Henry fell back onto whatever it was that he was laying on. The world blurred and swayed and he distantly felt a cool touch on his face, he focussed on breathing. It felt like hours before he opened his eyes again, this time he recognised the man above him.

"Ray?" He croaked, scrunching his face up at the dry stickiness of his mouth.

"Hey Hen'. Can you sit up?" The man asked softly.

Henry sat upright with help from Ray's steading hand at his back. A glass of water, straw and all, was held in front of him. He wasted no time latching onto the straw, he exhaled softly through his nose and drew as much liquid into his mouth as possible.

He smacked his lips as the empty cup disappeared. "Thanks."

Ray wrapped his arms loosely around Henry letting out a shuddering breath as his head dropped to rest on the kid's shoulder. "You scared me."

Henry's eyes widened. He'd barely spared a thought for remembering. "What happened?"

The man moved back an arms length. His eyebrows furrowed, a frown turning down the corner of his mouth. Henry knew he was missing something important, but he couldn't remember even if he racked his brain for it. Trying to remember why he was on one of the medical beds, made his head pound.

"You don't re-" Ray rubbed at his face anxiously. "What's the last thing you remember Hen'?"

Henry hummed in thought wincing at the strain, he blushed at the memory. "You sitting me on the bathroom sink. And then-"

Someone cleared their throat. Henry startled turning along with Ray to where Schwoz stood in the doorway.

"So you're awake Henry, that's good." Schwoz observed in his funny accent as he moved into the room. "If it took any loonger I was going to be very worried."

"Any… longer? Wait how, how long?" Henry's mouth didn't seem to want to do what he wanted.

"Well." Schwoz made a face and looked at his watched. "It's quartar to sevun now. So… ah at least ten hours."

The ten hours bit didn't faze him could have been worse, but the quarter to seven part. He needed to go to school. He had no clue what his parents had told them, but he was surely going to be expelled if he kept skipping much longer. Maybe it was stupid to worry. Maybe he needed to see Charlotte and Jasper or maybe his subconscious was remembering some important thing that needed to be done at school. Maybe though, maybe it was something else. He looked around suspiciously, with the motion he realised his head had cleared a little already. No couldn't be.

A hand appeared on his shoulder and he jumped, turning to Ray who's face still held that worrying expression. "Hen'? Kid? What's wrong?"

"Nothing I'm fine, really. I feel fine. I'm going to be late for school." Henry babbled, hopping off the bed.

Ray and Schwoz let out a startled chorus of 'woahs' and 'waits', crowding Henry to sitting back down. The blond's eyes flicked annoyedly between the two.

"Kid what do you mean school? Why? What?" Ray stammered flapping his hands about like Henry had just suggested that they set fire to the Swellview park.

"School Ray, that thing I have to go to like forty weeks a year. I have missed enough already and I can't miss more unless you want a high school drop out as a sidekick." Henry huffed standing up again and pushing past the two. He started toward the main room of the Man-cave unawares to the pair staring incredulously at him.

"He shouldn't be able to walk." Schwoz muttered to Ray who frowned.

"He's not even limping and the black eye he had yesterday is almost gone." Ray thought aloud, trying to make sense of the kid's behaviour.

"Black eye?" Schwoz quested accusingly. "You didn't give that to him too did you?"

Ray scowled at the shorter man. "What no!" But looked away in a huff and sighed defeatedly. "It was my fault though. It's always my fault."

Schwoz turned sad eyes on his boss. "Better keep making up for it then. Quick, I don't doubt he has a concussion. You better not let him go alone."

Ray sniffed defensively, already walking towards where Henry had gone. "Wasn't going to."

Henry had to dig in Ray's closet to find something reasonably fitting, finally he found a blue long sleeve shirt that was close enough. As for the pants and underwear… there was no better alternative so he settled for the ones he was wearing now. He didn't remember putting on the underwear or pale cream chinos and so assumed Ray had done so.

The one and only walked in on Henry assessing himself in the floor length mirror. He locked eyes with the man in the reflection and smiled sheepishly when Ray looked to his raided wardrobe.

"Make yourself at home then." Ray smiled endearingly and sighed. "Come on then."

Henry frowned. "Aren't you going to convince me to not go?"

"Well I was planning on it, but now you look good in my shirt and well…" Ray smirked leaning against the doorframe. Henry flushed happily and wanted to kiss the older man- no he didn't. The blond hid his frown and walked toward Ray. Of course he wanted to kiss the hero, what was he thinking? But a bed was right next to them and he did need to get to school.

He smiled with the excuse and moved out the door just slightly brushing against Ray on his way past.

"Just let me brush my teeth and stuff first, yeah?" Henry grinned over his shoulder.

Ray shook his head fondly. "You've got ten minutes."

~0~0~0~0~0~

The pair were pulling out the back of Junk N' Stuff in no time. Ray berating Henry into putting on his seatbelt. The teen sighing with a smile, being cared for was nice. Not having to walk to school was also nice.

Henry was gazing absentmindedly out the window of the disguised ManVan listening to Ray's soft humming. He was lost in the effort to remember what happened, he felt like there was something he shouldn't have forgot. He didn't feel Ray's gaze or hear the absence of humming.

A hand landed warmly on his thigh and feeling a spark Henry turned softly to Ray. The teen's hand fell, from where it had been rubbing at his neck, to land over Ray's. He smiled at the man.

Ray gave him these sad eyes. "I'm sorry for what happened in the bathroom yesterday. I shouldn't have came onto you like that."

Henry flushed, "No it was good. I'm sorry for freaking out, I-" Remembering him sent the connections firing and he wanted to be sick, how could he have let him… how? Henry's mind was on autopilot and something that had been on his mind just slipped. "I, I'm sorry that I'm not over it yet."

Ray swung a right and parked the van.

He pulled on the handbrake before turning his full attention to the teen, interlocking their fingers. "You don't ever have to be over it Henry. I'm going to be here to help you try and I wont leave. Even if you can't, even if I can't touch you. I'm not leaving."

Henry's eyes were full, baring all the unchecked emotion he was feeling. Even in a dream, How could he have done that to Ray? He unbuckled the seatbelt and Ray only made a small noise of protest when he awkwardly manoeuvred himself into the older man's lap. Once he had a knee on either side of Ray's thighs he settled.

"Hen' you realise how unsafe that was? What if you kicked the handbrake or something? And what ab-" The man made a surprised noise when the teen's lips pressed sweetly against his own. He exhaled slowly through his nose, once animated hands falling still on the younger's thighs.

Something stabbed in Henry's gut and it hurt. It was like his heart said yes because he knew this was good, but something alarmed in his brain like it wasn't him thinking.

Henry moved back, and couldn't help but grin at Ray's stupid happy face. The pain forgotten. "I really do need to get to school." He chuckled. If these odd thoughts had slipped through Ray hadn't noticed.

"School yes, right." Ray said quickly while Henry flopped ungracefully back into his seat nearly kicking his friend in the head once or twice. "So school, what about your books and stuff?"

"All the ones I need are still in my locker, it's Thursday right?" Henry scratched his head.

"Friday…" Ray said suspiciously turning the ignition and then added "Belt." When Henry straightened in his seat.

The teen buckled up again with a shrug. "Uh well I'll get by."

"What about lunch?" Ray asked pulling out onto the street, they were only half a mile off his school.

Henry rolled his eyes and snickered at Ray's mothering. "I'll be fine."

The hero pulled up outside Swellview High managing to wrap an arm around Henry before he jumped out. He waved a reluctant goodbye, not even slightly guilty about the tiny bug he hoped had stuck to the inside of the boy's shirt. He put the car in reverse for show and parked somewhere close. He didn't plan on leaving.

~0~0~0~0~0~

History class was always a blast with Miss Shapen. Henry yawned planning on talking to Charlotte at lunch about some stuff that wasn't right with him. He had freaked out about his weird dream thing in a bathroom stall before the first bell. He had no idea what was happening and he didn't know where to start. Maybe Charlotte wasn't a good idea. But she was smart maybe she'd realise something he didn't. He didn't necessarily have to add every detail of his dream… He turned back to his doodle covered worksheet and looked for more blank space.

A drip pattered onto the page below him.

But it wasn't blood.

He's freaking out again. Repeating to himself that it's not real, it's not real. Then a tissue appears in his field of vision. Henry turns to look at the holder. Its a thin, black haired kid Cody who played some sort of instrument… the bass maybe? That was the limit of his knowledge about the guy. He'd never really got on with the music kids, but they were sort of interesting. But right now this was not what he needed.

"Hey Henry, you okay?" How'd he even know his name.

"Ah yeah," The liquid dripped onto his lips when he spoke. "Why?"

Cody raised a concerned eyebrow. "Dude your nose is bleeding?"

Henry took the tissue and pressed it to his stupid nose, even though he knew it wasn't blood.

"Honestly I don't really feel that great." Henry groaned, a lie but maybe he'd be able to get away from this guy. He readjusted the tissue, red? It was red? What?

Miss Shapen was still droning on. "Now, if you remember anything I have taught you this semes-"

"Excuse me, Miss Shapen?"

She smiled that smile reserved only for academic students. "Yes, what do you need?"

"Could I please take Henry to the nurse Miss? His nose is bleeding." His voice was perfectly polite, but at the mention of Henry's name she turned to glare at the blond boy. A few students turned his way to and he suddenly felt scrutinised.

"Please do, hurry back." She said sharply, turning to continuing the lesson.

They left the classroom into the hallway, Henry walked unsteadily with his head tilted back, he couldn't see where he was going that well and his head hurt. He stumbled and Cody caught him with an arm around his midriff pulling Henry back to himself.

"Thanks," Henry straightened up still holding the sodden tissue to his nose, his head fell limply back onto the only just taller boy's shoulder. He would've been embarrassed but he couldn't care in this moment. He closed his eyes against the harsh glare of the hallway lights, maybe it wasn't a lie. Maybe Ray was right about not going to school. Henry huffed. "Don't know what's wrong with me, I feel like shit."

"Look like shit too." Cody chuckled.

Henry opened his eyes to see the guy looking right at him. "Thanks again."

"I didn't mean- it's just ah- a lot different than you usually do." He stuttered a bit, Henry couldn't think why. He definitely did look like shit. But tha-

"Than I usually do?" The heck. God his head felt all thick and foggy nothing was doing what he wanted. Especially his stupid mouth, oh and nose. Leg too. Weird that it had felt fine earlier, what had changed? What was wrong with him?

Henry blinked sluggishly. Cody's chuckled weakly almost nervously while his eyes darted away from the blond's face, his fair skin flushed slightly going unnoticed by the other boy. "Just, never mind. Can you walk?"

"I think." Henry muttered.

"Without falling?"

"Maybe could you just ah… could you maybe…" What the hell was wrong with him?

"Miss Shapen's gonna kill us if we don't get back soon, just here." He took one of Henry's wrists with the arm that wasn't already around the blond's waist and wrapped Henry's arm over his shoulders. The sleeve of his blue shirt rode up with the movement exposing the bottom half of the scar on his forearm. He felt Cody's thumb graze it softly, he heard the question in the intake of breath and the tilt of the other boy's head.

"Bad stuff." Cody's eyes snapped to his, pink mouth turned softly in a frown. Henry had almost pulled his arm away but the concern from before was in his green eyes mixed with a guilty curiosity. "Don't ask now, yeah?"

He smiled a sort of smile. "Sorry."

"S'fine."

They limped on, well Henry limped, to the nurses office. Cody leaned the unstable blond against the wall making sure he wouldn't fall before opening the door.

"Hello?" He called, "Ah- excuse me Miss? Miss Collins?" His head popped back out "No one's in here."

"Yay." Henry cheered sarcastically, waving little circles in the air with his finger.

The black haired boy sighed rolling his eyes, Henry chuckled at the attitude. The guy had a very easy way about him.

"Just come in here." Cody opened the door and Henry shuffled inside, tossing the used tissue into a bin before collapsing into the patient chair. It was squishy, comfortable to the point where his eyelids began to droop.

"Hey." Cody closed the door, "Oi Henry. Don't fall asleep." Henry just hummed in reply.

The weight on the chair shifted a bit, and something was tapping him increasingly harder on the forehead. He tried to shoo it away with his hands.

"Henry quit it, wake up." Cody pinched Henry's arm and the blond jumped awake.

"Ow." Henry said accusingly Cody just shrugged.

The lanky guy snickered at him and Henry pouted, the snicker turned into a partly stifled laugh.

"Don't pout. You look insane with blood all over you." The boy grinned and moved to get something. He came back putting his knee on the chair between Henry's and started wiping at his face with a wet piece of paper towel. The guy was kind of weird, just moving to do this for him. He put it down to the simple desire to help others, he could understand that. Cody poked his tongue out in concentration and Henry smiled. One last big wipe and Cody moved back to assess his handy work.

"Better?" Henry asked feeling a bit more himself.

"Meh." Cody said nonchalantly, with a small exhale from his nose at Henry's scandalised look.

"Well I feel better so-" Henry stood up too fast forgetting stupidly about his ankle. The guy caught his arm surprisingly easy.

"Sorry," Henry mumbled, embarrassed. "I forgot."

"You alright?" Cody manoeuvred him back into the chair, before kneeling down. He took hold of his shoe and looked up at the blond. "Mind?"

Henry shrugged, a lazy movement barely even a lift of the shoulders. "I was sure it was fine this morning."

The dark haired boy unlaced his sneaker and gingerly pulled it off. He pulled off his sock too revealing the admittedly shabby job he'd done at wrapping his ankle. Cody hissed and started unwinding the bandage. He did a much better job and Henry sighed in relief.

"Thanks Cody." The blond said genuinely.

The other boy raised one eyebrow and smiled, finishing the bandage. "You do know my name."

Cody's smile turned into a grin as he looked up, Henry felt abnormally warmed at the sight considering they'd basically just met. Green eyes didn't leave his as the other stood. Cody offered a hand up Henry took it gladly holding on as he gingerly put his foot on the floor, leaning his weight experimentally on it. He closed his eyes so thankful that the pain was nothing more than a dull stab.

"Oh that's so much better." Henry breathed, looking down at his foot.

"Good." Cody smiled again before letting go of Henry's hand and rubbing the back of his neck, not meeting his eyes. Henry began to feel weirdly normal in the second hand embarrassment. "Ah yeah you can't wear that shirt," Cody moved to his bag. "I have something spare I think."

There goes the normal. Henry felt a whole lot more exposed. He looked down at Ray's bloody shirt frowning.

"No it's fine really, I don't want to-"

"Don't worry about it, this'll suit you I think." He pulled out a comfortable looking over sized maroon sweater.

"I said it's fine." Henry's tone was hard. Cody turned worriedly to him and seeing the blond staring at the floor with an anxious hand around his wrist. Cody remembered and the curiosity from before stirred.

"Oh…" He mumbled. Henry clenched his teeth, the grip on his forearm tightened as he stared at a spot on the floor. "Okay, well here." Henry looked up and the sweater hit him in the face.

He caught it as it fell and saw Cody facing the opposite direction hands held obviously over his eyes. Henry sighed.

"Whatever, just don't turn around. Okay?" Cody hummed his assent.

Henry pulled his shirt over his head by the collar, immediately feeling that urgency ripple through him.

Cody felt horrible for it but he couldn't help but look, his eyes shot wide and everything just stopped. A fist of guilt pummelled into his stomach

The door opened.

Both their attentions snapped to whoever was moving into the room.

Henry crossed his arms over the sweater, staring unamused at the man. A suspicious glare latched onto to Cody, and the boy couldn't help but think that the guy had seen. He looked sheepishly to the floor, frightened.

"Sir?" Henry quested. "Was there something you needed?"

The man didn't turn back to Henry, but narrowed his eyes at Cody. "Parents called. Your teacher said you were here."

Henry huffed, "I bet." A sigh, he glanced at Cody and then to the man. "Fine let's go."

The two went through the doorway, Henry gave a little wave as they left. The dark haired boy rubbed a hand down his face and exhaled loudly. Looking back up he noticed the stained blue shirt on the floor and moved to pick it up. By the time he made it into the hallway they were already at the end and out the door.

Henry's name died on his lips when he met the man's steely glare. Cody swallowed audibly his hand tightening in the shirt. And then they were gone.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Honestly Ray, it was a nosebleed. That's it." Henry held his hands in front of himself irritatedly as they moved toward the tubes. "You didn't have to come all the way back just for a- wait how did you?"

Ray shrugged. "I never left. Down the tubes!"

"You never!-" Henry was cut off as they were shot towards the Man-Cave. The rush disorientated the teen and when his feet touched the floor he immediately leaned on the tube. The glass retracted into the ceiling leaving Henry stumbling forward, nearly cracking his head open a second time on the stairs.

"Yeah." Ray huffed one arm still steadying Henry. "Only a nosebleed. Straight to bed Henry, don't even argue."

Henry sighed, he did feel stupidly tired right now so he just nodded. He was barely even conscious before his head hit the pillow.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Wait up Charlotte! Jeez!" Jasper shouted, but Charlotte was set on getting to Junk N' Stuff as fast as she could. She'd even skipped her last class for this. Ruining her record as she worried for her friend's safety. Jasper had caught her just after she had found out and in her panic she probably freaked her friend out a little.

Jasper's footfalls still pounded on the pavement behind her, by the time the girl threw open Junk N' Stuff's front door. Ray startled from where he was dosed at the counter.

"Charlotte? What's with the whole out of breath thing? Did you run here or-"

"Henry-" The girl gasped, stumbling toward the hero who looked concerned and confused at the mention of the blond. "A man- taken- by a man." Her head thunked onto the counter as she caught her breath.

"What?!" Ray half shouted, Jasper burst through the door panting and just about dead. "That's not right." Ray continued unbothered by the curly haired mess that was Jasper. "Henry's asleep downstairs."

Charlotte shot up from her slumped position. "What? But, but a kid at school. Ah, ah, ah- Cody! Yeah Cody, he said some guy came and they left, I thought. I thought Drex."

Ray frowned, "Hmm this Cody kid. Tall? Dark hair? Theif-y looking? Moony eyes? No idea of personal space?" Ray's description seemed to get a bit more personal as it went on and so Charlotte just focused on the main parts; filing it away for a later date.

"Yeah that one." The panic was seeping out slowly.

Ray stopped mumbling to himself and rubbed a hand over his face. "He was with Henry when I came to get him from school."

"Why would you get Henry from school?" Jasper asked from the floor.

Ray made his usual 'annoyed at Jasper' face. "I didn't want him to go to school. Henry hit his head pretty badly yesterday, so I stayed in case he needed me. A nosebleed out of nowhere seemed like a big warning sign to me so."

Charlotte made a confused and concerned sort of face, that flickered with frustration when Jasper kept pulling at her leg. "What is it?"

The boy pushed himself up with a few grunts. "Henry never, never gets nosebleeds."

Charlotte shared a worried look with Ray. "Did Schwoz run any tests for head trauma, a concussion, anything?"

Ray took this only a bit personally, shaking his head with arms folded defensively over his chest. "He hopped up off of the bed, after being knocked out for ten hours, right as rain, no limp no nothing. Kept saying he had to get to school for whatever reason so I gave in."

"Ray! What if this made it worse?!" Charlotte waved her arms wildly.

"It's too late for that now," Ray huffed trying to kept the worry under wraps as he moved to the back of the store. "We better get Schwoz. Jasper."

Jasper straightened and looked to Ray.

"Watch the store."

"Aye, aye Captain!" The boy saluted stupidly and the shaking of Charlotte's head was as fond as Ray's was annoyed.

The search for Schwoz was over as soon as it begun.

The man had again turned the main room into his own personal lab. He was decked out in protective gear, gloves goggles and all. He was holding something very carefully with metal tongs, and whatever it was it glowed worryingly.

"Schwoz!" Ray shouted in one short burst scaring Charlotte as well as Schwoz. The man jumped and his head snapped angrily to the grinning hero. "Whatcha up to?"

Schwoz sighed and turned back to the bench where a weird metal ball looking thing sat. "Something veray dangeroos, so please let me finish before it-" there was a little chink sound and then a high pitched near sonic boom made all three of them cover their ears in pain.

After the noise faded Ray wiggled his jaw around trying to get rid of the ringing in his skull. Charlotte rubbed her head and mumbled something that Ray couldn't hear before walking towards the auto-snacker.

Schwoz sighed rubbing his brow. "Before it does that."

"The hell was that Schwoz?" Ray massaged his temples. "My ears would be bleeding if I wasn't indestructible."

The little man rolled his eyes, setting down the tongs and removing the safety gear. He grumbled under his breath, something about a power cell.

"Besides you- ahh damnit Schwoz you probably woke Henry." Ray ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah Schwoz." Charlotte agreed through a mouth full of churro, Ray raised an eyebrow at her. She looked affronted at this. "I'm stressing eating, don't judge me!"

Ray held up his hands, "No judging here, perfectly stressful situ-"

"Stop. Wait. Stop both of you. SHH!" Schwoz glared at them both, frustration and confusion twisting his face. He pointed to Charlotte. "School is not over yet why are you here?"

Charlotte crossed her arms. "A man who I later found out was just Ray, came and got Henry from school. I thought he'd been kidnapped again."

Schwoz turned to point at Ray. "Why did you have to get Henry? What happuned?"

Ray had a stupid feeling that he was in trouble, so he thought he better get straight to the point. "Henry got a blood nose in class and could barely stand by the time we got back here."

Schwoz's eyes blew wide and he threw off his lab coat. "Henry had more signs of a concussion and you put him to bed?!"

"Oh no… that- oh no…" Charlotte dropped her churro.

"What? What's wrong with that?" Ray was suddenly sick with worry, Schwoz never acted like this for anything minor.

"Ray I do not know what kind of injury Henry has, but the symptooms he has shown could mean anything from a severe concoossion to internal bleeding." Schwoz stressed.

"Is that bad? That sounds bad." Ray paced away the worry jitters.

"Ray." The hero stopped still at the weight of Charlotte's tone. "If Henry's concussion is that severe and he falls asleep. Ray he might fall into a coma."

The man's felt violently ill with the realisation. He shot toward his room the others barely a step behind.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Again…. Malfunctioning… no… your little…"

The weary fog of in between waking and a dream swept through him. Nothing was quite in it's right place. Blue.

"What… is there… if… only way…"

He fell back into a dreamless black.

Something moved.

Light shifted and swayed a bit.

It was warm. A good kind of warm.

He stretched, something golden in white sheets. With the movement he found more warmth and gravitated toward it with a sigh. A smooth, comfortable heat that wrapped around him equally much when he moved closer.

"Ray.."

The warmth stiffened and the dream was gone.

Reality pinned him from above. It froze him despite the coziness, and fear danced with something he dare not name.

"Try again sweetheart." The criminal hovered on hand and knees over the teen. Both of them bare except for boxer shorts. Drex grinned leaning in closer, Henry closed his eyes. "I think you'll find," he nosed along the teen's jaw, "that I'm definitely not Ray."

Henry turned his head away but the criminal continued down his neck. It was soft, the way his lips fell. It scared the teen to no end, gentle from this man held ulterior motive, and that motive was never good. The fear held him hostage beneath the man.

"Mine. You're mine." Drex hummed, breathing in deeply. The scrape of teeth at his throat sent a rippling tremor through the boy. "Not Ray's, not that other nosy kid's, mine. It'll stay that way."

How did he?

"No." Henry said, "No it's not real. I'll never be yours."

Drex chuckled quietly and the man's lower half swept slow and hard against the teen. "Liar."

Henry's eyes flew open and he pushed back against Drex's shoulders, rolling the man off of him. The blond scrambled from the tangle of sheets, trying not to think as he braced himself against the wall, that was too easy. Henry breathed deep and turned.

The same floor, the same walls, the same bed… The same room.

The teen swallowed heavily as he eyed the criminal watching him hungrily from where he sat at the edge of the bed. He shifted unconsciously closer to the wall when the man stood. Henry eyed the two exits that had to be unlocked, they had to be. Drex chuckled and the blond's attention flicked back to the advancing man.

"No. Don't." Henry forced out, the criminal was an arms length away. The teen trembled, and what ever was inside him that messed with his thoughts threatened to take reign.

And in a flash there was no space between them.

Chest to chest and a knee between his legs, Drex pressed against him. The warmth was back and Henry felt something shift inside himself, it was moving out of place. It felt strange, it felt wrong as well. And right.

Why did it feel right?

"That's not what you said last time." Drex's mouth was a breathy heat at his ear. "I recall a few pleases, and more begging." Henry shivered as the man's hands rested softly at his hips, drifting up and down. A palming, calloused heat, he barely held in a sigh. There was teeth and lips at his earlobe and he gasped.

Drex groaned softly. "I can't get enough of you."

Henry latched on to the last sane piece of his stolen mind. "Stop this." The tension strangled his voice to a whisper. "I can't… I can't…"

The teen moved his hands slowly up the man's chest, before curling them at his neck. Face to face now Henry saw the surprise and desire that burned in the criminal's eyes. He pulled him in, ignoring the misplaced part of himself that was alight with that same desire.

Since when had he given in that easy?

They shared breath in that small space, lips just barely apart. The moment Drex's eyes flickered shut Henry drove his knee as hard as he could into the man's vulnerable groin. The criminal wheezed falling to the floor.

Henry launched away toward the closest door at the corner of the room. The handle held firm and fear spiked in webs through him when he looked to Drex, who was rising slowly. He cursed reflexively and ran to the door opposite, the teen heard Drex's footfall behind him.

The handle gave way. Unlocked.

It wouldn't budge.

"Cheeky little shit." Drex chuckled, he sounded too sure of himself.

But he was so close to escape?

Henry braced his foot on the wall and yanked as hard as he could. It only took one try before the door swung outward, the teen jumped through and slammed it in Drex's grinning face. He quickly turned the lock and sagged against the wood panting. He had to get out of here. Then he laughed at himself for being so stupid, he walked back from the door with a smirk that faded with each thought. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. It had to be.

Someone coughed pointedly shocking the teen out of his head. Henry shot straight, flipping around to face the room eyes wide. They stared at each other, one in confusion and one in shock. Once the initial shock faded, Henry's legs moved easily to balance his weight like one would before a fight. The other man regarded him bemused, granted he probably looked quite the picture in the…

The dark blue light.

He saw it in his peripherals, the chair. The cold of realisation settled and no denials could change any of it. His head snapped back the man and he shook himself, deal with the situation one problem at a time.

"Minyak." He growled.

The "doctor" smirked folding his arms over his chest, that same patchwork lab coat as always. "Kid Danger." He said slowly, mockingly. "Without his mask, oh dear. Now you're just Henry, hmm found your self in a pickle have you just Henry?"

"Shut up and get me out of here." His harsh words bounced straight off the aura of smugness around the man.

"Now why on earth would I do that. Take the honey from the trap and we won't catch anything." Minyak chuckled, a childish evil glee in his eyes. Henry's brow furrowed in anger. "Now if I had known," the doctor moved forward with a grin, "about Captain's Man's particular little liking in you. Oh I would've had that idiot wrapped around my finger." A happy smiled spread on the maniac's face.

"Judging by the failures in your past, you would've gotten confused and wrapped yourself around your own finger." Henry said with the smirk of someone who knew they were being clever.

The jab was brushed away uncharacteristically again by Minyak, the man's surety didn't falter. He stepped closer to Henry and the teen tensed.

"No, no, no just Henry. You see you've gone and subdued both the biggest hero and criminal in Swellview. You're the weakness to the top dogs you see. You must see it." The doctor laughed evilly, "You're the Franz Ferdinand of this situation, you die and it's World War Swellview. And once the two of them kill each other, I will rule this town. Oh how dramatic."

Henry felt something crawl inside him to think people were going to get to Ray and Dr- To Ray through him. He thought forcefully, cutting the other thought at the roots. "You're crazy."

Minyak hummed, "Oh I don't doubt it. I might even just, I don't know." He stepped closer again and Henry was suddenly aware of the glow coming from the man's pocket. "Kill you right here to save time."

"Try it old man." Henry spat, the man's forehead twinged and the blond smirked.

The doctor lashed out with some sort of glowing weapon and Henry ducked in a crouch before it could touch him. The teen sent a jab at the man's side barely landing it before the maniac delivered one of his own. Henry grunted in pain and tried to hook his leg around Minyak's ankle and knock him down. The criminal saw through the obvious attack and struck at his shoulder sending him stumbling into the wall.

"Beaten by an old man."

The door handle jiggled as Minyak advanced on Henry, by the time the handle turned Minyak's hand pinned the boy by his throat.

"Sorry couldn't find the key- Get off of him Minyak." Drex's tone seemed pleasant, but his whole being warned of danger. The doctor immediately moved back, almost in fear. The guy was all talk.

Henry rubbed at his throat and glared at Minyak. The teen shook himself as the real danger laid a hand on his shoulder. Something kept shifting out of place and it was getting harder to set right. The man was back in his black clothes again and Henry felt all kinds of vulnerable in his underwear. Drex was unpredictable, and on a whole other level compared to the eccentric Minyak. An arm wrapped around the front of his shoulders in a possessive way, pulling him closer to the dangerous man.

"If you have time to fool around doctor, what's the progress?" Drex asked, again it was a falsely light tone.

Minyak looked peeved, but moved back to the machine. He tapped on the almost holographic screen that Henry assumed was somehow connected to the weird chair. What even was this place? If they had tech like this here it wasn't some make shift lab after all. There was something going on. Whatever Minyak said about World War Swellview made his mind brim with terrible possibilities. The teen saw no way out and tried to stay calm despite it all, thinking through a panicked craze was far harder.

Drex rested his chin on the boy's shoulder. "Too bad that idiot is here, I would have taken you against that wall by n-"

"The Gerta droid is fully functioning." Minyak interrupted.

Henry was suddenly thinking and feeling so much at once that the panicked craze was unavoidable. His head hurt. He couldn't think straight enough to process.

"The malfunctions are fixed? You're sure there will be no interference with the feeds?" Drex questioned, moving closer but still keeping his hold on the teen.

Minyak's eyes darted to Henry, "Are you sure you should be-"

"Run the tests Minyak," Drex said impatiently, "it better be ready by the time we're finished." Henry swallowed tightly when Drex's other arm secured itself around his waist.

"Rush me and you might not like the results." Minyak grumbled boldly.

"No need to rush, I'm sure it's very difficult work, and besides," Drex chuckled, and Henry thought he might be sick. "We might be awhile."

Minyak's face deadpanned and he pushed a glowing green bar on the glass screen. Henry realised the second after that movement that his head hadn't actually hurt before, and if it did it was a tickle compared to this. His body seized up in the criminal's arms and the teen couldn't keep the first shout of pain from slipping out. His legs gave out as the fire rippled through his skull, hot spikes of agony blinded him and he heard distant shouts of his name.

Drex kneeled with the writhing boy in his arms, the shock and worry on his face was almost fear. "What's wrong with him Minyak? What did you do?"

The doctor froze for a second at seeing the expression on this man's face and then moved quickly in case it turned to anger. "The droid is rebooting, the chair stabilises the boy. Quick come sit him here."

Drex immediately rose cradling the teen, Henry couldn't feel anything beyond pain. Once the blond was sat on the machine Minyak hurried to connect all the nodes. Henry's wrist was held tightly in Drex's fingers until the last one was connected and the boy stilled.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Henry woke with panic still pumping through his system and the pain in his head still thundering. Everything was too bright after being in that dark room. That room… oh god, that room. I never escaped, I was never free. I'm trapped and he can see everything. I'll never escape. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

And then, "Henry?"

The rushing stopped and a good part of the pain and panic disappeared. Henry hadn't even realised that he had curled into a ball, knees drawn up under his chin. The hands on his shoulder's grounded him and he dared hope when he blinked his eyes open. He hoped that he was away from that place, he hoped that it wasn't a trick.

The sight put warmth back into him, and he could've choked on the lump of emotion in his throat. Ray's worried face stared back at him, the man ran a hand through the blond's hair before pulling the boy into his arms with a sigh.

Schwoz and Charlotte breathed sighs of relief as they slumped with the release of tension. Their friend was awake, they hadn't lost him. He was safe.

Henry let the tears slip, his horrified face buried in Ray's shoulder. He knew the truth. He knew that they had lost him. That he wasn't safe. Henry tightened his hold on Ray as if any second they might pull him back to that room.

He couldn't tell them. Drex would know. He couldn't tell them, because there was no telling what the criminal might do.

Henry sobbed.

He was alone.

~ O.O Hey. How was it? ~