8527/A visit to the Mansion

A visit to the Mansion
Date of Scene:	03 November 2021
Location:	Avengers Mansion - First Floor
Synopsis:	John gets a tour of the Avengers Mansion: Both to talk to Steve about the team and potentially joining them, and to get to know Captain America himself
Cast of Characters:	Steve Rogers, John Stewart

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Steve Rogers has posed:
The Avengers Mansion is, well, opulent. Elegant and refined, it is the homebase, and home, to quote-unquote Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Granted, most of the Avengers don't live in the mansion full time, but many of them maintain a room here because sometimes it's more convenient to crash here after a mission than it is to go home.

Today, apparently another of Earth's defenders has requested a tour. Not all that common, but it's not really a big deal. It's not like the secret stuff will get shown off anyway. Straws were drawn, and Captain America himself has been chosen by fate to lead the show-around. Not that he minds, Janet's busy and you can only jog for so long before getting bored.

Thusly, Steve's waiting in the foyer, dressed casually in jeans, well worn sneakers and a plain grey sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up.

John Stewart has posed:
Well, to be fair, he's a universal defender... but that's just being pedantic.

Whether or not you've seen him in the news recently, John strikes an imposing figure even in his civilian garb. With a trenchcoat, sunglasses and black leather outfit and boots, the man himself looks part biker, part noir detective.

Nonetheless, the black man walks in with hands in trenchcoat pockets, observing the entire area before he steps in and glances to Steve, "Oh. I didn't expect one of you. You don't hire tour guides?" John smirks as he offers his right hand. On it, Steve can clearly see the Power Ring of a Green Lantern.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve has never met John Stewart. Because of who he is, he probably knows a bit more than the average guy on the street about the Green Lantern, but it's not too much. As John enters the foyer, Steve's body language shifts for an instant. It flits from relaxed, to Ready and then back to relaxed. John probably gets it. It's soldier muscle memory. Even when you're expecting something, sometimes it can be different than what you were waiting for.

He moves to (politely) intercept, accepting the other man's handshake. Steve, being a guy from the 1940's, is a master of the art. His grip is firm and confident, but not aggressively so. Obviously he has nothing to prove and is just being respectful.

He laughs a little at the tour guide statement. "We don't usually do tours. The mansion isn't generally open to the public except for a couple times a year. Generally the only people who get walkthroughs are Government, other heroes or prospectives." He gestures to the rooms behind him. "Welcome to the Avengers Mansion."

John Stewart has posed:
Being only human, John would probably not survive an 'aggressive' handshake from Steve.

"That's fair. I did call ahead in case of something like that. I was away when you and yours were formed, and since I'm going to be a regular on this planet and all the others in this sector, I thought it best to introduce myself. I'm not official with anyone on this planet besides the Lantern Corps, so I come here as a neutral party for all intents here." John furrows his eyebrows as he looks around, "I do have a question though, if you don't mind; why a mansion? Why not a redoubt somewhere on the outskirts?"

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve listens thoughtfully and nods once. "I'd heard something to that effect. Just through the grapevine. It's good to meet you, though. It's always nice to know someone else in the life, as it were."

Steve starts to stroll through the cavernous foyer. It's not like he's pointing anything out at this point, just walking and talking as one does. "The mansion was a donation, and we're in a pretty good location in the city to respond to stuff here. After the Loki incident, we all decided it'd be a good idea to be here and visible. A reminder to the people that we've got their backs and will do our best to protect them from threats."

John Stewart has posed:
"I get it. Publicity. The commander in me can't help but feel like you're painting a giant target in the middle of the city though. Always with the tradeoffs." John chuckles as he walks along then, "I apologize, I must seem like I'm second guessing you or something. Strategy and tactics are something I've been deeply involved in for years now, and I can't help but frame matters that way."

He looks back to Steve then, "Probably helps that you have someone with more money than god to clean up messes."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Don't feel bad. It's a thought I've had every day we've been here. It is a target, and we've been pretty lucky so far, but one of these days we won't. So all we can do is prepare, be ready for that day and do our best to contain it."

Steve smiles slightly, it's wry. "Just another day at the office."

Honestly, the house itself is pretty boring. Oh, it's pretty and well designed and put together, but it's still just a house. John and his architect background will appreciate it more than most, and will probably be able to spot the ... incongruities that point out where secret defenses and whatnot might be hidden. "So, now that you're back on Earth, what're your plans? Going to play it by ear, or something else?"

John Stewart has posed:
"The Guardians decided with the massive amount of activity on earth alone that there was a need for a pair for this sector. They were originally going to send me off to another part of the galaxy, but my background and skillset made me the obvious choice after Loki made it clear that mass invasions were going to be a thing Earth deals with regularly." John informs Steve.

As he notes all the hiding places, John gives no outward indications. They probably know about them, and keeping the knowledge to himself to compare later if they deem to inform him of them would be a good way to check on trust issues. "I've been playing catch up for a couple months now. DOing my job while getting to know the various groups and whatnot. My partner is already with the League. That, plus some other reasons have me leery of joining them formally. I'd feel like the reserve Green Lantern with how long he's been operating with them." John glances to a nearby door, "I admit, I've spent most of my adult life in heirarchies, groups, organizations. I've been a leader and a commander for those groups for almost as long. Doing the solo thing? I get the appeal. Someone like Spider-Man probably does a double life... but for me, teamwork has been a thing for years. I imagine that's why you immediately went for the Avengers once you were found again?"

Steve Rogers has posed:
"That's understandable," Steve replies. "If your parter's already ingratiated with the League, then you may as well do your own thing. Spread your influence and skills. Makes sense."

He listens to John's story, nodding thoughtfully, giving the other man his full attention. "I'm not quite the same. When I enlisted, I did it because I couldn't let other people lay down their lives without doing the same. I didn't join up for hierarchy or order, I joined because fascism was a danger to the world, and fighting it was worth the risks."

He pauses a moment, thinking. "The Avengers came together to fight Loki's invasion. On paper, I'm in charge and Tony's my number two guy, but it doesn't work like an army. We're a group of equals with different skills and abilities who have banded together to do the right thing and help people."

John Stewart has posed:
"I joined up as a means to an end." John tells Steve, bluntly, "I was hoping to pick up some self-defense with a guaranteed free ride through college for my degree." John smirks, "Turns out I was better at the job than I thought I'd be."

He brings up a hand to tap one of the patches on his jacket; a Scout Sniper patch, "I had a real knack for it, so I went full Semper Fi while I could, get into sniping and CQC and all that good stuff. I was real good at at too, right up until someone above me almost turned an operation into a bloodbath and I had to intervene."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve always, always will listen to a veteran's story. Whether they're a 19 year old back from their first tour to the old timers who remember him from the first go round. He is respectful and nods in the right spots. "We all serve for our own reasons. Some of us just do it longer."

At the last part, he frowns slightly. "That's a shame. Officers who... aren't willing to do the right thing, whether for expedience or ego shouldn't have command."

John Stewart has posed:
"It was back during that time when the government was writing off Gotham as a hellhole. I was sent in with my squad to try to assess things. He didn't like the way something was going, so he tried to take the easy way out and wipe them out." John shrugs, "I ended up in a fistfight with him to keep him from giving the order."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve shakes his head. "That's a terrible thing to have to deal with. I'm sorry your CO was, well, not worth the uniform." He does smirk a little. "At least they didn't drum you out over it."

John Stewart has posed:
"They did, actually." John continues, "I only got an honorable due to being among the best of the Scout Snipers. Anyone else and I'd probably have gotten a dishonorable."

John gives a dismissive wave, "I considered it a learning experience; never blindly follow orders just because. I got my free ride out of it, so I was happy enough. Took me a while to figure out where I belonged after that, though."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"That's fair. I've ignored some pretty terrible orders myself, many years ago. Now, with the Avengers, we're a team, not a platoon," Steve says. Good soldiers run over by bad command and then dragged out to dry by the brass.

The military never changes.

"What are your plans now, though? Not the League, obviously. A solo run? Go try and help out Batman and crew in Gotham?"

John Stewart has posed:
"I need a bigger information network compared to the Corps, and I need people I can rely on here. Off planet, I can talk to other Lanterns. Here, there are so many threats I can't keep running to my partner if things go pear shaped... so I was thinking I'd get a tour, then check in with you and see what the Avengers do. How they operate."

He sighs as he crosses his arms, "I'm not expecting miracles, but far as I can tell, someone with my skillset would be pretty unique with you and yours."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve is a pretty perceptive guy. He can usually figure out what's going on in any given situation. So when John broaches the subject, he just nods in understanding. "I had a feeling it was going to be that. For my part, I'm willing to get you on the trial run. I've seen what you Lantern Corps folks can do, and it is impressive and not really in the wheelhouse of any of us Avengers."

He pauses a moment, working on wording in his head. "That said, I can't just go, 'Hey, welcome to the Avengers.' I need to discuss it with the others, do the trial run, then we'll vote on it. I'd suggest talking to Tony as well, and any of the others you can get ahold of, pitch your case, get to know them a little and let them get to know you. You understand, the biggest hurdle to a new person in any squad, be it hero team of infantry, is trust. Start building it now, and it'll pay out in the end."

John Stewart has posed:
"Perfectly reasonable and what I expected. I'm happy to do so. I wouldn't want to join as a full member without talking to the others and seeing what rapport we can get either." John remarks in casual reply. "I like you so far, at least."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve grins, chuckling a bit. "I hear that a lot, surprisingly." Honestly? He does seem surprised about it. Steve is nothing if not humble. "My gut tells me you're a good man who's good at his job and is ready to help out. Which, honestly, is enough for me. So what I'll do for you is throw up a message on our communications network, tell them to seek you out to have coffee, or drinks or whatever. Give you time to talk with whoever decides to one on one. See how everybody clicks. Then when something comes up, we'll give you a call to give us a hand, and we'll go from there. How's that sound?"

John Stewart has posed:
"That sounds fine. Just tell me your frequency and I can tune my ring to listen for it." John offers his right hand out, "I look forward to getting to know all of you."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"You got it," Steve says, shaking the man's hand one more time. "I've got a good feeling about this. It should work out."