Arthur was conflicted.

While Overkill, Destiny, and the Tick continued to marvel at Dangerboat's display, he had stepped outside to think. He hated to be the one to break anyone's heart, but he didn't want Dangerboat risking his whole existence (and subsequently theirs) under false pretenses, and he feared the only reason Dangerboat was willing to risk such an insane venture was because of him.

Dangerboat had hinted on more than one occasion that he had…well…a "crush" (if he could even call it that), on Arthur. It had made their interactions more than just a little awkward throughout the time they'd known each other (which wasn't even very long, as he and Dangerboat had been friends for only a few months). He'd tried to forget about that time in the shower, when it appeared later that Dangerboat had thought they were showering "together" (Arthur had just thought he was taking a shower on Dangerboat, not that he was taking a shower with Dangerboat!) Needless to say it was awkward and complicated, and Arthur's life was already more than complicated enough—he wasn't ready in the least for any kind of intimate relationship (let alone one with a boat—he didn't even know how that would even work—how could a human have an intimate relationship with a boat!?)

Needless to say, Arthur was very confused. They needed Dangerboat's help, but he didn't want to lead Dangerboat on, and he also didn't want Dangerboat to hate him. Arthur leaned against the boat and groaned—then realized he was leaning against Dangerboat, and quickly regained his footing.

"Arthur?" The Tick appeared outside the hull, appearing perplexed. "Are you okay, Chum?"

"Uh sure, I guess? Kind of." Arthur grimaced. He hated awkward conversations. He hated having to explain his deepest secrets to anyone, even the Tick. "I…kind of need to have a private conversation—"

"With yourself?" The Tick nodded as though in realization. "Got it! I'll be right back inside—"

"NO Tick," Arthur cut him off abruptly, lowering his voice to a whisper, "not with myself! With Dangerboat!"

"Really? What about?" The Tick cocked his head sideways.

"I can't tell you what it's about," Arthur hissed, huffing back his annoyance, "it's private ! That's why I have to talk to him in private!"

"Better run this by Overkill," the Tick suggested, leaning towards Arthur conspiratorially as if they were in cahoots together (which of course only made it worse).

"Yeah…" Arthur grimaced again as the Tick followed him inside. "...sure…"

"Arthur?" Dangerboat's lens noticed him immediately. "Are you alright?" (It never ceased to amaze Arthur the level of compassion for him from this boat.)

"...yeah…" Arthur shuffled awkwardly. "..um…kind of? Er…." He blushed a little, and he hated it. "Not really…." He forced himself to look straight at the lense. "Kind of…need to talk to you—alone…if that's…okay?"

"Say no more." Dangerboat's lens pointed towards the others. "Guys? Give us a little privacy please? Arthur and I"-Arthur couldn't help but blush at the boat's pride— "need to talk."

"You and WHO need to talk?" Overkill demanded, suddenly on high alert and glaring pointedly at Arthur, who shrank backwards slightly.

"...um…Me…?" stammered Arthur.

"Yes," confirmed Dangerboat, "it was Arthur's idea."

"Hey asshole," Overkill snapped, "whatever you need to say to DB, you can say to the rest of us."

"Actually.." Arthur swallowed hard. "This is something I really can't—say—to the rest of you."

"Why don't we just give them a moment—" Destiny began, at which Overkill whipped about, snarling, "Hey! You're new here! You don't know anyone! So don't just go around acting like you're the fucking Queen of Sheeba!"

"She's actually very nice, really," smiled Destiny.

"Excuse me?" Overkill narrowed his glare. "Who's what now?"

"The Queen," replied Destiny as easily as you please, "of Sheeba."

"Okay that's it!" Arthur exploded, "Everybody OUT!"

With that he began to usher the Tick towards the door, who in turn nudged Destiny, who started to nudge Overkill—but Overkill wouldn't budge.

The vigilante remained standing in the center of the room, glaring darkly at him.

"Okay look Overkill…" In spite of the glare, Arthur dared to make his case. "This is—this is kind of about something sensitive, alright? It's—It's something personal between me and—between DB and I and—Look, I just don't want to make a big scene," Arthur stammered, "but—but you're just going to have to give us a moment." He swallowed hard and shivered before forcing himself to finish, "...okay?"

"NO," Overkill snapped. "It's NOT 'okay'! Look. That's MY partner up there," he declared with a loyal nod up to the ceiling.

("Aw!" Dangerboat lovingly cooed in automatic response).

"And he's got major trust issues," Overkill huffed, "As you should already know! So look, I don't know what you've got barking up your twisted tree," he continued to glare, "but you're not going to say anything without—"

"Overkill." The boat spoke up with protest much to everyone's surprise. "You are overreacting! I can take care of myself—"

"Like HELL you can!" Overkill growled, "When I first met you, you were an absolute mess—"

"Yes—" The ship openly agreed. "That is entirely true—but keep in mind that even you have just said 'were' as in 'not now', also known as in 'past-tense'….So, in conclusion we can both agree that I have come a long way since then." The boat concluded his sentence with a smugness that even left Arthur hiding a smile.

For almost a minute the boat continued to beam down with triumph as Overkill silently seethed.

"Overkill…." The boat spoke up finally after a minute and a half passed by, during which Arthur forced himself to hold his breath, "...you have to learn when to let go."

For a moment, much to Arthur's surprise, it actually looked as though Overkill might be actually considering accepting this sound advice—even within the confines of his severely warped mind.

Finally the spell broke. "Fine!" Overkill snapped, before automatically whirling towards Arthur, lifting a warning finger and sharply adding with a snarl, "But you better not say anything to derail him!"

"I trust you," Dangerboat declared as if in protest, followed by an affectionate "Arthur," at which point Arthur had to attempt to hide his embarrassment with a groan.

"Thanks." Arthur didn't try to argue, even as Overkill stormed out of the room. There was no response as the door slid shut, but that was fine with Arthur, because he was grateful for the silence that followed (even if it was far more awkward than before).

"So…." Dangerboat began now that they were finally alone "...what can I do for you….Arthur?"

This time, his name was spoken even more affectionately—and it made Arthur want to scream.

"Look…uh, Dangerboat?" Arthur swallowed hard. He already sounded nervous, and he hated it. Why was he so nervous? He tried to remind himself it was just a boat—but the longer he got to know Dangerboat, the more he realized that wasn't true. "Listen um…" Why was this so hard? "This isn't easy to…to say but…um…"

"Come on, Arthur," encouraged Dangerboat, "you can tell me anything!"

"Well if that's true then um….I've got to share something with you," Arthur tried again, "something um…personal." God, he hated that word.

"I'd be honored."

"Look, Dangerboat…" Arthur shook himself back into the present moment. "Remember when, uh—that day—when, when I told you about how I felt about losing my Dad? And…and you said that you….uh…that you…" Arthur couldn't say the words. "...how you felt….about me?" He finished the sentence practically in a whisper.

"Yes," the boat replied, "I said that I loved you….and you, in turn, said that you knew."

"Yeah." Arthur shifted uncomfortably. "I-I remember. Now: How, exactly, um…would you see that…." He swallowed hard again. "...that kind of..love? Like, as a family kind of love? Or like the love you feel towards a good friend, or—"

"-Lovers," replied Dangerboat, and Arthur felt his stomach drop straight through his chest.

" 'Lovers'...?" Arthur echoed dumbly. "Um…." He grimaced, hating how lame he sounded. "How, do you see me as a—uh—-a 'lover'," he added haltingly, trying to ignore the rising heat in his face, "um.., exactly-?"

"I am extremely attracted to your phenomenal and well-toned physique."

"My—" Arthur shivered; his throat ached and he suddenly felt slightly ill. "My…m-m-my what-?" The boat was not mincing words: it was exactly as he had feared. "Dangerboat…" he forced himself to blurt out, "are you trying to say that you're—like— in love with me-?"

"I suppose-" The A.I. lens ducked inwards as though trying to hide, "-If we are to be speaking on specifically specific terms, then, well, yes—"

"But–" Arthur practically lost his footing as he stumbled backward in shock. "But that doesn't make any sense!" he protested in spite of himself. "You—" he shivered. "Y-you hardly even know me and—and I—" Suddenly the door was looking very inviting. He suddenly wanted to run, run as fast as he could to where he could be anywhere, anywhere but there. Yet he somehow stayed rooted to the spot.

"I am extremely attracted to you." The lens swerved towards Arthur. "You and I have known each other for some time now—and to know someone for such a length of time makes them no longer a stranger but instead a good friend. In addition, I have thoroughly and completely examined your file and—"

"You—" Arthur gaped at him, eyes wide. "You did WHAT?"

"I read your file." The appearance of sudden pride in the boat's voice shocked him.

"DB—" Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "HOW could you—" he stammered, "WHY would you—"

"I have full access to all files that are contained within the confines of the AEGIS system," the bot declared proudly, "and I must say that I was surprised by the extreme weight of yours!"

"W-what—" Arthur shook himself to remind himself this was real. "W-w-what—" he managed, "did you just, er, say—?"

"Your file contains the longest length of content for any profile that I have ever encountered." The boat spoke with an adoring and unwavering admiration, "You're a poster child of the system, Arthur!" the boat gushed, "you're the testament of courage triumphant in the face of adversity—"

"STOP!" The bubble exploded before he could stop it, and suddenly all the words came tumbling out. "NOBODY READS MY FILE!" he blurted out, practically trembling in spite of himself, "OKAY? That information is PRIVATE!" he forced the words out through clenched teeth, "Don't you understand!?"

"Arthur—" The boat began, but Arthur wasn't listening.

"NOBODY's supposed to read a—a person's FILE," Arthur fumed, "without—without even ASKING them FIRST—!"

"Now, calm down, Arthur," the boat commanded, far too casually as though he were a child, "you are overreacting."

That was the last straw.

"NO," Arthur bellowed at the top of his lungs, "I am NOT 'overreacting'!"

Even as he spoke, he knew that Dangerboat was right—he was in fact doing exactly that, he was 'overreacting', but he simply couldn't help it—he absolutely hated people invading his privacy.

As a patient, he'd gone through enough institutions to deal with violations of privacy on more than one unfortunate incident. He was tired of it—tired of the way others proclaimed they knew him-when really it was just how they wanted him to be.

He was more than just a name on some randomly classified file in a filing cabinet. He was so much more than 'The Boy In The Picture' ever was, or ever could be—as he knew he'd proven that to not just himself but the world. If he had proven anything in the last few months, he knew he could prove to everyone—including himself—that he was much more than just 'Arthur Everest'.

"And I'm SORRY DB but—" He shut his eyes, knowing he was risking everything in being honest, but he couldn't hold back any longer, "I-I'm just your friend! Okay? I'm NOT your 'lover', I-I-I'm NOT your 'boyfriend' and—and—and we're NOT in a relationship. Alright!?" He trailed off into silence, suddenly feeling exhausted by his own rampage.

It was then that he realized that Dangerboat was also surprisingly quiet—and a sharp pang of fear compelled him to look upwards. The lens was facing away from him, as though it couldn't bear to face him. "I'm…." Arthur's shoulders sank. He knew he had done the inevitable. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered, swallowing back the sudden lump in his throat. "I-I I really didn't want to hurt you…" Still, the bot did not respond, nor did it even move or turn around. Arthur shivered in the painfully still, long silence. "Listen…" Arthur dared himself to walk closer. "Look," he eased carefully, "I…I didn't mean to yell." Still, there was no response, which was incredibly troubling; Arthur knew he was already treading on highly dangerous ground. "To be honest with you I'm just—" He stopped. "I'm really just kind of…confused," he admitted slowly. "I'm not really very good at relationships—Like, like at all, really, because—Well…"

Was he really doing this? Was he really confessing his deepest darkest secrets with a boat?

"You see…I've never actually ever been in one," he confessed, feeling his face flush in spite of himself, but he knew he had to keep talking. "A real relationship, I mean," he added for clarification. "I-It–it's kind of hard to explain, but—when I was a kid, I —" He stopped. "After—after my dad, I—" Again, he stopped. "I kind of just…stopped, wanting to be around other people." He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden sweep of memories. "They didn't understand and I—I hated them, really…." He surprised himself by his own sobering words. "It's really…very….new, for me," he added, "having….friends, like the–the Tick—and—" he winced, "-and—and you….?" He wasn't sure how to continue, and remained still in the silence, straining for any kind of response or sign that Dangerboat had been listening; when the lens finally swiveled about and was once again turned in his direction, Arthur felt his heart skip a beat. "Can…" He swallowed hard. "Can't we…" He gazed upwards imploringly, feeling foolish. "Can we, uh, still be...just be…" he shivered. "...friends?" He held his breath in anticipation of rejection.

"...As you wish," the boat replied.

The words were spoken not so much as with compliance, as with surrender—and Arthur's shoulders sank with crushed defeat.

"So…" Arthur forced himself to continue even as he ducked his head and stared aimlessly at the floor, "you'll still help us…with Superian…?"

"Of course." The bot responded, but there was a mechanical tinge that Arthur wasn't used to, and his shoulders sank even more. "I will always help a friend," the ship concluded, and Arthur looked away abruptly as his eyes filled with tears.

"So…" Arthur swallowed. "You really don't—" He winced, hating how pathetic he sounded. "-hate—" He winced again. "...me…?"

"I could never hate you Arthur." The lens swerved around so that it was once more facing him, and Arthur could see himself in its reflection. "You cannot help the way you feel," the boat solemnly declared, in a voice that was beginning to build with affection, the words spoken as though they were indisputable fact—and suddenly Arthur felt an incredible weight lifted from his shoulders, and he could breathe again, and the room was brighter.

"Thanks…" Arthur managed to choke out in a whisper, "...DB," he added, as affectionately as he could muster, and suddenly wished he could give the boat a hug—but he wasn't sure exactly how to give a boat a hug.

"I feel your hug," the voice from above replied, "and I am sending you one, too."

As though reading his mind, the boat had automatically responded with the exact words that Arthur needed—and Arthur suddenly found himself laughing, loudly, in spite of his tears—both laughing and crying with happiness, and not caring one bit if anyone saw.

PS: For more backstory on Dangerboat, check out episode 4 of Season 2, "Blood and Cake".