When Miles decides to quit Danger Force Bose proposes matching tattoos as a final act.//
When they're sixteen and lazing about in Chapa's bedroom is when Miles brings it up. "I think I'm going to quit Danger Force," he says it casually but Bose has known him long enough to know the tensing around his mouth means he's preparing for a fight.
No one reacts for a minute before Chapa speaks up, "Okay," she says hollowly. Miles frowns at her and then at Bose for their nonreactions. "Is that it? Do you even care I'm leaving?" he snaps.
Bose blinks at him incredulously while Chapa snaps back, "Of course, we care! But we knew it was coming," Bose doesn't chime in but Chapa is right, a year or two ago when they started making plans for the future of Danger Force Miles stopped joining in.
When Bose would propose moving to a new city to fight together or Mika would enthusiastically talk about them all going to college together while Chapa told them both to stop being so idealistic and that Ray would never let them leave Swellview Miles wouldn't say anything.
He'd decided to quit long before he told them. Miles lets his jaw hang open for a moment before snapping it closed with a nod of his head, "Okay, good."
Chapa snorts at him while moving her ice pack from her bruised ribs to her sprained ankle, Bose knows it's only a matter of time before she quits too. Suddenly he sits up, jostling Mika from where she'd been using him as a pillow.
"We should do something before you leave Danger Force, something permanent," his friends eye him a bit skeptically but let him gather his thoughts and speak his mind in a way no one else really does, "I think we should get matching tattoos."
He waits, sure one of his friends will protest, whether it be from most of their fear of needles or how a tattoo could make it easier for people to identify them but no one does. Slowly Miles nods, "Yeah, yeah I think that's a good idea." Chapa shrugs but nods but Mika frowns for a moment.
Bose lets her decide on her own time even though he wants to beg her to do it with them, he's not going to pressure her.
After a few minutes pass she sighs, "Yeah okay," she says, "But Ray and our parents can not find out, they'd kill us!" Everyone shudders a bit while imagining it and agrees.
It takes concerningly little time to find someone willing to tattoo them without checking for IDs but their town has always been a bit overridden with crime. Chapa goes first, willingly going alone so her friends don't back out at the site of the needle.
When she leaves to the back Miles, Mika, and Bose lounge on the couches up front. No one says anything for a moment so Bose decides to bite the bullet and ask, "Why quit now?" he feels like it's a fair question, he'd always assumed they'd fight together at least until the end of high school but Miles face twists in displeasure all the same.
"I don't really know to describe it," he eventually confesses, "It's like every time I put on that suit more of me chips away, I don't know how much longer I can go before I'm more AWOL than Miles." Bose nods while Mika frowns in concern, "That's really unhealthy," she states making Miles roll his eyes.
"Yeah duh, hence the quitting." Bose laughs as his friends develop into their usual bickering even though he can't shake the feeling of this truly being the beginning of the end.
Chapa comes out and grins sharply as she narrows in on Bose, despite it being his idea for the tattoos he gulps as he feels his palms start to sweat. Chapa grabs him by the hand and drags him to the back, ignoring his pleas for one of the twins to go first.
He frowns anxiously as he's led into the room and Chapa finally takes pity on him and gives his hand a reassuring squeeze, "It doesn't hurt that bad, I promise." Bose chuckles weakly and asks her, "Where did you get yours anyways? I'm going to get mine above my ankle," Chapa nods at his answer before slightly lifting up her shirt, on her ribs is a simple but elegant design with just the letters DF.
Bose nods when he sees it before gripping her hand tightly as he sits in the chair. The artist walks over to him and smiles holding out their hand for a handshake. They can't be much older than Bose with dyed green hair and five or six facial piercings.
"Hey kid, your friend here tells me the rest of you are scared of needles so I promise I'll try to be quick. Is there anything I could do to make you less nervous?"
Bose's hand is trembling lightly when he grabs their's but he plasters on a warm smile anyways, "Can you just like, walk me through what you're doing I guess?" he feels stupid as the words leave his mouth but the artist nods reassuringly, "Yeah, of course, I'm Dae by the way. You're Bose right?" Bose nods and tries to get more comfortable in the chair.
"Okay to start with I'm just going to shave some of the hair off your ankle where you want the tattoo okay?" Bose nods and looks away as they do their thing. "Alright now you're going to hear a buzzing as I start my machine," the buzzing is louder than Bose was expecting causing him to jump a little, Chapa laughs at him but keeps holding his hand.
"Now I'm going to get some ink and start on outlining the D okay? You should feel a stinging sensation, if it gets to be too much just let me know and I'll stop okay?"
Bose nods from where he's still staring at Chapa, firmly away from the needle he's about to let enter his skin. He flinches a bit as he feels it come into contact but settles after a minute when he realizes the tattoo artist was right, it's a light stinging but nothing too bad.
After a few moments they speak again, "Okay I'm going to get some more ink and add the F and then go back and touch up some lines," Bose nods at them and focuses on keeping his breathing even.
"Alright I'm about to start again so please hold still for me." Bose does as he's told keeping completely still, barely breathing.
Dae laughs lightly, "You don't have to be that still kid, you can relax," Bose laughs in embarrassment and deliberately relaxes some, next to him Chapa rolls her eyes again.
In no time at all Dae click the tattoo gun off, "Alright you're all done." "What really?"Bose questions incredulously. Dae nods and turns to Chapa, "Wanna go get another one of your little friends for me? I need to get a drink and a snack real quick."
Chapa nods before turning to Bose with a glare, "Stay right here." Bose squeaks out a, "Yes ma'am." and Chapa leaves.
Dae walks back in about five minutes later with water and a half-empty bag of chips, "Chapa still not back yet?" Bose shakes his head, "No, I'll go check on her." Dae nods and waves him on so Bose walks to the front room where he has to pause to blink in shock.
Chapa has Miles in a headlock while Mika watches on in horror, when Chapa catches sight of Bose she snaps at him, "Help me carry him!" Stuttering Bose does as he's told before asking, "What is going on ?"
Miles huffs before answering, "I really want this stupid tattoo but I keep chickening out before I can get it so I asked Chapa to help me get there." Bose nods at this as though having to wrestle your friend into getting a tattoo is a common occurrence. They start pushing him down the hall while Mika follows in disbelief.
Dae blinks when they take notice of all of them but says nothing. "Okay, this is going to sound weird but will you be able to tattoo while we hold Miles' arms down?" Chapa questions.
Dae blinks at them incredulously again before responding, "Uh it's going to depend on where he wants the tattoo." They all turn to Miles snickering as he squirms. "I want it on my shoulder," he admits.
Dae hums, "Could you just hold his hands instead?" Chapa and Bose look at each other before nodding. "Alright, Miles, is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" Miles takes a quick glance at the tattoo gun before swallowing, "Don't tell me anything. Just surprise me." Dae nods and pats their chair, "Alright get on up here."
Miles gets settled while Dae moves around behind him. Gently Bose takes one hand while Chapa takes the other and Mika goes to hide in the corner where she can't see the tattooing happening.
Bose flinches a little as he sees Dae pick up the tattoo gun and cringes as he notices the withering glare Chapa sends his way, Miles whimpers in fear. "It'll be okay! I barely even felt it!" Miles flinches and Chapa sends Bose a whithering look, promising him he'll probably get shocked later. "Alright got the memo, shutting up now," Bose confirms.
Dae starts tattooing in the dead silence as Mika hesitantly peaks over her shoulder, when she sees the blood start welling up she squeaks and hides again in fear.
"Mika!" Chapa complains when Miles flinches in response. "I'm sorry, you know I'm scared of needles," she cries. Chapa considers this before shrugging slightly and readjusting her hold on Miles' hand.
"Alright man, you're almost done, give me a minute to finish up the line work," Dae declares after about ten minutes of painfully awkward silence. "Oh thank God," Miles breathes out while Mika squeaks in fear from her hiding corner.
"Alright you're all done," Dae declares, putting their gun down and stretching their wrists out. "Wow! That was a lot easier than expected," Miles declares, Chapa glares at him from where she's started rotating her wrist he twisted in his escape attempts earlier.
"Okay I'm going to go get some more water, feel free to take a bit of a breather, it'll be a bit because I have to go next door," Dae commands, they all nod and Dae disappears farther into the studio.
"How was it, Miles?" Mika questions the boy. "It hurt less than I was expecting but it didn't feel great," he confesses.
Mika hums even as her face starts looking distressed, "What about you Chapa?" Chapa pauses to think about it, "Well I got it on my ribs so I knew it was going to hurt pretty badly, but it's not like I was getting them broken by a criminal again or anything so it was fine."
Surprisingly that seems to calm Mika down a bit causing her to take some steadying breaths, "What if I can't do it?" She questions in fear. "Then you don't," Bose answers like it's just that simple because to him it is, matching tattoos or not they'll always be Danger Force.
Even as they move on and away Danger Force will always be the four of them and nothing will change that.
"Yeah girl," Chapa starts, "it'd be cool for us all to have the same tattoo but you'll still be part of Danger Force without it." Suddenly Mika's lower lip starts wobbling dangerously, "This is really it huh? This is the end of Danger Force?"
It's a bit startling to realize she's right, as kids it had always seemed like Danger Force would go out in a blaze of glory, fighting someone like Drex or Dr. Minyak, Bose can't imagine explaining to their younger selves Danger Force doesn't end anything like that, that Danger Force ends in a run down tattoo shop when they're sixteen and so tired of the world. Unbidden his lip starts trembling too.
"Hey!" Chapa snaps, "We got through three of these stupid tattoos with no tears, we're going to get through the rest of them too okay? We can cry when we get back to Bose's house." Slowly everyone nods. "Okay," Mika sighs, "Okay, I'm ready to get this tattoo." "You sure?" Miles double-checks, not wanting her to do something she doesn't truly want to. "Yeah, yeah I'm sure."
They all wait around a few minutes for Dae to appear, subtly drying their eyes when they do. "Alright, last tattoo time?" "Last tattoo time," they echo. "Alright, where do you want this placed?" Dae questions. Mika hums in lieu of a response for a minute before saying, "My hip."
"Sure thing, go ahead and get on the table. Is there anything I could do that would help you be more comfortable during this?" Mika shakes her head and Dae nods, "Alright cool, you good and comfortable?" When Mika nods Dae smiles and grabs their gun, "Alright this shouldn't be too long."
Mika squeaks a bit when Dae actually starts tattooing but settles soon enough. "So I'm guessing Danger Force is important to all of you?" Bose watches as Dae's eyes sweep over all of them, taking in their heights and skin tones, their face shapes and hair color, and chooses not to say anything, he's silently grateful.
"Yeah," Chapa confirms, "Danger Force saved us y'know? It felt important to remember."
Dae nods from where they're bent over Mika's leg still tattooing, "Yeah those are some really brave kids. The town wouldn't be the same without them, but I can't wait to see what they do with their lives later. You're all done Mika." Mika smiles as she sits up and gets a good look at her tattoo, laughing wetly as they all pile into a messy hug.
"To Danger Force," the girl Bose would follow into the sun says, "To Danger Force," the friends he's followed to the moon echo.