Poppin' Arms ~ Holding Cells

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa scoffed. "Diyem is trying to redeem himself. To be more'n his origins 'n' his base nature. If'n we all had yer attitude towards him, his efforts would already be over. I'm prepared to give the sinister sonofabitch a chance and yer goddamn arbitration ain't dissuadin' me."

She ought to walk away. She ought to. But she stayed stock still, with her coat flickering with light.

"Answer me this. If he was so interested in havin' a posse of miserable wretches to feed off of, then why was he so keen to encourage us to draw on our better natures? When I confronted him alone, he coulda pressed his figurative claws into my wounded heart and let me bleed as long as he wanted. But he didn't. He offered comfort. He offered encouragement. And he helped me be better than I was."

Would this be enough? Would anything be enough to make him see? If she could just land a Shining Whiplash on this fucker, he'd see her heart and understand. But no, she had to talk it out and hope he gave a damn what she said.

 

[Namohysip]

Karat's gaze continued to narrow, both inquisitive and skeptical, and there was a hint of annoyance at this idiot mortal claiming to know more. What exactly was she? She knew nothing. WAs there really any point in allowing her to talk to him? He supposed it was better than the boredom.

But then she said something peculiar. And for just a moment, that annoyed stare gave way to what might have been a crack of genuine pensiveness.

"...What do you mean, comfort you?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's crackling mane tamped down a touch as she recalled her conversation with Diyem, not so long ago.

"He showed me an avatar to speak to, to alleviate the sufferin' I feel from telepathy. He acknowledged that my father wronged me. He let me know, in his own cynical way, that I was exceedin' my own self-assessments."

She narrowed her eyes at Karat. "He gave me his respect, even when I was raw and hurtin' and lashin' out. Is that somethin' you're capable of? Or d'you just make sneerin' judgments of folks doin' their goddamn best?"

 

[Namohysip]

Karat flinched. It was barely noticeable, but on a Mewtwo of all things, it was a rare sight to behold. But as quickly as it had come, it passed, and a hardened stare returned. His silence meant he didn't know how to respond; that analytical eye meant perhaps he was trying to tell if Brisa had been deceived, that she was lying, anything of the sort. Yet he could not seem to find anything, at least not any doubts in her eyes.

And yet...

He gave me his respect, even when I was raw and hurtin' and lashin' out. Is that somethin' you're capable of? Or d'you just make sneerin' judgments of folks doin' their goddamn best?

At least to that, he could properly acknowledge. Even if perhaps, just perhaps, this Dark Matter had somehow become something else, there was one thing that he still knew for sure.

Karat grunted and picked up his book again, flipping it open to where he had left off. "Regardless of the points you make, respecting your tantrums is not my responsibility."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

He flinched. He fucking knew she had a point. Brisa pulled her upper lip back in a snarl that sparked with light.

"There it is. You know I'm right, and you know I got conviction, but yer stoic facade is just too fuckin' precious fer you to concede a goddamn point, so you belittle my pain."

Brisa's claws scraped at the ground and her voice began to reverberate with the power of radiance.

"What the fuck is it about bein' a powerful psychic that makes a person look down on others? No, y'know what, I don't give a fuck. You go ahead and judge me 'n' mine. We'll save yer allies and this world either way, and you can damn well go fuck yerself."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr had already written off getting anything else out of Karat, but Brisa just kept going, more like she had to for her own sake than for the sake of actually accomplishing anything useful.

More sparks. The distorted edge of radiance mixed with the desperation in Brisa's voice. Holy shit, this was getting too real. Even if they couldn't so much as touch the guy, Brisa needed to fucking cool it and it didn't seem like she planned on it any time soon, which meant--

"Alright, we're leaving," Starr said flatly, grabbing the Luxio by her bandana and pulling her toward the exit.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's gaze snapped from Karat to Starr, and her radiant fury gave way to sharp confusion.

"Wait, I... Starr–!"

But she followed anyway, stifling her protest and staring at her forepaws. No thoughts were left in her head, just her thumping pulse.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr didn't relax her grip. "You can tell me all about it once we're out," she said, not sparing a glance back at Brisa, or Karat, or even at Seyka as they passed him on the way out, leaving him alone with the imprisoned Mewtwo.

 

[RJR Basimilus]

“That was exciting,” Seyka said, staring at the door the pair had left from. “Anyway, I guess none of us are traitors- yet.” The Skarmory looked at Karat. “If you happen to meet any traitors though, can I ask something?”
He looked bashful. “It’s a bit selfish, but can you tell them it’s okay if they betray everyone else, but can they not betray me?”

 

[Namohysip]

Silence answered Seyka at first, Karat giving the Skarmory something between a surprised and disgusted look. Mostly the former.

"...I will... keep that in mind." Karat didn't know how to react. Seyka... did not exist in the same material plane that everyone else was familiar with. It was the only possible conclusion.

 

[RJR Basimilus]

Seyka smiled. "Wow, thanks! I know I might be asking for a bit much, but you know-"

"This is all a lot of fun. It's hard to believe everyone just... talks to me."

The Skarmory laughed. "That aside, I guess I should go. But before that, any tips for me? You know, stuff you won't tell anyone else? It can be our secret."

 

[Namohysip]

Karat blinked again, trying to figure out if this was some kind of ruse. Seyka... was he the spy, somehow? Was he taunting him, right now, right then? No... That probably isn't it.

"...My only tip is to be careful of who you trust," Karat said. "Almost every hero of recent memory has been met with betrayals. It seems that is simply hoe the world works, as darkness tries to pull them under."

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Is it really such a bad thing," Seyka mused. "After all, aren't heroes that way because they overcome adversity?"

"Oops, that's a bit cynical," the Skarmory said after a moment. "But hey, if I was a traitor, then it would just help make everyone better, don't you think?"

"Mm, let's not answer that one yet. We should see just how the world decides to work." Seyka waved a wing at Karat and left.



Trust? I wonder if I can do that.

 

[Namohysip]

"...He was probably a hallucination," Karat concluded to himself, picking up his book again. Solitude... He thought he was used to it. Yet apparently, after spending so much time in the public eye, he'd suddenly lost the ability to cope. Conjured up strange apparitions to keep him company. Maybe it was time to speak with Wheat again...

<><><>​

 

[Chibi Pika]

So Giovanni was here. The alternate universe version of her father on some kind of multidimensional power trip. No big deal, right?

The guild had needed people on shift to watch him at all hours. That would have been reason enough to come down here, but then there was also that goddamn spy business. Letting anyone on the God Squad watch him alone wasn't an option. Hell, even ignoring the spy, there was still the risk of him managing to con some idiot into doing something that would let him go free. Whatever the case, Starr didn't trust him to still be here unless she made sure of it herself.

At least it felt good to see him locked up.

Several times it occurred to her to say something. Once or twice she even opened her mouth before catching herself. What was the point. It wasn't him. And sure, everyone and their mom wanted to get information out of the guy, but it wasn't like they could trust a damn word out of him.

A few times she could have sworn she felt a hint of something prodding at the back of her mind, before reminding herself that even if it weren't for the shields, she was a dark-type now. No psychic bullshit to deal with. Thank god. Must've just been stress.

Brisa was texting her again. Much as she didn't want to, she replied back, saying that she'd taken another watch shift. She both wanted and didn't want Brisa to show up, and wasn't in the mood to explain what she was feeling because she didn't know.

Everyone who knew about her and Giovanni obviously expected her to have a strong opinion on what to do here, but she didn't know how they were supposed to deal with him. So for now, she was just going to make damn sure he stayed in here.

 

[Namohysip]

Tap tap tap.

The Mewtwo was at the edge of his holding cell--which was a set of metal bars that glowed dimly with that same Protect insulation as before--in addition to a clear, energized wall of something of the same kind of energy. Giovanni had no hope of escaping unless those went down, and S'more and the others had said hat it relied not only on main power, but backup power should something happen.

Tap tap tap.

"I need a new book," the Mewtwo said, frowning as the finished one next to him rotated idly. He'd read through what appeared to be an entire book on combat techniques for Pokemon that weren't him, for some reason. "Something about... this village would do. There's a pile of them over there." He pointed to the table in the center of all the holding cells--though it was only Giovanni in one of them, now.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

[Brisket > Anise]: alright. I just got done taking my morning walk. might swing by with Dave if you don't mind? fella can get a good read on folks

Brisa loped from Sundae Park back towards the guild with her jaw set hard. Starr standing guard on Giovanni was one hell of a step up from her dreading laying eyes on him—hell, Brisa was damn proud of her friend—but it sure didn't sit right, the idea of Starr waiting there, alone, in silence, with him. Besides, she'd been eager to interrogate the fucker since before they'd captured him. And Dave would absolutely come along if she insisted, which she would, because she needed his goddamn nose.

Of course you would wanna do this when Starr's there fer it.

No, it wasn't even that, exactly. Starr had been downright messed up by whatever happened with Giovanni in her own world. She deserved closure. And she deserved not to be alone.

You just let Starr take the lead when she wants to, then.

Oh, she would.

[Brisket > Scotch]: holding cells in five minutes. gonna put some questions to that bastard. could use your nose. Starr's there, otherwise just us

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr's eye twitched. Whatever satisfaction she'd felt from the fact that he couldn't do jack shit and was reduced to asking her for things had faded quickly. He'd said it so casually. Like there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she'd comply. She imagined telling him to get fucked. The Giovanni in her mind just calmly smiled, content at having gotten under her skin.

She felt the powerful urge to lord it over him, the fact that he was trapped here, powerless, at her whims. But the Giovanni in her mind breezily replied that he was imprisoned because he'd allowed it to happen, and the idea of hearing him say so out loud was infuriating.

So she didn't say anything. The tapping persisted. She imagined burning down the entire cell in fiery Radiance. It was a nice image. At least until Giovanni emerged from the flames and thanked her for destroying his cage.

Tap tap tap.

Without saying a word, keeping her face perfectly, completely deadpan, Starr walked over to the table, picked up the book at the top of the pile without looking at it, and then placed it into the cell's deposit chamber.

Following orders again?

It was just a fucking book. Better than talking to him.

Starr's badge buzzed, and she had to stop herself from jolting. She checked it and--Brisa was coming. Figures. She still wasn't sure how to feel about that. She imagined telling Brisa not to. But in the end, she just texted back: ok.

 

[Namohysip]

The Mewtwo watched her, looking half-curious. Just enough that, when the book was passed into the slot on the far end of the cell, exchanged securely with the other, that he paused to study the Incineroar instead for a good few seconds. But then, with a few clicks and clunks, the book fell into a slot on Giovanni's side, and he picked it up in a Psychic grip. He'd been a Mewtwo for long enough that it had become a reflex.

"I can't really do anything in here, you know," he pointed out, his tone the same as if he'd offered to take out the laundry instead of her. "If guard duty is bothering you so much, you can leave it to the cameras. Shouldn't you be searching for my spies?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr's ear flicked. "We've got people on that," she answered, her voice low, neutral.

Stupid. She could practically hear him ask if she really thought it would be that easy to find them. But then, she could just say the team already had a good idea of who it was. She was a good liar. She'd always been able to fool anyone she wanted. Except him.

Stupid. This Giovanni didn't know her, how the hell would he be able to tell? Except... all he had to do was ask who their suspects were, and she wouldn't be able to say anything without obviously giving away the fact that they didn't have a damn clue.

Time to divert, then. "Someone's gotta keep watch. Can't trust the cameras anymore." Not since the incident with Red and Owen. What even was up with that. Was Red under Giovanni's control at the time? The urge to ask had just entered her mind before she shot it dead.

Why the hell had anyone on the God Squad even agreed to help him? Blackmail, most likely. Or extortion. Or empty promises. Or even real promises.

Five years ago she'd been promised power and respect and authority and she'd taken it. Wasn't hard to imagine someone doing it for better reasons than that.