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

[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?

[hackitude]

If you can come up with a better plan that doesn't involve putting you in harm's way, seriously, I'm all ears.

[hostage]

I don't wanna make you feel bad here, Skye, but I'm in harm's way no matter what the plan is. You giving in to his little tantrum ain't gonna save me. It's just buying some time.

[hackitude]

[Skye looks up at him, at that. Eyes lined with... worry, and some alarm.]

... You don't know that.

[hostage]

Yeah, I do. I think you know it, too.

[hackitude]

[Just... slowly putting her head in her hands again.]

... Let me-- let me just try. I can get through to him.

[hostage]

[Flatly:]

You're gonna get through to the psycho murdering Nazi who's obsessed with you. Okay.

[hackitude]

What! It sounds better than "let Jesse get murdered and God knows what else!" Why am I the only person in this room who seems to care about your life?

[hostage]

My life's not as important as yours.

[hackitude]

Bullshit it's not!

[hostage]

It's not.

[hackitude]

... It is. Jesse... I know you've done things-- things that you hate yourself for. But this is not about that. Human lives are... they're not like goods on the market. They don't change in value. Every life is important. No one person is worth more or less than another person.

And even if you don't believe that... you're important to me.

[hostage]

I know, just... I got this power now. I can survive just about anything anybody throws at me. I wish you'd just trust that, stay strong and trust me to get through it. 'cause once we show him he can't control us, that's when we won't have anything to worry about anymore.

[hackitude]

It's not about surviving-- what about torture, and pain? And we don't know if your powers can revive you from death or not.

[Skye gives a small sigh, because this tack clearly doesn't work on someone who doesn't value their own life. Time for a different approach.]

... You say you can't forgive yourself for your girlfriend's death. ... How do you think I would feel?