I feel so far from where I've been, so I go, and I will not be back here again [W4, Tues Afternoon]

[hydrokinetics]

[Of course he worried. He heard by now about what happened to Jason and Shinnosuke and he worried about what this meant and if they would be able to fully recover. He's seen his fair share of injuries but nothing like that, nothing so permanent.

He doesn't know what to do.

Tuesday morning is spent away from the hotel, but it's early afternoon when he heads upstairs with Mrs. O'Leary slowly hobbling along down the hall with him. They're about to their room when a door across the hall opens and Percy snaps his head up, spotting Jason Todd slowly making his way out of his room.

He watches briefly, interested in where Jason is going before lifting both eyebrows.]

I'm pretty sure Dr. Lecter would tell you to stay in bed, dude.

Comments

[hydrokinetics]

[He lets Jason express himself and patiently waits, knowing almost exactly how he must feel. He'd be the same with Annabeth. He has been the same with Annabeth, and it stings a little, but this is what he can do now. He can still help. He can still be a hero. He can still do good.]

I know, Jason. The conditions are that I go with her to see him and we meet somewhere very far away from everyone else. I like Milla just fine, but someone should be there as a barrier and...I think Damian might trust me a little enough to be okay if I'm there, too. You know him much better than I do for obvious reasons, but even I know that he's a kid. He needs something familiar and if you find it agreeable, I'm going to make it be me.

[He's. Kind of asking Jason for permission, but he's also making it clear he's definitely doing this.] I'm worried about him being the leader, but if we can get him and Milla to work together he might be safer.

[impulsiveness]

[He feels sick and nauseated at all of this. It's not fair. A 10-year-old shouldn't be given a responsibility so big. None of them should, really. Percy will be able to see the exact same moment Jason's tough guy act crumples down, as he taps-taps-taps his pen against an empty space on his rulebook. He's at a loss without Bruce. He's not good enough to help Damian on his own. He's not sure he'll succeed at anything in this messed up, second chance at life he's been given.

So he nods, writing something for Percy to see.]

Please go with him. I'll trust you and Milla.

[It's not like he has much of a choice, honestly. They have to keep playing this game, even when all Jason wants to do is go home to Bruce and Alfred, curl up in his bed where he is safe and warm, and pretend this is all a bad dream.

Oh, well.]

[hydrokinetics]

[First of all, it sort of breaks him in a way he's not sure how to handle. He's barely older than Jason but he's had enough friends look the same way, people who life's beaten down, people dejected and sick and tired and he hates it, he hates that this is where life has taken them right now. He hates that Jason looks this way, hates that he can't think of a single way to help. All he has are words. What good will words do for them?

So...he slowly gets up to move, sitting at the foot of Jason's bed if he'll let him and also patting Mrs. O'Leary first. It's something, even if he's not sure how well Jason will respond to it.]

Thank you. For trusting me. I...[He pauses.] Where I'm from, kids start training to fight at a pretty young age. I wasn't much older than Damian when I started. Annabeth was seven. It's never fair.

[It pisses him off, actually, that the Sheriff gave this much responsibility to someone so young.] But Hal told me that he was the best choice, or the game wouldn't work. Whatever that means. [He. Might have yelled at the robot earlier about Damian as well.] I learned some other information about the Bounties when I spoke to Milla though. I think it's something you should know, and maybe Damian will get mad that I told you but remember what I said about checking in with each other? That's still important.

[So. Where to start.] Milla told me there's five Bounties. Did Damian ever say that to you?

[impulsiveness]

[He watches Percy sit down on the foot of his bed, but doesn't do anything to stop him or tell him to buzz off. If anything, he shifts more towards the other side, as if to give him more space. Even if he would never, ever admit it — having company at a time like this is nice. And he's beginning to trust Percy with his life.

He's a little slower now. Tired. Where to start, indeed.]

Damian's been trained by the best. I can see why the Sheriff would say that.

[Though his expression makes it clear he's not happy about that at all. He might have even joined Percy in yelling at him about Damian, if given the chance. That said... He shakes his head. That's a no, this is his first time hearing about the other five Bounties.]

He didn't.
And I didn't think to ask if he was working alone.

[hydrokinetics]

[He nods a little at that.]

Batman, right? He told me. [That's such a bizarre sentence, but it's out there. He has to just pretend Batman is a real person.] Damian's been arguing on and off with me about what he is and isn't capable of. I'm not sure he believes he's actually ten.

[He'll yell enough for both of them, buddy.] I should have thought to ask, too, but even so I don't know if he would have known about it. Like I said, Milla told me that the Bounties have to find each other in the game based on talking to people and figuring it out. I'm guessing he doesn't quite know the number or anything. [A soft exhale.] Milla also told me one of the Bounties has already been killed.