[ This is physically painful.

More for the fact that it's necessary, that this time, this place, he's not gonna get anywhere clutching onto closely guarded technological secrets as he had back home. Not when the technology isn't really his anymore, not really, transformed and monstrous, and only good for keeping pieces of metal out of his heart and nothing else if he doesn't trust one person.

And the one person he trusted is gone.

Still, he'd known a bit of relief, a bit of old fashioned scientific excitement, imparting this information to Howard, and it wasn't pure daddy issues, okay, because he can feel a glimmer of that when she gets it, and her brain starts racing, and her mouth starts running.

SpEaKiNg Of wHiCh-- ]

Yeah, here's-- alright. [ He places a hand atop paper and pencil as if to still Wysteria's momentum. ] This next part is important, and I need you to say with words that you're not gonna start leaking trade secrets all over the place. Not to your croquet picnic pals, and not to the leadership, and not to anyone in between.