Making an effort, I can enter my room through the window. I feel every muscle hurt. I throw myself in bed and lie down for a few minutes just resting. The last six days have been very difficult, with the departure of Captain Man the theft rate increased, I fought with guys I've never seen before. Every day, there is a robbery or a guy trying to do something crazy, as usual in Swellview. Just remembering that tomorrow is my last day fighting alone, it cheers me up and makes me wonder why I made this stupid bet.
Stupid bet that I'm going to win and throw it in the face of Ray and Charlotte... Oh right!! I have to tell her that I'm alive. I get out of bed and pick up my cell phone and see that there are countless missed calls from her, I call her.
- Hi Char, I'm fine, I'm already at home - I say with the little strength I have left.
- Then thank you for letting me know now - Your tone is calm - I thought you were DEAD - She screams almost making me deaf. I notice in your tone of voice concern and irritation. I push my cell phone away a little after the scare and talk to her again.
– I'm sorry, I'm dead tired, as soon as the police arrived I just came straight home - I justify myself, while I try to stay awake.
– Okay Henry, go rest, tomorrow is the last day of this silly bet - Your tone of voice this time is just irritation. I don't even protest because she hangs up the call herself.
I lie in bed again and only then do I remember that I'm still like Kid Danger. So I get a ball of chewing gum and a man.
...
- Last day, last day - I repeat this low as I go down the stairs - Good morning Piper - The greeting trying to keep my good mood and obviously she's weird.
- Good morning... are you okay? - She asks, but she seems to get the answer by itself - Oh, it's... Today is the last day of that ridiculous bet.
I keep thinking about what to answer, but I just give up and leave. I arrive at the Man Cave and find Jasper, Schwoz and Charlotte talking.
- Iaaae - I say it with a huge smile. They answer me anyway and keep talking.
I sit on the couch with them and keep trying to understand the conversation. Basically Schwoz was trying to explain something about science to Jasper. I stopped paying attention to half the explanation.
I get up from the table and give a scream: - Either, or or, - They all look at me - Let's go to work, Ray arrives tomorrow and this here needs is in order - I try to look as serious as possible. The three keep looking at me with a face of disinterest.
- Let's go... Jasper will take care of the store, Schwoz where is that new weapon you were inventing and Charlotte will mess with the computers and do what you always do - I give the orders quickly, trying to make my best imitation of Ray.
- I'm going chef - Jasper says getting up and going to the elevator. And only then do I remember that the store only opens in the afternoon.
- Your new weapon is almost ready - Schwoz speaks strangely excited. He gets into the tube and goes down.
I'm waiting for Charlotte to say something, but she hates receiving orders. I gesture my hands as if I were messing with a computer. With her face closed, she gets up and goes to the command table. The morning at the Man Cave was quiet, I even raised hopes that today there would be no crimes, but it wasn't quite like that. We were all together watching Judge Dog and then the alarm started ringing. Charlotte went to check what it was.
- It's a message - She speaks and then starts reading - A robbery just happened in that electronics store.
- Okay, I've been waiting for this all day, time to chew - I get off the couch and get the gum in my pocket.
- Henry let me go with you - Jasper appears in front of me as soon as I finish the transformation - Please - Beg him once again.
- Jasper, it's not a good idea and... - I think of some more reason - And people will recognize you - I try to make him change his mind and me too, because I'm already tired of doing it alone.
– There are costumes in the trinkets, I choose one! Please Henry, just this time - He kneels and starts begging non-stop and talking about several reasons to let him go.
I know that Jasper has always wanted to fight crime with me and Captain Man and he is a faithful friend and... Aaah I can't believe I'm going to do that.
- Okay Jasper, you can go with me, now get up - I say quickly, trying not to regret my words. He gets up and hugs me. And run to the elevator.
- You're not serious, are you? - I hear Charlotte say it. I'm already getting ready to hear a sermon from her.
- I'm... - I say low. And then your look changes. It's Charlotte's look of disapproval.
- Henry Hart, you can't take Jasper to fight crime with you, it's pure stupidity - She says getting up from her chair and walking towards me. She stops and crosses her arms, waiting for my answer.
I just wanted to run away, because her look scares me and I know she's right.
- Look, I'm tired of doing this alone.... and it's just an ordinary guy, I'll finish him up quickly - I confess, very afraid of her reaction. She puts her hand on her face and takes a deep breath.
– Henry - Your tone of voice seems calmer. I know what she's trying to do - I'll talk once again... - She keeps walking slowly towards me and I take steps back.
- Charlotte, it's Jasper's dream to fight crime... - We keep talking on top of each other and I'm moving away little by little. So I run and take a gun in the drawer and take the elevator
She screams something I can't understand. I get to the trinkets and meet Jasper with a hero costume.
- I'm ready to fight crime - He speaks in a comical tone.
Hours later
I go down the tube and finally get to the Man Cave. I keep thinking about how I'm going to tell you this without freaking out. So I see that Piper and Charlotte are on the couch laughing at something. They realize my presence and I just keep my distance.
- How was it there? - Charlotte asks, she keeps looking at the tube waiting for Jasper to come down, but that doesn't happen - Where's Jasper?
- Charlotte, do you have to promise me that you won't want to kill me? - I say trying to look as calm as possible.
- Where's Jasper, Henry? - I think she's already got what happened.
- It happened very fast... the guy fought very well... - I start saying all the information I remember very quickly - I'm sorry!! - I exclaim nervously.
- Tell right what happened - Piper talks and even she seems worried.
– We went to the store and the guy was there, he wore some kind of weird clothes, I think he's dystopia... I was fighting with him while Jasper took the hostage out of the store... The guy even fought well, then Jasper showed up and wanted to help, but then we got in the way and the guy took Jasper and pointed a weird gun at him.... - I tell everything in the most summarized way I can. I stop to catch my breath and talk again - Then he told me to stand still and with some strange device he opened a... portal. So he just threw himself inside and took Jasper with him and I couldn't do anything and the portal closed... I finish telling everything and I realize that I'm freaking out again.
Piper seems shocked and Charlotte too... Char takes her hands on her head and is silent for a few seconds and that scares me.
- I'm sorry, I'm sorry - I say despairing more. So I get closer to her.
- Henry... I warned you - Your tone is not of irritation. She is very worried.
- We need to do something - It's the only thing I can say. Because I can only think of Jasper and what can happen to him.
- Calm down guys, we need to think... - Piper starts saying - You told me that you've been through a lot of weird things... -
Charlotte sits next to Piper and seems to be thinking about something.
- Piper is right... we know that you can travel back in time and that there are other dimensions similar to ours... - She talks looking at me and reminding me of some missions.
– The Schwoz! We need to talk to him! - I say and I'll run to the tube and go down and look for Schwoz.
The meeting and I'll tell him everything in the smallest details I can remember. He discards time travel and believes that it was a portal to another dimension and begins to think about solutions. After a few hours Schwoz says he will explain to me what he did and how I will be able to find Jasper.
So I call Charlotte to talk at the trinkets. She spent the rest of the afternoon without talking to me much and was focused on helping Schwoz.
- Schwoz has everything ready... - She talks as soon as she sees me.
- I just want to talk to you quickly - I say and she leans on the counter next to me. - I'm sorry for not listening to you... I was very stupid and this is all my fault, but I'm going to bring him back - I say everything staring at the door of the store because I can't turn around to see her. It's a silence for a few seconds and then I feel your hand on my shoulder.
- I know you're going to bring him and that wasn't your fault - She speaks calmly transmitting a lot of confidence in me. I take courage and against my own body, I turn around and see her. She outlines a weak smile, as an attempt not to seem so worried, but I know she is.
I know that what I'm going to ask for is too much, but I also know that alone alone will be much more difficult. So I take a deep breath, trying to find the strength to be able to talk.
- Char, I need you to come with me to save Jasper - I say at once. She takes her hand off my shoulder and doesn't seem to have understood.
– Why Henry? I won't be able to help you... - She starts saying, but I interrupt her.
- Obviously you will, you're the smart one in the group... I'm going to be in another dimension and for sure there will be a problem that I won't get... I need you to come with me Charlotte - I say everything that's in my head euphorically.
- Calm down, okay - She says putting her hand on my shoulder again. And I try to stay calm, but today is being a very complicated day. She seems to be thinking and I keep rooting for...