Searching for answers [OPEN]

[morethan084]

WHO: Skye and YOU
WHERE: Around Heropa, Residence #031, and local diner.
WHEN: December 7th-12th
WHAT: Skye is trying to get answers as to what happened in downtown Heropa via witnesses and her own totally illegal research.
WARNINGS: Cursing

Of course things could never go right in her life, but this was a whole new level of fucked up. Her powers had been switched with Jesse's, and while she seemed to have gotten the easier to manage powers, Skye had to deal with the fact that Jesse needed her help in order to try and control hers.

So between helping Jesse, and searching for answers it left Skye with little time to sleep. Which, apparently, wasn't needed anyway thanks to one of Jesse's powers. Although it would've certainly been a lot easier without having that constant buzzing sensation running through her powers.

It wouldn't be hard to find Skye, she was all over town this entire week. Searching for answers, asking witnesses, searching on a computer she managed to swipe. Sometimes she was at her house, but quite a lot of the time she could be found at the local diner, sitting in a corner while sipping on an endless supply of coffee and researching on the laptop.

Comments

[hostage]

Jesse nods and follows after her, trying to focus on anything but what just happened back at the school. Slowing his breath, keeping his eyes fixed on Skye, and slowly massaging his forearms to work out the buzzing in his skin.

[morethan084]

Once they were inside, Skye closed her door. The room wasn't very big, but it was enough for them to both walk around in. Skye was used to small rooms, so this was an improvement.

"You can tell me, you know. If you want."

[hostage]

"I'm afraid something bad is gonna happen if I do."

Already there's a subtle vibration that follows Jesse with every step. Smaller objects on the shelves rattle and the window gives a threatening creak as Jesse makes his way to Skye's bed and takes a seat on the edge of it.

[morethan084]

Skye can't help the panicked look on her face when she felt the shaking. Out of instinct she tried to stop it, hands clenching into fists as she tried harder and yet nothing happened.

"And if you don't talk about it, nothing will?" Because he's proving that not to be the case right now.

[hostage]

...Point taken. He's really not doing a good job of bottling this up.

Jesse swallows, debating internally for a moment before he says, "Did I, uh... Did I ever tell you I got a kid? Back home."

[morethan084]

Skye is surprised to hear that, given what else she knew about him. Still, she really shouldn't be so judgmental. Different situations and all of that.

"No." If he had, then she didn't remember it.

[hostage]

"He's a good kid." Jesse smiles briefly, a bit of a proud father for a second before he dissolves back into twitching nervousness. "He's real quiet. Shy. Just turned eight before I got here, which was... which was about two years ago. But he's small for his age, you know. He looks like a little baby sometimes. You can't help but love him, he's that cute."

[morethan084]

Skye likes to hear stories of parents talking about their kids in such a positive way, in a way she lived through that. Because growing up, that was certainly not the case for her.

Taking a seat on the bed too, Skye looked over to him.

"What's his name?"

[hostage]

"Brock." He lets out a choked little laugh. "Like the Pokémon character."

[morethan084]

Skye lets out a soft laugh in amusement, it wasn't what she was thinking of when she heard the name at least.

"Did you name him after that on purpose?"

[hostage]

"His mom named him," Jesse answers with a shake of his head. "I think she just thought it sounded strong. Like, badass."

[morethan084]

"Well it made me think of Brock Lesnar, which sort of works."

If this is what he wanted to talk about in order to calm down, Skye was more than willing to.

[hostage]

Jesse smiles again. "You know what, I bet he'll be telling people that's who he's named after once he gets to high school."

[morethan084]

"Is he even still wrestling?" Skye hadn't watched wrestling in years.

[hostage]

Jesse gives Skye a helpless look. "Last I heard, he quit for good. But I been a little preoccupied the last couple years, so... Who knows."

[morethan084]

"Right." She knew he had told her he has been here for a while, but it still didn't cross her mind that some of the people who lived here hadn't experienced the present year.

"Do you have a picture of him?"

[hostage]

"I wish." No one ever expects to go on a one-way interdimensional trip. He would have packed one if he'd known. "It ain't smart to carry that kinda stuff in your wallet. You don't want somebody in this business finding out all about your family." One of Walt's rookie mistakes, Jesse remembers well.

...Which brings his mind back to the present.

"I almost killed somebody once because I thought they poisoned him to get to me."

[morethan084]

"...Right." He had a good point, but growing up Skye never had to worry about things like that. It's what made her so reckless before she joined SHIELD.

"What? They didn't though, did they?"

[hostage]

"No, he didn't."

Jesse says it as much to confirm it for himself as he does for her. He has to believe it's not true. It has to be a move, a manipulation on Walt's part. Because if it is the truth, then Jesse's world will be in ruins - figuratively and literally.

"Brock was poisoned, but it was an accident. I thought it was ricin, but it was - it was lily of the valley. Little kids just eat that stuff on their own. The berries... Just an accident." Just an accident. Just an accident. Just an accident.

He looks at Skye, going sallow and trembling as he clarifies, "It was all in my head. It was just me being paranoid, getting all psycho. He's my best friend and I almost killed him because of it."

Jesse takes a deep breath. "And now he's trying to get me to go through with it."

[morethan084]

"Oh my god." Skye could only imagine how terrifying that had to be, to almost lose their child like that.

"You had to have a reason for thinking he did that." It was a poor attempt at trying to reassure him that it wasn't paranoia. Usually someone's instinct wasn't wrong.

Wait, did she just hear that right?

"He wants you to kill him? Why?"

[hostage]

Jesse shakes his head at her attempted reassurance. He knows himself too well, knows his own instability. She was absolutely correct when she called him psychotic. Even in a situation as terrifying as that, his first reaction should not have been murder. He's always wrong about these things, and he was wrong in that assumption, too. Of course he was.

"He wants to die," Jesse replies quietly, "but he's too much of a pussy to kill himself. He's trying to get me to do it. He keeps pushing me, and I don't..."

His voice breaks and he looks away from Skye, squeezing his eyes shut. His hands curl into fists.

"I don't know if I can control myself much longer. I hate him. I hate him so much. But I don't think I can live with myself if I kill him. All these games he's playing with me, but I still..."

[morethan084]

Didn't he just call him his best friend? Now he's saying he hates him. Skye can't help but feel, well, helpless with the information he was giving her. It was scattered at best, which was understandable given how shaken he is.

Hesitantly, Skye reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't give him what he wants. If he was an actual friend he wouldn't try to force you into such a cruel situation."

[hostage]

Jesse's shaking beneath her hand. He looks at her again, biting his lower lip. He's as lost as she is, honestly. He doesn't know what he's done to deserve any of this. He's spent a year trying to make Walt happy, to give him everything he ever asks. But this one thing...

"He always gets what he wants."

By luck, by chance, by coercion or threats or toying with people. Literally controlling their minds, if he has to. Jesse can't fight him forever. Especially not with this seed planted in his head.

[morethan084]

Skye could be too damn observant at times, but she has a sneaking suspicion about an earlier conversation that tied into this one. It's clear by the way she perks up that she's connecting the dots.

"...Is this the same person who you work with?"

[hostage]

Jesse honestly isn't surprised that she puts it all together. She was smart enough to catch him when no one else could. She's smart enough to understand this.

"Not anymore," Jesse replies darkly. "According to him, it's over."