315/Latverian Aid Mission

Latverian Aid Mission
Date of Scene:	08 March 2020
Location:	Hammer Bay
Synopsis:	Doom arrived with the Flying Fortress, and set up camp in Hammer Bay. His aid was welcomed by both Lorna as well as SHIELD, and he stated that he would share what he discovered about the perpetrators of the attack...
Cast of Characters:	Victor Von Doom, Zora Vukovic, Lorna Dane, Gabby Kinney, Natasha Romanoff, Melinda May
Tinyplot:	Genosha Burns

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Victor Von Doom has posed:
A few decades ago, the sight of Doom's Flying Fortress would fill people with dread and fear. But after leading the defense of Europe against the alien invasion some years ago... well, dread, perhaps, but maybe a bit of an underpinning of hope. The Fortress is currently on the ground, landed in a clearing.

Around the Fortress, numerous tents and temporary shelters have been established, as Doombots aid human doctors from Latveria who are here to aid the people of Genosha. Meanwhile, other Doombots are engaging in search-and-rescue operations in the rubble. All in all, it seems to be a rather well-organized operation. But then, what would one expect, from DOOM.

Doctor Doom actually stands on the top level of the Fortress, observing everything happening as various holographic displays around him relay information. Quite a bit of it encrypted for his eyes only, but he does seem to be somewhat satisfied by the progress being made.

Zora Vukovic has posed:
    When the fortress arrived, a new figure led the way, flying ahead of it like the Herald she is. Behind her billowed a giant flag of Latveria, the flag of DOOM, green and gold, held one handed as the fortress descended, accompanied by the Doombots accompanying it in flight.

    Said flag was driven firmly into the ground upon arrival, marking this space where Doom stands in Genosha, with the golden-armored woman challenging anyone to question it.

    Now, she stands at Doom's right hand, watching as he studies the data. From time to time she has been summoned away where she has demonstrated great strength in moving rubble and assisting in moving equipment where it needs to be. As Doom commands, as always.

    After all...Victorious is but the Herald of Doom. As she will inform those who ask. Herald is fine enough as title for her.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had determined to return to Genosha, not even a week or so after being pulled from the rubble.. But she had decided she needed to go back to actually get answers. After all, her 'report' to the X-men and to Scott had been severely limited. Such as it was, her mind was a scrambled mess of facts, grief, and torment. She wasn't entirely sure what was real and what hadn't been.

So here she was, returned via the X-men and with a handful of scanning devices. What she didn't expect was to find Latveria's flying fortress to have descended on the island.

The green haired woman glanced up from the tablet in her grip, and glanced toward Gabby with a sigh. "Well, let's go see what this is all about.." She muttered, rolling her shoulders back and exhaling a heavy breath. Her hand rose to her face, and the metal of her tiara shifted... melting to become a near green mimic of her father's helmet in shape and dimension. The rest of her outfit was made up of black and green so dark it might as well have been black as well. It was a statement, and she knew that if she wanted to get answers, she would have to swallow her emotions.

And so the green haired X-woman, made her way toward the Latverian landing site.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney had tagged along because, in spite of her small stature and age, she wanted to help. And Lorna didn't seem to mind so much about her being young when she had offered to help. A bonus for her part. Leaving word with those that would matter to let them know where she went, Gabby quite eagerly tags alongside Lorna with a backpack over her shoulder stuffed full of anything she thought might help.

Amazingly it's actually useful stuff like first aid kits, energy bars, and some other miscellaneous doodads that might be useful. She wasn't always silly and she did have training in first aid among other things.

With a quick nod of agreement to Lorna she has to remark, "That is a super cool trick and I wish I could do that to change my outfit sometimes." Grinning broadly she tips her head in the direction of the fortress. "Latverian, right? I recognize the flag. Had to memorize the flags of like, every country ever. Lead the way, boss-princess!"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    The sight of Doom's Fortress is a... disquieting one for Natasha Romanoff. It doesn't exactly inspire the same feelings as the Triskellion does, for her, and the flag in the ground sends a message that she hardly approves of, under the circumstances.
    But if this is their territory for now, she can't tell them no. Not until they step OVERTLY out of line, in which case... it's her job to tell them no.
    She doesn't imagine that ending well for her.
    But! Work-face on, as always.
    As the Quinjet enters VTOL mode and begins to descend towards the ground - piloted by Agent Melinda May - Natasha peers out the window with one hand on the roof above her at the Fortress nearby, letting out a long breath through her nose, closing her eyes, and drawing it back in before she raises a communicator to her mouth with one hand.
    "This is Agent Romanoff. I am here with Agent May representing SHIELD. We will be conducting oversight as per our jurisdiction. Do we have your permission to land in this space?"

Melinda May has posed:
Piloting the quinjet with the ease of long familiarity, May sets the bird to hover in place and wait for a reply from the Doom-side authorities that Natasha has hailed. If they say no, she has the supplies they brought ready to be air dropped, but with some of the items in the cases being delicate and perishable, she would really rather not just drop them.

Glancing toward Romanoff for a split second, she turns her attention back to the quinjet's instrument panels, making the minute adjustments to keep them perfectly in place. Knock, knock. Ball's in your court, Doom.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
A pleasant enough sounding air traffic controller speaks on Natasha's comm, "Agent Romanoff, permission granted to land on pad X24-C. Coordinates incoming to your pilot." And the coordinates are sent to the Quinjet's computer system, just to make it easier for May to fly to an empty spot on the top of the Flying Fortress.

Doctor Doom, meanwhile, does notice the approaching Queen of Genosha, as well as her assistant, and he pauses his displays, speaking to Zora directly via her commlink. "Victorious, the Queen of Genosha is approaching. Please, escort them up to my position, if she wishes. If she does not, that is also acceptable." Since, well, Lorna's figure is rather distinct, and Doom is quick to notice these things. SHIELD's presence was also expected, so everything is going according to his plans at this time.

Zora Vukovic has posed:
    Victorious inclines her head, bowing slightly, then turns, walking at a ground-eating pace. Her eyes flick up to the SHIELD craft coming in for a landing, narrowing slightly, but other than that she takes no sign of it, focusing instead on the oncoming Queen of Genosha and...attendant.

    Apparently those can be children here.

    "Your Majesty." Zora says in clipped tones, her Latverian accent obvious. "I am Victorious, Herald of Doom. Doom welcomes you to his camp, and has ordered that I bring you to him. If you will follow me?" She awaits Lorna's response, not giving Gabby a second look as of yet, a purplish shimmer in her eyes as she rests the spear she carries on its butt.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna tilted her head upwards at the approaching sounds of the quinjets, her eyebrows shifting to a sharp furrow beneath the shadow of her headpiece before her gaze swung back toward the Latverian ship, the tents, and the Doom-bots that operated there. Many of the survivors that were there had already been there for a few weeks, stubbornly refusing to leave the island. More than a few eyes fell toward her and Gabby, and a hush from the mutants that noticed her certainly stopped what they were doing.

As Victorious approached, Lorna came to a stop, her shoulders rolled back as she waited and listened to the offer to meet with Doom. She waited for a beat, letting the silence deepen for a moment, before she inclined her head. "Very well, lead on." She murmured, and glanced briefly to Gabby and back. Ready to follow.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney falls in to step just behind and to the side of Lorna so that she has room to move if need be. It's almost instinctual, really, and though she may be of diminuative size she manages to hold herself with a proper posture when she gets that momentary glance from Victorious. The urge to mention to the Latverian that she had a really cool name is stifled for now because this was obviously an Official Thing (tm) that deserved just a bit of formality.

A quick nod and flash of a reassuring smile is tipped up toward Lorna quietly as she falls into step again having to move double-time to keep up properly. One hand remains up in the strap of her backpack while the other rests by her side completely at ease.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha continues to stare out at the Fortress coldly even as she speaks in an even, professional voice. "Acknowledged. Thank you, Control. We will be landing shortly." She closes communications, and crosses her arms, inclining her head towards May. "Easy part's over. Looks like we've saved a few parachutes."
    Natasha's silent for a moment before she says, "Remember. Last we saw, Doom was... volatile. He's big on respect, and it's not always clear what constitutes disrespect so... speak carefully. He's still the head of a powerful country, and we sound American enough to cause problems."
    Well, Natasha can sound pretty much any way she wants, but this accent suites her for now.

Melinda May has posed:
May doesn't immediately respond to Natasha's reminder about Doom. She was there back in 1990, she knows exactly what Doom can be like. She also can very much make herself NOT sound or even seem American if she chooses, considering how much of her field duty time is spent in various Asian countries.

When the coordinates for landing appear on her bird's flight computer, the quinjet moves to the indicated landing point and settles almost delicately. There's no discernable bump when it touches down. Quickly going through the shutdown sequence, May toggles the loading ramp to lower, and then she and Romanoff are stepping lightly onto the Fortress's surface.

"You know both of us are fully capable of sounding anything but American," she quips softly to the younger agent.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
As the Quinjet lands on the offered landing pad, Doctor Doom dismisses the holographic displays surrounding him. One, he does have his own secrets to keep, even here... and two, it's just //rude// to be checking that when receiving honored guests.

Which is precisely how he regards Lorna, as Victorious leads the pair of mutants to his presence. He offers Lorna a respectful bow, "Your Majesty, my heart, and the hearts of all Latverians, are with you in this terrible time." He even uses a first person reference, which is... unusual for him.

But then he straightens, "Apologies for the flag, but we didn't wish there to be an... misunderstandings, regarding our presence here. We are here to aid your people in this time. Whatever you require, we will do our best to provide to you." He pauses, and regards Gabby briefly, though the majority of his attention is focused on Lorna at the moment.

Zora Vukovic has posed:
    Victorious resumes her position behind and to the right of Doom as she returns, resting her hand casually on the double bladed spear she holds as the butt rests on the ground. Her attention does turn to Gabby now while lords and ladies speak. There must be a reason she was brought, after all? She does not have the queen's features...so not a relative, perhaps. She senses none of the magnetic power that surrounds Lorna, at least. So...why is she here?

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna exhaled a breath, keeping her magnetic senses at the surface as she looked about upon entry to Doom's ship. Only once she was in Doom's presence did she finally shift her gaze to the Latverian monarch with a calmness that she hadn't had in weeks. Diplomacy was something she could fall back on, for all that she'd had a few years of practice before Genosha had been destroyed. As Doom bowed, she inclined her head as was polite to greet another visiting monarch, and not an inch less.

No longer was she simply heir to the throne.. destroyed as it was, in fact levelled to nothingness... it was still the idea of the Throne, that mattered in this case.

"Thank you for your condolences, and your aid. Unexpected as it was. A great many countries have shown Genosha an unexpected kindness in the past few weeks. I returned to see what could be done and to attempt to gain a better understanding as to what happened. We have our own scanners and sensors, to attempt to go over the sites of the Palace and the remains of the Sentinels. But," She paused, and swept her gaze about once and back.

"I would imagine that your tools are far superior to what I have access to at the moment. I would deeply appreciate your thoughts on the matter." Doom had offered aid, and she would use it. Super Villain or not.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
While the two 'in charge' sorts greet one another that leaves Gabby free to look around. Which she does, without fear or intent to hide it as she looks over the top of the ship they were on. That niggling feeling of being watched brings her attention back toward Victorious though to whom she flashes a bright smile that pulls at the faded scars on her cheeks. They were old, but clearly had been deep as they were so prominant even now after the years it had taken them to fade from fresh pink to white. "By the way, Victorious is a reeeally awesome name. So is Doom," she has to add with a tip of her head toward Victor to acknowledge him too. "I mean, both are really cool names. Thank for helping out here too."

Babbling aside she glances up toward Lorna from the corner of her eye. Obviously watchful of the new Genoshan Queen she doesn't speak again for the moment. At least until she thinks of something. Which is quick.

"Can we expect an update on the current status of your work here, as we've just arrived?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha puts on a small coy smile - sincere ones coming to her infrequently and usually only in select company - and shrugs her shoulders a little, saying "You know Fury gets crabby if no one gives a rundown." and stepping towards the rear hatch of the jet. The red haired spy looks to be about in her late twenties, and even if she knew for sure that she was older than her current partner she wouldn't feel the need to squabble about it.
    She's kind of used to letting people think whatever they want about her.
    Granted, it helps to maintain a good impression when most of the people you work with know just enough about the Black Widow to know to keep an eye on you. Even if her record at SHIELD has been emmaculate!
    She approaches the assembled group at a cautious gait, not wanting to get to close, or too quickly for that matter, knowing they'd likely have to go through the Herald before getting anywhere near Doom.

Melinda May has posed:
May watches Romanoff approach the group, staying back with the quinjet so that she can direct whomever arrives to help unload and make sure everything is handled correctly. Keeping her hands relaxed at her sides, she watches the interaction between Doom, his spear-wielding Victorious, and Lorna with her escort. To many, it would likely appear that she's just watching idly, but likely Natasha at the very least knows better.

She reaches one hand up to tap at the comm unit in her ear, hopefully linking it to the one that Natasha no doubt has on her person as well. Comm links, don't leave home without them.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Doom nods slightly, and actually chuckles very softly at Lorna's observation. "You are most wise, and worthy of your father. Doom shall be honest with you, then." He pauses, then looks out over the ruined city, cape flaring behind him as he speaks towards Lorna Dane.

"The attack upon your nation is one that makes other countries uneasy. For the ease in which it was carried out means it could be repeated, if the perpetrators are not found or stopped. That, Doom shall //not// allow." His fist clenches, and he looks back towards Lorna, "So yes, our agents are investigating for clues and what we can find here, as what happened here could happen elsewhere." And it's pretty well known that Doom has few friends in the international community.

He then glances towards Gabby, acknowledging her, "Indeed. You have discerning taste. And our aid has been well received here, as we have been busy bringing in supplies to the area and making sure they are distributed." A pause, and he looks back to Lorna, "Though no, we have not determined the cause yet, my surveyors are still collating data and trying to determine the source of this atrocity."

As far as Natasha and May are concerned, well, he does nod towards Victorious, as she'd be the one to allow them through or not. Of course he notices the SHIELD agents, though if he recognizes either of them, he doesn't seem to let on just yet.

Zora Vukovic has posed:
    The arrival of the two SHIELD agents does draw the tall armored woman's attention from Gabby as she steps away from the group, approaching the pair to put herself squarely in their path, a faint *clink* of metal against the floor as she rests her spear again. "The Black Widow." she murmurs, her head tilting to study Natasha, then glancing to May. She doesn't know the other woman by name...but an appraising glance notes the strength in her stance and posture.

    Lips twitch in the smallest of curls, before she glances back towards the pair of monarchs, noting Doom's nod, then returning her gaze to the pair, before she casually steps to the side, making a 'after you' gestures to the SHIELD guests.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna stood with care, listening attentively as she tried to not become overwhelmed with the comment regarding her father. Diplomacy. She needed to tread carefully and not become emotional. "There is a giant Sentinel that way," She nodded, and reached out a hand toward the Wild Sentinel that had been transformed into a massive statue of Magento. Part of that had been her doing, and the rest the Brotherhood.

"I'm unsure what made it stop, and why it still remains, but when I came to after the attack it was there. I would be very interested in your readings of it, and of your readings regarding the glassy area around the Palace and a few other spots." She exhaled a slow, measured breath and counted backwards in her mind. She was speaking evenly, carefully. Oh so carefully.

But still, her voice was thick with emotions.

A glance was spared toward Gabby and she stifled a smile, though some of the shadows that had invaded her gaze lightened all the same. Though anything further falls short as the two SHIELD agents approached, and she arched an eyebrow upward, curious.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Black Widow? That name alone causes Gabby to snap her head around to look at the approaching SHIELD members... Only to lean in close to Lorna to whisper, "That one moves like my sisters." It's a subtle warning as she wasn't sure who they were, really, but that walk... that confident walk of muscles that could do so much more when needed... she'd grown up around that. It was familiar and unsettling all at once so her 'serious' face goes on which makes her look all the more like her older 'sister', Laura, as she glowers toward the SHIELD agents. GRUMP. GRUMP. GRUMP.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Ah. They know the 'Widow' name. Good intel! That's unfortunate.
    Natasha's expression betrays no discomfort as she gives a subtle respectful lowering of her head and introduces them as, "Agents Romanoff and May, of SHIELD." as she gestures to herself and Melinda respectively. When Victorious steps aside, Natasha nods her head with a soft "Thank you." and walks past her.
    She doesn't especially like having the Herald behind her, but that's the game.
    She takes a deep slow breath, and stops a respectful distance away from the assembled group. "Doom." she greets with a respectful tone, and a subtle bow; followed by a slight pivot and a slightly more sympathetic "Your Highness." to Lorna, though her eyes linger briefly on Lorna's familiar helmet, sparking some concern by association that she disguises with a neutral expression.
    She introduces herself and her partner again - no first names unless asked for them, but Lorna may recognize the name and her appearance as one of Wanda's comrades in the Avengers - and looks to Doom. "Thank you for your gracious aid, Doctor Doom. We'll be representing SHIELD's oversight as you work. We've brought additional supplies aboard our aircraft."
    Realistically they're there to make sure Doom doesn't do anything shady, and report it if he does, if not stop it.
    She notices Gabby's concern and gives her a curious look and puts on a little smile that... slowly dissolves to neutral as she sees in Gabby what Gabby no doubt sees in her. All the little telltale signs of a born killer.
    That's concerning.

Melinda May has posed:
Despite having hung back closer to the quinjet, when Victorious gestures them forward, May steps away from the vehicle and catches up with Natasha, placing herself to one side and slightly behind the redhead as if acting as the younger agent's guard. It also puts her between Romanoff and Victorious, in case anything happens. Not that she's expecting it to, but still.

Leaving the introductions to Natasha, she offers Doom then Lorna then Gabby a slightly deeper bow in the traditional Chinese style. Yup. Laying on the respectfulness just a bit thick, though still completely sincerely. And, if Natasha reads as 'killer' to Gabby, what does she make of May?

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Doom looks over at Lorna, and his voice actually lowers a bit as he shows some degree of empathy for the Queen, "Of course, we will focus our investigations there, at your request. If you wish to accompany us, as we do our examination?" He looks about ready to lead the way off, when Natasha approaches and introduces herself, and her intentions.

He nods briefly towards Natasha, "Ah, yes. Your supplies are welcome to aid us in our efforts here, of course. We are here primarily for humanitarian aid, so your oversight is most welcome. Once the mission is complete, we will, of course, depart peacefully." He doesn't seem to be nearly as short-tempered as he was in his 1990 attack. But then, that //was// thirty years ago.

At May's bow, Doom pauses, regarding her a moment, then seems to smile beneath the mask, and returns the bow in equal measure. He then straightens, regarding May before saying, "Thank you for your courtesy."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna rolled her shoulders back, "I appreciate the offer to accompany you, however I think it would best for me to remain at the camp here with the few refugees that remain. They will doubtlessly have questions and I have need to speak with them. I will desire to hear anything you find however." She smiled, and it was faintly strained.

No, going back to the places where the Palace had once stood and where she had been dragged from as a sobbing mess was not a place she wanted to revisit. Nor did she entirely trust her mental ability to stay upright and focused if she did.

It already took everything she had to stay upright and talking coherently as she stood on the island that had once been her home and was now nothing more than ashes and rubble.

A glance was spared for Natasha, faintly recognizing the woman from her few visits to see Wanda recently. But she did nothing more than offer a polite nod at being addressed.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha nods graciously to Doom, keeping things professional and agreeable as she can, "Understood. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. You'll barely know we're here."
    At Lorna's gesture, Natasha's expression outwardly doesn't flicker, though internally she notes how hard this clearly is on Lorna. Far be it from her to meddle, but she takes a shot in the dark hoping to hit good feelings when she honestly relates, "Your sister has been in much greater spirits since learning of your safety, Your Highness. We're all glad."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Doctor Doom nods, "Of course, you will of course be told of whatever we find here. In the meantime, Victorious can accompany you here. She will treat your safety as if it were Doom's."

He then looks over towards Natasha, and actually chuckles softly, "As if Fury would have it any other way. Very well, if you wish to accompany the group to the palace to investigate the Sentinel..." He pauses, and seems to look amused beneath the mask, "No illusions are held about your attempts to find the information anyway, and we have nothing to hide. As opposed to the perpetrators." His voice grows cold when he contemplates who would have done such an act.