[She's wrong. It's not anything Abigail's done, but more the knowledge that she's perhaps the only one here that could possibly know what it means. What one little card with one simple likeness on it could do. The kind of focus, of motivation, of inspiration it could bring.
The Blue Lady was his greatest creation and, in many ways, he was Hers. He was also Her most terrible disciple, beloved and adoring, imperfect and desperate. She saved him, and then She destroyed him, and the only way for him to save himself had been to abandon Her which is why he can never quite be saved. He cannot leave Her behind completely.
Abigail, if anyone, will know. The Lady was the first thing Ben gave her of himself, then in words as he had given Her to his unit. But this is where it started. He nods, takes a slow, deep inhale, and looks up at her.]
An employee at Manticore gave it to us. He discovered Jack having a seizure, and there was nothing we could do to prevent him seeing. But he didn't report it. He gave Jack the card instead, and he said "Pray to her. She'll protect you." And he left, and that was all, though we didn't know it at the time.
[Ben's thumbtip behind the trail of Abigail's fingers traces delicately over what they had believed, then, to be Her exposed heart. The most vulnerable part of her, held confidently on display because She was far too strong to fear anything that they feared. Fierce and beautiful, capable of exchanging faith for love, for protection, even against all that faced a handful of young X5s.]
Jack was afraid. We all were. Someone had to say something.
[ Spam ]
The Blue Lady was his greatest creation and, in many ways, he was Hers. He was also Her most terrible disciple, beloved and adoring, imperfect and desperate. She saved him, and then She destroyed him, and the only way for him to save himself had been to abandon Her which is why he can never quite be saved. He cannot leave Her behind completely.
Abigail, if anyone, will know. The Lady was the first thing Ben gave her of himself, then in words as he had given Her to his unit. But this is where it started. He nods, takes a slow, deep inhale, and looks up at her.]
An employee at Manticore gave it to us. He discovered Jack having a seizure, and there was nothing we could do to prevent him seeing. But he didn't report it. He gave Jack the card instead, and he said "Pray to her. She'll protect you." And he left, and that was all, though we didn't know it at the time.
[Ben's thumbtip behind the trail of Abigail's fingers traces delicately over what they had believed, then, to be Her exposed heart. The most vulnerable part of her, held confidently on display because She was far too strong to fear anything that they feared. Fierce and beautiful, capable of exchanging faith for love, for protection, even against all that faced a handful of young X5s.]
Jack was afraid. We all were. Someone had to say something.