Ya so, when I said my New Year's resolution was to update every month of the year I meant not until this year (jkjk). Anyway IM BACK AND ALIVE. I will not apologize because I've already done so enough so please terrorize me if you need to if I don't live up to my promise. Anyway, this was clearly long awaited so please enjoy :)

With the revelation of Henry's escape, Drex had no other choice but to move up his plan. Quite frankly with luck, everything had long been set into motion. Obtaining weapons, gathering his henchman, and his eventual plan in Sam's place as his right hand. However, he would've much appreciated more time to fine-tune some details but time was the one thing he didn't have. It was quite literally slipping through his fingers.

Drex found himself again at the Old Man Bar, seated at the farthest table with his back against the wall. He had a deck of playing cards at hand, seemingly shuffling them and skimming through the deck. A cigarette was lit as he blew away some of its fumes. He was waiting for his opponent.

The bell atop the door rings as it opens, revealing Sam who stood at its entrance. The bar wasn't busy, it was quite late and Drex and a few others found themselves there tonight.

Sam found his leader and sat across from the table, Drex didn't pull his gaze away from the cards, instead, he began dealing the cards between them.

"Why are you late?"

Sam swallowed, "Sorry boss, I had some string ends to tighten up at my other job. I truly do apologize for wasting your time, sir."

Drex set the remaining deck aside while he took the cigarette bud out his mouth and ceased it in the ashtray as he let out his last puff, "Don't let it happen again, time is fragile now."

The opponent's brow lifted in curiosity, "How'd you mean?" He picked up his cards and took a peak at his luck.

Drex set down his first card, a three of hearts; "The kid escaped."

Sam was about to put down his own card when he looked up from his set, "What?! How? There's no way, especially not under your watch sir." He sets down a three of diamonds.

Drex continued on with the game sitting silent momentarily until his turn returned, "I hate to admit that I was a bit careless. Left the kid alone for too long."

Sam took in a breath setting his own cards aside as his hands intertwined, "So what's the deal, we gonna go find him again?"

Drex shook his head, "No, that- that's for another time. He was simply a pawn, a buffer if you'd like to say, to give Captain Man a distraction. However, now that we've lost our diversion we've got to act now."

Sam's mouth twisted awkwardly, seemingly not exactly sure what Drex was trying to say. He continued the card game.

Drex set down a card atop the growing pile, quite aggressively he might add as he noticed Sam's confusion, "I'm saying we have to move up the plan, Sam."

His opponent pursed his lips, looking everywhere else but at the game at hand.

"You did what I asked of you, right?" Drex asked with an underlying snear.

Sam continued with the game, not answering. Drex leaned across the table, their faces nearly touching, "When I ask a question I expect an answer."

Sam wavered, "y-yes sir. I'm sorry sir. I've attempted to get your part of the plan on my end of things but I can't say with confidence that it is necessarily near completion. I thought I would have more time."

Drex smiled at that and began laughing at himself under his breath. A hand was brought around Sam's neck, seemingly caressing it.

"Do you know why I chose you to be my right hand? You see everyone I have come to know has always chosen the following three positions when it comes to their involvement with me. There's the follower, the rejector, and the bystander. It's always one or the other but never in between. You either align with my goals, try to fight against them, or simply choose to not get involved."

Sam shivered under his touch as his hand remained at his Adam's apple.

"I'm not one to choose to punish a fellow follower however there's a few that seemingly fall out of line or simply choose to stray into the rejection zone. That alone doesn't get me fired up."

Without warning, Drex pushes up against his chair and his grip around Sam's neck begins to tighten. Suddently they are both standing and Sam is pushed against the wall behind him. The fellow bartenders don't pay any attention to them at all. Regardless if it is a fellow co-worker being manhandled at the moment instead choose to allow it to play out. It was their normal everyday customer interaction anyway.

"What really gets me is when people who I entrust with very important roles don't do as they're asked and time is wasted and trust me, I hate when my time is wasted," His grip tightens.

Sam brings a hand against Drex's, "s-sir please."

"I expect that in the next few days, you get yourself together. This plan could do without you but I'm giving you one more opportunity. Defile me again and believe me this hand will do a whole lot more than take your breath away."

Sam nods and Drex throws him to the ground as the other holds his neck gasping for air.

The older of the two turns back to the table, leaves a few bucks for the table, and sets down his final cards atop the deck as he walks away into the stream of night. Sam grips the corner of the table as he finds his way up when his eyes find Drex's remaining cards.

A royal flush.

OOOOOOOO

Henry had been living with Ray for a better part of a week. Ray at the very least thinks he's doing better.

He seems to be eating more which is a sharp contrast to when he refused food out of fear which Ray still is unsure of why that had been the case. It seems as thought he's quickly putting on weight and that came as a surprise for the both of them.

Henry still had chosen to not talk about his time in captivity but Ray wouldn't pry. He promised he wouldn't. Although his injuries and his reactions to certain actions can only keep him guessing.

His wounds seemed to be healing with ease. Those awful dark purple bruises that littered across his body had grown to a light pink against his pale skin. Speaking of such he'd grown back some color but not as much as he had hoped. He needed to get this kid some sunlight.

Henry's wrist seemed to be much better than when he had last seen it. Henry seems to be able to move it a lot more than when he initially examined it. The wound had been inflicted quite deep but it seemed to be healing quite nicely. He could say the same about the stab wound.

Henry hadn't necessarily been entirely social during his stay. Only talked to Ray when spoken to or when he really needed to but not out of friendliness.

Ray hated to admit that he missed that side of Henry. The awkward, funny, laugh-inducing Henry who always came into work with a joke up his sleeve or something to purposely annoy Ray. He'd been quiet, too quiet.

Ray's noticed Henry had been cooped up in the bathroom, taking frequent showers which he found strange but he wasn't going to tell him not to. Maybe he felt like it was a safe space. He could only hope so.

Henry looked better. He genuinely did. For that Ray was happy with that. More than happy.

That was all he could ask for.

00000

But Henry's reality wasn't as easy going as Ray had thought it to be. Quite frankly, life outside those four walls proved more difficult than he had expected.

Ray's prying eyes made him uneasy. He would always catch him looking at him through the corner of his eye, slight glances, it was really making him shutter at his feet.

He already knows what he looks like, he looks not only terribly miserable but he knows he must look like roadkill no matter how many showers he takes.

Speaking of showers, it's the only thing that makes him feel safe.

Weeks without a shower, constantly settling around the dirty, cold concrete floor beneath him. He could never feel clean. But oh the hot water did wonders for him. It felt so good he couldn't resist its coverage.

It felt like a warm blanket that enveloped him, running down his fragile frame. He'd run the water hot, so hot the heat would overwhelm the bathroom to the point where everything would fog over and the walls that lined the room would bead with water.

He would be there for a while, so long that Ray would come knocking on the door questioning if he was okay. At that point he knew it was time to get out.

That aside, it felt like he was falling apart. Everything felt so meaningless. His pride and joy, being Kid Danger was stolen from him. It felt like his identity was stripped and he didn't know who he was. Hero or civilian. It just felt like he was in a limbo, nowhere to settle. He was so tired of feeling like this but it was his new normal.

He's trying to so hard to adjust to being back, finally back in his world and in his inner circle but he can't. He can't look at Ray the same way like Ray can't see him the same way either. Things were just—different. There was an uncertain tension between them that couldn't be explained, that couldn't be pinpointed.

But regardless he knows he's the reason. Ray's been tiptoeing around him since day one of his rescue and quite frankly he can't take it anymore. He's so, so very tired.

Henry finds himself back in Ray's room as he sits on the edge of the bed, nightfall looming as the moonlight shines through the upper window. Ray's back downstairs in the Mancave finishing up some work. Ray wouldn't come up for a while so he had the room to himself.

He lies down against the soft duvet that is beneath him, decorated with their attire colors.

He hasn't been able to sleep, he's had his fair share of nightmares and it's difficult to sleep in the first place when you know what's coming.

There's been so many sleepless nights, so many times he's woken up in a cold sweat and Ray's always waking up alongside to comfort him. He's genuinely tired. So tired. Maybe some sleep would do him some good, he could only hope it could be a good dream, one that instead of being filled with pain and fear could be replaced with pace and happiness.

That's all he wanted really. Was that too much to ask?

For the first time since he was rescued, he was granted his wish.

Literally writing this as a way to cope as my mom is in the hospital. Also how did we think about the new film? It was a lot better than I had thought. Anyway, I'll see you next time!