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Everyone feared Henry Hart, he wasn't just any bully, the kind who stole lunch money or tripped nerds with his foot. Henry went beyond just being "mean", he was evil, the kind you knew was going to become a dangerous criminal as an adult. He carried knives, took drugs, stole cars, robbed stores, got into all kinds of underground fights and didn't threaten twice, once was enough and if you didn't listen, you were going to regret it because he didn't hesitate to carry out his threats. He preferred bladed weapons because that made everything more personal, and no one could beat him with his fists.
There was very little he really cared about, least of all people. Among those few were his sister and his best friend. Piper was the apple of his eye, the only one who had managed to see his vulnerable side when he came back from some gang fight, the one who healed him and smiled sweetly at him even though she knew he was a despicable and violent human being. The one who brought him close to the one who became his best friend.
The first time he heard about Charlotte was when his sister came home from kindergarden one day with her favorite dress dirty and torn and her hair matted, but with a smile even though she had been crying, accompanied by a tough looking girl even though she was short and petite, with curly hair and sharp looking eyes.
The first thing he did was to take his little sister by the arm and place her behind him, pulling out his knife and pressing it against the unknown girl's neck as he pushed her against the wall. But she barely batted an eye.
Anyone on the edge of his blade would be trembling with fear, would have soiled his pants by now, and would be babbling and begging for his life in tears. But that girl remained calm, and was even defiant. She spoke even before he asked any questions.
"Is that how you thank those who do you favors?" She asked sarcastically.
The only thing that saved her from being cut by him was the surprise and interest she aroused in him by her carefree and reckless attitude.
"What happened with Piper?" He demanded to know, bringing his face inches closer to hers to intimidate her.
She held his gaze.
"Henry, don't hurt her, please, she saved me."
Henry looked away from the girl to his little sister. Piper's little light blue eyes, red from crying but soft made him calm down enough to listen to her.
"What do you mean, who did that to you?"
The little blonde knew how dangerous her brother was, and her heart was not at all vindictive or spiteful. She didn't want him to hurt anyone, and she didn't want him to get into trouble either.
"That doesn't matter." She replied.
The boy's angry eyes then shifted to the brunette. The edge of his blade pressed against her skin, and she had to pull back further to avoid a cut by accident.
"Tell me what you know...now." Henry demanded, his tone cold and cutting.
"Some girl attacked her, from school, I think her name is Pola something."
Charlotte didn't care much for people either. But she despised people who took advantage of the weakest - Pola was a few years older than Piper - and besides, having the favor of the most feared boy in school didn't sound bad. She didn't really know if she could earn anything like his "favor," but standing up for her sister might earn her points and some "protection." By being close to him, she would gain "immunity" and could do whatever she wanted and take revenge on whomever she wanted. It was tempting, she had to try.
Henry seeped with rage at the sound of that name. He knew that brat and hated her, but of course, no self-respecting delinquent would dare be so cowardly as to mess with a little girl, that was sissy. And Pola didn't have an older brother to intimidate either.
"I already took care of her." The girl he still had pinned against the wall announced.
He frowned in curiosity. "How?"
"I beat the shit out of her, and slashed her cheek." She put on a smug smile. "You're not the only one with a taste for pocket knives."
Henry gave her one last look before he released her roughly, putting his bladed weapon back away.
"Don't expect words of gratitude from me." He spat.
She shrugged, and turned to look at the little girl. "Next time she bullies you, tell me and I'll beat the shit out of her again."
Piper nodded at the older girl, who gave her a grin before leaving the house.
"I like her." His sister commented once they were alone again. "Her name is Charlotte, isn't she pretty?"
Henry didn't say anything else about her, but took his sister by the arm and carried her into the house with him.
"Let's get you cleaned up."
/
Henry didn't remember Charlotte from school, but he often skipped class and didn't pay much attention to other kids. But he was curious about the girl his sister couldn't stop talking about. So he started looking for her in the sea of useless kids. Until he found her. She was sitting alone on a corner. As if sensing his gaze, she looked in his direction and raised an eyebrow in interest. He held her gaze until she lost interest and looked away, continuing with her lunch.
By threatening other children to give him information about Charlotte, he discovered that she was an only child, a rather feared girl who could hold her own. She got into fights to defend herself and wouldn't back down from a challenge. She was fiery and defiant, and he found in her a kindred spirit. Without asking, he began to sit with her at her table, and in time, they became sort of friends.
She was a girl who wasn't afraid of him, who could tell him her truths to his face without fearing his reaction. He stopped threatening her after a while when he realized that she wasn't so easily frightened, that she didn't cower in fear of his person. She wasn't afraid of him, she even held a knife to his neck once in the middle of a verbal fight with him. He had smiled wickedly at her when she did that, as a shiver ran down his spine. He had found an equal.
After a few years, Henry got a job working for Captain Man, the most feared supervillain who held the city at his mercy. Under his wing, he blossomed and became even more evil, becoming a ruthless criminal that everyone feared. His changes were noticed, at school he became the king of the bad boys. A few girls tried to get him, but he soon got bored of them. They weren't interesting beyond their beauty, the only steady female company he had was his sister and his best friend Charlotte, who he came to respect, and who he could trust was not going to rat him out for all the bad things he did, instead, she had joined him in his wanderings. That's why he wanted to share with her his greatest accomplishment, joining the supervillain. Ray had threatened him not to say anything, but that didn't stop him from tell her his secret, challenging his boss even though he was a psychopath. Ray almost choked him to death when he found out he had broken his promise, but stopped in time when Henry didn't even bat an eyelid for the attack, but stared his boss straight in the face. For her part, Charlotte had attacked him from behind with a bate to make him free her friend. Impressed by Henry's and Charlotte's bravery even at his mercy because it wasn't like they could do something to him, he agreed to have her around, and she joined his team.
As the years went by, Henry began to really get into his life as a villain, so he started skipping more classes and thus, spending less time in the company of his friend at school. And that was noticed by Henry's enemies who did not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity.
One day, when Charlotte was alone at school because Henry had gone to the Cave to help Ray with something, some troublemakers saw their chance to take revenge. It was a gang that had tried to gain prestige by attacking Henry, led by an old enemy of his. Of course the blonde had swept the floor with them on his own the first time. However, they were not going to give up, and they had the idea of hurt him through the heart, and came up with the good idea to go for Henry's bitch instead, a derogatory nickname they had to call her with disdain. They waited until she was alone in the parking lot after school, getting her bike to go to work.
Seven guys surrounded her, eyeing her viciously. She didn't cower, she wasn't like that. She held their gaze without a hint of fear.
"What the hell do you want?" She asked, her fists ready to fight.
"Don't resist, cutie, and we promise we won't be too rough with you." A punk boy said in a mocking voice, eyeing her nastily.
"Try it and I'll slit your throat, asshole." She spat angrily.
One of the boys approached her from behind, she tried to defend herself and elbowed the guy in the stomach, then pushed the others aside and took off running. She liked challenges and was brave but not stupid, she knew she couldn't take on seven boys twice her weight, but another boy cut off her escape. He threw himself at her and tackled her to the ground. After she recovered from the fall, she struggled, punching and scratching and biting and crying. She took out her knife and stabbed him in the arm, but the other boy was stronger, bigger.
He punched her in the face and stomach and overpowered her. He took the knife from her and stabbed her in the hand. Charlotte hated to cry, but the pain was too much and tears streamed down her cheeks.
The other boys laughed at her tears, approached her and one of them grabbed her arms and dragged her to their car, not caring about the blood she was losing. Other boy broke her phone and stole her bike. They tied her up, knocked her out with a blow to the head, and locked her in the trunk before driving away.
/
Jasper had once been friends with Henry and Charlotte, but had drifted away from them. He had become something of a rival of Henry's at school, but they had rarely gone at each other's throats. He had his own gang that kept him informed about what was going on at school. That was how he found out about Charlotte's kidnapping.
Oliver had been hanging out in the parking lot, smoking while waiting for the others, when he heard the fight. He went closer to the sounds and saw Henry's friend being beaten up by a group of kids. He didn't intervene because they were stronger than him, but he ran into the school and went to warn his leader.
Jasper didn't care much for Henry, but he had a special place in his cold heart for Charlotte. She had been his friend and was a tough girl, he had had a small crush on her once, which faded when he crossed paths with Henry's sister, but he still felt respect for her, and Piper liked her, he couldn't allow anything to upset her. When Oliver told him what he had seen, he didn't hesitate to go look for her himself. He couldn't stand the thought of her being damaged for life.
When Charlotte failed to arrive at the usual time, Henry became suspicious. He texted her, but his texts never reached her. He tried to call her, but her phone was out of range. He got worried and called his sister to see if she knew what had happened to her. Piper didn't know anything either, and Henry started to freak out.
"Where are you going?" His boss asked him when he saw him standing under the tubes.
"I'm going to find out what happened to Charlotte." Henry replied, gripping his pocket knife tightly.
"What with her?"
"She didn't come to work and isn't answering her phone, it's odd."
"Are you worried about her?" Ray narrowed his eyes in disdain. "That's a weakness. You have to be selfish and only care about yourself, that's how a villain works."
"I'm not in the mood for your 'evil wisdom,' Ray, shut your mouth." Henry said.
"Well, I'll remind you that my 'evil wisdom' is what has led you to become a feared and respected criminal, and it won't do any good if you throw all that away for a pretty face."
"Fuck you. Up the tube!" Henry didn't even look at him, missing his gesture.
On the couch, Ray allowed himself a small, wicked smile of pride. His boy was growing up, already talking back to him and defying him. He was doing a good job.
/
Henry went to Charlotte's house, but she wasn't there. He then went to the school, but didn't find her there either. He desperately searched the town for any sign of her, but got nothing.
He was about to tear his hair out from pulling it so hard when he got a call from his sister.
"Pips, what is it? I'm busy, be quick." He spat, too angry and worried to be gentle with his sister.
"Jasper called me..." his sister replied, sobbing quietly.
Henry's blood ran cold. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath before speaking.
"What did he want?"
"He told me that he has Charlotte, that something bad has happened to her."
Piper's sobs and sniffles of sadness only added to the fire of his anger. His sister loved Charlotte like a sister, even with her wickedness and all. If he had hurt his two favorite girls, he would make him pay for it.
"What else did he say?"
"He told me he'd be waiting for you at the town junkyard." She answered with a shaking voice.
"Okay, I'll go there right now."
"Hen..." his sister called. "Please bring Charlotte back."
"I will." He promised.
"Thank you."
He hung up and hijacked a car to get there faster than ever.
/
When he reached the spot, he saw Jasper waiting for him. As soon as he had stopped the car, he jumped out of the seat and went straight for him, knocking him to the ground before Jasper could say a word.
Henry didn't say anything, but started hitting him with all his might, seeing red. Two pairs of arms pulled away to free Jasper from his rage. He struggled and prevailed, but had to stop when something hit him in the head with enough force to stun him. Jasper took the opportunity to get up and take several steps away from the angry blonde. Blood oozed from his nose, he was lucky he hadn't broken something.
One of his gang members had reacted quickly and used an iron bar to hit Henry over the head, giving his leader time to recover.
Henry slowly got up from the ground, cursing like a sailor and still a little dizzy, blood oozing from the blow to his head, but he didn't care. He stood again and glared at Jasper as soon as he could focus his eyes.
"Are you done?" The other boy spat angrily.
"I'll be done when I kill you, you son of a bitch." Henry growled, pulling out his pocket knife, ready to take on whoever came at him first. "What the hell did you do with Charlotte?! Where is she?"
"I didn't do anything to her!" Jasper defended himself. "I called Piper to tell you to meet me here because I saved her from a group of guys who beat her up and kidnapped her."
Henry snorted. "And you think I'm going to believe a word you say?" He asked scathingly.
"I care about Charlotte, and you know damn well I'd never do anything to hurt her." Jasper reminded him.
Henry pursed his lips. That was true, the rivalry was between them but she was out of it.
"I didn't do anything to her, but if you don't believe me, you can ask her." Jasper added dryly.
"Where is she?" Henry asked, desperate.
Jasper waved at one of his minions without taking his eyes off Henry. The teen ran to a car and opened the door, stepping aside to let him see inside. Henry's stomach turned when he saw Charlotte there. She was lying in the back seat. Her body was covered with a blanket. Henry walked forward, ignoring everyone but her. Her curly hair was unkempt, she had bruises all over her face and a long slash ran over her cheek. A glance under the blanket told him that she had cuts and bruises all over her skin and was wearing only her underwear. Henry's blood went from running cold to burning hot in a second. He began to shake, his fists clenching.
"Who?" He asked in a low, threatening voice.
"Blake and his goons." Jasper replied behind him. "We got into a fight with them to rescue her, she needs medical attention."
Henry swallowed and closed his eyes to calm down. All he wanted to do was find the cowards who had hurt his Charlotte and teach them a lesson: not to touch his things if they didn't want to suffer the consequences. But first she needed help. She was unconscious, her hand bandaged, blood seeping through the cloth. She looked weak and defenseless. They would pay for this.
He scooped her up in his arms, blanket and all, and took her to the car he had stolen. He carefully placed her in the back seat, making sure she was comfortable.
"Hen?" Came her soft, weak voice.
It was weird, hearing her sound so weak, seeing her face contorted in pain instead of wearing a grimace of either anger or smugness, it wasn't right, it wasn't normal. He didn't like that. It made his chest tighten.
He saw her eyes half open, one of them black and swollen. He cupped her cheek, a rare show of affection on his part, his gaze softening only for a second.
"Who?" He asked quietly.
"Blake..." She mumbled. "He... he and his thugs... I tried fighting back, but..." she hissed in pain and blinked slowly, too weak to stay awake.
"Rest, I'll take care of you." He whispered.
She nodded and closed her eyes again.
He closed the door and turned to look at Jasper. They looked at each other for a few seconds, until Jasper rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"You're welcome." He spat, knowing the other boy wouldn't say the other word. "I'll send your sister the location where I found the guys, don't know if they're still there, but you can go check later."
Henry just nodded, got into the car, turned it on and drove to the Cave.
/
He stept out of the tube with the girl in his arms, still unconscious and covered by the blanket. Schwoz was already waiting for their arrival, Henry had warned him of the situation. Schwoz liked the girl, she had the potential to become a mad scientist like him and he hoped to shape her into the best one. He made Henry take her to one of the empty rooms.
Henry laid her down on a bed and Schwoz set his hands to work, beginning to tend to her wounds. Henry stroked her forehead with the tip of his fingers before leaving the room and heading for the main room. There was little he could do there, he could do more outside.
Ray was there, but his sidekick barely acknowledged him. Henry went straight to the monitors and activated the weapons panel. Then he selected a laser stun, plasma grenades, and a hunting knife. Finally, he headed for the tubes.
"Where are you going?" Ray asked.
"To get revenge."
"For what they did to her?"
Henry didn't replied, checking he had everything he needed.
"You're getting soft, getting like this over a mere girl." His boss accused him.
"It's not just Charlotte, it's my pride. Someone touched something of mine to defy me and I won't let it slide, I can't let them think I'm weak for doing nothing."
He disappeared up the tube before Ray could reply. Ray smiled wickedly again. Yes, he was doing a good job of making him evil and vengeful.
/
Henry went to the address that Jasper had sent Piper. It was an abandoned house. He got in through a boarded up window after breaking the wooden boards. Inside it was dark and the smell was terrible, Henry didn't want to guess what it was. He walked through the old house, which was empty. But there were signs that someone had been there, and would return, having forgotten things like packs of cigarettes, a few bottles of liquor, and a pair of jackets.
He just had to wait.
While he waited, he looked around the house. There was an old-looking mattress in one of the bedrooms. His anger rose again when he saw fresh blood on it and all over the floor. And pieces of clothing he recognized as his friend's. She had been here, they had brought her here. They had better not have done anything too bad to her, or he would have no mercy.
He hadn't lied to Ray, this was about his pride. He prided himself on being strong and fearless and having the respect and fear of others. The fact that an enemy had dared to touch anything of his was an insult, maybe he hadn't done enough to make it clear that no one in their right mind should mess with him. But this was also about Charlotte and avenging the attack on her, because he cared for her, and seeing her in that pitiful state had stirred things in him that he dared not examine. He wanted to make his enemies pay for hurting her, to make them regret it for the rest of their lives. For no one could touch her and walk away unscathed.
He looked for a place to hide and waited for about an hour until he heard them coming. He heard their voices approaching. They were arguing because they hadn't found Jasper.
"What are we going to do now? He took the bitch before we could have fun with her and send our message to Hart." One of them said.
Henry gritted his teeth, but remained calm, they had not done to her what he had feared.
"Relax, we could still go after his sister." A voice he recognized and hated commented. "She'll be easier to get, she's stupid and won't distrust us at all, Henry will be too busy looking for Page to keep an eye on his sister."
Henry couldn't take much more. He stepped out of his hiding place, activated one of the grenades and threw it at them. It hit the ground and exploded a few seconds later, barely giving the boys time to react or understand what was happening. They were thrown against the walls and old furniture of the house. They were still groaning in pain on the floor when Henry walked among them and shot them with his laser stun. He knocked them out one by one until he reached his main target, the mind behind the plan.
Blake had moved to Swellview a few years earlier. Henry hadn't cared about him until he heard Charlotte talking about him one day, saying she thought the new kid was hot. He found that he didn't like it when Charlotte showed interest in someone else. Fortunately for him, his friend lost interest in the new guy after he started hanging out with Bianca, and Charlotte concluded that he wasn't worth her time if he liked girls like the plastic doll. Bianca had only used him to make Henry jealous, but he didn't have affection for her as to do something, so she broke up with Blake when she saw that her plan didn't work, and the other guy became Henry's enemy from that point on. And like many others, he knew how important Charlotte was to him, even if he didn't say it.
Henry tossed the laser stun aside and knelt beside the teen, wrapping his hand around Blake's neck and lifting him off the ground. Blake began to kick the air, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with fear at the sight of the dreaded blond. Henry smiled a cold, sickening grin and pulled out the hunting knife he had brought with him, swinging it in front of his eyes to increase his terror.
"So, you and your pawns messed with a single girl, how brave." He spat mockingly, then his sneer turned serious and furious and he brought his face closer to the terrified teenager's until he was inches away. "Let's see how brave you are to mess with me." He said icily.
As Blake began to lose consciousness from lack of air, he dropped him. The boy began to cough and gasp for air, and before he could recover and try to escape, Henry began to punch and kick him all over his body until his thirst for blood was satisfied. Then he used the knife to cut his clothes and slash his skin, drawing blood just as he and his thugs had done to his best friend.
Blake was too weak to put up much of a fight, he cried and begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. When Henry thought he had had enough, he knocked him out and went after his friends. One by one, he beat them up, cut them with a knife, and tore their clothes. He also used the cigarettes lying around to burn them, each scream of pain music to his eyes, revenge for his girl.
Finally, he set fire to the house. All the boys ran for the exit, in shame and fear, almost naked and beaten. Henry's mad laughter sounded amidst the crackling of the fire.
/
He returned to the Cave with the sickening grin still on his face. When Ray saw him arrive hours later - covered in blood and smelling of smoke - he gave him a pat on the back and a proud grin. The burning house had been on the news, along with the gang of teenagers found shivering and beaten near the house. Henry nodded at his mentor's sign of approval, but quickly made his way to the room where Charlotte was staying. Ray said nothing.
He opened the door and saw her lying on the bed, covered in bandages and new white clothes. He walked in and sat down beside her, taking her unharmed hand and holding it to his. He stayed like that for a while, paying little attention to anything else. He had avenged her, but he wished he had done something to keep her safe.
Someone knocked on the door of the room before coming in, and Henry let go of her hand.
"How did it go?" Schwoz asked quietly.
"They paid for it." He replied curtly.
Schwoz nodded in approval and approached the bed to check on the girl.
"How is she?" Henry asked, looking at her sleeping face.
She looked angry even in her sleep, her forehead furrowed in annoyance. That was a good sign, he almost smiled.
"Recovering well." Schwoz checked her bandages. "It will take a while for the wound in her hand to heal, a few ribs were broken and the blow to her head left her with an open wound, but I've already stitched it up. The bruises will fade and the cuts will heal, she's a tough girl, she'll survive this. I've given her some medicine though so she can rest without pain."
He sighed softly.
"Okay."
Schwoz stayed for a few more minutes before leaving. Once alone, Henry took her hand again.
/
Charlotte spent a few days in and out of consciousness. At home, her parents barely noticed her absence, each busy with their own problems and assuming she was with the Hart boy. Henry spent that time by her bed, waiting in silence for her to wake up.
It was night when she opened her eyes on her own. The room was dark, except for the dim light coming from the machines she was connected to. That was how she could make out the figure in the darkness.
Henry was sitting on a chair next to her bed, arms crossed on his chest, sleeping. His face was in a constant angry grimace, it was funny.
She settled more comfortably on the bed, and the faint sound of the sheets being brushed was enough to wake the blonde, who suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, uncrossing his arms.
He looked everywhere before his eyes landed on the bed, on her. His expression was one of surprise and relief for several moments, she thought she heard him exhale as if letting go of all the tension he had built up.
"How do you feel?" He asked, pulling the chair closer to the bed.
"Like I took a beating." She joked sarcastically.
"Better, I can tell." He commented dryly after hearing her.
She laughed under her breath, and he drew a sly smile. It was good to know that he had her back.
"What happened?" She looked at him intrigued after that.
"I went to look for the culprits and took care of them." Henry replied, not needing her to elaborate further.
Despite the dim lighting, she saw his eyes darken and his gesture become menacing and dangerous.
"I hope you made them suffer." She said, voice cold.
His face twisted into a sickening grin. "A lot."
Her lips -one of them busted- stretched into a bitting smile. "Care to tell me the details?"
His evil grin widened, pleased at the morbid interest she showed in the matter. She had that sickly glint in her pretty eyes that showed how eager she was to hear the gruesome details. He didn't keep her waiting and began his tale.
"Okay. They had this old house where they hid in from everyone..."
/
Charlotte was fully recovered and had just finished dressing in fresh, new clothes that her friend had kindly stolen for her from a store she liked. She was home, having returned after most of her injuries had healed. She was ready for another day at school, she wasn't going to let fear get the better of her. Henry had given those assholes what they deserved and they wouldn't show their faces around there for some time. She was safe.
She ran downstairs, opened the door and stepped outside. Henry was waiting for her with his car ready. Even though he had gifted her a new bike to replace the one she had lost, he had decided to escort her from her house to school and from school to work for a while until he was sure she was safe, though after the beating he gave her attackers she was sure they wouldn't try their luck again, but he insisted and no one could make him change his mind. She couldn't help but feel special knowing how angry he was about what had happened to her, how far he was willing to go for her.
She walked up to him and sent him a grin as a greeting. "Good morning, Henry."
He greeted her with a grunt, but Piper, who would also be traveling with them, smiled brightly at her. And together they went to school.
When they arrived, Charlotte got out of the car first, but she was about to walk towards the building when Henry stopped her. He grabbed her hand and turned her around so they were face to face. She felt her cheeks blush, though she tried to keep her composure.
"What?"
Without warning, he kissed her. It was a slow and deep kiss that lasted several seconds until Henry stopped and leaned back. When she opened her eyes, she found him giving her a mischievous look and a cocky grin.
"What was that for?" Asked the girl, stunned.
"You're my girl now, I've made up my mind." Henry replied as he began to lead her by the hand toward the entrance, leaving no room for argument.
All around them, the teenagers who witnessed the scene began to murmur. Before, everyone knew that Charlotte was his friend, and that messing with her was tempting fate - Blake was the best and newest example - but now, having visual proof that they were something more was a serious warning to everyone: Charlotte was his now, and if with Blake he had mercy not to kill him, now he wouldn't have that with anyone. There would be no hope of mercy for anyone who dared to hurt her.
Henry had decided what he wanted and he wasn't going to let her go or risk her being taken away from him. Ray had taught him that if he wanted something, he could just take it, and that's what he had done.
Charlotte, still stunned by what had happened, could only blink as she was led into the building. Then she looked down at their joined hands, and then at the boy holding her, who had kissed her and said she was his now. And she grinned.
Let's see who would dare to do something to her now.