[ Well now Ben is the one who is confused, because Pratt's not punching him or calling him a monster or screaming, none of the things he would have expected. His face is full of worry, his skin pale from the fear, and what the hell is even going on. They can sort out the details later, but the important thing is, Pratt's not trying to kill him, but that cloud thing definitely will be soon if they do not scram.
So Ben reaches down and helps to haul Pratt back to his feet, too, eyes constantly darting back to where that cloud is growing more and more solid. Ben's stomach drops when he sees what it is becoming. Because he's seen this, before. He knows who that shadowy form is. Himself, only not himself.
If only Pratt would hurry. Ben lets out a short, ragged sigh of frustration, gestures back to the now clearly not-Jacob thing and says: ]
He was, but look! Look at it now! It's some kind of- well I don't know what the fuck it is, actually, but it's shapeshifting into stuff we're afraid of and it's gonna keep attacking if we don't -
[ There's no time to finish the sentence, though, because the shadowy Ben has clenched his fists, about to open the portal, and Ben acts without thinking. He takes a leaf out of Pratt's book, sprints over and tackles that other version of himself. If Pratt hadn't noticed before, it'll be clearer, now, the resemblance between it and Ben. A resemblance that's only strengthened when the fight stops just being flailing legs and punching fists; when both of them get their footing and suddenly the corridor is filled with massive tentacles, writhing and twisting through the air, tearing at each other. The ones coming from the shadowy Ben form careen towards Pratt, with clear ill-intent, but Ben's cut them off, blocking their progress.
And throughout the struggle, Ben is screaming, ragged and awful, like every second he is being burned alive. Through it, he manages: ]
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So Ben reaches down and helps to haul Pratt back to his feet, too, eyes constantly darting back to where that cloud is growing more and more solid. Ben's stomach drops when he sees what it is becoming. Because he's seen this, before. He knows who that shadowy form is. Himself, only not himself.
If only Pratt would hurry. Ben lets out a short, ragged sigh of frustration, gestures back to the now clearly not-Jacob thing and says: ]
He was, but look! Look at it now! It's some kind of- well I don't know what the fuck it is, actually, but it's shapeshifting into stuff we're afraid of and it's gonna keep attacking if we don't -
[ There's no time to finish the sentence, though, because the shadowy Ben has clenched his fists, about to open the portal, and Ben acts without thinking. He takes a leaf out of Pratt's book, sprints over and tackles that other version of himself. If Pratt hadn't noticed before, it'll be clearer, now, the resemblance between it and Ben. A resemblance that's only strengthened when the fight stops just being flailing legs and punching fists; when both of them get their footing and suddenly the corridor is filled with massive tentacles, writhing and twisting through the air, tearing at each other. The ones coming from the shadowy Ben form careen towards Pratt, with clear ill-intent, but Ben's cut them off, blocking their progress.
And throughout the struggle, Ben is screaming, ragged and awful, like every second he is being burned alive. Through it, he manages: ]
Run- just- run!