4314/Entrance Interview

Entrance Interview
Date of Scene:	05 December 2020
Location:	Penthouse - Kord Co
Synopsis:	Spider-Man brings Alyx to her interview with Ted Kord.
Cast of Characters:	Ted Kord, Peter Parker, Alyx Vance

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Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord's assistant was apologetic. Melissa by name. "Mister Kord apologizes for the lateness of this meeting. He had me send out for Chinese food in case you are hungry. If' you'd wait here he should arrive presently. He's out flying." That makes her look a little worried. "Uhm, you might have to speak up. He had a mishap last night. Spider-Man, show Ms. Vance around, you know the drill."

A harsh keening is heard outside and Melissa's phone beeps.

"Open the ****ing door!"

Melissa does so with aplomb as anyone with a hypothetical Spider-Sense can tell it's somewhat urgent.

The Blue Beetle streaks through the door. "Hey Mel. Thanks!" and bounces onto the trampoline... and bounces... and bounces some more.

One more bounce. He lays there laughing a little.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey walks in, nodding to Melissa as he walks in.
He hadn't gotten Alyx's number from the prepaid phone he had helped buy, so he had gone by the apartment to make her the offer.

"I want you to meet someone, Alyx. I think he can help you if you want to help him. This is a job interview, Alyx. Do you want a job?"

Alyx Vance has posed:
    In the short amount of time they had been apart, Alyx had come to learn some harsh truths: the people on Earth, generally speaking, did not know who she was and they all expect money in exchange for, well, anything. So, yes, she wanted a job and agreed to come with Spider-Man so she could get one.

    And that's how they would find themselves waiting for Mister Kord, just outside his office. And then... BLAM. The guy whose name was on the building just comes barrelling in through the door opened, in the nick of time, by the wonderful Melissa.

    After standing up and moving to the doorway, Alyx puts her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows. Spider-Man is given a *look* that silently just says 'really?' as she tilts her head to the side, drawing some attention to the Blue Beetle's antics on the trampoline in the next room.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord is still vibrating as Melissa, again with rampant aplomb tosses paper media on his stomach, a little roughly. "Times, News, Bugle, and the latest comic books." She leaves.

Blue Beetle gets up and removes his goggles and hood. He has average looks with brown hair and blue eyes and actually bears some resemblance to a certain spider... but you wouldn't know that.

"Evening Spidey. Hello Miss. I am Theodore Steven Kord, this is my company, these are my people. I understand you're looking for a job? Please have a seat and tell me about yourself. Spidey help yourself to the take out. We'll join you after the interview."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckles, then nods to Alyx. "You got this, Alyx. I'll see the both of you after you ace this interview."

Spider-Man steps back, then walks over to the table. Hmm, chicken egg rolls!

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx gives Spider-Man a brief wave of her hand and a shrug, presenting nothing more than someone who was completely non-plussed by him. But, as she steps further into the office and away from view, she brings her hands down to her waist so that they can worry against each other, her mouth curling to a private smile.

    "Well, Mister Kord," Alyx begins, giving him a silent inspection with her green eyes. "I don't know what Spider-Man told you, but, I have a job," she states plainly. "But, it doesn't pay anything..."

    Alyx takes the offered seat and crosses one leg over the other. She hadn't dressed for this. "Tell you about me...Heh, well, I have to admit -- I'm not used to doing that. People usually already know me," she admits with a slight chuckle. "I'm sure Spider-Man told you that I'm not from around these parts..."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord steeples his fingers. "First, call me Ted. People calling me Mr. Kord make me think they're up to something. It's 'Ted' unless you messed up very badly. All right I will make this easy... if I hire you, what can you do to justify a salary?"

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "Well, I am up to something, usually," Alyx adds, a smirk forming. But, the point is made and she nods her head. "Call me Alyx."

    When it comes time to justify her salary, Alyx shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I can bring you the latest comic books," she replies joylessly. With that, she reaches a hand in the direction of the stack of papers dropped off by Melissa. She gives her hand a gentle pull, yanking at nothing.

    The book unlucky enough to be on the top of the stack flies into the air towards Alyx's waiting hand. She catches it easily and plops it in front of Ted.

    With that done, Alyx turns her hand a bit so Ted could see the top part of her gloved hand, revealing the electronic components that made up the Gravity Gloves.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord looks at the gloves for a moment. "Monodirectional gravity control... unless you are an ax murderer or cultist you're hired... but we'll put you in the propulsion division. Melissa gets me my newspapers." The newspaper in question is the Bugle and the headlines scream: 'Great Santa Clause Massacre by Vigilantes!!!' over a photo of jolly red clad bodies in a pile. Ted <ahuhs> and folds the newspaper over. A hurried artist conception looks a lot like... let's not dwell on that. Spidey may have a rival for costumed menace.

"So here are the employment forms. This form is confidential: any mutations, cyberwear or metates that might pose a problem you need to let me know for your own safety. I'm the only one who reads this. We have Mutants working here, all powers are kept confidential. What else can you do?"

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "Ted." Alyx's tone is almost meant to sound a bit like 'slow down'...

    "I didn't build these, I just improved them. My father and the team at Black Mesa -- New Mojexico, not here -- made these. A prototype, really, for a zero-point energy field manipulator. One direction, like you said," Alyx explains. "I just worked out some improvements..."

    To demonstrate, Alyx moves her right hand towards her left wrist, extending her fingertips. As she gets close, the tips of her fingers seem to rip into reality, generating dull white and blue sparkles as they disappear. She pulls them back out, now holding a notebook and pen she stored there earlier.

    "I'm really more interested in portal technology," Alyx adds, commenting on her own expertise and the apparent improvements she's made to the Gravity Gloves. She smiles up at Ted and shrugs her shoulders.

    "Mechanics, engineering, weaponsmithing, computer security systems, electronics," Alyx begins droning out the bullet points that would go on her resume if she came with one. "But, honestly?" Alyx adds, leaning forward as she places the notebook and pen on the desk. "...I'm really just an actor."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is debating the pros and cons of chow mein over fried rice, but he is also listening to Ted and Alyx talk. When she speaks, it sounds like she is accepting his offer. She wouldn't give her laundry list of fields if she wasn't interested.

He smiles wryly.
Well...time to simplify a few things.
He reaches up, grabs the balaclava mask, and pulls it off, his back still turned to Ted and Alyx. He stuffs his mask in the backpack, then opts for the chow mein.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord gets up to take a closer look at the glove. "May I?" he says examining a glove closely. "I worked on security protocvols for the League teleporters, though they function based on phased matter. Portal tech... and a storage tesseract? We haven't begun to work on those or zero point energy. We mainly do anti-grav, and solar power, and some very nice drones. Hmmm... I could probably give you some components to improve fine control on this... essentially it's putting new rims on a Buggati. I can get some idea how it works... I'm a quick study. These are a nice clean design. POrtsl tech as a side effect of zero point energy? You generate a repulsion force to open a micro-wormhole? I audited a couple classes."

"Actor? Well I admire your showmanship. We can always use a presenter. And there's more acting involved in business than I like. And... I don't mind helping you acclimate and giving you a place to stay if you need it. I rebuild the floor below to have apartments. This penthouse was full at one time. I get lonely. Heh."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    For a bit, Alyx allows Ted to inspect the components of the Gravity Gloves for a few moments before she lowers her hand back to her lap. "Anti-gravity..." she repeats. "We've had trouble with that over in Black Mesa. So far, we've just been able to work out the 'pull' but not the 'push'..." A reveal that her gloves can't repel anything.

    "And my little pocket dimensions are not really related to zero point -- I just think it's helpful for me, out in the field, to be able to store things..." Her head tilts to the side. "Black Mesa's work is not towards commercial applications. It's for survival."

    Ted's sudden admiration for actors and showmanship bring a certain look of shock to Alyx's face. A 'how dare you' almost comes out of her mouth, but she belays it. "...Uh..." Alyx begins. "...Thanks." She lets the man's unintentional faux pas go at the offer of residence, as this place is way nicer than anything she'd find herself. It's also entirely possible that he didn't know that 'actor' is synonymous with 'slave' back home. Meanwhile, Alyx Vance was totally unaware that, just outside the office, Spider-Man had become Peter Parker...

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord ponders, "Yeah, I used hand gestures to direct my vehicles as well as voice commands... when I had a vehicle... did I say something to upset you? I'm sorry, but I don't know your culture. If you tell me what I said, I won't do it again."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "No...It's fine, really," Alyx insists, shaking her head. She was content to let it go. Alyx lets out a quiet hitch of air before glancing away from Ted for a brief moment, catching a glimpse of Spider-Man facing away from them, attentively engaged with the food table... without his mask. Instead of that red and blue covering, Alyx sees the back of his head covered in brown hair. Her eyebrows rise, though she returns her attention to Ted.

    "So, is there anything else you'd like to know?" she asks.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord raises his eyebrow at the sight of Peter's unmasking. "Hmmm that'll be all for now. We'll get the legal department to work getting you an identity. Shouldn't be too hard. I'm going to ask my assistant Melissa to help you get settled. It seems like Spidey is giving you a ringing endorsement and that's enough for me. We can start you as soon as you want. Take tomorrow at least to move. I'll sign off on a van and a driver should you need it and get a few bots to help you here. Hey, Spidey? You better have left me an egg roll or two and for my new hire."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man...without the mask...turns around to look at Ted and Alyx.

One, two...nope, only two eyes, no more than that. Brown eyes, too. Combined with the rest...completely average-looking, at least from the neck up. The suit does a poor job of concealing his actual physique.

He also is noshing on beef chow mein, so inflated cheeks and one chow mein noodle hanging from between his lips cement his neck-up appearance as a complete GOOBER.

He slurps up the noodle, chewing and swallowing as he steps away from the table. "Oh, there's plenty of those left. I think the vendor knows how much you like them."

Then he taps his neck with one fingertip and the harmonizer chip shuts off. When he talks again, he sounds less authoritative and more...well, earnest, really.

"Hello, Alyx Vance...my name is Peter Parker."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "Alright!" Alyx says as she rises from her seat. Her eyes briefly linger on the doorway but quickly return to Ted. "Well, you definitely won't regret it."

    "...Probably," she adds with a growing smirk. No sense keeping her charming personality hidden for long. "I can start whenever you'd like. Everything I brought to Earth is in this room," Alyx admits. One hitch remains, though...

    "Can this 'identity' still be Alyx Vance?" she checks. "If any refugees manage to arrive on Earth, I'd like it to be easy to find me." It's a weird request, to be sure, refugees and all, but Alyx makes it casually.

    With a curt smile, Alyx turns from Ted and moves towards the door. She gets a few steps before stopping in her tracks when she hears Spider-Man's voice without the harmonizer. "...Hello, Peter Parker," she replies softly.

    Her response lacks the usual sass and look-how-tough-i-am tones that usually come. It almost sounds like the wind was knocked out of her. She watches him slurp up the noodles like a goof, allowing her green eyes to study his features. A smile forms, briefly, before she comes to her senses.

    "Peter Parker," she repeats, the sass returning to her voice.