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Moment of Awesome - Ben Russell/Shatterstar: In the aftermath of the latest bout of kidnappings, Shatterstar raises an important question with Hope Abbott. He began to deflect again, really and truly not wanting to talk about it. It was easy to start to brush it off. It was whatever. It didn't matter. He didn't care. But Miss Abbott would see right through him, and more than that he had promised her once to do his utmost at listening to her. And listening was a two way street. "I survived. I survived what they showed me when it actually happened, and I survived their version. I exploded one." "You exploded one of the Slenderman?" Hope clarified, tilting her head a little. "Yes. I channeled my powers through my pocketknife into it's head." Shatterstar said matter of fact. It was the only way to deal with it. She gave a short nod, her eyes narrowing a little at the matter of factness of his answer. "Well, that must have made quite the mess." She replied, almost idly, as she tried to match his mood. "Perhaps a good thing you did not have to clean up." "Well. They said the place doesn't exist anymore." If only he could say the same for the man who had hurt Liam and Sharon. If only he could drive a knife into him and make it explode... but then, Shatterstar did not want to make himself a knife anymore. Only if he had to. "May I ask a question?" He asked. "Of course." Hope shifted a little in her seat, making sure she was comfortable. "What is on your mind?" "Is there protection in retribution?" "That is an interesting question... Is there protection in retribution?" Hope softly repeated the question to herself as she tried to order her thoughts. "I think I have to give you a frustrating answer here. I believe there are circumstances where it could be so, but it would be totally dependent on the context. Are there specific circumstances you are thinking of?" He could be honest with Miss Abbott. He knew this. Still, it was hard to come the words. "Today? The circumstances are Sharon and Liam and those captured with them. In the future? I don't know." "Do you feel retribution against those who captured Sharon, Liam and the others captured with them will protect others from doing it again?" Hope probed a little further. "Or do you think retribution will aid them in some other way?" "The man who did it cannot do it again if he is dead," Shatterstar said, looking at his knuckles. "It would bring Sharon, at least, peace of mind." He is making his own conclusions, though. There would be others. Death could make someone a martyr. What he couldn't see was what the better option was. He sighed. "It was a silly question, probably." "Such questions are never silly." Hope shook her head firmly. "You do speak some truth. The man cannot do it again if he is gone. It might offer Sharon a sliver of peace that she no longer has to fear that specific man. But it is almost never as much as you hope. From what I understood they are in custody and will be going on trial. And while I do not have that much faith in the justice system, what would your retribution add to their protection right now?" "I don't know if there would be any," Shatterstar admitted. He seemed almost glad to admit it, to realize that he didn't have an obligation to kill- even after he had proven to himself he could.