maskormenace | 07 ⚜ Text

[Crane considers the test sample of the previous week. Saturday night at De Chima University. It was not the size of the group that had made his data bright with promise. It was the knowledge gained. How imPort and native alike fought and struggled against fear and panic. Learning that they chose to deliberately hurt each other, rather than accept either. It hastened his heartbeat with the thrill of discovery. Yes, discovery and the thrill of watching them tear themselves apart. Crushing them under his thumb and subjecting them to his power.

He wouldn't have ruled out striking another night, either. Most of the students were the typical kind; stay out late, drink hard, throw your lives out with the cigarettes and bottles. Not unlike the undergraduates of his youth, then. But there had been a point to terrorizing the swearing-in. Fear was not just about how many people he could hold under his thumb. It was about who. The people they were and the monster whose mantle he wore. That's the reason for his other name today.

There are no pleasantries. He doesn't say hello.]

How are you doing these days, imPorts?

I don't mean to disturb you, but I'm sure you're wondering if I'm guilty as accused.

You're wondering if truth avails, perhaps? You'll have to learn both the hard way, I'm afraid.

Whoever created that fog wanted you to see that your fears are hollow; shadows that dwell between the emotion and the response. They were simply trying to loosen you up a bit. That's my professional opinion. Still, how awful this treatment must have been for you all...

Now. I'm afraid I'm going to ask you some questions. All in the interests of science, of course! Tell me what you saw. Detail the nature of the thoughts that flooded your mind. Report the emotions you felt. I'm here to help.

[There's one other, final message.]

To those who spoke of pre-emptive action; I find you all hypocrites.

Life is about choices. You made yours when you chose not to say a word.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work that must be done. Gotta earn my keep and all that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What do you want to hear?

That I'm gonna be okay?

Don't give him the satisfaction of reading this.

You'll be okay.
Don't isolate yourself.
Find someone to talk to. A real psych. And not an ImPort.
And remember that the damage wasn't your fault.

[She didn't even think to private it. Can't focus on much of anything right now.]

But it is my fault. If I hadn't

If I'd just

I can't.

Don't.

Not unless you're willing to condemn every last person in that building who lashed out.

[ He's too exhausted and he's seen too much to sugarcoat it for her. ]

That's different

Explain how.

I caught his attention. My action. My mistake.

If I hadn't...

I saw the reports. I saw what I did. You can't tell me that I didn't make it worse.

You did.
But what happened wasn't because of any action you took, or anything you did wrong.
Scarecrow's a monster.

You feel guilty and that's understandable.
But don't justify that guilt by blaming a victim — even if that victim was yourself.

But he never would have gotten me if I didn't screw up.

Or if I had more control.

So if you don't check the closet for monsters it's your own fault if one gets you.

[ If you don't pay off the mob, it's your fault if there's an "accident." His hands are shaking. He's angry at the implications, even if she's turning that blame inwards out of guilt. ]

I don't believe that.
I don't believe anyone's responsible for the bad things other people do to them.

More like if I check the monster's closet then I shouldn't be surprised when it catches me.

[She can't help it. Her mind keeps running in circles of grief and she can't sleep. Or if she does sleep she keeps seeing the people she's killed. She should be angry, so angry at Crane, but she can't.]

So you're saying you knew.

Not this.
Not this.

I wanted proof. To get justice for what he'd done to my friend.

But not this.

[Did she?]

If you're looking for castigation, you won't get it here.

Here's the part about being a hero that no one tells you: You're going to screw up. A lot.
And you're going to see a lot of people die.
And sometimes it IS going to be your fault.
Because your attention was on the wrong thing. Because you didn't get there fast enough. Because you made the wrong call. Because there wasn't any other call to make.

And you're going to remember every single one. Forever.

I know. I've been doing this since I was nine years old.

And what do you do with the blood that's on your hands?
With the ones that it wasn't just...a bad call. But your own ability?

[She needs guidance in this, and doesn't know where to turn to. Doesn't know if she's trusts Robin quite enough to take his word for it. Doesn't know who she DOES trust that much.

She can't...fathom...how young he was. Somehow how young he is now isn't as big of a deal out of context, but nine? In the face of this disaster...]

You use that, and you get better.

But if you're asking if it gets easier... it doesn't. And it shouldn't.

I don't know yet if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

I'm not sure it's either one.

But it's something you need to accept if you're going to do this.

If you can't...
There's more than one way to help people.

[It takes a really long time for her to reply.]

Thank you.

[ He's still upset that she blamed him, and so publicly, but he can't say he doesn't deserve it. Unlike Gogo, he's no victim. ]

Yeah.

I hope you figure things out.
Feel better soon, Gogo.

07 ⚜ Text | ID: Scarecrow

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