Joe glowers prodigiously. “DON’T. Talk. About. HER.” His eyes are dark. If Alex isn’t staring at him, he’s certainly locking is gaze on them. “She – I can’t talk about her either. I don’t deserve – she’s not – this isn’t some dumb hypothetical, not something from Dr. Greyfogs’s goddamned ethics class. This is --” His large head gives a quick shake. “I know what I am now. I just don’t know what to do with myself. But I’m not – not a stupid high school kid, not someone who goes to dances, or lives in the dorm, or hangs out with --”
He looks, side to side, to see who’s there. “I don’t – I won’t live in a cage, Alex. I’m already – but if AEGIS knew I was dangerous, how dangerous I am, knew what I might do, what I’ve – they’d – they’d want to take that kind of menace down – right? If you …” He trails off