[reverse darkest timeline AU: cellthread #2]

[stilljustandrew]

[Previously: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What's worried Baby the most, over the past few days --

Well. What's upset her the most is Andrew's consistent refusal to speak to her mind-to-mind, or out loud beyond the few necessary words she might exchange with any other inmate, such as requests for food, fresh clothes, an extra blanket.

But what's worried her is that he hasn't asked for anything to pass the time. No tablet with games or videos on it, no pencil and paper, no baseball to bounce off the opposite wall.

No books.



In the cell, Andrew finishes his breakfast (cornflakes, with sliced banana), sets aside the bowl, and settles down leaning against the wall.

Comments

[hadyougoing]

"Did somebody put out a memo?" Ava demands sourly. "He's fine. Security is taking the situation very seriously."

[forewarned_is]

"I'm delighted to hear it," Kali says flatly. "I just wanted to be able to identify him, in case of any further incidents."

[hadyougoing]

Ava's eyebrows climb.

"Okay ma'am, well, trust me, nobody's gonna be watching out for further incidents more than I will. What was your name?"

[forewarned_is]

"I didn't offer it." A one-sided smile, edged with acid. "Just a concerned citizen."

[hadyougoing]

Ava smiles, unfazed.

"Okay. So I assume you don't want us to inform you if there are any further incidents?" After a minuscule pause, she adds, "I'm Ava Wilson."

[forewarned_is]

Her smile widens. "Not especially. I'll keep my own watch. But your offer is most kind."

She slants another long look at Andrew (who shrinks back from it), and sweeps past Ava, heading for the exit.

[hadyougoing]

With one last, sharp glance to Andrew, Ava stalks after her.

"Hey, lady!"

[forewarned_is]

She turns half around, enough to eye Ava over her own shoulder.

(Is she taller than she was a moment ago?)

"Yes?" Coldly.

[hadyougoing]

Ava's expression changes only minutely: around the eyes, which widen slightly.

"I'm trying to be polite here?" she says. "But every time I turn around this whole case gets weirder and worse, so I'm gonna need to know who you are and what you want with Andrew."

[forewarned_is]

She's definitely taller, and her skin is subtly darker, taking on a blueish tinge.

"My name is Kali," she says in a low, even tone, "and that one's master is an enemy to me and all my kind. And I don't care for surprises from that quarter."

[hadyougoing]

A slight pause as Ava takes her in--the change in her height, her skin.

Her tone.

"Thank you," she says, polite and business-as-usual.

(She does not say: See how easy that was?)

"I understand that. And I promise you I know how serious this is--hell, I'm the one who got Andrew's sentence extended past our dinky three-day maximum or whatever it is for kidnapping attempts. We're not gonna let him do this again."

[forewarned_is]

"Good."

She doesn't sound particularly reassured.

"As I said: I'll be keeping my own watch."

[hadyougoing]

"Understood."

It's what she would've done before she joined Security.

Ava dips a respectful nod, which is as close as she gets to curtsying these days.

"Sorry to chase you down." (She isn't.) "Have a good night, ma'am."

[forewarned_is]

She gives a bare nod back, and sweeps out.

[hadyougoing]

Ava trudges back to Andrew's cell.


"Making friends and influencing people," she notes cheerfully.

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew swallows.

"Is she gone?"

[hadyougoing]

She nods.

[stilljustandrew]

"Good."

He's hugging his knees again.

"I don't know who she is but she hates me."

[hadyougoing]

"Have you ever seen her before?"

[stilljustandrew]

He shakes his head.

(It's the truth.)

[hadyougoing]

Ava sighs.

"Then I don't think she hates you, Andrew. Just your boss."

Which, again, is because he's the literal devil.

[stilljustandrew]

He looks down.

"Then she hates me because I'm His," he mumbles.

[hadyougoing]

It sucks that Ava has nobody to hyperbolically pray to for patience.

"And what that means," she adds, slight emphasis on the last word.

[stilljustandrew]

"It means I'm not on her side."

There's a touch of stubbornness, now, in the set of his shoulders.

"Someone's always gonna hate me 'cause I'm not on their side."

[hadyougoing]

Ava's eyebrows arch.



"Andrew, do you remember how many people I've killed?"