1 widows web

[well_assembled]

[She'd wanted a vacation, she'd cleared it with Fury. Her leave was supposed to to be easy, so what the hell was going on? Natasha stepped out of the shower in her apartment and ended up...here. Where ever the hell 'here' was. She emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and explored the small apartment she found herself in.

Her only clue a small book from which voices and words were practically pouring. More of Loki's doing? She watched a few minutes, took it the insanity coming from the book. She had no way of knowing her own voice might be broadcast as well.]

Ok, so I'm crazy, I got hit harder than I thought or Loki's messing with me. I just love my job.

Comments

[deductiongeek]

You're not crazy. Though you might wish you were, once you find out more about this place.

[well_assembled]

[The pause there would be due to her shock. She hadn't known the book was...on. Oh christ.]

Thanks. So I'm guessing everything I say is being broadcast over this thing?

[deductiongeek]

As long as the book is open anything you say aloud and any sounds you make will can be heard by everyone in the castle. It can also be written in, and everyone will see that as well.

[well_assembled]

Wonderful, so I'm in a castle...and a magic book will share every moment of my life. Glad I cut that shower short.

[deductiongeek]

That's right. The name of this castle is Paradisa. And all of us are trapped here. I've been here for more than a year. And there are some who have been here even longer.

[well_assembled]

Wait a second, trapped? What are you saying? This is some sort of prison?

Dictated

[wizard_redfive]

Loki?

[Dairine might not recognize this voice, but she definitely remembers that name.]

Loki hasn't been around here in months.

[deductiongeek]

Exactly. The castle has a mind, and it has taken all of us here. We can't go home unless it lets us.

[well_assembled]

Until 'it' lets us. So there is some sort of intelligence behind this.

written

[well_assembled]

[It took her a minute to find the lettering that spelled out the name. But once she did her attention was riveted. She grabbed a pen and scrawled a response.]

I knew Loki was behind this somehow. What did he do when he was here? DId he have weapons? Aliens?

[deductiongeek]

Most likely some form of artificial intelligence. [He pauses, and then goes on with a carefully chosen piece of childishness. From his voice she should be able to tell he was a child. He had to create the impression that he was nothing more than an observant and intelligent child.]

I saw a program about them on television once!

[well_assembled]

[Kid you are talking to a woman who was trained to kill by age nine, she rarely underestimates anyone.]

Artificial, organic, I haven't really seen a reason to trust one over the other.

[deductiongeek]

[He isn't used to dealing with observant adults. More often, hes used to being ignored and looked over the moment someone realized he was three feet tall.]

This one hasn't shown much reason to trust it at all.

[well_assembled]

[When being observant means the difference between life and death, or the completion of a mission, it becomes your most basic habit. Threat assessment has very little to do with appearances.]

Which is more or less exactly the level of trust I give anything.

Dictated

[wizard_redfive]

Before you get too excited, Loki wasn't here for very long. There's something much more powerful behind this.

[Dairine is aware of how sensitive this information is, so she writes down a calculated filter. Hopefully they're talking about the same Loki, otherwise this won't work at all.]

[ Filtered to SHIELD and the Avengers ]

Very little. He was pretending to be a human at the time and probably did not want to attract too much attention. The most notable thing he did was blow up the microwave.

No, his alien army did not come with him. He also did not appear to be armed, though considering the circumstances he might have been hiding any weaponry that came with him.

[deductiongeek]

Oh? You might do well here, then.

[Conan could sympathize with that attitude. Given a choice, he preferred never to trust anyone. It was much simpler and safer for everyone involved to simply manipulate people without letting them know what was really happening.]

[well_assembled]

[Manipulation was her stock and trade. It minimized the collateral damage.]

I am a survivor, it's sort of what I do.

written

[well_assembled]

[She noted the change, noted that the words were not openly made. So this thing had some sort of settings. Natasha was a quick learner, she picked up on things and was able to make a basic filter. She would need to refine things later but for now she'd keep her remarks general enough.]

SO Loki's not behind this, that you know of. But something else is.

The problem with god of tricks and deception is that they are given the title for a reason.

[deductiongeek]

Oh? [He was starting to get interested in this person.]

What is it you do at home?

[well_assembled]

[She'll warn you away for your own good. If she finds out.]

It's what I do where ever I am. This is just a change of location.

Filter onwards

[wizard_redfive]

Oh, I'm positive he isn't. [The Lone Power she's less sure about, but she'll keep that to herself.]

True. I'd be quite suspicious of his motives too. But it's been three months since his disappearance, and no evidence of any further plans has unsurfaced.

forever filtered

[well_assembled]

He spent years waiting to return to my planet before. [She had already decided this was not her world, at the very least not her dimension. That or she was delusional.]

[deductiongeek]

Oh? Do you have a dangerous job at home? I haven't met very many people here who talk about survival.

[well_assembled]

Sometimes, I don't discuss specifics on open channels.

[Anyone who had kept up with her this long would understand that.]

Still, this place has to have a way out. Someone must be in charge.

[deductiongeek]

I see! [And he thought he understood. This woman's attitude was to remind of him of Vermouth and Jodie. Of Haibara on her worst days, even.]

Everyone who arrives here says that. But the only person who seems to be in charge is the mind behind the castle itself. Everyone looks for it, but no one has ever found it.