Chapter Text
The Dream was unexpected, to say the least.
Ben appeared to be walking through a hazy lake that went up to his knees. He thought it was a lake of water at first, but the substance felt too… viscous. He sloshed through the dark liquid, walking seemingly nowhere. Where was he trying to go, anyway? There was nothing in the distance. It felt like one of his old anxiety dreams.
Speaking of dreams, Ben had to imagine that this was one. He didn’t remember how he got here, and he certainly didn’t remember getting dressed in his suit and walking around.
But something still felt off. This dream was far too vivid. Obviously he didn’t remember all his dreams, but the events were always fuzzy at best, like he had been walking through tv static. This was a little too clear. He could feel his suit pants soaking up the liquid, how tired his legs were from walking for so long. Worst of all, this place smelled terrible. Seriously, what was that smell?
Before he could dwell on it any longer, the liquid splashed up further on his pants, even spraying the bottom of his crisp white shirt. “Oh, come on,” he said as he glanced down. But as he looked down, he saw that the liquid stained his shirt black.
“What the…?” Cautiously, Ben dipped a finger in the liquid. Upon pulling it back out, it too was pitch black.
He sniffed it for a moment before cringing and throwing his head back. “Eugh! Oil?”
The waves picked up. The buffeted poor Ben, causing him to stumble. “Argh!” he held an arm up to protect himself from who knows what. This did not stop the waves, and they only grew larger and harsher.
After stumbling for a moment, the waves overtook Ben, causing him to collapse into the oil. It felt way worse than being stuck underwater, he discovered: it felt like he was moving through molasses.
Not to even mention being completely blinded by the substance.
He held his breath but knew he couldn’t for long. Which way was up? Could he even move? He felt so lost.
“Come on, Ben. You’re going to get yourself killed if you’re out there with me.”
Ben’s eyes snapped open, which, big mistake: the oil got in his eyes. He grunted and tried not to open his mouth as it burned.
He gripped his face. That had been Steffi’s voice, hadn’t it? But she couldn’t be here. This was a dream. This wasn’t real. And she… she had already said that before. Ben knew that.
He remembered the day clearly. When Steffi walked up to him in the halls with disturbingly pink hair, he was scared. What if she got hurt? He knew full well she could defend herself fine from regular people, but monsters were another level of danger altogether. Worse, he worried she might do something rash and might hurt herself by complete accident. It was a… valid concern, considering her track record.
Her voice rang through his ears again. Still concerned, but with some reassurance and exasperation.
“I’ll be fine, Ben. You don’t have to do this. Seriously, you seem more keen on going out there than me.”
Steffi’s voice again. “I-” started Ben, but opening his mouth just let more oil in. He choked, his consciousness fading. His lungs felt like they were on fire.
“You feel helpless, don’t you?”
The voice was different this time. An older woman, one Ben had never heard before. He could barely process it as he lost consciousness.
“You’re concerned for your friend, this is true. But don’t you wish you could do more?”
The words were barely making it to his brain. He was blacking out.
“But it’s not just about her, is it? You care for her, but…”
Ben let the rest of his consciousness slip under.
“You want this, don’t you?”
As though someone flipped a switch, Ben came to. His eyes snapped open. His lungs cleared. For just a moment, he felt power. Pure power.
And maybe, just maybe, he felt a brief moment of clarity.
With renewed force, he shoved his arms outwards. The lake of oil parted, exposing moist soil beneath him.
With some effort, he sat up, his arms still outstretched. The oil still stayed separated, but it came closer. He was losing power.
Still, he got up on one knee. He would keep this feeling going for as long as possible.
Slowly, he managed to stand. The oil approached still. Ben squinted, glancing at the oil to one side. It seemed to be changing, turning more transparent. More interesting to him, though, was his sleeve.
What used to be the arm of his sports coat seemed to turn a deep shade of blue. He had some navy jackets, sure, but this was something else entirely.
The feeling began to fade. He wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. Still, he tried for one last push. He bent into a solid stance, confident he would maintain balance this time. With all his might, he shouted, forcing the oil out as far as he could manage.
The oil was launched backwards, flying through the air. Some coalesced at his feet, coming up to about his shins. The rest, having moved up into the sky, came back down as droplets.
Breathing heavy, Ben looked up at the sky. The oil coming down was clear now, he noticed. And didn’t nearly smell as bad. Holding out a hand, he felt what was now water splashing down.
Curious, Ben looked down at the oil around his feet. It too, had turned into water. He could see his feet, upon which he wore… sneakers?
It sounds normal, sure, but Ben never wore sneakers. He either had boots - be they for combat or for hiking (and always steel-toed) - but these were simple flat-soled shoes. They looked more like something Steffi would wear. Still, they looked cute, almost.
Ben shook that thought out of his mind as quickly as it came. Looking forward a bit, he noticed he could also see his reflection. Perfectly, in fact.
His eyes were blue.
His hair, previously dyed, was pure blonde. Was it longer?
Ben’s heart stopped. “Oh, no. No no no no no no no-”
This wasn't happening. It wasn't possible. Boys don't get the dream, thought Ben, boys don't get the dream boys don't get the dream BOYS DON'T-
Before Ben could panic more, a bright light appeared. He(?) covered his eyes, but they adjusted soon enough.
It was still bright, but Ben could make out an outline of a woman covered in bright colors and light. He could not see her eyes, but the bottom half of her face revealed a calming smile.
“Hello, Benzine,” said the woman from before. “Surprised to see me?”