[au] the exile
Word comes to Danielle in the form of hushed whispers from the others, her father's name on their lips, followed by Ben's, followed by the words exiled and new leader. Richard looks troubled.
It doesn't take her long to realize what's happened.
She breaks away from the group in a run, Richard calling after her to wait, no, stop - Danielle! There's nothing you can do! but she doesn't listen.
It's not far from their camp to the dock, but by the time the ground underneath her feet turns from dirt to sand, the submarine's gone. Ben's still standing there, though. His shoulders hunch, just a little - is he bracing himself? - at the sound of her footsteps, even more so when her boots start to thump against the hollow wood of the dock.
The guards are gone. Only a few feet exist between them when Dani comes to a stop, fists clenched at her side. "Ben!"
"Danielle." He doesn't turn around.
It's when she doesn't say anything that he starts to worry. He knows her, knows how she operates. Silence means calculation.
And he's right - she's measuring the distance between them, his distance from the edge of the dock, how fast she'd have to move to knock him over without knocking him into the water (she's not a very good swimmer), and as soon as she's figured it out, she charges at him.
This isn't the best decision she's ever made.
They land just a few inches from the edge of the dock with a thump. Adrenaline's quick to take over and Dani forgets that this is Ben, her friend, the man she spent so many years with, the man she thought of as something of a brother - now he's just Ben, the man responsible for throwing her father off of the island.
She's seen the tension between them, yes, but she never knew it would come to this.
Her fist makes swift contact with his jaw. She's not the strongest woman in the world, but she packs enough of a punch to split his lip. She aims another blow at his gut, makes him cough, and then one at his nose - but that's when he catches her. He blocks that last punch with his arm and grabs her shoulder, pushing her away just enough to grab his baton.
As soon as she sees it, she knows the fight's over. He doesn't swing at her, but he's ready to. If he has to, he will. She knows that.
"Why, Ben? Why'd you do it?"
Ben almost feels sorry for her when he sees all the fight drain from her eyes, almost feels bad when she starts to tear up. Almost. "I had to. He broke the rules."
She reaches down and grabs his collar. He doesn't move. "What does that mean? What rules?"
"Your father isn't fit to call himself a leader. You have no idea what he's done, Danielle. He's a traitor - to you, to your mother, to all of us. You should thank me."
"After all I did with you -"
At that, Ben laughs derisively. "All you did with me? You mean all you were told to do with me. By him. I know what he told you when we were younger." When her expression grows pale, he continues: "Your father hated me from the start. You think he wanted us to be friends? He wanted someone to keep me in check. He thought I'd never suspect that you were spying on me."
It's then that Danielle stands, sniffling, and stares down at him. "You're a horrible person."
"Me?" He stares back at her, expression blank. "You have more blood on your hands than I do. You went to the Tempest. You put in that code. You pushed that button. And why? Because your father told you to. It's not me, Danielle. It's him. It's you."
It's not what Ben says that hurts the most.
It's the fact that he's right.
It doesn't take her long to realize what's happened.
She breaks away from the group in a run, Richard calling after her to wait, no, stop - Danielle! There's nothing you can do! but she doesn't listen.
It's not far from their camp to the dock, but by the time the ground underneath her feet turns from dirt to sand, the submarine's gone. Ben's still standing there, though. His shoulders hunch, just a little - is he bracing himself? - at the sound of her footsteps, even more so when her boots start to thump against the hollow wood of the dock.
The guards are gone. Only a few feet exist between them when Dani comes to a stop, fists clenched at her side. "Ben!"
"Danielle." He doesn't turn around.
It's when she doesn't say anything that he starts to worry. He knows her, knows how she operates. Silence means calculation.
And he's right - she's measuring the distance between them, his distance from the edge of the dock, how fast she'd have to move to knock him over without knocking him into the water (she's not a very good swimmer), and as soon as she's figured it out, she charges at him.
This isn't the best decision she's ever made.
They land just a few inches from the edge of the dock with a thump. Adrenaline's quick to take over and Dani forgets that this is Ben, her friend, the man she spent so many years with, the man she thought of as something of a brother - now he's just Ben, the man responsible for throwing her father off of the island.
She's seen the tension between them, yes, but she never knew it would come to this.
Her fist makes swift contact with his jaw. She's not the strongest woman in the world, but she packs enough of a punch to split his lip. She aims another blow at his gut, makes him cough, and then one at his nose - but that's when he catches her. He blocks that last punch with his arm and grabs her shoulder, pushing her away just enough to grab his baton.
As soon as she sees it, she knows the fight's over. He doesn't swing at her, but he's ready to. If he has to, he will. She knows that.
"Why, Ben? Why'd you do it?"
Ben almost feels sorry for her when he sees all the fight drain from her eyes, almost feels bad when she starts to tear up. Almost. "I had to. He broke the rules."
She reaches down and grabs his collar. He doesn't move. "What does that mean? What rules?"
"Your father isn't fit to call himself a leader. You have no idea what he's done, Danielle. He's a traitor - to you, to your mother, to all of us. You should thank me."
"After all I did with you -"
At that, Ben laughs derisively. "All you did with me? You mean all you were told to do with me. By him. I know what he told you when we were younger." When her expression grows pale, he continues: "Your father hated me from the start. You think he wanted us to be friends? He wanted someone to keep me in check. He thought I'd never suspect that you were spying on me."
It's then that Danielle stands, sniffling, and stares down at him. "You're a horrible person."
"Me?" He stares back at her, expression blank. "You have more blood on your hands than I do. You went to the Tempest. You put in that code. You pushed that button. And why? Because your father told you to. It's not me, Danielle. It's him. It's you."
It's not what Ben says that hurts the most.
It's the fact that he's right.