21 sat uncharacteristically quiet in the purple halls of the Might Flying Cocoon's sickbay. He hunched over in the small stool beside a steel framed sick bed gazing his woeful sad eyes at the skinny henchman before him. 24 hadn't woken up since he was stabbed by the Murderous Moppets. And even though his pancreas had been stitched up, bandages tightly wrapped, and had a steady supply of blood moving into his blood stream, he still didn't stir from slumber. 21 recalled 34 saying something … something it having to do with 24 being so thin, and just needed more sleep to reproduce more blood cells than the average person. 21 however, was still against this idea as he impatiently starred at 24, waiting for his best buddy to wake up. Honestly he couldn't remember being more scared of anything in his life than the gruesome sight of Tim-Tom and Kevin shanking 24's gut like a half filled flour sack. Perhaps even more frightened than he ever had been for his own safety. If he had to live a single day without 24 around… He'd go CRAZY insane of boredom and lonliness. 21 continued to stare at his partner; absorbed in his negative thoughts, watching the delicate slow rise and fall of 24's chest, and listening to the blood dripping in the bag almost simultaneously with 24's breath. 24 was always the more serious one between the two. And despite him always choosing the losing side of an argument, he was the voice of reason. Though many people were taller than 21, 24 always seemed to be the tallest to him. It must have been because he was always around 24 or because 24 was more down to Earth, making him seem larger in the mental state. 21 noticed a contrast in his friend's usual look now. 24's thin slender shape relaxed and below him made him look so small. A look he never thought he'd see in 24 and didn't particularly care to see. This, was the frayed, underweight, weakened 24. Not being able to stand thinking of 24 in such a dim light he stood up and placed himself closely to 24's pillow. He looked from left to right, double-checking to see if anyone else was in the room with him. When he found none, he knelt down beside 24, habitually drawing circles in the sheets.
"Hey, 24… " for once in his life 21 was at a loss for words. "I uh… I think you should wake up. Like, soon. I'm tired of sitting here doing nothing but wait for your ass to move." It was than 21's knifing little subconscious came up with a game. It read back to him 24's most likely answer.
"Well no one said you had to stay up and wait for me."
21 giggled hearing the low baritone in his mind as he still gazed at the sleeping 24's face. This was fun. "God, I was JUST being polite. Geez, sorry if my best friend almost got stabbed to death and I was concerned." He crossed his arms and turned around defensively. The chubby henchman had quickly set the tone for the "conversation." He chuckled a little bit, knowing if 24 woke up in the middle of this silly little game of make believe he'd never let him hear the end of it.
"Oh come on, we never die! You just wanted to stick around me you big lug. You're always following me."
The sentence was plenty playful in 21's mind, but he sorted through it as if it had actually come from 24. He did hang around him an awful lot, even for a friend. But that's just because 24 was the closest thing he had to an ANYTHING. The anti-social teen he was had been kidnapped at 15. Even his mother didn't look for her son all that hard. So when "24" brought it up, he wasn't sure how to answer it. For a split second his mind hopped he didn't come off as annoying to 24. … No… no of course not, that's stupid. Still though, the idea spooked him a little. "Y-ya? So what? Maybe you're just always following me around?" Letting his imagination get the better of him he plopped back down in the small stool still gazing at 24, interested in what his subconscious was going to tell him next.
"Uh, No? Who's the one imagining who right now?"
"Oh that has nothing to do with thi-"
"YEAH it DOES! You're pulling me into your subconscious you creeper!"
"OH MY GOD how does that make me a creeper?! If I see you around all the time you're gonna be in my subconscious as much as Doctor Girlfriend and the color purple!
"But not the boss?"
"We don't see him ALL the time!"
"Well we don't see the Misses all the time either, maybe even less! But she's there."
"Dude, she's a total hottie, of COURSE she's gonna be on my mind."
"So, what? You love me too than or something?"
"Of course I love……"
21 sat up straight and stiff in surprise…. His gaze shot down quickly at his boots. Blushing he backed away from the sleeping 24…. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to play pretend anymore….
…. Did… did 21 just? He couldn't believe himself. He starred down at 24 again for the hundredth time that day, eyeing his partially opened lips softly breathing in and out. 21 bit his own, unsure of himself now more than he'd ever been, and confused as FUCK. He had never thought… No, NO! What did his mind just ASK him!? Him and 24? No way, no WAY! 24 was his best friend ever! He was like, like a partner to him. No not a gay partner just a regular partner!!! They were a team like, Apollo and Midnighter, or Richie and Virgil…. SHIT!! Bad examples, BAD EXAMPLES!!! 21 got up and paced back and forth in front of the door, trying to concentrate. Had he REALLY not thought of this before? Trying to stop his habit of looking at or to 24 for a possible answer, he took the time to try and remember himself.
….. Okay.. maybe there was his one time… it had been a complete accident, and 21 had been TRYING to rescue 24 from the evil black gloved clutches of Doctor Killinger… only for him to burst open the door on a masturbating 24…
"Eh, ya don't knock or anything. It's not like I live with 80 guys and no women. So there is NO chance that I'm masturbating!" 21 closed the door slowly behind him, somewhat awkwardly starring down at 24. Ignoring the reddish tint of heat coursing to his cheeks he played it off as completely accidental stare. It was human nature… If someone screams, "Hey everyone, my pants are down!" Everyone looks. "Chill! I thought I was rescuing you!" He saved himself. As he continued justifying his means he took notice that 24 was not in his uniform. He hadn't seen him all that often maskless. And again he took a mental note of the strong, deep, dark, brown, and annoyed brown eyes glaring at him. His concern returned at the thought of anyone inflicting torcher to the owner of those eyes. "What'd he do to you, what's in his Magic Murder bag?" The annoyed eyes blinked once before a wide smile broke out onto 24's face. 21 couldn't recall ever seeing such a wide smile on his face… He almost wanted to smile back just looking at it. "Dude, have you even talked to him? He's great he's like Mr. Belvedere!" That smile almost made 21 believe him. But no! That, that fat ass muttering demon took 24 from him! He couldn't be all that "awesome." "He knows nothing about honor, or living by the sword. He's not like us." 24 only rolled his eyes asking, "What are you talking about?" 21 couldn't believe this. It was as if he and 24 hadn't been mocking the tubby doctor hours earlier. 24 seemed completely all for the guy now. What the hell 24? What DID he do to you?! Determined to show 24 Killinger was not all that, he continued. "Seriously, that Killinger guy has brainwashed the whole Cocoon," he finished, trying his hardest not to depict the earlier image of that smile he saw on 24's face while he pleasured himself… "Man will you just talk to him already?" 24 urged stretching his arms out. "He's amazing! He CURED my HERPES! I bet he can even help you with your problem…" 21 recalled telling 24 about his, problem…. A premature problem… And 24 actually remembered that!? 21 left trying to kill the sexual thoughts probing his brain. "Alright he's already gotten to you. Stay back! Stay back pod person!" "Alright, whatever."
That was a one time thing.. a one-time thing! He hadn't thought about 24 that way since than… he hadn't... right? He peered over his shoulder at the bed. Thinking 24 was some how onto him, he'd finally turned his head to the side. Muttering something softly in his sleep. Nervous, but desperately wanting 24 to wake, 21 went to his bedside and looked over him with wide eyes. "2-24?" 21 asked anxiously. But much to 21's dismay he did not stir again. The confused and now discouraged henchman sat back down on the stool. He took a deep breath before leaning back slightly. It was cool. Everything was fine. He was gonna just sit here and just think. Sort out all this floating junk he had discovered underneath the piles of pop culture references, comic book heroes, and old movies he had in his brain. So, had that been the only time? He thought back really hard. Maybe… it hadn't…. He could remember small example not too long ago when he had tried to convince 24 that they should become a super villain duo. Using the jet packs he stole from Sergeant Hatred, they took to the skies in an open field. 24 had been a pretty good sport giving up his jet pack to 21 so he could get a few feet off the ground. Since one jet pack didn't seem to do the job…. Okay… yeah… he remembered THAT time now. 21 pulled his legs up onto the stool Indian style. That day he had decided to… test 24's culturific know how…. By bringing up perhaps one of the most blatantly gay songs in history.
"We could call ourselves Jet Boy and Jet Girl!" 21 exclaimed zooming passed 24 on the ground. 24 looked back up at him, either dazed by the exhaust fumes of the jet pack 21's exclamation, 21 didn't know. "What? Dude, that's completely gay!" He yelled up to him. "Well, what if you got to be Jet Boy if you're just gonna be a big baby about it?" 24's mouth twisted as he crossed his arms still looking up at 21 through his red tinted lenses. "No! Whose gonna take a gay super villain seriously? No one! Okay, a lesbian maybe, but not a gay, super villain." 21 faltered with the buttons of the jet pack, slightly failing to control it. "Oh come on. If it was something serious like rape than everyone would fuckin fear us!" "Dude that's so, GAY! And granted you're right, we'd still have to be gay ourselves. Which we're not." 21 was thinking about landing soon, until he heard that comment come from 24's mouth. "Damn 24, I thought you were," he said innocently, still trying not to look like an idiot with both set of jet packs strapped to him. 24 took a step back, and 21 had to giggle as 24's face turned as red as the Double Dare uniform he was wearing. "W..What!? NO!! You asswipe take it back!" he shook his fist. 21 kept giggling. How would 24 be if he was gay? He tried to be a hard ass like this all the time, but "sugarpants?" The guy was a big softy, no matter how he tried to hide it. Really, any girl would be lucky to have a guy as awesome as 24 around. He was pretty lucky as it was having him as a best friend. Now if he were 24's boyfriend, he'd know just how to bring out that wiggly smile on his face…. Errr…. Of course this was all speculation. ONLY SPECULATION!!! Hypothetically he and 24 would make a great match… but, damn… what a couple they'd be… 21 was lost to 24's rantings below, too caught up in imagining the idea. 24 hollered up at 21 trying to put him down. "You're the homo! Give it up already! We can take a bus." "Dude, Jet Boy and Jet Girl do NOT take buses!" 21 stated landing.
A loud buzzing knocked 21 from his recollection. He pulled out the butterfly shaped phone from his pack, discovering to be no one else but the Mighty Monarch.
"Henchman 21! My best man, Dr. Venture, requires parental vision for his boys so he can continue to mingle at Sergeant Hatred's. I am leaving them in YOUR chubby little hands for the rest of the evening. You will treat them as kings in the magenta quarters of our Mighty Flying Cocoon. Is that clear?" 21 blinked twice in confusion. He knew that the boss had stopped arching Doctor Venture and that he'd come to his wedding and all… but, why would he want him breathing the same air as him? Oh.. what? Babysitting!? This was perfect. He did NOT need the two Venture boys to look after with this new problem. "Uh, boss? You sure you want me to do that? I think 18 actually has the night off and I hear he loves ki"-"oh! Oh I'm sorry! Am I taking you away from your gay lover right now?! DO WHAT YOUR LEADER COMMANDS YOU!!!" The Monarch screamed into the phone. 21 sighed miserably. "Yes sir." He answered retreating it back into his pocket. He felt something else in there as well. He yanked out the pastel colored "Get Well Soon" card he had gotten the whole Cocoon to sign for 24. It had a bouquet of equally delicate colored flowers on the front. 21 frowned. He hadn't realized he had picked out such a fruity looking card. He placed it on the stool he was sitting on, just incase 24 woke up. Since everyone had signed it, he wouldn't know who it was from... probably. Before closing the door 21 took one more look at 24's head cozily snuggled against the pillow. 21's eyes grew sad at the prospect of leaving 24 behind.
"I'll be back okay?" Closing the door behind, he imagined hearing the familiar deep voice answer him. "I know you will."