m o r p h

“I think you did too.” She admitted. “But it was your choice to make, Ben. I wasn’t going to use my pheromones to make you stay.” Even if she had really, really wanted to. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Fair enough,” Ben nodded in agreement, although the observation didn’t sting any less, “--and I have no idea. Just- play it by ear I guess?”

“Depends on who you are referring to. Everyone is different. Is one person on your mind?” Laura tilted her head to the side.

After a few more moments of rumination, Ben spoke up. “---I mean- how’ve you been, Laura? I miss anything noteworthy?” he asked, offering up a small smile.

“Right, like you not goin’ here anymore. Don’t worry, ah’m not gonna tell anyone that you’re technically trespassin’. What’s the reason for the visit?”

Ben was thankful, albeit a bit caught off guard by Rogue’s remark. “Uh- thanks. Just...seeing how everyone’s doing? I guess. Is that too vague an answer?”

“And tough is mine. Looks like we make a decent team, Benji.”

A team. That’s a first. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

“Do things look okay? Dawn is gone. Nothing is cut and dry. Marcos and I… It’s all just complicated right now.”

“Right,” Ben paused again, taking a slow breath, “--guess that was sort of a loaded question.”

“Yeah I keep hearing things about this Reeva, but I don’t really care. I just came to see what the hell your.. group was about.”

“Our group? You make us sound like some after-school program.”

“Progress, si?” Laura flashed her own hesitant smile. She didn’t have a problem with Ben but she’d always have to keep in mind that he was Hellfire.

“So uh---” he hesitated, glancing around the empty room for a moment, “--how is everyone?”

“You’re boring me. Should I grow horns now?”

“I mean, do you want me to namedrop you to Reeva? Because it sounds like that’s what you’re doing---”

“Wait!” Laurie scrambled out of her chair towards Ben and the door. “You can’t just come here and then leave without at least saying something. Don’t I deserve that?”

Ben froze, closing his eyes for a moment before taking a slow, deep breath and turning to face Laurie once more, a rush of emotion suddenly flooding out, “---I- I don’t know what to do, Laurie. I think I made a terrible mistake.”

“Well of course! If there is one thing I miss, it is genuine fun. I think we could all use some of that nowadays. What is your name? Just so I know who to look for in the future.”

“Ben! No uhhh--- Morph.” No, dummy, this is Thor you’re talking to. “---it- it’s just Ben. You can call me Ben. Or- Benjamin-- Benji? You know what- whatever you wanna call me, I’m cool with it.”

Phoebe tapped her fingers against the wheel. Sophie had one arm propped against the window, eyes locked on her phone. “You have a friendly face.” She said without looking up. “Supposedly.” Phoebe tacked on.

Esme rolled her eyes in the back seat, sending a look to Ben she hopped would work as a way to build solidarity. The low hum of her sisters from the front sister through their minds was enough to let Esme know they were completely in tune with what she was doing. “Well, they’re not entirely wrong. You used to work with an X-Men team. You’ve done wonderfully in Hellfire. It’s inspiring. We’ve been in the Club our entire lives. This gets boring. Maybe you can make it more interesting.” Besides, who didn’t love a test?

“Oh great--- my face. Just what I hoped would get me farther in life,” Ben joked, meeting Esme’s gaze for a brief moment before glancing back out the window. Their journey seemed to soon be coming to an end, judging by the palpable excess of energy buzzing between the triplets and Ben steeled himself for what was yet to come.

“Just how much social interaction is this going to require---”

Lorna knew the moment was tender or something synonymous with that, but emotion wasn’t her friend. She couldn’t get wrapped up in her own feelings because if she even dipped a toe into that ocean she was going to be swept out to sea entirely and most likely drown. Marcos, Dawn, the Underground. She had to keep them all out of sight and out of mind if she was going to succeed. “Perfect.” Her smile was small and close lipped. “We’re all going to need a tough skin if we’re going to end whatever it is that Reeva is starting.”

Reeva. Right. Ben wasn’t following Lorna--- they were all following Reeva. The fact was like a gut punch sometimes, but why should it be? Ben made his bed, now it was time to lie in it.

“Good thing skin is kinda my specialty.”

“Sorry.” Lorna ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head simultaneously. “My problem isn’t with you.”

Brow furrowing in mild concern, Ben weighed his options for replying before giving up and proceeding with plain old concern, “--everything okay?”

“Not unless you know where I can find a pot.”

Ben glanced around the room for a moment, suddenly remembering he had somehow wandered back onto the Institute’s property, before answering earnestly, “--I think it’s down the hall, but I could be wrong- ‘lots changed.”

“Now we drive.” Sophie and Phoebe intoned in unison as they slid their glasses on and the car rumbled to life before pulling down the drive. Esme tapped on her phone for a moment before clicking it off. An idle hand fiddled with the long sleeve of her sweater, and as if they could sense the brief moment of guilt at the wound both Sophie and Phoebe snickered over the hive mind. Shoving them to the side, the blonde turned to glance at the mutant next to her.

“Have you heard of the Hellfire Conservatory? They’re a branch of us but it’s all people who don’t make the cut to be the Inner Circle. Consider it training. Well, it’s time to see if any of them have what it takes to join us.”

Ben clung to the car embarrassingly tightly for a brief moment as it pulled out of the driveway before turning onto the road and achieving a more tolerable speed. Blinking at Esme in confusion for a moment as the name jogged his memory, Ben nodded before speaking up, “---so, what- is this like a recruitment mission? Why exactly did you need me of all people?”