#Li'l Benjy

[frogoat]

A blog about comic books and geek culture in general and Spider-Girl and the MC2 universe in particular.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@themousefromfantasyland

[marvelite624]

So the day wasn't the complete disaster we'd expected after all! "The Lord works in mysterious ways." It kinda wedged itself into my head and wouldn't stop braggin its' truth at me; finally somethin' made sense! I'd gotten some good pictures, had some fun, and eaten some exceptional cake. My favorite shot was when Becka opened her momma's gift.

"Ohhhh, Fancy Fwancine! Wook! Fancy Fwancine!", she'd yelled, her face all lit up like a Christmas tree. I'd looked at Sarah and shrugged, "She's a 'Fashion Fwend', uh, 'Friend', comes with make-up and extra outfits, dummy! Where have YOU been living?" She snickered as she gently mocked an elbow at Constance who listened in at her side. Extra outfits from Sylvie after some insider info came her way. A new pink 'Mother-of-pearl', authentic plastic brush and comb set with matchin' bows and berets from Benji. Imported from Taiwan! Hey, the boy has taste! Constance brought her some perfume from her private stock it seems! Becks was happy, Momma was happy! And, I couldn't believe it but, I was feelin' pretty happy too at the moment.

"Now , what? What...WHAT?", I thought as a set of headlights flashed across the full length of our picture window. Realizin' we had company, I reached for the tv remote, quickly shuttin' the set off as I stood to approach the curtains. Slidin' a panel back slightly, provided a view to the driveway. It was dusk. The last rays of the sun havin' just dipped below the horizon. Squintin' through the crack and trying to listen for whatever I might pick up, it took me a few seconds. "Thanks for the lift!", the voice said. "Glad to help, sugar! Don't lose that number now, I'm not in the book!" The vehicle backed away slowly before turnin' onto the highway and disappearin' into the distance.

It couldn't be! Could it!? Hurriedly, with exaggerated steps, I was at the door in seconds. I flipped on the porchlight, "Hot Damn! Look what the cat dragged up! Gil...li'l brother! You look like...", I was halted at that point. He knew what was about to come out of my mouth next! "Ch,ch,ch! Shhhhh!", with a finger raised to his lips, "Mister Pickles might hear you, stupid!"

We threw up our arms like marionettes and fell into an exuberant embrace. Noticed right off, Gil had been workin' out! The poundin' he was puttin' on my back wasn't slackin' a bit! "What's it been, brother? Two years...?" "You always were one to exaggerate, Frankie. Year and a half, less maybe." Both of us stopped to catch a breath and just like since we were kids, we began in unison. Hunched like Peter Lore, oddly relaxed yet spooky eyed, we backed around eachother tiptoein' in a circle, "Slowly...I...turned, step...by...step..."

"Well, don't be steppin' in anything you can track into the house, boys!" Sarah was drawn down by the light and commotion; she'd stood there, watchin'. "I swear! Neither of you two has grown a lick o' sense since I met you. Get in here, Gil, and give me one o' those hugs you just tried to kill your brother with! I don't have all night!"

Gil stepped in and snatched Sarah off her feet before givin' her a couple of spinnin' whirls. "Your makin' me dizzy, son...that's enough. Enough, now!" As he put her down, he smacked a quick kiss to each cheek and flashed those lady-killin' pearly whites her way. "Yes, well...", her eyes shootin' sharply over at my handsome younger brother, "...did you feel those arms, Frankie? I might have to play some 'eeny meany miney moe' with you two! Uh huh."

"Uh-uh, your stuck with me...says so on the contract! You want some coffee, Gil? How about a piece o' birthday cake?" "Smelled it comin' up; heck yeah I'll have a piece! Soon as the coffee's done...and don't make me beg for seconds."

I was expectin' the usual 'slap' any time now, wonderin' if I had time for some cake before it hit. When, right on queue, just as I swallowed a premature sigh of relief! From the basement came a loud *CRASH*! It sounded like glass for sure.

"Sounds like you might have company in the cellar too, Frank. You want me to take a look?" "Nope. You just cool your jets up here. This is a job for...", that one-raised-eyebrow look of his followed me as I retrieved a flashlight from the drawer we threw junk into, "...nevermind! I won't be long."

Well, that sounded confident enough, I think. Truth be told, I was anythin' BUT just then. My nerves were tryin' to get the best of me; show junior what a man I was these days. Weird stuff happenin' around me lately, I didn't know WHAT to expect as I opened the door, clicked on the flashlight, and began my descent into a dark unknown. "Oooooooo", Bela Lugosi again but, only in my head this time.

There was no overhead light. Three bulbs had blown soon as I screwed them in. Figured it would be stupid to waste a fourth and made a mental note to call an electrician soon as I got some extra cash. Must be rats, messin' up the wiring. Really hoped the house didn't burn down first. I walked slowly, cautiously fannin' that pitiful beam side to side. A jar of Gran-m'ma's home-canned plum jelly lay just ahead in bits-n-pieces on the floor. Probably the last one too, dammit!

Barely audible from the blackened corner just ahead, a sound like smackin', no crackin', scratchin'...hell, all of the above! I could feel the hair rising on the back of my neck, down both arms, spreadin' across the tops of my thighs as the anticipation also raised a bit of sweat...or was it hot down here? I honestly couldn't determine the cause. The hair, at attention, was weakly vibrating now.

One last pass at the right side of the back wall and I saw it! Ferocious and startlin' upon discovery, chewin' a rat, tonight's trophy meal. Where had it come from? What sinister plot was being hatched right there, in my cellar? I softly snickered then as I lifted the formidable beast into my clutches. It dropped its' dinner and offered little resistance as I began the long trek back into the light.

Placin' distance between me and the darkness at my back, I didn't see the translucent, snake-like...thing that darted out silently around the shelvin'. It sampled the jelly I'd left behind. Once, twice it dabbed at the sticky mess, before divin' into it, intent on acquirin' every wayward drop. The cat's lost meal would most likely then, be next on the menu.

My home harbored secrets from me and I, in my naivete, believed I knew the whole tale. The stairs fell away, one by one, witness to my ascension into sanity once more. "Drama queen much?", my brother would say. But not this time, just keepin' it real where he was concerned.

I reached the pinnacle and sealed the breach...ok, I could stop pokin' fun at myself now. The colorful rhetoric was growin', out of control. Funny how I could switch between the two effortlessly but, like 'Barney' says...that's 'Fife', not the reptile, it was time to "Nip it"! I closed the door, *ahem* and presented the 'cringin' beast' to the others.

Sarah was workin' on the coffee and cake. How oblivious she'd been to my tenuous plight! Gilbert stood there, the one-brow look 'tauntin' me still'. "You found a cat down there, nothing else? I felt...", curiously he hesitated. I stole the opportuniy to take the lead again, " You 'felt', in touch with our touchy-feelies too are we? What do they teach you at that school?" "I felt...like you might need some back-up down there. For just a minute, I wanted to join you."

"I'm only kiddin' you, Gil. Actually, I've been doin' some serious 'touchy-feelie' stuff myself lately." "I know." "Huh? You know what?" "I know how things can get sometimes, how life can sneak up and surprise you. Sometimes with some oddly incredible shit!" "Yeah, right...can't argue with that one." The conversation was becoming, how had Gil put it? "oddly incredible".

"So, you want me to 'put that cat out for the night'?" "Just can't let one go by, can ya? That was a good one though...wish I'd thought of it." I found myself strokin' the little guy's fur and oddly, incredibly...liking it. "Sure, I'll figure out how he got in tomorrow. Right now, I'm smellin' the munchies! Give 'im the old 'Yabba Dabba Do!' for me."

Gil appropriated the animal from my grip and headed for the back door, only feet away. He held the cat up by the scruff of its' neck and just inches from the door, stopped to pivot a full 180. "Hey, Sarah! Can you c'mere a sec?" "Sure, Gil! Just about to pour the coffee!", came her reply from the kitchen. "No, before that, please." She appeared in the entryway, "What is so important that it couldn't wait another minute?"

My brother extruded his arm asking, "That color one of yours?" "Well, I'll be...it is!" Bein' more familiar with things like fingernail polish, (oh, that was cheap!)...Gil noticed 'someone' had attempted to paint the cat's claws with 'Sunset's Passion', Sarah's favorite polish. Again, I found my openin', "Well, don't look at me, we just met!" They turned to look at me, Sarah's head slightly bowed, she struggled not to laugh, the way they do on 'Carol Burnett' when they just can't take any more. I could see the corners of her mouth twitching as she held a curled finger to the underside of her nose, Gil snorted and we all lost it! As we laughed, I managed to push out three words to Gil, "Ha, ha, ha...p-pay....ahaaah, ha, ha.....the....ooh, hoo hoo, ooh, hoo.....p-pickle! Ha, ha,ha..."

Sarah put the painted tomcat into a small chicken wire cage she used to isolate 'special needs' critters. Along with some water and chopped bologna, he'd come to rest for the night just inside the back door. Stuffed and already flat on his back makin' air bisquits, I think he was content there.

Sarah couldn't stop yawnin' and turned in before we'd finished our cake. Gil dropped a pocketful of change into 'Mister Pickles' before helpin' himself to a second piece, "This is so good, Frankie! You eat like this all the time, don't you?" I asked if he wanted anythin' else but, he assured me he'd eaten at a small diner where the bus had run into problems.

"If the bus hadn't gotten that flat", he said, "I'd'a been here for the party. It's what I'd intended. Sure hated to miss it, poor Becka needed all the support she could get today." "Wait, hold up! How could you possibly know that?" "I, uh, I called the Thrift Store to see if anyone there had any news. They filled me in!" "Why not just call here, bro?" "What, and spoil the surprise? No way, dude! Surprising you guys was the whole point to this trip...if only I'd been on time." "Better late than never, right?!" "Absolutely better."

"But speaking of late, it was a long ride and even the delay didn't offer much in the way of relaxation..." "Oh, yeah, right! Sarah laid some linens out, blanket, pillows...you should be all set on the sofa tonight. Tomorrow, we'll tidy up the mess in the spare; it's turned into a storage nightmare lately, you know how it goes?" "It's good to see you, Frankie. Home, safe, happy! Does me good to see that." I heard a quiver in his voice; he almost cried getting that out. "Ditto, Gil. Glad you showed up, brother...I've missed you too. Get some shut-eye, boy! G'night!" "Hey! You see a boy..., he waited for me to join in, I did, "JUST BUTTER MY BUTT & CALL ME 'BISQUIT'!" "You're the best, kid! Now, go to sleep!"

(to be continued in Part 6)

•This is an original work of fiction and labor of love, written by me, Terry G. NUNLEY.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

People don't talk about Benjy a lot, so I was wondering: Is there anything you'd like to see with li'l Ben? Like, do you think he should grow up and follow in the footsteps of his father and sister, or do you think he should stay out of the heroic side of the family? Just curious.

I think he should indeed become a hero in his own right but what might be interesting is if its May who is directly mentoring him.