unbreakableben | Entries tagged with interlude

"Okay, try to stay still," Sue says over the intercom from the control room of the altered MRI Reed had built for her. Ben was still her favorite puzzle and so another round of tests was the order of the day. "Hopefully Reed's adjustments will give me a better look inside you."

Ben would nod or say something but a) he's currently crammed inside the very small and nearly claustrophobic tube of the MRI and b) Sue had told him not to move. Soon loud clicks and thumps begin and the bed he's resting on slowly moves forward.

"I noticed you've been reading a lot about aviation and space flight," she says again as she adjusts a few dials. When Ben doesn't respond she looks up to check on him. "Ben? Are you okay? You can talk, just try not to move too much okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good...good. So why the books?"

"Well you said I should learn something right?"

"Well yes but Ben...I don't know how to put this nicely...I don't think you'd fit in any aircraft or space craft that's in flight today. Why bother?"

Ben doesn't answer at first not quite sure how he feels about someone checking up on him. Finally, he says, "Well. It's kind of silly."

"Go ahead, it's not like we have a lot to do while the MRI does it's thing."

"Okay, well you know how I can't tell my mom anything about the accident? Well to cover for things I lied and said the military guys here were testing me for becoming a pilot as a reason for my not going back to college. And I never lie to my Mom so I'm making the lie a truth. See? Silly."

"Ben, that is not silly," Sue says blinking away a few tears. "I think it's nice. If you'd like I can run the tests military pilots and astronauts go through. I'll have to adapt some things but we can do it. It can even help my studies of your physiology."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course Ben. Your my friend...no, you're family now."

*******************

Later that day Ben finds two surprises in his room. The first is a box with several pieces of oddly shaped rubber and a note from Sue which reads, "I imagine turning the pages of a book to be difficult for you so I had these finger grips made for you. They are really easy to make so if you lose any, feel free to let me know and we'll get you more. Keep reading!"

The other seemed to be just be a card but when he opened it, he discovered a bigger shock than the first. The note read, "Hey, the guys and I pitched in some rations and got you a bed. It's the high density rubber we use as a shock absorber for the flight deck so it should work like a dream. Get lots of rest cause I'm not taking anymore excuses when I kick your butt at push-ups. ~Sharon"

He turned in surprise to see the palette of cement that had been his bed now had a black rubber mattress. Cautiously he sat and then laid down. For the first time in months he slept soundly and had pleasant dreams.

********************

Excerpt from the bulletin boards of whatisthisthing.org:
Aintnorealthing: So who do you think was stronger, Namor or the Thing?
Thingfan: The Thing. Namor may have been faster but he never picked up a bus let alone used it as a club.
Thingfan-02: True but that doesn't mean Namor couldn't have. Don't get me wrong but I think Thing needs to work on his agility. If he had been quicker, Namor would have had a hard time.
Aintnorealthing: That's true. Still Thing did have the Torch with him. The Torch helped a lot.
Thingfan: Definitely but the Torch needs to learn to stay far away from physical fights. He's not much for a fist fight.
Thingfan-02: That's what Thing's for!

I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?

Ben woke at five a.m. feeling the walls of depression closing about him again and decided to try something different than weathering the storm. He tried pacing his room, watching movies, funny kitten videos on the internet but nothing worked, the size of his room was just too small. His guards jumped when he opened his door and left them trailing behind as he made his way to the flight deck. What he needed was some exercise and he figured the shock absorbent floor there should make it so he didn't collapse the building or at least wake anyone else up.

Once there, his guards finally caught up to him and, after reporting his location, took up positions on either side of the hanger doors. As if I'd really try jumping, he thought. Suicide watch sucks.

Instead of confronting the issue though, he began doing push-ups, moving on to sit-ups, burbees, planks and then onto agility drills. An hour later the off duty MPs and other military personal showed up for their morning exercises and gave him an eye. He was tempted to give them the deck but figures if Guppy can trust Ben with his little girl, these guys can learn to trust him enough to share a frigging flight deck.

The cold war continued for about half an hour until Sharon Ventura entered, took a moment to take in the scene and shook her head at the boys. Then she parked herself right next to Ben to began her own set of one armed push-ups as the one arm was still in a cast. Ben just happened to have been about to start a set of push-ups himself and so switched to one armed to work with her. When he got to 50 he looked over to see what exercise she'll do next and caught the challenge in her eyes as she continued.

When they got to 150 the other MPs have stopped to watch. When they got to 200 all the other personal on deck had stopped and the betting had begun. At 500 Ben finally starting to feel his workout and at 600 he gave the victory to Sharon. The gathered personal cheered and some even patted Ben on the back despite having lost their bets and for the first time he felt a sense of fellowship.

"Rematch tomorrow?" he asked.

"Wouldn't miss it. Try to save some for me if you get up early again okay? That was a pathetic show."

Current Music: Foo Fighters - Walk

[[This entry's song: Times Like These]]

The next day Ben is still feeling down but fighting to remember that it won't last forever when there's a knock on his door. Startled, he stares at it for a good minute before getting up to answer it. No one ever visits in any other capacity than official and they never knock for that. Okay, Johnny visits too, but he just comes right in and never knocks.

"Hello?" he says half in question when he opens the door. It's the MP he had hurt. Her arm is in a cast and it takes Ben a minute to realize she's got a slight smile on her face.

"You going to just stand there or are you going to invite me in?"

"Um...sure..." he says completely off guard. "Why?"

She holds up a six pack of beer and says, "Peace offering."

"What? I'm the one who should be apologizing. I never would have done that had I known you were..." he starts to say 'a woman' but catches himself.

She gets his meaning anyway. "Oh if I was a man you'd have done it on purpose? You think a woman can't take a broken arm?"

"No that's not what I meant. I just don't hurt women."

"Then you're an idiot. If you were a normal person I could take you down twelve different ways from where I'm standing, seven of them possible with a cast."

Ben just gapes, completely tongue tied.

"But that's not why I'm here. Your friends have been chewing Ross' ear off for how he treated you and have roped Dr. Storm to fighting for your release. I thought I'd come and see how you were doing and to offer my apology. I should've handled things better."

"What? I broke your arm! How is that your fault?"

"Touching you when you are not aware is like sticking your arm in an engine block when the motor is running. Dangerous and your own damn fault if you get bit. So I apologize Mr. Grimm and I expect your house arrest to be lifted within the hour."

"I...accept? But can you call me Ben? Unless you want me calling you Ms. Ventura?" Ben says reading her name off her uniform.

She smiles in return. "Fair enough. I'm Sharon. Ben, it's a pleasure to meet you. Can I ask...were you going to jump that day?"

Ben swallows as the whole situation makes a lot more sense suddenly. "No," he says a bit gruffly. "Even if I was gonna, there'd be no point. I'd likely have landed on someone, killed them and been no worse for wear."

She studies him for a bit before opening two of the beers and handing him one. "I know it's not my business, but would you jump now?"

"I...don't know," he admits and takes a sip of the beer. "Sam Adams, nice."

She takes a couple of sips as she ponders his answer for a minute or two. "Can we sit?"

"Sure," Ben says and steps back into his room. "Sorry about the seating."

"Okay we've got tons of big brains and an insane budget. We can take people to another dimension but we can't come up with better furniture for you than concrete? That's not right."

"It works okay. It reminds me of those blow up chairs."

She laughs a good minute before getting serious again. "Can I tell you a story? About why I joined the military? There was this song that was kinda big when I was in high school by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones called The Impression That I Get, you remember it?"

"Yeah, that was a pretty cool song. Lots of horns and stuff."

"That's it. Remember how it talked about being brave and how you never know if you're going to be brave until you need to be? That's why I went into the military, I wanted to be tested. To find out if I was brave or not. I don't know that I've really been tested but I know you have been and I think you still are. I'm a little envious really."

"What, why?" Ben asks taken aback.

"Simple. If you can survive this, you will know nothing can break you. Nothing. Most people don't get that."

"I...wow I never thought of it like that. Thank you."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Only thing I can, my best. Hey can you do me a favor?" he says digging behind one of the cushions that are making a pathetic attempt at making the couch look normal.

"Possibly, what is it?"

"Can you give this back to Dave? I think he...dropped it," he says holding out the grenade. He doesn't think he's going to need it anymore and wants to make sure it's not around if he changes his mind.

"Uh...sure thing. I won't even ask."

[This entry's song: Winter]
The grenade fits in his mouth with surprisingly little difficulty but he needs to look into a mirror to find the pin. Turning he takes one (hopefully) final look out at the city and the sunset when he sees a couple on the roof of the building across the way and a little down. They're kissing and seem to be having a good time. He doesn't even bother to swallow the tears but they cause him to blink a few times.

When he can see clearly again he sees the woman is struggling, trying to fight off the man and he's not stopping. Ben lets go of the pin of the grenade and wonders what he can do. It's not like he can call the police. Maybe the M.P.s? But before he gets to the phone the woman stomps on the guys foot and punches him in the nose. The guy lets her go in shock and backs away, blood running down his face. She runs for the exit but stops short when the guy yells something and pulls out a gun.

Ben spits out the grenade and tosses it at the couch (fortunately the pin doesn't come out). Crossing the room, he picks up a football and is tearing off the window before he's aware of what he's doing. A quick snap and the guy on the other roof crumbles into a heap. The woman looks up toward Ben and he backs quickly into the shadows to hide. She waves a hesitant thank you before kicking the bastard and picking up his gun. Then, after another wave, she disappears down the exit.

Ben watches her leave but freezes when he catches sight of the billboard above the exit.

It's full night when the guy begins to stir across the way and groggily picks himself up to stumble to the exit. Ben barely registers his leaving sitting in the dark of his room as he continues to stare at the billboard.

Half an hour later he picks up the encrypted cellphone Reed made for him and dials the number from the billboard, 1-800-273-TALK.

"Hello," answers a pleasant voice.

Ben doesn't say anything.

"Hello, I'm here for you."

"I...I need some help," Ben says finally.

Current Music: Tori Amos - Winter

[This entry's soundtrack: All My Life]

Eighteen hours ago he was pacing his room after having been confined to quarters after the accident, confined until a full investigation could be completed.

The sickening snap echos in his thoughts.

Twelve hours ago he tried reading some Shakespeare but couldn't focus, "to be or not to be" was too close to home.

All he can see is the look on the MPs face as he broke her arm.

Six hours ago he tried studying Aviation to turn his lie to his Mom into a truth but altitudes and wind sheer didn't seem to matter.

Mr. Grimm, I need you to step away from the ledge.

Four hours ago he knocked over one of his cement chairs in a brief explosion of temper and rediscovered the cavity he had carved in it's base and the stash of things he had palmed, things which he had hoped would be able to pierce his skin.

Her pale, pained face swims in his mind's eye.

Thirty minutes ago he laid out all the items in his stash and sat looking at them; a titanium alloy spike, a hand grenade, a bottle of pills. He rejects the pills cause if he can breath acid what the hell kind of damage can drugs do?

Step away from the ledge...

Now he's staring at the broken spike which had shattered after only five minutes of him trying to shove it into his wrist. How is he going to explain this?

[Interlude's soundtrack: Foo Fighters, Learning to Fly]

Three days later and Ben can't decide if he should be impressed or creeped out by all the different ways to kill or maim the think tank has come up with. Some are simple enough but some really make you wonder how they came up with the idea in the first place. He's also a little unnerved by how easy it was to go from shooter to target but that had been his aim so he's not saying anything.

Today it's a nerve disruptor kind of gun and he's not too sure about it; even if it works it's effects will only be temporary paralysis right?

"Clear the testing area. Firing in three, two…" Jossie calls out before she is interrupted.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

All eyes turn to the speaker and Ben nearly face palms. Susan Storm comes storming in and the gun is yanked from Jossie's hands by invisible means.

"Well?" she says again, nearly barking. "What is this?"

"He volunteered," Jossie says as if her hand was caught in the cookie jar. Susan turns to glare at Ben.

"I just wanted to be useful. Unless there's something for me to hit, I just sit around." It's a pathetic excuse he knows but it's hard to come up with anything better when she's glaring at him.

Susan pinches the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm down but fails spectacularly. Through clenched teeth she says, "This is not Asgard, you are not vikings and YOU ARE NOT BALDR." This last she nearly screams at Ben as she grabs his arm and pulls him out of the firing range. Ben's heart does a little leap and he realizes this is the first time anyone has touched him outside of testing or fights since the accident. His heart melts a little at her touch but he clamps it down straight away as this is his best friends girl (even if they aren't official yet). Instead he allows her to pull him so she doesn't get hurt.

"This is the last I hear or see of this," Susan yells at the scientists as she pulls Ben from the lab. "If it happens again, invisible snakes! In your bed!"

In the hallway outside she pulls him up to a wall and pauses to take a few calming breaths. Once calm, she looks him in the eye and asks, "Do you really feel useless unless we're fighting?"

He can't keep her gaze and so looks down at the floor. "Well. Yeah. I'm not the smartest cookie and I can't leave so I was just trying to help."

"Okay. I get it but that was really risky Ben," she says her voice heavy with concern. "They could have hurt you. I'll talk with Reed and we'll figure out something for you to do. For now, why don't you go to the flight hanger and see if anyone could use some help there?"

"Okay, no problem," Ben says, touched (though this completely ruins his plans) and turns to walk down the hallway. "Lifting things is about all I'm good for. Well hitting things too."

"That's bull Ben and you should know it. We'll find something okay? Till then why don't you study something? We've got one of the greatest libraries here."

"Yeah fine."

Current Mood: confused

"Come on guys, I'd be perfect for testing stuff on," Ben's saying in his most persuasive tone of voice. "Using robots to fire things won't tell you if the gun's gonna fire badly or hurt the shooter right?"

"True," 'Death corset' Jossie says. "But your skin will take a lot more punishment than a solders."

"You can put pressure gauges on me."

"It would cut down on the budget and increase the accuracy estimates of first person usage," another labcoat adds.

"Does General Ross know about this?" inquires a third.

"I'll convince him. Come on guys," Ben says bringing out the baby blues, "I'm feeling useless and cooped up in my room. Let me help out around here."

Jossie looks at him for a long time before saying, "Okay, IF Ross agrees and you do exactly as we say. NO deviations from the experiment."

"Deal!" Ben says secretly thrilled. If anyone can come up with something that might hurt him it's these guys.

-------------------------------------------------------

A sampling of headlines and TV news hooks:

Our Newest Heroes?

Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, Not Just For Disco Anymore!
Super Solder Project Back On Track?

Are All These Heroes Good For Our Children?

Three Beauties and One Beast?

Excerpt from the boards of whatisthisthing.org:
Realamerican: All I'm saying is the guy doesn't even look human! How do we know he wasn't working with those aliens in Vegas?
Monsterhunter: Totally. I bet he's a mole for the aliens and when we trust him, they'll invade!
Thingfan: I'm sorry but have you looked at the footage from the fight? This "Thing" clearly stopped that alien ship from destroying the MGM Grand and killing God knows how many people!
Aintnorealthing: Great, we got a ^&^%@*& freak here who fetishing on the monster.
Realamerican: Yeah. Go back to your mom's basement and let the grownup alone you little @%^#$^.
Thingfan: Do you kiss your mother with those mouths? Is courtesy in debate honestly so hard?