EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



_“ Hey, it's me. Wait for the thing. _”

Comments

[legal_eagle]

[No beating around the bush - not even a hello-how-are-you - ]

You can take away gifts?

[hostage]

[How scary.]

Yeah. Why?

[legal_eagle]

Because, first, if you ever do that to me I will fuck you up in a major way.

[hostage]

[He really doesn't have a right to be offended, all things considered, but -]

I won't.

[legal_eagle]

Good. 'Cause I mean it.

[But - ]

That said, we all owe you. Thanks.

[hostage]

[Oh. Weird. Sonya is trying to be nice.]

Um... Yeah. I mean, it's no big deal.

[legal_eagle]

Pinkman, I had to take group showers for three days. It's a big deal.

[hostage]

[But he couldn't even really rescue anyone. Of course, if he says that, she'll get mad. And more importantly:]

Are you okay now? I mean, you weren't hurt or anything, right?

[legal_eagle]

[An ambiguous, unhappy little laugh is his only answer.]

Did they go after you?

[hostage]

[What a terrible answer. Now he's really worried.]

Um - nah. Nah, they didn't.

[legal_eagle]

You'd kept your gift a secret. Up to this point. Yeah?

[hostage]

Yeah...

[legal_eagle]

Yeah. I figured.

How did you get it?

[hostage]

Mutation or something. The last world I was in, it happened when I got there.

[legal_eagle]

You glad of it?

[hostage]

I dunno. It's right for me.

[legal_eagle]

What do you mean by that?

[hostage]

I mean God gave it to me, outta everything else He coulda chose. It's mine, and it's helped me a lot, so... so I guess I'm glad.

[legal_eagle]

God also gave you that great big forehead. You grateful for that?

[hostage]

Hey, I'm gorgeous.

[legal_eagle]

Sure, to your mama. [But that's not said meanly; she's almost - almost - teasing him.] Just saying, not everyone's grateful for their gift. But you're grateful for yours.

[hostage]

It used to piss me off, yeah. Okay - sometimes it still does. But I could ask the Initiative to change me if I wanted, but I don't, 'cause it wouldn't be right.

[legal_eagle]

Why not? If you don't mind the twenty questions.

[hostage]

It'd be like lying to myself.

[legal_eagle]

If I'd inherited my granddad's ability instead of my mom's, I wouldn't see myself as being all that different.