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“Uno,” Ray says as smugly as he can muster. Jasper looks at him with disdain and swears under his breath.
“Hey, language,” Ray says.
Jasper rolls his eyes and puts a wild card on the stack. “Blue,” he says after spending a few seconds in deep concentration. Ray triumphantly puts down his last card - a blue seven.
“Ha!” he exclaims gleefully. “I win!”
“I know, I’m familiar with the rules of Uno,” Jasper mutters, to which Ray grins and ruffles Jasper’s hair. Jasper swats his hand away, but Ray swears he’s smiling as he puts the cards back in the box.
“Well, it’s getting late,” Ray says. “You know where the guest room is, right?”
Jasper nods with a yawn. “Still can’t believe my mom locked me out.”
“Yeah.” It’s not even the first time something like this has happened, just the first time Jasper found out about it when Henry was already fast asleep in his room after the eventful day he had. He really didn’t want to share his space with Jasper after work hours, but he was looking at him like a lost puppy and saying that if Ray didn’t let him stay he’d have to wake up Henry and what was Ray supposed to do? So now Jasper is here. It hasn’t been as bad as Ray was expecting, honestly. Jasper can be a nice kid when he’s not trying so hard, who knew?
“Before I forget, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Jasper says just when Ray thinks he’s going to the guest room and he can start his three-hour nighttime hair routine. “What’s the story behind Henry’s superpower? In all the excitement, no one really told me.”
“You weren’t there?” Ray asks. Now that he thinks of it, until that damned box was finally removed from his head, he didn’t hear Jasper at all after he blasted the other box from his hands . Having a box on your head does not make it easier to get an accurate grasp on things; again, who knew? Jasper shakes his head.
“Well, Henry quit his job-”
“Henry quit?”
“Yeah, it was right after you left. He did this whole speech about how Swellview needed a hero and he wasn’t a hero. Even said he was nothing, poor kid. So then-”
“Henry said he was nothing?” Jasper looks genuinely distressed, all traces of fatigue gone from his face. Poor guy. Say about Jasper what you will (and Ray does), his loyalty to and affection for Henry know no bounds. Ray motions for Jasper to sit down and puts a light hand on his arm.
“Yeah, but then Schwoz called a few folks from his country so that they could give Henry his superpower. So, you know, he can fight better, and it isn’t so difficult for him when everyone expects him to be some kind of superhero. And look how happy he was when he beat Drex!” He gives an encouraging smile, hoping Jasper will return it, be satisfied with Henry’s wellbeing and finally go to bed. Yet, Jasper’s frown remains.
“So thanks to his superpower, he doesn’t think he’s - he’s nothing anymore?”
“Eeexactly. So he’s okay. Hey, just like me!” But Jasper still isn’t laughing.
“His superpower shouldn’t be the only thing to make him feel happy with himself. I mean, Henry’s one of the best people I know! I can’t believe he thinks that if he doesn’t have a superpower, he’s… nothing.”
Ray hadn’t really looked at it that way. To be fair, at the time his head was stuck in a big, smelly box, and it was seriously diminishing his capacity to fully be present in the moment. Astonishingly, Jasper does have a point. Does Henry really think that Kid Danger, beating up bad guys, is the only thing that gives him value? That can’t be right. There’s so much to love about that kid, there always has been. Surely Henry knows that? Surely he just meant that he was no good fighting crime this one time? (Ray would strongly disagree even with that, but at least it’s not as bad as the alternative.)
But when Ray recalls Henry’s voice as he uttered those words, he gets a heavy feeling in his gut. I’m nothing, Henry said, like he couldn’t believe it himself. I’m nothing, like he hated himself for it. I’m nothing, like he thought going home and lying on his stupid couch was all he was even capable of doing.
“Oh my god,” he whispers. Jasper looks at him with big, questioning eyes. Again, he looks much like a lost puppy.
“Just - go to bed, alright?” Ray says as he thinks over the past few years in lighting speed, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
“But-”
“I’ve got this handled.”
“I’m worried-”
“Look, kid.” Jasper finally shuts up. “When I hired Henry to be my sidekick, I - well, I guess I also took an oath, of sorts. To myself. If he was going to protect Swellview, I was going to protect him. Obviously, I haven’t done a very good job.”
Henry was so young when he first entered the Man Cave. So small, so energetic, so determined to help and so earnest and bright-eyed when he took his oath. Ray instantly took to him, and to think that Henry lost his confidence and that youthful brightness to Kid Danger is almost too painful to bear. Ray lost everything when he became indestructible and his dad pulled him out of his normal life to get the most out of his power in a grueling kind of homeschool. He wanted a sidekick, but he also wanted Henry to gain something; a fun new life, the chance to work with his hero, a sense of fulfilment that teenage boys don’t seem to get just sitting in class all day every day. All the good parts of heroism and none of the bad. He thought that would be enough.
He failed. In return for helping him save the city, Henry was going to lead a life full of fun and excitement and now here he is, saying he’s nothing. There must be something Ray missed, something he didn’t realise being a sidekick would do to Henry. He failed, and now he has to fix it.
Jasper’s still looking at him a little helplessly, hopelessly concerned for his friend. It hits Ray that he did that, too. If not for his oversight, whatever it was, Jasper wouldn’t have this worry to top it all off. He’d be happy, just like Henry would be.
“I’m going to take care of this, alright?” he says and he’s surprised by the softness of his voice. “Henry’s going to be okay, I promise you that.”
He pats Jasper’s shoulder briefly. Jasper nods meekly, an understanding passing over his features. “Okay,” he says.
“Goodnight, kid.”
“Night.” And Jasper finally saunters off towards the guest room, leaving Ray alone with his racing, desperately guilty mind and trays of hair products that go entirely untouched.
-
Henry stops in his tracks one second after running into the Man Cave, because there is a real weird vibe in here. There’s no one except for Ray, who’s just… sitting quietly on the couch, making no sound at all. “Hey,” he says softly when Henry comes to a halt, breaking the eerie silence.
“What’s going on?” Henry asks with a healthy measure of caution as he scans the room for trouble. “You said there was an emergency. Why aren’t you in your Captain Man uniform?”
“Not that kind of emergency,” Ray says, looking up to meet Henry’s eyes. Henry can feel his heartbeat quicken thanks to Ray’s uncharacteristically nervous, solemn attitude.
“Okay, now you’re really starting to freak me out. What’s going on? What’s the emergency?”
Ray looks at him for a long moment and pats the spot on the couch next to him. “Sit down, kid.” Warily, Henry does as he’s told. Ray smiles, but his heart isn’t in it. If anything, Henry would say he looks sad. Real weird vibe.
“Henry, you said you were nothing.” He sounds almost disbelieving, and so deeply stricken, and Henry just can’t all of a sudden, he can’t deal with this right now. Yeah, he felt kind of worthless for a while there, so what? He has his superpower, he’s fine now. He definitely doesn’t need to talk to Ray about his feelings, or whatever, and for some reason, the prospect fills him with dread.
“What?” Henry huffs with a weak chuckle, grasping at straws to get out of this. “Come on, dude, there’s an emergency. Let’s, you know, blow and go.”
“We both know that’s not what this is about.” Henry lets out another breathy laugh while he looks for the nearest exit. Ray, undeterred, doesn’t take his scrutinizing eyes off him.
“Yeah, so, I’m not doing this. Bye.” Henry tries to get up but Ray grabs him by the wrist.
“Henry, please. There are a few things that I need to say to you.” Henry yanks his wrist out of Ray’s grip and scoots away from him, but he remains seated despite every inexplicable instinct telling him to run. It’s a weird kind of comforting that Ray is looking about as pained about this as Henry.
Ray takes a deep breath. “Look, obviously, I’ve - failed you, somehow. And now, the value you place on yourself - you don’t place it on you anymore, on Henry Hart, but on Kid Danger. Without confidence in him, you think you’re nothing.” There that disbelief is again. It doesn’t soften the words and Henry can’t help but tense up even further.
“But you’re wrong about that,” Ray continues. His voice is strained, but speech seems to start coming a little easier to him as he goes on.
“You’re an amazing sidekick, much better than Drex ever was, but that’s only because of who you are. The only reason Kid Danger is worth anything is because Henry Hart is brave, and loyal, and determined, and good. Honestly, you’re one of the best people I know, because you just care so much. About your friends, your family, about what’s right - it amazes me every day. And that’s all Henry. All of those qualities are great to have as a sidekick, but they’re also what make you you. You are everything I’ve just said. How could you possibly be nothing?”
He genuinely doesn’t seem to get it, and that’s the worst part. Ray is trying so hard, but he just doesn’t get that even if everything he said is true, it doesn’t matter. No matter how good Henry is, or whatever, no matter how badly he wants to do what’s right - the results are the same if he fails. People could die because he failed.
And even when Kid Danger doesn’t fail, the harsh truth Henry tries not to think about too much is that he’s still nothing. He has no skills and he isn’t nearly as special as Ray seems to think. Charlotte and Jasper are just as caring as him, if not more so. Henry is nothing but a high school kid with no real accomplishments, as became very clear to him when he had no successful superhero identity to fall back on. Kid Danger, he’s the part of Henry that’s really worth something.
Ray’s inability to understand makes the truth sting all the more for starkly pointing out where it hurts. Everything Ray said he is - he’s not any of that. He’d like to be, but he’s not. This knowledge, that he’s basically nothing and even if he were something it wouldn’t matter if he couldn’t save the city, is always vaguely there at the periphery of Henry’s mind, but he’s gotten used to the feeling. He’s rarely, however, directly confronted with all the ways in which he’s not good enough like this. He should’ve just gone upstairs when he had the chance.
“I don’t know, man,” he says, suddenly feeling very tired. He just wants to go home and lie in bed until he’s able to shove all this into the tightly shut compartments in his mind again. “I don’t know what you think you see when you look at me, but it’s just not true. Without Kid Danger, I’m just Henry. And he’s not as special as you think. I’m good at fighting crime, or at least I thought I was, but other than that…”
He shrugs, avoiding Ray’s distraught eyes. The silence is tense and fragile with unspoken emotion. Henry has nothing more to say and is just waiting for this to be over, but he can hear the wheels turning inside Ray’s head. For once, he looks to be deep in thought. He’s wasting his time.
Only another sad smile precedes the sudden, soft exclamation. “Wow, you need a hug.” Henry raises his eyebrows.
“Come here,” Ray says and at this point Henry doesn’t even care and he lets Ray pull him into an awkward seated hug. It feels utterly random and kind of weird and awkward and maybe kind of nice. Ray seems to be putting his all into it, squeezing uncomfortably tightly and rocking Henry slightly back and forth. Henry just sort of rests his head on Ray’s shoulder and pats his back. He definitely doesn’t feel the urge to reach out again when Ray pulls away, leaving a firm hand on his upper arm.
“I’ll tell you what I see,” Ray says and it’s no longer confused or distressed. Instead, his smile has turned more genuine as he looks at Henry and his voice sounds confident like it used to, making Henry feel just a little less weird and uncomfortable about the whole thing.
“And I don’t care if you don’t think it’s true. I have eyes, and a functioning mind,” and Ray makes a show of counting one, two on his fingers, making Henry exhale the faintest chuckle of amusement, “so I know what I’m seeing. And I know what I’ve been seeing for over two years now.
“Just a few months ago, you were willing to give up being Kid Danger in order to save Jasper’s memories, and I think you would’ve given up just about anything for that kid. I saw then your complete and utter devotion to your loved ones. I’ve seen you supporting Charlotte with all of her accomplishments, like when she got into LIMP, never failing to be at her side to share her excitement. That’s when I see just how open your heart is to anyone who deserves it. And your sister - no matter how insufferable she is, no matter how much you fight, when it matters, you’re the first to help and protect her when there’s the slightest chance she might need it. Like when that bratty girl wouldn’t let her join the Man Fans. That’s your empathy at work, your drive to make things better for others. It’s what makes you such an excellent sidekick, and no doubt a wonderful brother and friend. Please believe me when I say there are many more examples I could give you of your bravery, your kindness, your unwavering moral compass.
“All of this and more is what I’ve been seeing, every day, for over two years. And it’s undeniably true, I saw it with my own two eyes.” Ray tries for a light-hearted, charming smile, but Henry barely registers it.
The image Ray is sketching is overwhelmingly positive in a way that feels like it can’t possibly be accurate, yet Henry knows that all the examples Ray gave have happened. They may be small in the grand scheme of things, they may not have saved lives, but they happened. More importantly, Ray thinks they mattered. He’s not talking about anything Henry did as Kid Danger, just the things that came so naturally to Henry he didn’t think them noteworthy. Clearly, Ray disagrees. Henry doesn’t know what to feel. The way Ray sees him is so different from what he’s gotten used to and it’s overwhelming.
“No matter what’s gotten into your head,” Ray says, his expression turning serious with a touch of rare tenderness once more (said tenderness fits him, Henry thinks), “this is what I see. It’s why I believe with all my heart that you are a good and more than worthwhile person. I don’t know if I have any right to say this, but I’m so proud of you, Henry. For everything I’ve seen.”
The words echo in Henry’s head for a few seconds. The last time someone told him they were proud of him was when Jasper found out he was Kid Danger. The last time someone told him they were proud of him, Henry, no heroism involved, he can’t remember. Much more frequently he’s told his grades are worsening by his teachers and he’s not home enough by his parents, to name just a few. Ray’s words are a breath of fresh air, even if Henry feels like he’s not able to process their full meaning yet.
“Thanks,” he replies quietly. Ray smiles at him warmly and pulls him into another hug, this one much more gentle than the last. Henry gladly lets him. He feels exhausted again, and overwhelmed, but this time not so much by the remaining instinctual feeling that deep down he isn’t really worth anything as by the warmth he can’t help but feel at how Ray truly means what he’s saying. His speech still feels implausible and Henry doesn’t think it’s quite reached his mind, but - Ray is proud of him. That’s all that matters just for this moment. Ray is proud of him.