redshiftrp | @lazarus

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@lazarus | video

[ The video opens on Ben's face. He is looking particularly grim, filming in one of the rooms in the residential section. No greetings or build-up, he just cuts right to the chase, holding up a tiny device between forefinger and thumb. Visible is a tiny lens, and what looks like a small antennae to transmit. ]

PSA. There are surveillance cameras hidden in the lighting fixtures of the bedrooms. I found a creepy tunnel leading to a creepy lair where some fucking creep has been spying on us. Still trying to figure out who is behind it and what they want, but the feeds only show occupied rooms and no empty ones so it's not a coincidence, unfortunately.

[ Ben turns the frame to face the spot where the small camera had obviously been ripped out of an overhead light. From offscreen he says, voice clipped and angry: ]

Anyway. Wanted you guys to know. Hit me up if you need help ripping the suckers out. I'll post again when I know more.

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[ Well, he had gotten Ami to laugh in spite of the fact she's just found a creepy hidden camera in her bedroom. That is one crystallized good thing that has happened, today. Ben is going to hang on to that.

He steps inside, glancing at the room with polite and perfunctory curiosity, ready to make his way back to the lighting fixture with the camera, say his goodbyes (maybe with a few words of encouragement to talk to him if she is feeling creeped out and needs a friend), and head off to Peter's lab.

But then he sees all that writing, and it stops him in his tracks. He's used to writing on walls - Klaus did it all the time. But that was just poems and ramblings, here and there. Even when Five would write on the walls, it was equations, working out temporal equations and impacts, and anyway, Five isn't exactly... entirely sane.

So to see the same word (kinda?) repeated over and over again, all over the walls... that's not just a teenager being creative with her decorating, and it doesn't seem like it could possibly be a meme, even if he's still a little fuzzy on what memes are. He tries not to comment, really, but that only lasts a few seconds before he's interrupting her, asking: ]

Ami, what... the hell is all this?

Huh?

[ Ami blinks, and tentatively looks from side to side. Her room's clean, she even put all her clothes away... ]

... What's all what?

[ As far as first impressions go, this one is definitely not one of Ben's best. It calms him down some, to hear that Qubit and Peter have already talked and are working together. He doesn't have confirmation of that yet, but it's easy enough to confirm that he can't imagine it would be worth lying about.

Much more calmly, he reasons: ]

The way I see it... we shouldn't let assumptions about what they might know stop us from at least trying to be cautious. That only works to their advantage. And I want to keep Peter safe.

[ And if Qubit doesn't think that's a worthy goal then honestly? He's got some very different priorities than Ben. ]

I appreciate the offer. Probably pretty obvious from the... general bitchiness, but I'm super not in a great discussing place about all this right now. I don't know anything about tech and I'm not thinking straight. I'll keep those cameras for you, though.

Edited 2019-10-02 16:35 (UTC)

[ Started weird, just getting weirder. How can she not know exactly what he's talking about, right now? Ben takes a moment to just get back the surprise and find the right words. He gestures at the closest wall, the close dark script all over it. ]

The - all the writing on the walls. No offense if this is the hot new fashion in your world, but it looks sort of... alarming.

[ Ami follows his gesture, confused. All she sees is the wall, clean as the day she moved in. What's he talking about? He could just be messing with her, but is that really the kind of thing he'd do? Or maybe he's the one seeing things? ]

Ben, there's... nothing there.

[ A trickle of fear makes its way down Ben's spine. This isn't a joke, right? Ami has a sense of humor, but if she's pranking him right now, she's a remarkable actress. She seems completely bland and confused. Ben chews at his lower lip, looking from the walls, to Ami, and back. He pulls the device from his pocket and takes a photo, holding it out so Ami can look at the screen. Maybe there's... some kind of illusion spell this will get around or who knows. He doesn't speak magic. ]

You don't see words, written all over the walls? Like.... all over?

[ Ben's argument isn't without merit. Qubit could have been vaguer, or he could have just PM'd Ben directly. What he did post was less "calculated statement" than "spur-of-the-moment weigh-in." But all things considered, he doesn't think he was wrong to do it that way. Ben's unwilling to trust a stranger - he explicitly said as much to Scaramouche (though in fairness, Qubit doesn't trust that guy either) - and it's pretty clear from context that he's setting all his reply threads to private. That they've gotten as far as they have is solely down to the association with Peter, and Qubit knows it.

So why not make the whole thing private? Simple: because he wants himself on record as working on this. See, there's a certain foible he has - often he throws himself too much into his work and forgets to socialize, to connect with people outside of chance encounters. And then when something happens, and he's actually needed, no one knows him well enough to trust him, much less seek him out.

He let that go on far too long on Earth-β. And it's begun to occur to him that he could easily repeat the same mistake here. ]

Understood, and thanks. I don't blame you for being upset about all this, so am I. [ If not in precisely the same way. ] And don't get me wrong - I want him safe as much as you do. But in my opinion...

[ He takes a second to think about how he should word this. ]

I assume you're aware, but Peter's a superhero, not a covert operative. He isn't the type that can fly under radar for long. Nor, in my opinion, should he have to.

Still, if he wanted his name kept out of this, then fine, that's on me. Should I go and apologize to him?

[ It's a serious question, but he's got a hunch as to whose idea it really was. ]

[ By now, Ami's visibly worried. She squints at the wall, looks at his photo, then back at the wall, but... ]

No, I... you're freaking me out a little, Ben.

[ All over the walls? Is there really something there that she's not seeing? One of them's going crazy here, but which one? ]

... What does it say?

[ Those right there? Are the sort of motives that would never have even occurred to Ben Hargreeves. That's what happens when you're globally famous as a kid; you sort of forget that other people actually want to get noticed. As far as Ben's concerned, being publicly associated with this whole investigation is dangerous. He'd forced himself to make that post on the network, even though posting videos of himself is near the bottom of the list of things he likes to do even when he's not having a really shitty day.

When Qubit asks if he should apologize, Ben doesn't respond directly, but... it should be clear enough from what he does say that this is all coming from him, not Peter: ]

Peter's a kid. I'm not saying he's not skilled or smart or capable. I know he worked with a team of adult superheroes in his world and he's used to being treated just like one of them, but... even if he thinks he can handle being on the front line of this, doing extra to help push him up there... just feels wrong to me.

[ But maybe Ben is overstepping, going too far, thinking he knows better for other people the way he always does. And... yeah, okay, maybe he's got some unresolved Stuff about the way he'd been thrust into the limelight as a thirteen-year-old superhero, himself, and how many times he and his siblings had been the targets of supervillains and creeps and weirdos because everyone figured they were superheroes, and didn't need to be treated like human children whose decision-making faculties were still half-cooked. ]

He doesn't have to do anything. I just- I'm not going to do anything that makes him more of a target, if I can avoid it.

[ Ben has a similar thought - one of them is seeing things and there's no way to figure out which one without bringing in a tie-breaker. Running a hand through his hair, mussing it up, he looks back to his device again and quickly sends the photo he'd just taken to Klaus with the caption: ]

Preface: I'm freaking out and now's not a good time to fuck around or make jokes, can you see writing on the walls in the pic I sent or not?

[ He's keeping a tight hold on the rising fear in his chest, but it's a tenuous control. Looking back up to Ami, he says: ]

It's, like... tick tock. No, um. Just... tock. But spelled different ways in some places. The same letters just, jumbled up. And. Everywhere.

[ But he can see Ami getting worried, and even if he's freaking out, too, he at least tries to reassure: ]

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation...

I don't even know your name.

[ "Tock"? What the heck does that mean? She doesn't doubt that Ben's telling the truth, that he really is seeing what he says he is. But if it is really there, why can't she see anything? More importantly - her stomach turns to consider it - how did it get there? ]

Y-yeah... there's gotta be.

[ She walks right up to the wall and touches it. It feels like wall. She's not sure what she expected. ]

... Please tell me it's not written in blood or something. Even if that would be pretty hardcore.

It's Ben Hargreeves.

Nice to make your acquaintance even if the circumstances leave a lot to be desired.

Carlisle Longinmouth, and yes, they do.

I shall keep you in mind, should I decide I do need a perfect stranger to talk to.

It doesn't look like blood to me.

[ And Ben... knows what blood looks like on walls, okay. He really really knows.

The device gives a brief buzz and Ben glances at it, sees a reply from Klaus under the photo that reads: ]

uh yes?
its right there

[ Wordlessly, he turns the screen to Ami, so she can see for herself that someone else is seeing the same thing Ben is. It's a tiny relief, to know he's not the one whose eyes are deceiving him. But it doesn't solve the mystery and now he's just really worried for Ami. She'd acted weird the last time they talked, with the tarot cards, and then he'd spoken to Cole who is so afraid of her and that she might be maybe possessed by a demon or something, and now he's in her room and there's writing all over the walls. It's just getting a little bit horror movie for Ben's taste.

Tucking away the device - after sending Klaus a quick but explanation-less thanks - he goes over to her desk, asks: ]

Can I...?

[ He's already taking a blank index card and a Sharpie, and he does his best to copy exactly the way the script looks, for one single t0ck. Maybe it's the word itself, somehow? He holds the card up, asks: ]

You can read that, though, right?

[ Ben is really searching for just any scrap of humor and hope today, so he adds, cheesily: ]

Well, a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet.

[If nothing else, Carlisle appreciates his attempt, no matter how private he will keep said appreciation.]

I assume you would not say the same for the stranger who has been watching us.

[ Qubit certainly knows that impulse to protect him. He feels it strongly himself, whether it's protecting him from killer robots or traitors among us or Tony Stark or the potential denizens of the woolie hole. Or, perhaps most importantly, from the stupid mistakes of some tall-haired fool.

Peter is a kid. And Qubit's got some strong opinions about kid heroes. Being forced into that life does things to a child - he saw it in Max, especially. And it's incredibly dangerous - just look what happened to Samsara. But Peter's in that gray area right on the cusp of adulthood, where it's difficult to make a hard-and-fast determination on the numbers alone. ]

I understand where you're coming from. He is young, and I hate to see him in danger. But bear in mind, no one's forcing him to do what he does. He sees a need, he steps in and fills it. Not because he has to, not for personal reward, but because he feels it's the right thing to do.

[ He may not have those exact words out of Peter's mouth, but it's what his actions are saying. He pauses here, though, as something hits him - a few years ago, he'd have painted the Plutonian's motivations as equally pure, equally selfless. And look how that turned out.

On second thought, maybe he should have a talk with Peter about this, at some point. Too late to take back the conjecture now, though. ]

... What I'm getting at is, you aren't pushing him onto the front lines. He'll find his way there on his own. What he needs isn't someone to pull him back - it's someone to stand up there with him.

[ Again, Ben is not really sure if this is a matching attempt at humor or trying to burst his fragile hope balloon. Texting is hard. ]

Yeah there's a lesser-known saying about friendship which is: Spying on someone without their knowledge and/or against their will automatically fucking disqualifies you from friendship for forever no take-backs.

Harder to fit that on a t-shirt.

[ Okay, so at least her room is not under a horrible ghost curse probably. Maybe. She comes back to peer at the message... Who the heck is @GOSUCKADICK? Wait, that's not important. What's important is that they can see it too, and that means it has to be something wrong on her end.

When he crosses to her desk, she's not sure what he's asking to do, but silently nods anyway. His copy job takes longer than you'd normally expect for four letters, though, and it takes her a minute to realize he's not just copying the letters, he's trying to copy the font.

And she can see what he put on that index card. Not only that, but it looks familiar.

Too familiar. ]

Yeah. Is... is that exactly what it looks like?

[ Qubit does have a good point, about the fact that no one is forcing Peter to put himself in dangerous situations. It's honestly super irritating that Qubit is right, but Ben can't deny it. This is different than it had been for him; he'd never wanted to be a superhero, never been given a choice. He shouldn't let that color how he treats Peter, though.

And perhaps he ought to focus more on supporting the decisions Peter is making, rather than try to make better ones for him without even asking him. The truth is, underneath everything else, it is just painful, thinking about Peter getting hurt. It's not an unfamiliar pain - Ben's felt it for Klaus and his other siblings all his life. How do other people not let it drive them to distraction? This fear of losing people? ]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I just wish I could turn off the worry.

[ Ben still thinks, privately, that in (proverbially) standing in the front lines with Peter, if there's a chance to get in between him and danger, he's still going to take it. Every time.

It's clear to him, too, that Qubit really does know Peter, and well. He's clearly familiar with Peter's particular brand of reckless bravery and goodness. Which... in the end, really does accomplish Qubit's goal of making himself more trustworthy.

All hints of anger are gone from Ben's voice now, and he sounds drained as he asks: ]

Who do you think did this? I mean I know... it's pointless to speculate until we know more but. But if you had to guess. Why... what do they want?

[It doesn't help that Carlisle is new to texting and doesn't yet know how to get any ounce of humor, however dry, across.]

One would think that would be common sense, but I suppose sense hasn't much of a place in this world.

[ There are a few tense moments when he is holding up the card and Ami is staring at it and he doesn't know if he's staring because she can see it and it means something to her or because it's blank even though she just saw him writing on it. Either option is kind of alarming in its own way.

The answer to that question becomes clear in a moment; she sounds... off. Like she's understanding. Ben's heart beats a little faster, and he gives an emphatic nod. ]

As close as I could get it. Why? What's going on, Ami - how can you not see it?

I don't think this world has anything to do with it.

Turns out there are shitty people who do awful things in every world.

The great unifier.

[ There's another pause as she briefly glancing away, brows furrowing as she turns something over in her head. ]

I can disable instead of remove the infirmary ones, if it's possible. And... Okay, that makes sense. If you need a break, come find me. I'll message you once I've done the library.

[ She wants to offer ways to speak without being easily overheard, but not over this channel. It's not secured. That has to be done in person. ]

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