Spy School Oneshots (Berica)

Brainwashed Ben 5 (The Finale)

POV of Benjamin Ripley (Time: Early Morning on December 30)

It was a genius plan. Blow up all of the CIAs money. Simple, but still genius. The CIA couldn't stop us if they didn't have the money. But here's the amazing part: SPYDER "accidentally" let slip our plans, but the CIA thought we were executing them on the fourth, when in reality we were executing it now. Speaking of which, I had to work on that with Ashley, my partner-in-crime, to carry the heavy bomb to the bank unnoticed. It was going so well until Ashley looked over to the barren wasteland next to the bank, and turned white as a sheet. Then she did the stupidest thing you can do while carrying a heavy duty explosive. 

She dropped it.

Of course, I had a split second to push Ashley out of the way before the bomb blew up in our faces. I shoved myself into Ashley, pushing her back a few steps, which seemed to let her comprehend what she did.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The blast echoed through the fields so loudly you might of thought we had created lightning and thunder.

It also sent me flying in the air, and for another split second, I saw what Ashley was staring at. Or rather, who.

Mike, Zoe, Erica, and Catherine.

Those little {Redacted}.

Thankfully, I landed on a bush that cushioned my fall, rather than thudding against the grass. 

Unfortunately, Mike, Zoe, Erica, and Catherine were now all running towards us, prepared to stop us. 

Great, I thought. Now it's time to kick in, SPYDER martial arts lessons.

They did. Before Mike even knew what was happening, I had jabbed him in the solar plexus and then driven my knee into his face, knocking him unconscious. I spun around and swept Zoe off of her legs, then produced a chloroform rag and shoved it into her face. I knew I couldn't take on Catherine, so I simply did it the fast way and shot her with three sedation darts, emptying the launcher. Now it was just Erica and I.

Just Erica and I, I thought. I've always imaged that, but not exactly like this.

I shook my head. I was here for revenge, not to dwell on the past of my naive self.

Then I saw Erica.

She was doing something I never thought I'd see her do. I'd seen it once already, but this time it caught me more off guard. 

She cried.

"B-ben Th-th-they've b-b-brainwashed y-y-you an-and y-yo-you d-d-don't e-ev-even kn-kn-know i-it. Y-y-you h-hate m-me." she said between sobs.

I was about to knock her out with another chloroformed rag, to wash her of her thoughts for now.

Wash. Like brainwash. 

No, don't think about that! She's manipulating you again! You chose this yourself!

Did I? 

YES, DON'T YOU SEE, SHE IS GOING TO CAPTURE YOU! YOU, BENJAMIN RIPLEY, A SPYDER AGENT!

No. 

Yes, you won't let her do this.

No.

Wait, I'm confused. No to what?

No, I'm not a SPYDER agent. I'm a CIA agent.

Understanding dawned on me, understanding that, indeed SPYDER had brainwashed me. Erica was trying help me. I dropped the chloroformed rag, realizing what I'd done. 

"Erica."

"Y-Yes?" She answered, still in tears.

"I'm so sorry." I said, on the verge of tears myself.

She realized I wasn't brainwashed anymore. 

Then she did another very rare thing.

She smiled.