[ video ]

[hostage]

[Here's a guy who looks like shit. Not like he's been beaten up or injured or anything like that. The kind of "looks like shit" that comes with recovering from a meth bender curled up on the floor of some catacombs while there's a war raging outside. His body needs sleep desperately but the chaos has kind of prevented that, so he looks pale and sick with dark circles around his eyes and he's subtly shaking - which means the camera is shaking as he holds it.]

Hey, so... Hey. I know we're busy cleaning up and all, but I need, um... I'm just wondering if anybody could bring me some cigarettes. Or, like, anything else to smoke.

[Vague because he's not sure what's legal here.]

I'll pay you back or, you know, whatever. I'll owe you.

And, um, Nananea? You're probably busy with all them hurt people, but - that thing we talked about? I'm ready when you are.

[Despite looking like he should spend the next two weeks in bed.]

Anyway, yeah. Thanks in advance.

Comments

[payback]

I guess I got lucky being with two girls. But does it bother her?

[hostage]

I don't think anything bothers her.

[payback]

Well... I think they're fussy about changing but I guess you could anyway, if you wanted to.

[hostage]

No way. Then they might get stuck with some other random psycho.

[payback]

I think the people who arrange that stuff must know what they're doing.

[hostage]

I don't think so. Probably all in a rush just to get shit done. No way it makes sense.

[payback]

It's not like you're going to be bad for her though, right?

[hostage]

'course not.

[payback]

Then it should be all right for this go round. Though, you're probably right people should be keeping a better eye on the kids.

[hostage]

They shouldn't even be here. I mean, why bring kids to fight a war?

[payback]

I guess that's one argument against them having it together at all.

[hostage]

No shit. It's completely messed up.

[payback]

... That said, it's not like in some circumstances, in a war, kids couldn't be useful.

So maybe they did do it on purpose.

[hostage]

Then they're evil.

[payback]

Some of the people here are weird too, you know?

[hostage]

Like how? I mean, I noticed, but...

[payback]

Not from normal worlds. They have weird powers and stuff. If it's evil for these kids to fight some of them had evil done to them at home... I don't know. So it wasn't random. It's not right, but not all of them are random.

[hostage]

Is there a pattern? I mean, like, in general.

[payback]

Well, I haven't really been able to tell. I've been through a few changes like this and there's never really been one so far as I can see...

[hostage]

I don't get why anybody would think it's a good idea, picking me up to be in their army. And, like, why not just get all the superheroes and leave the little kids alone? The whole thing's retarded.

- Wait, what do you mean? A few?

[payback]

Yeah. Kind of a lot by now, it's ridiculous. And kids always showed up in the most unsuitable places.

[hostage]

You mean you've done stuff like this before? Before here?

[payback]

Like fight in a war? Well, no, not really. But get jerked around from world to world? Yes.

[hostage]

How'd it go the other times?

[payback]

Um... the first time everyone was in a laboratory. The second time, it was just this disgusting city where you couldn't really do anything to change anything. Then the next time it was being stuck in some kind of game as test subjects, I guess, except it was horrible.

Of all of them I'd say I prefer here.