"So." Ben Grimm rumbled, his massive arms crossed over his rocky chest, "Stretcho got his fill of science papers, and that counts as his part of the compensation, huh? Fair enough, the egghead probably values that more than gold anyway."
"Correct, Benjamin Grimm." Ranger replied, his voice still carrying a faint, metallic echo from Steel's earlier possession, though it was undeniably his own now. "The provided data was deemed… intellectually stimulating enough to constitute his share, especially given the... adjusted value of the total compensation package due to the request to merely detain Johnny Storm rather than proceed with his, shall we say, more permanent incapacitation." He met Ben's gaze. "So, what do you desire for your compensation, Ben Grimm? What bauble, what service, can I offer the mighty Thing?"
Ben scratched his craggy chin, his brow furrowed in thought. "Well now… hmmm… that REMORSE titan, the big fiery fella you Sicced on Matchstick… can that thing fly faster than Johnny when he really cuts loose?" he asked, a hopeful, almost boyish glint in his eyes.
"Affirmative." Ranger nodded. "The Titan-class elemental construct designated REMORSE possesses aerial capabilities significantly exceeding those of the Human Torch, even at his peak Supernova output. Its propulsion system is… considerably more advanced, and its operational parameters are far less prone to collateral devastation than those of your esteemed, if somewhat volatile, teammate."
Ben's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. "Hot damn! Then that's what I want! Can I get the flame titan? My very own Johnny-wrangler!" He flexed his rocky biceps. "Hey, Suzie, don't you go givin' me that stink-eye now! I ain't gonna go on some ego trip with it like Johnny would. Promise!"
"Ben, that's not what I'm worrying about." Susan sighed, her gaze drifting involuntarily towards where REMORSE had last been seen, a colossal guardian pinning her still-fuming brother. The thought of Ben Grimm, as well-intentioned as he was, piloting a skyscraper-sized fire elemental through Manhattan… "Never mind." she muttered, deciding some battles weren't worth fighting, especially when her brother was still the primary concern. She just kept quiet.
"So, what d'ya say, Ranger kid?" Ben pressed, trying to bargain, his voice full of hopeful bluster. "Can I get the titan? I don't even want it as some kinda fancy fightin' tool, mind ya. My own two fists," he held them up, two massive slabs of orange rock, "can do just as much, if not more, damage when I really get goin'. I just need it… y'know… to deal with that flame-brained. Keep him in line. What d'ya say? A fair trade?"
Ranger considered for a moment, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. "As immensely gratifying as the mental image of the Human Torch being perpetually chaperoned, and occasionally disciplined, by a forty-meter-tall fire elemental undoubtedly is." he began, his tone dry, "I'm afraid that particular asset, even a significantly simplified version designed solely for 'Johnny Storm containment protocols,' is regrettably outside the currently adjusted compensation range. My calculations indicate that my primary expenditure in this unfortunate incident was the utilization of your domicile and its rather advanced, if somewhat vulnerable, medical equipment as an emergency recovery site. An arrangement, I recall, that was punctuated by repeated attempts on my life by one of your more enthusiastic team members, whilst I was in a state of significant incapacitation."
Ranger's voice was calm, but there was an underlying edge of steel. "Were this compensation package still bundled in its original, pre-abatement valuation, the fire titan, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, would indeed have been a viable option."
"Bummers." Ben grumbled, clicking his tongue in disappointment. "Figures. Even when things are lookin' up, that little hothead Johnny has to go and ruin it for everyone." He sighed, a sound like boulders shifting. "Alright then, smart guy. If I can't have the giant fire-bot, what can I get for my share of this here compensation?"
Ranger remained quiet for a moment, his gaze analytical as he studied Ben. A small, sleek Ultralink drone detached itself from a nearby console, zipping over to Ben and beginning a non-invasive scan, its blue optical sensor emitting a soft, sweeping light. Ben instinctively flinched, raising a hand to swat it away. "Hey! Get that damn thing away from me! I don't like bein' scanned like some kinda lab experiment!"
"Benjamin Grimm, refrain from destroying the diagnostic unit." Ranger's voice cut in, calm but firm. "It is merely gathering data. For I believe I may have a… rather more compelling alternative for you." Ben's hand paused mid-air. He grumbled but allowed the Ultralink to complete its scan, its light playing over his rocky hide.
The data streamed across Ranger's internal HUD, invisible to the others. His expression remained neutral, but a decision had clearly been reached.
"Tell me, Ben Grimm." Ranger asked, his voice dropping slightly, taking on a more serious, almost intimate tone. "Do you ever wish to turn back? To be human again?"
A sharp, indrawn gasp came from Susan. Ben froze, his rocky features, usually so animated with gruff emotion, becoming utterly still. "You mean…" Susan began, her voice trembling, but Ben cut her off, his own voice a hoarse, disbelieving whisper.
"Kid… you sayin'… you sayin' you can actually fix this? This… this rocky hide I'm trapped in?" Ben's massive, orange hand, trembling slightly, reached out towards Ranger. An Ultralink construct, one of the larger, more formidable ones that had been silently standing guard, instantly moved, interposing itself between Ben and Ranger, its optical sensors flaring with a warning light.
"Further unauthorized proximity to the host body will be met with swift and decisive execution of countermeasures." The ultralink's cold, metallic voice announced from the construct.
"Ultralink, stand down." Ranger commanded. "He means no harm." He looked at Ben, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Pardon the overzealousness of my… associates. I am still not quite operating at full capacity, and their protective protocols are rather… stringent." The Ultralink construct sidestepped, its sensors still focused on Ben, but the immediate threat receded. Ben, however, didn't move closer. He just stared at Ranger, his eyes wide beneath his craggy brow.
"And yes, Benjamin Grimm." Ranger continued, his voice soft but clear, "I do mean that I can heal you. I can reverse the cosmic radiation-induced metamorphosis that binds you to this monstrous form. Or." he paused, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips, "I can offer you something even better. I can give you control. An on-and-off switch, if you will, for your transformation into The Thing."
Ben's eyes, if they had been capable of producing tears, would have been watering. He swallowed hard, his rocky throat working. "And… and I figure somethin' like that, somethin' even Stretcho, with all his damn genius, ain't never been able to crack… that's gonna cost me a helluva lot more than whatever chump change compensation you were gonna give me for lettin' you use our fancy infirmary, ain't it?"
"You presume correctly, Ben Grimm." Ranger acknowledged. "Reverting you to your baseline human form permanently is a simpler, and therefore less costly, procedure. Though, I must concur with your unspoken sentiment: in this increasingly chaotic and hostile world, possessing a measure of controllable power is often far preferable to being a powerless, vulnerable man, however 'normal' that state may be. The choice, however, of what you wish to be, is ultimately yours. You can tell me your preference, and I shall then state the price."
Ben closed his eyes, the weight of decades of longing, of frustration, of a life lived in a form not his own, pressing down on him. Susan watched him, her own heart aching, her hand instinctively going to her mouth, but she remained silent. She knew, better than anyone, what this choice meant to him. This was Ben's decision, and his alone.
Finally, Ben opened his eyes, a new, fierce resolve hardening his rocky features. "Kid." he said, his voice raspy but firm. "What's the price? For the on-and-off switch. To be me, and The Thing, when I choose."
"Your allocated portion of the compensation, naturally." Ranger began, "and half of Susan Storm's."
"Why only half?" Susan interjected immediately, her voice surprisingly strong. "Take all of it, Ranger. For this, Ben deserves all of it."
"Because, my dear Susan." Ranger said, turning his gaze to her, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "the compensation is also, in part, for you. For the inconvenience, the stress, the not-inconsiderable property damage. And I will be damned if I do not exhibit a modicum of good manners by ensuring you retain your rightful share, however small you may deem it in comparison. Your permission, however, is indeed required for the reallocation of your portion. And besides." his smile widened slightly, "I believe I wasn't quite finished outlining the full extent of my demands."
"Suzie, he's right." Ben said, his voice thick with emotion. "Even gettin' half of your share for this… it's too much. But damn it, I need this. So, can I… can I take it? I swear, I'll pay ya back. Somehow."
"Ben, after all the absolute chaos and trouble my brother has caused you, caused all of us, you shouldn't even have to ask." Susan said, her voice firm. "Yes. I willingly give Ben my half of the compensation. For this."
"Very well." Ranger acknowledged with a slight nod. "Your half of the compensation shall be allocated to Benjamin Grimm's… treatment. And I sincerely hope." his gaze flickered between them, "that neither of you, nor your more volatile associates, will see fit to disturb my convalescence any further." He paused, as if gathering his thoughts.
"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. The remainder of the price." He looked directly at Ben. "One Infinity Stone, any will suffice, though I have a preference for Time or Soul. Or, alternatively, one full Celestial body, recently deceased or, if you're feeling particularly ambitious, still animate."
Ben and Susan stared, their mouths agape, expressions of utter shock and disbelief warring with dawning horror. "A quarter of a reasonably stable, life-sustaining universe would also be acceptable." Ranger continued, his tone perfectly level, as if discussing the price of groceries. "Or, say, the corpses of four Galactus-level entities. Though, I understand those can be somewhat difficult to procure on short notice."
Ben's jaw, which had been slowly dropping with each increasingly absurd price, now seemed to hit his rocky chest. "We… we can't pay that!" he finally managed to stammer, lunging forward and grabbing the front of Ranger's shirt, his massive fists bunched. "Tell me you're jokin', kid! Tell me you're fuckin' jokin'! It's just a goddamn rocky skin! It's just a cure! How in the hell does it cost a goddamn universe?!"
"Benjamin Jacob Grimm." Ranger's voice was suddenly ice-cold, his eyes blazing with a hint of that blue Turbo energy. The Ultralink constructs in the room instantly powered up, their optical sensors focusing on The Thing. "The condition you so crudely dismiss as 'just a fucking rocky skin' is an established, immutable fact of your existence, written into the very fabric of your being by cosmic forces, forces that even the Abstract Entities, even the Living Tribunal itself, rarely deign to directly contradict. The price I have quoted." his voice was a silken, dangerous whisper, "is, in fact, already significantly discounted, a courtesy extended due to… recent events." An Ultralink arm, quicker than sight, lashed out, not to strike, but to firmly, irresistibly, pry Ben's hands from Ranger's shirt.
"Never." Ranger said, his voice soft but carrying an absolute, unshakeable authority, "ever lay your hands on me in anger again. Is that understood?" He calmly smoothed the wrinkles from his attire. "Now. If the stated price is beyond your current… procurement capabilities, I do have a rather more… economical option available. One whose cost, I believe, you, and Susan, can meet quite easily."
He paused, letting the silence stretch, a faint, almost predatory smile touching his lips. He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, almost seductive whisper, the kind of tone a benevolent devil might use when offering a truly irresistible bargain.
"Johnny Storm." Ranger purred. "The price, my dear Benjamin, my dear Susan, is Johnny Storm." Susan gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Ben looked ready to erupt, his rocky fists clenching again.
"Sorry, kid." Ben growled, his voice a low rumble of defiance. "Even if I hate that little hothead's guts half the time, even if he is a damn menace… I can't just… I can't kill him. He's part of the team."
"My, my, Benjamin, such assumptions!" Ranger chuckled, a soft, almost musical sound that was somehow more unsettling than a shout. "And Susan, you too? Always so quick to leap to the most dramatic, most violent conclusions. Do let a man finish his proposal, won't you?" He leaned back, his smile widening, a glint of something sharp and cunning in his eyes. "I can ensure Ben's… unique physiology becomes entirely under his volitional control, allow him to shift between his human form and that of The Thing at will… if Johnny Storm simply… loses his powers."
The Reality Stone, a baleful, crimson eye, hovered in Ranger's outstretched palm, pulsing with contained, unimaginable power.
"The power loss, you understand, need not be permanent." Ranger continued, his voice now laced with that sweet, reasonable tone that was so at odds with the cosmic power he wielded. "Think of it more as a… conditional state. A tether, if you will. For as long as Johnny Storm remains baseline human, utterly powerless, Benjamin Grimm can also choose to be human, to live a normal life, free from his rocky prison. And should Ben Grimm deem it necessary to once again become The Thing, to unleash his incredible strength… then, and only then, would Johnny Storm regain access to his own abilities, for the precise duration that Ben remains in his empowered form."
He turned his gaze to Susan, his smile beatific, almost angelic, yet his eyes held the cunning of a thousand tricksters. "Ben, the gatekeeper of Johnny's power. Johnny, forced to live like the rest of us — until The Thing chooses otherwise. Think of it as… a shared custody agreement. With explosive consequences."
He looked at The Thing, "And Ben no longer a prisoner in his own skin, free to choose, truly choose, who and what he wants to be, moment to moment. All for the small, temporary inconvenience of Johnny experiencing life without his fiery safety net. And consider this: Ben, in his wisdom and maturity, would effectively become the gatekeeper of Johnny's power. A far more responsible arrangement, wouldn't you agree, than leaving such destructive potential in the hands of one so… consistently intemperate?"
His voice was honeyed, a silken web of irresistible logic and desire. "A simple recalibration of cosmic energies. A minor adjustment to the status quo. For a life reclaimed. For a family, perhaps, made whole, and a city made significantly safer."
"So, what do you say, Benjamin Grimm? Susan Storm?" Ranger's smile was dazzling now, the benevolent benefactor offering an impossible gift, the price so deceptively simple, so tantalizingly achievable. "Is this… more manageable cost… acceptable to you?"