Chapter Text
Kenji didn’t get much sleep.
That’s a lie, actually. He didn’t get any sleep. If it were an option, he’d stay in bed, wrap himself up in his covers, and stay a useless lump all day. However, since his dad has his big presentation today, he needs to get going.
Reluctantly, he throws his covers off and gets ready, probably taking longer than everyone else.
To his surprise, he’s the first to arrive in the lounge. Much to his dismay, the decorations that Yaz and Sammy set up yesterday are still around, making his already heavy heart that much heavier. He ignores the BRADs serving breakfast, though he would have anyway since the sight is so strange, and gets to work in taking them down.
He makes quick work of the lights, throws the now spoiled food in the trash, and sets the furniture straight. He’s started work on the plates when Yaz and Sammy come in, offering him a sympathetic smile in greeting. He tries- really tries to give them one as well, but all he manages is a half-hearted shrug.
Then the door opens again, and in comes Darius and Brooklynn.
And Ben.
He pointedly ignores him them.
“Kenji?” The voice of the other comes through and his body doesn’t know what to do. Normally, hearing his name on the other’s lips makes him feel warm inside and makes him want to hold the other and annoy him so he says his name again and again. Now, he just doesn't want to deal with all this.
“I’m kinda busy.” He tells him dismissively, not even turning around.
“I’m so, so sorry that I-”
“Stood me up?” Kenji finishes for him, a bite in his tone.
“I didn’t mean to, but–”
“But you did.”
“There’s something you have to know, Kenji.” Ben’s tone is serious, his voice no longer pleading. It catches his attention and pretty much forces him to acknowledge the other. With reluctance, he turns around to face him.
Kenji briefly makes a note that the other four are off to the side, listening with baited breath. He ignores them.
“I’m listening.” He tells Ben.
“Okay, so,” Ben starts after a long and tired exhale. Kenji wonders if the other didn’t get much sleep either. “Brooklynn, Darius, and I found out that your Dad freed Kash. On top of that, he also has Mae working with him to perfect her work controlling the dinosaurs.”
Kenji’s eye twitches in anger.
“Are you serious??”
“Yeah! And they’ve done it already. We saw them yesterday in the–”
“No, I’m not talking about them. Or my dad.” Kenji interrupts again. “I’m talking about you.”
“What??” Ben looks genuinely confused by his outburst, which just further incites Kenji.
“Instead of showing up to our first date, you go sneaking around my back to try and prove that my dad is, what, a supervillain or something??”
"Are you even hearing what I'm saying??" Ben throws back.
A silence hangs between them. Ben is looking up at him defiantly, and Kenji guesses his face must be much the same.
Brooklynn’s soft voice cuts through the tension.
“Okay, I know how it looks, but Ben really tried to get here in time. We just had some… complications.” He knows she’s just trying to play peacemaker, but the fact that she’s coming in defense of Ben, and missing the point entirely, has Kenji reeling.
“That’s not the point. I’m not even mad about you missing the date.” He returns his attention to Ben, who’s eyes soften at that confession. “Why didn’t you just talk to me about this?” He glances back at the rest of them. “Any of you?”
This time, Darius steps forward, his calm and collected voice at least somewhat calming to him.
“You and your dad just reunited. You guys were spending so much time together and getting closer, and… we didn’t want to bring it up until we were sure he was really up to something.”
Kenji can’t believe this. He really can’t believe the people closest to him are so quick to assume the worst about his dad. And they did all this sneaking around so they can spare his feelings or whatever? Kenji doesn’t care how they justify it, it doesn’t make it right and they shouldn’t expect him to be cool with what they've been doing.
...
Although, if level-headed Darius thinks something is up, he should at least talk to his dad and get his side of the story. If nothing else, he can prove to them they’re being paranoid.
“Fine, I’ll ask him.” Kenji makes his way to the exit, ready to do just that. Before he closes the door behind him, he stops and looks at them- Ben specifically- in the eyes, and speaks again. “But for the record, you guys are the ones obviously up to something here.”
Without another word or glance, Kenji closes the door and storms off.
---
The walk from the compound to where his dad has set up the presentation area allows Kenji to clear his head. As angry as he was- justifiably so in his mind- seeing all his friends seemingly side against him has him doubting his resolve.
Whatever. He's just going to ask his dad straight up. It's the right way to do this. If he says no, then that’s that. Granted, if that's the case, it means the others are lying, and Kenji for the life of him can’t imagine why they’d do that. At the very least, it means they may have misinterpreted what’s going on. Yeah.
If his Dad says 'yes,' then…
“Kenji? You’re here early.” The familiar voice of his father breaks him of his trance and it’s then that Kenji realizes he’s already made it to the forest biome, his feet taking him here faster than his mind could process. That's been happening more and more often, lately.
“Yeah, I just wanted to hang out before your presentation.” Daniel quirks a brow at that, unconvinced, but he doesn’t question him further.
“Hmm. Well, the presentation doesn’t start for a while yet. Take a seat.” Kenji obeys, plopping himself down on one of the plush chairs that have been neatly arranged.
The setup his dad has is much nicer than the cocktail party he decorated last night. There’s even a satin canopy, with Mantah Corp’s logo splayed on top. Part of him wonders if his dad was just sparing his blushes when he complimented his work last night.
It makes Kenji wonder what else his dad might be hiding from him.
All of a sudden, the weather in the sky changes. It goes from morning to evening, from sunny to overcast, and finally to twilight- the sun setting in the artificial sky.
“Amazing isn’t it?” His dad says in awe, the source of the weather switches the tablet in his hands.
“Yeah, totally.” Kenji answers almost lethargically.
Kenji can't believe he's in the situation he's in. He never thought his friends and his dad would be at odds. Granted, this is a very unique situation- one that would take forever to weave through the intricacies of. Still, while he can't just turn on his dad now that the man is back in his life, he can't just ignore the warnings of his friends either. To put it simply, he's stuck between a rock and another rock. That's the saying, right?
“What’s on your mind son?” Suddenly, his dad is in front of him, the man sitting on the table. Kenji can’t meet his eyes. The question he’s about to ask may end up undoing all the work Kenji has done until now to get his dad to trust him. Still, it’s a question that needs to be asked.
Here we go...
“My friends say they saw Kash working with Mae, that they’ve perfected controlling the dinosaurs.” Kenji finally meets his father’s eyes. “Is it true?”
The man averts his gaze before answering.
“Yes, Kenji, it is.”
Oh.
Well, shit.
What does that mean, then?
Is he really…?
“You’ve met the investors.” His dad continues. “We need to show them something game-changing. Otherwise, we lose everything… and this island shuts down. And with no one to feed or care for the dinosaurs…”
Oh. That's right, isn't it?
This island can’t fail like Nublar did. Not if they want the dinosaurs here to survive. Not if Rebel, Angel, Firecracker- all of them, are to survive.
“I see you catch my drift.” His dad tells him, taking his silent contemplation a sign of his understanding. “I explained all this to Mae. After that, she agreed to let Kash go and they continued her research. But,” His dad stands, coming behind Kenji and putting his hands on his shoulders. “I don’t want just Mae on board. I want you on board, too.”
Wait, does he mean…?
“Especially since you and I will build the future of Mantah Corp together.”
The self doubt and worry from earlier is suddenly miles away, excitement taking their place. Since he was little, Kenji had wanted to be just like his dad, to follow in his footsteps. Even if he wasn’t the best at school, even if he wasn't the son his father needed, it was still an aspiration he strived for. To hear it from the man himself that he also wants Kenji by his side, doing what he does- it’s like Kenji's oldest wish is coming true.
“You mean it? You really want me to work with you?”
“Of course I do.” His dad smiles at him. “I just need you to trust me.”
On his part, he does. Kenji really does. It’s just…
“It would be nice if your friends did too.”
There it is.
He doesn’t want there to be a wedge between his father and his friends. They both want the same thing- the dinosaurs safety. When they realize that, they’ll be all good.
“Don’t worry. They’ll come around.” Kenji tells him, more hopeful than convinced.
“That’s not the impression I got when those two girls broke into my office the other day. Or when your boyfriend and some of the others snuck into the nursery.”
They did that??
Confusion must be plain on his face, because suddenly his father shakes his head ruefully, looking at Kenji with pity.
“Oh? They didn’t tell you either? Guess they don’t trust either of us very much.”
That’s not true. They trust me as much as I trust them.
Then why did they do all this behind your back? They didn’t even tell you they suspected your dad- they just went off and did all those sneaky things without so much as a heads up.
That’s…
“I know they’re your friends, but I just don’t know how to convince them I’m not the bad guy.”
This really drives the point home for Kenji.
In all the time Kenji has been alive, he’s never heard his dad say anything that would suggest self-doubt. Sure, he’s heard him be frustrated or stuck, mostly because of work, but he’s never been one to dwell on a problem. The fact he’s seeing this side of his dad now, because of his friends and their antics, irritates Kenji all over again.
“You’re my dad. You shouldn’t have to convince them of anything.”
Why don’t the guys get it? He’s told them of his sucky home life. He told Ben how much he wanted his dad’s approval and how much having a dad who’s there is important to him. Well, Kenji has that now. Why do that have to… ruin everything?
---
Kenji is both upset and not surprised that the others are not back at the compound. He came back to change for the presentation but found no traces of his friends. He tries to get ready, a foolhardy attempt to ignore the growing anger he has for their behavior, but he can’t help but want to just… confront them already.
So, he does what any sane person would do:
He waits in the lounge for them to come back and catch them in the act.
The wait isn’t all that long, but every second he stands there, the others nowhere in sight, has him grinding his teeth. When the doors to the lounge open, all five of them smiling like they weren’t just betraying him again, he swears he feels a vein throb in his temple. They at least have the decency to look sheepish upon seeing him standing there, clearly upset.
“Welcome back.” He tells them sarcastically. “Where were you guys?”
“We went to find Mae.” Darius speaks up, the guy excited about something. “She gave us–”
“So you went behind my back again?” Kenji is so irked that he stumbles over his words for a second. “I don’t care what you found or what you think is going on. My dad told me everything!”
All of them look at him dubiously, so Kenji raises his voice.
“He’s trying to save the dinosaurs like we are!”
“How?” Darius immediately counters.
“By controlling them against their wills?” Brooklynn throws in, her tone matching his.
"Well-"
“You didn’t see how much they hated it! I saw it. Twice! With Firecracker and Big Eatie!” Ben is suddenly stepping forward, his expression pained. No matter how upset Kenji is, seeing Ben like this does something to his heart. Still, these guys just aren’t seeing the big picture, and he needs to make sure they’re on the same page.
“Look, my dad said there’s no other choice! Besides, why do you guys assume the worst? My dad has been nothing but cool to all of you, and despite how you’ve been acting, he still promises to get you home when this is all over.”
None of them say a word. None of them, not even Ben, meets his eyes.
“What, you don’t believe him? You don’t believe me?!” He points an accusing finger right at Brooklynn and Sammy. “You need to break into his office again and get proof?!”
The girls recoil at that, clearly finding his words unpleasant.
It’s then that Kenji realizes how much they’ve backed away from him. They all look stunned by his words, but it’s more than that. It’s like… they remind him of how Kenji would probably look when his dad would scold him over something dumb.
Is… is he turning into his dad…?
Just earlier, he thought that was a good thing. He loved the idea that his dad wanted him by his side- to help him run his company after years of him telling Kenji how disappointed in him he was. He loved that his dad saw enough of himself in Kenji to want him around- to trust him with more responsibilities. Now, the comparison, put into this context, immediately quells Kenji’s anger. He hated how he felt when the man yelled at him like he's doing to his friends. At the very least, it's enough for him to not be so harsh in his words or tone anymore. In a calmer, lower voice, he speaks, hoping they can tell how much he sincerely means what he’s saying.
“Look, this presentation is really important. Maybe you guys don’t know my dad like I do, but you do know me.” He starts to make his way to the door, making sure not to stomp away like he did earlier. “I’m asking you guys, as my friends,” he looks at Ben specifically now, the other boy’s eyes meeting his, “and as my boyfriend- please just trust me and stay out of it.”
He and Ben hold each other’s gaze for another few seconds before Kenji finally leaves them.
After six months with them, Kenji knows them well enough. He knows they probably won’t listen- not fully, at least. Still, he hopes his sincere plea goes heeded and they won’t make any more trouble.
Kenji really doesn’t want to have to make a difficult choice in the future, between his friends and his family, especially since he doesn’t know what his choice would be.
---
In hindsight, his dad should probably rethink the whole ‘wear suits at all times’ thing that he insists on. Maybe it’s because Kenji isn’t as used to it as he is, but when he was trekking through the jungle and forest biomes in the thing, he thought he’d die of dehydration. And after having walked all the way through the desert biome with no water for hours, he isn’t waxing poetic.
It also didn’t help that he was sweating bullets because of the casual way the investors would say some horrible crap. The red shirt guy basically told him he wanted to watch a T-Rex eat some horses and Kenji had to laugh like he isn’t scared shitless by these people.
Last night, they were all greased up and laughed at Kenji’s tall tales about his time on Nublar. Now, they’re sober and ready to talk business. And let Kenji tell you: rich people are can be terrifying when they want to be.
The situation got worse when Kash showed up, expecting to be helping out, and his dad basically told him to take a hike. It certainly was exacerbated when he told Kash that Kenji would be handling the demonstrations.
He doesn’t know what happened, but his dad sent the guy on his way, presumably.
It’s a good thing his dad is so calm and collected. At least one of them is.
The beginning of the presentation was a little rough, with the Red Shirt guy (surprise surprise) making a fuss that there wouldn’t be any fights. But, after his dad insisted that he had something better- they all held on his every word. Kenji lowered the lights and put a spotlight on his dad.
The display of putting several carnivores behind him in a kind of super sentai pose was insane, and as terrifying as it was to witness, Kenji admits how absolutely boss it looked.
After the display, Kenji hands over the controllers to the investors, all of them positively giddy to control the dinosaurs. Observing the animals, Kenji doesn’t see any sign of discomfort or resistance. Maybe he isn’t as in tune with them as Ben is, but he thinks he’d be able to tell if the controls were hurting them.
Those guys blew this way out of proportion.
“Well, it looks like we did it, son.” His dad is beside him, the pair watching the investors play around with the dinos. “I know it hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad you were here to help me.”
Kenji stares up at him in disbelief, a near common occurrence as if late. In the short span of a few days, he’s been able to accomplish a goal that he’s been struggling with for years: earn his father’s approval and affection.
He knows how pathetic it sounds, that he’s wanted it for so long and hasn’t gotten it until now, in this pretty unique and honestly messed up situation. But Kenji doesn’t care. He wouldn’t trade this feeling- this cathartic sense of fulfillment, for anything.
“Hey, I’m a Kon. Gotta represent, right?”
His dad gives him a smile and everything is right in the world, as far as Kenji is concerned.
Then everything went to pot.
The investors, high on their newfound power that the dinos provide, have themselves a free for all fight. When he tells his dad to put a stop to it, he insists that they should only intervene before the dinos get too damaged. Kenji isn’t convinced that’s the best idea, but right now, he doesn’t want to do anything that will disappoint his dad.
Before things got too intense, the others show up and start chasing down the dinos and the investors, little black devices in hand.
Next to him, he can see his dad slowly lose his shit.
“I told them to stay away.” Kenji tries to explain to his father. He turns his ire on Kenji.
“You’re so called friends are ruining everything!” This isn’t an expression he’s seen in a while. This isn’t like the out-of-concern yelling Kenji was subjected to when he wanted to chase down Kash a few days ago. No, this is the face that came when he broke an expensive pot or interrupted a work meeting. This is probably the face he was making when he was yelling at his friends earlier.
Before Kenji can shrink on himself and actually ponder why this man has such a hold on his emotions the way he does, he chases down the others to stop them from doing something that’ll either get them killed... or get him in even more trouble.
He is barely able to save Brooklynn and Darius from the bite of Big Eatie, pulling the two teens away from her jaws with milliseconds to spare.
They look at him, surprised that he's there with them.
“I told you guys to stay away! But you just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?”
The two don’t look at him with any remorse in their eyes. It’s the opposite really. They look more determined than he’s ever seen them.
“We’re sorry, Kenj. But we came here to finish what we started.” Darius tells him, already getting up to head back into the fray, Brooklynn close behind.
As they walk away from him, he can feel everything start to slip away. God, he wanted to avoid this kind of confrontation, but he should have known that was wishful thinking. These guys were always going to do this, and even though he hoped for the best, Kenji knew his dad was always going to have his fights, one way or another.
He’s defended both his dad and his friends from the other, always willing to try to reach any kind of compromise so as to placate them both.
Naive, is what that is. He was naive to think this was going to work.
Kenji stumbles his way back to where his dad is, things now in utter chaos. He’s sure he’s heard people screaming, and of course, dinosaurs roaring. As he goes along, he tries to find Ben, searching for those blue eyes out there, hoping that he’s fine in all of this.
Then he finally spots the other teen, Ben climbing on top of the Spinosaurus.
“Ben?!” He runs in that direction, unsure of what he’s going to do when he gets there. Just as suddenly, the dinosaur drops, and Ben is running away. The Red Shirt guy is yelling at it, telling the dinosaur to obey him. Kenji hides, figuring out what has happened. He wasn’t too sure, but from what Brooklynn and Darius looked like they were doing and what he just saw Ben do, he guesses the things in their hands can deactivate the chips.
Kenji makes sure he's thoroughly hidden behind a tree as soon as he sees the Spinosaurus rise.
He tries to ignore the screams of Red Shirt guy.
His friends are crazy! They’re freeing the dinos now of all times? And these aren’t stegos or sinoceratops they’re dealing with. These are some of the most terrifying dinosaurs they’ve ever come across, and they’re just freeing them while there are other people here who can’t–
Oh, no.
His dad. His dad is alone.
Kenji hightails it back to the presentation area, hoping everything is alright there.
When he gets close, the first thing he sees is Kash, a controller in his hand and the raptors on either side of him. Kenji fears the worst- that Kash will sicc them on his dad and that will be the last he sees of him.
Kenji is a second away from tackling the guy down, when the raptors turn on Kash instantly. You'd think hearing the death knell of the man who was practically torturing Darius and intended to kill Mae would bring him some kind of sick satisfaction, but it doesn't. If anything, the sounds drive home the point about how dangerous his friends’ plan is. And, that his dad could be the next victim.
A roar, one that he’s only heard twice before, echoes in the forest. Then he sees it: the Spinosaurus, the one Ben helped free, is charging right at his dad. The blood-curtling scream his father lets out is enough to turn his stomach.
It all happens so fast.
The dust settles quickly. Where there was once a sitting area and tent now lays a pile of debris, his father nowhere in sight. The spinosaurus runs off into the distance, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
“Dad!”
He scrambles to get there, immediately getting to work pulling random objects and bits of debris out of the way. Every second that he doesn’t find his father- or God forbid, what's left of him - a memory of his childhood flashes before his eyes.
There was the time he and his parents went up to the top of the Empire State Building, taking cheesy photos that he still carries in his wallet to this day.
There was the first family dinner after his mom died, where Kenji's dad tried his hardest to keep Kenji in high spirits while he himself was in pain.
There was the first baseball game his father ever took him to, Kenji becoming obsessed with the sport afterwards.
There was their first trip to Jurassic World, where Kenji was given the most VIP of VIP tours.
It’s true what they say- you only remember the good when you think someone is gone.
A loud cough catches his attention, breaking him of his trance. Sticking out from underneath a chair and the now collapsed canopy, is his dad.
“Dad! Are you alright??” Kenji goes over and helps the man up, checking him for any injuries.
“I’m fine. Barely.” There’s a note of annoyance in his voice. He can’t say he blames him.
The others, apparently having regrouped, stand in front of him, watching the pair of them. Kenji immediately averts his eyes, spotting the tablet he dropped earlier. He picks it up and makes quick work of the situation. The drones are here in seconds, ushering the dinosaurs away from them, at least for now. As soon as it seems things are under control, he sighs in relief. Kenji looks at his dad sheepishly, the man’s face turgid.
“I just got you back. And I almost lost you again.” He tries to wrap a soothing arm around his dad’s, but the man wrenches it free, turning away in anger.
This isn’t right. This is not how things should be. Everything would have been fine. They wouldn’t be in this situation if not for...
“It’s because of you.” Kenji says darkly.
“Kenji-” Ben starts, but Kenji looks him directly in the eyes, and decides he’s going to take out all his frustrations on the other.
“It’s because of you!” He repeats. If Ben didn’t free the Spino, Red Shirt would be alive, and his dad wouldn’t have been almost trampled. If the rest of them didn’t do what they did, with their cavalier approach to justice, so much that has gone wrong tonight wouldn’t have even happened.
Kenji’s mood certainly isn’t helped by the fact some of them are looking at him like he’s the one who’s wrong here, that he’s the one who got people killed and almost killed others- themselves included. He’s not at all tempered by the look in Ben’s eyes, the other looking the most torn about what’s gone down.
It certainly doesn’t get better when Darius opens his mouth.
“We were just doing what was right!” He tells him, in that sanctimonious way he does. This is why Kenji didn’t feel he was entirely in the wrong a few weeks ago, back when he was giving Darius a hard time. Sometimes, the kid can’t see past his own sense of duty to the dinosaurs without overlooking or blatantly ignoring the toll it has on everyone else.
“Look around! People died! My dad almost died! You all could have died! Does any of this look right to you?!
They’re stunned at this, his words apparently giving them pause.
Kenji doesn’t know what he can do now. He’s tried so hard to get the others to be reasonable. He’s said his piece, pleaded with them to just let things go for once- but of course, they couldn’t. Now, they’re all in a worse position than they started with. Why couldn't they have just trusted him and leave well enough alone?
His dad is understandably angry. He feels they’ve ruined everything they’ve worked for up until now, especially since the investors are all… dead.
One, thankfully, remains. The bald woman. She says the party she speaks for- Biosyn or something- is still interested in the tech Mae and Kash developed. A silver lining, one that his dad jumps on. The idea that someone still wants the tech, despite what happened, really doesn’t sit well with Kenji, but he won’t say a word. Not when his dad is seemingly in a better mood because of it.
Then the woman asks what is to be done about Kenji’s friends.
A chill runs through his spine as his dad looks at them all, a dangerous look in his eye.
---
The BRADs march his friends towards the Dinosaur Nursery, with Kenji and his Dad following behind. At one point or another, they all look at Kenji. Some expressions are angry, some confused.
Except Ben. He doesn’t turn around once.
The second the door to the cell closes, the others stare back at him, the same array of emotions plain on their faces. Ben is still looking anywhere but Kenji. If anything, he almost has his eyes trained exclusively on his father, his expression hard.
“You’re just as bad as Kash.” Sammy says. Kenji looks at her and realizes that she’s directing that as his father, but for some reason, he takes it to heart.
“Enough. This is for your own good.” His dad tells them cooly. “You obviously can’t be left to roam freely.”
Kenji dares to look them all in the eyes, not sure what he’s supposed to do here. They all have anger, sure, but something else lurks behind each one. Brooklynn looks sad, disappointed almost. Sammy looks confused, like she isn’t sure how she’s supposed to feel. Yaz looks just plain pissed, because, of course she does. Darius looks disinterested, like a wall- other than the one actually there- stands between them.
Then there’s Ben. The other’s blue eyes, which he loved to get lost in, which he saw stars reflected in whenever they took night duty together- They look so cold, his expression... heartbroken.
Kenji feels like throwing up.
Of course Kenji doesn’t want to see his friends locked up. Of course Kenji wants things to be alright between them. Of course Kenji wants to assure Ben that things are okay, that they will be okay.
But, he’s on the wrong side of the glass right now.
“Not to worry. It’s only for a few days while we meet our new buyer on Isla Nublar.”
Oh. Kenji didn’t know that was what’s happening. Why didn’t his dad tell him…?
“Nublar? Are you seriously gonna let this happen?” Darius directs at Kenji, looking at him in disbelief.
“That can’t be what you really want, is it Kenji?” Brooklynn pleads.
Kenji looks away, unable to meet their eyes suddenly.
“Don’t act like you guys actually care what I want.” His voice sounds strange, the words foreign on his tongue. With his dad watching him, his presence almost overbearing, he feels like he can’t say anything else.
He can justify all this. What his Dad said is true: they’ll be safer here. If they can just wait it out here, if they can just let Kenji’s dad finish what he started, they can all go home. Maybe then, things will go back to the way they were between them.
He just needs to sell it so they don’t do anything else.
“I’m done with you.”
He finally looks up, and all of them look like he slapped them in the face. Honestly, he might as well have. He tries his best to keep it together, lest they call his bluff.
“But… we’re family.” Sammy tells him, breaking his heart all over again.
They are. They really are. He wants so bad to keep this family together. But… right now, they just can’t. Not if they’re all to come out of this in one piece.
“No, we’re not. You guys went out of your way to prove that today.” He doesn't believe those words for a second, but he says them none the less.
Not sure he can keep this mindset going, he turns away from them, his dad already making his way out.
Then, a voice he hasn’t heard speak yet, calls out for him.
“Kenji?” Ben’s voice stops him dead in his tracks.
He stands there, unsure of what to do.
"Kenji. Please..."
Kenji knows if he turns around right now, he might as well join his friends in that cell, knowing his father at this point wouldn't hesitate to do so to keep his deal with Biosyn.
So, he keeps walking, the sound of the automatic door closing echoing not only in the empty hallway, but in his empty heart.
