6797/Sentinels: Prisoner

Sentinels: Prisoner
Date of Scene:	07 March 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Prisoner John Doe asks for release.
Cast of Characters:	Bastion, Spider-Woman (Drew)
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

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Bastion has posed:
The message was passed along swiftly. The night passed uneventfully, even into the midday of the following day, but then the technicians of the facility contacted Agent Jessica Drew. Their captive was asking to see her. Would she come see him, or should they put him off? He's being insistent.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica was mid-workout when she got the message that their John Doe was requesting to speak with her again. In all honesty, she was utterly shocked that he wanted to speak with her again, given the fact that he seemed less than enthusiastic about answering her questions the night before. But any chance to advance the situation - or any chance that there might be information that can head off trouble - is a chance worth taking. She responds to the brief missive with one even more brief: "On My Way."

Within a matter of about fifteen minutes, Jessica has arrived at the secured location, and is outside the door of John Doe's room, watching him for a moment, and awaiting any briefing she may need before she goes in.

"What's his demeanor?" she inquires of the research officer nearby. Anything I should be aware of before I walk in there?"

Bastion has posed:
"Yeah, this," the officer says, pointing at the window as she arrives.

John was seated on the cot this time, but actively gets up and stands directly on the other side of the window and looks right at them. It's just like he can see right through it. He doesn't say anything, he waits, arms crossed, but patient enough.

The officer looks pointedly at her, and very quietly adds, "He talked to us through the wall to ask for you, but isn't aggressive."

John Doe is wearing the same thing as before, there's no visual change.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica is a /little/ unnerved by the visual of it all, but it doesn't generally surprise her. This John Doe can scan people. And if he can scan them, he can scan /for/ them. Naturally he is going to be checking out his environment. "Fair enough, going in."

Once inside, Jessica looks a little concerned. "You asked for me?" she asks, as if asking for confirmation.

Bastion has posed:
"Yes. Are you doing well? I was not sure how far you'd have to come," John starts with, a pleasant enough small talk. But something is on his mind, clearly, and he doesn't keep her in suspense:

"I'd like to be released, please," John Doe says simply, directly.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
The direct request takes Jess aback, and there is a sudden sinking feeling in her gut. "We talked about this, John," she replies, disregarding his small talk as clutter around the real reason he asked her to come. "I assume that, if you are renewing the request, then there is new information to accompany and support your stance..."

Bastion has posed:
"If I am going to be held and studied, it's without my consent," John replies, his expression edged with a frown. He's not enjoying what he's doing: there's a quality of him facing an uncomfortable situation. "I don't want to comply with it. After sleeping on it, I think I'm better off investigating. Not being watched through a one-way window," John says, with a tilt of head towards the wall. "I have to look out for myself. I don't want to cause you trouble, but I need answers from the Trask people."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"That isn't an unreasonable request, John. It is a logical line of reasoning. But that isn't going to happen, because your logic disregards a lot of established facts." Jess paces back and forth as she lists the facts at hand on her fingers, counting them as she goes.

"Fact number one: You tried to kill a member of the Avengers. And you very nearly succeeded. You yourself have offered no explanation how or why this happened." Jess turns on her heel and continues. "Fact two: You have a /massive/ criminal organization actively searching you out, even now, to the best of our knowledge. Suspicions point to an assassination plot, or worse." She doesn't know if anyone mentioned Hydra to him, but she suspects that the name would mean no more to him than another word to parrot, like he did 'Avengers.'

Bastion has posed:
John Doe does seem to fully listen to her statements. He uncrosses his arms, resting his hands against the edges of the pockets of the gray pants he was given, shoulders back.

"I see. Take my request under advisement as what I'd prefer, then. I will not be cooperative with blood tests unless I get something in return, though. I don't know /how/ I even shot the Avenger, and have since suspected that I might be blamed for something I wasn't responsible for," John continues. "I am not attempting to threaten any of you. But I don't want to remain without answers: if I have to risk my life to get them from the ones that /do/ seem to know something? Then so be it. I did want to work with you if I could."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"All right..how about we compromise for now? I have done some research into some of the assets to whom I have access," Jess states simply. "There is one I would like to contact, and I believe that he can give us a lot of the answers we are looking for. I would need to contact him, but I have every reason to believe he would be more than willing to mee- help us," she corrects quickly. The man in question might trigger some sort of response in John Doe that is, as yet, unpredictable. "I will have to work out the details, but if I can arrange this, I believe you'll have many of the answers you seek, and so will we. At that point we could go forward and make educated decisions. And in the interim, I will make sure there are no blood tests. They could be a waste of our time, and your discomfort. Do you feel like this would be an agreeable arrangement, for the time being?"

Bastion has posed:
John Doe considers all of that, and quickly processes it down to, "You'd like me to wait a little longer because you have an expert in mind, but haven't talked to him or her yet," John asks finally. "I will give you another day, then," he says, as if he actually had a say in any of it. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Sometimes an illusion of control is enough.

"But I want to see the scans you've done, please. I want to know what's going on. I saw someone looking at things," he says, gesturing at the wall. "I can't explain to you how, so please don't ask me. I want answers about this too."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"That was my plan. It may take a day. It may take less. I have a feeling this gentleman will want to get answers just as badly as we do. I will return as soon as I have more information. In the meantime..." Jess pulls out a black crayon and a paper tablet and hands it to John. "If you remember anything...anything at all that could help, please write it down. It could trigger something later for you. I will go make contact with the asset I mentioned, and you'll know something as soon as I do."

Bastion has posed:
"...That is a crayon," John Doe says to her. He doesn't accept either thing, she'll end up standing there with them unless she puts them down on the table. He's insulted but has controlled it, clearly, in a polite way. "I'd like a proper tablet. It isn't like you can't watch me do whatever I'm going to do to it," John sighs, but doesn't argue right away. His expression turned reserved: moreso, even. "What is this, 2030? Hmh." John turns away some, annoyed.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica was just lowering the pad and crayon to set them on the table, when she pauses. He response is slow and deliberate. "Not yet, no. So I must assume one of two things. Either you predict that crayons will enjoy a resurgence of popularity in years to come, or you're from some time in the more extended future." Jessica's expression is veiled - a self-defense mechanism as her mind races over the possibilities in her head. "I was searching for the right questions to ask, anything that might trigger a memory, a familiarity. Something so innate and ingrained that it might not have been wiped away." She places the pad and crayon on the table and circles around it, pacing again. "But I was missing the big picture, all along."

She turns back to John and inclines her head. "Mister--" She pauses again. "No, I refuse to call you by any name but your own." She takes a deep breath and exhales a sigh. "Some of these questions may sound inane and droll to you, but we need to back up and start over. Can you tell me, to the best of your ability, what year it is? What planet you are on? What country you are from? Can you tell me with any certainty whatsoever what realm of scientific knowledge is your biggest strength?"

Bastion has posed:
"It was intended as a joke - things from a hundred years ago," John says, trying to follow what just happened, as well. He's bewildered, and it abruptly is potentially very clear that he has no idea what to make of any of this. He doesn't answer her questions right away, he lifts a hand to rub his jaw and look away and downwards: his emotions strangled, perhaps, as he deals with it: and with not displaying how he feels about it.

"I don't trust anything in my head right now," John finally says, quietly. "It may all be wrong."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"We are going to figure this out," Jess says quietly, but sincerely. "There was something to that joke of yours that struck an important chord with me, though." Jessica tries to make eye contact with the man. "When it's 2027, and you incredulously ask me if this is 2030...well, it is going to trigger questions." She sighs heavily, blowing off some frustration. "I know this isn't easy for you. It isn't easy for me, either, because all I want to do is get you out of here and try to help you find yourself again. But I'll make you one promise. I'll do everything I can to make that happen as soon as possible. Okay?"

Bastion has posed:
Something in the man has collapsed or crunched down, and his open quality has vanished as he retreated into his thoughts. He shrugs at her, and finally says, "I'll still grant the day. I'll use the time to think over what I thought I knew. But if nothing in here can be trusted, where does that leave me? Even more questions. What did this to me?" He gestures to his head.

"Was it an evil mutant? Is that why I'm focused on that one I saw? I don't know. And I'm no help to you here." He gestures some to her, the door. "Good luck. Keep me in the loop; I'll be here, wont' I." He's upset, but undesrtandably so, likely.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica nods, her expression sympathetic. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy. We didn't do this to you. But we will work to help you, however we can. And I'm here. If you need me, you know how to get me here. I'll get to work on the rest." She lets herself out with one last somber glance, and shuts the door behind her.

Bastion has posed:
Finally there's a show of frustration from him after she leaves, he knocks the crayon away and strikes the table as well, hard enough to flip it over into a crash against the wall. It's excessive, he's probably VERY strong.

He turns away from it and sits on the cot, head in his hands, back to the 'window'.