Chapter Seventeen: Constellations
Airheart and her crew were not, in fact, waiting for them back at the temple's entrance, much to their collective relief. They decided to make camp there for the night before heading back to the shore in the morning, and hopefully avoid crossing paths with the sky pirates along the way.
Benny made his way outside as soon as he thought he would go unnoticed, heading for the canopy to stargaze, and get his thoughts in order. He was also still mad and didn't care to be around his friends at the moment. Oh, he knew Unikitty was just heckling him- that had been a staple of their friendship pretty much since the moment they'd met- but her teasing had crossed a line this time. She had no right to call him out like that in front of the others…!
He didn't bother to look as he heard faint puffing and the clattering of hooves against wood as the friend in question was trying to make her way up to his perch. "You're not welcome," he said as soon as she made it up to his branch.
"Oh, come on Benny," she whined. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to climb trees with hooves?"
"Did it not occur to you that that's maybe the point of my being up here?"
"Look, I'm sorr-"
"You had no right, saying something like that in front of everyone! I mean I don't care that Jonas knows, he's been my best friend as long as you have and probably figured it out already, but the others-"
Unikitty laid her ears flat and stomped a hoof on the branch, nearly shaking Benny off of it. "Won't judge you for it either. The world's not the way it was when you left it, Benny. You're going to have to get used to that." She sighed and sat down. "I am sorry I embarrassed you, though. And I'll make sure Lucy and Busy don't say anything to Bad Cop until you've told him."
"I don't know if I even will."
"What? Why not?"
Benny shrugged. "I've been trying to give hints, nothing so obvious as to freak him out but not too subtle either. You know, try to gauge his reactions, but he hasn't responded to any of it. If anything, he just writes it off as one of my 'quirks' and continues on like it's business as usual. I can't get a read on him, and if he's not interested… He's a good friend, and I don't want to risk losing that. Heh…" He pressed the heel of his palm into an eye. "Imagine that. Being Bad Cop's friend started out as a chore, but now I can't bear the thought of him not being around…"
"Oh, Benny," Unikitty cooed, and scooted forward to press her rough tongue to his forehead. "Come on. Metalbeard's telling stories, maybe that'll help distract you."
"Better be a good one," the spaceman mumbled, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her fur. She nudged him onto her back and leapt back to the ground, landing light as a feather. "A thought occurs to me," he said as he slid back onto the ground. She looked at him expectantly. "How come you're giving me crap, but not Emmet and Lucy?"
"Well, one, Emmet and Lucy are already together- but you can bet your lucky stars I will be shrieking the moment those two finally have their first proper kiss." She grinned and bounced, and Benny laughed.
"Yeah, I can believe that. Two?"
"You're my best friend and it's practically my job to give you crap about your crushes. Besides, you're just sooo cute about it I can't help myself!" She giggled as he turned red again and gave her a shove.
"Shut up, 'Kitty…" She snickered and pranced back inside.
He took a moment to compose himself before following her. Sure enough, Metalbeard was in the middle of one of his favorite tales- the almost-prank-war. Much as he liked to gripe about Benny's mischief, he also took great pleasure in seeing it unleashed on others, especially those particularly deserving of it.
There'd been a good reason Caesar had permanently banned Benny from Pirate's Cove, after all.
"Ah, there ye be, Benny!" Metalbeard called out over the others' laughter. "I saved me best tale for last, almost thought ye'd miss it!"
"You mean the prank war isn't your best story?" Benny chuckled. "Sure seems to have slayed them." Emmet in particular was doubled over wheezing, tears streaming down his face as he tried to catch his breath.
"That was definitely… inventive," Bad Cop remarked, looking immensely amused. "Seems this Caesar doesn't like being out-pranked."
"Not especially, no," Benny agreed, sitting down to join the circle. "So which one is it, Metalbeard? The zombie pirates? The cursed treasure? The raid on Octan Tower?" That one was met with a chorus of annoyed groans, and Benny grinned. "Oh, how about that one with the lady you kept flirting with who turned out to be a-"
"Hush, Benny," Metalbeard interrupted, and the astronaut snickered. "Nay, it be the tale of when we first met."
"Ooooh." Benny bounced.
"I'm guessing it's a very interesting one, if that devious grin Benny's sporting is any indication," Business said.
"Oh it is. Cause it's also the story of how I escaped Bad Cop the first time."
"…Oh good lord," the cop in question groaned, facepalming as Benny cackled in delight, and his former employer looked positively eager to hear it.
"Is this the story you were telling me about a while back?"
"They told you?" Bad Cop sulked.
"Teased me with it more like, they wouldn't give me a single detail…"
"Shh!" Unikitty scolded, and Metalbeard started his tale.
"So this were about five years ago, just as Bad Cop was really startin' to whip his robot forces into shape. Me crew and I fled beyond the Tower, hopin' he wouldn't follow us into uncharted territory. We did manage to lose him in the fog, but only for a short while. We chanced upon a small island, when me lookout spotted what be a fancy coffin washed up on the beach! Naturally we had to go take a look, couldn't leave a soul lost at sea. Still dunno how we managed it, but we got it opened, and inside was Benny. Imagine our surprise when he was still breathing! So we bring him aboard, tend to him as best we can. He wakes up right soon- just as Bad Cop catches up to us again." Emmet snuggled up close to Lucy, eyes wide.
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes!" Metalbeard crowed. "Nearly caught us that time, he did!"
"I did almost have you," Bad Cop muttered bitterly, "if it hadn't been for that lunatic." Benny only snickered in response.
"This is the best part," the astronaut whispered to Emmet.
"So Benny takes one look at Bad Cop and his troops, and off he goes, tryin' to use his jetpack and his own head to ram Bad Cop's cruiser, playin' chicken with him," Metalbeard snickered.
Benny cackled. "Yeah, and I don't think I'll ever forget that look of shock on your face," he teased. Bad Cop scowled back at him in response.
"Bad Cop goes down to avoid him, and Benny shoots straight into one of the robots' transports, has it apart quick as lightning."
"He used the electrical cables from that transport to make a tripwire and took out three more in one go," Bad Cop grumbled. "Then set off a fuel explosion that blew up another four. I'd never been more embarrassed."
"Hey, who's tellin' the story?" Metalbeard snapped. "Anyway- next thing we know he's comin' back loaded down with bits of shrapnel and wire and engine parts, and he's got me puttin' propellers on me ship! And there's an engine in me cargo hold! He sets that lever up by the helm and in a blink we be off, leavin' Bad Cop and his robots in our wake. Saved our skins, he did."
Somehow during the telling, Benny made his way over to drape himself over Bad Cop's back, chin resting on his head and arms draped loosely over his shoulders. To his credit, Bad Cop didn't even bat a lash at it. Business was smirking at his former henchman. "Well, I can see now why that incident didn't get reported. Goodness, that's humiliating."
"Well, it worked out for the best anyway," Emmet piped up. "If Benny hadn't been part of our team, we never would have succeeded in stopping you from Kragling the world, and we wouldn't be here now enjoying each other's company."
"Speaking of which," Lucy sat up, looking at him, "you never did tell us what happened after you fell into the Infinite Abyss."
"Aye lad, I be curious to know, too," Metalbeard added.
"And me!" Benny chirped.
"Well… It was very disorienting at first. Everything was enormous, and I couldn't budge a muscle! And then I got stepped on by a giant!" He was met with gasps of horror. "But somehow I didn't get squished. And then he picked me up and I thought he was going to eat me, but he just… smiled at me, and said 'hi, Emmet!' Like we were old friends."
"Was it The Man Upstairs?" Unikitty gasped.
"No, he was just a little boy," Emmet said. "I think his name's Finn."
Benny felt Bad Cop stiffen under him. "Huh? What is it?"
"The boy who makes the stories…" Bad Cop mumbled, drawing the others' attention. Emmet's eyes went wide.
"Did you meet him too?"
"No, I didn't meet him." Bad Cop frowned. "But I think I did have a dream about him. When I was in the hospital. He was… saying something… I don't think I ever quite caught what, but then, I don't think it was directed at me in the first place."
"Keelan?" Lucy guessed.
"Yes."
"Who be Keelan?" Metalbeard asked.
"Can we meet him?" Emmet was giving him such an earnest look, he couldn't find it in him to say 'no' outright.
"…Let me find out if he's up to it." Would you like to meet the others?
…thEy won'T laUGh?
They won't laugh, promise. "Be nice, and don't crowd him," Bad Cop instructed before switching out. Keelan hunched in on himself at Business' shocked staring, but relaxed when he caught Lucy's reassuring smile and felt Benny's arms wrap around him to give him a squeeze.
"So, uh." Business cleared his throat. "You're Keelan?"
"I'm Emmet!" the Special introduced himself, holding out a hand. After a bit of prompting, Keelan took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you!"
"Um, n-nice to meet you…"
"So we didn't exactly have proper introductions last time, but my name's Lucy, and the nerd who's currently got himself wrapped around you is-"
"Benny," Keelan finished, smiling sheepishly. Said 'nerd' snickered. "I- I know. Cary, um, Cary told me." He looked around at the group. "And- and you're, um, Metalbeard, and you're Uniki-kitty, and you're- you're Business."
Business slumped. "Not even a first-name basis?" he pouted.
"Well what did you expect?" Benny smirked. "B's still kinda ticked off at you, and the kiddo here only knows what B will tell him." He ruffled Keelan's hair. "Don't worry, he's really not so bad once you get to know him." Keelan reached up and smoothed his hair back into place without a word. "You getting used to everything okay?"
"Y-yeah. Cary makes it easy."
"You know, I never would have thought that under all the claws and the teeth and the grrr that Bad Cop's really a big softie," Emmet mused. "I mean, once you actually get on his good side, anyway. He's kind of terrifying otherwise."
"B-but he's not scary."
"Maybe not to you, sweetie, but we kind of have history together," Lucy explained. At Keelan's confused look, she shook her head. "It's a long story, and it's in the past anyway. We're friends now, so it's nothing you'll have to worry about."
"Okay…"
The trek back to the shore was surprisingly uneventful. As each day passed without sign of the sky pirates, their spirits continued to lift with the hope that they'd given them the slip entirely. Between the trip being almost entirely downhill, and their renewed energy, they made it back a day early. Benny was practically vibrating with his excitement and eagerness to build another spaceship, babbling out ideas as fast as they came to him.
"-and a talking computer! I've always wanted one of those! I should put laser turrets on it too- oh, what if we rigged some sort of EMP gun, give those sky pirates a taste of their own medicine? What do you guys think?"
"We should make it rainbow colors!" Unikitty enthused.
"I fully defer to you on this, Ben, you're the expert on spaceships here," Bad Cop spoke up as the others maintained exasperated silence.
"It's gonna be my best one ever I just know it- ow!" He'd collided with Metalbeard's back as the captain stood frozen at the tree line. "What the heck?" he complained.
Metalbeard stared out at the ocean in horror. "Me ship…!"