Chapter Text
This game was fucking insane. And not in a good way.
The Science Team™ was taking a breather in the middle of yet another hallway. The weird (definitely not hot in Benrey's opinion at all because he's only fucking around when he flirts with him) AI was having a fucking spaz in the corner, Bubby and Coomer were laughing about something (hell if Benrey knew what they were doing, ever, they were using the in-game voice chat and it was spatial or whatever) and Tommy was...
... Well, Benrey can hear Sunkist. That's the extent of his knowledge.
Benrey, to be fair, was very independent. He didn't stick around the others (not because of Gordon nope it's just because he likes the crates!!!) a lot. He just sorta hung out and screwed around with his revolver, completely ignoring them (specifically Gordon).
How the hell was he supposed to know the tutorial AI in this stupid game was sentient?
When they had first started the game, Benrey had taken to flirting with Gordon immediately, going with the classic lines and all that bullshit, so when the AI started responding to that shit, Benrey thought it was just in his programming.
It was not.
The guys were always on his fucking case about it, Bubby making a sly comment about the merch (there was NOT an entire wall dedicated to it! That was such an exaggeration) one or two times or Tommy commenting on the Black Mesa Sweet Voice™ colors, with this look on his face that Benrey did not like at all, or Coomer sighing something along the lines of--
"Ah, to be young and in love... !"
Benrey's head snaps directly toward Coomer, and he then realized he'd been staring at Gordon. What the fuck.
He expresses the same sentiment to Coomer, "what the fuck?" Bubby looks away and starts twiddling with his gun, rolling the ammunition holder thingy whatever the fuck it's called with this dumbass smirk on his face.
Coomer just smiles at him all sweetly. Benrey scowls back, going back to screwing around with his gun. He ignores Bubby and Coomer and Tommy, completely forgetting about Gordon for a second.
So of course he has to walk over now.
"Benrey."
His mind goes blank after hearing Gordon say his name. Benrey slowly looks up, taking all his will to not just shoot the motherfucker right now. Stupid fucking AI being sentient and shit and fucking making him--
"I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me, okay?" Gordon lowly requests, tugging at his gloves. They don't move from their spot at all. Benrey shoves all those stupid thoughts down and puts on a cool face. "yeah sure. what's up?"
Gordon tomfucks around for a second. He clears his throat, those weird pixely glitchy things appearing around him. Why the fuck does that happen? Nervous thing? Fucking clearly. After a solid minute of hesitation (Benrey's patience is endless, especially when it-- NO. Fuck you, mind), Gordon finally drops the question.
"None of this is real, is it?"
Anything Benrey was about to say disappears like his dad did when he was three. He realized that he's in a fucking VR game. Holy shit. Oh, fuck. "....... what?" Benrey mumbles, staring dead into Gordon's eyes. This was the worst-case scenario. Worst. Worst. Very bad. Terrible. Fucking atrocious.
Gordon frowns, crossing his arms. Oh shit, he made him mad, didn't he? "Answer the fucking question, Benrey."
What could he fucking say? Benrey'd have to be a completely heartless skeleton motherfucker to just tell him 'no, this is real' and just continue like normal. Gordon was already completely sentient apparently, so he'd probably find out anyway--
"Benrey."
"it--" Oh for fuck's sake he stuttered, "it isn't. not, uh, not really..."
Gordon looks completely fucking mortified at that. The expression makes Benrey's heart drop like a goddamn stone, and he's pretty sure he's gonna throw up. Gordon starts to hyperventilate (as if he needed to breathe), taking two slow steps back. He grabs his glasses, looking like he's about to snap them in half like a goddamn stick.
"Mr. Freeman?" Tommy suddenly sounds from behind, obviously startling Gordon by how the weird glitchy things kinda spark up and more start happening. As Benrey accepts the fact that the guys are still here, he notices Bubby's confused although concerned expression, and Coomer's plain dad worry. "I- you- w-" Gordon wheezes, starting to shake more and more.
Benrey has no fucking idea what to do, so he just watches.
A thick, solid snap is heard as Gordon, as Benrey thought, snapped his glasses straight in fucking half. He mutters a lot of shit under his breath before he just. Stops.
Gordon looks back up at Benrey, face blank, and then silently goes back to the corner.
... What the ever-loving fuck did he just do?