13326/The Sword and The Hive

The Sword and The Hive
Date of Scene:	10 November 2022
Location:	Afterlife Settlement - Nepal
Synopsis:	Daisy and Kora trek up the mountain next to old Afterlife in Nepal discussing myths and lore, family secrets, and monsters of old. Also, apparently the jade sword is magic? may be?
Cast of Characters:	Kora Johnson, Daisy Johnson

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Kora Johnson has posed:
A family secret. A sword. A hidden temple. A hike through a mountain in Nepal. It's quite the family adventure so far.

Kora tucks her thumbs under the straps of her backpack as she walks. It seems growing up in mountain elevation and air does give you great stamina. The only thing slowing them down, really, is the snow itself. But they're in no rush.

"How did you find this temple anyway? No one in Afterlife ever told me about a temple. A hidden kingdom on the moon sure but not a temple," Kora asks. She knows this path. It leads up in to the caverns where Afterlife would train their people to fight. It was also meant to be where they were to hide if something went wrong and Afterlife was attacked.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Returning to this place, this mountain path, was bringing back memories to Daisy. It was closely related to the time her mind had began to expand to the true meaning of what her powers meant, when she had become more aware of that song of the universe.

And she was hoping they could find some answers for Kora too.

"I felt a calling." Daisy tells her. "When I came to Afterlife I had become powerless after overburning my powers." she pauses to bring some hair out of her face as a gust of wind picks up. "As I was recovering and training it was when I felt it.."

They continue approaching that cave but then at a crossroads she gestures. "Come, this way." the path going another way. And much further up.

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora looks surprise for a moment glancing over at Daisy. "You burnt out your powers? I had no idea that was a thing." She hmhps a little, "So that's what the gauntlets were about?" Gauntlets to help an Inhuman deal with their powers is not something Afterlife would ever come up with.

Following this other trail up higher she shrugs a little and keeps on hiking. "So. Family Secret. Gosh. I've never actually told this story. Mom did it so well so let's see..." She considers for a moment.

"The myth is, long ago when humanity was first walking the plains of Africa we were visited by alien beings. They found the special few of us, the ones who were different, and used their advanced sciences to release our gifts. Terrigen."

Kora glances over at Daisy to see if she knows any of this. "They were called the Kree. The aliens. But they weren't just interested in giving us gifts. They were trying to create weapons. Weapons they could use to fight their wars. And unfortunately for them - they did make the perfect weapon."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Advanced sciences..." Daisy lets out a hmph. "Don't think those sciences could explain the goblet..." but it's not as if she explains what the goblet is, she just shrugging briefly. She walks a bit further in silence after that story, not appearing too surprised with that revelation. Maybe she has heard the story. Or something similar to that.

"When we are able to get your powers stabilized I should bring you to the moon." She says, "So you can meet Blackagar."

"The gauntlets were a crutch." She explains, "One that I have discarded long ago." she smiles faintly. "FitzSimmons came up with them. It was what allowed me to survive back then.."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora looks back over to Daisy. "Goblet? Blackagar? ... wait the secret moon kingdom is real?" She chuckles lightly and then huffs. "I guess adults can keep some secrets. Like Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy." A small smile. She's finding it easier to relax around Daisy. Mostly because she and Jane both don't die on her.

"I have no idea who or what a Fizzimmons is.. but great. I get the feeling you received your gift outside of Afterlife then. No one to train you? that must have been rough."

She looks ahead again as they climb up the mountain path, "Any way. The perfect weapon. He called himself Hive. A very unoriginal name since his gift was a kind of hive mind connection to other Inhumans. You see, the perfect weapon wasn't one Inhuman, but all of us combined. Hive, when connected to us, could make us work in concert."

She clicks her tongue, "Buuut it wasn't exactly concentual and on top of that, Hive wasn't a big fan of the Kree. He didn't want to fight wars for them. Understandable really. So he used his captured collective of Inhumans to fight back against the Kree."

"This is all, like, 400,000 years ago or something crazy like that so who knows how much of it is true. The Kree couldn't defeat Hive, so they ran away. Off back in to space never to be heard from again. All except for one, Fu-varr. Unlike the other Kree he actually did care about us and wasn't here just to make weapons."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"You have met them already. It's Jemma and Fitz." Daisy smirking up at Kora when she doesn't pick up on that nickname. Well, not many people that do, really. Footsteps are left on the snow now as they continue making their way and the further they go up the colder it gets along with the winds that can nearly topple someone. Always fun. But progress is being made.

"It's very real, I have been there and ..., yea. We will go there." a faint smile offered back at Kora, she clearly believing that they will be able to find a solution for those powers.

"Hive? Perfect weapon?" She lifts her shoulders in a shrug, "That feels like it was ages ago. But that's how myths go too. How much of it is true, mmm?" she then huhs at that name.

"Fu-varr."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora finds herself having to lean in to the wind and now she needs to pull her ski mask down over her face because it's getting too chilly without it. Thank goodness for mittens and this SHIELD gear. "Okay. Don't tell me about the goblet and whatever a Blackagar is. I'll be content with a Fitz and a Simmons."

"And yeah. It was ages ago. But Fu-varr made us a weapon to fight Hive. Well, not just Hive. But even their fellow Kree should they return. To fight off anyone, really."

She looks back to Daisy and then at the sword strapped to her back. "The sword, when used properly, amplifies the gift of the one wielding it. You could, say, Wubwub an entire.. I dunno.. planet apart? Me? I'd probably create a super nova or a black hole. Who knows. No one has beeen able to make the weapon work. Mom tried for centuries apparently."

She flicks a mittened hand toward Daisy and the sword. "Fu-varr chose the strongest warrior of the Inhumans and gifted them the sword. It was to be passed down so that we would be ever ready in case we needed it. They used the sword to defeat Hive. Ded, I presume, and that was that. Fu-varr died peacefully in their sleep yaddayadda the Kree never came back yaddayadda, mom gave you my sword and here we are."

She pauses at the entrance to what looks like an old mine. Up here on the top of a Nepalese mountain. "Here we are," she repeats again clearly having never seen this before.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Blackagar Boltagon. The Inhuman King in the moon. He is ...." Daisy considers for a few moments, "Perhaps the most powerful of us all. But it came at a cost. You will understand when you meet him.."

"As for the goblet..." She lets out a sigh, "It's gone now, but it resonated with the memories of those that came before me, who wielded these same powers. There was much I learned, but also a lot that I didn't." not that she goes into on how the goblet itself was gone.

She listens about the sword, looking over her shoulder to the hilt of the blade and quirks a brow. "Jiaying's motivations are suddenly starting to become clearer..." another ploy to see if she can get the sword to work. Or in this case her daughters.

Daisy walks over to the entrance, tapping on the side of it as some snow falls down. "We will go through here." she says. "But yea, there was an old mine here belonging to the russians. Not sure what they were mining but ...." she takes a step in, turning on a flashlight as they begin plunging into the darkness.

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora isn't the only one telling wild stories on this trip. "A king? that's.. awful. Who wants a monarchy these days. Please." A small smirk though hearing he is extremely power and that it comes at a cost has her mind wandering as they walk in to the dark mine. She knows a little something about power and cost.

"Resonated with the memories of that.. what? I think you're just making stuff up now." She chuckles and feels the gentle decline the mine takes them deeper in tot he mountain. It isn't quite as cold in here and she lifts her ski mask back off.

"I take it you've swished the sword around and didn't unlock any mythical abilities then. I guess mom just wanted to see if you were the chosen one or not. I, on the other hand, was not allowed to touch it after I got my gift. I did train with it plenty before I got my gift though. It's very top heavy. It's not a particularly good sword in my opinion. Odds are the whole myth around it is a lie."

She folds her arms and says, "But that's the family secret. Not all Inhumans can be trusted and being the most powerful does not make one the strongest. If Blackagar were meant to know about the sword he would. But since he's a king and he doesn't have the sword that tells me he isn't. Like how all our gifts are part of a strange tapestry, so too is the sword."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Says the one talking about Hives, and alien species and mystical swords, mmm?" A smirk right back at Kora! Daisy walks carefully now, taking attention to the nooks and crannies around the place. Though this is made easier by the use of her own powers. Feeling what's around them. That song that every living being has, keeping aware of threats.

"And he's a good king. I think you will like him." As Kora then starts going on about chosen ones there's a big eyeroll out of Daisy. "The chosen one trope is perhaps the trope I hate the most where it comes to movies.." she huffs at it. "Awful." she gestures for them to stop, she looking at the paths on the crossroad, "This way."

"We all have a duty and a place with the Inhumans. None of our powers came randomly, they have a purpose. Just like you said, woven together in a large tapestry."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora hmms, "So you do believe in the grand plan then. Yet you scoff at the chosen one? Of all the peoples of the world, it's the most plausible that our large tapestry has in it a key to unlock the powers of the sword. Fu-varr, if they were real, wouldn't have left us defenseless. And if Hive existed, then something must have defeated him or we'd all be mindless superhuman zombies."

She heads down the chosen path. The air is stale down here and plant life is growing regardless, trying to reclaim the space. "We're not going to run in to actual cougars down here are we?"

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"That there is a chosen one that will save us all? Absolutely. It goes completely against the philosophy of us all having a part to play in this." Daisy replies back to Kora, "What would be the point of all our powers if there was ONE who would do it all?" she shakes her head and then grins back at Kora. "Maybe I am more the type to believe in the Chosen Many." a wink. "That makes more sense to me."

"Mmm, maybe not.." She leans down to brush her fingertips over the plant life, "They do not look to have been walked through for a time now. Maybe the cougars chose another perch to rest at."

She gets back up to her feet, "We are not far from the end of the mine."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora snap points, "See now you're sounding like a Hive drone. You're not under the mind control powers of an ancient Inhuman are you dear sister?" She smirks again and then keeps on walking. There's not much else to do but enjoy the strangeness of the journey and the company of her sister.

"I think the whole tapestry thing is just the alien science trying to find their weapons. If our entire purpose and existence was for war - yet we've found a life of peace - then the whole system is redundant and pointless. The last thing any of us want is to end up using our powers to hurt people."

Except may be HYDRA. Do they even count as people? "Once we get to the end of the mine - then what?"

Daisy Johnson has posed:
When Daisy gets back up to her feet she doesn't immediately answer Kora. Just looks at her blankly. Then approaches her with her arms extended. "Braaainnnsss...", she murmurs, "Let me gnaw at your heaaadddd.." she then grinning and just hipbumping her sister. "This all chosen one trope still reminds me we still need to get that star wars marathon going." she says. "Well, not a marathon, it's just a few movies that are any good. But Anakin was a clear victim of that chosen one trope.."

They make their way past the last, long corridor of that mine and eventually some light is seen shining ahead. The exit. Daisy makes her way there. "We are getting close. Perhaps another hour and we should be at the top."

"We may have been made as weapons." Daisy then finally says, "But it's how we choose to use our powers that define us. They can hurt people, yes. But more importantly they can be used to protect others, and that's what I try to do with mine." a beat, "It's why we formed the Secret Warriors."

Kora Johnson has posed:
Kora scoffs, "I find it hard to believe," she says recovering from the Daisy-hipbump, "that there could ever be good Star wars movies after the phantom menace." She shudders visible and shakes her head. "Nooope. Never watching that crap again. Though, Q-guy-jin was kind of cool and I liked young Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Kora is rather curious about the Secret Warriors. The invite to join if they can fix her problems. She's not too optimistic about that though ancient tombs in a hidden temple do sound pretty cool.

"The old Afterlife would never have approved of your actions..." Being out and about scooping up Inhumans willy nilly. "But the old Afterlife didn't have to deal with, uh, how was it put in the report? a mass Terrigen Event? Whatever that means."

She smiles and looks at her sister, "I, for one, think what you're doing is admirable and brave." She lets that linger as they hike on. Finally, making it out on to the top and there stands a temple. Carved in to the stone it hides well with mounds of snow about it and strange symbols above its doorway.

"Enter all ye ...Chosen," Kora says reading the Kree symbols as if it were a second language. For her it is. Still, she look utterly perplexed to be seeing it written carved in to stone at an ancient hidden temple on top of a mountain. "The gods and goddesses are truly laughing at us right about now aren't they..."