He turned away from Brains. Perhaps International Rescue's Engineer couldn't feel it, but the Sentinel's control room was thick with self-loathing.
"Help me?" the Mechanic harshly laughed, "Would you still be willing to help me, if I told you I'm responsible for Jeff Tracy's demise?"
It all went still.
"What?" Brains' eyes narrowed, and Max gave a suspicious whine.
"Yes," the Mechanic viciously continued, still not looking at Brain "it's my fault he died."
Although stunned, Brains could still sense something off with the Mechanic, and so cautiously asked:
"H-how do you mean?"
"I didn't know why the Hood hired me at first. Didn't know what he was. I didn't know what he was using what I was building for. I was," the Mechanic paused, then bitterly spat, "naïve. By the time I found out what the Hood was really doing…I wanted out. Colonel Tracy was looking for evidence, looking for a way to take the Hood down. We connected. I could give him the information the evidence. He said he wanted me to come work for him, to work with you."
The Mechanic's shoulders slumped.
"He was coming to get me out," even through the voice modulator Brain could hear the guilt, "I don't know how the Hood found out, I don't think he even knows why he was coming, but he used the opportunity to force Colonel Tracy's plane to crash. After, while he couldn't prove anything, the Hood made sure I couldn't disobey him."
Stillness descended again, even with the flurry of inquiries coming over Brain's communicator.
The Mechanic flinched when Brain's hand touched his elbow, but he finally looked at IR's Engineer again.
There was infinite kindness in Brains' eyes.
"I am going to help you," he said calmly, warmly, "In-international Rescue never fails to complete a mission; I know Mr. Tracy is c-counting me to make sure of that his mission is completed. We will free you from the Hood."
The Mechanic stood the Sentinel down.