[Plot] Jez and Nika's Room: Gold In Them Thar Hills

[Narrator]

The door to Nika and Jez's room -- presumably left alone after Nika was taken to the infirmary after the kidnapping of Katarina -- was just slightly, slightly ajar. In a way that may not, at first blush, be a good thing, considering recent events.


((Just resynching the Kat plot, which got quietly shuffled to the side during the resolving of the issue))

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez could be forgiven for not noticing that the door to their dorm room wasn't completely shut, even if that was very out of character for Nika. During her powerless period she had learned how impossible her schedules were when she didn't have an extra couple of herselves to be in multiple places at once. And now she was having to play catch-up. So she thought nothing of it at first, had it had time to really cross her mind she might've assumed it was due to Nika's arms being full when she went inside or something. The smaller girl pushed the door to their room open and stepped inside.

[Victor Von Doom]

And that's when Jez might get a feeling a little like the littlest bear. For sitting there, in her chair, with his back turned to the door, reading one of her magazines, was the Armored One. The Baron of Iron. The Beast of the Balkans. The Great Destroyer. One of the most brilliant minds and scientists on the face of the Earth itself.

The Monarch and the Supreme Leader for the Kingdom of Latveria. Dr. Victor von Doom, Ph.D.

"So, you are the concubine, then?" Doom said, without turning around in the chair.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

To say that Jez was surprised would have been a bit of an understatement. Dr. von Doom was someone you might joke about only knowing that you would never meet them face to face... well as face-to-face as ANYONE got to meet them. She was suddenly very much aware of every time she'd ever said a disparaging word about the monarch, and regretted every one of them. One of her fell backward onto the floor and scrambled out of the doorway on all fours, making a break for it down the hall. The other remained where she stood, frozen in place.

"That... is an unkind and inaccurate term." She said in a wavering voice. "I'm assuming that this is in relation to Her Royal Highness?" Really, what other reason would Doom have to speak with her? If his desires were related to Genosha, the student who was actually there with it's government's blessing was a better candidate.

[Victor Von Doom]

"The courtesan, then, perhaps," Doom intoned. "What you call yourself matters little to Doom."

He slowly turned a page in the magazine, continuing to talk slowly.

"My advanced scout erringly thought that the winged one was the one who had stolen the Princess' heart. But such subterfuge and slight of hand mean nothing in the face of Doom."

[Drake Martin]

Drake came up the stairs right into Jez's path. He quickly put enough together to guess that whatever was frightening her might require a quiet approach.

Moving to intercept her, he asked, "Hey. Hold up. What's wrong?

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Hmm, I like it. Maybe I can have the Headmistress make that my new codename." She crossed her arms, still nervous but trying to compose herself. "If it's any consolation, you weren't the person we intended to dupe. But that's beside the point. You're a busy man, and it'd be stupid of me to waste your time, so what is it that you want, Doom?"

Jez's shakey confidence came from that fact that it wasn't Jez stuck in the room with the metal monarch. The real Jez had almost thrown herself into Drake's arms and clung to him like a baby monkey.

"D-D-Doom is in my room!" She stammered.

[Drake Martin]

The young dragon felt a shiver go up his spine. He had not seen that answer coming. But obviously it was connected to Katarina's abduction. Care and caution were required.

"Listen. The best thing you can do is stay calm and let him say whatever he came to say," he said coolly. His usual carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

[Victor Von Doom]

"Hmm, I like it. Maybe I can have the Headmistress make that my new codename." She crossed her arms, still nervous but trying to compose herself. "If it's any consolation, you weren't the person we intended to dupe. But that's beside the point. You're a busy man, and it'd be stupid of me to waste your time, so what is it that you want, Doom?"

"I believe we want the same thing, Jezabelle Sherlock. The safe return of the Princess to her chosen escape from her many responsibilities."

Doom turned around in his chair, to look at Jezabelle for the first time. The site of the imposing dictator was only slightly dampened by the lanyard around his neck, with a visitor's pass endorsed by former headmaster Lippencott attached. "I believe that I have use for you, so you now work for me."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"I think we have a differing opinion of the values of a diversified education. But that aside, I'm not sure what I can do that would be more help than any of the X-teams here. So please enlighten me."

In the hallway Jez was doing her best not to panic, lest her puppet start to break down as well. But she was very, very shaken. "It's him, it's actually him. Lippincott, you bastard." She swallowed as she tried to keep Drake in the loop, but he wasn't even seeing one half of the conversation. "He says I work for him now... does this mean I can use him as a reference on my resume?"

[Drake Martin]

He did his best to put her at ease by keeping his own calm despite his own fears.


"Just play along for now. Can you do that?"

[Victor Von Doom]

"I think we have a differing opinion of the values of a diversified education. But that aside, I'm not sure what I can do that would be more help than any of the X-teams here. So please enlighten me."

"The mighty X-Teams; bah. The accursed mutant squads are insects, far beneath my notice.

You, Concubine, have drawn the attention of the Princess of Southern Latveria. I was able to vet you as a perfect candidate for my purposes in the fifteen seconds we've been talking. Do you dare to disagree?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez nodded her head and took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah I think I can." Still, she held onto Drake's arm for moral support.

Meanwhile in her bedroom, Jez's puppet listened intently. "You still haven't told me what it is that you want me to do. The princess of Symkaria isn't here anymore, and I can't get her back." She made a special point to emphasize the country's name.

[Victor Von Doom]

"You may not be able to get her back, but I can. Few things are beyond the reach of Doom.

And yet, there are times when problems have more than one solution. Were I to simply intervene in the affairs of a foreign state, that would draw the attention of world bodies, of the Council of Nations, of that accursed Richards. Sometimes, a more subtle approach is needed. And none are more subtle than Doom!

You wish to have your Princess back. I have the means to locate her, and the perfidious prince who has pilfered her. It is in both of our common interests that Katarina Karkov remains unsullied. And she will be far more trusting if her liberation comes at the hands of those she trusts most; restored and protected by her brave knights triumphant."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

When Jez thought of subtle, Dr. Doom wasn't the first thing that came to her mind. Maybe that's just how incredibly subtle he was. But why would he not want Katarina to marry that jerk prince? She had her theories, but wasn't about to ask him about it. Gift horse and all that.

"And I assume that you trust in me to keep my mouth shut in exchange for this information, or out of fear of your wrath. I'm still going to have to go to the headmistress about this and see if I can enlist the help of one of the X-teams. You could try dropping me into the former Soviet Union by myself but I doubt you would be satisfied with the results."

[Victor Von Doom]

"You misapprehend me. I shall remember to speak more simply, to better suit the intellect I am working with.

I shall not be 'dropping you by yourself' anywhere, as I do wish for this mission to succeed. You shall be accompanied by the Bodyguard, and you shall receive assistance from Doom himself as we hunt the trail, before it grows too cold to follow. Her knowledge of internal Symkarian politics will be invaluable.

As for your mouth, Doom cares not if you prattle on about the specifics of the rescue to all those who would hear. I have no quarrel with you yet, Jezabelle Sherlock, and one such as you can not topple the throne of Latveria on your lonesome. You are useful, for the Princess will believe our intentions are good if the word comes from you.

I am offering my aid. This gift comes with no demands, no threats. Not today."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez had absolutely no reason to trust Dr. Doom, but it was also an offer she couldn't refuse. Katarina needed her help, and who knew what alternate plan he might have to utilize if she said no, possibly a fate far worse than being wed to a pompous inbred git.

"Alright, I'm in. How do we begin?"

[Victor Von Doom]

"First, we must rouse the Bodyguard from her slumber in your infirmary wing. Then, we must abscond to Doom's personal jet, and travel beyond the borders of this isle, in pursuit of the perfidious prince."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"If she's still in the infirmary, will she be fit enough to do this?" Jez questioned as she walked over to her closet in search of something. "Also I think I'm going to have to get her to let me into Katarina's room. I don't think my normal attire will help me blend in much."

[Victor Von Doom]

"If she cares about her change, she will be. No Latverian would be caught lying in bed if I were in danger," Doom boasted.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez grabbed some purple and red clothing out of her closet and stuffed it into a small duffel bag, along with a few other items before zippering it shut.

"So it's possible for you to be in danger. Good to know. Alright, let's go get Nika then. Your time is valuable after all."

[Victor Von Doom]

"It was a hypothetical, Concubine," Doom said, as he strode confidently out the door.

[Drake Martin]

Drake had pulled the original Jez into his room before Doom emerged.

"Hold on before you join him," he said before beginning to search a lockbox in his closet.

"Got it," he said, putting a device the size of a dime in her hand. "Tracking device. Stick It to your clothes somewhere nobody can see but where you can reach easily. If you need help, push it three times to turn it on. It should remain undetectable until then. The X-Men might not get there fast enough, but it's something."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez held her breath as she and Doom walked past; even with the door closed she tensed up as he drew close, unable to relax until he'd passed. About the only thing keeping her from having a panic attack through her puppet was her experience with "expendable" selves. The deep sigh she let out let Drake know that the pair had left the hallway on their way to the infirmary.

"Oh, that's a great idea. I doubt my phone'll have signal in Symkaria, even if it does the roaming charges alone would be killer." She hugged Drake around his midsection before she stepped back and slipped the device into her pants pocket for the moment. "Thanks Drake, I owe you one."

[Drake Martin]

" Then k nothing of it. We Genoshans gotta stick together, right?" he said with a smile

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez nodded her head, even if she didn't have as much love for her second homeland as Drake did. Or rather, her love for it was more for its potential, so she was less forgiving of its flaws than others might've been.

"Right. And who knows, this might just lead to good relations between Genosha and Symkaria in the future." She stepped backward toward the door. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now I need to get going. Doom... isn't the kinda guy I wanna keep waiting. Oh! And would you do me one more little favour? Maybe call someone back in Genosha and let them know where I'm going and why? You know, just-in-case this turns into a diplomatic nightmare?"

[Drake Martin]

"Yeah. Good idea. I'll get right on that," he said with a nod as if the guy that just gave her a spy gadget hadn't already thought of that.