no_ufo_ending | [Victory Road] Ic Inbox

_{[A nod, though it wasn't the furious, proud nod he would have given months ago. This went deeper than being angry at a ghost serial killer and following another ghost's orders out of sheer desperation to save the planet and his apartment. This was a part of him now--a wired-in knee-jerk reaction. Thanks, Otherworld.]}

_{[To that... she lets out a long sigh.]

[Doesn't say anything.]

[At this point, they probably both know she doesn't need to.]

[There's voices in the distance-- the park rangers must be coming.]}

_{[Several hours later...]

[Henry is laid up in a hospital cot, properly bandaged and properly doped up. For the first few hours he only slept. Finally it was time to eat and he was un-drowsy enough to sit upright and poke miserably at his Pokemon Center supplied gelatin.]}

I think I know why Prince won't have anything to do with me now...

_{[Meanwhile, Heather is nearby. She'd been ushered out for awhile to let the nurses do their work, but once Henry was as patched up as they could get him, she'd come back in.]

[At the sound of his voice, she tears her eyes away from the Fire Fanciers magazine she'd been flipping through without feeling.]}

... You do, huh.

Yeah...

_{[He rubs his swollen jaw and heaves a sigh.]}

He was there when I first encountered Walter. He tried to break up the fight. Walter's Cubone was crying...and I pushed him down--Prince, I mean. Sylveon is supposed to be the friendship Pokemon, isn't it? Something like that?

... Yeah.

Pretty sure that was what the 'Dex entry said.

_{[She sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair. She's already talked with Envy, out in the lobby right after being pushed out of Henry's room. And she's already talked with Walter-- a few hours before, when the sun wasn't up yet.]}

... Henry, why did you tell Walter that I said he was brainwashing my Pokemon and didn't want to see him?

I haven't been a very good friend lately.

_{[He gives up on his jello. Normally he loves the stuff but today he's just not feeling it. The painkillers have upset his stomach. Heather's next question actually gets him to look up.]}

Huh?

_{[Henry looks legitimately baffled for a beat and you can nearly hear the spools of footage turning as he's trying to rewind the events of the previous day.]}

Oh...I probably said something like that. I wasn't even thinking, things just sort of. Came out. Anything I thought would hurt him I guess. I was seeing red.

_{[She nods... but won't meet his eyes. She's looking across the room at a little poster of a cheerful Audino with a stethoscope reminding kids to get plenty of exercise to keep their hearts healthy.]}

Okay.

... I've been there, I get it. I really, really do.

The kind of shit that comes out of my mouth when I'm mad is-- well, you know how it is. I'm a bitch.

... But I only speak for myself.

I don't make shit up and say it came from someone else.

_{[She doesn't sound angry. But is she disappointed? You fucking bet she's disappointed.]}

_{[Henry flops back down onto his pillow and stares at the ceiling. He kind of wishes Assumption was pummeling him again instead of Heather talking to him.]}

I'm sorry. I don't plan on doing that again. I just...want you all to be safe. I've been waiting so long to do my job...Heather, what else am I good for?

Henry, you're good for plenty.

You think I can carry out the role that the Order picked out for me in this world? I'm more than that. I'm more than what some creepy cultists decided.

And so are you.

You have to trust us, Henry.

We can take care of each other.

You don't have to go all Lone Avenger to keep us safe. You live with a bunch of literal monsters, for cryin' out loud.

_{[He rocks his head to the side so that he can see Heather again. She has a point...and if anyone showed up who had really hurt any of his monster friends? Henry the Human would be right on the front lines. Honestly, he had a pretty sweet deal here.]}

Wisdom received.

_{[Heather hasn't really smiled once in the past twelve hours or so, but the corners of her mouth crinkle upwards a little.]

[That's her brother!]}

Good.

See?

You can fulfill your role plenty.

_{[She leans back into her chair a little, running her fingers through her hair with a yawn. It's been a LONG sleepless, snackless night.]}

... Now eat your fuckin' oatmeal or I'm gonna.

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