A HALL OF BROKEN REFLECTIONS ONLY SHOW THE TRUTH.

“You lost your…mind.”

She shouldn’t find that funny, but everything he said sounded so serious and yet not at all. She lifted a finger to stop him. He had given up his name, which had to mean something– or at least enough. It had to mean enough, because she felt something different there.

“Okay, David. I’ll help you.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for every time she looked at him like that. He wasn’t too inclined to ask either. Instead, he shifted slightly closer. She had her reasons to help. He suspected they were the noble kind, Perhaps, she just couldn’t help herself or maybe there was a fee coming his way. All up in the air at this point.

She wasn’t entirely sure he was joking, but she didn’t back away. He had asked for help and so far there hadn’t been any indication he would go through with his word. An eyebrow arched and she looked at him harder. 

“You do see how that’ll be a problem, right?”

He was aware of the problem, regretfully so. Caleb’s family had been unfortunate collateral. He hadn’t been sure whether or not the feeling of regret could return, but he remembered it, a brief hint of it. Wasn’t sure if it was an honest kind of thing or just a ghost to create a semblance of morality. 

❝ I do. ❞

He continued to stare. His source had said this woman could heal people and from the look on her face, he could see that she was trying to figure out how. Good, he could use that. 

He tapped the side of his head.

Actually, a brief stint of his life was spent as a lawmaker, shudder to think, and he would not admit it. Adam crossed his arms, looking smug. 

“Or you could introduce the idea of your own laws,” he said. “That could also happen, could it not? The world is changing in more ways than our abilities. Technology will force us to make our own laws.”

He half smiled.

“All that aside–let us go break the law then.”

Words of protest started to form behind firmly pressed lips and he did rather well to swallow them, because he had said to himself he’d go along with whatever anxiety inducing, criminal activity Adam had to offer.

It would be a blatant lie if he said there wasn’t a part of him, buried very deep down--emphasis on the very deep-- that did want to divulge all the secrecy of the experiment. Instead, his lip twitched and a smirk formed as he leaned forward, voice low.

❝ I’d have to kill you. ❞

Ah–you know, Bob looked behind himself a lot. Didn’t know why but it was representative of the fact that he often looked to the past to inform his actions. And for them, there was nothing for them in history. 

“Think about it,” he said. “How can there be laws for people who technically don’t exist?”

In truth, Adam did have his own laws—but he wanted to see what this young one had to say. 

He was terrible, just terrible and yet he stood his ground, almost expectantly. Curiosity and the need to break his self created mold was hindering his good judgement. Bob was starting to believe that this was exactly what Adam wanted. 

❝ Anyone ever tell you how annoying your technicalities are? I betcha you were a lawyer, huh?❞

 He gave a huff of air and threw his hands up. This had all the makings of a bad idea.

Weren’t they? But he had influenced it a bit more than they knew, and they would never know. He had made…his share of mistakes. Now, it would be different. 

He smiled a bit at the boy, considering him. 

“So. What do you say? I’ll teach you a thing or two about living in this world with an ability.”

Bob knew he wasn’t going anywhere either way. He looked behind as if the answer were there, because maybe it was. He realized he looked back a lot.

“Are you under the impression that either of us would qualify as normal?” 

It was as if Bob Bishop’s brain was filled with statistical analysis and literary references. He had a certain idea of how things are. Adam needed to make him more….what was the word? Unburdened by such ideas. 

In summary, there was nothing remotely normal about them, but they were flies on the wall, weren’t they? Always watching the world pass by, unnoticed and hidden in plain sight. Although, they probably longed to influence it much more. He was just so use to hiding.

….

‘come on, my wayward son.’

“I already gave you a chance and you lied to me.”

She stayed standing. 

“Besides, they’ve told me everything I need to know. I don’t need to listen to anything you have to say.”

Bob scoffed. She was smart, yes she’d give her that, but that naivety was clear from the beginning. Marilyn was too trusting of him, of her parents.