"Yeah, of course," Natasha says. If he seemed more like himself, she might have ragged him, pulled a little bit of the hardass instructor, but she can tell his mood's not the best.
"Just...I don't trust that guy. And I really hate the idea of him poking around Hellburbia," Setsuna mutters out, eyes darting across the floor, finally lifting to look at Natasha.
"After what happened there. The idea of him doing something in that place? It gives me the fucking creeps."
"He was planning something for it," Natasha says, confirming his fears probably. But she trusts his instincts on this. "It was in his office. Not the details, but... I think he was planning to try it again."
"I don't know what he's thinking," Natasha says. Her expression is schooled into carefully controlled stoicism, unwilling to show Setsuna her own anxiety.
The suburbs were a particularly unpleasant memory among Natasha's many unpleasant memories, and Setsuna doesn't need that added to his own experience.
"And I doubt it was his idea," she adds then,"But who knows."
Even if he doesn't know her exact situation, he's always figured everyone went through something awful in that place, and that's all that matters. He doesn't want anyone to go through that again.
"Whose idea -" Setsuna starts to ask, then gives a pained groan. "You think it's God's? That makes this even worse, doesn't it?"
"I don't claim to know," Natasha tells him, because when it comes to guessing the mind of a deity, she doesn't think her normal assumptions entirely hold up. At the same time, there's a but left unsaid.
"Lucifer did it for God the first time though, didn't he?" In a way, she almost doubts her memory as she thinks of that place, that time. The fake life is still there, a transparent shadow over her real life. "And Barbas supposedly had God on his side when he showed up."
"Yeah, but you're smart. I think you're good for figuring things out," Setsuna tells her, very plainly.
There's a moment he frowns. "Yeah. Sort of. Sounded like Lucifer wasn't given a choice, though. But Barbas...I think he'd take glee in it." His body stiffens.
"I don't rule out anything," Natasha says at first, which is vague enough to be a nonanswer. But then she adds, because it's probably something worth opening up about just a little. "I think Barbas would love to be able to do that again. Whether or not he has the power... your guess is as good as mine."
"He turned the whole place into a creepy ass school. I think he does," Setsuna muses with a frown. He's not entirely right, but for now, they don't know that.
"But I guess we can't rule anything out. I just...." He sighs. "Things have already been a little off ever since he came here."
"Things have been a little off since the beginning," Natasha points out, as though they could forget that. "But I know what you mean. Since he's been back..."
She shrugs. She doesn't have any answers; she's just doing the best she can.
"No...not like that. I mean," he runs a hand through his hair.
"When I was in Hellburbia I had one of those fake families. And after it, the mom told me the dad wasn't usually like he was in Hellburbia." He frowns, because it almost makes no sense, but now that his brain is running, he can't stop.
"Well, this guy, after Barbas punished him, he was acting just like that. Not like himself. But like he was back in Hellburbia."
He shuffles some of his weight and breathes in heavily.
"I didn't know that." Because he doesn't remember the first mention of Captain America came from Jemma way back when.
"But, Jemma was telling me the way Fitz was acting, it's some fractured personality or some crap." He speaks without issue, but unbeknownst to him, his hands shake.
"Something that started back in their home world, not in Hellburbia."
"There is," Natasha says before taking a drink from her water bottle. Then she shrugs. "But he has other people checking in on him. It's not all your responsibility."
"You're right. But still." He takes another drink. The Barbas talk has taken its' toll, though, and opening up doesn't seem to have helped, either.
"I think that's all I've got in me, today. It's getting trickier to fight with these stupid wings stuck, so thanks for helping me. Gotta get a little more creative, sometimes."
"We can call it for the morning," Natasha allows. If he's not going to learn more today, there's no reason to force it. "Take a lap before you go to cool down, all right?"
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Her own hasn't been either.
"Get some water," she tells him then.
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He drinks a little, before he stops, eyes going to the floor. Then, in a rather low tone, he asks, "You remember when Barbas here before?"
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"Anything in particular?"
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"After what happened there. The idea of him doing something in that place? It gives me the fucking creeps."
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She shrugs.
"Or something similar."
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"The shit that went down there...isn't worth reliving. It didn't teach anyone anything. Other than things can always get worse."
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The suburbs were a particularly unpleasant memory among Natasha's many unpleasant memories, and Setsuna doesn't need that added to his own experience.
"And I doubt it was his idea," she adds then,"But who knows."
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"Whose idea -" Setsuna starts to ask, then gives a pained groan. "You think it's God's? That makes this even worse, doesn't it?"
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"Lucifer did it for God the first time though, didn't he?" In a way, she almost doubts her memory as she thinks of that place, that time. The fake life is still there, a transparent shadow over her real life. "And Barbas supposedly had God on his side when he showed up."
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There's a moment he frowns. "Yeah. Sort of. Sounded like Lucifer wasn't given a choice, though. But Barbas...I think he'd take glee in it." His body stiffens.
"I don't think I could go through that again."
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"But I guess we can't rule anything out. I just...." He sighs. "Things have already been a little off ever since he came here."
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She shrugs. She doesn't have any answers; she's just doing the best she can.
And trying to protect the people she can.
"I can't blame people for being antsy about it."
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"When I was in Hellburbia I had one of those fake families. And after it, the mom told me the dad wasn't usually like he was in Hellburbia." He frowns, because it almost makes no sense, but now that his brain is running, he can't stop.
"Well, this guy, after Barbas punished him, he was acting just like that. Not like himself. But like he was back in Hellburbia."
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"Anyone I know?"
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"You know Fitz and Jemma?"
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"I didn't know that." Because he doesn't remember the first mention of Captain America came from Jemma way back when.
"But, Jemma was telling me the way Fitz was acting, it's some fractured personality or some crap." He speaks without issue, but unbeknownst to him, his hands shake.
"Something that started back in their home world, not in Hellburbia."
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And raises quite a few more.
"And his punishment triggered him?"
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He's still not sure.
"I probably should've checked up on him...." But it's one thing after another in Hell.
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"You're right. But still." He takes another drink. The Barbas talk has taken its' toll, though, and opening up doesn't seem to have helped, either.
"I think that's all I've got in me, today. It's getting trickier to fight with these stupid wings stuck, so thanks for helping me. Gotta get a little more creative, sometimes."
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"Yeah. Not a bad idea." And, like the conversation about Barbas didn't even happen, he gives her a bright smile. "See ya, Nat~!"