Hope & Sue: A profitable deal?

[xp_trance]

 Fearing an reappearance of the former Archduke Von Habsburg, Hope takes steps to get her hands on more intelligence.  

Bad idea, Hope' She mentally berated herself as pulled over the business section of a well known newspaper and a latte close in the small room they used as a break room in the XFI NY headquarters. 'She will be suspecting something...'  

Without saying a word a familiar blonde stepped past Hope, blue eyes flicking to the younger woman as a small moue of dissatisfaction twisted her mouth. Try as she might there were just sometimes that she couldn't schedule the rota to include them on different shifts. Sue's heels made a soft tapping noise as she reached for the kettle, transferring a new helping of hot water to her mug as the aroma of her tea wafted up to fill the room again.

Hope took a deep breath, then folded her newspaper. "Ms. Storm, I was wondering if you had a moment?" 

Drat, this was what she'd been afraid off, now there would have to be talking and she couldn't just sneak back to her office. Unwillingly, as if her limbs were forcing their way through treacle Sue turned, nodding her head at hope, "Well it's kinda quiet, I think I could spare a few moments."

She gestured to the chair across the table and Hope took a moment to figure out where to start. "It might sounds like a bit of a weird start, but do you remember the Faraday cage you built for use in Washington? I was wondering how much you knew about the background of what it was used for."  

The blonde pressed her back against the wall behind her, remaining standing as she took a sip of her tea, "You mean the people recognized from your time in Europe, that you had the others pick up and hold in the Faraday cage we had built so you could deal with their attempts to control the politicians? I might have read a few things about it."

"Then I will assume you have also read the basics about the way I 'visited' Europe against my will and how the ruler of a smaller country called Ksavia was behind this. He is called Rudolph von Habsburg. It's regarding him that I could use some assistance." Hope explained, finally having decided that the way to go here was to be direct and honest.   

"I remember, there was a lot of speculation in the news about what happened to him back at the time, no one was sure of the real story," the blonde allowed, raising a hand towards Hope, "So, how can I help you with him? I thought he was done and taken care of?"

"Unfortunately not. When the X-men freed us, he was able to get away along with some of his followers. Others were freed later. It was Rudolph von Habsburg who was behind the scheme in Washington. And now he has popped up on our radar again and he seems to be recruiting." Hope explained. "The issue is... we lack intelligence and that is where I could use your assistance."  

"That seems like an error, you let them get away and they always come back for you, story of their lives." Falling silent the blonde lifted her blue eyes, settling them on Hope for a moment. The seconds seemed to drag out before she spoke again, "He's popped up where? And now you mention it, who is this we and our radar? I know it's not the mansion cause I see the reports there so...you've been watching for him huh?"

 "I keep an eye out, especially after that scheme in Washington. Doug and a few other people help me with that. And he seems to be recruiting online again." Hope explained as succinctly as possible. "And the fact that he is recruiting again concerns me. With what I know from him, it means he has a base somewhere with a place to train these people. But I do not know enough. I might have a way of getting information from his own hand, but that is where I need your assistance."

"So, you know that he's been recruiting but not where and if you need my help with that...you must have some idea of how to get to him then? But it's not somewhere you can get to by yourself," Sue theorized carefully. "Which means...a circle you couldn't easily get access to but might know his whereabouts, or at least where his resources are being allocated, someone he can't hide from. You want me to get you access to his daughter?"

 A tiny smile appeared on Hope's face. "Pretty close." She allowed. "I still have a connection or two of my own in Ksavia to get me the access. It is persuading his daughter to give me the materials her father left about his plans and his network. What I need is something to sweeten the deal with, something she cannot resist."   

"I have a bad feeling about this," Sue arched an eyebrow as she examined Hope's face, "You really think what he's up to is so bad that you need to go all the way out there to find out about his old plans. The plans before you ruined everything for him twice? Surely he'd have changed the plan going forward."

Hope eyes darkened as she remembered Ksavia. "Trust me, Sue. This man is bad news. He did not shy away from ordering torture or operating on non-sedated mutants for their organs. At the same time he is charismatic enough to bind people to him and they believe in him. He manages to get their best from them. Then add his possible connections and you have a very dangerous person."  

"Sounds like a couple of businessmen I know," Sue tilted her head to one side as she observed Hope, biting off the flippant remark on her lips as she relented, crossing the room to the table. The blonde hooked her foot around a chair, pulling it out slightly as she settled down in the seat giving Hope a softer look than she had all day. "There are a lot of people like that, dangerously charismatic but sounds like he's made quite an impression on you...so, how can I help with finding out what he's up to?"

 "What I need is something she cannot resist... and if she is anything like her father, she will do everything she can get the country economically viable again." Hope pulled a newspaper article from the folder she had with her. "The research center your families company is hoping to build in Europe. Give Ksavia serious consideration as a possible location and negotiate with them. I am no expert, but I think they will have one or two features which be will be very attractive."  

 The look Sue gave Hope was as flat as it could possibly be as she arched an eyebrow slowly, "Oh really? What kind of features might that be? TO attract that level on investment in an out of the way country you must know something I don't." While it was true that they had looked all over the continent there was a reason that most tech firms tended to congregate in a few places, and Ksavia wasn't one that most people recognized. It wasn't impossible that Hope might have stumbled onto something though.

"The tax climate for tech companies in the EU for one. They are mostly targeting Facebook, Google etc, but there is a big chance Storm Tech will be swept up in it as well if things go badly. Not a thing you want when you are setting up a new research center. But Ksavia is not part of the EU, though they have extensive relations which might make access only a tad harder then if you were in an EU country. I have to admit, Ksavia will lack some of the infrastructure you might be used too, but on the other hand it does mean you can set it up exactly how you need it."  Hope explained before drawing out a small pile of paper. "I did a PESTLE analysis of Ksavia during one of my classes in Washington. Hopefully it will give you a better overview of the possible advantages it might have."  

"It might have a few advantages but it has a massive problem that they'd find it hard to overcome, the infrastructure and the people. The reason all the tech companies are based in a few places are because that's where the infrastructure, super fast internet is, and that's where the people are. If we relocated all the way to Ksavia you'd have a tough time attracting the personnel you need to make a facility like that competitive. You're not juts convincing them to move, but their entire families, that would mean you're going to have to offer them an expat contract. A life better than the one they could have if they stayed, better schools of their children and a quality of life thing, can you imagine how much that would cost us? If I'm going to recommend that we build there I'll want the state to cover that and more. The kinda investment we're talking about, they'd need to offer us a very attractive package."

 "The thing is... I am very aware of that and I know the same is true for the government of Ksavia. What I am asking is not that it's just decided for the research center to be built there, only that an serious effort at negotiation is made. There are incentive packages available for certain brands of industry, though I am not fully aware of the details. That should cover some of that. Finally, because one is going to a new place, it does have the advantage you can set up a lot of things to your specifications, probably with prices that are a lot lower once established then at other tech hubs." Hope explained.  

"I'm not gonna promise anything," Sue allowed finally after a moment of thought. "If your grand duchess can put together an offer that makes Ksavia an attractive option I'll consider it and talk to through with the board. I'm not going to promise we'll go there, but I'll give it a fair shake," the blonde shrugged slightly, "That's about all I can offer, it all depends on what makes the most financial sense in the end. Sometimes being the brave pioneer just isn't worth it."

"Archduchess." Hope quietly corrected Sue. "I know and I will convey the message when I speak with her. Hopefully it will be enough in the end for your family to build a profitable research center and for us to receive the information we need."