[voice; un: METTATON]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Morning, darlings. No, this isn't a call to share, not quite yet.

There wouldn't happen to be any healers capable of mending broken bones on the team, would there? Dearest George has hurt himself and, instead of doing the reasonable thing and seeking help from his team, he's decided it's much more effective to lumber around with the enemy.

This won't do. You all know why.

So. If anyone would please do him a favor and take care of that? And take HIM away from his current company. Thank you.

Just as an interesting little side-note, it seems our blue friend hasn't the foggiest about her own team's exploits when it comes to ALASTAIR. Just thought that was fascinating.

Comments

[banded]

Isn't that kind of the same thing? She's had a chance to grab any of us.

Honestly, it sounds like you don't trust George. [Even if that's ... well. George was dealt a bad hand, wasn't he?]

[ex_mettacrusher33]

I don't.

Would any of the other people she could potentially take willingly tell Zymandis anything about our inner workings? Is there any one else on the team who would refuse treatment to stay with a woman who's "honor-bound" to a group that's responsible for countless deaths?

We've buried people because of Zymandis, darling. The rest of us all remember that.

George is a weak link.

[banded]

Zymandis is an organization. One person isn't an organization.

[He does firmly believe that. Every question he had asked the agent tied back to that understanding. She didn't make up their organization. She was, specifically, one person.]

Either way, it's a bad idea if we act like George is a problem. Wouldn't that make it worse?

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Would you be willing to repeat that to what's left of ALASTAIR if us refusing to keep an eye on him gets us killed?

[banded]

I think you're missing what I'm saying.

If we don't make him feel wanted, he's going to want us even less.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Then by all means, be sweet! Throw him a party!

Just keep them away from each other.

[banded]

I think we need a better plan than "keep them from each other." This was George's first mission. He's had a rough time.

Maybe we should, I dunno, ask why he's spending time with her? Give him the benefit of the doubt?

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Sweetheart.

We failed his first mission. We were sent to a prison and crashed into what can succinctly be described as a death maze. We have no way out aside from playing this horrible game, with no food and an increasingly higher risk of freezing to death each day.

We are ALL having a rough time.

By all means, you can ask! But we don't have the luxury of giving someone so chummy with Zymandis, even if it IS just one lone agent, the benefit of the doubt.

And, may I remind you? Woodhurst was one agent too.

[banded]

I wasn't there for Woodhurst. [It's his first mission, too. That much is implicit in this reveal. He's asked some questions about it, but Scott has been trying to be more forward thinking.]

A number of us have been talking to her. I even kinda like her. We need to think before we start alienating her, too. That's all.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

OHO, you WEREN'T!

Well, let me give you the bullet points!

An entire town was infected with a madness-inducing virus that made them want to eat and kill one another! It infected US! We buried a teammate! I watched a child suffer through the trauma of losing her mother! All because of ONE member of Zymandis thought it would be a fun game to play on an innocent town. Because he wanted it to spread to the entire rest of the planet. Because their entire mission is to destroy every universe in existence.

Keep that in mind, while you're liking her.

[banded]

[As someone who has literally been through that experience back home—an experience that was meant to kill all the supernatural people at his school—he can't help but know what that's like. He remembers the pain his dad faced after having to kill the man who did it, and having to understand that himself.]

I understand. I do.

[However, they're not going to see eye to eye on this.]

But are you going to say that every person who's ended up with this team has been good? Has wanted to do the right thing?

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Oh, certainly not. I'd be just as foolish to say there HASN'T been any misanthropic sociopaths gracing our presence!

But we have something the same way Zymandis does: peer pressure. We have a culture of heroics, there have one of destruction... There's always going to be those against the grain, but they're either shipped off or whittled into compliance. It's how things work.

Also: honor-bound. To the death company. She can be the kindest person you've ever met and she'd still choose them and their goals over you. I'm not sure why this is hard to grasp.

[banded]

It's not hard to grasp. [Frustration filters into his voice here.] I just don't see things as black and white like you do. Maybe because I know she wasn't lying. Maybe because I know she probably could kill all of us, and she hasn't.

And maybe, just maybe, I can see why George would want to be with someone who clearly empathizes more with him than you do.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

...

Sweetheart, are you going to help us keep an eye on him or are we just going to keep dancing in circles? Because I have to admit, I left my tap-shoes at home.

[banded]

I'll talk to him, okay?

[ex_mettacrusher33]

Do let us know how that goes.

[banded]

Yeah, I'll make sure he knows that some of us trust him and are worried about him.

[ex_mettacrusher33]

That wasn't entirely meant to be sarcastic, but points for the passive-aggression nonetheless. You and George will get along swimmingly.