#thunderhart

So he got up slowly and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Brush his hair, comb his hair, before brushing his teeth again.

No, it also wasn’t photo day at school.

Henry just liked to look nice.

There was no particular reason for it, you know?

The clocked beeped as 7:00 am appeared on the screen. Better get going.

“Morning mom, dad, Piper!” he shuoted while running down the stairs as fast as non super speed allowed it.

“Good morning son! Have some breakfast!”

“Can’t sorry! Gotta go!” the boy heard himself say not really knowing why, because he was actually quiet hungry.

“But it’s Saturday?”

“Sorry” he repeated grabbing his keys which he had left on the table.

He couldn’t be late at the Man Cave today.

It would have been too unprofessional. And he was more than a superhero sidekick by now!

“HENRY!” Piper yelled from the living room making him stop in his tracks.

“What!?”

“You can’t just go!”

“Why not?!”

“Your shirt is turned inside out!”

“Oh, what do I ca-...what! Wait...!!”

Crap, she was right. Crap, crap, crap.

“Ah...that’s really bad...” He quickly pulled the shirt over his head messing up his hair in progress.

“What is wrong with you!?” his sister asked curiously approaching him with raised eyebrows. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous!”

He had abosuletely no reason to be nervous.

“Sure, sure...” she teased on, but then decided to rather have some pancakes instead of arguing with him

The kitchen clock showed 7:15 am.

“Bye!”

“Bye...”

Once outside Henry felt relieved, walking quickly towards Junk n’ Stuff, knowing Ray had big things planned for today.

Or at least he hope so.

Since their new apprentice, that strange teen who was the brother of Thundergirl, had joined the team nothing was easy anymore.

Not that he wasn’t powerfull. Or capable or attractive. And of course the last thing didn’t matter...he just wasn’t part of their little crime fighting duo!

Duo not trio!

The first week had been a disaster. Max - that was the name of their apprentice- hadn’t really managed to fit him. He was being loud when he should have been quiet and then incredibly insecure when fast decisions where needed. More freaking insecure than Jasper in his opinion.

“Boy watch where you are going!” a man yelled as Henry nearly run into him, but he barely heard him anymore.

Maybe he misses home, Ray had told him in private, maybe he was just home sick.

Henry sighed remembering the following days of useless team builiding exercices and activities which had been both exhausting and ineffective.

Max listened more to what they told him, but he didn’t contradict anymore. He didn’t even ask about Schwotz new inventions.

“Creative inventor” was number one on his formula.

It made no sense to them.

So slowly he, Kid Danger, had started to get annoyed with this superhero, tired of being so...not worried...like...ah, he couldn’t find the right word! all the time.

And last but not least Henry had to overhear Captain Man talking to Charlotte about how HE- yes HE!- was slipping more and more these days and if he was okay.

HE was fine!

Max wasn’t!

Henry had reached the door of the shop entering quite unceremonously while wondering why everything had to be so complicated.

Yesterday his phone had been broken in a fight against some bank robbers and Max had offered to repair it for him.

That was nothing special, was it?

Good still, because he actually came up with something by himself, but if Jasper would ruin his phone, he would have offered his help too. For sure.

Pressing the last button on the elevator Henry closed his eyes during the ride.

Today.

“Hi Ray!”

“Hi Henry!”

Something about the smile on Ray’s face threw the boy off immediately.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

“Hey Hen!”

“Morning Charlotte!”

“Why are you wearing your shirt the wrong way?”

“Wha-!? MAN!” Didn’t he just fixed that?!

Annoyed Henry started to change as another side door opened and a third person entered the Man Cave.

“Morning.”

“Morning Max”

Oh god.

“Ahh...morning!”

Desperately triying to pull the shirt down to cover his exposed chest, Henry realized he had failed the cool, smooth “hello” he had been practising in front of the mirror yesterday night. He wished he would have known why he had done it.

“Your shirt is...”

“Ya, I know!!!”

“Okayyy....”Ray interrupted saving Henry from further embarrassement.

“Today, I gonna send you two boys to patrol near the clock tower while me and Charlotte search for the Time Jerker with the Mancopter!”

The Time Jerker had just escaped prison days ago. But maybe he had travelled back in time already to set up a more detailed revenge.

“Okay” Max said, while Charlotte approached Captain Man following him to the tubes.

“Why wouldn’t you take Henry?”

“I just feel like...it’s better this way...” the man ansewered, before yelling the signature “UP THE TUBE!” and disappearing.

“So...”

Now there were all alone.

For the first time.

“So...”

“Max, better change into your costume...”

“Oh yes, right.”

Taking some of the special bubblegum Ray had given him, he was transforemd into “Thunderboy” in a split second. Beside him Henry did the same to become Kid Danger.

“Are you ready?”

Max nodded, but then motioned him to wait. Carefully he pulled something out of his pocket.

“My phone!”

“Yeah, I fixed it!”

Max handed it to him, their gloved hands making contact for less than an heartbeat.

“T-thanks!”

Activating the screen a blue light appeared before suddenly a bunch of new applications started ordening themselves on the homescreen.

“Woah, that’s new!”

“Cool, huh?”

“Pretty cool! You...you basically superfied my phone!”

“Superfied!?”

“...yes...I mean...”

And then Max laughed, he laughed out loud and if it wasn’t for his strong grip Henry would have dropped the phone right there. Again.

Today was Valentine’s Day.

“Let’s get going!”

“Right behind you...”

“I...use the right tube and you the left one.”

When the tubes came down again, they both turned towards each other instinctively.

Henry didn’t miss that Max wasn’t looking anxious for once. In contrary, he was smiling.

Maybe he is smiling because I’m smiling.

“Okay...”

Why was he even smiling?

“UP THE TUBE!” they shouted syncronously.

Henry closed his eyes again.

He was ready for the mission.