A/N;

So I've had this sitting in my files for years, and only now have gotten the inspiration to finish it. Reviews're welcome of course c:

Yes this is a humanised AU. Designs are whatever you imagine. Also Thomas is in this because fuck the russian spy arc :D

Everyone knew how cruel Mr. Maellard could be.

But nobody ever thought he would go this far.

Mordecai watches Benson continuously pace up and down the tiled floor of his kitchen. He had been muttering to himself for at least 7 minutes now.

"So what now, man?"

Mordecai sighs as he glances at Rigby.

"I don't know."

The two take a chance to look around the room; Muscle Man and Fives are huddled together, talking quietly on how they can get back at Maellard. Pops is whimpering by the door, with Thomas making the weak attempt to comfort him, and Skips is on the couch, his elbow propped on one of the arms as he eyes his boss in curiosity.

Rigby makes a face when Muscle Man laughs loudly, and the sound reverberates across the walls; nobody gives their co-worker a glance. "We're not staying here forever, are we?"

Mordecai scoffs, "No way, dude."

But he feels a ripple of doubt as he sees Benson picking at a hangnail on his thumb.

It had happened so suddenly, nobody had had a chance to react; and when the dust had settled, with Maellards cackling echoing through the air, everyone looked to Benson for a response. For a signal on how to go about this.

But there hadn't been any.

And that had not sat right with Mordecai since they'd fled here.

Hell, Skips had been the one to nudge Benson awake and he'd just simply told everyone that they would camp in his apartment for the time being. Though he hadn't specified for how long, and nobody asked for further instructions.

"Mordecai?"

Skips looks to the duo to see Mordecai push himself up and walk over to their boss, who's back is turned to them all as he nibbles away at his thumb. He watches them evenly, the gears turning in his mind, and his brows furrow when he takes note of how his young co-worker is approaching him; as if he were a wild animal. And after a brief glance around, he realises it's only he and Rigby who have picked up on this.

Mordecai stops behind him and carefully reaches a hand out. "Hey, Benson?"

His boss looks sharply behind him, and Mordecai hesitates; there are dark circles around his eyes, his hair has been messed through and his skin has changed from a fleshy pink to an ashen grey colour.

But when Bensons gaze set on him, a flicker of life comes into his eyes. "Oh, hey Mordecai."

Mordecai rubs his arm. "Are you, um...are you okay?"

"What? Oh." He pauses to scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm…I mean….it's a lot to take in."

He laughs nervously, which sends an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. But he returns a grim smile and nods.

"Yeah. Um, did you...want to come sit down with us?" He sweeps a hand to the others, who are now muttering amongst themselves with Pops voicing the occasional disbelief about his father, and Benson swallows.

"Oh, uh no. I'm okay, Mordecai, thanks."

"You sure? You…"

But he shakes his head, and Mordecai nods again.

There's a beat of silence between them as they both listen to the murmurs, to Pops' cries, and just when it gets too much for them both -

"Hey, Benson we're not staying here forever, are we?"

Rigbys voices cuts through it.

Mordecais body deflates in relief as he sees that familiar frustration arise in Bensons face and he turns, along with their boss, to look Rigbys way. Only Mordecai catches the way Skips is eyeing them.

"No, Rigby we're not."

"So...are we going to a hotel?"

It's a strange thing to admit, but Mordecai can't fight the happiness fluttering through him at Benson stepping from his spot on the carpet.

"Do you know how expensive it would be to room all of us?"

Thomas raises a hand, and Benson sighs.

"Yes, Thomas?"

"Couldn't we just share rooms? It would be cheaper."

As Benson goes to answer, Rigby nods enthusiastically.

"Yeah, good idea, Thomas!" He starts to point at everyone. "Me and Mordecai can share a room, Skips can go with Pops and you can go with Muscle Man and Fives."

"What about Benson?" Five asks, but it's drowned out by Muscle Mans explosive defense of "What? Why do we have to share a room with Starter Pack?"

Thomas holds his palms out, "Come on, guys. I've been working there for 3 years now."

"Oh, you can stay with me, Thomas!" Pops chimes in. He wipes his face momentarily before continuing to their gruff co-worker, "I'm sure Skips wouldn't mind having a room to himself. What say you, my good man?"

Skips only grunts in reply, and the lolliman sends a beaming smile to the group.

Rigby waves his hands out. "Woah, Pops we're trying to save money, not throw it away. Right, Benson?"

Their boss goes to open his mouth, but Pops whimpers again.

"Oh, I'm sorry Benson, I forgot."

Benson pinches the bridge of his nose.

"It's just one extra room, Rigby. Don't be such a tightwad." Muscle Man folds his arms and Fives hums beside him.

Rigby jabs a finger at him, "You just don't want to share a room with Thomas."

"Well, why don't you have him in your room?"

"Because me and Mordo are already sharing a room, I told you!"

"But - "

"WE'RE NOT STAYING AT A HOTEL!"

A piercing silence falls on the group, and Benson sighs heavily as he puts a hand against his forehead.

"Benson, you okay?"

And to everyones horror, hot tears well up in their boss' eyes.

"I…" He slowly exhales and swipes them away, but more keep coming. "I don't know, Rigby…"

Mordecai winces and he casts a glance to Skips, but the elder is watching them carefully. The others, however, are too scared to say anything more. It's beginning to dawn on everybody that this is the first real emotion they've seen come from Benson since leaving the Park, and the air is thick with anticipation.

Mordecais gaze darts around their boss' face, "We…we can fix this, right?"

Benson takes his hand away, large tears trailing down his cheeks, "...What?"

"I mean…" His employee hesitates. "Can't we just...talk to Maellard? Reason - "

"Jesus, are you hearing yourself?"

Mordecai's mouth closes.

"He destroyed the park, Mordecai!" Benson lets out an incredulous laugh. "You honestly want to reason with that...that lunatic?!"

A sudden warmth sets into Mordecais throat and he stares helplessly at their boss. Despite himself, a spark of anger ignites somewhere from inside him at Bensons words. "Well...isn't it better than sitting here all day?"

Benson sets his jaw, his voice dangerously low, "Like it or not, Mordecai, we're staying put. Now unless you have a better idea than facing a mad man, I suggest you rejoin the others while I figure out where to house all of you before you end up on the streets."

At this, Pops' cries start up again and Benson pushes past everyone to storm to his room. "I can't deal with this right now…"

A loud bang echoes through the apartment, and Pops dials it down to quiet whimpers as Thomas returns to consoling him albeit poorly.

/

"Benson!"

Before Mordecai can take a step to go after him, Skips gradually stands to head over to him. Rigby leans against the couch with his hands pressed to the carpet, eyeing them, with Muscle Man & Fives getting up to go find a pack of cards or board game.

Skips puts a gentle hand on his shoulder and his co-worker sighs.

"Leave him be, Mordecai. He needs some time to process this."

Mordecai keeps his gaze on the door. "I know, Skips."

But the moment's broken by a loud crash from Bensons bedroom, quickly followed by another as Muscle Man and Fives come hurrying in with their arms full of board games, but neither speak before letting them fall to the floor.

"What's going on with Benson?" Fives asks.

Mordecai glances at the duo, a sick feeling in his gut, "He's um…cooling off."

Rigby frowns as he starts to sift through the pile, "Doesn't sound like it." Then he laughs loudly and everyone looks over to see him hold up a scrabble box. "Benson's such an old man."

Muscle Man drops beside him. "Come on, he's gotta have battleship or something."

"Pft, he's not cool enough to own that."

"Fives, help me look."

As the little ghost floats over, Skips' attention goes back to Mordecai, who's gaze is still on the door and he sees him grimace as it shakes from Benson having kicked something into it.

"Shouldn't someone check on him?" Mordecai casts a wary eye to his co-worker, and he's not surprised to hear a grunt.

"He should've calmed down by now."

"Yeah, well he clearly hasn't." Mordecai pauses, "How long does this usually go on for?"

Skips shrugs, "It was an hour once, when his old band released their first album with the drumatron. He tore some wood off the wall."

"Woah."

"Mm. It's not exactly a good coping mechanism."

"Well, it needs to stop." Before Skips can speak, Mordecai starts for the door but he's halted when something akin to a chair slams against it. His elder co-worker comes up beside him and Mordecai sighs again.

"Got any advice?"

Skips grunts, "Just don't make him angrier."

Mordecai scoffs, but Skips is already heading off to the kitchen. Rigby watches him disappear through the doorway, a small pile of plastic ships in hand as he turns back to his friend, "Geez, for an immortal guy, his advice really blows."

/

Though he had had an inkling of how the room would look, the sight still has the air knocked out of him.

Bensons room is...for lack of a better word, a true bomb-site; his curtains have been ripped to shreds, there are feathers from his pillows littering the room, as well as kindling from a broken up armchair by the door, which he guess is what was thrown against it. His closet doors have been thrown open, and the drawers have been tossed onto the ground, with clothing spread everywhere.

And sat motionless on the bed with his back to him, surrounded by feathers, is Benson himself.

Mordecai quietly closes the door behind him.

"Listen...Benson - "

"Leave."

Mordecai hesitates. When he doesn't respond, Benson lifts his head but he doesn't look his way. "I said leave, Mordecai."

"No, I…I came to apologise."

Benson chokes out a laugh, "What're you talking about?"

"What I said, it…" He steps more into the room, taking care to avoid the pieces of wood and stops across from him. "It wasn't fair to you."

To Mordecai's surprise, Benson shoulders begin to shake.. "Who cares about fair, Mordecai?" He puts a hand in front of his eyes as tears slip through.

"What...Benson, what'd you…"

"He took everything from me; my girlfriend, my job…" He pauses to clear his throat, his voice thick with phlegm. "Everything I've put my heart into, it's...it's gone."

Mordecais eyes roam around the room, and though a weak defense, it is something. "Well...you've still got your apartment."

Benson glances at him, "For how long?"

"For…" And then it dawns on him, and he shuts his mouth.

At this, Benson crumbles into himself.

"I'm hopeless, Mordecai. I really let Maellard lead me into this...nightmare." He wipes his face and there's a brief silence as Benson stares out his bedroom window. "He's won, hasn't he?"

"What...Benson - "

His boss whirls on him, and there's frustration in his eyes. "Stop kidding yourself. Please, for once."

Mordecai watches him lower his head, eyes roaming the carpet, and he moves closer until he's in front of him. When Benson doesn't utter a word, he gradually sits next to him, making sure to leave a noticeable gap if Benson decides to speak up.

Keeping a steady gaze on him, Mordecai waits for Rigbys shouts of "BATTLESHIP!" to subside before opening his mouth.

"He hasn't taken everything."

Benson frowns as he looks at him, "What'd you mean?"

Mordecai shrugs, "Well...we're all still here, aren't we?"

It takes a moment, but Benson soon scoffs, "Wow, what an observation."

"I mean it."

"And you're all going to face Maellard, are you?"

"Are you serious? No way, Benson, that's suicide."

Now his boss' brows furrow, "So...why did you come in here?"

"To apologise, remember?"

Mordecai's lips split into a grin as Benson laughs quietly to himself, "Yeah. Right." He sniffs and looks around the room, "I really broke a lot of stuff, huh?"

Now it's Mordecai's turn to laugh. "Yeah. But at least you didn't break the bed."

Benson bursts into giggles, then, and he makes a grab for an empty pillow covering. He shakes it so more feathers fall around them, and Mordecai bats them away. "I did tear up the pillows, though."

Mordecai leans back to grab the other one, "You can just make one from all the clothing on the floor."

They both laugh together and Benson forcefully hits him with the cover, to have one get him in the face and he falls back onto the mattress. For a second, he stays in the silence, but then Mordecai whacks him across the head and he bursts into laughter again.

With more feathers drifting around them, his employee lands beside him, both mens legs hanging over the bed.

Benson folds his hands on his stomach as their gazes roam the ceiling, Mordecais tucked behind his head, and they stay like that with their heartbeats gradually slowing.

"...You're not hopeless, Benson."

Benson smiles, "Thanks, Mordecai."

The two listen to Rigby and Muscle Man argue, with Fives chipping in, before sitting up and Mordecai kicks a small pile of feathers away as he stands to stretch.

"I better stop them."

Benson snorts, "First me, now them? You've missed your calling as a mediator."

Mordecai turns to pull him up, "I doubt I'd meet cooler people being a mediator."

His boss nudges him, "That won't get you a raise."

Mordecai gives him a cheeky smile, "Oh, so we are saving the park?"

Benson rolls his eyes, but he steps away to swipe up some clothes, "I didn't say that. But help me clean up and I might consider it."

Mordecai hits him one last time with a t-shirt before tossing it on the bed. "Well, it's a start."