The VIP Table

[Trillian]

Ben had retreated into his thoughts but now the shock was wearing off. Mutely he watched everyone leave. By the time Jake taunted him about his opinion on how everything had gone, he was angry. Furious, actually, but now was not the time to act on it. He'd finally stoppered his emotions, preventing them from broadcasting to everyone in the club. Maybe Jake would pick up echoes of it, being so close. It was hard to know and Ben didn't care. Let him feel the ragged edges of his fury. He'd probably like that.

The question might have been rhetorical but Ben answered it anyway. "I'm upset," he said to the table. "Because he gave me to you."

Jake's second taunt earned him a frown, though Ben nodded acknowledgement he'd heard. He had nothing to say. His hands were tucked in between his thighs as he made himself smaller, protecting his vulnerable self. He turned to look at Jake, seeing that same darkness and danger in his eyes when he'd left the limo. Unknowing that Charon had made Jake promise not to hurt him too badly, he said: "I don't want to die."

It was matter-of-fact. He hoped Jake would promise him that he wouldn't.

[Black Philip]

Jake phrased it as a question, and he wanted Ben's honest opinion. He sent a mental response, strongly broadcasting in Ben's mind.

Do you really think I'd do that to you? He tried not to sound defensive. He was curious. It might help define how far he decided to take this whole thing. How much respect did Ben need to learn? How little did he know about Jake? He knew nothing about him. He had never asked him a personal question. Jake wasn't bothered by Ben's anger. He was fed by it.

[Trillian]

Ben shrugged but he answered anyway, responding mentally because that was how he'd been asked.

Why wouldn't you? You've killed before and I piss you off. Now you can do whatever you want.

With his words were feelings of betrayal and confusion, more aimed at Charon than at Jake. He'd considered the Ancient a friend and been told that no, that hadn't been their relationship at all. Charon had spoke about elevating him, about giving him status within the Sacramentum because of his Academy and their connection... and then he'd handed Ben over because he knew it was the worst possible punishment. Knowing Ben's history with the Oligarchy and that this had happened to him before, made this move so much worse.

[Black Philip]

Jake responded somewhat surprised and a little bitter. He gave Ben a harsh look, a bit of disgust in his eyes. He scooted further away, checking out his eye liner in a reflective surface, the whole move a distraction from looking at Ben. He had earned some of that image, but he resented being thought of as a mindless and indiscriminate killer. He put a little force in his tone, a certain hostile energy coming from a more primal place. He was pissed off, but to make matters worse, he felt a little hungry.

"I'm not some psychopath who goes  around chopping people up. I'm a solider. I have a code of honor. I fight for a cause. You don't understand shit about any of that you little small town boy."

He bordered on yelling, but brought it down to a stern scold. "So no. I will not be killing you or permanently harming you." He sighed, disappointed in Ben's worldview, and his view of Jake.

[Trillian]

And there it was again, that denial. Ben remembered the threat of the sword, the threat of being shoved out of the car. True, he hadn't been hurt and he'd expected to be, so there was some truth to Jake's words. Perhaps he didn't bite as often as he barked... but he doubted it. His temper flared again at being called small-minded. 'Small town boy' was so dismissive, so patronising... he'd done nothing but train as a vampire, educating himself and now educating others. He'd travelled. He'd held down actual jobs. He'd lived in the real world, on his own as well as with others.

He had to control himself. No doubt Jake would troll him with all sorts of statements, designed to get Ben to argue.

He got what he wanted - Jake's word that he wouldn't be killed. He did notice the 'permanently' before harming, like a little justification that let Ben knew he would be facing some pain at Jake's hands. "Thanks," he said.

He was aware that the shock hadn't really passed, because he was sitting here without much trouble, feeling numb. Only a few nights ago he'd been here, telling Zeph that he was happy with how his life had turned out. Bah.

The night passed in a blur, until Jake made noises for them all to leave. When Ben got up, he pulled out his phone and texted a message to Kerr; he apologised that he wouldn't be coming home for a while and that he had to finish something that had gone wrong, he promised that he would return as soon as he could and that he loved him and was thinking of him. He glanced at Jake, wondering if his phone would be slapped out of his hands or taken from him, but Jake didn't seem to care. Reading the message over, he realised he hadn't told Kerr who he was with or what was happening. He didn't want Kerr to interfere with an order direct from Charon. He doubted Jake would hold onto him for very long - just a bit of punishment, a bit of pain, then released.

He hoped.