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Late evening in the Grant-Gomez home was usually a time when the family was winding down to get ready for bed, but on this particular late evening, the only member of the family present was their youngest daughter Gretel. Of course, Gretel hadn’t been left at home alone while her parents went out for dinner and a movie… she’d been left with a babysitter.
But this wasn’t any ordinary babysitter. This babysitter, a young woman named Lauren, had a secret… a secret Gretel already knew about.
“And that’s the end of Dinosaur Domain,” said Lauren, getting up to shut off the Blu-Ray player. Behind her on the couch sat Gretel, who had thoroughly enjoyed the riveting action movie she and her babysitter had just watched together, despite the many plot holes and mediocre acting. “Not exactly as good as Dinosaur Doomsday, but the CGI was nice, I guess.”
“I like when they rode the pterodactyls over the erupting volcano!” said Gretel excitedly. “I know in real life the convection would’ve roasted them alive, but I can suspend my disbelief for pterodactyls.”
“Yeah, and it’s not like we’re watching a movie about dinosaurs coming to life in the modern age for realism,” Lauren replied with a smirk, sitting back down next to Gretel.
Gretel liked having Lauren as a babysitter… the young woman was fun, nice, and was a lot more permissive than Abuela, who used to be the most frequent babysitter for her and her older brother Kevin whenever their parents went out together. Indeed, she’d become Gretel’s favorite babysitter of all, even though her secret was quite the disturbing one.
Lauren was, in reality, the supervillain known as The Destructress. Her and her twin brother, who went by Fist-Puncher, liked to wreck things and film themselves doing so for their social media sites, and were two of the most frequent villains fought by Gretel in her superhero persona, along with her partner, her superpowered hamster. Indeed, the evil twins had become Hamster and Gretel’s arch-enemies in a lot of ways… and at first, Gretel hadn’t been comfortable with the idea of Lauren babysitting her. However, Lauren had no idea that Gretel was a superhero. To her, the young girl she was babysitting was just that, an ordinary young girl, and because of that, the two were able to get along quite swimmingly.
“It’s a good thing Kevin’s not here, or he’d be pointing out all of the things that couldn’t actually happen in real life,” said Gretel, rolling her eyes. “But he’s at Hiromi’s place helping her sort through old comics.”
“What about your pet hamster?” asked Lauren. “I noticed he wasn’t in his cage when we went into your room.”
“He’s over at Fred’s, watching her riff on bad fanfiction,” Gretel replied.
O-O-O
“…having two rivals get kidnapped together so they’re forced to work out their differences?” said Fred, blinking as she stared at her computer screen while Hamster hovered next to her. “That has to be the most contrived situation ever, what kind of awful Yuko Cheerleading Warrior Attack 7 fanfic is this? Who wrote this?”
“It says CheerPrincess2007,” said Hamster, pointing at the screen.
“…wait a minute, that’s Naya’s screen name.”
“Busted,” replied Hamster, giving a slight laugh.
“…we’re going to have a long talk about this later,” Fred replied, even as her hands were typing something into the story’s comments section.
“You mean about the glowing review you’re leaving?” asked Hamster.
“…it’s a reflex,” Fred told him, continuing to type.
O-O-O
“Think we can watch the sequel, Dinosaur Domain: Broken Island?” asked Gretel, eagerness in her eyes. Lauren took one look at her watch and spoiled those plans right away.
“Sorry, kiddo, but it’s getting late, it’s time for you to head to bed,” Lauren replied.
“Awww, c’mon, can’t we just watch the first half?”
“I promised your parents I’d get you to bed right about now, and I really need this job,” Lauren told her.
Lauren really did need this job. Despite her supervillainy, she and her twin brother had elected not to rob banks or steal as part of their evil activities… partly because they knew Hamster and Gretel would just foil them, and partly because Lauren truly did want to maintain a legitimate civilian life in case this whole supervillain thing didn’t work out. Considering how often she and her brother got foiled, she knew that was a distinct possibility. So she took babysitting jobs around town, and of all her clients, Gretel was probably her favorite of all. She was well-behaved, she and Lauren liked a lot of the same things, and the girl’s excitable and energetic nature reminded her of her twin brother Lyle, albeit a lot less annoying. She truly didn’t have a clue that the girl she enjoyed babysitting so much was in fact her arch-enemy, the superhero Gretel… and though she had to admit that the two bore somewhat of a resemblance, there was no way the little girl she enjoyed spending time with was the same little girl that frequently punched her and her little brother in the face, right?
“C’mon, aren’t you at least a little tired?” Lauren asked, giving Gretel a friendly smile as she walked her over to the stairs.
“No, I’m not even-” Gretel began, before letting out a slight yawn. “…that was just the power of suggestion!”
“Then I suggest you get ready for bed,” Lauren told her. “I’ll come in and read you a bedtime story, okay?”
That perked Gretel up a bit. Lauren’s bedtime stories, which were mostly just interesting anecdotes she scoured from social media forums, were quite amusing, and the young woman was quite good at reading them. As Gretel finally went to brush her teeth and change into her pajamas, Lauren walked back over to the couch and fell down into it, letting out a long sigh and taking out her phone.
Babysitting might not be quite as fun as wrecking stuff with my brother, but when it’s someone like Gretel, it almost makes me want to give up my life of crime… thought Lauren, looking at a recent video she’d posted as The Destructress. She and her brother had invaded a demolition derby and wrecked a fan favorite monster truck before Hamster and Gretel showed up to stop her. Almost.
Before the aliens had given her and Lyle their superpowers, the two were ordinary citizens, with no real inclination toward villainy. Sure, Lauren could be a bit of a bully on social media, and Lyle had been a bully in school, but the thought of being supervillains had never crossed their minds until the aliens bestowed them with powers and told them to be supervillains. It was fun to wreck stuff, and though the two didn’t really make any special effort to ensure no one got harmed in their fun, they hadn’t seemed to have caused any serious injuries so far. Maybe they were just being careful, or maybe Hamster and Gretel always stopped them before they caused too much damage… either way, Lauren didn’t plan to stop any time soon. She was having too much fun, and she worried that if she didn’t do what the aliens had told her, they’d take her powers away, and she’d go back to being plain old ordinary Lauren, with a babysitting job and a few dozen followers online.
I can’t be ordinary again. Being a supervillain is what I’m meant to be! No matter how many times I get foiled by Hamster and Gretel!
As Lauren continued to ponder her existence while scrolling on her phone, she heard the living room door open, and looked over.
I thought I locked it… oh well, it’s probably just Gretel’s mom and dad back early from their date. …I hope they still let me read Gretel that bedtime story like I promised…
But instead of the Grant-Gomezes, an unfamiliar man was standing in the doorway. Clad in an all black outfit and a ski mask, he saw Lauren and immediately pulled out what looked to be a futuristic looking ray gun.
“Hands up, right now!” shouted the man, leveling his gun at the young woman’s head. Lauren’s eyes widened in surprise, but as she calmly stood up, she didn’t seem to be making any sort of moves to raise her hands. “I mean it, hands up or I’ll shoot!”
He has no idea who he’s messing with, does he? thought Lauren, allowing a smirk to cross her face. “And just who might you be?”
“I’m… the Home Invader!” shouted the masked man, continuing to threaten Lauren with his gun.
“Is that supposed to be some kind of supervillain name?”
“…no, no, I’m just an ordinary home invasion robber,” he said, his mask mostly hiding his somewhat embarrassed look. “But I stole a raygun from the science lab, and I’ll shoot you!”
Again, Lauren was calm... she could deal with punks like this in an instant, long before Gretel even knew someone had just tried to rob their house. She took a step toward him, ready to make quick work of this guy and send him packing.
“…I’ll blast you!” the Home Invader yelled, putting his finger on the trigger. “Don’t you dare move!”
“Yeah, see, the thing about that is…”
Before Lauren could finish her witty retort and reveal her true self, she heard a voice from behind her that froze her in her tracks.
“Lauren? What’s going on?!”
Dammit, thought Lauren, hearing Gretel’s voice and realizing she was now helpless to defend herself. She looked back and could see Gretel standing on the bottom step, now dressed in her pajamas and wearing a look of shock on her face.
“Ah, welcome! I was just letting your babysitter know that she needed to sit back down and put her hands up, and now you do too!”
Gretel looked into the living room and quickly assessed the situation… her babysitter Lauren was being held at gunpoint by a guy in a ski mask and a raygun. This was a problem. She knew she could thrash this guy, and she knew Lauren could too, but if she tried…
She’d find out I’m a superhero! thought Gretel, eyes remaining wide. I can’t reveal my identity, it’d put my friends and family in danger! Lauren might be nice to me now, but if she knew I was the superhero Gretel, she’d…
Gretel looked back at Lauren, and their eyes met... she could see even more fear in Lauren’s expression than she had in hers.
And Lauren doesn’t know that I know she’s The Destructress, so she won’t use her powers in front of me either!
The two were well and truly in a bind, and as the masked villain continued to threaten them, the girl knew she had no choice but to come into the living room and pretend to be a helpless, ordinary little girl. As she walked over, and sat down on the couch, Lauren shifted slightly in a protective gesture, putting herself between Gretel and the Home Invader.
“It’s okay,” Lauren reassured her. “I’ll protect you.”
“Protect her from what, this ray gun? You two better do everything I say, or I’ll blast you!”
“What do you want?” Lauren asked him indignantly.
“To steal all your stuff!” the Home Invader told her, walking toward the two with his ray gun at the ready. “Hmm… but actually I might have a better idea… I didn’t think this girl would even be here, maybe I can just take her and ransom her off! It’s much easier than loading up a truck.”
Gretel gasped, and Lauren shifted even more, reaching back and taking Gretel’s hand while looking defiantly up at the Home Invader.
“Don’t you dare mess with her, I’m her babysitter and-“ Lauren began, before the Home Invader pulled out some kind of canister and sprayed her in the face. “…!!! Unnnhh…”
Lauren slumped back into the couch, unconscious, and Gretel let out a gasp.
“Lauren!” she shouted, looking behind her to see the young woman laying unconscious. Actually, this might be a good thing, with her knocked out, I can transform!
But before Gretel could entertain any thoughts of superheroism, she too was blasted with the spray, and despite her incredible powers, she quickly felt unconsciousness washing over her.
“Swiped this from the lab too!” said the Home Invader, looking at the can he was holding. “It says superhero strength on here, so it should definitely work on you two ordinary… and you’re out! Ha!”
Gretel had passed out on top of Lauren, and as she lay there helpless, the Home Invader scooped her up and carried her out to his waiting truck, making another trip for her unconscious babysitter soon after.
O-O-O
When Gretel awoke, she could see that she’d been taken to some kind of dark, dingy room, with nothing but grey walls all around and a small air mattress lying on the floor. It was cold, and she shivered, instinctively trying to pull her arms around herself, only to realize that she couldn’t move them. They’d been tied behind her back with strong white ropes, and when she looked down, she could see more of the ropes around her chest and ankles.
“Ummh, whhmm…?”
Gretel blinked. She couldn’t move her lips either, a piece of duct tape was stuck over them.
Tied up and gagged? That’s new… well, not the tied up part, the gagged part is new. But wait… if I’m all alone, I can transform!
Gretel’s hopes of using her powers to break free were quickly dashed when she heard a groan and could see Lauren sitting up nearby, blinking and attempting to squirm free, only to run into the same problems as Gretel: she too was bound and gagged, with ropes around her arms and legs and a strip of duct tape over her mouth. Their eyes met, and Lauren called out to her.
“Grrmmtll?”
“Lrrrrnnn!”
The two realized at the same time that they still couldn’t use their powers, lest they reveal their secret identities to each other… and after a few seconds of struggling and figuring out where they were, Gretel bowed her head, and Lauren began squirming over to her. As the young woman began to give the girl a muffled reassurance that everything would be okay, the door to the cold and dark room opened, and the two captives could see the Home Invader standing over them.
“Welcome to my secret lair!” shouted the villain, before starting to laugh. “Actually it’s just… just a warehouse I’m renting out, but to you two, it’s my secret lair!”
The Home Invader laughed again, prompting the two captives to roll their eyes. Then, Lauren once again got in front of Gretel to protect her, attempting to squirm free as she looked up at him with furious eyes.
Let her go! Lauren shouted, before looking down at her own bonds and back up at the Home Invader. And let me go too!
“I have no idea what you just said, but I don’t like the way you said it!” shouted the Home Invader, walking over to Lauren and bending down.
Too bad, she muffled at him, before he reached down and grabbed her roughly by the chin, prompting her to twist her head out of his grasp. And don’t touch me!
As Lauren tried her best to put up an angry front, she and Gretel were both silently thinking the same thing. Though they couldn’t use their superpowers in front of the other, they could perhaps use a little bit of their superpowers to break the ropes without letting their secret out… after all, adrenaline rushes were a thing…
The moment he leaves, I’m making a break for it, literally, thought Lauren, looking back at Gretel. Don’t worry, kiddo, I’ll save you.
Just gotta wait for the right moment… thought Gretel, blinking up at the Home Invader. I don’t know how I’m gonna explain that I broke the ropes, but I could just say I’m strong for my age, maybe?
“So here’s what’s gonna happen… I’ll ransom off the little girl, and as for you, I’ve decided to throw you in the river,” said the Home Invader, smirking at Lauren.
“Whmmmt?!” Lauren shouted angrily, getting up on her knees and glaring at her captor.
“Yeah, I just don’t like your face,” said the Home Invader, before laughing evilly again. “And after the little girl’s ransom is paid, I’ll throw her in the river too!”
“WHMMMT? NMMM!” Gretel shouted, her eyes going wide.
Why her?! Lauren muffled, looking frantically between Gretel and the Home Invader.
“I dunno, I just think little kids are annoying,” said the Home Invader, shrugging his shoulders. “Anyway, I’ll let you two say your goodbyes or whatever…”
The two blinked and looked at each other again, and Lauren could see the worry in Gretel’s eyes, not knowing that the girl was putting on a bit of a show of being scared. In her mind, she really was sharing the room with a scared, helpless little girl, and she had to protect her no matter what.
I won’t let anything happen to you, thought Lauren, giving a slight smile under her gag. The moment he leaves, I’ll use a little bit of my super strength to break these ropes, and then-
“And don’t even try to escape, those ropes are too strong for any normal human!” said the Home Invader, before holding up the bag that the ropes came in. “See, it says here, these ropes are strong enough to restrain anyone except superheroes! That’s right, only people with super powers can break them, and since neither of you have super powers, well… guess you’ll be taking a dip in the river soon enough! Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”
Lauren and Gretel watched the Home Invader leave, their plans to secretly escape dashed by his statement about the ropes. Lauren looked down at her bonds again, slumping her shoulders and sighing.
I have to get free, but if I break the ropes, Gretel will know I’m The Destructress… and I can’t let her find out I’m a supervillain.
Lauren looked over at Gretel, and could see the growing look of fear on the little girl’s face. The young woman’s expression was more sad than fearful, and the more she saw the fright in Gretel’s eyes, the more she wanted to save her… but at the same time, she could never reveal her secret.
She’s… such a sweet kid, and she looks up to me. If she knew I was secretly evil, she’d never want me to babysit her again. I need this job! And… I really want her to be my friend. It’s funny… I’ve never really cared about having friends before.
As Lauren silently fretted, wondering what to do, Gretel was also deep in thought… she knew about Lauren’s secret already, and knew the dilemma that must be going through her mind… and at the same time, she had a dilemma of her own.
If I break free and save us, The Destructress will learn my secret identity! It’ll put me in danger, and Kevin, and mom and dad, and Fred, and Bailey…
Gretel did note that all of them had already been in danger numerous times before, and Kevin, Fred, and Bailey all already actively helped her on her missions, but still… she couldn’t risk putting them in danger even when they weren’t helping her!
No, I’ve gotta figure out a way to get free without letting her know I’m a superhero. I can do this… and get us both out of here. I don’t wanna get tossed in the river! And I don’t want Lauren to either, even if she is The Destructress… when she’s not smashing stuff up or fighting me, she’s actually pretty cool.
The two looked at each other again, and Gretel still did her best to keep up the act, showing her fear and even giving a little whimper under her gag. Immediately, Lauren scooted toward her, and gestured for Gretel to come to her.
Hey, Gretel, it’s okay. I’m here, I won’t let him hurt you, Lauren muffled, trying her best to get Gretel to come to her and calm down. I can’t tell you why, but I have a plan… maybe.
Lauren really didn’t have a plan… at least, not one that didn’t involve her revealing her secret. With Gretel’s life in danger, it really should’ve been simple… even if it meant Gretel finding out she was a supervillain, deep down, Lauren knew if push came to shove, she should transform anyway to save her life. The Home Invader still had that knockout spray, she might not get a chance later on… but she couldn’t bear to lose the one friend she had apart from her twin brother, and she also didn’t want to make Gretel sad. She knew her reasons for not transforming were slightly selfish, but she had always been a selfish person… and for now, she wanted to look for a way to get out of this without revealing her powers.
And as she continued to think, she could see Gretel scooting to her. As Lauren leaned in, Gretel scooted right up next to Lauren, then leaned on her shoulder, letting out a muffled sigh.
She’s… being really nice, thought Gretel, as she leaned on Lauren’s shoulder. Even nicer than usual.
Gretel could feel Lauren’s cheek nuzzling against the top of her head, and when she looked up, she could see a mix of concern and reassurance on her face.
Don’t be scared, I’ve got you, Lauren muffled sweetly, without a hint of insincerity.
…she has no idea I’m the superhero Gretel, thought the young girl, leaning back against Lauren. And… this is actually kinda nice…
As Lauren continued to nuzzle against Gretel, and Gretel reciprocated the gesture, she thought back to when she and her twin brother Lyle were little… and she was always looking out for him, even though he was always the bigger and stronger one. He’d get picked on, and he’d lash out, using his fists and mean words to keep the bullies at bay, but sometimes there’d be situations he couldn’t bully his way out of, and Lauren would always be there to look out for him, as annoying as he could often be.
Are you okay? Lauren muffled to Gretel. Gretel blinked, unable to understand Lauren’s voice with the gag, and the young woman sighed and smiled, gesturing to try and communicate what she meant. Are you hurt? Can you breathe okay?
Finally, through Lauren’s gestures, Gretel realized what her babysitter was asking. When she nodded in affirmation, Lauren gave a relieved sigh, and Gretel nuzzled her again.
Thanks for asking, Gretel muffled, giving her a smile. Upon seeing the fear lift slightly from her charge, Lauren sighed again, smiling back at her and even scooting back a bit to give the girl some space, only for Gretel to keep nuzzling and scooting in closer. Oh! Okay… I’ll stay here then.
Even though Gretel knew that Lauren was The Destructress, she still felt safe with her, and she didn’t quite know why. After all, The Destructress was one of her most dangerous foes! The two had fought before, and had even punched and kicked each other before. The Destructress had kidnapped her, and even tried to kill her before, and yet Gretel still felt safe despite being tied and gagged and unable to break free without revealing her identity. She looked up at Lauren again, and Lauren was still smiling, still trying her best to comfort her. She couldn’t know how much of it was genuine or how much of it was just being nice so she could keep her babysitting job, but she wanted to believe every bit of it was real.
She doesn’t know I’m a superhero. She tried to protect me already, more than once.
Gretel muffled a quiet ‘thank you’ to Lauren, and Lauren responded by nuzzling her again.
I won’t let anything happen to you, Lauren promised her. Gretel could barely understand it, but from the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes, she knew.
She really does care about me, thought Gretel. Maybe not the real me, but…
Gretel nuzzled Lauren back.
…but this is the real me. The only thing different about superhero Gretel is superpowers. If I wasn’t a superhero, and Lauren wasn’t The Destructress, we WOULD be friends.
Gretel rested her head on Lauren’s chest, taking a deep breath through her nose and trying her best not to be afraid. She had no reason to be afraid, but she knew she still wasn’t free to transform… and she’d have to do so eventually, or the Home Invader would kill them both.
…maybe we can be friends anyway. Maybe I should just transform and get free. If Lauren’s as nice as I want her to be, then there’s no harm, right?
But something in the back of Gretel’s mind stopped her… as nice as Lauren was, The Destructress was still a supervillain. She couldn’t risk it, even if it put her own life at risk.
I can’t put my family in danger. I just have to find another way to save us.
A similar calculus was winding its way through Lauren’s mind as the little girl sought refuge by cuddling against her. Though she didn’t know about Gretel’s gift, she still had her own, and as the time went by, the time to break free was running shorter.
I have to protect her, even if it means breaking her heart. If I don’t transform, this jerk will kill us! …and why do I even care?! Why do I care so much about this kid? Before I became The Destructress, I hated kids! I mean, I never went out of my way to mess with them, but they were always so annoying, I couldn’t stand being around them, but now that I’m babysitting I want to protect them, and this kid especially!
Lauren hated herself for those thoughts… she was a supervillain now, supervillains weren’t allowed to like kids, right? Those were the kinds of thoughts superheroes had, and those aliens explicitly told her and Lyle to be villains, not heroes.
Villains don’t care about what people think of them, they just do whatever they want! But… villains don’t make sacrifices to protect little kids either, so would breaking free and saving us be a hero move or a villain move?
Lauren let out a frustrated snarl under her gag, and Gretel leaned up and looked at her.
Sorry, I just… Lauren muffled, before mentally scolding herself, thinking that villains aren’t supposed to apologize. Gretel backed up slightly, lifting her head from Lauren’s chest and scooting back. No, no, it’s okay, I…
Gretel bowed her head, looking sad. Lauren raised her eyebrow in concern, and Gretel tried to muffle something, something about a ‘bedtime story’. Lauren blinked, then gasped in recognition. She had been interrupted just as she was about to read Gretel a bedtime story! She sighed, then shrugged apologetically.
Can’t read anything like this, Lauren muffled, making a few muffled noises through her gag to emphasize that she was, in fact, gagged. Sorry…
Read me one anyway! Gretel muffled, eyes widening as she began bouncing in place excitedly. Bedtime story! Bedtime story! Bedtime story!
Enough repetitions, and Lauren understood what the little girl wanted, but still, could she really…? Finally, she sighed, then recalled from memory a story she and Lyle used to read together when they were little kids. It was a silly story about a giraffe and a princess, one that Lauren always hated but one that Lyle always loved.
Gretel couldn’t understand a single word of it, but the way Lauren told it, her silly muffles and energetic facial expressions were still quite amusing, and the girl laughed constantly as Lauren ‘read’ the story… with Lauren even breaking character to laugh to herself at the absurdity of it all. It was the strangest thing she’d ever done, though, she supposed, barely stranger than getting superpowers from aliens and using them to wreck stuff. It was a short story, only lasting a few minutes, and when she was done, Gretel had a satisfied smile under her gag, despite the fact that she hadn’t understood it at all.
And when it was done, Gretel leaned up and nuzzled Lauren’s cheek again, smiling gratefully.
And Lauren, despite herself, felt more satisfaction with her legitimate job than she’d ever felt before. To hear Gretel’s laughter, to see her smiling instead of afraid, and to be able to calm her in a terrifying moment actually made the older girl quite happy… or at least, made her feel something akin to the joy she got when she and her brother were having fun with their powers.
Of course, her motivation wasn’t entirely unselfish. It was, after all, a “bedtime story”… she’d been trying to help Gretel fall asleep, knowing that the moment the girl was asleep, she’d be able to use her powers and get them free.
And so she watched as Gretel leaned on her and closed her eyes, and as the two exchanged one last look of gratitude and affection, Lauren muffled softly to her.
Good night, Gretel…
Gretel’s eyes closed, and the little girl seemed to drift off to sleep… only for her eyes to suddenly snap open.
I can’t sleep like this, thought Gretel, blinking rapidly. I’m too nervous, and these ropes hurt, and I laughed too much!
As Gretel suddenly snapped awake, Lauren let out a quiet groan… but though she hadn’t accomplished the most important goal of her plan, she was still glad to see Gretel more happy than scared, at least for now, and as Gretel continued to look around and squirm, Lauren gave her another reassuring look and muffled yet again that she was there and that everything would be okay.
Thanks for the story, Gretel muffled to her.
…you’re welcome, Lauren muffled back, looking toward the door and thinking that she didn’t have any other plans besides breaking free in front of her charge… and that still wasn’t an option.
And Lauren wouldn’t have much more time to ponder those options before the door opened and the Home Invader came back into the room, still as energetically evil as ever, but now sounding somewhat frustrated.
“Your stupid parents need to turn on their phone!” shouted the Home Invader, stomping toward Gretel. As he did, Lauren once again moved to protect her by sliding between her and the villain, but he simply shoved her aside, leaning over Gretel as Lauren let out an angry yell and began struggling as hard as she could without revealing her superpowers. “I couldn’t call them to give them my ransom demands, and that makes me very angry!”
As Gretel cowered before him, shivering in only somewhat pretend fright, the Home Invader took out his raygun and pointed it at him. It was then that Lauren slammed into him with just enough force to knock him over, albeit not enough to reveal her super strength.
I said leave her alone, asshole! Lauren muffled, staring him down fiercely. Gretel, who could understand Lauren’s muffled swear, let out a gasp.
Ooooh, you said a bad word! Gretel muffled, prompting Lauren to glare at her next. Sorry, little sister reflex.
The Home Invader picked himself up from the ground, turning angrily toward Lauren but neglecting to come after her… after all, he was going to toss her into the river when this was all over. He then turned toward Gretel, who once again put on her best show of being scared, even though she was seriously thinking about getting free and thrashing him.
“So, you wanna play games? Well, I can play them too!” shouted the Home Invader, pointing his raygun at Gretel. As he did so, Lauren angrily yelled at him, but she wasn’t able to stop him from flicking a switch on the raygun before pulling the trigger.
“NMMMM!” shouted Lauren, who almost immediately began flexing in the ropes as hard as she could, causing them to buckle slightly. I won’t let him, even if it means-
But instead of firing a bolt of energy, the gun instead fired a bunch of feathers that started attacking the ticklish spots on Gretel’s body… her armpits, her tummy, her bare feet, nothing was spared from the tickling onslaught! Upon seeing that the Home Invader had set the raygun to ‘tickle’ instead of ‘kill’, Lauren breathed a huge sigh of relief, ceasing her efforts to get free just in time to prevent her from revealing her powers. Meanwhile, Gretel was laughing uncontrollably, the energy feathers hitting all her tickle torture spots and making her squeal! It wasn’t painful, but it was certainly uncomfortable, and it also took a lot of effort for her not to reveal her own secret by breaking free in her involuntary struggling.
“You see what happens when you fight back?” asked the Home Invader, looking at Lauren. “This tickling is your fault!”
As Lauren muffled her angry objections, she couldn’t help but think that the villain was partially right… after all, this never would’ve happened if she just broke free in the first place. Gretel’s muffled squealing was filling the room, and filling Lauren with guilt… but at the same time, she was still determined to keep her secret identity a secret. Meanwhile, Gretel was still laughing hysterically, and squirming against the floor to keep from breaking herself free. As she did so, she noticed a corner of the tape gagging her was starting to come off… and she also noticed that Lauren’s ropes had broken ever so slightly.
She was about to get free when she saw me about to get blasted… thought Gretel, trying to gather her thoughts through the waves of tickle torture. She really does care enough about me to try and save me, even if it means revealing her identity… if she cares that much, then…
“Well, little girl? How does it feel to be tickled without mercy?”
“MHMHMHMHMHMHMHM! MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHM!!! STMMMMPHH!!!” Gretel screamed, tears streaking down her face.
“GRMMMMTTLLL!” screamed Lauren, trying to squirm to her, only for the Home Invader to cut her off by stepping in her way. “STMMMPH MMMMT!”
“Apologize for slamming into me and I might,” said the Home Invader, looking menacingly at Gretel. “Otherwise, I’ll keep up the tickling until I toss her in the river… her last moments will be spent in ticklish agony!”
As the Home Invader continued his wicked laughter, Lauren looked over at Gretel, still rolling on the ground and squealing with laughter. Thoughts of breaking free raced through her mind… revealing her identity as a villain to spare the little girl from further tickling… or maybe she could just…
“MMM SRRRMMM!” Lauren shouted, swallowing her pride and apologizing for something she absolutely was not sorry for.
“What was that?” the Home Invader said, mockingly putting his hand to his ear.
“Mmm… mmm…. srrmmm…!” Lauren repeated, slower and clearer this time, before letting out a long, ashamed sigh.
“….all right then,” said the Home Invader, flicking the switch on the ray gun and causing the feathers to disappear. As they did, Gretel breathed a massive sigh of relief, laying on the ground and gasping for breath through her nose. Lauren quickly crawled to her, and Gretel lifted up her head, the tape now hanging from one side of her mouth as she continued to breathe heavily.
Gretel, are you okay? Lauren asked. Gretel looked at her, nodding and smiling weakly.
“Yeah,” she breathed, her first word since getting the tape off her mouth. She then looked up at the Home Invader, who noticed that her tape had come loose and was already leaning down to replace it. “…wait!”
“Oh?” said the Home Invader, putting his hands on his hips. “Got something to say before I put that gag back over your bratty little mouth?”
Lauren snarled, even a simple insult toward her charge now filling her with anger, while Gretel, still panting slightly, widened her eyes and did her best to sound really, really scared.
“Yeah… are you planning to blindfold me?”
“What?” asked the Home Invader, suddenly taken aback. “I… I suppose I wasn’t planning on it, after all, I am wearing a mask and I’m planning on drowning you anyway, so there’s really no need to-”
“Whew,” said Gretel, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that, because I’m super scared of being blindfolded… it’s like a huge phobia of mine. I mean, being tied up and gagged is bad enough, but being blindfolded is awful! I couldn’t stand it, so I’m really glad you’re not doing that.”
Lauren was taken aback by Gretel’s sudden admission… and also worried, not knowing that the little girl had a plan.
Gretel, what are you doing?! You don’t admit your worst fears to a villain, they’ll always do it just to be evil!
As Lauren looked on with concern, the Home Invader listened intently to Gretel’s ‘admission’… then started to laugh, leaning in and pretending to reassure her.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’d never do that,” said the Home Invader, smiling and stroking his hand through Gretel’s hair. “I won’t blindfold you, but this gag has to go back on…”
“Oh, thank you!” Gretel exclaimed, crying out in pretend relief. “It’s my worst fear, I’d be so scared if you-”
The tape was put back over Gretel’s mouth, and she went on about just how frightened she’d be to be blindfolded even as the Home Invader turned away. Lauren muffled to Gretel, trying to warn her not to keep talking, but was helpless to prevent it, and even more helpless to stop him as he turned around with a fresh strip of duct tape in hand.
“Psyche!” shouted the Home Invader, laughing cruelly. “Prepare to be blindfolded, brat!”
“NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!” Gretel shrieked in terror as the Home Invader pressed the strip of tape down over her eyes. “PLMMMMPH, NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” shouted the Home Invader, making sure the tape was pressed on tight before standing back up.
You monster! screamed Lauren, listening to Gretel’s terrified yelling and once again being tempted to break free, genuinely concerned that the poor little girl was going to have a panic attack. Take the tape off her eyes right now!
“Enjoy the darkness, little girl… I’m going to go and make more ransom calls, and then it’s off to the river for both of you!”
The Home Invader turned and left, leaving Lauren and Gretel alone in the room. As Lauren squirmed after him, yelling at him the whole time, she could hear Gretel whimpering and sobbing behind her, and turned to see her laying on the ground and shaking in fear.
She’d been through so much… first, the horrible tickle torture, and now being blindfolded, which apparently was her worst fear even though she’d never told Lauren that before. Lauren immediately squirmed over to comfort her, leaning over Gretel and nuzzling her face as much as she could.
Hey, hey, Gretel, it’s okay. I’m here, I’m here, I’m here… I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m right here.
“…hmmm?” Gretel muffled, sniffling and turning her head toward Lauren, who kept nuzzling their cheeks together, trying her best to make sure the little girl knew she was going to be safe.
I’m right here, Lauren repeated, and let Gretel lay up against her, continuing to nuzzle her tenderly. I’m right here, and that jerk is going to pay for doing this.
Gretel continued to whimper and quietly sob, but as she was putting up a terrified front for Lauren, her mind was racing, silently screaming as she continued to put on her act.
What are you waiting for, Lauren? I can’t see, now’s your chance! Turn into The Destructress and go kick that guy’s butt!
Before, Gretel didn’t know if she could trust Lauren, even if she didn’t know who she really was… but after seeing her fight so hard to get free before, to the point where she’d almost let her identity slip when she thought the girl was going to be killed, she knew… she could trust Lauren… no, trust The Destructress with her life. She knew Lauren would never use her powers as long as she could be seen, so once she realized her gag was coming off, she knew what she had to do… convince the Home Invader to blindfold her, and put on the best show of being afraid that she could.
…in hindsight, I guess I could’ve just pretended to fall asleep. I probably should’ve done that the moment we were brought here.
But now, it was too late for Gretel to try another plan, and now she just had to hope Lauren got the message in time.
Unfortunately, Lauren was too caught up in trying to comfort her to realize she could break free now.
Gretel, I’m here… you’re safe, I promise… muffled Lauren, on the verge of crying herself as she kept nuzzling Gretel.
Oh man, my scared acting is too good! thought Gretel, returning Lauren’s nuzzles while silently begging her to become The Destructress. I guess this means I really can trust her now… I just hope I’m not making her too upset. C’mon, Lauren… now’s your chance to destroy this guy!
But Lauren was genuinely worried for Gretel… she blamed herself for letting this happen, and now the poor girl was terrified and crying and there was nothing she could do to help her!
Gretel, I’m sorry… thought Lauren, nuzzling her one more time as she listened to her quiet, frightened sobs. This is my fault, I should’ve transformed the first moment I-
Finally, Lauren realized… this was her chance! Immediately, she felt guilty… she had her opportunity to transform and save them, and it had only taken Gretel being subjected to one of her worst fears… but now, she could make things right, and get her revenge on the villain who’d put them in this situation. She gave Gretel one more nuzzle, then began reassuring her again.
I… I’m going to try and escape! Lauren told her, starting to squirm away. I’m still here, just… just stay calm, okay?
Gretel, who had to keep up the act, began whimpering as Lauren left her side, and Lauren felt another twinge of guilt… and realizing that she really did need to stop laying it on so thick, the girl quieted her whimpers and just began squirming in place, trying to strike a balance between a lack of struggling that might give her away and too much struggling that might guilt Lauren into coming back to be at her side.
…this is actually pretty hard, thought Gretel, who couldn’t even see to gauge Lauren’s expressions. I really should’ve just pretended to fall asleep.
But Lauren managed to peel herself away, squirming as far away from Gretel as she could before finally, very quietly, snapping off the ropes around her arms and wrists.
Finally! Lauren thought, pulling off her leg ropes and then removing her gag. Whew… that feels a lot better. I really hate being tied up and gagged!
Lauren then grabbed the locked door handle and ever so gently tore it off, trying her best not to alert Gretel, who was still pretending to whimper and squirm on the floor nearby. She gave her one last look as she pushed the now unlocked door open, though Gretel couldn’t see the look of genuine empathy and affection in her eyes as she left.
“Don’t worry,” Lauren whispered with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
O-O-O
In the main room of the warehouse, the Home Invader gripped his smartphone in frustration.
“Still no signal?! What kind of person leaves their smartphone turned off anyway?”
“The kind of person who really, really doesn’t want their evening disturbed,” came Lauren’s voice from the entrance to the room.
“What?!” the Home Invader shouted, turning and looking to see not Lauren standing in the entrance, but The Destructress… and unlike Gretel, he couldn’t tell the difference. “The Destructress? How did you get here?”
“I’m here for that little girl and her babysitter,” said The Destructress, walking toward the bumbling villain.
“Wait, why? Are you here to save them? You’re not a superhero!”
“I’m not here to save them,” The Destructress lied. “I’m here because I was planning to kidnap and torment them myself!”
“Well, I took them first, so back off!” said the Home Invader, pointing his raygun at The Destructress. “I’ll shoot!”
The Destructress just crossed her arms in front of her chest, and the Home Invader fired, the ray bouncing harmlessly off her chest. The villainess smirked, and the Home Invader set his gun to tickle and fired off a round of feathers instead. The Destructress laughed mildly as the feathers attacked her armpits and midriff, but kept walking toward him.
“I’ve never been all that ticklish,” she said, before holding up one of her booted feet. “Except on my feet, but as you can see, I’m wearing shoes.”
In a panic, the Home Invader threw his raygun at her, but it merely bounced off just like the raygun blast, and as The Destructress stood over him, he pulled out his knockout spray, only for her to knock it out of his hand with a flick of her wrist.
“Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!” the villain screamed, just as The Destructress lifted him off the ground.
“Now, where were we?” she said with a cruel smirk.
O-O-O
Gretel felt a quiet satisfaction as she heard the sounds of the beating coming from the other room. She cheered silently for Lauren, though she did hope she wasn’t beating the Home Invader up too badly.
…he is a huge jerk though, so beat him up pretty hard, Gretel thought, smiling under her gag. Then the sounds of the beating stopped, and she realized it was time to be a scared little girl again… though she was a bit disappointed that she wouldn’t have a chance to get her licks in. Hope she hit him extra hard for me!
Then, Gretel could hear the door to the room open, and the next thing she heard was Lauren’s cry of concern.
“Hmmm?” Gretel muffled, leaning up toward the sound and shaking slightly to play up her fear.
The tape was removed from her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Lauren looking down at her, eyes wide with concern.
“You’re safe now, it’s okay…!”
Lauren then wrapped Gretel up in a tight hug, not even bothering to remove her bonds and gag first. Gretel gave an exclamation of joy and relief, nuzzling into Lauren and letting her hug her as long as she wanted to. Finally, Lauren backed away slightly enough to remove the tape from Gretel’s mouth, freeing her lips to speak once more.
“Are you all right?”
“I am now… thanks to you, Lauren! But how’d you get free?”
“Um, well…”
Lauren realized as she began untying Gretel that she hadn’t thought of a good cover story… but she was a skilled enough liar to think of one fairly quickly.
“Um… Hamster and Gretel showed up and saved us!” Lauren claimed, as she untied Gretel’s wrist and arm ropes.
“Really? Why didn’t I hear them come in and untie you?”
“...well, the thing is…”
“And why didn’t they come in here to check on us?”
“Oh!” said Lauren, who was now removing the ropes from Gretel’s arms and legs as the young girl rubbed her wrists. “They had more people to go save! The life of a superhero is a busy one!”
Tell me about it, thought Gretel, smirking as she listened to Lauren scramble to come up with a good explanation for what had happened. “So why didn’t I hear Hamster and Gretel untie you?”
“You must be really glad to have that tape off your mouth, huh, kiddo?” asked Lauren, ignoring Gretel’s question and helping her to stand. “At least you’re in good spirits…”
“I sure am! So, why didn’t I hear Hamster and Gretel untie you?” Gretel asked a third time, giving Lauren another smirk. This is too much fun.
The two walked toward the door, Lauren still trying to come up with an answer to her charge’s persistent question, and realizing there was another loose end that needed tied up.
“…wait here,” said Lauren, slipping out the door. “…I mean it, don’t come out until I say, it’s… not safe just yet!”
Lauren slipped out, and Gretel noticed the busted door handle and broken ropes on the floor. She smiled again, glad that her plan had worked, and that Lauren still thought she was just an ordinary little girl.
Guess The Destructress saved me… never thought that would ever happen.
Outside, Lauren, now transformed into The Destructress again, stood over a tied-up and severely beaten Home Invader.
“Okay, here’s how it’s gonna go. If anyone asks what happened, you’re going to tell her Hamster and Gretel beat you up, got it?”
The Home Invader, still shaking in fear, looked up at The Destructress with wide, terrified eyes.
“And… if I don’t… are you gonna kill me?”
“Worse,” she said, taking out her phone and pointing it at him. “I’m going to tell everyone on the internet how much of a scared little wimp you are… and the internet is forever.”
“No! Anything but that!”
“I’m glad we have an understanding,” said The Destructress, putting away her phone and returning to the room where she and Gretel were being held, making sure the coast was clear before transforming back into Lauren. “…whew… still need to explain why she didn’t hear Hamster and Gretel untie me though…”
Lauren opened the door, and Gretel was waiting, just as she’d been told. She reached up, and Lauren took her hand, and the two began to walk out of the warehouse together.
“Let’s go home,” said Gretel. I’ll call Hamster to have the bad guy picked up and taken to jail… hopefully mom and dad haven’t come home yet.
O-O-O
Fortunately, Lauren and Gretel made it back before anyone got home, even Kevin, and soon, Gretel was heading back up to bed, as she’d started to do before the Home Invader arrived. Lauren followed her, and as Gretel climbed beneath the sheets, Lauren pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed, taking out her phone.
“Still need a bedtime story, kiddo?”
“Nah,” Gretel replied with a yawn. “One bedtime story’s good enough.”
“Even if I had to tell it with duct tape over my mouth?” said Lauren with a smirk, pointing to her lips.
“That was pretty funny,” Gretel replied, giggling.
Just then, the door opened, and Gretel’s parents came in, followed by Kevin.
“Ugh, sorry we’re home late, we had to go pick up Kevin at Hiromi’s, long story,” said Gretel’s mom Carolina. “Speaking of late, you’re just now putting Gretel to bed?”
“Sorry,” said Lauren, standing up and looking apologetic as she tried to come up with another cover story. “The thing is-”
“I’m sorry, mom,” Gretel said. “I was worried about you guys and couldn’t sleep, I made Lauren read me bedtime stories…”
“I should’ve insisted she go to sleep, it’s my fault,” Lauren replied, only for Gretel’s parents to give her a look of understanding.
“Nah, you did the right thing, sometimes Gretel has trouble sleeping, thanks for helping her,” said Gretel’s father, putting his hand on his wife’s shoulder.
“Oh yes, usually Dave or Kevin have to read to her, it’s nice that you were able to help and at least she was in bed this whole time,” Carolina added with a nod, as Gretel and Lauren gave each other a knowing look. She then looked at Lauren’s left arm. “Oh, what’s that mark on your wrist, are you okay?”
As Lauren looked at it, Gretel pulled the covers over herself to keep her parents from noticing the marks on her own wrists… though Kevin caught a glimpse of them first, and he and Gretel gave each other a look that said ‘we’ll talk about this later’.
“Oh that, well, it’s just-”
“I tied up Lauren earlier tonight, we were playing spies and I was the evil villain who captured her!” said Gretel, before giving a pretend maniacal laugh. Carolina just slumped her shoulders and sighed.
“That’s it, no more Extremely Spies cartoons for you,” Carolina scolded, before giving Lauren an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, she can be quite… energetic sometimes, I’ll give you double pay for the trouble.”
Lauren’s eyes widened at this, and for a moment, she was quite happy to get the extra money… but as eager as she was to accept it, she knew she couldn’t take extra money on account of a lie, and, fighting her supervillain instincts, shook her head to refuse the bonus pay.
“No, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have let her do it, I didn’t know she’d tie me up so tightly! It’s just… well, I guess I wanted to, uh, try out my escape skills, in case a robber showed up! You never can be too careful in this day and age!”
“Oooh, she’s got a good point!” said Dave excitedly. “Maybe we should practice tying each other up so we can protect the kids if a robber comes!”
“Maybe that is a good idea,” Carolina replied, prompting her husband to give a cheer and start to run out of the room.
“I’ll get the duct tape!” he yelled from outside.
And he’s actually excited… thought Carolina, sighing and shaking her head. “I get to tape you up first, you know! …and now he sounds even more excited. Well, thanks again for taking care of Gretel… she really seems to like you.”
As Carolina handed a stack of bills to Lauren, the young woman smiled, looking back at Gretel as she accepted the money.
“She’s a really sweet kid, I really enjoy babysitting her.”
“Then you’ll be available to babysit next weekend?” asked Carolina.
“I certainly will,” Lauren replied, smiling.
As Carolina left the room to calm her overly excited husband, Kevin gave Lauren a look that was a mix of ‘I’m glad Gretel likes you’ and ‘I know who you are, don’t you dare hurt my sister’. Kevin didn’t want to leave Lauren alone with Gretel, but Gretel sat up and waved him off, and he sighed and left the room, realizing that she’d already been alone with his sister most of the night anyway. After Kevin left, Lauren turned back to Gretel.
“I have to go, are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Lauren asked, sitting down on the side of the bed. After Gretel nodded, the young woman smiled and reached over, placing a hand on her cheek in a show of genuine affection. “And as for why you didn’t hear Hamster and Gretel untie me, it’s because I squirmed my way to the door and got it open with my tied hands… that kidnapper guy forgot to lock it. I wanted to go get help, but Hamster and Gretel showed up as I was looking for a way to get free. …I’m sorry I left you alone.”
Satisfied with Lauren’s ‘explanation’, Gretel just smiled and returned Lauren’s gesture by rubbing her face against her hand.
“It’s okay… I’m sorry too.”
“Hmmm?” Lauren asked. “Why are you sorry?”
“I was a huge wimp back there,” said Gretel, bowing her head. “You protected me, and even tried to save me, and all I could do was curl up on the floor crying.”
Gretel did feel genuinely apologetic… after all, she too could’ve gotten free that whole time, but she made The Destructress save them both, and she knew her scared act had made Lauren feel genuinely upset. Someday she hoped she’d get the chance to apologize for that, but for now, she knew she still couldn’t trust her with the knowledge of her secret identity, even after everything they’d been through tonight.
“Hey, it was a really scary situation, I don’t blame you for being scared.”
“I just wish I was as brave as Gretel… you know, the superhero Gretel.”
Lauren just smiled, giving Gretel’s face one more affectionate stroke before pulling her hand back.
“To be honest, I think you’re even more brave than the superhero Gretel,” said Lauren.
“Really?”
“The superhero Gretel has superpowers, and she’s backed up by Hamster, who also has superpowers. You’re just an ordinary little girl, and you still faced that guy. I’m really proud of you, Gretel… you’re the bravest girl I know.”
Gretel knew Lauren was probably just saying that… but was she really? She looked into Lauren’s eyes, and her affection was truly genuine… and her smile was the same proud smile she saw on the faces of her parents or Kevin when she did something to be proud of. Gretel couldn’t help but smile back, and she even shed a tear.
“Thanks, Lauren… but you’re the bravest person ever. You saved me, even if Hamster and Gretel were the ones who kicked that guy’s butt.”
Gretel then leaped over and hugged Lauren as tightly as she could, and Lauren returned the hug equally tightly. The two then parted, and Lauren walked toward the door.
“…good night, Gretel,” said Lauren. “I’ll see you next week, okay?”
“I can’t wait,” Gretel replied, waving to her. “Thanks for everything.”
Lauren then left, closing the door behind her. As she left the house, she couldn’t get Gretel off her mind… the brave little girl who’d just shared a terrifying ordeal with her, not the superhero she claimed had saved them… still not knowing they were one and the same.
I don’t want to quit being a supervillain, not for anything… and maybe someday, you’ll understand.
Lauren clutched her hands to her chest, thinking about Gretel’s embrace and the warmth she felt to know that that sweet little girl considered her a friend… and the pride she felt, thinking she’d just saved that little girl’s life.
Maybe I can be a supervillain and still protect the people who need protecting.
…maybe I can be a supervillain and still protect you.
O-O-O
And back inside Gretel’s bedroom was someone else who wanted to protect Gretel more than anything… and couldn’t just ignore the marks he’d seen on Gretel’s wrists.
The moment Kevin came in, Gretel told him everything… how the Home Invader had kidnapped her and Lauren, how Lauren had turned into The Destructress to save her, and how the status quo had somehow been maintained… The Destructress didn’t know she was Gretel, and didn’t know that Gretel knew she was The Destructress.
She was safe… they were safe… and probably had never been in any real danger at all.
“Kevin, I think The Destructress and even her twin brother Fist-Puncher can be good,” Gretel told him, now sitting up in her bed as her brother gave her an unsure look.
“I don’t know, Gretel, she might’ve saved you, but she was saving herself too.”
“Kevin, she didn’t know I’m a superhero, she was genuinely concerned for me… and I think she really cares about me. I know she’s still The Destructress, but maybe she can use her powers for good if we just give her a chance!”
Kevin wanted to believe Gretel was right… after all, he and Hiromi had just spent the night sorting through thousands of comics featuring reformed villains… but even so, he had to look out for his little sister.
“We can try, but I’m telling you, they’re supervillains for a reason,” Kevin said, sitting down next to Gretel.
“I’m not gonna tell her I’m a superhero, not yet,” Gretel replied. “I’ll take it slow, but I still really like Lauren… that’s the angle I’ll work, I’ll get to know more about Lauren next time she comes to babysit. The more I know about the real Lauren, the more I’ll know about The Destructress, and maybe I can convince her to be good. I know it’ll be easier to convince her than to convince her brother. C’mon, remember that huge pillow fight we had a couple weeks ago?”
“That was a pretty fun pillow fight, and I guess Lauren is a pretty good babysitter.”
“She saved me, Kevin… I might not have needed saving, but she really did save me when she didn’t have to.”
“Doesn’t she need this babysitting job?”
“Yeah, but still… she didn’t have to comfort me when she thought I was scared.”
“Were you scared?”
“…maybe a little.”
Kevin immediately pulled Gretel in for a hug, and his sister embraced him, holding him tightly and letting the night’s events play back in her mind.
“Even though I knew I could break out any time I wanted, that guy did have this knockout spray, so he might’ve been able to get the jump on me. I really did think I was gonna have to reveal my secret identity to The Destructress… I guess tonight was kinda scary, even if I wasn’t in as much danger as Lauren thought I was.”
“Sorry me and Hamster weren’t there,” said Kevin, giving Gretel’s hair a playful tousle. “Speaking of Hamster, where is he?”
“He’s dropping the bad guy off in jail as we speak,” Gretel replied, parting from the hug. “Can’t wait to tell him about the exciting night I had!”
O-O-O
“So Starlight and The Dark Empress were tied up together in the villain’s lair, and had to work together to escape?”
“Uh-huh,” Hamster said, responding to the Home Invader’s question even as he carried him off to jail.
“That sounds like the worst, most contrived fanfic ever! Who would read such a terrible story?”
“Beats me,” Hamster replied, before looking directly forward with a stoic expression.