Conner didn't understand the change.
It'd only been half an hour since Walter panicked and fretted about facing him and Thomas in a fight, and now there he was risking his life to defend them. He was cold and threatening to the man that had come for Conner and his brother. He didn't have the backup of his team (he'd come out alone with them to discuss helping getting them replacement of their truck). It was like watching a different person.
*
Walter had shouted at them to stay back- Thomas had rarely listened to him before but something about the way Walter said it had him complying immediately. The man towered over Walter but in that moment it was like Walter had no fear. Apart from the truck- which had been stolen purely to save their lives Walter didn't owe them anything- it was the opposite in fact! The brothers had tortured Walter as children and yet here he was defending them against a man double his size!
*
Walter had met Loan Sharks before. He wasn't surprised by the large debt the Brothers had amassed- their business had been struggling for years. He thought the timing was awful- but he supposed there was never a good day to have your legs broken by a man you owe money to.
He was more familiar to this situation then he'd like to be. Though Toby was indeed a genius, he'd made some terrible decisions under the influence of his gambling addiction and had unintentionally brought trouble to Scorpion's door more often than he cared to admit.
He could've easily walked away (it wasn't his problem after all) and he didn't understand why he hadn't. But he wasn't going to back down now.
*
His face was black from the punches, but against the odds Walter appeared to have the upper hand. The ex-Seal (Tim) had told Conner of Walter's experience working for Homeland with the US army and against terrorists in war torn countries and how he'd put seasoned soldiers to shame with his fearlessness and bravery. He thought that the man had been bullshitting him for reasons unknown (He and Walter seemed to despise each other otherwise). But watching Walter in that moment he could see the incredible man that Tim had described and for a moment he watched Walter in awe as the man stormed away.
But that moment didn't last long, and the awe soon turned to fear as the Loan Shark swiftly returned...with a gun!
*BANG!*
"I don't want to be back here next Pattern Day to remember another child." Sean had said.