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Benrey likes Gordon for two reasons, mostly. He's really easy to piss off, and it's hard to make him legit mad.
It's like he's the sort of guy who never learned how not to get into hour long arguments with random, obvious trolls on forums. Shit, that might be too accurate to be honest. They can just annoy and argue with each other, and at the end of the day, no one's really hurt, because their arguments mean barely anything (they do need that passport, but that's another story.)
It's a bit! It's a bit them and Gordon have been keeping up for, what? Two? Three days? It's a funny bit, and nobody's taken the bit too far, and nobody will ever take the bit too far!
Which leads them to the ambush.
It was meant to be a joke. ‘Mean, Bubby had his own reasons for agreeing to it, and sure they may have talked him into it a little, but it was always gonna be a joke. Gordon was gonna get the shit beaten out of him, maybe die, and come back like nothing happened. That's not what ended up happening but…
…Now that they think about it, the joke really wasn't that funny to begin with, was it?
That doesn't really matter though. What matters is the new sudden lack of lower arm on Gordon. That.. wasn't intentional. Guess they underestimated the brutality of U.S. Marines (as if that's even possible) But it doesn't matter. It's fine, he’ll be fine. He can just die and come back better than ever. They and the rest of the Science Team have done it more than they can count, and really, what are the odds Gordon's an outlier!
A really stupid question now, with the power of hindsight, but they didn't have that luxury however long ago.
The point they're trying to make, if there even is one, is that it was all supposed to be a big prank, another layer to the bit, another thing for them and Gordon to argue and fight about.
Now,
The first (two) things they thought when they got a proper look at Gordon after their hilarious prank were,
- They got him so good, he's never gonna be able to get back at them, they can’t wait to see the look on his face-
and
- Wow, he looks terrible.
They’re thinking the second thought a lot more. He's all pale and shaky, like he's really violently sick. It takes him a while to actually lock onto Benrey too, when he sees them for the second time, like it’s taking all his energy to focus on them. He looks exhausted, and if they didn’t know better, they’d think they were looking at a reanimated corpse.
He looks at them like they’re a ghost. An immortal ghost back from the dead to haunt him specifically. With eyes full of nothing but horror and hopelessness, because they're never going to die, and they're never going to stop haunting him. And because Tommy, apparently the new de-facto leader, (what? why?) has no qualms with letting them join The Science Team again. That too, they guess.
They didn't need Tommys permission to rejoin, both of them know that. Still, it's weirdly nice to hear.
Other than the obvious, the bootboys really kicked his ass. The Heh-V Suit is basically untouched, aside from some wear, and more acidic damage than they saw last time? Was Gordon taking a dip while they were gone? What stands out most though, is Gordon's face, and not just because he's a nice looking man.
His nose is definitely broken, like a piece of bent metal. His glasses have seen better days, they're probably most worried right now about him seeing straight. Benreys bad with directions at best, and actively detrimental to progressing at worst. Blood, sweat, and tears have stained his face, and especially hair, and it looks like a new scar has found its place towards the tip of his forehead.
Gordons sudden lightheadedness and swaying brings the guard out of the physicist's face, and back into reality. He manages to lean onto the wall for support, before rambling on about getting to the Cybernetics Department, and blood loss and death. Maybe they're just cruel and heartless, or maybe it's because they're an immortal being with countless deaths. They don’t remember any death ever being this.. intense though.
They say something about Gordon being so dramatic, and he stares at them like he's actually going to kill them, for real this time. But, eventually the now fully reunited Science Team continues onward and Benrey tries to shrug it off. He'll be fine.. probably.
___
He is not doing fine. It's a lot more obvious when you're spending the next leg of the journey to the Cybernetics Department with him, actually!
If he looked terrible before, he looks like shit now. The full force of the sun beating down on them isn't helping anyone in The Science Team, nevermind constantly grumpy Gordon. Ever since they touched concrete and sand again, he's been leaning on and off Tommy and Dr. Coomer for support. Even Bubby, occasionally. Never Benrey though.
Which is part of the reason it's become increasingly clear Gordon is mad at them. Not “pissed” mad. Not “bursting into laughter in the middle of a totally serious argument” mad, or even “making the most insane bullshit comments to top their even more insane bullshit” mad. No, legit mad.
That probably should've been a given, considering he and the Neo Science Team, as they later learned they'd been calling it, shot them into next Wednesday upon seeing them. But it's almost obnoxiously clear now. Nearly everything Gordon spits out is laced with nothing but sheer rage only reserved for.. fuck, bootboys maybe? Or if not rage, sheer fatigue at having to spend energy arguing with Benrey of all people right now.
They knew this would piss him off, that was the whole point. But it's starting to feel less like they played an unfunny prank on a friend, and more like they’ve permanently damaged their relationship in a way they don’t know if they’ll ever get back. Even though he’Il be perfectly fine.. right?
Besides, ‘not like it's all bad. Gordons not immune to a well timed classic Benrey joke, no one is, even under the raging heat of the sun.
He'll regenerate at any moment, or respawn, or get his hand back, or whatever. He’ll see this was all just a dramatic misunderstanding, and things will be back to normal again!
Gordon is fine, or he's going to be fine any minute now.
…They should maybe let him know if they see a medkit though.
Just in case.
___
Benrey fucked up. Bad.
The Science Team has taken shelter in a random bomb induced hole, not too far away from the Lambda Labs for tonight. Everyone else is asleep, say for them and Gordon. Well, Gordon maybe, but they're definitely wide awake, how could they not be?
They've fucked up big time.
They don't know that for certain. There's always a chance Gordon just respawns like everyone else. Really, there's nothing to suggest that he won’t do that, and is instead just having a really bad time before he does.
It's not about evidence though, it's about feeling. And Benrey feels like they've fucked up to a catastrophic degree. Because this can’t be right! Somethings gone very, very wrong and Benrey is almost certain of it.
They stare at Gordon as he maybe sleeps. “where did- what the fuck happened to your arm bro?” Benrey absently questions to themselves. Apparently loud enough for him to hear.
He slowly turns around, being careful to put as little pressure on his not-hand as possible, and stares at them like they’re an anomaly. “You- the Marines cut it off. Remember? You and Bubby, you both led me to the military?” He says, tiredly.
Well, they didn't think he'd hear them talking to themselves, but fuck it. May as well ask, not like things can get any worse than this. Any answer is better than the fear at this point. “yea where is it?”
Gordon lets out the most exhausted, long suffering sigh they’ve maybe ever heard. “Goodnight.” And he begins to turn around and make some attempt at sleep again.
Benrey almost flings up to stop him, before remembering his resistance to being within a six foot radius of them. “no! why isn’t your hand back yet?” They blurt out.
“What? Like lizards?” Gordon bursts out laughing and Benrey nods, grinning slightly at the sight of him, before they realize he hasn't finished yet.
“I can’t- I don't regenerate limbs man. I've only got one.”
Benrey can almost feel their blood run cold as he so casually and briefly confirms all the tension and fear that's been building since they found him again.
They've taken the bit too far.
The otherworldly security guard hardly even hears Gordon wishing him another goodnight as he tries to go back to sleep, hopefully without a sudden painless death.
…Fuck man.
What do they do? What the hell did they do? They don't want Gordon to die! They just wanted to fuck with him! This was supposed to be a stupid, shitty prank for some weirdo. A prank that wasn't even very funny, that got someone hurt, that might probably kill his friend.
Oh, they might’ve just killed Gordon.
They just got their friend killed for a joke that stopped being funny the minute the lights turned off.
Wait. This isn’t my fault, right? Is all Benrey can think to themselves to calm down.
It's not like they knew this was gonna happen. Marines were just supposed to beat him up a little, you know, kick his ass. It's not their fault they decided to take it way, way too far. They might’ve tricked Gordon into going inside the designated ambush room, but…
…And it's not like they were the only person involved! Bubby helped! Barley! It was mostly Benrey, but still. Bubby actually thought Gordon was the reason they couldn’t get out too! Wow! What a traitor! Still, they did talk him into the plan to begin with…
…Well, how could they have known Gordon couldn’t regenerate? There was no way they could’ve known. Yeah, okay, he wasn't always trying to rush headfirst into any situation, (don't think about how much he avoids explosives, and open circuits, and high speed trains, and toxic green goop, and giant xen monsters, and cliffs that seem to drop down forever,
don't think about the countless strict and clear trigger discipline lessons he's given tommy, or the pure terror anytime dr. coomer begins punching a barrel clearly labeled explosive, or his relief when bubby proceeds to do anything even somewhat safely among all the wonderful dangerous chaos that is the science team, or his clear concern for benreys own safety. ignore it, you had no clue) but they just thought he was anxious. Playing it safe, something boring like that.
They watch as Gordon's chest rises and falls, again and again. It's comforting. He isn’t dead. He's alive, and he's not going anywhere. The Lambda Labs are so, so close, the Cybernetics Department even closer. He’Il be fine, it’ll be fine, everyone will be fine. This'll all be one big joke someday.
And most importantly, they can't blame themselves for any of it.