Viper “…Yeah? What’s up?”
He doesn’t answer immediately. Just looks even guiltier.
Truthfully he hasn’t done anything- but he still feels wildly responsible for not only Sol- but also… Not doing enough. For anyone.
“… Let’s… Sit.” He gestures somewhere they can sit but really he just thinks it’s better she’s sitting for this news.
So he waits for her to sit before he does, finally, try to address this.
“… Do you… Know about the reflections. Yet?” Start small. It sounded strange to him when Vinzent told him, so. “They’re… Not us but they… are us. I guess.”
He pauses. He’s so unsure how to do this. Worried she’s going to hate him.
“… My reflection… he acts like my grandfather.”
He lets that be what it is for a moment. It tells her a lot, surely.
But for a moment he’s nearly overwhelmed by the realization of just what he’s having to tell her. It ends up spilling out, far too quickly and far too… Unlike his usual behavior.
“He… He talked someone… Into something. I’m. I’m sorry. I convinced him not to but he thought about it- He thought about killing-” He presses his fingers into his thighs to try and soothe himself.
“I promise I don’t want this.” Because of course she’d assume this is a desire he has, right? He knows how this sounds. His reflection has a mind of his own? He wants Viper dead? But of course not Abel! Yes this will sound Completely fine and not like some strange Longform hallucination he’s trying to convince her is real.
Maybe he is making this up. Wouldn’t that be preferable? He had a bad dream and that was his nightmare? Slotted right in with his fun new recurring nightmare that Marius would choose to abandon him too? That he’d finally understand why Ramona couldn’t do it?
Surely this would build upon that, thinking that he’s just becoming Solanus, but really he’s far too sure it was Real. He’s a little too… Good at telling the difference.
“… My reflection tried to convince… Vinzent to kill you. I’ll do everything I can to make you feel safe- I talked him out of it and it won’t happen and I’ll stay with you every moment you’re not with someone else- You don’t even. Have to still be my friend anymore. I’ll still protect you.”
…
Is that something he can promise? Maybe she’s better off if he’s far away from her.
But he’ll let her decide that.
