- Back in Business.
"According to Everwood Medical Center's medics, Nicholas 'Nick' Dean, better known as Super Hunk, is currently out of danger, yet still recovering from very serious injuries. It's not expected for him to make a full recovery in less than 3 months." Doddie said to the camera, reporting the current state of the city's now forcibly retired hero.
Nick, at his hospital bed, groaned when watching the news, and Betty and Brittney, who were now out of their 'assistant girls' disguises, looked at him in both sadness and concern. As Doddie informed, Nick's injuries were quite severe, even 2 weeks after the beating; his once handsome features were now very deformed, and a few of his teeth were gone; a bandage covered most of his head, and his neck was now wearing an orthopedic one; his left hand was in a cast, the same as his right leg, and his torax was bandaged.
"You want us to turn off the TV?" Betty offered.
"No… I want to finish watching this one." Nick replied, with certain evident pain, as Doddie continued.
"Also, on related news, Mayor Gripling made official the banning of the law that restricted any hero with a secret identity to operate in our city, and after that, offered a public apology to The ColoRed Chuck, apology the hero accepted in private less than 10 minutes later. Besides the obvious reasons, namely The ColoRed Chuck's daring rescue at the Mayor's house, this banning was possible because of the many supporters and thankful persons that arrived to our city on the past days, pressuring Mayor Gripling into allowing the hero to get back in action and not getting arrested for breaking the law to rescue Super Hunk. And… I want to join the many citizens who owe an apology to him; ColoRed Chuck, I'm sorry, as many others, for forgetting about your great heroic deeds and the voluntary, great help you had offered us for so many years."
"Turn it off." Nick sighed and looked down while Brittney did as said. "So… it's over."
"Nick, don't say that." Betty gasped. "I mean, look around. People still trust you as a hero!"
Nick gave a bored look to the many flowers, balloons, and 'Get Well' cards that his fans sent him.
"You still have your powers, and once they heal you, you'll be back to action as the awesome…"
"Brittney, please…" Nick interrupted her. "It's over. I almost died this time… and I had to humiliate myself into calling the very same guy I insulted and got banned from this city; without him, I'd be the most handsome corpse in the morgue. And… now that my weakness got revealed… my, why it couldn't be Kryptonite or some other hard-to-find thing? Any crook can come up with a decent insult on the spot! Two or three harsh phrases, and, again, I'll become as weak as a hamster and get my butt kicked in a spectacular way!"
"Uh… may I come in?"
The trio turned at the door, spotting The ColoRed Chuck. Nick looked away while Betty and Brittney nodded and allowed him in; Betty offered Chuck a seat next to the bed, and then she and Brittney moved a few steps back. Both females couldn't help but watch him in a mix of shame and admiration; they would never thank Chuck enough for rescuing Nick.
"You came to gloat? To mock me?" Nick said, still not looking back at Chuck.
"No; I came to see if you're getting better. Really, you gave us quite the scare. Maybe we aren't friends, but you and I are still superheroes, and we have to support each other."
Even Nick couldn't deny the hero in red actually did sound honestly concerned.
"How you did it?" Nick sighed.
"Did what?"
"Resisting the Fear Toxin; I got lucky enough to avoid breathing it… and yet I got panicked when those guys started breaking me apart… and you got a full shot, and still… resisted it." Nick finally looked back at Chuck. "Why you didn't get affected?"
"Who said I wasn't? I was scared the whole time!" The ColoRed Chuck said, getting surprised looks from Nick and the ladies. "In fact, I get scared practically every time I have to face a dangerous situation; I think that, because of this, I have gained a good level of control over my own fear, so I can still fight and think despite being afraid. In your case… well, you were powerless at that time; anyone would be scared to be fighting several gangsters at once without any mean to defend yourself, and I guess you were so used to not feeling pain for so long that, when feeling it again, it scared you a lot more than normal."
"That's… actually a good point." Nick admitted. "But then, why you risk your life if you get scared every time? It's for the fame?"
"No; I'd rather have 'support' over 'fame' any time. Fame is a short-lived, fragile thing; one day you have a whole stadium cheering your name, and the next one everyone is ignoring or insulting you. Support, on the other hand, is something you gain over time, through your actions, and working very hard to get it; same with respect. I don't do heroic things to get rewarded, but because I have a talent for them, and I'll rather face danger, while being afraid, yet knowing I'm making a difference, than being extremely famous because of things I really did but were exaggerated by media, or not doing anything at all and stay safe at home while knowing I can offer a helping hand to someone who needs it."
Suddenly, The ColoRed Chuck's silly costume didn't seem silly at all.
"I get it now… I did everything just for fame, so I lacked the real impulse behind heroics." Nick looked down again. "No wonder my fall was so soundly."
"Well, maybe you started on this 'business' for the wrong reasons, but you still did a lot of good, and that gained you a fair amount of respect and support." Chuck then looked at the flowers, balloons and cards. "All the people that sent you this, for example, they're grateful persons that are offering their moral support, and I'm sure some of them wouldn't mind giving you personal support if necessary. I mean, before I arrived, you actually saved most of the hostages."
"Yes… I did it, isn't it? One of my best rescues ever." Nick got a very little yet honest smile.
"And how about Betty and Brittney? They both love and respect you no matter if you're using the disguise or not. Trust me, having one or two people giving you that kind of support can give you more strength than a million persons chanting your name." Chuck smiled back.
"He's right, you know?" Nick then turned at Betty, who was giving him a fond smile. "You had been a great friend, lover and hero for the both of us for many years."
"And thanks to you, we actually have a purpose in life; being a hero's back-up." Brittney joined her friend. "And you had given us so much excitement… so many good experiences we wouldn't live any other way…"
"We love you, Nick." Both girls chorused.
"Aw, Babes… I love you two as well." Nick then motioned them to get closer and the trio got into a nice embrace.
"So, are you feeling better now?" The ColoRed Chuck got a sly grin.
"Yes, I do." Nick paused. "In fact… I feel great!"
Nick surprised everyone when he sat on his bed without any pain or effort; he even tried to stand up, and actually did it without problems for a few moments before he had to sit back again.
"Hey, take it easy, SH. You can't expect to run a marathon right away." Chuck chuckled as he and the ladies helped Nick sit down.
"How I did that? I'd been in pain for several days and…"
"Obviously, it's because of your powers." Everyone turned back at the door, looking at a smirking James 'Jimmy' Neutron. "Your aura received enough positive estimulation to low your pain and, at least temporarily, give you some super strength back. It's possible that, with enough of this 'cheering up', you'll get healed a lot faster."
"James, I…" Nick then looked back and forth between Jimmy and Chuck. "You two planned this, right?"
"Jimmy and I discussed your condition, he told me how your powers work, and I thought that, from one hero to another one, I was the best option to cheer you up a bit and see if Jimmy's theory was accurate enough." The ColoRed Chuck replied. "And I have my own theory; the feeling you have right now, if you learn to conserve it all the time, by remembering the people that loves and supports you no matter what…"
"Then… I might be able to resist insults and mockery, and eliminate my weakness!" Nick gasped. "I can be Super Hunk again!"
"Yep; and you know, this city has enough work for more than one hero; since I went back in action, well, I've attended more than 50 calls for help; robberies, assaults, super thieves, people who need advice… and not all those calls are here at Everwood. Since Okie Dokie Jones isn't a full-time hero, and I spend some time at other cities, it would be good to have someone here 24/7."
"You mean it?" Nick was more and more surprised with every moment The ColoRed Chuck was there.
"Hey, when you first arrived here, I told you I had no authority or wishes to kick you out of town, and I still mean it." Chuck shrugged. Betty and Brittney gave him a good embrace before doing the same with Jimmy, and then they left the room to call a doctor to check up Nick's current state.
"Thanks, CC… you really deserve that big heart as a symbol." Nick shook hands with the geeky hero.
"You're welcome. Well, guess you two have some stuff to discuss, so I'm leaving now." The hero in red stood up, shook hands with Jimmy and left the room.
At Angelica and Chuckie's home, the blonde woman fell to the gym's mat, rubbing her head a moment later. Luckily, she was wearing protective gear.
"That kick was for the almost-knock-out last week, right?" Angelica got Kimi's help to stand up. Both women were using boxing gloves and head gear; Angelica was wearing a white top, black shorts and red boots, and Kimi was wearing a blue top, white shorts and black sneakers.
"Hey, if you want me to stop hitting you this hard, you stop doing it with me." Kimi grinned. "Seriously, you must be the fastest learning fighting student I've ever taught."
Since both Angelica and Kimi got kidnapped by several of Chuckie's main enemies around a year ago, the villains knowing there was some sort of bond/link between them (even if they thought it was just a police-hero friendship and a grateful victim supporting a hero thing), Angelica asked Kimi for some self-defense lessons, since the Japanese girl was the police force's undefeated champion, practically moping the mat with all her opponents in karate, boxing and wrestling matches no matter how big, strong or experienced the other guy/girl was. However, even Kimi had to admit she was no longer 'undefeated' because of her best student; Angelica was progressed so much in her lessons that now she could fight on Kimi's level, and at times their 'sparring matches' were more intense than professional ones. Kimi still had a bit of an edge in karate and mixed martial arts, because of her agility and great kicking techniques, but Angelica was now the dominating one in boxing and wrestling, because of her slightly better reach and superior physical strength.
"Heh, yeah, and Susie can tell it too. Seriously, Kimi, I don't know why you sent her to spar with me last month. I almost left her teethless." Angelica joked as they both took a break and removed their gloves.
"I thought she could do it well because I've seen her fighting, and I've sparred with her, and she's good… then again, maybe I should have warned her about how you take the sparring too seriously." Kimi chuckled while cleaning her sweat with a towel and Angelica handled her a bottle of water. "Now, changing topics… how had Chuckie been since he got back into the crime-fighting business?"
"Heh, he had been quite busy." Angelica sighed. "Still, he got enough time to personally thank all the persons that came to support him before they finally left."
"That still impresses me. I mean, I know you don't like him risking life and limb on a regular basis, and yet you helped him get back to heroics."
"Yeah, I know… it's weird… helping someone you love risk his life." Angelica smiled at Kimi. "But that's exactly why I did it; I love him, and that means I care about his happiness as much as he cares about mine. And I know his happiness doesn't come just from caring about me, but from caring about others; that's his super power, his gift, and what makes him a complete man. I know I can cover that void in his life by being extra-affective with him, and I wouldn't mind, but he would never feel entirely happy if not being able to use his gift to help others, just like he has done with me more than once. And I owe this to him; the boy… the man… the hero that made me a complete person."
Kimi smiled at her in-law, remembering again why she had such great respect for the blonde despite her flaws; sure, Angelica was vain and egotistical, but Chuckie's love kept those defects on tolerable levels, and he brought the best out of her.
"Well, enough of this… heh, even I know I'm getting too corny." Angelica chuckled and then got a sly smirk. "How about, we have another round, and this time we make it a just boxing one?"
"I have no choice, right?" Kimi sighed yet nodded. When it came to this fighting style, she could still give Angelica a good match, but 9 of 10 times, the blonde got the upper hand. The females put back their gloves and returned to the mat.
Angelica and Kimi adopted their fighting positions, and started circling each other. The females drew back their right fists...
RIIIING!
"Saved by the bell." Kimi sighed in relief and dropped her stance. Angelica grinned and went to the phone.
"You hadn't escaped this one yet, Kimster." Angelica removed her gloves and answered the phone. "Hello? Finsters-Pickles Arena here; wanna buy tickets for Kimster vs Angel, The Match of the Century?"
Kimi rolled her eyes yet grinned.
"Aha… yeah… oh, good, he's better … okay, just give us a minute. See you." Angelica ended the call and got her mischievous smirk. "It was Chuckie; we need to summon him back home; and since the best way to do it is for one of us to pretend to be in serious need... "
"Oh, no… no, Angelica, wait…" Kimi tried to escape but her sis-in-law was faster and got her in a painful wrestling hold, twisting Kimi's arms behind her back. "OUCH! Why I had to teach you this move?"
"Because you're a good teacher, I'm a terrific student, and you love your sis-in-law." Angelica replied. "Now, you know what to do."
"Oh.. and now… who will rescue me?" Kimi groaned.
"I!" The ColoRed Chuck appeared behind them. "Heh, Angelica, can you stop hurting my baby sister?"
"Okay; I'll stop my evil deeds. Wow, you convinced me immediately; you're good, Hero." Angelica laughed, released Kimi, and then kissed her husband lovingly.
"You know, Angelica, one of these days I'm going to make us fight without the head gear, and then we'll see how good you really are." Kimi frowned.
"Oh, you want a piece of me, Super Cop?" Angelica stopped kissing Chuckie and smirked at Kimi in a challenging way.
"Girls, girls, girls…" Chuckie stood in the middle of his two loved ladies. "You remember the first thing I asked the both of you before starting this training?"
"No fighting without gloves and gear so you don't worry about us getting hurt." Angelica and Kimi, sighing, chorused.
"And also, because it's the only way I can catch the two of you wearing gloves without a matching purse." Chuckie joked and received a good-natured doble elbowing to his guts. "Ow! Treat the hero with care."
"We'll consider it later." Kimi grinned before removing her gear and putting it on her gym bag. "I have to leave now anyway."
"Still, you owe me a rematch, Kimi." Angelica smirked at her.
"Oh, you already got your rematch; remember the wrestling hold?"
"That was no fight; that was our way to bring Chuckie back home."
"Fine; let's say it doesn't count." Kimi frowned.
"Okay then; and, according to the same rules we both made, that means now I have full right to choose the next style and now many rounds we'll fight. Mmm… I think 5 boxing rounds would be okay."
Kimi gasped and then looked at Chuckie for support.
"I'll try to convince her, but no promises." Chuckie shrugged.
"I'm so going to regret this." Kimi sighed yet smiled and touched fists with Angelica. "See you in one week."
Kimi and Chuckie then hugged and she left the house.
"So, Super Hunk will be back in action, uh?" Angelica asked her husband.
"Yep; if he can use his powers to accelerate the healing process, he might be okay in a month or less."
"Cool; then, my mom can actually use her idea of selling both your toy and his as a package. It will be a Christmas hit." Angelica chuckled.
"Just 29.95; call now." Chuckie joked and then he kisses her again. "Nick is finally learning the lesson I received a long time ago; fame doesn't mean a thing when you have someone worth fighting for supporting you. Thanks for always being here for me."
"Anything for my hero." Angelica smiled and then smirked. "You know, about Kimi and I sparring, maybe I wouldn't be that rough with her if I had another sparring partner."
"Angelica, you know I'd rather quit being a hero forever before punching you." Chuckie reminded her.
"Who said anything about fighting?"
Chuckie chuckled and grinned at the idea. Then, Angelica surprised him with a leg sweep that took him down to the mat, and then she pounced on him.
"Round One!"
"You take advantage on my nobleness, you know that?" Chuckie said in an angry tone.
Obviously, a fake one.
The End.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And that's it! (I still wonder why you always cut my best scenes with Finster) Censorship, Angelica, censorship (Oh, right).
Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing this story. (And, as a second disclaimer, as you people noticed, Acosta here had loads of guest stars and references from several series and comic books, including heroes from both DC and Marvel Comics, and other Nickelodeon shows like Jimmy Neutron, Hey, Arnold!, As Told By Ginger, Rocket Power, Danny Phantom and My Life as a Teenage Robot. He doesn't own any of those).
Thank you, Angelica, and now, is time to go.
(Thanks again, and Keep the good writing.)