Amanda, Kurt, & Namor | Terms of Engagement

[xp-submariner.livejournal.com]

X-Force and the X-Men brief Namor after extended observation. An agreement is reached.

It was a sparsely furnished room, and the three of them had been at it for a while. The dark haired man — this universe's Namor, as he had claimed — sat, languid and cat-like, with a flat expression. He had proven difficult to work with in previous interactions, but Emma's hand in giving him a basis for modern understanding and language had facilitated things immensely.

He was still, however, Namor, and thusly about as forthcoming as a brick wall.

"All I demand is my property back."

"Of course you do." Amanda leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, watching the man intently. "But you have to understand our perspective here. We don't know you or what you can do, so for safety's sake, we need some answers before getting that far."

The man nodded, exasperated, and his tone indicated that this was not the first time he had to explain this. "I am willing to trade information as long as assurances are made. That is the basis of negotiation. You seem to be a military organization, so I had assumed this would be obvious."

He leaned forward, practically rolling his eyes, "I was mistaken."

"We are not military", Kurt said calmly. "The assurances we will give you include your safety from injury inflicted by us or anyone associated with us, provided you do us no injury, and the return of your property as far as it is within our power."

"Provided it's not a weapon of mass destruction of some sort," added Amanda.

Namor crossed his fingers, settling into haggling mode. "I am willing to concede my right of self-protection for like agreements, but what does 'within your power' mean? I understand that you are not even a sovereign body."

"When we have established that your item is not, as my sister says, a weapon of mass destruction", Kurt told him, "we will give it back with the best will in the world."

"Well," and this was said with a sigh, "It is a trident. 'Mass destruction' is unclear. A weapon's potency is tied to the will of its master."

"It's a little more than just a trident," Amanda pointed out. "And you're a little more than your average human being. So how about we start from the beginning? Who are you exactly and where are you from?"

"I am called Namor, the Prince-King of Atlantis and its territories, The First Citizen of Acclaimed Bensaylum, Avenging Son, and once, in my youth, the Savage Protector of Dorma. I was betrayed upon the eve of my coronation by my Guard Captain and I remember nothing since then before I awoke here, in your America."

His tone was suddenly unspeakably sad, and the man's eyes hardened reproachfully. "I am told that my legacy, and my empire, have been lost to time's fickle memory."

"They have", Kurt said with a kind of regretful sympathy. "And there is nothing we can do about that. But we can help you make a new life."

"I do not require your help. All I want is my property — there will be no debt between us."

"It's not about debts, Your Highness. It's about safety." Amanda uncrossed her arms and leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. "This world is not exactly safe for anyone outside the norm, and it's in your interest and ours to prepare you for that as much as possible. Now, this trident of yours... I know it's got magical properties. What does it do?"

Namor gave Amanda a long, skeptical look and started a retort, but caught himself. He began again. "Those of the royal bloodline can use the weapon to move the waves themselves. It is said that the ancestors would use the trident to move the whole of Atlantis from continent to continent like gods."

Amanda raised an eyebrow at his phrasing. "So the ancestors could do that, but you... not so much?"

"I have other gifts."

"If we give you back the trident", Kurt said quietly, "what will you do with it? Does it mean so much to you only as a family artifact?"

"It," and there was reverence to the stranger's words, "Is a symbol of my right to rule. Moreso, it was taken from me unjustly." There were layers of emotion to those last words that went far beyond simple indignation. Still, Namor continued, "I shall use it to reclaim my kingdom."

Amanda exchanged looks with Kurt. Now they'd get to see how their 'guest' reacted to really bad news. "That might be difficult, even with the trident," she pointed out. "Atlantis is gone, has been for thousands of years. It only exists as a myth these days, and correct me if I'm wrong, but a kingdom needs subjects to actually be a kingdom, and you're the last of your kind." She paused, then added, as an afterthought. "Sorry."

Namor's flat stare hardened. "I sit well aware of the issues, but I do not plan on letting details derail my sworn duty."

"Your island is gone, along with its people", Kurt pointed out. "The stories say it sank beneath the waves. Will you raise it up again, or take another?"

"I have no interest in conquest, and I will not believe my home is gone until I see its ruins with my own eyes," Namor dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Mankind has always been weak in its memory. Regardless," and his focus settled squarely on Amanda, "I have been told that some Atlantean treasures that would have been better lost still persist."

"Not by our actions," Amanda replied in the same tone. "One of ours was targeted by the Dweller in the Dark as a sacrifice. You met her earlier."

"How interesting you are so quick to deflect blame. Tell me, then, what other Atlantean relics are you hoarding?"

"Not deflection, the truth." Amanda glowered a little at the Atlantean. "And apart from you? Nothing. We didn't even know the staff was Atlantean until recently."

He sighed. "I will search for the ruins of my city to verify its destruction myself. I am also honor-bound to find what dangerous relics from the royal vault I can resecure. I promise not to act aggressively against your encampment or divulge your secrets unless you betray me."

"Perhaps you could tell us what relics were there", Kurt said calmly. "We have connections in many places, and if they were taken from the ruins..."

"I am very aware of my position here," Namor stated with a slight tone of annoyance. "I know little of your world that was not provided by one of your friends. While I appreciate what limited kindnesses you have shown, I also do not have any reference other than what was provided. You treat me like a criminal: I am denied my property and kept locked in a metal cage. Excuse me if these promises of 'connections' mean little."

"Then let's make a deal." Amanda glanced at Kurt - this was really what they'd been working towards. "We'll give you the run of the place, teach what you need to know about the world as it is now, even give you your trident back. And in return, you let us know what find about Atlantis and give us access to any items you might locate."

The skeptical look in Namor's eyes only grew sharper. "Run of the place? This is imprecise wording for a contract, and I do not require hand-holding. Just allow me full access to your scribes and resource staff. I will agree to allow you to study what I find, but I will not abide any use of these treasures without my express consent."

Kurt looked at Amanda.

"I think that sounds acceptable? We have no intention of using your treasures."

"I doubt we could, any way - Atlantean magic is very specific." Amanda agreed. "So, Your Highness, do we have a deal? You'll be free to go wherever you want, have access to whatever information you need that we can provide."

"You will also return my trident immediately."

"Of course. Well, as immediately as I can - it's locked up for safekeeping right now." Amanda made sure to make eye contact with the Atlantean as an indication of her sincerity. "As soon as we're done here, I'll go get it." Of course, she'd be keeping an eye on him for a while, to make sure that he wasn't about to do anything untoward with it, but that hadn't been raised as part of the deal.

There was a beat as the pointy-eared Prince of Atlantis sat in consideration. "I will accept these terms. Let us work together."