[ Qubit's quiet, too, for a moment. Carlisle's argument isn't entirely without merit. His powers are dangerous, and he's worried he may not be able to tame them in time to avert catastrophe. All it might take is one sufficiently bad day...

But it's odd how he phrases it. Reaching out to others, craving human connection - that's what he calls cowardice? To Qubit, it's just the opposite. Cowardice is what isolates him, keeps him walled off from the people he cares about. On the other hand, Carlisle's instinct is to withdraw, and living around people must take enormous courage - even if, admittedly, it's more dangerous for them than for him.

It brings up another question he's had on the back burner for a while. ]

Carlisle... can I ask you a hypothetical question? [ He's going to anyway. ]

If you didn't have your magic, or your affliction. If you woke up tomorrow morning and you were just... a normal human being. No powers, no curse, no danger.

What would you want to do?