The breaking news report was repeating every few minutes, but Ben had stopped listening to it some time ago. Joker’s broadcast was everywhere, on every channel, and the mental instruction from The X-Men had just hammered home the urgency of the situation.
Leave now. Get to the bridges. Stay calm.
He could feel those thoughts echoing at the back of his brain, prodding at him, but Ben was more than stubborn enough not to do what he was told, especially when there was someone who needed clobbering.
Scott’s mutants were out there helping to evacuate everyone, and the Avenging League were probably doing something heroic too... So what could Ben do, besides be the useless freeloader he’d been for the past eight months.
When he’d first arrived in District X, Cyclops had mentioned that The Human Torch had teamed up with The X-Men since the FF had broken up, which probably meant Johnny was out there somewhere, being the hot-shot hero as always. Ben felt a weird glow of pride at the thought, followed by a grim determination.
“Ain’ no way that Matchstick is havin’ all the fun,” he grumbled to himself, reaching for the cellphone that lay next to a faded and creased photograph of Reed, Sue, Johnny, Alicia & Ben from the good old days... the one thing Ben brought with him when he’s left.
“Call Susie.”
“I am sorry, but there is no one called ‘Sookie’ in your contacts.”
“‘Damn piece’a garbage...!,” Ben muttered, fighting the urge to crush the handset into powder. “No, I said - CALL. SUSIE.”
“Calling Susan Storm.”
RING.
RING.
RIN - *Click*
“Heya Susie. It’s me... So, err... Long time, no speak, huh. How’s things?”
Ben suddenly felt like this might not have been the most thought out plan he’d ever executed.