[ it's a sort of shift he's not seen yet in Charles, and John gives him the moments it takes for the thought to come to its conclusion. the phrase had been lazy and throwaway, but there's something sobering in seeing it addressed as a real-world concern: truth be told, John's yet to think in any real detail about the chances they have of not helping to create more chaos rather than subdue it. the immediate talk of murder and faces on the ship best never seen again has been something solid to work against, but the legitimacy of the threat? how it reflects on the group? not really considered on a wider scale.

he's been in warzones of different natures, home and abroad. people are capable of despicable things, and feeling wronged or trodden down can be a rallying cry.

but. ]

I don't know. All I've seen of us so far is how we worked together to get through the fall, and if that's any example I think we'll muddle through alright. [ this odd bunch of refugees from far and wide, across universes and star systems ]

That's not to say we won't piss people off enough to rally them against us, specifically, if we cock this up. But I don't think it's inevitable.