Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > My Own Sins
“Dr Benzedrine?” Joe asked as he approached the very image of Patrick dressed entirely in yellow.
Turning, Benzedrine’s eyes opened wide as he saw Joe. Taking a step back to steady himself, his glance darted from Joe to Andy and back.
“H…how…?” he stammered. “Donnie! How did you bring… no, this can’t be real.”
Joe frowned; Benzedrine was terrified of him. There was suddenly another opportunity open to them. Thinking back to the video, Joe tried his luck… literally.
“You have a problem with luck?” he asked, trying hard not to sound as foolish as he felt.
“I… I’m sorry,” Benzedrine replied, unable to look him in the eyes. “I had no intention of showing you any disrespect, Sir. I was taken by surprise, it isn’t everyday that…”
“Mr Sandman has taken two people back to Carousel, one of them has been taken to The Guv’nor,” Joe explained sternly.”
“Two people?” Benzedrine frowned. “Who?”
Joe narrowed his eyes; did Benzedrine really not know anything about it? Not even about Pete?
“I’m sorry!” Benzedrine gasped. “Do you know who, Sir?” he corrected himself.
If it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, Joe would have laughed at the situation. This man who looked so much like Patrick calling him ‘Sir’ was truly odd.
“He’s taken Patrick and his friend Pete, I want you to bring them back,” he ordered.
“But, Sir…” Benzedrine began only to sigh and nod. “Then he’s won,” he added miserably.
“If you’re successful, I may reward you,” Joe replied, getting into character easier now.
“Reward?” Benzedrine’s head snapped up eagerly.
“With a little luck,” Joe replied sternly but ending with a slight smile.
“Yes, Sir!” Benzedrine replied enthusiastically. “Consider them back here!”
Turning, Benzedrine drew a line in the air with his finger, which again widened into a black void wide and long enough for him to step through. In a moment he was gone, leaving Joe and Andy to wonder if they had done the right thing.
“Of course,” began Andy, “if he was lying to us, we just lost our only link to them.”
*
“You’re awake?”
Pete reluctantly opened his eyes and looked up; before him stood a tall man with a square jaw and extraordinarily wide shoulders. Pete merely stared blankly at him, neither recognising him as the man who had bought him from The Photographer nor realising that he was now his normal height again. His memory was almost wiped clean, not knowing where or even who he was, but strangest of all was that this fact didn’t trouble him in the slightest. He seemed perfectly happy to wait to be given more information.
“How are you feeling?” The Guv’nor asked.
“Sleepy,” Pete replied with a yawn as he rested his head back down on the pillow.
“Yes,” The Guv’nor chuckled lightly. “I’m afraid that’s the bed’s doing. Mr Sandman gave this to me, it’s impossible to concentrate on anything while lying on it and nobody wants to leave it once comfortable. Essentially, it’s the most effective prison I have. You would be happy to lie there for the rest of your life and not care otherwise.”
“Mmmm,” Pete replied, distracted by the soft pillow gently caressing his cheek.
“You don’t even care that you’re a prisoner, do you?”
“No,” Pete sighed, “not really.”
“Get up!”
Pete stared up and frowned deeply. Leave the bed? Really? Did he have to? The man was now staring down at him harshly. Pete closed his eyes; the bed was too comfortable to worry about anything else. His eyes were closed for a second or two only before he felt a big hand take a firm grip on his right wrist and drag him from the bed.
“Huh!” Pete’s eyes shot open, his free hand scrabbling at the sheets to try to hold on. “No! Let go!”
Within moments he lay on the floor at the side of the bed. Looking up he saw The Guv’nor, taking in the fact he was leaning over him for the first time. Scrambling backwards, Pete found himself pressed up against the wall. To his left, the bed, to his right another wall, he was trapped, there was nowhere he could go.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “Where am I? Why am I here?”
“You remember who you are now?” The Guv’nor asked, although from Pete’s reaction, being released from the bed was sufficient to return all his memories to him.
“Of course I know who I am!” Pete snapped.
“Good, we can talk.”
Offering a hand down to Pete, who reluctantly took it, The Guv’nor helped the young man to his feet.
“Please, take a seat,” he waved a hand to indicate the table and chairs near the window.
Silently and still uncertain, Pete took a seat, making sure he chose a seat on the outer edge of the table so that he couldn’t get blocked in. He waited expectantly as The Guv’nor sat opposite him.
“I rule here in The Hills, I have done for… well, longer than you can imagine. I have two sons, you’ve met one of them, Mr Sandman. The other, I’m sure you’ve realised by now is Dr Benzedrine. It was perhaps my own fault for giving them jobs that complemented each other. They became quite competitive as they grew up but they’re both so very different from each other. Dr Benzedrine is quite self-sufficient and reliable, I can trust him with anything and know it’ll get done. Mr Sandman is…” The Guv’nor sighed. “He’s a handful. He’s several hundred years older than Dr Benzedrine…”
“Several hundred?” Pete gasped.
“I told you, longer than you can imagine.” The Guv’nor explained. “So, as a result he got used to having attention showered on him as a boy. Now, as a man, he can be quite… needy and jealous. Over the centuries, he’s managed to believe that I favour Dr Benzedrine and while he gives me less trouble and I rely on him more, I love them equally.”
Pete felt he knew where this was going. Sibling rivalry had spiralled out of control. Not only were they at each other’s throats, but their powers meant that they could affect other worlds.
“Mr Sandman went to your world after seeing you. I assumed that he thought he could cause some mischief. I sent Dr Benzedrine to try to bring Mr Sandman back, but I fear that even the usually placid Dr Benzedrine has had enough of him and set out to destroy him. Now I find that Mr Sandman’s real intention was also to kill his brother and by sending Dr Benzedrine after him all I’ve done is fuelled the fire.”
“What do you want with me?” Pete asked
“You can help me get them back.”
“How?” Pete asked nervously.
“Bait,” he explained simply.
“Bait!” Pete exclaimed, pushing back in his chair.
“It would be easier if you’ll agree, but if you don’t, I can force you,” The Guv’nor sighed.
“It’s not as if you’ve given me a choice then.”
“Your choice is to be willing or unwilling. Either way, you will help me.”
Pete sat back in his chair. If he helped him, then the problem would go away for him and Patrick too. He just didn’t like the sound of the word ‘bait’, it sounded dangerous.
Turning, Benzedrine’s eyes opened wide as he saw Joe. Taking a step back to steady himself, his glance darted from Joe to Andy and back.
“H…how…?” he stammered. “Donnie! How did you bring… no, this can’t be real.”
Joe frowned; Benzedrine was terrified of him. There was suddenly another opportunity open to them. Thinking back to the video, Joe tried his luck… literally.
“You have a problem with luck?” he asked, trying hard not to sound as foolish as he felt.
“I… I’m sorry,” Benzedrine replied, unable to look him in the eyes. “I had no intention of showing you any disrespect, Sir. I was taken by surprise, it isn’t everyday that…”
“Mr Sandman has taken two people back to Carousel, one of them has been taken to The Guv’nor,” Joe explained sternly.”
“Two people?” Benzedrine frowned. “Who?”
Joe narrowed his eyes; did Benzedrine really not know anything about it? Not even about Pete?
“I’m sorry!” Benzedrine gasped. “Do you know who, Sir?” he corrected himself.
If it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation, Joe would have laughed at the situation. This man who looked so much like Patrick calling him ‘Sir’ was truly odd.
“He’s taken Patrick and his friend Pete, I want you to bring them back,” he ordered.
“But, Sir…” Benzedrine began only to sigh and nod. “Then he’s won,” he added miserably.
“If you’re successful, I may reward you,” Joe replied, getting into character easier now.
“Reward?” Benzedrine’s head snapped up eagerly.
“With a little luck,” Joe replied sternly but ending with a slight smile.
“Yes, Sir!” Benzedrine replied enthusiastically. “Consider them back here!”
Turning, Benzedrine drew a line in the air with his finger, which again widened into a black void wide and long enough for him to step through. In a moment he was gone, leaving Joe and Andy to wonder if they had done the right thing.
“Of course,” began Andy, “if he was lying to us, we just lost our only link to them.”
*
“You’re awake?”
Pete reluctantly opened his eyes and looked up; before him stood a tall man with a square jaw and extraordinarily wide shoulders. Pete merely stared blankly at him, neither recognising him as the man who had bought him from The Photographer nor realising that he was now his normal height again. His memory was almost wiped clean, not knowing where or even who he was, but strangest of all was that this fact didn’t trouble him in the slightest. He seemed perfectly happy to wait to be given more information.
“How are you feeling?” The Guv’nor asked.
“Sleepy,” Pete replied with a yawn as he rested his head back down on the pillow.
“Yes,” The Guv’nor chuckled lightly. “I’m afraid that’s the bed’s doing. Mr Sandman gave this to me, it’s impossible to concentrate on anything while lying on it and nobody wants to leave it once comfortable. Essentially, it’s the most effective prison I have. You would be happy to lie there for the rest of your life and not care otherwise.”
“Mmmm,” Pete replied, distracted by the soft pillow gently caressing his cheek.
“You don’t even care that you’re a prisoner, do you?”
“No,” Pete sighed, “not really.”
“Get up!”
Pete stared up and frowned deeply. Leave the bed? Really? Did he have to? The man was now staring down at him harshly. Pete closed his eyes; the bed was too comfortable to worry about anything else. His eyes were closed for a second or two only before he felt a big hand take a firm grip on his right wrist and drag him from the bed.
“Huh!” Pete’s eyes shot open, his free hand scrabbling at the sheets to try to hold on. “No! Let go!”
Within moments he lay on the floor at the side of the bed. Looking up he saw The Guv’nor, taking in the fact he was leaning over him for the first time. Scrambling backwards, Pete found himself pressed up against the wall. To his left, the bed, to his right another wall, he was trapped, there was nowhere he could go.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “Where am I? Why am I here?”
“You remember who you are now?” The Guv’nor asked, although from Pete’s reaction, being released from the bed was sufficient to return all his memories to him.
“Of course I know who I am!” Pete snapped.
“Good, we can talk.”
Offering a hand down to Pete, who reluctantly took it, The Guv’nor helped the young man to his feet.
“Please, take a seat,” he waved a hand to indicate the table and chairs near the window.
Silently and still uncertain, Pete took a seat, making sure he chose a seat on the outer edge of the table so that he couldn’t get blocked in. He waited expectantly as The Guv’nor sat opposite him.
“I rule here in The Hills, I have done for… well, longer than you can imagine. I have two sons, you’ve met one of them, Mr Sandman. The other, I’m sure you’ve realised by now is Dr Benzedrine. It was perhaps my own fault for giving them jobs that complemented each other. They became quite competitive as they grew up but they’re both so very different from each other. Dr Benzedrine is quite self-sufficient and reliable, I can trust him with anything and know it’ll get done. Mr Sandman is…” The Guv’nor sighed. “He’s a handful. He’s several hundred years older than Dr Benzedrine…”
“Several hundred?” Pete gasped.
“I told you, longer than you can imagine.” The Guv’nor explained. “So, as a result he got used to having attention showered on him as a boy. Now, as a man, he can be quite… needy and jealous. Over the centuries, he’s managed to believe that I favour Dr Benzedrine and while he gives me less trouble and I rely on him more, I love them equally.”
Pete felt he knew where this was going. Sibling rivalry had spiralled out of control. Not only were they at each other’s throats, but their powers meant that they could affect other worlds.
“Mr Sandman went to your world after seeing you. I assumed that he thought he could cause some mischief. I sent Dr Benzedrine to try to bring Mr Sandman back, but I fear that even the usually placid Dr Benzedrine has had enough of him and set out to destroy him. Now I find that Mr Sandman’s real intention was also to kill his brother and by sending Dr Benzedrine after him all I’ve done is fuelled the fire.”
“What do you want with me?” Pete asked
“You can help me get them back.”
“How?” Pete asked nervously.
“Bait,” he explained simply.
“Bait!” Pete exclaimed, pushing back in his chair.
“It would be easier if you’ll agree, but if you don’t, I can force you,” The Guv’nor sighed.
“It’s not as if you’ve given me a choice then.”
“Your choice is to be willing or unwilling. Either way, you will help me.”
Pete sat back in his chair. If he helped him, then the problem would go away for him and Patrick too. He just didn’t like the sound of the word ‘bait’, it sounded dangerous.
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