MR FANTASTIC

"Look, my first rule of multiversal travel is that you don't know anything. Just eat some pizza and don't lose your mind. We'll figure it out."

"Well that's certainly one way of approaching the problem. But I have never been able to sit back and simply watch and wait. And there are many people who would argue that I have already lost my mind." Reed let out a soft, awkward chuckle before clearing his throat and moving on. "When we don't know something, that's when we need to take action. Start problem solving."

"You can ask as many questions as you'd like, but I can't promise answers. I can, however, offer tea. Let's start small."

"Tea." Reed repeated the word back to her as he blinked a focused into the conversation he was currently having. "I.. actually can't remember the last time I had tea. I have been surviving on exclusively coffee for most of my adult life."

"Considering the fact that some people were running around recklessly creating incursions, none of this should be a huge surprise. Unfortunate, yes, but not entirely out of left field."

"I'd actually like to discuss that with you further. Over the past year I have developed a certain.. special interest in multiversal theory. And the events of the past few weeks have only added to my already long list of questions. You seem quite knowledgeable on the subject."

"If you've come to ask for my help, I know just as much as you do." Which was unfortunately, nothing. It was a hard pill for Stephen to swallow, but it was the truth.

"Well, I don't believe that's true." Reed, per usual, sounded very matter-of-fact about the whole thing. But he also wanted to approach the subject with some empathy and understanding. As fascinating as it all was, he genuinely wanted to help everyone that was stranded. "We all have different strengths to bring to table, right? From one doctor to another— I believe we can help each other."

“Dude, I don’t know if you can say that it’s been harder for you than any of us. Ben looks like a pile of rocks and I’ve just barely been able to keep myself from spontaneously combusting.”

Reed stayed quiet for a moment, eyes glued to Johnny but unfocused as his mind sped through a trillion different things to say. “I was supposed to fix all of that. It’s not that I have it worse it’s that—” One hand reached back to grab the back of his neck and then he shook his head. It was the guilt that was breaking Reed apart. But Johnny was just a kid, it wasn’t fair to put that on him. “It doesn’t matter. You’re right. But you’ve made a lot of progress, that’s a huge accomplishment.”

rocky countenance showing even less emotion than normal, ben grits his teeth, stone jaw shifting as his gaze drifts to the floor, “reed – i love you, man. but i don’t think that’s a statement you get to make.”

“I—” Reed started to speak but clenched his jaw tight and stopped himself, letting out a sharp exhale. He shook his head and flashed his friend an apologetic look. “That’s not what I meant, Ben. It’s.. it’s my fault we’re in this mess. I was supposed to fix this. And I couldn’t. And I’m sorry that I couldn’t.”

“I think this is the part where you order your coffee or get out of the doorway.” 

“—I’m sorry?” He was, in fact, blocking the doorway as he stared mindlessly at the menu. Reed could barely remember the last time he got coffee in public like this, and the small amount of people within the four walls of the little shop was still enough to start overwhelming him. It was a delayed reaction, but he eventually shuffled over to clear the way. Then he chuckled awkwardly. “It’s been a while. But this place felt a bit safer than a Starbucks so.. here I am.”

“I know that I’m Jean Grey and I’m supposed to say something about how resilient we are, but it really sucks being blown up.” Even if it’s for a good cause.

“Spontaneous combustion seems like a particularly cruel way to be killed. Or, seemingly spontaneous I should say. It’s more likely the cause just hasn’t been discovered yet.” Reed paused, stopping himself from running on a tangent about possible causes. “You’re a big part of why we decided to show ourselves, you know. You and everyone else who died in that explosion.”

“I don’t think anything is as simple as you’re making it seem. It’s not cut and dry.”

“There aren’t many things in this universe that could be classified as cut and dry, truthfully. But even intricate things can appear simple once they are understood. And that is all I am trying to do— understand.”

written by Rainbow Rowell art by Andres Genolet, Joe Quinones, Dee Cunniffe, & Bryan Valenza

Penn Badgley | The Puppy Interview | February 16, 2023 | 📷 Taylor Miller