xavier_institute

I know that now, but you can't be too careful these days. Lots of stuff in the news.

[He's sure of that. He watched the news the other day, and there was definitely a lot of stuff in it.

Honestly, Adachi's colleagues in security are often complaining about his slacking and forgetfulness, so he doesn't pay them too much mind. They may have said something... Anyway, he did get a talking to, but it was for overzealousness, for once in his life. Not that he's about to tell the kid that.]

I wouldn't get far if I believed everything suspects told me. That's why I waited for someone who could confirm your story. Anyway, I'm sorry you got scared by a little show.

[He was told to apologize. That was a pretty good one, right? It's very hard for him to apologize without using sarcasm.]

Fuck you.

[Ah yes that apology sure went a long way.]

Well, I'm glad we've got this sorted out. No hard feelings, then!

[His inability to stop being sarcastic is truly a grave affliction.]

There'll be no more hard feelings when I crack your skull open.

[And suddenly he's all concern.]

You ought to be careful about those violent threats. They could get you in trouble.

I won't get in as much trouble as you. You started it.

[Not that he expects Xavier to completely overlook it. He may be aware of Jack's situation but he can't be sure attempted murder would be excusable regardless of his reasons.]

[This kid has such a thick head. He has approximately zero interest in hurting him, as it would mean nothing but more problems and more work for him, which is the opposite of what he wants.

However, he has been forced by his counselor to make nice, and look what a good job he's doing.]

Like I said, I'm not in any trouble at all! And everybody knows what I did. So it looks like you've got to shift your worldview a bit. To one in which you're pretty much wrong.

I'm not wrong!

[But what if he is wrong? What if Adachi is innocent? Apparently Adachi is not in trouble. Apparently Jack is the problematic one. No, no, it's definitely Adachi's fault. Or is it? He's not sure, and it's just making him anxious all over again.]

If you're not gonna get in trouble then I'll make trouble! Lots of trouble! And if you try to stop me from buying smokes again I'll bash your head in! And- and zap you to death! Don't come near me!

What's your power, overreacting?

[Adachi's the only one who thinks his jokes are funny.]

Guess what, you didn't get hurt! Nobody did! You're going to murder someone over a minor inconvenience? That's impressive.

[Adachi laughs. And they think he's bad. This kid is seriously messed up. Someone really must have fucked him over. That's the world for you; full of fuckers!]

I've got news for you kid: I don't want to have anything to do with you, either. I couldn't care less.

[He forces himself to calm down a little, just so he doesn't boil over too much to speak again. What he wouldn't give for his plasmids and the chance to blast Adachi out of existence.]

I've got super-strength, and I've killed people for less. [Like being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A lot of people died for that reason down in Rapture. But most of the survivors of Jack's adventure are long dead one way or another anyway.]

You should care. You should be scared shitless. You should sleep with one eye open and big, big barricades on your door.

Edited 2014-10-13 04:36 (UTC)

That's something to be proud of!

[It's hard to tell if Adachi is being sarcastic or not, in saying that.]

Nope. Don't care a bit. You kill me, and what's gonna happen? You're a murderer, and I won't even be around to feel bad about it.

Big deal. No one cares.

You-

[Why can't he intimidate Adachi? Why hasn't he been able to even once? Even Fontaine was a little scared of him. Jack is distressed.]

I'm already a murderer- I killed plenty of people and I don't care if I kill you too, Professor Xavier won't do anything worse than- than- [A frustrated noise.] Why aren't you scared!?

[Did killing Fontaine mean as little as Adachi seems to think death does? Jack had found killing him to be satisfying. The idea that it might not have been the worst thing to happen to him drains all that satisfaction right out of it on top of his anxiety. He's an impressionable kid, all this uncertainty isn't good for him.]

Then you'd be a murderer again, I guess. Like I said, no big deal. Probably the prof wouldn't be happy, though. He'd lock you up. For your own good, you know?

I don't know. I'm just not. I've never been afraid to die. Why would I be? Everyone does it. Maybe it's not that bad! You don't have to worry about anything anymore.

[He doesn't see any reason not to be honest, here. He's already been caught and locked up for his crimes. He's just telling the truth.]

All those people who give you shit don't bother you anymore. All the stuff that hurts, gone—like that!

[Being locked up does seem bad, but he's never been trapped anywhere for long. He always gets out somehow.

The scarier part is Adachi's view of death. If it's true, Jack was solving Fontaine's problems by killing him. He figured he'd been solving Ryan's by killing him, Ryan had forced him into it, but considering that Fontaine might not be burning in hell and have been terrified of it every moment of their battle...]

You're- you're lying! That's not what death means! I- [This is the sound of a wrench hitting a wall hard enough to leave a crater in it.] Just shut the hell up!

Why are you so mad? It's a good thing. Less to worry about now, right? Takes a lot of pressure off.

People are just scared of death for no reason. When it happens, that's it! Your troubles go poof!

[If questioned later, Adachi will just say he was trying to cheer the kid up! He sort of is, in his way. People are shit and life is meaningless, and if you just accept that, it makes things a lot easier.

He would take it further, but he is actually reining himself in. What a prince.]

No! No no no no no no! You're lying- you're wrong!

[He doesn't want death to be a solution. He wants it to be the greatest possible form of punishment. Otherwise he missed a huge opportunity to do more damage, and that's the best case scenario.]

I- I'll do worse, then! I won't let you die, just- just keep hurting you until you want to die! And you never will!

[Jack becomes a little bit more like Fontaine every day, it seems.]

Nope! Trust me, I've been around longer than you. I know how things go.

Won't work! I'll use my powers on you if you don't take me by surprise.

Besides, the Old Man would save me.

[It's a bit odd for Adachi to espouse any kind of belief in anyone, but he does think this. What an idiot the professor is, always helping people out, even if they're no good at all.]

You really need to think these things through better.

Shut up!

[Jack isn't built for thinking things through. He was built to have other people think for him. And that makes it very hard for him to reassure himself that Adachi is wrong... which is the main reason he insists so strictly that he is.]

You don't know anything- and Professor Xavier won't save you if he can't stop me!

[And he adamantly refuses to consider being stuck in another illusion pocket.]

He's probably not going to let you torture someone indefinitely like that... Just a hunch.

[Kid, you're so dumb, how could he be afraid of the worst planner ever? What are you, mentally two? Sounds about right. He's not afraid of stupid kids.]

Let me let you in on a secret, though I know you're not going to listen. Nothing's worth getting that upset about. It just doesn't matter.

[This kid needs to relax. Once you realize life is pointless, you won't get so upset.]

[He doesn't need planning when he has a con man using him like a puppeteer!

...Oh wait. He killed the puppeteer.]

It does matter! Everything- everything matters! I matter! What you did matters! Me- me hurting you matters! It all matters!

[Relaxing... clearly isn't going to happen for a while. Now he's freaking out twice as much over not being able to think of a good plan of attack. Damnit, even when he didn't have Fontaine breathing down his neck he had Tenenbaum helping him. What's he supposed to do without any guiding hands?]

Looks like I'll just be living out the end of my natural life, and there's nothing you can do about it. Oh well.

None of those things are true. It doesn't mean anything. You really need help, kid.

[He's a concerned adult, here!]

I don't need help! I'm fine! You're the fucked-up one, not me!

[This is going swimmingly. Jack sounds like he might cry.]

I'll- I'll figure it out! I'm going to!

[It sounds a bit desperate to be believable.]

[Well, he supposes he should do what he's been told to do, now that he's fucked things up once again.]

Relax, I'm just worried about you! Making death threats, freaking out. It's not normal.

[He's not going to argue that he's not fucked up. He is really fucked up.]

I said I was sorry, and nothing's happening to you. So calm down.

[Not like he was being an asshole or anything!]

It's not nothing! And- and I'm fine- I'm normal!

[No he's not, even he can notice that. But he hasn't quite made his peace with Rapture either. Things like their incident just add to that.]

If you were worried you would've let me out of that thing! Fuck you, you're not worried at all- you just wanna sound like it!

I've got news for you, this isn't normal. People don't like it when you go around making death threats over every little thing.

[Even Adachi has social mores figured out enough to know that. He knows that messing with a kid, sure it warrants a reprimand in the mind of the guys in charge, but not a death sentence.]

Yeah, I was going to let you out so you could kill me! You admitted to being dangerous, I wasn't going to take any chances.

[He had started to consider abandoning ship, but then had thought he might not be able to get away fast enough. Inside his illusions, he can all but warp reality itself, especially with such a suggestible kid, but outside of them...]

Sure, I'm worried. You could hurt yourself. Or somebody else. Maybe even somebody you like. That'd be a shame.

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