[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]

Ava sits down again, pushing her papers to one side and laying the pen neatly on top.

She glances Brix's way.


"Okay ... Andrew's not from my world, but Lucifer is. From what we can put together, around five years ago, he took over a mutual friend--Sam. And possessed his body." Her tone is carefully devoid of emotion, a tightrope she finds familiar. "Andrew went looking for Sam, got kidnapped, and for some reason--I really don't know why--instead of killing him, Lucifer decided to brainwash him into becoming his servant."

Ava rubs her temple with one hand.

"He's been gone for four years."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix's eyes narrow, then widen as Ava continues.

"This angel has had him in his power for four years?"

[hadyougoing]

"Unless he escaped for part of it, yeah." Her frown deepens. "Which maybe he did. But he hasn't mentioned anything like that."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix shakes her head.

"If he's as . . . devoted, as you and Matt say, perhaps he wouldn't mention an escape. He might think of it as a betrayal."

[hadyougoing]

"Hell, he thinks just staying here is a betrayal, even though he doesn't have a choice. And there's more."

Ava pauses.

"Demonic possession is hard on a person. Most people it happens to die if they don't get exorcised fast enough. And Lucifer's an angel, I guess, and Sam did have--really strong psychic powers. But ...

Lucifer's been inside him for years. Most humans die from possession much, much faster than that. And Andrew ... is convinced that Sam's still alive."

(Her voice quavers slightly on the last three words. So slightly it's easy to miss.)

[gothamsheiress]

Brix is pretty well-trained. But if she catches the quaver, she doesn't react.

"Andrew himself hasn't been possessed, is that correct?"

[hadyougoing]

She shakes her head.

"I'd know. Identifying demons is my specialty."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix nods.

"Why would he think Sam might still be alive? It sounds impossible."

[hadyougoing]

"Because he loves him."

Ava looks up at her, expression brittle now.

"And Andrew is really good at believing the best about people he loves. That's my theory."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix sighs.

"In Terre D'Ange, we live by the precept 'Love as Thou Wilt.' And love can be a strength, but -- our greatest strengths often hold their own undoings."

[hadyougoing]

"Love is all you need," Ava mutters ruefully.

What terrible advice.

[gothamsheiress]

"It would be a fine thing if that were true," neutral.

"How is Andrew now? How long as he been here?"

[hadyougoing]

"It's been a couple days." Ava shrugs. "He's eating, but he hasn't asked for anything that I know of. Which is ... sort of noteworthy, because there's not a lot to do in there."

A pause.

"And he wanted to sleep somewhere else."

[gothamsheiress]

"Somewhere else?"

[hadyougoing]

"Yeah. Just at night. He said he can't sleep in the cells."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix glances down the hall towards the cells. "Is that so unusual?"

[hadyougoing]

"People request all kinds of weird things." She shrugs. "But pretty much everything he wants right now connects back to Lucifer somehow, so ... I turned him down."

[gothamsheiress]

"I see."

She . . . can't say that's a bad decision, honestly.

"What's his mood?"

[hadyougoing]

Creepy?

"Depends. He's pretty subdued unless you get him talking about his favorite subject ... then he can be smug, happy--but not a normal kind of happy."

[gothamsheiress]

"Hm."

(What's that girl in Valerian's name? Helaine? No matter.)

"Is there anything else I ought to know? Do you think he's dangerous?"

[hadyougoing]

"Yes," she says slowly.

"The way someone is when all they have is ... holding onto a horrible idea they know is wrong."

Unless she's being as stupid as Andrew right now, thinking there's enough of him left to save.

Still. Nobody saved her, and here she is.

[gothamsheiress]

Brix nods, slowly.

"But you do think," she murmurs, "that he knows it's wrong. Somewhere in his heart."

[hadyougoing]

"I hope he does," Ava sighs. "It's hard ... I've known him a long time. And right now I don't think that helps."

[gothamsheiress]

"I would imagine not."

She can also imagine how Iva would react to her next question, but nevertheless:

"And how are you?"

[hadyougoing]

"Me?"

Ava smiles.

"I mean, I'm not why you're here."