"If you come into possession of powers which are useable for 'spy thriller shit', and a way to handle your backlash, you would aid me in managing these consequences?"

"Uh, maybe? Probably but there's a lot of hidden assumptions in there?"

"Elaborate."

"Like, I don't know, I'm not from a spy thriller universe so I don't have a clear sense of how this would go down, if I turn up with teleportation and I can teleport you and apparently-not-named-Martin someplace thanks to an opening you create for me to do that without getting shot then sure? Sounds good? I bet lots of shady yet legally distinct governments would be happy to have you and I don't know if governments come in non-shady at home let alone here?"

"Based on what I know of the handling of other agents, the measures may be designed specifically to be more impactful in the cases where I abruptly have reason to consider ethical matters of importance."

"What does that m- does that mean hostages? Okay well if I can teleport I'll save hostages, sounds great."

"It means something like hostages.  I have no personal connections they might draw on, but perhaps it matters little to you whether they would be strangers to me."

"Well that just sounds like the thing to do is permanently cripple this sketchy org's ability to kidnap people because if they're total randos then there's no shortage of those."

"It is not clear whether this would be within my capabilities."

"Well it's certainly not clear to me either, all I know about them is that they suck and sent you. Do they have a spooky spy thriller name like The Shadow Hands or some shit."

"...You make many predictions based on this 'spy thriller' concept."

"Is it working?"

"Yes.  Your code name is Midsummer, though."

"Oh that's way better than Subject Thirty-Seven, I don't even hate that."

"I'm glad.  Will you cooperate with kidnapping Martin?"

"I remain dyspraxic and tied up. I would I suppose make tolerably good bait or something? I don't know how to kidnap people."

"Would you follow me conveniently and with no attempt at escape while I retrieved him or would I have to leave you tied up in the car," she clarifies.

"Please don't leave me alone tied up in the car that would be really bad."

"We will pass other people to whom you could theoretically escape.  Would you try?"

"Well the last time I asked a random stranger for help she was really nice except at some point in the process from there my location was leaked to the Shadow Hands or whatever they're called, so I'm not sure what my realistic scope for improvement is? I will not get into a tinted window limo with a stranger who says 'hey kid do you want legitimate custody and a Snickers bar', any asshole could say that. If somebody is instead like 'hey kid I'm a mad scientist and I can get you home! Look! Your mom is clearly visible through this portal!' then no promises."

"Then it seems we have a conundrum."

"To be clear my mom would have to in fact be clearly visible through the portal. If you have functional mad scientists who can do that who are also running around with access to realtime data on where you and/or Martin are it seems like you might have bigger problems?"

"Hm.  - Your previous chaperone said you should not be hit on the head?"

"Yes, in my universe which is not a spy thriller doing that injures people's brains. If you have a concerningly detailed arsenal of drugs you could name them till I recognize one and then I probably react normally to that one, or you could be super reckless with my safety mental and/or physical, you're the boss."

"I want you unharmed," she mutters, maybe more to herself than to him.