Pretty Business (Attn: Ramsey+Guthrie)

[scarletwitch]

Wanda sat, cross legged and staring over at the crystal clear, almost unnaturally blue, water as it tumble-toppled into the delicate rock basin that came close by to her feet. She lounged at a wooden outdoor table set that still somehow looked as if it had never once seen sun or rain. Her "casual" business attire was still as glamorous as only a princess's could be. Her hair not just pulled back into a pony-tail, but styled and sculpted to sit flat on her head and still have a slight curl up at the end of the tail to give it volume. Riding boots that sat over the tight black pants that they matched. Simple belt (three thousand dollar imported leather from Italy.) And a fitted, red, silk dress shirt with a matching sport coat with, yes, a princess seam. The sleeves were three-quarter and she had on dyed red leather gloves, her hands folded in her lap. She looked down at her sleeve and saw the beginnings of a single loose thread.

Ugh, she thought, Why can't Daddy ever get me nice things? I look common.

She heard a rustle and she darted her gaze to the side. It was just another lowly security guard snooping around after her, no doubt her Father adding extra security to the garden now that she was there. She rolled her eyes and flung her hand out,

"Shoo! I don't care if you're here but please don't let me see you," She flipped her hair as she turned back to look at the water, "It ruins the water."

She was thinking over this "Great Opportunity" that the simply charming Mr. Ramsey had asked to meet her about. A great opportunity for her and for the world. It sounded intriguing, certainly. And at the very least she might get to play with that delectable Commander again. It was such a lovely day that she decided outdoors would be the best, especially if for no other reason than if she got bored she could look at something interesting rather than simply an office wall with something pseudo-inspirational on it.

[Doug Ramsey]

A voice replied from the undergrowth off to the side of the exquisite Princess Wanda, softly, yet with swaggering assurity.

"As you wish, milady..." Douglas said simply, "Although I have always found that private affairs of the state are best discussed face to face, where we may share our discourse without shouting for all to hear."

[scarletwitch]

Wanda looked over, squinted slightly and finally recognized the face. She laughed and smiled, waving over towards the seat, "Oh my goodness! Mr. Ramsey, you silly goose--I hardly recognized you. Sneaking up on a girl, but I guess that's sort of your job isn't it," with a laugh and wink later she pushed the seat across from her out with her foot, "You're right, come sit. Now what is this all about?"

[Doug Ramsey]

"Thank you, milady." Douglas Ramsey called back, emerging from the underbrush. Clad in his usual work attire, long black leather duster over an immaculately cut black pinstriped double breasted suit, he strode over to her presence confidently, blonde boyish clean cut looks making him look more like a GQ model than one of the most feared people in the Empire. He stepped before her, basking in the glow of her laughter and wink, before bowing low. "You look divine as usual, Your Highness. No one can match your talent in creating a breathtaking ensemble." No one would dare...

Douglas took the seat offered by the fair royal maiden, but only after pulling out the PDA sized REMOTE he always carried upon him when he ventured outside the Ivory Tower. "WARLOCk, Cone of Silence," he said softly.

[[Acknowledged, Frienddoug.]] it mechanically replied.

Douglas gestured toward the Princess with the PDA. "It's producing a jamming field right now, Your Highness. No recording of our conversation is possible, and our speech will sound garbled to any who may overhear it beyond a radius of two metres." Douglas set it down upon a rock at his feet. "I have done this because in all seriousness, I have not come today to have a discussion with the always lovely Princess Wanda. I have come today to discuss state matters of the utmost importance with the Empress Wanda, Queen of the Imperium, long may she reign...when the time comes for her to reign."

Doug steepled his hands thoughtfully. "Your father's birthday is not far off. Another year older, milady. He is no longer a young man. We must lay the foundation for your succession while there is still time to do so. We must lay a foundation that will ensure that the work that your father has done to create the Empire shall live on beyond his lifetime, and if we do it right, milady, beyond our lifetimes. You must accend the throne uncontested, unchallenged, and not beset by rebellion or civil war with either mutants or humans, if you are to create any lasting legacy."

Douglas leaned forward towards the enticing woman. "I have lost many night's sleep wrestling with this quandry, and with the help of SHIELD Commander Guthrie, I think I may have a solution to both the human resistance and providing the unified banner under which you must be crowned."

Douglas raised his eyebrows slightly, his face lightening in tone for a moment. "Do I have your attention, Your Highness?"

[scarletwitch]

Wanda grinned with sparkling teeth at his flattery. Oh, Douglas...You always were so good at pandering to royalty, she thought as she leaned forwards and looked into those dashing eyes, Mostly because you're so terribly good at making it sound sincere. She chuckled at his little device and nodded, knowing that any questions she had about it would fly over her head like a bullet.

Then he started talking. She nodded and listened with one ear while she looked him over, taking in the flip of his hair, how, and where, his eyes moved when he spoke to her. Oh and that really is a very nice suit. Where do you think he got it? What is that? Armani? It must be it's got that air about it and those...And then he was saying words. Words that made her eyebrow raise.

Empress.

Words that made her heart race slightly faster.

Queen.

Words that made her straighten her back and stare at him without coy or pretension.

Legacy!

She opened her mouth to speak and, for only a second or two, it was stuck there. She gaped as images of herself, crowned and looking over her adoring subjects--Her father in the background and no longer meddling--Her sisters handmaidens like they belonged--Images of all the splendor of leadership flashed through her mind. "I am," she said when she concentrated on the conversation at hand once more, "Intrigued, yes."

She stood and turned her back, she knew that perhaps Douglas meant well and was honest in some respects, she also knew that Master of The Hounds, Director of Secret Services Mr. Ramsey wasn't just playing these cards face up.

"My father," tapping at her chin, "I assume you've not discussed any of this with him or else he'd be the one telling me all this," She turned back around and kept her eyebrow raised as she looked to Douglas, "How are you going to convince him? Or are you, his all but second in command...speaking about the end of his most glorious reign coming...early? And more over, why me?"

Alright...Fine, yes, maybe that last one was more fishing than anything else...

[Doug Ramsey]

Douglas watched with calm detachment, until Princess Wanda's wandering eye and attention were captured by a few well placed keywords. Good. Now we get to see the fortitude of our future ruler...

"My father," tapping at her chin, "I assume you've not discussed any of this with him or else he'd be the one telling me all this," She turned back around and kept her eyebrow raised as she looked to Douglas, "How are you going to convince him? Or are you, his all but second in command...speaking about the end of his most glorious reign coming...early? And more over, why me?"


Now it was Doug's turn to have the open mouthed look. He blinked hard. He knew that the Princess was ambitious, but to hint that he might be suggesting a coup...? Could it be possible? Did she desire to accend the throne so badly that she would cooperate with a plot against her own father?

Douglas stood, anger now replacing shock, as his eyes narrowed.

"Your father..." Doug began, venom clearly coloring the tone of his voice. He paused for a second, composed himself, and swallowed hard. "If you were anyone else, milady, I would personally kill you, painfully and slowly, for even suggesting that I would betray King Magnus. I have served, loyally, since I was but a child. I even saved your father's life, when the Friends of Humanity implanted telepathic spies, and tried to assassinate him. It was that moment, milady, that your father understood that my gift, my plain silly little talent for languages, was much more powerful than my SHIELD handlers realized."

Memories washed across Doug's mind, moments in that fateful day, when a promising interrogation agent, barely entering his adolescence, gained the attention of the man who conquored the world. His lip quivered, his eyes felt like they were getting watery. Again, he swallowed hard, fighting back the anger of being suggested as a traitor to the man who believed in him more than anyone else.

"Your body language tells me everything you will not say, but are thinking. The songs of the birds in this garden tell me so much about what is happening. Even the fish in this grotto pass information to me without knowing it." Douglas said softly, choking back the emotion he felt. "Everything talks to me, milady. Everything tells me it's truth, whether it wants to or not. And your father... understood this, long before even I did. That the role I would have in his Empire would be more valuable than any other, to be his most trusted source. He believed in me, and allowed me to develop myself, in a time when no one else could see that my silly little gift had any value."

Douglas dropped to his knees before the Princess, and reached up, taking her hand.

"Milady, I have betrayed people I loved, used people I cared for, all for the sake of the Empire. All for the Royal Family. I have done all this for the love I have of the man you call 'Daddy', and the devotion I have to the dream he has for the future of this world." Douglas admitted. "I have the unfortunate role of telling your father what he needs to know, instead of telling him what he wants to hear. Everyone else in the Empire has the luxury of living lies and hiding behind masks if they so desire. Mine is the sole duty to bring the truth to light, and like the mythological Cassandra, tell it all. I have never lied to King Magnus. I have never lied to you, Your Highness, or any other member of the Royal Family. I will never do so and swear upon my life for this."

Douglas Ramsey reluctantly pulled his hands away, placing them to his chin, as if praying, a soft smile now slowly blossoming upon his young face.

"That being said, Your Highness, I will speak candidly. Although I was angry and insulted at first with your implication that I might be interested in... retiring... your father, in truth, the other emotion I feel is pride." Douglas continued, "Pride that my future Queen would question the motivations of those who would advise her, those who would seek to shape the Empire."

He shook his head slowly, looking down for a second, as if to compose his thoughts yet again... even though it really was more for the Princess' benefit than his.

"You are correct, milady." Douglas raised his eyes to look her in the eyes once again, the emotion that had been so strong draining away to the cool, calm and collectedness that was Douglas' reputation. "I have not spoken to your father about this just yet. I could still. I could pitch the whole operation to him, take all the credit, and in the end, he would pick one of his daughters to endorse it publically, ordering them to do so. And everything would progress business as usual, unless the Resistance didn't believe the sincerity of the Princess that your father chose to deliver this message. Bluntly put, milady? Your adopted sister Katherine is the best choice to be the advocate of this operation because she is very sympathetic to the plight of the human slaves. However, it is a trait that would be exploited by the Resistance. Thus, that leaves Princess Lorna and yourself. Princess Lorna is too much like your father, and wouldn't be believed sincere. You, however, milady, are the Heir Apparent. You are the natural succession to the throne after your father. If you endorse this plan, if you champion this cause, as the successor of the Royal Family, it would be understood that you have the most vested interest in making it succeed. It would be believed. And it would succeed."

Douglas nodded his head, a grim smile played across his lips.

"So, why you? I could have gone to your father without discussing it with you first, but my love for the Empire demands that I look to the future. So, pardon my candor, Your Highness, I will offer you this chance to prove to your father that you are now ready to assume the throne, if needs be. That you are mature and more interested in the affairs of the state than what label of clothing you are wearing, so that he might rest easier knowing that if anything should happen to him, that all the work he has done will not die with him. That he might be comfortable with the idea that, if the preservation of the Empire should require him to step aside, so that it may live in peace and prosperity, he could do so, knowing that his lovely and capable firstborn daughter will not fail him or her people."

His eyes did not waver, the intensity burning holes into the Princess' soul.

"Do we understand each other a little better," Douglas said flatly, "...my Queen?"

[scarletwitch]

Wanda listened, patiently, through Doug's waxing over her father and his own vision. She even let her hand be taken and she smiled, with that ever gracious smile of a princess, when he spoke up to her from bended knee.

She knew that Douglas was smarter than she was, perhaps even craftier than she, but she wasn't afraid of his anger. Because until this little plan of his went into effect, she was still the most powerful man on the planet's prized daughter, and even if her own gifts weren't enough to stop this silly man her father's would be. So she was more than happy to, since they were in a cone of silence after all, cut through the pomp she was usually so delighted to indulge in.

"So, let me get this straight Mr. Ramsey," pulling her hand from him and going to look at her reflection in the water, imaging what she would look like with a royal crown on, "All your plans are hinged on the idea that my father will say yes to my succession of him? Well, I must say that I don't exactly trust that he will say yes."

She beamed and turned to him, clapping her hands together in front of her, "But let's say that he does! Let's say that you throw the idea to him and he says, 'My--You are clever boy, and I know just the person to model it to the people,' and he too points his glorious finger to me. Let's say that happens---What exactly makes this so exciting? What are you going to do to unify all of homo superior and the....peons together? From the sounds of it you're not just talking a change in scenery with a different ruler...So what makes this so epic, how are you going to make even the resistance see your, or should I say our, way as well?"

[Sam Guthrie]

Strong, purposeful footsteps, the very rhythm of his feet on the ground said everything about Guthrie's mood.

The end was night. Humanity was about to feel the full fury of the empire's most glorious hand, and their comeuppance would be dire indeed.

The pieces just needed to fall into place. One such piece to Douglas' "master plan" was The Princess. How he loathed them. Born into a life of pampering and prospect, given anything they could possibly want... and in Wanda's case she could bring whatever she wanted into being.

They had never felt the sting of sweat in their eyes, never known hard work. Men like King Magnus and himself, they knew all about sacrifice, all about labor and grit, they knew what it meant to earn your entitlements.

Which was chiefly why he clashed with Douglas so. The boy had simply talked his way into being Samuel's superior officer. Such things had to be put aside for the greater good, and however he felt about Douglas or the Princess was of no importance when compared to victory.

So, despite his last encounter with the Princess, Samuel had to be present.

He stood just behind Douglas, and cleared his throat, waiting to be acknowledged.

[Doug Ramsey]

Oh thank god...

Never had Douglas thought he'd be glad of Samuel's presence, but it allowed Doug to rein in the urge to scream, NO! YOU STILL DON'T GET IT, YOU SELFISH SHALLOW...!!!

Not exactly the way to keep the future Queen's good graces.

Doug flopped back into the seat, running his fingers through his hair.

"My apologies, Princess," Douglas softly said, "In my effort to discuss the important matter of the royal succession and how it relates to the operation that Commander Guthrie and myself have devised to end this damnable resistance to your father once and for all, it seems that my reluctance to speak plainly about such delicate things has caused more harm to understanding than good."

Douglas stood, taking a deep breath and straightening his tie. "Let me correct this. Let's start from the beginning... because as you will see... when all is said and done, the Human Resistance will fall apart, this war will be over, and both humans and mutants will adore you for it, and embrace you with all their hearts as their Queen, when you father chooses to abdicate the throne to his rightful successor."

"Several months ago, SHIELD acquired the humans' most technologically advanced weapon to date. Something they called an Ultron." Douglas nodded to Sam, "It seems to be a variation of our Sentinel technology, only they've added a nasty artificial intelligence to drive the thing, as well as a few surprises. Fortunately, it proved no match for our forces, but its existence tells us several things about the state of affairs for the human resistance. Both SHIELD and the ISS have worked diligently together to rebuild the device, only programmed to work for us. Our plan is to send it back where it came from, with the directive of hunting down any more of its kind, and the leaders of the human resistance. Once this mission is accomplished, and the losses to the humans are most satisfactory, it will be time to enter Phase Two of Operation: Zero Tolerance, to begin with the celebration of your father's birthday."

"We would hope, milady," Douglas nodded to the Princess, "That this is where we could depend upon your cooperation. As I have hinted before, Phase Two would be more readily accepted and believed by the humans if it were to come from someone besides their conquorer. As the next in line of succession, if it were to appear that this is a program that you endorse and are willing to work towards, the humans would understand that once succession was to occur, any policy that was created would not be cast aside by the next wearer of the crown. They would embrace your succession, because you would be considered their great liberator. I do not have to emphasize that how you reign is far more important to the continuance of the Empire than any other person's role. Julius Caesar may have created the Roman Empire, but it was the Caesar that followed him that guaranteed that it would continue after Julius' death. And thus it is with you, milady. It takes power to create an Empire, but more importantly, it takes skill to keep it. Look at Attila the Hun. After his death, the Huns fell apart. We cannot allow that to happen with the House of Magnus. So it is essential that your coronation be hailed by both human and mutant alike. To make that happen, we desire you to endorse this plan for peace, one that will guarantee that the humans will never rise against us again."

"So, the program we desire to enact on M-Day consists of declaring our war upon humans over, granting amnesty to all those who have fought against us, including releasing all prisoners, both human and mutant, as well as freeing all the slaves. We will detail a plan that will consist of education, job training and placement, and programs to feed and house those in need. We will grant them rights, as citizens of the Empire, and protection and representation under our law." Douglas stated simply, "By doing so, we take away every reason for them to fight. By doing so after sending the Nimrod unit to decimate their fighting forces, they will have no choice but to take the offer. They will think that it buys them much needed time to rebuild their cells, but once we enact the Legacy Program, support from their own people will dwindle to nothing. In fact, the humans will desire to expose them if they continue to act against us, in fear that the terrorists will undue all the benefits they have gained. So, now alone, and unsupported, when they take action, we will be there, to crush them. How? Because one of the stipulations, milady, of the Legacy Program is why we call this Operation: Zero Tolerance. Any rebel action taken after the M-Day announcement will be met with zero tolerance... extermination upon sight. And how we will know, milady, is the best part of this plan."

Douglas picked up the PDA at his feet and stood, tapping a command into the interface. An image of a human form, augmented with several cybernetic enhancements flickered above the display screen in a holographic image.

"Meet the bastard child of the Weapons Plus program that gave us such wonderful personalities as Logan, your father's pet, or Arkady, the bounty hunter." Douglas gestured with a flourish that looked more akin to a game show model displaying the prize to the contestants. "We have codenamed them Omega Sentinels, and they are constructed from the human prisoners being detained by SHIELD. Completely unaware of their own modifications, they are only triggered to come online when a traitorous act is being commissioned. The prisoners don't even know that they are agents of the Empire, and when they have eliminated the offenders, they revert, with no memory of ever having acted. The ultimate sleeper agents, milady, completely loyal to the Empire. The irony of it all is wonderfully delicious. Humans will be the ones to kill human traitors. No mutant blood need to be shed to make these scum extinct!"

[scarletwitch]

Wanda looked over to see Guthrie walk in behind Douglas and she gave a smirk that showed off her canines while she twiddled her fingers to him in a small wave. She returned her attention back to Ramsey as he explained his plan in detail.

"That this is where we could depend upon your cooperation. As I have hinted before, Phase Two would be more readily accepted and believed by the humans if it were to come from someone besides their conquorer. As the next in line of succession,---"

I wonder which cook is on staff right now...

"If it were to appear that this is a program that you endorse and are willing to work towards, the humans would understand that once succession was to occur, any policy that was created would not be cast aside by the next wearer of the crown."

Maybe I'll just make a sandwich

"They would embrace your succession, because you would be considered their great liberator. I do not have to emphasize that how you reign is far more important to the continuance of the Empire than any other person's role."

I could try blue nail polish for once--

"Julius Caesar may have created the Roman Empire, but it was the Caesar that followed him that guaranteed that it would continue after Julius' death."

No that'll make me look cheap.

"And thus it is with you, milady. It takes power to create an Empire, but more importantly, it takes skill to keep it."

Who do you think styles Doug's hair?

"Look at Attila the Hun."

I doubt it is him, he's not really the type.

"After his death, the Huns fell apart. We cannot allow that to happen with the House of Magnus. So it is essential that your coronation be hailed by both human and mutant alike."

She took a deep breath and scratched behind her ear as she nodded along with his plan, looking to Gutherie and giving a small wink,

"To make that happen, we desire you to endorse this plan for peace, one that will guarantee that the humans will never rise against us again."

"Well," she said standing up, hands clapped together, "It sounds like you've got this whole thing worked out. But that is your job, isn't it? I think it sounds splendid, and if you believe my father's compliance in the matter I'll trust you that he won't be a stickler when it comes to the crowning ceremony. All I'm saying is that I know my father," she smiled and chuckled, "He taught me very well, actually. He has a vision of a world where homo superior is just that, the superior and undisputed rulers of the known world. But who rules them? There is a very specific reason he chose himself. It's not to say that I don't think your plan isn't brilliant, but I'll also tell you I won't be surprised to hear my father might hold his crown a little tighter than you might believe. He's always taken me as the 'Whisper to my successor from my death bed' sort of ruler. But perhaps you do know my father better than I."

She grinned and walked over to a rose bush, snapping off a bud to cup in her palm and smell, "And for all I know my father is tired, and would welcome a vacation from the public pressures of ruling. So you're going to begin with this...Ultron--Nimrod--Sentinel--Computer monster thingy? Yes? The part about them wiping out the human leaders and the other robot beasties. Where do I come in for any of that? Or is that my time to play tea party with my father and show him how I dot my i's and cross my t's as successor?"

[Doug Ramsey]

Doug rose, and turned to the taller Commander Guthrie. He softly whispered, "Tag." as he clasped the man's shoulder with a sigh.

[Sam Guthrie]

It took everything in his power not to groan when Douglas "tagged him in". Samuel wasn't a talker.

He was a smasher.

"What you need to understand, your highness, is that what Director Ramsey speaks.... is truth." Samuel said, pushing his discomfort aside, "Your role is as he said, as the successor to the throne, you would be ushering in a new age of peace... but it is crucial that we all are on the same page. We need assurance that you can back the policies of Operation: Zero Tolerance."

He cleared his throat, and readied himself to speak.

"The humans will see your coronation as change, a change possibly for the better. And it will be. For one way or another..."

It would have sounded almost sinister, if Samuel hadn't been forcing a charismatic grin.