Caught in the Middle (Ben X Reader)

Chapter 6

Matt grabs my arm gently as he leads me out into the courtyard as everyone else gets into their spots. Once Matt and I get to our spots I look up at Ben making eye contact with him. He looks at me gently. This was going to be hard. I could tell.

"Hello, Benjamin" Matt says to Ben. "You wanted to meet her. So here she is" Matt gestures to me

"Benjamin is dead," He says to Matt.

"Okay, then what do you want me to call you?" Matt asks.

"You may call me, the Absolute" Ben says.

Matt scoffs slightly "I'm absolutely not going to call you that, my man," Matt says "you know what I keep thinking? Why did you even agree to come? Why are you here?"

"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?" Ben asks. Matt sighs. "You said it best yourself. How did you put it? Something about being infected with purpose"

"And what is that purpose?" Matt asks.

"The same as yours" The phantom answers.

"You hurt people and you do it behind a mask," Matt says.

"How are you any different?" Ben asks "You tell millions of people to put their trust in you, you tell them that you will keep them safe." The phantom gestures to me. "You entrust someone with a radioactive serum without telling them. You can't even keep yourselves safe"

"You attacked my employees. You literally hit Woods over the head. " Matt says.

"No, I-" He starts to yell causing me to tense up. I kept reminding myself to not move to calm Ben down. "You and I, we're the same. You are just better at hiding your mask l"

"I'm nothing like you. " Matt says. "For what?"

"Time will tell," The phantom says.

"We know what you've been planning man. We know about the serum dispersion bomb. We know what you've been planning. What you've been building. It's all over" Matt says catching be my surprise. Ben didn't tell me this.

"Yes," Ben says. "It is over. My work is done now, thanks to you. For leading me to the absalate where poor Wesley was buried. Only this time, I will not fail."

"So what's your plan? Effect millions of people?" Matt asks. "For what? For what?"

Ben starts to laugh. "You can't even begin to understand." Ben says

"Then help me understand," Matt says.

"You will see, eventually," Ben says.

"I'm getting bored Man," Matt says back. "I'm bored of all this. Why did you come here?"

"To clear my name and to obviously meet the lovely scientist you hired," Ben says.

"I know you're the one who did it. I have proof. I know you didn't want Wes to be with Deb. I know you wanted to be with Deb. I read the letters you sent to Deb" Matt says.

"No I didn't" Ben yells at Matt

"Calm down Ben, calm down now," Matt says. "Just tell me who did it"

"No, no, no, no..." Ben starts to say. It was getting harder for me to just stand there. I look at Ben worried

"Just calm down man. Tell me who did it" Matt says to Ben.

"I can't. I can't. No, no. Virgo!" The phantom screams. "Benjamin, I will kill her... I can't 16.. 16-2-2-0-1. 16-2-2-0-1. 16-2-2-0-1" he rambles. I quickly move away from Matt to Ben

"Y/N!" Matt says I pull out of Matt grasp

I press my hands to the side of Ben's face. "Easy Ben. Calm down. It's okay" I whisper to him.

Ben grabs my wrists gently looking at me lovingly. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I knew I messed up. Everyone knew now that I knew Ben already but I couldn't just stand there while he went through that. I turn towards Matt as Ben wraps his arms around pulling me into his chest.

"He didn't kill anyone," I say sticking up for Ben.

"We aren't talking to you," Matt says to me harshly.

"Don't talk to her like that" Ben growls.

"Listen all I need to know is who did it alright? All I need to know is who did it. Who is it Syphus?" Matt asks through slightly gritted teeth

"No!" Ben yells.

"I don't know why you keep protecting him," Matt says. "He doesn't care about you at all"

"I was like you once," Ben says. "Filled with so much hope. She let me waste away... Be she..." Ben nuzzles into my hair slightly "Has given me life again"

"Why should I believe you, Ben?" Matt asks. "I need proof"

Ben slowly pulls out a tape from his jacket and hands it out to Matt. Matt takes it.

"What is this?" Matt asks.

"The truth, the full tape of August 6th." Ben answers.

"The murder? Why?" Matt says. "You... you've had this, this whole time? Why?"

"Y/N say you're goodbyes we are leaving. " Ben says to me causing me to nod.

"Buddy I can't let you just leave especially not with the traitor," Matt says.

"Don't worry. You'll see us again eventually you will fulfill your purpose as will we." Ben says as he holds me protectively

"You two are gonna hurt a lot of people man," Matt says.

"Just remember, you and I, we never had a choice. It was rigged from the start" Ben says before pulling me away.

My heart was racing as Ben walked me to my car, before opening the passenger door for me to get in. Once I was settled in I could see Woods look at me with a hurt expression. Ben gets into my driver's seat before leaving the studio. My hands go immediately to my face as I started to cry. I really had messed up.