[reverse darkest timeline AU: cellthread #3]

[stilljustandrew]

It's been about two days.

Nobody's come for him.



Andrew's lying down, staring at the far wall.

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[gothamsheiress]

"Why not?"

[stilljustandrew]

"I was still being stubborn," he says doggedly. "I had to learn better."

[gothamsheiress]

"You had to learn better than to dislike the being that killed you. That killed you to prove to you that he would be able to control you even in death."

[stilljustandrew]

He shuts his eyes.

"Stop saying that."

[gothamsheiress]

"Shall I say instead 'you had to learn better than to be the enemy of the angel that killed you so you wouldn't try to die'?"

[stilljustandrew]

"You don't --"

His voice is shaking. "You don't understand. It was, it could have been so much worse."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix takes a deep breath.

"All right," softly. "I'll try to understand. How could it have been worse?"

[stilljustandrew]

"It was --"

A look of trapped panic comes into his face, as clearly as if spoken out loud: I shouldn't have said that.

"It was a long time ago."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix raises her eyebrows.

(If he claims he can't remember, she might punch a wall.)

[stilljustandrew]

He flinches, and looks away.






"Are there ..."

Very slow, and with a reluctance that feels like dread.

"Are there demons, in your world?"

[gothamsheiress]

She shakes her head.

"I don't know."

[stilljustandrew]

He pulls himself the rest of the way up, to sit in what's become his habitual position, back resting against the wall and knees tucked up to his chest.

"They're like ... inhabiting spirits. They can move into a living body and take it over. Like angels with human vessels, only they don't ... they don't require consent."

A long beat.

"They don't all serve Lucifer, but ... a lot of them do."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix nods; she's listening and following.

[stilljustandrew]

"There's one --"

His voice cuts off as a shiver goes through him; it's a moment before he can continue.



"She's called Meg. She knew me from before. From ... there was one time ..." He shakes his head. "It's not important. But she hated me, after that. And when they first ... when they took me from here, she was in charge of that. And of ... getting me to cooperate, early on. When I was still ..."

Again he trails off, without seeming to realize he's done so.

[gothamsheiress]

Quietly: "Stubbon?"

[stilljustandrew]

His mouth trembles briefly.

"Yeah."

[gothamsheiress]

"What did she do?"

[stilljustandrew]

It comes out slower still, halting, stiff with effort.

"She was ... if I didn't swear, if I didn't agree to serve. He was going to give me to her. To possess. And ... and she said, first thing she was going to do was come back here as me. And kill all my friends. With my hands."



"And they'd never know it wasn't me."

[gothamsheiress]

"I think I see," she says, very quiet.

(She feels chilled, as though a slow drip of ice water is making its way down her spine.)

"I understand how fearful that thought is," she adds. "But they would know it wasn't you, Andrew."

[stilljustandrew]

He shakes his head.





"So I made a deal."

[gothamsheiress]

"What deal?"

[stilljustandrew]

It's been so long since he gave this any conscious thought. It's like he's talking about somebody else, long ago and very far away.

"That ... I'd stay. And I wouldn't try to escape. And I'd follow any order He gave me that wouldn't ... hurt anyone. And ... and He could keep trying to convince me to swear. If He promised He wouldn't let her possess me. Her or any other demon."

[gothamsheiress]

Brix breathes in, and finds that her chest feels tight; that the air must struggle into her lungs.

(I beg of you to reconsider)

"I understand."

[stilljustandrew]

"But I broke the deal."

His voice is small and struggling, and his eyes are shut again.

"When I -- I found the knife, and I tried to -- it was to escape. I promised I wouldn't and then -- and He stopped me before I could, but -- but He didn't --"

A scraping breath, halfway to a sob. "He could have said the deal was forfeit. And He didn't."

[gothamsheiress]

"No," she murmurs.

"If he allowed her to possess you, you would be truly dead, sooner or later. Is that not so?"