Talks Colt out of fighting

There were breakers who had a profound mental change as part of the break. Ones who lost all compassion and became cold, ruthless, and machine-like. Ones who were filled with rage and destructive impulses, to be stopped only when the little coherent bit of humanity that watched its actions through a window undid the form. People who hallucinated while in their other form, or who saw the entire world as something nightmarish.


I thought of how she'd chopped at the rooftop. Her demeanor as she'd come after me. The way she danced between targets, seemingly forgetting about the last as she moved on to the next, her power facilitating that dance with the manner of flight it gave her, so abrupt and quick to move elsewhere.


Which meant there were maybe chinks in the brain. Or in the heart.

***

"Colt," I said, repeating her name to try to stress the reality I wanted to bring home. "You don't have to betray them. I'm not asking you to fight. Just… make a mistake. Let me by. Or tell them you were getting a handle on your power, you lost track of things. Mistakes happen and they can be forgiven."


She shook her head. A small shake this time, more for herself than for me.


"Make a mistake, let me fly past. Then you fly down a short while after and do what you have to do. If my side wins, you come with us. If their side wins you go with them. It's smart."


Not that I was sure I could win, but I hated not having an opportunity to try.


"All you have to do, for five seconds, is do nothing."


She was statue still, floating there. I saw her turn to look at the portal on the horizon. A slice of a different Earth's night sky.


I dove. She didn't move to intercept, and I had no idea if it was because she'd decided to let me or if it was because that mental state of hers was making her more easily distracted.

- Blinding 11.10