The Multiverse in a Blender

Chapter 3: Realizations

Sleeping bags and blankets carpeted the floor near the center of the meeting room, where the karaoke machine had resided hours before. Ben was reading messages from an associate of his, complaining to Rex and Connie of their quantity and content.

Dipper had caught wind, or perhaps just put together, that Steven was not a being of the wholly human variety, and was now questioning the gem as vigorously as he had Ben, although Steven seemed far more compliant to the constant prodding.

Mabel, in awe of the pink, furred mass, had taken to cooing at Lion, braiding the ageless creature's mane and bedazzling the pink tufts with ties and small bows she had kept in her pockets. Danny had fallen asleep an hour or so ago, belly-down and cuddling the cloth of a blanket into his face. Upon first noticing this, Mabel had declared the scene too precious to disturb, then forbade any other from intruding, for fear of her mass collection of mobile markers befall their features.

"Seriously! First, the guy basically kicks me off work, then he's all up in my business. 'Where did you go, Ben? This is not comical, Ben'." Ben complained, dropping momentarily into the cadence of some individual whom neither Rex or Connie had met. It was straight-cut, formal, and a little monotone, although Ben had spoke it through his nose in mockery.

Connie gave a dry smile, "Maybe he's blowing you up because you ran off?" She offered dryly.

Ben gave a little huff, "Yeah, well, too bad. Rook kicked me off duty, and it'll stay that way until either Max or Azmuth catch wind."

"How are they going to find out if you came here instead of going to them?" Connie asked.

"You know, or you could just go over all their heads and go full-fledge vigilante on their arses." Rex mused at the same time. "It's not like you're actually aligned with them or anything—you're more like me. We've got basic training and connections to the higher ups, we just aren't actually members."

Ben shrugged, although to which person he was responding was left vague, "They'll find out about the same time as they realize I've broken out of a mental hospital."

Connie blinked, her lips forming a thin line, "I'm sorry, what?" She asked, shocked. She knew that Ben had faced repercussions for his forwardness of the retcon, but a mental hospital? Worse than that, he broke out of one?!

"I know, right? The heck, man!" Ben responded, validation in his voice.

"Ben, this is serious! You can get into some real trouble for this, what if the police come for you? What if the Plumbers reprimand you? What if-" she was rendered silent when Ben placed a finger to his and her lips in a shushing motion.

"Hush, child, I'll char that bridge when I cross it." Ben responded after removing one of his hands from the gesture. Connie pushed the other hand, which had been pushed to her lips own, away with a slight glare.

"I'm pretty sure I'm older than you, or at least taller." She remarked, a little irritated at the 'child' comment.

Ben tilted his head slightly, raising a brow, "Since when do things as silly and universal as being older or taller than me make you any less of a kid? I'm a bean sprout, you're a lamppost. These two things aren't alike."

"Why are you calling my Connie a lamppost?" Steven asked curiously, walking over from a busily writing Dipper.

"He called me a child!" Connie cried in aggrieve.

Rex cupped a hand to his mouth, as if to funnel his voice only to Ben despite their lack of proximity, "She's snitching!" He whispered none-too quietly. Ben snickered, much to Connie's displeasure.