[hr][center][h1][color=#4dff4d]Benji Baker[/color] & [color=f49ac2]Owen Childs[/color][/h1][/center][center]Collab between [@beyond visions] and [@Atrophy][hr][/center]
[indent]  Owen wasn’t asleep, at least, not in any sort of sleep that could be considered restful. He had already been troubled enough as it was by the mental fortitude of his shipmates that seemed to be about as sturdy as a frozen lake on the first day of spring, and he couldn’t feel anything but guilt from his quick escape from his conversation with Yaz once it began to read like it would turn into a full-out therapy sess. Yet he had gone through the whole routine of getting ready for bed, and had spent what felt like either ten hours or ten minutes looking at the wall through barely opened eyes. Finally, he felt as if he was drifting, and perhaps he would actually get some real rest.

However, as his door whooshed open by itself and a cacophony rang throughout the hall and into his eardrums all hopes of sleep were dashed as Owen shot up in his bed, his head whipping around the room in a panic. It sounded as if the ship was being torn into two, yet there was no signs of any damage in his room itself; still, the noise was too loud and too close for it to be anything but an immediate problem. The man rushed out into the hall, stopping immediately as he saw the Doc banging his sword against the metal walls as if he was trying to rally up a horde of marauders. Owen gave the man a peculiar squint, not because he couldn’t make him out, but because he couldn’t think of any good reasons for Benji to be armed. Part of him felt that perhaps he had finally fallen asleep and he was now dreaming. Another part of him thought that Benji had cracked and his life was going to turn into a B-horror movie very quickly, the kind where the black guy dies first.

Probably should’ve talked to the Doc more, he thought with a frown as the image of him being gutted while in nothing but his skivvies entered his mind. Or at least gotten dressed first.

[color=#4dff4d]"Go to the kitchen, now! Don't ask me any questions. Oh, and don't wait up for Echo... or Rend for that matter."[/color]

Owen sighed; good, he wasn’t about to die. Maybe. The Doc didn’t look like his usual self. Generally he was more shifty and skittish, now he seemed to rigid and severe. Either something had scared him straight, or his mind had finally truly snapped. Either way, Owen sure as hell wasn’t just going to nod his head and dumbly walk to the kitchen in a pair of briefs and a tank top. He took a step back so that he was leaning out of his room and glared at Benji; there was zero doubt that he was upset by this entire situation.

[color=f49ac2]“Maybe you should put that weapon down and tell us what’s going on first, Doc,”[/color] said Owen, his voice strained.

An exaggerated groan was released, expressing Benji's absolute annoyance while rolling eyes followed. He lowered the sword. [color=#4dff4d]"Sure thing, Owen, don't want you wetting your panties even though I'm clearly trying to keep us safe. If not I could easily slit your throats when you were sleeping. Of course, this is not your first time you told someone that's trying to protect you, to put a weapon down."[/color] Benji plugged the sword into its sheath, yet while doing so he grumbled to himself. And since he stood directly near Owen, it was within the other man's ear shot, [color=#4dff4d]"You clearly wouldn't have saved Andrew when Rend shot him... Always thinking everyone around you is crazy because we don't have a degree in manipulating people's mind and calling it therapy..."[/color]

Owen had turned to put on some pants when Benji had put away his weapon, his teeth gritted firmly in his mouth as he tried to ignore the doctor's insults and threats. If Benji was trying to rile him up, for whatever awful reason he had, then it was working, but Owen wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of letting him see it. However, Owen froze at the mention of Andrew. Benji had no right to say that; if Owen was there when Rend shot Andrew he would’ve taken the bullet for his friend. Assuming, of course, that Rend had actually shot Andrew; it wasn’t hard to imagine that was the case, but they had no hard proof. As much as Owen would’ve loved to condemn the man, he wasn’t just going to hang him for crimes that he may have committed—Owen wasn’t the Principality.

[color=f49ac2]“At this point I think it's more accurate to call it common sense,”[/color] he said with a growl as he turned and poked a finger against Benji’s chest. He raised his voice so that it, too, reverberated off of the walls. [color=f49ac2]“Why are you acting like such a dick?”[/color]

The doctor seemed to have grown a mean streak, although this would not be the first time Benji has demonstrated such malevolence. He had only just recently pissed Tahlia off. So although Owen's question was called for, Benji felt threatened when a man 6'4 uses what Benji felt was an aggressive gesture, especially since he is only 5'5 and nearly one hundred pounds less than Owen. [color=#4dff4d]"Don't touch me!"[/color] Benji snarled as the back of his fist slapped away Owen's finger. [color=#4dff4d]"Besides this is your own damn fault, Owen! If you didn't decide to stop Tahlia when Rend fired a GUN on us then he would be dead, and I wouldn't have to be worried about him escaping right now!"[/color] If Rend truly did escape, that jeopardizes the Benji's deal with the Principality. Because, that leaves the possibility of Rend contacting the Velbenan queen and telling her everything, even having her turn on the crew. 

Owen folded his arms over his chest, looking down at Benji as the doctor implied that it would have been for the best if he had let someone be murdered by—

[color=f49ac2]"What!?"[/color]

Owen twisted away from the other man, putting his hands on his head as he paced back and forth. No matter which way he cut it, Rend escaping was bad news. If the old coot did anything stupid then it would probably end up being on their heads for whatever damn backwards logic these aliens used. Owen let out a heavy breath. This was bad, bad, ba—he stopped. How did Benji know any of this? Owen spun on his heels, fixing Benji with a peculiar look.

[color=f49ac2]"How do you even know that he escaped?"[/color] asked Owen, accusation heavy in his voice. 

[color=#4dff4d]"Why don't you just go in the kitchen like I said so I can explain everything!?"[/color] Benji was losing his patience because he was running out of time. His urgency could be recognized by the harsh tone in his voice. Not only did he worry about Rend, Benji still had Echo to deal with. Though, Owen was presently proving to be his greatest obstacle to get over. [color=#4dff4d]"If I could, I would have already dragged you there, but you and I both know you're not really in my weight class."[/color]

[color=f49ac2]"Hmph,"[/color] said Owen with a snort. He didn't know what Benji's play was here, but the man was acting far too strange for him to go along with it. It was something he had said. Well, okay, it was a lot of things he had said, but one thing in particular colored him concerned: Don't wait up for Echo. He eyed the sword. As far as Owen could tell, two things were either possible: either Benji had completely lost his marbles, or he had found them. If the former was the case then there was no way he would let the man out of his sight while armed. He was a danger to the others, to himself. If it was the latter then, shoot, he liked the man better when he was batty. 

[color=f49ac2]"I could ask you why you're so determined to make us go to the kitchen. If it's so urgent, then wouldn't it be best to explain it here and now? I'm sure as eggs not going anywhere, and you aren't going to be able to make me. It's like you said: if you could, you would,"[/color] he said, his voice low so that the other man would have to strain to hear him. [color=f49ac2]"So, would you mind telling me why Echo isn't invited to our little family breakfast?"[/color]

[color=#4dff4d]"Guess who helped Rend escaped?"[/color] Benji raised his eyebrows as he glanced over at Echo's door. [color=#4dff4d]"And yeah, I know you're just going to ask more questions like 'how do I know she helped him', but-- damn it! Stay out of this, Owen, you wouldn't understand what is going on. I want to see her [i]alone[/i]."[/color] Benji tightened his jaw as his teeth clamped down against each other. His annoyance turned to anger, because Owen continued to stand so stubbornly in his way. So Benji spoke with the upmost amount of hostility and aggression,[color=#4dff4d]"I already know you are not going to let me do that, now are you?"[/color] It was really a rhetorical question since Benji already knew Owen's answer to it. [color=#4dff4d]"Fine... Fine!"[/color] he yelled. [color=#4dff4d]"I'll go with one other person. But that person is [i]not[/i] going to be you."[/color]

Owen's nostrils flared as a smirk crossed his face. A moment ago Benji wanted him to go to the kitchen so he could explain things to him; now the doctor was saying that Owen wouldn't understand what was going on. Benji was talking too much, unraveling his own yarn with hardly even the slightest bit of provocation. Owen nearly felt bad for the doctor, he himself was often guilty of saying too much to the detriment of his point. In a way, it was nice to see someone else's emotions get the better of them; of course, considering the implications that came with Benji wanting to see Echo alone while armed, Owen couldn't really enjoy it.

[color=f49ac2]"I don't think so. Not if you're keeping that thing,"[/color] said Owen, nodding to the sword. [color=f49ac2]"Let's make a compromise. You give that to me and I'll see if Tahlia and Yaz would be kind enough to go wake Echo up, since she seems to be the only one who's allowed to have their beauty sleep,"[/color] he said, having noticed that hers was the only door not opened thanks to Benji. [color=f49ac2]"While they fetch her so that she can tell us what actually happened with Rend, we can go to the kitchen like you wanted where you can explain to me what is exactly going on. Nice and slowly, of course, and in small words if you could. I'm clearly too stupid to understand what's going on all by my lonesome."[/color]

As Owen spoke, Benji maintained full eye-contact with nothing more than the floor beneath his feet. Though when he finished speaking, Benji slowly raised his head up, [color=#4dff4d]"Ha, really? Really? You know, I was right, [i]I[/i] couldn't drag you out of here, but there is something else I had in mind. I just really didn't think it would come to this. I didn't [i]want[/i] it to come to this."[/color] Benji turned away from Owen, yet Benji did not make his way towards Echo's door, instead he approached the nearest Britheian guard positioned in the hall that was strictly there to protect them if Rend ever potentially made an appearance. Then a familiar sight unravel-- Benji communicating in the alien tongue while the rest of the crew remained completely oblivious. Though this time it was different, because this time was not just a simple conversation heard...

 As soon as Benji walked back to Owen, two troops followed beside him. [color=#4dff4d]"You might never forgive me for this."[/color] Benji did not hate Owen, surely he was annoyed by him, frustrated even, but Benji was aware that now Owen may hate him. The two strapping Britheians grabbed both Owen's arms and shoulders, one soldier tightening a grip on his right and the other on his left, dragging Owen away by force. 

[color=f49ac2]"Seriously? C'mon, man, is this necessary?"[/color] asked Owen, an incredulous look on his face as Benji returned with two aliens flanking him. There was a slight amusement in his voice, one that quickly gave way to panic as the aliens seized him and began to drag him away. No amount of struggling would be able to break him free, and Owen had seen how rough they had treated the others to even try in the first place. [color=f49ac2]"Benji! Benji! Goddamn it, Doc, call your goons off,"[/color] he said, his voice growing into a scream as he was dragged out the door. [color=f49ac2]"Benji! Benji!"[/color]

Owen’s cries crept into Benji's conscience. He could not help but fold his fingers against the hilt hooked to his hip. The sword was previously stripped from the armory’s wall because of his desire for security. Now, he felt unstable about his decision. Benji expected Owen to curse him madly, yet there were no sounds of hate only desperation. But no matter where his [i]feelings[/i] forced him, [i]Benji[/i] forced himself to commit. 

And when the man’s shrills could only be heard through the ship’s echoes, Benji trudged towards Tahlia while his head remained downcast. With what he just did, Benji made it not an option to proceed to Echo’s room alone. He had to prepare for Murphy’s law, if anything were to go wrong inside of her room Benji at least wanted a witness. He just stained his own reputation, without someone there to vouch for him, it would be quite easy to cast criminal accusations. 

Once he faced Tahlia Benji gradually raised his head to herself. Yes, he kept it in the back of his mind that Yaz was still there present in the hall. But part of him wanted to pretend that she wasn’t. He still had a soft spot for her. With all the hell they have walked through yet, she, out of the six, preserved an innocence—an innocence Benji had seemed to have forgotten, or [i]lost[/i],.. somehow. He chose to speak to Tahlia because she was the most familiar with multi-dreaming, that is exactly what crossed his mind when he told Owen that he just wouldn’t understand. Although, Tahlia may since he almost spoke of it during their altercation in the gym, and he had a hallucination due to the multi-dreaming there in front of her. Though he was not enthusiastic to even make eye-contact, it was as if in his inhalation, he could smell her displeasure, her resentment, and her wrath. He prayed it was only his imagination, that it was far from reality. 

[color=#4dff4d]“Tahlia--”[/color] her name was the only word he could voice. 

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