#and then benrey thrusts his hand towards gordons face holding something and gordons like 'WHAT EVEN IS THAT. WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM.'

[sunriseovergotham]

one of those fucking uh. angel/demon aus where benrey is a demon and tommy is an angel and theyre just casually friends :) hanging out and shit. tommy listens to benrey infodump about video games. they dont talk much about their respective jobs (but when they are talked about, tommy is usually the one talking). tommy is technically gordons guardian angel but gordon has special fun hell-adjacent problems so he also got bubby and coomer to "protect" him (he herds them out of trouble on a daily basis. oh the high jinks.) tommy is the one gordon trusts most and with his life. benreys just a chill guy . doesnt know why gordons so freaked out all the time. benrey tags along on their adventures but mostly takes a backseat when it comes to actually helping, which drives gordon insane to no end. WHY even come along if you arent going to HELP????? AM I IN HELL????? DID I FUCKING DIE?????? and benreys like. well i dunno why ur so mad. maybe calm down a little? weirdo. yellin' at me 'n shit. didnt even bring your passport ([doctor coomer voice] its true! gordon did NOT bring his passport!)

[too-old-to-cryy]

Man’s Best Friend (Prologue)

The hallway was long and dark. It would have been too dark to see if not for a harsh fluorescent light bleeding from the windows of a red set of heavy metal doors at the end of the hall. The echoing crunches of Dr.Coomer folding wooden crates in on themselves with his fists, the clacks of Bubby and Benrey’s shoes with the heavy thuds from the HEV boots against linoleum tile meant the hall was filled with noise as they walked, but it was still quiet enough to make Gordon uneasy. There were only maybe 6 living things in the entire facility by Gordon's estimate, and the utter desolation of the place was suffocating. Still, he kept his crowbar in his hand purely out of paranoia and habit. It had been hours since they’d encountered any real danger, but the one threat that they HAD encountered was more than enough to make Gordon sweat.

Gordon’s hand tightened around his crowbar and he stopped. He could’ve sworn he’d heard… clicking? His eyes became fixed on the doors at the end of the hall as he strained his ears to try and filter through the echoing noises.

“put that away, please?”

Gordon inhaled sharply, crowbar thrust into the air. Benrey was right next to him looking dully up at it.

“My piece of metal? My crowbar?”

“yeah, please?”

Reluctantly, Gordon lowered his arm, “We have to arm ourselves we-- I don’t know why I’m even bothering to try and talk to you.”

Benrey stared blankly at him and mumbled, “somebody’s gonna get hurt if you, uh," he smacked his lips, "keep swinging that around.”

Gordon took a deep breath to attempt to calm himself down. “Can you just shut up for a minute? I thought I heard something.” He pushed Benrey away so he wouldn't be so agonizingly close.

“I heard it too.” Bubby added.

Gordon raised his eyebrows, “Thank you, Bubby! See? I’m not crazy. The clicking, right?” “What are you talking about? It sounds like a broken computer!”

“That would be the Tinnitus.” Dr. Coomer informed him pleasantly.

“Ah... Nevermind, then. Gordon’s still crazy.” Bubby shrugged and continued walking.

“I’m not crazy! If you guys would just shut up for a minute then maybe you’d hear it too!” Gordon exclaimed.

“Now Gordon, Auditory Hallucinations are nothing to be ashamed of.” Coomer stood up from punching boxes and put a hand on Gordon’s shoulder.

“I am not hallucinating-- look, just-- listen, OK?” Gordon pleaded and, for once, there was a brief moment of true silence amongst the science team.

And in the wake of their silence there was a clicking sound. A sort of rhythmic skittering.

Gordon’s heart fell to his stomach and Bubby and Coomer paled.

Gordon threw himself against the nearest wall and skirted forwards to one of the few surviving crates for shelter. His breath was coming in increasingly harsh and rapid bursts as he felt his heart pounding violently in his chest. His hands frantically groped to find one of his guns and check if it was loaded. Bubby and Coomer had run for cover behind a crate several feet ahead.

Benrey, however, had stayed where he was in the middle of the hallway. He remained as dead-eye’d and neutral face’d as ever.

“oh, yo, it’s a dog!" Benrey commented with a hint of excitement. Still his face was all but dead. Gordon stared at him for a moment, wondering if Benrey had really gone completely insane, and then he remembered. Benrey hadn’t been there last time.

“Benrey, get down!” Gordon hissed frantically, trying to wave him over.

“huh?” “Get--!” He tried again, but he cut himself off and slumped backwards into the wall with a huff. There was no reasoning with him. Not like dying had ever mattered to him before. He returned his focus to his weapon. He knew Sunkist was immortal, he’d seen it first hand. But Tommy had been worried by the turrets shooting her before, about them “tricking” her, so it was their only possible lead.

The clicking was getting closer ever so slowly. At a steady, relaxed pace. It felt to Gordon like a timer counting down the seconds he had left. Sure, his HEV suit was fully charged, but he wasn’t sure even that would be enough to protect him. He glanced up and saw Bubby holding Coomer back with one arm, Coomer’s fists up and at the ready. Bubby had his revolver in his other shaking hand. Gordon couldn’t help but notice that Coomer’s jaw was clenched, but he was sure that he looked to be in a much worse state. His hands were shivering violently and he could feel the sweat gathering at the back of his neck. He kept his eyes pinned on Benrey. He would be the only one able to see it when--

Benrey’s eyes suddenly lit up, “Sunkist!” he called to the large silhouette at the end of the hall. The air became filled with the operatic hum of Benrey’s sweet-voice accompanied by a gentle pinkish glow.

An echoing response came in the form three short and low barks.

The light in Benrey’s eyes was gone instantly. His neutral face was broken by furrowed eyebrows. It made Gordon’s insides feel like ice and he stiffened.

“whu--”

There was a thunderous bark so loud and deep that the reinforced glass in the doors behind Sunkist shattered instantly. Gordon only had enough time to inhale sharply before he was sent hurtling down and out of the hallway, slamming into a concrete wall with enough force that all air was thrust out of his lungs. He could hear nothing but high pitched ringing as he crumpled like a battered ragdoll to the floor. He tried to move his arms, but got no response. He was coughing and wheezing violently trying to get any sort of air. His vision was little more than colored spots, but he caught a distinct sandy golden color coming towards him from out of the black void that had to have been the hallway. But there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t even inhale properly and his peripheral vision was falling into a darkness that was steadily consuming what little vision Gordon had left. He could see red swallowing the disgusting offwhite of the linoleum and two distinct sandy lines. Sunkist was right in front of him now. And all he could do was vaguely wonder how painful death would end up being.

Gordon caught a flash of something yellow before the sandy color of Sunkist was blocked out by something white just as Gordon’s vision left him entirely, his consciousness falling along with it...