hadriel | [video]

You've got a sharp tongue for someone on bedrest

[Rosen's voice carries from the other room before he appears, leaning in the doorframe and holding up his phone teasingly. Though in all honest he hadn't needed the phone to hear Lance's side of the conversation. He looks entirely amused.]

It seems to me like there is a story there.

[Or else your skill with women is severely lacking, Sweets]

[He also hasn't totally been abiding by the bedrest thing either--he's been mostly good, but not completely--and actually, his conversation with Maketh had taken place at the Clinic a few days earlier. Which he may not have bothered to mention.

Sorry Rosen.

He gives a small shrug at the comments, not too surprised that Rosen came in to speak with him in person, but he isn't entirely sure what to say considering that Rosen and Maketh seem to be on friendly enough terms. So his answer's simple, if a little short, and not addressing the last part of what Rosen said.]

What I said was true.

[Why would he not be surprised, Lance? Headstrong children will be headstrong children.]

I'm less interested in what you said than why you said it. [He shifts his weight from one foot to another]

I don't know Maketh well but clearly she has made an impression on you, and it doesn't seem like its been for the better.

[Truth. Also he's really bored; there's not nearly enough to do here.]

Maketh and I disagree on a number of subjects.

[It's an understatement; he's still kind of testing the situation, although Rosen saying he doesn't know Maketh well reassures him a bit.]

Edited 2017-05-06 21:13 (UTC)

Are you really going to make me work this hard for it?

[Rosen half smiles, rolling his phone in his hand]

Might it be that her reliance on, well lets call them aggressive solutions, has put a bad taste in your mouth? Or perhaps the standards by which she seems to measure personal value?

[He sighs at little at the first question, feeling a mixture of frustration and guilt; he's already decided to trust Rosen and it's a little late to back out of that now.

So when he responds it's with less attitude and more elaboration.]

Those are both reasons, yes. We've spoken in person several times, and each conversation seems to go worse than the one before; I have concerns about what she might do, particularly since she holds a position of authority here.

[Lee appreciates Lance's responsiveness to his prodding. To finding that it is a door there between them, not a wall]

What is it you think she's capable of?

[The question isn't to be mistaken for underestimation. Rosen is confident that Maketh Tua is capable of a good many things, both good and destructive. But he's aiming for where exactly Sweet's fears these capabilities might take her]

[He's used to only opening up to and trusting people slowly, even if he makes friends easily, but being here has seriously disrupted his usual methods of dealing with things. That combined with everything that happened at home and the stress of the developing conflict here have lead him to be even more reserved than usual, not less.

But he does trust Rosen, and so just needs to be reminded sometimes that he doesn't need to be as guarded.]

Her attitude regarding how to deal with threats, combined with her criteria for deciding who is and isn't worth protecting and an apparently belief that those decisions are her to make, reminded me very distinctly of a serial killer my friends and I dealt with a few years ago. It so happens he was a serial sniper.

[So the extreme he thinks she might go to is pretty clear from that, but he decides to continue.]

I have my doubts about her judgement regarding dealing with conflicts in any sort of reasonable way, because her ego seems very fragile and she perceives any questioning of her actions as a challenge.

[And then he hesitates briefly, gaze dropping to the library book he's been flipping through the past few days.]

I um, I think that may be what prompted her decision to acquire this skill. We spoke a few days ago and it was... Tense.

Its never come up in my conversations with her, but I'm guessing Maketh's method of determining who is worth saving has a lot to do with strength and usefulness, am I correct?

[He saunters into the room, inhaling deeply as he eases himself into a chair not far from the bed]

May I ask why you think your conversation is what prompted her course of action?

[Lee would be surprised if Lance had volunteered the information about a serial-sniper in casual conversation, and its not immediately clear to him how that would just happen to come up to begin with. So his reason tells him that it was something different that Lance and Maketh had butted heads over]

Essentially, yes.

[And that bothers him for so many reasons. The idea of judging someone else's inherent worth in general, the standard for doing so, and the willful writing off of anyone who doesn't fit into a narrow definition of strength going directly against his own feelings; not only does everyone deserve a right to a chance at a good life, but the types of individuals that fall short of her qualifications are usually the ones who need the most protection.

At the question he's quiet a few moments, gaze shifted off to the side while he thinks of exactly how to summarize the conversation fairly.]

She asked for my opinion regarding an individual she and the Guard have been having difficulty handling. I asked for more details, including what had occurred during the incident, and she told me both what happened and what she would've done if the decision had been hers. I took issue with her apparent lack of understanding or remorse for the nature of her 'solutions' and it was difficult not to make a comparison between her way of thinking and that of the person who attacked the Guard.

[And okay, saying it now he realizes it was not the best move in the world and he should've kept his comments in check, but it's too late for that.]

That lead to a discussion of morality, and she seemed very concerned I was interested in challenging her authority and lead of the Guard. Hence I think she's doing something to bolster her confidence and show her control of the situation.

[And therefore why he thinks this had to do with him; the fact that it's about a sniper rifle is just mostly coincidence.]

Are you interested in challenging her authority over the Guard?

[Its an off-handed question but Lee takes your point. He can see how, given Maketh's nature of control and command, the line of questioning could have been a push in this direction. Its admirable, Rosen thinks, that Lance did not hesitate to speak when he encountered something he felt needed to be addressed. But Rosen also knows too well the consequences of doing just that with a particularly powerful opponent.

And while Maketh is not exactly a fair comparison with the US government, she is still not to be underestimated.]

You are only a few weeks in and already you've made an enemy of one of the most influential people here [He huffs, half-amused and half-impressed]

I don't disagree with what you've said, Lance, and I applaud you for standing up for yourself, but I urge caution. Its not that I think Maketh would come after you but this cave is a kaleidoscope of horrors and being on the outs with someone is a risk. Do not do it unless it is absolutely unavoidable.

Edited 2017-05-07 01:32 (UTC)

[He doesn't hesitate in answering the first question, meeting Rosen's gaze intently.]

No. I only became an agent at all so that I could look out for Booth in an emergency instead of just being an easy target; I don't have any interest in being in charge of anyone.

[He's taken the lead on an investigation a few times, but it's really not his strong suit and he's not the type who likes giving orders; he'd like even less giving orders that could get someone killed, which was distinctly possible at the FBI and would be here too.

Also great, thanks for pointing that out Rosen, although he appreciates the amusement at the ridiculousness. Of course this happened to him. He's quiet while Rosen speaks, and he knows he's right, but that same deep sense of defensiveness and indignation he'd felt when Will suggested something similar is just as present this time. He isn't insulted about the insinuation that he wasn't--or isn't--being cautious, but the idea of just stepping back and letting anyone, not just Maketh specifically, get away with their behavior out of fear of retribution is one he can't agree with. Not as a psychologist, or as an FBI agent, or as someone who's seen firsthand what happens when that tactic doesn't work.

It takes a short time of idly running his nails over the bandage on his hand before he's sure he can respond evenly and with a clear head, rather than based on emotion.]

I understand that the situation is complicated here, but I can't ignore a potential danger to people here just because it's safer to do so.

[And knowing what Will told him only makes him more concerned that this is a serious, pressing problem.]

Edited 2017-05-07 01:58 (UTC)

Thats not what I'm saying, Lance.

[Lee sits forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the tops of his legs as he looks Lance. Its not a scolding. His face has none of the sternness it had a few days ago when Lance insisted he didn't need a babysitter. No narrowed eyes, no frown. Lee's large brown eyes simply hold Lance with a tired look. World weary.]

Please listen to me. I am not asking you to drop anything you feel is wrong. Only to please make sure it is a battle worth fighting. And whether or not it is is only for you to know. I cannot and I will not tell you which battles to pick. I've already picked mine.

[His gaze drops to the floor]

I told you, Lance. I'm not trying to be your babysitter. I'm trying to be your friend.

[Lance meets Rosen's gaze again when he leans forward, quiet while he talks, listening and focusing on keeping a handle on his own emotions while he does so.

He wants to say that he doesn't pick battles he doesn't think are worth fighting, but that's not entirely true; he's sniped at people before for little reason, usually because he felt undermined or stressed, and it's a problem he knows he still needs to work on. Still, he's not in the habit of provoking dangerous people recklessly.

But he understands Rosen's point, understands that Rosen's just trying to look out for him, and understands that his own agitation and prickliness are misdirected and not helpful here. He's just starting to feel distinctly like a charity case, which he also knows is completely unreasonable, and he's going to blame exhaustion and stress and try to think about this more clearly.

He can't undo anything he's done--and for the most part, there are only a few things he would--but he can choose a new approach going forward. Something more subtle and less confrontational but just as engaged, which is a tactic he's a lot better at anyway.

He takes a long, slow breath, careful of his ribs, and recollects himself before responding.]

I know. I understand.

[And he believes he does, honestly.]

And I appreciate it. I guess I'm just... There are so many bad ways this could go.

[He doesn't want someone to end up dead--Vincent is distinctly in his thoughts--because he didn't figure out the right thing to do and then do it soon enough.]

Yes.

[Rosen is not a believer in sugar-coating things or beating around the bus when there's something significant at stake.]

But as you've already figured out Maketh is not the only one pushing things here. And trains running on tracks laid with good intentions can still go off the rails.

[He chews at the corner of his lip. Lee feels dissatisfied with laying vagaries and platitudes at Lance's feet. It feels cheap. Unfair even due to his own insistence on playing things close to the chest while at the same time having pushed the Lance to do just the opposite.

Perhaps, then, it is only fair and only right that he concede some ground and give some context to his concerns]

The day you arrived, do you remember what I said about 'parting ways' with the DoD?

[Despite that he'll throw out quotes and platitudes himself, he's not an enormous fan of hearing them and so he appreciates that Rosen follows it up with something more, even if the subject is unexpected.]

Yes, I do.

[Some of that first day is cloudy but he remembers most of the major or interesting points of conversations at least, and that had been one of those things that stuck with him.]

[Rosen rolls his jaw feeling the joint click as he tries to think of how to approach this. The only other person he's mentioned it to was Sans, and as Sans has no tangible experience with Earth or the United States government it was a bit easier to skate through it.]

My work for the DoD was classified. Top secret. I was the head specialist researching what I termed the 'Alpha' phenomenon. I'll admit the term 'Alpha' overly-simplifies the condition, but it refers to people who begin to show symptoms of super-enhanced physiological abilities. Abilities that are entirely physiological in nature but extremely rare in humans. A few examples are people who can manipulate thought through enhanced hormones and others who, as a result an over developed lobe of the brain, can see miles farther than the average human or smell something that would be impossible for the average human nose to detect. Still others can hear a pin drop from many city blocks away. There is even one who has managed to entirely halt his aging process, in essence rendering himself immortal.

[He takes a deep breath]

It is important to remember we are not talking about super powers. None of the flying and the capes. All of these abilities have physiological explanations, things naturally occurring in the brain or the nervous system of these individuals.

[Lee realizes he's getting off track so he shakes his head and looks at Lance directly now]

The government wanted someone who could analyze these individuals. Determine if they could be a risk to themselves or others, and all the while the DoD has held the position that under no circumstance should the existence of such individuals be made known to the public. At first I went along with this plan, there wasn't enough information at the beginning to know what was happening or even how many people we were dealing with. But now we know they number in the hundreds, maybe even thousands if we think globally. And the situation has changed.

[Parish.]

It has been brought to my attention that there are those individuals both among the Alphas and the non-Alphas who would be eager to see a war break out. To force an us or them situation. And I felt that the government now had the responsibility to make the public aware of the existence of these individuals. To give them an opportunity to be educated, to see that aside from enhanced sight or hearing or what have you, there is more in common than different. And then the Alphas could feel welcomed into the world. No longer have to hide.

[He holds up his hands in a gesture of frustration before dropping them in tight fists against his thighs]

The government refused to recognize the severity of the situation, and so I decided to act. To do what I thought was for the best. What my years of research had convinced me was best. I made the announcement on a live feed across the United States. And almost immediately I was arrested.

[Lee sighs and leans back in his chair]

They handcuffed me, bundled me into an unmarked van, and from that point until I arrived here I was sitting in the cell of a psychiatric prison while the government concentrates its efforts on trying to convince both the world and myself that I am simply insane, and that nothing I said, nothing I've seen...none of it...was real.

Over a year has gone by, Lance, and back home I am still in that cell.

[This is... Not at all a story he's expecting.

The part about Alphas is strange but easy enough to handle; in this place, especially now that he's beginning to accept that everything is real, the idea of Alphas isn't all that crazy. Weird, sure, and he has a lot of questions, but not unbelievable if one accepts that places like Hadriel exist.

And he can easily see how the issue of how to deal with Alphas would become very complicated very easily. Personal motivations, political motivations, business motivations; they would all come into play quickly, and all of those interests can easily lead to corruption. It's not surprising to hear that it did.

What is surprising is Rosen's part in it. Not really that he said something--it's easy to see why Rosen would think doing so was for the best, and Lance doesn't disagree--but how quickly and drastically things went badly. And it also reminds him of what happened to Booth, and what lead to the case that ended Lance's life.

He's silent for several long seconds, gaze shifted to the bedspread now that Rosen's finished speaking, mentally searching for the right thing to say. He hates not knowing how to help, and he knows there's really nothing he can say that will truly make any part of the situation any better.]

I'm sorry.

[It's the only thing he can say, but it certainly doesn't seem like enough.]

[Rosen is not your patient, Lance. He didn't expect you to have anything 'right' to say on this matter. For all of his years of experience Lee has never allowed himself to yield to the role of patient. He helps people, people do not help him.

It is the only way he knows how to function.]

The point I am trying to make by telling you this is that, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have taken the same course. Don't misunderstand, I'd still have the same goal, the same belief that we have to exist together, but as a result of my actions I am now in a cell. All formal records of my career have been erased. I am Lee Rosen. Mentally unstable senior. And most importantly I can't help anyone.

[He reaches a hand up to rub at the back of his neck]

The only person who comes to see me is Danielle and from what she's told me my patients, my alphas, they have all been cast to the wind. No cohesion, no support. Some of them have been sent away to government black sites. And because I chose the rash path instead of finding some more diplomatic solution, I am powerless to help any of them.

[And he cannot even be sure he did it out of purely good intentions]

I'm not insane, Lance. [His expression looks briefly broken, vulnerable. Something in him is constantly afraid that things will turn here. That even in this cave he will be written off as 'crazy'. Screaming at shadows] Or if I am its not about this. The Alphas are real. My own daughter...Danielle...she is one. Those years. Those are not some figment of my imagination.

[He trails off before clearing his throat]

The only other person here whom I've told about any of this is Sans. So I'd thank you for your discretion. Please.

[Patient or not, he always wants to help. He wants to know the correct thing to say to make someone else feel safer and more hopeful whether they're strangers, friends, or even some suspects.

Lance is quiet again while Rosen talks and, on one hand, he wants to say hindsight is 20/20; of course Rosen would've made a different choice, knowing what he knows now. Lance would've as well, in what happened at home, and some things here too. But on the other hand, he does understand the point Rosen's trying to make: be careful. Don't refuse to do the right thing, but consider very cautiously the way to go about doing it.

As Rosen continues, Lance sees that expression that crosses his face and again feels the need to help; this time, though, he has a better idea of how he can do so.]

I believe you.

[He doesn't sense for a moment that Rosen is lying, and if he were delusional other signs would've been apparent by now especially since Rosen's been staying at his apartment. The only part of this that would be questionable would be the Alphas themselves, but he's seen firsthand strange things that the government has kept secret.

The revelation that Danielle is an Alpha is another piece of the puzzle, consistent with why Rosen might've been so hesitant to talk about her before; this entire situation must be incredibly difficult to think about.

He nods once at Rosen's last comments, and stares at him seriously.]

Of course. I won't say anything.

[He's not in the habit of sharing these sorts of secrets.]

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