9447/The Dreaded Question

The Dreaded Question
Date of Scene:	06 October 2019
Location:	Crew Habitat - Legion Cruiser
Synopsis:	Brainiac and Invisible speak to Del Gand again. This time he's a lot less grumpy.
Cast of Characters:	Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid

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Mon-El has posed:
    A few weeks have passed since Lyle and Querl had spoken to Lar's brother Del, who at the time had seemed to have a lot to mull over.  He hadn't really spoken to anyone since then, but at least he appears to have calmed down fully.
    Now, he sits on the floor in the back corner of his cells, knees drawn up against his chest as he stares out into the corridor.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "I've been surveying his food intake," Brainy says.  "He… eats.  Barely.  Doesn't seem interested in any form of entertainment, I've provided everything from Daxamite conquest dramas to Danielle Steel novels, which are exceptionally turgid, necrotic to the intellect, and astonishingly addictive.  I finished 'Dangerous Games' while I was working in the lab today. …out of curiosity.
    "And before Lyle says anything, he was reading 'Sins of the Mother' last night."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle makes a 'who me?' gesture.  "I was headband-deep in a chemical analysis, no time for fiction."  The briefest of pauses, then he adds under his breath, "…okay, and a cat toy catalog."
    He attempts to brush that aside breezily.  "So how are our guest's vitals?  Last I checked, the bad serum should have been completely washed out, but I haven't got a reading yet this morning."

Mon-El has posed:
    If either of them do check again, it would appear that the unfinished serum had indeed been completely removed.  And Del hasn't shown any further signs of aggression. Perhaps it's time to try approaching him again?

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "Where is Lar?" Brainy says.  "I have my force-field, and he's depowered by the red light lamps, it should be safe to go in there."  He squares his shoulders back.  "I'll take him his lunch."
    A moment later, the door to the cell hisses open, and Brainy walks in, using his force-field to levitate a tray of steaming broth, some, eh, flavored wobbly square thing that's easy to digest, and some nutritionally-fortified juice.  It's usually delivered by a drone.
    He sets it down on the table in the cell.  "…Your lunch, Del."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Not sure," Lyle replies.  "If he went anywhere, he didn't mention."  He idly taps away at his omnicom, to see if Lar left any flight plans or the like.  Peering through the cell door, he leans over so he can see past Brainy.  Partly, to greet Lar's brother with a sincere, "How are you feeling now, Del?" and partly to keep an eye on him while Brainy delivers lunch.

Mon-El has posed:
    Yeahhh… Lar had taken off a few days ago, and hadn't told anyone where he was going.  He hadn't been in the best of moods, which has been the case ever since that whole debacle anyway.  But with someone like him, it's kind of hard to track him down when he doesn't want to be tracked down.
    When Brainiac comes in with the food, Del's gaze moves to him, brows going up in mild surprise.  He takes the food.  "You… don't usually come in here," he remarks.

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "Yes, well, I'm a scientist, not a nanny," Brainy says, "and besides, my evaluation of your behavioral profile indicated you didn't want to be disturbed, but too much solitude is detrimental to the mental outlook of—some sentients."  He frowns.  "Your brother has left us, temporarily.  He'll be back."
    Then he pauses, and his expression softens, a touch.  "This isn't a jail.  You're not a prisoner, per se.  You're being kept here for your own safety—if there are things you need or want, we can get them for you."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Well, it kinda is a jail, but Lyle figures pointing that out right now would be unhelpful.  "And we'll want to make sure there's no systemic damage from the serum you used.  When you're ready, there's some tests we'll want to run."

Mon-El has posed:
    Del nods. "You've… been very kind," he mentions, then shakes his head, chuckling a little bit when Brainiac tells him that Lar wasn't around.  "Let me guess, he threw a tantrum and took off to parts unknown."
    He takes a sip of the juice.  "This is like being an honored guest in comparison to the way mother treats her prisoners," he remarks, picking up the square-ish thing and peering at it.  He sighs, putting it down again.  "I don't know how anyone could ever expect forgiveness, but I'm—sorry.  For everything that happened back there.  I just…"  His eyes are downturned in shame.  "…wanted to feel important.  To mother.  And father. But I guess they threw me away anyway."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    Brainy looks at Del and tilts his head.  "He bears up under a lot, he occasionally needs his moments of self-expression, and he's wise enough to take them where they don't annoy me.  I have no complaints."
    Then Brainy says, "If you're looking for pity, you're talking to the wrong person.  I have none.  If you're looking for absolution, it's your descendant you need to talk to, she took the religious vows, I certainly didn't."
    Then he turns away, before he says, "I'm not… much of a philosopher, but I do know that the funny thing about forgiveness is it cannot be earned, not really… only given or withheld.  So, you face a reality in which you have done horrible things and you may never be forgiven.
    "So I suggest you put ridiculous thoughts of penance out of your head, Del Gand.  What are you going to do going forward?"

Invisible Kid has posed:
    Lyle slips in the door, moving silently.  He does that, it's a spy thing.  And he can't help but nod when Brainy says he's not much of a philosopher… in fairness, neither is Lyle.  "I don't know.  Forgiveness can be asked for, at least," he muses.  Yeah, not much of a philosopher either.
    "I can heartily recommend moving forward.  If I dwelled on some of the things I did in Intel… yeah," he finishes a little lamely, and more quietly than he'd started.

Mon-El has posed:
    "I—no!  Of course not, I'm not looking for pity at all," Del exclaims emphatically.  "Nor absolution, I know I will carry this guilt for the rest of my life.  But—"  And then there it is.  Brainiac asks the dreaded question.  What next?  Where to go now?
    "…I don't know."  He rubs his head.  "I don't know what to do.  I've always been so used to doing whatever mother told me to, but now that they're out of my life…."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
    "Then I suggest you rest here for awhile, and think about it," Brainy says.  "We'll bring you movies and whatever religious tracts or educational material or entertainment you ask for, until you're ready to make your decision."
    He turns away, and says, "Security precautions will require us to keep you here, under the red solar lamps, for the time being.  Unfortunately.  Now if the two of you will excuse me, I need to get back to my lab.  Lyle, you may continue to talk to him if you like, I judge in his current state you are in no danger of him overpowering you."
    He departs, absuptly.

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "Yyyyeah, I think if you need to not deal with your parents anymore, I can certainly offer some advice," Lyle remarks, making way for Brainy.  "But that's up to you if you want to have that talk or not.  If I had to make an educated guess, it's that you want to figure out for yourself who Del Gand is and what he wants, rather than what everyone else wants him to be and do.  Yes?  No?  Maybe?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Del watches Brainiac leave, his gaze following the Coluan until he's out of sight.  Then he looks to Lyle, then nods enthusiastically.  "Yes!  That is what I need.  I need time alone, just me and the rest of the galaxy—and see where it takes me I guess."
    He gets up and comes closer to Invisible Kid, lowering his voice a bit.  "Invisible One, you said I could use my brother's antiserum—is that offer still on the table?  I… think I was poisoned on Theseus.  The other one kept it in check for a while, but now that it's gone, I feel weaker by the day.  Let me take a few doses, and send me on my way.  Please… I must find myself again."

Invisible Kid has posed:
    "I can't authorize that on my own—the leaving, I mean.  And the serum will work better if I can match it to your biochemistry rather than using your brother's," Lyle explains.  "And I want to make sure there are no lasting after effects, too.  It rattled your system pretty hard, you know."

Mon-El has posed:
    "...oh."  Del is visibly disappointed, shoulders sagging as he goes back to sit down in the corner.  "Well, let me know if you ever change your mind," he says, looking away.