Chapter Text
Cesar couldn't remember being tucked in bed, being bandaged up or even being saved at all. He could only salvage memory fragments of static, indecipherable voices and blinding red. He assumed the last one was when he got attacked.
He sat up, eventually becoming aware of the gauze enveloping his neck and arms. Fighting the urge to close his eyes and go back to sleep, he massaged his temples until his vision decently cleared up.
Then he gasped.
"Mierda–"
Leafy threads of green and brown encircled his legs, trailing down the bed and climbing up the walls as if held up by an invisible trellis. Flowers were scattered throughout the room, with some in his hair. It smelled like a garden, but overall the place was a mess.
Cesar cautiously got out the sheets, nearly tripping over rough vines and hardy roots he didn't know had grown there until then. It felt like stepping on drought-afflicted land. As he moved to the door, he felt tendrils grasp lightly at his fingers.
Cesar yelped in surprise when he saw the vines follow and latch onto him. He knew plants were alive; yes, they move, but normally not this fast.
And then he realized they were coming from him. The more distressed he felt, the longer they sprouted magically from his fingers, with unrelated flowers blooming at random spots.
"Ces, you alright?" Mark peeked into the room.
"Mark! Wait– how would I know if it's really you?" Cesar backed away, thinking of personal questions that would prove his identity. "Uhm... Wh... what happened in sixth grade that caused the school library to be closed for a week?"
"A fan overheated and caused a minor fire. You freaked out badly that you crashed into me trying to get out of there." A familiar laugh escaped Mark's lips, putting his best friend at ease.
"Phew." Then Cesar noticed something. "Are those... earplugs?"
"Mhm."
"¿Por que?"
"I'm kinda in the same boat as you, except instead of being able to grow plants outta nowhere, I hear everything within a one-mile radius and it sucks." Mark sighed, beckoning for Cesar to follow him downstairs. "They dampen the sounds a bit but that's all it can do. I'm having sensory overload right now."
"I see." After a pause he lowered his voice to a whisper as courtesy, "You look like you didn't sleep."
"Because I could barely. An alternate followed me home so I had to endure its shit for three days. Then I came back for you. I was really surprised you could still hold up, given the deep cut in your neck."
Cesar's hand flew to that spot involuntarily. It ached dully. "Three days? Aw, c'mon, I would've been gone by then, unless..."
"Unless your new soldiers broke through the windows from the garden and formed a makeshift patch." Mark hopped over a rapidly growing tendril on the floor. Cesar could now see the extent to which his new ability had gone to; the entire house was adorned with abundant flora inside out.
"Fuck," he swore.
"Indeed, fuck," Mark half-jokingly affirmed. "It's beautiful though. Your house doesn't look creepy anymore."
Am I supposed to thank him? Cesar was confused. He looked down at his hands. I hope this is some new superpower and not a pain in the ass.
"Anyway... is it fine if I stay here for the meantime?" Mark turned around to face him. "I... can't go back home yet. I don't feel safe."
"Pff, neither do I." Cesar picked at a pellionia stem. "It's fine. Stay as long as you like."