maskormenace | 02

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02 | VIDEO

Good evening, everyone. I hope you're doing well.

If we haven't met before, I'm David Xanatos, founder and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises. I have a couple of things to discuss tonight, so please bear with me.

Firstly, I'm happy to announce that I've taken over the role of Director at Xavier's School for Imports outside of Heropa, filling a more financial-oriented role with the always-capable Robert Callaghan as Headmaster. Import youth of all ages who would like to learn more about controlling their powers or who simply want a student body filled with people like them are welcome to enroll at any time, and we're always hiring for teachers and staff positions.

Secondly, I'm looking for science-minded individuals to collaborate with myself and Tony Stark in the design and construction of a state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar research facility near De Chima. The sole stipulation is that any discoveries made there be made available for others to build on, for the advancement of all.

I'll be happy to take any of your questions in the meantime.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yet again, it would turn out. Should I be worried that I'm being followed, Dominique?

[Your voice is still the most familiar thing ever and it's really driving him nuts.]

[ you should.

She chuckles softly ]

I cannot hide my interest in those with a similar mind to mine. But worry not. I'm mostly harmless.

Edited 2015-06-25 11:09 (UTC)

Only mostly? I've clearly been overestimating you.

I'm saying this in order to remain vague as possible. I believe we need to know each other a bit more before I give everything away.

[ (= ]

In all seriousness, I do believe scientific minds should come together in order to reach greater development. The possibilities of joining the knowledge from two different worlds are more than amazing.

Well now, you're just making yourself all the more suspicious. [And he has vague suspicions, certainly, even if it's just a gut feeling.]

More than two, you mean. We've people from dozens if not hundreds, here.

I'm joking, David. I'm ambitious, but I have no plans on being a super-villain. I prefer to focus on the betterment of our current situation, instead. [ she waves her hand ]

And yes, I know that. I just wonder if all of them would be willing to share. [ it doesn't look like it ]

Some of them, certainly. More than enough.

What are your plans, Dominique? If you don't mind my asking.

Of course not.

I want to harvest the power of the Porter and use it to return to my world. [ a soft shrug ] I realize many find this something difficult, but I'm not easily defeated.

Of course not.

[A pause.] Say, Dominique, could you tell me about your world? The one you're trying to return to.

[ ...

She smiles ] Certainly. It's called Earth, year 2015. it's quite similar to this one, but there are no super heroes or super villains, for people do not have super powers.

Unless you are interested in anything specific?

You, mostly.

Your resume is quite extensive, but I'd like to know more about your personal life. Where you grew up and what you enjoyed as a child.

That's a strange topic... but I shall indulge you.

I was born in Paris, France. I was raised by Catholic parents and as expected of them, they had me enrolling in the "Institut de La Tour", a catholic college. Sadly for them, religion was not my forte, and I became interested in science rather than the sacred book.

I always have been passionate about History, as well, and quite enjoyed sports - which I still do.

I see. Paris is a lovely city, thought I can't say I've ever heard of that school.

How did you end up in New York?

I was following a famous - or rather, infamous - geneticist. I wanted to learn more about his work, and he was last seen in New York.

[Well now. That just sent off a bunch of alarm bells in Xanatos' head. An infamous geneticist in New York City?

He knows one of those.] Oh?

What was his name?

[ ah, delicious bait ]

Anton Sevarius. He was a well renowned geneticist, who sadly became one for hire, getting involved in all sort of shady deals and experiments. Dr. Sevarius caused quite the scientific uproar in 1997.

[And it works, though perhaps not how Dominique would have wanted. Xanatos does a good job at concealing his surprise other than a slight widening of the eyes for a split second until he catches himself.

Sevarius. She's from his world, then. There's no way she hadn't heard of Xanatos Enterprises; even if the name had changed or something had happened between his time period and 2015, she being familiar with Sevarius' work means she'd have known who his primary initial employer was.

Which means, unless there are very coincidental circumstances here, she's been lying about not knowing him, or at least of him.

Which means his niggling feeling that her voice is familiar may not be so off the mark after all. Well now, this just got very interesting.] Oh?

Well you can't leave it like that, clearly. What caused this uproar?

[ Oh but she totally hasn't heard of Xanatos Enterprises, at least in her lie. Because she is an asshole and wants Xanatos to think he became a nobody (((((= ]

Dr. Sevarious never had a big name before '97, so to speak. He might have been known among the underground world, but the scientific committee never had their eyes on him. However, on January 1st, 1997, there was an attempt to release a mutagenic virus called "CV-1997 Carrier Virus".

It seems that the good doctor wanted to alter the DNA of the humans in New York by releasing it into the air, which in turn would enter the bloodstream of the targets via the lungs. [ Dominique closes her eyes with a soft shurg ] he was stopped by "beasts", though we only know this from scared bystanders. No beasts were ever actually found and everyone believed it was a group of people who decided to remain anonymous.

[ the best part of this is that it's actually true, Demona has actually heard about what the Redemption Squad did to save the day. The lie comes next: ]

Regardless, the doctor escaped and completely disappeared off the map, but not before he brought down others with him. he released various papers, including one about his CV Viruses, as well as names from companies and enterprises that hired him for all sorts of... morally questionable deals. You can imagine how many of these went to bankruptcy in less than a day, followed by many arrests.

[Interesting.

He supposes it's not out of the question. What she's said about Sevarius' reputation is true; he'd been largely unknown before Xanatos had hired him (which had been why he'd been so eager and willing to work on some of the more questionable projects). But it all seems entirely too coincidental.

No doubt she's hinting that one of the companies that went down with Sevarius was his own, and Xanatos concedes to himself that it's a possibility. But his work with Sevarius was done under so many dummy corporations, and Xanatos Enterprises had arms in so many other industries, that it's difficult to imagine it all went down as she claims it did.

He can't rule out a coincidence, of course. It's possible that everything she's saying is the truth. On the other hand, his gut feeling has been slightly uneasy around for for a while now, and he's learned to trust that.] It sounds like he's a terrible man and justice was truly served.

What made you want to follow in his footsteps?

[ doubt is all she needs. ]

Not to him, he was never caught.

And it's not exactly following his footsteps. Dr. Anton's specialty was mutagenics, which I have no interest on. Instead, I had my interest on medical genetics. You see, nowadays in my world, the biggest threat are wars or natural disasters, but diseases. We needed a solution for that and thus I found it in Dr. Sevarius works, the CV-virus series. By bonding a virus with an antigen, we'd create a cure as contagious as any disease.

[ this past is also half-true. She has no desire to mutate humans. And she did reach the doctor to create a virus capable of bonding with an antigen and pathogen, not with the intent of mutation, but destruction ]

[Interesting. Sevarius evading punishment? Highly unlikely. Xanatos knows he would have traded Sevarius in to save his own hide in an instant. Still, not impossible.] Quite the brilliant plan. You could save a lot of lives like that.

This was your CV-1000? Tony Stark mentioned it to me in passing.

[ except he totally did flee, that part is also true. The mutants from the Labyrinth have been looking for him ever since that special accident and he just vanished. Demona would have like to have words with Sevarius as well, but alas. ]

Oh? Talking about me, now? [ an amused sound ] Who is following who, here? [ she sounds playful for a moment there, but her tone returns to normal quite soon ]

But yes. My team and I developed it. In fact we hoped the USA health committee would be interested in it, but for our surprise, the military was far more willing to cooperate than them. They had other plans for the virus, as biological warfare.

[Oh, Sevarius fleeing is completely plausible. Xanatos not selling him out and using all of his company's resources to track him down if it were his neck on the line? Less so.] I hope you didn't expect me to hire you without checking with your current employer about the quality of your work. Tony speaks very highly of you.

[He raises an eyebrow.] Did you agree? To go from medical research to biological weapons development is a bit of a swing, morally speaking.

Of course not. And Mr. Stark is too kind, but I'm glad he has put a good word for me.

[ there is a pause and she shakes her head ] My objective was never to make a biological weapon, no. However, I was forced to recognize that nothing will ever remain harmless and there will always be others to take advantage of everything.

I do build weapons, David. I have designed and adapted technology into new forms of firearms and other sort of arsenal. Just not weapons of mass destruction; I rejected the government's offer and was forced to cease my research on the CV Carrier Virus for not cooperating with fools who only know about war.

I certainly don't disagree. Biological warfare is a bit stickier, morally speaking, than just designing a new type of rifle.

But you are a biologist, I thought. What other weaponry were you asked to design?

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