Poppin' Arms ~ Holding Cells

[Namohysip]

"It's dumb as shit, but I know why," Soda replied simply. "Yeah, maybe some of it is because he's waiting. But the other is because Pop still has true dominion... and Soda can only overpower it from far away, and only immediately around him. That dot on the moon is his reality, and if Pop gets close, it'd be a clash of gods. Maybe Soda doesn't have the power to expand beyond that... yet. Maybe he's building power. Maybe he's biding his time. I don't know anymore."

Soda pulled the book and the game away and placed them on the table.

"He's... making a world where what he wants comes true. It's not hope, it's... desire. Whims. His subconscious just... doing what it wants. He might even twist souls he steals to fit roles he wants... because he can. Imagine if he just... plucked someone out of Cibus and forcibly... changed them into, I dunno... some... version of Adne. He could. He could just Create. That's his domain, now. He could conjure that with just the Unown if he had enough power. That's..." Soda's voice was shaking. "That's the power of a god. That's Creation. You're fighting a usurper god, Dave. And... the only way to defeat someone like that is to shatter them. Just like how Joule almost did to this one's god."

 

[Dragonfree]

"Always with the fucking gods, huh." Dave let out a barking laugh and cracked open another beer, chugging it down.

Shadow stared at Soda. "I don't want you to die. You're one of the best friends I've ever had."

"Shut the fuck up, Shadow."

"I want to save you. I'm going to try. Even if it's not--" He shook his head, shuddering. "I'm going to try."

 

[Namohysip]

Soda didn't have anything to say to that, but his eyes had gone just barely wide with surprise. After a blink or two, he looked down again, silent. And then he walked over to his bed, silent. And after a long time, not really answering anything anyone said... he let a few tears fall, silent.

"Yeah... Thanks."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave lay there, picking vaguely at his food, looking away. His lungs were still full of lead, his throat burning.

Shadow pressed himself against the glass of the cell wall, watching Soda. "I'm sorry we couldn't stop him earlier."

 

[Namohysip]

"Don't apologize," Soda muttered, his voice empty. "It's not anyone's fault but mine for falling for it in the first place. All this bullshit... If I didn't have any goddamn insecurities this bad that it could take advantage of... If I just was a little more thoughtful and maybe actually gave it even a bit of logic..." He held his breath, trying to stay calm.

 

[Dragonfree]

"It's not your fault," Dave muttered, looking up slowly. God, Soda sounded like Jack and he didn't know what to do about it. "Got any ideas what it is exactly?"

Shadow leaned harder against the glass. "It's okay."

 

[Namohysip]

Soda steadied his breath again, nodding. He sighed, looking down. "I don't know anymore," he said flatly. "I can't help with this. I've told you guys everything I can guess. All I know is... I think when I first got here, something... something changed me. Changed my thoughts. Didn't even realize it. And something tells me it's something inside Maple, or used to be inside... Incubating, maybe. God. Like a fucking horror movie... literally burst out of her chest, Owen said. You saw movies like that, right?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave sighed. "God, yeah. Fucking chestburster. Movie-grade shit." He really had to go check out the parasite they'd gotten out of Maple, try to get more information out of it. Not that he hadn't known that, but. Soda'd seemed pretty different from how the others'd been affected by the parasites, hadn't he. That precision modification, just nudging his motivations, fiddling with his memories. No way this wasn't part of an intelligently concocted plan. Somebody had done this, somebody who wasn't just some squirming thing acting on instinct.

He grabbed another mozzarella stick and forced it down despite his lack of appetite. "Fan of horror movies?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah. Sometimes it gives me ide--" Soda paused. "...When you guys fight Prime, make sure you guys are mentally prepared for horrors. Pretty sure he's gonna try to freak you guys out with illusions all over the place."

 

[Dragonfree]

"...Right. Thanks." Just another promise of fun times ahead. "I'll... tell them that."

By the glass, Shadow shivered, looking anxiously back at him. Dave reached for his drink again, fighting down vague nausea. "Any favorites?" Like he'd have seen any of the same movies Soda had in his different universe. Or maybe he would have. They did have the same fucking Icarus myth, didn't they. Would be interesting to compare.

Shadow didn't stop looking like a dog on a fireworks night for the rest of their conversation.

<><><><><>​

 

[Dragonfree]

At least dragging himself along to the picnic had proven he could just about make his way around by now. His muscles felt stiff and half-atrophied after the lengthy stay at the infirmary, but once he'd managed to excuse himself from the gathering and make his way through the portal back to Destiny Village, he headed for the Cauldron to pick up some mozzarella sticks. Soda had to have recovered enough to eat whatever he wanted, right? Let them stop him.

He entered the holding cells area with the takeout bag in his mouth, looking around. He'd gathered he was under constant supervision by the therapist bunch. Was that still a thing? (Jesus.)

 

[Namohysip]

The holding cells were unchanged from their two usual occupants--Giovanni, and Soda. But this time, instead of Green, it was the real deal. He had gained enough strength to put up his reflexive illusions--maybe now, it was more effort to keep it down?--while Giovanni himself seemed to be sulking in his bed, frowning.

Apparently, Giovanni had indeed stopped the moon from getting too close, and was indirectly responsible for saving countless lives. His repayment? Sword apparently did not trust him, and had knocked him out from behind with the blunt of her sword, right when the crisis had stopped. Something about 'not trusting that guy, had a feeling.' Giovanni refused to speak to her, even when she came to apologize. Somehow, it didn't seem to be for strategic reasons.

"Hello, Dave," Wheat greeted, turning his head. The Xatu was completely unreadable. "Soda is doing well."

Soda looked like he wanted to say hello, and he smiled faintly, but his voice caught in his throat and nothing came.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave glanced at the Xatu. "Yeah, hi," he said through the bag. Had he ever talked to that guy?

He put the bag down in front of Soda's cell. "Hey," he said. "I brought mozzarella sticks."

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah, thanks."

The usual procedure went, with the sticks going through the compartments, and then Soda giving half back. It was still him. Some of his mannerisms were slightly different, ever so slight, but Green was still there.

Soda's cell seemed to have less security than the first days of confinement. An evaluation revealed that, with all of their analyzing instruments, even adapted to the Blacklight, now, they determined that Soda was no stronger than any other God Squad member again, and certainly weaker than Maple. After some thorough evaluations, it seemed like they were treating Soda as some kind of hybrid between a criminal and a victim, unsure on an official level what to do.

So, there he was, in a cell, but perhaps more for his safety than others'.

"Feeling better?" Soda asked.

 

[Dragonfree]

"Just about." Dave glanced back at the Xatu. "How have they been keeping you? Any timeline on getting out of here?"

 

[Namohysip]

"No," Soda replied flatly, taking the first stick. "But they've been treating me nice enough, I guess. Could do without the totem pole, though." Soda glared at Wheat, who continued to not blink.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave grabbed a mozzarella stick of his own and took a bite of it, narrowing his eyes at Wheat. "Yeah, therapists watching over you 24/7 sounds pretty oppressive. Recovering okay otherwise?"

He thought of the Adne in his mental landscape, wondered what the cottage would look like by now. If it even made sense to wonder that.

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah, I guess," Soda said, though his usual nonchalance wasn't there. It all weighed on him. "No clue what I'm gonna do next. I'm not in a rush... to get outta here. What would I even do, y'know...? Apparently Maple's helping to take care of Flesh, with Truffle and Leg, so that's taken care of, I guess..."

 

[Dragonfree]

"I can fucking guarantee you Flesh wants to see you. What, you think he's just shrugging? Oh, cool, Maple's my replacement Soda now? You're the one who pulled him out of a torture dimension." At least Flesh had better not have decided Maple was an adequate replacement Soda. "And what, don't you want to go liberate more Hells?"

 

[Namohysip]

A long, helpless silence followed. Soda couldn't look directly at Dave. He fiddled with his claws, toyed with his bauble.

"I nearly made one, Dave."