maskormenace

[ When a familiar face pops up on the network, he's looking a lot less dead than he had looked during his last appearance. In fact, he looks entirely well aside from the dark circles underneath his eyes and a slight pallor to his skin, something that can be attributed just as much to stress as it can injury. ]

Hey, everyone. It's Jaime. And the Blue Beetle, I guess. That cat's extremely out of the bag.

[ He takes a deep breath. ]

I don't really know what to say, except that the Negotiator's dead, so everyone should be safe now - not that I'm the guy you have to thank for that, but the people who did were just doing the right thing. And that I'm sorry, for everything about happened. I knew that the Negotiator was bad news, but I didn't think - I didn't think he'd do that. But I knew. And I'm sorry I didn't do anything about him sooner.

[ He glances off-camera for a moment, teeth worrying at his lip. He looks like there's something else he wants to say, but he eventually leaves the matter be. ]

If there's anything I can do to help anyone who was hurt in all that, it's the least I can do. And... thank you to everyone who tried to help, or who fought back. From me and the Scarab. He -- I -- [ He shakes his head. ] Ah, damn it.

[ Words have never been his strong point. He cuts the feed. ]

[ NOTE: This post comes a couple days after THIS ordeal! If you'd rather see him in person, whether in the hospital (the first day), at his home, or evading the press, feel free to check out my CATCH-ALL. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm sure a lot of them will still have wounds. We'll follow up, do what we can to help them heal. I know people at the O'Malley clinic- we can try to put something together. Reach out to the people who were there and let them know what's available.

[He doesn't add 'before we all move on to the next crisis and forget about this.' Even though it's in the back of his head, and he's sure it's in Jaime's mind too.]

That's not what I was talking about. I mean - it is, in a way. But these people had something crawl underneath their skins and take over their bodies while they were still in there, watching it all happen. That screws you up in ways getting bandaged up can't help you.

Yeah... I figured as much. I guess you would know better than most, wouldn't you? Even if your armour seems a lot less controlling than what the Negotiator put on people.

Oh -- yeah, no, I don't want anyone to think that mine is like that. We're partners. But that doesn't mean I haven't experienced it before.

I'd love to hear the story of that partnership sometime. Not now, but... after.

[After the wounds of what Negotiator has done are less raw.]

Anyway. I know we don't have many imPort therapists worth a damn. But maybe if we put our heads together, we can come up with a list of local counselors and connect them to people who were affected. All expenses paid, naturally.

[How expensive would that be? Probably a lot. Is Jacob willing to dip into Aegis' budget or his own money to fund it as part of a disaster recovery effort? Absolutely.]

Expenses paid by who, though? You think the government would spring for something like that? I guess I've got a pretty decent nest egg - [ that, honestly, he'd like to keep to himself ] - but I already sank most of what I've got into the Centre.

They should at least pitch in. This whole disaster went down on their watch, after all. You've got to figure they'd want to save themselves a few lawsuits by doing something for the people caught in the middle.

You've already done plenty for everyone, Jaime. Both in and out of the armour.

[Even if it wasn't for the Centre, Jacob knows what kind of reputation as a hero the Blue Beetle has around the Porter cities. It's not just that he's reliable and incorruptible- he's just so nice.]

I'm not sure if I'd blame them for that.

[ Who could have expected this? Jaime had been the only person with much advance notice and he didn't notice a thing. ]

But I -- thanks. I appreciate that.

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