EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



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

Comments

[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.

[hostage]

That'd be different.

[legal_eagle]

How?

[hostage]

'cause you'd be inheriting it. That'd be who you are. It wouldn't be you pretending to be somebody you're not. It's totally not the same thing as me going to the Initiative and having 'em mess around with me.