The Fall

39. Platform

2.19.21

Benji's POV

"Fine, just spit it out. I'm so sick of you behaving this way! You act like you're my friend one second, then you're testing me the next! What am I, some kind of puppet? Well, I'm not going to let myself be pushed around by you. If you do this again, I won't do anything for you anymore. Connor and I are best friends, and I don't appreciate you speaking about him negatively. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Fine, I get it. Now, for the real reason I came. Benjamin, there's been a report of the humans using their already captured supernatural as prisoners of war. It's becoming a huge issue that no one has tried to get them out yet. I need you to use the power you have to make an attempt. Even if it goes nowhere, it will solidify your appearance of helping people."

"No, no way. Without any time for me to make a plan, it's suicide. We need to focus on getting the humans to surrender so that we can free them without any violence."

"It's creating unrest within our ranks, and that's going to have some consequences if we don't resolve it."

"I don't care what you say. I'm not going to throw people in the way of death without a concrete plan. As I said, I'm not going to be playing your game just to play it. You put me in charge, and I'm going to make sure that it's my effort. You aren't going to be some kind of backseat driver to me because I operate on my own. I accept recommendations, but that's it. Your words will only influence my decision, not act as law. I will consider helping the prisoners if I find an opportunity. I already have most of a plan laid out."

"I knew that you would already have a strong ideal on that proposition, so I've also prepared an alternative. Either you help the prisoners out, or I'm going to take away every ounce of credibility you have."

"That won't work. My influence stems from the fact that I'm fair and reliable. The people who follow me aren't going to run away from me just because you call me out. It's just going to paint you as the bad guy. Now that they've seen my potential, they're more willing to be on my side. Face it, you've given away the power that you did have because you thought that I would be one of your little pawns. That was really dumb on your part; would you like a consolation pie?"

"I don't need you to start patronizing me!"

"It's not like that. I've just realized that I can make a platform for myself without you having to raise me up. You have to have seen this coming when you looked at me."

"You're right; I did think that this was a possibility. I wasn't accounting for you to take me out. I knew that you would be great eventually, but I didn't predict you knocking me out along the way. Your rise to the top clearly won't be stopped by anything, will it."

"I know limits. I'm just doing what I think is right. It's what I promised would happen, and I don't really want to break that. I will keep the people here as safe as possible. You've been on the seat too long, and you don't think about individual lives anymore. I'm still young, and I value each and every one of them."

"Fine then, do whatever you want. Just don't blame me when you fail." The moon goddess left in a huff, and I heard a quiet ow from the hallway. Great, now all of the people with authority over my life hate me. I really don't like this idea. If I do something wrong, I'll be dropped like a hot potato. No one will care about my opinion, and I'll be cast aside like the rest of the irrelevant people. Then again, if I do a good job, I'll be rewarded. It's like extreme gambling, but it's my livelihood on the line.

I walked down the hallway to clear my head, and it was the first time I was able to think since the beginning of this whole thing. I'm hoping that the tentative plan I have works, but it all relies on one thing. I don't know if it's going to play in until I get that darned report, though.

I went to the back balcony and looked out over the forest. I have so many memories from that forest. A lot of them were positive: back when Connor and I were still children. We would play hide and seek in the woods, and it would take a long time for me to find him. It was like a different world entirely. We were so young and carefree, but now we're old. We have families to take care of and bills to get paid. There are so many things that make me want to go back to those times. I still thought that I was human, and I hadn't yet grasped my importance in the universe.

I didn't even have to think about what I did back then. The most trouble I had was the constant thirst for someone to be mad at me. I don't know why, but Connor and I would actively try to make our parents hate us. I guess that it was a form of attention, even if it wasn't the good kind. If I pulled that shit now, I would probably be shot on sight or committed to an insane asylum. No one expects adults to be naive, so it was even stranger when someone was.

"I see you're out here too," Connor breathed from behind me, and I turned to him. He seemed to be more relaxed than ever, and it looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"You seemed different."

"I got Varian to tell me why he did it."

"What's the damage?"

"He was born to a family of hunters; it was bound to happen eventually. I was told that he was already in the action of his plan before I even met him... He just didn't stop on account of me. Apparently, the pack had him hostage for a while. They hurt his younger brother, and that got him all fired up. He was dying to make a deal with the government to take us down. They were originally going to send him in as a fake rogue, but I was a better option. It was a way for them to get easy trust. It just sucks that he was forced to use me."

"Why did he continue to do that to us, though. Wasn't the original revenge enough."

"Varian seems to be a very complicated person. I've known it since I met him, but I was kind of in denial."

"Connor, there's no forgiveness for what he did."

"Maybe not in your heart, but I can find it in mine to forgive. I know that my husband was being manipulated by the government."

"You give Varian too much credit."

"Maybe."

"As long as you don't get hurt, I don't care."

"I won't, I promise."

"Then I don't care. Do what you think is right."

"I will."