Yes, I'm a geek. I actually wrote fanfiction about a formulatic "those meddling kids" cartoon with very little character development and depth. But the temptation just would NOT leave me alone until I gave in. It's like with Mario, I feel the need to inject depth into something simple.
A stolen cameo necklace and three suspiciously disappearing servants made this case almost too easy, Henry thought. And the butler had acted so strangely before the necklace went missing.
"All right, here's where the butler was last seen, just before the commotion." He quickly shut off the engine and parked the van in the safest place he could find, then turned to his brother. "Remember the plan?"
"We go in and act casual, start looking around, the usual stuff." Stanley shrugged. "It's not like we haven't done this a million times before, Henry."
"Yeah, but you always manage to mess it up somehow," Henry grumbled, and Stanley rolled his eyes.
"One time and you never let me hear the end of it. Why do you always have to be such a grump?"
"Because it's all the time, and you never take anything seriously," Henry replied. "Now let's go, we're working on borrowed time here."
"Just give me a sec!" Stanley ducked behind the van, then resurfaced in the most ridiculous disguise Henry had ever seen. He looked like a stereotype of an Indian from the movies, complete with garish makeup. "There! Now they won't know it's us!"
Henry almost resisted the urge to smack his brother upside the head. Almost.
"Take that thing off, you look like an idiot!"
"Oww!" Stanley rubbed his head. "You know, you're awfully critical of my disguises considering you've never tried to make your own."
"This isn't some stupid movie, we don't need costumes," Henry grumbled. "Like I said, you never take anything seriously."
"Maybe you take things too seriously," Stanley retorted as he removed the disguise, looking normal again in his usual green pullover and bellbottoms. "Man, sometimes I don't know why I team up with you, you're such a jerk."
"Well, maybe I'm sick of getting stuck with you," Henry said. "Let's say we go our separate ways for once and see who does better!"
"Fine with me!"
Unfortunately, they never got the chance. Their arguing attracted the attention of a large, burly security guard who grabbed them by their collars and whisked them off to a cellar where he bound each of them to a chair, then bound the chairs together.
"That'll learn you punks not to go sneakin' into other people's business," he muttered as he slammed the door behind him.
"Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten us into," Henry snapped once they were alone. "You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you."
"Me? I wouldn't have opened it if you weren't being so bossy!" Stanley shot back. "You're even bossier than Mimi, but at least she has the excuse of being a little girl!"
"Well, you're even goofier than Scooter and Flip combined," Henry said. "And at least they're not always putting on stupid disguises!" Stanley's brow furrowed.
"My disguises are not stupid! They're genius! You're just jealous 'cause you couldn't pull off an Indian ghost like I can!"
"Oh, like I'd want to go around looking like some overpainted movie caricature," Henry muttered. "You're such an idiot!"
Stanley narrowed his eyes, even though Henry couldn't see.
"Y'know, I know brothers are supposed to like each other, but I don't think you like me very much. And the truth is, sometimes I don't-"
"Stop." Henry knew where his brother was headed, and once he said it things would get a lot worse. Now was not the time to be dealing with emotional fallout. "Just stop, okay?"
"You first," Stanley muttered.
"Look, fighting's not going to get us out of here," Henry pointed out, and Stanley sighed, realizing his older brother was right.
"Yeah, but what is? I mean, it's not like we can untie these ropes ourselves," Stanley said. Suddenly, something caught his eye. "Hey, an axe! Henry, if we can somehow move next to that wall and struggle, the axe can cut us free!"
"Or just cut us! Stanley, that's one of the most reckless ideas you've ever had!" Henry groaned.
"It's either that or we chew through the ropes like mice," Stanley said. Henry sighed, deciding maybe for once he should give his brother the benefit of the doubt.
"Well, what have we got to lose? Let's get going," he said, and the two of them began the clumsy task of moving their chairs while sitting down. It wasn't easy, but several nerve-wracking moments later they'd reached the axe's blade and cut themselves free, thankfully without hurting themselves or their clothes. Henry grinned and stood up, stretching his limbs.
"Gotta hand it to you, for once your crazy idea worked!"
"Eh, it had to happen sooner or later." Stanley shrugged, then grew serious. "Hey, listen, about what I almost said...I didn't mean it, you know? Well, I did mean the part about you being a bossy jerk, but you're still my brother."
Henry smiled.
"Yeah, well, you're a pain in the neck and I wish you'd take things more seriously. But you're still my brother." He slung his arm around Stanley's shoulders. "Now come on, we still have to check this place out."
"Right. But first..."
"Another disguise?" Henry smiled wryly.
"Yep!" Quick as a flash, Stanley was decked out in a trenchcoat and old man mask. "If anyone asks, I'm your grandpa and we're looking for my pills." Henry rolled his eyes.
"You're insane, you know that?"
"Insanity is often confused with genius," Stanley said as they set off through the hall, and Henry shrugged. Stanley would never stop being Stanley, and maybe it was for the best.