Once again, Seto says something for which he feels he can formulate an adequate response, and then Xander upends him completely. He can handle the protests, and the support - they are helping, actually, as the fear ebbs enough for him to begin to get a handle on it-

And then Xander takes a knee in front of him and the melody swells to a crescendo, screams in his mind as something shifts and he does not know why-

But he does. He has seen people on their knees before him - no, before Sigma. Demanding to know what he was- calling him a monster- begging for their lives- none of it ever made a difference- there was a mission to be accomplished and they needed to be dealt with-

He takes a shuddering breath as reality falls back into place around him. This is not the same - there is no mission and Sigma is not here - but he cannot do this-

"Xander, please." He reaches down to pull Xander back to his feet, and if his voice and his grip are unsteady, he is attempting to ignore it. "I- It is nothing like that. I am not in that sort of danger."

Besides, an awful little voice in the back of his mind reminds him, dripping poison with every word, he has no need of others' violence when Sigma is fully capable of enacting his own.