Sanctuary is a misnomer. It's explained somewhere in the story that the word 'Sanctuary' itself is understood differently in the native language of various aliens who live in the self-made community called Arias. But the word Arias conveys the idea of sanctuary in the most universal applications: 'Set apart' and 'peaceful'. The strange thing is, because the mission Jeremiah and Hank were on happened the way it did, the Department of Extra-normal Operations in this universe lives up to that name as well, for Director Hank Henshaw and Xavallen named Nikita.
One thing that ABSOLUTELY needs understood is that Hank Henshaw was never the ignorant arrogant A-hole he usually is. Hank Henshaw was generally already a bit of a racist prick before becomign Cyborg Superman. the only reason he tolerated Superman was because he looked human and didn't look like a freak. Here he was single-minded and ignorant, but also level-headed and duty-bound. Something both Jeremiah and Nikita make mention of.
“No please, take me.” Jeremiah Danvers said in a rush. The alien warrior lowered his fist. “Listen I might not care for him but he is my commanding officer and I cannot let him come to harm. Leave him here. Let us, you and I go away, someplace we can't be found. It's a strange way to start a new life but 'a new life' is what I've been seeking the past six years of my life.”
“”I am not sure what you are saying. What are you suggesting?”
“Listen if we are going to do this, we should learn each-others names.”
“That is polite even among enemies.” The alien said quickly.
“My name is Jeremiah Danvers.” The agent said, placing his hand over his heart.
“I am...J'onn Jo'nzz.”
“Jean. I give you my word, I promise, if you give him his freedom as well as his life then without your instruction to the contrary I will not leave your side. He has a tracker on him, a beacon to activate in emergency and call for extraction. Activate the beacon and leave him as he is, our people...agents from our organization will find him; he will be alright. You can't be here when they come. To tell the truth I'd rather not be here either.”
The alien bent over Hank Henshaw and put the back of his hand against the man's temples. He closed his eyes briefly before righting himself. Without turning around he said “Then we should get out of here.” Two silent hours later Jeremiah came to a clearing in the middle of the mountains. There was little around as far as structures. Just what looked like an old one-room school house and a few houses with flat roofs made out of red clay. With a wave of his green hand J'onn motioned his companion into the school house. The room was sparsely furnished but quite comfortable. A cot was set up on cinder blocks with lightweight sheets and fluffy white pillows on it. A low set table and a short bookshelf stood off the one side. “I hope you'll be comfortable here. I have to go see a friend. There's more of us here than you realize.”
“Thank you.” Jeremiah said in a heartfelt tone.
“I get the feeling I should be thanking you.” And with that he was gone.
In the middle of the next afternoon J'onn came back and Jeremiah instantly got to his feet. J'onn looked almost disquieted at the courtesy. “Do your people have a word for being able to move freely throughout the premises as long as you do not leave the premises?”
“...House arrest.” Jeremiah said.
“Then I suppose 'house arrest' is the best description. You are not my prisoner. I do not intend to treat you as any sort of captive. I...am sorry if that's what you expected. I would hope we could treat and regard each-other as equals. You were the first human to treat me as an equal, seeing me as I really am.”
“And you would prefer that we remain equals and not frightened fo one-another. I would like that as well. I didn't expect to be a hostage. I just wasn't sure...who or what to expect if you understand me. Does that mean I can soon see the rest of this place?”
" 'The rest of this place' is what I came here to show you."
D.E.O. Revelations
“I thought we were a little overdue for a chat.” The young woman said to the solemn, dark-skinned man at her door. “Well, in or out choose one.”
“I rather deserve that. We need to have a serious talk.” A shiver went up Nikita's spine.
“I'm sorry; it still kinda gives me the chills when you talk like that.”
“I'm surprised it doesn't make you want to punch something...especially me.”
“Hank, what exactly are you here to hear from me? We both know there is a pretty serious animal in the room, but what do you think that animal looks like...a tiger or an elephant?”
“Well that's actually what I'm asking...If I understand you correctly there is definitely some giant beast that's stopping us from solving a damn problem. If it is not a frightened dog -- and I can tell it is not -- why is it not a tigress? And why is it not turning on its kidnappers? Nikita I really mean it...why don't you hate me?”
“I have no reason on the face of this earth to hate you Hank. And I have nothing to fear from you anymore. Aside from the fact that hate is useless, I can sense everything that makes you who you are. The essence or core of a person, a soul I guess it's called. I don't mean an immortal thing. It isn't of everyone but I've spent enough time around you I can hear your proverbial heart. There is nothing in you now that even resembles what I sensed from you before...the person you were when you and I used to sit here and have those endless debates. I cannot hold who you were over the man you are now. It's actually against my own scriptures to do so.”
“Were you a priest on your planet?” Hank looked shocked and stupefied and a couple other things at once. “I'm sorry but everyday Christians don't hold so unswervingly or effortlessly to Christian teachings. Only those with religious training or holy orders so devotedly follow, even our own 'scriptures'. Are you the equal to a Franciscan friar?”
“Only in so far as the teachings in our holy book resemble closely what I have read in your Bible. And it's one of a very few things I have of my culture of origin. I never attended church back home. I would have if I'd had the liberty, I wasn't given that opportunity. I wasn't a prisoner I was...a shameful secret. I stayed at home, read books, watched holo-vids and read The Good Book over and over again. I KNOW the ten tales that comprise my peoples most sacred book. The only good thing that came from being hidden away is how easily I can follow the star in my own heart, and live as I would be taught....even without the Basic Instructions By Light Eternal. On my desk.”
“I've heard the Bible called Basic Instruction Before...You call your scriptures that?”
“We read them by lamplight and they are the light that guides our way as we journey along through life. We don't argue about what the afterlife looks like and there is never any doubt that one exists–Yeah, I didn't mean the Bible. Although from what I've read, even though it gets drown out a lot, the Ten Certain Tales are found in your Bible as well. Hank you've made the conscious choice to be different, to be better than you were before. More than that you have succeeded. You ARE a man a million times better than who you were. I will not hold onto that hot coal just waiting for you to backslide so I can stone you with it. I realize I am mixing A-ton of metaphors here, but they fit. From my perspective holding your past self against the man standing in front of me right now is not only stupid, it's morally wrong. Hate is as painful as it is destructive, and completely useless. The fires of the past hurt like hell, why would I choose to keep them burning?”
“Forgotten, but not gone?” Hank Henshaw said mildly.
“Oh trust me, this shrap still hurts...I just don't let it dig into my back.”
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