franciscoramon | riverview ∆ ic inbox ∆ @ciscodelamancha

[ Finn is trying to sound moderately casual and like a man who has had conversations like this many times before. As a person who doesn't tend to relax often and who's recently gone right back up on edge, it doesn't totally take. He doesn't sound panicked or overly urgent, either, just maybe very focused.

There's a comfort to having even the beginnings of a game plan. ]

So you're an inventor. Right? An engineer.

[ He knows for a fact that he's heard it from both Rey and Cisco himself. They have both actively told him this. But look okay he's got a game plan. Gotta confirm at every stage. ]

[ Cisco hadn't been expecting to hear from Finn, but when he does, and when Finn's greeting is a bit more solemn than social niceties dictate, it doesn't surprise him all that much. He sets aside what he'd been working on and answers right away. ]

That's right.

Okay. Good.

[ And then he hangs up with no explanation. I'm kidding. ]

What's your experience with tracking? Not-- not tracking to know where someone is all the time.

[ He's kind of been there done that on being observed at every turn for most of his life. Doing it to someone else doesn't interest him. Finn thinks for a second, searching for the right words. ]

Like distress signals. Emergency beacons. Do you know what I mean?

I get you.

[ The truth is, Cisco has experience with both kinds of tracking - it was important that he be able to tell precisely where Barry was, when he was out fighting the bad guys, so he could give him advice, directions, keep him safe. But he also knows a little something about what Finn is looking for. ]

I'm assuming this is for Rey and Poe?

[ No need to feign ignorance, when he's pretty certain that he's right. ]

I can set you guys up with panic buttons. For if you get into trouble and you need the other two to know, quickly and discreetly. I wrote a program like that for all our phones, back home. So we could call the Flash if we needed him. And... Eddie has something like that, here, that he can use to get a hold of me, and vice versa. Is that the sort of thing you mean?

[ Finn thanks whatever the hell in the galaxy there is to thank for Cisco Ramon. Just a little send up. This is not a gratitude he tries to keep out of his voice. ]

Yes, yes, exactly. A panic button. [ He won't call it that when he pitches it to Rey and Poe. ] I can't afford to be too late because I didn't know something was happening. I need to be able to help them. I need to know I can try.

[ If he'd been any slower, if he'd gone in a different direction, Poe would have died. He'd have fallen off the face of the moon and Finn and Rey might not have found out why or how. It's just not acceptable. ]

[ If Cisco hadn't heard anything about the First Order, didn't know from Rey that that Kylo dude had shown up here, he would be very alarmed by how urgent Finn is about this request. But since he knows the context already, he doesn't question what's going on, just proceeds right on to how he can help the most. ]

I can program it so setting off the alarm automatically triggers a GPS signal. That way it won't be tracking you or anything normally, but if somebody hits the button, it'll tell the other two exactly where they are right at that moment. That way you can get there without any delay.

[ That was the way they'd done it, back in Central City; well, the phones had been set up for tracking 24/7 but Finn had seemed a little against the all-the-time thing, so Cisco can tweak it some to accommodate that. ]

If you want, I can also- my phone's got a separate setting, where if I input a certain code by tapping the button on the side in the right pattern, it starts recording everything. That way, you know, if I go missing and somebody finds my phone... anyway I can have the panic button do that, too, if you'd like.

[ He'd spent a little too much time, after the singularity, thinking about what ifs. What would have happened, if Barry hadn't reset the timeline. Would Eobard have let the others discover his body in the basement and tried to play it off as a freak heart attack. Or would he have cleaned up after himself, buried Cisco in the woods like he had the real Harrison Wells, so that it looked like he was just gone without a trace?

But at least, perhaps, Finn can reap the benefits of Cisco's paranoia and slightly non-ideal coping mechanisms. ]

Listen, Finn... I'm happy to set this up for you, but I gotta ask: How worried should I be?

[ Recording, just in case. That's perfect. Maybe that's Finn's paranoia and slightly non-ideal coping mechanisms at work, but he prefers to think of it as a good, logical step to take with something like this.

Cover all the possibilities you can. It's good.

Cisco asks a fair question. More than fair, probably. Finn hesitates, not sure exactly how to answer in terms of what might need explaining. Different worlds, different lives, different rules. ]

What do you know about the First Order? Has--

[ "has Rey ever mentioned," he almost starts with, "has Poe ever mentioned", but he doesn't want to... put some kind of implication out there that they should have, somehow. That's not what he thinks. ]

Have you heard anything about someone called Kylo Ren?

Only a little bit. Rey told me they're trying to conquer the galaxy and impose 'order' - [ The scare quotes are obvious in his voice ] -which is a big damn red flag, and that her and Poe and you are part of the Resistance against them. She said if they came here, there would be trouble, so I should keep an eye out.

[ It would never enter Cisco's mind to be anything less than honest, right now. He knows just how much trouble can be caused by secrets and miscommunication, amongst allies. And Finn is without a doubt an ally of his. ]

As for Kylo, she said he tried to read her mind once, and he nearly killed you, and he's with the First Order or whatever. And a little while ago she told me he showed up here and put Poe in the hospital, I guess?

[ Rey had warned Cisco so that he would keep safe, keep out of it, but that's just not how Cisco rolls. If his friends are facing trouble, he wants to be helping. Maybe not on the front lines, but only because that's not where he is most useful. ]

[ Less to explain than he thought. That's good. Not too detailed, and Finn isn't sure how much detail is necessary yet. The First Order could always just... turn up. Cisco knows enough to know what they're talking about.

Put Poe in the hospital. It's a vague way to put it. Any specific details, they're not Finn's to give, but he clarifies firmly. He wants to make sure he gets across that it's more sharp-edged than hurt, more than fights that went wrong or circumstance. Honesty for honesty. A warning and a confirmation all in one. ]

All the First Order cares about is control. What they can take. How they can use it to control anything else that they want. One thing after another, until they've got it all. Kylo Ren is one of the most powerful tools they have.

[ I'm glad I got to call Kylo Ren a tool, but like this?? ]

She was telling the truth. Back home, he took Rey and he tried to hurt her. He nearly killed me. He got here and he tried to kill Poe. He would have, but we got lucky. It was-- it was too close. And I need help to do whatever I can to keep this from happening again. Without giving him the kind of power here that he had there.

[ Cisco listens without interrupting. Finn confirms what Cisco had already deduced about the First Order: that they are evil, obsessed with conquering and domination, the kind of people to be stopped at any cost. In a way, it's difficult for him to imagine - not because he disbelieves Rey or Poe, but because all the foes that Cisco has faced have been individuals, more or less. The closest to the First Order he'd come across in his life would be General Eiling, and his corrupt, hideous military experiments and torture. But even he had to operate from the shadows to some degree - not openly. ]

He tried to kill Poe?!

[ Cisco had known they fought, that Poe had gotten hurt, but he hadn't realized it was quite so serious. And he certainly hadn't known it was a close call. That startles him. Rey had made it sound like things were under control, like Ren was a threat, but not a deadly one, and not an imminently deadly one. Why? Had she just wanted him to keep out of it? ]

So we need to come up with a plan to stop him.

[ It's not enough to just play defense; from the sound of it, Kylo Ren is not a problem that is going to go away on its own. He doesn't sound misguided, or like he lashed out without realizing his own capabilities. He'd hurt people, again and again and again, and three strikes is well past out as far as Cisco's concerned. ]

If he tried to kill Poe, that's attempted murder. More than enough reason to throw his ass in prison. What abilities does he have?

[ Cisco asks as neutrally as he can. He doesn't know, whether Finn knows about Rey's own powers, and doesn't want to ask are his powers similar to Rey's and out her, if Finn is unaware. ]

[ Cisco has the right idea. Finn feels a surge of gratitude and affection that don't translate to words well.

He's tired of "why would he do this" and "how could he come from those parents and turn out this way". Reasons won't make a difference. Kylo Ren made his choices, that's what matters. That's what they need to think in terms of. ]

He's a Force user. Bad temper, too. He can sense things. Move them without touching them. He can see into your head, he can control people, make them do what he wants. I don't know how it all works. I don't know the Force.

[ Not knowing what Rey may have told Cisco, and it not being his place to mention what Poe's been through, there isn't a ready source he can give to consult. All he has is what he can say and what he knows from spending the time he did in the First Order's orbit. ]

Even if we turn him in, he can walk out free before the day's up. He'd just have a fresh grudge and a lot of innocent people to use for target practice.

[ Finn tries not to think of Jakku, which didn't even take the Force to turn south. He fails. Helplessness feels exactly the same here as it did there. ]

I'm trying to think defensively.

Yeah, well, I ain't afraid of no telepath.

[ Cisco might not know precisely how the Force works, but he knows that everything can be countered, in one way or another. Sure, it might take some research before he could come up with a containment system that would work on someone who could use the Force, but there is almost certainly a way. Cisco's not somebody who gives up easily. Particularly not when people he cares about are in danger. ]

I've fought mind-controllers before. And time travelers. And metahumans who could do stuff this Kyle asshole's never even dreamed of. He's gonna come at my friends, he better do better than that.

[ Cisco understands where Finn is coming from, though. It's the same reason that Team Flash had used the pipeline for as long as they did, before the metahuman wing at Iron Heights was ready. It's the same reason they didn't involve the CCPD unless they absolutely had to. No need to put lives in danger, when it wasn't necessary. ]

Something off the books, then. A trap. And we won't lure him into it until we're sure it can hold him. 'Cause trust me, Finn. Playing defense only works for so long.

[ Finn wonders if the galactic-scale war is generally still safer on a day-to-day basis than Cisco's life back home. He wonders if it's weird to feel a certain "you deserve to have a break from the things you don't do anymore because you're not where you used to be" sentiment for people here.

He also starts to realize, from the tone and the words, that Cisco is in some ways every bit as die-hard committed as Poe Dameron is. ]

Playing either side only works for so long.

[ Not a correction. Just an agreement. A trap for a Force user. He doesn't know anything about that. But it's... a hope, sort of, something he doesn't naturally come by too often on his own. It's an option. ]

If you think it's possible-- and I'm not sure it will be-- I think it's worth looking into. If anyone's qualified to try, it's probably you. But Rey and Poe have to be on board. From the start. They're more likely to find trouble with him than me.

[ bc they are so, so shitty at running away. It sounds like something Rey might not like, is the weird thing. The way she talks sometimes-- he has a gut feeling. Poe, he imagines, probably wouldn't have too much issue with the idea of containing Kylo Ren.

If Rey's not for it, being outvoted won't matter much to her. If Rey's not for it, he can already feel the argument threatening to give him a headache, because he'll take it and run with it for days. ]

I don't make choices for other people. Even if disagreeing means they clearly have their priorities out of order.

[ pvp kylo ren one on one in a pit? sure, fine, he'll do it. build a secret jail for him and deciding to lock him up without telling rey or poe? less up his alley. but honestly, he feels like cisco probably gets that. ]

That's fair.

[ Cisco has a feeling that, after the conflict that landed him in the hospital, Poe would probably be easy to convince. Rey... is probably going to be another matter, but Cisco knows that Finn is right. If there's any sort of plan, all of them should sign off on it, first. But that doesn't mean he can't start looking into matters, getting down some ideas. A modification of the pipeline should work - he would just have to pinpoint the differences between neutralizing metahuman abilities and neutralizing Force-based abilities. ]

You should warn her, though, that if he hurts other people, it might not be up to her any longer.

[ He figures that news would probably be best, coming from Finn rather than himself. And while Cisco agrees that it's best not to make other people's decisions for them, he's also not going to cover for someone who is a public threat, just because it'll make Rey feel better. Cisco is loyal to his friends - ferociously so - but not so much that he'll let innocent people get hurt. ]

I'll get to work on those panic buttons for you.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure she'll get that.

[ At least. She has to, right? There's a threshold on this being a contained problem. Finn heard more than enough gossip as it stood around Kylo Ren in the First Order. Temper of a rathtar, no concern for whatever got in front of a tantrum. ]

Thanks. [ This is one of those times in his life where no matter how much untainted gratitude bleeds into his tone, he feels like it still can't get enough across. ] Let me know what it costs. And if you need anything. I'll have you covered.

[ Cisco can't help hoping that things don't come to that. He hasn't ever argued with Rey, and quite frankly, doesn't ever want to. Conflict isn't anyone's favorite, but Cisco in particular dislikes it, particularly when it involves people he cares about. And he knows that, when it comes to his friends, he doesn't have a great track record at standing his ground, standing up for himself or what he believed was the right course of action.

But no need to worry about things that might not even happen. Better to focus on the present. ]

No charge. I'll just be recreating a program I already wrote and tweaking it a little. Besides, you're a friend. I'm not in the habit of charging friends for helping them. Not how I roll.

[ Maybe it's a little bold of him, declaring Finn a friend already, but he doesn't care. Cisco thinks of him that way. ]

I'll need a couple of minutes with each of your phones, when I'm done, to do the install and check everything's working, but that's it.

[ Never fear, Cisco. Finn will argue enough for two friends and cover anything that may fall short. Everyone brings their own strengths to the table. It's why he made this call.

Perhaps more importantly, Cisco calling him a friend is actually really touching? Finn doesn't have friends falling out of his pockets in the official sense. Plenty of people he's getting along with fine, plenty of people he likes. Not so many people he thinks would go past 'acquaintance.'

He doesn't contest this turn at all. Pact sealed. Welcome to the Finn friendship club, here's the Big Mood. ]

Cisco Ramon, has anyone ever told you you're a life-saver? [ Relief is also the big mood. All this is at least something. He feels more grounded. He also sounds like he's maybe running a hand down his face. ] I mean, I'm sure someone has. But if they haven't, they're wrong. You're a life-saver.

[ If Cisco's this generally Good now, it stands to reason he's probably always been like that. That's how it works, right. ]

[ Cisco laughs, then, blushing and delighted and happy. He would help regardless of gratitude, but it's always surprising and wonderful, to be thanked so openly. It's what keeps him going - helping good people, knowing he's made a difference. It was why he had helped to form Team Flash, and one of the reasons why he had decided to stay here. ]

Well, I'm not sure about that, but... any time. Seriously.

riverview ∆ ic inbox ∆ @ciscodelamancha

voice; un: finn

voice

voice

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject