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[inthebiblicalsense]

[In a very serious, business tone, Abel's answering machine sounds after any attempted calls that aren't responded to right away.]

You've reached Abel. I am not available at the moment, but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. If this is urgent, leave the line open.

And if this is Fitz I hope you're having a good day.

Comments

[anewlanguage]

"The point is this is a ship run by an immortal alien, who the fuck knows if he'd tie the weapons to life support. The point," he snarls in John's direction, "Is you're guests. We rescued you. He repaid us by sabotaging a ship he doesn't know the first thing about. Touch the goddamn ship again and I don't care how many friends you bring in, I will fucking end you."

[greatoldjohn]

He's not intimidated by the language or the vehemence. Instead, he keeps his own tone flat.

"Many of us were content to stay on the island and wait," he says quietly, "and we were taken against our will. I've heard a lot of people talk about the freedom here, but the fact that we weren't given a choice might be why we're a little touchy. Can you accept that?" Beat. "Were you aware of that?"

[inthebiblicalsense]

"I know those guns, and they aren't native to your ship, they were scavenged, I sincerely doubt they were integrated to ship in such a way that an integral system to survival would be retroactively linked through." He bites his tongue on the rest of it, knows that he's buzzing enough that it would be all too easy to escalate again if he argued.

John's reasoning is less aggressive, more reasonable and he really should keep his mouth shut. Yelling at people who had the ability to hold his life in their hands wasn't always courageous but stupid more often than not.

[anewlanguage]

He looks at John. "I get not all of you want to be here. You're going home soon enough, and being tense doesn't excuse breaking our shit."

And then, to Abel:

"We scavenge everything. The ship's alive; she takes on what fits. She's as alien as the Cap'n, and neither of them give two wet shits if we die because they can just bring us back. Life support doesn't work for them like it does for us. And you know what? Clint was right to shoot you over the guns, too. I would've done worse."

[greatoldjohn]

John's going to look at Cain, his expression a little firmer.

"Like how your crew took pieces of the ship that we were on? Broke it apart to scavenge? But we were supposed to be okay with that?" is the answer back. Yeah, your logic's a little fucky, Cain. Guess who started on the breaking shit? Deep sigh. "I don't want to argue about that. The back and forth doesn't solve anything. What I'm going to say is you're talking out your ass about the guns and the breathing: you don't know they're related and the timing doesn't make sense. You're just angry and want someone to blame." A small snort. "Clint shot him: message received. Can we just leave it at that?"

Please don't make him angry again, maybe?

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel has the capacity to be embarrassed by the mental request, his head dipping just a little. Sometimes it's rather obvious that he's just barely hit twenty-five and has only had a handful of months outside of the service he'd been in since eighteen. Dick measuring was an artform in the Alliance and he's not quite broken the habit obviously.

"I have no intention of retaliating, Clint was doing his duty, as he should."

[anewlanguage]

He watches John, just listening. Cain is no longer incandescent but more simmering.

"I have every right to be angry about him damaging my ship. So I'm glad you won't go after Barton, but I'm going to need to know you understand why you're not going to touch the ship again."

[greatoldjohn]

"Can you make the same guarantee?" he asks pointedly, keeping his tone level. "If you can guarantee that your captain and your crew won't do anything to the Barge, our home, then we've got no reason to fuck with anything. So. Can you promise that you and yours won't touch our ship when we make contact to crossover?"

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel takes an even breath, stepping forward, close enough to Cain that when he extends his hand it's within arms reach. It doesn't feel safe, but John is there, and he's hopeful that is enough.

"You have my word that me and mine, within my influence won't tamper with your ship if there is a smooth transfer back onto our own ship, and before we leave, I will make sure that my notes on anything that I did, in the off chance that something doesn't work right after repair are turned over to the right people in your crew. It was never my intention to cripple your ship, just prevent it from harming ours long enough for a smooth exit."

[anewlanguage]

"We don't want you here, you get that? You're using up our resources. We want you back on your own damn ship. So leave ours alone, go back to yours quietly, and there won't be a problem." He takes Abel's hand, grinning dark at him. "Deal?"

[greatoldjohn]

"Nothing in what you say assures us that you won't do something to our home. Just that you want us to be quiet while we're in yours."

There's no emotion to the words. But he is watching Cain since he has a hand on Abel. And if he decides on a parting shot, John is absolutely primed to block. He doesn't trust you, Cain. Not even a little bit. Especially because of that dark grin.

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel doesn't grip his hand, doesn't move to shake it, in fact he pulls it back.

"I didn't ask to be here, and I'm glad to leave as soon as I'm able. You have my word that I won't fuck with your guns any more, if nothing happens to the Barge, but I'm not making any deals with you."

In fact he's rather done with him and his disturbing smile.

"We done here?"

[anewlanguage]

"Well now that depends on your bodyguard doesn't it?" Cain looks at John. "I can promise everyone in my circle just wants you gone. We're not here to fight."

[greatoldjohn]

John just shakes his head.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." And he looks up to Cain. "If we're done, we're done."

He tilts his head a little.

"As long as we're done."

[anewlanguage]

He holds his hands up, empty. "We're done."

[greatoldjohn]

He doesn't trust anything the man says. But he nods.

"Abel, how about you head out. I'll head out after you."

[inthebiblicalsense]

Abel glances between Cain and John before backing away and finally turning to leave.

He'd certainly like a quiet corner to breathe after this.