“They haven’t,” Teacher said. “Tattletale is trying to save her area of the city after a portal cleaved it in two. The Fallen will focus on their own first. The family, then friends, and then recruiting new elements. It could be six months before they remember the capable young man that was left in prison.”

William worked his way to a standing position, and the weight of his upper body on his back and ribs made him want to fall to his knees.

He’d dealt with pain before. Pain was transient.

With careful steps, he approached the unconscious guard, one eye always on Teacher.

“No,” Teacher said. “Leave him be.”

“If you leave me like this, I won’t be any good to anyone.”

“I want to help you, William, and I want you to want to help me. Let’s stop problem solving each problem that comes up, giving each an imperfect solution until the imperfections pile up. Let’s resolve.”

It sounded like the evangelists from the Fallen, but with different terminology. ‘Resolve’, not ‘believe’.

He looked up at the security camera.

“Don’t worry about that. Nobody is watching the cameras, and a glitch will ensure the recordings don’t keep. These three won’t remember anything. We’ll go for a walk as soon as you’re able.”

“How will I be able?”

“Do you know who I am and what I can do?”

“No. I’ve heard some but…” But this man had never seemed important, however frequently he’d come up.

“I grant abilities. Mental abilities, tinker powers, and thinker powers. The powers are minor. The abilities are… powers, but so close to our own capabilities that they blend in. The ability to understand a language, to do math.”

“Yeah?”

“My powers come at a cost to the person who takes them. They lose free will and independence. They’re brainwashed, for lack of a better term.”

William looked at the pair who had accompanied Teacher.

“It traps me, William. It limits my ability to gain the trust of others or flex my abilities to their fullest. Volunteers help, but finding those means putting my neck out for others to axe. I think you’re the key, and I’m prepared to reward you handsomely if you can provide what I need.”

“Suspicious as fuck,” William said. He walked over to the security guard, and with one arm on the wall, he eased himself down until he could grip one of the guns.

“I’ve studied you. I got access to the old PRT files, while their previous custodian was in my custody. I read your files and I have some idea of how you work. You can ‘hold’ your conditions, can’t you? You can concentrate to keep them at bay, reverting to a template of yourself.”

“Sure,” William ventured. “I’d say more, but I don’t like that you looked at my files. That’s personal.”