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The fingers of Benny’s free hand drummed anxiously against his leg, tapping a constant pattern in a vain attempt to release his nerves. Champagne squeezed his other hand.
“You don’t have to do this Benny, we can leave and do this somewhere else.” He wanted to agree, but he didn’t. He needed to do this. He refused to remain scared for any longer.
“I can do this Champ. It’s fine. Besides, it’s easier for Summer to make portals to here than to the nexus point.”
He let his hand slip from Champagne’s and pushed open the car door, stepping out into the cool morning air. Fog covered the area, the sun just rising, not yet having burned it away. The car was parked outside a warehouse, squished between two identical to it from the outside. Except the other warehouses had trucks outside them, even at this early hour. Their car was the only vehicle out the front of this building. Benny took a deep breath and felt Champagne’s fingers brush against his, a silent question. He let their fingers tangle as his eyes traced up the concrete front to the broken window and rusting roof.
It had been 34 years since he’d last been here.
34 years since he’d first entered the Nether.
34 years since he’d first died.
27 years since the government stopped supporting him and they could no longer afford therapy.
21 years since he stopped paying taxes.
20 years since he’d lost his best friend.
15 years since he started hiding his abilities completely.
15 years since he first experienced the pain of burning from the inside and freezing from the outside.
12 years since he became an uncle.
7 years since he was nearly killed by his then-boyfriend.
7 years since he stopped dating.
3 years since he first started feeling the audience.
2 years since they first started listening.
2 years since he met Kayla.
2 years since he’d died for a few minutes.
1 year since he met Champagne.
3 weeks since he’d returned to the Nether.
2 weeks since they’d left.
1 week since they learnt the battle they’d left was over, the Netherkind having pushed the cult out of their world.
1 week since the cold finally faded.
1 week since he returned to his homeworld with Champagne.
2 days since he’d slept through the night without waking screaming, for the first time since returning.
1 day since Amaleez had reached out to ask if they wanted a debrief.
1 day since he decided he wanted to meet her here.
1 hour since they’d gotten into his car.
1 minute since he got out.
In 5 days he’d be 44.
He’d lived longer than he expected.
He felt his hand be squeezed gently.
“Benny?”
“Let’s go.” He said shortly, pressing his palms against the side door and pushing. The cold metal was biting and he instinctively suppressed the urge to heat up his hands. He gritted his teeth against the cold and the urge, before stopping. He breathed and consciously chose to let the warmth flood his system, still unused to the feeling after so many years of blocking it. He was still tense around other people, but Champagne didn’t even look at him as they stepped into the dark interior. Benny let his hands heat up further, a soft glow illuminating from the web of blood vessels under his skin, lightening the room.
They had entered into a small garage-like space, with a wooden door to their right, and the warehouse’s roller door to their left. Cautiously, Benny stepped lead the way to the wooden door, his hand dropping to the handle. It was as cold as the rest of the room and covered in a thick coat of dust, like it hadn’t been disturbed in decades. It probably hadn’t. Steeling himself, he turned the hand and pushed the door, wincing at the loud screech it made as the rusted hinges complained at the use. Champagne’s hand dropped onto his shoulder and he relaxed slightly, finding comfort in the weight, even if the hand was, compared to Benny, cold. Behind the door was a small office-like room, with an old, dusty desk and a knocked over chair. Benny’s attention, however, was on the gaping hole in the wall opposite them, created by a hero in a long since ended raid. Through the hole was a familiar long dark corridor lined with doors closely packed together.
Benny could feel himself beginning to disassociate, his mind figmenting figures into the hall with shifting faces and long red cloaks. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He reached behind his back and caught Champagne’s hand, squeezing it and raising his other to light the way. The soft golden glow illuminated the cobwebs lining the walls and the puddles on the floor from the holes in the roof letting small patches of light through every few metres. He forced himself forward, eyes fixed on the doorway in the distance, it too missing its door. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but the cold fear running like ice through his veins made him feel sick and like he wanted to run. Instead he took it one step at a time, repeating a mantra over and over in his head.
You’re fine, you’re alive, you’re safe, they’re gone, you’re not alone, you’re older, you’re stronger.
You’re safe. They’re gone. You’re safe. They’re gone. You’re safe. You’re safe. I’m safe. I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe.
Still, he hesitated for a moment outside a cell with a broken door. On the far wall, barely two metres from the doorway, was a dark red stain right at the level where a 9 year old’s head would rest. Even after all these years, it hadn’t faded. The cell itself was claustrophobically small, two metres by two metres, though with a three metre high roof. Aside from the stain and an overturned bucket that looked mouldy from the layers of cobwebs on it, it was empty. No bed. No blankets. Frost covered the ground where water had dripped through.
“They kept you here?” Benny flinched as the silence was broken, Champagne’s voice pulling him from his spiralling memories. Suddenly, he couldn’t find his own voice to respond. Instead, he just nodded. Champagne didn’t say anything else but pulled Benny a step back and wrapped his arms around Benny’s torso, leaving his arms free but hugging him tight, head resting between Benny’s shoulder blades. The familiar swoop of hair that never stayed put tickled the back of his neck, warmed by his own burning skin and drawing him further from the past.
He cleared his throat and pulled away, letting their hands intertwine once more, keeping his eyes on the ground as they progressed deeper into the setting of so many of his nightmares.
They had to step over a slight lip, and Benny watched his feet, his eyes glued to the floor even as they entered the largest room in the building. Champagne gasped beside him, and he gently squeezed his hand, feeling incredibly unprepared, but knew there was little else he could do. With another inhale, his eyes rise and widen as he sees the full room. A strange symbol is painted onto the ground, a circle with two L shapes diagonal to one another, a dot above each. The tops of the Ls are joined by a diagonal, forming an N shape. The thing that had drawn the gasp from Champagne, however, was the pool of stained blood spread across the symbols, contained within the circle in a perfectly horrifying display. It was worse knowing exactly where that blood had come from. Subconsciously, he rubbed the scars on his forearms, fingers trailing down the feather-like shape they had. Aside from the symbol on the floor and a matching design on the wall, the room was barren, having been sparse before the raid and fully cleared out after it.
“...Benny?” He didn’t respond, instead stepping forward into the circle. He knelt down and pressed his hand over a small indent in the ground, like it had been chipped. His eyes followed the mark and he stretched his arm out, illuminating more of the ground to reveal more scratch marks and nicks.
“They won’t hurt you again.”
“But, but how do you know?! What if they come back and now I’m superpowered they want to take me back and-”
“I will handle them, Benji. Do not worry.”
“But…”
“Watch the news tonight, hatchling. I promise you they won’t hurt you again.”
“Benny?”
“She tipped off the foundation, triggered the raid on this place. By the time they got here every member of the cult had been restrained.”
“Who did?”
“Amaleez.” He stood and raised his hands to the wall, pressing the glowing hot tips of his fingers into the faded paint. As soon as he did, the symbols lit up in a purple glow before seeming to mesh together, then spread out to form a swirling portal. Benny stepped back beside Champagne, leaning into his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around Benny. A moment later, a tall woman with large wings and a feathered tail stepped through, followed by a second paler woman with dark bat-like wings and curling obsidian horns. The second woman tilted her head upon seeing Benny, her indigo eyes flashing purple in the light of Benny’s hands.
“Hello again.”
“Ro.” Benny nodded in greeting. Champagne waved awkwardly.
“Uh, hi. I’m Champagne.”
“Bennyi’s partner. I am Ro, Amaleez’s wife.” Amaleez stepped forward also and smiled warmly at Champagne, her red eyes sparkling in the light, her wings shining softly and illuminating the room more consistently than Benny’s torch-like glow. Her eyes drifted around the room briefly before settling on the two men once more.
“How have you been, Benji?” Benny shrugged.
“As good as usual.” Champagne tapped his shoulder and Benny sighed. “Okay, okay, not… great. Not terrible though. Champ’s been helping.” He smirked and pressed a kiss into Champagne’s jaw, causing the taller man to roll his eyes fondly and, in response, kiss Benny’s temple. Amaleez laughed quietly, a broad smile spreading across her face, a look of fondness evident on her face as she watched the two.
“It definitely appears that you are doing better than when you left.”
“Speaking of that… what happened after we returned to Tayrun’s world?” Ro raised her hand to draw their attention.
“I can summarise that. In short, once your healer stopped supplying the invaders with potions to aid in their assault, we were able to launch a counter attack that forced them back as well as attack their supplies to manipulate them into retreating. In a few days, they were gone.” Champagne ducked his head in embarrassment and guilt at the reminder of how they had unintentionally aided the wrong side. Benny reached up and squeezed his hand looking to Amaleez and asking,
“How are your kids, then? The two who were fighting and the twins?” Amaleez smiled softly at the mention of her children.
“They are doing well, all have returned to the palace which is once more teeming with life. The market has returned also, and Winter has been selling clothing and designs at a stall, making quite a name among the tailors. The elder two have returned to their schooling also, my eldest in training to be a healer, my son to be a teacher. What of your, ‘not children’, then?” Benny blushed, remembering his panicked response to the question. Champagne raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“They’re all well and fine.”
“What happened to your third?” Ro asked, eyes darting around the room while her head remained completely still.
“Tayrun’s back in his world. He… didn’t want to come.” His actual wording was that he did not want to invade into a personal matter. Benny had been touched by the kid’s kindness, but also embarrassed by how apparently apparent it was that he was not doing so well.
“Speaking of… why did you choose this location to meet with us, Bennyi? It does not seem like the most welcoming of places.” Amaleez smacked her hand, but she didn’t retract her question. Her gaze was firm but kind, fixed on Benny, but not his face. Not that Benny would have known, as his own eyes were fixed on Champagne’s shoes, for once actual boots rather than his slides and socks.
“You don’t have to ans-” Amaleez began to say, but Benny spoke at the same time.
“I needed to come here. I needed to see it again. I needed this. But I also needed a reason. I needed a distraction. This just happened to work.” His gaze didn’t rise. He could feel the heat in his veins burning hotter as his emotions swirled.
“That is an admirable decision and depth of self-understanding.” Ro said quietly, her eyes moving from Benny to Champagne.
“You have good support as well, it seems.” Champagne felt his face heat up and looked down at Benny to distract himself, only to be met with a slightly lovesick smile, a gentle warmth he’d rarely seen shining through those shimmering gold eyes. His blush spread further and he tucked his chin in in embarrassment. Amaleez giggled again.
“It seems you two are doing well together.” Her eyes were tracing over them both, but with the distant, X-ray like look that showed she was looking through them, or around them, rather than at them.
“She can see auras. Lets her see stuff we can’t.” Benny explained, smirking at Champagne’s confused expression. Amaleez’s face glowed red as she blushed.
“Ag, yes, I apologise, I realise it may seem strange to those who are… unused to my sight.” Champagne went to respond when the roof creaked and groaned, a howling wind screaming and whistling through the holes in it. Benny flinched violently, and Ro dropped into a defensive stance. Amaleez placed a hand on her shoulder, her eyes scanning the roof.
“I think it would be best if we moved from here.”
“Agreed.” Benny whispered, his glow flickering. Amaleez stepped forward and placed a square of thick paper into Benny’s hand, several lines of writing scrawled onto it.
“If you want to come back, here is how to get to the palace.” She smiled. “Unless there is another pressing matter you wish to address, we will return. But you, both of you, are always welcome within the palace gates.”
Benny nodded wordlessly, his eyes fixed on the paper.
“Thank you.” Champagne offered. The women shared a glance, waved to them, then turned and slipped through the portal, disappearing as it closed. The room was suddenly a lot darker. Champagne’s arm dropped down to Benny’s waist as he carefully guided him back out of the warehouse to the car. Once the cold air hit him, it was like the life had returned and he looked up to meet Champagne’s eyes.
“Thank you for coming with me.”
“Of course. I’d be a pretty shit boyfriend if I didn’t.”
“No, Champ… I mean it.”
“I know.” He hugged Benny closer then let him go so they could duck into the car out of the wind. They sat, listening to the wind howl around them, in the warmth of the small car, watching the front of the warehouse for a few minutes longer, before Benny turned to Champagne and gave a weak grin.
“I am starving. Wanna go get Mcbell? They have the best tacos.” Champagne gave him a deadpan look, though let the side of his mouth quirk up slightly as he responded.
“I highly doubt that.” Benny’s smile grew a little stronger.
“Oh no, I’ll prove it. Now where is the nearest one…”