Ben knows the Templar is close enough that any sound would give them away, but there's a protest on his face and in his mind when Cole gently maneuvers him out of the way, squeezes his hand, and then goes to face the danger on his own. Ben sees the red light reflect off the surface of the dagger, but to him, it looks so small. Cole is a spirit, sure, but Ben knows he can get hurt. Knows it because the first time they'd met Cole had asked him to come out onto the surface with him as backup and protection.
He watches with his heart in his throat as Cole closes the distance between him and that Templar. Ben feels like his eyes are deceiving him - Cole doesn't seem to be moving normally, like he's half there and half gone. It's eerie, as is the silence and swiftness with which Cole plunges that dagger into the neck of the Templar. Ben covers his mouth with his hand, stifling a gasp.
Watching the fight, he is terrified. Every second he is afraid that sword is going to arc down and strike Cole, hurt him, and even if Ben bursts out and jumps into the fight that he would be too late. It's all happening so fast and Ben has to squint to follow it. But he sees the look on Cole's face, as he is striking with the dagger, and then again, when Ben realizes with a lurch of surprise that the fight is already over.
As Cole is helping to break the fall of the vanquished Templar, Ben stumbles out, shaky with fear and relief and horror. His thin, ragged breaths echo off the walls of the tunnel, and he makes his way to Cole, not saying anything yet, eyes searching for any other enemies. It's... going to take a few moments, to process what he had seen. From their conversations, Ben had known that Cole could - and did - kill those who needed that particular kind of mercy. But knowing it and seeing it are two entirely different things.
But still, he isn't afraid. Ben's been around killers his whole life. All his siblings were killers. That's just how they'd been raised.
The real shock was seeing Cole so focused, and quick, and purposeful. Ben is not used to really seeing him like that. This, too, is Cole. Along with the boy excitedly tasting ice cream for the first time, and hugging a present to his chest in that little cupboard he calls his own, and talking to the trees. This is him, too.
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He watches with his heart in his throat as Cole closes the distance between him and that Templar. Ben feels like his eyes are deceiving him - Cole doesn't seem to be moving normally, like he's half there and half gone. It's eerie, as is the silence and swiftness with which Cole plunges that dagger into the neck of the Templar. Ben covers his mouth with his hand, stifling a gasp.
Watching the fight, he is terrified. Every second he is afraid that sword is going to arc down and strike Cole, hurt him, and even if Ben bursts out and jumps into the fight that he would be too late. It's all happening so fast and Ben has to squint to follow it. But he sees the look on Cole's face, as he is striking with the dagger, and then again, when Ben realizes with a lurch of surprise that the fight is already over.
As Cole is helping to break the fall of the vanquished Templar, Ben stumbles out, shaky with fear and relief and horror. His thin, ragged breaths echo off the walls of the tunnel, and he makes his way to Cole, not saying anything yet, eyes searching for any other enemies. It's... going to take a few moments, to process what he had seen. From their conversations, Ben had known that Cole could - and did - kill those who needed that particular kind of mercy. But knowing it and seeing it are two entirely different things.
But still, he isn't afraid. Ben's been around killers his whole life. All his siblings were killers. That's just how they'd been raised.
The real shock was seeing Cole so focused, and quick, and purposeful. Ben is not used to really seeing him like that. This, too, is Cole. Along with the boy excitedly tasting ice cream for the first time, and hugging a present to his chest in that little cupboard he calls his own, and talking to the trees. This is him, too.