Hello again! And again sorry for the long time between updates, the holidays really have made it difficult to find time to write and post. I'll do my very best to get episode 10 out before the end of the year. I'm glad to here you guys are enjoying this story. Please continue to read and leave reviews. I'd love to hear what anyone thinks of the new costume design.
Danger S1E9: Shaking Force
August 17, 2021
"Are you sure they're not dating?" Mika asks Kenzie, looking over at Henry and Babe who're laughing with their head pressed together over a tablet. The two girls are gathered with the rest of both their teams, going over more details for the video game. A task Henry and Babe are supposed to, but are clearly too distracted to, participate in.
"Who?" Hudson asks.
"Them." Mika says indicating Henry and Babe.
"Only in her dreams." Trip says.
"So, Babe does like Henry." Bose asks.
"Yes." Trip says emphatically. "Huge crush."
"Has for years." Kenzie adds. "But he doesn't like her that way."
"Uh, he totally does." Miles argues, nodding his head at the two oblivious young adults. "That looks like more than a dream to me."
"They're just friends." Kenzie assures. "Trust me, I've been through the ups and downs of this several times, I've seen that he doesn't feel that way."
"Well then, take a second look." Chapa says, "Cause, he's had his eyes on her since you got here."
"And he smiles a lot more since she's been around." Mika adds.
"But she's tried to date him before. He rejected her every time, very nicely, but still they've never dated." Kenzie insists.
"Well maybe he's changed his mind. Or he rejected her for some other reason than not being into her. Because the way he's acting, it totally seems like he is." Mika says. All of them glance surreptitiously at the pair.
"They do look super cute together." Hudson says, "And if he does like her, it would make her super happy."
"I'm sure he does." Bose says.
"Well, then we should do something about it." Chapa says.
"You want to force them into going out?" Mika asks, "That doesn't seem right. Even if they really should."
"Well then, we'll trick them. We gotta find a way to make them see how much they like each other." Chapa complains, "I can't stand the flirting anymore; and the way they act like they've forgotten we're around. They're completely ridiculous."
"Who's completely ridiculous?" Henry asks, finally hearing a scrap of the conversation going on only a few feet from himself.
"No one!" to many voices say too quickly to be convincing. Chapa scoffs sardonically at the two of them, who're now watching all their guilty-looking friends curiously. "My point." She says to her former conversers.
"Yeah, okay." Kenzie concedes. "You might be right."
"Yeah, I'm in." Trip says.
"In what?" Henry asks.
"What are you guys talking about?" Babe asks.
Her friends sigh hopelessly at her. "Oh, nothing."
(Theme Song: Henry's Voice dubbed over the image of Captain Man's bronze statue. "It all just kinda happened. It wasn't supposed to be this way. He shouldn't have died. But now here I am, doing his job." Cut scene to Man's Nest in chaos as the members of Danger Force and Schwoz run around reacting to an emergency alert blaring through the base. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this." Henry states and the music of the theme song begins to play...)
August 19, 2021
Babe is sitting alone on the Hart's couch, head in her hand, propped up by her elbow on the couch's arm, looking entirely miserable. Outside the sun is beginning to set and it should be just the beginning of a fun Friday evening for her. But she is alone in an empty house.
Her solitude is broken after a little while by Henry walking in the door. "Oh, hey Babe." He greets, seeing her on the couch. "What're you doing here?"
"Absolutley nothing. All of my friends have abandoned me for the night." She complains.
"Where did they all go? And why without you?" he asks, joining her on the couch.
"Well, Kenzie was invited to join some super secret smart people meeting with Mika and Schwoz and I was told explicitly that I was not allowed to come." She huffs.
"Mmm, yeah. That's a thing Schwoz, Mika and Charlotte do. I just got kicked out of the Man's Nest so they could have some privacy." Henry says, "I thought I'd come here to hang out with the rest of everyone. Where are Trip and Hudson?"
"Trip said he and Miles needed to finish writing the song for 'Danger Games'." Babe says.
"But… they already did." Henry says confused.
"I know." She says, "I told him that and he said 'oh, um, we're making another one.'" She mocks. "So, they're off doing that I guess, also not wanting me around. And I literally have no idea where Hudson went. He left and is not answering my texts or calls. Even your parents are off doing something together. So, I've been here alone."
"Hmm. That sucks." Henry says, earning a disapproving frown from Babe. "And weird. All of my people ditched me too. Schwoz and Mika obviously with the meeting, and Miles. But Bose and Chapa both sent me texts saying they had stuff to do and absolutely could not do anything else tonight."
Babe listens and grows clearly more suspicious. "Is it normal for them to do that?"
He shakes his head, "Not really, we don't ever plan to hang out or tell each other that we're not available. They usually just come and go whenever they want."
Babe nods with a puckered frown. "Yeah. That clinches it. We've been ditched, very thoroughly." She flops face first into the couch cushion.
"That's clear." Henry says, her attitude about it confusing him. "But there's still the two of us."
"I think that's the point." She mumbles into the cushions beneath her.
"What do you mean?" Henry asks, shifting curiously towards her.
Babe shifts anxiously, moving back up to face him, though curled into herself and avoiding his gaze. "Henry, you know that I… like you."
Henry blushes, "Um, yeah. I know."
"Well, for the past few days my friends, and occasionally some of the Danger Force kids, have been asking me a lot about you, and you know, my crush on you. They've been hinting about us going out. Like trying to get me to ask you out."
Henry listens, shifting uncomfortably. "Oh, uh, I've been getting that too. Danger Force have been asking me if we're dating."
She nods tensely, "I think they've ditched the two of us intentionally. Making it so that we only have each other to hang out with."
"Trying to force us into a date." He finishes nodding along as he puts it together. "Why would they do that?"
"Because they're meddling bothers." she says grouchily. Then questions, "Completely obnoxious, right?"
"Not exactly polite." He agrees, "So what do you want to do about it?"
She quirks an eyebrow at him, finally meeting his eyes with hers. "I don't know."
He smiles, not believing her subdued tone. "I think we should find a way to pay them back for their obnoxious meddling."
"How would we do that?" She asks with a mischievous smile growing on her lips.
He presses his two index fingers together and to lips seriously and says, "Well, the simplest way would be to do the opposite of what they want and not hang out, right?" Her face drops at this, but she nods acknowledging. "But that just feels like punishing ourselves." He finishes.
She looks hopeful and confused at him, "That's true."
"So, instead of doing that, we can do something together, have the best night ever, and find a way to revenge ourselves on them all while we do it."
Babe's smile grows and her face glows as he suggests this. In her flustered tight voice she responds, "That does sound like more fun."
"Right? And, besides, I know you've always wanted to go out on a date with me." He teases.
She nearly stops breathing as he leans closer to her. Her jaw is agape with trapped words, the corners upturned. They sit there for a long minute, her unable to speak and him growing more amusedly concerned. "Babe? Are you okay?" he asks.
A high breathy "Uh-huh" escapes her and then she's stuttering with unreal excitement. "Um, did you just…? I think I slipped off into a daydream… what did you just say? 'cause I could've sworn I heard you…."
Henry is smiling and chuckling lightly at her as she tries to speak, "I just asked you out, Babe. On a date." He clarifies.
"Oh." She says, breathing heavily.
"So, should we go?" He presses, getting up from the couch and offering her his hand. "We could get some dinner, spend a night on the town."
"Sounds good." She says taking his hand and letting him guide her away. "What do you have to eat around here?"
"Nothing so good as fruit bars and water in the back of a zipper car, but I know some places." He says making her laugh.
"That is a lot to live up to, but I trust you'll take me somewhere good." She jokes nervously.
"I'll do my best." He promises, "You ready to go? Or do you need a moment to breathe?"
"Uh," she utters embarrassed and suddenly very aware of herself. "I should probably get ready: put on some better clothes and do my hair."
"You look great." He argues. His eyes flick up and down her figure from her long wavy hair to her torn jeans, non-subtly checking her out.
She makes a nervous, flattered sound. "If this is the only date I ever get with Henry Hart I need to make sure I look my best."
"But, you're already the best looking girl I know." He flirts and makes the both of them blush.
She lets him take her to his dad's old minivan in the garage. They drive downtown looking for somewhere to eat. "That place looks nice? How about there?" she says pointing to a restaurant they pass.
He glances at it the quickly away, saying embarrassed, "I'm not welcome at Sotto Voce."
"Why not?" She asks curiously.
"There was an incident, several years ago." He says.
"Are you gonna tell me about it?"
"Uh…" he utters awkwardly, "Oh look, Fred Lobster, lets eat here." He says, pulling into the parking lot.
The look she gives him is beseeching and amused. He hops out of the car and rushes around to her side to get her door. "Wasn't Piper in a Fred Lobster commercial?" she changes the subject as they walk up to the door.
"Yeah. But I still haven't seen it all the way through." Henry says. After holding the restaurant door open for her, they approach the hostess' podium and he asks about getting a table.
"Table for two?" the hostess asks, checking the restaurant for open tables and her reservation list to determine. "Right this way."
"Thank you" Babe responds, eyes wide with excitement as she absorbs the fact that she's on a real date with Henry Hart.
After being seated in a small corner booth and ordering their food, Henry broaches the new subject of "So, NYU? You and Kenzie are going to start there next week?"
"Yeah, sort of. Classes don't officially start until the following Monday. But we move into our dorm next week and then the school is doing a whole bunch of freshmen orientation things for a few days." Babe explains.
"What're you going to study?" He asks.
"She's going for computer science, obviously; that's entirely her area of love. I think I'm going to do business, but I also have thought about something in design. I'm not entirely sure yet." She says.
"Are you and Kenzie sharing a dorm?" Henry asks.
"Yeah, one room for the two of us. We'll see if we can't get sick of each other." Babe jokes.
"Mmm, yeah. Good luck with that. In Dystopia I just shared an apartment with Charlotte and Jasper and we almost killed each other like every day." He jests. "Sharing a bedroom probably would've been worse."
Babe frowns consternated at him, "Thanks for that vote of confidence." She berates with sarcasm.
"Sorry." Henry laughs, "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying it was harder than we thought it would be. We're all still best friends."
"Well, Kenzie and I are very excited about sharing a dorm room. We're like sisters and are going to do great living together." Babe asserts.
"Spoken like an only child." Henry teases not untruthfully, "Charlotte and Jasper are like siblings to me, and I have a sister, trust me when I say: it's much easier to get along with all of them when we don't live together." He insists.
"But-" Babe cuts herself off from her original retort to ask, "Didn't you and Charlotte date?"
"No!" Henry responds immediate and incredulous. "No, never, ew! She and I… we never… we don't like each other like that. We're best friends, nothing more. I've never been into her, you know, romantically. No, no, no." he shakes his head. "Why does everybody think that?"
"Because the two of you have been best friends for years and just seem like a good fit?" Babe suggests.
"No." Henry repeats. "I mean, maybe it could be possible. I guess it's not utter nonsense to think that, but neither of us want that. We don't feel that way about each other."
"Well, it certainly seemed like you might've." Babe says, raising her hands in surrender.
"Never happened. Never will." He insists.
"Okay." She says. "So, if not Charlotte, what kind of girls are you interested in?" She probes, hand curled under her chin and eyes looking extra wide and sparkly in her anxious curiosity.
"Uh… what?" he blushes.
"Since you apparently weren't dating Charlotte, who did you date? What happened at Sotto Voce? There must've been a girl involoved there, right?" Babe requests.
Henry blushes, "Fine, I'll tell you about it. Just don't laugh, it wasn't my fault."
"I will try, but if it's too funny I can't promise I'll be able to stop myself." She says honestly.
He groans, "Ray was cleaning out his old storage in the…" he glances furtively around at the others in the restaurant and whispers, "the Mancave, and there was a device there that could make someone goes crazy manly…" he tells her the story. Babe makes a real effort not to laugh but ends up failing as he tells her about the abysmal date and how it was interrupted by Ray. "…Needless to say, I took the blame for everything going wrong and was banned from Sotto Voce."
"Oh my god, Henry, what even is your life?"
"A huge mess since the day I started working for Ray." He answers seriously. She laughs more and he chuckles too.
"What about other girls? Surely, you've had more than one girlfriend; you're one of the most attractive guys on the planet." Babe flirts bashfully.
Henry struggles for words for a minute as his face burns. "Um, well, actually I haven't had a girlfriend since I was fourteen. And I only ever had two… two and a half?... girlfriends." He eventually tells.
"Two and a half?" she questions, voice having lost its nervous tone.
"There was Chloe, the girl I took to Sotto Voce, and Bianca. Both dumped me one year after the other to go star in the TV show Kids in the Woods."
"Wait, you dated both Chloe and Bianca from Kids in the Woods? I loved that show!" Babe says.
Henry rolls his eyes, and grumbles "Yeah, everyone did."
"I think they talked about you in an episode." She delights.
"They did?" he asks alarmed.
"Yeah, I remember Chloe and Bianca mentioning the boy they'd both dated." Babe giggles at Henry's obvious distress over learning this.
"Oh god, they mentioned me? Did they say my name? Does everybody know it was me they were talking about?" He worries.
She laughs at him, not unkindly. "I don't think they used your name and I doubt anyone knows or cares who that boy, you, are anymore. If they ever did."
He hums vaguely. "Somehow that was both comforting and ego-bruising."
Their waiter returns and set's their dinner before them. The young lady smiling at the pair silently as she sees the way Henry's statement makes Babe laugh. They both take a bite of their food before resuming the conversation. "Alright, now it's your turn." Henry says, "What crazy guys have you dated?"
"Uh-uh, you've gotta finish. You said two and a half girlfriends and you've only told me two. Who's the half?" Babe insists, pointing her fork at him before taking another bite and waiting for an answer.
Henry really groans this time and shrinks down in his chair, "Oh, right. I don't want to tell you about the last one. I was really stupid about it."
Babe swallows, "You're only making me more curious. C'mon it can't be that bad." She tries to persuade. "You tell me and I'll tell you the stupid things I did trying to get a guys attention."
Henry whines again and says, "No, you don't get it. It was really bad." Babe stares at him intently, not backing down. "She was a criminal." Henry breaks.
Babe mouth drops open in shock. "What?"
"I know!" he says, "It was so bad. I was completely stupid.
"You dated a criminal?" She demands astounded, food forgotten for the moment.
Sitting back up and leaning over the table to be closer to her, so that he can expound without giving anyone else the chance to overhear, Henry says, "Kind of, we were never really dating but we'd meet up regularly to… make out." The last words are muttered so quietly, like he doesn't even want her to hear him say them.
"Henry!" She chastises quietly.
"I was thirteen!" he defends, "She was really pretty and her flirting with me is how I got in undercover with her graffiti gang. But when Ray showed up so we could take them down, I couldn't arrest her, and I let her go. Then we started meeting up every few days, for several months, until she got arrested for something else."
"Henry!" Babe says again.
"And it was at the same time as I was sort of dating Bianca." He tacks on.
She gapes, "Oh my god," she says slowly, "that is so bad."
Henry slumps back in his chair. "I know. So, you really think you have any story that can touch that?" he asks and shoves a forkful of food into his mouth.
"Well, maybe not, but I do have some pretty embarrassing stories about crushing on boys." She says. He looks at her expectantly as he chews. "Okay, well I once had Kenzie program me a virtual boyfriend based on the boy I liked, and we tricked him into helping us make it." She offers. "And another time, she made me a dating app to get over the same boy after he moved away and got a new girlfriend. Which ended up a huge mess as all the guys on it were freaks and weirdos. Uh, I faked a psychotic disease once to make a guy break up with me."
"Who is this guy you had such a big crush on that Kenzie had to make you two apps for him?" Henry asks her, sitting up to stare intently at her.
"uh… his name is Mason Kendal." She says, "He is very cute and I had a crush on him for a long time. I did several ridiculous things trying to get his attention, none of which ever seemed to work at the time, but them he moved back from Florida because he apparently wanted to hang out with me so…"
Henry watches expectantly, "Well? Tell me what ridiculous things you did. Maybe they'll be enough for me to feel not so horrible about everything I did with Veronika."
"Her name was Veronika?" Babe questions intrigued.
"Yes." Henry sighs, "Now, tell me about this Mason guy."
So, she does, the two sit through dinner, talking and laughing over each other's dating horror stories. All of Babe's bad dates and awkward encounters with guys. The several times Henry started flirting with a pretty girl only to find out she's a criminal. "You've got quite the thing for bad girls, don't you?" Babe teases him. Their meal is over and they're waiting for the receipt to come back.
"No. It's not like that. I don't mean to fall for criminals, it's not a thing that I find attractive; they just too often happen to be cute as well as bad." he says, "I like good girls, I just have an unfortunate habit of finding the bad ones."
They walk out of the restaurant still laughing at their horrible luck with relationships. "Where to next?" Babe asks Henry.
He makes thoughtful but undecided expressions, "That depends on what you'd like to do. I really hadn't planned anything when I asked you to come out with me. We could go to a movie."
"Lame." She comments, "There's got to be something more fun than that. Movies do not make great first dates: sitting in the dark in silence, not paying any attention to each other."
"Alright, how about a trampoline park?" he suggests
She gives him an incredulous look, "Trampolines, really?"
"I guess not." He says.
"You really haven't been on a date in a long time, have you?" She asks amused.
"Not really." He admits awkwardly, "I do know a club for teens, we could go party and dance and such."
She looks amused, "That's a little better." She says, taking pity on him. "Sounds like it could be fun. Where to?"
He sighs quietly relieved and takes her several blocks away to Club Soda. They get in no problem but find they are easily among the oldest in the place. "Yeah. The last time I was here I was thirteen." Henry confesses quietly.
Babe laughs at him and rolls with it. "Well, let's show these middle schoolers how it's done." She says and pulls him onto the dance floor. He smiles ruefully and dances with her through several high energy pop songs.
Henry does his best to follow her lead, trying not to embarrass himself more than he already has tonight. Even as he fails to match her skill, Henry finds he doesn't mind, too entranced watching her radiate with delight as she takes over the dance floor; neither does she care that her moves far outclass his. Her enthusiasm is so infectious that the two of them lose all track of time and the awareness of everything going on around them as they dance and laugh together, singing along to songs like 'Millionaires' and 'Starlight'.
Babe's 'freaky' dance moves garner her the attention of everyone else in the club in no time at all. Most people give way to watch her instead of dancing themselves; those youngest teens that enumerate the club looking highly intimidated and jealous as she shakes and slides with confidence and ease. The few older teens looking more jealous of Henry as he moves less graciously around after the beautiful queen of the night.
It is many songs before Henry and Babe decide they need a break and find a table to rest at. They are both breathing hard as they take their seats. "You are amazing!" Henry tells her, "I didn't know you could dance like that."
"I've been dancing since I was three." She explains, beaming at the compliment.
"Well, you are excellent. You make me look like a major noob." He says.
"No!" She argues, "You're not that bad."
He laughs and says sarcastically, "Great, that makes me feel so much better about my skills."
"That's not what I mean." she says. "You're not bad at all; you're actually quite good. Most guys can't keep up with me for very long and you did admirably."
"How do you find the perfect words that can be taken as insult or compliment?" he asks.
"Henry!" she complains.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He says with a chuckle, "I am glad to know that my years of endurance training can be cross applied to dancing. At least I'm not collapsing beside you as you tear up the dance floor." Babe smiles impudently at him. He chuckles more. "Do you want a drink?"
"That sounds great." She answers him.
"Be right back." He gets up from the table and walks away to the bar.
Not thirty seconds after he's left someone else is slipping into the chair across from Babe. "So, what's a little hottie like you doing with someone as lame as Hart?" the large young man asks. He's clearly older than her or even Henry, with dirty blonde bangs hanging over his heavy brow. A cocky and cruel leer fixed in his thick face.
"Excuse me?" Babe asks the stranger.
"With those dance moves and the way you look, you could be doing so much better than that weenis." The man says, scooting the chair closer, uncomfortably closer, to her. "If you wanna ditch him, I can take you out for some real fun."
She wrinkles her nose up in disgust at him, leaning subtly away from his mass with a hard scowl. "Or you could get away from me." She says firmly.
"C'mon, there's no way Henry Fart's showing you a good time." The man insists, pressing even closer to her.
Instead of backing away, she glares fiercely at him without so much as blinking as she says, "Henry Hart is showing me a fine time and I have no interest in a repulsive creep like you. So, please, go away."
"Don't be silly, Sweet Cheeks. This is your lucky day. I'm gonna take you away from that looser." He says, slinging his arm around her.
"No!" she says, standing to get away from him. "You will not take me anywhere. Excuse me, I need to find a table untainted by your nauseating stench."
"What did you just call me?" the man demands, grabbing her wrist.
"She's calling you disgusting, Mitch." Henry says irritably, arriving back at the table with two drinks in his hands which he promptly sets down, a bit harder than necessary, sloshing some of the soda out of the cups. "And telling you to leave her alone. Which I also suggest you do." He continues as he grabs hold of Mitch Bilsky's wrist above where he has hold of Babe. "Let her go."
Mitch and Henry stare each other down for a moment. Mitch lets go of Babe. She takes a step away from him and closer to Henry. He in turn takes a half step between her and Mitch.
"Don't be jealous, Prudence. I'm just giving the girl a chance to have a good night." Mitch says, earning an irritated glare from Babe. "I don't know how much you had to pay to get her to go out with you, but she'll definitely have a better time with me."
"If she didn't want to go out with me, then she wouldn't be out with me." Henry refutes. "And in case you missed it, she told you 'No' and tried to leave. Clearly she's smart enough to know she wouldn't have a better time out with an idiot like you."
"Oh, I'm an idiot?" Mitch sneers.
"Yeah." Henry says emphatically. "You are. You've literally been a freshman in high school for ten years."
"It was eleven years and I'm a sophomore now!" Mitch corrects.
"Oh, wow! That's a real achievement." Henry mocks.
"Well, at least I'm still going to high school. At least I'm not a drop out." Mitch taunts back, successfully needling Henry. Though he tries not to let the bully see it, his lack of a biting response is telling enough for even a Bilsky to get. "Ha! Yeah, bet your pretty little minx didn't know that, did she? Right, Sweet Cheeks?" he asks Babe. "Still sure you wouldn't like to ditch this looser for me?"
With a furious air Babe step up to Mitch and spits in her bossiest voice, "Okay, Douchebag. There are so many things wrong with what you're doing and saying here; but seeing as your clearly as fatuous as you are disgusting, I won't bother trying to explain them all to you. I'll only tell you the most important thing you need to know. Which is that, regardless of whatever problems he has, Henry Hart is infinitely more attractive, courteous, and capable than your loutish self. I wouldn't trade a second with him for a year with someone half as supercilious and crass as you. So, leave us alone."
Mitch looks at her confused, trying to work out the insults she'd shot at him. Meanwhile, she takes Henry by the hand and leads him away from the bully and out the door of Club Soda. Henry doesn't protest, following her in shamed silence. Finally, about a block away, they stop at the Hart's minivan. "That guy was so… ugh!" she complains.
"I know, he's a jerk. Sorry you had to meet him." Henry says, unlocking the car. "Not exactly what you want to deal with on a date."
"I think it was worse for you." She notes, "Are you oka- I mean, what's wrong? I can see you aren't okay." She corrects herself markedly.
Henry smiles at her in spite of himself. "It's nothing." He says.
"Really, cause the way you and that douchebag were going after each other seemed important. Particularly the part when he called you a drop out." Babe prods. "What's up with that?"
Henry looks down shamefully. "It's the truth. I am a drop out. I didn't go to a single day of my senior year and flunked every class. Which, does make me a loser."
"A loser?" she retorts, "You were saving the world, weren't you? The second time you came out to New York was at the end of my sophomore year, so the end of your junior year, and you'd only recently saved the internet and all humanity from being taken over, losing your powers to boot. And your troubles didn't stop there. Why shouldn't school have taken a back burner to all that?" she asks, "You are the farthest thing from a loser."
He scoffs lightly, saying, "Babe, I took you on a date to a tween club because it's been so long since I've been on one that I apparently have no idea how to do it anymore."
"It was good. I had a great time dancing." She argues.
He shakes his head but smiles sheepishly. "There is no way this is what you expected from a date with Henry Hart."
She laughs and shrugs, "Well, no. Not exactly." She admits. He groans feeling defeated. She goes on, "Honestly, this was surprisingly normal. Which is not a thing I've come to expect from you. I expected more lasers and daring feats and a chase scene, or something like that."
"So, you wanted to go on a date with Kid Danger, or Barricade." He laughs. "Henry Hart doesn't do any of those things."
"The Henry I know does; always has." She insists.
"Only because you've been in on the secret as long as I've known you and I've had to do those things to defeat Minyak and the dumb zipper car computer."
"Okay, maybe it is because you're a superhero." She hisses quietly. "But I still thought a date with you would be more like those times than a normal dinner and dancing date."
He smirks at her amused and daring, "Alrighty then. Challenge accepted." He says.
"What?" she asks.
"Tomorrow night, you can have a superhero date and we'll use lasers and chases and stuff. See if you really like that better." He says.
She smiles incredulously and giggles nervously at him, "Okay." She says in her high tight voice. "It's a date."
"It's a date." He says, opening the passenger door of the van for her with a sweeping bow, "Now, shall we finish this one off with a grand finale of desert?"
"Okay." She says, glowing with giddiness again and climbs into the car. After he shuts the door and is making his way around to the driver's side Babe mutters to herself, "Another date. Two dates with Henry in one weekend." and stifles a squeal.
(Commercial break)
August 20, 2021
The next day finds Babe riffling through her suitcase in Henry's childhood bedroom, tossing items of clothing all over. Kenzie walks into the room they're sharing for their stay in Swellview and is hit by a pair of pants. "Woah! What the… Babe? What're you doing?" she asks.
"Ugh, I don't know what to wear?" Babe complains.
"For what? You're already dressed." Kenzie says.
"None of your business." Babe snaps.
"Hey, jeez louise!" Kenzie says, "What did I do?"
Babe stops riffling to look at her discernibly but doesn't give an answer. Kenzie looks back at her best friend completely lost. Babe eventually gives up and huffs, throwing the last of the tops from her suitcase back in it. "I don't have anything. I'll have to go buy something new."
"Again, for what?" Kenzie asks, sitting on the end of Henry's bed.
"Nothing." Babe tells her, "It doesn't matter."
Kenzie gives her a look of sheer disbelief. "You made a mess of the room for nothing?"
"Nothing I want to tell you about." Babe retorts with a pointed look of her own.
Kenzie frowns suspiciously at her but moves on, "Fine then, how about you tell me about last night?"
"I don't know what you mean." Babe says evasively.
"You were gone when I got back and didn't come back yourself until midnight." Kenzie near shouts, "You know exactly what I mean. Where were you? What were you doing? You and Henry went out on a date, right?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Babe insists.
"Yes, you do!" Kenzie says, "You went out with Henry."
"Even if I did go out with Henry, what makes you think I'd tell you anything?" Babe asks, "If we were out together it's only because the rest of you all ditched us so, we only had each other to hang out with. Which doesn't make it qualify as a date."
"I… well…okay…" Kenzie stumbles awkwardly. "But, you were still out with him alone. You've still got to tell me all about it!"
"No, I do not." Babe argues, "You don't get to hear any details of anything. That's all you deserve and all you're gonna get."
Kenzie's mouth opens desperately. "No, I know you, there's no way you can keep the details of it secret from me. The fact that you're not already babbling all about it is unbelievable. You're not gonna be able to keep it quiet."
Babe frowns at her, knowing it's true but refusing to break and gush about how great her date with Henry had been. "You will not hear a single detail of my date with Henry until at least after we've had a second." She vows, causing Kenzie to frown deeply and whine.
"But we're leaving tomorrow, it'll be months before that happens, if it happens at all!"
"Sounds like a you problem." Babe says.
"Babe!" Kenzie complains. She goes on begging and Babe goes on denying.
Kenzie doesn't get any spot of hope until that evening. All the Game Shakers and Danger Force are gathered in the Man's Nest when Babe runs in frantically, dropping a scrap of red material on the table as she picks up a tablet to use as a mirror to check her hair. She is dressed unexpectedly well in a sleeveless red mini dress and black leggings, with black combat boots. "Woah-ho-ho!" Kenzie exclaims alongside several other similar shouts.
"Dude, we're just going to play the demo of level one of Danger Games tonight. Why are you so dressed up?" Trip asks.
"What are you talking about?" She asks, feigning ignorance. "I don't remember any plans to play video games tonight."
"You don't? We've been planning it for days." Hudson says head tilted. "It was your idea."
"Sorry. I've got other plans." Babe says.
"What plans?" Kenzie asks.
"Hey, Babe, you ready to go?" Henry asks, entering the room donned in his new uniform. He stalls a minute as he catches sight of her, mouth agape. "Wow! You look great." He says softly making her smile widen dramatically. He blinks himself clear to say, "But you're gonna need a mask."
"I've got one." She says, picking up the red piece of rubber she'd brought in with her. Showing off the Kid Danger mask and saying, "I just need to know how I'm supposed to make it stick to my face."
Henry smiles amused at her and tells her to follow him. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Several voices call to them. "What's going on?", "Where are you two going?", "Why does she need a Kid Danger mask?"
The two dressed up young adults turn smirking to all of their friends and say simultaneously, "We're ditching you." And they leave, their friends gaping after them.
"I think my old mask looks better on you than it did on me." Henry tells Babe after he's helped her put it on and they're on the roof of the Man's Nest, strapping into the Man-copter.
"Where are we going?" She asks, smiling at the compliment and pulling a headset over her ears.
"We're going to have a superhero date." He teases, "Starting with a helicopter ride down to the city. You'll find out the rest as we go."
He takes off sharing a smirk with her. As the helicopter soars through the cooling evening air, Babe looks around in amazement. Henry guides them around the mountain and down into the city, showing off for her. And if it happens that they experience a few daring maneuvers on the way that cause Babe to cling to Henry's side, well, he certainly can't be blamed for them. After a few loops around the city, he brings them into land on a roof designated for the Man-copter.
The area of town they're in is dark and dirty. It makes Babe a little nervous. "Um, what are we doing here?"
"Don't worry. It's alright, this is The Beatin' Dungeon." He tells her, leading her to the door of a dingy, run-down building with the neon letter's TBD on it. "It's a club for villains and superheroes."
She looks at him shocked, "A club for villains and heroes? Why does something like that exist?"
"We can meet up, have fights, get drinks without any strings attached. No crime and therefore no arrest necessary. It's cool, I met Kyle here and he's the best fight I ever had." He says reminiscently.
"Your life is so weird." She laughs, "So, you're taking me to a place full of villains? To have a fight."
"Well, kind of. You don't have to fight; but keep this laser remote on you so you can take down anyone who tries to mess with you." He says, giving the item to her. "We can get drinks and give you a taste of the superhero vibe in a relatively safe way."
"That's so comforting." she says sarcastically.
"I won't let anyone hurt you." He promises.
"I trust you." she says, keeping a firm grip on his hand as they descend into the dungeon.
Immediately, the smell of sweat and blood reaches them. As well as the cheers and screams of people within. Henry and Babe have to stop in the doorway because of the clearly epic battle going on between some of the villains. "Oh my god!" Babe can't help but say as they watch the Butcher throw Tyler Mayhem into the wall.
Henry laughs, "This the kind of exciting you thought a date with me would be?"
"It's a little more fitting." She nods at him.
Tyler Mayhem and the Butcher run back at each other screaming; and, using the chance to get them in, Henry guides Babe around the edge of the room to get a little farther from the fight. The villains they pass look at him in surprise and turn to each other to discuss whether or not they really think it's Kid Danger in a new costume. The rumor gets around the room before Henry and Babe do, until only the two villains fighting are unaware of the new guests. Though, they two cannot remain ignorant of it any longer when a booming voice calls excitedly over the crowd. "KID DANGER!"
Everyone's attention turns immediately to him and subsequently Babe where they stand beside the wall. There is only the slightest moment where Henry feels awkward before he recognizes the caller and shouts back "KYLE!" as the large man runs at him to tackle him. He manages to keep Babe out of the way of the villain as he picks Henry up in a constricting hug.
"I'm so glad you're alive!" Kyle cheers. He's not the only one, applause echoes through the room, contrastingly mixed with boos and jeers from the same persons.
"Me… too…" Henry gasps, "But I… won't be… much… longer… if you… keep crush…ing me." Kyle squeezes him harder for a short moment before dropping him. Henry catches himself and presses his hand to his ribs, not sure they hadn't all cracked in the bear hug. "Good to see you too. 'Sup everybody?" he greets the room.
A chorus of mixed greetings return to him. "Dude, we saw you on the news!" Someone calls.
"What's with the new costume?" another says.
"Are you here to fight?" another asks.
"I'll fight you!" several volunteer immediately. "No, fight me!"
"If anybody's fighting him it's me!" Kyle decrees to the other criminals.
"No, guys, I'm just showing my date around." He says, turning to Babe and welcoming her back to his side now that they're not being barreled down on by a large villain. She waves warily at the crowd of criminals staring at her. "So, you can all go back to your own feuds for now. I'll fight you all later."
They all groan but do as they're told, mostly. Regular glances toward Henry and Babe follow them for the rest of the night at TBD. They take seats at the bar and order drinks. "This is kind of insane." Babe tells him. "Like, why are you so buddy-buddy with all these villains?"
"We're more frenemies." He explains, "We can have a good time here without all the real animosity held during a crime. And Kyle, there, is actually pretty cool."
"The best fight you ever had?" Babe quotes him.
"Yeah." Henry laughs.
"And proud to bear that title." Kyle says from behind them. "So, you gonna introduce your girl?"
"Uh, I hadn't really planned on it." Henry says to him.
"C'mon, she is a pretty little thing." He says, "Nice to meet you, I'm Kyle."
"I got that." She says bravely.
"Be nice, Kyle," Henry says, putting an arm between the two of them, "or I'll have to crush you."
"You'd have to catch me first." Kyle smiles. "Your girl gonna join you?"
"Nope." Henry says. "She's not a trained fighter."
"I'm a fine fighter. I defeated Minyak before." She argues.
"You blasted him from the side while his attention was not on you." Henry counters. "Which was awesome, but it's not the same thing as a brawl."
"C'mon, I can handle it, I'm not defenseless. I've beat people up before. Plus, you're here to protect me." She appeals. "This is a fight club, isn't it? Why did you bring me here if not to have a fight?"
They lock eyes in a silent debate. "C'mon, dude, she wants it. I'll go easy on her, I swear." Kyle encourages.
"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word." Henry tells him. Babe's pleading look sways him after only another few seconds. "Fine. But, you're wearing my jacket. No matter how pretty you look in it, that dress doesn't provide you any protection."
"Fine by me." She says victoriously and puts on his leather jacket.
"Dang it, you look better than me in this too." He says.
She laughs, "Doubtful. It's a bit big for me." Which is true, the jacket falls about as far on her thighs as her dress, and the sleeves reach her fingertips.
"You look good." Henry vows. "It must be just that you're so naturally good looking."
"Are you two gonna flirt or are we gonna fight?" Kyle interrupts them backing up into the club with arms outstretched expectantly. The fighting floor clears quickly as the rest of the criminals anticipate what's going to happen and gather on the fringes to watch the fight.
"We are on a date." Henry argues to Kyle before turning back to Babe. "Stay close to me."
"Always." She vows, then flushes a bit. Henry just grins and leads her into battle.
(Commercial Break)
"This might really be the craziest night of my life." Babe says, accepting Henry's hand as he helps her out of the Man-copter onto the roof of the Man's Nest.
"I'll take that as a compliment." He responds, "Though, your surprising skill as a sharpshooter is what made the fight with everyone at TBD truly epic."
"That was a big part of it, but flying a helicopter is not something I've ever done. Dub's private jet, sure, but he never let us near his helicopter after that incident." She reveals. "It's weird that this is normal, everyday kinda stuff for you."
"I get that, but honestly, I think at this point I'd be bored if I stopped doing stuff like this." he says.
"Good thing you're heroric enogh that you'll never not save the world when it needs you. I suspect you'll be a superhero until your dying day." She says lightly.
He chortles somewhat morosely. "That's true. A lot of heroes don't get to live to retirement."
"Oh…I didn't mean it like that… that was dumb. Sorry I said…" she apologizes.
He shrugs it off, taking a seat on the edge of the roof. She sits beside him. "It's fine. Burn bright, burn short, I guess. That's the price for living such an exciting life. At least there are some perks." He says falsely positive.
"Like this view." She offers, looking out over the lights of the valley beneath them and the innumerable stars in the sky above.
"Yeah. It is a good one." He smiles at her, grateful that she doesn't press the subject. "Another is getting to know the best, most interesting people in the world. Like you." She smiles nervously, and gabs silently. "If you hadn't found out my identity, we probably wouldn't be as close as we are. You, and the rest of the Game Shakers, would just be the four strange kids who'd once rented out my house."
"Nah, I thought you were attractive before I knew your secret, I never would've let you forget me." She says blushing and only catching his eye with sly glances. "The fact that you are a superhero is just a perk for me. I get to have occasional adventures with you and eat free delicious Chinese food at a fancy restaurant."
"I think I owe you that one. Free food's not really the normal even for we heroes. The owners were just interested to meet you, my date."
"Don't you mean your girl? 'Kid Danger's Girl'?" she asks.
"'Captain Danger's Girl' is what they called you, actually." He corrects. "They seem to have taken my new suit to mean that is my new name."
"Correct them quickly." She advises. "Give them the name you want before it sticks. No matter how it turns out, I don't mind being called 'something Danger's Girl'."
He smiles at her. "That does sound okay." He says slowly. "And you will need a name if we ever want to do this again."
A beat of nervous silence follows his statement. Babe opens and shuts her mouth a few times before she gets her question out. "Would you want to do something like this again?"
"I… uh, yeah… if you would. If you enjoyed it, I think it could be fun to do again sometime."
She smiles. "It was amazing. I'd love to do it again."
"Cool." He sighs, "So, like next time you're in town?"
She bites her lip leans against his shoulder. "Yeah. I so wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow."
"Me too." he confesses. "It'd be really nice to have you around all the time."
"I'll make time to come visit and you're always welcome to come to New York. If you need to get away or if you just miss me." She says.
"I'll be sure to take you up on that." he says. "So, uh, now that we've done both, tell me which date was better. Did this one blow the boring old normal Henry date out of the water?"
She hums thoughtfully, "I wouldn't say that."
"So, you do prefer normal dates, then?"
"Not really." she says. "I enjoyed both a lot."
He frowns, "That's a cop out answer. You gotta tell me which version of me you prefer dating."
She considers him silently for a moment. "Okay. Well, 'normal Henry', as you called him, is a great date. Dinner and dancing and talking. He's really sweet; if a little self-concious about himself and his lack of recent dating experience. He tries a little too hard, tries to make things perfect and normal. I know that it's because he has to; no one can know he's anything but normal. But it is a factor to consider."
Henry shifts self-conciously at this. "Alright."
"The hero 'Danger' side is more confident, suave, and a bit of a showoff." Henry squrims more uncomfortably still. "Dating him is crazy fun and adventures. And also, scary because he's got a lot of enemies: real honest-to-God enemies that want to hurt and or kill him." she says wide-eyed.
He grimaces. "You're not really sounding like you liked either."
She turns to face him, kneeling on the edge of the roof now; he puts a hand on her waist to steady her and keep her from falling off, her arms wrap around the back of his. "I loved both dates. I'd go out with either version of you anytime, anywhere. But when it comes to a preference of one, I can't pick either. My favorite version of you, the one whom I most enjoy being on a date with is Henry Danger."
He blinks, "What?"
"Henry Danger." Babe repeats. "He's the you that I like best. He's all of you, both the Henry side and the Danger side together. Whether or not you're literally wearing your mask, he's the side of you that isn't a mask. He's the you that I'm here with now, or when we're alone in your house or room. He's the you that doesn't have to keep secrets, who's honest and brave and entirely himself: you. The whole of you that very few people get to know, and I consider myself blessed to be one of those few. I know why you can't be him all the time, but he's the one I like the best."
"Henry Danger?" Henry repeats owl eyed. It is silent as she nods, simultaneously shy and passionate, holding his gaze, letting him know how serious she is. All he can think to say through the overwhelming clarity he's experiencing is, "So, the hero side of me is 'Danger'. Is that my new name?"
"I told you that was up to you." She replies quietly.
"I kinda like it. Simple. And then you can just be Danger's Girl, which sounds really good."
She sighs softly, "Yeah. I like it. Maybe it is the best way to sum up that whole side of you."
"For someone who said it wouldn't be easy to find that kind of name, you managed to sum all of me up in two words. I just have to keep the two halves of who I am separate with most people." He shrugs and chuckles once, smiling at her, "Thank you."
She smiles, eyes sparkling in the starlight, "You never have to keep them secret with me, Henry Danger."
Eventually the lateness of the hour and the sensibility of getting home makes itself apparent to them. The company between them is comfortable all the way to the front door of the Hart house. "It's, uh, kinda weird that I've dropped you off at my own front door, for you to go sleep in my own room, these last two nights." "Henry comments there.
"Yeah, well, you're not really living here anymore. You've got your own place now." she says.
"With Schowz and his pig as roommates." He adds. The two laugh together.
"Thank you." She says, "These really have been the best two nights."
"I'm the one who should thank you. It's you who made them magical." He compliments.
"I don't usually have nights like these." she contradicts. "It must be the right combination of things."
"Makes sense." He nods his head, "I'm glad it worked out so well."
"Me too. I suppose I should return this to you, though." she says, taking off his jacket, which she's been wearing for hours now.
Henry breathes deeply, as if preparing himself for a great sermon. "I really wish you weren't leaving tomorrow. I'm gonna miss you a lot and..." he fails to keep saying words.
He flubs for words for several second before Babe intervenes. She rises up on her tiptoes and places a kiss on his cheek. "I'm gonna miss you too." The words are as soft as her lips and Henry breathes awestruck. Neither can seem to find the words to break the silence that lapses as they stare at each other enraptured. Anything could've happened then and neither thinks they would've noticed.
Henry breaks the stillness by swooping down and planting the quickest, shyest of kisses on her lips. Then he speaks, "I'm definelty going to come visit you in New York as soon as I can.".
Babe only can nod, feeling like she's melting from the inside out. She only manages to hold it together long enough to say good night and make it into his bedroom upstairs. Once the door closes, her knees give way and she slides down it. "Babe?" Kenzie's sleepy voice whispers through the darkness, "Is that you?"
"Oh my god, Kenzie!" Babe squeals with what little voice she can, unable to contain herself any longer. The story of the last two night with Henry comes spilling out of her while she's sprawled across the floor in a boneless heap, totally unaware of the similar position Henry is in outside on the porch. His back to the garden wall and jacket clutched in his hands as he stares blankly into the night, not really seeing it.
Next Episode S1E10: New Normal