13580/Bad Bird!

Bad Bird!
Date of Scene:	14 December 2022
Location:	Attilan: Human Quarter
Synopsis:	Blackagar gets some serious news. Eep!
Cast of Characters:	Jane Foster, Blackagar Boltagon

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Jane Foster has posed:
Stepping out from the UNOOSA meeting in the United Nations headquarters in New York means facing a few problems.

First, every delegate present not cowering behind a table or fleeing behind their security detachments knows exactly that Nobel Laureate Ms. Foster can turn into a blonde Aesir goddess. One that throws a hammer.

Two, SHIELD dropped the ball when it came to dealing with lost Shi'ar technology. Or the Shi'ar infiltrated the planet without anyone knowing again.

Three, assassins hiding among the Brazilian delegation may be rude, but at least they interrupted the whole conversation about the terrigenesis issue raised by a random doctor unafraid to shoot /at/ a Raptor, which presumably means the fearless fellow can make other bad decisions.

The journey to the Moon normally takes two or three days by rockets. Still locked in her immortal, borrowed form, she soars away from Midgard with violence in her heart and a strobe of warning sent ahead by the electric psychic lifeline prior to falling back into that not-Thor form. That, and something incoming at brilliantly fast speeds sans teleportation probably gets noted by some clever Inhuman in Attilan. Probably also because that mad descent slows upon approaching the Sea of Serenity, becoming just a desultory Mach 2 or 3.

The moment when she drops -- outside the city -- is meant to signal a greeting of sorts, partly for the Midnight King. Mostly to avoid being overrun by alpha primitives who did nothing wrong, and she absolutely won't need to fight. Besides, it could just be a bouncing space rock that hits the Moon now and then!

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Arrivals unannounced are relatively uncommon for Attilan, since it is not exactly something many people know about for obvious reasons. Therefore, sensing the abrupt incoming that is occurring, Blackagar steps away immediately from the work he was doing and walks to the door of the balcony where his offices within the Palace are kept, stepping into the air as casually as can be as he slips into the sky and vanishes with the speed that he rarely shows.

Abrupt arrivals do not happen for good reasons. Emotional states like this are not the norm. Something has happened.

His feet land on the ground only a few short moments after Jane's do, question in his expression but unasked with the upturn of his eyebrow. Her mental state bleeds, it is why Blackagar is looking around as if expecting a fight or preparing to go start one if needed. Even the consideration of needing to ask what has happened is put aside, the expression and reflected emotions asking it in silence.

Jane Foster has posed:
Is it odd to find the place of dusty soil and endless grey outside the Blue Zone is home? How often has she stared at the sky in awe of the Moon, following its passage through the heavens, tracing its everchanging face? Mystified and enraptured by a satellite whirling around the Earth through space is a romantic notion, but not entirely true. For her it embodies home in a person and he is there, concern drawn across his brow and crowned in the splendour of the saturnine gravitas of his very nature.

For a moment, she pauses, crystallizing the moment in memory. Glowing blue eyes soften, less narrowed. The corner of her mouth lifts, tugged into a ghost of a smile.

Mjolnir remains clasped gently in her left hand, pointed downward. A murmur of thanks for its service comes out audibly. "Thank you for coming to my call. I'm grateful for your help."

The same could be said to Blackagar, patiently waiting as he is. She pulls her helm free, shaking out her hair, moondust and cosmic particles scattered. <<As much as I would fain decree....>> No, the habits of Asgardian speech are not hers today. Forcing it aside becomes challenging, a hint to how keyed up matters left her. <<If only I were here to tell you about tickets I got you to that cooking show. Your security has been compromised in front of a political audience. We had no forewarning on the agenda.>> A grimace registers for a moment, mental and physical bracing settling in as she unconsciously straightens to take the blows, accusations, the questions. Not that she expects the former from him. Trust is a many-faceted jewel, revealed in every deed. <<A scientist explained his findings on terrigenesis at the United Nations. I'd detected an interloper but neither Jemma nor Ms. Romanoff could shut them down before the presenter spoke of terrigenesis or its principles -- though not its source. The interloper is a Shi'ar Raptor and I fear the information may be relayed back to dissidents in the Shi'ar Empire. They've had an incident a few months ago on the Moon, not here.>>

Her tone is streaked by regret; anger, at herself.

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Silence.

From Blackagar, Silence is a common state, but this is one of consideration. Of weight being put to thought before he speaks.

When he does, it is not solely in the form of his thoughts, his hands move. It is a situation that has come up in rare times before. No one else is around to witness, but it is a habit; when he is thinking not as Blackagar, but rather in the mantle of King of the Inhumans. The formality of that thought pulled out the rehearsed gestures. Even if it is just the two of them, the severity of his demeanor pushes him into habits long developed and difficult to set aside.

~The knowledge was supposed to be secured. That this knowledge is out concerns me, but less so than the repercussions. Humans cannot tell the difference between one unknown and another. If they are threatened by the Shi'ar, they will push that threat towards any they do not understand, including the Inhumans.~

He ponders, the desire to pace present but fought away. ~Where the Shi'ar reach, the Kree are sure to follow. Earth is caught in the middle and the Inhumans may not be able to hide in this conflict because of what was revealed.~

~I must prepare our people. For the possibility of war.~

Jane Foster has posed:
His gift, which enabled hers, makes many things possible. Dipping into memory for the precise words in the middle of a chaotic situation, where the Black Widow distracts the Brazilian delegation with certain accusations, and American, Japanese, and Russian representatives started to shout. Jemma, recording from another corner of the room. Darcy Lewis, changing from the timeline of events involving the Shi'ar Empire's meddling on earth for at least the past century plotted on a timeline, and then the scientist -- a man, unprepossessing in many ways -- coming up with his notes to present on changes to 'junk DNA' that could be weaponized or, as a fox woman, a kitsune asks, how it might be used for therapy. Genetic engineering, spoken in outright terms, and her own inquiries. But the voiced reaction doesn't matter; she transmits what he said, as she recalls it. Memory acts as an intermediary, rather than hearsay gestated in insufficient terms. How much better to see from her eyes, with a sharp grasp of scientific terminology and keen awareness.

<<The encrypted recording of his presentation are subject to usual UN and SHIELD protocols. Meaning you are authorized to receive a copy.>> And already has, if not for a teleporting giant hound who might want to fetch it or the file already loaded into a secure drop for Blackagar.

<<More substantially, the Shi'ar Raptor attacked once revealed. It claimed we threatened its grand purpose -- security of the empire, I assume -- and threatened civilians. How much observers cared about terrigenesis at that point, or connected it to historical events from 2012, I do not know. They shifted focus to their survival, and I dropped my anonymity to deal with the implicit threat.>> She gestures mildly to her left hand, open as it is. <<I warned the Raptor what would come. The Shi'ar respond to militaristic force and might. I have obligations to protect Midgard and its people as Thor would, until we find him or he returns. I count your people among that, if you will permit it. The choice, ultimately, is yours in what you need to do. This may be a dissident sect. We had another alien issue raised by Deputy Director Hill from the Zeta Reticuli group -- aliens. Grey men, not Kree. We have Shi'ar connections who can relay information. I am not yet convinced of full-scale invasion but this is a threat. One that will be answered, and the pilot of the bird did not come back. That implies he is either present to do so, housed elsewhere, or dead in his cage. The armour wasn't irrevocably destroyed.>>

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane Foster tilts her head slightly and adds, <<I intend to ask the scientist how he acquired that information. It may be a separate source unrelated to the obvious parties. It seemed it came from an incident, but that question remains open. It was unclear for its origins, but it may have been unsecured for quite some time.>>

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
~Regardless of the intent at present, the Inhumans need to prepare. Whereas SHIELD may only see the threat of the Shi'ar at present, I must confront three potential threats. The Shi'ar, the Kree should they decide to step in as well, and Earth itself.~ The old issues that he has long sat with, the lack of full trust in the human population to handle the knowledge of Inhumans living on the moon above them for millennia, among them for as long, among them even now.

His hand reaches to take Jane's and gives it a squeeze of reassurance however at that moment. ~If there is a way to keep Attilan out of this, I will strive to find it. For their sake and for Earth's. I still do not believe that the knowledge of what exists can be handled. And when there are already threats from beyond their own it will be far too easy for them to conflate the two.~ That's when he is quiet in thought.

~Should there be a need to personally step into conversations?~ Realizing it is a convoluted way of saying it, he rephrases, ~Do I need to speak with some people?~

Jane Foster has posed:
<<Do you want to meet Mr. Stadler in person? I did not read overt hostility in him, but he might not realize how much damage he did. I can also hope my involvement turning into this in front of all the audience distracts them in part. You may have time, especially if the agency can do what it does best. The director and deputy director may fully support sowing disinformation to protect your people, though we have to speak on that too. Darcy and I. Hill. You as you want. I mostly want to know how you need me to proceed.>> She shrugs a shoulder lightly. <<I bear the concerns of many, but given the obvious bias, I make this request as Jane to you as the king, and as you, Blackagar. This is perilous, I see that much. Tell me what the best course to chart is, even if that's staying out of it. I'll respect your wishes.>>

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
~Right now, I do not know what I need explicitly. Perhaps the best steps is to meet with those of your associates who are in the loop and be brought up to speed on details. I cannot shake the concern over elements of our kind being revealed even in limited capacity. It was going to happen, but I had thought with the diminished presence of Hydra that there was more time.~

Brow furrowed, Blackagar shakes his head, ~Even if it was concealed, quieted, the fact that someone knows outside of the circles that should means there is a leak; somewhere. Eventually it will sprout further. I fear the time of our revelation is drawing close and as such, this is why my people must be prepared. Whether threat from Earth, or that rumor of us existing making it back to the Kree -- the sky darkens.~~

Jane Foster has posed:
<<You have whatever I can offer. I shall see what measure I can learn, and what is appropriate to follow-up on. I have no doubt that Hill is going to pursue this hard, doubly because they attacked her, other experts, and the diplomatic junkets. It wasn't on the floor of the UN. We had a contained guest list, which means we can in turn track those well. Whether they learned about terrigenesis from this or an event a decade ago, and have managed to scrounge together pieces and work, I simply don't know. But I will. SHIELD alas is very good at sequestration and squashing scientific research they don't want to be out there. I just never wanted to be the one who forced that.>>

Her lips turn downward, her expression drawn and serious as Blackagar makes clear his intentions and concerns. Her fingers reach for his hand, a gentle touch that would clarify. <<You have one of your kings of old on the loose, too. There could be a connection. They worked against SHIELD, your people, and you in particular. I've never ceased to wonder what became of him after he abandoned HYDRA as allies. But let's focus where we can first. The storm comes, but preparations safeguard us going forward.>>

A wan look upward, meeting his gaze. Seeking, affirming. <<Are we good still?>>