[b][i]Ken[/i][/b]

Ken was greatful for being saved. He [i]owed[/i] this girl, and while he didn't normally believe in a life debt, he knew he [i]wanted[/i] to pay her back as many times as he plausibly could. But now, as the other two assaulted Nightman from above and below, Ken analyzed what she said about her powers and Nightman's duplicate of them. 

It was a powerful package of Gifts the girl had shown already; the ability to manifest a Spirit Guardian, teleportation (implied), resistance to mental Gifts, resistance to [i]lasers[/i] (well, Magic lasers), and enhanced physical capabilities. And did she imply that Nightman's cloning was originally hers'? So add cloning to the list of Gifts she had. But what was the unifying [i]theme[/i] of these various powers, which were hinted at to be merely the tip of the iceberg?

Wait... The Spirit Guardian the girl had manifested; was that the central link in what seemed like a random set of powers? A plan formed in his head, but it could potentially endanger Reverio and the girl herself, at least in the short term - Said plan was to pull back the energy he was channeling into Rev and the girl and pour it into the Spirit Guardian, but that would put Rev in danger and he could not risk that.

But what he could risk was the prospect of talking to Nightman, of talking to the person who had managed to lull him into revealing his flaws and fears and weaknesses of psyche. And he could sense instinctively that Reverio had gotten something wrong about his analysis of Nightman and that to assume that the latter was driven by a 'void' in his heart was... a huge leap.

No, far better to guess that this man was driven by greed, venality, and a little ego. That this psychopath wanted power for its own sake to make himself feel important, something Ken could empathize with, even sympathize a bit, all the while knowing it was wrong. But Dr. Nightman didn't actually care about human standards of right and wrong; thought them artificial and therefore illegitimate. Arrogance driven by a sense of perceieved and technical superiority... Ken can try and use that. 

But how? As the fighting raged, Ken went through several potential retorts and invective at speed, trying to find the perfect line to make Nightman listen, to distract him for even a split-second so that Rev and the girl can prevail, with the full knowledge that the enemy 'doctor' knew he'd do something like that and had prepared accordingly.

Nightman thought that he was on top. He wouldn't be backed by a conspiracy or various influential people without finding a way to ensure that he was the spider at the center of the web and no one else. Assuming that he had backers, of course; he could truly be acting alone or with his small cabal of subordinates, but that was unlikely. Either way, he had the time, space, and cool mindset needed to analyze what Nightman was doing and what the man's psychological state probably was.

In short, [i]he[/i] was acting like the psychologist. And then it hit him, and he visibly grinned, a grin Nightman could probably glimpse from where he stood.

"Oi!" Ken shouted out, trying to get Nightman's attention, "Are we actually your [i]first[/i] victims?! You'd be manifesting powers we don't know about if we weren't! Or do you give up your stolen abilities at some point? Maybe to [i]someone else[/i]? After all, even those above it all need help to set this up!"

"I know who you are, [i]Nightman[/i]; someone who thinks that everyone below you, especially [i]children[/i], are pawns and dupes. That your own self-image relies on being on top not just in brute force, but in smarts." Ken then pursed his lips, preparing to drop the bombshell. "[i]I can use that[/i]."

He then smirked as wide as he could, the overdramatic gesture deliberate. "Why don't you have [i]me[/i] as your client for real? I'll grant you all the respect and bowing and scraping you want and make you feel like you're manipulating me into thinking I was manipulating you? You know what I confided in you back then; you know my plans and ambitions. You can rule through me while gloating about how I am one of your dupes, who himself thinks I successfully manipulated you. In short, we can play mind games all day, and all it takes is the low, low price of listening to a foolish boy's stupidity..."

Ken planned to meet Nightman's eyes if the latter ever so much as glanced at him, and the boy planned to say just one word to the man if he managed to get his attention for even a split second.

[hider=Ken's word.]
[i]"Sucker."[/i]
[/hider]

[@Dezuel][@Lewascan2][@KillamriX88]