Black Mirror

Chapter 28 - You're Crashing, But You're No Wave

***FIONNA***

"Boys! Boys! Stop it!" I force Gabe and Harris apart, feeling the licks of their attacks - Gabe's ice, Harris' fire - on my hands and arms. The latter doesn't hurt me so much because it's my own elemental, so I'm a little resistant to it, but even I have my limits. "Harris, are you really gonna let that Peppermint mind-control shit get to you like that? You're not gonna hurt the people you love!"

Harris doesn't answer. He simply stares blankly at me and Gabe, one hand lining up a dark attack.

"Nope nope nope!" I bring my own flaming hand very close to his dark one. Close, but not in enough range to actually light up that slick coating of crude oil. "Harris? We just got you back, and we are NOT gonna lose you!"

He blinks. Am I getting to him? I'm going to need Gabe's help to finish the job, though. I step back and get level with Gabe, who's cautiously lowering his shield and gazing at Harris tenderly. "Dude?"

Harris' eyes soften, losing just a bit of focus. But he raises his dark-powered hand, forcing me to raise my fire again. He must know I don't intend to actually hurt him, but you know what they say about the road to Purgatory. In any case, until we get him to overcome his Peppermint-placed mental block the way Jay did...actually, strike that. Jay had to almost kill a guy to overcome the control over his mind, and I'm not willing to take that chance with Gabe. Or myself.

I spare a moment to look at the other fight going on. That Alicia woman's whirling around a light blade in one hand and Force-type lightning in the second, so she's able to enforce a pretty wide protective radius around herself - not that it stops our friends from launching their attacks. Four against one, so they stand a pretty good chance, I think.

Back to me, Gabe, and Harris, though...

"Rook?" I don't mean to say the word in a questioning tone, but I've got a random idea and no idea if it'll even work. "Rook...deactivate."

If Harris were a robot - like in I, Robot or something, and I've only seen the movie, so don't come at me, Asimov fans - he'd shut down right away. Instead, he stiffens and says, "Unable to comply." So...does that mean he's a robot, or a cyborg, or an android, or what? I'm pretty sure there's a distinction between all three. Oh wait, I forgot one - Power Ranger. I say that with an equally piss-poor knowledge of that particular franchise as my knowledge of Asimov, though. Power Rangers never took off in Hell, really.

Whatever the case may be, Gabe and I step forward in mutual agreement that Harris is not a robot of any kind. He's a pure soul that needs our help to avoid corruption at Alicia's hands.

Maybe reach out without that shield? I suggest.

He lets it vanish in a snowy puff of steam. "Harris. Look at me." He reaches out and takes his boyfriend's dark-energized hand. "I know this has nothing to do with you being mind-controlled and shit right now, but I just wanted to get this off my chest. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I stood by while...while you vanished, and I couldn't do anything about it..."

I'm not sure why he's throwing me under the bus here - but then, I don't blame him for still having a bit of a grudge against me for accidentally wrecking his relationship. So I speak up for myself. "It's not just him, Harris. I'm sorry too. Because I stepped on toes I shouldn't have. I only wanted to make things better for myself, and damn the consequences. But...but you're back now, and we need you to step up for us, okay? Please."

Gabe only held Harris' hand with one of his before, but now he doubles his grip. Twice the chances for his hands to slip away, but he's not letting that bother him. "The point we're trying to make here, Harris, is that you've been missed, and you're always loved. And we need you back, completely."