910/Oh you shouldna did that!

Oh you shouldna did that!
Date of Scene:	01 April 2020
Location:	Big Belly Burger's
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Alton Schmidt, Samuel Morgan, Alexander Aaron, Christine Lake, Melinda May

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Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton has shown up at the burger joint...he's supposed to meet Christine, but she hasn't arrived yet. So, he takes his spot at a table somewhere, and tells the waitress he's expecting one more shortly. Alton is mostly relaxed, and not giving off any 'doghouse' vibes. Rather carefree at the moment, really.

He's dressed well, as is normal for him, and he's been at all his classes on schedule.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It had been some time since the prom. Spring Break had come and gone, time had passed, and time, so they say, heals all wounds. The past is past, water flows under the bridge, and life goes on. It's just that some people take some thing very seriously.

    They had /warned/ him!

    The bell chimes to admit another diner into the Big Belly Burger, the place where, according to at least some students now, it is tradition to eat your first meal as a student of Happy Harbor. How much of that is an actual tradition, and how much of that was invented on the spot yesterday is anyone's guess. Certainly, students seem to come here a lot. So it's no surprise that it's yet another student that comes in.

    Alone.

    He doesn't scan the room, doesn't seem to look for anyone, but turns with almost perfect parade ground precision and sits down. Opposite Alton, at the table, without an invitation. Sam look across to Alton. That is not a happy face. Not at all...

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    As for where Alexander seems to come from it might be difficult to discern. Perhaps he was already there. Perhaps he had wandered in the other corner entrance. Yet whatever it may well be, Samuel likely draws the initial attention, draws the first few glances and words. Though Alexander's arrival, not quite as direct nor intrusive.
    For he is there leaning against one of the columns that supports the ceiling and provides an architectural hook for several booths to be angled off of. Though its best benefit is it's a fine place to perch for the young Olympian.
    A fine place for him to lounge with arms folded over his chest and a woeful look upon his features as if things were just such a sad. Sad turn of events.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Well. This is going to be interesting. Because he can't tell either one of them why he missed it, though the unspoken question surely hangs in the air before either one of them says a word. Well. Fine day for Christine to hit too many red lights or get caught talking to somebody on the way here. So...he's just going to let the silence hang in the air. The truth isn't a valid thing to tell, as he can't be sure the dudes across from him are warriors. He isn't going to tell any lies either, because they're probably expecting those or excuses of some kind. ...Silence it is, then.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    That is, of course, one of the big questions. On the whole, Sam had been amiable, smiling, friendly, even if he didn't like to be around too many people at once. Hardly ever a frown, never a harsh word, never any trouble.

    He's not smiling now. And is it possible that he is, in fact, a bad man behind those blue eyes? The eyes that barely seem to blink as they take in Alton in a stare that seems intent to have the same effect by sheer force of presence as a thermal lance on soft butter. Where is Bear? Why is Bear not here?

    Another slow blink, and his eyes move to Alexander for a very short moment, and then back to Alton. The teenager sits straight, arms and hands on the table, the tips of his fingers barely touching.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It is apparently to Alexander, the task of breaking the ice. He asks casually, off-handedly, in a too too calm manner, "Hi Alton, have you had a chance to visit any of your school assigned secure lockers today since roughly 2:47 PM?" The words are lobbed there with such casual aplomb and calmly delivered. As if they all had been having such a fine and lovely conversation.
    He shifts a little to the side on that column, changing his posture a little as another student strolls on by, carrying their garbage to the bin and tossing it in while shelving their tray above it.
    He quirks an eyebrow and then murmurs, "Why do I ask? Oh no reason."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"I have not." Alton continues to give short answers...he's basically trying to weather the storm and hoping Christine shows up soon. Launching an EMP at the stoplights is tempting, but it'd probably slow her down even more if the stoplights all went dead.

...The truth would set him free, but he just can't trust these guys enough to tell it. ...So yeah, short answers and silence seems to continue to be the way to go.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Don't wear your best clothes when you do." Sam finally mentions, in a deadpan that might have come from a robot drone. His look then shifts, subtly, to one of /profound/ disappointment. Sadness, even.

    "We told you not to play with her heart, Alton. And you left her there, alone. Devastated. Heartbroken." he shakes his head, sighing, clearly profoundly sorry that it has come to this. He's not angry, he's just very, very disappointed. And contrives to make that look even worse than being angry. His gaze is now practically reptilian. "We'd almost think you weren't serious. And we almost think you don't think that we were serious. That we're just two chumps, of no consequences."

    Another sigh, and he sits up a bit straighter. "So which is it, Alton? Are you not serious with Christine's happiness, or do you think we're inconsequential?" Choose. Wisely.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Casually liberating a French fry from an acquaintance's tray as she passes by, Alexander smiles to her pleasantly and gives a nod of thanks as he bites into it and only then looks back toward Samuel and Alton. There's a tilt of his head as he offers his own insight.
    "You have to understand for me it's more the principle of the thing, right?" The tow-headed youth finishes the fry with the next bite and uncurls a hand thoughtfully. "Like I don't hold much staggering affection for Lake. She's ok I guess except for her taste for chuckleheads. But it's more you asked her out in front of us, right?"
    He uncurls a hand to the other way, as if trying to encompass the entirety of the school beyond their view. "So that's just insulting. You put words to task and do not fulfill them that speaks to a lack of moral grounding."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton smiles faintly then. "Her heart wasn't played with. The abscence was...excused." His choice of words implies he isn't going into any detail at all about why he was gone.

"When I finally got back on Tuesday, I went to her, and we sorted things out. We're actually pretty happy right now, in part because she knows why I was gone. She really wishes I had a better phone on me though." Or more accurately, a phone that doesn't get so easily wiped by EMPs so he can call her when he's hurt in another city hundreds of miles away.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    A shake of the head. A slow shake of the head. Sam, it seems, is no less disappointed now than he was before. "Alton, Alton, Alton... you don't understand the fundamental principle at work here..."

    He drums his fingers on the table for a few moments and then leans back in his chair, keeping his hands clearly visible on the table. "Of course Christine has forgiven you. She is a very friendly, very forgiving person. And of course you had a good reason. I would certainly not want to think you'd break your solemn word for a bad reason, or no reason at all..."

    A deep sigh.

    "But you broke your word, Alton. The word you gave us. Where is a man, if he cannot keep his word? What would become of a man, if he can break his word and not face consequences? I'm afraid that there must be consequences."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander eases back, letting Samuel make the points needed and feeling he needs not add much at all to the sentiment. He just nods a few times sadly, as if this was already judged and decided, and there was little to be done.

Christine Lake has posed:
And sure enough, Christine arrives, walking through the door like being late isn't a big thing. She's smiling, as usual, and doesn't have a care in the world. Until she sees Alton being confronted by Alex and Sam. Smiing a bit, she walks over to the booth, looking at the three teen boys occupying it. Christine sniffs the air for a bit, thn nods. "Yea, I thought I cught the scent of maximum testosterone a few blooks back..." With a smirk, she slides in next to Alton, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "So...what did I miss?"

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"They really, really don't like the fact my word had to be broken, despite...the reason why." He wraps an arm around her, though. He would like to trumpet loudly that he was saving an entire passenger train from getting derailed...but that was the hero IMP, who is of no relation to Alton and certainly isn't him in any way shape or form.

So he's kinda stuck in that unfortunate spot where the truth cannot be told and no lie is worth telling.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    For a moment, Sam keeps glaring at Alton as if he were a creature that has spent the Pleistocene perfecting the art of not blinking and basking on a rock somewhere, even after Christine shows up. And then his facade breaks into that usual smile, that all-American kid next door expression. "It wouldn't have been fun if we didn't at least make him sweat a bit, right? I mean, it's only fair."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A little behind and to the side of Alton, Alexander mimes in explanation to Christine the likely outcomes of said conversation. The first of which being a finger across the throat, then something being bludgeoned profusely, then the motion of hands wrapping something around themselves and being drawn taut around perhaps a neck of some sort, ending with a thumb turned upside down signifying likely the oncoming termination of life signs.
    But through it all his smirk is a wry thing, amused by the event and what has passed.
    But then he adds to Alton, "Yeah just kidding buddy. There's nothing in your lockers." Heh. Heh.

Melinda May has posed:
It's a restaurant, so other people coming and going are likely not even noteworthy. However, one recent arrival -- just a minute or two before Christine, in fact -- and has claimed a booth at the end of the row from the kids. Agent May asks the waiter for a moment to look at the menu, and then once there's no employee hovering, she stands and walks over to the booth with the four kids.

She stops right next to where Sam is seated folding her hands as calmly as can be. And yet, instead of speaking up, she just stands there and looks at the kid. And waits for him to notice in 3... 2...

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine flushes. They were doing this...for her? She takes a deep breath and rubs her temples. "Guys...it's sweet that you want to defend my honor, here. But...I'm a big girl. I don't need someone to protect me. I knew what I was getting into with this guy when we started dating." She gives Alton a nudge with her body. I konw what happened with prom. Believe me, it was unavoidable. He wasn't trying to ditch me. He wasn't trying to get 'one more thing done' before he came to pick me up. Something happened, and it spiraled out of his control. And that's the world we live in; it happens sometimes. So, thank you. But I don't need big brothers threatening my boyfriend. He's my guy; my problem. I can handle him."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"I'd like to think I'm not much of a problem..." But...he is a problem, for various reasons. His powers have side effects, he has a secret life...

Speaking of secret life Alton catches something odd out of the corner of his eye and seems rather shocked all of the sudden. SHIELD? Here? ...Did they find out about him? Do they know he's a hero and want to bring him in for questioning? Alton isn't quite disciplined enough to hide his reaction at full fledged SHIELD agent showing up.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "We made him promise the day he asked you out, the moment you left the table, not to stand you up." Sam clarifies, still smiling. He's also catching something from the corner of his eye, and twists ever so slightly in his chair to be able to catch a particular reflection in the napkin holder behind Alton and Christine. Ah. "And I figured he had a very good reason to not be there. I mean, he'd have to have a good reason, because I'm sure he'd move the Earth itself to be with you, if necessary." Turns out Sam isn't a dick after all. Undoubtedly to the surprise of many.

    The woman approaching the table is, however, not a surprise. At least not anymore, thanks to that chrome napkin holder. And with a smile, Sam addresses her, without turning his head.... somewhere between 3 and 2. "Agent May. I wasn't expecting the car." It's as if his words only then filter through to himself, and he turns to look at her with a slight frown. "Did I miss a message?"

Melinda May has posed:
"No, you didn't," May says with all of the warmth and personality of a rock. Or, a Vulcan. "But if possible, I would like to have a word with you." Her eyes then take in the other teenagers for a moment.

You have been weighed. You have measured. And you have been found lacking in anything that this SHIELD agent would perceive as an immediate threat.

She gestures with one hand toward the far end of the row of booths. "If you don't mind."

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine is about to respond to Sam, but then she sees the SHIELD agent walking towards them. And the bottom of her own stomach falls out, as everything Alton is worried about, she's also imagining. She manages to relax a bit when it's clear that she's her for Sam, but even that's a bit disconcerting. Sam may be over protective, but he's still a friend. And...this is not good. Christine's hand finds Alton's under the table and gives it a worried squeeze. She looks between Sam and the woman a few times, managing to ask, "Are you okay, Sam?"

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Wait, the SHIELD agent is here for Sam? ...And NOT him? Well, first of all, Thank God it's not him or Christine. And he gives her hand a squeeze in turn, They'll get through the SHIELD agent, together. Somehow.

But then, why is she there for Sam, and why does Sam appear to not be at all surprised? ...Does he know her? Have they worked together before? How did all that happen? "...This is unexpected."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Sorry guys, I might have to run." It's a phrase that has multiple meanings, but Sam stands when invited by Melinda, and gives a counter gesture towards the door.

    "I've got time aplenty. But perhaps we should talk somewhere else?" Somewhere his school friends don't have a chance to overhear, more likely... "We can pick up Bear on the way, his play date should be ending soon."

Melinda May has posed:
"If you prefer. This should only take a couple of minutes," May says. "It's about some recently acquired information that could affect you directly." That's vague enough to be ominous, right?

She moves through the restaurant back toward the door since that's what Sam had suggested. She isn't fussed either way, so why not? Though she was mildly curious about one or two items on the place's menu.

Christine Lake has posed:
And whle Christine looks concerned about SHIELD showing up for Sam...she doesn't exactly look surprised that the woman is here for him. Her handholding with Alton becomes mor soothing and calm, rather than a mutual support thing. As the woman agrees to talk with Sam off to the side, Christine watches her carefully. Now it's her turn to be overprotective of a friend in an unexpected situation.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton also finds himself watching from afar. Sadly, perception is not his bag of chips, so all he can do is listen super hard. But...they're too far away, and there's other people in the restraunt anyway. Can't hear over the noise. Nuts.

"Can't make it out. Too much noise..." Hmmm..."But if he's involved with SHIELD for some reason..."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There are things that Sam knows that inform his decision to move the discussion out of earshot. Mostly because 'recently acquired information' is a term nebulous enough that it could mean literally anything. If it's bad news for him, if Agent May is here to take him in for questioning, he doesn't want his friends to get involved. And if it's about one of the many secret things he's currently involved with, he'd have to kill them afterwards for knowing too much. As such, he follows Melinda to the far end of the restaurant and talks in an undertone, as if trying to pass information while laying in a bush waiting for a guard patrol to go past.

    "What's up?" He still has that smile on his face, but the tone of his voice no longer matches...

Melinda May has posed:
There's not change to May's expression or tone, but they likely don't reveal much to anyone that doesn't know her well in the first place. She does, though, match Sam's undertone.

"I have not yet submitted a report to my superiors about the abilities you displayed while on mission. Am I going to need to explain in sufficient detail to warrant all SHIELD facilities employing both mechanical and electronic locks in the future?"

She knows that most areas restricted to agents level 6 and higher already do so, but she's not about to tell Morgan that. Also, it still leaves a LOT of room for shenanigans. And she really dislikes shenanigans.

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine watches Sam and the woman for a bit. She sees Sam looking more uncomfortable than he usually does. And that can mean bad news. She takes a moment to organize her thoughts, then presses her cell phone into Alton's hand, out of sight. "Gonna go to the ladies' room," she whispers to him before giving Alton a quick kiss, then sliding out of the booth.

Christine quickly walks to the restrooms and goes through the door to the women's. But, after a quick check to make sure there's no-one around, she shrinks down to her 1/16" size and runs out under the door. Even with her small size, she tries to keep hidden as she runs to where Sam and the Agent are, just getting close enough to overhear what's being said, and taking cover under an empty booth seat.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton gets a clue as to what's going on...and holds on to the phone. Normally, Alton is the last man on earth you'd wanna give a phone to, but...in this case...he's going to just relax and let her deal with this one.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Don't see why you should." Sam smiles, putting his hands behind his back in what may very well be a breach of etiquette. But it also diminishes the range of body language he can show... this is one agent he's not underestimating. Not after Korea. "I've always been open about what I can do. Okay, I may not have gone into great detail, but at the time people were more interested in my previous employer. It's just... never come up."

    Even to Sam that sounds a bit lame, so he feels compelled to add to that. "Look. Agent May... I've got no desire to break into anything SHIELD owned or SHIELD related, at least not on purpose. As far as I'm concerned, we have a perfectly clear understanding, and hopefully you'll see the potential value of my skills and not just the potential security risks. Everything I did could have been done with the right equipment."

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at Sam squarely, yes, making note of him hiding his hands. That's not a good decision if you want her to accept your sincerity. Her own hands are relaxed at her sides, as if this were the most normal casual conversation in the world. Anyone sufficiently skilled in martial arts would of course know otherwise.

"While I believe that you mean your worse, I can't fully trust that you won't be targeted or manipulated at some point in the future. I'm going to have to file the report in full detail. You might find that your subsequent meetings will be held off-site for the foreseeable future.? Meaning until SHIELD is able to implement those mechanical locks.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "No, you're right about that, you can't be sure. None of us can be sure, but in my case it'd be a bit of a disaster, wouldn't it?" Sam agrees, and takes the sensible decision to stop clenching his fists behind his back. Instead, he allows the full disappointment to show on his face, although his voice remains even. "I honestly thought we were beyond the constant shows of distrust, Agent May. While I appreciate not being in a concrete box somewhere, I'm going to have to say that I'm finding it very difficult to form a wholly favorable view of my new ... guardians. After Korea, I honestly thought we had turned that corner."

Melinda May has posed:
May tilts her head slightly. "Do you think any other agent would have given you the consideration of a warning that this would happen? I could have very easily just filed my report without letting you know. I have every intention of trying to mitigate any consequences that might affect you, but I can?t guarantee that I?ll be even partially successful."

Her eyes flick over toward the booth where the kids had been sitting, mentally noting that the young woman hasn?t yet returned from the rest room. Yes, she has a mental clock running on that. "I can offer you one small bit of good news. The paperwork I submitted was approved. All subsequent transportation falls under my purview, meaning I?ll be the doing the driving from now on unless other duties prevent me from doing so." Like, say, haring off to North Korea to climb inside the console panel of an antiquated missile guidance computer system.

Christine Lake has posed:
Well, everything that Christine has heard sort of jives with what Sam has told her about himself. She's not sure what it all means, but with the agent looking back at the table, Christine gets the feeling it's time to bug out. So, she heads back into the women's room, going into one of the stalls and returning to her normal height in secrecy. She pretends to open the stall door up and flushes the toilet. All perfectly normal. And she finishes up by washing her hands at the sink and primping her hair a bit before returning to the booth.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "That's actually good news." Genuinely. Sam actually smiles. "And I appreciate the warning. You're right, it's more than what I'd get from most agents." Which, in itself, may actually be the problem. Sam is the outsider, the defector that will never really be trusted. And one day, that might very well become a problem.

    "For what it's worth, I think some people up high enough already know. But I'm not sure. Just... one more thing to worry about."

Melinda May has posed:
May's eyes flick toward the booth again as Christine returns at an oh so convenient moment, and then she nods to Sam. "I'll see you again soon, Morgan." With that, she turns and leaves the restaurant.

Yes, she will never kick the habit of addressing people by their last names. Deal.

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine slides back into the booth next to Alton. She doesn't say anything to him, she just looks over to where Sam and the agent are, watching the two of them. And when it looks like it's all over, she breathes a sigh of relief when the agent leaves.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There is a brief nod as Melinda makes her exit, punctuated by a polite 'Agent May' from Sam. Wait for the door to close. Count five seconds. Check door again. Aaaaaaand breathe. Whew. That could have gone far worse.

    With his usual smile still on his face, Sam returns to the table and gets back into his seat as if nothing has happened. There might be a few subtle clues that something isn't entirely right. Like why is Alton holding Christine's phone? Hmmm. "Sorry about that guys. Happens from time to time."