wall and sends up a spray of rock dust when it blasts a hole clean through. A massive energy weapon in his hands as he dives away from the repulsors while the more agile of the pair leaps into a cartwheel rush directly in the armored teens direction, a pair of energy blades errupting out of gauntlets on his wrists. "You made a mistake coming here!" In his accented voice as he goes on the offensive.

Shuri has posed:
Rushing out of the darkness, Shuri leaves the energy blade guy for Riri while rushing the man with the energy weapon. She might be a princess, but she was trained by two of the best in Wakanda. One being her uncle, the other being her brother. As she comes in, she springs into the air and attempts to do a spinning kick right for the man's face before she'll palm something from one of her pouches. As she lands she attempts to shove what she palmed right into his chest before leaping back and turning to look toward the one with the blades.

"You there, you are Wakandan, aren't you?" Shuri crosses her arms oer her chest even as the humming burst follows that causes what appears to be a bubble of hardlight to try to whip up around the man with the rifle and trap him inside, "You had better speak up."

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"Oh hey, I've got one of those!" Riri's own omni-blade flares into life from the armor's right arm, easily long enough to catch both wrist blades and shove them off to the side with the brute strength inherent to power armor. <"Don't really feel like using it too much though."> Another repulsor bolt, this one at point blank- A lot less time to dodge.

T'Challa has posed:
The mook Shuri is attacking really isn't built for close quarters combat with an agile combatant, but he does try his best. Swinging the massive weapon like a club when proximity would make the resulting explosive blast hit him as well... so at least he's aware of how dangerous what he's using actually is. His legs are caught in the energy whip, falling back away from her when the kick smacks him clean in the face and tumbles him off his feet... but he's already trying to get back to his feet.

The Wakandan doesn't speak up, doesn't threaten or bolster. When the omni blade shoves his wrists mounted weapons away, he was already moving. Not dodging, so much as making himself a difficult target from the onset. Using momentum to slide /between/ Riri's armored legs so he comes up behind her to press his attack again, swinging both wrists downward in a cross slash aimmed at her back.

"HELP! We need backup!" From the Brooklyn mook trying to untangle himself from the whips lashes.

Shuri has posed:
A frown as the Wakandan doesn't speak up and as the other guy doesn't get the message. Turning quickly, Shuri throws something else this time, aiming for the man's face. It's more simple this time, a bola like structure that will hopefully wrap around his head and specifically his mouth to shut him up. She then turns back in time to call out, "Behind you, Riri!" And she's pulling out a pair of truncheons that immediately whip up with a glow as she rushes over to help Riri with her agile opponent.

Riri Williams has posed:
     <<"Shuri, Back! Flares!">> AISHA obediently punches it, twin cylinders sliding out of the armor's hips and spraying chunks of brilliantly white light at her foe. The blades score the armor's backplate and pelvic area, status display shifting from green to yellow. At the same time, Riri kicks into fight mode just long enough to fire her repulsors and launch her into a flipping somersault to again face off against the melee guy. ...Who should hopefully be blind and maybe on fire, and much easier to deal with.

T'Challa has posed:
There's no yelp of pain from the Wakandan, but there's also no immediate press of attack after Riri's slick move. His blades temporarily disappear into his gauntlets, thumbs rubbing at his eyes until he's cleared some of the flashes of light.. he had, thankfully, moved away during Riri's warning to Shuri so his daze is temporary and already pushing back towards the pair.

Wrist flashing outwards towards Shuri first, hurling small spheres in her direction that burst then push outwards towards her in an energy net wall.. His intent to seperate the two teens. Clear that he's not at all a slouch, definitely not a mook, and has absolutely fought armored enemies befores. Swinging energy blades at Riri with a ruthless aggression that doesn't lack for grace, his unarmored form twisting and turning expertly, almost precise, in how he's trying to attack specific locations where lines run along her armors surface.

Shuri has posed:
And that's a mistake on his part. Almost immediately upon the energy net opening up, Shuri whips her truncheons together in front of her, touching them tip to tip and aiming them out like an arrow. It was a bit of stupid move to use such a thing on Shuri. It does slow her down but she knows the weaknesses. The truncheons light up with energy as the net pushes her back and almost immediately the net will start to rip to pieces in air, though not before the man will have a chance to attack Riri some more.

"Hey." She calls as she suddenly rushes forward to try to back up Riri, "Do you know who it is you attack?" She asks of the man even as she swings one truncheon low while tucking the other in close to her body and behind her back, turning it off as she does. She then spins around with her first attack, her body twirling to her right like a top and even as seh twirls the truncheon in her right hand slips from behind her back and turns on to aim right for the man's midsection.

Riri Williams has posed:
     Huh. This guy was /really/ good. A few more sections of armor turn yellow in Riri's HUD. Seeing how Shuri managed to deflect the net, though... that gives her an idea. <<"AISHA, charge the outer plates to fifty kilovolts.">> <Current limiting not possible. Confirm?> <<"Just do it before he slices us up!">> Unlike the stun knucks... This wasn't definitely less lethal. On the other hand, she might just be able to stun him long enough to actually LAND a stun knuck punch.

T'Challa has posed:
The Wakandan ducks down beneath Riri's counter strikes, slicing at her with his energy blades, but still appears keenly aware of where it is Shuri is despite having her only in his side vision. Which probably surprises her when he suddenly turns and sends a kick in her direction, off balancing himself for the low strike on his back leg however. He round offs out of the attack and gets caught in the stomach with the midsection strike falling backwards into the swung Stun Knuck punch from the armored Teen.

His body convulses a few times, then goes still on the floor except for a rhymic breathing with his head turned slightly to one side. The energy weapons desolve into his gauntlets, leaving just the sound of crashing brick on the subway tunnel wall where the energy weapon the mook fired left most of the structure unstable.

Not to mention that predictable pulse of energy.

Shuri has posed:
The kick catches Shuri in the shoulder and she shrugs it off but after the fight ends, she winces and rubs her shoulder, "A member of the Hatut Zeraze." She frowns as she looks down at the man, "Exiled by T'challa for their brutal tactics." She looks down at the man and moves down to check him for more Wakandan tech before walking over to collect the weapon of the other man, "We cannot leave anything behind. It is all too valuable and too dangerous to be left in the hands of these people." She looks up at Riri, "This is why we are here. People are using our tech and we cannot allow it." She shakes her head before she slides some things away and gestures, "Let us keep moving though."

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"Hopefully the rest aren't like that guy... I need more area of effect weapons. Maybe some stun grenades or something."> Riri kneels down, armor dispensing a plastic band from one wrist that she grips and heat seals around wrists and ankles to make expedient cuffs. ...Also she takes their radios. <"Just lead the way, Shuri. We'll deal with them.">

T'Challa has posed:
The path is no more clear, but the scans now have a much more effective means of setting out the bread crumbs. There's no more real threats in the passages, just wires run into the walls powering whatever device is causing the periodic, predictable, energy pulses as the pair of them get deeper into the facility.

Which becomes far more technological as they go deeper. From brick walls and old subway tunnels, to shined vibranium armor plates, this section is converted to withstand almost any attack by any nation, mutant or otherwise. More of a bunker, however, it's enough space for the device.. a small lab.. and living quarters for a half dozen men.

Two of whom are seated in the center of the room with their heads bowed... both of them Hatut Zeraze. Both glance up as Riri and Shuri make their entrance.. Igniting energy blades as they stand.

Shuri has posed:
Frowning as she notes just how much Vibranium is here, she turns in time to see the two men with their heads bowed. She seems to squint a little at their bowed heads and hten they are igniting blades. She turns on her own weapons, electricity arcing along the truncheons. She nods to the men, "What is this and where is my brother?" She steps forward one step, "Talk. Now." She nods her head and then looks to Riri to make sure she's ready before looking back at the men.

Riri Williams has posed:
     ...yeah no, Riri's not dealing with two of these assholes again. With a mechanical whir, plates shift on the armor's boxy shoulders and the missile launch tubes rise into position, each of the men also getting a glowing repulsor emitter aimed at them. <"Drop the weapons."> Both targets are locked, and AISHA computes a firing solution to catch them both with a single missile on concussive mode. Back to comms. <<"If they move, I'm taking them both out with a missile. I hate these energy blades.">>

T'Challa has posed:
Neither of the War Dogs move. The don't speak. They just stand there with their energy weapons ignit staring at the teens waiting.. For what? Certainly they're stalling... they'd have to be? There's no one else in the room, T'Challa isn't present, and it would take several of these soldiers, well trained as they might be, to bring down the King of Wakanda... the Black Panther.

Shuri has posed:
A frown as she watches them not move before her eyes go wide and she gestures, "Riri, light them up! They are just an obstacle to my brother!" She calls out and gestures, letting Riri take the first salvo to try to bring them down fast.

Riri Williams has posed:
     Fast it is. A missile streaks from Ironheart's left shoulder, detonating in an airburst between the two men. A concussive shockwave of repulsor energy, it /should/ be non-lethal at this power level. She makes no promises about hearing or eardrums. A followup repulsor bolt each just in case the disorientation of the blast didn't drop them should do the trick.

T'Challa has posed:
The pair seperate as soon as the missile traces out of Riri's shoulder mounts, but they're still caught with enough of the concussive blast to hurl them out against the walls. One smacks his shoulder against the vibranium laced places with a sickening thug and the other leaps into the hurling energy to catch his feet and push off the wall rather than collide with it. The second is the first to come in at them, moving noticably slower than the first had because of the damage to his equalibrium and inner ear, the first is trying to pop his shoulder back into place, but the condile is snapped, so it just hangs uselessly at his side... which doesn't stop him from coming in shortly after. They wont be difficult, these two, not after that missile... but they're very clearly tough..

Shuri has posed:
With her Truncheon out, Shuri rushes the one coming at them. She leads with her right, swinging in a quick backhand before shoving in with a stab of her left weapon. Both of these attacks though are not her purpose at all because even as she stabs the left truncheon toward her opponent, she is flipping the right one into the air. Her right hand reaching down to palm up another of her many gadgets and sling it toward her opponent's feet. Even as she catches her weapon, she is stepping back and away from him, to try to draw him forward, however, if he is not careful, he will feel something under his foot and the result will be a small explosion of rather sticky goo that will glue his feet to the floor.

Riri Williams has posed:
     With Shuri going for the first opponent, that leaves the second for Riri. Still lamenting her lack of electrolaser, she unleashes a series of rapid but weaker repulsor beams. With a broken arm, launching him across the room is a bad idea. So she'll just pummel him instead!

T'Challa has posed:
The pair still move quickly, even if noticably less so with their injuries. Neither is equipped to stand toe to with the teens, however. Ducking attacks, swinging their own, the one engaged with Riri is ultimately hit with a repulsor blast to the chest and send crashing through a table near one of the control computers. When it falls to the floor the pulses become slightly irratic.. less predictable.. and there's the sudden sound of commotion further down one of the paths as if a fight has broken out.

The one on Shuri stalks after her once he's dodged or deflected her attacks, having been too engaged with her to notice the device on the floor until it was too late. Even though he /tries/ to move it still ends up getting one of his feet, gluing it to the floor.. Which certainly makes him less dangeorus, but not harmless.

Shuri has posed:
"You know, I could finish you properly like a warrior would, but you are betraying Wakanda and may have been involved in hurting my brother so..." She instead casually tosses another item as his feet and yet another one of those energy whips will come out like a snake from the floor and attempt to wrap him up. She tehn will look over to what Riri is doing before calling, "I hear fighting ahead. That must be T'Challa, he may need our help..." She starts moving and shakes her head, "What am I saying? Of course he'll need our help."

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"Mine's disabled, I'm installing a data tap so AISHA can take their pulse emitters offline."> Having faith in Shuri, Riri walks over to the control equipment, placing her index finger next to a USB port. the digit splits, extending a gadget about the size of a mouse dongle into the port, before ratracting again. <"Sic 'em, AISHA. I want a full clone of the system, then shut it all down."> The screens themselves start to flash and flicker as windows open and close and data streams across them, Riri's AI cutting through the encryption and feeling her way through the system.

T'Challa has posed:
AISHA actually makes pretty short work of the lowtech software running the high tech machines. Deactivating the pulse generator which instantly returns full functionality to Riri's systems suites and the full compliment of Shuri's gadgets.

It also turns the tide of whatever fight is going on further down the hall... Presumably when T'Challa's armor is no longer being disrupted by the pulse, which could very well be the other benefit of the device aside from hiding the bases location.

Suffice to say that with the Black Panther free, things are almost back in hand.

The whipped War Dog swipes his blade at the energy wrapping around him, but he can't dodge away so he's caught and drops down to the ground bound... while the other, with his broken arm, is hurled backwards against the wall with a crack of his head against the vibranium.

Shuri has posed:
Looking back at the two downed men briefly, she nods to Riri who seems to be helping in her way so she rushes off to see to T'Challa, "Catch up when you can, Riri!" She calls out and even as teh pulse shuts down, she smiles brighter at her intelligent friend's work as she tries to catch up to her brother. Of course, as she notes the working sensors, she pushes something on her wrist and speaks into her communicator.

<"You should not make a habit of being saved, brother. People will start to talk.">

Riri Williams has posed:
     Well, with the tap in place, AISHA is free to explore, and Ironheart can get back to punching and shooting. ...Although it looks like the king might be wrapping things up anyway. She still offers what suppressive fire we can. <<"Hey, AISHA... If this place has any internal defensive measures... See if you can use them on the bad guys. But don't kill anyone.">>

T'Challa has posed:
When Shuri makes it to where T'Challa is fighting, it is almost at an end. The Black Panther kicking one of the guards left to escort him against a hard vibranium surface where he slides down onto his butt unconscious after striking his head. Turning towards Shuri with an up nod, "Save the ribbing until after we are away from here, sister." He says as he stalks towards her, "There are many of them escaping, but we must destroy what we can of this equipment..." Likewise spying Riri as she moves to join them, AISHA still trying to turn what few internal defenses were in place against the previous owners. There's shouts further down the hall, echoing up from any number of directions, where blasters defense weapons begin firing on those escaping.

"Riri.. It is good that you have come." Offering her a respectful nod as he moves back into the main room to take stock of what was left behind. "It is important... that you exercise restraint with who you tell about this." Turning back to the armored teen. "If word gets out that Wakandan weapons are being used here in America, it could lead to an international incident... I do not wish to put our nations at odds with one another with Tony's bid for Presidency." Trusting his sister to know what needs to be destroyed and what they can /and should/ take with them.

Shuri has posed:
A smirk as she watches him stalk up and by, she shakes her head, "You say that as if I cannot do both at the same time, T'Challa." She heads over and starts working on determining what can and can't stay and what she will need to have destroyed/buried. She looks over at Riri with a smile, "Good job." She then glances to T'Challa, "Riri knows how to keep secrets, I assure you." She nods again and continues to work, "She can handle herself quite well. No need to be saved." She pokes again and continues her work before adding, "See, I can rib and work. You should know I am talented."

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"King T'challa. Shuri said she needed help, Ironheart answered."> ...Yeah, that sounds about right. <"I'll be giving Shuri a copy of the network data here. And Mr. Stark already knows that I can't tell him everything."> Riri shrugs one shoulder, which looks decidedly... odd when it's her armor having the same awkward body language. <"Might want to look at some of those energy blades, though. See if I can build a defense against them into the Mark II.">

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa, rather than answering Shuri's snark which he's use to anyways, watches Shuri from behind the black lenses of his panther mask.. "You will be rewarded for your assistance all the same. You have done a wonderful thing for wakanda today." Nodding to her he looks to Shuri, "Here I thought you would already be finished.. what could possibly taking you so long, Shuri?" Kneeling down then near one of the War Dogs, he removes the bracelet from which the energy blade was errected and holds it out to Riri.

Shuri has posed:
"I would be but for this odd noise that seems to be happening over and over." She looks over to him, "It seems to be coming from your mouth." She nods, "It is very distracting." She smirks and then looks back down, "Do you wish for me to have someone strip the walls or simply bury it for now? I do not believe it wise to simply leave all this vibranium here to be dug up later. Also, what will we be doing with these fools?" She points down at the men below.

She simply smiles at as T'Challa lets Riri have the energy blade to play with.

Riri Williams has posed:
     <"Thanks."> The bracelet is slipped into a storage compartment in the armor, and Riri gives T'challa a grateful nod, continuing to follow the pair. <"I'd offer my own heavy lifting abilities, but something tells me you have something better already. ...I do have something in the works though."> Calling the cops probably isn't the thing to do. Since, you know, these people aren't supposed to exist.

T'Challa has posed:
"We will call in a team to gather everything we cannot care." T'Challa agrees with Shuri, as well as with Riri, standing up from his crouch to turn to the pair. "For now, Riri... Ironheart... we will remain until someone has come to assist us. Thank you for your assistance, but we can handle it from here." It is by no means a dismissal, but there's plenty of work to see after and T'Challa is far more patient to sit around waiting that most might be.