There's no point in doubling down on the lie when Locus doesn't buy it. He lets the silence settle instead, feeling out his words, planning before opening his mouth again.

"You know, I can't tell who you're trying to convince: me or you." It's that same even, open tone. No games right now. "If you've been trying to kill something for a while and you think it's dead, even if you don't get the satisfaction of killing it yourself, you at least get the relief of knowing you don't have to deal with it anymore." Wash lived through a lot of shit dealing with the Meta. He didn't have to drag it over the cliff himself to be happy it was gone. "We've been fucking up your plans for months now, but when you thought they were dead..." He shrugs. "Nothing. It sounds like you're hiding something. Maybe it does matter. Hell if I know." He has vague ideas, but they're not worth pursuing without more detail. Not yet.

Locus can do what he wants with that; for now, Wash is switching tacks. "You said you told them you wanted to make things right. Did you decide on that before or after Felix died?"