Novels2Search
The Futurist
Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"FRIDAY any sign of our mysterious man?" Tony asked as he looked over the footage of the fight with Vision again.

"No Boss. Nothing yet."

"… FRIDAY bring out the files on black panther…." Tong ordered suddenly.

"I have already analyzed that the mystery man is indeed from Wakanda. Is there something else you have confirm Boss?" FRIDAY asked as she began to play a video clip of King T’Challa.

"FRIDAY. I want to analyze the mystery man in comparison to T’Challa. Don’t the two of them have a very similar fighting style? Like almost exactly the same?" He watched the clips side by side. Not only were their fighting style uncannily similar even their body types…

"Analyze complete. As you have suspected there is about 94.3% chance that the two of them are indeed the same person." FRIDAY brought forth the different body ticks the two of them had in common.

"FRIDAY call Rhodey in here will ya?"

"Sure thing Boss."

Tony re watched the video over and over again just to be certain of the incredulous claim he was about to make to his friend.

"You figure something out Tones?" Rhodey came in with Peter in tow.

"I think I know who the mystery creep is."

Rhodey raised his eyebrows and gestured with his hand for Tony to go on. Peter was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Our mystery guy was T’Challa."

There was silence for a second before the two other people in the room started talking over each other.

"That’s crazy! He’s back in Wakanda! I just saw him on the news with Zemo’s trial from yesterday! He couldn’t have been here in the U.S!"

"Does Wakanda have a teleporting machine? Wait… Were they that advance in technology. I mean I knew they were far advance than the U.S. But by THAT much?!"

Tony rolled his eyes from the two very distinct thought process of the people in front of him.

"Boys boys! Settle down. And to answer both of you… I don’t know. Geez! I know I’m a genius but even I don’t have all the answers. Now I asked you here so that I can confirm my theory, Rhodey. And if my theory is indeed correct, Peter I’ll need you help to figure out how T’Challa managed such a feat."

"Oh cool so we’re the Scooby gang!" Peter exclaimed

"Hey hey! Hold your horses spiderling. As the leader of this group I get to name us!" Tony said with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Ah… I’m sorry…" Peter mumbled.

"And I want to call us the Scooby gang!" Tony exclaimed exactly as Peter had just moments ago.

XXX

Hank watched as Sergeant Barnes took off B.A.R.N.E.S. from his head.

"How are you feeling Sergeant?" Hank asked.

"I’m feeling great. When you said this thing was going to shock me, I thought it was going to hurt." Barnes answered truthfully.

"Well I’m glad it didn’t give you any discomfort." Hank replied without looking up from the results he was reading.

"Well Doctor thank you again for today." And Hank did not watch Barnes leave the room.

The session had gone great today. With the help of the new tech they were able to turn four trigger words off. Even if they stopped the therapy session today the Sergeant would not loose total control of his brain as he did yesterday. It truly was amazing. Even as Hank helped the Sergeant, he thought of other uses B.A.R.N.E.S. could have with a little tweak here and there.

Hank was so focused on the results that he didn’t know someone else was in the room until the moment the hand grabbed him. Hank twisted out of his grip and took out the hidden stun gun and jabbed it towards his attacker’s neck.

Barnes raised both hand in surrender. "I meant no harm Doctor."

Hank glared for a moment before he dropped his hand. "What do you want." He growled.

"I only wanted to ask you a question. I’m sorry if I startled you…" Hank saw the guilt on his face.

"It’s not your fault. You just startled me." Hank should have been more aware of his surroundings.

Barnes watched him relax and go back to reading his experiments. He just kept staring and it annoyed Hank. "What! If you want to ask something ask!"

"Doctor… I heard from the others that you were working with Tony Stark."

"Are." Hank corrected him. "I am working with him. And what about it?"

"I just couldn’t help but notice… the name of the device…" Barnes let his words imply what he thought.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Yes. What about it. Your wasting my time. I have no time for people who wants to drag on the conversation." Hank sneered.

"Did… Stark make the device?"

Hank heaved a sigh. "Yes he did. What about it." He was about done with his patience for dumb questions.

"Why? Why did he make the device? Did he make it for me?" Hank could tell that the Sergeant was just going to ramble on with his questions so he stopped him with a hand gesture.

"Sergeant Barnes. Do I look like a 44 years old?" Barnes looked at him confused before he shook his head no. "Then Do I look like I have a goatee? Why the hell are you asking me this questions? I’m not Tony Stark nor am I his anything other than research partner. If you want any of your questions answered ask him directly!" Hank growled "Now leave and don’t come back until our next session. I have too much to do!" He stated as he pointed towards the door.

Barnes nodded silently headed towards the door. He turned back to stare at Hank.

"Yes. What?"

"Why didn’t you tell us Stark was helping?"

"It was irrelevant to curing you. There was no need to differentiate who had created the device. There were three of us working on it. And none of that information would have made you heal quicker. Now is that enough answer to satisfy you seemingly endless curiosity?"

Barnes left the lab without another word.

XXX

"So Rhodey how likely is it that two different individuals will have the same motor tick?" Tony asked.

Rhodey thought for a moment before he answered. "Some soldiers can learn a particular tick of their training officers so it’s not too highly unlikely. What motor ticks are you talking about?"

Rhodey watched as Tony clicked play on the fight with Vision and the mystery man. He had watched the video many times also. But he couldn’t figure out how Wakanda had such a talented warrior that was not Black Panther. But now that Tony mentioned that he thought it was the King of Wakanda himself Rhodey could see the similarities.

Tony paused at the mystery mans landing after a jump.

"Here! When he lands. His fingers twitch in a certain way. Not matter how I try to explain it that wouldn’t be a move to help balancing a landing. What does it seem like it to you?"

Rhodey replayed the scene again. "Yup I agree. That is indeed a motor tick. It seems the mystery man does it every time he makes a landing."

"Now here." Tony clicked on a new clip of the Black Panther. Rhodey watched as the King of Wakanda fight at the airport. And… He had the same tick!

"He does the same thing every time he lands!" Peter exclaimed while he also watched closely.

"Is this something that can be learned? Cause to me it seems to be more of a personal tick." Tony went on. "I had FRIDAY analyze the rest of his body movement through out the fight. It almost a 95% match. And his body type is strikingly similar."

"But… How the heck can he be in Wakanda and be in the US at the same time? I definitely saw him on the News for Zemo’s trial!" Rhodey exclaimed. "It has to be a different person!"

"Maybe there is a way for King of Wakanda to be both in Wakanda and New York. The aliens had teleportation device didn’t they? Maybe Wakanda was able to replicate the technology?" Peter asked.

Tony seemed thoughtful for a moment. "I don’t like acknowledging that there might be someone who could have created a teleportation device before me… But that does seem like the most likely answer."

Rhodey couldn’t believe his ears! These Mad Scientists! "Listen to yourself! You really think teleportation device is more likely than the mystery man being a completely different person? How does that make sense?"

"Ah ye of little faith in science! Peter forget about the skeptic let’s figure out how to create the teleportation device to prove our theory!"

"Yes sir!"

These crazy people! "Fine! Go make your teleportation device! I’m going to do real research and find the real attacker!" Rhodey huffed as he stomped out of the lab.

Rhodey could already here Tony and the teen exchanging ideas as he got into the elevator. He rolled his eyes.

These crazy scientists!

XXX

Hank watched from his peripheral vision T’Challa coming near him. It took him all his control to not growl in anger.

He kept pretending to do work even as the king stood in front of his desk.

"Doctor. I heard Sergeant Barnes session is going well."

Hank grunted in response.

T’Challa stood still for a moment waiting for Hank to look up at him. In the end T’Challa lost his patience first and spoke again.

"Doctor. I know you believe that we have another motive for wanting Aldrich Killian’s research." Now that got his attention. He finally dropped his pen and looked up.

"So. You going to tell me your ulterior motive?" Hank sneered.

Silence filled the room. T’Challa hesitated for a moment before he finally spoke again.

"Doctor. First of all I want to ask... With Killian’s research would it be possible for there to be a way to cure Brain aneurism deep within the cortex?" Hank thought for a moment. No not with that research alone. For healing properties they would have to have the research on Extremis.

"No." Hank answered truthfully. "Not with the research you wanted. There is nothing in that research that would physically help you cure brain ailments."

"By your response… That means there is another research that might help?" T’Challa pushed.

"There might be a way… But why do you need a way to cure brain aneurism?"

T’Challa looked pained for a second before he also answered truthfully.

"There is a man that came to us about 2 years ago. He has a brain aneurism deep within his cortex. Due to the ailment he’s been hallucinating and not been able to control his emotions and been acting rashly into different situations. We had him put into Cryostasis so that we might be able to prolong his life until there was a cure."

"And why does the King of Wakanda want to help this man?" Hank also pushed.

"Sadly Doctor that is a Country secret I can not share with you."

Just as King T’Challa finished talking Hank’s computer beep with incoming transmission. Before Hank could do anything to stop the transmission Stark’s face appeared on the screen.

T’Challa watched as Hank growled at Stark.

"Stark! Why the hell are you contacting me! Didn’t I tell you I’ll come back when I’m done with what I have to do in Wakanda! I’m with someone right now so stop bothering me!" Hank made motions to turn off the transmission.

"Wait Hank! Get out of there! The mystery man who attacked Peter was T’Challa Himself! He’s attacking the tower as we speak!"

"What non sense are you talking about? T’Challa is right next to me" Hank stated.

"I’m telling you T’Challa is attacking right now! He even has the Wakandan army!" Tony yelled through what Hank thought sounded like gun shots.

Hank looked over to T’Challa and watched as his face turned white. "What the hell is going on?" He growled.

T’Challa took action as he pushed Hank to the side and communicated with Stark.

"Iron Man! That man is not me. I am here in Wakanda with Doctor Pym. Please, I did not order the attack on the Tower."

Stark stared shocked at the screen for a moment before he yelled.

"I don’t know what’s going on but the man shooting at me definitely looks like you! And he definitely has back up!"

"The army is being fooled! They believe the commands are coming from me! Iron Man stop them but please don’t hurt them. They are being tricked!"

Hank watched as T’Challa became desperate.

"And the man or thing that’s pretending to be you?" Hank heard Peter from the side.

"Don’t kill him too. He’s sick. He needs help. Please. I’ll be over there as soon as I can!"

T’Challa took off as Hank continued to watch the events unfold through the screen.

He saw someone who ridiculously looked exactly the same as T’Challa appear and knock Stark into the wall behind him.

"If you had only given me the research I wouldn’t have to hurt you!" The man growled. Hank watched in horror as the man grabbed Stark by the neck and squeezed

It was that moment Hank heard Roger’s voice behind him.

"Tony? TONY!"