Colin's posts

"Indeed." Hal responded.

"I will be off, then." he told her.

"Let me know if anything changes." he finished.

They then said goodbye, and he disappeared from where he stood, leaving Angela alone.

And wondering how much longer James needed to suffer.

"I'll leave his punishment up to you." Hal responded.

"Yes, I am the one in charge of this place, but ultimately? Your department, you say what goes." he reasoned.

"I just fill out the paperwork and cut the red tape." he shrugged.

"And yes, I agree. This will probably be something he remembers. Whether he wants to or not." he commented further.

"One could argue he's paying with interest right now."

Hal crossed his arms over his chest, and sighed.

"Hm. Fair." he mumbled.

"Well, if he was under duress while doing this, then that may help him in terms of repercussions for al this." he commented.

"May." he stressed.

"...though, to be honest, don't think there's anything any one of us could do to James that would be anywhere comparable to what's going on in THERE." he then said candidly, as they heard another yell.

Hal was silent as he heard THAT.

"A timer? Boom?" he asked.

"...something tells me there's a LOT to unpack with that." he commented.

"And Mackenzie?" he then asked, as they heard another exclamation from inside.

"Aaaaand that explains a lot." he muttered.

"Seems he's experiencing a fate FAR worse than death..."

"....I see." Nate responded.

"...helping..." he mumbled, as Hal suddenly appeared across from them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Nate took that opportunity to excuse himself and get back to work, as Angela received a message from Jake.

I've talked with Izzy, and we're taking the alert off now. he told her.

After a moment or two, she received messages from the both of them.

Where are you? I'll be there in seconds. Hal sent her.

Do you need assistance? Jake asked.

She then heard another scream from James, as Nate approached.

"...what in the name of Heaven and Hell is going on in there!?" he asked.

His eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open.

He tried to say something, but no words came out. He scratched at his throat a little, and then desperately padded and pawed at his chest, almost as though he felt something... alive... in there.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Angela was leaning against the wall, waiting to hear anything that confirmed that they were done.

She didn't get that.

But she DID hear James scream out. And it was a scream that was definitively him... but it sounded nothing like a noise that a human could produce.

James was silent, before shaking his head.

"Whatever you do, I deserve." he told her.

"Dr. Edwards and everyone here have been the best to work with. They've treated me like family, and I've done this. No matter the circumstances, I deserve the worst." he reasoned.

"So I don't care." he stated.

"If it gets rid of this explosive mana inside me, do whatever it takes. WHATEVER."

"..." James was silent for a moment.

"Quite." he said. "I don't like it." he told her.

"...that being said, I'm willing to endure it." he then said further.

"If... if this can be removed, then I'll do anything." he continued.

"And I mean that. I will endure ANYTHING."

James knew better than to argue here. He had been caught, and all the cards were on the table. And Angela was actually offering to help him in this situation. So he figured this was as good as it was going to get for him. And he figured it was more than he deserved.

So, he stood up, and slowly made his way over.

"...if you can't help, I need to be sent somewhere remote." he said quietly.

"Somewhere I can't do much damage." he went on.

"...somewhere I won't be missed..."

Got it. Jake responded.

I'll let her know. he then sent her.

Meanwhile, James was sitting on the floor, still panicking, when he looked towards her when she told him to follow her.

"...what?" he asked.

"Come? Why?" he asked her.

"I'm dangerous!"

"Just let me go!" he exclaimed.

"I'M A BOMB!" he told them.

"If I don't go see them by 7 o'clock, I'm dead, and everyone within a mile radius of me is dead!" he continued.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to steal them!" he then cried out.

"But I had to! I didn't want to die! I didn't want anyone else to die!"

James looked over towards Angela, and she saw he was... crying.

"Please..." he pleaded further, falling to his knees.

"I have to be able to leave here..." he told the two females.

"I have to go. I can't be trapped here." he continued.

"We're all in danger if I'm here past 7." he warned them further.

James backed up against a corner, and stared down the short woman.

"Get away from me!" he yelled.

"Leave me alone! Let me be!" he shouted.

"Just let me go! Please!" he then said, sounding like he was... pleading.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt! I don't want anyone to die!"