6488/The Purpose of an Inhuman

The Purpose of an Inhuman
Date of Scene:	11 May 2021
Location:	Hangar - Playground
Synopsis:	May and Blackagar have a heart-to-heart about what it means to be an Inhuman... and just why Melinda finds it such a struggle.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Blackagar Boltagon

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Melinda May has posed:
The hangar is, for anyone who knows Melinda May well, one of the most likely places to find her. There, the range, or the training room. Of course, given she's now in command of STRIKE, she's been spending a lot more time in briefing rooms and labs, too, but... Right now, she's returned to her 'home' within the base: The hanger.

The ramp is down on the back of one of the quinjets. She's standing at the base of it, a clipboard in hand, looking over some pages. One of the other jets is obviously already out somewhere, its space in the hangar open, leaving a sizable expanse of the facility empty.

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar Boltagon has accepted the hospitality of the SHIELD group since he's arrived and done as they've asked in terms of not wandering to secure areas or interfering in anyway. After the incident in the briefing room he'd even been polite enough to let them take their procedures for safety and the like.

But there is still an itch within the Inhuman King, not for the SHIELD persons, but for his people. That was has led him to wander a bit and in this case make his way to the hangar where he has either tracked or incidentally found Melinda. He does not approach silently, but nor does he make a large amount of noise. Rather he just walks up to where the woman is at by the quinjet and stands next to her for a few moments until she notices him at which time his hands move in language: ~A word?~

Melinda May has posed:
It doesn't really take long for the King to attract the pilot's attention. Beyond having fairly acute situational awareness... there's the draw of the subtle combinations of emotions that she's learning to identify uniquely as him. Thus, it doesn't take more than a moment for her to switch her focus. As she notes the signs he makes, she tucks her clipboard under her arm and steps off the ramp.

"Of course," she says easily, perhaps a trifle cordially. Really SHIELD's trying to make a half decent impression on the man -- despite the fact that there will *always* be things the Inhumans and SHIELD will disagree upon. For her part, May really doesn't know how to react to all this, so she falls back on what she does know... a sort of military-esque courtesy. "Is something wrong?"

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar studies May with his blue eyes when she approaches and he nods in response to her question. Something is wrong. It takes him a few moments to consider but then he begins to 'speak' in his way towards her.

~Had you been born in Attilan this would be much easier. But it is important to discuss this. How do you feel? I was given the impression that your Terrigenesis was recent.~ He looks at her with an almost fatherly expression, perhaps more of a compassionate leader than fatherly. ~Were you alone through the process?~

Melinda May has posed:
How does she feel? Melinda May blinks mildly. This seems to be a big theme with Inhumans. Even Jiaying, who has every reason to be hostile -- or at least wary -- of The Cavalry, wanted to know the very same thing. Slowly, May is coming to realize this is somehow very important to the Inhumans. If she's honest, she can understand why.

"Yes and no," she says slowly, deciding to give him a fairly factual answer. Her lips tug faintly to one side. "My transformation happened in the middle of a battle. I was with Commander Gonzales, at the time, in Afterlife. We were meeting with Jiaying, trying to negotiate an alliance. HYDRA attacked. In the first wave, they fired missiles. The blast caused the crystals we were looking at to break. Gonzales died. I didn't. No one expected that." Herself included.

She inhales slowly, trying to sort through what she should tell him or not. In the end, she decides it's better just to keep going. "My gift is some sort of telempathy. But it didn't hit me all once. It actually shut my emotions down pretty hard for several days, only gradually restoring them. And with them, my ability to sense others."

She gives a mild shrug. "You don't know me, of course. But were you to ask anyone to describe me, I'm fairly certain 'emotional' is not a word most would choose. I have always tended to keep my emotions fairly close to my chest. So... honestly, it took all of us a while to actually realize what had happened. Daisy was the first to figure it out. Once she did, though... she did everything she could to help. So did several others... when they could."

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
There's a humored emotion that rolls off Blackagar and he signs towards Melinda, ~You would think that the King, the person who must speak to and for his whole people would be able to speak at all, wouldn't you? But that is not the way it works. I have often wondered why this is as it is for me. But when I think about it, what better gift than to not be able to speak, to force a leader to always listen?~ He let's the thought soak in before continuing.

~Perhaps being an unemotional person is why you are able to hear other's? Much like myself. I don't speak so I listen. You try not to feel so you are better able to hear what others feel?~ A shrug lifts his shoulders at the possibility and then he walks some to look at the quinjet and collect his thoughts in silence.

~You did not expect to be different. None on Earth really do. But you are. The challenge that faces any Inhuman on Earth is you have two roads. One is to accept you are Inhuman and to join with your people -- this is why Afterlife existed. The other is to try to live with one foot in both worlds.~

Melinda May has posed:
May nods slowly to some of what he says. There's wisdom to it, and she can see it. "Oh, I feel things. And did before now. I've just always chosen not to lose control of it. To use my emotions constructively, if I can." Or destructively... in the case of the way she prefers to vent her anger -- usually by beating the hell out of HYDRA agents.

Her lips press together for a moment. She gestures to the quinjet. "Would you care to join me, your majesty? You're looking for a serious conversation. I'd rather have it sitting down somewhere a random mechanic isn't likely to overhear."

If he agrees, she leads him into the plane, closer to the front. The ramp remains open, and will unless they decide to go somewhere. But it's clear May is seeking a more private venue for whatever it is she wants to say.

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar dips his head in agreement to May's comments and her request, stepping to follow her but not before signign to her. ~No need to use formal terms. Simply call me Blackagar~ the sign for his name takes him a moment as he basically spells it out. As they walk on, he takes a seat when she settles in, letting himself find a comfortable posture that looks less regal and more conversational. There he settles in to let May speak her mind.

Melinda May has posed:
May settles on a seat very near the cockpit, her comfort zone. She smiles a little as the man relaxes opposite her. "I'm going to tell you this myself because it's going to come out eventually, anyway. And I'd sooner you hear it from me. Because I was the only person who was actually there. I'm the only one who really knows what happened." Her eyes have grown dark and her jaw is tense. "Everyone else *thinks* they know what happened. But they don't."

She meets his eyes. "I'd like to ask you not to share this, but you're a king. So, I'll ask instead for your discretion, at least. However, what I am about to tell you, here, I have told no one else." A beat. "Not SHIELD. Not even my ex-husband."

Then, she looks away, toward the cockpit. "Eight years ago, I was sent to Bahrain to investigate reports of a metahuman exhibiting signs of superstrength, who had stirred up local dissidents and insurrectionists. We weren't there to put down the insurrection. We were there to make contact with the powered person and see if we could diffuse the situation."

Her expression falls into a neutral cast, almost like she's reciting a mission report, those the details are too clearly seen in her eyes for it to be anything so clinical. "By the time my partner and I arrived, the situation was already nearing critical mass. SHIELD had sent in a STRIKE team of 20 agents ahead of us. They had a warehouse surrounded. The metahuman we were after was a woman named Eva Belyakov." She glances to the king. "I didn't learn until very recently she was actually Inhuman."

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar isn't an empath, but it is very easy to pick up the severity of tone and seriouness of Melinda's conversation as she begins. He keeps a passive expression, perhaps a bit sympathetic in his eyes as he listens, only signing occassionally. Things like, ~I will not share your tale~ and ~Go on~ when it is appropriate. While she speaks though he tries to recall the name that is mentioned, Eva. Not placing it he motions for her to continue, posture shifting a bit to one that has a slight forward lean for listening.

Melinda May has posed:
"The situation went bad. Fast. There were men with guns and threats were flying back and forth. There was a girl. About twelve years old. They grabbed her and retreated to a warehouse." Melinda's tone remains even, perhaps more so than it was earlier. There's a subtle tightening to her eyes as the tale continues, and a set to her shoulders that suggests just how incredibly tight her emotional control very well may be.

"It was one thing when they were taking hostages from the market, but the child..." She lets out a tight breath. "We couldn't let that go. The STRIKE team went in. They didn't come back out. We received word from SHIELD command to back off. Let the local authorities handle it."

She glances to him and grimaces. "I... couldn't. I couldn't leave a child in danger. So, we went in. Alone." Her gaze transfers again towards the cockpit, settling into the middle distance. "I worked my way through the warehouse, eliminating resistance, trying to free our people and find the girl. I discovered, however, that our men -- even the Bahrainians inside the warehouse, had all been compromised. There was an empath controlling them. I thought it was Belayakov. I thought maybe she'd done something to them. I fought her. And I killed her... but that didn't end the threat. It wasn't her, you see, it was the child. The girl."

"Belyakov was being controlled by her own daughter, whose gift seemed to be feeding on pain. She could feel their emotions and she wanted to feel their pain. She wanted to do the same to me that she'd done to all the rest, control me and feed on me with her power." She looks at him again, though there's a subtle pleading behind her eyes, like maybe he won't damn her for it... despite the fact she clearly damns herself.

"I shot her. And there's not a day goes by that I don't wake up remembering that. I live with that, every day. And I'm not asking for forgiveness or for pity. But you need to understand: The Inhumans who were at Afterlife are fully aware that I killed Eva Belyakov and her daughter Katya. They don't really know why. But they think they do. And because of that... Before I transformed, they would sooner have seen me hung than anything else. Now? Now, it's the height of irony because I am an empath who can feel everything they feel about it."

She straightens. "You want to know if I am willing to join with 'my people'. The reality is, my people are here. Some of them are Inhuman. Some of them are not. They're all my family."

A resolve enters her expression. "I won't turn my back on SHIELD. Especially now. I would like to learn more about the Inhumans. I would like to know how this happened, where I came from... And maybe that's possible among your people. I don't think it's possible among Jiaying's. And I can't abandon the people who have actually stood by me through this... adjustment."

Her lips quirk slightly, almost in a smile, though there's no humour there. "I'm sorry if that makes me nothing more than a human with Inhuman qualities. But it's as much who I am as anything else. Daisy thinks I have these gifts for a reason. And she agrees with you, I think, that all my life has been in preparation for being what I am now. But what I am now is more than just this new ability to feel things. It's also everything I've been before now. That's important, too."

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar listens to May and as she finally finishes he remains silent. Not just because he doesn't speak but because he's letting it sit there in contemplation before finally he tilts his head, expression one of compassion.

~The fault is not with you. It is with me. An Inhuman child of that age coming into her powers without guidance is not the responsibility of someone who did not even know of the existance of our kind. That is not rational. You did what you believed you had to and not out of malice.~ At that, the King actually frowns, ~You understand that, do you not? Your actions were not taken in anger or malice but out of what you believed was necessity for survival. I certainly do not put blame on you, but rather, as I said, on myself. Had things not come to this point then perhaps the child would have been taught properly rather than alone.~

He studies Melinda then and continues signing while doing so, ~There is a reality Melinda. It is not that Inhumans and SHIELD cannot coexist, but rather Inhumans and Humanity have never been able to. We have moved, we have hidden, and each time we reveal ourselves Humanity has tried to kill us, to exterminate us. You have seen this first hand. Now while you may believe this is limited to HYDRA, is it?~ Blackagar looks at her steadily. ~Why is it you hide here? Have you taken your knowledge of Inhumans to your governments? To reveal them to the public? Because I suspect you know, within your heart, the truth. Like the Mutants or other Metahumans of this world, Inhumans would be hunted down and hated. SHIELD may be different, but then like I asked, is that why you all hide? Because you have accepted Inhumans?~

Blackagar's expression changes as he signs through, looking serious at times, looking gentle at others, all communication is both in body language, facial expressions and movements of his hands.

~I would only ask you to consider a few things, among them. If these are your people, if humanity is your people, then why do you hide yourself?~

Melinda May has posed:
May gives a wry smile at that. "I didn't say *humanity* was my people," she says quietly. "I said my people are *here*. It's not about genetics. It's about faith. Trust. Loyalty and... Family. Coulson's had my back more often than I can count. Daisy... I could have been her mother. Peggy Carter is the closest thing I have to a sister. Daniel, Elena, Bobbi... even Lance. I would give my life in a heartbeat for any of them. And they'd do the same for me."

She levels a more direct gaze at him. "I'm not saying you're wrong about hiding. I've seen clashes between metas of all sorts -- Mutants, Inhumans, others -- go south too many times not to accept you have a point. But I also think you can't change hearts and minds from the outside. You went to the Moon to get away from all this... In the end, has it really helped?"

She leans a little forward. "Blackagar, Humanity often can't get along with *itself*. Why would anyone think it wouldn't struggle to get along with others, too? That doesn't mean we should abandon them. We're still part of this world -- all of us, Mutants, Inhumans, and Humans alike. There has to be some way to make it work. I don't know what it is... but I have to believe it's out there somewhere."

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
~Belief, without evidence, is faith.~ Blackagar signs towards May. ~Unfortunately as a leader choosing to rely on faith is a dangerous thing. Chosen selectively and carefully. For myself, I cannot put my faith in humanity. Not until I have seen more. What I have seen..~ Slowly the King shakes his head. He looks at Melinda and ponders her for a few moments then again shakes his head.

~You speak of loyalty, of family, all of which is good. But you have known me less than a day, yet you stepped in front of danger in an attempt to save me without need. Do you wish to claim that is because of a position you believe I hold or rather because within you, it was what you believed was the right thing to do?~ Tilting his head, the Inhuman smiles. ~Family is more than blood. But in the end as much as you care for all these, they will never truly know your struggles the way the rest of us will. Living in both worlds takes its toll and in the end charges a heavy price.~

Then, Blackagar reaches out and offers his hand to Melinda in the common form of a handshake.

Melinda May has posed:
Melinda takes his hands. "Maybe," she says. "But, right now, it's a price I'm willing to pay." She does give a small, wry smile. "You'll be the first to know, if I change my mind."

She rises to her feet, then. "But you're right. I'd have put myself in harm's way for you, whether or not you were king. It's what I do." Because, whether she likes to acknowledge it or not, Melinda May really is The Cavalry.

Blackagar Boltagon has posed:
Blackagar rises as well and nods towards Melinda. ~Precisely. So do not hold that as something that separates you from us, but rather one that defines you as one of us. Just know, that you do not need to step in front of danger for me.~ Reaching up, he taps his chest, ~You do not get to be King unless you can handle the pressures of the job.~ He smiles at that sentiment then gestures towards the back of the aircraft.

~You have work, and I need to eat more of your food here. Your kitchen staff look very confused at how often I eat. I find a solid seven meals a day to be best.~

Melinda May has posed:
May gives the man a wry smile. "We're SHIELD, Blackagar. The name means something. We'll always get in the way of danger, if we can. It's... our purpose."

She steps back as he makes to leave. Her brows rise. It's no wonder the kitchen staff look at him in surprise. "But... enjoy your meal." And she'll get back to her checklist.