>>5362737"I would've never been able to do that on my own." He confesses, and that makes you wonder what exactly might've happened had you let John get swallowed whole by his secondary-half.
Would he have tried to break out of his cell? Or would he have just raged around in his cage until he ran out of steam? Either way, while you succeeded in dragging him out of the mental abyss, John still sounds downright exhausted.
"I'm glad I got to talk to you again." This time, when John speaks, his voice carries the weight of someone who's about to walk through the seven circles of hell and back; that, or he already is there and doesn't know what to do in the midst of the infernal flames.
"I'm going to be leaving Konigsburg soon. We're all kind of waiting on the details of our next assignment, so I don't know when I will be back or when I can even call you guys again."
"How long do you think you'll be?" You feel like you're playing with fire just by asking that question, but that drop of information is going to be used for every life that depends on you.
"Two, maybe a few days tops-- hoping they'll just keep me as a last result and not their main offense." You can only imagine what kind of damage John could wreak across one of Maranzano's compounds. "I don't want to lie and tell you I'll be able to make calls like this often, but maybe they'll let me catch a break after this mission."
"Mhmm," You respond because, at this point, you don't have much left to say, but you do hope, for John's sake, that FutureLabs lets up on him.
(Realistically, you doubt they will.)
"Tell Matt I said hi." John adds. "Please be good, and don't let Bernard do anything he shouldn't."
At those words, your hoodie suddenly feels hotter than it was before, as a small surge of indignation makes itself present. "Come on, John, have a little faith in me-- Bernard would never do anything like that."
"Elise, the kid looks at you like he's never had a drop to drink, and you're a sparkling river." The heat that's made itself at home in your gut feels more and more like a wildfire, and it's not until you hear John heave a long, weary sigh that he speaks up again. "I'm sorry-- I know I talked to you about that, but I can't help but worry about you guys."
"You don't have to." Is your reply to John, because you'd rather he not worry about you and Matt when he's got far more pressing matters at hand.
>(2/3) 