Quoted By:
<span class="mu-r">“So long as you don’t arrest my friend here, I’d say we’re good.”</span> you said, throwing an arm over Sam’s shoulder.
Sam blinked in surprise, and you could see that he was beginning to remember that him being locked away at Ryker’s was still a very real possibility. He cast a pleading look at Reed, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully again.
<span class="mu-b">“Well...he didn’t injure or threaten anyone on the way in, or out. And him coming back to apologize certainly shows more than a little maturity and humility on his part.”</span> he said, nodding to himself as he looked Sam up and down. The boy visibly gulped.
<span class="mu-b">“I’ll tell you what.”</span> Reed continued. <span class="mu-b">“If you’d be willing to work off your sentence, then I might be persuaded to drop the charges.”</span>
Sam frowned at him. <span class="mu-s">“What kind of work?”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Oh, it won’t be anything major. I just figured that I could use a new lab assistant.”</span> Reed said with an amused grin.
Sam was practically sputtering now, which only served to further Reed’s amusement.
<span class="mu-s">“Y-you want me to work <span class="mu-i">here</span>!?”</span> he said, sounding clearly exasperated. <span class="mu-s">“Here. In the Baxter Building.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Actually, it’d be more like an internship. But we can talk about promotions at a later date.”</span> Reed said with a wave of his hand. <span class="mu-b">“What do you say?”</span>
<span class="mu-s">“I-Yes! Yes, of course!”</span> Sam declared, grabbing Reed’s hand and shaking it vigorously. Interestingly, the only parts of his arm that were actually moving were all located below his elbow. Everything else was almost completely still.
<span class="mu-b">“Excellent! Your first job will be helping me adjust our security systems in order to avoid future-”</span>
You cleared your throat loudly this time, drawing both pairs of eyes back to you.
<span class="mu-r">“I hate to interrupt, but we still have a few more things to take care of.”</span> you reminded them, pointing at both the box, and the man tied up in the corner of the room.
Reed nodded apologetically. <span class="mu-b">“Right. That’s the man that rewired the suit?”</span> he asked.
<span class="mu-r">“Yup. His name’s Max, and he was a real menace to me and my friends.”</span> you said. <span class="mu-r">“He managed to rewire and repurpose the suit somehow. Instead of just absorbing energy, he was able to dish it out in massive quantities.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Interesting…”</span> Reed mused as he ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. <span class="mu-b">“He shouldn’t have been able to do that, but I suppose that’s my fault for not installing enough safety measures.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Since we’re on the topic of ‘things we shouldn’t do’,”</span> you began. <span class="mu-r">“I need you to promise me that you’ll destroy this suit, and that you won’t try to make anything else like it. I mean, this thing nearly tore the city apart!”</span>
Reed winced at that. <span class="mu-b">“I suppose you’re right. I should have never made it so accessible to just any old person. That was a…massive oversight on my part.”</span> he admitted.
(Cont.)
