8 Questions & Answers

[First Person POV]

It was deadly quiet on the ship, just the occasional drip, creek or groan of the ship. I stood stock still in the middle of Klaue's private office; he was tied tight to an arm chair in front of me unconscious.

I had my eyes closed as I compartmentalized everything I did this evening and why. It was an extremely important skill I'd mastered after walking past countless veterans, soldiers and anyone in a life that involves potential life and death situations.

I finish up my mental exercises to preserve my sanity, I'm not like Frank Castle, but I'm not like Dexter Morgan either. I did what I did tonight because those men did not deserve to live.

Their files, their crimes, some of the things they were linked to were monstrous, war crimes kind of monstrous. Savage had disgusted me the most; that's why I took as much time with him as I could.

With my mind balanced and my thoughts clear I ask Selene how the hunt for the Vibranium stash is going.

"I just found it Knight, sending location to your HUD" she replies, "Thank you Watch Tower, out". I respond. The location pops up and I see it's behind a fake wall in a bay adjacent this office; figures Klaue wouldn't want it too far away.

With everything out of the way I grab some smelling salts, it's time to wake up Klaue.

[Third Person POV]

Ulysses Klaue snaps awake as the strong smell of ammonia fills his nostrils, he immediately rears his head back as far as he can and starts coughing and wheezing for fresh air before falling forward again.

He gains his breath and his bearing's soon enough and spots the dark armoured feet before him in the dimly lit room. Power seemed to be restored yet the room was still low lit, he must be controlling the power output somehow, Klaue thought before looking up.

As his eyes made their way up the armoured beast he couldn't help but wonder where he got this armour from, then his thoughts seemed to leave him as he made eye contact with it.

The Helmet was advanced; it had black armour around the jaw line, up the sides of head and came up into two thin but wide, horn like protrusions from the top of the head, the back of the head to the top of its neck also appeared to be armoured as well.

The face and forehead appeared to be hidden behind some kind of advanced smart-glass. Within that blackened glass glowed two thin rectangular strips of blue-white light (Just Look up the Arkham Knight, it's his helmet).

Klaue was scared, but he was alive, so he figured they needed him for something. He thought it best to look unfazed.

"My, aren't you a big scary bastard" he stated in faux wonder, "Ulysses Klaue, at your service" he introduced himself, miming tipping a hat with his right hand even tho his arms were tied down.

"Can I ask who I have the pleasure of being tied up by"? He asked trying to sound polite. The same synthesized, smooth, deep baritone voice that filled you with dread that Klaue had heard on the radio answered.

"Dark Knight" it stated in a manner of fact. "Not the name I would have picked, but it fits I guess" Klaue said flippantly, "So Mr Dark Knight, why did you and your people attack my ship"? Klaue asked, wanting to know what kind of force he was facing.

"There were no other people, I took out your men alone", he replied emotionlessly. "Well aren't you an over-achiever" Klaue replied sarcastically, "Look not to be rude or anything, but why the fuck are you here"? He continued in frustration.

"The hidden capital city of Wakanda" the Knight replied, and after a short pause added "I want its location". "No idea what you're talking about big boy" Klaue feigned in ignorance, "Never heard of this, what do you call it? Wakanda"? He continued to lie.

"The brand on your neck says otherwise, as does the large stock of Vibranium I found while you were unconscious". The Knight replied. "You fucking bastard"! Klaue spat out bitterly, "Is that what this is about, take me out and take MY PLACE"?! He questioned in anger.

"Well I'm sorry to inform you, it appears I forgot the location" He said, speaking in a mock sad tone. "We both know that's not true Ulysses" The Dark Knight replied soon after.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I'll tell you this. Wakandas' interrogators couldn't get me to talk" he said proudly, "What makes you think you can"? He asked in arrogance.

"I can make what happened to that thing you called "Savage" look like a picnic compared to what I do to you". The Knight replied flatly, "But I know the threat of torture will only make you dig your heels in deeper, so I'll make you a deal" he continued.

"Oh and what kind of deal are you going to offer me"? Klaue asked sarcastically. "You get to keep your life and one hundred pounds of Vibranium for Wakandas location", The Knight offered.

"So you take almost two thousand pounds of Vibranium, MY Vibranium that I risked MY life for"! He stated angrily, "And I get to walk off into the sunset with a measly one-hundred pounds"? Klaue asked like he couldn't believe what he heard.

"One hundred pounds of Vibranium is worth more than four hundred million dollars Klaue, that's not nothing". The Dark Knight informed him, "And you also get my word that I won't kill you".

"Oh I have your word do I"? Klaue asked sarcastically, "And how do I know that when I tell you their location you don't just kill me"? He asked seriously this time.

"You don't, but I haven't lied to you yet and in the end, what choice do you really have"? The Dark Knight replied. Ulysses Klaue was backed into a corner and he knew it. It was either take this deal and hope this Dark Knight holds it up, or die immediately, with no chance of revenge.

Klaue needed a sign the Knight was serious about his offer, "Cut me loose from this chair as a sign of good faith and I'll tell you". He said in reply to the Dark Knights question.

Immediately he was cut free from the chair and was soon standing in front of the imposing armoured figure in front of him, he had to look up as the figure was at least six foot four to his five foot eight.

Klaue started rubbing his arms where they'd been tied to the chair; he'd had no chance of working his way out of it.

"I won't tell you Wakandas exact location" Klaue said, thinking quickly, "I'll tell you of a town near there and the direction to head in to get to Wakanda yourself" he immediately added, a devious plan forming in his mind.

[First Person POV - Lex]

I was curious about what Klaue's plan was. I had Selene monitoring his vitals, body perspiration and pupil dilation, while I myself remembered watching all of the show, Lie to Me. The skills learned from the show worked pretty damn well here.

Neither Selene nor I could detect any deception in his offer; I'd been looking at Klaues face silently and unmoving while Selene and I formed our own opinions on his offer. Ultimately it was up to me so I decided to see what more I could learn from reading him.

"Agreed, what is the location of this town and in which direction must I head to Wakanda"? Klaue gave us the name of a town North of Kenya and South of Ethiopia.

Selene runs her check on the location as I continue to listen to Klaue explain its location in correlation to a lake that Wakanda is said to live on, and in what direction I'd have to head in order to get there.

We were still detecting no lies before I caught it, the briefest flicker of satisfaction crossed Klaues' face when he suspected I believed him. He wasn't lying but he definitely wasn't telling the whole truth.

I started thinking through the possibilities of what he was planning based on his character, his likely actions and what a comic book villain would do.

The realization comes quickly, he was setting me up. Most likely he was sending me down a very heavily monitored route into Wakanda that would result in my death. Tricky Klaue, you're very tricky, but so am I.

"Likely locations verified Dark Knight; cloaked drones are en-route to confirm location actual" Selene suddenly says in my ear while muting all sound exiting my helmet briefly. "Thank you Watch Tower, don't get too close, just get confirmation it's there. It's time to wrap things up here" I reply.

Ulysses Klaue has finished his explanation about five seconds ago and was starting to sweat because I appeared to be just starting at him, unmoving.

"So, that's my end held up, you're going to hold up yours yeah"? He asked in nervousness, "Cut me loose, don't kill me and one hundred pounds of Vibranium" he clarified.

"Yes" I replied succinctly.

Klaue looked very relieved, "Well, I can't say it was nice doing business with you, but I'm glad you were willing to do business" he says in the same manner.

"Yes, I'm sure Wakanda will love the gift of one hundred pounds of Vibranium sent along with yourself very much", I stated as I look out the custom tranq-gun Selene made for this moment and shot him with a permanent sleep inducing tranquilizer dart I made.

Klaue looked stunned and shocked as he looked down at the tranq dart in his chest, "Maybe enough not to care about the rest of the Vibranium I'll be taking as a reward", I state as he looks up at me.

The darts effects are quickly kicking in as Klaue slumps back into the chair he was tied to minutes before. "Fucking…Bastard" he gets our before falling asleep permanently.

There was a counter serum to give him that will be sent along with him in his stasis pod I'll be having built as soon as I'm back in the cave.

As I look at Klaues unconscious form again I ask Selene to send in the delivery drone we'd prepared for tonight and grab a hunting knife I'd taken off of the corps of Klaues' head of security.

A small drone suddenly come in and expands from the size of a fly to the size of a football and drops a plastic hard-case on Klaues desk before shrinking back down, cloaking and flying back base.

I placed the hard-case on the ground, pressed the blue button on the top and it expanded to the size of a large military-like utility case. I open the top and start placing the evidence files located inside onto Klaues' desk.

The stacks are clean and labelled; each stack contains files on each man they would find on the ship and every crime they could be linked to. No one will be missing these shit bags.

In front of these files I stab the hunting knife I had taken into a sterile, printed note that explains the files to the police. It was signed, The Dark Knight.

With that taken care of I hoist Klaue over my left shoulder facing front and bring him to the Vibranium stash. I pick up and place his right hand on a hidden palm and fingerprint scanner and watch the wall slide open to reveal a large room full of racks that contained glass canisters of Vibranium.

The fact that Klaue got this much Vibranium out of Wakanda only helps prove that he had the help of N'Jobu to pull it off.

Selene tells me the cloaked drones that had entered the room calculated that there is one thousand, nine hundred and ninety pounds of Vibranium total, not including the one hundred pounds I'll be sending with Klaue.

I feel very excited but don't like it distract me, "Have the drones shrink, store and deliver the racks of Vibranium back to base Watch Tower" I order. "Underway Dark Knight" Selene replies and racks start shrinking and disappearing.

With a smile on my face I enlarge a human-sized, padded carry case I'd made based on the tech of ant man's suit and strap Klaue inside before closing it up. I check everything's in order and press a red button on the top, shrinking him for easy transport.

Selene informed me that klaues' vitals were in safe parameters in the criminal transport prototype and that I was clear to head back to base. I smile as I store Klaue in a pouch on my utility belt, and begin my journey back to the Cave.

With this I officially have nothing to worry about tech wise or armor wise anymore. Now I could make some sweet ass tech and some cool ass toys. Like a cloaked satellite network for global communications and eyes in the sky.

I can't wait to go more high tech with the suit. I remember Tony's nano-suits from Infinity War and Endgame and think that a nano-suit made with Proto-Adamantium nano-bots is going to be next level; I won't need to make another suit for a very long time.

With these kinds of thoughts in mind I arrive back at base, get off my super-bike, most likely for the last time as The Dark Knight and head down to the Cave.