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Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone Page 14

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𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
1.04 // ADVANCEMENT

"It seems you still haven't learned, child."

Everyone turned to the older police officer, who seemed to be avoiding everyone else in the room except for Katharsis. She got ready for another fight. On the other hand, Holly tried to get the officer's attention, but he still focused on Katharsis. So, she went in front of him. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

The officer chuckled. "I don't care about you and your friends. I'm here for her."

"You shouldn't undermind us." Holly held her ground while Lonnie and Miguel stood beside her. The officer smiled as he pulled out his baton and started swinging it around. "I admire your bravery, but you lack the manners to mind your own business."

Both Holly and Miguel was hit hard enough to fall down while Loonie managed to dodge the swing. The officer kept on trying to land a blow, but he wasn't fast enough. Loonie managed to hit him on the face, which left an impression on him. "Not bad, kid. Where are you from?"

"Why do you care?

"You aren't a Gothamite, right?" the officer managed to catch him off guard long enough to repeatedly beat his chest until he fell to the ground. "Well, I dealt with brats like you before. It took a few hits before they learned."

Katharsis landed a sucker punch before the office was able to land another blow. It caused the officer to drop his baton while he stumbled around. She stood in front of Loonie and called out the officer, "Are you that afraid to attack everyone else but me, Whitt?"

Officer Whitt struggled to keep his emotions under control. He turned his focus on Katharsis and began attacking her. While the two of them started fighting, Loonie knew for a fact that his ribs were broken. Holly, with a nasty cut on her arm, called out to him for assistance with Miguel, slowly regaining consciousness. Despite the pain, he went over and attempted to help out. Holly glanced over at Katharsis, who was still standing against Whitt.

Katharsis managed to disarm him and briefly used the baton against him, knocking out a few teeth. Whitt grew angrier and charged at her with all of his strength, managing to tackle her to the ground. She tried to escape, but it proved difficult as the officer started choking her. Holly and Loonie made their way to stop him before it was too late. Despite their efforts, the officer was too strong to be pulled even with all of their strength. Whitt smacked at Loonie's chest, causing him to fall out for the pain, and kept on chocking Katharsis while avoiding Holly's desperate attempt.

Suddenly, Holly's entire body began changing to a bright red to the surprise of Katharsis. Whitt didn't notice until he felt her pulling him off and turned to see... her. Without a word, Holly threw him to the other side of the room. He landed hard enough to leave behind an impression of his body on the floor. It was clear that he had lost, but she wasn't done with him. Holly approached him, grabbed his right arm, and broke it. Whitt screamed out loud and gawked at her with hatred. She then grabbed his neck and said, "That was a message. You'll not harm us or anyone else again. Do you understand?"

Whitt stared at her and only responded with a "fuck off." But being the better person, Holly let go of his neck and left him alone as she was gradually turning back to normal. Katharsis watched with glee and had thought of kicking Whitt in the balls for chocking her. But, she heard the sirens and made her way towards the others. Holly almost lost her balance, but she managed to regain her footing. There wasn't enough time to react to whatever that was. She turned to Katharsis and asked for help with Lonnie while she tried to wake Miguel up.

Fortunately, he finally woke up and wondered what happened. Holly helped Miguel off of the ground and asked to help out Katharsis. She went down the stairs and outside to get the van. Meanwhile, the pair managed to lift Loonie carefully up and started walking. Whitt made one last attempt to stop them, but he was unable to get up. He watched as the trio disappeared for his sights, causing him to yell in anger.

Outside, Roshanna got out of the van to help out the others after she parked it. Drew, who was treating Holly's cut, felt incredibly guilty for sending them in. She should've known that Officer Whitt would've shown up if Katharsis was caught. Holly remained silent, trying to figure out what happened with her powers until she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. "I think there's more to my powers."

Drew was caught off guard by the statement. "What do you mean?"

Abruptly, Katharsis opened the van door while she, Roshanna, and Miguel carefully placed Loonie inside. She made her way to the driver seat and started driving away. Drew waited for an answer, but she was called for assistance by Roshanna. Holly turned away for her and inspected the bandage on her hand. Katharsis glanced at her and thanked her, "Thanks for helping me back there. For a second, I thought my life was over."

"It wasn't a problem. You would've done the same."

"Probably." Katharsis was looking at the rear mirror for any signs of police cars. "Say, why were you glowing red?"

"I honestly don't know, but it could have something to do with my powers."

"Powers? So, she went thought with my plan after all..."

"Your plan? Wait, you were-" Holly stopped herself when she heard police sirens and saw two police cars chasing after them. Katharsis shifted her focus to her surroundings and entered an alley, hoping to escape them.

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ANDY RUTLEDGE

RUTLEDGE RESIDENCE, BLANCO
CONFUSED SOUL

Andy turned around to noticed his father was screaming at him. Then, he froze and began to lose his balance. Without hesitation, he ran over towards him and caught him before he fell to the wooden floor. He immediately noticed the smell of alcohol, which explained the freakout, and then how heavier and... older dad got? His attention shifted towards the apartment and seeing the little details. Like, how it was incredibly silent. And the fact that there were barely any photos on the walls. For a second, Andy wanted to leave his passed out father on the ground and look around. Yet, he wanted to at least give his father somewhere comfortable to sleep off the alcohol. Using his strength, Andy dragged his father across the living room and placed him on the couch.

Afterward, Andy remembered his grilled cheese sandwich on the stove and raced to save them. Thankfully, they weren't too burnt. While he was eating them, Andy started to inspect the house by going to his room. When he opened the door, the room was emptied out beside a bed and a dresser. It was a surprise to see most of his stuff was gone. Hopefully, it was just at a storage lot waiting for moving day. Then, he went to his parent's bedroom and saw how disgusting it became. The room smelled horrible while there were several stains on the carpet. That was when he noticed a strange device on the nightstand.

Andy told himself to leave it alone, but his curiosity got him in the end. He inspected the device until it came on. It was... a phone? Andy thought it wasn't until he saw the call icon on the bottom. When he tried to press on it, there was some sort of password in the way. Andy had second thoughts and thought of using his phone again. But, when he tried to call his sister, it was still out of service. With no other choice, Andy stared at his dad's phone and started to guess the password. First, he used his father's birthday. It didn't. Then, the date of his wedding. Strangely, that didn't work. Andy used several different birthdays and anniversaries until...

He entered his own birthday. In a split second, the phone unlocked and loaded up the contacts. Oddly enough, there were plenty of unfamiliar names on it. But then, he saw his sister's name and pressed it. The phone began to ring and ring, but she didn't answer, and it went to voicemail. There was some part in Andy that didn't want to ask his sister to clean up the mess. But, he didn't want their little brother to see the place when they get back.

So, he took a deep breath and began to speak. "Hey, sis. I know you're worried that I didn't call you. It's a long story, but... I need help. It's dad. I-I don't know how much he drank, but it was bad enough that he freaked out at me. The last thing I want is Caiden seeing the beer bottles. I was able to place him on the couch, but the place is still a mess. I get it if you don't want to help, but I will make it up to you! I promise."

After he was done, Andy hung up and placed the phone back on the nightstand. He took his plate of grilled cheese sandwichs and put them in the kitchen. There was no way to tell time, but he knew, for a fact, that Caiden and mom were coming home. So, Andy got to work on cleaning the apartment.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
March 3rd, 1933
EAGLE CLAW
Undisclosed Location // Washington D.C.
Smoke filled the rather small conference room with most of the windows sealed shut and covered by curtains. There was one curtain that remained partially opened, revealing the overview of Washington D.C. An older gentleman took in the view with a glass of scotch while everyone else was working harder than ever before. He began to reflect on his life and how he ended up here. After all, it wasn't remarkable. A veteran of the Great War, he returned home to take over his father's business after his sudden departure. He redirected the cattle business towards the equine business, which saw massive success thanks to the horse racing boom. Some of his company's breeds went on to win tournaments, earning it more recognition and prestige.

It was the reason why he and his family didn't suffer for the Great Depression compared to other families. And with the relaxation of gambling laws, partially in Nevada, he started to invest in other forms of gambling besides sports betting. His plans were in place until election night put them at risk. Henry Wallace's landslide victory spelled the beginning of trouble for the wealthy establishment, including those in the gambling industry. Everything that he built from his father's cattle business was at risk of falling apart. And with the Great Depression getting worst, he wasn't giving up without a fight for his family's sake. Yet, he wasn't alone.

He, and several prominent wealthy men (and women), were invited to attend a meeting in the heart of New York City. That was where his involvement began, and the rest was... well, secretive. Looking at the nation's capital as the sun slowly disappeared from the horizon, he took a drink and placed the glass down beside him. He wondered if he had just taken his last drink. Then, he saw that his glass was being refilled by a good friend and a major figure in thoroughbred horse racing, Joseph Widener.

"What are you looking at?" Joseph asked as he placed down the bottle of scotch and then picked up his glass.

"Nothing in particular. Just admiring the view." Clayton Bradshaw picked his glass and took another drink. He glanced at the roundtable and turned to his friend. "Did I miss anything?"

"Well-" Abruptly, the sound of knocking caught everyone's attention in the room. A servent made his way to the door and opened it. Two soldiers from the U.S. Army entered the room with their weapons drawn. Nearly everyone in the room, including Clayton, thought that they were going to be arrested. But when General George Moseley arrived, everyone started to calm down while still being suspicious of him. J.P Morgan was the first person to approach him and asked for the reason behind his presence. Moseley looked at the soldiers and told them to put down their weapons. Then, he looked around the room and said clearly:

"Eagle has struck."

U.S. Capitol // Washington D.C.
President-Elect Henry Wallace was growing tired of his conversation with the Speaker of the House. A half-hour of empty threats and pressure to abandon his beliefs didn't faze the farmer. After all, he had been dealing with politicians like John Garner since his win. It didn't matter if they were either Democrat or Republican. He understood that it was going to be an uphill battle against the capitalist establishment. Yet, he wasn't alone in this fight with his supporters and wife by his side.

Henry stared down the Speaker and confidently said, "Let me be clear: I will never betray my beliefs to satisfy the establishment. The people voted for me to bring forward change to this great nation. And, no matter what, I will fight for a better tomorrow. Now, if you're done, I will take my leave."

John remained silent as he watched several police officers and soldiers appeared from the shadows. He watched with delight as General Douglas MacArthur stopped and prevented the to-be president from leaving. Henry asked for a reason, but he never got an answer. Two soldiers grabbed his arms and managed to handcuff him while he struggled. He tried to call out for help but was quickly silenced with some tape. Then, Douglas pulled out a cloth bag and put it over his head. John made his way towards the general as Henry was being dragged off to the capitol's subway system.

"You know what to do?"

"Yes." Douglas answered and began to walk away before remembering James LeCron, the Vice President-Elect. "What about the rabbit?"

"I was told that General Patton is in position to strike at the spot." John answered and then directed his attention towards the entrance of the subway system. "Just follow the tracks, and the rest will be smooth sailings. Oh, by the way, make sure to get some rest for tomorrow. You have a long day ahead of you."

Washington Airport // Arlington (VA)
Vice President-Elect James LeCron had been waiting almost two hours for the arrival of his family from his hometown. He should've made them come with him weeks ago, but didn't because transferring schools for their children took longer than expected. Now, he was anticipating their arrival. James decided to go to the front desk and ask about the delayed flight. When he got there, however, no one was there. He called out to see if anyone responded, but no one did and it annoyed him.

Then, he heard the door opening and saw a general with several soldiers approaching him. Their weapons were holstered, but it didn't make him any less worried. James stared at the general and questioned his presence, "What are you doing here?"

George Patton turned to the soldiers and ordered to apprehend him. One of them restricted his arms while another went over to put on the handcuffs. However, James broke free and began running towards the airfield. Everyone gave chase while Patton pulled out his pistol and made his way quickly. A police officer managed to tackle him to the ground, but he was elbowed in the face. James attempted to get up, but a soldier kicked him hard enough to cause great pain. While he was finally being detained, George pointed the pistol and looked around at the airfield for any signs of witnesses.

"Hurry up! We don't have much time before someone spots us."

James desperately demanded answers even as the tape and cloth bag were on him. A Ford Model 40, painted black and lacking a license plate, drove towards them and stopped on the airfield. The driver reached over to open the back door and got ready to drive away from the airport fast. The soldiers and officers shoved James into the back seat and closed the door. George watched as the Model 40 drove off and made his way back inside. He made his way to the front desk and picked up the phone.

After entering a series of numbers, an operator redirected George to a secured line; however, the person was unavailable. It was all part of the plan. He had to say only a few words as instructed. "Rabbit has been caught."

Undisclosed Location // Washington D.C.
"Eagle has struck."

Everyone froze in place after the announcement and then stared at J.P Morgan for direction. He thanked the general for giving him the news and asked him to wait outside for a minute. Moseley nodded and ordered the soldiers to follow him out. Once the military presence was gone, Morgan walked up to the table and grabbed his glass. The servants rushed out with bottles of expensive alcohols and began filling the guests' glasses up. He began to speak.

"Eagle Claw has been a success. But, that doesn't mean our work isn't done—far for it, in fact. We have been planning for this moment. And all of you have your duties to protect the new United States of America. I suggest that we depart as soon as possible before the riots start. However, I wish that the following people stay here a while longer: Rockefeller, Hearst, Coughlin, Richard and Andrew Mellon, and Ford. The rest of you are dismissed, but not before sharing a final toast."

J.P Morgan raised his glass followed by everyone else in the room, including Clayton and Joseph. "To tomorrow! May it bless us, our families, and the United States of America!"

After the toast, everyone began to leave with Clayton and Joseph following shortly after saying goodbye to Morgan and the others. Joseph bid farewell with an offer for his friend to visit him and his family at Hialeah Park. Clayton accepted it, adding that his family would love to see the flamingos up close. But, he noticed that the general was talking to other generals. Also, several politicians were slowly making their way to the conference room. He didn't recognize any of them, but he noticed the Speaker of the House in the background.

Clayton felt like he wasn't supposed to see them and decided to leave before he was spotted. But in the back of his mind, he questioned their presence.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
March 4th, 1933
A NEW DAWN
The Harmon Residence // Rochester
Several neighbors gathered around to listen to Harmon's radio for any updates concerning Henry Wallace. Instead, the anchor announced that the Committee for Normalcy was formed with the task of finding a suitable replacement candidate. He went on to talk about the increasing protest in the nation's capital, but Clarence Harmon himself shut the radio off. Caleb turned to his neighbors and said in anger, "Can you believe them?! Wallace and LeCron are both missing, but MacArthur was awfully quick to find a replacement instead of searching for them."

"Didn't you listen to Winchell? He thinks that MacArthur and others in the Republican party are behind the whole thing." Alfred Friedman responded to his next-door neighbor.

"You believe in that socialist?" a neighbor asked with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"He's making more sense than our government would ever." Alfred dismissed the looks of disbelief for his neighbors and kept on talking. "I personally voted for Wallace on Election Day, and he won—fair and square! Now, the Democrats are playing dirty because their candidate lost with this nonsense."

"No wonder you'd think the government's behind the disappearance, you voted for Wallace!" Everyone laughed except for Clarence, who looked rather sad. Meanwhile, Alfred shrugged off the laughter and remained silent while everyone else kept on taking. Then, Carol Harmon walked outside, looking exhausted, and signaled her husband to shut off the radio, dismiss the neighbors, and come inside. Without a word, everyone knew that it was time to depart. Clarence greeted his wife with a kiss and led her back inside.

The White House // Washington D.C.
Dozens of protesters were being pushed away from the White House fence by the Capitol Police. MacArthur watched from the balcony as the police used tear gas to disperse the massive crowd. Some officers even started to beat a couple of protesters with their batons. Then, he heard the door opening and saw his secretary escorting John Garner in. John turned towards him and asked, "Are you busy?"

"No." MacArthur responded and then turned to his secretary. "Make sure that nobody bothers us."

"Yes, sir."

Once they were alone, John went to the window and watched as the remaining protesters were being arrested by the authorities. "I take it that the transition is going slowly well."

"Wallace didn't do any long term damage to our country that can't be dealt with. Although, I had a chat with Germany's Minister of Finance. He was only told the basics, but... I think he doesn't buy it."

"What did you say?"

"I told him that I was the acting president and that all of his concerns and questions will be answered by whoever the committee selects." John let out a sigh of relief and told him to make sure that it never happens again while he's in the office. MacArthur nodded and started going to the desk. "Is that all?"

"No, actually. It's about the protests spreading across the county. People have been calling Senators and Representatives nonstop since you appeared at the inauguration. Most of them demanded answers as to the whereabouts of Wallace and LeCron. I'm worried that things will get worst that's why... you need to consider deploying the National Guard. And if things get deadly, the military."

"You realize that I'm only an acting president—the third one in our country's history."

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
March 17th, 1933
WIP
Room #205 // Oklahoma City
Everett McKee came back home with the usual tiresome expression for another day of job-hunting. He spent nearly five hours looking all over the city for some kind of work. Instead, he was left empty-handed and forced to wait another hour in the breadline. He placed his belongings on the table and reached into his pockets for a pack of Camel. Then, he grabbed his lucky lighter from the countertop and opened up the nearest window. Everett began smoking while looking at the breadline, still filled with desperate people. There was no end at sight of this nightmare especially with a lack of leadership in both state and national. He had a solution to escape from this purgatory, but nobody cared enough to listen to him.

And yet, he was determined to keep going. So, he considered delivering it to the people waiting for their only meal of the day. Everett tossed the cigarette aside and began looking for his notes around the living room. But then, he heard a loud knock on the door and knew that the landlord was waiting on the other side, wondering where the payment was. He sighed while lifting up a cushion and pulled out an envelope of cash, containing barely enough to pay this month.

"I'm coming! Holy shit, can't you wait a sec-" Everett was caught off-guard that two complete strangers were waiting for him. Before he had the change to say anything, one of them asked if he was Everett McKee and if he ran for the Oklahoma Senate last year. Everett nodded.

"Good. The Committee for Normalcy has gone over your record and they believe that you're the perfect candidate to be the thirty-second President of the United States. Please come with us immediately for departure to the capital."

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
WIP
STANDOFF
WIP // WIP
TBA

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𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦
♦ T R E M O R ♦ V I R T U E ♦ A N A R K Y ♦ B U N K E R ♦
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T

"We are the forgotten."
The American Dream. The idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination in the United States of America. No barriers. No restraints. However, somewhere along the way, it died and became a trap to lure the desperate. While they may still obtain their freedom, they are forever stuck in the bottom while those in the top remain untouched. In recent years, there had been movements and groups that tried to challenge the system and demand meaningful change. But like everything that tends to happen, they were either crushed or forgotten by the majority of the population.

That was until now.

Non-stop protests across racism, police brutality, and other problems plaguing America. While people are protesting for change, four individuals know what's going to happen next. There would be no meaningful change from the government unless they did something about it. They decide to stand their ground and force change as the American Dream is slowly decaying. They have been affected by both the dream and the system. Those working in government have forgotten them. Those in their ivory towers have forgotten them. And the heroes of tomorrow have forgotten them. They are Misfits.

Tremor: Being a second-generation Indian American, Roshanna Chatterji spent her life trying to achieve the dream. That was until a drunk driver forever changed her life. Her mother died on the scene while her father lost feeling on his legs. The driver turned out to be the offspring of a well-known businesswoman, who was able to sweep the incident under the table while the Chatterjis had to deal with the medical bills. Her father became addicted and overdosed on painkillers. Roshanna left shortly after the funeral.

Virtue: Holly Ann Fields witnessed her father getting beaten to death by police officers after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. The officers involved in the murder got away, but the police department was forced to pay the Ann-Fields in a settlement. That caused some in the department to start harassing them for years. Getting tired of it, Holly exposed them in a post that went viral and painted a massive target on her back. Being a small-town police department, they were able to send her a clear message. Fearing for her and her family's life, Holly fled to protect them.

Anarky: A Gothamite that grew up on the East Side of Gotham City, Lonnie Machin lived in an abusive household where his parents treated him like garbage. They were struggling to pay rent, so his father began working for the Beretti crime family. And his mother started stealing for the people that she was cleaning for. Eventually, both of them were caught and sent to prison for the crime of surviving in a fucked up place like Gotham. Lonnie was put in a statehouse and faced more abuse until he was kicked when he became eighteen.

Bunker: Miguel Barragan was unaware of being an undocumented citizen until he tried to apply for a driver's license. He tried to remain under the radar for most of his senior year until he came home to an empty house one day. His parents and baby sister were picked up by immigration agents. Fortunately, he was able to stay in a friend's house while he earned his high school diploma. Yet, the constant fear that someone was going to take him away caused him to leave. He had been on the move for a year now.


C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S
With the move to One Universe, I still wish to continue with this group of misfits. Plus, it would give me a chance to explore

Anyway, I want to focus on and explore real America. Not the one made up by propagandists and fantasized by older generations. And each of the four main characters has been affected by the flaws of the United States (Tremor: Healthcare and Big Pharma; Virtue: Police Brutality and Corruption; Anarky: Poverty and the System; and, Bunker: Undocumented and Immigration). If you're one of those people that hates politics in media (especially in video games and comics), you aren't going to enjoy this.

Yet, not every post is going to be political. I want to explain how these met up with each other and formed The Misfits. Explore how they go on with their lives in a post-Cold War/9-11 world. And I want to develop The Misfits into a respectable group that bow to neither the authorities nor the government. Hopefully, our characters can interact with each other and explore the fundamental differences between them.

And as a reminder, this group is based on The Movement. I just changed the name (because it was too on the nose) and removed/added some characters. I hope that's fine.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S
Coral City, California: A city with a corrupt police department and a corrupt city hall.

Channel M: A hacker collective that plans on exposing corruption across the United States of America, starting with California.

S A M P L E P O S T





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𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
1.05 // RESOLUTION

Katharsis nearly crashed into a railing while driving through the fifth alleyway. She looked at the rear-view mirror and still saw police cars chasing after them. It wasn't going to be easy to escape their pursuit, but she wasn't going to give up without fighting. So, she put her driving to the test. Behind her, Drew was tending to Loonie's wounds with a first aid kit stashed in the van (for emergencies) with Holly and Miguel assisting whenever. Roshanna, on the other hand, was sitting beside them and pounding on how she ended up here. She lived a normal life before it was taken away from her.

It was foolish to go with them into a dangerous situation. She considered jumping out the van and surrendering to the authorities. Perhaps her punishment will be lighter compared to the others. Most likely not. And yet, there were no other options on the table. She placed her hands on the metal floor, and it began to vibrate. At first, she thought it was due to the bumpy road. When they didn't stop vibrating, Roshanna knew that it had something to do with her newfound powers. She just didn't know what they were. Then, for some reason, she began to feel the asphalt beneath.

That was when she understood (the basics). And what she was about to attempt might be foolish, but it was their only chance to escape.

Roshanna stood up and began making her way to the van door. Everyone was busy with Loonie to notice until they heard the door opening. She avoided the voices and began to concentrate on both the earth and asphalt. It began to make sense for her as she stretched her right arm out towards the police cars. And like a conductor, she dropped her arm and felt the van shaking violently. Katharsis struggled to drive as everyone else held onto something. Roshanna fell backward to the van and opened her eyes to the street, collapsing behind them.

Everyone stared at Roshanna with no words, but there was no sight of the pursuing police cars. It was their chance of escaping to their hideout undetected. Holly made sure that the van doors were closed before turning her attention to Roshanna. She extended her hand out and said, "Thank you for that."

Roshanna grabbed her hand and got up from the ground. "Your welcome...?"

Katharsis briefly looked at Roshanna and added, "If it weren't for your powers, we would've run out gas trying to outperform them."

Abandonded Building // Industrial District
At least a half of dozen paramedics and other officers were attending to the wounded. A luxurious black car pulled up at the scene, which caught the attention of a rookie officer. He went to yell at the driver to turn around for an active crime scene. "Hey, buddy. You need to turn around. This is-"

The young rookie froze in fear at the realization that he just yelled at his boss, Commissioner Frederick Foley. Yet, Frederick didn't care enough to reprehend him and just gave the cold shoulder. He made his way inside and up the stairs. Many of the wounded officers were being treated, which made him more upset since he hated seeing his fellow officers hurting badly. And one person was partially responsible for the mess: Officer Whitt. Whitt, despite his injuries, was still helping out the paramedics when he heard a familiar voice. "WHITT. What the hell happened here?!"

Whitt stopped whatever he was doing and saluted the Commissioner. "There were... some complications."

"Yeah, no fucking shit." Frederick took a moment to calm down before saying something stupid out loud and then escorted Whitt to a secured room, where no one could listen to them. "You told me it was going to be a simple execution. Instead, I'm here to clean up your fucking mess."

"I thought she was alone... but she had friends after all."

"You fucking donkey." Frederick took out an e-cigarette and began to smoke it. "It doesn't explain your wounds, though."

Whitt remained silent for a moment before responding, "One of them... managed to catch me off-guard."

"Serves you right for fucking around instead of doing your job right away. Look, since I have to clean up your mess again, you need to keep low. Take some time off to write your report. Make sure it's good enough so City Hall can leave us alone." Frederick felt his phone vibing from his pocket and pulled it out. He looked at it for a moment and then sighed. "I have to go to another crime. Apparently, some girl bought down an entire street while being pursued. What a fucking mess."

181 // Unknown
Upon returning to the hideout, everyone worked together to carefully carried Loonie over to the makeshift infirmary. Drew wasn't the ideal nurse, but she knew enough to see if there were any long term damages. While she was doing that, Holly took the time to confront Katharsis about what she said before everything went south. Katharsis was going to patch up her wounds until she heard her name. "We need to talk."

"About... oh! I thought she told you guys about that."

Holly turned to Drew and answered, "No, she didn't mention you until you sent that message."

Katharsis felt a little hurt that she wasn't brought up, but it was understandable. "Well, I was sought out because she was desperate for help. And what she wanted was something to get Channel M back on its feet. So, I agreed to help out. That's when we learned of what STAR Labs designed: Q-Juice. She did the hacking and learned of its potential usage; however, she got cold feet at the last minute. So, I did what she couldn't and went to the lab myself to get the gas."

Drew, while checking on Loonie, spoke up about what was said. "I told you not to go."

"And I didn't listen. You should be grateful for that." Katharsis. "As you can tell, she wasn't pleased with what I did. But, she eventually came around and developed the plan to use the abandoned Angel's Hand as a trap."

"And we were the bait." Holly finished the sentence.

"Yeah."

"You don't think that's a little fucked up?" Miguel joined in the discussion.

"No." Katharsis answered without hesitation. "I read your files. Each one of you has been fucked over by the system. This is your chance of getting payback for what this country has done to you. Don't you want that?"

"Wait, what do you mean that you 'read our files?'" Holly looked directly at Drew, which she looked away in shame. "You didn't..."

"We did." Katharsis crossed her arms and stepped in front of Holly to protect Drew in case. "We had to find people that... would be more understanding."

"I can't believe this..." Roshanna mumbled to herself before leaving the room in anger. Both Holly and Miguel were disgusted to learn that their privacy was breached. Miguel looked like he was about to cry before he excused himself out of the infirmary. Katharsis waited for Holly to freak out and attack her (like she did to Officer Whitt), but instead, she took a deep breath and sat down to process everything. Drew stopped what she was doing and approached her with caution.

"Listen, I know what we did was wrong. And it's totally reasonable if you wish to leave. Just... think about it. In the meantime, we'll give you some space. Call me once Loonie wakes up." Drew rolled over to Katharsis and escorted her out of the room. All alone to her thoughts, Holly wondered what she was going to do now, especially since she attacked a police officer. It was going to be difficult or even impossible to return to a sense of normalcy again. For now, she was going to wait until things calm down with the police. And when that time comes... she will have to decide what to do.

For now, Holly pulled up the chair to the bed that Loonie was resting on and waited for him to wake up. She was going to tell him everything that he missed. It was the right thing to do, after all.

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𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥
♦ T ' C H A L L A ♦ K I N G O F W A K A N D A ♦
♦ W A K A N D A ♦ T A I F A N G A O ♦
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T

"The world will see Wakanda and know our strength."
For centuries, the mantle of Black Panther has been passed down to those who fought for the throne. The Kings of Wakanda kept hidden the most valuable resource to the world: vibranium. It was the metal that allowed the isolated country to flourish beyond human imagination. And to keep the knowledge secured, the Black Panther sworn to fight off outsiders and invaders. It wasn't a struggle until the 20th century and the Second World War, where King Azzuri was the first ruler to work with outsiders against the Nazi machine. And as a result, he used favors to formally gained independence from the British. Yet, still untrusting of them and the superpowers, Azzuri created a false history of Wakanda to hide the truth.

After Azzuri's death, his sons dueled for the throne that lasted for forty-eight hours. King T'Chaka emerged the victor and took over the mantle. With the Cold War and technology escalating at an alarming rate, he was the first ruler in Wakandan history to face the possibility of failing to protect from outsiders. And yet, he kept on being Black Panther and formed the Hatut Zeraze to force the isolationist doctrine. Even as the world was rapidly changing, T'Chaka took the time to celebrate the birth of his first child, T'Challa.

T'Challa was taught about the properties of vibranium along with royal and national duties from the young age of five. And then, he was finally told about the Black Panther mantle at the age of ten. He spent weeks in the jungles learning to live off of the land like an actual Black Panther. Then, he was taught the basics of fighting and stealth thanks to the Dora Milaje, the Wakandan royal bodyguard made up entirely of women. After high school, T'Challa's father announced that he was stepping down for both politics and the mantle of Black Panther. It was the first time that the King of Wakanda retired for his role, but it wasn't fully realized until his son beat him at the coronation.

T'Challa's first mission as the Black Panther caused him to travel to the neighboring country of Zambesi. Before retiring, his father was working on arresting the international black-market arms dealer known as Ulysses. Ulysses managed to be one of the few outsiders that successfully stole vibranium. T'Challa knew that he had to destroy his supply before it was sold off. He tracked down Ulysses and managed to destroy the vibranium, but he escaped and went into hiding. T'Challa spent weeks across Africa in an attempt to track him down until he finally found him in the heart of Wakanda, ready to invade it.

It was an invasion that Wakanda had never faced in their lifetimes and it was deadly. Hundreds of brave Wakanadan soldiers fought off Ulysses' private military. The fighting lasted for a week and spread across the country before T'Challa personally cut off his arm and made him order the retreat. The King of Wakanda saw the cost of keeping a secret that was impossible to hide anymore. So, he made the most difficult choice and announced his plans to reveal the truth to the world. T'Chaka opposed the idea and tried to change his son's mind, but it didn't work.

T'Challa was about to embark on a decision that will change his nation's history forever.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S
Like the last time that I played Black Panther, I want to focus on the political aspects in a world filled with super-powered individuals. Yeah, T'Challa will still kick butt if he needs to. But he will also be busy talking to countless ambassadors and leaders about the good of his nation, Wakanda. Speaking of which, I wish to be able to explore more of the secretive country and tell a story of how its citizens are handling things since the announcement. So, I'm hoping that there can be a balance between playing politics and playing the hero.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S
N'Yami - T'Challa's mother, who spends her time dealing with outsiders and ensuring that everything's smooth between Wakanda and the world.

T'Chaka - T'Challa's father, who was the former Black Panther and King of Wakanda. He helps out his wife with outsiders especially the members of the UN Security Council.

Shuri - T'Challa's young sister, who has a gifted intellectual mind with a vast knowledge of Wakandan science and technology. She's the one that repairs and upgrades the Black Panther suit and gadgets.

Okoye - General of the Dora Milaje. She's the one that protects the Royal Family for any threats and helps out the Black Panther on preparation for a mission.

Nakia - Leader of the Hatut Zeraze. She spends most of her time working on undercover assignments that sent her across Africa. Recently, she became personally involved in finding and arresting Ulysses.

Ulysses - Black Panther's arch-nemesis, an international black market arms-dealer that specializes in vibranium. He went into hiding after failing to invade Wakanda and losing his arm during his fight with Black Panther himself.

Vixen - A superhero that Black Panther met and worked with him during his mission in Zambesi. She has a necklace that gives her the ability to mimic any animal with just a thought.

S A M P L E P O S T
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BLACK PANTHER
REAWAKENED
THE HIDDEN PARADISE // 01.00.00
Royal Palace of Wakanda // Birnin Zana
The Taifa Ngao called for an emergency meeting minutes after T’Challa’s announcement to address the historical moment. It lasted for two entire days before the council had a solid plan, which was to condemn the king’s decision to reveal Wakanda’s true existence to the outsiders. Surprisingly, the vote was nearly split in half along the members. Some felt that the time of hiding was over when Ulysses and his private army invaded the country. Others were still standing by tradition and believed that the world would turn against them. It was the fourth time that the council vote was divided in Wakandan history.

Then, to the surprise of everyone, T’Challa entered the chambers dressed for the occasion. “It’s great to see everyone working hard during these uncertain times, but we will not need the drums of war.”

Amara Azikiwe, the opposition's unofficial leader, spoke up to the king while attempting to remain respectful. “My king, It saddens me that you haven’t reconsider your unorthodox decision. I hope you’re here to hear us out.”

“In all honesty, I am not here to listen to you but to invite everyone to greet the outsiders with me. And, if you wish to attend with us for the day.”

“You already know our answer.” Amara responded with some bite in her words. “We are not going to allow you to commit to this blasphemy on our history!”

"Then, get out of my way or, if you still wish, come with me. Either way, you don't have a choice." T’Challa's intimidation was a surprise even to his diehard supporters. Then, his wrist bead lit up and left the chambers without saying anything else. He saw the message left behind by Okoye and started reading it.

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𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦
TBD
TBD

WIP

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
June 10th, 1955
LOST WAGES
Coast of the Bahamas // Caribbean
The Sinking of Isherwood made headlines across the nation as a win for American dominance over the Caribbean. Even if the truth was hidden from the public. Navy officials were embarrassed and critical of Captain Stanton's decision that led to the destroyer being sunk along with the Argentinian destroyer, Ironia. While diplomats were attempting to smooth things over with Argentina, the Secretary of War, Rudolph Payne, announced the increase in naval patrols in the region citing the incident. Luckily for them, something bigger was about to take place.

The dying British Empire finally lost control of its territories in the Americas. The Bahamas, for example, declared their independence after overthrowing the former British colonial administrator, Charles Dundas. While the Lesser Antilles fell into anarchy after British officials were murdered during the revolts. Rudolph, sensing America's opportunity to expand more into the Carribeans, decided to discuss with President Lindbergh of Operation Urgent Fury. It contained invasion plans for former British colonies within the Americas citing concerns of pirate activity while halting Mexico from seizing islands close to the United States and its colony, Puerto Rico.

Lindbergh approved of the plan, bypassing the Senate and House, and allowed the invasions to conduct starting with the recently independent Bahamas. Both the USS Los Angeles and Shenandoah (airships) were assigned to maintain air dominance as dozens of naval ships led the landings and blockades. Nassau was the first and important target for the American forces, given that it was the capital and housed seventy percent of the country's population. But, it wasn't as difficult as originally thought with the local authorities offering their services to the invading force.

The other islands proved to be more difficult, yet it took the entire day to fully secured the Bahamas.

Meanwhile, in the Lesser Antilles, American forces were surprised by the navies' sudden strength within the region. It turned out that the former British colonies banded together and declared themselves to be a united Caribbean country. The declaration was more of a reason for America to strike fast. The Battle of Bridgetown proved to the American forces that the fighting was just getting started with the USS Able nearly sinking. It took two days, and three hundred American lives before the capital was captured. For the most part, the rest of the former British colonies were easy to take on except Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

With the threat from the west dealt with, America shifted its focus towards the east--primarily Jamaica. It was determined early on that Mexico wasn't also going to miss on the opportunity to finally expand into the Caribbean. There was an accepted theory in the military that Mexico would use the island as the early staging grounds to invade Cuba and other islands within the region. Or, if the invasion failed or proven unnecessary, used it to build an airbase capable of housing planes that can do bombing campaigns against the Southern states.

That was why, shortly after dealing with the Bahamas, the Los Angeles and a sizable naval force received orders to prepare for another landing invasion.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
July 10th, 1955
REVELATION
Downtown Culver City // Culver City
After reminding the doorman of who he was, Melvin let himself inside Kingship and immediately locked eyes with Howard, chatting away with the talented workers. One of them was in the midst of demonstrating her skills on the pole while the others surrounded him. While the owner seemed to be having fun, Melvin never cared about gentlemen's clubs nor strippers and made his way to the dance floor. Howard remained distracted with examining them before he felt a familiar grip on his shoulder. He froze with fear when he realized whose hand it was and turned to greet Melvin.

"M-Melvin?! It's nice to see you! What brings you to-"

"I'm not in the mood for your nonsense, Howard." Melvin gently pushed one of the strippers out of the way and advanced towards him. "Your office. Now."

Howard stood up from the leather chair and dismissed himself, ensuring his workers that it was fine. But the whole thing felt awkward to watch; even Melvin felt how uncomfortable the strippers were. Both men made their way to the office on the second floor, which overlooked the club. Melvin already knew that Howard would use every excuse possible on him like he often did on his business partners. Instead of letting him use one of them, Melvin opened the office door and suckapunched Howard into the room. He made sure the door was closed before processing to give a beating that he wanted to do for months now.

Howard pleaded with him to stop while his face was all bruised up. After a minute of kicking and punching, Melvin settled down and got down to Howard's level before pitching his nose. "Why did you fuck with us, Howard? I thought you were too busy blackmailing directors and fucking movie stars to betray us."

"I-I don't know what-" Howard screamed as his nose was broken and began bleeding profusely. Then, Melvin grabbed his arm and started squeezing it hard.

"We know about the fifteen grand you stole for us. So, don't lie to me again, or I'll break your arm."

"Alright! Alright, don't break it, please!" Howard put his freed hand up, after crying for mercy, and pointed at a bookshelf. Melvin dragged him across the office and threw him against it. Howard felt some books hitting him but avoided the pain to pull out a safe. It took a moment before it was unlocked, which Melvin inspected almost immediately. But, there was no money inside. Instead, he found something that was big trouble: coke.

Cocaine, and other drugs, were deemed off-limits by the Commission to avoid a deadly war against the various Latin American cartels--especially the Mexican cartel. Finding it in Howard's possession meant trouble for every crime family in the states. In an instant, Melvin pulled out his pistol and pressed it against his huge forehead.

"Tell me where you got the coke, or I will make your face unrecognizable." Melvin threatened.

Howard cried a little more before responding, "Delbert Nixon, one of my regular patrons, told me about how profitable cocaine was on the streets. He told me that if I were to give him some cash, he would contact his friends to include me in the trafficking."

Melvin pulled the pistol back as he was trying to figure out why the name sounded familiar. Then, it clicked. "Isn't he directing that Great War heroic for the Europeans?"

"Yeah, that's him." Howard struggled to get up from the floor after taking a severe beating and started making his way to the desk. "Delbert loves that white rock more than God. As for his friend, I only met him once, but he was definitely Mexican."

Melvin took a deep breath to process everything he heard coming out of Howard's mouth. He knew that shit was about to get really hot soon but understood that his boss needed to know about this revelation before more damage was done. Yet, even he knew that Howard Rowe's life was essentially over; but, his boss had the final say. So, after taking a nearby suitcase and stashing the cocaine, Melvin departed from the Kingship and met up with the driver.

"So, did you get the money?" The driver asked.

"No." Melvin placed the suitcase on his lap and then opened it to show the driver. "I need to speak with the boss."

The driver immediately shut his mouth upon seeing the cocaine, knowing what it meant. "I will take you to him now."

Downtown Las Vegas // Las Vegas
Fremont Street was crowded with people from all over the world that could've overwhelmed a newcomer. But for the Bradshaw brothers, it was a regular Sunday night for them. In particular, the Golden Nugget was busy at nighttime with guests gathering in the gambling hall to spend their hard earn money. But, they weren't there to bet on luck. The brothers showed off the poker chips to the receptionist, who signaled a nearby guard. The guard, an older man with scars on his right hand, inspected the chips before asking them to follow him. They walked through the smoke-filled hall before ending up at the showroom, which was off-limits to guests for the night. Yet, it seemed like a performance took place earlier based on the same smoky odor from the hall.

A person was sitting on the stage, staring at them before gesturing at the nearest seats. George made his way there, which surprised his older brother because he was usually cautious about his surroundings. Russell followed his younger brother seconds later and took a seat by him. Then, the individual in the darkness started to speak femininely. "It's nice to finally see you two. I only wish you came sooner."

"We wanted to be sure of your intentions with our business." Russell responded with his arms crossed. "After all, our father helped made this city possible. We usually don't deal with folks who are... aspiring to be someone they aren't able to handle."

"You make it sound like I don't know a thing or two about running this city." the individual laughed and then took a slip. "People don't just call me Mr. House as if I'm some showgirl on the Strip. I got my hands dirty as your father did."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course, you don't." Mr. House snapped his fingers, and another person tossed the brother a folder. Russell took it before his younger brother could have a look and started reading it. It contained pages of a proposal to work for Mr. House and allow him to form a fractional ownership over anything owned by the Bradshaw brothers, including their resorts and casinos. But, in return, they would receive a cut of profits for all business under his control. Regardless, Russell viewed it as an insult to his father's legacy.

He got up from his seat and threw it at Mr. House, hitting him. "Fuck your deal. I will never allow your dirty hands to touch what my father built. Come on, George, we're leaving."

As Russell was about to leave the showroom, Mr. House gathered the scattered papers and reorganized them. Then, he made his way towards George, revealing himself to him for the first time. "Fortunately, you don't have the final say."

"What-" Before Russell was able to finish his question, he felt something tight on his neck and struggled to breathe. He tried to get free, but it was already too late. George couldn't watch his older brother die and turned his sights at Mr. House, whose feminine style clothing caught him off-guard. He grabbed the folder and then decided to see Russell, still fighting to live.

Mr. House saw George realizing what was about to happen and went to place his hand on his cheek to relax him. Then, he started to speak in a calm tone. "I'm sorry that it had to be done, but... he would've done the same to you."

Russell watched with his final breath as George nodded and turned away for his older brother. He tried to say something, but the world went dark around him.

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Kingship wasn't open for business during the afternoon, but there were workers preparing for another busy night. An older doorman approached him and told him that the club wasn't open. Merrill pulled out his family's insignia, the petals of a California sunlight made out of bronze.
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In collabation with @Zoey Boey

BLACK PANTHER
ARRIVAL
THE HIDDEN PARADISE // 01.05.00
Royal Palace of Wakanda // Birnin Zana
The Taifa Ngao called for an emergency meeting minutes after T’Challa’s announcement to address the historical moment. It lasted for two entire days before the council had a solid plan, which was to condemn the king’s decision to reveal Wakanda’s true existence to the outsiders. Surprisingly, the vote was nearly split in half along the members. Some felt that the time of hiding was over when Ulysses and his private army invaded the country. Others were still standing by tradition and believed that the world would turn against them. It was the fourth time that the council vote was divided in Wakandan history.

Then, to the surprise of everyone, T’Challa entered the chambers dressed for the occasion. “It’s great to see everyone working hard during these uncertain times, but we will not need the drums of war.”

Amara Azikiwe, the opposition's unofficial leader, spoke up to the king while attempting to remain respectful. “My king, It saddens me that you haven’t reconsider your unorthodox decision. I hope you’re here to hear us out.”

“In all honesty, I am not here to listen to you but to invite everyone to greet the outsiders with me. And, if you wish to attend with us for the day.”

“You already know our answer.” Amara responded with some bite in her words. “We are not going to allow you to commit to this blasphemy on our history!”

"Then, get out of my way or, if you still wish, come with me. Either way, you don't have a choice." T’Challa's intimidation was a surprise even to his diehard supporters. Then, his wrist bead lit up and left the chambers without saying anything else. He saw the message left behind by Okoye, which contained a report written by one of her warriors. It was too long to read the whole thing, but he briefly skimmed through it to get an idea of what to expect. That was when he read up the brief inspection on one of the security members: Natasha Romanoff.

Wakandan Airport // Birnin Zana
On the tarmac, King T’Challa, along with Shuri, Okoye, and N'Yami, waited for the plane to appear from the horizon and land. Unfortunately, T'Chaka declined to meet the outsiders when they exit the plane but had plans to attend the dinner. Taifa Ngao boycotted the entire event in protest of the king's judgment. He had hoped that some of them would've come, but it was impossible with Amara taking charge of the other councilors. The plane finally showed itself and headed for the tarmac. So, everyone got ready with Okoye ensuring that security was prepared for the worst.

The plane landed, and its security team left first before letting the outside exit.

Black Widow was the first to leave, followed by US Agent. She walked down the stairs of the plane and then went to the left. She inhaled the fresh air, and gave their welcoming committee a once over. All royally dressed, with formal, beautiful designs of various colors and silhouettes. She held her right wrist in her left hand and stood at attention. Walker followed after her and stood to the left of the staircase. He raised his elbows and twisted his back, and a faint popping sounds could be hurt. “Ugh…” He groaned.

Natasha hummed. ”Classy.”

A few moments later, the Ambassador descended. He spotted the Wakanda diplomats and smiled, waving, before adjusting his tie and hair once again. Once he was on the ground he glanced at the two superheroes that were in charge of protecting him. Exhaling, he glanced over at Natasha. She nodded. With that, the UN team began to walk forward to meet the King of Wakanda. As he neared them, he hesitated a moment before bowing.

Okoye gave the outsider a confused look while Shuri nearly broke down laughing before her mother whispered to her to stop. T’Challa awkwardly smiled and addressed him. “You don’t need to do that.”

Aiden’s face lit up with embarrassment and began to rub his neck. “Sorry about that.”

T’Challa nodded and then turned towards the group. “Welcome to Golden City, the real capital of Wakanda. I am happy to show you and your leaders what Wakanda has to offer to the world with a tour of our design sector. Hopefully, my sister is able to showcase everything before dinner. For now, though, General Okoye will escort everyone to the rooms. Until we meet again.”

Okoye stepped forth while the royal family left the tarmac with some of the security team. She examined the outsiders before speaking. “While my sisters and I are protecting your lives, know that we won’t tolerate any… ‘bullshit’ as you outsiders say. That means, upon arriving at the rooms, the security teams must submit their weapons to us. You will get them back before leaving.”

She made sure to stare directly at Natasha before finishing up. “If you lie or try to go behind our backs, we won’t hesitate to respond accordingly. Understand?”

Natasha was stood up straight, her hands held in front of her. She nodded solemnly. ”Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She responded. The King confirmed that the Golden City was the true capital. This was truly a momentous occasion- a lucky break that she got to participate in it. Hopefully she didn’t ruin it by getting caught poking around. Okoye seemed to have a good bullshit detector, so she would have to be careful around that one. As powerful and as refined as the Wakandans were, however, they didn’t have the experience of the international, backstabbing savagery of the Cold War and beyond. Natasha was confident she could outwit them, if it came down to it.

The King, T’Challa himself, seemed nice enough, but it could easily be a political front. He did actually meet them on the tarmac, and his outfit was formal but not exorbitant. Many powerful monarchs wanted everyone to know how rich they were by decking themselves out in all sorts of jewelry and fancy cars. Between him and General Okoye’s no-nonsense demeanor, she already had a positive first impression of Wakanda.

”After you, ma’am.” Natasha deferred to the General politely.

Okoye and her security team began escorting the outsiders to the royal palace by using a self-driving bus, which was big enough to fit everyone. When everyone was on board, the bus began driving towards its destination. Unlike other places, there wasn’t any traffic blocking the road for miles and miles. In fact, people were walking on them or using self-driving transports instead of using cars. It was an eco-city without any restraints from bureaucracy and capitalism came to reality.

Eco urban architecture was also realized with the local ecosystem coexisting with the population and structures. After five minutes, the bus made its way to the royal palace after a security check at the entrance. Okoye escorted the outsiders to the guest quarters and asked their security to surrender their weapons. After that, the security team dismissed themselves and left the outsiders alone.

Guest Quarters // Royal Palace of Wakanda
Aiden set down his suitcase and took a moment to stare at the window, overlooking the city. He was amazed by everything that he witnessed so far. There wasn’t anything like Golden City in the world. And there was more to be revealed by the king. So, he needed to seek out the other ambassadors to discuss… everything. The ambassador got the attention of his security. “I have some matters to take care of with our allies. There is so much to talk about after all especially… this.”

“You guys should take a moment to enjoy the view.” Aiden left the room, leaving both John and Natasha alone.

The redhead nodded at Aiden. Natasha, her frame less bulked up with her various weapons, walked up to the window and learned her arm against it, and her forehead against her arm. She took in the sights and sounds of the city. It truly was a modern marvel. Though she hadn’t seen much of it yet, right now it looked to be one of if not the greatest city in the world.

”Amazing, isn’t it?” She asked Walker. John was sitting on the bed, rubbing the place where his deployable hard light shield used to be.

“...It’s okay, I guess.” He grumbled. Natasha chuckled. ”I see. Things not competitive enough for your taste?”

Walker shrugged. “I dunno. I feel like this city is looking down on me. Oh, look, I’m the Golden City, I’m sooo great.” He crossed his arms. Natasha nodded, raising an eyebrow. Perhaps she could see where he was coming from, though she didn’t quite agree.

“It’s not the rest of the world’s fault our civilizations didn’t start on a giant lump of vibranium.” He complained.

”I see.” She nodded solemnly. ”Well, their isolationist policies are beginning to come to an end. Maybe they’ll be sending foreign aid to various struggling countries.” She said.

“They better. We do, and we don’t have…” He trailed off.

”Magical plant skyscrapers.” She described them simply. He gestured at her pointedly.

“Lord, they’re gorgeous, aren’t they?” He shook his head, and she nodded in agreement.

“So….I guess we’re safe here. I don’t think the Wakandans are going to betray us.” He commented, rubbing his stubble. Natasha silently agreed.

”No, they won’t. I agree with you on that.” She looked back out the window. She turned her head over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. It was a simple look, but one they both understood. Keep quiet. They might be listening. But yes, Walker, I am going to be poking around.

”You should catch up with the Ambassador.” Natasha said. Walker nodded. “See ya around. Test their tap water out.” He joked, and let the Black Widow alone.

“Why didn’t you follow him?” the voice of Kimoyo appeared out of nowhere, catching her off-guard. “Don’t you wish to explore the quarters?”

Natasha didn’t react externally, but she was surprised. She knew they were listening, but she didn’t think they would be watching. They tipped their hand too early, if one asked Natasha. She was hoping to be alone for a little bit.

”Well, Kimoyo, I’ve always been something of an introvert. Maybe I was just hoping for some alone time.” She said, some humor underlining her words. ”Can you see me right now?” She waved to the empty air. Her eyes scanned the room for cameras, or some kind of strange piece of vibranium technology.

“Yes, I see you waving at me.” Kimoyo answered in an almost annoyed tone. “And no, you won’t be able to find me so easy. But enough about me, I came to notify you that King T’Challa will be arriving in an hour for the tour.”

Natasha nodded. So, she was being watched...very, very closely. It would be difficult to get any spying done if there was an omni-present AI in the building. What and couldn’t it see? ”Well, I am looking forward to protecting the man that’s supposed to meet him.” She joked. ”Very well,” Natasha sighed. ”I suppose unless you’ve translated some of Wakanda’s most famous stories for us, I’ll take a look around.” With that, Natasha walked out of the room and followed after Walker. Her footsteps were purposefully louder than they could be- which was, of course, completely silent.

John immediately noticed what his partner was attempting to do and detoured to the nearest bathroom. He signaled for her to follow before entering it, noticing that no one else was there. But to be extra sure, he checked the stalls while waiting for Natasha to enter. When she did, he went over to the door and locked it so no one was able to walk up. Then, to make sure whoever was watching wasn’t able to listen, he went up to the sinks and turned all of them on. And after all of that, they were finally able to talk.

“Are you alright? What happened in the room?”

Natasha frowned at the display, wondering if it would really be enough to prevent the AI from listening in, or watching them right now. Kimoyo probably wasn’t the modest type. Still, it was old school from John, so she could appreciate the effort.

”Not much,” She said quietly. ”Except Kimoyo, the AI, is listening and watching us at all times.” She concluded, raising an eyebrow ominously. ”They want us to know this, no doubt. Still, if I was up to something, and I was in charge of Wakanda security, I would have kept this a secret. Just to see what I would do, if I was up to something.” She said, smirking. John would be able to tell she didn’t quite believe they were alone, even in this very clean gender-neutral bathroom.

“AI? Well, shit. With how much we have underestimated them in every aspect, no doubt they are the reason why I can’t contact Agent Ayers at all." John paced around the bathroom to figure things out until he leaned against the counter and turned to Natasha. “Yet, this could actually benefit us and the objective.”

John reached into his right boot and pulled out a 10TB USB stick to extract any data useful to the United States. “Our only shot will be during dinner. And even then, we would be on a time limit. Unless something goes wrong or, god forbid, they are onto us, I will be the one doing the extraction while you remain the center of attention. But if we’re caught… well, we might face something problematic at an international scale.”

Natasha crossed her arms and rubbed her chin. ”You think Kimoyo can only watch one person at a time?” She asked.

“No.” John answered honestly. “But, if I were the head of security for a country that’s protective of its secrets, I would be putting more effort into monitoring the KGB spy turned Avenger more than some SHIELD agent. Just saying.”

Natasha conceded this point with a tilt of her head. ”Fair,” She said. ”Still. Be careful. If you can’t find a good opportunity, just don’t do anything. I’d rather not find anything than risk an incident.” She cautioned.

“Yeah, yeah. This isn’t my first time doing a simple extract mission. But, I will be sure to keep my eye out. Don’t worry.” John winked at her partner and started making his way out to be with the ambassador. “Oh, by the way, make sure you don’t leave the sinks on once you leave. We won’t want our host to pay a high water bill, do we?”

”Wow,” Natasha deadpanned as Walker left her alone. She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. Simple extra mission? ”Coulson’s gonna have my head on a platter...” She murmured sarcastically to herself. With that she flicked off the sinks, one at a time. Frowning, she glanced around at the room. Was she being watched? She stomped the ground, loudly. A moment passed and she clicked her tongue, leaving the room to follow Walker and try to salvage this intel gathering mission.

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S E N A T O R J E H L A I R K
A P P E A R A N C E
Standing at 5' 10" tall, Jeh Lairk was physically fit with an olive tone and prominent scars across his hands and arms. His square face, softly shaped jaw, and light blue eyes were notable features that caught the attention of many. Jeh maintained medium-length, frizzy, black hair which went un-styled—no matter where he went. And he wore ambiguous clothing that was a mixture of professional and informal wear while wearing some jewelry.

S K I L L S
Senator Lairk - Being a senator wasn't an easy job as one would've thought. Jeh Lairk had to learn so much about his homeworld's politics and the galaxy in its entirety. In addition, he also learned history and became proficient at writing. But all of the struggles and hardships were worth it. In his time as senator, Jeh managed to form friendships with several senators and established contacts and connections across both Coruscant and Corellia—particularly those in the shipyards.

Corellian Engineering - Besides politics, Jeh learned a few things about engineering in his time at Corellia. He knew how to repair and upgrade certain airspeeders; he tinkered with other senators whenever he wasn't busy with senatorial duties. And he learned things about freighters because he worked on customing a YT-2000 transport, which was stashed back at his home in Coronet City.

Professional Pilot - Since he was Corellia, it was inevitable that Jeh would've taken an interest in piloting a starship and exploring the galaxy. But before politics got in his way, he knew a lot about flying freighters. And it didn't stop when he became a senator especially since he was working on a YT-2000 transport to modify.

F L A W S
Delegate of 2000 - Jeh understood that signing the Petition of 2000 could've meant being accused of treason against the republic. And it would have, for sure, painted a new target on his back. But Jeh didn't care because he was doing to protect democracy against a Chancellor that had so much power over the Republic.

Stubborn As A Mule - Like his father, Jeh Lairk was a stubborn bastard that became more unyielding when he became a senator. And with that dangerous path the Republic found itself in, Jeh challenged the emergency powers that Chancellor Palpatine gained during the Clone Wars. He knew that his life would be difficult opposing the Chancellor, but he had to do it or go against his beliefs.

Lone Rebel - Corellians were always known to have independent minds and often stood against authority for personal reasons. It was no different with Jeh Lairk, who stood against Chancellor Palpatine towards the end of the Clone Wars. He had repeatedly written about how the Chancellor should give up the emergency powers once peace prevailed. But, it unknowingly put him in danger, especially after Order 66.

H I S T O R Y
Being born four years before the start of the Clone Wars, Corellia never saw the brutal fighting between droids and clones since it was inside Republic territory. Nalmun Lairk was a predominant government official on the planet. His son, Jeh Lairk, desired to follow in his father's footsteps at a young age. Educated at prestigious schools on Coronet City and the galactic capital of Coruscant for her education, Jeh secured his first political position as a member of Coronet City council. He severed for seven years until his father died of natural cause, leaving his senator position available.

After being appointed the spot, Jeh Lairk moved back to Coruscant towards the end of the Clone Wars shortly after the battle. Like much of the galactic population, he was tired of the war because of how costly it had become. But, he had deeper concerns about Chancellor Palpatine since gaining so much power during the Clone Wars. So, he signed the Petition of 2000 that stated the Chancellor should give up the emergency powers acquired throughout the war. Afterward, he became one of the Delegation of 2000 and formed acquaintances with several other senators, including Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Padmé Amidala.

Then, Order 66 happened.

He watched from his balcony when smoke rose from the Jedi Temple, wondering what was going on. The following day, the Supreme Chancellor issued a special session of Congress to address what happened.
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SENATOR JEH LAIRK
19 BBY
THE MEETING
500 Republica // Galactic City
It felt strange to see the Jedi Temple, which Jeh always saw in the distance from his balcony, still on fire. He always had respect for the Jedi Order, even if he didn't publicly show it. Perhaps, it was good that he kept it a secret or not... And yet, he wasn't able to stop thinking about the survivors inside. Jeh didn't believe that the Republic triumphantly eradicated the order because they were the Jedi. He heard the stories about how they won battle after battle against the droids across the galaxy. There was no way that they would've been caught off-guard by the clone army.

And no reason to betray the Republic... unless...

Jeh was interrupted by the sound of his doorbell going off, which made him investigate the door. Upon opening it, some of the twenty had arrived when they got the message. It included Senator Alavar, Bancii, Bendon, Zar, and Mothma. He felt relieved and quickly let them inside his home, but was confused that they would've risked coming to his apartment. So, Jeh asked one of the senators about it, "What happened to the usual meeting place?"

"We haven't been able to contact Senator Amidala since the Chancellor's speech." Senator Mothma answered.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Jeh replied with a hint of concern yet understood he needed to step up until she returned. "But, this meeting needs to happen, especially after what the Chancellor said. Let's wait for more senators before we start. I will prepare some drinks for everyone in the meantime."

A few minutes later, more Senators arrived, including Senator Danu, Breemu, Tills, and Bronk. And they were the only senators to come to the meeting spot. Jeh was disappointed but understood why the remaining twenty didn't come. They were afraid that the newly founded Empire just began watching them. After all, they did sign the Petition of 2000. Regardless, Senator Lairk introduced his guest with some drinks before starting the meeting.

"I thank you all for coming here at such short notice. I understand that everyone knows why I called this meeting."

"The Chancellor." Senator Zar said with disgust.

"Yes." Jeh responded. "He has virtually killed democracy in favor of the Empire. I am concerned about what he has planned for the Senate next."

Senator Alavar stood up from the couch and tried to comfort the senators by revealing her plan. "Our alliance in the Senate may have failed, but it isn't over. Tomorrow, a few other Senators and I will confront the Chancellor over his latest attempt to seize absolute power."

"Are you sure it will work?" Senator Bronk asked.

"We have to try. I believe the Senate still has the chance to stop his plans." The Lorrdian answered honestly but remained confident in front of her fellow senators. There was a moment of silence before the Kedorzhan indicated he would join them with a hint of fear in his voice. Then, the room went quiet again until Senator Breemu spoke up and pledged her support. Then, she turned to Jeh and then asked him a simple question.

"Will you also support us, Senator Lairk?"

Jeh didn't know how to answer that question. On the one hand, he knew that the Chancellor must answer for what he announced today. But on the other, he had absolute power to do whatever necessary for the "Empire." This might be the last chance to get the Chancellor to return the powers and resign. But if Jeh were to go with the other senators, he feared that all of them would be arrested. Maybe the entire Delegation of 2000, including him, will be arrested soon; however, selfishly, he still wanted to remain a free man—for as long as possible.

"I can't join you... I'm afraid that the Chancellor will straight-up order for your arrest even if you request a meeting." Jeh answered truthfully to the senator, which was met with disappointing looks. Senator Danu, meanwhile, finally looked up for his drink and interrupted with a horrifying likelihood that made everyone, especially Jeh, freeze with fear.

"If there's even a Senate left..."

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RODNELL SUTTON
August 10th // 14:34
ZERO HOUR
Las Vegas Boulevard // Paradise
Rodnell Sutton didn't believe that parachutes and the occasional fighter jet filled the skies of Las Vegas. At first, he thought it was some sort of stunt pulled off by a group of pranksters. That was until several of them landed in the middle of the busy road dressed like soldiers and holding assault rifles. But, strangely enough, they didn't appear to be hostile as they ran past everyone. Rodnell didn't know where they were going, but he knew better than to follow them. Instead, he reached for his phone and tried to call his friends, who left the city yesterday.

But, it went straight to voicemail. In fact, Rodenell's phone was out of service. And then, the Strip lost power in an instant. Rodnell didn't know what the hell was going on especially when several APCs landed on a parking lot across the street. Some of the soldiers began making their way across the street calmly before addressing him and everyone else watching. One of them spoke in broken English with a thick German accent, "Please remain indoors. We wish no harm to civilians. We fear that fighting will intensify in the coming hours. Return to your rooms until stated otherwise."

Rodnell looked over at the airport and saw smoke rising from the airfield. He tried to ask the foreign soldier about it but was interrupted when one of them shouted and pointed at three police cars speeding towards them. Everyone in the parking lot started retreating to the hotel as fighting between them began with gunshots. Rodnell followed them back to the lobby and desperately tried to call his friends and family. His phone kept on going straight to voicemail. And with the sound of gunfire and explosions still going on, he wasn't unable to relax for hours until it was night.

By nighttime, the fighting was reduced significantly in the surrounding areas for the most part. Some people decided to venture outside for different reasons. Rodnell was one of them because he thought it was a good time to leave the city via Interstate 15. But, unfortunately, his car was riddled with bullets, making it undrivable. Instead, he started making his way deeper into the Boulevard in the hopes of finding a ride out of here. However, the roads were filled with desperate people having the same idea. And judging by the traffic jam, he didn't need to check to know that the Interstate was undrivable.

Rodnell didn't know what to do but figure out a different plan. He needed to go back home and see if his family and friends were alright. But, Los Angeles was far away and he didn't have a car anymore. While he was thinking, Rodnell headed to a nearby pizzeria and asked for a drink. Then, he went back out to take a breather while watching firefighters and some foreign soldiers putting out a fire that started on the upper levels of a hotel. And of course, he checked to see if his phone finally had a signal, but it still didn't.

'What a fucked up day.' Rodnell told himself.

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PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
"为人民服务" (Serve the People!)


History
Pre-Visitation
The People's Republic of China rose into power after Chairman Mao Zedong's forces won against the Chinese Nationalist forces, who fled to Taiwan. Chairman Mao proclaimed the founding on 1 October 1949 and then led efforts against the capitalist system, launching land reforms and jumpstarting the industrialization program. Campaigns, like the Great Leap Forward, bought change to the country for the better or worst while relations with the Soviet Union improved. Then, the Visitation happened.

Visitation
With fears that the American backed Kuomintang forces would invade the mainland after the Korean War, China was more than prepared to protect its citizens. But, they didn't expect the invader to take place within. And with the problems coming from the Great Leap Forward, China was hit hard with the New-Langium Compound. The first case of the New-Langium Compounds was reported when parts of the Yellow River started to drain affecting villages and cities that relied on the river. Then, the newly built industrial factories began to break down across the coastline leaving former farmers to starve with a lack of work. And finally, adding insult to injury, the dozens of dead sparrows were reported to have come back to life and attacked people.

Regardless, Chairman Mao vowed that the people's party will triumph before dying along with several members of the National Congress after inspecting a piece of Langium infecting the Yellow River. After his death, Hua Guofeng rose into the position and began a series of moderate reforms in response to the Great Leap Forward and the efforts of the New-Langium Compounds. He did his best to contain crisis after crisis before he was outed over his support of maintaining the Maoist line in 1978.

Recent History
Chairman Xue Xuefeng was voted by the National Congress shortly after Chairman Hua was outed. His first action was to deal with the crisis upon the Yellow River by sealing off the infected parts with temporary dams so the Langium could be mined. Then, he led a series of dramatic reforms and campaigns that altered China. One of the most important campaigns, the Sino-Soviet Peoples' Partnership, pushed to reestablish positive relations with the Soviets. And while the United States of America was still dealing with the effects of Visitation, China led an invasion into Taiwan after bombardments were resumed in 1982.

Without the backing of NATO and the United States, The Kuomintang surrendered to the Chinese invasion forces after sieging the capital of Taipei. Then, after the peace treaty was signed, the People's Party shifted their focus onto the Korean Peninsula. Chairman Xue met with Kim Il-sung, Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and came to an agreement for annexation to take on the NATO-backed South Korea. And like Taiwan, they lacked foreign military support and caused them to be overwhelmed by Chinese forces.

And when Seoul was taken hours after the invasion began, President Park Chung-hee met up with Chairman Xue and Kim Il-sung to discuss peace. In the end, it was agreed that a United Korea would exist under Chinese protection from foreign capitalist influences. Thus, Na Mi-Kyung was selected by Chairman Xue personally to lead the peninsula towards a better future while the leaders of old vanished from history. With its goals of uniting with the mainland satisfied (for now), China shifted its focus towards its citizens by fulfilling their first promise: fixing the Yellow River.

Pressing Issues
Even know China is better off than where it was in 1963, Chairman Xue still has a lot on his plate. For example, his efforts to improve the literacy and poverty rate only began shortly after Chairman Hua was outed. In addition, the effects of the Great Leap Forward and the Visitation are still impacting the mainland specifically villages and cities along the Yellow River. The National Congress and Chairman Xue vowed to restore them to their former glory, but both the reunification of Taiwan and the invasion of the Korean Peninsula occupied their focus. It wasn't until recently that their focus shifted back towards its people.

Taiwan, not as hard hit by Langium as the mainland, is still facing unrest for the anti-communist resistance fighters. Terror attacks on Chinese citizens and military forces are a common occurrence despite retaliation with raids of possible hideouts and arrest of suspected conspirators. Meanwhile, in Korea, President Na Mi-Kyung recently petitioned the National Congress to allow foreign companies to operate in her country. The matter is still being debate with rumors spreading that the trading city of Daegu will be testing grounds for the idea.



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