I find it ironic that Brennan has become the most stalwart member of the team. A year ago, I could not have told you where his loyalties would fall. Now, I trust him more than I do myself in matters of confidence, judgment and extreme pressure. Yet, beneath his capable surface lies a barrier of self-loathing that must be addressed if he is to grow as a hero and a man. That, and his new powers are my focus.
BRENNAN: Er…Yeah…
A: You really dislike these sessions, don’t you?
BRENNAN: No, it’s just I’d rather be doing other things. Like taking on the entire GSA with my hands tied in an inch of water.
A: Is it really that bad?
BRENNAN: No worse than going to the dentist.
A: And when was the last time you did that?
BRENNAN: Hey, how ‘bout those Mets?
A: Moving right along. We almost lost you a few weeks ago.
BRENNAN: You almost lost me! I almost lost me. That she-demon had my head so twisted I didn’t know which end the sparks were going to fly from.
A: Ms. Templeton affected your mind?
BRENNAN: Among other parts. No man was safe from her, Adam. Even you. She was like Circe from Homer’s “Odyssey”.
A: You realize no one is blaming you for what happened. I just want to know how you feel about being in her thrall.
(A pause. Brennan generates electric flickers among his fingers as he finds his words.)
BRENNAN: Weak. Lame. I know it sounds nuts but even when I was…you know…with Lorna I knew deep inside that I didn’t want to be. I just couldn’t help myself. She was that strong. Adam, I let all of you down…
A: You were infected by an insect Feral, Brennan. She controlled you through your libido. You overcame it.
BRENNAN: And looked like a jerk doing it! I’ve got to make it up to the team. Damn it! I finally prove I’m not some small-time Elemental hood out for a score and a great pair of legs with a scorpion stinger sandbags me! Why does the cheap stuff always trip me up?
A: Perhaps you haven’t forgiven yourself for your former way of life yet.
BRENNAN: Y’think?
A: You’ve been working extremely hard on perfecting your evolved propulsion powers. Do you know you’re the only one who works out in the Dojo with mirrors? I’d say you mastered the new blasts quite a while ago and now it’s about your form and the way you look when you land…
BRENNAN: Hey, it’s my job to get it right, Adam.
A: Don’t be defensive. I was merely inferring that you not only want to hone your electric abilities to flawlessness, but also the style in which you wield them. Always cool and smooth without breaking a sweat. Carefully crafted, like your appearance.
BRENNAN: What are you getting at?
A: Your electric powers are extremely chaotic, Brennan. They cannot always be channeled through a macho composure. The same for your actions as a person. Stress you may accumulate maintaining a front worries me. And the others.
BRENNAN: You mean Shalimar?
A: I mean the others. Being vulnerable and occasionally awkward is not the same as being weak…
BRENNAN: Look, man! Just stop there! What I do and how I do it are what I need to get by. Understand? In the life I come from the way you present yourself is everything. Maybe it’s stupid, maybe it’s predictable--
A: Maybe it’s the cheap stuff that always trips you up…
BRENNAN: AWW---(Vulgarity covered-up by electric static)
A: We don’t care about your surface, Brennan. We see beyond that. Only enemies and shallow idiots dwell on “style points”. They’ll use them to bring you down. Like Lorna Templeton.
BRENNAN: Can this be over now?
A: Over…but not finished.
:: End of Transcription ::
