A/N: Good morning world and all who inhabit it! I'd like to take this time to reaquaint you all with my story! I know it's almost been a year, but when you walk away from something you're able to come back with the freshest ideas! I can see this viewpoint so much better now based on the life experiences I had while I was gone, the real world experiences I needed to write something like this. Now I'm back, super hyped up to write this and hope you guys out there will enjoy! This story will open up a little world for every character, so get ready for an ensemble cast. In this chapter we see what the gang dynamic is like now. I hope you like!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hey Arnold, but I know who does! Yeshh, Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett people!

Park squinted and pressed one eye against the peephole.

"What's the password?"

The tall boy with the askew fade scratched the back of his head on the other side. "Aw…damn it…" he heard him whisper.

"Come on, the heck man, this happens all the time!"

"Alright, alright! Gimme a second…"

Park made a weird combination of a scowl and a sigh sound from his nostrils. The entryway after all was just an old garbage chute door. His butt was getting weird singes of pain from being contorted in one position for so long. "I beg you, Gerald, any day now!"

"Ooh! Ooh! I got it!" and he cleared his throat: "Downtown Fumblerooski!"

"Ding ding!" and Park hurriedly backed away to drop the door and make way for the last member of the Dark Avengers.

…It was…a childhood thing. You'll soon understand.

"Man," Gerald stretched once they both jumped down from the makeshift platform. "Can't remember the last time I squeezed my ass through that thing."

"Two months ago when you didn't know what to get Phoebe for an anniversary present. You and these surprise meetings are killing me."

"But this one is worth it, Park, I'm telling you! Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah, just waiting for you in the lounge."

As far as they knew it, they were the last of the city childhood coalition. All over Hillwood, their imprints were the only ones to survive the harsh realities of the years, of dangerous trips to the jungle, of elementary school graduation, of first loves and first broken hearts, of first fights, of first steps into high school, and of first tears as they watched their dearest friend's plane glide off the tarmac. Many generations of kids would come and go: there were many before them, and many would come after them, some siblings and some strangers. But it was these moments that defined them after all these years. No matter how they separated, no matter the bloodshed from broken noses and scarred knees, they always came together when fate called them. As the kids of Hillwood, it was law.

So Gerald was still the keeper of the tale, Stoop Kid was still Stoop Kid even though he left enough times to get his GED and find a Mrs. Stoop Kid, Chocolate Boy was still Chocolate Boy though Jason Andrews hadn't touched a Mr. Fudgy since the fifth grade, and the head seat of The Dark Avengers round table was still reserved for their football headed leader even though he departed two years ago.

Park here was deemed with the Key of the Underground ever since the summer of fifth grade when he miraculously rebuilt and refurnished the hideout Wolfgang and Co. so mercilessly demolished during Trash Can Day in fourth grade. Many smaller hideouts sprouted up between back alleys and abandoned apartments, and all of them monitored by Park. If you didn't know what Downtown Fumblerooski meant, you were a hermit who deserved to crawl back under the troll bridge from whence you came. He even finished a sister fortress last spring where the Femme Fatale 7 met (Helga, Phoebe, Rhonda, Nadine, Sheena, Lila, and Patty—a name that every man collapsed at in a three hour marathon of tear-wrenching laughs). Unfortunately he had Rhonda Wellington Lloyd as a counterpart and co-worker as she helped designed the fort. The old tree house on Mighty Pete had been redesigned as the ultimate chick haven. But Park just smirked. At least theirs was bigger.

The two stepped into the left corridor where the main conference room lied. In the back a step ladder led to an elevated platform that held the old Mauve Avenger in commemoration of their childhood. Against the wall behind it, the almighty rules of the Dark Avengers and the Dark Fortress read:

No girls, Pets OK.

Gerald took his seat opposite the end of the wall. "Well men, it seems we meet again."

"Aright, Nick Fury, explain this!" Curly slammed his fists on the table. "I had to leave my improv class early for this."

"Uh...Curly...I'm in that improv class, and I'm pretty sure they kicked you outta there 2 weeks ago," mentioned Eugene.

"Says you and your warped ginger memories!"

"Curly, cool it with the theatrics. This actually is a serious meeting."

"On a scale of one to stupid, how serious?" Harold rested his head in his palm, plainly disinterested in what was going on, and more focused on the corned beef and pastrami sandwich in his other hand.

"As serious as the heart attack you're gonna have when you're 20 if you keep scaring down those clubs my brother. Now I'm dead ass, this is major news."

Sid leaned forward a bit. "Sooo...what is it?"

"Yeah!" Eugene was bubbling in his seat, finding absolutely everything exciting.

"Let us know already!"

"Okay okay!" Gerald crossed his fingers together. "Now...as you may or may not know I've been abducted this afternoon by an old wise man named Arnold's grandpa..."

Just those words alone were enough to silence the boys. The world famous Steely Phil: the man was more influential on their childhood than they realized sometimes, and only in those small times where they'd pass the boarding house would they stop and reflect on it. But those days were few and far between.

Not today, apparently.

"Arnold's grandpa, huh...?" Harold started to pay more attention.

"Would it be inappropriate to say I thought the old man was dead?" whispered Stinky.

"Yes, Stinky," Sid chided dryly, "yes it would."

"Well, what he say?"

It was a distant look Gerald gave the boys, almost as if he wasn't in the hideout anymore, or even on this planet. "...Arnold's back, guys."

Helga slouched forward to grab the bowl of popcorn and passed it to her best friend, who was just awesome enough to sit with her while she drowned in her confusing emotions. It was a Friday night, stupid reality tv was playing, yet they were delving deep into their psyche's inner workings as if it was a fun side activity.

"So don't you think I'm crazy by now? It's so freakin painful to admit how messed up I feel about this sometimes."

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it anymore?"

"I don't...just...just answer the question!"

Phoebe waited until she was finished chomping on her popcorn before grabbing a handful more. "I think sometimes you take this way too...severely, Helga," and she placed three more popped kernels in her mouth.

"Yeah, maybe I am. But try telling my brain that. Something messes up in the wiring and it doesn't work from here to here," and she motioned from her chest to her head.

"Love often does have that affect, though," Phoebe smiled.

"Eh... You know, you would've thought I'd be over it by now. Over him...leaving, you know? Over the idea of us...never working out. You would think I'd move on now that I'm not nine anymore. But every time I write one of these letters, I don't know... I just get sucked back into this intimate little world and for a second I feel like he's feeling it too. Like maybe I'm not crazy, maybe this is meant to happen..."

"But then...the real world sets in?"

"More like crashes in. I slipped up, Phoebes. Damn it I should've never sent that letter! It makes me sound so flippin' pathetic and needy and GAHD I can just imagine him getting shitfaced with Geraldo and everyone else just laughing at it."

"Don't punish yourself for doing what you wanted to do, Helga. No matter what you say to yourself or how you try to talk your way out of something you always end up going for it anyway. I say give yourself a break. Let it be Arnold's turn to go crazy."

"Pfff...Arnoldo Shortamn going crazy over me. Could you even imagine?"

"Yeah, actually I could!" Phoebe started to giggle. "Just imagine the diaries, Helga! All the journals he confesses his dying love to! How tragically romantic!"

Kind of enjoying the joke, Helga threw some popcorn in her face and bounced up off the couch. "Hardy harr harr! Now whatdya say we dead this popcorn and get some shakes or somethin."

"Slausen's I presume?"

"Wheeere else. But it's Friday, so if you see the other girls or Rhonda or whatever, do me a favor and don't engage. I don't really feel like conversing with people today."

"Except for me?" Phoebe quipped as she got up and grabbed her jacket.

Helga grabbed the keys to her dad's Ford and made for the door. "Of course."

The girls were soon at the entrance of the now chilled-out childhood eatery ready to indulge in the greatest of sugar ridden ice cream treats. But as soon as they made their way to the counter, Helga saw exactly what she knew she was going to see in her peripherals: Rhonda at the far booth with her current BFFs at the moment: Lila, Nadine, and two other nameless popular girls she never really cared about. And yes, Rhonda spotted them as well. But it was interesting how times changed these girls. Maybe it was because high school was such a big place, so less familiar faces we see. Maybe it was because girls had the tendency to hold grudges and move away from their past more than the boys did. Who knows? But, as they saw each other, nothing more was shared between the two other than a simple nod of acknowledgment. And nothing else needed to be. Helga and Phoebe moved to their counter and didn't say a word about it. Too many other pressing details were swimming in their minds right now: like what to order.

The boys meanwhile were quiet for the longest minute of their lives, which was very very long considering they were...well, them. Everything suddenly held so much weight, and in those sixty seconds everyone tried to figure out where those last two years have gone.

It was as if a vigil was needed. Candles should've been cascaded throughout their fortress. Hymns and heavenly choirs were making the soundtrack to their lives right now. The feeling was almost ethereal. An odd mix of excitement and peace was floating down towards them until...

"WELL IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Harold was the first to jump out of his seat.

The boys in them settled in, of course. After all, he didn't die. Now was not the time for peaceful reflection. Now was the time for a montage of "hell yeahs!" and "alrights!" Arnold was finally coming back!

It wasn't like their world revolved around him at all...but would it have been weird to say any hint of nostalgic memories always seemed to have a football head looming in the background? Even when the years had the boys separating and moving on to different things they were still bros. They were still the Hillwood kings and Arnold just so happened to be a constant in that. When he'd have parties and annoyingly invite everyone even though Patty and Rhonda would secretly want to claw each other's eyes out, and even though Gerald didn't want to be in a relationship at the age of 14 but he would still feel an inexplicable rage whenever Park would make his way over to Phoebe's side, and even when Lila went through her emotive stage and wore all black and dingy jeans and only listened to progressive indie rock with screamo tendencies, throughout all those times of the gang being furthest apart, Arnold was always hell bent on getting everyone together.

That's what always sort of made him the rightful leader of The Dark Avengers.

And now it was their turn. And as the boys reverie died down and Gerald gave the knowing glance to every one of them, they knew exactly what needed to be done.

They needed the girls.

"So Pheebs, did you watch that episode I told you yet?" Helga started to make conversation once their drinks were ordered.

"Uuugh, admittedly no. I just can't get with the humor Helga, I told you that."

"Blaah, what do you mean can't get with it! It's hilarious! The guy puts plastic wrap on the toilet seat, and it ends up having his roommate go all Niagara Falls on the bathroom floor. Piss everywhere! You can't tell me that's not comic gold."

"Yeah I can. It's potty humor—literally. No way you can expect me to take that seriously."

"But that's the point." -

Both girls froze at the new voice that entered their conversation. Helga turned her head to see none other than Lila at her left leaning over the counter asking for another refill. She turned back to them once the guy took her glass. "It's not supposed to be taken seriously. It's not even funny satire or...clever social commentary or anything. Once you get over how stupid it is, you can start enjoying yourself."

Helga could dare say that she was taken aback. "You watch EpicBrothers videos?"

Lila started twirling a loose curl around her finger. "I've been subscribed to them since the 9th grade, actually..."

"Wooooow, Lila," Phoebe's lids were huge. "I thought you'd side with me on this one."

Helga smirked. "Don't let the preppy ginger fool you Phoebes, we're looking at the world's biggest eclectic weirdo."

"Whatever you say, Helga," Lila slightly smiled herself though and waved to them one last time before grabbing her new-filled drink and heading back over to Rhonda's table.

Helga glanced over one last time before shrugging and turning her head back to the bar. "It's kinda cute when you think about it," she heard Phoebe say. "Remember once upon a time when you hated her?"

"Ha...yeah," Helga scratched her beanie, determined not to go into a childhood flashback. "I still get that urge sometimes though. That chick's good at fooling people, I tell you that."

Helga thought about it a little more when their drinks came. It wasn't a seething rage she had for Lila anymore like she did when she was nine. She sort of upgraded from an annoyance to an acquaintance to a...slightly less annoying acquaintance. It took her a while to see the phases she went through, but as she grew older for some reason fate forced it that they'd have almost every class together. There was still this irritating facade she'd put on for teachers and other kids but whenever she'd slip through the cracks Helga started noticing it. Maybe because she couldn't hide her jealously burning when she actually DID start to date Arnold in the 8th grade. She was past hiding behind dumpsters and hanging on trees, of course. But she still paid slightly too much attention to their relationship and she hated it. But to her surprise the relationship was really short lived, and after that ended and Lila went through a 180 degree personality split, Helga first took it as a sign of attention-seeking pathetic whiny girl syndrome. Sometimes it really was. But other times, there was a really odd-familiar pain she'd catch whenever she accidentally bumped into her in the hall, or would catch her in a classroom by herself, or whenever all the girls actually DID get together for an FF7 meeting and Lila would just seem cast off. She would legitimately seem broken, sad, and tired. And hey, who knew those feels better than Helga G. Pataki, huh?

And thus the mutually-weird-friendship-thingy was born. (That's seriously what they both call it.)

Realizing that she actually did go into a childhood flashback, she shook her head and took a bite of her frozen yogurt. "So what's the plan next? Midnight movie hopping? Double Creature Feature I think is playing at the dollar theater. Then we can see that new Abdacator Hollywood remake. I swear it's gonna suck eggs! I can't wait!"

"Really, Helga? Are you forgetting the day planned you have with your mother tomorrow?"

Why...yes she did. "Aw man...way to remind me..." She really didn't want to think about the stupid promise she just had to make. She dropped her head on the table ready to whine with conviction, but before she could, her phone went off.

She squinted once she saw who was calling. "Stinky? What does he want?" She didn't feel like talking and just let it rang. But one mere minute later the sound blasted again.

"It must be something important, Helga," Phoebe looked over. "Answer it, I'm curious!"

Helga made one last scowl before answering the call. "What is it Stinko?"

"This ain't no Stinky. Why, this is The Crow, messenger to the all mighty Dark Avengers. Should you choose to accept this call, then-"

"Shut the Avengers crap, Stinky I'm not in the mood. What do you doofwads want...?"

…

….

…..

…...

…...

This had to be planned.

Fate had to set up everything that was happening to Helga today on purpose. Some sick twisted thrill for the gods to watch her in the greatest misery of her life. Usher in the final phase to her parents separation, check. Relive the haunting memory of her adolescent crush, check. And now...this.

Without a word Helga hung up her phone and motioned for Phoebe to follow her. Confused, she obliged. The two made what felt like the walk of death over to Rhonda's table. Rhonda probably looked even more confused. She let her conversation about her adorable hipster sweater fade out, and looked up to Helga trying her best to sound polite with her classic Rhonda icy tone. "Heeeey, Helga...uh, what's up?"

Helga tried oh so hard to wipe the grimace off her face, but she knew this was serious, and she knew she had to do this for everyone else, even if she'll hate every minute of it.

"Grab your car. We need to pick up Sheena and Patty."

"Uh...why exactly?"

"Why do you think, Princess? Would I seriously be over here if it wasn't any other reason?"

"Wait...Helga..." Phoebe sounded from behind her, then shot a look towards Nadine who shot one back towards Lila, her other friends being absolutely clueless. It only took them a few more seconds to realize what was going on.

"Wait, does this have something to do with the guys?" Rhonda still felt a bit confused.

"Yup...you bet your ass..."

"Femme Fatale 7 and The Dark Avengers must meet up at the Dark Fortress for the most urgent of meetings," Phoebe could feel herself slipping back into her 10 year old role.

Helga dug in her bag to grab her keys. "And there's only one reason why."

A/N: Weellp, there we go! I liked this chapter because I was able to work on the nostalgic yet new atmosphere I always wanted this story to feel. How, even though they're teenagers now, they still have their childlike imagination and can still ban together even when life takes them in different directions. But this is far from perfect, so off on this journey I continue! I hope you enjoyed!