franciscoramon | riverview ∆ ic inbox ∆ @ciscodelamancha

[ 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.

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