>>5332789You know Valjean isn’t just going to let this go when it’s written clearly on his face, grey eyes looking to you as they await an answer.
Steeling yourself with a deep breath, you take a moment to prepare your next words.
“I met Conduit in a dream.” You begin, and, upon saying those first few words, your mouth runs dry on its own volition. “He’s already been altered by FutureLabs; that’s how he was able to contact me.”
You don’t look back to Valjean, your own eyes trained on the rough ground beneath your feet. So soon after you had seen him, there’s something about the mention of Ernst that stirs up something uncomfortable in your gut.
“Aurum Impulsum, correct?” Valjean assumes the most obvious guess.
“Yeah.” You nod, affirming the other mutant’s guess. “He’s not completely gone, but he’s already lost a big chunk of his memory.”
Stealing a glance back to Valjean, you can see he’s trying to do his best to keep his expression neutral, his face cold and stone-like. However, you know that there’s a fury burning viciously within him.
“What else did he say?” There’s no inflection in Valjean’s voice as he probes for more information.
“He thinks they’re trying to increase his range enough that he can detect every mutant in the city. They’re basically turning him into a mindless, living mutant-detector.”
“Well damn…” Valjean says after a beat. “We’re in big trouble if that happens.” It’s all the more reason why you need to retrieve Conduit<span class="mu-i">– and quickly!</span>
For a good couple of minutes, neither of you know what to say. While you had enough time in the dreamworld for everything to register, there’s a look on the former Crux leader’s face that tells you that the gravity of the situation is hitting him here and now.
You don’t know how much further they can bring Ernst’s powers, but what you do know is that the only thing standing between FutureLabs and every mutant’s identity is Ernst’s own autonomy and cognizance.
It’s only a matter of time before they take that from him as well.
>(1/2) 