"Ben, you're struggling with your powers, aren't you? Or rather, you resent how they've transford your body, turning you into sothing you can't accept. Am I right?"
Sebastian's words hung in the air, piercing through the quiet tension of the factory.
Ben's rocky face betrayed a subtle shadow of sorrow, his massive form slumping slightly as he let out a heavy sigh.
With a reluctant nod, he confird Sebastian's insight, his glowing eyes dimming with unspoken pain.
Ben had kept this turmoil hidden from Reed, Susan, and Johnny, who, consud by their own efforts to master their newfound abilities, hadn't imdiately noticed his quiet despair.
Sebastian's ability to voice Ben's innermost thoughts caught him off guard, stirring a mix of surprise and vulnerability.
His nod was an admission, a rare glimpse into the burden he carried beneath his stone exterior.
"Ben, what do you want?" Sebastian pressed gently, his tone asured yet probing. "Do you wish to keep your powers, or would you rather return to your original form, free of this change?" Google seaʀᴄh ɴovᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet
"Return to my original form?" Ben's head snapped up, his voice tinged with a blend of astonishnt and cautious hope.
"Sebastian, are you saying you can make human again?"
"It's likely possible," Sebastian replied, his gaze steady. "But if I restore your original body, your powers will almost certainly be lost. Are you certain you're ready to abandon them and reclaim your forr self?"
Ben didn't hesitate, his response imdiate and resolute.
"Absolutely. If I can go back to who I was, I'd ditch this monstrous form and these cursed powers in a heartbeat."
His voice bood through the factory, raw and unfiltered, drawing the attention of Reed, Susan, and Johnny, who had been lingering nearby, observing the exchange with growing concern.
"Ben, you're giving up your powers?" Reed asked, stepping closer, his elastic fra tense with disbelief.
Ben's eyelids lowered, but he nodded firmly, his rocky features set with determination. "Yes. I want to be myself again. I'm done being a hulking stone beast."
"Ben, you're not a monster," Susan interjected, her voice soft but insistent as she grasped his massive hand. "You know we've never thought of you that way."
Ben t her gaze, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. "I know you don't, Susan. You're my friends—you see as Ben. But others won't. I can't stand the thought of being gawked at, treated like a freak.
And there's more. Reed, Susan, Johnny—I'm getting married soon. How can I face my fiancée like this? Who could love looking like… this?"
His words silenced the trio, their expressions shifting from concern to empathy. Johnny, usually the most irreverent, understood Ben's love for his fiancée better than anyone, their constant banter masking a deep bond.
He knew the toll this transformation had taken, and for once, his voice carried no trace of jest.
"Ben, I'm with you," Johnny said, his tone uncharacteristically solemn. "If a gift only brings you pain and trouble, letting it go is the right call. Choose the path that makes you happy."
Reed and Susan exchanged glances, then nodded in agreent, their support unspoken but resolute.
Ben turned to Sebastian, his voice thick with desperation and hope. "Sebastian, if you can truly make human again, please—help . I'm begging you."
Sebastian gave a slight nod, his right hand flipping upward as the Reality Stone materialized, its dark red glow pulsing faintly in his palm.
"This is the Reality Stone, a infinity stone," he explained, his voice calm but authoritative. "You may not know what that ans, but think of it as a unique object capable of near-omnipotent feats in certain domains. To fulfill Ben's wish, we'd either need this stone or one of Reed's inventions to alter his form."
Without further delay, Sebastian raised his hand, the Reality Stone hovering above his palm.
With careful precision, he channeled its power, coaxing forth tendrils of black-red Aether particles. The particles wove into three shimring bands, extending toward Ben and enveloping his rocky form.
Under Sebastian's ticulous control, Ben's body began to transform. The yellow stone encasing him lted like ice under a sumr sun, dissolving rapidly to reveal the human flesh beneath. Each layer peeled away, a slow but steady reclamation of his forr self.
As the final stone fragnt vanished into Ben's body, Sebastian swiftly withdrew his hand, the Aether bands retracting into the Reality Stone.
With a deft motion, he made the stone disappear, its power too vast to linger exposed.
Both the Space Stone and Reality Stone were within Sebastian's grasp, but his ability to wield them was rudintary, far less efficient than using them with a magical conduit. Direct use, as he'd done now, drained his magical reserves significantly, a costly but necessary expenditure for Ben's sake.
Ben, trembling with anticipation, grabbed a mirror from a nearby lab table. As he gazed at his reflection, seeing his human face restored—free of stone, familiar, and wholly his own—a radiant smile broke across his features, the first genuine joy he'd shown in weeks.
"Sebastian, I can't thank you enough," he said, his voice choked with gratitude. "Truly, thank you."
"No need for thanks, Ben," Sebastian replied, his tone softening. "But you must understand sothing. This transformation isn't entirely reversible. Your powers remain within you, sealed for now.
If you use them again, they'll fuse deeper with your being, and I likely won't be able to restore you to this form. If you want to stay as you are, you must never tap into those powers again. Keep them locked away, or you'll be bound to your stone form permanently."
Ben, caught up in his relief, brushed off the warning. In his mind, his powers were a burden he'd never willingly embrace again. The risk of reverting seed negligible—he wanted nothing to do with what he saw as a curse, not a gift.
"Don't worry, Sebastian," Ben said confidently. "I'm done with those powers for good.
I need to go now. My fiancée's been after for weeks, and I've been dodging her with excuses about being busy. I've got to make things right with her. Once I sort out the wedding plans, I'll be back. See you all soon!"
Reed, Susan, and Johnny bid Ben farewell, their smiles bittersweet. They were thrilled for his happiness, yet a pang of loss lingered. The four of them had been a unit, a family, and Ben's departure left a void, like losing a brother.
Noticing their subdued mood, Sebastian offered a reassuring smile. "Losing his powers doesn't an losing Ben. You're still friends, aren't you?
Now, let's get back to work. The three of you will train together, and I'll personally teach you combat techniques—especially how to face magical opponents. Trust , you'll need these skills sooner or later."
As he spoke, Sebastian's wand materialized, its tip glinting with intent. Reed, Susan, and Johnny snapped into action, ready to face the challenges ahead.
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