NOTE: ok yes you must be wondering why I'm updating again like I mentioned before chapter five was posted on new years eve ( cough a week ago) but the website's been acting up so I had to take it down twice and now I have it up as of Jan. 6 so it made sense for me to update again today even though I reposted my previous chapter just two days ago cuz in reality five was supposed to have remained up as of Dec. 31 anyway;


Welcome to Chapter Six, Happy NEW YEAR! Let's hope 2021 is a good one so that we can forgive and forget 2020.

Ik that not many people are reading this story but I genuinely like the concept and I enjoy the small amount of reads I get from it so I'll still try to pour my heart into it even tho it may not be read by a wide audience and/or it may suck but still anyway enough banter here you go.

this one is almost 4k words so it's pretty lengthy (;

(Disclaimer: there is suicidal thoughts in this chapter tho they are minor. you have been warned. do NOT read if you are EASILY triggered.)

12 years ago...

Everything was going swell,

well, for Ray at least...

After a few days Ray and Drex were finally able to settle in their new HQ's. They had everything they needed to continue their missions and save the city and people when harm was nearby.

Captain Man was awarded massive checks each month and even a plaque right smack on the Swellview monument in Swellview park.

Everybody loved him. They shouted in cheers and in celebration for his work. The people had no idea how to repay such a giving hero.

"Aww shucks, no repayment needed. just doing what your hero's gotta do."

Everything was falling into place for Ray. Everything he's ever wanted he and his father's dreams were coming true. Everything was going great.

As for Drex, he was the uncredited chum.

Everyday Drex arrived down to the Man-Cave sitting in his usual spot near the monitors in an attempt to help Ray with tips such as the best way to take criminals out and where to transport civilians to a safe location and much more;

Ray ignored all of it...

It didn't help that Ray was in fact still getting all the glory even when he took the smallest of his advice. One time Ray was questioned by a reporter on how he knew the bomb was beneath the floorboards of a shop that police frantically searched in and out of. Instead of crediting his sidekick how he was able to detect its heat signature, Ray came up with a lousy answer on how it had been just a hunch.

Drex had finally grew tired of his crap.

He was tired of going uncredited.

He was tired of being nothing to the city.

He was tired of not getting the recognition he too deserved.

He was tired of being cooped up beneath a junk store.

He was tired of being tired.

He used to look forward to help fight crime and assist the fellow hero.

Now he dreaded it.

The only benefit to come out of this turn of events, he studied the criminals fighting skills.

Ray had an implanted camera within his mask which allowed Drex to view everything Ray was viewing on the monitors. He grew fascinated on how well trained every single one of the criminals were (except for a few duds) and how single hand coordinated they were.

Behind the scenes back home, Drex would attempt to copy their moves and be just as great as a fighter as they'd been.

A few months went by and all that waiting around in the Man-Cave near the monitors would've been worth it.

4 months later...

Ray was ahead of schedule ready to head out to stop a robbery downtown that was being raided. He was just about to head up the tube when Drex joined his side to the right of him having a mask plastered on.

"What do you think your doing?"

"I'm coming with you."

Ray chuckled, "No your not. I need you here."

"Why? so that I can just watch you have all the fun to yourself ?" Drex said talking back.

Ray started to become annoyed pinching the skin in between his eyes, "I'm being serious there's a robbery downtown I need you to stay here and give me some pointers."

Drex scoffed, "Like you take them anyway."

"Your wasting my time here Drex." Ray teethed through.

"Not this time Ray, let me prove to you that I can fight and can help you with much more than just being cooped up here, come on Cap."

Ray clenched his fists growing impatient, "Your job is HERE Drex. Nothing more. You either stay here or leave altogether."

"No." Drex fought back. He needed to do this, for his sake.

"We'll then, you'll regret that."

Ray pulled out a remote and lowered the right tube locking it. Drex was trapped within the tube.

Luckily Drex had predicted this.

He pulled out his own remote and disabled both tubes. If he couldn't go neither could Ray.

"I'm not letting you off that easy. You promised Ray I would be able to fight with you someday and I've been training hard and I'm ready to prove it to you."

Ray grew red, "Don't you understand!? Your not fit to fight alongside me heck you're not even fit enough to be my sidekick down here. I've told you one day I'll take you along side with me. That day is not today."

Drex blew back, "THEN WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU TRAIN ME?! I've been waiting and waiting for these past few months patiently waiting for you to train me and take me along side you in missions but heck you don't even have time for any of that. I've taught myself a lot these past few months. I'm a better fighter than I was four months ago! I've been trying to get you to see that but you push me aside like I'm nothing Ray! Tell me why don't you credit me when people ask you where you get your 'bright ideas' from when they are clearly my ideas? Why don't you ever tell the city of Swellview you have someone else helping you do what you do? Why don't you tell any of them about me? Why don't you tell them that you have a sidekic—"

"...because you don't act like one." Ray stated flat out.

Drex froze.

"I don't have a use for you Drex. I can fight fine on my own. I don't need you as a distraction from helping others and Swellview is finally getting a taste of what real heroism is like! Don't you see? It doesn't matter what you do because at the end of the day they'll cheer you on. I don't mention you cuz I don't need to. I could've come up with the same ideas like you do on my own. I haven't let you go cuz I can't. I need you as my number two."

Ray's words pierced him like a knife leaving him stunned. His hero had muttered such words to him.

Drex felt betrayed, after all he's done for him this was his reward?

Bull.

"So I'm nothing to you. I have no use to you?"

Ray stayed quiet.

A lump had formed in his throat left in shock. He was pissed.

Mad pissed.

Drex's tempter finally took ahold, months worth of build up released in that very moment. He grabbed Ray by the neck and threw him to the ground. He sat right on top of him landing a few punches here and there till Ray finally began fighting back. Ray stood up to lay a punch on Drex both men hand and hand with one another. Drex grabbed Ray by the arm and swung him right on the monitor interface smashing the screens and keyboards. Ray quickly stood up realizing his arm was now dislocated but had no choice but to keep fighting. He ran yelling his name landing and dodging a few more punches on his former sidekick. Drex moves out of the way pulling out the same remote as before and the latch for the weapons wall beneath the Man-Floor came up to the surface. He grabbed one of the weapons capable of harnessing living energy pointing it at Ray.

Ray pulled back.

"Have you ever stopped to think about HOW I FELT!? To stop and think about how you get all the glory and I get none? DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THAT RAY?!"

Ray reached behind him for his stun gun not responding to his question. The moment he pulled it out Drex hits him with his weapon.

Ray falls to the ground grasping his chest having a hard time catching his breath, feeling the air leaving him hitting him like a truck. He gasps. He was in pure agony.

Drex walks over to crouch on top of him facing his weapon to the sky, "Your neglect is what made me this way, I apologize for this inconvenience but I promise you Ray I will serve you my wrath and you will finally understand what I am capable of. I'm not letting this potential of mine go to waste as much as you'd like it to be. I promise anybody that falls into your trap will face my wrath just as well."

All this was the last thing Ray heard before Drex pulled his weapon on him once more.

He made his way down a few blocks to get to Downtown Swellview heading to the Old Man Bar.

No ordinary civilian would dare come so far south of Swellview. It was where trafficking, drug dealers, gangs, and even kidnapping victims were held and where people were murdered. The place was dangerous. You run the risk of walking down south and never seeing the light of day again. No human without any connections would ever dare come here.

Which is why it's the perfect place to commit crimes without ever having to be worried of being sussed out.

This is was Drex's kind of Leisure.

Drex walked into the bar wearing his everyday regular garments. The bar was near empty with a few gangsters here and there.

He sat on one of the stools near the bar counter. Drex acknowledges one of the bartenders working the night. The Bartender was well dressed per say. Tattoos from head to toe, piercings here and there.

"You sir. Open a tab for me would ya."

"Sure thing, what would you like to start with sir?", the Bartender cleaning some glasses replied.

"Start me with a Bloody Mary Cocktail."

"Right away with that sir."

Drex looked up on the many TV's above that flashed before him lost in thought.

He was so close. So close to his calling. He had dreamt about taking over Swellview, overthrowing it for his taking. The civilians will be forced to bound to him if they wished to survive. Everything he's ever wanted is so close to becoming a reality. It'll all make sense eventually.

'Eventually' Drex thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by the Bartender's intrusion.

"One Bloody Mary Cocktail for sir Drex"

Drex stared at his ordered drink then back up to the Bartender.

"Ey, you heard of me?"

The Bartender nodded throwing his rag over his shoulder;

"Sure thing I have who hasn't?" he joked "Big fan actually. I gotta know, word on the street that you took out that lil nuisance Kid Danger. That true?" he questioned leaning over the counter top.

Drex looked back down at his drink holding it as if it were a cup of tea having a small sip of his cocktail.

"Yes that's true and I'm glad you've heard. That lil piece of crap embarrassed me in front of all of Swellview and I reassured that it wouldn't be the last time they'd see me. That they would face my wrath. The kid should have seen it coming."

"Fascinating. Where'd you hide the body?

Drex almost choked, "He ain't dead you frackhole. At least not yet, I have him stored somewhere. Somewhere that no one shall find him."

"Reassuring, well if you ever need a place to hide the body when you get around to it, you know where to find me. I'd like to rid of that nucinese as well."

Drex couldn't help but chuckle. The idea of ridding his mortal enemy seemed tasteful but the time wasn't right. At least not yet.

Before the Bartender could head away Drex stopped him.

"Hey I didn't catch your name."

The Bartender came right back around, flattered to be asked by his great hero;

"It's Sam sir."

Drex held out a hand asking him to take it.

"Well Sam as my big fan how'd you like to co-lead my Reprisal?"

Sam's eyes widened. He then took Drex's hand.

"It would be a great honor of mine Sir."

It had been three days since Drex last visited him.

Three days was enough to make Henry start loosing his mind.

He hadn't been given any food or water as of late. In the past few days his sanity was only held by a thread, no longer corresponding to him.

Henry had grown so thirsty he didn't have a choice but suck up any water left off the hard dirty floor that had yet to evaporate from the sun's rays. He sobbed while doing so unbelieving that this was his last resort.

His lack of thirst wouldn't even allow him to form tears.

Two weeks had passed held captive in this misery.

Although Henry did not know this as he had stopped counting the days that had passed,

It just didn't matter anymore.

His stomach growled in anticipation, day and night begging for any nutrition.

The only good news in the last few days were that his wounds were slowly but surely healing.

The pain wasn't as explosive as before when he would come to or move around but that didn't mean the pain had faded completely.

Ahead from the no food or water problem,

Drex had yet to visit him again.

Just the thought was messing with his head.

Each day that passed that Drex didn't come to visit he grew more and more anxious,

'What if he left me here to die?'

'What if I grew the fun out of him?"

'What if he's planning on doing something worse to me which is why he's taking so long?'

'What if he's planning to kill me?'

'What if...'

Henry lies down thinking on every 'what if' scenario possible.

He really was losing his mind.

His sanity-

This was it.

He really was going to die here.

All alone...

They all surrounded the monitors.

Schwoz frantically searched every camera nearby Swellview Park viewing every piece of footage they could get their hands on in order to get the license plate number. They all began to lose hope as they get to the last camera with then Charlotte pointing out the van.

"Is that the one?!"

They all face her then back to the screen that projected the footage.

Load and behold on the lower right hand corner was a clear image of the license plate.

"Yes!" they all shouted as they brought in a hug.

"No celebrating yet, we still need to find Henry. Schwoz, what was the last approximate location of this van?"

"Mmmm I'm not sure yet. I need to first log it into the database which will take a while but surely will give us the last known location of this van and where it had been before."

Ray let out a sigh. Charlotte noticed his impatience. She turned to face him, hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, we're now one step closer to finding him. Were getting somewhere. He'll be with us again before we know it."

Ray let out a long breath and nodded.

It would take a minute but Charlotte was right, they were one step closer to finding him.

They just needed to be patient.

Unfortunately, time was the one thing they didn't have.

Henry had seemed to had lost track of time. Night and Day didn't correspond to him anymore.

For some reason Henry didn't feel hungry or thirsty at the moment. Probably so very of both he doesn't feel the need anymore.

He awakens from his forbidden nap not able to remember when he allowed his eyes to shut and looks around the room.

Just as the day before.

Drex still had yet to come and give him another round of beating. It seems he had forgotten all about it.

He sat up shutting his eyes for just a peaceful, merciful second. Henry felt himself shutting down. He had lost almost all hope of his desire to be saved. He felt helpless and tired, tired of this captivity.

He was thinking about ending it all.

'What if I just end my suffering here and now? Would anyone care?' Henry thought.

Surely not if he had yet to be found.

'What if I just die here and now? I'll be at peace. What if I just let myself go.'

Henry opened his tired lids turning to face the suns rays reflecting through the window.

He could only image what the outdoors must look like once more. The rays were his only sense of comfort warming him and coming to see him every day. Tears streaming down his cheeks went unnoticed.

He closed his eyes once more. He felt selfish. He wanted to die to end his suffering but what about his friends and family? They too would suffer from his loss.

'No they don't care. If they did you would've left this hellhole a long time ago.'

But what if they haven't been able to find him because Drex hid him so well?

No he had to fight.

Not just for his friends and family but for his sake.

Henry let in a long inhale,

'I don't want to die, but what more can I do to ease this pain?'

He had to find a way to escape he couldn't stay here. He couldn't wait for them any longer, he had to try to escape. He had too.

...or else he would really die here.

Henry opened his eyes once more gripping the side of the wall as he stood up with his life feeling a sense of dizziness wash over him as for his lack of nutrition, but it grew too much.

Henry came crashing back down onto the ground on all fours. He looked up and could see the door through the fuzziness of his eyes.

'Might as well crawl.'

He made his way to the door only to remind his faltering memory it contained a lock. He looked around to see what he could use to pick it with when he looked up at the clock.

'The clock of course!'

Henry grabbed a piece of concrete that had fallen from the cracking ceiling above nearby and threw it with all the strength he had left right at the median of the ticking item.

The clock came crashing down onto the hard floor. Glass laid shattered.

He scooted towards the broken item avoiding the shards and shakingly attempting to pull apart the hands of the clock.

Finally able to pull one of them out of its socket, Henry used the tip of it to pick the lock,

...and it unlatched.

Starstruck that it had worked he quickly took it off its latch and pushed the door open finding himself in a dark long hallway.

For the first time in what felt like a hot minute,

He smiled tiredly and relieved.

Drex made Sam meet up with him in an abandoned three-story building. It was formerly a small hospital for infants but never seemed to work out due to its size.

"Thank you for coming I wasn't quite sure if you'd make it here tonight."

Sam chuckled, "Aww anything for the big man boss. Why'd you want to meet here anyway?"

Drex turned to walk and signaled Sam to follow him so he did.

They both headed there way down to the basement of the unfamiliar building. Finally arriving to their destination Drex came to face Sam and opened the door, the final room of the hallway. Sam found the room filled with men seemingly ready for an order. The minute the men saw Drex enter they all grew quiet being respectful of his presence. Drex seemed to sense Sam's discomfort and signaled him to follow him up a platform. He stood next to him uncomfortably unknowing what was about to go down.

"Good evening men. I thank you for granting me your presence as many of you seem to have had other plans but of course couldn't pass up on this opportunity now could ya?"

The men laughed in what seemed like an uncanny joke.

"I'm here to give you a preposition, an opportunity to take back what was once rightfully yours. To take back Swellview and the people. we men have been set beneath the shadows for years that have come. No more. As many of you may not know I was a former sidekick of the infamous Captain Man."

Gasps scattered throughout the room, whispers and interruption occurred.

Sam faced Drex stunned. He could be lying but like the thoughts of the rest of the men,

Drex had no real reason to.

"I was played with and dragged along by the Captain himself. You criminals were the reason I stood up for what was my right. The right to take back what was once ours. I didn't understand back then what we men wanted with robbing grandma's money or mugging a civilian but I have taught myself much in the last 12 years and I had always had my reprisal planned in all that I did. Today men, is the day the last decade will have been worth it."

The men in the room clapped and cheered and chanted Drex's name. After finishing his speech Drex faced Sam and pulled out a pin, a pin that no man would dare mess with to whomever wore it. He placed the pin on the edge of Sam's formal wear and Sam faced Drex stunned.

"You sir, are my right hand man."

The men cheered chanting Sam's name along in rhythm.

Happy NEW YEARRRRRR! oop- i state again, I hope 2021 truly treats every single one of you well. I feel like this is gonna be a good one I can feel it. Pls God, don't let me jinx it...