MHA #10, Early Sunday morning
Ben woke up much earlier than he needed to for work today. He hadn't slept well after getting home from his radio broadcast. He'd been going over things in his mind for the past few days and they were finally starting to line up for him. He stepped out onto the balcony with a cup of coffee and tried to get everything straight.
Three things stood out to him. First, the fact that he went to pretty ridiculous lengths to avoid the younger Peter Parker a couple weeks ago. It's not like meeting him would have hurt either of them, but he still put on a disguise and lied to the kid's girlfriend? That made him think about the fact that he had been alive for seven months now and hadn't so much as called his Peter and Mary Jane. Their baby would be two years old now. He was her godfather, how had he not met her? And it's not like it would have been like the last time he showed up after what seemed to be a sure death. He and Peter weren't enemies or rivals now, not after everything they had gone through toghether. They were brothers. How did staying so far away benefit anyone?
For that matter, how could he stay away? Last weekend was Mother's Day and he hadn't gone up to New York to visit Aunt May's grave? He had kept in contact with her during his years on the road. He returned to New York in the first place because of her. Everything that happened afterwards - the Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, Kaine, even his death - all of that started because he had to see her again before she died. And now he couldn't even make a quick road trip to put flowers on her grave?
Something wasn't right. He couldn't explain why he had avoided any of this. But he felt like he was on the verge of breaking through and understanding why. "Scrier," he whispered, the name finally coming to him. Of course! Ben had been through the Jackal's programming, having his mind warped by a madman in ways he could never expect. He'd seen Peter try to kill his own wife as part of this mind control crap. He knew how strong these suggestions could be. And if the Jackal could do something like that, something as powerful as Scrier could keep him from going to New York and getting help. Ben was here to do Scrier's bidding. Scrier told him that! He needed Ben to stay away for some reason. He... he...
And just like that, the realization slipped away from Ben. All he could remember was that there was something wrong. There were echoes in his mind that he couldn't quite work out. But he would. He just needed more time.
[OOC: Establishy. The fact that Ben was all introspective on the balcony is okay for broadcast, but the actual thoughts are not, of course. Unless there are psychic squirrels now.]
Three things stood out to him. First, the fact that he went to pretty ridiculous lengths to avoid the younger Peter Parker a couple weeks ago. It's not like meeting him would have hurt either of them, but he still put on a disguise and lied to the kid's girlfriend? That made him think about the fact that he had been alive for seven months now and hadn't so much as called his Peter and Mary Jane. Their baby would be two years old now. He was her godfather, how had he not met her? And it's not like it would have been like the last time he showed up after what seemed to be a sure death. He and Peter weren't enemies or rivals now, not after everything they had gone through toghether. They were brothers. How did staying so far away benefit anyone?
For that matter, how could he stay away? Last weekend was Mother's Day and he hadn't gone up to New York to visit Aunt May's grave? He had kept in contact with her during his years on the road. He returned to New York in the first place because of her. Everything that happened afterwards - the Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, Kaine, even his death - all of that started because he had to see her again before she died. And now he couldn't even make a quick road trip to put flowers on her grave?
Something wasn't right. He couldn't explain why he had avoided any of this. But he felt like he was on the verge of breaking through and understanding why. "Scrier," he whispered, the name finally coming to him. Of course! Ben had been through the Jackal's programming, having his mind warped by a madman in ways he could never expect. He'd seen Peter try to kill his own wife as part of this mind control crap. He knew how strong these suggestions could be. And if the Jackal could do something like that, something as powerful as Scrier could keep him from going to New York and getting help. Ben was here to do Scrier's bidding. Scrier told him that! He needed Ben to stay away for some reason. He... he...
And just like that, the realization slipped away from Ben. All he could remember was that there was something wrong. There were echoes in his mind that he couldn't quite work out. But he would. He just needed more time.
[OOC: Establishy. The fact that Ben was all introspective on the balcony is okay for broadcast, but the actual thoughts are not, of course. Unless there are psychic squirrels now.]