"HENRY PRUDENCE HART, WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING?"
The now eighteen year old blonde teenager heard his boyfriend's voice as soon as he stepped into their penthouse. "Jasp- I can explain" he replied, hanging up his jacket and rolling his suitcase into the living room.
Jasper's blue eyes met Henry's brown ones. "Yeah? Well it better be flaw-" he stopped talking and threw himself at the other, wrapping his arms around him. "I was worried sick, part of me that thought you were killed," the Dunlop boy said into the crevice of his boyfriend's neck and shoulder.
Henry hugged him back. "I'm sorry, I should have told you guys where I was going and what was going on. I was just scared to contact you incase they traced me back to you," he replied, his arms still around Jasper.
"Who's they?"
"And why would they trace you back to us?"
The Hart boy tuned his attention to his friends Astrid and Charlotte, who had just walked into the living room. While he had known Jasper and Char since he was a child, Astrid had only joined their friend group in their junior year. She had found out his secret not long after Jasper did by making connections between Henry Hart from the improv team and her criminal parents' distaste for Kid Danger and Captain Man (but that is a whole other story).
He let out a sigh, knowing there's was no way he could get out of explaining this now. Hen let go of Jasper, then plopped his behind down on the couch. "It all just kind of happened..."
Henry was thrown off by the 'look' Charlotte was giving him. All these years, and the look still sent a shiver down his spine.
"Okay okay, I'll get right to the point," he said. "You remember a couple of weeks ago when I said I got in way over my head with a criminal organization bigger than anything we've ever been up against in Swellview?"
The girls nodded, Jasper speaking for the group, "uhuhuh. You've been creeping around the details since then, never giving us the full story," he replied with a little bit of bitterness in his voice.
"Yeah well, I wanted to check it out before getting you guys involved, incase it was dangerous" Henry responded. "I thought I knew what I was getting into."
"But you didn't-" Astrid cut him off, invading his personal space and attempting to intimidate him as much as her five foot zero structure could.
"We could have helped Henry, we're a team. What's the point of being a team if you're not going to tell us anything?" Charlotte added, her voice slighted raised. "Damnit Hen, we talked about this!"
Henry could see a mixed bag of feelings displayed on his teammates' faces. Somehow they looked concerned, worried, and disappointed all at the same time. That said, Charlotte looked more disappointed than Astrid and Jasper did. He knew that the others hated it when he did things like this, especially leaving them out of the know when he was in potential or obvious danger. He should have told them earlier. They could have helped him get Blackout off his trail, but no. He was stubborn, he thought hiding away in the Man's Nest would keep himself and everyone safe. Instead, his actions may have put Captain Man and The Dangers on the criminal organization's radar. Something he only realized when he and Ray were caught at the convenience store.
"I know," he answered, giving the Page girl the biggest apologetic gaze he could muster. "That criminal organization has dealings with bounty hunters. One of them, Blackout, caught whiff of me and started to hunt me down. I ghosted you guys and went to Swellview cause I figured I would be untraceable in the Man's Nest," he explained. "I planned to lay low without telling Ray, Schwoz, or the Danger Force kids the real reason I was there... at least until I was certain Blackout lost my trail."
The Dunlop boy snorted, "you thought you could hide something like that from Ray and Schwoz? I love you Henry, but that wasn't one of your smartest thoughts" he chuckled then quickly changed his expression back to a serious one.
Astrid's train of thought had caught up to their conversation. "You didn't stay in the ManCa- I mean Man's Nest for a week did you? Ray convinced you to go out and do a- what does he call them?"
"Five minute crimes?"
"Thank you, Jasper."
Henry continued, "Blackout found me when Ray and I went to stop Jeff from robbing How Convenient because the dangers were too exhausted after taking missions non stop for three days. Which was fair, in all honesty."
His teammates expressed their agreement.
Jasper nodded in understanding. "Fine, just please don't pull anything like that again with us again, Hen. We were worried. Hell, you'd be worried too if one of us ghosted you like that." He gave his boyfriend a smile.
The Hart boy scratched the back of his neck, "you're right Jasp, I pinkie promise I won't let it happen anymore" he replied, flashing his teammates a grin.
Char let out a chuckle. "You're so lucky we love you Henry Hart, and you better know that."
"I am, and I do."
The Luna girl let out a noise as she stretched her arms. "Now let's go to The Bridge and video chat Schwoz back," she announced as she made her way to the tube.
Hen and the others followed her.