Archive of Our Own ^beta

The doors to the Black Mesa Training Facility slammed open. A soldier stomped out of the building, flinging his helmet to the side. It skidded across the rusty transit system platform. “What kinda shitshow are you running here, anyway? They tried to kill me!” His voice boomed through the station.  

“Wait a minute, Corporal!” Dr. Coomer rushed outside, pushing past another scientist who chased after the runaway helmet. The soldier grumbled, unhooking himself from his vest, and stopped at the edge of the platform. What looked like miles stretched down below into the depths of the facility. He stared down Dr. Coomer, who took a breath after catching up to him. “Corporal, you forgot to take off your Powered Combat Vest before leaving!”

“What? Is that it?” He shoved off the gear and thrust it at Dr. Coomer’s chest as he growled. “The thing’s dead! What’re you damned scientists thinking, making me jump off walls, and- and nearly getting me stuck in the ceiling, and-”

“You should be careful using ropes in the future, Corporal!” Dr. Coomer advised, clutching the gear.

“Goddamn pits. Who does that Benrey think they are, anyway?” The Corporal grabbed a necklace out from under his shirt and held the chewelry between his teeth before folding his arms. Through an old speaker, the announcement system alerted them of an incoming tram. It followed an overhead track leading to the station. The Corporal walked backward for the doors as they opened. “If I see that guy again, ohh. Oh, I’ll show ‘em hell-!”

“Yo, you’re going to hell?” Benrey stood in the doorway, blocking his path.

“Ah! I wondered where you wandered off to, Beeper!”

The Corporal’s jaw dropped, chewelry falling against his shirt. “How- you were just- I saw you inside, just now!

“Huh?”

“Gah, forget it!” Benrey let him push past as he muttered, shaking his head. They hopped off the tram and stood next to Dr. Coomer. The Corporal’s glare burned through the smudged windows until the tram disappeared into the tunnels ahead.

Dr. Coomer heaved a sigh. “Another student storms off…Those blasted soldiers are a menace!”

“Soldiers are just like that.” Benrey assured him.

“Oh, but I don’t blame you for them, of course! Your students see the most improvement over time, after all.”

“Only after they start working with someone else.”

“Nonsense, Boper, our analyses say-”

“Say, peepaw, you hungry? Dinnertime for Dr. Coomer?”

Dr. Coomer quirked a brow. “I would love that, but I’m still working until the stations are cleaned up! That waste won’t dispose of itself, after all. The pipes in the radiation station have been acting up lately, I’ll have to call a crew in to look before the next time we use it…” He caught himself rambling, and refocused. “I can see if any of my clones in the area are free?”

“It’s fine.”

“I can ask Bubby and Tommy, then. They would love to spend time with you!”

“They’re busy. Don’t wanna distract them.”

Bubby was in high demand, and even though Tommy did say he wanted to show them the progress on his genetics project, neither had a good chance of being available without giving up their work…

“Benrey?”

“Mm?”

Dr. Coomer patted their arm. “You seem a little…off, lately. I want you to know that you really do shine out there, on the course! It gives me a thrill to watch you work!”

They kicked at the ground to listen to the echo. Another tram stopped by in time to flee. They sang a “see ya” in Sweet Voice, and left Dr. Coomer to his work.

Lounging in the hard cushioned seats, Benrey watched out a window as the tram descended to the lower levels of Sector A, outside the Hazard Course. It fell quiet, the car nearly empty. They had a great view of every open window in the walls of the offices. This time every week, one scientist played pinball on their work computer. The view into another office was blocked by the tallest stacks of paperwork Benrey ever laid eyes upon. Endless boredom and chaos, day in and day out, just like their full time work outside the course.

The announcement system filled the silence. “Good evening, and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System…”

Benrey turned from the window and caught a figure in their peripheral. Another soldier sat across from them. They were everywhere, now, since the Hazard Course staff agreed to give the guys stationed in the facility extra training. Had to know the unique hazards they’d find, if some emergency did happen in Black Mesa. Benrey wrung their hands.

“This train is inbound from..Hazard Course Training Facility..to..Sector A, Area 4…”

The soldier’s leg bounced. He held a backpack on his lap, hugging it with his face buried against it. Red hair curled out from under his cap. Kinda cool; Benrey never saw anything longer than a buzz cut before. No one had hair as long as Benrey’s, though, probably because no one else would be able to fit it all under a hat like they did.

The tram slowed to a stop. Benrey waited for the usual lurch forward, but the soldier groggily lifted his head as the system called, “Now arriving at..Sector A, Area 4.” He stood up only to get knocked off balance by the tram swinging to a stop. Benrey winced as he tripped and the backpack fell from his hands. Plastic toys flew across the floor.

“Thank you, and have a very safe day!” The soldier swore under his breath. Seeing all the toys spin away, he sighed and drooped his head. One bounced off Benrey’s boot. Curious, they picked it up. No way, a beyblade!

The soldier silently collected the runaway beyblades from underneath the seats. Benrey gripped the one they held and stood up. “Hey.” He bumped his head on a seat as looked up at them in surprise. “Duel me sometime, bro. Let it rip, right?” They dropped the beyblade in his bag. As they exited the tram, they felt his eyes follow them. …Why did they say that?

Benrey fled the platform and hurried to a break-room they frequented on days they worked in Sector A. While they worked as a security guard for the alien labs, Dr. Coomer recommended they train other guards, too. The soldiers came next. None of Benrey’s students liked them, but the soldiers all acted like the Corporal earlier to everyone; just a bunch of dicks.

A clone passed by and called to them. “Hello, Beanie!”

“Yo. Busy, grampa?”

“Very! I plan to ask Bubby out tonight!” They waved and continued their separate ways. Dr. Coomer loved Bubby—and so did everyone else. When did the two last get a night to themselves? When was the last time Benrey got to hang out with Bubby?

Those questions drifted from their mind as they entered the break-room. Empty, as usual. Just the way they liked it. It stunk of stale coffee and microwave meals, and the chairs never returned to the same table twice. Benrey grabbed one and scraped the tile behind them on their way to a table in the corner.

Their head hit the table as soon as they sat down. A dull grey-blue sigh pooled by their face. Benrey closed their eyes to leave another disappointing day behind. The hums of the broken soda fountain grew louder in the silence. Maybe they should have asked Tommy to come, if only for him to roll back time on the thing again.

The doors swung open and two soldiers stomped in. Benrey hid their face but kept an extra eye open, recognizing the Corporal and the beyblade guy from the tram. “It’s just been a fucking hard day, man! I’m sick of training. We’re special forces, for fucks sake, what’re we running these baby basic drills for, anyway?”

“I’unno. Let’s just take a break, Roy.” Beyblades guy shifted the backpack off his shoulder and dropped it on the floor beside his chosen seat. Corporal Roy leaned far back in a creaky chair across from him. He wore big sunglasses now. Fluorescents too bright for him or somethin’?

“Shit, by the way, how’d your promotion ceremony go? Heard you’re officially Lieutenant Forzen Nice, ace pilot of the HECU! Got a good ring to it.”

“Not bad.” Forzen shrugged, reaching for his bag after sitting down.

“Not bad? You gotta take the wins as they come, man!” Roy laughed. “Especially ‘cause you got hazard training this week, right? I gotta warn ya- Wait, who’s your teacher?”

“Um…Mx. Benrey?” Forzen rummaged around. Did he have anything other than beyblades in there?

“FUCK. Yeah, man, I gotta warn you, they’re bad news.”

Uh oh. Benrey held their breath. If the soldiers hadn’t noticed them by now…

“What do you mean?”

Roy grit his teeth on his chewelry. “Everyone in the company who’s had them agrees with me, Benrey’s the worst.” He caught Forzen’s attention; he looked up from the bag. “Okay. So on this rope course, right? Bunch of ropes to swing over this pit. Laughably simple! But I grab one, and it starts…pulling me up? Well, no way I’m letting it get me stuck in the ceiling, so I let go. Fall on my ass! And what does Benrey do? Laugh.”

Benrey snickered and Forzen bit his lip to keep from doing the same. “Uhuh? What then?”

“Dude, don’t laugh!” Roy grinned, though. “I asked them, what the hell? They were trying to make me fail, or just look like an idiot. So I told them to their face what all the other guys say behind their back–that they’re a terrible teacher!”

Benrey’s grin faltered. Forzen’s too. “Bro, that sucks.”

“Yeah, it does. Thanks.”

“I mean, did you even bother to thank them for wasting their time on you?” Forzen asked. Roy sank in his seat. “We gotta play nice with our shitty instructors back at base, so what’re you talking back for now?”

“That’s different!”

“Is it? Y’know how hard they work to be smart enough to teach guys like us.”

“Shit, man, I’m sorry.”

A silence followed. Roy groaned as Forzen returned to his rummaging. Benrey realized they hadn’t breathed in a while. Not that they needed to. They didn’t need to breathe, and they didn’t need anyone to like them. Only humans needed those things.

“Agh-!” Roy looked Benrey’s way. He shoved back from the table to stand, but instead crashed with the chair to the floor. Forzen jumped and, looking up again, noticed Benrey, too. His eyes widened.

“Ow…Fuck! I’m a dead man, aren’t I? Forzen?” Forzen’s chair scratched the floor. He clutched his bag and approached Benrey. A scar on the side of his forehead caught their spare eye. They closed it—back to two—and lifted their head. “Hey, dude, what’re you doing?” Roy called.

Forzen upturned the bag and let all the beyblades clatter onto their table. A collection big enough that even Tommy would be impressed. “Wanna, uh, let it rip?”

Roy exclaimed something that sounded garbled to them. Done scanning the collection, Benrey gazed back up at Forzen. “Wha?”

The announcement system rang.

“Attention. Sector A security personnel report to training facility...”

Benrey shot up. “Wait-!” Forzen stepped towards them as they darted for the doors. They didn’t look back.

Nope. Nuh-uh. No way Benrey wanted someone to play with THAT badly. Maybe Tommy would; he liked mean people. But this guy was bugged—or worse, he just felt bad for Benrey.

“You and Bubby get to go out the other day?” Benrey asked as they stuffed a file into a cabinet in the back of the Hazard Course reception room.

Dr. Coomer pounded a fist against the front counter, making them jump. “Nope! But we will try again! Remember this, Penrey, persistence always pays off!”

For some people, sure. They kicked the cabinet shut. A railing cornered off the desks and monitors behind the front counter, and they sat on it, legs dangling. One screen played the entrance security footage, but with the doors propped open, they saw all the way to where the trams pulled in.

“I have a whole evening planned, once we find the time!” Dr. Coomer flipped through papers on a clipboard. “Are you ready to take on today’s course? Our student will be arriving shortly! Let’s see…Ah, yes, Lieutenant Nice!”

Shit. Two days passed since Benrey met the guy. “Yeah. Everything’s cool. Traps all set…-” Wait, traps? Stations. Benrey beeped in frustration, grabbing Dr. Coomer’s attention.

“Is something wrong?”

“…We should reschedule.”

He put the clipboard down and walked over. “What for?”

“Soldiers want someone else.” They said.

Dr. Coomer hummed. He rested a hand on Benrey’s arm and smiled. “I know we’ve experienced some difficulty adjusting our lessons for them, but I think that someone will surprise you one of these days! They will see you the way I see you.”

Benrey shrugged. Even if the soldiers weren’t programmed to be hostile, would they think any better of them? “Nope. Just how they’re scripted.”

“Hm! Interesting turn of phrase. But I do think you will be surprised.”

The beyblades did catch them off-guard, but those were some kinda bug. Had to be. If they bothered to look, there might be a bug report button somewhere in the code they could access…Who would it get sent to, though? Could they fix whatever Benrey’s doing wrong in the next patch while they’re at it?

With a muddy orange sigh, Benrey slid off the railing and helped Dr. Coomer finish cleaning. Dread bubbled in their chest.

Dr. Coomer’s eyes grew distant. Benrey gripped a stack of paperwork tight while watching him with curiosity until his focus returned. “Ah-! Good news, Benny, I just ran into the Lieutenant. He was confused about which train to take.”

Almost got himself lost, huh? “Nice.”

“Lucky that he ran into one of my clones on the way to work! It would be quite a shame for him to miss his training.”

The dread filled their throat.

The next tram pulled in and Forzen stepped off, wearing the same red hat. He came unequipped—only with the basic grey camo uniforms the soldiers all wore. Benrey swore they only blinked once before he ran the whole length of the platform. They dodged him hurrying through the doorway and darted to the elevator, leaning against the wall. “Am I late?” Forzen asked.

“Hello, Lieutenant!” Dr. Coomer said. “You are right on time. Welcome to the Black Mesa Hazard Course!”

Forzen exhaled a quiet huh when he looked at Dr. Coomer. A typical sign that someone hadn’t figured out clones, yet. Countless Dr. Coomers appeared everywhere, but some people still hadn’t gotten with the program. Benrey noticed they’d get all nervous around him when they hung out together. Or maybe they were nervous about Benrey…Probably it, actually.

“And your instructor will be there every step of the way!” Their attention snapped back to the room, where Dr. Coomer continued his rundown of the course. Forzen now looked their way with a sleepy smile. Just being polite. They knew better, and kept a neutral expression. “You know how to equip a Powered Combat Vest, yes? We have one downstairs!”

“Huh? Uhh- Yes, sir.” Forzen faced Dr. Coomer again. Benrey huffed and headed for the elevator.

“I leave you in their hands, Lieutenant!”

Benrey stood up. “Let’s gooooo.”

Forzen shuffled over, nervously running his hands on the side of his pants. They paused. “Hey. Look at me.” They blew a calming blue Sweet Voice at him. “Just chill. It’s cool.”

Forzen blinked, surprised as the bubbles popped against his face. His anxious stimming slowed. They nodded and hit the elevator button to go down. Forzen stood beside them as they waited. “By the way, uh…nice to meet you.”

Benrey replied with green to blue, you too. When the doors opened, they let him on first.

Guess they couldn’t help but try to be niceys.

The hazard course began several stories beneath the lobby. Glimpses of it flashed through the grated walls surrounding the elevator shaft. Benrey didn’t know how big the course was exactly, but it sprawled as far as the industrial maps would generate. Although old, the course changed often to stay fresh. The staff made new stations special to train certain students once in a while. Dr. Coomer even allowed Benrey to make their own changes. Sector A became their playground to test all the hazards they could think of, in the name of measuring the survival skills of employees in an emergency, of course.

And now Forzen got to run the gauntlet.

How might he survive? Benrey could test him and let the scientists math out their data all they wanted, but did they believe the scores guaranteed their students’ fates in an actual emergency? If fate was a program, then…

“Hey.” Forzen’s voice brought their focus back. “That sign on your helmet. What’s it mean?”

Benrey’s hand reached for the side of their head, where the Lambda symbol was printed on their helmet. “This? It’s, uhh, a badge I got. Achievement get, pick up radioactive material without dying.”

“Huh.” The elevator halted and Benrey stepped forward as the doors shuddered open. “I’m…looking forward to working with you.” Forzen said. They paused mid-step.

That’s a first.

But Forzen even said before, soldiers had to play nice. Get it over with and complain to his friends later. Benrey moved on without a word.

The locker-room contained three HEV suits, locked away for scientists, and several security vests and helmets on the opposite wall. Benrey hopped toward a hi-tech trunk on the far side of the room. They sat down to unlock it. “Open? Please open?” Forzen peered over their shoulder. The console accepted their passcode and opened up, revealing a Powered Combat Vest that the military lended to them. “Thank you.”

Benrey rolled to the side to let Forzen equip the PCV. “Need help?” They asked. He shrugged. When he turned to buckle the left side, he grunted. Benrey jumped up and smacked his hands away. Forzen kept his arm raised until they finished strapping him in. “All buckled up, good to go. Don’t forget the funny goggles.”

“Thanks.” He put on the matching headgear; a green visor made for training. The PCV activated. Benrey squinted at its welcome message on the HUD—it looked backwards. Couldn’t believe the military ripped out its voicebox. They never needed to guess with the HEV suit, since it talked. Oh, major fracture detected? Benrey could deal with that.

Forzen turned away, reminding Benrey that it might have looked like they stared right at him. He gave them a thumbs up as a blue energy field formed around his head, arms, and then his legs. “Charge?” They asked. The field disappeared from view when it finished waking up. Benrey peeked at the HUD again, avoiding Forzen’s eyes. “What’s it say? Sixty-nine?”

“Nice.” Both of them snickered.

“Yeah, good. Level one, start.”

Benrey led him to the first station, a modest chamber with an obstacle course made of short walls to vault, pipes to weave between, and a ladder to climb to the doorway. Through large windows a couple scientists loomed. Their eyes, lit up by bright console screens, unsettled Benrey. They shuddered and bounced up onto the hologram stand at the starting point before remembering, at some point, someone told them not to. Oh well. They tapped the glass with their feet. “We start easy mode, okay? Tutorial time. Gotta learn how to get around Black Mesa.”

“Hey, don’t go easy on me, teach. I’m good at this stuff.”

They sneered. “Prove you can handle a challenge, bro.” Without another word Forzen leapt into action. He navigated the obstacles with ease, but Benrey didn’t envy the need to go through the intended way. They had abilities that let them walk through the mess like it didn’t exist. That wouldn’t help him, though. Soldiers couldn’t noclip.

Speaking of noclip, Benrey activated it to hover overhead. One scientist shook her head when she noticed their head go through the ceiling. They dropped down by the exit door as Forzen flew up the ladder. Man, this guy would be a menace with cheats if he was this fast already.

Besides how to cheat the game, could Benrey even teach him anything?

“Good job, points for Team Nice.” They said.

Forzen chuckled. He pressed a hand against the wall and leaned forward to catch his breath. “What’s the, uh, the high score?”

“Uhh…it’s not.”

“Not high? So, am I winning, then?”

It’s not for soldiers! Meaners don’t get to be on the leaderboard. “Bro, we’re just getting started.”

“Right. Lead on, teach, I’m ready.”

This guy was either bugged or just playing nice, but he couldn’t fool them with that act. They’d remind him what he is. By the end of the day, Forzen would be just like the others, and admit that this whole time he fucking hated them.

Through the door and around the corner, they entered the second chamber in the basic training loop. If they took the rope course out, the room would look the same as the first. Several ropes dangled from the ceiling, over a pit. The overhead lights dimmed to make it difficult to see the pulleys connected to some of them. Forzen stepped forward and looked across the pit separating him from the door on the other side. “So, uh. Noticing a lot of ropes here. Do I get a hint for…this?”

“Bonus points for figuring it out yourself.” Benrey said. “But, uh, if you wanna a hint, you got…two for free-”

A blue light in their peripheral flickered to life, interrupting them and startling Forzen. The Benrey-shaped hologram spoke in a hollow tone, reading their script. “This rope course is a simple test in…” Benrey cast a glare at the scientist in the observation room, who scrambled over a console. They sighed and shuffled past Forzen, towards the hologram stand.

“Is that-?”

“Ssh! Shut.” Benrey pried open a panel on the base and jabbed at buttons inside. Off. Turn off. Turn off.

“Ropes can be used to traverse big pits-”

The hologram vanished mid-sentence. Microphone feedback rang over the speakers. “Apologies for the…technical difficulties.” The observing scientist said.

Benrey pulled their face into a mischievous smile for Forzen, and stood up. “That’s one of your freebies, by the way. You lose the bonus.”

“Oh.” Forzen watched them with a furrowed brow as they stuffed their hands in their pockets.

“What, you waiting for something? Just go.” Come on, say something mean.

“I just…”

Fix now? Please? “Yeah- What, you nervous?”

Forzen shook his head. “I’m just not-”

“Scared soldier? Stalling for time?” They made it easy, so get angry!

“No-!”

“Just pick a rope, man. It’s not hard.”

“Mmph- fine!” Forzen exhaled a sharp breath and ran for the pit. He jumped for one centered over the pit. A snap made Benrey grin wider, with teeth. The rope fell apart at a weak point and sent him into the pit. The PCV’s energy field flickered where he made contact with the ground, breaking his fall. Forzen untangled himself from the rope that coiled over him. He combed through it to examine the ends.

“Picked wrong. Try again.” They said when he stood up, frayed rope in hand.

“You cut some of them?” He asked.

Benrey shrugged, but their smile probably told him what he wanted to hear. “Thought you said you’re good at this. Better pick a good one next time.”

Forzen stood at the edge of the pit, hands on his hips as he surveyed the remaining ropes. Pacing to the right, he lined himself up, and jumped again. He swung halfway across the pit and grabbed hold of a second rope. It trembled before dragging him up toward the ceiling. Forzen cursed and let go, landing on his feet this time. The PCV took the damage.

He squinted at the darkened ceiling. The rope kept moving up until it raveled completely. “Voyons..-! Look at that, can’t make this shit up after all, I guess!” Forzen spun around until he faced Benrey, still watching from the hologram stand. “That surprised me!”

Teal bubbles popped by their face. “Uh…Yeah, that’s, um, the point?” They said. He laughed. Benrey shuffled toward the ladder to meet him there, but he turned his back to it.

Forzen eyed the height of the wall before him. The top he could probably touch if he jumped. Perks of being a tall guy, Benrey guessed. They could be tall too, though, so no big deal. “Ah, fuck it.” He took a few steps back, then ran at it. Striking it with his foot and propelling up, he grabbed the edge. He pulled himself up. “Woo!”

Benrey exchanged a bewildered look with the scientist in the observation room. The scientist turned the microphone on again. “Um…good work! You made it across.” Benrey rolled their eyes and clipped behind Forzen.

“Hey.” Their sudden presence made him jump back. Benrey stared at him, and his expression grew tense.

“I, uh, I know I was supposed to use the ropes, but-”

They whistled a line of orange to teal. "...Means you won’t get second chances, in real." They told him. "No one’s tried that yet. They just…get mad. Force it.”

Forzen’s shoulders relaxed. “They should know better.”

“You should know better.” Whatever, they had more tricks up their sleeve.

Forzen followed Benrey around the corner to the third room, the final chamber of the loop. Even as they walked faster he kept pace. They strained to listen for his footsteps. “Hey. I’m…sorry.” He said. “I’m just not a puzzle guy, y’know?”

“Huh.” They stepped into the room—a maze of vent tunnels. “Think you’ll love this, then.”

Forzen’s jaw dropped.

Benrey pointed to the far side of the room, past the sprawling, narrow vents. “Get to the end. You get lost, you got a hint left. Just use your radio.”

He scanned the room and stared at the door to their left with an exit sign above it. “Uh…Okay. What happens if..I need more hints? After that?”

Benrey hummed. They glanced at the observation window. On the other side, Dr. Coomer scribbled on a clipboard. “Mm…You hear ‘bout PlayCoins?”

“Yeah, I, uh..got one. And a half.” Forzen said without hesitation.

“Tough luck, man. You gotta have two for a hint.”

The speakers crackled on cue. “Lieutenant, if you make it through this chamber, you can earn up to .5 PlayCoins!”

Forzen huffed a laugh. “Right on.” He ducked and clambered into the vents. When he hit a corner and looked back at the start, Benrey vanished. “How do they do that..?” He crawled onward through the dark tunnels.

Benrey clipped into the observation hall. Dr. Coomer smiled as they stood beside him at the console. A screen showed the maze layout, tracking Forzen’s position with a blinking dot. The Forzen dot blipped around the second corner. He had choices of where to go now.

“He’s a surprising fellow. I heard about the pit!” Dr. Coomer said.

Benrey watched Forzen back out of a dead-end, moving slowly. With a hum they unhooked the radio from their belt. “Yo. You good?”

The dot stopped moving. After a moment the radio crackled. “Yeah, all good. It’s…just kinda dark in here. Over.”

“You, uh, using your night vision?”

A long pause followed. Dr. Coomer and Benrey shared a concerned look until Forzen responded. “Oh. That’d be helpful, huh.” He said. Benrey snickered. The click of the PCV’s night vision came through the radio. “Thanks, teach. Over and out.”

Forzen navigated faster now and passed the halfway point. Benrey sighed and hovered a hand over a case on the console. A label on it read For Instructor Use Only. The case revealed a lever when they flipped it open. They rested their hand on it.

With the press of a button, another screen below the active one lit up, opening a new vent layout. The extra lights caught Dr. Coomer’s eye. “Hm! When was the last time you used those?” They responded orange to green; didn’t remember. Of all the surprises they had on hand, they often ignored this one. Maybe because it required them to stand next to the scientists in the room. Dr. Coomer was always safe to stand with, though.

Forzen bumped into another dead end. Dr. Coomer chuckled. “Now, I’m just thinking aloud here…but I wonder if he’s having fun. Like you do.”

“Not programmed for that.” They said.

“For what? To have fun?”

Benrey rested their hand on the lever, gripping it. Even if he happened to be having fun, it was a glitch. He needed to remember his script. The radio in their other hand buzzed. “Hey, I think I found the exit, but…there’s no exit.” Sure enough, his dot showed him at the end of the maze.

“Not seeing it, huh? You’re lost?” They grinned widely, watching him move away from the exit they sealed beforehand.

“Hopelessly. Directions aren’t my thing. Help a sad little soldier out?”

Benrey laughed and pulled the lever. Dr. Coomer peered curiously into the chamber as the vent tunnel Forzen crawled through shuddered. The whole tunnel dropped forward and the radio screeched as Forzen tumbled down. Benrey winced at the sounds of his boots scraping against the vent—audible from the chamber itself. They held the radio at arm’s length until it clicked off.

“For real?” Forzen’s voice, pitched higher than usual, echoed from the chamber. Come on. Get mad.

Dr. Coomer activated the mic to talk through the speakers, oblivious to the startled glow of Benrey’s eyes. “You’re doing well so far, Lieutenant! Keep up the good work.”

Faintly from underneath the chamber, Forzen groaned. “Augh…Really? Huh. Cool!” The radio beeped and his voice sounded closer. “Guessing that was planned and- ow- I didn’t fuck it up somehow…I didn’t fuck it up, right? Um...over.”

Benrey looked at Dr. Coomer with big eyes. Why wasn’t Forzen mad? Did he know? Dr. Coomer only smiled and placed a hand on their arm. “You should tell him about the rest of the test.” Damn. Did they have to? Dr. Coomer patted them and dropped his hand. They heaved a sigh before holding the radio up.

“Guess who unlocked the secret level!”

“No way!” Forzen laughed. “Is this where I earn those coins you were talking about?”

The screen for the lower vents showed Forzen start to move. Benrey whined. Nothing more to say? No frustration? No spite towards them as a person? If ever they were a person? Just…

“Bit dark in here. No worries. Still got night vision. Over.”

“You look surprised.” Dr. Coomer commented.

They did? When did they stop grinning like they lived to torment him? Like nothing gave them more pleasure than to be a piece of shit?

Benrey leaned over the console and put their face in their hands while Forzen navigated to the end of the bonus level. Dr. Coomer scrawled in his notes, humming to himself until something broke his train of thought. “Ah! By the way, Barnaby… Maintenance started looking at the pipes in the radiation station this morning, but they should be done by the time you and the Lieutenant get there!”

They stood back up and nodded, checking on Forzen’s progress. He reached the end. Benrey sang a burst of blue, dark green, and grey at Dr. Coomer followed by a trail of pink. His smile brightened. They told him this enough for him to get the gist; a little ‘I love you, Dr. Coomer.’

Time to rejoin Forzen. They clipped back into the chamber. “Have fun out there, Beepo!” Dr. Coomer called. They landed on the starting platform as a panel in the floor popped open. Forzen peeked out, squinting through the visor until he switched off its night vision.

“Yo.” Should they help him up? They shoved their hands in their pockets.

“Did I take a wrong turn?” Forzen pulled himself out of the floor.

“Yeah. It’s okay, though.” Benrey said. “Got something else in mind. This way.” They turned to the exit door. With a hesitant frown he followed them into a bright corridor leading away from the basic training loop. When he looked back at the windows, Dr. Coomer waved.

Scratchy carpet and fake office doors lined the corridor that branched into several directions. Benrey took a path that opened up into a staged break room, complete with worn sofas, dull paintings, and a vending machine with a broken light. On one wall a health and charging station side by side quietly hummed. Although the charging station had full vials of the blue fluid, its lights were dim.

Benrey pointed the stations out to Forzen. “Know them?”

“Sure, seen them around a few times.”

“The HEV power’s cool with your PCV. Any of the stations you see around the facility, you can use…” They caught themself falling into their script. Whups. “That’s- all you really need to know. This one’s obvious.” They gestured to the health station and stepped aside.

As Forzen stepped forward, the HEV machine detected movement and came to life. Its screen by the hose flashed Charger Ready. Forzen patted down the sides of his vest. “Fuck, I always forget…” It took a moment for him to find the pocket that protected the port. Forzen inserted the hose into his vest. One of the station’s glowing vials drained as energy pulsed through the PCV. The field around Forzen appeared again, dull and fractured around his legs. Charging patched up the wear and tear. Benrey bounced to the hums of the machine.

Surprised. That’s one way to describe how they felt now. Dr. Coomer might have been onto something. The Hazard Course gave Benrey a way to have fun on the job; it became an outlet for them. Maybe that’s why Dr. Coomer wanted them on staff—they could make their messes at no expense to the rest of the facility. Damage control.

Benrey sighed.

The charger beeped again. Forzen gave them a thumbs up. “All fueled up and ready to go! Thanks for waiting.”

“Wh?…Don’t?”

“What? Use the charge? Oh.” Benrey spit a frustrated red to orange, and Forzen’s eyes widened. “Ooh! Like, don’t thank you, yet.”

Benrey shrugged. He got the idea. Besides Tommy, they didn’t expect anyone to read any deeper into Sweet Voice.

“Sorry.”

Benrey narrowed their eyes at him as they thought of something to ask. “Hey. You’re uh..a Lieutenant?” He nodded. “Makes you a leader, right?”

“Suppose so. It’s…a new position.”

Noted. “Nice.”

“Why?”

“Uh…I dunno. You don’t talk like other soldiers, I guess.”

Something clicked in his eyes. “You’re right! I’m sorry, teach- um. Sir.” He straightened his posture, standing taller. Benrey stared, unblinking. When they didn’t respond, Forzen deflated. “It’s not an excuse, but it’s so much effort to, y’know…Do you want me to-”

“No.”

“Oh. No?”

“Nope.” Benrey shook their head. “Don’t care. I haven’t been on script, either.” Forzen responded with a breath of relief and a grin, and they felt themself smile back.

Guess they kinda liked the change of pace.

It couldn’t last, though. Surprises only stayed surprising for a moment. Best not to get their hopes up.

Outside the office structure, the course turned into a grimy industrial maze. Catwalks bridged canals and every footstep bounced off the tall ceilings. Dark pits, concrete structures, rusty ladders…In many ways it resembled Black Mesa as a whole. Just as dangerous, too—for humans. This is where the Hazard Course earned its name.

The scientists oversaw testing from this point on through security cameras tucked away in every corner. With less monitoring they relaxed more, even though Benrey’s responsibility for their student’s safety grew. Despite what the soldiers all thought of them, their injuries were never more than what armor would save them from. Still, Benrey prepared to keep a close eye or three on Forzen.

The next station on their route lay on the other side of a canal, through a doorless doorway. Benrey led the way across the catwalk. Reflections danced on the walls and sounds of flowing water filled the space. Forzen peered over the rail to watch the water. “Where’s this go?”

“Whu?” Benrey stopped when they noticed Forzen slow down. They shuffled back and looked down with him. “We got a station for swimming. Not on the schedule today.” Forzen leaned on the railing. They fell silent, standing side by side.

“…Y’know,” Forzen spoke soft enough his voice didn’t echo. “You’re not like the teacher I heard about.”

“Really?”

“I heard they were mean—maybe even cruel. Hated their work but loved the power that came with it. That…doesn’t sound like you.”

Uh oh. “Why not?”

“Cause your training’s cool.” He said. “It’s nice.”

They hesitated. A nervous orange glowed in the back of their throat, where their words were stuck. Nice? That’s a weird word. Mind using that word to describe…anything else? “Yoo.” They laughed it off.

Forzen looked up from the water. “I’m having fun. Are you?”

Benrey kept their gaze down.

When did they stop having fun teaching? No matter why Dr. Coomer brought them on board, they loved the course. They loved it. Other security guards had a sense of humor, so at least Benrey still enjoyed teaching them. Everyone thought they were funnier after they had a sandbox to play in—like they were meant to be here. Meant to help people. Benrey liked that idea.

None of the soldiers knew how to play. Just like the scientists, they saw everything as work. How was Benrey supposed to have fun when their students couldn’t? Rumors spread that they wanted to hurt their students and that they hated their work. What gave anyone those ideas? The soldiers were right about one thing, though: Benrey loved the power, and the freedom that came with it.

Sounds from the canal grew faint as they passed through the empty doorway to the next station. Benrey’s nose wrinkled at a damp smell. The station built into the towering storehouse centered around a bridge suspended over a pit. A wheel by the ledge connected to ropes that held it up perpendicular to the starting and ending platforms.

Forzen leapt for the wheel, enthusiasm at an all-time high. Before he put his hands on it, something beneath the bridge distracted him. Benrey slid up beside him and they gazed down over the ledge together. The pit was several feet deeper than the one in the swinging ropes station. Tall stacks of crumpled and questionably dry cardboard boxes lined the bloodstained ground.

“Think I’ll fall this time?” Forzen asked.

“I’ll laugh if you do.” Benrey side-eyed him as he chuckled. “If you do…you earn a free trial. For the health station.” They spawned in a medkit behind their back and held it up. Forzen’s face lit up.

“That’s a good deal!” He stepped back and grabbed the rusty wheel. It shrieked as it fought against him; both shuddered. The bridge creaked and rotated when the wheel spun a couple times. Forzen lined it up with both platforms and let the wheel go. It clicked as it spun backwards. The bridge slowly spun to its original position.

Forzen breathed out and stepped away from the wheel. “Okay, I got this. ” He ran at the ledge and jumped—missing the bridge by a mile and falling through the cardboard with a loud slam. The medkit slipped from Benrey’s hand as they scanned the pit. The boxes shifted where he landed. Forzen laughed and kicked a few aside, wading through them. Looking up at Benrey, he waved with a goofy grin. “I’m redeeming my trial!”

Benrey sputtered with laughter. “Awesome! You get, uh, the flavor of the month!” They glanced around for the kit then scooped it up. “BAJA BLAST.” They flung it at him. Wide eyed, Forzen caught it.

With the medkit slung over his shoulder, Forzen climbed up a ladder. He passed Benrey on his way to the wheel, still smiling.

Unbelievable. Benrey caught themself smiling back at him again. Finally, someone got it—how fun the hazard course is. Forzen was having fun. He realigned the bridge and hopped across to the other side with no issue.

If they could make something Forzen enjoyed, would he think they’re a good teacher? “Stupid.” They muttered. Across the room Forzen waved to them.

“Coming?”

The bridge started its spin back already. “Gooo!” They called back. “I’ll, uh, take a shortcut.”

Forzen responded with a thumbs up and headed for the door. With his back turned, they teleported ahead. As the world loaded back in around them, they spotted the loop of hazardous material stations up ahead, down below.

The door opened and Forzen stepped through. He jumped when he saw Benrey beat him there. “Still having fun?” They asked.

He shifted the strap of the medkit. “Mhm!”

Down a series of winding stairwells, they headed for the hazardous materials loop. Forzen spoke up. “By the way…I was surprised the bridge didn’t fall.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing crazy happened, like with the ropes and the vents?”

Benrey’s head did backflips to process what he said. “Oh. You want something crazy?” He shrugged. “Well, you can’t expect everything to go wrong. Lotta things will, but…”

“No good being too careful?”

“Yeah. You get it.”

“Good to have fun, too.”

Those were two different things. Forzen found Benrey fun, apparently, but they wondered if they could prove to him that, maybe..? Could they be good?

They approached a restricted access doorway at the end of a sterile hall. The security guard on duty, a guy Benrey worked with at the alien labs, sat back in a chair with a magazine. Once in a while, he gave Benrey a gaming magazine. They liked that about him. His helmet matched theirs with a lambda symbol on the side. Benrey and Forzen approached and he looked up. “Ah…that time, already?” His chair’s front legs rattled and hit the ground as he leaned forward to reach the retinal scanner. “Go easy on him, okay, Benrey? It’s dangerous in here.”

“Dangerous?” Forzen asked. The door opened. Signs on the wall ahead warned of hazardous materials ahead.

“Nothing you can’t handle.” Benrey told him.

The lights beyond the door flickered. Odd. “Huh…power troubles?” The guard shrugged. “Ah, well, maintenance probably got it handled. They’re finishing up in there. If y’all need anything, just call. Ol’ Miller’s got your back.” Miller sat back and flipped open the magazine.

Benrey walked on, Forzen close behind. “Thanks, Mills. We’re cool.”

Forzen read over the labels on the walls depicting all sorts of hazards. Fire, electrical, radiation… “Pfft- you call it the radiation station?”

“Yep, for the Playstation.” That got him to laugh louder.

First up in the loop, a narrow room as long as a football field—so they were told—with a grated floor all the way across. Pipes ran along both walls with spouts directed inwards. Steam hissed from somewhere underneath, in the maintenance tunnels. It all reeked of lighter fluid. Ew. They sniffed the air again. …Ewww!

Benrey bounced over to a table holding several closed flasks of brightly-colored substances. On the floor beside it, caution tape stretched across the width of the room. “Can I test this?” Benrey asked. They picked up a flask of green goop. Forzen nodded, so they held it closer to him. The PCV’s Geiger counter sounded off. “That’s what it sounds like.”

“Yoo, the radiation! This isn’t gonna be a smart guy kinda test, is it?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. You’ll just see this stuff again in-”

A creaking sound distracted them. A hatch on the floor behind them unlocked and opened up. Benrey turned, eyes narrowing at the frizzy-haired scientist who climbed out. He adjusted wide glasses up his nose and startled upon spotting them. “Ah! You’re here, already, that’s- good. Very good.”

The scientist held his breath as he closed the hatch in the slowest, quietest way possible. Forzen glanced between him and Benrey with a curious look. Expecting Benrey to say something? They just stared him down, green goop still in hand. The hatch finally clicked shut. “Whew-! The hazards are all set up! Piping is- well. Piping.” Had they seen this guy before? Maybe once or twice. Benrey sometimes saw someone refill health stations with that juice. The scientist fumbled with a lanyard with a Black Mesa ID dangling from it. Dr. Jamie Werner…Maintenance. They should have been done already. “And, honestly, I recommend coming back later. I can only work so fast by myself-!”

“You’re not supposed to be here?” Benrey said.

“Oh? Well, you see, we’re running behind on schedule and had some trouble with the power—maybe you noticed—but I set up the backup generator, so…” Jamie trailed off as he noticed their glare. “So…I’m going to go now. Apologies for the interruption.”

“No problem.” Forzen said.

He laughed weakly, turning on his heels and darting away. “Smooth, Jamie, really nice…” He murmured to himself, just loud enough for Benrey to hear. They sighed.

Benrey pointed to the tape along the floor. “Start here, please?” Forzen moved into place and gazed at the far end of the room.

“What do I do?” An odd noise rattled in the pipes on the wall, and a spout spurted fire.

“Run.”

Forzen dashed down the hallway, his steps echoing off the grate floor. Fire spouted from both sides intermittently. He weaved back and forth. “Ayoye!” Flames hit him more than once; the PCV’s blue shielding flickered each time. Forzen cursed at every spout he dodged.

Although they enjoyed watching him outrun the flames, Benrey clipped through the floor and dropped down into the maintenance tunnel. The scientist said something about backup power, and the way he said it worried them more than the possibility of Forzen catching on fire. More than anything, burning through his armor at full charge in this station alone would impress them.

The tunnel ran the full length of the room overhead. It branched off in several places where it connected to the other stations in the loop. Benrey stuck their head through the wall to look out of bounds, to where each tunnel led. Three hallways, including the one overhead, looped in a big square connected by small chambers in each corner. No sign of any generator, yet. Probably at the far end of another hall, out of sight from this angle.

Forzen stumbled to a stop at the end of the flame dash. He pressed his hand to the door, retreating into a small room of respite. Benrey popped up from the ground behind him and followed him inside. “Record time, trackstar.”

He breathed a heavy laugh. “That high score’s gonna be mine! I was thinking- man, I wonder if it’s that hot in Bowser’s castle, ‘cause, uh, you know how-”

“Armor check?”

“Huh?”

Benrey beeped. “Stats?”

“Oh.” Forzen’s glanced at the corner of his visor. “52 charge.”

“Hm. Yeah, that works. Ready for round two, Mario man?”

A sickly green glow illuminated the next corridor. The Geiger counter ticked, just audible over the bellowing sounds of machinery and piping below. Puddles of radiation flooded the hall. Several platforms and ropes provided a precarious path through.

Forzen looked the course over, then turned back to Benrey. “So it’s…uh- Do I need to use those PlayCoins for a hint, or-”

“Nope. Room’s radiated.”

“Any catch?”

“Nope.” No tricks up their sleeve, this time. Benrey beeped an encouraging line of blue to grey at him. He would be okay. The orbs popped against him, and he smiled.

“Epic. See ya on the other side.”

The path seemed clear to Forzen as he almost danced around and over the puddles. Benrey observed until the worry returned. Their shoulders dropped and they clipped through the floor again. Something needed their attention.

The Hazard Course staff only flooded the hallway on days they used the radiation station. Still, most advanced students ran it at least once. That’s a lot of emptying and filling the pools. A lot of time needed to maintain it all. Benrey dropped down into the tunnel. Pipes carrying the green goop oozed, dripping radiation on the floor. They lifted a foot from a puddle. “What the-”

Radiation didn’t bother them, so the last time the pipes leaked, they got stuck on cleanup. Not gamer at all. Hopefully they could get out of it this time…but wasn’t maintenance just here today? The one scientist on duty?

Where was that generator…

 They spotted it sitting by the wall up ahead, making a racket. The backup power—Jamie left it there? Goop dripped from the pipes above and pooled around it. The machine trembled, swelling up and puffing smoke.

Not good.

Benrey clipped upwards to find Forzen. He made it halfway across the flooded hallway overhead—right above the generator. It screamed as they lifted their head above a pool behind Forzen. They sang a bright red warning for him to go faster, but he stopped instead to look back in surprise.

A roar shook the room and the generator’s explosion passed through Benrey. They shielded their eyes. Lights shattered up and down the hall, and the station went dark.

The Red Sweet Voice lingered in the darkness. The eruption quieted down. Their ears still rang, and alarms blared distantly. Benrey lowered their arms from their face, emerging from the radiation and planting their feet on a platform. Green from the glowing pools splattered everywhere. A gaping hole burned through the floor where the generator steamed. Benrey blinked as they scanned the damage, their eyes dim and mind blank, until they spotted Forzen on the ground on the other side of the hole.

They called to him, but choked on smoke and Sweet Voice stuck in their throat. Orbs sputtered and dissipated. Benrey hopped over the hole to where Forzen lay unconscious—painted in radiated green. Gotta get him out of the puddles..- They hooked their hands under his arms and dragged him away from the rubble.

Clear of most of the radiation at the end of the hall, Benrey dropped beside Forzen to look him over. They hummed for some light. Goop stained his vest, and the PCV’s dull shielding flashed in spots along his arms and legs. It took a hell of a beating.

Benrey brushed off what they could. A warm static from the shielding numbed their hands as they touched him. They tilted his face towards them and squinted past a crack in his visor to read the HUD. The charge dropped to…5 percent? No, 2 percent- The number hit zero.

What about his health? They weren’t high enough in this stat to know if he’d keep breathing or not. The PCV never told them this kinda stuff. Benrey’s hands shook as they opened up the console. They skimmed through Forzen’s code. 44 HP. Not dead yet—but he needed healing for the injuries now exposed without his armor. Eyes glinting, they scanned for the medkit they gave him. It lay in the radiation a ways back. “Shit.” They reached out for it. Shadows extended from their arm, forming claws. Without moving from Forzen’s side, they snatched up the medkit. The shadows retracted, returning to their main body, and left the kit in their perfectly human hand.

Two flashlights shined into the hall, and the ticking of more geiger counters grew louder. “Oh, dear, I’m terribly allergic.” Dr. Coomer hopped around the goop, followed by Jamie. “Are the two of you all right, Benrey?”

Benrey whistled another red warning as Dr. Coomer’s light fell on Forzen. He knelt beside them, resting a hand on Benrey’s arm. “Let me help. May I take this medical kit?” They let it slip from their hand as Dr. Coomer took it. Forzen would be okay, but Benrey’s chest still felt tight.

Jamie gasped, examining the damage to the station. “How…It’s like a bomb went off in here!”

The shadows over Benrey’s eyes darkened. They glared at him. “The generator.”

“The-” He faltered, in thought. “But…the generator was fine when I left it!”

“Under a busted pipe?”

Jamie huffed. “…No, no. I mean, the pipes are a mess in here, but it was fine right there when I left-!”

“Dr. Werner, could you take a look at where you left the generator?” Dr. Coomer asked without looking up, his focus on healing Forzen.

“Dr. Coomer, I assure you that I-”

“That you weren’t guilty?” Benrey growled.

Jamie shook his head, gritting his teeth. “I…I wasn’t- I’m not! I did my job right. But…well, what about you? You let this happen to your student under your supervision! What were you thinking, using this station the day of maintenance?”

They spat a sharp pitched line of Sweet Voice in his direction, making him stumble back. If Tommy could translate, he’d probably say something like Red to Blue means that’s not cool. “Don’t blame me for your mistakes!”

“If anyone’s to blame, it would be you, monster!” Jamie’s eyes widened as the words fell from his mouth. Benrey stood and snarled.

“That’s enough!” Dr. Coomer held up his hands. “This is no time for an argument. Dr. Werner, please excuse yourself. We will discuss this later.”

“Dr. Coomer, I-”

“Could you call more staff and clean up this mess? We’ll take the Lieutenant to the infirmary.” He said with a sense of finality. Jamie’s shoulders sank and he stepped back.

“…Yes, sir.” He glanced at Benrey, who bared their teeth, and frowned. “You’re right. We need to make sure no other accidents are waiting to happen.”

Black Mesa loved accounting for emergencies. The Hazard Course only existed for the purpose of training employees how to handle them. Scientists talked all day about regulations, and risk reduction, and all the fancier words Benrey didn’t remember. What was Dr. Coomer thinking when he put the facility’s favorite crisis in charge of teaching humans how to survive?

Survive what, even? What kind of game were they all playing?

Benrey scoffed. They sat shivering beside Forzen’s bed in the cold, empty infirmary, leg bouncing as they waited for him to wake up. A table next to them held Forzen’s cracked visor. Benrey’s face dropped into their hands. So much for being a good teacher.

Even if it wasn’t their fault the generator blew up, it was their fault Forzen got hurt. He wouldn’t forgive them now. When he woke up, he’d be a normal soldier and give them hell…Just what they wanted, right?

The bed shifted as Forzen woke up with a groan. Benrey lifted their head and opened their mouth to speak, but only Sweet Voice came out, again. Damn it. Blue to dark green drooped in a line to the floor. I’m sorry I’m mean. Forzen squinted and his eyes followed the trail, dazed. “…So, um…did I fail?”

“Wh?”

“I failed, didn’t I? That’s not the face of a happy teach.”

They stared, mouth still open. “You’re worried about that?” He met their eyes in uncertainty. They looked away. “…No. You did great. But…”

“But?”

Benrey hesitated. “Gonna find you someone else to go through the rest with you…-” They trailed off as Forzen sat up. He winced and swore under his breath. “Hey, chill.” Benrey gently pressed against his shoulder, urging him to lay back down. He shook them off.

“No.”

“No?”

“No! Why switch out?” Forzen’s voice raised. They turned their head down, avoiding his gaze again. Bandages covered injuries on his arm. Benrey frowned.

“You…need someone else who’s…good at this.”

“I mean, you’re g-” Benrey cut him off with a sharp beep.

“You need someone better, yeah? Just reschedule.”

Forzen leaned back and folded his arms, looking away. He shivered, too. Both fell silent. Benrey ran a thumb over their other hand’s knuckles again and again. After a minute, Forzen heaved a sigh and turned back to them with a stern expression. “Can’t we finish this today?”

Ah, and get it over with. Now they understood. “I…can see if Dr. Coomer can-”

“With you.”

“Nuh-uh. Just an accident waiting to happen.”

Forzen’s shoulders sagged and he bit his lip before speaking up again. “…I know I fucked up the radiation station. I’m not that smart, but…I’d like to keep going with you.”

Benrey shook their head. “Can’t you just stick to the script?”

A knock on the door-frame pulled both of their attention away and towards Dr. Coomer, who entered the infirmary. “Hello, Lieutenant! Wonderful to see you awake. You had quite an exciting time today. How are you feeling?”

“Not bad, actually. Good enough to finish the course now.”

Dr. Coomer laughed and sat down beside him, across from Benrey. “We’ll see about that. May I see how those injuries are healing?” He held a hand out. Forzen nodded. “Very good.” Dr. Coomer gently took Forzen’s bandaged arm to examine him, and hummed. A soft beep of thanks from Benrey made him smile.

Forzen sighed. “…I’m…sorry for causing trouble.”

Dr. Coomer patted his shoulder. “Quite all right, Lieutenant. The green goop explosion wasn’t your fault!”

“Yah. On me for not being ready for it.” Benrey said.

“Don’t do that to yourself.” Dr. Coomer pointed at them. “Accidents happen all the time.”

Forzen offered them a nervous smile. "You can’t expect everything to go wrong, right? Bunch of things will, but-”

“Absolutely right, Lieutenant!”

"Mm.” They dropped their head again, wringing their hands. They breathed out slowly. “…Okay.”

So. Forzen stayed nice even after getting exploded. Benrey had some hope left, after all. If he wanted to keep playing, they’d make him the best boss level possible—with a time limit of two hours. Dr. Coomer rallied a small team of people on shift to set up the gauntlet. They made up a scenario in the civilian station, a recreational area bordering the course’s mini railroad. Together, the crew finished a new station to put the pressure on their student. “It’s special, just for you.” Benrey explained to him on the way over. “Puzzles for Forzen.”

“Puzzles..?”

“Tutorial’s not done till you learn all the core mechanics, bro.”

“Puzzles??” Forzen’s asked again. They chirped in response. “Um…what happens if I fail? Can I use PlayCoins for extra lives?”

They shook their head, smirking. “Sorry. Gotta hold onto ‘em. Think of this as…the boss battle. Just like the first one of any game. Easy baby boss, you’ll wipe the floor with it.” Forzen didn’t look convinced. “Hey, you’re the one who said not to go easy on you.”

“That was before puzzles were involved, man…”

The fake office structure marked the start of this station. Not far from the break-room where they charged up his PCV at earlier, Benrey gestured to a restricted access door at the end of one of the other hallways. Forzen approached it. A retinal eye scanner kept it locked. “Don’t think I can…” Forzen lifted his visor, still cracked, and tried the scanner. A deep automated voice denied him access.

“Your challenge,” Benrey said over the voice, “Is to find your way from here to the train platform. From here on out, you’re in charge.” He stared at them, wide-eyed and sad. That was a new expression for them. The visor dropped back down and he glanced around the hallway, lost. After testing a few fake doors that led nowhere, he groaned and rubbed at his face.

 …Maybe they pitied him enough to give him one last push. Benrey stepped back and leaned against the frame of a door to Forzen’s right. They nodded towards it.

As he tried the doorknob, they reminded him, “No more hints. I’m follower mode now.”

The door opened into a small storage room. The light flickered on. Several crates stacked up high. Forzen gaped at the boxes and took a deep breath. He stepped inside.

“Not sure what to do with these…” He muttered. He climbed up the stack and scanned the tops of the crates. A crowbar lay in reach. Grabbing it, Forzen looked down at Benrey. “Is this supposed to be here?”

“Dunno.” They grinned. “Hey, you know how to use one of those?”

He dropped down. Twisting the tool in his hands, he contemplated its purpose. Soldiers weren’t programmed to understand crowbars, it seemed. Or Benrey thought too soon, as a light turned on somewhere in his head. Forzen gripped the crowbar and smashed through the crates, leaving shards and splinters on the ground.

Destroying the crates revealed a vent grate on the wall. “Huh.” Forzen pried it open with the crowbar and peeked inside. “A crawl space?”

“Sure even a big guy like you could fit.” Benrey said. Forzen tested it and turned on his visor’s night vision. It looked like a tight fit. If only he could noclip like Benrey. They hovered behind Forzen. He wiggled his way around a corner, where light filtered in from up ahead. Forzen bust through the grate. By the time he slid out and stood up, Benrey sat in an office chair waiting for him.

The vent emptied out on the other side of the retinal scanner door. Benrey’s team decorated the recreational room to resemble an office space with cubicles set up in the center. The air conditioning made them shiver again; better than the stale air the room had during setup. At the far end of the room, beside a row of empty lockers, a private office. Benrey’s new nemesis, Not unlike the scientists in the observation hall, Jamie sat at a desk on the other side of a wide window, looking out into the rec room.

Forzen surveyed the space, gazing a little too long at the vending machine buzzing in the corner. “We’re looking for the…train, you said?”

“Don’t wanna miss it, bro.”

“Is it, like, the ones we ride?”

“No. They’re, uh. Not for people riding. It’s for box.” They shrugged but Forzen hummed a noise that sounded like he understood.

“Let’s look there, then.” He pointed to a set of double doors, slightly ajar, next to Jamie’s room. Benrey hopped up from their seat and followed him down the center aisle of the cubicles, all of which stood empty; no desks, no chairs. The team had no time to commit to decorating with only a couple hours to throw the station together.

Jamie lifted his head as the two passed by. Through the doors, a corridor with checker-patterned tiling led to the Hazard Course’s materials transport. The railroad looped around the course—separated from the facility-wide system. It only mimicked the experience of navigating the real tracks. The guard from the radiation station, Miller, stood at the edge of a pit between them and the train platform. “Hmm..not looking good. How’s he supposed to cross like this?”

Forzen approached, footsteps silent as ever. Miller jumped when he moved up beside him. “Fuck-! That was fast! Who let you through the scanner door?” He noticed the crowbar. “Was I supposed to stand there first..? Ahh- Anyway, this is as far as you go, Lieutenant, ‘cause there’s no way across this pit.”

“No ropes?” Forzen asked.

“Ropes that can be used to traverse big pits? Not a single one of them.”

“No other paths?”

“Easier paths, sure. But y’know, the easiest route isn’t always gonna be accessible, in an emergency.” Guys who stuck to the script, and all that.

Forzen looked like he thought really hard, with one arm crossed and his chin rested in his other hand. “Then…Anything I can use in the..those offices?”

“Maybe! Dr. Werner’s in there now. He might have an idea of how to cross. Those scientists usually have some clever solutions to problems like these.”

Forzen headed back, with Benrey close behind, to where Jamie shuffled through papers. A fan cooled the air around the propped open door. “Knock, knock.” Forzen stepped into the room. Jamie looked up from the mess on the desk, resting an arm over them to keep the fan from scattering the paperwork.

“Ah, Lieutenant, good to see you’re doing alright after that, um, incident..in the radiation station.” He shifted his glasses up his nose, averting his eyes from Benrey’s narrowing gaze. “I-I’m guessing that you’re looking for a way across that massive pit?”

“Yup.”

“Delightful! I can surely help you with that- oh, no-” As he moved his arm and stood up, the fan blew his papers off the desk. “Not again…um. Oh, nevermind. More important things! Helping you. After..narrowly causing what could have been a big disaster!” Jamie’s eyes got big and he pursed his lips.

“Right.”

Jamie paused, scanning Forzen’s face, “You…you’re not mad about it, are you?”

“Hey-” Benrey warned, but Forzen only shrugged.

“I’unno. Don’t really remember.”

Jamie and Benrey shared an uncertain glance. “Hm. Brave one, aren’t you?” He laughed. “Well, let’s not waste more time. To get across the pit, you’ll need a rope.”

“No ropes.”

“No ropes? Now there’s a dilemma.” Jamie recited. “There is another option. I wouldn’t normally suggest it, however, given the experimental nature of it. You’ll need to acquire our modified long jump module.”

Forzen tilted his head, hands moving to his hips. “Long jump?”

“It’s, well, something we’re adapting from a Lambda project. See, over there they’re working on a module for the HEV that will allow wearers of the suit to perform a long jump. And we’re attempting to create something similar that anyone else can wear.” Jamie stepped over the papers on the floor, brushing past Forzen. “Pardon me. But you see, it’s quite dangerous for anyone unarmored to even dream of this. However, that marvel of a PCV can withstand an explosion of all things—goodness knows the military poured everything they had into adapting our technology—so I think you could handle it.”

“Awesome. Where can we find this- uh- module?” Forzen asked.

Jamie approached a painting on the wall of a rolling green landscape. It looked like a bunch of computer backgrounds Benrey saw a lot while snooping around the facility. He lifted the painting up and set it to the side, revealing a locked case within the wall. “The module is being stored right here. Come closer, Lieutenant.” Forzen approached curiously. “There’s only one problem. This puzzle here, I’ve gone and forgotten the solution! Oh, how foolish and silly of me to be so careless.”

Benrey snickered when he eyed them with a bitter pout.

Forzen didn’t notice, instead looking at a colorful pad on the case. “So, you mean…”

“Lieutenant, if you can solve this little riddle, you can take the module and get across that pit.”

Forzen looked at Benrey for encouragement.

“Told you there’d be puzzles, man. Just do the puzzle.”

“I’m…not much of a puzzles guy.” Forzen sighed.

“Don’t be down, give it a try!” Jamie assured him. Forzen took a closer look at the pad. Colored buttons lined up in three rows; a randomized mix of shades of reds, blues, and greens. Forzen hesitantly pressed pink, dark green, and dark blue. The panel rejected the pattern. He looked back at Benrey with pleading eyes.

“What? Wanna hint?” They grinned. When Forzen nodded, they blew blue bubbles at him. “Just chill. It’s cool.”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “It’s a pattern of some sort. You were right about only three colors.”

Forzen tried another pattern. Orange to light blue to purple. Getting colder. He squatted down and rested his chin on both his hands. Jamie and Benrey watched him quietly until something clicked in his eyes. Jumping back up he input green to light blue to dark blue. With a congratulatory beep, the case opened. He turned to them once more, confident this time when they sang the same pattern at him. Nice to meet you.

“Well done!” Jamie clapped. He reached inside and pulled out a pair of clunky, heavy boots. “With these, you won’t need ropes to get across even the biggest of pits. Good luck!”

Forzen equipped the long-jump boots; they fit over his normal pair. “So, it can only get one of us across?”

“You just gotta get you there.” Benrey said. Surely he knew by now they had their ways of following.

The boots made his steps clunkier, like a normal soldier’s footsteps. As Benrey followed him back to the pit, they spawned in a remote. Given to them by Tommy, it played a small number of fake scripted events. Strictly for teaching purposes, he reminded them repeatedly. To Benrey’s credit, they only used it for evil once or twice.

Miller stood where they left him, leaned against the wall with his helmet under his arm. His hair stayed flat, unlike Benrey’s when they took off their helmet. Seeing them return, he shoved it back on. “Spoke to the scientist, did you?”

“Got these. Should get me across.” Forzen pointed to his boots.

“Great! Go on ahead.”

He backed up to get a running start, and before he launched off, the room shuddered. The shaking of the floor knocked everyone off balance—everyone but Benrey. Distant rumbles echoed. The lights flickered, then shut off.

“What was that?” Miller looked back and forth as he regained his balance. Benrey shrugged, hands behind their back with a finger pressed down on the remote button. While they didn’t actually have anything to detonate, the event pretended they did.

Jamie darted out from the office. His flashlight illuminated the hall. “Anyone else feel those tremors? It was another explosion! I think we ought to evacuate to the train.”

Of course, no one else would know the difference. Benrey suddenly wished they hadn’t spoiled the surprise during setup.

“Wish we could, but only one of us is getting across that pit. We’d have to backtrack through the office, or…” Miller trailed off.

“Wait! You do have the long jump module, so you could go and get some help?” Jamie suggested. All eyes turned to Forzen.

“There’s no other ways around?” Forzen asked.

Jamie ran a hand through his hair, uncertain, and shined his flashlight around. “Well…There should be a way through the vents.” The light fell back on Forzen. “That crowbar of yours! You could open up a way for us to crawl through!”

Miller groaned. “That doesn’t sound good for my back. If we’re talking alternate routes to the train, we could just go through the waterway station.” He grabbed his flashlight and pointed it at Jamie.

“Oh, and that’d be better?”

Benrey stayed quiet, standing off to the side. They watched Forzen look between the two. As they continued bickering, he put his hands on his hips and huffed. He grew increasingly frustrated until he held up his hands, almost physically stepping between them when they started shining their lights at each other’s eyes. “No- stop- no arguing!”

Jamie stepped back, composing himself. “Lieutenant, you should go on ahead. The sooner you can bring back help-”

“Tell me about the waterway station?”

Miller pointed to the doorway back into the office. He described the path to take from their current position, backtracking past the break-room to another station bordering the train-tracks. The waterway station also connected to the canal that Benrey led Forzen through, before.

“Can everyone here swim?” A collective murmuring of ‘yes’ responded to Forzen. “Then let’s do that.”

“Yeah! We don’t need to guess about the vents, there’s an emergency exit that leads to the train-tracks over there.” Miller agreed.

“It’s the longer way around, who knows what the state of it is after those tremors! I just think it’ll be faster and safer to use the vents.” Jamie said.

“What if the vents got crushed or something? We’d be stuck in there! I thought you scientists were supposed to be smart.”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Sure, and I’d rather be stuck underwater.”

Forzen shushed them, holding his hands up again. “We’re not arguing. We’ll get to the train together. No one left behind, ‘kay? You, can you lead the way to the, uh…”

“The waterway? Sure!” Miller flashed Jamie a smug grin as he passed them. “Follow me, folks!”

Forzen exhaled a frustrated breath. He turned to Benrey while the others went ahead. “You okay?”

“Wuh?”

“I mean, uh, I didn’t ask you first. You were kinda quiet.” They sang a strand of yellow that splattered against his chest. Get good. He smiled at them, taking another breath—this time of relief.

The group entered the waterway station; a series of wide, deep tunnels used as pools. Dim spotlights in the walls poured through the area. Something about the station looked odd, though.

“What the- the water’s gone!” Miller exclaimed. The group peered into the empty tunnel ahead of them.

“Oh..? I- actually, I guess that makes sense. This station wasn’t on the Lieutenant’s route today, so they have the tunnels drained.” Jamie turned to Benrey with a puzzled look. “But wasn’t it supposed to be full by now, since you prepared it for this test?”

“Huh?” Benrey blinked. “…Ohh. No, this is right.”

Forzen investigated the edge of the platform. “There’s a ladder here. We can just walk through.”

“Sure, Lieutenant, but I don’t suppose you got a plan on getting through the gates?” Miller pointed up ahead where a heavy gate spanning the width of the pool blocked the path forward.

“Um…Good question.” Forzen said. “Why’s it closed?”

“The place is a maze. We control which gates are open and closed to make the level different every time a student goes through it.”

Jamie nodded along. “Can’t memorize the layout that way!”

Forzen’s foot bounced as he thought. Clunk clunk clunk clunk- “The controls, where are they?” He looked around until he noticed another walkway on the opposite side of the wall. It wrapped around the corner, not closed off by the gate. He pointed it out, and Miller confirmed the presence of a control room in that direction.

“Then, could one of you go over there?” Forzen asked.

Benrey cut in. “No. You go. Ladder’s no good anyway. See?” The ladder that led up to that end of the tunnel was on the other side of the gate; nothing was on this side that they could see. A pause followed the realization, only broken when Forzen gestured for everyone to give him room.

Jamie warned him, “Be careful, those are experimental-!” Without waiting, Forzen ran at the edge. The boots activated with the sound of hydraulics and sent him flying across the tunnel. He landed heavily on the other side, toppling forward onto his knees. Jamie covered his ears against the harsh echo. “Is he okay-? Are you okay?!”

Benrey pulled up Forzen’s stats. As they figured, his armor took the damage for him. With the other two distracted, they fell through the floor to run ahead of Forzen. Forzen slowly stood up and looked back at the group. Not seeing Benrey where he expected them, he peered down as if they fell into the pool. They popped up around the corner and stepped out behind him once again. “Yo. Nice work. Not even scared to make the leap. Niiice.” He didn’t jump that time.

“Just what I’m good at.” He shrugged. Across the tunnel, Jamie held his arms out in their direction and muttered something to Miller in disbelief. While the two climbed down into the pool, Benrey led Forzen to the control room.

A voice from inside the control room greeted them as they entered. “Hello, Lieutenant!” Dr. Coomer stood by the console, beaming at him. “You’ve made it to the control room for the waterway! I’m here to supervise. If you get stuck, I can help!”

“You can use the controls?”

“I can! But for this test, we want you to give it a go. There won’t always be a helpful scientist stationed at important interfaces in an emergency.”

“I guess not.” Forzen looked over infinite buttons and switches surrounding a screen showing an overhead view of the waterway maze. Dots on the screen represented Jamie and Miller. All the lights on the console blipped on and off, on and off, at Forzen. He hesitated. “So…what do I do?”

“Lieutenant, you must lead your companions to freedom!” Dr. Coomer assured him. Unconvinced, Forzen looked to Benrey.

“Yeah, you uh, got three lives—three tries. You gotta get us to the exit. Before you strike out.” Benrey explained, taking steps backwards out of the room. “I gotta go wait in the pit, too. Don’t let me get lost!” They grinned as his face fell. Before Forzen could protest, Benrey darted out and jumped into the pool.

Dr. Coomer waved. “Bye, Barbie!”

Benrey rocked on their heels as they stood around the corner from the first gate. Forzen would find the right switch eventually. They trusted that he wouldn’t give up… Huh. They trusted. Would he say the same? Could he trust them, too?

Silly thought.

The gate screeched as it slowly opened. Although these were difficult to see past, their design let water flow through. Two halves separated, retracting flush into the ceiling and floor. From the other side, Jamie sighed. “Thank goodness.” He and Miller passed through and rounded the corner, spotting Benrey. “You! How did you even-? Where’s the Lieutenant?”

“Huh?”

“He’s not in the control room all alone, is he?” Miller asked.

“You left him in there by himself?”

Benrey was lost. “Who, Dr. Coomer? No! He knows how it works.”

Miller scratched at his cheek, frowning. “Okay, so, we’re still going to the emergency exit..? Without the student.”

“He’s, uhh, making the path.”

“Unbelievable.” Jamie stormed ahead.

Even though the tunnels were dry, the air felt moist. Moist and miserable. Drains in the floor and walls closed, and water dripped somewhere behind them—slow like Benrey’s thoughts all a sudden. They followed the path set by Forzen without noticing which gates opened. The tunnels trembled with the noise of the gates creaking open, but the sensations felt dulled. A conversation happening beside them sounded far away.

Whatever train of thought that chugged away at a snail’s pace in their mind crashed when they walked into a wall. A dead end; Forzen’s first strike.

“You know, I didn’t need to volunteer for this. I’m only here because Dr. Coomer asked me.” Jamie’s voice became clear. He turned away from Benrey, focused on Miller.

“I think you owed it to ‘em after the mess you made.”

“That wasn’t my fault! If anyone else bothered to show up today, I could’ve had it under control.”

Nothing to add, Benrey passed the two and backtracked. Another gate creaked open. Bickering voices followed them through.

Benrey focused on the feeling of their hands rubbing together. They barely heard whatever Jamie and Miller argued about, busy looking up at the ceiling. Above the waterline, on the upper platforms, med stations appeared on every other corner. Insurance in case students took too long to swim to air pockets. Benrey used to wonder why they needed this course, until they learned just how many ways humans could die. Way more than they could count. Sounded like it sucked being human. Where was the line between things that would kill them and things they would survive? On top of how silly the human body was by itself, armor like the HEV made it all the more difficult for Benrey to understand its limits.

The gates at the next crossroads stayed shut long enough to give Jamie and Miller time to finish their fight and fall silent. Jamie fidgeted with his glasses, pulling them off and holding them up to the light. "They keep fogging up..." He shoved them back on and folded his arms. “Hey, how do we know he’s not pressing any buttons he shouldn’t be, up there?”

Miller mumbled something about Forzen managing to open the floodgates instead, and laughed it off. With Dr. Coomer in the room, Benrey trusted that wouldn't happen. No swimming for Benrey today.

A gate opened at last, but the path led to a second dead end. Forzen had one life left. After progressing through the correct gate, Jamie opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He stared at Benrey until they happened to look his way, and averted his gaze. The process repeated several times until he finally spoke up.

“…I don’t get why Dr. Coomer favors you so much, anyway, Benrey.”

“Wuh?”

“You- You turn the course into a joke! The waterway’s not designed for this—we’re going through it backwards!”

Miller stepped back and found something else to look at, leaving the two front and center alone.

“Yeah. And?”

“And that’s not the point of it!” He groaned and dragged his hands over his face. “You’re just asking for things to go wrong.”

“Not my fault I’m- big brain.”

“What was that?”

“You don’t get it. I’m…I’m jus’ tryin’, man. Tryin’ to be good at this.” Benrey’s eyes wandered. They shuffled along, shoes squeaking. “Bbb. Gotta go backwards sometimes. Think out of bounds.”

“I don’t…get it.”

Benrey didn’t expect him to.

They approached the final crossroads. Two gates stood on the left and right. In one direction, a dead end, and Forzen would lose. The other direction, Forzen would win the game! A while passed without any movement. Benrey wondered if Forzen psyched himself out.

Jamie sighed. “Benrey. When I called you a…a monster, I-”

“It’s cool.”

“No, it isn’t. I didn’t mean it.” But he believed it. All the scientists did.

“You’re right, though. I’m not human.”

Before Jamie could come up with a response, all three refocused as the gate on their right opened. They strained to see the path, hoping for the ladder, the door, and the exit sign. The lights had gone out in that direction, but the darkness highlighted the bold EXIT up ahead. Miller cheered and Jamie exhaled a breath of relief. Benrey waited for Forzen as the other two hurried for the ladder.

They heard the clunk of Forzen’s boots before they saw him run along the platform overhead. “Yo, everyone made it!” Not stopping as he reached the edge, he activated the boots, soaring across the tunnel and landing in front of the exit.

“Congrats, Lieutenant!” Miller waved, halfway to the top. Forzen held a hand out and helped him up, then Jamie.

“Yes, all things considered, you did a great job.” Jamie assured him as he stepped up from the ladder. Benrey appreciated that he kept his concerns to himself around Forzen. They moved for the ladder as footsteps paced around the corner behind them.

“Ah! Hello, everyone!” Dr. Coomer arrived. “Fine work following the Lieutenant’s lead!”

Forzen took off his headgear and looked down. “Thanks, you guys. I…didn’t open the last one, myself, though.” Benrey turned to Dr. Coomer, as he walked up beside them, for clarification.

“It’s true! You should have seen him, so worried about choosing the wrong button! He finally entrusted me with the task.”

“I could see the map, but pressing the right thing…I couldn’t do it.” He couldn’t look Benrey’s way, either. Dr. Coomer looked to Benrey for the last word.

After a moment, with everyone’s eyes on them, they figured out what to say. “Didn’t say he couldn’t phone a friend. If we were actually in trouble, why couldn’t he just ask for help?”

“But wasn’t he supposed to do it on his own?” Jamie asked.

Forzen wiped his eyes. Was he crying up there? Dr. Coomer spoke up first. “I told him that there wouldn’t always be someone to help, but this time there was! I think it’s perfectly reasonable he took advantage of that.” He understood!

Forzen sniffled. “Shit, man. So I…didn’t fail?”

“Nope. You won! Won the challenge so hard.” Benrey told him. Miller clapped a hand on Forzen’s shoulder and, despite holding a hand to his forehead, Jamie smiled too.

Benrey and Dr. Coomer climbed the ladder. When Benrey reached the top, Forzen held his hand out to them. “So, uh, y’know that high score I was aiming for?”

They grinned and took his hand. “You smashed the record.” As they hopped up, they beeped at him. “Whatcha crying for?”

“Crying? I dunno, I...” He wiped his eyes again, laughing under his breath. “Just wet in here? Fuckin’- waterworks station.”

Benrey wanted to tease him. “Go on ahead. I wanna chat up Dr. Coomer first. Gotta discuss your big winner prize.” They nudged him away instead. Forzen hesitated, but turned to the door when directed by the other two. Benrey waited until they left, and Dr. Coomer stood beside them. He bumped their shoulder a little too hard.

“You’re shining, Boper!” He said as they faced him.

Benrey couldn’t help a smile. “No…Had a question.” Dr. Coomer nodded, encouraging them to continue. “Why’d you want me here? In hazards?”

“Hm! I wondered if you would ask me that. I remember that you took the position so willingly. If I may ask you a question, first?”

“Shoot.”

“Did you have fun today?”

What a question. Benrey didn’t think they’d have fun. The soldiers never did, and that made it…less fun. They enjoyed teaching other guards, but none of them played like Benrey did. If not a guard, did they ever think a soldier would be like them? No way. Although, guess they should have expected it when he spilled those beyblades all over the tram. From the first moment, he wouldn’t stop throwing them off their game. Did they have fun with Forzen? “Guess I did.”

“I’m delighted to hear it! That’s why I wanted you here, after all. I realize it sounds strange, but I had hoped that you might discover your passion here. That you might even make friends!” Dr. Coomer said. Friends, huh? Not sure they’d go that far. “You should rejoin your student. You only have one more task before your lessons are done for the day.”

Shit. Time to say goodbye? Bye-bye Forzen?

Benrey peeked out the doorway to check on Forzen. The group loitered by the edge of the train platform. Two trains idled at the station, on opposite sides of the tracks. These weren’t the same types as the trams up above, but flat carts for material transport. The train on their side had a couple of crates towards the back. 

Miller split from the group, stretching his arms. “Well, good work today, everyone! I’m gonna sleep great tonight.”

Jamie sighed. “I’ll be happy if I get to sleep at all tonight.” He stayed behind with Forzen while Miller headed down the platform. The guard opened another door at the far end, and waved before disappearing. Jamie fiddled with his lanyard for a hesitant moment. “…I need to offer you an apology, Lieutenant.”

“What for?” Forzen shifted his headgear under his arm and faced him.

“You’ve been so gracious about the…you know, the whole mess today. It’s not much, but I want you to take this.” Jamie reached into his lab coat and pulled out a medkit.

Forzen took it with a grin. “More free samples!”

Jamie chuckled. “I actually specialize in these solutions the vials contain. You’ve seen them in the med stations on the walls by now. I’ve also been studying the material that powers the HEV and PCV, but…Anyway, as apologies for nearly- mm- blowing you up, Lieutenant, you can come to us anytime for more, um, experimental potions.”

“Potions?” Forzen slung the medkit over his shoulder.

“You see, I happen to work with the best in the business in the Mixology Department!”

Pretending they hadn’t overheard, Benrey committed to opening the door. They approached and Jamie found his opening to say a hurried goodbye, leaving them and Forzen once again as a party of two. Kinda nice.

“About time, teach!” Forzen said. “What’s next?”

Ever enthusiastic. Benrey smiled, a little sad. They jumped into their script to describe the train to Forzen. The two boarded. Black Mesa staff used these trains to get around underneath the facility and move materials around. Everyone on the course learned how to drive them, even if most of them would never need to.

Benrey demonstrated the train controls; how to go forward, go faster, and maybe even stop. Then, they explained it again when Forzen’s eyes glazed over. Not half as complicated as the waterway controls, where they threw him off the deep end. He’d get it. Forzen reached for the acceleration lever before he realized Benrey’s hand still gripped it. Both flinched at the touch.

“Uhh- your turn.” They traded spots with him and backed away. Forzen carefully replicated their movements to start up the train. He pushed up on the acceleration. It lurched forward, knocking both of them off balance. Forzen pulled it back to slow it down, and the train moved forward steadily. “Not bad.” Benrey assured him.

They sat on a crate and watched the tracks go by. The rolling and bumping felt kinda nice at the speed Forzen had them going. Slow. Benrey glanced at him. Did he look hesitant, or was he just super focused on the tracks?

After a moment Forzen looked down, then up at them. “I, um…” He trailed off. Benrey beeped. What’s up? “I just…uh, not gonna lie, I forgot your name.”

They laughed with a soft yellow Sweet Voice. “It’s Benrey.”

“Benrey? That’s cool. I’m…um…”

“Forzen?”

“Yeah.” Forzen bobbed his head. “So, Benrey. What I really wanted to say was thanks.”

“Whu?” Surprised teal spilled out after the yellow. They wiped their mouth.

“Training’s just…y’know, training. It’s not super fun most the time. But I wish all training was like this. It’s all thanks to you.” Forzen said, eyes returning to the tracks ahead. A slight grin tugged at his lips. “What can I say, you’re a good instructor!”

Benrey turned away to watch the tracks, too. The shadow over their eyes darkened, but their eyes shined. They scrambled for something, anything, to say. Blue to green? What could they say to everything they wanted to hear?

The next platform came into view. Forzen let the train roll to a stop, and Benrey looked up at where they started. Far overhead, a tram pulled into the station. They reached the beginning of the course, and the end of the line.

“You’re pretty cool, Benrey. Hey, you know anything about beyblades?” Forzen asked. They nodded, choked up on green. “What say we let it rip sometime? You cool with that?” They nodded again, faster. Did he forget they asked him first? Forzen drummed against the edge of the train control panel before hopping onto the platform. Benrey slid after him.

“Um. Yo.” Benrey called. Forzen spun to face them. “You sure you wanna hang out with…me? After everything?”

“Yeah, man! I mean, unless you don’t..?”

“No-!”

“Cause we can do something else. Doesn’t have to be beyblades-”

Benrey beeped. Forzen paused to let them speak. …What did they want to say? “You’re strange.” Whatever it was, that wasn’t it. Forzen laughed in response, so they tried again. “I…didn’t think you’d like the course. Or me.”

Forzen shrugged. “Well, I kinda thought the same thing. But now we can be friends!” Not waiting for them to respond, he pumped his fist and turned to hurry for the elevator. They hesitated.

Lieutenant Forzen Nice, playing his own solo campaign as the only nice soldier around…Asking them to be his player two?

“C’mon! Don’t get stuck down here.” Forzen held the elevator door open for them. Their eyes widened, and they followed.

If he could be nice, maybe they had a chance to be good, after all.