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]

[Skye opens her can and takes a long drink.]

I'm holed up in a hotel room, drinking beer with a guy I barely know in between firing off texts to my temperamental boyfriend trying to convince him not to take on my even more temperamental ex-boyfriend-that-wasn't, who is incidentally literally twice Jesse's size with biceps the size of Jesse's head, special forces training and now, super strength.

How do you think I'm doing?

[5055034455]

...yeah. Stupid question.

[Of course the guy has super strength. That just figures. Saul wrinkles his nose in distaste at the thought — Jesse's probably in way over his head already.]

Aside from Jesse, is there anyone else you've got who can look out for you? Someone maybe — y'know, bigger? Or! Better yet — what about you, huh? Miss secret government agent. You must know how to handle a firearm, yeah?

[hackitude]

[Skye nudges under the double bed with her foot, hooks it in something and draws it out. It's an open gym bag with a handgun and a shotgun inside. Both legit, no filed-off serial numbers, reasonable quality guns.]

He's the one who taught me how to shoot, so odds that I'll actually be able to get a bullet in him are low. But it's the thought that counts, right?

[She shrugs and gives an almost cynical smile.]

Don't you worry about me. Worry about Jesse. I've practically got my own tag-team of bodyguards here. Who knew all it took to be popular was moving to another universe?

[5055034455]

[That's what Saul figured — he saw the public responses on Ward's post. Still, her reassurance combined with the presence of weaponry isn't really enough to put him at ease. Mostly because of Jesse.

Since he doesn't trust himself to say anything Jesse would get pissed at him for, Saul remains silent for the moment, finally opening his beer and taking a thoughtful swig.]

[hackitude]

[Skye isn't sure what else to say on that topic either, so she sits down on the end of the bed with a sigh, elbows resting on her knees, drink in one hand.]

... Thanks, though. For worrying.

[She tries to study him for a moment. Trying to work out what sort of adult he is. She's known all sorts in her short life. And despite being 25, she still doesn't count herself as one of them.]

So ... how long have you and Jesse known each other, anyway? [Since he asked her. Turn about is fair play, isn't it?]

[5055034455]

[Saul's pretty convinced "worrying" is part of his job description, at this point. He should really charge more.

When he sees her watching him, he figures there's a question coming, and he figures it's going to be personal. He hopes it's nothing about Jesse's personality; he doesn't even know where to begin with excuses for that one.

Luckily, what she asks is something he can answer honestly.]

About a year.

[hackitude]

[That makes Skye pause and blink for a moment.]

... Huh. For some reason I thought it would be longer.

[5055034455]

Yeah? [He takes a sip from his beer, looking thoughtful.] Why's that?

[hackitude]

I don't know. Just an impression, I guess. You guys seem closer than the typical lawyer-client relationship. Or... guy who holds money and acts as a sober companion-client relationship.

[5055034455]

[That's funny. Saul's laughing.]

Heh, don't let him hear you say that.

[hackitude]

What, really? ... How come? He seemed to have a lot of respect for you when he mentioned you to me a couple of months ago.

[5055034455]

What, Jesse?

[At first, he looks both bemused and skeptical, but that quickly gives way to something —

Softer.]

Really?

[Shit, that sounded vulnerable, didn't it?]

[hackitude]

Well we were also kind of being held captive at the time by unknown forces; I'm pretty sure he was imagining imminent torture and death. People say weird things under pressure, I wouldn't take it too personally.

[5055034455]

[That sounds more like Jesse.





Wait, what?]

When did that happen?

[hackitude]

Like I said, a couple of months ago. An unknown third party arranged for the kidnap of several imPorts so they could run Hunger Games-style tests on them. Chuck 'em into an arena, make them battle deadly obstacle courses or each other. We didn't know that at the time, though-- we just woke up in what looked like a motel room from the 70s, only with no way out. Jesse was freaking out. ... Okay, we were both freaking out.

[5055034455]

[Saul is silent as those details work their way through his mind. He can't really picture any of what Skye just told him, except by imagining her and Jesse —

Nope.

He'd rather not.]

Jesus.

[hackitude]

Yeah. It was... pretty awful, actually.

But we spent the time in captivity telling each other stories about stuff from back home. When we weren't arguing about what to do, anyway.

[5055034455]

[The worst part of this is the fact that now Saul's wondering what he would have done if he showed up and found out that Jesse was here, but died.

It's almost enough to make him want to stop drinking, but he figures he probably should keep going if this is the conversation they're going to have.]

How'd you get out?

[hackitude]

We were a bunch of angry people with super-powers. I'll leave it up to your imagination.

[5055034455]

...yeah, good point. I guess they shoulda known better. The kidnappers, I mean.

[Saul is suddenly very grateful that he can walk through things and turn invisible. No more kidnappings for him, no sir.]

[hackitude]

It took us a while, since they had, uh... power nullifier tech. But after that was taken care of...

[5055034455]

Oh, shit, that's a thing?

[There goes that thought.]

And — "unknown forces," you said? Not the Russians?

[hackitude]

Yeah, that's a thing. My boss and I are working on making a power nullifier ... nullifier, but it's taking some time.

A lot of people think it was the Russians. I don't buy it.

[5055034455]

No?

[Another sip.]

What's your theory, then?

[hackitude]

I don't have a theory yet, I just don't think it was the Russians. If it was, why the whole charade? Why the challenges? Nobody's been able to trace it back to the Russians with any tangible proof, so why not just kill us all outright? Or better yet, run medical tests on us to get samples of our DNA so they can make their own superheroes? It just doesn't add up.