[Martin just frowns faintly at the snap. He's too used to Jon's abrasiveness to take terribly much offense there. When Jon asks, the power in his voice, there is a momentary terror that grips Martin, though. He's removed from the Lonely... more or less, but there's still a part of him that lingers there and the 'terrible ordeal of being known' doesn't sit well. He's a man with secrets still, and while he wants to be open and honest with Jon, forcing it still gets under his skin.
No matter; he begins to speak:]
It's over, Jon. We won. Sort of.
From what I can tell, you've forgot that the Institute was attacked. There were a pair of Hunters--I never saw them, but you told me about them--and the... Not-Sasha that was trapped in the tunnels. Peter took me down there, said it was time to finally do what he'd been preparing me for. He used one of Leitner's books to let it out and it went after you.
He took me to a place at the center of the tunnels called the Panopticon and asked me to kill the decaying old man sat in a chair there. It was Jonah Magnus. His body, anyway. Elias was there, as well. He'd broken out of prison to come and watch because he is Jonah Magnus, Jon. His eyes in Elias Bouchard's body, and the body of every head of the Institute before that. He's been alive for two hundred years.
Peter and Jonah had made a bet. Peter needed to get me to his side and have me kill Jonah, take his place in the Panopticon, and he'd have it. All the power Elias does to see whatever he wants. He'd have that power through me. I said no, and Peter threw me into the Lonely.
I don't know how long I was there, but then you were there, too. [He's been standing up to this point, but at that, he has to swallow and sits down beside Jon.] You were there. You got Peter's story and killed him when he wouldn't answer your other questions. And you... showed me that you... that-that you loved me. [His brows are knit together.] It- I came back, snapped out of whatever Peter had done to me. Then you took my hand and led us out of the Lonely.
We've been on the run together ever since. So many people were dead at the Institute, the Hunters were still after you. And Daisy... had to give into the Hunt- to save everyone. We were worried about her coming to kill you, too. We'd just moved up north to Scotland, to a safehouse Basira arranged for us. One of Daisy's places. I'm sorry I've been so- I didn't realize you didn't remember.
no subject
No matter; he begins to speak:]
It's over, Jon. We won. Sort of.
From what I can tell, you've forgot that the Institute was attacked. There were a pair of Hunters--I never saw them, but you told me about them--and the... Not-Sasha that was trapped in the tunnels. Peter took me down there, said it was time to finally do what he'd been preparing me for. He used one of Leitner's books to let it out and it went after you.
He took me to a place at the center of the tunnels called the Panopticon and asked me to kill the decaying old man sat in a chair there. It was Jonah Magnus. His body, anyway. Elias was there, as well. He'd broken out of prison to come and watch because he is Jonah Magnus, Jon. His eyes in Elias Bouchard's body, and the body of every head of the Institute before that. He's been alive for two hundred years.
Peter and Jonah had made a bet. Peter needed to get me to his side and have me kill Jonah, take his place in the Panopticon, and he'd have it. All the power Elias does to see whatever he wants. He'd have that power through me. I said no, and Peter threw me into the Lonely.
I don't know how long I was there, but then you were there, too. [He's been standing up to this point, but at that, he has to swallow and sits down beside Jon.] You were there. You got Peter's story and killed him when he wouldn't answer your other questions. And you... showed me that you... that-that you loved me. [His brows are knit together.] It- I came back, snapped out of whatever Peter had done to me. Then you took my hand and led us out of the Lonely.
We've been on the run together ever since. So many people were dead at the Institute, the Hunters were still after you. And Daisy... had to give into the Hunt- to save everyone. We were worried about her coming to kill you, too. We'd just moved up north to Scotland, to a safehouse Basira arranged for us. One of Daisy's places. I'm sorry I've been so- I didn't realize you didn't remember.