“Self defense. There were plenty of people in that room that could have corroborated a story. Wouldn’t have even really been a lie, would it?” He’d been so far off the rails at that point, himself, it… was just one big mess. “Happy I died? I dunno— probably not? But relieved? Sure, why not. Everybody’s problems would have gone away.”

Maybe that all speaks to Damien’s own view of himself, as much as anything he might think someone else feels toward him.

Fear is bitter and cold and he doesn’t really understand why he’s— wait. That’s Mark, isn’t it? His eyes flick over toward the other, sweeping up to his face. “What are you… scared of?” The gut-check obvious: Me? but he doesn’t say another word.