#i have a driving theory test the day after tomorrow so i gotta study

[calekinnieplus]

Uhhh hi, I've read under 2 hours today (I got sucked into a fic from an old fandom, don't mind me haha...) and I've reached chapter 560.

I'll keep it short. Klein assumed the identity of the Sea God, Kalvetua (slay moment, getting practice for his Fool persona, aye), and is playing the role to that demigod's followers.

Also, apparently, items that are left in the gray fog for some time retain a bit of its characteristics temporarily. Which allowed Arrodes to contact Klein, yasss!!

Klein ventured into the Spirit World a bit and coincidentally bumped into Nast, King of the Seas. Idk what to tell ya, man. I know it's a mix of that law of Beyonder Characteristics, the hand of fate and probably something to do with your luck ritual, but your LUCK, Klein. It never disappoints.

Without further adeu, until next time!

(Which... will probably not be tomorrow, I'mma be honest. If I read a lot somehow, yeah, definitely tomorrow. But idk. And the day after tomorrow, too... BASICALLY, it is when it is. I won't force it, this is a hobby. A way for me to track my progress from reading LOTM. So we're good. This is for fun :>)

[redhoodssweetheart]

Our Growing Family

Series: With All My Love

Pairing: Alpha!Jason Todd x Omega!Fem!Reader

Requested: Yes (Requests for this series are currently open along with a few other series I am working on, all other requests however are CLOSED.)

Word Count: 1.4K

Warnings: Fluff, Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, pregnancy.

Description:  Jason is away when you find out that you’re pregnant with your first child.

A/N:  Please note this series is written out of order as it is a bunch of one-shots.  The order they should be read in can be found on my masterlist.  Requests for this series and a few others are open, there is a pinned post on my page telling you which ones those are.

Nat had come for a visit when Jason was away for a few days to help Dick with something in Blüdhaven.  He called you every night that he was gone making sure you were okay.  Being away from one another was hard, but the phone calls helped.  It made him feel a little closer when he wasn’t near.  Nat knew how hard it was to be away from your alpha and came to stay with you.

Steve was in the city as well, but he promised to let the two of you have girls’ time together.  Natasha would spend dinners with him, but the rest of the time was dedicated to you and making sure you were okay.  Their two children were currently with another friend of Steve and Natasha’s giving the two of them time away from their duties as parents.

This morning as she was making breakfast you were suddenly turned off by the smell of the food.  You weren’t sure what it was, but there was something that had your stomach rolling and you rushed to the bathroom and collapsed in front of the toilet.  

Natasha was there in an instant making sure you were okay and you didn’t need anything from her.  “Y/N, do you need a doctor?  What’s going on?”

You slumped against the wall and fought off another wave of nausea.  “I have no idea,” you told her weakly.  “That sensation just came out of nowhere.”

Natasha studied you for a moment and then her eyes widened with realization, “Is there anyway that you could be pregnant?”

You sat frozen, your nausea forgotten for the moment.  Could you be pregnant?  It had been nearly a month since your last heat and you weren’t on birth control.  “I… I might be,” you told her, your heart picking up speed.  “It’s been a month since my heat and it would make sense.”  You scrubbed your face with your hands.  “Oh my God, Nat.  Am I pregnant?”

The thought scared and excited you at the same time.  Were you and Jason ready to become parents?  Could you be a good mother to the possible child growing inside you?

Nat saw the nerves written all over your face, “Hey, hey calm down.  Let’s panic after we figure out if you’re pregnant.  I’ll call Steve and tell him to pick us up a test and we’ll go from there.”

Twenty minutes later Steve was entering your apartment with a bag filled with different tests, “I figured we could try different ones and see what the results are.”

Natasha kissed his cheek and told him what a smart alpha he was, which made Steve preen.  It made your heart ache for Jason.  He should be here.  But then the thought of surprising him once he was home made you feel even more excited.

Snatching the tests out of Steve’s hands you hurried to the bathroom to try the first one.  The three of you waited for the results to come in, you paced back and forth nervously.  When the timer on Steve’s phone went off you looked at the test, your breath catching in your throat.  “Wait is it?”  Natasha asked calmly.

“It says I’m pregnant,” you told her.

She squealed, “I knew it!”

Steve patted her shoulder, “She should still take the other tests and see what they say.”

And that was how your day went.  Every time you had to pee you would take a test.  Out of the seven tests that Steve had picked up only two had been negative.  You would still need a doctor to tell you for sure if you were, but at this point it was merely a formality.

Jason called an hour after you had taken your last test.  “Hey sweetheart,” he sounded tired.

“Alpha are you taking proper care of yourself?”  You questioned, your brows furrowing with concern.  “Don’t make me come over there.”

He chuckled, “My tough omega gonna come do my job for me, huh?”

“Yes,” you said sternly.  “I need you still so if you get hurt I’m gonna have to hurt Dick for it.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart I’ll be home tomorrow.  We finally caught the guy.”

You beamed, “Really?”

“Really,” he said.  “Enough about me, tell me about your day.”

You bit your lip as you tried to fight back the smile, “I have a surprise for you when you get home.”

“Oh yeah?”  You could hear the curiosity in his voice.  “What is it?”

“Now what kind of surprise would it be if I told you?”  You questioned.  “You’re just gonna have to wait.”

He practically whined at your words, “But sweetheart.”

“No buts, Alpha,” you added the alpha to hopefully placate him some.  “You’re just gonna have to wait until you get home.”

You heard shuffling on the other end of the phone, “All right, then I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“Jason!  Don’t you dare!”  You chastised.  “You need sleep.”

“I don’t need sleep, I need answers,” he quoted from The Big Bang Theory.

“Jason--”  You were about to tell him not to come when he interrupted by saying, “Gotta go, long drive ahead of me.  Get some rest before I get home.”

Then the line went dead and you just stared at your phone.  Of course he wasn’t going to wait until tomorrow to get home.

You managed to get a few hours worth of sleep before you felt Jason slip into bed behind you and wrap his arms around you.  His comforting scent surrounded you and for a moment you forgot that you were supposed to be mad at him.  Then it hit you like a truck that a tired Jason had driven all the way home because he couldn’t wait to find out what his surprise was.

“Jason Peter Todd,” you snapped as you sat up and glared down at your mate and husband.  He was giving you a lazy grin and you noticed a few cuts on his face.  “You stubborn, stubborn man.”

He sat up and his lips brushed against your neck.  He was trying to butter you up so you wouldn’t be as mad at him.  “I just had to see you, sweetheart.  I was already going crazy being so far away, then you dangled a surprise in front of me?  I couldn’t take it anymore.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, “You were tired and could have gotten hurt.”

“I was fine,” he said.  “I’ve done more dangerous things before.”  At your horrified expression he frantically amended, “Before we met!”

You frowned and he wanted to kiss you and try to make it go away, “You have to be careful, Alpha.”  You lightly placed your hand against his cheek and stared deeply into his eyes.  “For the three of us.”

“Well of course I’ll be careful, sweetheart.  You know I only take risks when necessary and I’ll always be there for you.”  You wanted to chuckle, your words had gone right over his head.  “And you know I’ll always be there--”  He paused and his eyes widened, “Wait did you just say the three of us?”

You nodded your head, “I’m pregnant, Jay.”

So many emotions flitted across his face, pride, joy, concern, love.  “You’re… you’re pregnant?”  You nodded your head again.  “We’re gonna have a kid?”  Another nod.  “I’m gonna be a dad?”  This time you laughed and he pulled you into his arms and kissed you soundly.  “I’m gonna be a dad!”

“You’re gonna be a great dad, Alpha,” you purred as you placed a kiss on his mating gland.  “I still need to confirm it with a doctor, but Steve bought a ton of tests and only two of them were negative so I’m ninety-nine point nine-nine percent sure I’m pregnant.”

One of his hands moved to cover the area where your baby was currently growing and you could see his eyes shining with unshed tears, “I love you, Y/N.”  He bent forward and kissed your stomach, “And I love you too, little one.”

“We love you too, Jason,” you whispered before kissing him again.

The two of you spent the rest of the night curled up together thinking over names and how to tell his friends and family.  You knew Bruce was gonna get emotional, this was his first grandkid after all.  The boys were gonna spoil this kid rotten and you would never have to worry if you’d have someone to babysit.  You fell asleep still wrapped in Jason’s arms as he continued to talk about all the things he couldn’t wait to do with your future child.

[starlightaxolotl]

Stormfront Chapter One

words: 2.9K

warnings: none really, one swear word, implied alcohol being consumed by underage people but not shown.

I finally bring the long awaited first chapter of Stormfront, my Ninjago Next Gen AU fic. 

One: Not Without Risk

Zane walked out of the hide out and down the street, drawing the hood of the plain blue hoodie over his head. He knew he was being followed. If he made it to the prop apartment, he'd be clear. With his connections offline still, he had no signal to upload the information he had gathered on this impromptu meeting, having been lucky to even have been in the building when the meeting was called. For convenience, they allowed him to sit in before he left. They hadn't wanted to hold him up, but insisted he listened.

It had given him confirmation of his biggest theory: Harumi was building a network, one that spanned the entire continent of Ninjago, and one of her contacts had found something she was looking for. Something that would be in the city in the next two weeks.

Zane's hands itched at the thought. If she had already gathered contacts in every corner of the continent, who was to say this wasn't some sort of play—a ruse to throw him off. They could easily know he was infiltrating but choosing not to apprehend him…

But why?

Zane's mind and heart were racing at equal speeds. It was a lot to take in.

They knew where everyone lived. It was pinned out on a map of the city and surrounding suburbs, and they couldn't do anything about it. If they moved, they'd just be found again, and there was no evidence to suggest they wouldn't also reveal they knew what Zane was doing, breaking in and slipping among their ranks sporadically under another new fake name each time.

He crossed the street, glancing over his shoulder. In the alleyway behind him, a figure sat on a motorbike, ready to go at a moment's notice. Their visor was too dark for him to make out any details before he turned his head back to focus on the sidewalk in front of him. Distantly, he heard the engine rev before fading, driving away.

He had been followed. He was likely still being followed if he had to guess. He didn't want to be right this time.

It was taking a chance, but he needed to do it. He internally switched on every communication signal. As soon as he connected to the network, he uploaded the information to the coded file, encrypting it as he did. He called in to Pixal.

It didn't even ring once before she answered. "Are you safe? This call is early. You are not at the safe apartment yet." Zane could hear the worry in her voice, the strain of trying to stay calm. After over twenty years together, it wasn't shocking that he knew her this well.

"I am on my way home now, honey. I think we need to have a family gathering soon. Work is getting busy." His words, even out loud and inconspicuous to any passing ears, were coded.

I am on my way to the safe house. I think I am being followed. We need to gather the others. I have information. It is urgent.

--------------------

Gigi Walker liked to think that as first alternate for the debate team that meant she was incredibly skilled at last minute arguments and persuasion. She had, after all, talked her way into first alternate from third alternate.

Which, of course, is why she found herself standing between her father and the front door of their apartment, arms crossed. "Come on, I just want to go on patrol once with Uncle Kai-I really don't think I'm asking for all that much! Enver's been on patrol!"

Jay raised an eyebrow at his daughter, grabbing his phone from the charger. "Enver is two years older than you, and not my kid. Kai's house, Kai's rules. My house-which you live in last I checked, by the way-my rules. This isn't up for debate Gigabyte, Your mom and I both said you're not going on patrol until you're older when you and Grant turned ten and started training-which you already started earlier than we wanted, if you remember!" He crossed his arms as well.

Jay walked towards the dresser next to the door, opening a drawer to grab his keys. "And Kai is starting patrol later tonight than normal, and you have school in the morning. Which, if I remember right, you've been almost late every day this week because you've been oversleeping!" He reached out to touch his daughter's shoulder. He had a sad smile on his face. "Stop trying to grow up so fast, trust me on this one. You're gonna miss this once you become a full time ninja-when you're nineteen at the earliest." He pulled his hand away from his stunned daughter, moving past her towards the door.

Gigi's mouth dropped open and she twirled on the spot, grabbing her dad's arm. "Nineteen? Last week your only condition was I had to be an adult!"

A small snicker came from behind. "Don't make him push it to thirty." Down the hallway, holding a laundry basket, was an auburn teen, smiling wryly at his twin sister. "And next to uncle Kai, no one holds a grudge like dad."

"You left your uncle Lloyd out of this, he holds a grudge worse than any of us and you know it. Remember when you accidentally broke his nose, kid?"

Grant groaned, head dipping back dramatically. "He still won't let me live it down or feel good about the fact it was the first time I landed a hit on him in a spar!"

Gigi giggled, and Jay looked back at her. "I've gotta get going-I hope I'm not making a mistake by leaving you and your brother here to do your homework-it's not too late for me to take you to Lloyd's so Aya can watch you two."

With a huff, Grant lifted the laundry basket. "I've got chores to keep me busy, plus Gigi and I still have to study for precalculus tonight. Big test tomorrow, and if I don't keep her on track it's not getting done before you and mom are home."

Jay smiled and nodded, pointing a finger at Gigi. "Doors locked, no friends over, got it?"

"Got it." She sighed, watching as her dad left before turning to look at her brother, skipping down the hall past him. "You've got me covered for the evening then?"

Grant shook his head, and sighed. "This is a terrible idea, Gigi."

"If this was a terrible idea, then they'd have hidden the files harder than that."

--------------------

Lloyd looked at Zane, who looked just as pristine as usual, though his clothes suggested otherwise. He seemed scuffed up and anxious. "So, we're all here. Rip the bandage off, what did you learn this time?"

Zane looked around the secure room and the familiar faces around him. His team, his family, everyone actively working on this mission. Except for Enver, though he was going to be working on it soon, Zane supposed. "I do not have much, but something is arriving in the next two weeks-something big. Something they've been looking for."

The air in the room was still, stiff. Zane continued on. "She didn't say what it was over the phone, but Lex, the woman who has been training me for guard detail-she vouched for me personally, saying that they'd be stupid to waste my firearm skills on meaningless turf battles-said that this item is integral to their plan, and that things will fall into place once it's in Harumi's hands."

Lloyd made a face at the mention of their greatest enemy.

Harumi had spent the better part of the last two decades underground, but in the last few years signs had come back that she wasn't done trying to destroy Ninjago by starting with them. Her last big move had been...traumatic to their team at best. Lloyd looked away, hand moving to his side. Even through his clothes, he knew the size and shape of the scar that was there.

It had been luck that he lived at all.

"I also have gained confirmation of Harumi's code name being the Spider, not the princess. This means that there is an individual being called the princess that is not Harumi. Logically, I would assume this to be some sort of child of hers, or someone she is appointing as heir of the cause for unknown reasons, just in case."

--------------------

Gigi pulled her hood down as she walked into the party, grinning under the black lights which picked up the swirls of white makeup she had drawn on her face for the event.

The room was hot, packed wall to wall with people who swarmed around the makeshift stage in the abandoned warehouse. Maybe it wasn't as abandoned as she previously believed though, knowing now that these parties across the warehouse district were tied as recruitment events for the Oni's Curse as they called themselves now, rebranding from the Sons of Garmadon they originally were. It showed a few shifts. The movement no longer hinged on Garmadon as their leader, which...arguably might be worse for Ninjago in some ways. Gigi had only ever heard stories, but it sounded like Harumi could be even worse on her own. It even-

Someone slammed into Gigi's back and she shouted, barely heard over the music in the warehouse. A hand grabbed her wrist, steadying her before she could faceplant into the small gap in the flooring.

"Careful!" A girl yelled, muffled by the music and the mask she wore. Gigi could tell she was smiling behind it though. "Get's a little hectic here, ya know?" She started dancing, still holding onto Gigi's wrist. Gigi started to dance with her. "First time?"

The song started to wind down and Gigi nodded, reaching into her pocket to put her ear protection in. "Yeah, didn't know these were so popular!" She looked around, taking it all in. "Especially on a school night!"

The girl laughed. "That's half the fun-who cares if we have school tomorrow, tonight we live!" She tipped her head back and laughed harder. After a moment she looked back at Gigi. "What's your name, twinkle toes?" She asked with a nod at Gigi's shining shoes. She hadn't expected the black lights to make the glitter so radiant-it was just glitter!

Gigi smiled, holding out her hand. "Gigi!"

The girl took hers, giving a loose shake. "Everyone calls me Ruka around here." The girl-Ruka-looked around, pushing her dark bangs out of her face. "Let's get something to drink before some idiot spikes everything." She looked at Gigi, her dark eyes bright in the party lights. "You down to hang, first timer?"

"Uh..." Gigi faltered. She needed to be alert for the mission-if she found some kind of proof maybe she could get some intel about the initiation process that they didn't already know about. Sticking with someone who knew the place was a good idea. "Sure. I could go for a pop can right now."

Ruka laughed again, grabbing Gigi's hand to pull her through the crowd. "Pop can, you really are a newbie aren't you?"

Gigi shrugged, sticking close to her newfound guide. "Parents aren't usually out at night together, it's kinda new to be able to slip out of the house unnoticed." Gigi could feel the beat of the music in her bones as they passed a set of speakers, rocking her body at its very core. Grant would hate it here.

She so owed him for the cover up.

--------------------

Before she knew it, Ruka was pushing an unopened can of soda into her hand and pulling her once again around the makeshift dance floor. Gigi thought she heard her say something about a quieter place to hang around at in the party, but she wasn't sure. Even with ear protection in, her ears were ringing, and she was sure she'd feel unsteady from the sounds for hours after leaving the party.

"You were right," Gigi said as she leaned against the railing, popping the can of soda open. "It is quieter back here." She took a sip of the soda as she watched the people dancing below. Ruka leaned against the railing next to her, and Gigi smiled at her. "How did you get involved in coming to these parties?"

"Long story, but basically...my cousins." Ruka pulled off her mask, putting her hand through the elastics to keep it on herself. "They like the party scene, I...can tolerate it with the right people." She winked and as the strobe lighting passed over her face, Gigi could have sworn her eyes were red. Like fire red, but the next second they were back in the dark. "What about you, first timer?"

Gigi chewed on her lip, looking down at the party below. "I heard there's a little more than just a party going on, probably just a rumor."

"What, like drugs?" Ruka sounded irritated. "This isn't the place for that, Gigi. They're pretty strict about drugs."

That caught her attention. Gigi turned again. "What? No, that's not what I mean."

A loud voice cut through across the music. "Hey, hey, Rukaaaa!" Gigi looked left at where it came from. A girl with a high, neon streaked ponytail was sauntering over. Her combat boots made the metal catwalk clang loudly with each stomping step. The teen seemed cut from stone, all angles and neon paint, like a walking piece of graffiti. She eyed Gigi as Gigi did the same. "Who is this poppet?" Her face was intricately painted, streaks of white crossing over her lips in an upwards curve, and bright pink smeared around her eyes.

"Raz, this is Data. Data, Raz. My cousin I was telling you about." Ruka's voice was tight. It confused Gigi why she was calling her Data when she clearly remembered her name was Gigi just moments ago. "We were just talking about why we came out here tonight, told her you were big on the party scene."

Raz threw an arm around Gigi, pulling her close. "Data huh? Alias? Or do your parents really hate you that much?"

Gigi gave an awkward laugh. "Nickname." The two looked nothing alike. Then again, maybe they were cousins the same way she and Lark were cousins, cousins because their parents were so close they were practically family, but with no resemblance. "Pretty awesome party!" Gigi took a sip of her soda. Something about Raz made her uneasy.

Raz grinned wide, eyeing the soda. "Surprised no punch, Data. You and Ruka seem like punch girls-well, I know Ruka is."

"Her parents would notice if she accidentally got spiked punch. Said her brother is covering for her." Gigi looked at Ruka, who was undoing her buns-how had she not noticed they were purple before now? Ruka combed through her hair, pulling it into a ponytail. "And it's her first time here, I'm showing her the ropes. How things run, stuff like that."

Raz nodded, her grin still present. "Well then, I'll leave you to it." She squeezed Gigi's shoulder, and through her jacket Gigi could feel her sharp nails. "Don't let her give you too much hell, Data."

Gigi gave another awkward laugh, nodding before taking a sip of her soda. Raz slunk off, sauntering across the crosswalk towards a group of equally painted individuals. Gigi wrapped both hands around the can, and listened to the music for a minute before speaking. "Your cousin is...a lot."

"Tell me about it."

--------------------

Grant was practically pacing the floor when he heard a knock at his window. His parents were on the way home and as he pulled open the curtain, sure enough his sister was on the fire escape outside. He unlocked his window, pulling her in. "Go get changed, if they see you-why do you smell like smoke? Were you smoking? Oh man you were smoking-if mom gets a whiff of you we're both going to be grounded so badly-"

"Relax! It's from the train stop. Some ass wouldn't stop smoking and I couldn't get away from them. I'm gonna go shower, cover for me with mom and dad until I'm done?" Gigi shut the window behind herself, and sat down on the ledge to take her boots off. "I made a friend tonight, she's just so...she's amazing, Grant, she really really is."

"Okay, that's great. Does she know anything about the OC?"

Gigi faltered. "I don't think so. I think her cousin does though, so I'm gonna have to go back a few times to get some more intel-and you're right, you would absolutely hate it there. It's so loud and you can feel the music constantly and-"

Grant pulled his now shoeless sister off his floor, shepherding her towards the door. "You. Shower. Now. We can talk about it later!"

[henry-hart]

“Kid Lightning” - a Charlotte Bolton One-Shot Series: Prologue - "The Pilot"

Okay, so @s4karuna messaged me one day a few weeks ago about a thread of Chenry headcanons, and we eventually got into talking about a possible fic idea for Charlotte. So many possibilities were born from then on. This is all her idea, by the way. Give her 100% of the credit. She came to me with such a brilliant concept, and I merely helped her expand on the whole thing. I ended up volunteering (because it’s just too good an opportunity to pass up) to turn her ideas into a series of one-shots, each piece dedicated to one of the tales she told me. The underlying theme stems from this one what if: what if Charlotte never told Henry that she knew his secret? Awesome, right? I know. @s4karuna is incredible, as are all her ideas. This first piece will be a bit of an introduction before it all gets rolling and the whole “Kid Lightning” bit gets explained. I’m excited to show you guys all that we have planned!

***Something to know before we start: This one-shot (and the rest that will follow) follow the sequence of events in "The Secret Gets Out"--i.e. Char still gets suspicious and pieces together that Henry is Kid Danger. The details are still the same, BUT she doesn’t confront him.

Dedicated to: First and foremost @s4karuna because well duh. Then we have my usual tag gang :) @sunbeameyes @ramune-ray @kiwikwami @youngbloodthekilljoy @up-the-tube @sleepylilsnowflake @shonashee @writing-excuses @coldasalaska @chewbaccaagainstthoughts @lesbian-so-what @an-anxious-gay-mess @periwinklechild @alissamikealson @jyrus-kelevra @x-cookies-art-x @knowwheretolook @thehotbrothburglar @ishouldbsleeping @can-you-believe-it and @food-o-matic and @jumpin-jaspers you’re joining the gang.

Fandom: Henry Danger

Summary: Charlotte discovers Henry’s big secret, but she doesn’t tell him that she knows. She keeps it to herself, deciding to use her knew knowledge of his identity to help her masked friend from the sidelines instead. But once she gets a small taste of the crime-fighting life, a spark is ignited inside of her, giving birth to a desire to be a protector of Swellview as well. ;)

A/N: Like I said, this is an intro piece. This is just the whole “I know your secret” scene edited to fit our narrative. Enjoy!!!!! xoxoxoxo (I’m actually shaking from excitement because I really want you guys to read this girl’s ideas!!! aksjlksj)

Charlotte burst through her front door, running past her parents who were waiting in the kitchen for her.

"No time to talk!" She announced, stopping them before they could even get a word out.

She knew they were looking for an explanation as to why Charlotte was only just getting home so late at night, but she didn't have the time. She had to get to her room, somewhere she could be alone, and get everything she'd just pieced together in her mind out before she lost it.

She made it to her room, accidentally slamming the door behind her in her haste. She dropped down into her desk chair, throwing her book bag on the table in front of her. She retrieved her notebook from her bag, her right leg bouncing up and down rapidly all the while.

She placed the notebook in front of her and flipped to the most recent page as quickly as she could, ripping a few pages in the process. In this notebook she recorded all of the observational notes she'd been taking on her best friend ever since he'd been hired at Junk 'n Stuff. She stopped on the most recent pages, scanning through what she had written.

Won't tell us what his job is. Has been really jumpy lately--more than usual. Is always making lame excuses before disappearing. Weird beeping watch???

She skipped ahead to the notes she'd made today.

Got really defensive when Jasper dissed Kid Danger.

Then came the most important notes she'd made, the ones she'd written on the way home from Henry's house...

...Charlotte had forgotten one of her textbooks in Henry's room when she had been at his house studying, and she needed it to finish her homework for school the next day, so she decided to go back to his house to get it, despite how late it already was. The textbook was important, but it was more a front to mask her true intentions. She had another, more pressing reason to be at Henry's house--a reason that made the time seem to be of no consequence. 

She'd called Junk ‘n Stuff earlier that day to talk to Henry, but no one had answered. She could've just shrugged it off, chalking it up to any number of things (they were busy, no one was near the phone, the phones weren't working, etc.), but she didn't. Too many things about that store and Henry didn't add up. She couldn't let herself believe that it was nothing.

So, Charlotte decided to confront Henry about it. She would be tactical. She'd make like she came for her book, all the while scoping Henry's behavior out, possibly tripping him into admitting something.

She made her way to Henry's house and up to his room with fierce determination in her step. She was buzzing with anticipation. She might finally get to the bottom of whatever had been going on with Henry.

She knocked on his bedroom door a little harder than she meant to.

It took him awhile to answer.

“What are you doing here?" Henry asked, out of breath, looking nothing like a boy who had just gotten out of bed. He wasn’t even wearing pajamas. 

He pulled his lips into a tight line and drummed his fingers against the door frame while he waited for Charlotte to answer.

Charlotte knew immediately that something was up, but there seemed to be a lot of “somethings” up with Henry lately. She decided to wait to see how this was going to play out before she showed her cards.

"I came back for my math book. I forgot it, and I need it for tomorrow." She explained, watching Henry carefully through narrowed eyes.

He visibly relaxed. "Oh, yeah, right. Your book." He stepped away from the door, and Charlotte walked into his room.

Henry found her book immediately, and walked back to hand it to her. His posture was softer, more relaxed, and he was almost smiling. Obviously Charlotte's forgotten book proclamation had put him at ease.

Two things happened then, unbeknownst to Henry, that solidified Charlotte's working theory.

A gust of night wind blew in through Henry's open window--the fact that it was open and Henry's shoes were right beneath didn't go unnoticed by Charlotte--and washed over the two of them. Henry blocked the majority of the breeze from reaching Charlotte, and in consequence, a sweet smell wafted off of him.

Henry didn't exactly stink, but he most definitely didn't go around smelling like...syrup?

A news report she’d watched earlier that day flashed through Charlotte's mind: Captain Man and Kid Danger stopped a robbery at a syrup factory.

Her hand froze before she could grab her book. Her eyes widened as it all fell together in her mind, revealing to her the answer to all the questions she'd been relentlessly mulling over--all of them to do with Henry.

This was nothing like what she’d been expecting. She thought maybe he was in some secret club that he was too embarrassed to tell anyone about or something, but this?

Henry noticed that Charlotte looked a little spooked. "Hey, you okay?" He asked, not as tense now that he was sure she hadn't come here to confront him or anything. His secret was safe.

Henry's voice snapped Charlotte back to reality. She took her book from him, slowly backing away.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered. She kept walking until she made it to the door. "I gotta go." She blurted and turned to bolt for the stairs, anxious to get away from Henry and somewhere she could reflect on everything she'd just figured out.

"Char, wait--" Henry tried to call after her, but she was already gone...

...Charlotte, now out of her flashback and back in the present, read the note she scribbled in her mad haste to make it back home. She had been writing too fast for her handwriting to be neat, but the messy scrawl read:

I called the store; no one answered. Went to his house. He was tense. Like there was something he was scared I'd find out. The window was open. His shoes were under it. He had just come in through his window.

Then came the most important note she had. This was the one that had been proof enough for her.

Captain Man and Kid Danger stopped a robbery at a syrup factory. Henry smelled like SYRUP (this was in all caps and underlined--her first definitive clue).

Her hand was shaking as she went to make her last note. Her writing was even worse than before now that she couldn’t keep her pen steady. She wrote:

Henry is Kid Danger.

It made so much sense. How could she have not seen it before? The same blonde hair. The same goofy grin. It was all Henry--not to mention the fact that every time he disappeared a news report about Captain Man and Kid Danger would air just as he made it back.

Charlotte leaned back away from her desk and her notebook. She stared at that last sentence.

Seeing it there, written, out of her mind and on paper, was almost surreal. 

For weeks Charlotte had this whole thing sitting heavily in the back of her mind. She knew there was something Henry wasn't telling her or Jasper, and she didn't like not knowing. She was practical, logical. If there was a problem, she found the solution. If there was a question, she found the answer. But this wasn't a mathematical problem nor was it a scientific question. This was Henry and some secret he was keeping. She couldn't just input some numbers or run some tests and have it all solved, and not being able to figure it out was driving her mad. It was keeping her up at night, keeping her from focusing, from eating. She felt like she was the one harboring some huge secret.

Initially, she'd been almost mad at Henry. She was one of his best friends. What could he not tell her? What could be worth making her feel this way? They told each other everything. What could make that change now?

Charlotte, ever the problem-solver, had taken matters into her own hands. She paid extra attention to Henry. She watched him closely, mentally logging anything odd or unusual or secretive that he did, and it had paid off. She now knew what Henry was so adamant to keep from her and Jasper.

And now that she new, she understood all the secrecy.

This wasn't like the time Henry had accidentally broken her telescope when they were kids and didn't tell her for a week. This was so much bigger. Henry was a superhero--well, a superhero's sidekick--who fought to protect Swellview. 

No wonder he was always so tired. 

He had to be a normal kid by day and a crime-fighter by night. That was a lot to put on anyone, especially a thirteen year old boy. Charlotte was a little hurt that Henry couldn't come to his best friends about any of it, but she knew why. He had a secret identity to think about. He couldn't do what he did--help Captain Man keep the city safe--if everyone knew who he really was.

Charlotte wasn't going to confront Henry about what she knew. She wouldn't do that to him. She'd let him believe that she was oblivious to his secret. She'd protect her best friend.

But she wished there was something she could do to lessen the weight of the burdens he was carrying. Kid Danger went up against criminals. That was dangerous work, even with the help of Captain Man. Now that she knew it was her best friend who faced those criminals, she had a sick feeling in her stomach. What if Henry got hurt?

That was a thought she didn’t want to further consider because she had no answer. If she saw on the news that Kid Danger had been hurt, she would know that it was really Henry, and then she’d feel guilty because she didn’t do anything to help him. But what could she do to help him? She wanted to, but how?

Charlotte sighed heavily and put her things away. She felt a weird sense of finality when she closed her notebook. It was like closing a book after reading it. It was complete. She’d figured it out. 

She got dressed for bed silently; there was a lot on her mind. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice when her Mom, Viola, had stepped in to say goodnight.

“Sorry, Mom.” Charlotte apologized, managing a small smile for her mother. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

Her mom quirked her eyebrow knowingly. “I noticed. It’s not every day you come running into the house at eleven o’clock at night.”

Charlotte winced when she looked at her clock and saw just how late it was. She was lucky her mother wasn’t grounding her right this second--unless that was what she had come to do.

“I didn’t realize it was so late, honest. I forgot my textbook at Henry’s house, and I needed it to--”

“Charlie, it’s okay.” Her mom interrupted, holding a hand up to stop her daughter.

Just hearing the nickname her mother always used was enough to calm Charlotte’s overworked mind. She sat down heavily on her bed, massaging her temples.

Normally, Viola would be angry at her daughter for disappearing into the night with no explanation, but looking at how exhausted Charlotte seemed, she couldn’t find it in herself to be anything but worried. It was typical of her daughter to be busy, to always look for a solution or a new way to look at things, something that kept her mind occupied, but this was something else entirely. This went deeper than just a setback on a new invention or a difficult mathematical equation. Whatever Charlotte was working on, it meant a great deal to her, and it was taking a great deal out of her. Viola noticed a crease in her daughter’s brow that didn’t seem to go away, and she didn’t like it.

She sat at the foot of her daughter’s bed. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”

Charlotte looked at her mom for a moment, trying to come up with a way to tell her what she was going through without actually telling her what she was going through. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

Her mom tilted her head, a confused look on her face. “You can ask me anything.”

Charlotte nodded, letting out a sigh that inflated her cheeks as it went. “What would you do--hypothetically speaking, of course--if you knew something about your friend that they didn’t want you to know and you want to use what you found out to help them, but you also don’t want to let them know that you know and are helping them because of what you know that they don’t want you to know?”

Viola stared expressionless at her daughter for five whole seconds. “What?”

Charlotte groaned in frustration. “I don’t know how else to word it.”

Her mom took a moment to think over what her daughter had told her. “I think I get it.” She said. She eyed Charlotte. “You say this is all hypothetical, right?” She of course didn’t believe that. Charlotte wouldn’t have put so much meaning behind her question if it wasn’t real. 

“Right,” Charlotte agreed. “Any advice--for this completely fictitious scenario?”

Viola nodded once very slowly, having to bite back a smile. “Well, in this, as you said, fictitious scenario, this person is my friend?”

“Your best friend,” Charlotte added a little too hastily. She hoped her mother didn’t pick up on it. 

Viola did, but she didn’t let on. “Since they’re my best friend, I would respect their wish to keep whatever it is a secret because I respect them. The reason they have for not telling me is surely a good one.” She studied her daughter’s reaction as she spoke, liking how that crease on her forehead seemed to ease up a little. “As for helping them, I would do everything in my power. I’m assuming whatever you know that they don’t want you to know is a lot to handle?” When Charlotte nodded, she continued. “Then I would try to make it easier for them. Maybe they aren’t including you--I mean, me in the whole ordeal because they’re worried about bothering me. That doesn’t mean they should have to shoulder it alone, though. If there’s some way I can make it easier, some way to anonymously help my best friend through a hard time, I’m going to do it, no acknowledgement needed.”

Charlotte let her mother’s words sink in. It was what she was already thinking, but hearing it from her mother helped convince her it was the right thing to do. The power of motherly advice, she supposed. 

“Thanks, Mom. That really helped.” Charlotte spoke, feeling like her words were coming a little easier now that she had started to figure things out again. She laid back in her bed, almost sighing in relief when she felt it’s softness on her tired body.

Viola smiled. “My pleasure, sweetie. I’m glad I could help with your hypothetical dilemma.”

Charlotte sucked in her lips, avoiding her mother’s knowing gaze, but Viola didn’t push any further. Charlotte appreciated that her mom respected her enough not to pry. Charlotte would come to her if she needed her, and Viola knew that. She didn’t need to force her daughter into anything.

Viola turned off the lamp on the nightstand and pulled Charlotte’s covers over her, happy that she still had small moments like these to be a mother to her daughter like she had been when Charlotte was younger and the ways of the world couldn’t touch her or her precious mind.

“Goodnight, Charlie.” She whispered.

“Goodnight, Mom.” Charlotte whispered back.

Her mother left quietly, gently closing the door behind her.

Charlotte studied the glow-in-the dark stars she had stuck to her ceiling. She’d arranged them all in the form of already existing constellations. She kept her eyes trained on Orion’s belt, remembering the hunter’s story. She thought it was a nice sentiment to think that death could mean the night sky gained more stars. Of course, she knew it wasn’t real, but it was still interesting to think about.

Think. Even the word made her head hurt.

She was tired. Today had been mentally draining, and she felt physically drained in consequence, but she couldn’t fall asleep.

As much as her mother had helped her come to a decision, she still had a lot of questions.

She was going to help Henry. That much she had settled.

But how could Charlotte help Henry, help Kid Danger, without jeopardizing his secret?

It was a long time before Charlotte’s eyes closed and her mind went to rest.

A/N Part 2: What did you guys think???? Like I said, this is just putting everything into place for the rest of the series! Again, give all the kudos and props and compliments and credit to @s4karuna because this was all her! I can’t wait to hear from all of you!!! :)))))) xoxoxoxoxo