Updates might slow down a bit after this, I've got finals next week and uh. Yeah. Finals.
Bad Cop could feel Benny panicking in the back of his mind, but before he could make any attempts at reassuring the spaceman, Unikitty interrupted.
"Bad Cop?" they asked.
"Yeah," Bad Cop replied. His voice was still gruff, but it wasn't quite his. "Something went wrong when Ben tried to get me out."
"I'll say," Unikitty replied. "I shouldn't have let him go after you alone. He has trouble with mindspaces."
Benny's terror was building up, pressing in on Bad Cop, and it was making his head spin. "I need a moment," Bad Cop said, backing towards the bedroom. "I have to talk to Ben."
Unikitty looked relieved. "So he's still in there!"
Bad Cop nodded before shutting the door. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. It's okay, Ben, he said.
No, Benny gasped. No, no, no, I'm trapped. I'm trapped, it's dark, I need to get out, Bad, I need to get out-
Just relax, Bad Cop told him. I'm going to switch us, okay?
It was like a blink. Benny was suddenly himself again, and he doubled over, wheezing.
Breathe, Ben, he heard Bad Cop say. You'll be alright, I promise.
Benny gulped down a deep breath of air, then another, and another, his racing heart slowing as he listened to Bad Cop talk him down.
"Okay," Benny said once he'd regained control. "Okay." He stood up, knees shaking, and crossed to the door. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated a moment before opening it and stepping out. "Unikitty?" he asked.
Unikitty bounced over to him and wrapped their arms around him in a tight hug. "You're okay!"
"Mostly," Benny replied with a weak smile. "It's an interesting experience sharing your head with another person." Prying himself free, he looked over at the couch. "How's Good Cop?"
Unikitty's face fell. "Not so great," they said. "I haven't been able to get him to talk to me. He looks like he's in shock."
Benny approached Good Cop, who was curled tightly in on himself and shaking like a leaf. He knelt down on the floor next to the couch and put a hand to Good Cop's forehead. "Hey, G?" he asked softly.
Good Cop didn't seem to hear Benny, his wide-eyed gaze fixed firmly on some middle distance. His lips were moving slightly, like he was mumbling to himself, but no sound came out.
What's going on? Bad Cop asked.
"I don't know," Benny said. "Good Cop's totally out of it."
What's he doing?
"He's just… curled up. Staring. I think he's saying something, but I can't hear." Benny chewed on his lower lip and glanced over at Unikitty.
Worry radiated off Bad Cop, and experiencing two people's emotions at once was throwing Benny for a loop.
"Should we go back in?" Benny asked Unikitty in the kind of tone that was dreading the answer yes.
Unikitty shook their head, and Benny felt a bit of relief.
Suddenly, Good Cop's hand clamped down on Benny's wrist, and Benny nearly screamed.
Good Cop pulled himself upright, clinging desperately to Benny. "I can't find him," he said, on the verge of tears. "Where'd he go?"
Benny swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "I've got him," he replied, looking away. "He ended up in my head somehow."
Good Cop grabbed the sides of Benny's head. "I need to talk to him," he said.
Panic overwhelmed Benny at the thought of switching out again, of going back to that non-space, unaware of what was happening unless Bad Cop filled him in. He couldn't do it. He couldn't.
Good Cop seemed to read this in Benny's face, and his grip tightened. "I've gotta," he said chokingly. "I've gotta talk to him."
Ben, what's wrong? Bad Cop asked, alarmed. What's happening?
"Good wants to talk to you," Benny croaked. He wished he could figure out how to speak to Bad Cop internally. "I can't, B. Don't make me switch out. Please."
Good Cop's hold on Benny was starting to hurt. "Then give him back," he pleaded. "Give him back to me!"
"I wish I knew how!" Benny all but wailed.
There was a frozen, terrifying moment where Benny thought Good Cop might actually injure him, then an eerie calm came over the cop, and Good Cop leaned back, smiling serenely.
It unnerved Benny more than anything else that had happened so far. He felt Unikitty come to stand next to him, close against his side.
Good Cop put one arm over the back of the couch and crossed his legs. "Let's you and me talk, then," he said brightly.
"Okay," Benny replied cautiously.
Good Cop drummed his fingers on his thigh. "Let's talk Business," he said.
It took a second for Benny to realize Good Cop meant it with a capital B, but when he did he instantly decided he didn't like where this was going. "What about him?" Benny asked warily.
Good Cop tapped at his temple. "I remember everything now," he said. "I don't know why my dear brother thought he could keep it from me. I commend him for trying, though."
Benny could feel Bad Cop burning with questions, but he ignored them. He had to focus.
Good Cop had fixed Benny with a steely gaze that belied his sunny smile. "I wonder, how much did he tell you about what happened to me?"
"He told me enough," Benny whispered.
"Oh, enough?" Good Cop stood, almost like he was unfolding himself. Benny was suddenly reminded of how very tall the cops were. "Did he tell you about how I was tied to a chair?" He lifted one hand and pushed back his sleeve to show his wrist. "You can't see the marks any more, but I can still feel the ropes, burning against my skin." He stepped towards Benny, and Benny took a step back, Unikitty clinging to his arm. "Did he tell you about how Business started on my torso, where the scars wouldn't show? Or about how Business talked the whole time, like we were having a conversation over a nice cup of coffee?" Good Cop was still advancing, and Benny kept backing away. "I lost track of time, you know. There wasn't a clock in that room. There was barely light. Just Business and pain and blood." He trailed a thoughtful finger down one of the scars on his face. "Business sure liked that knife, I must say. He always was a very hands-on person."
Benny's back bumped against the wall. He couldn't go any further, and Good Cop was still coming. Unikitty made a low noise of distress and huddled against him.
Good Cop slammed his hand against the wall next to Benny's head and towered over him. "So what I really want to know," he said quietly, his face inches from Benny's, "is where Business is."
Oh, Benny definitely didn't like where this was going. "W-why?" he asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
Good Cop leaned in even closer. "I'm a very hands-on person too, you know," he murmured.
Benny's breath hitched, his heartbeat picking up. It wasn't Bad Cop, it wasn't Bad Cop- but it was still the same body, the one he'd been sleeping beside in a tangle of limbs, spending nights tracing its contours and scars-
As if sensing this crack in Benny's resolve, Good Cop put his other hand to Benny's cheek, cupping it gently. "Come on, Benny-boy," Good Cop said in a low sing-song. "I'll get the information out of you somehow."
Benny shuddered, feeling sick. Distantly, he could hear Bad Cop shouting at him, and he realized that he had to make a decision. What scared him more – taking a backseat, or facing Good Cop?
"Switch," Benny gasped.