You underestimate me.

[ He says it kindly enough, but the way his chin ticks upward in irritation betrays that Angelo has struck another nerve. Elias. There's a thrill in that shared secret, in Angelo seeing him in this moment, but Hickey knows the name was deliberate. It's a stark reminder of where they stand with one another—and that his vulnerability can be used against him. ]

I've escaped death more times than I can count, and now I've escaped it forever. The very fact that I've managed so well for myself is a miracle.

[ And what other than divine intervention could've set him up for such a thing? He knows damn well he didn't earn his way out of every predicament he's found himself in. Often, it's luck—lucky that he ran into Cornelius Hickey when he did, lucky that he stumbled onto Crozier's resignation, lucky that he was taking a piss when the fire broke out at Carnivale. Lucky that Ish snapped him up, of all the many options in the many universes.

Angelo can deny it all he likes. Hickey is chosen. ]

I'm not deciding your fate, Angelo. I'm betting on you.

[ ...And on his own ability to keep Angelo alive despite the odds. He can bet on two things. ]