*I don't want this series to end. like I'm ready, but at the same time, I'm not. it feels like forever since I started and but it's too soon to say goodbye. but let's go out with a bang.
here's to the second to last episode of Henry Danger as we prepare to give our sweet girl in the Man Cave a fond farewell <3*
This was it. The showdown. The finale. The greatest fight of their lives.
Or, at least, it would be if they could get on with it.
Charlotte and (y/n) sighed impatiently as they awkwardly hovered around the main room with the Hart siblings. What the girls had in mind was risky and mad but the best they had, so they were itching to share everything with Team Danger - as they called themselves.
Time was running out to meet Drex and stop him before he forced Schwoz to mount the Memory-Wiper on a plane and cleanse the city of every trace of Captain Man's god name. God, they had a lot to get through, ending his evil schemes, bringing Ray home from the past and saving the genius and Bose to boot. It was a tall order, made even more challenging by Jasper running off in a fit of adrenaline-fuelled excitement.
"Jasper, get back here! Charlotte and (y/n) haven't told us their plan yet!" Henry called out to his best friend, still holding his aching ribs after Drex gave them a bootful - literally kicking him when he was down. They couldn't start without him - and (y/n) was practically pawing the ground in anticipation of reuniting with doofus - so where had he gone?
"Sorry...got too excited," his best friend replied, shyly peeking through the secret door after losing his cool momentarily. He leapt back to the side, jumping in next to (y/n) and Charlotte as they rubbed their hands together, ready to divulge.
"Okay, the most important thing we have to do is stop Drex--"
"Find Ray," they said simultaneously, making the girls look at each other because, apparently, despite all their psychic links as two Smarties, they had different priorities. For once, (y/n) couldn't look at the bigger picture as Charlotte did, her vision tunnelling on what was vital for her, not Swellview. Everyone gave her a sympathetic look since she looked so serious. She genuinely thought she'd rather let the world burn than live in it without Ray.
But would he want he to do that? Of course not. He wouldn't want his sweet girl worrying her silly little head over a doofus like him, not for the sake of her good heart.
"Don't worry, (y/n/n). We'll...get to that," Charlotte told her, a warm hand on the small of her back to reinforce her kind smile, even though she wasn't entirely convinced they could guarantee that part of the plan. She didn't know if her boss was still out there or if they'd find him again, but she'd never take her hope away. It was the only thing (y/n) had left to keep her going.
"But the most important thing we have to do is stop Drex."
"Can't be done. Next!" Another doubter. Henry was as nervous as she was, utterly pessimistic after Drex hauled his ass in the air and beat him to a pulp. He could show her the bruises if she wanted, proof that the man was a monster--and annoyingly indestructible. They couldn't touch him, even if they wanted to.
"Technically, although I don't like it, it can be done," (y/n) explained, folding her arms and wrinkling her nose at the thought of facing Drex without her doofus. Still, the girl was right, and Henry was wrong; they could take that bastard down, even if it was perilous.
"Uh, just fought him. Lost. Bad. Remember, (y/n/n)? You were there, so...next."
"If we can take away his indestructibility," Charlotte added, knowing the same thing (y/n) was thinking. Like Captain Man, Drex's indestructibility protected him from harm, making him invulnerable. But Schwoz made no secret that he'd built something that could strip someone of that superpower, pissing the heroine off and making Ray ansty about the thing's existence. They'd never expected it to be helpful.
"Well, how are we supposed to do that, Charlotte?"
"Yeah, Charlotte?!" Jasper and Henry asked sharply, doubting her wisdom, even though she'd never been wrong about something like this before, not to mention that (y/n) was also responsible for their ridiculous plan. She glared at her friends, unappreciative of their tone. Still, she'd have the last laugh, especially when she explained her genius.
"Well, I was gonna say that we can use the Omeg--"
"We use the Omega Weapon!" Piper gasped, saying the best part before her friend could finish. She didn't mean to, but Piper stepped on Charlotte's point, stealing the glory for herself as the boys broke into huge grins because that was crazy. Impressive but crazy, so why not use what Captain Man's enemies built against his nemesis?
"Yes! Which will temporarily take away his powers. Great idea, Piper!" Henry beamed, making his sister blush and say thanks as (y/n) and Charlotte exchanged a dry expression. Talk about being tortured geniuses...
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, the Omega Weapon's not finished yet, though," Jasper interjected, wondering how they would get it to work with Schwoz kidnapped. After all, it's not like they had another bald, fuzzy coconut-like guy to follow the blueprints...
"Uh, yeah, hi. I'm (y/n), a Swellview Tech engineering graduate. Nice to meet you," the woman said sarcastically, offering her hand out to her beloved Curly as though they'd never met. Part of her was offended, seeing how her adopted children failed to remember that she could build things just as quickly as Schwoz. Maybe she wasn't a brilliant inventor like him, nor did she understand every aspect of science. Still, she was pretty damn good, especially when she had an assistant.
"And I learned a lot from Schwoz and (y/n/n) over the years, so I think we can finish--"
"Charlotte and (y/n) can finish building it!" Piper exclaimed, cutting off her friend again before she could finish--like it wasn't annoying. The Smarties growled lowly as the limelight avoided them, instead aiming for Piper since she apparently knew better than them. Well, she could build it if she was so bright...
"Yes! You are on fire today!"
"I'm feeling it!"
"Okay, okay, okay..." (y/n) said, shimmying away from the pumped-up girl when she aimed her blaster toward her again, eager to shoot any bad guy that came her way. She could deal with being overlooked - Lord knows that was the story of her life, but there was one thing pressing on her mind--or rather, her heart.
"We're sorted on Drex, but what about my doofus? He's stuck a hundred and one million years in the past, and that bastard broke the time-ray. I'm starting to get weepy again..." she sniffed, suddenly overcome with emotion as she reminded herself of the impossibility of seeing him again in this life, except maybe as recycled atoms or stardust.
"Don't panic, (y/n/n). I thought of that and--"
"Charlotte builds a new time-ray!" Piper guessed, pointing her finger at the girl, who rapidly grew tired of the constant interruptions. She frowned at the thought, thinking she could follow a set of notes under (y/n)'s careful guidance, but neither had that skill level. (y/n)'s talent lay in chemistry and mechanical physics, not astrophysics and quantum mechanics. Even she paled at the thought of straying into Schwoz's area of expertise.
"No, no--"
"Yes! Then, we use that time-ray to send Henry and (y/n) back in time to kill Drex while he's still a baby!" Jasper gasped, twisting his hands as if he imagined doing something unspeakable to Baby Drex. His friends gave him some mortified expression, believing his plan too dark and cruel for their style since it sounded more like something Drex himself would plan, not Captain Man's sidekicks.
"What are you talking about?"
"Why don't you sit this one out?"
"Honestly, I'm not entirely against that..." (y/n) mumbled awkwardly, staring at her hands where her engagement ring hid underneath her gloves. She'd slipped it on whilst Jasper had his little run-around, wanting to have some connection to her lover, even though he wasn't there.
Perhaps this was another (y/n) villain era, but a deep, dark chunk of her couldn't help but imagine squishing Baby Drex like a bug and blotting out his existence. It would save her a lot of pain later in life but also made her picture what her life would be like if she'd never learnt from that heartbreak. Would she have fallen for her doofus so wholly if he wasn't there to patch her broken wings?
"The only problem with that plan besides the baby murder," Charlotte argued, giving her friends the side-eye for plotting something so out-of-character. They were better than that, "--is that me and (y/n) don't know how to build a time-ray."
"Wow!"
"Really?"
"That's disappointing, Charlotte!" The teens grumbled, pinning the blame on the poor girl because this was their boss they were talking about, the guy who was a pain in the ass but (y/n)'s soulmate at the end of the day. They couldn't abandon him like she hinted, knowing their sweet girl would never recover from his loss - what was she thinking?
"So, we're just gonna leave Ray in the past?!" Henry asked incredulously, causing the woman next to him to sap her head in his direction. An alarmed expression was painted on her face, eyes wide and fearful at such a terrifying notion as she grabbed his arm and squeezed. That wasn't an option; she'd go mad.
"No, no, no, no--not my doofus! I have to find him! We--we're supposed to get married! He--he promised! I--I--" she gasped, tears swelling in the corners of her eyes at the prospect of having all her dreams unrealised. Seeing her so upset made Piper and Jasper extra protective of her, wrapping their arms around her trembling form and cooing that it would be all right--all while glaring at Charlotte.
"That's a terrible plan, Charlotte!"
"Yeah, Charlotte!" They snapped, stroking (y/n)'s head as she dabbed her eyes. She had to stop doing that, knowing they'd never get anywhere if she kept crying, and Charlotte wasn't about to let her down. She loved the woman too, yet they thought she wasn't trying everything to reunite the soulmates.
"Listen to me! Drex didn't use a Time Machine to get back to our time. He just froze himself in ice and waited," she explained, her hopeful tone making (y/n)'s heart flutter as she began thinking and pacing.
"Maybe...after a decade or two of being angry and punching things back in time...Ray will get the same idea."
"That big doofus? Yeah, right. More like he slipped and fell into a lake and got himself frozen," the woman scoffed, shaking her head mirthfully as her eyes fondly thought of her fiancé.
He'd never had a smart idea, even if it was someone else's, but she could see him grumbling to himself and not watching where he was going. And yet...for all his stupidity, her heart couldn't help but throb at the thought of him being all alone for months on end, not knowing what to do or where to go until one day he fell asleep, waiting to be reunited with his precious girl.
"I bet he's at his Punchin' Stump!" Henry exclaimed, nudging her elbow as she gasped in realisation. How had she not thought of that? It made perfect sense, especially if Ray had no one to rant to, just a burning need to burn off his rage.
"Hmm?" Jasper hummed, looking at his best friend with an arched eyebrow when the words fell so quickly from his mouth.
"I bet he's at his Punchin' Stump!"
"His what?" Piper asked, wondering what the hell they were going on about, even though how (y/n)'s eyes sparkled made her heart feel lighter. It was good to see her friend happy again; however, she'd worked for Ray for a long time but had never heard of something so absurd. Why did that give the heroine hope?
"His Punchin' Stump! It's this old, petrified tree stump that's up on Mount Swellview," (y/n) explained, giggling like a schoolgirl as she recalled all the times she'd had to stand and watch her doofus brutally assaulting the ancient wood because his panties were in a bunch. He was so silly, especially whenever they disagreed over the most minor things.
"Yeah, when he gets mad, he goes up there and punches it until he feels better. This one time, (y/n) told him to wait until she'd finished some laundry before he could kiss her, and he threw a massive hissy fit. Went up there for three hours..." Henry chuckled, flicking through his PearPhone to try and find a specific video tucked away where Ray could never delete it.
"Does that work?" Piper asked the man's fiancée sceptically, although she could see him getting all moody if she refused him a kiss.
"Surprisingly, yeah. He always comes back in a better mood, but that could be because I've finished whatever I was doing by then, and he gets his kisses..." The woman shrugged, acting cool despite the smile tugging at her lips. Kisses - she remembered those.
"I snuck up there and took a video of him one time. Look..." Henry smirked at his friend and sister, knowing the lack of affection made his ex-boss much angrier than she knew. It was sad but hilarious, so he held out his phone as they gathered around, eager to see what Ray got up to when he climbed the mountain to his stump.
"Stupid daylight savings time!" Ray grunted on the tiny screen as the camera pushed through some bushes to see what he was doing. (y/n) swore her heart skipped a beat as they watched the hero kick and punch an old, knarled tree stump like it was responsible for all his problems, including some of the silliest things in the world.
"Nobody takes an hour away from Captain Man! My time is my own, especially since that's one less hour of me kissing my sweet girl!" The group laughed as Ray growled each word in time with a punch, ignoring how his repeated assault made his knuckles ache like hell.
God, he was such a simp, getting grumpy because nature took away one hour from him when trying to make up for lost time with his fiancée. But that wasn't the best part. Henry skipped the rest of the video, knowing watching him punch the same bark repeatedly quickly got old. He slid the time until it was near the end, jumping forward to show Ray now on his knees and hugging his beloved stump like it was a sweet girl substitute.
"Oh, Punchin' Stump... Sometimes I wish I could just crawl inside you and live for a hundred and one million years. Maybe (y/n) will have finished all the stupid laundry by then..." Ray wailed, rubbing his cheek against the crusty wood since he'd been sent away from the Man Cave after getting underneath the girl's feet.
It wasn't his fault he was addicted to her honeyed taste. Still, Henry had to get closer to the funny exchange for a better view, creeping up to the man, who was so engrossed in his hug that he didn't notice how his sidekick had followed him.
"Are you two gonna kiss?" He teased, shoving the camera in Ray's face as his eyes flew open to see the boy standing over the embarrassing scene. It wasn't what it looked like...
"Where'd you come from?!"
"Should (y/n) be worried that she has a tree stump for competition?" Onscreen, Henry giggled, loving how a deep red blush covered his boss's cheeks at the mention of Miss Danger, who he was sure would love to know all about how Ray lamented having clean clothes to wear. This was the perfect blackmail, especially since Ray was still too pouty to properly grasp the phone from his hands.
"No! And don't you dare tell her!" Ray snapped, swatting the air to try and delete the video, but the kid was too fast. Terror twisted in his gut at the thought of (y/n) seeing him snuggle with the petrified stump, wondering if she'd laugh at him or genuinely be offended.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
"This stump and I are just friends! My sweet girl is a much better kisser!" (y/n)'s eyebrow cocked at that, glad her lips tasted and felt better than millennia-old petrified wood. However, she'd admit that seeing her doofus so flustered was hilarious, thinking she'd tease him about it once she was in his arms as Ray began whacking the stump again.
"It's his favourite spot in Swellview. Well, his favourite spot whenever he annoys his sweet girl..." Henry exclaimed, tucking his phone away once the clip ended. Heat rose in (y/n)'s cheeks at such a heartwarming thought, knowing she felt the same about him and that she'd do anything to have him back again.
"Okay, so us four will look around Ray's Punchin' Stump. If that big doofus buried himself there in the past, all we gotta do is look for something different or out of place," (y/n) said, determinedly looking at Henry, Jasper and Piper once she'd fanned her warm face.
"Don't you need to work on the Omega Weapon?" Piper asked, hating to seem so difficult, but building shit was her thing. They could look for her lover and bring him back to the Man Cave, although as she thought that, she could see why (y/n) rejected it. Sitting around and waiting to see him wasn't her style.
"Yes, but that's why I have my handy assistant here," the heroine replied, placing a hand on Charlotte's shoulder as the girl kindly looked up, nervous but ready to help.
"Most of the work is done already, and I can show Charlotte how to follow the blueprints. I have every confidence that she'll do brilliantly 'cause there's no way I'm just gonna sit here if Ray's out there. I've got to see him..."
"Okay, sounds like a plan..." Piper nodded, respecting her decision, despite not knowing the emotion fuelling it. She'd never known love like (y/n) had, and maybe she'd never feel so fiercely for one person, but her friend was adamant she was going with them. Anything to hold Ray and tell him everything she never got to say, do all the things they hadn't quite achieved yet - all those unrealised dreams they shared.
"Let's goooooo!" Jasper shouted, bobbing his head and charging toward the elevator like it was finally time to go and kick some ass. And he nearly made it until...
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"Come on!" He groaned, feet stopping dead as Henry said something was wrong, reading a text on his phone that spelt bad news.
"It's a text from my mom..."
"Oh, fabulous. Tell us all about it..." (y/n) said with a sickly sweet smile, having heard enough about Mrs Hart for one lifetime, especially after the day she'd had. She wasn't going anywhere near that woman's house, no matter the emergency, not when her doofus was possibly dormant up Mount Swellview.
"She said she and my dad can't hold off the cavemen any longer."
"What?" Piper frowned, swearing that her brother said their parents were fighting cavemen--or that they were losing the battle. Her life was so simple before she stumbled into this place, but she wouldn't change it for the world, no matter the panic in her tummy.
"They're being attacked by cavemen," Henry replied, thinking that he probably should've said that at the start. He'd left them with blasters and instructions to defend their home after telling them he was Kid Danger and Captain Man and Miss Danger needed his help. Finding out what was happening in the Man Cave was more pressing, although now he wasn't sure if leaving Mr Hart with a weapon was such a good idea.
"What?!"
"They also know I'm Kid Danger."
"What?!" Everyone gasped, his friends gawping at him for spilling such a huge secret. And the strangest thing was that (y/n) didn't seem shocked, more like mildly annoyed, as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms at the thought of Kris knowing her secret too. They couldn't believe he'd tell his parents after all these years; God, Piper wished she was a fly on the wall during that conversation.
"Yeah, it's been a big day--what are we gonna do about the cavemen and my parents?!" He snapped, feeling like they focused on old news, not the imminent attack.
"I'll go!" Jasper volunteered, thinking the moment to prove himself had finally come, even though his friends were sceptical of his abilities, "I'm almost done with that audiobook that's teaching me how to fight while I sleep, and also Spanish."
"Curly, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you'll get pulverised. Carne muerta, ¿entiendes?" (y/n) said awkwardly, refusing to send the kid into battle against several vicious Neanderthals with nothing more than hope and a dream. She was eighty-seven per cent certain that the audiobook was a load of shit, meaning poor Jasper wouldn't stand a chance.
"I'll go with him," Piper stated, firmly gripping her massive, cannon-like blaster as she looked at her friends. The boy scowled at her in offence, wondering why he needed to be babysat, but Henry, Charlotte, and (y/n) felt a lot better knowing she was with him.
Despite her size and age, the girl had a natural viciousness, a talent for shooting people, and some training from Miss Danger on correctly firing a gun. He stood a chance with her, but time was of the essence, meaning the boy was anxious to get going, albeit tentatively.
"So...let's goooooooo?"
"Go," Henry confirmed, wanting them to leave immediately before his parents were overwhelmed. It was like music to Jasper's ears as a huge grin spread on his face now that he finally had permission to run like the wind.
"Let's goooooo!" They screamed, whistling as they bolted to the elevator--although it was a bit anticlimactic when they had to stop and wait for the door to open, clearing their throats awkwardly. However, when they could finally get in, it was go-go-go, shouting their heads off as they headed up to Junk-N-Stuff.
"Okay, okay, let's grab some tools, get up to Ray's Punchin' Stump, and start digging for my doof!" (y/n) said eagerly, practically bouncing up and down and dragging Henry across the room once the other two disappeared. She was restless and wouldn't stop until they searched every inch of that mountain, even if it took all night.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. (y/n/n), calm down," the boy exclaimed, almost tripping over when she roughly pulled his arm, aiming for the tubes without any preparation or foresight. "Are we doing this by ourselves? That'll take way too long."
"Well, if you want help, we've got about seven hundred and fifty offers on voicemail," Charlotte offered, biting back a smile as her friend struggled to reign in the energetic woman clawing at his back.
"Seven hundred and fifty people offered to help us?" The boy asked as he fought to keep (y/n)'s hands and whines at bay, baffled at how quickly the news had spread and where so many people came from. Either way, he was ecstatic to have a small army behind them, ready to help them scour Mount Swellview until they found Captain Man. It would be impossible with just two people.
"I didn't say that," the girl said awkwardly while (y/n) stopped annoying Henry, folding her arms as her leg shook impatiently. Instead, Charlotte tapped a button on the supercomputer, showing them her true meaning since they didn't have an army, not even an itty-bitty one. Just one very enthusiastic and perseverant girl and her chillaxed brother.
"Hi, it's Mika again from the escape room. Just a reminder that I'm here if you need me," Mika's chirpy voice came through the speaker, reminding the sidekicks about the kindhearted, if slightly irritating, siblings they'd rescued a while back. She did say she'd do anything to help, over and over, filling their voicemail with pledges of devotion, so surely, she wouldn't say no to a little manual labour.
"Here if you need me. Here if you need me. Here if you need me. Here if--here if you need me."
"Something tells me she's here if we need her," Henry chuckled, laughing at his sarcasm, even though it was hard to ignore the antsy woman beside him. Her eyes constantly flickered toward the tubes, waiting for them to finish up here before they could leave, despite the sun quickly setting and leaving the moon in its place. She didn't like the thought of hiking in the dark, but she'd do it--anything for her doof. That is, if they ever actually left.
"Okay, right, great. Let's just pick up those kids and go to the mountain before I explode. Come on, people!" (y/n) yelled, already walking backwards by the time Henry knew what was happening.
It was strange to see how she acted without Ray, becoming a frazzled, panicky, impetuous, slightly mean-spirited mess since he wasn't there to soothe her spiky edges. The man was dumb, but he made her knowledge and nerves likeable since she could count on his presence to soothe her--to always be there. If it wasn't, she didn't know how to be, just a sad, melancholic girl haunting the same-old space.
"And something tells me she's gonna dig all night if she has to. (y/n/n), wait up!"
"You better hurry. If you can't find Ray, we won't even need the Omega Weapon. I'm pretty sure she'll find a way to rip Drex apart with her bare hands," Charlotte wistfully called after Henry as the boy dashed after the woman, hoping to catch a tube before she flew upstairs.
She really hoped they found him. Honestly, for all the grief he'd given her over the years, the girl couldn't say it warranted Drex's intended fate for him. He deserved a happy ending with his sweet girl, and she earned one, too, living for the hope of it all as they blasted off.
Charlotte just prayed they weren't one hundred and one million years too late.
~Mount Swellview~
To say Mika was excited when Kid Danger and Miss Danger turned up on her doorstep was an understatement.
Miles practically had to peel her off the floor after she fainted, overjoyed that the sidekicks had personally come to her to take up her offer of help. Her brother clearly had all the chill of the family, calmly accepting their desperate plea, even though he didn't like the sound of traipsing up the mountain in the middle of the night.
Mika, however, insisted that they do anything to help Captain Man and his heroic mission. And when they learned that it was the man himself they were saving - you could've knocked her down with a feather.
So, off they went, the girl nattering in Henry and (y/n)'s ears non-stop as they began the arduous hike, darting between bushes and trees to avoid unwanted attention. It had been a while since they were so close to the massive, illuminated Swellview signed, looking over the city, making Henry recall when he was still a child, canoodling with a mischievous yet pretty Wall Dog under the white glow.
The constant talking on Mika's behalf was grating, especially since it practically stretched the walk into a marathon when the girl narrated her entire life story and how she was focusing on expanding her skills for any future superhero errands. (y/n) liked her, enjoying her chattiness and friendliness, how she balanced out Miles' zen--but dear God, did she ever take a breath?
"--And I'm taking karate lessons. I'm also learning how to ride horseback. How often would you say you ride horses while fighting crime?" She asked the sidekicks as they reached the peak, aching and sweaty but encouraged by their need to find Ray.
"Um, literally never," Henry replied, knowing they'd never interacted with horses in their entire crimefighting careers. So, it wasn't a skill he'd ever bothered learning amongst marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and working out.
"Right, right, but if you did have to?" Mika pressed, eager to be helpful as she shadowed them, bolstered by the fact that Miles had fallen behind a few minutes before after the steep hill got the better of him. He wasn't there to tame her incessant questions amongst the critical work they had to do.
"We'd...call you?" (y/n) said slowly, knowing it was what the girl was angling for after laying all her skills on the table, even the ones that a hero would never need. She didn't see Mika ever being in such a situation, preferring to keep as many children away from their dangerous work as possible. Still, at least she could make her happy by saying yes.
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down and hugging the heroine's arm as Henry examined the clearing on the mountaintop. Meanwhile, as (y/n) laughed at Mika's antics, Miles stumbled through the shrubbery, panting hard and almost tripping over as he finally caught up with the others.
"Oh my god... I'm not walking up this mountain anymore. My path ends here!" He gasped, dumping a large brown sack that he'd hauled over his shoulder on the ground. He wasn't built for cross-country rambling; his skills lay elsewhere, especially when they made him carry all their supplies like a pack mule.
"Well, your path ended right at Captain Man's Punchin' Stump, so...good timing!" Miss Danger said dryly, watching as the boy fell to his knees and faceplanted the dirt from exhaustion. Luckily, he didn't have to walk anymore, choosing his seat in front of the stone stump in the middle of the clearing.
"Okay, now what?" Mika asked as her brother regained his breath as the sidekicks glanced at their surroundings, seemingly searching for something, not that he could tell. His vision was slightly blurred, but even so, he saw dirt, mountains, trees, shrubs, and the weird stump.
"Now, we just look around, I guess, and see if anything looks different," Henry replied, following Charlotte's advice to find something that looked weird--like something Ray would've left millions of years ago as one final fuck you to the world that separated him from his sweet girl.
"Perfect! Different from what?"
"Yeah, we've never been here before," Miles agreed with his twin, thinking they'd be little help if they didn't know what to search for.
"Okay, good point, good point, check out the video!" Henry thought momentarily before breaking out into a huge grin, fishing for the PearPhone on his belt. As (y/n) shook her head and sighed, he happily swiped up and showed the children the screen, where the video of Ray smooching his precious stump began to play.
"Oh, Punchin' Stump... Sometimes I wish I could just crawl inside you and live for a hundred and one million years. Maybe (y/n) will have finished all the stupid laundry by then..." The same clip played, showing Ray hugging the petrified wood and smushing his cheek against it as he mumbled sweet nothings, and Henry giggled in the background.
It was still hilarious, making the boys laugh as they bantered about how stupid the hero looked, but it got the girls thinking. What Ray said sounded almost like fate, oddly specific and cryptic as their brains worked overtime to come to a hopeful conclusion.
"Did you hear that?" Mika asked, hearing more of the video than the boys did as Henry grinned again.
"Yeah, that's me laughing. Wait until I tell him to kiss it and tease him about Miss Danger!"
"No...no...shut up for a second," (y/n) said, punching the kid's arm to stop his giggling because her mind was alive, all of its synapses were working, and she had a brainwave. As did Mika, who she quickly felt a connection to, like she did with Charlotte - they were fellow Smarties, after all.
"He said he wanted to crawl inside that stump and live there for a hundred and one million years," the girl explained, getting (y/n)'s hopes up as she eagerly pointed to the ancient, crusty tree. He couldn't be, could he? It seemed impossible, but (y/n)'s tummy never lied, telling her that something was inside and wouldn't stop bothering her until she knew what.
"Yeah, so?" Henry shrugged, thinking it was just another one of Ray's ramblings. He said all sorts of crap when snuggling with that damn stump, so he didn't expect much after knowing the man for so long. He wasn't smart like that, but it was their best - enough to give the heroine hope. And they didn't have much of that.
"So...maybe he's inside his Punchin' Stump!" Miles gasped, picking up what his sister was hinting at, and (y/n) swore she had an embolism. She hated how her heart raced, bracing herself for disappointment because it was only a theory. But just the thought of seeing him again... She couldn't help but tear up and smile.
"Sweet cheese, yes..."
"Sorry, (y/n/n), but there's no way someone could be inside that stump," Henry argued, hating how the kids made his friend perk up in excitement when they could be wrong. The stump was so small, and after hearing him brag for so many years, the boy knew Ray was a big guy. It didn't make sense, and as cruel as it seemed, he wanted to prove that the great Captain Man wouldn't land himself in such a pathetic place.
So, he took out his laser control and aimed it at the stump, making the heroine jump back with a child under each arm as a powerful orange beam fired at the stone wood. He didn't want to wreck it, knowing once they found Ray, he'd want to keep his precious stump, so he only fried a small section.
A tiny window into the trunk appeared, showing it wasn't hollow as expected, but not empty either; instead, the middle was filled with a golden, solidified resin and amongst the radiant amber...a tiny peeking sliver of a deep blue mask.
"Holy shit..." (y/n) breathed out, feeling like someone had kicked her in the chest because she'd recognised that mask anywhere, even if it was only half of it. She raced forward, fearless and unrestrained, as she kneeled before the stump and placed her hands against it, knowing she was an inch away from her doofus.
Her beloved doofus, sleeping soundly as the world evolved around him, seasons passing and the city growing, all without his knowledge since he'd lived through many millennia inside his Punchin' Stump. It saddened her, thinking about how he'd been alone on the mountain for so long, but not anymore. She was here, next to him, with tears streaming down her, just as she'd sworn to always be.
"Oh god, it's him! Henry, it's him! We found him! Oh my god! He's in here--oh, my doofus..."
"I know, (y/n/n)!" The kid laughed, just as baffled as she was, as he choked up at the sight of his dormant former boss, so he didn't mind her small slip when she said his name. "He's in there! I was right!"
"Yay!"
"I said he was in there!" Miles argued when Kid Danger tried to take all the credit. Still, Mika was too happy for the heroine on her knees, loving the sappiness and romance of two lovers reuniting, to notice her brother's pouting.
"Oh, who cares who said what?! Come on, open it up! I want to see him!" (y/n) snapped, thumping her fists against the stump like she could break through the ancient rock and resin with her bare knuckles. She desperately clawed at the stump, itching to hold her doofus in her arms and tell him over and over how much she missed and loved him--how she was never letting him go again.
"Okay, okay--let's get him out of there. Grab a laser!" Henry nodded, telling the kids to grab the spares they'd brought as the heroine shuffled out of the way.
Taking the laser from her belt, she stood in line with the others and got zapping, starting near the small hole Henry made. The stump was more challenging than it looked, taking a few minutes to match the boy's progress as they slowly chipped away at the stone layer, and that was before they moved onto the amber.
Eventually, they created a larger, oval-shaped window around the hero's face, making (y/n)'s heart lurch at how peaceful yet troubled he looked. Sleep always made his features relax, smoothing the creases he earned from years of smiling and frowning. But curled up in the stump, he'd fallen asleep with his eyebrows knitted together, making her wonder what his last thoughts were before the world stopped.
Well, it wasn't exactly a team effort. Mika diligently helped the feverish heroine, who grew antsy with how long it took them just to uncover that small section, and it didn't help how distracted the boys were. They laughed and joked at the video Henry insisted on watching, snickering when Captain Man pressed his lips against the stump's stone-like wood.
It got so bad that the girls had to hold their hands and point their laser beams at the stump, guiding the carving light after a close shave when Henry lost focus. (y/n) nearly chewed his ear off, growling that if she caught him watching that damn video again, she'd petrify him for millions of years too.
"Oh, he actually kissed it!"
"I know!"
"He and that stump are not just friends!"
"I will not tell you both again! Put that damn phone down and help us, or I swear to God..." the heroine growled, glaring at the boys as Mika kneeled below them, steadying their lasers as she fired two at a time. She wanted as much firepower hitting the tree as possible, desperate to reach Ray after what felt like a lifetime apart--even though it had only been a few hours for her.
"Yeah...I should probably end the video there before Miss Danger kills us," Henry gulped, hurriedly tucking his PearPhone away as (y/n) momentarily gave them one of her infamous glares. If looks could kill...
"Captain Man must have known the amber inside the stump would preserve him perfectly for a hundred and one million years!" Mika grinned as they expanded the circle, uncovering more of the hero's body and how he'd curled up into a fetal position with his arms tucked closely by his sides.
She assumed he was a genius, discovering a way to live for so long like Drex did with the glacier. However, (y/n) and Henry knew better. They shared a look, knowing the man didn't come anywhere close to thinking of something so brilliant, not without someone like his sweet girl to hold his hand. He didn't know about science and stuff and how to survive alone for so long, almost making (y/n) laugh at how everyone presumed he was a mastermind.
"I guarantee he didn't!" Henry argued, sharing the same thought as (y/n) - he never saw it coming, and his preservation was a mere accident. Thank God.
"But he could have just stumbled into the perfect solution by accident..."
"Um, Mika, sweetheart... I love Captain Man with all my heart, but he's not a...thinker. I just know he tripped and fell into the stump. It's probably why he looks so angry. You should come on more missions with us and see what he's like," (y/n) chuckled, shaking her head at how silly her doofus was, not that she'd changed him for the world.
It was almost predictable that he would get in trouble, but she was so glad he did, feeling her heart flutter at his face. She'd never know he fell into the resin with his thoughts full of her, his last fleeting thoughts rumpling his face at the heartbreaking notion of never seeing her again. Sleep numbed the pain of being so lonely and loveless, waiting for the day he saw her again, even if it took a hundred and one million years...
"Can I?!" The girl asked excitedly, instantly taking the heroine up on her offer, even if she only said it jokingly.
"NO!" However, a sudden shout disagreed. Mika scrambled to get on her feet, a disgusted look on her face, ready to fight anyone stopping her from hanging with the heroes. Still, she never expected to see a furious girl stomping toward her. A very familiar girl as she threw her bag to the ground and rushed past the baffled sidekicks.
"You're destroying my Kicking Stump!" The girl snapped, standing before the stump, so they had to stop shooting it. That attitude, firey personality, short, brown, cropped hair...those chubby cheeks. Could it be?
"Chapa?" (y/n) gasped, stunned to see the girl again father what happened when they met. The last time they heard, she committed to finding whoever stole her cell phone, wandering wherever the road took her after Captain Man and co failed to help her. That was a good month ago, so what was she doing back in Swellview?
"Hello?"
"You can't own a stump. Nature is for everyone," The Macklin twins blinked, slightly startled as to who this girl was and where she'd come from. Apparently, she knew Miss Danger and Kid Danger, especially the heroine, given how friendly they seemed. But, then again, she was nice to everyone...
"And this is a Punchin' Stump."
"No, it's my Kicking Stump!" Chapa argued, glaring at them for ruining the perfectly rough bark with their lasers--and she didn't care if she could see the blurred lump of a person in the centre. She claimed it before they did.
"I come up here, I think about the boy who stole my phone, and I kick it!" She shouted, lashing out and thudding her shoe against the stump in a perfect outlet for all her pent-up fury. "And I scream, what did you steal my phone for?!"
"You're phoneless? Phonelessness is a big problem in Swellview..." Mika said sympathetically as the girl kept kicking- every young person in the city seemed to know the same-old rhetoric. (y/n) was too old to care, remembering a time when phones only had one function, and she was growing impatient the longer she could look but not touch her doofus.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, do your part, whatever. Let's keep lasering and get Captain Man out of this amber before I go insane!" She said, feeling the kiss-withdrawal symptoms creeping up on her.
"This is taking too long..." However, Miles had another idea. He didn't want to wait all night as they slowly melted the ancient stone. So, he fished around Kid Danger's hefty sack of supplies until he found what he was looking for - something to smash the stump to pieces.
"It's hammer time!" He exclaimed, holding a large, super-powered hammer over his shoulder that had Henry and (y/n) gulping. That thing was dangerous...
"What? No, no, no, no, no! Be careful with that!"
"Watch out!" They tried to stop him, fearing his recklessness would end with someone getting hurt, but the boy didn't listen.
All (y/n) could do was shield the children as he leapt forward with the hammer held above his head, bringing it down on the petrified tree in one swoop. An almighty bang erupted as the weapon hit the stump, destroying it like a fragile vase in a flash of light, revealing the hero inside.
It was like the world burst into colour around him as Ray took his first gasp of air in decades, hitting the ground while trying to make sense of what had happened. His body ached from being trapped for so long, and all his senses were out-of-whack as he tasted the new-era air, smacked his lips, and stretched his stiff muscles. Swellview's hero was free...but at what price? How long had he been asleep?
"I'm free!" He panted, clenching his fists and rediscovering their power.
The last thing he remembered was angrily stomping around a desolate wasteland after a few months of loneliness, mourning his sweet girl and the life Drex banished him from - how he'd never see her again, let alone marry and spend the rest of his days with her. Then, darkness and a sticky warmth surrounded him, freezing his limbs until everything faded...until now.
"How long was I in there?" He grunted, looking up at the people staring at him with wonderstruck faces. Some looked vaguely familiar, one more than the others, but the prettiest one, the one taking a few tentative steps toward him...it couldn't be. He swore she looked like his precious girl, as young and beautiful as the day he lost her, but it couldn't be her. He'd resigned himself to never seeing her again long ago.
"A hundred and one million years..." The pretty woman said softly, practically walking on eggshells as she approached the stunned hero, who was more interested in his new surroundings than studying the people around him.
(y/n) could scarcely believe it, thinking his throaty voice was the best thing she'd heard in years, but she stopped herself from jumping into his arms. Ray was overwhelmed and disoriented after being trapped for so many years, so she tried to be gentle, giving him an angelic smile as he dusted himself off.
"I can't believe you're still alive!" Henry exclaimed, a hair behind the heroine as he gawked at his boss, standing there in the flesh precisely like he'd done in the Man Cave hours before. He hadn't aged a day, which was good for his ego and (y/n)'s heart.
Ray looked up and studied their faces, disregarding the younger children ogling him in favour of the two closest to him. He still refused to acknowledge the pretty lady wearing the achingly recognisable uniform, not wanting to believe it was true in case his heart was broken again.
But the boy... He knew him. How could he forget Henry Hart? He was still smarting after their little dispute, and the kid was about to learn how long Captain Man could hold a grudge.
"Hey..." he said, finding his voice after so many years as he awkwardly stared at Henry, thinking (y/n) to be a cruel mirage - a figment of his imagination. "Listen, I've had a long time to think about our argument..."
"No, you know what, dude? It's over, okay? Don't worry about it," Henry said, not caring about some stupid argument now that they'd found him. Of course, he still stood by his point, but after all the worry and sadness, the anger had melted into just the love and friendship he still felt for the man.
"No, no, let me just say this..." Ray stopped him, growing all doe-eyed and soft as his sidekick came close, stepping past (y/n) as she waited for her turn. Honestly, she'd thought Ray would've thrown his arms around her, swept her into his embrace, and kissed her senselessly to bring their isolation to an end. But no...he just stood there like she was invisible, scarcely looking her way.
"I was one hundred per cent right."
"Oh, my god..." And that was Ray all over. One hundred and one million years, and he hadn't changed a bit. He couldn't be humble, gracious or forgiving, believing he was almost godly--God forbid if he did anything wrong. Henry was astounded, looking back at (y/n) to gauge her reaction. However, she was starstruck, still disbelieving that her doofus was okay.
"And I will accept your apology in the form of a handwritten letter or a tasteful wedding gift..."
"Stop!" Henry gasped, suddenly remembering why he quit in the first place--because the man was so damn difficult to get along with. (y/n) didn't care, though, internally screaming at the mention of their wedding. There couldn't be another, and she was overjoyed to know he hadn't forgotten...maybe it meant he still loved her like she did with him, even after all this time.
"Whoa..." Ray moved on, not liking the boy's frown, so instead, he looked past him to the startled children rubbing elbows with his sweet girl. Dear God, his sweet girl... She was so beautiful, looking at him with those eyes and her typical kind smile. He still didn't deserve its shining light after all those years, and after being alone for so long, he was a little confused.
"You got kids now?"
"What? No!" Henry gasped, wondering if he'd left his brain in the stump because he was still young and not old enough to have three tween children. But the alternative was heartbreaking for Ray... He couldn't face it.
"Just so you know, your father is a quitter!"
"He's not a quitter, you big doofus! And these aren't his children!" (y/n) finally spoke, pushing past Henry so she could look her lover in the eye. The hero shrank away from her, terrified about the life she'd led without him around, not that he'd blame her for moving on. He was stuck in the past, and as painful as it was to imagine, it was only proper that she'd forgotten him.
"Are so...they're your children?" He asked timidly, unlike what Mika, Miles, and Chapa were used to. Captain Man was usually so confident and commanding. Still, he almost cried after thinking his sweet girl had forgotten him and all their plans to marry, killing the last flicker of hope in his soul.
Of course, she found someone new - who was he kidding?
"Do you honestly think I could move on from you?" (y/n) said quietly, stepping close until their hands almost touched. She longed to reach out, her heart breaking as she wondered how long he'd been alone, tortured by all his questions, not knowing what happened back home. As if she could ever love someone else, let alone have children with them. There'd only ever been him...and he'd only been gone a few hours on her part.
"I don't know..."
"This is Mika and Miles...from the escape room, remember? You know them," she pointed to the kids as she lightly held his arm - his fucking gorgeous, beefy arm. Ray gasped at her touch, starved after his loneliness, but he quickly became addicted again, wanting so much more now that he realised she hadn't moved on... How long had it been for her?
"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah...And Tammy, right? You ever find that hamster?" He asked, glancing at Chapa, who still wasn't impressed by that ridiculous nickname, and she didn't care if he was trying to think about things from millions of years ago.
"It's Chapa, and you know I've been looking for my phone--and you know what? Give me your laser!" She hissed, her fury rising when the hero turned his back and pretended to be doing something else. He was rude, and she knew he remembered her, no matter how much he played dumb.
"No, no, no! We've got bigger problems!" Henry told her, holding the girl back before her grabby hands could reach his utility belt.
"Like what?" Ray frowned, suddenly feeling like he was about to become busy again. Three minutes back, he was already roped into the world's problems, reminding him why the ancient world had its pros--but so many cons.
"Like how Drex is gonna use an aeroplane and the Memory-Wiper to erase the whole town's memory of you! I only just got you back, doofus. I'm not gonna lose you again!" (y/n) exclaimed, latching onto his arm again and refusing to let go. A few hours were enough to tell her she never wanted to be apart from him, longing for his silliness, stupid comments, and problematic behaviour.
"Is that still going on?"
"It just happened today!" Henry told him, letting him know that what was a billion lifetimes for him was an afternoon for them. That was all well and good, but did they know the struggles he'd been through? Absolute isolation almost drove him mad, so it was understandable that he was so...leaky.
"Man, feels like forever ago..."
"Maybe, but we have to stop him! We still have time, and now you're back, everything's fine! Come on, doof!" (y/n) exclaimed, tugging on his hand to try and make him follow, but the hero couldn't move. He just stared at her, feeling weird knowing he'd lived for so long while she stayed the same. Even if he couldn't remember it all, it was still strange after thinking he'd never get his old life back.
"I waited for so long, sweet girl..." he muttered, suddenly slapping a hand over the one tucked into the crook of his arm. His voice croaked at the pet name, having sworn he'd never repeat it since it was too painful, but now he had her fingers touching his. And it was like time had stopped, reminding him of the moment he realised how far away he was.
"I waited and waited, but nothing came."
"Drex broke the time-ray. We couldn't go back to get you, doofus," (y/n) explained, wishing things had been different because she couldn't imagine being alone for so long, existing rather than living since his world was void of love and companionship.
"I thought...I thought..." the man choked, turning to tenderly grasp her waist to stop his hands from shaking as a sob clogged his throat, "I thought you'd forgotten about me."
"I'm here now, aren't I? I missed you so much, doofus. I knew we had to find you--I'd go insane if we didn't," the woman smiled with a sniffle, delicately placing her hands on his chest like the indestructible man would break. A shudder passed through his body at her touch, eyes fluttering closed when her perfume tickled his nose. Just like he remembered...so soft and flowery.
"I missed you too, sweet girl," he murmured, dying to bury his face in her neck and relive every sweetness he fell in love with, but his cheeks were drenched with tears. After so long apart, he feared intimacy with her, having slept through many nightmares where she rejected his affections and cast him aside.
"I thought I'd never see you again..."
"Oh, god. Please, tell me you didn't marry a cavewoman or something," (y/n) said in horror, her face suddenly falling at the thought. He was the one who'd been alone, and if he found a nice prehistoric woman in his solitude, she'd understand that. It would destroy her internally, shredding her fragile heart, but she'd understand.
"No, sweetheart. I was alone... And besides, there's only one girl for me." But her doofus quickly quelled her fears, instantly reaching out to stroke her cheek when the pretty smile left her face. He hated seeing her frown, especially over someone as silly as him--as if he'd ever fall for someone else.
"You didn't marry someone else?"
"There's only one lovable idiot for me, and he looks pretty good for a hundred and one million years old..." (y/n) giggled, leaning into his touch and affectionately rubbing her nose against his wrist. Ray keened at her reaction, encouraged by it, so he inched closer until their navels touched, falling into the loving embrace they were used to.
"God, I've missed you..." He sighed, allowing himself to fall into her when he realised she wasn't running and screaming bloody murder. His head fell to her shoulder, nudging her hair and neck, where her perfume was strongest. She was so perfect--everything he'd dreamed of in exile, but one question lingered in his mind more than anything...
"Do you...still wanna marry me?" He asked, pulling away to gaze into her eyes, his heart thumping in his ears because he'd had much time to think. He couldn't help but wonder...
"I never stopped, doofus," (y/n) quickly dispelled his fears, whispering in his ears as his arms tightened around her waist and a tear rolled down his cheek. The relief...
She brushed it away with her thumb before tugging the glove off that hand, shaking her head mirthfully when he grumbled at the loss of her touch on his chest. But it was worth it when he saw the sparkling ring hidden beneath, still holding its diamonds, love, and meaning like the day he gave it to her.
"It nearly kills me to know that I almost lost you and never got a chance to tell you again."
"Say it," he insisted, knowing the heartache in her because he'd felt it too. But no more. No matter Drex's evil plans, they were together again, and he'd long waited to hear her say...
"I love you, Ray," (y/n) whispered, meaning it with all her heart as she held him in her arms and cupped his cheeks, engagement ring against his skin.
The man's eyes closed as he heard the almost silent words, looking almost pained as they crawled inside his soul and chased the darkness away. His nightmares liked to think they could plague her love and make him believe it wasn't real, but she was there with him. He'd thought he'd never hear that precious phrase again, and it was like music to his ears - he couldn't get enough.
"Again."
"I love you. I love you. I love you," the heroine chanted, saying it as many times as he needed, and she'd never get tired. He leaned closer, lapping every syllable as they rested their foreheads against one another before she whispered into his ear - a well-known secret just for them...
"I'm in love with you, Ray Manchester."
"I love you, my darling, darling girl," he gasped, feeling joyful for the first time in centuries, and he couldn't restrain himself any longer. In the blink of an eye, he pressed his lips against hers, tasting her honey to sate his addiction. His soul ached all the time they were apart, starved cold turkey until now, and now, he could drown in it.
She whimpered into the kiss, melting into his arms and tangling her fingers in his hair as he towered over her. Ray was eager and clumsy, trying to explore every inch of her mouth to remap what he knew so well, but (y/n) didn't care. It was perfect and soul-consuming - everything they needed to know the wait was over.
"I always have, and no matter what, I always will..." Ray swore as they broke apart, panting with swollen lips but utterly in love. If one hundred and one million years couldn't stop them, nothing could...except maybe an impatient, sceptical teenage boy who'd seen it all before.
"Uh...guys?" Henry coughed, making their heads snap in his direction, where the boy stood with Miles, Mika, and Chapa - the entire house. They gulped and felt their faces heat up, forgetting they had an audience throughout their reunion.
The kids stood with various emotions, with the boys mainly looking passive, if a little disgusted. Chapa couldn't care less, more focused on her missing phone, and Mika looked besotted. She loved all that romantic crap, cooing at the adorable couple and how Miss Danger turned Captain Man into a gushing, lovey-dovey mess.
"You know what? Let's just get back to the Man Cave."
"We're going to the Man Cave?!" Mika gasped excitedly, loving the thought of joining the heroes in their secret lair. After all, they'd helped them this far, so why couldn't they tag along?
"What? No, Mika, honey..." (y/n) said awkwardly, clearing her throat and licking her lips to catch the faintest hint of Ray's mint and bubblegum flavour after being caught in a passionate clasp with her doofus. He draped himself over her like a blanket, rediscovering his clinginess in a new light, pressing against his sweet girl with his chin on top of her head.
"You want us to join you at Swellview Airport?" But the girl pressed on, ignoring everything the heroes said to dissuade her.
"Drex is probably trying to rent something from Planes-A-Plenty," Miles suggested, using his wise insight to encourage his sister's enthusiasm since he was keen on hanging out with superheroes.
"They're probably right..." Ray mumbled huskily in his sweet girl's ear, hugging her tightly from behind as his lips brushed against her earlobe and neck. (y/n) shivered at the sensation and tried to shake him off, but he was like an octopus, clinging to her body for dear life after having his arms empty for too long.
"Wait--"
"Let's go!" Mika cheered, clapping her hands as Chapa decided to join their ranks. It sounded pretty cool, and her phone could wait for a bit--maybe she'd find something useful for her search in the Man Cave.
"No!" Kid Danger, however, disagreed.
"What is your problem?"
"He's a quitter..." Ray told them sneakily, lifting his head from where he'd disgustingly smushed his lips against (y/n)'s throat. He was drunk on love and feeling mischievous for the first time in forever, enough to taunt his young sidekick for leaving him in the lurch.
"My problem is that Captain Man, Miss Danger, and I need to get back to the Man Cave to get the Omega Weapon to defeat Drex," Henry explained in a strained voice, wanting to strangle the man for being so obtuse. And he would - if (y/n) wouldn't kill him for hurting her fiancé.
"And you three need to go home. Just go home, okay?"
"Mmmm, family argument. We're gonna head out--me and my pretty girl need to talk about...grown-up things," Ray smirked, lacing his fingers with (y/n)'s as he tried to pull her away to go home or even a dark, shady corner--anywhere they could be alone.
They need it after so long apart, not that Henry would let them. That was disgusting, and they didn't have the time... Honestly, it was only a hundred million years...
"They're not my kids! Dude, where are you going with her? Stop putting your hands there! Guys!... We're in public!"
~The Man Cave~
Ugh, Henry could down himself. In the bath. With a toaster.
After leaving Miles, Mika, and Chapa on Mount Swellview, he and the happy couple rushed back to the Man Van, eager to return to the Man Cave as soon as possible.
To say Ray and (y/n) were handsy was an understatement. The man practically had his sweet girl on his lap during the journey, almost making the heroine share his seatbelt until (y/n) put her foot down. It was nauseating for Henry to watch, slumping on the back seat until they made it to Junk-N-Stuff.
They slunk inside, hurrying inside, not caring about anyone seeing Captain Man frequenting such an establishment. The kid would like to say they tripped over their feet because they raced to get downstairs, although it was mainly due to Ray thinking he could kiss and walk simultaneously. But they made it, climbing into the elevator and waiting in agony for it to drop.
And when it did, chaos reigned supreme.
"I'm back! Where's Drex--"
The door rolled open to a scene of carnage, shocking the heroes at what they saw. Their friends, including Charlotte, Piper, and to (y/n)'s horror, Kris fucking Hart, cowered around the room, terrified by a hoarder of cavemen threatening to kill them.
"Shhhhh!" But whatever Ray said, Mrs Hart shushed him, leaving the hero silent because that wasn't the most shocking thing - surprisingly. They didn't want to miss the action, loving that Jasper Dunlop, of all people, was kicking the cavemen's ass like he'd trained under Captain Man himself. When they came close, he kicked, punched, slapped, spat, jabbed--anything--to send them back, holding his own, despite the vast rabble.
"Jasper's fighting while he sleeps!" Piper hissed, telling them to be quiet since the boy was their only protection while Charlotte finished the Omega Weapon. It was incredible to watch, especially since he had his headphones and eyemask on as he pushed two of Drex's minions together, sending them to the floor unconscious.
"Ohhhhh..."
"While he sleeps," Ray and Henry nodded and smiled, suddenly realising the true meaning of the audiobook he'd been using. He didn't learn while he slept; he slept, fought, and spoke Spanish, meaning he could defend his friends during his naps--just not when he and Piper went to the Hart House to save her parents.
"La canción de mi puño hace que mis enemigos tiemblen de miedo," Jasper growled at the heroes, making Ray look at (y/n) with a rare glimpse of pride for the boy, especially when an enemy snuck up on him, only to receive a punch to the face without the boy even turning around. His Spanish was pretty good, but his deep, grumbling voice was strange for a chirpy kid.
"Muy impresionante, chamaco," (y/n) breathed out, hearing something about a song, fist, and his enemies trembling in fear. That was it; with all the cavemen defeated, Jasper returned to the couch, stumbling so badly that Piper and her mom had to quickly shuffle out of the way before he faceplanted the bench.
"¡Buenas noches, mis amigos!" He growled before finally collapsing, exhausted from so much fighting, and he was just an inexperienced kid.
With the peace restored momentarily, (y/n) took a minute to breathe and review the situation, her eyes scouring everyone. Okay, good; Charlotte and Piper were safe, thanks to Jasper, and luckily, the Omega Weapon looked almost complete.
However, there was an elephant in the room. A gorgeous, blonde bombshell of an elephant, making the heroine's blood boil. It had been a very stressful day, and she was reaching the end of her tether.
Wasn't it enough that they had to save her? Kris had some nerve coming here, invading her home like this, smiling at her and Ray like they were friends. It felt wrong that she knew her secret identity, but having her in the Man Cave was much worse. Was nothing sacred? Couldn't she escape that woman's man-grabbing clutches and sour smile?
"Okay, I've got some questions. First--" Ray cleared his throat, seemingly bothered by the new faces in his Man Cave too. But the minute he stepped toward Mrs Hart, (y/n) felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and her tummy twisted, making her feel sick with jealousy.
"Hey, how are you doing? How's it going? I didn't know you'd be here!" His frown turned upside down, evolving into a bright, beaming smile like he was looking at an old friend as he approached Kris. He actually opened his arms for her like he expected a hug, and the nerve of that woman - she did the same.
(y/n) growled at the sight, feeling her fury explode as the handsome man and beautiful woman met in the middle. Since when did Ray want to hug her? Lord knows what diseases he'd catch, but seriously, since when were they friends? She couldn't think of when they'd had time to bond, so her brain figured that her doofus wanted to hold a pretty lady who couldn't say no.
That was it. She couldn't take it. Maybe on a day when she hadn't faced her greatest enemy or watched the love of her life almost disappear forever, she'd be stronger and could hold her tongue. But not today. The universe wanted to test her, and she couldn't hold back anymore, not after so many years of being the polite girl, the nice girl, the girl who sat back and watched all the flirting and whispering like it never happened.
Today, she'd tell that hussy where to go.
"Stop right there, Raymond," she growled, curling an iron grip around his fist and yanking him back so she could push between them. Ray looked almost hurt by her rough touch, unused to his sweet girl acting so mean, and Kris was visibly shocked. She knew (y/n), Henry's other boss, as such a kind girl, and everyone loved Miss Danger. Why so rude?
"I'll be the one asking the questions here..." She said boldly, defiantly standing in front of her doofus with her hands on her hips as she narrowly glared at Mrs Hart.
"What the hell are you doing in my home?"
"Excuse me?" Kris gasped, shocked at the heroine's sharp tone--more so her friends. Piper, Charlotte, Henry, and Ray stared at her, making (y/n) instinctively want to shrink away from the negative attention, but her anger wouldn't let her. This was a long time coming...
"(y/n)..." they said warningly, Henry reaching out to take her arm as if he read her mind. They didn't have time for an argument, and he didn't fancy watching his surrogate mother going toe-to-toe with his actual one.
"Oh, you heard me, missy. Come on, let's have it. Why are you here?" (y/n) didn't care. She shook off the boy and pushed him away, shunning anyone's intervention because she had a lot to say--years of hatred--to get off her chest, and Mrs Hart had finally caught her on a bad day.
"The cavemen attacked us at our home, so Piper and Jasper brought us here. You keep a lovely Man Cave, (y/n)--I mean, Miss Danger..." The mother explained politely, giving her a typical, perfect smile with all her pristine pearly whites showing. It made (y/n) sick; here she was, trying to be rude and abrasive, and the woman still refused to break her façade.
"Oh, did they now?" The heroine said, momentarily glaring at Piper, who cowered away from her fury. She didn't like seeing her friend mad and not over something she couldn't help. What were they supposed to do? Let the cavemen tear her parents apart? It wasn't like her to not see reason, but she was tired of being a goddamn doormat - why could (y/n) (y/l/n) be angry for once?
"Yeah, well, I've got something to say to you. You're not welcome here."
"(y/n)!"
"Sweet girl!" Came all the shocked cries, her friends outraged at the heroine's viciousness. They never thought they'd see the day Miss Danger turned away those needing help and shelter, but apparently, she drew the line with women she saw as a threat.
Talk about tempting fate; putting Mrs Hart with Ray was just asking for something to go wrong, so (y/n) didn't see anything wrong with her actions. Kris could defend herself, or maybe that useless fop of a husband could do it. She wanted to be selfish for once and preserve the love she cherished so dearly, even though her conscience said it was wrong to hurt the blonde just because she didn't like her.
"Sweet girl, what? No, all right?! I'm putting my foot down 'cause I'm tired, annoyed, and I've had it up to here today," she growled, tapping her fingers against her forehead to show them how much shit she'd been through that day.
"I'm pissed off, and I finally think I can come home, and what do I see? Kris fucking Hart making herself at home on my couch!"
"I think there's been a misunderstanding..." Kris said slowly in a soothing voice, approaching the woman like she would with a wild animal.
'She has some fucking nerve.' (y/n) thought to herself, wondering why everyone treated her like a problem that needed to be handled when she got mad. That stupid voice - that bitch was just pretending to be nice and luring her into a false sense of security, so she let her guard down.
She wouldn't do that after they tried to smooth over her fury and quiet her protests. This was her fiancé--the love of her life--she'd fight for it if she wanted to.
"Oh, OH? Has there? Well, it's pretty clear to me," (y/n) snapped, thinking the only misunderstanding between them was that Kris fucking Hart thought every man should bow down at her feet.
"Do you know how much misery you've put me through all these years? Huh? Do you know how much I hate going to your house?"
"I don't understand."
"Sweetheart..." Kris and Ray breathed, wondering where all her rage came from. She'd shown timidity and sadness before, but not like this.
The hero cursed himself for not seeing it sooner, wishing he'd revealed his feelings sooner so she didn't doubt his word. But she did, and he'd hurt her by toeing blurred boundaries, meaning Kris now looked like a deer in headlights. Hate was a strong word, and she'd had no idea the poor girl felt like that...
"You two! I've seen you together--you don't have to hide it! All the whispers and giggles, sneaking off to chat in corners, giving each other fucking...bedroom eyes!" (y/n) choked, emotion tightening her throat as she recalled all the times when Ray left her side to flirt with the ever-lovely Mrs Hart.
The kids gagged at such a notion, knowing the man didn't give his "grown-up look" to anyone else, but she didn't understand. All (y/n) knew was that any time they saw Kris, Ray found his way to her side, eagerly talking about something to the point of grinning at her mere presence. Now, they were on a first-name basis, exchanged hugs, and clearly discussed more than they told her. What had she missed?
"And I get it... He's gorgeous, funny, kind, and so stupid you wouldn't believe it, but I know he can't help it. I love a man who loves to flirt, and I know he can't help himself. But you can..."
"(y/n), please..." Kris said quietly, tears gathering in her eyes as she observed the girl descending increasingly into self-doubt and fear. She was young and in love, not like her - a married woman. It didn't feel right that she was so scared over something entirely innocent.
If only they'd seen it sooner...it would've never gotten so out-of-hand. Miss Danger couldn't help herself, rambling until she didn't know how to stop, even when she started making cheap shots. That wasn't like her, but she needed to get it off her chest. She felt like a tiny, insignificant insect as she ripped her enemy apart.
"So, why can't you just...go away? Why do you have to be so much better than me? You have beautiful hair, skin, teeth, makeup, and clothes--you're a mom! Would it kill you to have a day off once in a while? Be ugly for once!" She cried, hugging herself tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks like they often did recently.
It was one blow after another, but now the world knew. She felt jealousy, doubt, and bitterness like everyone else. She had bad days amongst the many good. As much as she smiled, made jokes, and stood perfectly still like a dependable, reliable rock in everyone's lives, she was just as despicable as the next person.
She was human, and she wanted to save what was hers.
"I thought I could deal with it before we got together, but now... Knowing that no matter what I do, I'll always be second best because he can't have you... It kills me..." Ray stared at the back of her head as she sobbed, wondering where they went wrong--where he went wrong and made her feel so worthless.
Second best? Captain Man would never settle for something so low, not that he had. Didn't she know how his world revolved around her? Apparently not; (y/n) swore her family hated her as their eyes fixed on her shaking body, setting her reputation alight in one jealous fit.
That was the worst thing. Not Drex. Or Henry leaving. Or losing Ray. It was knowing that she did this to herself over something insignificant.
Because, really, what had Kris done? Genuinely, had she ever slept with her doofus? No. Had she kissed him? Nope. Had she gone on a date with him? Never. All she had was a gut feeling and some small glimpses she found every few months to tell her of their infidelity. It was hardly criminal, unlike her terrible judgement.
"I hate you, and the worst thing is, it's not even justified. I have no valid reason--no proof, but I do. And that makes me a bad person...and I hate that too."
As she finished, the Man Cave became eerily quiet, biting her lip to keep the sobs in. The tension was palpable, born from the exposed knowledge that two women, who hardly knew each other, caught the attention of one man in one way or another. It was even more awkward for Henry, who, even though standing to the side, felt like he was in the middle, torn from an impossible choice.
He knew this day would come. (y/n) couldn't pretend to like his mom forever, and he knew more than anyone else the crap the heroine went through when Ray misguidedly flirted elsewhere. Perhaps the man regretted it and his past flings on reflection, but it was too late.
If Henry wanted the ground to swallow him whole, he didn't want to know what the poor girl felt.
Especially when his mom opened her mouth - like she had a death wish.
"You love the spring cherry blossoms..."
"What?" (y/n) frowned, looking up and breaking Kris' heart at the sight of her tear-stained cheeks, but she swore she misheard her, bracing herself for a furious backlash. But it never came.
"You like to sleep on the left side of the bed. You talk to plants like they'll talk back. Your tongue sticks out when you're counting..." Her eyebrows knitted together as the blonde carried on, appearing almost kind as she whispered little secrets she shouldn't have known. They were precious--some of them (y/n) didn't even realise until she thought about them.
"How do you..."
"You treat Colin like he's your baby, even though he's just a rabbit. You ask for extra sweetness in your iced coffee. You say you're not ticklish, but you are... You definitely are..."
"Okay, what witchcraft is this? I always suspected it, but where's your broomstick?" She asked firmly, trying to be defensive even as the woman bared all her vulnerabilities and quirks like it was a yard sale. Let's all come and hear what weird things (y/n) likes to do because she's fucked in the head--more of a bitch than anyone else because she's never happy with what she's got.
"I'm so sorry, (y/n), if I misled you. It wasn't my intention, and I can't apologise enough," Kris said gently, standing before the startled woman, who knew she was dreaming. She had to be. Why else would Mrs Hart, her sworn enemy and Ray's ideal type, be apologising to her? After all those mean things, too...
"I beg your pardon?"
"Do you remember when Captain Man once stayed at our house for a week?" The question came out of nowhere, but (y/n) didn't need to hear it twice.
Of course, she remembered the week from hell. From Monday to Sunday, Ray slept in the Harts' House, acting like they were his family on the pretence it was his job. Then, he went home and told (y/n) all about it, leading her to believe he'd found his dream woman in someone else's wife.
"Don't remind me..."
"He thought he could be my husband..." Kris laughed, making Ray crack a shy smile to defuse the tension - although, in hindsight, it was a mistake. (y/n)'s face fell instantly, not liking what she was insinuating, and her defences went back up, glaring at the woman for reminding her that she stole her doofus' heart first.
"Are you winding me up?"
"He's probably never told you because I agree--he is stupid," the blonde quickly calmed her nerves, realising she'd approached it the wrong way.
What a mistake that week was, and Ray still shuddered to think he had tried to replace his sweet girl. Kris was right; he was as dumb as his fiancée had always said he was, believing he could steal someone else's family when he already had one in the Man Cave - with his perfect girl in the centre.
"He spent the whole week daydreaming about you, and whenever Henry mentioned your name, he got so sad."
"It's true, darlin'..."
"Oh..." (y/n) hummed, finding it slightly suspicious that she was only learning this now, but it chipped a speck of anger away. Like Ray, she was a mess that week--for an entirely different reason. He seemed so happy as Kris' husband that she was reduced to tears, sobbing every night he slept under their roof. If only she'd known he didn't find what he was looking for...
"I told him to tell the girl he loved how he felt, and he'd get the family he wanted. What did I say to you, Mr Manchester?" Mrs Hart asked the hero, looking almost wistful for reasons (y/n) didn't understand.
"If it's true love, she'll never leave..."
The older woman's words shook the heroine to her core because her archenemy claimed that she gave her doofus advice on how to date her. She pushed him into (y/n)'s arms rather than keeping her for himself, and it was groundbreaking, rewriting everything she'd ever assumed about the blonde beauty. So much so that she didn't want to believe it, not after her spite and envy.
"Wait... You said that? But--but--but you and him! I saw you!" She gabbled, trying to find any words to call her out and find a fact. Just something that meant she could be hurtful again - to give her the right to say something cruel without being wrong.
"Believe me, (y/n), I've never seen a man more in love than this one. I can't tell you how proud I was when he finally got down on one knee..." But Kris was so lovely; it was almost sickly sweet. Suddenly, she turned the world on its head, making (y/n) scramble to reinforce her ancient prejudices because she was supposed to be evil and conniving.
No one could tell her all those years of flirting meant nothing. But Kris did. She looked at her with kindness and sympathy, like she understood her discomfort and distrust, not that (y/n) wanted that. She wanted a fight because that's what enemies do, right? Mrs Hart was supposed to be her enemy...so why was she being nice?
Pride had nothing to do with it. Pride made her think of a mother figure cheering on a young couple madly in love, and that didn't fit her profile. Pride brought down her defences--as did Ray when he inched closer.
"I, uh...asked her for advice on the ring...and the wedding...and an embarrassing amount of other things too," he said quietly, picking up his fiancée's hand to kiss her left finger - the one that was mythically connected to her heart.
Was that all their shared whispers? All those instances in secluded corners with their backs turned? The friendliness that came out of nowhere? It all came down to a man out of his depth going to a woman who'd done it all before, leaving him utterly loyal and her annoyingly innocent.
It made sense when (y/n) put it like that, organising everything in her head like she would with a math problem so it was all neat and tidy in her brain. She had to rationalise it; otherwise, she'd go insane trying to see that Kris wasn't the she-devil she'd imagined, and that's when it happened.
"We're friends... Nothing more," Mrs Hart's soft voice promised, turning light and mirthful at the end when she noticed how the tip of (y/n)'s tongue poked out between her lips as she crunched the facts. She was pretty cute when she did that, except for her scowl when she realised her subconscious action.
"...Why do you know about all the weird things I do?" The heroine asked cautiously as she zipped her tongue back into her mouth, showing no signs of aggression, thank God, but she was still wary.
"Ray loves them. He never shuts up about you whenever we see each other. All I hear is (y/n), (y/n), (y/n), all day long. I think it's because he's a little bit in love with you..."
Well, that was new. A blazing heat suddenly stewed on (y/n)'s face, making her uncomfortable and awkward as everyone stared at her. Hearing Kris acknowledge and encourage Ray's devotion to her melted any anger away. It replaced it with...well, she didn't know how to feel.
On the one hand, she was pretty smug, wanting to rub it in the world's face that she had the most handsome, hottest, bravest man as her lover, and no one could take him away. Yesterday, she would've gladly flaunted it in the woman's face, but now she wasn't so sure.
On the other hand, she could hardly call this a victory, not when she'd smeared a good woman's name who wanted nothing but the best for her. It sucked because (y/n) wanted to hate her, but Mrs Hart was quite nice. Quite annoying and cryptic, possibly very misguided in how she handled the situation, but her intentions were good. Hers, however, weren't.
And that made (y/n) beastly and icky. A horrible person for jumping to conclusions based on emotion, not fact. At least in her mind.
"...Suddenly, I feel very stupid," she said, looking up with an almost robotic expression, her mouth pulled taut, and her facial muscles relaxed. But her eyes gave her away, seeming so serious and mortified at what she'd done. Now she knew why she never ran her mouth like that, even if the outcome was cathartic.
"And mean...really mean. I don't like being mean--I'm sorry." An apology felt a little weak, especially when she shamefully offered it to Kris and her doofus with a fleeting glance, preferring to stare at her boots. Now she knew how Henry felt, knowing it was silly to start shouting and saying stupid things out of anger, although she shared his sentiment.
She wasn't sorry for what she said, just how she said it. The difference between them was that she was an adult and could deal with problems as such. Not her finest moment.
"Don't be. I think we both had misunderstandings--and it certainly doesn't make you a bad person when you're angry," Kris told her kindly, tentatively placing a hand on (y/n)'s shoulder as if giving an old friend some advice. She stared at it, wondering if this was real or a dream.
"I don't hate you. At least, I don't think I do now..." she said after a while, finding the right words to explain her whirlwind of emotions.
They'd never be friends - at least not properly- but she felt a shift that felt like acceptance--like they could share a mutual respect as women who loved idiotic men and adorable children.
"I'm just...jealous 'cause I don't want anyone to take him away. Especially not someone prettier than me."
"I think Captain Man has a different opinion," the blonde laughed, pointing to where Ray was impatiently waiting behind (y/n)'s back, wringing his hands together because he wanted to sweep his sweet girl off her feet. Of course, she jumped into his arms, holding him close as he squeezed her back, proving that everything Mrs Hart had ever said was right.
It was true love, and (y/n) would never leave, not even when he befriended hot moms.
"Why don't we start over? From the beginning, and put all this mess behind us..." Kris suggested, hoping to start afresh with the woman since they'd never gotten off on the right foot. It was impossible when her son worked in such a mysterious place, and secretly, she'd always loved Miss Danger--admired her almost as much as she did with (y/n) (y/l/n).
Honestly, anyone who wanted to take on a superhero for a husband deserved a medal. She didn't want that life - not a chance.
"Okay," the girl said with a small smile, pulling away from Ray before he could sneak in a few kisses. There'd be time for that later, but now, she wanted to end this. They were too old to fight like children, and her battered heart didn't deserve to hurt anymore, not when he'd wanted a hundred and one million years to find her again.
Nothing was if that wasn't devotion, so (y/n) faced Kris with a blank yet polite stare as if she were meeting a stranger, who offered her hand like she should've done the moment they met.
"Hi, I'm Kris. Nice to meet you..."
"Miss Danger, but you can call me (y/n)," the heroine said softly, shaking her hand as a new era and wave of calm washed over her. The Man Cave was silent, but she was okay with that.
It wasn't love; it wasn't hate - it was just acceptance. Peace. A calm existence that made everyone brief a sigh of relief like war was over. They didn't have to be friends, but they didn't have to be enemies. Just two women who both adored Henry Hart. And that was good enough for (y/n).
"Your son is an excellent employee..." she joked, sharing a genuine laugh with Henry's mom like she enjoyed her company because she enjoyed being in her presence for the first time in six years. Her perfume smelled sweet, she had a pretty smile, and she firmly held her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary.
It felt good and weirdly nice. This would take some getting used to, retraining her brain to keep her claws in whenever they came together.
"You know, when he was little, he pretended to be a superhero! He played with my best dresses and makeup--"
"Okay! Okay, okay, cool, cool, cool. You don't hate my mom anymore. You've put years of trauma behind you--let's all hold hands and sing John Lennon...and forget that," Henry exclaimed, clamping a hand over his mom's hand because, like usual, she said too much.
Except for the brief moment when she said just enough. That was okay. He couldn't be more grateful because she did what he couldn't.
She brought the Great Mom Fiasco of the Man Cave to an end in one conversation, leaving the couple more disgustingly in love than ever. And he didn't think that was possible.
So ended the Great War, leaving (y/n) and Kris Hart chatting like old acquaintances, cautiously monitored by Piper as focused on other things. One problem finished, and another began: their progress on stopping the most significant threat the heroic trio had ever faced in their careers.
"How's the Omega Weapon coming?" Henry asked Charlotte as he turned away from the chuckling adults. Ray happily got all kissy-kissy with his sweet girl, shamelessly bragging about her to Mrs Hart, heating the heroine's cheeks.
Another thing for him to gag about, especially since she didn't seem worried about his mom anymore. She even relished having a proper grown-up to talk to, gossiping about wedding things as Charlotte tinkered with a few switches and buttons.
"Almost done, just waiting for your dad to come back with the Shellgon crystals," she told him, fiddling with some doohickey that Henry didn't understand. But he heard one thing and hoped it was another misunderstanding because he swore she just mentioned Mr Hart - the world's most unreliable delivery boy.
"My dad?!"
"Yeah, I know..." Charlotte said slowly, taking her eyes off the powerful weapon for a second to give him a slight wince. He wasn't her first option, but. With everyone else occupied or essential, Jake was the only person she could send down into the Man Cave depths to retrieve the energy-giving crystals.
"You sent my dad to get Shellgon crystals?!"
"Yeah, it's been a big day!" She replied defensively, not liking her friend's tone. What else was she meant to do when he and (y/n) were off finding Ray? Sure, they were highly dangerous, and removing them from the Man Cave's depths hardwiring was very complicated, but what choice did she have?
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait--" (y/n) paused, stepping in when she heard a very troubling detail amongst the kisses and snuggles Ray smothered her in. "The Shellgon crystals?! The ones under the right tube pad? Right next to the iridium crystals under the left tube pad?!"
"Yes!" Charlotte replied, looking at the woman like it was obvious and wishing she'd return to her doofus. Of course, she knew all the technical details but didn't have to say it like she was stupid. There was only one set of crystals for all ten Man Caves, but two different types; the Omega Weapon needed the Shellgon ones, but knowing Mr Hart, he'd take the iridium crystals, which were highly dangerous and volatile when touched.
"But Schwoz always told us..." (y/n) muttered, looking pensive as Ray came up behind her to wrap his arms around her body. Smooching her cheek, a strange look washed over his face before he tensed up and spoke in an even stranger voice. His Schwoz voice...
"The iridium crystals regulate the power source for the tube system that runs through all the Man Caves. If they get removed--"
"It could be bad?" (y/n) suggested, an amused smile gracing her features at her doofus' silliness. He sounded scarily accurate, yet she knew Schwoz wouldn't appreciate his mockery if he ever heard them. Not that he could after Drex kidnapped them - that's why they had to ensure Mr Hart hadn't caused another disaster, so they could save him, Bose, and Swellview.
"Real bad, schweetheart--Real bad, sweetheart," he coughed, switching back to his true voice when he couldn't stop. Wrinkling his nose, the hero busied himself with kissing (y/n)'s cheek again, avoiding the slight awkwardness of getting too into doing Schwoz's voice. She happily wriggled in his arms, making Mrs Hart bite her lips to stop staring at them - too cute.
"Like, how bad?" Piper asked, hoping (y/n) could hear her through the giggles and kisses. God, they'd only been separated a few hours. Still, the hero was relentless, mumbling in her ear even when his precious girl tried to pay attention.
"Like it could cause a chain reaction that could blow up every single Man Cave," she explained in a serious tone that didn't quite fit how Ray kept rubbing his cheek against the top of her head like a cat.
"And you sent my dad?!" Henry reiterated, giving Charlotte an exasperated look because she still chose Mr Hart for the perilous yet vital mission despite all that stuff about explosions and doom. Was she insane?
"It's been a big day!" She snapped back, thinking they should've more faith in her and Henry's dad. But even Mrs Hart looked nervous, anxiously clutching her forehead at the thought of whatever mischief and chaos her husband was embroiled in - he wasn't the most intelligent man she could've married.
"You could have probably sent anybody else!" Ray barked, starting a mad argument between the group as he and Charlotte spat venom with Henry and (y/n) trying to play referee. Still, even they were struggling to remain calm. Piper tried to soothe her mom, saying her dad couldn't be that bad, but it seemed so bleak when everyone shouted so much.
That is until the elevator pinged. The chirpy ding cut through their bickering, revealing an exhausted and disoriented Mr Hart. He staggered into the main room with rumpled clothes, sticky skin, and messy curls. He'd returned from his mission, thankfully alive, but the real question was whether he'd been successful.
"Here he is--here he is--here he is," Henry exclaimed, silencing his friends and family as his dad approached, looking as barmy as usual but also weirdly smug - as if he had something to be proud of. They waited with bated breath, wondering what the news was.
"Anyone order some...crystals?" Mr Hart asked coyly, thinking he'd done precisely what Charlotte asked. He presented her with a small cluster of aquamarine-coloured, luminescent crystals. There weren't many sparkling sprigs in his hands, but no one was certain if they were the right ones - the Shellgon crystals. He could've picked the wrong ones for all they knew since neither (y/n), nor Charlotte knew what to look for.
"Um, where did you get those?" The girl asked, her heart in her mouth as she prayed that the man had followed her instructions.
"These 'lil guys?" Mr Hart asked, holding the gleaming crystals casually in his usual bohemian manner. "From the right tube pad.
"Thank you! That's great!"
"It's okay! Disaster averted!" They breathed a massive sigh of relief, practically falling to their knees, for whoever's mercy gave Jake a momentary glimmer of intelligence. By the grace of God, he'd picked the Shellgon crystals, meaning his family and his son's coworkers clasped each other close and grinned, congratulating the man on a job well done.
Until he ruined it. After passing the green crystals to Charlotte, he reached around his back and revealed another batch, glowing a brilliant blue against his pleased grin - like a child looking for an adult's praise.
"But I also took these lil' girls from the left tube pad just to be safe!" And that's when the world began to crash down around them. The second (y/n)'s smile fell, alarms started blaring, signalling a catastrophe was unfolding in her home that had even Ray shirking himself from her body. Red lights flashed around them, turning everyone's bones to jelly when the supercomputer's monitors said run.
Nothing else. Just run. What else could they do when the ground beneath them was burning?
"Should we run?" Mrs Hart asked her son in a terrified voice as if it wasn't evident from the computer's simple instruction. Well, if she wanted to live...
"Yeah!" Henry replied tightly, not knowing what to do as his family bolted for the elevator. His parents disappeared upstairs, leaving the crystals and whatever would happen with Captain Man and his sidekicks for them to sort out because they didn't want to die. However, Henry knew his duty was with Ray, swearing to stick with him, (y/n), and his friends until the end--until they defeated Drex.
"Oh, sweet cheese, this is bad..." (y/n) gulped as she hugged Piper tightly, knowing she should've shoved the girl--and Charlotte--and Jasper--and even Henry--inside that elevator with his parents. It was almost cowardly how they ran and didn't look back, but she didn't blame them.
She could remember when they'd been so utterly knee-deep in dark waters, over their heads and drowning as the computer played like a stuck record. Every fibre of her being said to run, to take her doofus and babies and find somewhere safe, but she refused to move, not even when the girl in her arms whimpered in fear.
No one knew it yet, but this would be their finest hour when all came together as everything fell apart. Her place was by Ray's side at the end of all things, and she was with him, for better or worse, 'til death do them part, 'til their home shattered--and she'd do anything to protect those she loved.
The time was close at hand when their friendship and bravery would be tested, when she faced her demons and revealed a new part of herself in their hour of darkness...when Henry Hart would make the ultimate sacrifice.
The final showdown of Captain Man and his loyal sidekicks loomed, when life as they knew it would end.