13102/Status Check

Status Check
Date of Scene:	17 October 2022
Location:	Lounge - Playground
Synopsis:	Alexander checks in on the Secret Warriors' guest and perhaps shares some insight into the world.
Cast of Characters:	Kora Johnson, Alexander Aaron

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Kora Johnson has posed:
What was once a busy base is rather quiet. With a skeleton crew of SHIELD agents supporting the Secret Warriors - it's more of an elaborate safe house than anything else. A huge hanger to land the Secret Warriors quinjet in but it could hold so much more. Once this place housed SHIELD when all the chips were down.

The quietness of the lounge is a blessing for Kora. Quiet. Peaceful. Not caged. She can walk out that door any time she wants. It feels somehow safe. Sure, her sister is mixed up in Afterlife and this organisation called SHIELD which she knows nothing about but on the plus side.

Holy crap she has a sister and apparently her mother is alive.

Sitting on the couch, legs tucked up underneath her and a hot brew of coffee in an oversized mug in her hands. She's staring blankly off in to space thinking about the last few days and all that has transpired to put her here. Did Gordon know she's still alive? did he know all along and never came to rescue her? was that the deal that was struck when she walked away from Afterlife? She's not sure.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There are times when each Secret Warrior has to make the rounds. When they have to check in on the gear and equipment that the team has and make sure it's in a functioning state since the team... does not exactly have the same support as mainline SHIELD has.
    Which means walking the grounds sometimes. Which means status checks on stored gear. And which means... looking in on recently recovered relatives of operatives that are living rent free in their base. The latter of which has the attention of the Olympian as he steps toward that living area.
    Agent Aaron, the one she saw for what was relatively a very brief series of moments. Though they were impactful. Especially for all the debris and wreckage that was left in her wake, though could've also been the team that came after her.
    Still. No hard feelings.
    Which is why when he pokes his head in, one hand lifting to rap knuckles light on the doorway before fully entering, his manner seems utterly at ease. Then he lifts his voice. "Miss Johnson." Polite, formal. "Just checking in to see if you needed anything."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora's dressed in one of the traditional dark blue jumpsuits of SHIELD. The shoulder patches are removed but the velcro is there in case an identifier needs to be slapped on in a hurry. Unlikely. Her feet are wearing comfy socks and the shoes they gave her, black boots really, are set next to the couch. One arm resting on the arm rest to her side.

She startles slightly out of her own thoughts and glances over at Alex. A slight stare for a moment. The last time she saw him he was dodging out of the way of her blasts.

"Mr. Whoeveryouare," she replies mimicking his politeness. English this time since the team now knows she speaks it just as fluently as Mandarin. She certainly has the familial resemblance, hence Jemma's hunch that there was a connection. She was on the money.

"Just staring in to the void thinking about how shit life is," she remarks. It feels good to say it out loud every now and then. The mug is brought to her lips and she asks, "What is tiktok?" Because it was mentioned in passing in the hallway and she overheard. The last 20 years have been weird.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Agent Aaron, ma'am." He says, though his smile is easily given.
    A glance is given to the side, as if following her sight-line and seeing if he could get a glimpse at the voice as well before he looks back to her and listens to what she has to say. She mentions how shit life is and he sort of gives a shrug with his eyebrows as if to agree.
    Then she offers a question about tiktok?
    That has his smile grow a little, "I don't do much social media, ma'am. But it's sorta like Youtube for people with short attention spans." A beat, then he adds. "I believe." Since he's not 100% on that. He then steps away from the door and looks across the room, considering the area and then returning his attention back to her.
    "I know things might seem rough and chaotic right now, but I imagine it beats the alternative."

Kora Johnson has posed:
"A first name for a last name?" Kora queries almost playfully. He smiled after all. But her eyes seem lost, deeply saddened it seems. She nods sagely to his answer though and then asks another one after a prolonged silence, "What's youtube?"

She shifts on the couch so she can relax an arm against the back of it and look at the man more easily. There's a look of regret on her face. "Agent Aaron, I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I thought you were HYDRA. Then when..." she pauses before saying, "Daisy." She pauses again and glances down with a weird twitch to her lips, "Used Afterlife sign language I thought you were Afterlife."

This makes sense in her head but she's noticed that people don't seem to recognise the horror that Afterlife became for her. Perhaps they brushed their sins under the rugs too well. Then again, Daisy did say Jiaying was in charge again. She had no idea her mother was in charge in the past - she was too young to understand such adult dynamics.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "We all have our burdens, ma'am." About his nightmarish life of having a first name for a last name. Though the words might be formal, the smile perhaps eases them a little. He shifts his pale hazel eyes across the way as he considers the displays at the back of the room, likely needing to be the next thing he checks up. Though the matter isn't time sensitive, so he holds for now.
    She apologizes and his head lifts a touch, chin tilting to the side slightly. He nods a little as he listens to her, following her words and watching the movement of her lips for some reason. But then as she explains herself he lifts his left hand slightly, as if to stay any further progress down that path.
    "I know this may sound like I'm feeding you lines, Miss Johnson. But it's part of the job." As he says that last his smile broadens a little, a hint of a laugh in the tone though it's aimed at himself.
    A step further into the room then he turns and starts to move toward the data displays. Over his shoulder he says, "I've had worse first encounters with people under... similar duress."

Kora Johnson has posed:
As he mentions it's part of his job her eyes roll up a little and she glances down at his boots. "Really now. Just who the hell are you people?" A bit of that fire coming back out. She's certainly had her fill of acrynomic names. They're generally not to be trusted.

What would have happened had they not turned up? Perhaps she spends the next few months fighting, scrounging, trying to survive and acclimate to 2022 in Shanghai without getting in a direct confrontation with authorities or running in to actual HYDRA....

Things could have gone worse. Luckily none of them died. Some how the one person who should have died didn't - Jane Foster. Not that she knows the woman's name yet. The coffee is sipped again and she looks back up at his face.

"It was pretty stupid to try and dodge about like that," she remarks. Sure, they drew her attention and shot her with an ICER but if he'd been just a bit slower or she'd been a bit more with it he might have had a very very bad day indeed.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "You want a bio?" Alex asks again over his shoulder as he steps to those displays and starts to push a few buttons on the side panels which pushes them into a diagnostic state. Various color patterns flick to life, then a display window glows into prominence in the top left corner of each as a script that cascades green text runs for each. He pulls one of the keyboards around and taps a few buttons with one hand as he leans there. Then he straightens and turns back to her, resting his rear against the desk.
    "Or if there's something that's bothering you I can do my best to answer, though I should probably let you know my clearance is likely not a ton higher than your own." Which was true, in a few ways.
    He crosses his arms over his broad chest and lowers his head a little, that ages old gesture of trying to meet someone eye to eye. "I was hoping we could have persuaded you to come peacefully."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora watches as he works. What she really wants to know she's not sure she should ask. But she'll have to eventually. "Why do this at all? you could have just let me walk away." At the suggestion he has as much clearance as her she scoffs. If it were a matter of Afterlife yes, but whatever this place is? not as far as she can gather.

"I appreciate that. I've had time to reflect on the words you spoke. I hope you can appreciate I wasn't in the best of mental places at the time. I had just escaped from HYDRA and a bunch of people wearing uniforms somehow chased me down. I was slightly concerned there was a tracking chip in me or something."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She asks him that question and she can see that he's not blowing her off, not giving her a rote answer. For she causes reflection.
    It's all seen in the way his curious hazel eyes lift and then distance, pondering as he considers. His head turns to the side a little almost quizzical then his eyes refocus on her. "Personally?" He starts. "I did it because Agent Johnson gave the order."
    His smile widens a little, "But if you mean in a broader sense. Nobody knew exactly what you were going to do, or what you were capable of. Sure things might have been fine, but there's no guarantees and all."
    He shifts to the side a little, weight given to the other foot as the first props up against the base of the desk. Alexander follows along with her reasoning and the telling of it as he said, "You don't have to worry, ma'am. I hold no ill will. I would've likely done the same in your place. If I could zap folks." His lip curls up a little more, slightly wry.

Kora Johnson has posed:
Her eyes widen just a touch when he says Agent Johnson ordered him to do it. Her sister has that much pull? "There's not another Agent Johnson is there-- just my sister?" Because that's even more surprising to her. Jiaying in charge of Afterlife and Daisy giving orders to this guy?

"You can call me Kora. This whole ma'am thing is weirding me out," she states. Respect was shown differently in Afterlife and once they'd locked her away she lost all respect for any of them. No one came to help her after they decided she was a lost cause.

"It wasn't all deliberate," she admits a little more softly but doesn't truly want to go in to the details. "What will they do if they decide I'm no good? I can't be.. controlled. Or I'm too dangerous for society? What is your standard operating procedure in those scenarios?" Afterlife: toss her in a stone encased room; HYDRA: freeze her; SHIELD? unknown.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well, I mean..."
    The young man looks again toward the ceiling, then chews the corner of his lower lip as he ponders his answer. He looks back and says, "I'm sure there's /another/ Agent Johnson somewhere. But only one that I tend to listen to on Field Ops."
    Which is the one she met.
    Then she offers the use of her name and he nods, the corner of his smile lifting up. "Kora." He repeats, accepting and acknowledging that that social hurdle had been passed.
    He continues to watch, to listen, eyes following her own. His manner is so at ease, no discomfort to the situation or the possibilities of her power lashing out. Perhaps it's trust. Or perhaps something else. Yet he listens, then he nods as she gets to the end of those questions.
    "You mean, perhaps, from a standpoint in controlling your abilities? Well there are a good number of people that specialize in helping others in that capacity. I don't think they've had a failure yet." A pause then he looks thoughtful again. "Too dangerous for society, I think that's a long drive for you. Since there are... some very serious people out there with a lot of power."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora raises an eyebrow though and she smirks just a touch. "The Fantastic Four? Which one? May be the one who turns in to fire," she almost laughs. But it's a step too far for her right now. More coffee is sipped instead. Guess who hadn't revealed themselves to the world yet? Superman. Let alone Batman, or the X-Men. A lot has happened in the last 20 years. Including 9/11.

She looks hesitant though. It's because they couldn't help her last time. Something about the nature of the energy she was wielding would require study' and that study simply never came. Just Gordon to deliver her food and talk to her from time to time.

"Are they even still around or have they all retired," because nothing is set in stone anymore it seems. The whole world shifted out from underneath her. She saw one of the phones a person was using. It didn't flip open and it has no buttons and they were touching a glass surface and making weird gestures to it. Even the computer Alex was just using is light years ahead of what she was using only a three years ago from her perspective.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "The Fantastic Four are still around, though think Johnny is struggling with some issue lately." Since that's all the news he's kept up with since. Though his eyebrows rise, "I did meet Professor Richards, however. He explained to me at length about Ben Grimm's physiology." Which was... an interesting conversation.
    Though he keys in to some of her comments and listens, "Ever since things sort of kicked off with the Battle of New York, since then things have gotten... worse or better. Depending on how you look at it. Very powerful beings acknowledged to the world."
    He hears a small trill from the computer then turns to tap a few more keys. Once he's done the monitors flit back to what they were doing before he arrived and then he hits the screen lock on them before he pushes away from the desk. A few steps carry him toward her and he holds near but not quite taking a seat yet, not wanting to intrude most likely.
    "Though the world was always sorta crazy, just more people notice it now. My dad was..." A pause, then he smiles a little and shakes his head, "Well just was a different time."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora's expression becomes more puzzled. Just what is he talking about? "What was the Battle of New York? is it.. is it gone?" She always wanted to visit that city one day. Her father talked to her about how amazing it was and he was going to show her where he grew up and where his office was. Five year olds eat this stuff up and never let it go.

"And what do you mean by very powerful beings?" Her mind is racing. "Did aliens take over the Earth? is that why we're hiding in a bunker?"

She is more engaged with this conversation that she intended to. She shifts her position on the couch, legs tucked under her and coffee being sipped. She is of similar age to Alex but she grew up in pleasant medieval village filled with gifted people, super powers, and the odd bit of advanced technology. It's not just the time difference she has to adapt to.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A deep breath is taken as he looks to her, head tilted the other way now as if he might see something else from this angle. Then he exhales that breath and pulls the ottoman over, and that will at least serve as a temporary seat as he talks to Kora about...
    What has gone before!
    "First off, it was revealed that Asgard and the Norse pantheon are... real. That they are beings who exist, perhaps aliens in some ways, or perhaps just metaphysical manifestations of the cultural zeitgeist. But they exist. To such a degree that Loki, the trickster, he decided he wasn't getting enough respect in Asgard. So he chose to invade New York."
    He pauses to let that sink in, though when he sees it starting to take purchase and he imagines he sees the questions coming to light in her eyes he holds up a hand as if to just ask for a moment to continue.
    "I was a sprogling, teenager when it happened. But all of these super beings came together to fight and save New York, which they did. Loki was defeated and he was punished by Asgard. But he was aided by... aliens or creatures from another dimension? So this was a big wake up call for everyone. Yet that seemed to open the flood gates."
    He sits up a little straighter, drawing his leg up into his lap and looking still so terribly at ease, "Lots of more strangeness happened after that. I should also tell you that I am... fairly strange myself. Which is why I'm on this team."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Just the slight widening of Kora's eyes as he lays it out there like it's absolutely nothing at all. Time has paved over some of the craziness for the people who lived through it. But for Kora this is all hitting her for the first time. The notion that a bunch of superheroes came together to fight aliens and a Norse god has her leaning a little closer.

Yet there is a question on the tip of her tongue when he mentions he's strange. "Are you Inhuman? I am wondering if everyone on this team is Inhuman. Were the people who fought Loki and his army of aliens all Inhuman too?" The flood gates though makes her wonder just how many alien invasions have happened since this battle of New York.

She knew there were people out there with powers that weren't Inhuman. They were supposedly very rare just like Inhumans. Given the population of Earth it is still the case that the superheroes are few and far between - they're just far better organised and motivated and rallied for now.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Oh there are people from all walks of life," Alexander says as he tells her, likely feeling that perhaps this is totally fine to tell Kora since it's not exactly confidential. "There were Inhumans, but there were also people called Mutants, which have a genetic difference that comes upon them at puberty."
    He uncurls a hand to the side, "Or people who came about because of science advancements. The Avengers are the team of people who were prominent then and they were composed of an inventor in a suit of armor, a man from World War 2, a Norse God, and two secret agents."
    Then he shakes his head at her personal inquiry about him. "No, ma'am. I mean Kora. I am not an Inhuman. I come from a family that has a history of long life and special abilities connected to... magical aspects of the world. My father was known as Ares, the Greek God." Which apparently are a thing as well.

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora stares at him. She sets the oversized mug down on the nearby coffee table. His dad is Ares. God of War? Blink. Slow blink. She lifts up a hand as if it say 'wait a moment' and she rubs her fingertips together. She pauses a moment and then lifts up a finger again and looks him up and down.

"Okay. Things have gone a bit weird since I was captured by HYDRA. I thought my life was weird but it sounds like everyones life is weird." Her lips twist and her head tilts a little bit more.

"The existence of Inhumans must be a footnote compared to all this then." She kind of wants to go home, back to Afterlife, but the notion is utterly soured the moment it pops in to her head. That friendly village lost all its joy and life for her.

"You're not just making all this up are you because it sounds like the world was hit with the crazy stick and no one noticed."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "No, Kora, m'afraid I'm not making it up." Alexander then raises his eyebrows, "Though, by the bye, when we're in the world I'd appreciate if you don't tell people about myself. People here know about me and all, but out and about not so much." Such a polite way to ask her to keep his 'sekrit identity' though perhaps to him it isn't as secret as all that.
    "But Inhumans have had it rough, though I'm not privy to the ins and outs. Agent Johnson needed my help and I owed her. So that's why I'm here." He rests his hands on the boot in his lap, tilting his head to the side as he watches her take all of this in.
    "Any other questions you have I can help you with if you like?"

Kora Johnson has posed:
A mortified look? or just one of someone who is utterly overwhelmed with revelations. The latter definitely. She shakes her head. "Yes. I mean no. I mean.. yes I'll keep it quiet. Agent Aaron. Just this guy, you know?" Oh she totally read the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as a child.

"I. I think I need to just let all this stuff sit for a bit. That's a lot. You don't really seem like a demigod but then again I never thought someone would tell me Norse gods would be real and try and invade New York with an alien army."

Her lips twitch a bit. It's clear he holds a lot of respect for her sister. "Have you met my mother? Jiaying" she asks. She can only imagine what she must be like now. Her memories of mother and father are nothing but pure joy followed by the sadness of when she lost them. And her baby sister - who is all grown up and older than her now.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Those pale eyes hold hers and his smile is friendly, but there's sympathy in his gaze since he's had... a good amount of experience telling people similar strange truths. Since over the years he's confided in friends and co-workers and the range of reactions he's had has been rather broad.
    "Thank you," He says about her agreeing to keep that whole 'god' thing close to her vest.
    She tells him she needs time to let it sit so he nods a little and accepts that, perhaps straightening a little as if at first viewing that as a request for him to leave. Though when she asks if he's met her mother he stops and shakes his head. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. Agent Johnson hasn't ever spoken of her to me."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora gathers up the coffee again and takes a deeper drink. It's cooler now and thus ready for proper consumption. It's interesting to her that Alex isn't privy to Inhuman business. That tracks given Daisy seems to be representing Afterlife. Afterlife was never going to open its doors willingly. 'had it rough' though makes her wonder what that could possibly mean. She'll have to talk to Daisy about that too. There's a lot to talk to her sister about.

"Thank you. People generally seem hesitant to talk to me. Especially the ones wearing the SHIELD badge." She has been starved for conversation for years and it hasn't been easy accepting herself as the monster she knows she is. "That's probably for the best."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "If Agent Johnson's willing to trust you, then I am as well." A small shrug is given, "I know it must seem like I'm some automaton just doing his duty or whatever but... she's proven to have a good head on her shoulders over the years."
    As he says that he pushes himself to his feet, rolling one shoulder slightly until there's a faint crackle from the joint. A nod is given to her as he murmurs, "I'm going to go finish the rounds, but I'll be in earshot if you need anything."
    A few steps carry him toward the door, though he pauses in the archway. Looking back he says, "You know, I could maybe get you some of the movies they made about the whole New York thing? I mean they're glorified and all but they contain some of the real clips and the facts of what happened."
    He pauses there just long enough to get her answer.

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora isn't quite sure her sister does trust her - but she had such big eyes. Perhaps she does. May be she shouldn't. She shakes her head a little before looking back to him. "You seem very military. You remind me of a guy called Garvy. He was one of the people who taught me English. He was from Texas originally but he always did things very orderly and spoke very politely like you do."

She pulls over the blanket across her lap as he rises and starts to leave. She looks back over to the doorway as he asks and she nods her head. "Yes. Though I didn't see any DVD player in my quarters. Is .. I'm not sure how things work here.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah?" He asks in reply to him seeming like Garvy and he nods a little as he accepts this, "Sounds like he was an alright fellow."
    That said he smiles and then steps through, though lifting a hand to offer a small wave as he goes. "Might be able to find a laptop and get it on the hard drive, or streaming though that might open a can of worms."
    He turns around to walk backwards while still within line of sight of her, "One way or other I'll be back in an hour." That said he smiles and then turns back around and heads on his way.