Log:Wasp Venom, Scene 21

Wasp Venom 2013/10/21 	 Professor Froth Star Girl

21

Champions Mush - Monday, October 21, 2013, 11:43 AM

Starguard Reception Area

''The reception area has muted black tiled floor, with the walls and roof painted off-white. The secretarial desk enclosure is barely twenty feet from the double set of glass doors. To its left is a large double-hinged door ominously labeled 'Security'. A seating area full of soft couches is to the right. Down the hallway that leads deeper into the building is the office of the Director of Operations and the exit to the landing field outside. ''

It is early morning at Starguard and a male bodybuilder, about 50 years old with long hair so white that it is blue when the light hits it right is standing at the front desk with a faintly confused receptionist. He has a matching beard that reaches to the bottom of his ribs and, like the hair is white, loose, and well-tended. He is dressed in a suit with a starched white shirt, reddish-brown slacks, grey vest and a tan knee-length coat, worn open for ease of movement. If he is wearing a tie, it is hidden under his prodigeous beard. He looks calm and prepared to wait all day if he must.

Star Girl is coming out of the security checkpoint, about to head back to the CBSU campus. The white-haired body builder kind of sticks out -- Star finds herself looking over towards the man by the reception desk. She walks over. "Hey, I'm Star Girl... what's going on?" she asks the both the receptionist and the man.

Froth says, "I am here to turn myself in." in accented English.

The receptionist looks up at Star Girl with a look of relief. "This man has a Starguard generated detain for questioning order attached to his Visa, but our records show it was created by a Chandrika Williams, which I don't have on our employee directory anywhere. I don't want to let him go, but I'm not quite sure what to do."

"Hunh," Star Girl says. "Ok. Well, will you wait here for a moment, sir, while we check your papers?"

Froth nods and smirks faintly. "Check your papers sounds so old nazi movie." But seems prepared to wait. "I am from Zu, if that helps."

"Did you say Zu...?" Star says. This news sets her on edge a bit, visibly, as her eyelets narrow. She steps away to the security checkpoint where she quietly asks the guard to put the facility on alert status, and to call in any available superpowered SG agents.

Professor Froth says, "Since I am from Zu, I believe the questioning may be in relation to either the Zu villains currently hiding in Colonial Bay or the Zu heroes on their way here to forcefully apprehend them. I teach at Stellenbosch University and try to stay current on local news."

Quietly a number of uniformed Starguard troopers begin to enter the lobby from the outside and also from further within the base.

Froth notes the guards but doesn't react. He is giving himself up, after all.

''Background check: Froth is what he says he is, a Professor of Philosophy and History at Stellenbosch University, in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, Zu. His only crime, so far, appears to be being from Zu and catching the same transmat to New York tour as the group of villains and vigilantes that Regan is hunting for. Stellenbosch is east of Cape Town, 170 km down the coast from Saldanha where Ebon Star and Rose and Interface had their adventure. There is no explanation in his background as to why he is in Colonial Bay instead of New York. ''

Froth waits for Star Girl to do her background check. The receptionist sees the armed guards and takes a coffee break.

Star Girl returns to speak to Froth. "If you'll follow me sir?" She'll lead the way to an interrogation room.

Froth follows. Finally noting the guards out loud, he says, "Is all this really necessary? I'm sure these fine gentlemen have better things to do than play honor guard to one old man."

Star Girl says, "I was a little surprised that you didn't say something earlier... things are a little tense around here, since that video hit the media circuit. Can you understand?"

Froth nods. "I don't watch much television. I wasn't aware of the extent of the problem until recently. How can I help?"

Star Girl says, "You entered the country as part of the same New York tour group as the metahumans we're looking for. Do you know any of them?"

Froth nods, "All of them. The Diamant brothers asked me to join the tour as an observer as a condition to their participation. Unfortunately, they found out what was really going on before I did."

Star Girl says, "Well, the Diamant brothers seem bent on tracking down and capturing the other group of metas here in Colonial Bay. We'd like to prevent a raging superfight and having them turn downtown into a smoking crater... Do you know the current whereabouts of any of the metas where's looking for?"

Professor Froth says, "That I do not. But I can assist you with some info for holding them once you find them"

Star Girl quirks an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Star Girl says, "If you could, I'd like to you fill me in on all the people involved, their powers, and how we can hold them. Why are you helping us, if you don't mind me asking."

Professor Froth says, "Lets start with names. Do you know the code names they are using?"

Professor Froth says, "Mind Wasp, Hardcase, Penetreeder and Rewind. All of the names except Penetreeder are new, to hopefully foil any searches. Hardcase used to be in some trouble in New York under the code name Karma, for example."

Professor Froth says, "Penetreeder felt that such name swapping was unnecessary, given that their stated mission was honorable."

Star Girl says, "Their 'mission'? What is their mission?"

Professor Froth says, "We were told that a group of American mercenaries were going to attack a valuable piece of machinery that Mind Wasp had constructed for new branch of Hive Inc in Zu. The person orchestrating the attack you know as 'Bee' here in Colonial Bay. The Diamant boys were to guard the machine in Saldanha, while a 'retaliation team' was to go to Colonial Bay and act as a deterrent by threatening to repeat whatever damage the American's did in Zu on the American's home ground."

Star Girl says, "Who gave you those orders? What is the retaliation team planning on doing now?"

Professor Froth says, "Penetreeder was leading the Retaliation Team, because eye-for-an-eye is a major part of his usual method of operating - a policy I do *not* agree with, by the way. At the last minute, Mind Wasp decided to join us and lead the team herself instead of staying in Zu. She said that Bee had somehow found a way around whatever spying method Mind Wasp was using. The team broke apart soon after arriving; which is why I don't know where the others are."

Star Girl says, "What was your role in the mission?"

Professor Froth says, "I was a condition to the Diamant boys participation. They were uncomfortable working alongside reformed villains without an observer they trusted along."

Star Girl says, "If you haven't seen the video for the Diamants, I can play it for you. They seem like they're coming here with a mad-on for Mind Wasp."

Froth nods, "That is why I think it would be best if the Colonial Bay heroes captured the retaliation team first and arranged an exchange."

Star Girl says, "So who exactly is calling the shots for your team? Was it Mind Wasp who told you that Americans were going to attack Zu?"

Froth nods.

Professor Froth says, "Mind Wasp's real name is Kagiso Adamini."

''Background: Kagiso Adamini is a tall mulatto woman with the characteristic honey-yellow sclera of a valued Hive Inc. employee and the nipped waist of an operations manager. She was born in 2027, the daughter of a minor South African official killed in the Zu revolution of 2028. Since 2059, she has been operations manager of the Johannesburg branch of Hive Inc. A thorough search will reveal that she was a troubled youth and had several brushes with the law, these incidents tapered off in adulthood and Kagiso has had no further trouble after 2050." ''

Star Girl says, "Do you have a way of contacting the Diamant guys? Seeing as how you are so close with them? Do you think that you would be able to call them off and let Starguard handle this?"

Froth shakes his head. "I've already tried. Because Mind Wasp is a telepath and they have already been duped once, they are not trusting that I have also been corrupted in some way."

Star Girl sighs. "Great..." She's quiet for a moment, thinking.

Professor Froth says, "The biggest factor against both them and you has been secrecy. You don't know what the retaliation team can do and the Diamant boys had no way of connecting the funny marks they saw on the machine with a guy wandering around town in a luchador mask."

Star Girl says, "You've been a lot of help, Froth, but I think I'm going to need to take you into custody. You've admitted to being part of a team planning an attack on the Colonial Bay. Also, I'm sure that other law enforcement agents will have more questions for you. Finally, we can protect you from any retaliation by the -- ah -- the retaliation force."

Star Girl says, "If you continue to cooperate, I'm sure a deal can be reached."

Froth nods, "That was my thinking as well. At worst, you will have someone to exchange with the Diamant boys when they arrive here with the Creep."

Star Girl's eyelets blink. o O ( Hunh. Well, maybe not all of these Zu guys are @&*holes... )

Froth prompts, "You were going to ask me what I knew about the Retaliation team's powers."

Star Girl says, "Right. We need to know everything you know..."

Professor Froth says, "Who first?"

Professor Froth says, "I do have *one* condition to my cooperation."

Star Girl nods. "What is that condition?"

Professor Froth says, "In my country, the Diamant boys are heroes. I don't agree with him or his methods, but Penetreeder has a following in Zu as well and some of his enemies *are* villains. I do not want our conversation recorded and posted where anyone with a computer can access it. America has several villains and a few heroes with an almost supernatural access to recorded information."

Star Girl says, "I'll keep it off of the computers. I'll have to talk to my supervisors about how to book you so that you stay off the books."

Froth suggests "Protective custody."

Star Girl nods. "Right."

Professor Froth says, "So, who first?"

OOC: The remainder of this scene was conducted "off camera" and a summary was posted on the mush.