#bomika fanfic

[mirrorballmika]

freefall (ao3)

prompt: I’ve got you, I’ve got you. hurt/comfort.

“Have I mentioned that I hate this plan?” Bose asks. “Because I do. I really hate this plan.”

“Trust me, none of us want this,” Ray sighs. “But it’s not like we have another option.”

Bose isn’t sure how much he believes that. They’ve only been in this predicament for a day, maybe a little more. There must be other options, yet here they are. At least a dozen silver wires run from Mika’s head and neck like strands of a spiderweb, hooking her up to what looks like a modified game system from the 90s. With the thick box screen and black joystick, he’s not sure how else to describe it.

It doesn’t matter. What does matter is Mika and her deathlike grip on his hand. It’s the only thing that betrays the cool bravery on her face and in her body. She sits on what Schwoz called a bed, but it doesn’t look nearly comfortable enough to be called that, and she’s either pretending to be listening or actually listening as Schwoz outlines the fine details.

“Now, when you’re asleep, this machine will allow us to navigate through your brain and into your subconscious,” he explains.

“And if there’s still a part of Rick Twitler’s memories in there, it might help us work out what his next move is,” Ray adds.

“And you’re sure this will work?” Mika asks.

“And you’re sure it’s safe?” Bose adds, just loud enough for them to hear him. Ray freezes, and his gaze shifts from Mika to Bose. He tries to hide it, but Bose has seen that look before. It’s almost permanently etched on his stepdad’s face; the one where he’s desperately trying to hold back an eye-roll.

He drops his eyes to the floor and decides to save his pity for later.

“Yes, it’s safe,” he says. “As safe as it can be anyway. As for whether it’ll work… only one way to find out.”

A myriad of responses rush to the front of his mind but he dismisses all of them in one swoop. They’ve all learned what fighting with Ray can cause and they don’t need it now. Instead, he turns to Mika and tilts her face to his, using his hand to block out the other two.

“You don’t need to do this,” he says in a low voice. “We can find out Twitler’s plan without this.”

“Yeah, a way that takes twice as long,” she tells him. Her hand leaves his and travels up his arm, a gesture that in most cases would be soothing. The corners of her mouth and he almost smiles back. “I’ll be fine, trust me.”

He’s not sure he believes that. But he also knows he can’t talk her out of this. Sometimes he doesn’t know who’s the more stubborn one; her or Ray. So instead of pressing he settles for kissing her forehead and pushing his hands on the bed so she can’t feel his shaking.

They stay like that for a second or so, foreheads pressed together like they can stop time if they hold each other long enough.

Unfortunately, the Omega Weapon didn’t grant them that power. So Mika nuzzles him and then turns away, sliding her hand into his as their only contact. Bose watches as with a determined nod, Bose watches as Mika lies back on the bed. Her dark eyes stare up at the ceiling, white light reflecting in their pupils. She exhales, long and steady, and squeezes Bose’s hand.

“Let’s do this,” she says. Ray steps back as Schwoz comes over, a needle glinting in his hand. Mika’s eyes don’t move as he wipes down her arm, but her hand grips Bose’s so tightly it might burst. Bose doesn’t complain. He wouldn’t even if she ripped his arm off.

“Just take a deep breath,” Schwoz tells her. He moves the needle into position on her arm. Mika’s jaw is so tight that he worries it might snap.

“Do it.”

Bose doesn't watch him insert the needle. Instead, he watches Mika’s face. She gasps a little when the needle pierces her skin, then her eyes flutter shut and her features start to relax. In seconds, her desperately tight hold on his hand weakens until it’s just him holding onto limp fingers.

He whispers her name softly but firmly, and his hand brushes her warm cheek. Nothing.

“Okay,” Ray says flatly. “She’s out for the count. Let’s do this.” Bose’s eyes don’t leave his mentor’s as Schwoz begins. Ray’s expression is unreadable, his face half hidden by a closed fist. His usual larger-than-life demeanour is shrunk down to size and something is unsettling about it.

Ray glances across at him and for a second, Bose finds a vulnerability that’s so unlike Ray that he’s convinced he imagined it.

“I’m in Mika’s memories,” Schwoz announces. “In her short-term memory now…”

“So like… the things she did today?”

“Yes.” Schwoz’s tongue pokes out the corner of his mouth as he concentrates. He moves the joystick with incredible carefulness Bose forgets for a second how chaotic he usually is. “Okay, shifting into her long-term-”

“I still think this is too risky,” Bose hears himself say. He looks over at Schwoz again and tries not to think about what could happen if that careful, dedicated focus breaks.

“I know,” Ray replies. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say more, but nothing comes and he just keeps hanging halfway between Mika and Schwoz, his gaze shifting between them. “I know.”

His voice comes out shaky, unsteady, and it’s then that Bose’s anger gives way to something else. He wonders, in that brief moment, if Ray is thinking about Henry at this moment. He also wonders how he should feel about that.

A sharp groan from Mika draws their attention back to her. Her forehead creases slightly, tension locking her jaw.

“What’s happening?”

“Shifting into some unpleasant memories,” Schwoz says. “Mika is reliving things she’d rather forget.”

“Well get out of there!”

“I can’t. Not right away.” Schwoz’s eyes stay on the monitor, but his mouth presses into a thin line. “This is a delicate business.

Bose sighs and looks back at Mika. On the surface, he doesn’t doubt what Schwoz said. If he trusts anyone to get Mika out of this safely, it’s him. That doesn’t make him want to rip those wires out of her and smash that computer to pieces. It just means that he won’t. Because he’s smarter than he pretends he is and he’s gotten good at ignoring and repressing his anger over the years. Now is just the best time to practice it.

“Bose.” He looks up to find Ray standing over him, his hands wringing in front of his chest. “You don’t have to be here. I’m sure AWOL and Volt wouldn’t say no to some help. Bose bites his tongue. He knows full well the reason Miles was sent on patrol with Chapa was because he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing Mika like this. Hell, it was Mika’s idea that he go. He also knows that he promised Miles that he wouldn’t leave Mika’s side until it was over.

Not that he was ever planning to. But he made that promise to himself and both Macklin twins, which is why he runs his thumb over Mika’s knuckles and replies “yeah, I do”.

He doesn’t see Ray’s reaction.

Mika only gets worse the further Schwoz goes. Her steady breathing turns into short, quick gasps, broken by pained moans. The monitor across from them grows louder as her heart grows more frantic. Bose can only sit helplessly at her side, try not to drown in his uselessness and attempt to make it bearable. He runs his finger lightly across her cheek and brushes her hair away from her face.

“It’s okay,” he tells her quietly. “It’s okay, I’m right here. I’ve got you, it’s okay.” Her fingers tighten around his and he squeezes back. “It’s okay.”

If his words have any effect, it’s drowned out by whatever is going on in Mika’s brain. At some point, Schwoz declares he’s entering her subconscious, and the whimper Mika gives feels more like a plea for help. Bose raises his efforts to ease her pain, but they feel even more futile than they did before.

He guesses there’s only so much one guy can do.

“Schwoz, is this nearly over?” he asks. Mika is almost entirely on her side, curled up with her back to Schwoz’s machine. Her face is screwed with fear and pressed into her knees like she’s hiding. Bose pushes her hair away only to find his hand trembling. “Schwoz?”

“Almost there,” Schwoz says in a voice he guesses is meant to be reassuring. “I’ve located all of her memories from when she was possessed by Rick Twitler. All I have to do is enter.”

Silence falls over the three of them. Even Mika’s whimpering grows quiet. Because this is it. Mika told him about how it all felt on her side. He listened as she told him how she was held hostage in her own body, how loudly she had screamed when it started. How she was in the same room as all of them but felt a kind of loneliness she didn’t know existed. He watched as she fought to feel at home in her skin again. He was there for the shaking and the crying and the sweating and once or twice for the throwing up.

He can’t make her go through that again.

Bose looks up at Ray and finds a surprising amount of apprehension. Maybe Mika told him. Maybe she didn’t and he still knows. For a second, the look on Ray’s face makes him think it’s over.

Then he’s reminded who he’s with. Ray turns to Schwoz and says “let’s get this over with”.

Bose considers himself a forgiving person, but right now his limits are being tested.

It’s only seconds of Schwoz moving the joystick before Mika mumbles “no”. It starts quietly, her voice breaking on that one syllable, before it comes again, louder.

“No.”

Her body curls in on itself even more, and her hand clings to Bose’s like he’s a liferaft. The monitor’s beeping becomes stronger until it’s punching Bose’s skull. Mika’s free hand grips the mattress, her nails digging into the fabric.

She calls out “no, please, no”. A tear bursts from her eyelid and runs down her cheek, followed by another, then another, and Bose can’t take it anymore.

“Stop it,” he says. Still holding Mika’s hand, he looks over at Schwoz and Ray, his anger riling behind his gritted teeth. “Stop it. Get her out.”

“Bose, we can’t-”

“I don’t care!” The words echo across the room. He looks down at Mika through his falling hair and feels his cheeks burn. Mika shakes her head roughly, half-breathing and half-sobbing. “I don’t care whether or not it worked, just get her out of there!”

There’s a moment when no one says anything. Bose hears his words repeated back to him and his voice has never sounded so unfamiliar. Mika whimpers again, louder than before. Bose looks down and almost stops breathing. Even in their line of work, he didn’t think it was possible for someone to look so scared.

He swallows the lump in his throat and whispers “please”.

Ray’s face is almost completely hidden from view, but he nods and Bose almost lets himself be relieved. Almost.

“Get her out Schwoz.”

Schwoz doesn’t push back. Instead, he runs to the monitor and does whatever he needs to do with a steely determination. Bose waits, Mika’s heartbeat punctuating the seconds, and braces himself for whatever is about to happen.

Mika’s eyes fly open, her hands grasping desperately at him. Her nails scratch against his skin, but he doesn’t care. Her terrified cries fill the Man’s Nest, her words overlapping and bleeding into a horrified jumble.

Bose moves with her as she sits up, one hand on her back as he tries to cut through the images she’s still seeing in her mind.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he tells her. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, it’s okay. I’m here, it’s okay.”

He repeats it for what could be minutes or hours until her screaming dies down. He repeats it even then, whispering in her ear with her head on his chest. Even when he’s just competing with her heavy gasps, he doesn’t stop. Her hands are balled up in his shirt, her body shaking against his chest. He keeps telling her that he's got her and she's okay and he's right there.

He presses a kiss to her head just as she speaks up.

“Bose?”

“I’ve got you,” he says softly. He holds her closer and links his fingers through hers. “I’ve got you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Ray and Schwoz in the corner.

“It’s okay,” he breathes.

Seconds pass in silence. Bose blinks and finds his eyes damp and his cheeks sticky. When did he start crying?

Mika shifts so that her face is pressed into the crook of his neck. No doubt whatever he’s feeling, she’s feeling ten times over, plus some things he’ll never get.

“Did we do it?” she asks.

In the corner, Ray shakes his head.

On the one hand, Bose couldn’t care less if it worked or not.

On the other… it means Mika went through all that for nothing and Twitler’s still one step ahead of them. And she’ll blame herself, regardless of what he says otherwise.

So he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he kisses her head again and reminds her that he’s got her.

If he can’t promise anything else, he can promise that.

[lvsciously]

Give me Bomika winter episode ideas now.

Art by me😆

[dollmelaniee]

just a friendly reminder. dear eleana exist. if u havent read it, go read it. ITS SOOO LIFE CHANGING.

[bomikalover]

Scrapped Fanfic me and my friend Lee made called "Puree Passion." Wrote 3 chapters and decided to post one of them lol. LMK if you want the other two and I'll gladly post them! K Bye!

Chapter 1: Le début

It was a bright and breezy day on a regular Sunday afternoon at the beginning of summer. Bose walks into Man’s Nest with a grin on his face and a pep in his step. He was so joyful today, and no one knew why, which is one of the many mysteries of Bose O’Brien. The others sat on the Man Couch, curious as to why the young boy was so happy today.

“Someone’s feeling cheery!” Mika teased.

“It's disgusting.” Chapa sneered.

“Let the boy be happy!” Miles defended.

“So are you guys gonna ask me or what?” Bose questioned.

Bose joins the others on the couch.

“Do we have to-”

“What got your spirits so high?” Miles asked while cutting off Chapa.

“Ok, since you guys are dying to know…I got a summer job!” Bose exclaimed.

Chapa gave him a semi-smirk of pride, Miles applauded while cheering him on, and Mika flung out of her seat, jumping for joy, almost sonic screaming out of excitement. The others looked at Mika with confusion. You would have thought she was getting the job.

“Sorrieee, I’m just excited.” Mika says sheepishly while sitting back down.

Chapa leans over to Miles, whispering. “Some of us more than others.”

Miles cackles like a witch as Mika continues the conversation.

“Anyways, where are you working?”

“That's the best part! It's Hip Hop Paris!”

Mika’s smile faded. She must have been hearing things.

“Do you mean Hip Hop Puree?” Mika questioned.

“No. I mean Hip Hop Paris; Becky recommended it to me.” Bose answered.

“Becky? You mean Becky Butler? The Becky Butt!” Mika stressed.

“I thought she moved away?” Miles questioned.

“She did…to Paris!” Bose replied.

Mika sighs while rolling her eyes. It was already bad enough that he was going away to Paris for the summer, but he would be working with Becky. They all knew Becky was bad news…at least Mika did. She couldn't comprehend why Bose would ever listen to Becky…like it’s Becky.

“Not that I care, but why can't you work here in Swellview? You know at Hip Hop Puree?” Chapa asked.

“Well, Hip Hop Paris pays way more than Hip Hop Puree, and now that I'm getting older, I decided that I wanted to be more independent. All I know is Swellview, and this might be my one opportunity to get out of here.” Bose explained.

The others knew what Bose meant. Out of all of them, Bose will be the one stuck behind fighting crime with Ray. Not that being stuck with Ray is the worst thing in the world, but there are always better opportunities out there. Miles could sense the heavy vibe surrounding this conversation.

“Well, I'm happy for you. Hopefully, this is a small stop on your path to greatness.” Miles said.

“Yea dude, that's sick.” Chapa praises.

Bose smiles at his friend's support, but he looks over at Mika as her opinion means the most.

“So Mika, what do you think?”

Mika looks up at Bose, breaking out of her gaze. She plasters on a fake smile.

“Yeah, it's great.” Mika lied while nervously giggling.

Bose sensed something was off with her but brushed it off as he didn't want to upset her. Mika wasn’t just upset. She was confused, sad, and most anxious. Bose was going to work with her academic rival for an entire summer in the city of love. Yeah, no biggie.

“I’m so happy you guys are so cool with this, especially since I leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!” The group screams.

Bose jumps back in his seat, not expecting such a big reaction.

“Well yeah. We’ve already gone through the first day of summer, so if I want to have a good head start, I need to leave for Paris tomorrow. I’m sorry, I didn’t know I would leave so soon either.” Bose explained.

The silence drew over the group. How could you be happy for your best friend but sad for yourself? Since they were 12 years old, this quartet is all they've known, and they wanted to keep it that way. But the other three knew that this would be good for Bose, even if it sucked for them. Chapa wasn't one to openly feel for people, but Bose was like a little brother to her. He drives her insane sometimes, but she would kill for him. She knew Bose could protect himself, but he was too nice to even hurt the meanest of people, besides villains, of course. So she always did it for him, not realizing how self-dependent Bose became because of it. Miles didn't like the thought of losing their best friend for a summer, but they knew they couldn't interfere with their friend’s path. If his path went to Paris, unfortunately, they couldn't stop him. Mika felt defeated. She’s losing her honey for an entire summer; even worse, he’ll be closer to Becky Butler. What if that vicious snake of a girl poisons her sweet Bosey with her malicious ways? Mika couldn't allow that to happen.

“Well, I'll gladly teleport you there.” Miles voiced.

“And we'll be there to send you off.” Chapa added.

“Yeah, we wouldn't let you go without saying goodbye.” Mika says while placing a hand on his arm.

Bose smiled as his friends were being really cool about this. It almost made him think that they were happy to see him go…but they still wanted him around, right? Bose was just overthinking; his friends were not his parents. They actually like having him around, unlike his parents, who don't even care if he moves to Paris for the rest of his life.

“Thanks, guys, you're the best. I'm going to go since I have to start packing, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Bose said while leaving down the tube.

Once Bose was out of sight, Mika slouched into the Man Couch.

“What’s up with you?” Miles asked.

“Isn't it obvious? Mika’s loverboy is leaving her for some chick in Paris!” Chapa pointed out.

“Chapa, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not in love with Bose!”

“Yeah, okay.” Chapa said while getting up from the couch to grab a snack.

“Chapa!” Miles warned.

Chapa raised her hands in defense while leaving the room.

“I'm just looking out for Bose; I know Becky, and she's bad news!” Mika warns.

“You know 14-year-old Becky, the one that moved away and you haven't seen since freshman year. We're going to be juniors now; maybe she’s different.” Miles argued.

“Once a snake, always a snake.” Chapa says, walking in while munching on Choco Crocos.

“Whose side are you on?” Miles asked.

“Nobodies, that's the fun of it.” Chapa joked.

The twins roll their eyes at Chapa’s teasing manner. Chapa was the best at stirring the pot; she couldn't care enough to actually pick sides. Plus, someone always ends up hurt when you choose a side, so she never did. Plus, she thrives on making things harder for people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bose packs in his room, and hears a knock on his door. It opens to Celia coming into his room.

“Oh hey, mom.”

“Bosey, what are you doing?”

“Packing?” The boy questioned as if it wasn't obvious.

“Yes, I see that. But why?” Celia questioned.

“I'm going to Paris, remember? I told you two weeks ago!”

“You did?”

“Mama, I literally told you about how Becky was helping me find a job, and of course, you weren't listening.” The boy complained.

“I was listening!” Celia argued.

“Oh really, where am I working?”

The mother was stumped. She was listening, but Genuine Moments was on, so she might have blocked Bose out just a little bit.

“Umm, a surgeon?”

“Really? A surgeon? At 16? I'm pretty sure that's illegal, mama.” The son stated.

“You got a driving license at 12, so anything is possible!” The mother debated.

Bose rolled his eyes in annoyance, an emotion he’s portrayed more as he got older and more aware of how irritating some people could be…including his mother. He loves her, but she could be a little dim sometimes, and that’s coming from Bose, of all people.

“Look Mom, I’m going to Paris to work at Hip Hop Paris with Becky for the summer, and I leave tomorrow. Whether you care or not.”

“I care, Bosey, I do.”

The boy scoffed as he went to his dresser to get more clothes. The mother knew she wasn’t the best parental figure, but she did love and care for her son. She just needed to show him that.

“Bose, sweetheart, I’m sorry for not listening to you, but trust me, I’m trying my hardest to be better. Because I love and care for you, you deserve to go to Paris and begin your journey of becoming an independent young adult.”

Bose smiled at his mother’s efforts. He knew she was trying her best, and he wasn’t always the perfect son either. The boy walks up to Celia, engulfing her in a hug. The mother hugged back. Her baby boy was growing up on her.

“You’re gonna do great, Bobo; I just know it. I’m gonna miss you, but I know you can handle yourself. Try not to get into too much trouble; I know your job is to save lives but think of this summer job as a vacation, ok?”

“I will, thanks Mom.”

And there’s her sweet Bosey. The duo breaks apart from their hug.

“You’re welcome. I have got to go with Vicey on some business trips, so I won’t be here to send you off. But I love you so much, Bobo, and be safe.”

“Of course, love you too.”

The mother places an arm on his head, caressing it before smiling and making her exit. Bose keeps packing his bags with a happy heart, knowing his friends and family are supporting him.

The next day came rather quickly as the kids already stood outside Swellview Airport to send Bose off. It was bittersweet, they didn’t want to see him go, but it was time for the baby bird to leave the nest.

“Thanks for coming guys.” Bose thanked.

“Of course.” Chapa said.

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Miles voiced.

Mika was relatively quiet for obvious reasons. She still wasn’t grasping the fact that Bose was actually leaving for Paris. She was more focused on figuring out a loophole that could keep him here, but she kept drawing blanks. She watched as he briefly talked with Chapa and Miles, hugging them separately before moving on to her. He stood before her, smiling gently, but his eyes spoke volumes. He was going to miss Mika the most, to no one’s surprise. Everyone knew how bad the duo suffered when being separated. During the Thousand Pranks War, Bose couldn’t help himself and snuck out to Mika even though their cities warred against each other. Mika being from the rival town and pranking Bose herself, should have been enough to push Bose away, but it didn’t. He stayed by her side. It was even worse when their moms kicked them out of Danger Force. He only saw Mika in school, which wasn’t much since their schedules differ and they both have extracurriculars. But even then, he sat with her every lunch, walked with Mika to her locker or class if he could, and even got to school extra early to spend time with her. He always made time for Mika. And Mika never shoos him away. So being countries apart might be challenging, but I doubt Bose O’Brien would let that get in his way of making time for Mika Macklin and staying by her side…whatever way he can.

“Hey.” Bose said.

“Hi.” Mika voiced.

They both had so much to say, too much, actually. Mika teared up, with Bose looking back with teary eyes as well. Mika wraps her arms around Bose’s torso, her head against his chest, and Bose’s arms around her shoulders. They would have had more time to depart if Miles could teleport them there, but of course, Becky got Bose a first-class flight there and will be waiting for him at the airport. Bose swayed them slowly, neither having the courage to let go. Their friends watching them felt for them, knowing how important they were to each other. Chapa looks at her still outdated phone, checking the time.

“Bose, you have to go now if you still want to catch your flight.” Chapa announced.

Bose went to let go, but Mika squeezed harder.

“Don’t let go, not yet.” Mika whispered.

“I wish I could hug you forever, but Chapa’s right. I got to go.”

The duo gradually loosened their embrace, Bose taking hold of Mika’s hand with his own.

“I’ll call you as soon as I get situated in Paris.”

Mika smiled, squeezing Bose’s hand right before he let go.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys.”

Bose grabbed his suitcases, giving one last look to his friends, Mika’s lasting the longest. Then he turns around, strolling towards the airport and farther away from his home. Chapa walked over to Mika, putting an arm over her shoulder. She knew her friend needed some comfort right now.

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 23: The Bucket Trap

~ Down in the Man Cave~

Charlotte and (y/n) were anxiously anticipating the return of Henry and Ray from their patrol. They'd had been waiting for hours and after growing antsy, they had taken to pacing around. However, to their relief, the long wait was soon over, as the tube alarm sounded and the two superheroes dropped into the headquarters.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Charlotte greeted them, she and (y/n) lighting up now that they could hear about their adventures.

"Oh, man, it was insane." Ray smiled as he and Henry walked down the steps to the females. His happy demeanour perked up his best friend, her boredom and nervous excitement bubbling down into a calmness.

"It was nuts!" Henry exclaimed, fuelling Ray's climatic animation. 

"Don't leave us in suspense then!" (y/n) told them, eager to hear about what had happened. Things had been a little tense in the Man Cave for the past week, ever since the whole Dennis escapade. Ray tried for days afterwards to get his best friend to stay with a friend downtown, but she refused. The Man Cave was her home, he was her friend and she wasn't going to leave when there was work to be done.

"Okay. The news helicopter was flying around over Swellview, just going in circles." Ray started, his grin expanding at how intently the woman was listening to him.

"Because the helicopter pilot fell asleep at the controls." Henry continued, adding a touch of drama to the tale with his voice.

"And did you guys figure out a way to wake him up?" Charlotte asked, intrigued at how the story was unfolding.

"No. We just watched the helicopter fly around in circles." Ray said, walking past the girls, who looked at the heroic duo in disbelief.

"Until it ran out of gas and fell right down into the Jandy River," Henry added, not helping how horrified they looked.

"Raymond!" (y/n) exclaimed, shocked that he had just watched the helicopter crash. She watched him move to the supercomputer.

"And you guys didn't do anything?" Charlotte voiced her anger too.

"I got a video of it going down," Henry said and he shared a smirk with Ray. The girls' frowns got even deeper at how they were borderline gloating.

"What about the pilot? Was he hurt?" Charlotte inquired, hoping they weren't going around if someone had gotten injured.

"No. Just wet." Kid Danger shrugged, as Ray laughed at the memory.

"So very wet." He chuckled, (y/n) rolling her eyes at his amusement. She didn't think that the situation was funny at all. She lost her train of thought when Henry received a text, his phone dinging from the notification.

"Ugh. Another text from Jasper. That's eleven texts in one hour," Henry groaned, wondering why his friend was so keen to get his attention.

"I've got nine," Charlotte added too, scrolling through all the notifications as she leant on the back of the couch and Henry and (y/n) sat down. 

"Man, what's up with that Jasper kid?" Ray asked, standing from the computer chair and going over to Charlotte. 

"It's the bucket boy, right? Doesn't he have any other friends?" The young woman questioned too. She didn't know a huge amount about Jasper, other than he was Henry and Charlotte's other friend, he was a bit annoying and he loved buckets.

"Well, yeah, but not the kind you'd be, you know, proud of," Charlotte said carefully, not wanting to be mean about her friend.

"We're his best friends. But now because we work for you, we end up having to leave him alone all the time." Henry explained, making Ray and (y/n) feel a little guilty. They didn't live an easy life, they had to sacrifice a lot to keep everything secret. It sucked that the kids had to do it as well.

"I feel really bad for him," Charlotte said too.

"We're sorry we expect so much from you, but this is what we have to do to keep Captain Man fighting crime." (y/n) told them sincerely and the teens knew she meant it. They knew that she went through crap for Ray too, even though it was often for a completely different reason.

"Yeah...you guys hungry? Who wants Greek food?" Ray put his hand up, smiling at his friends. They weren't impressed, especially (y/n), who wished that sometimes he'd suppress his childishness in serious moments.

"Ray, we just told you we had a real problem we have with our friend," Henry stated, not believing how dismissive his boss had been.

"And all you can say is 'Who wants Greek food?'" Charlotte reiterated and Ray lifted his arm even higher. 

"Don't be a dick!" (y/n) scolded him, punching him in the stomach, his rock-hard abs hurting her hand more than she hurt him. 

"Tzatziki? Moussaka?" The large man held both her hands together so she couldn't hit him again. She struggled against his grip, but let's face it, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Fine, but we're still going to discuss it." She sighed, making her best friend pick her up and spin her around before skipping off to phone the Greek restaurant.

"You can never say no to him." Charlotte deadpanned, she and Henry watching the situation with bemused faces.

"You lurveee him." Henry teased her, making her hide her red face in her hands.

"Shut up! Go get changed!" She replied in an embarrassed voice. She knew that what they were saying was completely true, but they didn't need to know that.

~~

The food had finally arrived, creating a delicious-looking spread on the couch table. The ground had gathered around it, serving strawberry and blueberry kool-aid alongside the meal.

"Mmmmm..." They all said as they took the first mouthful, the traditional food doing wonders on the tastebuds.

"Man, I love these 'jye-rose'. That's how you say it, y'know, 'jye-rose'." Ray said, his pronunciation not great.

"You try it." He told the kids as (y/n) rolled her eyes and took a sip of her strawberry drink.

"'Jye-rose'" They said together, thinking that it wasn't very difficult to say.

"Perfect." Ray complimented them, taking another bite of his food.

"Don't you think you should talk about something else with them?" (y/n) nudged his knee with his and he looked over his glass at her, the blue liquid sloshing about in the glass.

"What?" His voice was muffled by the glass, and he sounded puzzled as to why she was raising her eyebrows at him.

"Back to our problem with Jasper," Henry told him, jogging his memory back to their problem. Ray groaned at the mention of the boy, causing his best friend to hit him on the arm like a mother scolding her child.

"Don't be rude!" She looked at him sternly, a finger pointed at his face.

"Don't groan, he's our friend." Charlotte chided him too.

"Yeah, and it's not cool how we always have to lie to him and leave him all alone when you need us to work," Henry told his boss his real feelings, which didn't go down with Ray very well. He never took criticism in good humour.

"Okay. Here's an idea." He said in a cheerful voice.

"What?"

"What you got?" The teens replied, thinking he had good intentions.

'Oh god...' (y/n) had known Ray a lot longer than they had and she knew that he wasn't taking their concerns seriously.

"One night soon, we go to Jasper's house...we sneak into his room..." Ray leaned closer as he explained his plan, which the kids nodded along enthusiastically.

"Here it comes." (y/n) mumbled under her breath. 

"And we brain wipe his memory so he doesn't remember either one of you." Ray smiled, thinking it was foolproof.

"There it goes." The young woman pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation as Henry and Charlotte scoffed in offence.

"No. Friends don't wipe friend's brains." Charlotte said in an angry voice. 

"Yeah, you wouldn't wipe (y/n)'s brain." Henry gestured to the woman and Ray frowned as they did.

"What? No! She's my friend!" The superhero exclaimed, proving their point. The fact sucked, always the friend, never the girlfriend, but at least it made him see he was a hypocrite.

"Just pass the lamb balls," Ray said to the dark-haired girl in an irritated tone.

"They're actually called Keftedes." (y/n) mentioned as Ray served her some in a sulk.

"Anyway, I got a better idea," Henry announced, wondering how the two adults would take it.

"What?" Charlotte turned to him, knowing that anything was better than what Ray had suggested.

"I say that we just tell Jasper that I'm Kid Danger." Henry declared, causing (y/n) to choke on her meatball and Ray to spray his Kool-aid across the floor.

"That was charming," Charlotte commented with a grimacing face, as the woman in front of her coughed from the food in her windpipe. Ray patted her back and eventually, she calmed down, but she still felt shocked at what the boy had suggested.

"No! No, no, no, no, sir!" Ray exclaimed, wiping his mouth with a blue napkin as he soothingly rubbed (y/n)'s back. He was still on edge from her last near-death experience.

"Oh, why not? (y/n/n), come on! What's the worst thing that could happen?" Charlotte looked at the more reasonable of the two, but even she was sceptical at the idea. This Jasper kid wasn't known for his intelligence and his super-enthusiasm for Captain Man would surely result in him spilling to a supervillain or something.

"Uh, well, the worst thing is if Jasper blabs it all over the place, and then everyone in the world knows Henry's Kid Danger," Ray said in an amused voice, (y/n) agreeing with him even though she knew it was upsetting the teens.

"And then the bad guys follow him and find out he works here, so then they know how how to find Captain Man too, and then they blow this place up, including this really cute skirt I bought last week that I haven't worn yet." (y/n) was exaggerating a bit, but it was nothing compared to how Ray was feeling. He had stood up and was now pacing up and down the middle of the Man Cave.

"And then they could also figure out where Henry's house is, which puts him and his whole family in major danger." Ray finished the scenario by planking on the back of the couch, his body hovering next to (y/n) as she nibbled on her food a little.

"Okay, but other than that?" Charlotte looked at them with a bored expression. In her eyes, it really wasn't that big of a deal.

"Nobody is going to tell Jasper or anyone else that Henry's Kid Danger," Ray said firmly.

"(y/n), help us out!" Charlotte pleaded with her, thinking that she would get on their side and convince Ray.

"Sorry, guys, but I agree with doofus. Jasper just can't keep secrets." (y/n) tried to be fair, but it was so hard. Everyone wanted her on their team since she influenced either side. But ultimately, she thought her best friend was right. Just because Jasper was their friend and was getting left out, didn't mean they should tell him.

"Come on, what if I promise you he'll keep the secret?" Henry asked Ray, sighing with (y/n), who lifted herself onto the back of the couch.

"You can't guarantee that." The superhero argued.

"You wanna know how many of my friends I can't tell about my job? They just have to accept that I've got responsibilities." (y/n) lectured, Ray walking up behind her and squeezing her shoulder. He knew how many things she had given up for him; friends, some family, a normal life, and he couldn't be more grateful that she had stuck with him. He put her through late nights, criminal lunatics coming after them, endless repairs and menial tasks. She really was his angel.

"All right. Why don't we just test Jasper and see?" Charlotte proposed, having had enough of the tall tales about moral high ground.

"Yes. Good." Henry agreed with her.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ray said in a very strained voice, (y/n) swinging her legs over the back of the sofa so she could go over and calm him down.

"We'll make up some big old juicy secret." The dark-haired girl told the adults, making them rub their faces with frustration. Kids were too stubborn for them.

"And then, if he keeps that secret for a week, we know we can trust him." Henry theorised, looking at the two earnestly.

"What do you think?" Charlotte asked, hoping they'd agree.

"Okay." Ray nodded, (y/n) smirking at him as she whispered in his ear, her hot breath making his hair stand on end.

"But we get to pick the fake secret." The young woman grinned at the teens mischievously, knowing that it would have to be something so crafty, so intrinsically evil, they would squirm on the spot.

"Sure." 

"Done deal, man." Charlotte and Henry nodded at each other, thinking they could take anything that was thrown at them. Ray sat back down on the couch, pulling (y/n) into his lap and the two of them smiled sweetly.

"So, what secret do you want us to tell him?" Charlotte asked, so Ray murmured into the woman's ear and she giggled cunningly. 

The sight of them snuggling and whispering together so openly was unusual for them, but Ray had been more touchy ever since he saw the fading bruises on her collarbone. They always reminded him that she could be taken in an instant, so he found himself needing more physical reassurance that she was still there. However, for Charlotte and Henry, this was war, and no cute couple was going to make them back down.

"That you and Henry..." Ray started, his hands sliding down her waist so his thumb could stroke where her leg joined to her hip. She relaxed into him, enjoying how the scent of his cologne enveloped her. 

"...Are boyfriend and girlfriend!" (y/n) squealed, holding up two fingers and then joining them to indicate the two friends coming together in love. She and Ray watched in amusement as the kids cringed and scowled at the thought of being more than friends. The man's chest rumbled behind her as he chuckled and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, making the woman blush as she sipped her drink.

"Have fun..." (y/n) quipped, as she and her would-be boyfriend knew they had their employees rattled. This was going to be interesting...

~Later that night~

Henry and Charlotte had meticulously planned their dinner with Jasper. Everything had to be perfect, otherwise, Jasper would smell a rat and think it was a prank. The table was set, the food was ready, all they had to now was wait for him to arrive.

"Okay, who's going to start?" Henry asked Charlotte as she set out the beakers. 

"I don't wanna start." She replied, thinking that the whole plan was unnecessarily wicked on Ray and (y/n)'s parts. 

"It's my house, I make the rules." He said like a child.

"Well, why'd you ask me who's going to start if you knew you wanted me to start?" She responded, causing an argument between them. They talked over one another frantically until Jasper came through the door.

"Hey, guys!" He greeted his friends, who broke apart instantly once he spoke.

"Oh, hey, Jasper."

"Hi there, Jasper." They said simultaneously, acting like they hadn't just been freaking out.

"So, why'd you guys invite me for dinner?" The curly-haired boy inquired, throwing his jacket on the couch and sauntering to the table.

"Pfffft, what do you mean why?" Henry scoffed.

"Friends don't need a reason to invite a friend for dinner, right?" Charlotte joined in with a nervous smile.

"I guess." Jasper shrugged.

"Although we do have a reason."

"There is a reason." His friends told him, igniting curiosity in him. What did they want to tell him?

"But first, did you see we made your favourite dinner?" Henry gestured to the spread put out before them, and Jasper gasped as he took it all in.

"Fish sticks and peas!" The boy clapped his hands excitedly.

"Yeah. Sit down." Charlotte told him, finding it a little odd that Jasper ate fish sticks with just peas. The friends sat down, Charlotte giving Henry a look.

"Uh, so, we have something that we kind of wanna tell you. But first, you have to promise. You got to swear that you'll never tell anyone this secret. " Henry started, his tummy alive with butterflies.

"No worries, I can keep a secret." Jasper smiled.

"Can you?" Henry stared at him intensely, putting his friend on edge.

"Yeah. I never told Charlotte you were the one who killed her goldfish." Oh poor Jasper, he really needed to think before he said something. Henry looked at Charlotte with wide eyes as she kicked off.

"WHAT?" She yelled, thinking that her goldfish's death was one of life's shitty curveballs.

"You did not just say that!" Henry snapped at Jasper, who was perspiring at the situation he found himself in.

"You killed Nemo?" Tears sprung up in the corners of the girl's eyes. Her beloved fish...

"We're getting off track here." He looked at her and she calmed down a smidge.

"Now, we want to tell you a big secret, but you gotta seriously swear that you'll never tell anyone," Henry told Jasper firmly.

"Never ever." Charlotte cemented, her tone of voice telling the teen that she meant business.

"I swear on Nemo's grave." Jasper held his fingers up, swearing his secrecy. 

"Stop mentioning Nemo," Henry whined at him as the dark-haired girl in front of him gave him a death glare.

"I can't believe you killed him." She hissed over the fish sticks.

"I tickled his back, he had a stroke, it wasn't my fault!" He yelled back. He hadn't meant for the fish to die, but that wasn't the point. Henry didn't know how to get the words out of his mouth, but Charlotte gave him an encouraging look.

"Charlotte and I are boyfriend and girlfriend." He struggled out, thinking about how he was going to kill those two, oblivious, sanctimonious, stinking excuses for bosses/friends when he got hold of them. Jasper's bottom lip quivered in shock, pointing a shaking finger at his friends.

"You? She? You and She? You and him?" He stuttered, looking back and forth between them. He obviously couldn't take it, because he grabbed the bowl of peas and emptied it down his shirt.

"What?!" He yelled after the peas have rolled out of the bottom of his shirt. 

"It's true." Charlotte lied, trying to make herself sound believable.

"You guys are dating?" He spluttered.

"We sure are."

"We're deep in love." Charlotte felt like throwing up, but she plastered a fake smile on her face like Henry.

"Wow. So you guys, like, kiss and stuff?" Jasper giggled at the thought of them doing all the mushy, lovey-dovey stuff.

"Mmm-hmm, we sure do," Charlotte replied Henry looked like he was about to spontaneously combust.

"We kiss a lot." The boy said uneasily, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Can I see?" Jasper questioned in a low voice, setting off a panic in their stomachs.

"Well, we can't kiss right now," Charlotte told him quickly.

"Why not?" The curly-haired boy groaned, thinking his friends were taking all the fun out of what he'd just learned. 

"Because Charlotte has a mouth sore." Henry came out with, irritating the girl in question. Why did she have to be the diseased one?

"Ewww, gross," Jasper complained at the thought.

"Yeah, it's real gross." Charlotte glared at the boys.

"Henry, why don't you take me to the mouth doctor?" She pointed to the door with her thumb.

"Sure, baby." Henry cringed at what he said, but it gave the two a chance to get out of the house. 

"Wait, it's nighttime. I think all the doctors are closed!" Jasper yelled after them as they opened the door.

"Remember, you promised that you'd never tell anyone that we're boyfriend and girlfriend." Henry reminded him.

"Okay, but where are you going to take Char--" The poor kid couldn't finish his sentence as they ran out briskly. At least he had his fish sticks to keep him happy.

~Junk-N-Stuff, the next day~

Henry and Charlotte were busy scrubbing the teeth in the Dinosaur's head. All that fire had scorched them into a grungy colour, so it was their task to get them back to a reasonable state. Ray and (y/n) were watching them curiously, wondering how to bring up the conversation about the bucket kid.

"So, you guys told Jasper yesterday, huh?" (y/n) asked as Ray helped her polish the counter.

"Yep."

"We did." The kids replied, getting their toothbrushes into all the nooks and crannies of the dinosaur's mouth.

"Ha, I bet he's already blabbed it to every kid in your school." Ray chuckled, thinking he and (y/n) were guaranteed to win the bet.

"And if he did, it meeeeeans....we were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong!" The large man sang with a little dance, Henry and Charlotte strolling over to the counter with frowns on their faces.

"Okay, that's enough." (y/n) squirted some cleanser onto his hand since he was getting on her nerves too. He recoiled with a grumble, ceasing his petulant behaviour. All of a sudden, the shop's doorbell jingled and Jasper came into the store. 

"Shhhh!" Henry and Charlotte shushed the adults, much to their annoyance.

"We weren't talking," Ray said to them, but they had already gone to see Jasper. He put his arm around (y/n)'s shoulders as they watched the teens interact.

"Hey, Jasper." Henry greeted his best friend.

"What are you doing here?" Charlotte asked cheerfully.

"I can't stop thinking about what you guys told me last night." Jasper started, causing the other kids to shush him as Ray smirked into his coffee.

"Give me a sip." (y/n) whispered to him, not taking her eyes off the three.

"I asked if you wanted a coffee and you said no!" Ray mumbled back. This was one of her quirks that really annoyed him, but at the same time, he loved it. 

"I don't want a coffee, I want a sip of yours. Pleeeease!" She pouted, making him groan and offer her the cup. She took a mouthful and grinned at him happily, focusing on Henry and his friends again. How he loved to see her smile...

"I didn't say anything. But, man, this secret is hard to keep." Jasper confessed, as the two adults circled the cash register and walked over to the group.

"Ahem, excuse us." (y/n) sauntered over to them, a playful spring in her step.

"Henry, Charlotte, we need you guys to go down to the basement and mop the walls." Ray lied, thinking of anything that would get them to leave Jasper alone.

"Since when do we have to mop the walls?" Henry looked at them both with suspicious eyes. They were up to something.

"Since now. You'll find buckets and mops ready to go down there." (y/n) smiled at them, grabbing Ray's mug and taking another drink, making him purse his lips in slight annoyance.

"But our friend Jasper's here and--" Charlotte tried to excuse them as the young woman gave Ray the cup back, but he was having none of it.

"Oh hey, no worries. We'll keep your little friend company." Ray smirked, looking at Jasper, who felt a little awkward. Reluctantly, Henry and Charlotte shuffled off to the elevator, giving Jasper some hand gestures to tell him to keep the secret, no matter what.

"I think something's up with those two." (y/n) smiled at Ray, hinting to Jasper that they were talking about Henry and Charlotte's 'relationship'. 

"I don't know anything." The boy said, trying to take his mind off blabbing by playing with a piece of junk on sale.

"You sure? They seem like, I don't know like there's something they're not telling us." Ray said thoughtfully, he and the young woman walking around Jasper in an attempt to get him to feel nervous. And it was definitely working.

"Well, I can't help you." Jasper stayed strong, so (y/n) knew it was time to pull out the big guns.

Nudging Ray, she nodded her head to the floor, so he used his strength to lift a solid gold, jewel-encrusted bucket. It was everything Jasper had dreamed about and more.

"Oh dear god, what is that!?" The boy cried, having never seen such a beautiful bucket in his life.

"Oh, you mean this old thing? This is just King Tut's golden bucket." She said to the teen with an innocent face. Bribery was a classic way to get someone to squeal.

"It is? I've read about that bucket. It's over 3000 years old!" Jasper breathed, taking in how the gold glinted under the light.

"Is it?" Ray folded his arms, pretending like he and (y/n) hadn't spent all of last night curled up on his bed trying to find the world's best bucket.

"Well, who'd have thunk it? We just want thirty bucks for it." The young woman said in an airy voice, causing Jasper to go into a meltdown.

"Thirty? I could have thirty bucks by tomorrow. I can sell my grandmother's wheelchair!" Ray smirked at how desperate the boy was, he was walking right into their trap.

"So you'll really sell it to me?" The boy asked the adults, who shrugged in response. 

"Uhhh, no," Ray said, seeing the heartbreak grow on Jasper's face. (y/n) felt a bit bad at how they were using dirty tactics, but she knew that criminals didn't play fair, and they had to test Jasper thoroughly.

"No?" Jasper cried, the three of them unaware that Henry and Charlotte had turned on the supercomputer's camera link to the store. They watched in horror as their bosses teased and tortured Jasper to spill. They even had his biggest weakness: a bucket.

"See, here's the thing, we think you know something about Henry and Charlotte. Like...maybe a little secret." (y/n) leaned in close to Jasper's ear, the boy starting to feel the pinch now.

"Yeah, I think Henry and Charlotte have a secret, and I think you know what it is." Ray juggled the bucket enticingly between his hands, (y/n) nodding along with his words. She could see the boy was starting to crack, all they needed to do now was go in for the kill.

"And we're not going to sell King Tut's golden bucket to a boy who keeps secrets from us." The woman said. Ray put his arm around her so it could settle on her hip, gloating when Jasper's lip quivered. They were an intimidating pair and Jasper found it incredibly hard to stand up to them.

"But that's not fair!" Jasper whined and pouted.

"Mmmm. Life isn't fair, son." Ray pouted back. If life was fair, he would've carried (y/n) off into the sunset by now and they'd be married happily ever after. But life's a bitch and then you die.

"You know what life often is?" (y/n) smiled at Jasper sweetly.

"What?" He replied with a shred of hope.

"Unfair." She blanked him, thinking about all the time's destiny had screwed her over. If life was fair, she'd be a supermodel or a pageant winner and she'd turn Ray's eye her way, even though he'd been hers and vice versa for years.

Jasper groaned in pain, his heart in a constant battle with his brain; bucket or secret, secret or bucket? Charlotte and Henry were entranced by the monitor in the Man Cave, praying he'd stay strong for them.

"Just tell us what you know and you'll be walking outta here with King Tut's golden bucket right in your sweaty hands." Ray insisted, tempting him like a devil on his shoulder. He moved the bucket around in his hands, Jasper losing his self-control.

"Can I tell you a secret about someone else?" Jasper tried, but it was a poor shot.

"No, we don't care about anyone else." (y/n) yawned, trailing her manicured nail around one of the jewels.

"My mom steals butter from restaurants." Jasper divulged, not that it had the slightest bit of difference.

"Don't care." Ray said without emotion, not giving a shit about a woman who stole stupid things from restaurants.

"Will you please sell me the bucket?" The boy put his hands together as he begged.

"Tell us the secret!" Ray yelled, as Jasper grunted and strained from the pressure. It was on the tip of his tongue, so he started running around the shop groaning and shouting before he left the establishment completely.

Henry and Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief as Ray clenched his fists in frustration. They so nearly had him.

"What the hell just happened?" (y/n) asked, trying to process that a teen boy had just had a nervous breakdown in her workplace and had run from the store like he was in actual pain.

~A couple of days later ~

Henry and (y/n) were finishing up the cleaning, sweeping the floors and doing some final dusting. They had been working hard, leaving Ray to grumble and sulk to Charlotte. However, their attention was diverted from their work when a notification dinged on Charlotte's phone.

"Who's that?" Henry asked, propping his broom up as he stopped sweeping.

"Jasper, he just got off the bus and he's on his way here." She replied, scanning through the message rapidly.

"Ohhh. You mean our friend who's kept the secret we told him?" Henry poked (y/n) and leered at Ray, annoying the two adults.

"That's the Jasper." Charlotte played into his mockery, smirking at both of them.

"The deal is he's got to keep your fake secret for a whole week." Ray reminded them, knowing that there was still time for Jasper to bottle it.

"Only two days to go." Henry fought back. He thought Jasper could do it, he had faith in his friend.

"Only two days to go." (y/n) mimicked the boy in a childish voice, which was unlike her, but her stubbornness meant she wanted to win. The doorbell tinkled as Jasper entered Junk-N-Stuff, ready to stay strong.

"Hey, guys." He greeted, strolling into the store carefully.

"Oh, hey." Charlotte smiled, also ready to prove her bosses wrong.

"Come to hang?" Henry asked his best friend.

"Nope, I'm here to talk to your boss and his girlfriend." He said in a stern voice as Ray and (y/n) faltered from what he called them. Panic alarms were ringing in their heads and they quickly shook their heads in denial, although their red cheeks were something of a giveaway.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, you've us all wrong. She's just my friend." 

"Oh god, no, no, no. He's not my boyfriend, as if!" The words tumbled from the lips automatically, their sentences jumbling into one long mess of lies and suppressed feelings. They both avoided any eye contact as Henry and Charlotte signalled to Jasper that mentioning any feelings in front of them both was a colossal no-no. 

"W-whatever. I'm here to talk to your boss and his...friend." Jasper corrected himself, but he still maintained his confident tone.

"Well, gooooood." Ray replied, settling into the 'friendzone' once again, even as it stung his and (y/n)'s hearts.

"We like to talking to you." (y/n) smiled with a high-pitched voice, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was happy to move on from the awkward moment, despite the fact 'friend' made everything seem so bittersweet.

"Uhh, well actually, Ray and (y/n) are really busy and we got a lot of--" Henry tried to get Jasper to leave, but Ray could see that the curly-haired boy was looking for a fight, and boy, he would give him one.

"Hey! Henry, Charlotte, please go down to the basement and..." Ray interrupted him, trying to think of some humdrum work that would keep the kids busy.

"...Rotate the light bulbs." (y/n) snapped her fingers as the thought came into her mind. It was pointless, but it would take them ages to do every light in the Man Cave, so it was perfect for them.

"Rotate the light bulbs?" Henry looked at her weirdly as the woman lifted herself onto the counter.

"What does that even mean?" Charlotte added, rolling her eyes at their lame attempts to get rid of them.

"It means we want you to unscrew all the light bulbs and then screw them back in again," Ray explained like it was the best job in the world.

"Darn, I wish I was as lucky as you kids, getting to do all of the light bulbs down there! Oh well, off ya go!" (y/n) grinned at them with a fake, sugary voice and Henry and Charlotte did as they were told. But they managed to get a few hand signals in as they walked to the elevator, reminding Jasper again to keep his mouth shut.

(y/n) slid off the counter and circled it so Jaspar could stand and look at them as they faced off.

"Hello." The boy said cooly, but Ray had called the bluff of countless supervillains and that meant he was a seasoned arguer.

"I know why you're here. You've been thinking about something." Ray mocked him.

"Dreaming and thinking...about this." (y/n) used all her strength to lift the bucket, passing it to Ray who held it like it was weightless.

"I want that bucket," Jasper told them confidently.

"We know you do," Ray replied, rolling the metal object in his hands.

"$60. That's double what you asked." The boy stated, slamming the money down on the counter, but Ray just sighed.

"Okay, we were very clear. We know you have a secret. If you want us to sell you this bucket, you better start talking." Ray snapped his fingers in Jasper's face, bulking up his muscles to intimidate Jasper.

"I will not tell you my secret. This is a simple business transaction. My $60 for King Tut's bucket." The kid said firmly, pleasing his friends down in the Man Cave, who were watching again on the computer.

"No deal." (y/n) snapped, causing Jasper to groan as Ray took the bucket away. The thing was worth 3000 bucks. As if she'd sell it for sixty and not get any juicy information with it.

"Come onnnnn!" The teen cried.

"Tell you what, you can have it for free," Ray told him in a sing-song voice. This was his trump card, his best tactic, something he knew Jasper would find irresistible.

"Free?" The boy breathed, gazing at the bucket longingly. It was funny really, he looked at buckets like Ray looked at (y/n), when she wasn't looking, of course.

"Just tell me your little secret." Ray leaned in close to him, his voice sounding like Yoda or possibly Gollum. This was really tricky for Jasper, on one hand, he had the bucket of his dreams nearly in his grasp, but on the other, he had his solemn promise to his friends that he would tell. What to do?

"What's it gonna be, boy? Bucket...for...the secret."  (y/n) hissed at Jasper, holding Ray's wrist so she could edge the bucket closer to the teen's face with every word.

"One sec!" Jasper groaned, jogging off to a corner and zapping his armpit with a taser. He groaned in agony, making the two adults lean back in horror. Should they be worried about this kid? Even Henry and Charlotte were freaked out by his drastic actions.

Jasper let out a deep breath, the pain refocusing his mind. Tucking the taser back into his pants, he cricked his neck and waltzed back up to the counter, ready for round two.

"I will not tell you my secret." He reiterated, Henry and Charlotte encouraging his commitment from downstairs. Ray grumbled and put the bucket down, deciding to switch tactics.

"Hold on, we'll be right back." The large man led his helper by the hand, her stopping briefly so he could yank the bucket from under Jasper's nose. He didn't want to lose his only negotiation point, so it was best to take it with them. 

They sloped off through the backroom and went down the elevator. When it's doors opened, Henry and Charlotte were sat on the couch facing them, looking extremely smug. The adults chuckled sarcastically at how pleased they looked with themselves. 

"Oh, you guys think you're soooo smart," Ray said, walking up and over the back of the couch whilst (y/n) just walked around it. She huffed at how the teens smirked at them; they may have won the battle, but they certainly hadn't won the war.

"No, we think we're so right." Henry gloated, he and his friend leaning of the back of the coach so they could see what their opponents were doing.

"You two are just mad because we proved Jasper can keep a secret." Charlotte pointed out, making Ray frown.

"Yeah, he's so good at keeping secrets, he has to electrocute himself to stop talking." She quipped as she leaned against the wall next to the snack machine with Ray.

"One french fry." The man said, smacking his hand against the screen so he could say his order. The machine complied, and the woman took the single fried potato between her finger and thumb.

"Wait, what are you going to do with that french fry?" Charlotte looked at them both with worry, thinking it was all part of some conspiracy to break Jasper's resolve. But, it wasn't. (y/n) snapped it in half and gave one piece to Ray to eat as she scoffed her own. They swaggered back to the elevator, intent on finishing this thing.

"Aw, guys, don't feel bad just because..." Henry started as the friends turned around just in time for them to see...

"We were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong!" The kids repeated Ray's song from earlier, copying his dance too. 

"This isn't over until we say it's over." (y/n) told them, hitting the button with her elbow so she and Ray could step back into the elevator.

"Don't count your Jaspers before they hatch," Ray said mysteriously, tossing the bucket between his hands as the doors slid shut.

"The hell does that mean?" (y/n), asked him in a confused voice once they were moving.

"I don't know," Ray said honestly, making her giggle a bit at how silly he was. Reaching the shop floor again, she drained her face of emotion and they stepped back out into Junk-N-Stuff, where Jasper was absent-mindedly counting his money.

"All right. I have $100 here. If you'll--" Jasper tried to bargain, but Ray jumped in before he could go any further. It was time to play smart...

"Stop. We'll sell it to you for ten bucks." Ray told the boy, who was really perplexed at the offer.

"Just $10?" He gasped, as Henry and Charlotte panicked in the Man Cave. This must be their dastardly plan to get him to blab once and for all.

"Well, aren't you going to buy the bucket?" (y/n) asked, noticing his hesitance.

"I'm not telling you my secret," Jasper repeated sternly, making the adults hold their hands up in innocence.

"You don't need to," Ray said, placing his trap.

"Henry and Charlotte told us everything down in the basement." (y/n) played along, pretending to sort out some documentation as Ray messed about with some junk behind the counter.

"Really? They told you they're boyfriend and girlfriend?" Jasper asked, not realising he'd been caught out. 

"Noooo, but you just did!" Ray smirked and (y/n) was glad they'd won, but victory came with a bitter taste. Ray laughed in the boy's face as he cried out in anguish, Henry and Charlotte stamping their feet in pure irritation. 

"We were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong, we were right and you were wrong!" Ray bragged into the camera that was showing the store in the Man Cave before walking to the elevator to rub it into Henry and Charlotte's faces.

"I deserve this!"Jasper said to himself as he electrocuted himself with his taser. (y/n) felt rotten about the whole situation and she wasn't going to let the kid hurt himself for his mistake.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, kid, give me that!" She said, running over to him so she could confiscate the weapon.

"But, I broke my promise." Jasper whimpered, making her feel sorry for him. It was a mean trick that they'd played and she knew that just because he'd been outsmarted, it didn't mean he was dumb.

"And your friends will forgive you. Something tells me it wasn't that big of a secret." She smiled at him gently, knowing that Henry and Charlotte were probably 'breaking up' right that very minute. The curly-haired boy sighed and said goodbye to her, leaving the shop with a sombre stomp.

Going down the elevator, (y/n) arrived in the Man Cave to see Ray doing his victory dance on the couch.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking at him with her arms folded.

"Celebrating." He replied, only stopping briefly to answer the question before boogieing again. She sighed at how he was behaving in front of Henry and Charlotte, who plodded to the elevator in a silent, but foul mood.

"You ever hear of modesty in success?" She questioned as he lept down in front of her and started to dance with her, her hands in his.

"Just dance with me." He told her, enjoying the way their bodies moved together in a clumsy rhythm.

"But there's no music." She frowned, wondering how he was able to jive and step in time when there was no beat to follow.

"There doesn't have to be when it's just us." He told her with a sweet smile on his face, sweeping her across the Man Cave. 

It was true when they were together, they made their own music, their own harmony, and it was the softest melody they had ever heard.

[tactlesstuesdays]

surprise!

a swellmelonfest fic for bomika, obviously

[boseobrien]

Thinking about them.

[onlybomika]

i would kill for a villian! bose and mika au pls why hasn't anyone done that??

[illcitaffrs]

i randomly want to write florist Mika and coffee shop owner Bose

for some reason, it just makes sense??

[bomikasbaby]

Honestly thinking about going back to being a fanfic writer just for bomika 😭😭

[mirrorballmika]

we’ll make it beautiful (ao3)

(or, a fic from the hero!mika x civilian!bose dystopia verse that lives solely in my brain)

There’s a certain order for nights like these. A set of steps. Step one, Bose hears Mika’s key turn in the lock and immediately turns off the TV. He gets up from the spot on the couch and stretches himself out, pretending like he’s spent the past three hours doing something other than anxiously watching the news.

Step two, he makes his way to the door as Mika unlocks the second lock. He quickly looks down at the third floorboard from the door and thinks about the gun that’s safely stashed beneath it. It’s been 189 days since he last took it out. He’s hoping they at least make it to two hundred.

Step three, he opens the door and smiles at Mika so that he doesn’t scream. That’s one of the most important things he’s learned so far. Whatever you do, however bad it is, you don’t let them see you panic.

If he’s doing a bad job at it, she doesn’t tell him.

“Evening,” she greets hoarsely, her hand pressed against her side. The mask is gone but the lines will remain until morning, cutting in around her cheekbones and into her forehead. Strands of hair stick to her face, slipping out of the tight braid she had when she left, and a heavy flannel jacket conceals most of her clothes. It doesn’t, however, conceal the white in her knuckles as she grips the doorframe, her body slumped to the left. Her smile melts off her face in seconds and her hand moves out from her chest to reach for him.

He takes it, and she all but falls against him. He catches her just in time and sucks in his breath as her body trembles against his. His arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder, he carries her inside and nudges the door closed. He does a quick survey of the area beforehand, not wanting an intruder to add to Mika’s injuries tonight.

They’re silent as they make the quick walk down the hall to their small kitchen, the lights dim and flickering overhead. He needs to get those looked at. Mika slides into a chair at the table, her sigh heavy as she gets off her feet. Bose drops a kiss on her head before heading to the cabinet. He has to wiggle it around before it opens on one hinge. He needs to get that looked at too.

He takes a quick look over his shoulder while he reaches for the first aid kit. He’s fetched it so many times he doesn’t need to actually look for it, especially not when the light barely touches it. The good news is that Mika has definitely looked worse. She’s conscious and breathing and knew who he is. All things that used to be standard but now he’s actively grateful for. The bad news is that her breathing is shallow and careful and her mouth is tight like she’s holding back a scream. The bad news is that she might be conscious but she has to make an effort to keep her head up and as he gets closer, he sees her hand shaking on the tabletop.

Tomorrow, they’ll eat breakfast at this table as if nothing happened. Striped cereal bowls and slightly-stale Count Chocoula.

“Okay,” he sighs as he pulls out the seat beside her. A bottle of water is tucked into his elbow and he wants it over to her. He puts on a smile, the one that’s designed to put people at ease. “What’s your damage, Heather?”

“Not much,” she says quietly. She gasps the moment she says it though, the sound quick and high-pitched, and her hand curls into a fist. She squeezes her eyes shut for a second, her breath leaving her mouth in a slow, steady stream before she whispers “ribs”.

“Had a feeling that was the case,” he says. “Off with the shirt. Let me have a look.”

“My my, Bose O’Brien,” she teases through a mouthful of fabric. “Bet you say that to all the girls.”

He laughs, but it dies on his lips when he sees her chest. Shades of purple and black spread across her chest, weaving in and around her ribs like ivy. He waits for her nod before gently touching her skin. Heat tickles his fingertips, a worrying contrast to the iciness of her palms when she held him. Her chest moves carefully beneath his hand, like her lungs house precious china and she’s afraid to break it.

“Okay.” He breaks a cool pack from the kit over his knee and holds it against the worst area. He watches Mika’s face as it slowly begins to soften and takes it as a sign. One hand holding the pack in place, he pulls the medical tape over it twice and secures it against her. He sits back a little and breathes for half a second. Enough to stop his heart from racing, not enough to make him actually think. “Okay, what else?”

“I think that’s it,” she says. He doesn’t need to verbally respond, just raises an eyebrow and she caves. He doesn’t have time to spiral about why she keeps trying to lie to him, he’ll do that in a few hours while she’s asleep. For now, he lets her sheepishly show him her hand and forces the freak down his throat.

He has no idea how he didn’t notice when he let her in. Dimly, he realises it’s the hand she kept against her ribs and slid beneath her coat, but that only does so much. What he does know is that Mika’s middle finger sits crookedly at an unnatural angle, and as he slowly turns her hand he finds the skin shiny and bronze in colour. He, of course, hears her hissed breath and lessens his grip just enough. He looks up at her, a silent ‘what the fuck’ burning in his gaze, and her guilt is visible even in the half-light.

“It wasn’t a person,” she tells him. “I had to punch a door down.”

Somehow that doesn’t reassure him. Especially not when an old, old memory pops up and phantom pain flashes across his knuckles. He grits his teeth and gets the bandages out of the first aid kit, wrapping them around her first two fingers.

“I could have screamed it down,” she says quietly. “But…” She shrugs. She doesn’t need to finish. The scratched and cracked sound to her voice, sounding like it’s just now crawling back to her, speaks for itself.

Tomorrow night, he'll scream at himself again about how they're nineteen and they're too young for this and when did this become their life and why and when did they agree to this. But for now, there's work to be done, and he can only hold so much at one time.

They sit in silence as he wraps the bandage around her finger and carefully applies the splint to it. The only sounds in the apartment are the rain outside and Mika’s shallow breathing. She lets out a whimper as he comes close to finishing, her hand jumping onto his leg and squeezing tight. He whispers words of reassurance to her, telling her that it’s okay and she’s fine and he’s here. He doesn’t know what good it would do, to know that she has a bumbling ex-superhero who’s just barely doing his best in her corner. But it does something for her, so he’ll keep doing it.

He gives her a quick kiss before going and grabbing two mugs from the cupboard, dropping a green teabag in one and two spoonfuls of coffee in the other.

One day, he’ll investigate the relationship between his relocation to Dystopia and his late-night caffeine cravings.

A chair scrapes behind him as he watches the kettle boil, and soon two arms snake around his waist. The smile is tender as it spreads across his face, the tension in his shoulders dropping in the time it takes him to breathe. His hand comes up and rests on hers, his warm fingers sliding between her cold ones. Her smallest finger reaches down to the hem of his shirt and brushes against his bare skin. He chuckles at the sensation.

He didn’t realise you could be grateful for a sound until now.

“Aren’t you meant to be resting?” he murmurs, swaying softly. He worried, once, when it started to get bad, that he’d forget how to be playful like that. Of course, he didn’t, and while Mika won’t admit it, she’s part of the reason why.

Mika murmurs into his shirt and presses a kiss to his shoulder. He doesn’t need to turn around to see the slight grin on her face that she reserves for him and only him. He feels it in her touch, her kiss, the nuzzle of her forehead against his neck.

“I am,” she whispers. “You’re my pillow.”

He laughs again, louder this time, as the kettle switches off. He fills their respective cups, and Mika only leaves him for a second to grab the sugar and the oat milk. She presses against him as he hands her the tea, a kiss on the cheek acting as thanks. Their mugs warming one hand and his free one holding hers, they walk to the couch together. They fall onto their mountain of dollar-store pillows, careful with their drinks and Mika’s ribs. His arm brushes against the cold pack and it’s almost enough to make him jump. Almost. Their legs tangle beneath the blanket, and Mika positions herself with her back against Bose’s chest. She pulls his arm around her waist and he happily obliges, kissing her head as she flips through TV channels. A movie tonight, they agree. Something cute. Something fun.

“Something happy,” Mika mutters. He wonders if she meant to say it, or if he was meant to hear it.

Here, they aren’t heroes or vigilantes or kids wondering if their best will ever be enough. Here, despite the broken bones and tired eyes, they’re still two barely adults who worry their parents with how stupidly in love they are. Outside it might be pouring rain and rolling thunder and danger lurking in shadowy corners, but inside they have blankets and hot drinks and each other, and for tonight it’s enough to put everything else to rest.

Tomorrow will be whatever, but now the fight is over, and all that stops Mika from shaking is Bose holding her tighter.

[sprnklersplashes]

for the fanfic guessing game 👀 temperate, highlight, or orange?

temperature:

"Her phone is almost out of storage as she’s documented her journey. The art, the culture, the cuisine, she wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

Except, maybe, cooler temperatures."

(this is from a bomika fic I started working on probably this time last year :o )

highlight:

nothing (except my old drafts of my dissertation)

orange:

"He lifts his head. Darkness has blanketed the room, the orange glow from the window saving them from complete obscurity. Jesper is the first one he sees, flat on his back on the other side of the room." (literally wrote this today :o )

[dollmelaniee]

i might be working on something…..

[bomikalover]

favorite bomika fanfic?

There are so many I adore but ones that always comes back to mind is

“Coffee & Tulips” by illictaffrs on AO3

“You get me so high” by Nosogoodofawriter on AO3

“Impossibly different & the same” by Notsogoodofawriter on AO3

“Trapped & Caged” by Notsogoodofawriter on AO3

I know I’m forgetting a bunch of fantastic ones but these ones are off the top of my head. 🫶🏾

[tactlesstuesdays]

sad bomika hours </3

[mirrorballmika]

midnight rain (3/5) ao3

rated teen for violence. 

She’s got them.

Rain falls in steady sheets in front of her, splattering the top of the wall and running off the back of her cloak. It gives her excellent cover, as does the dark blanket of the sky around them. The street lights glow a few feet below her, casting weak yellowish shadows onto the alleyway below. She can see almost everything, but she's practically invisible up here, tiptoed atop the high wall. No one could spot her, not from the ground.

Even so, she sucks in her breath when she hears the voices. She presses her back against the iron fence behind her, her free hand curling around the chainlinks. All the intel she’d gathered directed her here, and it still felt like she was working off a wing and a prayer. She’d waited here until her legs shook from the effort of keeping herself upright and listened out for the news reports. Doubt had crept in, as it so often does, and if she were wrong, she’d have at most two hours to hit up three other hiding spots across the city. 

But now, as three vaguely familiar figures lead a group of stumbling, blindfolded people into the alley, that part of the battle is over.

The civilians are pushed against the wall, and as she peers closer she sees the shackles linking them together. A shudder threatens to run through her body, but she forces herself to be still. The last group she found didn’t have shackles. There had been rumours about the Gulls tightening up their security after she’d freed that last group, and if they’re as smart as their reputation claims, they won’t be ordinary shackles. Reinforced steel, most likely, which means her usual cutting tools won’t hack it, and her lockpicks failed her last time-

Stop a voice inside her commands. Focus. She nods, not sure who to, and redirects her attention. One of the Gulls is bent down and pulling something out of his pocket, while two others survey the area and the last two inspect the prisoners one more time. If she’d followed her train of thought any longer, she could be too late already.

“Game on,” she whispers. It’s freezing out here, the coldest winter night she’s felt thus far. But her breath doesn’t form in front of her. 

Her back straightens, her shoulders roll back. It’s a dance she performs alone, one that puts her in a prime position. She spent months, years even, perfecting this technique, and now it comes naturally as breathing. A slight bend in the knee, pushing (not throwing) her weight forward. And then, she’s falling through the air, curled into a crouch to keep her centre low.

And then she’s landing on the ground, soundless as a single raindrop on the sidewalk.

Her aim could’ve been better. The circle of light made by the streetlight stops just a breath from her hand. Her movements are slow as she straightens up, controlled. Guard number one stands on the other side of the light, his back thankfully turned to her. 

A disc slides from her sleeve to between her fingers. Another appears in her other hand. She gives them both a quick, soundless kiss and with a single jerk of her arms, lets them fly. The figure before her falls as one sinks into his calf. Before he can shout, another buries itself in his back, and he crumples. This time he does shout out, and his friend turns just in time to get one in the chest. 

Dark blood spurts from his mouth then. It oozes down his chin, and it almost makes Mika feel bad about sending a second disc to his stomach.

(Almost, because she looked at the row of prisoners to her right).

“Donnie?” a voice calls from the shadows. Mika stands to attention, prepared to lose the element of surprise. Someone, the other Gull, comes out of the shadows. His hair gleams dark blue under the street light. Mika steps back and skirts the side of the light as he comes closer. His friend coughs and the pavement is speckled with crimson.

Just come a little closer, she thinks, as if she’s willing him to. He obeys her, whether he knows it or not, and a tight-lipped smile spreads across her face. He takes another step into the light as she secures her position; opposite him, just to the left. One more, she urges, one more.

One single scream sends him crashing down the alleyway. Surprise isn’t on her side any more, but she doesn’t need it. She throws herself into a roll and runs towards the first guard. From there, she steps on his stomach and launches herself up. For a few seconds, she sails upward, but then she throws herself down and comes down on the Gull on the other side. A sickening pop fills the air as her boot collides with her shoulder, and she lands with her knees on either side of them and their braid in her hand. The prisoners against the wall have different reactions; some stiffen, some turn their heads helplessly, and some shriek, convinced she’ll be coming for them next.

She shakes her head, and then, pulls hard on the girl’s braid. To her right, she hears the sound of a pistol cocking, and then the last gang member steps into the light. He’s tall and pale, with a sheaf of dark red hair and the Gulls’ tattoo on his neck. He sneers down at her, and then there’s a gleam of recognition in his blue eyes.

“You’re her,” he says. “The Screaming Shadow.”

“What gave it away?” she replies. “Was it the fact that I just knocked your buddy out with nothing but my vocal cords?”

He brandishes the pistol, and she presses down on his friend’s broken shoulder. A strangled cry shakes through the alleyway, and she flashes him a grin. The Gull doesn’t lower his weapon, but he doesn’t fire either.

Mika lets go of the braid and flashes one of her knives at him instead.

“Now that you know who I am,” she says steadily. “Let’s attempt some civility.”

“You ruined our job at Bane Harbour.”

“You mean the job where you tried to take fifteen people out of the city?” she asks. She raises her eyebrow and presses the blade to the Gull’s throat. Her second one sits comfortably in her sleeve. “Taking them out to Conway?”

The girl beneath her stiffens, and Mika grins.

“That’s right. We know about the operation you’re running out of Conway. Smuggling people down there, testing your little science fair projects on them.” She forces herself to stay still, to not baulk at the stories she’s heard from those who escaped. “Tell me, how many lives have you ruined to get your stupid results.”

“So that’s your play?” the boy asks. There’s a condescending edge to his voice that makes Mika almost forget herself and rise to punch him. “Appeal to my better nature?”

Patience the voice tells her again. You can punch him all you like later.

“I’m not dumb enough to assume you have one,” she replies. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here, would we?”

“No, but you’re dumb enough to think we’re working out of Conway,” he says. She frowns.

“I know a bluff when I hear one,” she tells him coldly. “Conway’s the only place with enough empty warehouse space to do what you need to do.”

The body beneath her laughs, the sound vibrating against Mika’s leg. She grabs the braid again, the threat evident in her touch. The Gulls are a fearless lot, so she slides her knife beneath the girl’s throat. 

“We can build our own freaking workshops, little songstress,” they tease. “And besides… space isn’t the issue. Power is, and Conway isn’t nearly capable of providing it.”

“Power,” she echoes. She looks up at the other Gull. The gun is still pointed at her, but he won’t shoot as long as she’s got a knife pressed to his friend’s neck. The Gulls are a loyal group too.

Fortunately for her, they’re also prideful, like all gangs in this city. And that makes them really, really stupid.

She flashes a smile, and her fingers work their way into the girl’s hair.

“Thank you,” she says sweetly. “That’s very useful information.”

Then, everything happens at once. The boy’s eyes widen. Then, she takes the thick pin from the girl’s hair and flings it directly into his gun, jamming the barrel. She buries her knife deep in the girl’s right leg and her other knife into her side. 

She rolls off the girl and springs to her feet. Her knives are still in the girl, but she doesn’t need them. The boy is pulling at the pin in his gun, his efforts punctuated by pained grunts. He looks up at her, eyes blazing behind his hair. His hand moves, but before he can anything, she lets out another scream. It’s a little softer than the last one, but still enough to send him down. She stalks over to him, briefly sidestepping his friend, and crouches down. Up close, she can see he’s a little older than her. She can also see the snarl on his face and her fist clenches.

“Gonna hand us over to the cops then?” he asks. She shakes her head, and it’s only then she realises her hood has fallen.

“Not after what happened last time,” she says. She slips out another knife and traces his spine with it. Just the right level of pressure against his skin. “But I’m guessing when you run out of money to bribe them, they’ll be a little less forgiving.” She casts her eye up to the row of quaking prisoners against the wall, and her jaw sets. Twelve people, she counts. They must have been promised a nice sum for all of them. 

“What are you going to do then?” he asks. Slowly, he tries pulling himself to his knees. All he gets is her cold gaze and the knife pressing into his skin, and he sinks back down. “You can’t sit out here all night.”

“No I can’t,” she says. “Fortunately, I don’t have to. We’re in Black Hornet territory. I’ll let them deal with you.” 

He stiffens, and that’s when he lets the mask slip. He shoots to his knees, not caring about the slash her knife makes in his back. Or the pain no doubt shooting through his head. 

“You little-”

“Listen, you’re the idiots who tried to use the enemy territory to smuggle your kidnappees to your base,” she tells him. “If you ask me, you were asking for this.”

“Was I asking you though?” he asks. His lips curl up, and a surge of fury runs through her body. He goes to say something else, but her fist connects with his cheek and he drops. 

She shakes out her hand. These gloves do a lot for her, but the lack of shock absorption is a kink she’s yet to work out.

That can be another day’s problem.

She twirls the ring of keys around her finger. She slipped them from his belt while her knife was pressed to his back. It’s an old but vital rule; keep their attention away from the mark. She marches up to the wall, where the prisoners still stand. They’re all shaking now, and their rain-soaked clothes stick to their skin. She approaches the one at the front of the line, a girl with a dirty blond ponytail, and lowers her voice.

“It’s okay,” she tells her. “You’re safe now. Just give me a minute to figure out which key it is…” She jabs at least six keys into the lock before finding the one that fits. Heat tickles her cheeks, and she’s just glad for the low lights and blindfolds. No one needs to see their hero blush. Certainly not over something as stupid as getting the right key.

The handcuff clicks open, and the girl tugs her blindfold off her face. She can’t be much older than Mika is, blue eyes wide and terrified. Her skin is pale, and either raindrops or tears run down her cheeks. 

“Here.” Mika hands her the key. She blinks, unsure, but then takes it in her trembling hand. “One turn counterclockwise unlocks both wrists. Once you’ve unlocked them, tell them to go down the alley, take a left and keep going until you reach midtown. From there, you should be able to get a bus or a train to get anywhere in the city. Do you understand?”

The girl stiffens. She gapes wordlessly at Mika. Her eyes flit up and down her body as if to make sure she was real.

Mika on the other hand, fights the urge to roll her eyes. She waits until her head is bent over the shackle of the person beside her. Then she repeats the same thing to them, and it seems to stick that time around.

Despite that though, she repeats herself at least three more times, shouting the getaway instructions down the line as she examines the corner where the brick sidewall meets the stone wall at the back. This is where that lead Gull kid had been standing, and from what she saw, he was looking for something here. And if she’s going to keep up her lead against the Gulls, she needs to know what.

It’s easier said than done when she’s glancing up every few minutes to get on the prisoners and repeating the same instructions. She also keeps glancing at the five bodies on the ground, counting every time to make sure. In the first week in Dystopia, two got away. She doesn’t know what they did in the three weeks before she saw them again. All she knows is the way they laughed at her the second time, and how she kicked them with a little more force than necessary.

She’s not making the same mistakes twice. That’s what she’s getting at. 

Fortunately, the most movement these guys make is a slight shift before hitting the ground again. Another one of her discs appears in her hand, just in case, but she never has to throw it. A quick surge of pride runs through her, and she twirls the disc between her fingers. She watches as the line gets smaller, groups of two or three running down the alley and skidding left. There’s less of a need for her to tell them again, they start whispering it among themselves. As they run, they avoid the bodies on the floor at all costs. Some press into the wall to get away from them, and some just run as fast as they possibly can. 

It’s moments like this where she considers breaking her own rules and calling the police. Then she remembers what happened the last time, and why she’s not calling the Dystopian cops again until she knows none of them are being paid off.

(Knowing this city, it’ll be a while)

As the civilians flee the scene, and none of the incapacitated gang members are moving, she turns her attention back to the wall. She grabs the flashlight from her belt and switches it on. The light is intense, and she blinks and squints until she adjusts. 

It seems like there’s nothing; just an ordinary meeting of two ordinary walls. Logic would tell her to leave it at that and go the hell home, but she can’t. There’s an itch in her brain that she can’t ignore. The Gulls wouldn’t lead their victims into a dead-end alley. And the red-headed one had been standing around here just before she ambushed them. There’s something about here, and if she cracks it then at least she can make life a little harder for them.

She looks upward as if the answer could be there. Unlikely, given the height of the wall and the number of prisoners they had. No, scaling a wall with them would be next to impossible. She moves closer and crouches down, shining the light against the wall. The image in her head is fuzzy, obscured by darkness. If only she’d been able to see better. Maybe she should’ve set up on this side, she thinks bitterly. Less coverage, but a better vantage point. Or maybe she should’ve waited-

Wait.

The gravel crunches beneath her as her knees hit the floor. She peers closer to rule out it being a trick of the light. It’s not, and her heart thuds. Slowly, she rises and then creeps toward the wall. There, where the back wall meets the side wall, is a black crack, running from top to bottom. It could be anything, a crack in the plaster, a gap created by an underpaid city builder. But, she thinks as she presses her hand to it, it’s not.

No, it’s definitely not. Warm air tickles her gloved palm, and she breaks into a grin.

She’d first heard about it from Henry; how Dystopia is basically a bunch of concealed tunnels and secret entryways with a city built over them. How she’d bristled with excitement, back when she first heard it. Then she came here and saw it all for herself. Something lurks beneath every street corner and every alleyway. It’s what let all these gangs spring up and all these little wars start. It’s how people disappear, whether they want to or not. 

The wall door groans as she pulls it. She digs her boots into the ground, her teeth clenched to keep the grunt firmly inside of her. Pain spreads across her shoulders like ripples on the water, one pulsing after the next. The length of the past couple of hours comes back to her at once, and her arms begin to shake. She grits her teeth and keeps going. It doesn’t have to be all the way, she tells herself, just another few inches.

A heavy groan rips from her body when she lets go. The spent effort pulses in her arms, and she flexes her fingers in her black gloves. She thinks vaguely that she’ll need a hot shower tonight, then pushes that aside. She can’t think about that now, not when she’s finally gotten the step ahead she needed.

And honestly, it does help her forget about how crap she feels. Stretching out before her is a dank, grey-stone tunnel, lit by dull, flickering blue lights attached to the sides. For months, the two biggest blocks were how the Gulls were getting people out of the city and where they were taking them. Mika had staked out the harbours and the train stations and asked every contact she had. She’d chased her tail for weeks, all while more missing person posters appeared on lamposts.

Well, now she knows. And she’s kicking herself for not knowing. These tunnels, the ones that are still open, can take you right out of the city. Where no Dystopian cop could be bothered to chase you. That’s how the Gulls got away with this for so long.

Until now.

She takes a deep breath in; the air tastes like cold water, tinged with smoke. She might not be able to destroy the Gulls’ entire operation in one go, but breaking this tunnel could put a real dent in their work. If nothing else, it’s one less route they have.

Her scream is short but powerful. She feels it building inside her chest, like a car engine revving, before she sends it down the tunnel. It reverberates off the stone walls, shaking the foundations tunnel’s structure. She still feels it linger, and then she watches with relief and pride as the walls crumble and stone fills the gap. Another scream sends the ceiling tumbling on top of it, and then there’s a pile of rock and brick blocking her path. Even if they manage to clear it, it’ll likely be a while given her intel on the Gulls’ resources. And in that time, their diversions could make them sloppy, as these things often do, and she only needs one of them to slip up for her to catch them.

“Nice work.”

Her smile drops. She whips around, and her knife slides between her fingers. All at once, the warmth drains from her body. She’s as cold as the rain around them, and she feels the body behind her rather than seeing it. 

Ask questions in a minute, she tells herself, over the dozens of scenarios rushing through her brain. Make sure you don’t die first.

Her arm collides with something else. Her knee hits nothing when she brings it up. Her first options are gone, she shifts her weight back, ready to lunge and go for his ankles. But then one of the streetlights flicks back on, and what she sees makes her drop her knife.

Soft brown hair, now slick with rain. A head and a half taller than her. Clear skin, a button nose, and freaking dimples in his cheeks. A hand wraps around her wrist, and it’s the softest thing she’s felt in… well, probably over a year.

“Bose?” she asks.

He laughs, a little awkward, and his smile flashes in the dark.

For a second, she can’t feel anything, but static in her brain. Then it’s like she tunes into reality and it bursts through; Bose freaking O’Brien is in Dystopia, smiling at her, and every nerve in her body stands on edge.

“Hi, Mika,” he says. “You look good.”