A deal for Hope...

[x-trance.livejournal.com]

Hope discovers what she has ended up with...

The room Hope had been shown into wasn't large, but tastefully decorated in a way that implied wealth, but without being ostentatious about it. The man sitting behind the desk echoed the sentiment - dressed in a simple but well-cut suit, Archduke Rudolph von Habsburg was a handsome older man, somewhere between forty and fifty, with dark brown eyes and close-cropped black hair. He smiled courteously as Hope came in and rose to cross the room and greet her. His voice, when he spoke, was deep and somehow commanding.

"Miss Abbott, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please, may I offer you some refreshment after your journey?"

Despite the fairly comfortable room she had been brought to clean up and to rest a little, Hope had been restless the whole time. Laurie and Amy had been escorted away and she had been all alone. Having paced around for a bit, she finally had showered, changed into the simple black skirt and pale blue blouse that had been provided and settled down for a bit in attempt to pull her wits around her.

Now she was finally face to face with someone who might be able to explain more. "I am afraid I have to decline, sir. I would much prefer to know what is going on here. Where are Amy and Ms. Collins?" She kept her voice low in an attempt to stop it from trembling and her hands were neatly folded in front of her with the same purpose.

"Then please, sit. I would much rather see you comfortable." The Archduke indicated an easy chair, off to the side of the room in front of a fireplace. Its mate was on the other side. "Amy and Ms. Collins are perfectly well and unharmed," he went on reassuringly. "Amy, of course, was invited here, and she is currently meeting her fellow internees and receiving her introduction tour. Ms. Collins... we were not anticipating her arrival, nor yours at this specific time, so we were not exactly prepared. She is in a room similar to yours and I will be meeting with her later to come to some sort of arrangement. I am, of course, most dreadfully sorry for the circumstances which bring you here."

Hesitantly Hope made her way to the chair and sat down, but instead of sitting back she kept her back straight, ankles just slightly crossed and her hands neatly folded. "Why would you even wish to have Ms. Collins and me here? Returning us to the United States might prove far more expedient."

A small frown stole of her face before quickly smoothing out again as she studied the man, trying to identify him. He looked somewhat familiar, but she was not quite able to place him. Had he been in the news recently or did she know him from somewhere else?

"Unfortunately, that cannot be an option at this time. We are at a very delicate stage of our work here, and interference - even from an unofficial source as the group to which your friend Ms. Collins belongs - would prove disastrous for us." He seemed genuinely regretful as he took his own seat in the other chair. "But I can assure you, she will be well taken care of. As for you... your talents could prove extremely useful to us. I was hoping to convince you to stay, at least for the time being."

"To stay here?" And he definitely wanted something from her and probably from Ms. Collins, but what? Biting her lip almost thoughtlessly before quickly straightening out her face again, she tilted her head slightly. "I do not understand, sir. What could you possibly desire from me? I do not even know which work you are completing here."

He smiled a little. "Obviously I cannot give you precise details of what we are doing, given the need for secrecy, but effectively, you would be assisting in saving a country from collapse and ruin. This country, to be exact. And I have need of a diplomat - someone who is able to communicate with others and encourage them to help us in our need. From our research, it appears you have exactly those skills."

Hope was quiet for a moment as she considered that. "My diplomatic skills? How do you mean, sir?" She could not keep a small note of interest out of her voice. "And what about Ms. Collins while I might be assisting you?"

"Your work with the Model UN did not go unnoticed. You have the poise and ability to manage people that we greatly need. I daresay the lessons of your parents have done you well, there." The Archduke gave her another smile, almost fatherly this time. "You could do so much more than simply help with fundraisers. As for Ms. Collins, she would remain here, until we were at a point in our work that outside interference could do no harm. Perhaps she might also be able to assist us, if she has the skills." He paused just ever so slightly. "And the motivation."

Again she could not keep out the faint note of interest out of her voice, though she did manage to keep her face blank this time. "How do you envision this in practice... me helping out with... your work? And I would want to see both Ms. Collins and Amy. I would want to know they are alright." Going along for now, might be the best? Right?

At least till she could get the full read of the situation?

"As I said, Amy is here of her own free will and you would be perfectly able to see her whenever you wished. Ms. Collins... well, I suppose it would depend on her - if she cooperates, I see no issue with you two having regular contact." He shrugged very slightly, a small, graceful movement of his hands and shoulders. "As for how you can help us, Ms. Abbott, well, it just so happens I have a situation that you can assist me with." He rose to his feet, moving far more easily than his size would have indicated, and crossed back to his desk, returning with a tablet.


"On this tablet is all the information on our work here, plus a file regarding a certain individual who is proving to be something of an obstacle to our networking. If you truly wish to help us, you can do so by getting to this person and isolating him from his cohort so that we can continue our work with them in peace."

Hope accepted the tablet from him, taking a moment to page through the various documents on it. The first file seemed to be a biography, photo's and all kinds of screencaps from a man, forming something of a background check. The second file contained a variety of e-books and PDF's. Catching the the name of one of them, her eyes widened slightly and she had to take a moment to blank her face again.

When she had managed that, she looked up and only asked one simple question. "The Magneto Manifesto?"

He responded to her question blandly. "Of course. We expect all of our internees to be widely-read. You'll see that Mr. Forge's biography on Magneto is also there."

Scanning the titles again, she indeed found the biography. Then some other titles caught her attention and she raised her eyes. "Titles on what happened to minorities in various parts of the world? Is this the work you claim, sir? Protection of mutants, maybe even espousing their superiority?" Was this the song he wanted her to sing while she was here?

"Shouldn't protection of groups that face persecution be considered a worthwhile goal?" He replied, watching her face carefully. "You cannot deny that mutant-kind has been victim to more than its share of hardship. Experimentation, weaponisation, bigotry, violence... Even legislation to register us like common criminals."

"Defence, yes." Hope ventured cautiously, not sure how far she should go. "Protection as well. But there are many ways either could be accomplished."

"And I am very interested in hearing your views, once you've acquainted yourself further with our aims here," the Archduke finished smoothly. "But for now, I would like to have your response - would you like to show us what you are capable of? Or have we made a mistake in considering you for our program?"

Hope regarded him for a long moment. "I would like to see if it is a good fit." Even if only to make sure Amy and Ms. Collins were not touched.

"And I will put in my best effort."

The Archduke smiled. "That is all we can ask of you, Ms. Abbott. Your best."