umbrellajackassery | Dimensional Bullshit

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Dimensional Bullshit

He had been dead for over a decade now. Dead and gone for everyone but Klaus. Poor Klaus had to deal with his nagging and constant puttering around for so long.

When it had happened, when he died, they were all on mission. It was messy. Real messy. he had tried something new in the middle of a fight. Tried to summon something new from under his skin. It worked, but it was disgusting. Tentacles and teeth, eyes and multiple jaws that seemed to burst out of him so swiftly that it seemed to make him bleed. He screamed as it happened, hands out to the side in fists, yelling in actual pain and not strain of control.

Father had been encouraging him to call forth more powerful creatures, but Father also got a look on his face that he was going to be sick anytime they trained together. He pushed, but he pushed from the other side of a training room. A large steel room that Ben was locked away in with a window and a speaker so they could talk. "Again, six." he'd say, causing Ben to try again. Try harder. He wanted to make the man proud of him.

Training sometimes consisted of hanging pig carcasses from the local butchers place, projecting the tentacles or other things on them, and attacking them with control. Sometimes he'd just beat them up, like a boxing bag, other times they burst through the carcass and make a mess of things. Generally by the time they were done he was covered in muck, tired, in mild pain, and the pic carcasses were all missing. He'd always return to his room worn out and smelling like rancid bacon before crawling off to try and take over the bath tub for a while.

But this mission? It was bad. he had summoned something too big for him to control. Something that didn't want to be controlled. In the fight he nearly attacked his own siblings. He could feel the creature pulling at him, yanking him along the floor, losing complete control over everything. The eldritch horror rampaged for some time, taking out all the bad guys, as well as a few innocents. By time he was stopped and done, the creature had wrapped itself around Ben. Had taken hold of his body and squeezed. Ben was crying, unable to stop it. Crying for the people he had killed, Crying for the siblings he had hurt and that had to be carted away by Luther. Crying because it hurt. It hurt a lot.

And then his arm pinched in the wrong way. His leg cracked as it was pulled in wrong. He screamed, body shaking as the beast tried to return inside. except as it returned inside, it took Ben with it. With a yell, his bod broke, seeming to disappear inside itself. Gone.

For years he couldn't seem to remember how he died, just that he was dead. And Klaus didn't want to talk about it. He couldn't blame him. So he haunted Klaus, seeming to live by different rules than other ghosts. When Klaus was too high to notice him, he felt sleepy and groggy, but he was there to see his brother doing dumb things. When he was sober he hung around, bored and wanting to do things. He didn't disappear like normal ghosts.

And then the apocalypse happened.

When Five tried to take them all back in time, he managed to take them back to just after Father passed away. the wavering between youth and age effected everyone, but they all ended up the proper age and proper time. It did however five Five a flicker of where Ben was. Ben wasn't DEAD. He was trapped. Trapped in a dimension between living and the eldritch horror show that he once could summon.

When Five managed to bring him back, Ben was returned, at the same age as everyone else, tired, lost, full of aches and pains, but alive again. Alive and breathing, home once more. Able to breath real air, hug any of his siblings he wanted, and eat anything. And he was going to try out everything he couldn't try before. Be it with his siblings or on his own. He was going to live life to the fullest, even if that meant pigging out or being reckless.

[This post is open to any era of Ben's 'life'. Training. Battles and missions. THAT mission where he died. For a Five or someone to pull him back, or simply for reunion times with their long lost brother. Multi threads and Multi siblings welcome. Threadjacking welcome. Backtagging welcome. Do your best!]

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The longer they stayed here, whatever 'here ' was, the worse he was feeling. Like falling deep underwater, darkness rising, pressure building up. Five couldn't imagine how Ben had survived here for so long, his body was already protesting the new reality, aching and sore. Maybe it was because of the previous time travel, though, and his brother was spared of that kind of pain.

When their hands touched, something like wonder crossed Five's features as if he couldn't believe this was happening. Ben's face told him he was just as surprised and Five gave his hand a squeeze.

"I don't have time to explain." Not like he really knew what was going on either, he was working on pure instinct alone. If he had used at least a few brain cells before he jumped here, he might have come with a better plan that wasn't the equivalent of 'YOLO'.

"I think I can get us out of here, mostly because I don't have any other idea of what to do." Five gave him a tight lipped smile then concentrated on the familiar feeling of time and space

Before he had gathered enough energy for the jump, something on their left lunged at them. Instead of leaving completely, Five managed to teleport them a few feet away from the thing, eyes wide. "What the hell is that!?"

That might be why it took a year for him to reach Klaus and even know he was dead. At first all he knew was pain and pressure. Maybe he'd gotten used to it. Maybe it was the creatures on the other side that caused it, as he was feeling that pressure now again.

Was it because Five was here?

With his grip on the others hand he was scared to let go. If he let go he'd lose him. But what if he can't leave? What if he can't leave and Five gets stuck here? He should tell him to go, but he doesn't want to be alone anymore. He doesn't want to stay.

"You think?!" he blurted, looking at Five in worry, and then something pushed at them. Lunge. A tentacle starting to ripe at the fabric of nothingness. It reached for them, or more, for Five. But Five had blipped them away enough that they were safe for a moment.

Ben brought a free hand to his belly, frowning. "The creature. I don't think they want me to go." Which meant if they were going to go they should do it as soon as possible, because it was reaching for them again, trying to push on threw. Like this is how Ben released them when he was alive. How they would push through this space and out his skin.

"We will see who's more stubborn then." The other replied, his glare at the approaching tentacles almost predatory.

There was no way Five was going to lose his grip on Ben, who knew what could happen if they let go. Learning about his death through Vanya's book and later talking to her about it had hurt enough, it was one of the things he wouldn't be able to chance.

Before.

Now? here? It that was their chance he was going to take it, no matter what happened. Ben was always one of the best of them, certainly a much better person Five ever was, and if he could salvage even the smaller part of him, it would all have been worth it.

"Hold on tight." It's was easier to space jump than time travel, he could do it more quickly and without calculations but this time still took him a few seconds. Not enough for the monster to catch up on them but it has been really close. As reality finally rippled around them, a tentacle reached out, curled viciously....and wrapped around no one.

Blinking back into their our world left Five fighting back tears. The bright colors that assaulted his eyes made it clear they were in the right place, finally, but they also made his headache and vision blur. The surprised voices of the rest of his family sounded distant, right now he could only care about one thing. The still too tight grip of Ben's very solid, very alive, hand in his own.

With a relief he hadn't know in decades, Five's lips curled into a sincere smile and then he passed out.

See who is more stubborn? Ben's hand tightened on the others as he said that. He knew Five was the winner of the most stubborn contest. That was easy enough, but he hoped his creatures didn't try to follow him.

"Yeah, okay. Anything you say." he said and he did hold on tight, because this was the first time in a long time he felt something more of a panic on his own terms. Something like desperation. If this isn't the afterlife or the space between and Five can pull him out? all the god damn better.

And then they were here and then not again. The world felt so heavy to him. The colors were so intense. He felt their feet hit actual ground and he felt dizzy. Everything was a blur and his eyes hurt. He could hear others gasp or voice surprise, but all he could see for the moment was Five, still holding onto his hand, actually smiling at him. Ben smiled back, feeling dizzy from the change in pressure.

He wasn't sure if he was watching Five fall or if he was falling himself. There was blood at Five's face and he tipped over, Ben trying to keep hold of his hand (almost scared to let go) and eased his brother to the floor, all before dropping to his knees himself.

He gasped, the sudden pressure coming off him made him feel so light headed. He blinked, the world spinning. "F-five?" He pulled at his hand, but didn't let go. What if he went back, if he let go? What if this wasn't real? He found himself tipping to his side, dropping to the ground and eyes going shut, still holding onto the others hand for dear life.

When he wakes later and realizes this is all real, he'd have to hunt Five down and thank him in the only way he can.

Hours later, Five stirs under the feeling of a delicate hand brushing some strand of hair away from his forehead. It's warm and familiar, the skin not like real one but the gesture no less touching. When he blinks awake, he sees Grace closing a medkit and smiling down at him.

Everything hurt so much still that it's hard for Five to concentrate on what she's saying but he get the basics: how they passed out in the garden, that Allison and Luther were watching after a still sleeping Vanya, that how until a few minutes ago Klaus has been in the room and Diego had to threaten him and drag him away to force him to rest...Five almost snorts at that last part. Count on Diego to show his concern in the weirdest possible way.

After another small squeeze to his shoulder, Grace leaves a pack of tissues next to his bed in case his nose starts bleeding again and stands up. In her usual cheerful way, she annoucnes that she will be making them some cookies and that they only have to call her if they need anything. They?

Five finally looks to the side, only to see Ben asleep next to him on the bed. They are still holding hands because, apparently, none of them let go even after they passed out and his siblings were too scared of what would happen if they broke the connection.

Absurd, Five knows, because that's not how his powers work, but he's grateful to realize they wouldn't risk it. His fingers hurt when he releases them from the grip he has on Ben's hand, and Five curls on his side so he can face his brother as he sleeps. There are still so many wrong things going on with their family but Vanya and Ben are still here, alive. It's all he cared about at the moment.

It might be that they didn't want to chance it, or it might be that Ben refused to let go at first. He had a death grip on Five's hand after he passed out. Had they tried to pry his hands free, it might have hurt one of them. Then again, they didn't try. Perhaps as scared as Ben was to find out it wouldn't hold.

He knew it wasn't how Five's power worked, but he had been scared.

He had no idea that he'd been picked up with Five. No idea that he'd been put in a bed and looked after by Grace. Everything was working. heart beating, breathing, everything. He was as healthy as he had been when he died.

He didn't wake up when anyone touched him though. The pressure change was enough to keep him knocked out. His body had to remember what breathing was again. And yet as Five let go of his hand, he groaned, fingers curling in on themselves. Brows darkening as they drew in together, unsure. Uncomfortable. Uneasy.

It took a few minutes, but he shifted, hand flexing as if trying to grab on again but not moving for his hand. Then he gasped, like he needed to take a full breath, and his eyes popped open, dizzily looking at Five laying across from him.

They had lost so much already that having a bit of happiness back, having Ben again with them, was a much too important and unique chance to gamble with it.

"It's okay, breathe, Ben. We got you." Five reaches out to rest a hand on his brother's chest after he startles himself awake. He doesn't know what is going on or if Ben is in pain. It must be strange for him to be back after being trapped alone for so long. The younger teen knew all too well what kind of confusion and fear that could bring.

"Are you hurt? Do you want me to get mom?” Five’s voice is very small, as if speaking in anything louder than a whisper is too much effort. He's still so pale that one might think he was the ghost one of the two, but his skin had always been fair. He's in no state to spatial jump and his throat hurts but he will still find a way to alert Grace if that's what his brother needs.

He was staring at Five. Really and truly alive before him. There. Physical. His hand came up to hold onto the hand at his chest, just holding it there for the moment, as if checking if he could actually touch. If he was really being touched.

He took in another long slow breath, trying to calm himself. "No." he said at first, not at all clear to what he was saying No to. "I'm fine." He took another breath, feeling lungs fill with air felt so weird to him. "I'm fine." He relaxed, his head lowering to the pillow more once again.

He didn't let go of the others wrist though. A light hold, but he needed someone to ground him for the moment.

His brows drew together as it was clear his eyes were searching the others face. He then glanced past Five, to try and see where they were, then back to Five's face, worried looking. "Are you okay? Last thing I remember... you passed out bleeding."

Five waited. He was good at it, had mastered having patience like a fine art even if he could barely sit still for a few minutes. Years of surviving and planning taught him endurance but also not to waste opportunities Now, he shifted his hand to entwine his fingers with Ben's own and let his brother accommodate to the world of the living. To the weight of Five's hand on his chest and the faint sounds of the city coming from the window. It was dark outside already, Five couldn't tell how long they had been passed out and then sleep.

"Okay." The answer was short but his whole body relaxed and Five let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Every time he shifted, the smallest movement made his muscles protest but he scooted a little closer. He wants to help, even if he doesn't know how, to make Ben feel more at home. He doesn't miss the irony of that fact, since he has been gone for four decades and homeless.

"We're home. Back to the day of Dad's funeral. I saw the ashes outside." It was the answer to a question Ben hadn't answered but it was written all over his face, so it wasn't hard to imagine Ben was confused. Then he nodded, dismissing the concerns about himself. "It's nothing. I had worse."

He had no idea how long they had been out. He had no concept of time right now, and it didn't matter to him. Five had pulled him out of a void. Had he brought him back from the dead or was he never really dead? That later theory was starting to seem more likely. It explained a lot of the problems with general Ghost Rules for him and Klaus. How things were never right in that field.

He felt the other entwine their fingers and he curled his to Five's, just holding on. He didn't want to let go, just in case. Just in case this wasn't real. If it wasn't real, please just let him enjoy this moment a bit longer.

He had already known Five was back, but he couldn't say anything to him through Klaus. And now Five was here, and he was back as well, and everything felt so overwhelming but good. He let out a sigh as the other said he was okay. His eyes closed for a moment as if relieved, but then opened again, as if worried he'd again, lose this.

Ben took in another slow breath. "We're home." he repeated, and then smiled at the other. "You came and found me."

"Good to know your memory is intact." Five teased gently. He was familiar with the fear of falling sleep worrying the world would be a nightmare once you opened your eyes. That was why he didn't mind staying awake until Ben needed it. it was difficult but he could try.

"If you are going to ask me where you had been, I'm not sure or how you ended there." Five had more questions than answers himself. He hadn't been present when Ben died, that made understanding even harder. "It was a reality, but not. That much I could tell, I know people who live in similar places."

The boy's face changed, a frown knitted his eyebrows together and his free hand brushed the still fresh injury by his right side. "Different kind of monsters, in there."

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Dimensional Bullshit

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