Leaders grasp nettles. - Nudge to Pyro

[captaine_sykes]

Now that the camp was reasonably settled Ethan could address the Hendley situation. It had seemed best to keep the guy locked away for as long as possible just to make the point that his behaviour was uncalled for and despite what Allerdyce or Hendley had said Ethan still felt punishment was required and Emma had even agreed, which was a novelty.

Comments

[codenamepyro]

Rather than argue or be difficult and cause himself more pain in the stomach, Pryo took the seat when offered and shrugged slightly at the question regarding his well-being. He was fine, he was bored, he was healing from another bullet wound.

But when Sykes jumped right in there, explaining about Hendley's release, a cold tendril of something worked down Pyro's spine, making him stiffen just a little and his gut clenched in mild agony. Pyro was well aware what he'd said, sure the others may have informed whoever that none of it was an accident, that Jack had actually taken a shot at Pyro before waiting to take the next one. That it had to have been methodically and patiently waited on. A wall of fire is unpredictable, taking a shot through the open flames is a hit or miss sort of thing and Jack had waited for it.

"And you felt the need to bring me in here and tell me like I was a twelve year old getting bullied, why exactly?" It just meant Pyro would be walking around with enough fire power -literally- to fuel the next fourth of July celebrations for the whole of the States. And if anyone commented on it, more the fool them.

[captaine_sykes]

There was no easy way to break the news to Pyro, giving him warning ahead could have only caused more issues and setting a deadline for Hendleys incarceration would have lead to further tensions.

"I'm not about to lie to you Allerdyce and say that protocol isn't part of the reason why you've been summoned here. I do need to keep you informed as you were the one harmed in the incident, however your welfare isn't the only reason." Ethan leans forward, elbows braced on his knees. "What happened to you, accident or not, should never have happened. Hendley has enough experience to not pull a rookie mistake like that which is why I find it hard to believe, considering his track record that he won't attempt something again. This is why your safety is of precedence to me."

Ethan glances towards the closed door before his sharp blue gaze falls back on Allerdyce. "If there were to be something you wanted to tell me, confidentially and off the record regarding Hendley; such as threatening behaviour or a belief that he intends to kill you and you feel your life is in danger? Well that kind of information would enable to me have Hendley removed on a permanent basis or tried by court-martial."

[codenamepyro]

Pyro hates the way his hand automatically rests over the slowly healing wound in his side, hates that he's just a little relieved that Sykes did tell him about Jack because now he can avoid the bastard for a while.

So far, Jack's track record didn't really bode well. Pyro knew of four mutants Jack had killed on the team, it might be more, it might not. But there were just too many faces that didn't come back from Russia, where Pyro last saw them. And then of course there was the fact that three of Jack's bullets had been meant for Pyro.

"Off the record?" And St John knows that Sykes is just pushing, that he's needling and trying to get St John to 'open up' about what happened on that mission, because Sykes was probably too far out of it to even realise what the hell was being said the entire time. "He's a mutant hunter, we are mutants, of course he wants to kill us. What part of that is hard for anyone to figure out?"

[captaine_sykes]

Maybe Pyro is right. Perhaps Ethan is a little too detatched from the real world to be able to understand what is being said. He's so used to dealing with the black and white of the matter that shades of grey tend to pass right on by before he has a chance to acknowledge and deal with them.

He clears his throat, a little surprised at Allerdyce's forwardness and put on the spot by the fact that what Pyro has said isn't at all wrong. Ethan dislikes having Hendley on the team just as much as the others but he isn't allowed to kick him off and if anything needs to keep him close so that he can't pull any stunts on them. He leans back in his seat.

"Fair point, however I am at an impasse. I cannot have Hendley removed from the team without justification. I am well aware of his history but the military agreed to him moving with the team with that in mind. Mostly because there have never been any formal complains about him."

[codenamepyro]

St John wasn't the beat around the bush type, but more often than not, his opinions were only really shared with Mac. It wasn't that Pyro didn't like or trust Sykes, it was just that Sykes was all about authority and control and Pyro pretty much was not. The guy had come down a peg or two since the abduction and hostage holding and then the rescue, but Pyro really couldn't say if it had been the effects of the hostage taking or not, because Pyro had spent most of that unconscious.

"Well, looks like you'll need to wait for him to kill someone else." Pyro didn't run to the grown ups when things went wrong; he wasn't about to sob to Sykes or Frost that Hendley had threatened him, he wasn't about to 'fess up the it hadn't been an accident at all, because Jack had waited for that shot before taking it.

Pyro would deal with it all himself, and if that meant keeping his mouth shut about what happened, then fine. Even if Haylie or the others told Ethan what happened, Pyro wasn't about to say anything either way.

[captaine_sykes]

It's infuriating that Allerdyce won't play ball in some respects but then again Ethan is proud of the young man for sticking to his principles and refusing to budge. He obviously doesn't want to be seen to tell tales and he's obviously got a grudge against Hendley which he is keeping to himself.

Accepting that there is no further point in trying to force or encourage Allerdyce in revealing anything more Ethan knows he should let him return to his room.

"I know you don't see me as anything more than a, now what was your choice of wording... ah yes a jumped up, anally retentive, stick-up-the-ass, army boy asshole. Irrespective of what you think of me Allerdyce I do give a damn about your welfare. We may not have seen eye to eye from the start but Richards is able to tolerate you and you were in this camp before Hendley. If I could have him removed I would, but it's not my call sadly." Standing up Ethan crosses to his desk, leafing through the paperwork and clearly signaling the conversation is over. "You can head back to your room now if you'd like, you're dismissed Allerdyce."

[codenamepyro]

St John does have his principles, he's got his own standing of morales and all that comes with it. He grew up with gamblers rules, then street kid rules, survival is always paramount and being seen to be weak isn't part of those rules. Gamblers never show their hand, don't appear to have it good, or bad, don't favour the same methods, don't get caught counting. Street kids don't show weakness, don't cave, don't fold, don't run. Survive.

It means fighting your own battles, and even when the battle doesn't look to be favourable, you don't call in the back up. Because then it just gets messy. Sort your own shit and deal with it.

So St John has some bullet holes, he's been scarred worse. So he's constantly watching out for Hendley, he's always been a little bit paranoid. So he's not talking to the boss, he's never been one for authority. And his opinion of Sykes aside -because he does think Ethan is a jumped up, anally retentive, stick-up-the-ass, army boy asshole, but that's not the point- St John can actually respect the man a little, a smidge, just a teeny, tiny little bit.

Doesn't mean he'll make things easy. "Yes sir, my liege." Pulling himself from the chair, careful not to bend at the waist and making it look just a slightly bit awkward, St John moves towards the door, "Oh and the jumped up, anally retentive, stick-up-the-ass, army boy asshole thing? Totally not the worst I've called you."