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]

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?

[hostage]

No. Hey. Stop right there.

Whatever that asshole does to me is not on you. If he tortures me or kills me or whatever he ends up doing... That ain't your responsibility.

[hackitude]

And your girlfriend over-dosing isn't yours, either. But you still feel responsible anyway, right? Because you could've chose differently. You still had a hand in the sequence of events that led to it.

[hostage]

This ain't the same thing and you know it. I brought drugs into her house. You didn't bring this asshole into this world. You got no control over him being anywhere near us. If he comes through that door right now, that's not you - it's him. But drugs didn't walk themselves back into Jane's life. I brought 'em there. So don't try and tell me this is the same as that.

[hackitude]

[That's the first time she's heard her name. Jane, huh...]

... I'm the one who went off at him in the first place. If I'd just left him alone...

I should've been smarter. I am smarter. I just... I lost it.

[hostage]

The guy's a spy, right? And from the sound of him, he ain't too stable. He woulda found everything out sooner or later and he'd probably be just as pissed about it.

[hackitude]

... Maybe. ... Maybe not. Just... let me try it my way first?

[hostage]

Your way's the only way, babe. Ain't nothing I can do one way or the other.

[He assumes Ward will come after him no matter what Skye does, anyway.]

[hackitude]

... Thank you. ... I'm going to keep you safe, I swear.