hostage | EXSILIUM

[But he doesn't blame her for this. Of course he doesn't. He's pretty sure she loves Saul, and anyway, what could she have done alone against a surprise attack from the U.E.?

No. He shakes his head more firmly this time, and the way he squeezes her hands is meant to reassure her.]

When are we going? Now?

[She should have kept him safe.]

I don't know, the Initiative is gonna help us figure out where they were taken. [She manages to take a breath, trying to stay steady.] The UE have a way to block people's powers, even our weapons.

[Jesse shuts his eyes for a moment and swallows hard. Nulls, Voids like him, maybe. Or void-tech. Fuck. There's no way they somehow picked it up because of him, is there? Were they always capable, or..?]

There's always a way around that. We'll, um... We'll figure it out.

I hope so, 'cause I don't know how many of them know how to fight without their powers.

[It's frustrating, and she understands some of Bruce's annoyance at metas.

She also realizes that she's still holding Jesse's hands, so after one more brief squeeze she lets go.]

Are you gonna come with us?

[The way he's talking about it makes her think the answer will be yes, but she wants to check.]

[He probably wouldn't have let go if she didn't do it first. But the way he looks at her now is fiery, his despair giving way to determination.]

Hell yeah I'm coming with you. Only reason I ain't gone five minutes ago is 'cause I don't know where the hell to go.

[She's glad, but also, well, a little concerned, because Saul won't be happy if Jesse gets himself hurt. She'll just have to keep an eye on him.]

You should try to get some sleep, then. I dunno how soon they'll figure out where everyone was taken.

[Not that she's planning to do the same, but she's never pretended not to be a hypocrite.]

All I do is sleep nowadays. I'm good. Where you going now?

[She looks like she's considering arguing the point, but she doesn't really have the energy.]

I dunno, I-- [She hasn't thought that far ahead; she just new she needed to tell Jesse about Saul. After a moment she sighs and pushes a hand through her wet hair.] Guess I should let the Birds know I'm okay. And I should check on Ellie, the little one.

[Not hers.]

[He doesn't even think to ask. Ellie and Steph live together, don't they? So of course she must mean the little one.]

You need any help? I mean, right now. With anything.

[Is she really going to make him sit here and wait?]

I don't know what there is to be done until we know where they went.

[It's pretty clear she doesn't know what to do with herself, because she's still running off adrenalin and panic and it's all she can not to just run off the United Earth straight away.

She knows it's entirely illogical, but that doesn't make it easy to ignore how much she wants to just do something.]

Well... Well, we should stay together, right? So we can leave right away, whenever...

I... [she blinks at him a bit, surprised by the suggestion, but she does want to make sure she keeps track of Jesse once they do start heading to the UE.] Yeah, that's-- yeah. [without missing a beat:] Do you have any juice?

[Today in segues that only make sense in her head.]

Juice, like - like what kinda juice?

Fruit juice. [And it occurs to her that she's not making sense.] Sorry, I lost a lot of blood. I could use the sugar.

Shit -

[Watch him spring into action! He's already halfway to the kitchen.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sit. I'll - Yeah, I got some.

[What if she follows after him instead of sitting. She's pretty sure if she sits down she's just never going to want to get up again.]

I'm okay, I mean-- this isn't exactly my first rodeo.

[Blood loss rodeo???

Steph pls.]

I ain't stupid and this ain't no rodeo. You don't fuck around with losing blood, yo. I know a thing or two.

[Jesse won't scold her for following, though. He can't really blame her. He keeps talking while he digs up some lemonade from the fridge and pours a glass:]

You're not still bleeding, are you? Should I get a healer or something? Like somebody fast.

[He turns to offer her the cup, the expression on his face very much conveying an expectation that she'll collapse any moment and die at his feet.]

I know what I can handle.

[Any other time and there might be anger there; she likely would have bristled with the perceived implication that she doesn't know what she's doing (whether he meant it or not) but she's too tired for it right now, so she sounds more like she's trying to reassure him than anything else.]

First thing I did when I got to the apartment was stitch it up, I'll be fine.

[But she's grateful for the juice, and probably drinks it a little quicker than she would otherwise.]

Stitches are kinda bullshit when you compare 'em to magic, though, right? Anyway, um, I could make you some food? Or heat something up?

I've got no idea how many healers are even left, and I'm not making them waste energy on me when there are other people who need it.

[She'd considered going to the clinic anyway, to offer her help, but there's no way she'd be steady enough for it.

She shakes her head at the offer of food.]

I'm not sure I could keep anything down.

[He understands that feeling, and he also knows there's no point in pushing someone to eat when they're just going to hurl it right back up.]

You're not gonna slow me down when we're on our little rescue mission, are you?

[Now he's teasing, albeit dryly. She's Batgirl and he's Jesse "Can't Walk Two Steps Without Tripping Over His Enormous Pants" Pinkman.]

[That gets the first expression from here that isn't "vaguely panicked", and it's a very flat look.]

I could've lost my leg and I'd still be able to keep up.

[Excuse you, Mr. Pinkman.

But it does help her focus.]

What firearms training do you have?

[Because no offence, she doubts Jesse would be great at hand to hand combat.]

I ain't no Lee Harvey Oswald but shooting's one of the only things I'm good at. I can hit a bullseye at twenty-five yards with a pistol, hundred more yards with a rifle. 'course, it depends on the gun, too. But I train with a lotta different ones.

[She nods.]

Good. I'm gonna head to the armoury at some point and work out what I want. I figure Ellie will kick my ass if I don't at least bring her a rifle.

[And it helps to prepare like Ellie will be in a state to use a rifle, because she doesn't want to consider other possibilities.]

[He's nodding at first, figuring he'll go along with Steph to arm up, but then that second thing confuses him for a number of reasons. Chief among them: why can't Ellie (either Ellie, really) grab a rifle for herself?]

- Wait, what?

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