[ video ]

[hostage]

[From what's visible behind him, Jesse's seated at the nurse's desk of the Xavier School infirmary. That's not really relevant to anything, just that he's at work and he's bored and out of anything useful to occupy his time. He's currently wrapping a gauze bandage around an empty soda can. An art piece, maybe. Or just keeping his hands busy.]

What's up? Anything exciting going on?

[He's talking to the comm device, but his eyes are on his "work".]

We got new guys coming in, right? How 'bout you? Freaking out about this superhero thing? It's pretty wild...

[That might be touching on sardonic. He knows it's no fun to be new here.]

You guys wanna talk or anything, I got nothing better to do.

[As thrilling as it is to keep winding this bandage around a soda can.]

Comments

[hostage]

Ah, I just kinda... figured it out. It's hard to explain. I mean, most of it's just in my head anyway. Thinking about what I wanna do. Lotta people need healing all the time, so I kept practicing.

[huntergames]

So kind of like... willpower.

[ She sounds impressed. ]

Ah! I should give my thanks for healing Laurie. She's one of my good friends here.

[hostage]

Aw, it was nothing. Seriously.

[A few days of localized paralysis. Not even painful.]

[huntergames]

It was something! That's an amazing power to have and to have taught yourself... that's just as incredible. It took me months to learn how to control mine and I had an instructor...

[hostage]

[If there's one thing that comes naturally to Jesse, it's empathy.]

I bet your power's a lot more complicated.

[huntergames]

Just... a little? At the start; we don't have superpowers back home either.

[ What does titan shifting even constitute? Nobody knows. ]

[hostage]

What'd you end up with?

[huntergames]

Flight powers... sort of. It's very limited, so it's not really like flying.

I can also summon a bow with my thoughts. That's actually been useful.

[hostage]

The bow thing sounds cool, but... Man, that sucks about the flying thing. Is it like how chickens fly? Like not really flying, sorta just flapping around?

[huntergames]

[ That earns a small laugh. ]

It gives me something of a boost when I climb or run up the walls. The boost is extra helpful when I'm using my gear.

[hostage]

Ohhhhh... That's cooler than the other thing. The chicken thing.

Anyway, what's your gear?

[huntergames]

I'm not sure anyone would want to be a chicken. Even if they taste delicious.

Oh! Three dimensional maneuver gear. It helps me get around the city and up large buildings.

[hostage]

So is it like climbing ropes, or..?

[huntergames]

It's a device. Here, I'll show you!

[ And she disappears for a minute, wondering aloud where she's put her gear in her room. She yanks it from beneath a few other things which topple over, then returns with the device in her good arm. ]

See? It's got hand grips. When you extract it [ which she does and pulls out enough of the wire to show Jesse ] there are the grapple hooks.

[hostage]

Oh my god, that's so cool... I gotta try that.

[huntergames]

[ She lowers the device for a moment. ]

You want to? It's not actually hard to use...

[hostage]

For real? You'd let me try it out?

[huntergames]

I don't think it would hurt just this once.

[ Sasha, are you really allowing a civilian to use a military-issued device that he's had no training for?

... yes. ]

[hostage]

Right on!

[How bad could it possibly be?]

When's a good time?

[huntergames]

Anytime in the afternoon. I have to do maintenance on it first, but when it's done I'll let you know.