❘❙❚ ISSUE #23 ░░░░ VOL. 4
❛ WAR OR JUST ME ❜ ┆🌹
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Ben hated the fervor of the time between battles, the endless call to wait in tension for enemy troops. Some here and others there; he hated even more that Vought wouldn't let him go out and fight and kill some Nazis. It was absurd the position that others put him in, everyone did it! Millions of eyes were on him, there were promises and expectations that he would raise his shield, save the innocent and kill the enemy. Wasn't it ridiculous? Like the stories Rosie used to read him back in the military base. They made her a stupid girl or a good woman, sometimes she was so lost in the flash of cameras and the hundreds of journalists raising their pens and shouting headlines, that he wanted to tell her to go home and he would continue with the press, he didn't mind questions about his powers, or acting as a man with a heart of gold. He could do all that as long as people believed he was that way. Wasn't it funny? The role of a soldier was no longer the dream he once had, what he had been taught at the military base since he was a child was a tale. He may not have read "The Brave Tin Soldier" or "The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up," but he was told that war was like a chessboard: whites and blacks; reality was different. War wasn't black and white, and there was no need to fight for it, as it was already won for his country.
He had had a hundred meetings with world leaders and he wasn't talking about presidents, no, he met the people who moved large amounts of money and generated monopolized industries for the dependence on raw materials, water or oil. These people asked him a thousand times if his powers were real. He had been shot entering a room, taken to the Holy Land to see if he could step on it or else he was possessed by a demon. He had been exorcised... many times; a Chinese boss had forced him to participate in a ritual to find out if his powers were divine. He had to participate in every crazy thing to prove his powers and present himself as a friendly and, above all, human man. Ben wanted to be friends with all of them because the place he deserved was among them. He was the strongest man in the world and wanted to be that in everything: starting with the public power: the masses.
Smile, be fake but don't let it show. Act in front of the cameras, tell people you'll save them; tell them you're not God, but you've been blessed just like them. We are a gift, God sent Soldier Boy to serve them. The thing was, Ben was tired of playing a role that wasn't his. Not because he couldn't - he had shown he could win the heart of every American citizen - but because he wasn't sure if it was what he wanted to do with his life. When he was a child, he wanted to be a soldier. It was the only job he saw as possible, they were on the other side of the fence, inviting him to be like them and they nicknamed him "Soldier Boy." He wanted to fight and all that shit, be a good man. He could keep trying, but... what was the point of being a soldier in a war they were going to win? Why bother? There was a solution he had been thinking about since the start of World War II: Why not send him to kill the idiot Hitler? A face-to-face threat would suffice, the same with Mussolini and Hirohito. A mission with Rosie. They were unstoppable.
He had asked and received a very clear answer from Vought.
"We're making money, shut the fuck up Soldier Boy and tell those idiots to enlist in the army."
He was too tired to argue with Vought, in fact, he was about to go home and not participate in the damn Poison Rose presentation in front of the White House. Ben had passed through costume people, sound and prop people, and decided to get into his car and go home. However, he had seen Rosie spying on the number of people who had gathered for Vought's big announcement. She had a scared look on her face, like a rabbit escaping from a lion. She was biting her nails and had shortness of breath. She raised her finger with the intention of talking to the people passing by her, but no one paid attention. She looked frustrated, scared, like she was looking for someone among all the people. Was it him?
Ben approached and stood behind her in silence, waiting to see her reaction when she saw him.
"Oh Ben!" exclaimed Rosie relieved, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him so tightly it even hurt him. "Where were you? I've been looking for you all day, I thought you had left. Please tell them I regret it, I don't want to go out there."
Rosie didn't let go, and that was so sweet. She was looking for him.
"Don't start, Rosie. You just have to go out there, smile, and say your lines," Rosie buried her face in his chest and he heard her grumbling. "It's easy, come on." He tried to separate her from his body, but it was impossible. He couldn't resist giving her a small kiss on the head.
"I can't, I'm scared. Are you going to be with me?"
Finally, she decided to look him in the eyes. She had a dull green color and very large and round eyes that, when they were about to cry, could soften him. He couldn't stand her crying, except when she cried for him. He couldn't leave her alone, they would eat her alive.
"By your side."
"And can you speak for me?"
"No, honey, you speak for yourself. This is about Poison Rose."
"You're not leaving, are you? I need you there," she asked, pouting. He couldn't say no to that, besides, she had been so good to him...
"All the time."
Rosie smiled and gave him a kiss.
"I love you," she said, hooking onto one of his arms and staying there until they were told to go up. She smiled again and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "What if I forget my lines?"
"I'll cover for you, just relax. You look beautiful."
And she did. Rosie was dressed for the first time in her superhero costume and she looked damn beautiful. The outfit accentuated her breasts and small waist, there was no fabric covering her legs and the little vines hugged her butt, outlining her limits.
"Really? Isn't it too much skin? I feel uncomfortable."
"No, you look fine," he said, but because of the horror on her face, he had to come up with something. "Let me see if there's anything out of place." He took her hand and made her slowly turn around. "Oh yeah, look here." Ben pretended to brush off a bit of dirt on the area of her butt, there was nothing there, he just wanted to touch it. "There, perfect."
"Thank you," she said, giving him a quick kiss and holding onto his arm again.
Rosie was terrible at public speaking, she didn't have the charm and if they took her off-script, she didn't know how to improvise. Vought called him to talk about his girlfriend's poor performance in public.
"You promised us that you would take care of making sure Miss Harrington didn't look like a scared deer on stage. Did you see what she did? How could she possibly doubt that her powers were given to her by the Virgin Mary?! Please! It's the narrative we invented and she has to stick to it. How can she be so stupid?"
Ben calmed the PR director with a punch in the nose. The man bled and cursed. Ben's expression was the same as if he had been forced to watch a candle melting slowly.
"Listen to me, friend," he said, sitting in the chair and wiping the blood off his knuckles on the upholstery. "You don't call my girlfriend stupid, and you're not going to look my girlfriend in the eye from now on, unless you don't want to keep them. I told them from the beginning that I should do the talk and she should just pose. Rosie can't lie and she's very bad at pretending, she's just like that, and you're not going to change her. Why don't you make those idiotic journalists stick to the script? She's not stupid enough to not learn a script."
When he got back home, he was very upset.
"Ben," Rosie stopped him just as he was about to leave through the door. He avoided her at all costs, not in the mood to talk to her. "I know I caused trouble with Vought and you had to deal with them. I made your favorite dinner and baked you a chocolate cake."
Ben stopped in the middle of the stairs. He had been dealing with all the problems she caused by being capricious. At first, it was the questions she didn't dare ask the doctors, then the requests for chocolate from the village at fifteen, the house in the forest next to the military base at sixteen, and now the superheroine costume and public talks, all because she didn't want to lie. But he loved her for who she was. At home, she didn't cause problems. She was a good woman who took care of the household chores and welcomed him with a prepared table. She cooked deliciously! And she liked to clean. He had insisted on paying a maid, but she said she liked doing all the chores because it made her feel like a normal woman. Maybe he wanted the same, to be a normal man with a normal job and a normal woman.
"Potato pie with boiled carrots?" If the answer was correct, he would forgive her immediately.
"Yes, with a Pilsner beer from Budweiser and for dessert, chocolate cake. I also made a bowl of fruit with a splash of vodka. I'm sorry Vought got angry with you. I'll do better in the future."
"That's fine, Rosie. I already solved it. Let's go eat."
"I have one more thing for you," she said, and immediately her cheeks turned red. "If you give me a kiss, I'll tell you." Well, now that she had the whole red face thing going on, he wanted to know. He approached her and kissed her. "I read some things in a book that we can try... all night," she whispered, even though there was no one else in the house to hear them.
Ben kissed her back.
What he liked most about Rosie was her sincerity and how obedient she was when he ordered her to do something. She didn't like lying, so she told the truth. Simple as that! She didn't care if it was Vought executives or her boyfriend, she could talk to anyone about anything.
"So," he began to get her attention. "Do you like this?"
Rosie rested her head on his chest and could have fallen asleep already.
"What? Sucking your...?"
"No," Ben almost burst out laughing if he didn't need to hear her answer. "Being a normal woman. Don't you prefer being in front of the cameras and wearing the Poison Rose costume?"
"Oh... I like being a homemaker. If I could choose, I would quit Poison Rose. I would like to use my powers using my real name, I love helping people as long as it's real and not lying, but I understand now that I have to lie with Vough or they will fire me and create another superheroine to put next to you. They are so bad that they will tell everyone that you are together and they will push me away.
"If you could choose a job, what would it be?"
"I would have a vegetable shop," she said immediately. "Many of them! One in each state. I can provide the fruits and vegetables for free, and since I get them for free, I would sell them at a lower price than my competitors. I would become a millionaire. I would hire women to attend my vegetable shops and have plenty of extra time to take care of my children and the house."
"A businesswoman?" he said with an insecure smile. "Can you do math?"
"They taught me mathematics at the base, Ben."
"What about me? Would I be a good businessman like my father?"
"Of course!" she said, reminding herself that she told the truth, her girlfriend did not lie. "You're good at everything. If you want to have your steel mills or buy real estate, you should start studying a bit, right? Then you would be the best in the world, I can help you with whatever you need, I'll be with you no matter what you do."
"What if I become an actor?"
"Well, you're already winning at that. The cameras love you, you're very handsome and a heartthrob, you know how to speak in front of the cameras and act very well as Soldier Boy."
"I am Soldier Boy, we're not different people, not that much."
"I was just talking about the way you express yourself in front of the public, Soldier Boy is a little more... correct..."
"Yes, he is. Could I be a good father?"
"Ben, why are you even questioning it? We would be very good parents, better than ours. We wouldn't abandon our children, let alone sell them to Vought. What if they come out with powers?"
Rosie looked at him, terrified, with teary eyes. She held his hands tightly and heard as her heartbeats became crazy.
"Without hesitation, we enter the building and bring down Vought if they steal our children. I'll take care of it if they want to use our children as experiments, no child of mine will be raised among needles."
"See how you would be a good father! You wouldn't allow any child to have the same childhood as we did, you'll be better than your father, and I love you for that," Rosie gave him a passionate kiss. "You can do anything: an actor, Soldier Boy, or a businessman, I will love you no matter what you do and I won't leave your side. And you won't leave me, right?"
"No, you're mine," Ben said, embracing her and burying his nose in the scent of her red hair. Vanilla was her aroma. "I saw you first, kissed you first, took your virginity, and I'll propose to you," Rosie chuckled. "And I know you're unique. Look at your face, darling, you're beautiful, your body is so sweet. It would be hard for me to replace you."
Eventually, she fell asleep. Meanwhile, Ben thought all night about whether Soldier Boy was who he wanted to be for the rest of his life. Why the hell was he complaining in the first place? This shouldn't keep him up at night. How was it that Rosie hated being Poison Rose and slept like a baby? She whined like a crying baby. This was a stupid problem. He was a soldier, trained his whole life, with powers. He had to do something with them: Soldier Boy. That's it! People loved him. That's what he was made for...
But, a father? Yes, Rosie was right, it would be much better than his father. He would love his snotty-nosed kids with or without powers, and if they wanted powers, he wouldn't care. He wouldn't stop talking to them or prefer the one without. That bastard didn't even send him a letter during the war.
They were at the Guadalcanal Air Base, which stretched along a vast expanse of dense jungle that covered much of the island. As Ben and his unit approached the base, they could see the newly built runways cutting through the jungle. The deafening noise of planes taking off and landing filled the air, while control towers and hangars rose above the horizon. The base was a hive of activity, with soldiers running back and forth, ground crews moving supplies, and mechanics fixing airplane engines.
Ben marveled at the magnitude of the operation and the organization needed to maintain such a large base in the middle of the Pacific. As he ventured deeper into the base, he saw rows of parked warplanes, some on the ground and others in the air, awaiting their next flight. The smell of gasoline and engine oil permeated the air, while the planes roared in the sky and the sound of machine guns could be heard in the distance.
He was there to pick up his Lockheed Ventura and then head to the Pearl Harbor base, but his stay extended a little longer than desired.
"What are you doing, brother?" Ben asked Steve when he saw him standing in line at the military mail offices with the rest of the soldiers.
"I want to see if my mom sent me a letter. I've been told they received letters at my previous location and brought them here."
"Why are you waiting in line? You're a captain, go ahead, idiot."
"No, I can wait."
He muttered an agreement and left. He had never received any letters. Ben had seen how Steve's mom sent him packages with homemade cookies and letters, and even his father sent letters telling him how proud he was of him for leading battalions. It made him laugh like crazy. But he didn't care, his father was a bastard who couldn't keep his wife under control and prevented her from selling their fucking baby to Vought.
"Excuse me," a young boy who made him wonder how the hell he got into the army touched his shoulder. "Soldier Boy, no, uh, I mean Ben Fort?"
"Yes," he responded patiently. "What do you need?"
"This is for you," he handed him a letter and left before he could respond.
Could this finally be one from his father? What made him change his mind? Maybe he realized that he was sending letters to one son while the other, who never received anything from him, looked on. Ben found a seat on some stacked boxes next to some tents and quickly opened the letter with curiosity to see what his father had said.
That bastard would never send him a letter, the only person who remembered him was his girlfriend.
Dear Ben,
I couldn't think of a better way to start the letter than by saying that I miss you very much. I want to be with you, I miss talking to you and playing chess. Here, no one wants to talk to me, they're afraid I'll spit poison at them.
I hope it's not too hard for you there. Do you miss me? The officers are threatening to kick me out of the army if I don't follow their orders, I do! It's just that sometimes I try to help the soldiers with the trenches, they're no problem for me, and I do them very well. I wish you were with me, you understand me.
I can't wait to see you again, I heard I'm going to be transferred to Africa after I finish with this front. I hope you are too, I need you to give me a hug and kiss me all night.
P.S. Say hi to Steve for me.
I love you, Rosie
He missed her too. They had never been so far apart before, and he didn't know that being without her put him in a bad mood. Luckily, he would also be transferred to the mission in Africa.
That meeting didn't go as he had hoped.
Rosie was acting very strange. She didn't speak more than necessary - and she was already quiet - he never saw her sleep, and she escaped into the mountains or among the weeds at night. Several soldiers had told him they had seen her crying in front of white flowers. Steve had told him it was because of the soldiers she lost in Morocco.
"Are you fucking crying again?" he asked in the middle of the African night. He had found her after searching through the trenches and among the trees.
"Can I have a moment alone?" Rosie didn't even look him in the eye, she completely ignored him, something that was becoming a habit for her.
" This is war, Rosie. Soldiers die all the time. Be a fucking man and get over it."
"That's easy for you to say. You don't care about soldiers. Do you even care about anyone besides yourself?"
"Are you fucking kidding me? You hit the nail on the head. What a stupid woman. This is why they shouldn't be in wars, they cry about everything." Rosie kept her body towards the flowers, all thirteen of them were white. "Do you think I only think about myself? You're really becoming a stupid woman. You used to be smarter. I've been worried about you all my life. 'Can we escape, Ben? Can you tell them to bring chocolate? I want a pink dress, can you tell them to bring one?' I put a house next to the base so we wouldn't be separated. I took you on vacation to New York. I taught you to defend yourself. I was the only idiot who wanted to teach you how to drive a damn car. I solve all the problems you cause. Who do you think talked to Vought to be together now? Do you really think I only think about myself? Answer me, Rosie, or this will end very badly!"
"No, I'm sorry," she looked him in the eyes. She was a sea of tears. Well, now she had reasons to cry like a wretch. "I didn't mean that, sorry, Ben. I know you've always given me everything, I'm just tired of this war. I want it to end."
"Stop crying, for god's sake!" he shouted in frustration. Seeing her cry like that made him furious. "Get up and let's go to our bed. Now, Rosie!" She obeyed. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and pressed her thumb against her hand, something she did when she wanted to feel happy. "Are you angry with me?"
"No, but if you keep crying, I will be."
"Do you love me?" Rosie asked a few steps behind him, testing if his mood was calm enough to answer truthfully. Was he? Ben thought for a few seconds and turned around to kiss her.
"Can we rest for a while?" Rosie nodded, accepting his hand. "I love you too."
But Rosie didn't change in the following days. He barely saw her and they were supposed to be happy like before. Yes, war changed everyone's mood, and it was annoying him to the point where he wanted to end it himself. It wasn't fun if they didn't let him kill Nazis. That's what he wanted to do! That's what he expected from all the circus that Soldier Boy was talking about. Soldiers changed, marched without soul, talked to each other and fell silent when he passed by. He wasn't stupid not to notice that when he demanded a round of punches, they did it without any fun. They weren't like before, even his brother didn't seem to find it fun to kill Nazis.
"Brother," Steve called him. "Do you know if Rose has eaten anything these days? She hasn't taken a bite."
"Where is she? She didn't come to sleep last night."
"I haven't seen her," he exclaimed frustrated. For Ben, it was too much affection for a woman who wasn't his. "But, do you know if she had breakfast?!"
"I have no idea, if you see her, tell her I want to talk."
Rosie kept disappearing during the day and at night, she was seen among white flowers like a ghost. The soldiers were starting to unite. There was a group of homosexuals who asked to include their dead friends in the night prayers. Why did she cry so much for some dead people? They were soldiers, they served their country, Ben bet their parents would be proud of them. Inexperienced young men, with a heart of gold to complement their eagerness to save future generations. Were there really men founded in Gold? Had Rosie fallen in love with someone like that? At night, did she sneak away to get into someone else's bed? Ben knew Rosie was good and would never cheat on him... but... what if he no longer made her happy? His worldview drifted away from Rosie's genuineness, who was still a child at heart, barely understanding how things worked, and he was sure she was disappointed in him for not being Soldier Boy.
He didn't know if she was deceiving him. He followed her from afar for several nights and she was always alone or some soldiers would join her to pray and leave a few minutes later. But he had seen her smile in weeks and she was accompanied by soldiers.
He had never been so enraged before. He would have preferred her to cause trouble with Vought or be a spoiled brat who didn't want to wear the Poison Rose suit, rather than see her so happy with another man, with a group of strangers. She made up some excuse about a wedding or some stupidity. How could she be such a bitch to him! And then, when he confronted her, she tried to manipulate him with sex. She was asking to be treated like a prostitute.
"You promised me you would never hit me again," said Rosie, with a split eyebrow, revealing her bone. Blood dripped down her chest.
Ben looked at his blood-stained hands and then at her. His lip trembled for a millisecond, and a rush of heat hit his face as if he had run 10 kilometers. There were screams from his brother and his own screams. Rosie was angry. Damn it, he screwed up this time. That damn Steve had opened his mouth, and now Rosie thought he had cheated on her. He could never do such a thing: a crazy nurse had thrown herself at him and kissed him. Ben didn't want to kiss her, he respected his girlfriend and didn't want anyone else's kisses. It was a pretty stupid thing that he barely remembered. It was the first time he kissed someone else, a normal human, and it was very different from what he expected. He barely felt the lips of that nurse; it was like putting a cigarette in his mouth, and he couldn't even use much force or he would kill her. A superhero wasn't meant to be with a simple human; a man like him needed a woman at his level, and they had given him one since he was a child. His woman was Rosie, he knew it all along, and eventually, he would marry her. Ben had bought an engagement ring when he was 17 to propose to her, and since then, he kept it close because at some point he would get down on one knee, and he thought that was the moment. He wasn't going to lose her because of an argument or a supposed affair, he had to make it clear that a man's woman was in his life first, and then the whores.
So, halfway through the flight, he couldn't wait any longer and was going to propose to Rosie, but he got a surprise: neither Rosie nor Steve were there.
He talked to the military base and they confirmed that she was there. Ben cursed and almost crashed the plane when he took the controls - despite Vought insisting that he continue his trajectory and leave Rosie there - he wouldn't abandon his girlfriend. Ben returned to the base in the middle of the battle. From the sky, he faced several planes with bombs that threatened to destroy entire cities. They didn't launch any nuclear bombs, but one bomb managed to bring down his plane.
As he fell, he became the center of gunfire. He covered himself with his shield and advanced looking for Rosie. Ben realized that he wasn't the only focus of gunfire, a few meters ahead was the second focus: Poison Rose. Ben ran towards her, watching a bomb fall from the sky.
His heart skipped a beat.
The bomb fell on her, injuring her arm in such a way that he could see how it clung to poor structures of bones and flesh. Ben was very angry at her recklessness and the thought of losing her in battle overpowered his determination to leave there dragging her when Rosie begged for the help of the soldiers who wouldn't withstand a couple of shots. Ben did what she asked and helped the soldiers, then thought about how to get her out alive. After having to deal with her stubbornness, Rosie agreed to stay underground until her body recovered, meanwhile, Ben had decided to end the battle.
Soldier Boy advanced with determination through the battlefield, facing enemy soldiers that crossed his path. His shiny shield was the only visible sign of his identity, but his superpowers and fighting skills distinguished him from the rest of the soldiers. Enemies multiplied around him, but Soldier Boy seemed capable of handling them all. With quick and precise movements, he eliminated enemy soldiers with ease, leaving no room for error. Beside him, James Barnes fought with courage, but seemed to be having trouble keeping up with Soldier Boy.
Suddenly, Soldier Boy noticed that a group of enemy soldiers were dangerously approaching James. Thinking of Rosie's words, Soldier Boy quickly moved towards his companion, protecting him from enemy gunfire.
"Stay behind me, James. I'll cover you," Soldier Boy said, placing himself in front of him and defending him from enemy attacks.
James nodded, grateful for Soldier Boy's protection. Ben advanced through the battlefield, his mind focused on eliminating enemy soldiers. Every blow he struck, every life he took, provided him with a feeling of adrenaline and power that could not be compared to anything else. The happiness he felt seeing his enemies fall, defeated and powerless, made him feel invincible. For him, war was an opportunity to show his superiority and reaffirm his role as a villain. Every moment spent on the battlefield was a reminder that he was the strongest, the most skilled and the most feared. And although he knew that victory was not always guaranteed, the thrill of the fight and the possibility of glory kept him standing, always moving towards the next objective with a satisfied smile on his face.
The battle continued, with Soldier Boy and James fighting together against the enemy soldiers. Soldier Boy moved quickly, defeating the enemies with his special abilities, while James covered his back and eliminated any soldier who tried to get too close. Together, Soldier Boy and James moved through the battlefield as a unit, each supporting the other and working to achieve victory. Despite the differences in their abilities and fighting styles, they seemed to be in perfect synchrony, relying on each other to achieve victory.
Finally, the battle came to an end, with the enemy soldiers defeated and the battlefield silent. Soldier Boy and James met in the center of the battlefield, smiling with relief and happiness for having achieved victory.
"You did well, James. You're a great battle companion," Soldier Boy said, shaking his hand with sincerity.
Soldier Boy walked into the infirmary with a firm step, his gaze cold and determined. Unlike the battlefield, there was no place for violence or aggression here. The nurses and doctors who tended to the wounded soldiers looked at him with a mix of fear and respect. They knew who he was and what he had done in the war, but they also knew his reputation as a protector of allied soldiers. He approached one of the nurses and asked firmly about Rosie's condition. As he waited, he silently observed his surroundings, seeing the wounded soldiers being cared for meticulously by the medical staff. Despite his reputation, Soldier Boy knew that the life of each soldier was important to the cause and was grateful for the care they received in the infirmary.
"She's over there," a doctor told him, pointing to the end of the line of soldiers needing medical attention. "She wouldn't let me see her arm, she says it's fine."
Ben walked towards her. The soldiers whispered about how Rosie had led them underground to the other end of the base and attacked the enemy from behind, and how her brother had given the order. The hallway of soldiers all had bandages made from plants or the compound that Rosie made by solidifying plant material. She fashioned them like a sling, and everyone had a bowl of vegetable soup and some apples for dessert.
"Thank you, Miss Harrington," said the soldier she was tending to.
"Don't talk, you need to regain your strength. I'll leave some fresh fruit here for you."
"Hello," Ben greeted her from behind, observing every detail of her body. She was still injured. Her arm was wrapped in a green bandage that seemed like an extension of her, a type of prosthetic arm. Her face still showed the aftermath of the blow she had received, and new scorched skin from the bomb. "How are you feeling, darling?"
"Ben, I'm really busy right now. Can we talk later?" She barely looked at him and continued with the last soldier in the line. The boy was being treated on his right leg, a single gunshot wound. "Hi, Soldier Martin, I'm Rose, and I'm here to help you. Is there anything I can do?"
"Oh, yes, you can put a bandage on his wound. It's already been sutured," said the nurse.
Rosie finished her work and handed a bowl of vegetable soup she was serving with the help of another nurse.
"Thank you, Miss Harrington, you are very kind," the soldier said.
Ben rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Honey?" he insisted, chasing after her.
"Go away."
"Honey."
"Ben, I'm fine, I'm healing on my own."
"Did Steve tell you I didn't cheat on you?"
Finally, Rosie put down a bag she had in her hand and signaled for the nurse to leave. She sat down on an improvised chair and removed the bandage from her arm. It looked much better, the skin had healed, there was still pus and signs of burning, but it wasn't raw flesh anymore. Rosie cleaned it with a cloth dipped in cold water and pulled out some alcohol from the bag to re-bandage it.
"For how long are you going to be angry? I'm the one who shouldn't talk to you, look at the stupid thing you did. I almost lost you. Did you talk to that bastard Steve or not?"
"Yes! I did talk to him," she raised her voice. "He told me it was nothing, and you did what you told me you did"
"Now you believe me! She meant nothing to me, I love you."
"Fine, I was wrong, but you hit me with your ridiculous shield. Why? Because I was invited to a wedding? For the first time, someone invited me to something I wanted to go to, not like the shit events Vought throws. Or was it because some women wrote letters to me asking me to take care of their children? You treated me like a whore, Ben, who does that to his girlfriend? I didn't deserve it this time, either the first time."
"I said I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you, it's just that you weren't with me, you disappear every night and don't talk to me. You say nothing. Are you happy without me?
"Can't you see around you! People are dying! Doesn't it make you sick?"
"You're too sensitive for the war."
Rosie let out a groan and in the blink of an eye, she took the shield from Ben's hand and slammed it onto his head. The blow left him staggering, he heard his shield hit the ground and a silence fell over the infirmary.
"Oh, you bitch!" He cursed, laughing. Ben touched blood. Look at her, suddenly she had a good pair of balls. "I'll call this a draw. Are you done or are you going to hit me again?"
"You deserved that hit."
Rosie was calmer now and wasn't looking at him with a desire to kill him. So he saw the opportune moment to test the waters. Ben approached her when the rest of the infirmary began to get into their own problems, he took her hands feeling that they were reciprocated and hugged her. They were returning to normal.
"I have to ask you something," he said.
"What happens now? Is Vought going to kill me?"
"No, I have to tell you something, it's important, don't speak."
Rosie nodded, confused. Ben looked at her once more and thought it was the right thing to do. He wanted to marry her and secure their future, he couldn't afford another problem like this. So he was kneeling, with one knee pointing towards the ground when Rosie exclaimed:
"No! Oh my God no," she said, upset. "I look horrible now, my face is ugly and you're bleeding and... and this, look, everyone's injured and it's not how I wanted it to be, like in fairy tales. No, if you ask me like this, I'll say no."
Ben smiled and put the box in his pants pocket, making it seem like nothing happened. He stood up and faced her. Rosie was red and with a happiness impossible to hide. She was so happy that she was trembling, she looked around, and then their eyes exchanged a special glimmer.
"I changed my mind," she squealed with a smile and teary eyes. "Go on, kneel down again," she let out a little scream. If he had known that asking her to marry him would make her so happy, he would have done it a couple of days ago and saved himself all this trouble.
Now, Ben had kneeled down and opened the box with the ring he bought.
"My Rosie, I want you to do me the honor of being the woman who will be forever in my life. I promise that I will make you happy no matter what happens between us. Will you marry me?"
"Yes! Yes, I will!" Rosie jumped to give him a hug even though she was injured and shed all her tears on his neck. "Oh, I love you Ben."
Ben put the ring on her finger, promising to always be by her side, and he no longer had to worry about losing her to another man. He had learned that he couldn't live without her and there would be no other woman who could make him happier. Rosie kissed him and with her, he felt love; her kisses overwhelmed him, made him feel alive and didn't remind him of the powers in his body that made him different from everyone else. Ben grabbed her waist and lifted her up in the air, kissing her even harder, finding the blood and venom exciting.
"I love you more," he promised, seeing how the smile of the superheroine could be framed forever
💬! ▬ @vesnax (author's note)
Hellooo, I'm back! I've been super busy these past few months and haven't had much time to write, but here's the last chapter of volume 4.
What did you think of Ben's POV? Let me know 👀
Finally, Rosie got back at Ben, applause for her.
but... she still accepted his proposal, hahahaha. A mixed bag.
I still need to add some graphics to introduce volume 5, which is one of my favorites.
We've already done 23 chapters, which is a lot for me. I'd love to know what you liked most about the story and when you got hooked. I know there aren't as many people here as in the beginning (and some of the original ones have disappeared), but I'm still here writing about my poor Rosie ❣️
THANK YOU FOR THE 30K
Love to everyone, please vote and comment.