[reverse darkest timeline AU: and this is the way out of here]

[stilljustandrew]

He's tried to think about taking off the cuffs, as Brix told him to. It's hard to think about: painful, and frightening, and disturbing in a way that's somehow worse than either. It feels wrong.

But he said he would try, and he's been trying. It isn't his fault if it's too hard to keep doing for long.

Comments

[stilljustandrew]

"But --"

But I am a prisoner, he can't quite say out loud.



"What if I try to escape?"

[gothamsheiress]

"If I thought that likely," calmly, "I would not have suggested it."

[stilljustandrew]

He bites his lip hard.




"But what if I do."

[hadyougoing]

"We'll stop you," Ava says lightly.

[stilljustandrew]

His gaze drops to the floor, and he nods. The slight sag of his shoulders looks like resignation, but also a little like relief.

"Okay."

[gothamsheiress]

"And we'll try again later," Brix adds, nodding.

[stilljustandrew]

"And --" He looks up again. "If, if someone comes in from ... from my lord. They'll want to take me back with them. If they see me."

[hadyougoing]

Ava shrugs.

"That'll suck for them."

[gothamsheiress]

"I imagine that would be considered outside business," Brix says, with another glance at Ava, this time for confirmation. "The Security member with you will be able to step in.

"And I gave you my word that I would keep you safe, as well, as far as it's in my power to do so."

[hadyougoing]

Ava nods.

"Re-kidnapping someone under Security's supervision is like the textbook definition of outside business."

She glances back to Brix, trying to psychically communicate, Unless you're planning to soothe angry demons with tea and massages, please call for backup before you try anything.

Admittedly, it's an ambitious message to transmit via staring.

[stilljustandrew]

He opens his mouth, as though to protest, and closes it.



"Yeah," he mumbles finally, looking down again. "Or, or I guess you could ... like, keep them from seeing I was even there. If you wanted."

[gothamsheiress]

"Well," Brix says, with a faint smile, "invisibility is a little outside my training, but discretion is not. But if there's someone you would not wish to see, or be seen by, you'll have to let your companion know."

[stilljustandrew]

"Right," he half-whispers.

And glances up at Ava.

[hadyougoing]

"It'll be me," she confirms. "Mostly, anyway. But I know a few people who could do something like that if you wanted."

She holds off on mentioning that one of them is 'the dude you tried kidnapping.'

[stilljustandrew]

He nods again.



"And ... you're okay with this?"

[hadyougoing]

"Me?" she says.

She regards him with a brief flicker of a frown.

"Yeah. Of course."

[stilljustandrew]

"I thought --"





"I thought you were still mad at me."

[hadyougoing]

Ava glances away.

"I've been mad," she admits on a sigh.

"But not at you. For you, maybe. And at--you know. Your boss."

[stilljustandrew]

He blinks. "For me?"

[hadyougoing]

"Oh my God." Ava scrubs a hand across her face. "Yes, for you; I know none of this was your fault."

Except maybe the kidnapping. Mmmmaybe.

But Andrew's clearly been under duress, and Ava knows demons are very good at getting into your head, and back before she had her big 180 away from evil, she wishes somebody'd told her that you know what, she doesn't wanna talk about this anymore!

[stilljustandrew]

"I --"

He has to stop and swallow, pushing back a half-dozen mutually contradictory reactions.

"Thanks," he manages, finally.

[gothamsheiress]

Brix has been watching this exchange, quietly and very closely. In this lull, she speaks up.

"What do you think, Andrew? Of spending some time in the bar?"

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew takes another gulp of breath, and lets it out slowly.

"I think ... I'd like to try it. Maybe."

[gothamsheiress]

"Maybe?"

[stilljustandrew]

"Yes," he says, and flushes a little. "I, I mean yes."