~So. So. So. I sort of had a decision with this chapter. It was getting like way long and needed to be cut shorter because… actually I don't know okay. I'm just going to cut it shorter so it's neater. Otherwise it was going go over 8,000 and that felt like a mess to me. Sooo it was going to include the intense showdown that I have been planning and tweaking for months in my mind, but I want to be able to go free with that. I seriously can't wait. It would've taken a long while... I think… so here is some build up, I think it's pretty good build up. Ah you probably just skipped over this bit anyway. Ehehe… To the story! ~
It's the first time in a long time that he hadn't woken up screaming. Bliss is the only thing that came to mind when he opened his eyes that morning. Ray's arm draped over his waist in a protective, almost possessive way that made Henry's chest all warm. The fact that he had to get up now only dampened the warmth a little.
The teen clenched his teeth as he began the struggle of trying not to wake the older man as he got out from under the covers. Turns out he didn't have to try for very long. Ray shifted making a tired noise in his throat trying to pull Henry back to him with the arm still around the boy's midriff.
"Ray," Henry drew out his name in a cute whine. "You have to let me go."
Ray made that tired noise again, and it crackled with a higher pitch. "Noooo. Don't go." He pulled Henry as close as possible and nuzzled his face back into the top of the blond's spine. The teen shivered when Ray's breath tickled the hairs on the nape of his neck.
"Come on Ray." Henry protested half-heartedly. When Ray didn't release him he rolled over in his arms with a huff. He came nose to nose with the older man who was smiling in a lopsided way that was both irritating and endearing.
"Stay longer." The whiny voice was still there, and if he wasn't sure before now Henry knew his boss was still a child at heart. Ray nosed his way down Henry's cheek, tucking his head under the kid's chin humming contentedly. Henry could help but grin and it stretched his face like it hadn't been stretched in weeks.
"I've got to go before my parents notice I'm gone. If they haven't already." Henry laughed, and he felt Ray's grin on the sensitive skin of his neck, followed by a happy laugh of his own. Henry puzzled a bit when Ray moved back so they were face to face again, the smile was still there on his boss's face.
"What?" He asked since Ray couldn't see his confused look in the dim light.
"I missed it. Your laugh." Henry felt something inside him flutter. Ray just kept staring at him with those eyes, sincere and awed in a way like he couldn't believe the existence of the person in his arms.
Henry smiled again resting his forehead against Ray's. "I really do have to go, Ray."
The hero sighed adjusting his hold on Henry, who was raising his eyebrows at the man. He couldn't really see much of what was going on, but he felt Ray's arm swoop under his knees. He squeaked, clutching at Ray's shoulders, much to the amusement of his boss, when he was lifted up. Henry sighed in an unbelieving way as he was carried out of Ray's room, a room he realised he'd never been in before. Couldn't really see much anyway.
"After breakfast you can leave." Ray smiled as he carried the younger boy out of the sprocket and into the main room of the Man-Cave. Henry just rolled his eyes.
"I could've walked you know." He huffed as Ray sat him down on the U-couch, moving over to the auto-snacker.
"Yeah, yeah what do you want?" Ray said over his shoulder.
"Like, a tower of pancakes." Henry answered, and the sarcasm didn't compute with the machine Ray had activated with a cheeky grin.
"Tower of pancakes." Repeated a monotone voice.
Henry turned around in his seat, resting his forearms on the back of the couch. He looked at Ray, irritation barely keeping its hold on his face. Ray pulled out the plate with a dangerous number of pancakes on it and grinned at the kid as he set it in front of him. Henry begrudgingly rolled up one of the cakes and bit off a chunk, compensating for the lack of a knife and fork. Chewing with a sour face was difficult when it actually tasted like heaven in his mouth.
"Are you really going to walk home in pyjamas?" Ray asked as he slid into the seat next to Henry, reaching for a pancake.
"People have seen stranger." Henry said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I could just give you a lift." Ray suggested through a mouthful, with an eyebrow raised in question.
"Don't worry about it Ray. I'll be fine." His friend looked sceptical, and Henry saw again how much Ray really did worry. Before he could try and reassure his boss again, his phone gave a chirpy tone. Wondering when he put it in his pocket and how it managed to stay there, Henry pulled out the buzzing device.
Ray raised a quizzical eyebrow, one cheek full of pancake. "Why is your phone in your pyjamas?"
"I don't know…" Henry said looking at the phone pinched between his forefinger and thumb with a puzzled expression.
Before he could unlock it, a hand flew out and whacked the thing clear out of his grip. It landed with a crack and Henry stared dumbly at it, surprise slackening his jaw. He whipped his head back around toward Ray and gestured at the device on the floor, affronted noises spluttering out of his mouth. His friend was glaring suspiciously at his phone.
"For God's sakes Ray! What was that for?" Henry shouted bringing Ray's focus back to him.
"Not taking any chances." He said shortly, folding his arms. The phone buzzed violently on the hard floor.
Henry gave him that 'really?' look and stood in an overly faked manner, stepping easily toward the phone. Ray's eyes flicked from Henry's 'whatcha gonna do' face to the phone and realisation sparked.
"Don't touch that." Ray warned, rising slightly from his seat.
Henry launched himself toward the device sliding across the floor, Ray jumped after him wrapping his arms around the kid's shins and Henry was stretching his fingers out just pulling the thing closer. His boss was crawling his way up the teen's body trying to pull his hand back from the phone.
"Get off me Ray." Henry grunted, unlocking the phone and seeing who was calling. "It's Charlotte."
Henry felt Ray go still where he was, with half his chest on the blond's back and the other half on the floor. "Oh. My bad." He said sheepishly and moved off of Henry, both of them sitting up.
The boy just rolled his eyes, tapping the screen and holding the thing to his ear, before he could talk or listen Ray started lightly slapping his shoulder. Henry glared at him and then put the phone back to his ear, only to have his friend start slapping him again.
"What? What!" He whisper-shouted, whacking the man's hand away.
"Put it on speaker." Ray whispered back, Henry sighed and tapped the screen again.
Charlotte blared out of the device, a frantic jumble of words and insults. Henry and Ray both winced at the girl sharp tongue.
"Char, Char, Char hang on start again. You're on speaker." Henry said running a hand over his face, blinking tiredly at Ray.
"On speaker! What?! Who are you with?"
"Yeah on speaker, and I'm with Ray."
"Ray?! Wait a second, you said not four days ago that you wanted nothing to do with him." Henry looked from the screen to Ray who looked ashamed and dejected in a way that made the teen want to wrap him up in a hug, to tell him it wasn't true anymore.
"Henry?" Charlotte still hadn't stopped shouting.
"Well that was four days ago, things are fine now." Henry gave Ray a weak smile and the man did his best to return it.
"FINE!" It couldn't be possible for someone to be louder. "Henry your parents are worried sick, you hadn't left your room in three days and then you disappear in the night. What the hell!"
Henry winced, "Oh…"
"Damn right 'oh'. Now get home. And Ray." Henry turned to Ray giving him a scared look.
"Uh, yeah Charlotte?" The man said warily.
"Thanks for getting his lazy arse out of bed." Charlotte said sincerely.
Ray rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. "Ahh, it was sort of my fault that he was there in the first place."
"Huh?" She sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Never mind." Henry made a gesture even though the girl couldn't see it. "Look Char, just- walk to Junk N' Stuff and I'll meet you on the way and fill you in on everything, alright?"
"Yeah okay, see you in a bit." She hung up.
Henry put the phone back in his pocket and looked up at Ray. "I'll be fine with Charlotte."
Ray looked unconvinced. "Because Charlotte's a trained fighter isn't she." He said sarcastically, reaching out a hand to pull Henry up with him. The blond took it and when he was on his feet again Henry didn't let go and neither did his friend. Ray rubbed his thumb along the boy's knuckles reminded of all those weeks ago in the hospital room. He remembered waiting in that chair day and night for Henry to wake up and be alright. He never wanted to see the kid hurt again, he didn't think he could survive it.
Ray looked up from their hands to find himself trapped in those mahogany eyes. "I don't want to lose you again kid."
Henry's eyebrows drew together, sadness flooding his boyish features. Still a child. "You won't Ray." His eyes must've given him away because Henry put his other hand on his shoulder squeezing a little. "I promise Ray, just believe that. I'll never leave you again."
Ray gave a teary smile his hand came to rest on the back of Henry's neck. Their joined hands still between them. "And I promise to never let you go. Never."
He punctuated that last word by pressing a kiss to the blond's forehead. Squeezing his eyes shut and carding his fingers softly through the kid's hair. Henry smiled and didn't stop. Not when he was waving good-bye to Ray from the elevator or even when he stepped out of Junk N' Stuff.
He was too preoccupied with thoughts of his boss and how right it felt to be wrapped up in his arms. He took a deep, happy breath looking up from the cold pavement only a second too late. He hadn't noticed them, the two men who now had their arms hooked around Henry's own.
"Let me go!" Henry shouted thrashing in their grip. One of them let go and the other grabbed his free arm holding him still. The smaller one who had let go clamped a hand over his mouth, stemming any and all noises he could have made to save himself. Then he saw why the smaller one had let go.
His eyes widened, and he thrashed more forcefully, the metal prick of a needle glinted menacing in the sunlight. The man had a black ski mask on, ragged tears for mouth and eye holes. He saw the guy grin in a sickeningly vile way as he pushed Henry's head back to expose his neck further. No. Not again, not again. Please God not again. I can't, I can't. I can't… He winced when he felt the prick of the needle.
He barely heard the squeal of tyres as a van came spinning around a corner, distantly felt being thrown in. And knew no more after the men clambered in after him and the closing doors swamped his world in shadow.
~.~.~.~.~
Oh, she was beyond furious. Way beyond. Charlotte was a patient girl, and she had been with Henry. Always trying to be there for him when he needed it, especially these past few weeks or so. And when she couldn't, when he shut out both her and Jasper she just felt like screaming knowing full well it wouldn't change a thing. Well, screaming now maybe that'd stop her from shutting the door into Junk N' Stuff so hard that the glass would shatter.
The slam of it made the front windows shudder, but nothing broke. "'Meet me on the way' yeah right." She muttered angrily to herself, taking the tube to the Man-Cave.
"Ray!"
She couldn't see Henry anywhere yet, but he had to be here somewhere. Charlotte was surveying the room carefully as if the blond would pop up suddenly. With her hands on her denim clad hips, turning in slow circles.
"Charlotte?" It came from behind her, turning around she saw Ray barely awake with a tooth brush hanging out of his mouth and his hair a mess.
They both leaned up as if to look over each other's shoulder, each of their faces twisting differently but with the same emotion. Confusion.
"Where's Henry?"
"Where's Henry?"
When he saw that surprise play about on Charlotte's face, Ray felt his inside coil into thick, tight knots of fear. The kind you couldn't untie without another person. They squeezed his heart in an unbearable vice.
"He left." Ray took the tooth brush out of his mouth, bracing himself on the back of the round couch. Ray's breathing was getting faster and harsher, Charlotte moved over to him concern widening her eyes. "He left to meet you."
"Ray it's alright, calm down."
He wasn't listening.
"He left. Oh God he's gone. I should have never let him go, I should've kept him in the Man-Cave. Why'd I let him leave? Why am I so stupid? Why did I even hire him in the first place? He's gone, He's gone." His hands had crept into his hair tugging furiously at the mess of brown.
"Ray! Listen to me." Charlotte grabbed the man's arms and shook him until she had his focus. "We don't even know what's happened yet, okay? So, we need to figure this out. I'll get Schwoz." Charlotte left toward Schwoz's lab.
Ray shook himself. Charlotte was right of course, freaking out was not the answer. How the girl could stay so level headed was beyond him, the man moved toward the monitors but before he reached them his phone buzzed. He pulled it warily out of his pocket and seeing who it was Ray swiped across several times to answer.
"Henry! What's happened!? Are you alright? Where are you?" He ran his fingers through his hair again as he babbled worriedly.
"Not Henry. Well it's obvious isn't it, I'm fine thanks and where I am isn't important. Where I'm going is what you should ask." Ray's face became a mask of fury, his insides boiled.
"I should have broken your neck. Where is Henry?" Ray ground out through clenched teeth.
"Probably. Oh Henry's right here, bit unconscious though." Drex said blandly.
"I swear if you touch him, I'll kill you." Ray growled his tone dark and sincere.
"Ooh bit dark for you Ray." Drex mocked. "Anyway, flight to catch. Gotta make it big so I'll see you in New York's centre. That is if you ever want to see your sidekick again. You know, out of a body bag. Falls from great heights don't do miracles for one's health."
Ray's mind was filled with the awful image of Henry's face pallid in death appearing from the open zip of a body bag. He hated the cold sick feeling that spilled through his insides, at the mere thought of Henry gone forever.
"I'll make sure you see me."
The tone dial hummed, and Ray let the phone drop from his ear, his arm hanging limply beside him. The other, only barely keeping him steady, on the console. He slipped onto the seat resting his forearms on his thighs, his head hanging low. Hopelessness swamping him he grit his teeth and choked off a sob before it could pass the lump in his throat. Wiping at wet eyes Ray breathed deeply. Henry needed him, and he wasn't about to just leave him hanging.
Charlotte came back into the room followed by Schwoz. The little foreign man looked worried, and then concerned at Ray's expression. "Ray? What's going on?" He asked in that strange accent.
Ray looked down and away in shame but answered nonetheless. "It's Henry."
Schwoz's face dropped his features taking on an uncharacteristic dark look. He looked back up at Ray walking forward a few steps until he was right in front of the hero. "He's gone, isn't he?"
Ray didn't look at Schwoz just rested his face in his hands and sighed deeply. He wasn't aware of the anger on his employee's face.
"You let him be taken again?" Ray looked up at the horrified and downright accusatory tone. He looked baffled at the rage on the little man's face, the hero gaped like a fish out of water his brow furrowing. "Ray. We got lucky the first time, he could've easily died and now just because you let your guard down he's gone again. He's gone, and with Drex and probably going to die because of you."
Charlotte looked at Schwoz her face slack with disbelief, wondering what angle the man had by dumping all this guilt on Ray. But when she looked back at her boss, she was so confused.
Ray was staring determinedly at Schwoz and a grim smile twisted his dejected features, the scientist looked back with an identical expression.
"Thanks Schwoz, I needed that." Ray laid a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"No problem. Now how are we going to save Henry?"
Ray looked at both of them, spinning back to the monitors. They walked to stand either side of him as he began tapping and pressing.
"Drex called from Henry's phone." Ray explained.
"Did he say anything?" Charlotte asked warily.
"He's taking Henry to the centre of New York."
"Manhattan?" Charlotte suggested they both looked at her, "I mean that is the centre city of the state right."
Ray hummed in considering, thinking the girl was probably right.
"It's a big city where would we start?" She wondered aloud.
"He said 'falls from great heights' and that he had to 'make it big', so something dramatic. He'll probably have Henry on a roof top somewhere." The thought made Ray sick.
"Should we involve the police?" Schwoz moved to do his own things on the control panel.
"I'll go to the biggest police headquarters and ask for help. He said he'd make sure I saw him, so watch the news for anything. I better get there soon, I'll leave tomorrow." Ray's emotions were tuned out as he focused on rescuing the kid.
"We'll take the Man-Copter and wait for the go, if-when you find Henry we'll lift you out." Schwoz and Charlotte nodded to each other, and Schwoz's face slackened for a second before it became a grin.
"Oh! Ray! I've got a new invention." He disappeared into his lab again, leaving Ray and Charlotte staring confused after him.
"Ray?" Ray looked to the girl. "We should station Jasper here to keep an eye on things."
The hero groaned. "My Man-Cave is doomed."
"Hey! Jasper can be helpful when he has a reason and saving Henry is reason enough." Charlotte folded her arms and Ray grudgingly agreed.
Schwoz appeared again with what looked like a blaster but slightly bigger and with a wider barrel. He held it proudly toward Ray, who took it looking mildly impressed. Before he could even ask the little man launched into an explanation.
"It's my grapple bloob!" He shouted as if he'd just cured cancer. Looking at the mutual 'what?' looks on both of his friend's faces Schwoz thought a demonstration was in order. "Here look."
He aimed the bloob at the wall next to the elevator and fired. A fluorescent blue string of gloop flung out of the muzzle of the gun, like some odd chameleon tongue. Schwoz grinned tugging with force on the gloop. "Strong as anything, could easily hold thirty tonnes."
Ray scoffed holding out a hand for the device. Schwoz handed it over looking pretty smug, the hero rolled his eyes bracing himself to pull on the weird grapple thing. He tried with everything he had, his whole body strained with the effort of it. Ray grunted letting out a hiss as he stopped pulling.
"Woah." Charlotte said appreciatively, folding her arms with a grin.
"Haha!" Schwoz whooped, taking the launcher back from Ray. "Told you. And since you're going to be on top of a tall building, well it might come in handy. But it takes a while to charge so use it wisely."
"Yeah, okay." Ray pulled out his phone looking at the screen venomously, Charlotte and Schwoz watched as the darkness washed back over Ray's features. "Better start heading for New York."
"Weren't you going tomorrow?"
"Changed my mind." Ray grumbled unable to get the picture out of his head, he turned and left for the sprocket to get some things.
"Schwoz and I will leave tomorrow then." Charlotte said her tone slightly questioning, but Ray just kept walking. She turned concerned to Schwoz, he just shrugged with a sad smile and turned toward the control panel. Charlotte frowned worried for Ray, worried for Henry it was like constant nausea. And it had been there since that first disc came in.
~.~.~.~.~
His mind stirred and consciousness flicker back to life like a faulty light bulb. There was a quiet roar coming from what must've been outside, wherever outside was. He had no idea how much time had passed, but he could feel that he still had pyjamas on.
Henry made to sit up, he felt his wrists bound behind him uncomfortably numb. He blinked sluggishly and no sooner had the blur been shaken from his head a hand grasped his shoulder. Henry jolted but wasn't able to stop the owner of the hand from laying him back down, and when he saw the face above him the only comprehensible thought was. Nightmare.
The man grinned, and Henry squeezed his eyes shut. "Not real. He's not real."
A thumb swiped across his bottom lip and a hand cupped his face, Henry's eyes opened dread seeping into every part of his body. Drex was still there looking down at him with a hungry longing, burning alongside his mania.
"Where are we?" Henry's voice trembled, that fear he had nearly escaped holding him hostage once more.
"Oh, somewhere over the states." Drex said flippantly and as soon as he had, Henry realised what the sound outside was. A plane. One of the old and small ones with a propeller on the nose. There was barely any room back here behind the pilots closed off cockpit. Henry's legs were cramped up from there awkward bent position.
Henry tried to get up again, he needed to get away from this man. If he was real or if he wasn't didn't matter. Drex's hold stopped him, but he tried again to no avail.
"Let go of me." Henry's breath was coming in gasps now.
Drex shushed him quietly, one of his hands cupping the back of his head pulling him up toward his face. "I missed you Henry." The boy couldn't stop it. Drex took his lips in a viciously possessive kiss that was so unlike Ray's, and it held him tight in its grip. He didn't dare bite him again afraid of the consequences. The criminal broke away just enough to talk. "God I missed you." He breathed.
Henry shivered, terrified of the hold Drex had on him, he held his sanity in his hands. Drex manoeuvred himself over Henry, a knee on either side of the boy's thighs. The small space was very nearly claustrophobic.
"No." Henry muttered shaking his head slightly.
Hand on either side of the kid's head, the maniac stared down at the boy. "Just kiss me kid. Kiss me. He'll never touch or see you again. You're mine, only mine." He descended upon Henry again, still the kid refused to reciprocate the embrace.
Drex tugged savagely at Henry's hair and the teen cried out in pain, panting open mouthed with his eyes sealed shut. The criminal licked his lips at the sight, sadistic urges burning through him. The refusal couldn't be allowed. "Kiss me." Drex growled.
Henry wanted to be defiant, to shout in Drex's face but some frightened part of him took control and he found himself kissing the criminal back. The villain hummed with appreciation trailing his lips down the teen's arched throat. He felt Drex grin into his neck and nausea bubbled in his stomach. "I'm never going to let you go again."
Drex kneeled back sitting on Henry thighs, the kid just glared at him unable to sit up. The criminal pulled something from his back pocket and held it in front of Henry's face. The boy looked at it mildly confused it was his Kid Danger gum.
"Mmmh kept it from our last meeting," Drex grinned in remembering while Henry wanted to be sick at the memory. "Thought it might come in handy, especially for the show tomorrow."
The confusion Henry felt was sparked with fear, what did this man want? Whatever it was it definitely wasn't something good that was for sure. The criminal waggled the tube. "Open up."
Henry shut his mouth and Drex's eyes flickered with that psychotic menace that made the kid's chest clench in panic. The villain leaned in close, so he could whisper directly into the teen's ear. Henry just stared at the roof of the plane in defiance.
"You're going to blow a bubble or you're gonna blow me." Drex's calm voice was strained the anger barely held back. Henry's eyes widened, and he wanted to throw up. "Hey, I'm not worried, take your pick. I know full well that either will be good." Drex gasped with a thought and leant back to stare at Henry's alarmed face. The criminal flipped him over pressing himself against the teen.
"Or I could fuck your sweet little arse again. Hmm is that what you want? It is, isn't it." Drex rolled his hips forward with a groan.
"No! No. I'll blow a bubble, just please." Henry begged his voice trembling. Drex flipped him back over and Henry let out a relieved sigh, he heard the pop of the bottle cap and then there was a gum ball being shoved between his lips. He chewed it and blew a bubble, the familiar green light encased him, and he was Kid Danger.
"Ah there we go," Drex smiled leaning down to pick up something off the floor. "Love you in your uniform, Kid Danger." Henry saw the thing he picked up and jolted trying again to get away. Drex pulled the seal off of the needle, flicking the small glass cylinder.
"No don't. Get that away from me!" Henry shouted his eyes wide under his mask.
"Don't get like that Henry," Drex pouted holding the teen's head down. "You don't have a choice."
Again, Henry winced at the needle prick, and hissed at the cold intrusion. It must have been fast working because the man's face was already blurring.
"Damn you." Henry slurred his head falling back on the seat as the world fuzzed and blacked.
~.~.~.~.~
The overcast sky was growing darker, but the city was still bright with life. The glare of the many lights highlighted the white flakes of snow whirling down from the clouds, clustered in the gutters lining the streets. Dancing in a carefree swirl about a laughing couple, coats drawn tightly about them their noses and cheeks flushed with the cold. Ray would have awed at the beauty of it in different circumstances. Right now, the temperature meant possible hypothermia for one probably still in pyjamas like Henry. Tonight, it wasn't beautiful.
He was almost at the NYPD headquarters in downtown Manhattan and he was attracting a few unbelieving stares being suited up in his uniform. Mutters of his superhero alias and excited exclamations followed him, but he ignored them, he barely heard them at all which was extremely unusual. He was too focused, too caught up in this feeling of loss. The unbearable feeling of losing someone forever. And it hadn't even happened yet.
Ray closed his eyes shaking himself mentally, it wouldn't happen. It wouldn't. Schooling his features in what he hoped was some sort of commanding urgency, the hero pushed open the double glass doors that lead into NYPD headquarters.
Commotion inside the packed building slowed to a stop, conversation dropped, and people turned to stare. Only the faintest of clicks and keyboard taps could be heard. Mutters of conversation were flooding about in waves as Ray continued forward into the centre on the room. The murmurs became louder 'Is that Captain Man? Holy crap it is! What is he doing here, doesn't he like base himself in some small town?'. People started to crowd him, and he looked about them, pointing at random to a young woman with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"Who's in charge here?" His tone was hard and unwavering. It was met by startled eyes and stutters.
"I- uh- that, that would be-" Before she could finish the crowd parted and a stout sharply dressed man with a shock of sliver streaked black hair moved between them exuding authority. His face held a sort of intense expression, and right now his eyes trained on Ray who had straightened unconsciously.
"Chief of Department Robert McKinney." He held out his hand and Ray gripped it firmly. "Why are you here Captain Man?"
Ray's face becomes stony and he wasted no time cutting straight to the point. "Drex, a high security criminal escaped from Swellview prison over a month ago." The Chief nodded, having heard about this he had even sent some of his best officers to aid with the search. Captain Man continued, he couldn't waste time. "He is here in Manhattan and possibly planning something major. It's going to be loud you won't miss it."
McKinney's face was set with vigour in the face of injustice, but a flash of confusion passed over his features accentuating the lines of worry that creased his aged face. His eyebrows drew together, "Why not just call this in? Why have you come yourself?"
Ray's fists clench and his jaw is a set hard line. The gaze that was directed back at the chief had the power of a cannon behind it. "Because he kidnapped my sidekick." The crowd around him gasped and mutterings broke out, silenced again by Ray continuing. "He has Kid Danger." The fear set Captain Man's stance rigid. "And has threatened his death."
The crowd was filled with a shocked solemn silence, every stomach rippling with nausea. That same thought in their minds, 'A kid, just a kid. Caught up in this?' Ray felt every stare accusatory or pitying grating on his worry thinned patience. His voice cut through the quiet easily.
"When he does show his face, I'm asking for your back up."
The chief's face smoothed with surprise before his eyebrows drew together in a look of determination. He offered his hand toward Ray and the hero took it a grim but thankful smile.
"We're behind you." Said the gruff man with purpose.
~ Yay? Nay? Cool? Boring? Intense? Bleak? How was it? ~
