IC Inbox

[weboftime]

voice | video | action

Comments

[stevieboy]

Okay. It's all yours.

[weboftime]

Then walk out of your room.

[It's the only place that he won't be able to find him, and since he can't sense him at the moment, it's the only place he could be.]

[stevieboy]

[ This is the only moment Steve hesitates, but if there's a chance it can help, then he should probably do it. ]

Okay. I'm out in the hall.

[weboftime]

As soon as he's out, Henry's in his mind, filing through it like an encyclopedia.

And then his voice is in Steve's head, like he's speaking in his ear.

You really are lost without Nancy, aren't you?

[stevieboy]

It's a little less climactic than he'd imagined, but at the voice he swats a bit to the side of his head as if there might actually be something or someone there.

"I'm fine without Nancy."

[weboftime]

He laughs, the sound reverberating loudly though no one else can hear him.

The Admiral said my name two months in a row during pairings and you didn't notice.

You could have stopped this months ago.

[stevieboy]

Steve’s cheeks turn a bit red at his oversight. He can’t help it if some things don’t stick in his mind.

“Well, I’m stopping it now.”

[weboftime]

You've given me all the information that I need and death means nothing here. It's not as if I can open portals by snapping your bones and taking your eyes.

Tempting as it is.

Even in his head, he sounds a bit smug about it.

[stevieboy]

“Great. You have what you want, you can stop whatever it is you’re doing with Billy and leave us alone.”

[weboftime]

You want to protect him. He wants to protect you.

He doesn't understand it, but that doesn't mean he discounts it as unimportant.

[stevieboy]

“Yeah, he saved us. I owe him.”

Or whatever. Sure, Steve hit him with a car, but it was to try and help everyone else.

[weboftime]

Saved you momentarily.

Henry's quiet for a while. Clever trick with the music. For what it's worth, I don't know what happened to Max.

[stevieboy]

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Because it doesn’t, and Steve shifts his weight uncomfortably at the mention of her.

[weboftime]

"No," he says in his real voice, walking down the hallway towards Steve.

There's no sign of the last encounter they had, no bruising and no blood. However, he stays out of arm's reach.

"I don't care if you feel better. But blaming me for it doesn't help matters."

[stevieboy]

“You’re literally the exact person to blame.”

Or at least Henry’s the one that hurt her, because Steve blames himself a lot more than he probably should.

[weboftime]

He smiles. "I only just met the...Mind Flayer, as you so call it. I haven't harmed anyone who didn't need it."

[stevieboy]

"Well, for me you have. A lot of them."

Steve does not return the smile. Instead, he crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows.

[weboftime]

"And I will do so again if I have the chance to leave this place," he promises him and takes a step back. "So I suppose you are right to be upset."

He turns his back on him.

"Thank you for the information, Steve."

[stevieboy]

"Hey -"

Steve's not about to let Henry just walk away that easily.

"You're done with Billy now. That was the deal."

[weboftime]

He doesn't turn away. "That was the deal I made," he tells him.

You tricked me Henry hears in his mind.

He already knows the answer to that. He's going to save them. Save Billy again, if he needs to.

[stevieboy]

"And you can't come back in here after this."

Here being Steve's mind. That's what Trixie had said, right? If he revokes consent then Henry's back to being shut out.

[weboftime]

That stops him a moment and he turns around with a grin. "So you can learn. That's right. I can't get back in...unless you let me."

And, as far as he's concerned, that voids the deal that they made anyway. The very vague deal he had no intention of following.

"Have a good day, Steve."

[stevieboy]

"I hope you fall overboard."

It's petty, but Steve means it. He knows that it doesn't mean they're rid of Henry forever maybe, but it would be so satisfying.