ic contact (mask or menace)

[hackitude]

"Hey! You've reached Skye. Leave a message. I mean, if you want to. Or uh, don't. Whatever."

Comments

[hackitude]

... Yeah. I know. If it was you in my place, I'd probably be itching for a fight too.

But it's gonna be okay. I've... I've got a plan. I'm not dumb, I know what he's like now and I'm gonna be prepared for him this time.

[hostage]

What's your plan?

[...he asks as he picks up one of her guns to examine it more closely. Look at that. Legitimate and everything. He pops the magazine to check if it's loaded and ready.]

[hackitude]

[It SURE IS.]

Boy have I got two little words for you:

Power. Nullifier.

[hostage]

[He raises an eyebrow and looks over to her.]

You got one?

[hackitude]

Yep. Not on me-- it's at work, with StarkTech. Kara salvaged one from that shitty Hunger Games rip-off. It was broken when she gave it to me, but she thought maybe I could reverse-engineer it. Figure out a way to null the nullifiers.

We haven't been able to do that yet, but we did get it working again. It shouldn't be too hard for Tony to replicate it on a small scale, so its' area of effect is only the person who's touching it directly.

[hostage]

So... Okay, so you nullify his power - whatever that is - and then what? 'cause he's still got the whole soldier thing going on, right?

[hackitude]

His power is super strength. Just f-y-i. I know, whose genius idea was that, right? Why couldn't it have been something stupid, like mending broken teacups.

That should be enough to at least keep him subdued. He doesn't know what my power is and I haven't told him. The trick will be getting the nullifier on him without him realizing. If Tony can make it small enough, I might be able to stick it inside his gun. He never goes anywhere without it. If his powers suddenly stop working in a city full of superpowered superheroes and he has no idea why, he'll think twice about doing anything rash.

[hostage]

[Jesse frowns.]

Power like that, you pretty much gotta use a nullifier just to get a bullet in him.

You don't think he'll figure out it was you and try to get back at you?

[hackitude]

He might. He might not. He's always underestimated me. And even if he does figure it out... I don't actually think he'll hurt me. He's had numerous opportunities to do so, now. I'm not... sure he actually can. And I'm not above using his feelings for me to my advantage.

... Though to be honest, I kind of hope he does. The second he comes after me, I'll be ready with my gun and micro-camera to get the whole thing on tape. If he sets so much as one foot out of line, I'll be there. Waiting to bring the whole force of this world's law down upon him.

[hostage]

Okay, but...

[Jesse sets the gun back down. How does he put this gently?]

If he thinks you're the one who controls whether he's got his power or not, then it won't be you he goes after. It'll be somebody he can use against you. He's not stupid, right? So he probably knows you won't do what he says unless he's got a gun to somebody else's head.

[hackitude]

[Skye sits on the end of the bed slowly-- or perhaps sinks would be a more appropriate word to describe it-- and finally puts her head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees. Jesse's right, and she knows it.]

[hostage]

It's not a bad plan, Skye. You just gotta go through with it anyway. No matter what he does.

[hackitude]

No... you're right. He would absolutely do that. I can't... I can't put my friends at risk, Jesse. I couldn't put you at risk.

[hostage]

You pretty much declared war on this guy. I think we're past the point of no return as far as putting people at risk goes.

You can't let him hold it over you. It's pretty much a guarantee the guy's gonna come after me. If that happens, you gotta trust me to handle it myself.

Don't let him force you to do what he wants. Even if it means I get hurt. If you give in even once, he's gonna always know that's how he can get to you. And he'll keep doing it again and again.

1/2

[hackitude]

What? ... No. No, that's not an option, Jesse.

[hackitude]

[She sighs.]

Maybe I can... talk him down. Come to some kind of compromise.

[hostage]

Why?

Listen, there's nothing this guy can do to me that I haven't been through before. I ain't scared of him.

If you start negotiating with him, you're only gonna show all your weaknesses to him. Like, if you're begging him not to hurt me, you're just telling him I'm definitely the one to go after when he needs you to do something for him. And it's gonna be like that with pretty much any terms you try and give him. You'd pretty much be handing him a list of targets.

[hackitude]

Jesse, this isn't getting beat up by some random thug. He's a professional.

And I'm not stupid. I wouldn't bring names into it at all. I can just appeal to his ego. He's susceptible to that. I go to him first, tell him I'm sorry I went off on him the other day, I was just really mad, but he's right. I shouldn't have been so hard on him. I should've considered his circumstances. Maybe we should try to work on a peace agreement or something? Blah blah blah.

It's what he wants to hear.

[hostage]

I could give a shit what he wants to hear.

I don't wanna be a liability to you. I'd rather be nothing to you than be a reason for you to do whatever this scum-sucking asshole wants. I'd rather be in the goddamn ground.

[hackitude]

... And what about what I want?

[hostage]

You wanna be at his mercy forever?

[hackitude]

No. I never said I'd be at his mercy. I said we'd work it out. Like adults.

What I want is a boyfriend who is safely in one piece. My pride and hurt feelings aren't worth your life, Jesse. I can suck it up a little and play nice if it means he doesn't think to go after you.

[hostage]

Yeah. We'll see how long it lasts, him being satisfied with just "playing nice".

[hackitude]

If it doesn't work... then we can re-evaluate.

[hostage]

[He sighs, stepping back.]

It's your decision. What do I got to say about it?