Audio | Screened to Kid Q and Brainy

[unrecovered]

[His tone is terse and sharp. He's not angry, but there's an intensity to it that just might bely fear if you're listening hard enough.]

I need to talk to you. Now.

One of the newest arrivals - he's from my world. His name's Locus, and he's unstable and extremely dangerous. He-

[There's a beat of hesitation, but they need context. Well, time to dig up this little horror show and put it on display.]

He and his partner committed planetary genocide for a paycheck. The only reason they didn't finish the job is because my team and I showed up, figured it out, and stopped them. We're lucky we all survived, and there are a lot of people that didn't. He's a threat.

Comments

[unrecovered]

[There's a lot to unpack there, and even more that Wash needs to shake off. Coming back from being an insane, violent wreck- well, isn't that just his whole fucking life. He's pretty sure that's not what Brainy's talking about, but damned if it doesn't resonate anyway.]

[So he swallows past that particular lump in his throat and carries on.]

[He's not surprised Brainy figured out he talked with Locus - his including Locus' own helmetcam footage is a dead giveaway even if the change in his demeanor isn't, and it's an insult to everyone involved to even think that either of those would slip past Brainy.]

He took the oath. [It's simple, and a hell of a lot calmer than he was earlier.] I know that's not necessarily an indication of intent - I mean, we have Reaper, for God's sake - but the Locus I spent months fighting wouldn't have taken it at all without a reason.

[He takes a breath and thinks through his words. It's odd how much he's come to trust Brainy since he arrived - it's partially a willingness to trust the people in charge that Freelancer hadn't quite managed to kill and partially the knowledge that Brainy has seen his weaknesses and hasn't used them against him. (Yet, says his paranoia, present as ever but a little easier to ignore now.) He wouldn't say this to many other people, but, well. It's context, and it's trust.]

Look, a few years ago, I was close to where he is. Not genocidal, or anywhere near it, but still pretty fucked up. I got a second chance that I didn't deserve, and it's the only reason I'm still here. This might be his, and if he wants to take it - if he actually intends to change - then I don't think I can be the one to ruin it for him.

[He doesn't like talking about the parallels between Locus' history and his own, namely because Locus has spent a good amount of time trying to use them to justify genocide, but that doesn't mean that they're not there, or that he can continue to ignore them without consequence.]

I don't trust him - I don't think he can be trusted right now, and I think if the wrong people get their hands on him he'll be worse than ever - but that doesn't mean there's not a chance, and we need all the help we can get.

[googledox]

[Brainy nods.]

Kid Quantum ultimately has the final word, but my formal assessment will be that we should defer to your judgment in the matter. You actually have experience with him, enough to have some measure of his character. Legion World is at least well-equipped to provide mental health services to help him with his issues -- and we can make that a requirement of his Legion membership.

If you're wrong and he's being deceitful, or he does lapse in judgment, it's still better that someone like him is kept close. Then the Legion will be there if it happens.

[A pause.]

But I hope you're right about his sincerity. The team has historically provided a second chance for quite a few Legionnaires, and has been a source of direction for those of us that were aimless or completely lacking in anything resembling a moral compass.

[He breathes in and lets it out through his nose in a self-mocking snort.]

Myself included.

[It's only fair, after Wash has volunteered something and made himself a little vulnerable, that he offer something back, and meet him halfway.]

I believe a common human colloquialism for the state many of us were in before we joined the team is "hot mess."

[unrecovered]

Brainy, the last decade of my life has been a string of assholes I shouldn't have trusted but did. If I'm wrong, we can just throw it on the pile.

[Turns out Wash is really bitter about continually being betrayed by people who were supposed to help him. He's got good reason for being as paranoid as he is.]

[He snorts at Brainy's description - it's as close to a laugh as he gets nowadays. Now that's a phrase he never thought he'd hear Brainy say.]

I told you about my team back home, didn't I? If anything, they're proof that if you stick the right combination of hot messes together, you can get shit done.

[Legion of Hot Messes. They should really change the name.]