Chapter Text
Benrey paced the small room, quiet slaps echoing around the cold walls and floor without the muffler of shoes or socks. No windows, no gap under the door. Dark. Very dark. They could still see the monochrome outlines of the room, of course, having eyes far more evolved for darkness or dim light, but it didn't mean they were any more relieved about it. They were stuck in a box. They abruptly stopped walking, frozen, when their ears picked up the sound of dress shoes slowly approaching. Their breath hitched. Panic re-emerged. They backed away from the door as quietly as they could, heart pounding as keys jingled and found its way into the heavy lock. Eyes wide as the door slowly opened, but forced to squint from the rush of bright light filtering in. A voice, familiar, hushed, anxious.
"B- Benrey, c'mon- you- you gotta hurry before we get noticed," Tommy? They tried to blink away the door-shaped spot in their eyes, straining to make out the tall figure. A few teal notes slip from their mouth, quickly being replaced with dark green and yellows. Tommy motions for them to come closer, which they hesitantly do. They're both at the door now, and Tommy is looking down the halls while holding what looks to be a tase—
Panic spikes again and they take a few steps back. Tommy turns back to them and immediately guilt overtakes his face. "N-no, no, it's okay! It's to protect us so I can get you out safely!" Tommy, helpfully, moves the baton-shaped taser away from Benrey. They let out a breath. More dark green and yellow.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
It was a little while of walking before the two came up on an intersection. Thankfully no one has come across them yet, but luck doesn't always last as long as one wants it to. Both Tommy and Benrey could hear the sounds of several boots coming from one of the hallways. Tommy lightly tugged on Benrey's arm to duck into a conveniently placed storage closet, but Benrey was frozen solid and unable to be budged.
A small group of thickly-vested, helmeted people rounded the corner. All three pairs of eyes landed directly onto the runaway. The group paused. No one dared move, if only just for a painfully long second. That was until the security guards moved first. One of them grabbed the talking black rectangle on his shoulder, speaking quietly into it. Another had his hand over his thigh holster. The third was holding their hands out in a universal sign of "I don't mean any harm", or at least that's what Benrey hopes it is. Their legs and hands are shaking lightly in place as the third one slowly steps closer by a few inches.
"How'd you get out?" The third security spoke softly, but got no verbal response. Every cell in Benrey's body is screaming to run the opposite direction, but their eyes glance to the guy still hovering above the danger weapon. They glance back to the speaker with wide, slit-pupiled eyes and spit out a short string of bright green to black. None of them seemed to understand.
"You need to go back to your holding... room, please. It's not safe for you out here." The third one continues to speak, but the words grant no relief at all. They don't understand what it's like in there. None of them do.
Several more pairs of boots clunk from the halls, including the one behind Benrey. They tense up and look behind their shoulder.
Ohh, shit.
Nearly an entire wall of vested people block of Benrey's path, all wielding the batons and some of them holding something they've not seen before. Whatever it was, though, it looked extremely unfriendly. All metallic and had two grabber looking circle things on the ends of the short chain.
"Put your hands behind your head, subject eight thirty-four dash two thirty-seven! Don't make any sudden moves!" Benrey looked around for their friend, but Tommy was nowhere to be found. A swelling tide of fear, betrayal, and anxiety crashed directly on top of them as they turned their gaze back to the shouting person. Red to dark green escaped their lips, putting their open hands up near the sides of their head. This, unfortunately, did not please the yeller like they hoped.
"Hands behind your head, now!" They moved their hands where they were ordered, hearing four boots walk up behind them. More bright green to black notes. They felt their wrists being grabbed and moved down to their back, then secured around cold metal. The guard that spoke softly to them earlier mumbled next to them, the voice filled with a sort of guilt and sadness.
"I'm sorry lil guy, it's just protocol. You had a decent attempt, though, actually headed the right way too." Benrey was soon surrounded by the vested people, and led back to their box.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Benrey curled up into the borrowed blanket in the corner of Tommy's living room, the stormy weather being the only noise that pulled them back to the present. Several bright red and black orbs surrounded them, being the only light source aside from the occasional flash outside the window. Their humming production quickly tapered off as they pushed against the corner walls for something to ground them. They shoved their head into their blanket-covered knees, trying to slow their breathing. Why did this have to happen now? They thought they were over this. It's been almost two months since they left Black Mesa. Surely that's enough time to get over it? They didn't understand why it wouldn't leave them alone sometimes. Always showing up unprompted. Not very nice of their brain, if anyone asks them. No one does.
Something damp gently nudged Benrey's exposed head, pressing into their hair. Where did they leave their hat? They look up, immediately confronted with Sunkist's huge form. She sniffed their wet cheeks for a second, before laying her head ever so lightly on Benrey's knees. They freed their hands from the blanket to pet the sides of her face, a tiny smile forcing its way onto his.
"Hey, Sunkist." They were suprisingly quiet, so much so that it suprised themself. Sunkist didn't mind. She just nuzzled closer. Benrey rested their forehead in Sunkist's fur, lazily petting away at whatever was in their reach as they let their heart rate calm down. They could hear her tail thumping occasionally on the carpet.
The two stayed like that for a while, and in the morning Tommy discovered Benrey half cuddling his dog on the floor near the corner, eyes closed. Tommy smiled with a sort of mixed-in worry, eventually nudging the two so they could begin their day.