Chapter 54: Ben’s Friend

"Ben?!"

As the Thing stood there, still reeling from shock, a handsome man walked in with an excited look on his face. Spotting the Thing, he exclaimed, "Oh my God! Where have you been? I've been looking for you all night!"

Following close behind the man were a strikingly beautiful woman with a curvaceous figure and a ruggedly handsome man with a roguish smile.

The woman, stepping out from behind the man, looked at the Thing in surprise. "Ben? Oh my God, you're okay?! Thank goodness, praise the heavens!"

"Reed, Susan, I'm sorry for making you worry!" The Thing shrugged his massive shoulders, his tone filled with apology.

Before he could finish speaking, Reed and Susan approached him, visibly emotional. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect something like this…"

Seeing their old friend and classmate in his current form, Reed and Susan felt a pang of sorrow. Coupled with the information they'd just received from Ben's wife, they were certain their dear friend was going through immense turmoil and needed their comfort and support. Their gazes at him were filled with concern.

Unexpectedly, it was Ben who comforted them. "Guys, it's not your fault. Don't be so upset! I'm doing fine, really fine!"

Perhaps it was knowing that others like him existed in the world, or maybe it was the catharsis from his earlier fight with Alex, but Ben's mood was far calmer and more composed than Reed and Susan had imagined.

"Ben, you're surprising me!" Susan said, looking at him with disbelief. "How can you remain so calm after becoming… like this?"

"Don't worry, my friend," Reed said solemnly, looking directly at Ben. "I swear I'll find a way to solve this! I'll make sure you return to your original self!"

"Thank you, my friend!" The hulking Ben was moved. He wanted to pat Reed on the shoulder but hesitated, afraid he might accidentally crush him. He awkwardly restrained his gesture.

At this moment, Johnny, the roguish man, stepped forward, eyeing Ben up and down before quipping, "Wow, Ben, look at what you've become! The Thing, huh?"

"Hey, if you keep talking about how I look, I swear I'll flatten you!"

Ben glared at Johnny. Being an honest and straightforward man, he never got along with Johnny's frivolous attitude. Hearing Johnny's borderline mocking remarks made Ben's temper flare. If not for Johnny being Susan's brother, he might've already let his fists do the talking.

"Johnny!" Susan scolded her brother sharply, her tone serious. "Ben is our friend. Watch your mouth!"

Seeing both Susan and Reed glaring at him, along with Ben looking ready to clobber him, Johnny shrugged. "Alright, alright, I'll behave!"

Then, his gaze shifted to Alex, who was sitting nearby, leisurely sipping on a drink. "Hey, buddy, who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, who are you?"

Reed and Susan also turned their attention to Alex, their curiosity piqued.

"Oh, so now you notice me, the living person in the room?"

Alex stood up slowly, a faint smile on his face as he greeted them. "Hello, I'm Alex. You could say I'm… a friend of Ben's."

"Ben, is he your friend?"

Reed glanced at Ben. Only after seeing Ben nod did Reed relax and extend a friendly hand toward Alex. "Hello, I'm Reed Richards, a friend of Ben's."

"Susan Storm."

"Johnny Storm."

The three introduced themselves to Alex, then sat together. Since Ben had already shared what Alex told him, they openly discussed their abilities without holding back in front of him.

"The changes to our bodies are undoubtedly the result of the cosmic storm experiment. Based on what Alex said, we can reasonably believe that the storm forcibly modified our genes. If we want to revert to being normal humans, we must start by studying the experiment itself," explained Reed, the most knowledgeable among them.

"What does that mean?"

"Are you saying we can turn back into humans?"

"Reed, is that true?"

Johnny, looking nonchalant, Susan, with a serious expression, and Ben, with hope in his eyes, all stared at Reed, awaiting his response.

"I'm not sure yet," Reed admitted, shaking his head. "I need more research to determine whether we can reverse the changes. Ben, Susan, Johnny—I need time to figure this out."

"I understand, Reed!" said Ben, the one most affected by the transformation. For the first time, he expressed understanding toward Reed. "I'll patiently wait for your results."

"Thank you for your understanding!" Reed said sincerely, patting Ben's large hand. "I'll do everything in my power to restore you to your original self. Trust me, Ben!"

"You know I've always supported and believed in you!" Ben replied.

Alex, watching the exchange, couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. "What's up with these two? Ignoring such a beautiful woman to engage in this bromance? What a waste!" He glanced at the stunning Susan, sipping her coffee, and silently mocked the overly dramatic camaraderie between Reed and Ben.

Meanwhile, Johnny turned back to Alex. "Hey, Alex, will these genetic mutations harm us?"

Alex pondered briefly before replying, "Generally speaking, mutations of this level would show side effects or complications immediately if they were harmful. On the other hand, if your bodies aren't showing any adverse reactions, the mutations likely won't endanger your lives."

"So, even if we don't reverse the mutations, it's no big deal?" Johnny asked, surprised.

"Generally, yes."

As Alex answered, his gaze drifted toward Ben. Ben's situation was entirely different. Unlike the others, whose powers allowed them to retain a human appearance, Ben was permanently transformed into a rocky, monstrous form. This disparity weighed heavily on Ben, despite his attempts to appear calm.

"Hopefully, Reed can help him," Alex thought.

For now, Alex could only leave the choice in Ben's hands. After all, he was the one living this reality.

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