the t h i n g

“Feels pretty self-explanatory to me– also kinda badass.”

“I’m tellin’ you, babe-- I have no idea how the little fella wound up in here,” Ben insisted, despite the grin playing at the corners of his mouth. A small tabby kitten mewled loudly from inside the shoebox Ben had gently deposited it into. Toe pads nudged at stone fingers and Ben couldn’t help but beam at the creature, “--aw look, he just wants a friend.”

“Of course, Benjamin.” Crystalia sniffed. “But that’s irrelevant now, isn’t it?”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me. As much as I don’t like to hear it.”

“If only someone had thought of that when the traitor decimated the mutants. Action had to be taken.”

“And I hear you’re one of the ones responsible. Pretty ballsy just waltzing in here like you own the place.”

“Trust me — it was inevitable. This is the kind of stuff we need to keep up activity.” 

“Activity?-- In what?”

“That sounds like good thing to try. We should definitely try that. It’s not too late, is it?”

“Wow, you’re the first person I’ve talked to who’s immediate response was not to slap me and tell me I’m the idiot in this scenario.”

“Too little too late. We needed that when our people were dying.”

“Comes with the job. Might as well get used to it.”

“Things are never that simple when the Phoenix Force is involved.”

“So I hear. How’d you manage to make it out of there alive? From what I’ve seen, that thing’s a planet killer.”

“Excellent observation like always, Grimm, but we’re passed that point. We’re completely and totally screwed. We won’t give up, of course because we - I - happen to be on the Avengers, but this is bad.”

“Oh that instills loads of confidence in me, Drew,” Ben jokes, tone blatantly sarcastic, “The Avengers ain’t got the greatest track record as of late, but if we’re as screwed as you say, why keep fighting?”

“Head and ass pulling could solve so many problems, but alas. No one ever thinks of it in time.”

“Then is this the part where we discuss our plan for overthrowing the government or am I misreading the situation here?”

“What a great @#$@#$ idea. Too bad no one ever thought of that before.”

“Hey, not my fault nobody knows how to get shit done around here.”

“They were too far up them this time. Some for good reasons, but still.”

“Listen, kid-- I’m not tryin’ to validate or invalidate anyone’s opinions, I just think people need to be more aware of the fact that this ain’t a game anymore. This is life or death. And I dunno about you, but I’m waaaay past the choosing death part.”

“People are unpredictable and dumb. It doesn’t work like that.”

“Well at least we’re on the same page with that second part.”

“Have you been talking to Johnny? I’m pretty sure he said the same thing. There’s you two and then Reed. Two extremes. Maybe we need something in the middle.”

Ben scoffed but the noise came out like more of a bitter laugh, “---‘course Reed thinks the opposite.”

“Some people like asses and you’d be hard pressed to change their minds.”

“Would I now? ----- we still talkin’ about people being dumb or am I severely misunderstanding this conversation?”