DT10 - Visitation hours

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan still lay on the cot in the cell, now getting increasingly bored. Maybe if he could just use his powers, he could fly and... no, noooo sense in going over that. It's just a way to drive you crazy. He sighed, closing his eyes and try to sleep some more.

[Byrna Cooper]

When he turned back towards the forcefield, a forlorn Bear in full hippie wear would be looking back at him, watching him stir.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan practically jumped in surprise and relief as he saw her. Social activity! "How long have you been there?" he asked, sliding off the bed and sitting down next to the forcefield.

[Byrna Cooper]

"just a few moments," bear admitted.

"I wasn't sure what to say."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I'd figure that 'what the hell is wrong with you' or something like that is probably pretty high up there on the list," Ryan admitted with a reluctant smile.

[Byrna Cooper]

"We'll get to that, I'm sure." she said, smiling weakly.

"right now, I just want to feel relieved you are back."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I know," he sighed. "It's... god, it's like a bad dream I can't forget." He shook his head. "It was stupid," he admitted. "I just... they told me that they'd help us if I did it, and... it just seemed like the only thing to do..."

[Byrna Cooper]

"They? It wasn't just Apocalypse?" she said, a little confused and worried.

[Ryan Gabriel]

He nodded toward the side of the cell. "Look in the storage box where they put my personal effects," he said.

Inside the locker (which opened for Bear's security clearance), there were the cards and papers to identify Ryan as a SHIELD and SWORD operative. "They said that they'd help us out... look into whatever happened in... out there, and train me up more than all the interplanetary diplomacy classes are doing. And get me a SHIELD clearance if I wanted it. All I had to do was get SWORD samples of celestial-based biotech that Apocalypse uses, and for SHIELD get into place to ruin whatever he was setting up."

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear spent several minutes rifling through the papers, shock quickly forming on her face.

"Who? Who offered that to you, Ryan?"

She silently cursed herself some more.

[Ryan Gabriel]

He sighed. "Nick Fury did. It wasn't really random, though. I..." he sighed. "Apocalypse found me when I was on my way from the commune to New York to talk to my dad. I turned him down, but... it... wasn't easy. And then they needed someone on the inside, and I was there, I had a good reputation for it, and I was someone who Apocalypse had tried to recruit. So they set up ways to get me back to... me again, and I went and 'reconsidered' Apocalypse's offer."

[Byrna Cooper]

"How? What did they do to protect you after you became... Him?" she asked, incredulously.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Well... that's what Nina had," he said. "They made her grow a... brain, that they could back mine up onto, and... y'know, this sounded a lot less screwed up when it was actually happening."

[Byrna Cooper]

"I wondered what that egg was.." she admitted weakly.

"And Izzy and the others? We're they protected as well?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"That was... the brain," he said. "The plan was to have a psychic use it to get me back to me, but Nina must've just decided to work with what she had and not wait for one. And, well, it worked." He sighed. "And... no. Apocalypse just recruited them. They didn't know who he was going after to make any plans, they just kind of lucked out when I fell into their lap like that."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Yeah, lucky indeed.." bear said, a little bitterly.

She got up close to the forcefield wishing she could phase through and touch Ryan in a hug.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan slid up next to the forcefield, leaning against it and pressing his hand to it. "No, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I..." He closed his eyes a moment. "I got too caught up in everything. Too focused on blaming myself, on hurting, on... everything. And... I hurt you because of it. And I'm sorry."

[Byrna Cooper]

"That's exactly what I was about to say to you,"

Bear touched her fingers to his, outside the field.

"losing Rachel.. I turned inside myself, never seeing how it affected you.."

She sighed, and two tears flowed down her cheek.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I'm... sorry that I had to be so dramatic getting your attention," he said, trying weakly to joke. He took a deep breath, his eyes on her hand. "I love you. I'm... sorry that I've been horrible about showing it."

[Byrna Cooper]

"once you are cleared, we'll show each other."

She smiled, tear falling to the floor.

[Ryan Gabriel]

He smiled a little. "It's going to be okay, Sunflower," he said quietly. "I just... I don't know. Maybe I just need a change. I don't know what I need to change, but... I don't know."

[Byrna Cooper]

"A move out of London?" she guessed, quietly.

[Ryan Gabriel]

He shrugged. "I don't know. Hence all the 'I don't knows,'" he said with a smirk.