Crash and Burn (Lifetimes AU, 71,955 words) - Part 9
Title: Crash and Burn (Lifetimes #28)
Authors:
bookishlady242 and
ocelot_l
Pairings: Harvey/Linkara, 90s Kid/80s Dan, Boffo/Linksano, Kung-Tai Ted/Ninja-Style Dancer
Rating: R
Warnings/Triggers: Graphic violence, graphic blood, heavy angst, mind control, hallucinations, drug use, references to drug use, death, references to past death, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, allusions to sex, mild sexual activity
Summary: When Linkara learns about a devastating new weapon which could destroy lives if it falls into the wrong hands, he and his team must prepare for a mission harder than any they've faced before. When challenges threaten their lives and their ties of friendship, will they manage to save the world and, most importantly, themselves?
DISCLAIMER: We do not own the characters, the shows, or the people who portray the characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. Please support the creators by watching their videos, letting the ads play, buying their DVDs and merchandise, and/or contributing to their Patreon(s). "Crash and Burn" is performed by Savage Garden.
Very special thanks to
njdoodler112 and
trulyamindlost for the bonus content! :D
Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7/ Part 8/ Part 10/ Part 11/ Part 12/ Part 13/ Part 14/Bonus Material
After a little time spent searching, it was 90s Kid who next caught sight of flickering golden letters above one of the doors.
MIMBULUS MIMBLETONIA
90s Kid recognized the words immediately from his favorite book series and turned toward the others. “Dudes, over here!”
Harvey felt his stomach churn as he realized that this next trial would be for 90s Kid, but he tried to look as calm and collected as always while they arranged themselves into position. After Linkara had opened the door and declared it safe, he entered inside right behind 90s Kid, watching him closely for signs of unease. 90s Kid soon felt eyes on the back of his neck, and he glanced behind him to smile at Harvey.
“Don’t worry, dude. I totally got this.”
Harvey tried to smile back and come up with something funny to say to soothe his nerves, before he was distracted by the setting around them. “Huh."
Most of the team looked at their surroundings in puzzlement. They seemed to be standing atop a grassy field with white lines painted across the center akin to those found on a soccer field. However, instead of standing inside a stadium, the five were surrounded by a circle of tall towers bearing flags. At either end of the field stood three very tall poles of varying heights with hoops at the ends. “What the heck kind of stadium is this?” Harvey muttered, thinking back to his childhood days of playing football after school.
“I don’t know, I never played sports.” Linkara admitted.
“Ditto,” Linksano muttered as memories of past gym classes caused him to shudder.
*It’s certainly not a place I’ve seen before* Ninja admitted.
The only one who didn’t look confused was 90s Kid, who was staring at a row of broomsticks resting neatly off to the side of the field. “I think I know.” 90s Kid walked over to the brooms, selected one, and straddled his legs over the handle. Harvey winced at the sight.
“Geez, Junior, doesn’t that smart?”
90s Kid shook his head. “Nope. It feels like I’m sitting on a cushion. It’s just like I always imagined it would feel like.” After gripping the handle tightly, 90s Kid bent his knees before pushing up and off the ground. To everyone’s surprise, 90s Kid started to whiz through the air as if he had been born to fly. “Whoa!” 90s Kid cried, his body flooding with excitement. Flying on a broomstick had been something he’d dreamt of doing ever since he’d started reading the Harry Potter series; now that it was actually happening, the joy 90s Kid felt was almost indescribable. He felt so much lighter and faster, and for a few shining moments he was 90s Kid, Weapons Expert for the Earth’s Champion and Captain of the Quidditch Team.
“Wowie,” Harvey murmured as he watched 90s Kid move with ease through the air. “Junior’s really one smooth cat.” Even though he was impressed, he could already feel the pit of dread forming in his stomach. Harvey was not keen to see what sort of challenge required 90s Kid to fly through the air like this.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” Linkara called as he began straddling a broom of his own.
“Y-you mean we all have to ride those flimsy cleaning materials?” Linksano asked, looking pale.
“Don’t worry, dude, it’s totally easy,” 90s Kid said as he swooped back down to the ground to assist the others.
“Whoa...okay...huh, yeah this is easy,” Linkara said, smiling after he started getting the hang of flying himself. “Now come on, we need to start looking for that scroll. It’s gotta be around here somewhere, so everyone get into the air and start searching!”
The team obeyed and took to the skies; though for the first few minutes most of them were too preoccupied with not falling off their brooms to actually look for the scroll. 90s Kid was having the time of his life as he soared through the sky, wishing that he were actually playing a game of Quidditch with his friends. “Isn’t this awesome, dudes?” he cried as he circled around them with ease.
*It is not unenjoyable* Ninja admitted, having picked up on flying in a relatively short manner.
“No, it’s worse than unenjoyable! It is-ack!” Linksano was clinging to his broomstick with all of his might and looking as if he might fall off at any moment. “It is intolerable!”
“Come on, Linksano, it’s not that bad,” Linkara said, flying over to him to make sure he didn’t actually fall. “Compared to what we’ve been through, this is almost fun.” Linksano was not inclined to agree that any part of this activity was fun, so he kept his mouth shut and his eyes at a squint as he searched for any flash of silver.
Harvey, who was keeping as close to the ground as he could, seemed to be doing okay, though he couldn’t help glancing to 90s Kid every few moments, waiting for the other shoe to drop. During one such glance, he spotted something shining at the very top of the tallest hoop. “Kid, Junior, over there!” he shouted, pointing toward the object.
90s Kid instantly zoomed toward the scroll, snatching it up with ease, and took a deep breath before he unrolled it. He knew that this task was meant for him, so he had to be ready for whatever this piece of parchment said.
“Words Can Wound. Obey The Words: Avoid the Obstacles Which Fill the Skies; Catch the Snitch: Do Not Tell Lies.” Below the words were five checkmarks, similar to those found on the scroll Linkara had read.
“What’s it say?” Linkara and Ninja quickly arrived at 90s Kid’s side, reading the message as well.
“Do not tell lies?” Linkara wondered. “What does that mean?”
90s Kid’s brow furrowed as he looked down at the scroll, knowing that the message reminded him of something, but he couldn’t quite remember what. Before he had time to think about it, though, he saw several jet black Bludgers, which were balls made of iron, zooming towards them at breakneck speed. “Everybody scatter!” he yelled, and Linkara and Ninja obeyed instantly, all three now flying toward the ground.
“Honestly, you all flew away just as I made it over there!” Linksano griped, turning his broom around reluctantly.
“Dude, we got more important things to worry about right now! Look out for the Bludgers!”
“The what now?”
“The giant black balls flying towards us!” 90s Kid yelled, still thinking that they were coming towards them a little too fast.
*I do not see anything* Ninja held up, before almost dropping his card when he heard 90s Kid yell in pain as a Bludger struck his arm.
“IDIOT!” A voice, furious and dripping with disdain, exploded into 90s Kid’s brain like a lightning bolt. He let go of his broom for a moment and covered his ears. “What...dude, w-who said that-ow!” Another Bludger struck him square in the back, and the same voice screamed “WORTHLESS!”
“Shut up!” 90s Kid yelled, shaking his head to get his ears to stop ringing. “Whoever it is, stop it!”
“Oh God,” Linkara murmured, knowing all too well what 90s Kid must be going through at the moment. “Quick, fly to 90s Kid and shield him!” Everyone flew directly toward the teen, even Harvey, who refused to let his fear of flying stop him from rising up to where the others were. 90s Kid tried to smile gratefully at him, but just then a Bludger slammed into the back of his neck. “ANNOYING!”
“Ow! They’re coming too fast, dudes-oww! Argh!” 90s Kid felt two of them strike his stomach in quick succession, punctuated with shrieks of “COWARD!” and “WEAKLING!”
“Where are these things coming from?!” Harvey demanded. It was just as he’d feared. 90s Kid was being attacked by something they could not see or block, and he seemed to be getting knocked cross-eyed by them.
“Owww!” 90s Kid cried as one Bludger hit him in the side hard enough to topple him off his broom. “CRYBABY!” 90s Kid shot his arms up and managed to grab onto the wooden handle with his fingertips, leaving him dangling several hundred feet above the ground.
“Junior!” Harvey shouted, watching in horror as 90s Kid struggled to hold on while dozens of Bludgers slammed into his body, trying their best to weaken his grip.
“Help!” 90s Kid cried out, his terror and the pain from those Bludgers causing his spirit to diminish, and before he realized it, he had released his hold from the handle and was plummeting.
“…A dive from the sky…” For some reason, these words echoed through 90s Kid’s mind as he fell, and even now, as he was on the verge of smashing into the cold ground, he shuddered and could think of nothing more terrifying than that woman he had Harvey had met on one memorable road trip.
“Ninja! Go left!” Before 90s Kid could complete his descent, his arms were grabbed by Linkara, while his legs were grabbed by Ninja. “Now fly up, quickly!” Linkara and Ninja used every bit of effort they had to steer their brooms away from the ground, successfully rescuing 90s Kid from certain doom. Once they were back in the air flying at a slower speed, Ninja stood up, balancing precariously on the handle of his broom, and lifted 90s Kid up from Linkara’s grasp.
“Whoa!”
*Hold still. Linksano is almost here with your broom.*
“I’m…huff huff…I’m here.” Linksano slowly glided over to them and held out 90s Kid’s broom, allowing Ninja to plop him back onto it without trouble. 90s Kid hugged the handle tightly as he panted and rubbed at the aching parts of his body while Ninja easily returned to a sitting position.
“Th-thanks dudes,” he managed to say before gasping and ducking just before another Bludger could slam into his head.
*You are being attacked again?* Ninja held up, looking around for any trace of the missiles that kept slamming into 90s Kid. Even with his heightened senses, he could not see, hear, or feel any disturbance in the air, and that made Ninja very unsettled. He would much rather face an attack instead of leaving it to 90s Kid, so he began circling around the teenager, never traveling further than five inches from him. Linkara nodded at him and turned to the others.
“Everyone, follow Ninja’s lead! 90s Kid is the only one getting attacked, so if we keep close to him, maybe we can keep him protected until he finds this Snitch.”
“Which is what again, exactly?” Linksano asked as he flew up to begin circling 90s Kid as well.
“It’s a small golden ball with wings,” 90s Kid said. He still felt those horrible, insulting words ringing in his ears, but he refused to stop before he had completed his trial. If the others could make it through some really terrible things, then 90s Kid could put up with a little name-calling.
“Y-you sure you okay, Junior?” Harvey, looking positively green and refusing to face the ground, reached a shaky hand out to touch 90s Kid’s shoulder. 90s Kid nodded.
“I’m okay, dude. Thanks for protecting me-whoa, look out!” 90s Kid gripped Harvey’s shoulders and tried to pull him to the left, out of the path of a Bludger, but it still slammed against the singer’s shoulder. “I’m sorry!” 90s Kid cried, but to his surprise Harvey didn’t react at all.
“Sorry about what?”
“You didn’t feel that, Harvey-dude?”
Harvey looked confused. “All I feel is this horrible churning in my stomach from being up this high,” he admitted.
“So you dudes can’t feel them either,” 90s Kid murmured.
*That is precisely why I want to keep close to you* Ninja told him. *If we encircle you like this, I think we will all be safe from whatever is attacking you.*
90s Kid flashed them all a grateful smile. “Thanks a ton, everyone. I promise I’ll catch the Snitch totally fast, for sure!”
As the others flew in protective formation around him, 90s Kid started looking around to see if he could spot a glimmer of gold flittering through the sky. He moved his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose and squinted to see better, and before long, he saw it zooming around. “Guys! Over there! I’m going after it!” he yelled before skyrocketing upwards.
Linkara and Ninja took off after him as fast as they could go, Linksano and Harvey trailing along a bit shakily, when 90s Kid saw the Bludgers coming for him again. He stretched his arm out as far as he could, almost managing to close his fingers around the Snitch, when a Bludger to the leg knocked him off-balance. “FAILURE!”
“Grrr! I said shut up!” 90s Kid yelled and took a sharp turn to the right, speeding directly after the Snitch once more.
“90s Kid, we’re not gonna catch you if you keep going that fast!” Linkara yelled to him, but 90s Kid didn’t care. He wanted those voices to stop as soon as possible, so he was going to catch this Snitch if it was the last thing he did to help the team.
“Gahhh! Ohhh...” 90s Kid clutched at his stomach as one Bludger pummeled him in the gut, struggling to contain his nausea as the voice screamed “UNLOVEABLE!”
“Gah...nngh...n-no…” 90s Kid panted, refusing to let himself be taken down by the pain. He urged himself to move forward and chased after the glittering golden ball again, reaching out his arm and struggling to outrace the Bludgers. “Almost...got it...” He grunted as his fingers just barely grazed the surface of the Snitch.
A Bludger slammed into the back of 90s Kid’s head, causing him to see stars for a moment.
“NOT EVEN YOUR PARENTS WANTED YOU!” echoed through the teen’s head, and tears sprung to his eyes, though he wasn’t sure if they had been caused by the words or the aching in his skull. However, that last jolt to his body had pushed him forward enough to allow 90s Kid’s fingers to wrap completely around the Snitch, which bounced eagerly against his palm. Before 90s Kid could reveal this to the others, however, he felt a strange sensation, like a hook was pulling him somewhere behind his navel, and then he vanished completely.
“Junior!” Harvey and the others flew in a panic over to where 90s Kid had been and looked around wildly for him.
“Does anyone see him?” Linkara cried, flying up higher to get a better vantage point.
“H-he’s not anywhere that I can see,” Linksano said, adjusting several settings on his goggles in the hopes of locating any trace of 90s Kid.
“Junior! Junior! Can you hear us?!” Harvey was barely managing to hang onto his broomstick by this point and he would have fallen off completely if the entire field didn’t suddenly vanish, along with their broomsticks. The four soon found themselves tumbling onto the stone floor of an older, larger castle than the one from Linkara’s trial, filled with many stairways, hallways, and doorways.
*It seems we have entered a new location* Ninja commented after helping Harvey and Linksano to their feet.
“Thank the Lord for solid ground,” Harvey murmured, gripping onto the wall for dear life for a good minute. Linkara then offered his arm to the singer, and Harvey happily clung to him instead. “So, where do you think we are now?”
“If my deductions are correct, 90s Kid must have passed the first and second steps of the trial,” Linksano said. “I suspect that the last step he needs to follow will be completed somewhere in this building.”
“You mean the part about not telling lies?” Linkara asked. “What the hell does that even mean?”
*I don’t know, but I’m not sure finding out will be a pleasant experience* Ninja guessed.
Harvey felt the worry in his stomach grow, but he shook his head and looked to Linkara. “Come on, Kid. We better find him as quick as we can.”
-----
90s Kid coughed a bit as he picked himself up off an unfamiliar floor. What he had just experienced was completely unlike what using a teleporter was like, and he silently thanked Linksano for not making instantaneous transportation that nauseating. 90s Kid groaned as he felt the many bruises and aches all over his body, but he forced his eyes to focus. A strange fluttering sensation in his hand caused him to realize that he was still holding the Golden Snitch. 90s Kid stared down at in surprise, having expected it to dissolve along with the rest of the Quidditch Field, before he smiled and shoved it into his pocket. Once they were finished with these trials, he was definitely going to take a closer look.
90s Kid then remembered he was alone and in a completely different environment than before. “Where am I?” he murmured as he peered all around. He soon deduced that he was standing in some sort of classroom, but one which was quite unusual from normal classrooms. There were several desks in front of him, old, wooden desks big enough for two people which were connected to wooden bench seats, a small, portable chalkboard at the front of the room, and a small staircase which led to a small balcony right beside what was presumably the teacher’s desk.
It looked so very familiar and as 90s Kid walked through the room, he envisioned scenes of pixies flying all over the place, knocking over inkwells and upsetting candles. This was a room 90s Kid had thought about a lot, a room he’d also dreamt of visiting, where he could learn all about defeating dark creatures and magical spells.
90s Kid only stopped walking when he noticed a roll of parchment lying on one desk in the very front row of the classroom. It shone with a golden glow for a few seconds and 90s Kid knew it was what he’d been searching for. He sat down on the hard bench and saw that beside the scroll lay a long, thin black quill.
90s Kid reached into his pocket for the scroll and unfurled it with hands that shook, reading it again slowly. “Do not tell lies...” he whispered, his heart beginning to race. Now he remembered what this meant. He had just finished The Order of the Phoenix a few days before Linkara had told them about this hellish mission…so this was his trial. 90s Kid urged himself to unroll the scroll, looking down at the blank parchment that seemed to stare back at him almost menacingly in its blankness. His fingers twitched as they moved towards the quill, but try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to pick it up. 90s Kid whimpered and buried his face in his hands.
“No, no, this can’t be happening. What’s wrong with me? Everyone else was able to get through their trials. Why not me? Am...am I not as good as they are?” The vile, dark thoughts were still floating in his brain, taking him over. “What...what if that voice was right? If I can’t do this, if I let everybody down...then I don’t deserve to be on this team...”
90s Kid reached for the quill and his hand quivered as he remembered what the Bludgers had pounded into him. He had to do this. He must not tell lies.
“I am stupid,” he wrote across the parchment, a hiss escaping his lips as he felt his flesh start to sting. The very words he wrote were being cut into his hand, and theblood from the wounds was appearing in place of ink across the paper. “I am worthless,” he continued, tears coming to his eyes as he remembered every awful thing people had said to him, every time he had been told to go away, every time he had been ignored, even by people who were supposed to love him.
“I am garbage,” he whimpered as he continued to write, knowing full well how it felt to be literally thrown away and forgotten about. “I c-can’t…can’t do this…” 90s Kid whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. His hand burned and he was afraid. “I am a coward,” he forced himself to write, not realizing how four of the checkmarks on the scroll had disappeared-now only one remained.
If 90s Kid sunk fully into despair, he would fail this trial and all of what he and the team had been through would have been for nothing. But before 90s Kid could write another word, an image of Dan’s face flashed across his mind.
“You’re amazing, Kid. You can do anything. I love you so much...you’re my hero...”
“Dan.” 90s Kid felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He was doing this all for Dan; no, not just for Dan, but for Boffo and Ted and the team, and everyone else in the world. He could not lose his nerve now, not when they were so close to the end of this whole thing. “Dan, I’m gonna do it,” 90s Kid said, wiping his cheeks dry, his body flooding with renewed fear but also courage this time. He took a breath, picked up the quill, and poised it over the now blank sheet of parchment, as though his resolve had erased all the previous, awful thoughts. “I’m gonna tell the world the truth about me...the truth that you always saw, Dan.”
-----
Outside in the maze-like hallways, the team was growing tired of walking, and in the case of Harvey, rather frantic about finding 90s Kid. “Come on, Junior,” he muttered as he peered into one empty room after another. “Give us some clue to where you are. Just one, that’s all I’m asking.”
Linkara rested a hand on Harvey’s shoulder. “We’ll find him, Harvey. This place is built to be confusing but I know we can figure it out.”
*Based on how the staircases never turn outwards, I think we can assume he is on the bottom floor. The hallways keep going in straight lines but there seems to be a pattern to the doors. We pass two closed doors on the left, then two closed on the right, followed by four open on both sides.*
“I’d noticed that too,” Linksano noted. “The hallways also cross after every set of four open doors it seems...aside from that one.” He pointed to a hallway veering off to the left a few feet away from them. “Instead of appearing after four open doors, only two appear.”
“So we head down that one,” Harvey decided, making a beeline for said hallway. After only a few minutes, they found that it contained no doors save one at the very end, the one that Harvey quickly pushed open. “Junior! You in here?”
Harvey’s face lit up when he spotted the teen hunched down at one of the desks near the front of the room, and he hurried toward him before stopping dead in his tracks. What met Harvey’s eyes nearly made him scream and then made him sick to his stomach. 90s Kid was writing something, but the words weren’t black or made of ink; they were bright red and judging by the smell, composed of a substance not suitable for calligraphy. Harvey stared in horror at 90s Kid’s hands and arms, which were covered with words carved deep into his flesh and leaking blood.
“Wh-what are you doing? Junior, stop!” Harvey tried to run forward, but was held back by Ninja-Style Dancer before he had the chance.
*We must not interfere, Harvey. You know this as well as anyone.*
“Don’t give me that! He’s hurting himself!” Harvey yelled, gesturing to the puddles of blood that had formed underneath the desk. He continued to fight against Ninja’s grip, trying desperately to get to 90s Kid’s desk. “Junior! Junior, stop! Junior, please, try to hear me!”
“Harvey, we have to let 90s Kid continue, we don’t have any other choice,” Linkara said, though he also looked as though he were going to be sick. Harvey wouldn’t stop fighting though, so Linkara was forced to assist Ninja in holding Harvey back. “Harvey, please! Close your eyes if it helps, but you have to calm down!”
“I will be able to apply tourniquets and bandages once 90s Kid has completed the trial,” Linksano assured, though he was worried by the amount of blood 90s Kid was losing, counting down the amount of pints a human could lose and still live. “We just have to stay here and ensure that he remains conscious.” Linksano watched Harvey struggle warily, hoping that he wouldn’t have to sedate him too.
90s Kid, however, didn’t notice that anybody was in the room at all, since he was too busy writing the truth as quickly as he could, in spite of the pain that burned his skin with every stroke of the quill.
“I am smart.” “I am worthy.” “I am brave.”
Dan’s words continued to echo through 90s Kid’s mind, telling him what sentences he should write next.
“I am strong.” “I am kind.” “I am capable.” “I am worthy of love.” “I am wanted.” “I am needed.” “I am amazing.”
90s Kid wrote and wrote even as his arms grew sore and his vision started to dim, but he refused to stop until at last he had filled every inch of the parchment with his own blood.
“Please, please, make it stop, let it be over, please…” Harvey begged hoarsely, squeezing his eyes shut as he collapsed against Ninja and Linkara. Linkara pulled him into a hug and tried to murmur soothing words into his ear.
“I am 90s Kid!”
Once he finished writing the ‘d’ on this very last phrase, the parchment, quill, and the scroll in 90s Kid’s pocket vanished in a burst of golden light.
“I...I did it...Dan…I did it.” 90s Kid managed a brief smile of triumph before he collapsed upon the desk, his head hitting the wood with a loud thunk.
“Junior!” Harvey and Linkara rushed to his side while Linksano quickly rifled through his medical bag.
“Quickly, Finevoice, Linkara, hold out his arms so I can apply the-” Linksano fell silent when in an instant the team was transported from inside the classroom to inside the familiar white hallway. 90s Kid, who was being supported up by Harvey and Linkara, started to stir and groan softly.
“Oh...dude...did I do it?”
“I think so, 90s Kid. We’re back in the hallway so you must have passed,” Linkara informed him. 90s Kid felt his strength returning so he stood up on his own two feet before remembering what he’d done to his arms. He looked down and was surprised to find he was completely healed and not hurting one bit.
“Geez, Junior,” Harvey cried as he pulled the boy into a hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again! I lost ten years off my life after seeing you covered in all that-” Harvey couldn’t bring himself to say blood, but 90s Kid understood and he hugged the older man back.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just had to do what I had to do. I didn’t want let you guys down.” If he were being honest, 90s Kid actually had been worried that his trial would be much more painful than it had been. He felt that compared to the others, he’d gotten off easy.
Harvey took in a shuddering breath and squeezed 90s Kid tightly, feeling that his old, tired heart might break if it was forced to bear any more strain. He was being forced to watch the dearest people in his life suffer, and he knew that his own trial was coming up next, but that paled in comparison to his despair at the thought of almost losing 90s Kid. “I hope you don’t really think we don’t need you, 90s Kid,” Harvey murmured quietly into his ear. “Because I don’t think any of us could go on without you. I know I couldn’t…so please, be careful…don’t take life for granted…”
90s Kid gripped the back of Harvey’s jacket at these words, trying to keep in control of his emotions. If Harvey was dropping the nicknames, he must be serious. He should never have doubted how Harvey and the others felt about him. “I won’t, Harvey-dude, I promise. You be careful too.” The two slowly let go and 90s Kid turned to the others.
Ninja was staring at 90s Kid with a mixture of pride, respect and admiration. Ever since he had met him, Ninja had viewed 90s Kid as little more than an overgrown child who was not suited for the cruelties of battle, but just now, the teen had proven that the virtues of courage, loyalty, and determination roared in his blood, just as they did in Ninja’s.
He noticed that 90s Kid was starting to fidget under his stare and he quickly held up a card. *I have seen many impressive feats in my time, 90s Kid, but I must say that was one of the bravest acts I’ve ever witnessed.* 90s Kid flushed bright red, almost unable to comprehend Ninja giving him so large a compliment.
“Indeed, that was quite the marvel.” Linksano chimed in with an approving nod. “I do not know if I could have endured such pain for so long a period without cracking.”
90s Kid turned to Linkara, who was staring at him in a way that 90s Kid couldn’t quite place, but that he hoped was good. Finally, Linkara spoke quietly, holding his hand out for a shake. “I’m proud of you, 90s Kid.”
90s Kid paused before sliding his hand into Linkara’s and shaking gently. “Thanks, Linkara. Thanks all of you, really.”
“We’re truly grateful to have you with us,” Linkara said, a smile spreading across his face when 90s Kid started fidgeting happily. “So then,” he said, turning to address everyone. “Before we start looking for the next door, why don’t we take a quick rest here and have something to eat.” Linkara set his bags down onto the gleaming white floor and began pulling out a few of their food rations. “90s Kid especially should have something to make sure he recovers his strength fully and Linksano, I’d like you to check him for injuries just in case passing the trial didn’t heal them all. Since we don’t know what we’re going up against, we can’t be too careful.”
The others agreed and started to eat while Linkara brought a sandwich over to where Harvey was sitting. “You’d better eat up too,” he said in a soft voice. “I want you at full strength now. I...damn I wish I knew what it was you’d be facing.”
Harvey could hear the restrained fear in Linkara’s voice so he smiled and took the younger man’s hand. “Come on, Kid, I’m tougher than I look. I may be a bit more...let’s say mature than you cats, but that just means I’m more prepared to deal with whatever comes next. I can handle physical pain like a champ, so if it’s a task like the ones you or Junior faced, sure it’ll be annoying, but it won’t be impossible.”
“Yeah,” Linkara agreed, his voice growing even softer, “but what if it’s not a physical task? What if you’re put through something like Ninja and Linksano were? I know you’re strong and brave, Harvey, but...”
Harvey squeezed his hand, silencing him gently. “It’s alright, Kid. I know you’re worried and for good reason. Even I’m a little scared about what I might face,” he admitted. “But I’m not going to let you down after we’ve come this far, not after the suffering you and Junior and the others went through. I remember what we agreed to before we came here: the mission is the most important thing. We have to get this weapon before it falls into the wrong hands, and if that means I have to face something unpleasant, then so be it. I won’t be collateral damage, Kid, I swear.”
Harvey leaned in close and placed a gentle, reassuring kiss on Linkara’s lips, leaving them both feeling more determined than before. Harvey was right, and Linkara needed to put his worries aside. No matter what trial he faced, Harvey would be facing it with Linkara and the others at his side. Together, they would be able to overcome anything, because they were truly a team.
“Eat up, Harvey,” Linkara instructed as he stood up. “I’m going to go check on 90s Kid.”
After everyone had rested and filled their stomachs, and after 90s Kid had been given a clean bill of health, the five made their way down the unearthly white hallway for what they all hoped would be the last time.
Authors:
bookishlady242 and
ocelot_l
Pairings: Harvey/Linkara, 90s Kid/80s Dan, Boffo/Linksano, Kung-Tai Ted/Ninja-Style Dancer
Rating: R
Warnings/Triggers: Graphic violence, graphic blood, heavy angst, mind control, hallucinations, drug use, references to drug use, death, references to past death, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, allusions to sex, mild sexual activity
Summary: When Linkara learns about a devastating new weapon which could destroy lives if it falls into the wrong hands, he and his team must prepare for a mission harder than any they've faced before. When challenges threaten their lives and their ties of friendship, will they manage to save the world and, most importantly, themselves?
DISCLAIMER: We do not own the characters, the shows, or the people who portray the characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. Please support the creators by watching their videos, letting the ads play, buying their DVDs and merchandise, and/or contributing to their Patreon(s). "Crash and Burn" is performed by Savage Garden.
Very special thanks to
njdoodler112 and
trulyamindlost for the bonus content! :D
Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7/ Part 8/ Part 10/ Part 11/ Part 12/ Part 13/ Part 14/Bonus Material
After a little time spent searching, it was 90s Kid who next caught sight of flickering golden letters above one of the doors.
MIMBULUS MIMBLETONIA
90s Kid recognized the words immediately from his favorite book series and turned toward the others. “Dudes, over here!”
Harvey felt his stomach churn as he realized that this next trial would be for 90s Kid, but he tried to look as calm and collected as always while they arranged themselves into position. After Linkara had opened the door and declared it safe, he entered inside right behind 90s Kid, watching him closely for signs of unease. 90s Kid soon felt eyes on the back of his neck, and he glanced behind him to smile at Harvey.
“Don’t worry, dude. I totally got this.”
Harvey tried to smile back and come up with something funny to say to soothe his nerves, before he was distracted by the setting around them. “Huh."
Most of the team looked at their surroundings in puzzlement. They seemed to be standing atop a grassy field with white lines painted across the center akin to those found on a soccer field. However, instead of standing inside a stadium, the five were surrounded by a circle of tall towers bearing flags. At either end of the field stood three very tall poles of varying heights with hoops at the ends. “What the heck kind of stadium is this?” Harvey muttered, thinking back to his childhood days of playing football after school.
“I don’t know, I never played sports.” Linkara admitted.
“Ditto,” Linksano muttered as memories of past gym classes caused him to shudder.
*It’s certainly not a place I’ve seen before* Ninja admitted.
The only one who didn’t look confused was 90s Kid, who was staring at a row of broomsticks resting neatly off to the side of the field. “I think I know.” 90s Kid walked over to the brooms, selected one, and straddled his legs over the handle. Harvey winced at the sight.
“Geez, Junior, doesn’t that smart?”
90s Kid shook his head. “Nope. It feels like I’m sitting on a cushion. It’s just like I always imagined it would feel like.” After gripping the handle tightly, 90s Kid bent his knees before pushing up and off the ground. To everyone’s surprise, 90s Kid started to whiz through the air as if he had been born to fly. “Whoa!” 90s Kid cried, his body flooding with excitement. Flying on a broomstick had been something he’d dreamt of doing ever since he’d started reading the Harry Potter series; now that it was actually happening, the joy 90s Kid felt was almost indescribable. He felt so much lighter and faster, and for a few shining moments he was 90s Kid, Weapons Expert for the Earth’s Champion and Captain of the Quidditch Team.
“Wowie,” Harvey murmured as he watched 90s Kid move with ease through the air. “Junior’s really one smooth cat.” Even though he was impressed, he could already feel the pit of dread forming in his stomach. Harvey was not keen to see what sort of challenge required 90s Kid to fly through the air like this.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” Linkara called as he began straddling a broom of his own.
“Y-you mean we all have to ride those flimsy cleaning materials?” Linksano asked, looking pale.
“Don’t worry, dude, it’s totally easy,” 90s Kid said as he swooped back down to the ground to assist the others.
“Whoa...okay...huh, yeah this is easy,” Linkara said, smiling after he started getting the hang of flying himself. “Now come on, we need to start looking for that scroll. It’s gotta be around here somewhere, so everyone get into the air and start searching!”
The team obeyed and took to the skies; though for the first few minutes most of them were too preoccupied with not falling off their brooms to actually look for the scroll. 90s Kid was having the time of his life as he soared through the sky, wishing that he were actually playing a game of Quidditch with his friends. “Isn’t this awesome, dudes?” he cried as he circled around them with ease.
*It is not unenjoyable* Ninja admitted, having picked up on flying in a relatively short manner.
“No, it’s worse than unenjoyable! It is-ack!” Linksano was clinging to his broomstick with all of his might and looking as if he might fall off at any moment. “It is intolerable!”
“Come on, Linksano, it’s not that bad,” Linkara said, flying over to him to make sure he didn’t actually fall. “Compared to what we’ve been through, this is almost fun.” Linksano was not inclined to agree that any part of this activity was fun, so he kept his mouth shut and his eyes at a squint as he searched for any flash of silver.
Harvey, who was keeping as close to the ground as he could, seemed to be doing okay, though he couldn’t help glancing to 90s Kid every few moments, waiting for the other shoe to drop. During one such glance, he spotted something shining at the very top of the tallest hoop. “Kid, Junior, over there!” he shouted, pointing toward the object.
90s Kid instantly zoomed toward the scroll, snatching it up with ease, and took a deep breath before he unrolled it. He knew that this task was meant for him, so he had to be ready for whatever this piece of parchment said.
“Words Can Wound. Obey The Words: Avoid the Obstacles Which Fill the Skies; Catch the Snitch: Do Not Tell Lies.” Below the words were five checkmarks, similar to those found on the scroll Linkara had read.
“What’s it say?” Linkara and Ninja quickly arrived at 90s Kid’s side, reading the message as well.
“Do not tell lies?” Linkara wondered. “What does that mean?”
90s Kid’s brow furrowed as he looked down at the scroll, knowing that the message reminded him of something, but he couldn’t quite remember what. Before he had time to think about it, though, he saw several jet black Bludgers, which were balls made of iron, zooming towards them at breakneck speed. “Everybody scatter!” he yelled, and Linkara and Ninja obeyed instantly, all three now flying toward the ground.
“Honestly, you all flew away just as I made it over there!” Linksano griped, turning his broom around reluctantly.
“Dude, we got more important things to worry about right now! Look out for the Bludgers!”
“The what now?”
“The giant black balls flying towards us!” 90s Kid yelled, still thinking that they were coming towards them a little too fast.
*I do not see anything* Ninja held up, before almost dropping his card when he heard 90s Kid yell in pain as a Bludger struck his arm.
“IDIOT!” A voice, furious and dripping with disdain, exploded into 90s Kid’s brain like a lightning bolt. He let go of his broom for a moment and covered his ears. “What...dude, w-who said that-ow!” Another Bludger struck him square in the back, and the same voice screamed “WORTHLESS!”
“Shut up!” 90s Kid yelled, shaking his head to get his ears to stop ringing. “Whoever it is, stop it!”
“Oh God,” Linkara murmured, knowing all too well what 90s Kid must be going through at the moment. “Quick, fly to 90s Kid and shield him!” Everyone flew directly toward the teen, even Harvey, who refused to let his fear of flying stop him from rising up to where the others were. 90s Kid tried to smile gratefully at him, but just then a Bludger slammed into the back of his neck. “ANNOYING!”
“Ow! They’re coming too fast, dudes-oww! Argh!” 90s Kid felt two of them strike his stomach in quick succession, punctuated with shrieks of “COWARD!” and “WEAKLING!”
“Where are these things coming from?!” Harvey demanded. It was just as he’d feared. 90s Kid was being attacked by something they could not see or block, and he seemed to be getting knocked cross-eyed by them.
“Owww!” 90s Kid cried as one Bludger hit him in the side hard enough to topple him off his broom. “CRYBABY!” 90s Kid shot his arms up and managed to grab onto the wooden handle with his fingertips, leaving him dangling several hundred feet above the ground.
“Junior!” Harvey shouted, watching in horror as 90s Kid struggled to hold on while dozens of Bludgers slammed into his body, trying their best to weaken his grip.
“Help!” 90s Kid cried out, his terror and the pain from those Bludgers causing his spirit to diminish, and before he realized it, he had released his hold from the handle and was plummeting.
“…A dive from the sky…” For some reason, these words echoed through 90s Kid’s mind as he fell, and even now, as he was on the verge of smashing into the cold ground, he shuddered and could think of nothing more terrifying than that woman he had Harvey had met on one memorable road trip.
“Ninja! Go left!” Before 90s Kid could complete his descent, his arms were grabbed by Linkara, while his legs were grabbed by Ninja. “Now fly up, quickly!” Linkara and Ninja used every bit of effort they had to steer their brooms away from the ground, successfully rescuing 90s Kid from certain doom. Once they were back in the air flying at a slower speed, Ninja stood up, balancing precariously on the handle of his broom, and lifted 90s Kid up from Linkara’s grasp.
“Whoa!”
*Hold still. Linksano is almost here with your broom.*
“I’m…huff huff…I’m here.” Linksano slowly glided over to them and held out 90s Kid’s broom, allowing Ninja to plop him back onto it without trouble. 90s Kid hugged the handle tightly as he panted and rubbed at the aching parts of his body while Ninja easily returned to a sitting position.
“Th-thanks dudes,” he managed to say before gasping and ducking just before another Bludger could slam into his head.
*You are being attacked again?* Ninja held up, looking around for any trace of the missiles that kept slamming into 90s Kid. Even with his heightened senses, he could not see, hear, or feel any disturbance in the air, and that made Ninja very unsettled. He would much rather face an attack instead of leaving it to 90s Kid, so he began circling around the teenager, never traveling further than five inches from him. Linkara nodded at him and turned to the others.
“Everyone, follow Ninja’s lead! 90s Kid is the only one getting attacked, so if we keep close to him, maybe we can keep him protected until he finds this Snitch.”
“Which is what again, exactly?” Linksano asked as he flew up to begin circling 90s Kid as well.
“It’s a small golden ball with wings,” 90s Kid said. He still felt those horrible, insulting words ringing in his ears, but he refused to stop before he had completed his trial. If the others could make it through some really terrible things, then 90s Kid could put up with a little name-calling.
“Y-you sure you okay, Junior?” Harvey, looking positively green and refusing to face the ground, reached a shaky hand out to touch 90s Kid’s shoulder. 90s Kid nodded.
“I’m okay, dude. Thanks for protecting me-whoa, look out!” 90s Kid gripped Harvey’s shoulders and tried to pull him to the left, out of the path of a Bludger, but it still slammed against the singer’s shoulder. “I’m sorry!” 90s Kid cried, but to his surprise Harvey didn’t react at all.
“Sorry about what?”
“You didn’t feel that, Harvey-dude?”
Harvey looked confused. “All I feel is this horrible churning in my stomach from being up this high,” he admitted.
“So you dudes can’t feel them either,” 90s Kid murmured.
*That is precisely why I want to keep close to you* Ninja told him. *If we encircle you like this, I think we will all be safe from whatever is attacking you.*
90s Kid flashed them all a grateful smile. “Thanks a ton, everyone. I promise I’ll catch the Snitch totally fast, for sure!”
As the others flew in protective formation around him, 90s Kid started looking around to see if he could spot a glimmer of gold flittering through the sky. He moved his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose and squinted to see better, and before long, he saw it zooming around. “Guys! Over there! I’m going after it!” he yelled before skyrocketing upwards.
Linkara and Ninja took off after him as fast as they could go, Linksano and Harvey trailing along a bit shakily, when 90s Kid saw the Bludgers coming for him again. He stretched his arm out as far as he could, almost managing to close his fingers around the Snitch, when a Bludger to the leg knocked him off-balance. “FAILURE!”
“Grrr! I said shut up!” 90s Kid yelled and took a sharp turn to the right, speeding directly after the Snitch once more.
“90s Kid, we’re not gonna catch you if you keep going that fast!” Linkara yelled to him, but 90s Kid didn’t care. He wanted those voices to stop as soon as possible, so he was going to catch this Snitch if it was the last thing he did to help the team.
“Gahhh! Ohhh...” 90s Kid clutched at his stomach as one Bludger pummeled him in the gut, struggling to contain his nausea as the voice screamed “UNLOVEABLE!”
“Gah...nngh...n-no…” 90s Kid panted, refusing to let himself be taken down by the pain. He urged himself to move forward and chased after the glittering golden ball again, reaching out his arm and struggling to outrace the Bludgers. “Almost...got it...” He grunted as his fingers just barely grazed the surface of the Snitch.
A Bludger slammed into the back of 90s Kid’s head, causing him to see stars for a moment.
“NOT EVEN YOUR PARENTS WANTED YOU!” echoed through the teen’s head, and tears sprung to his eyes, though he wasn’t sure if they had been caused by the words or the aching in his skull. However, that last jolt to his body had pushed him forward enough to allow 90s Kid’s fingers to wrap completely around the Snitch, which bounced eagerly against his palm. Before 90s Kid could reveal this to the others, however, he felt a strange sensation, like a hook was pulling him somewhere behind his navel, and then he vanished completely.
“Junior!” Harvey and the others flew in a panic over to where 90s Kid had been and looked around wildly for him.
“Does anyone see him?” Linkara cried, flying up higher to get a better vantage point.
“H-he’s not anywhere that I can see,” Linksano said, adjusting several settings on his goggles in the hopes of locating any trace of 90s Kid.
“Junior! Junior! Can you hear us?!” Harvey was barely managing to hang onto his broomstick by this point and he would have fallen off completely if the entire field didn’t suddenly vanish, along with their broomsticks. The four soon found themselves tumbling onto the stone floor of an older, larger castle than the one from Linkara’s trial, filled with many stairways, hallways, and doorways.
*It seems we have entered a new location* Ninja commented after helping Harvey and Linksano to their feet.
“Thank the Lord for solid ground,” Harvey murmured, gripping onto the wall for dear life for a good minute. Linkara then offered his arm to the singer, and Harvey happily clung to him instead. “So, where do you think we are now?”
“If my deductions are correct, 90s Kid must have passed the first and second steps of the trial,” Linksano said. “I suspect that the last step he needs to follow will be completed somewhere in this building.”
“You mean the part about not telling lies?” Linkara asked. “What the hell does that even mean?”
*I don’t know, but I’m not sure finding out will be a pleasant experience* Ninja guessed.
Harvey felt the worry in his stomach grow, but he shook his head and looked to Linkara. “Come on, Kid. We better find him as quick as we can.”
-----
90s Kid coughed a bit as he picked himself up off an unfamiliar floor. What he had just experienced was completely unlike what using a teleporter was like, and he silently thanked Linksano for not making instantaneous transportation that nauseating. 90s Kid groaned as he felt the many bruises and aches all over his body, but he forced his eyes to focus. A strange fluttering sensation in his hand caused him to realize that he was still holding the Golden Snitch. 90s Kid stared down at in surprise, having expected it to dissolve along with the rest of the Quidditch Field, before he smiled and shoved it into his pocket. Once they were finished with these trials, he was definitely going to take a closer look.
90s Kid then remembered he was alone and in a completely different environment than before. “Where am I?” he murmured as he peered all around. He soon deduced that he was standing in some sort of classroom, but one which was quite unusual from normal classrooms. There were several desks in front of him, old, wooden desks big enough for two people which were connected to wooden bench seats, a small, portable chalkboard at the front of the room, and a small staircase which led to a small balcony right beside what was presumably the teacher’s desk.
It looked so very familiar and as 90s Kid walked through the room, he envisioned scenes of pixies flying all over the place, knocking over inkwells and upsetting candles. This was a room 90s Kid had thought about a lot, a room he’d also dreamt of visiting, where he could learn all about defeating dark creatures and magical spells.
90s Kid only stopped walking when he noticed a roll of parchment lying on one desk in the very front row of the classroom. It shone with a golden glow for a few seconds and 90s Kid knew it was what he’d been searching for. He sat down on the hard bench and saw that beside the scroll lay a long, thin black quill.
90s Kid reached into his pocket for the scroll and unfurled it with hands that shook, reading it again slowly. “Do not tell lies...” he whispered, his heart beginning to race. Now he remembered what this meant. He had just finished The Order of the Phoenix a few days before Linkara had told them about this hellish mission…so this was his trial. 90s Kid urged himself to unroll the scroll, looking down at the blank parchment that seemed to stare back at him almost menacingly in its blankness. His fingers twitched as they moved towards the quill, but try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to pick it up. 90s Kid whimpered and buried his face in his hands.
“No, no, this can’t be happening. What’s wrong with me? Everyone else was able to get through their trials. Why not me? Am...am I not as good as they are?” The vile, dark thoughts were still floating in his brain, taking him over. “What...what if that voice was right? If I can’t do this, if I let everybody down...then I don’t deserve to be on this team...”
90s Kid reached for the quill and his hand quivered as he remembered what the Bludgers had pounded into him. He had to do this. He must not tell lies.
“I am stupid,” he wrote across the parchment, a hiss escaping his lips as he felt his flesh start to sting. The very words he wrote were being cut into his hand, and theblood from the wounds was appearing in place of ink across the paper. “I am worthless,” he continued, tears coming to his eyes as he remembered every awful thing people had said to him, every time he had been told to go away, every time he had been ignored, even by people who were supposed to love him.
“I am garbage,” he whimpered as he continued to write, knowing full well how it felt to be literally thrown away and forgotten about. “I c-can’t…can’t do this…” 90s Kid whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. His hand burned and he was afraid. “I am a coward,” he forced himself to write, not realizing how four of the checkmarks on the scroll had disappeared-now only one remained.
If 90s Kid sunk fully into despair, he would fail this trial and all of what he and the team had been through would have been for nothing. But before 90s Kid could write another word, an image of Dan’s face flashed across his mind.
“You’re amazing, Kid. You can do anything. I love you so much...you’re my hero...”
“Dan.” 90s Kid felt a surge of warmth in his chest. He was doing this all for Dan; no, not just for Dan, but for Boffo and Ted and the team, and everyone else in the world. He could not lose his nerve now, not when they were so close to the end of this whole thing. “Dan, I’m gonna do it,” 90s Kid said, wiping his cheeks dry, his body flooding with renewed fear but also courage this time. He took a breath, picked up the quill, and poised it over the now blank sheet of parchment, as though his resolve had erased all the previous, awful thoughts. “I’m gonna tell the world the truth about me...the truth that you always saw, Dan.”
-----
Outside in the maze-like hallways, the team was growing tired of walking, and in the case of Harvey, rather frantic about finding 90s Kid. “Come on, Junior,” he muttered as he peered into one empty room after another. “Give us some clue to where you are. Just one, that’s all I’m asking.”
Linkara rested a hand on Harvey’s shoulder. “We’ll find him, Harvey. This place is built to be confusing but I know we can figure it out.”
*Based on how the staircases never turn outwards, I think we can assume he is on the bottom floor. The hallways keep going in straight lines but there seems to be a pattern to the doors. We pass two closed doors on the left, then two closed on the right, followed by four open on both sides.*
“I’d noticed that too,” Linksano noted. “The hallways also cross after every set of four open doors it seems...aside from that one.” He pointed to a hallway veering off to the left a few feet away from them. “Instead of appearing after four open doors, only two appear.”
“So we head down that one,” Harvey decided, making a beeline for said hallway. After only a few minutes, they found that it contained no doors save one at the very end, the one that Harvey quickly pushed open. “Junior! You in here?”
Harvey’s face lit up when he spotted the teen hunched down at one of the desks near the front of the room, and he hurried toward him before stopping dead in his tracks. What met Harvey’s eyes nearly made him scream and then made him sick to his stomach. 90s Kid was writing something, but the words weren’t black or made of ink; they were bright red and judging by the smell, composed of a substance not suitable for calligraphy. Harvey stared in horror at 90s Kid’s hands and arms, which were covered with words carved deep into his flesh and leaking blood.
“Wh-what are you doing? Junior, stop!” Harvey tried to run forward, but was held back by Ninja-Style Dancer before he had the chance.
*We must not interfere, Harvey. You know this as well as anyone.*
“Don’t give me that! He’s hurting himself!” Harvey yelled, gesturing to the puddles of blood that had formed underneath the desk. He continued to fight against Ninja’s grip, trying desperately to get to 90s Kid’s desk. “Junior! Junior, stop! Junior, please, try to hear me!”
“Harvey, we have to let 90s Kid continue, we don’t have any other choice,” Linkara said, though he also looked as though he were going to be sick. Harvey wouldn’t stop fighting though, so Linkara was forced to assist Ninja in holding Harvey back. “Harvey, please! Close your eyes if it helps, but you have to calm down!”
“I will be able to apply tourniquets and bandages once 90s Kid has completed the trial,” Linksano assured, though he was worried by the amount of blood 90s Kid was losing, counting down the amount of pints a human could lose and still live. “We just have to stay here and ensure that he remains conscious.” Linksano watched Harvey struggle warily, hoping that he wouldn’t have to sedate him too.
90s Kid, however, didn’t notice that anybody was in the room at all, since he was too busy writing the truth as quickly as he could, in spite of the pain that burned his skin with every stroke of the quill.
“I am smart.” “I am worthy.” “I am brave.”
Dan’s words continued to echo through 90s Kid’s mind, telling him what sentences he should write next.
“I am strong.” “I am kind.” “I am capable.” “I am worthy of love.” “I am wanted.” “I am needed.” “I am amazing.”
90s Kid wrote and wrote even as his arms grew sore and his vision started to dim, but he refused to stop until at last he had filled every inch of the parchment with his own blood.
“Please, please, make it stop, let it be over, please…” Harvey begged hoarsely, squeezing his eyes shut as he collapsed against Ninja and Linkara. Linkara pulled him into a hug and tried to murmur soothing words into his ear.
“I am 90s Kid!”
Once he finished writing the ‘d’ on this very last phrase, the parchment, quill, and the scroll in 90s Kid’s pocket vanished in a burst of golden light.
“I...I did it...Dan…I did it.” 90s Kid managed a brief smile of triumph before he collapsed upon the desk, his head hitting the wood with a loud thunk.
“Junior!” Harvey and Linkara rushed to his side while Linksano quickly rifled through his medical bag.
“Quickly, Finevoice, Linkara, hold out his arms so I can apply the-” Linksano fell silent when in an instant the team was transported from inside the classroom to inside the familiar white hallway. 90s Kid, who was being supported up by Harvey and Linkara, started to stir and groan softly.
“Oh...dude...did I do it?”
“I think so, 90s Kid. We’re back in the hallway so you must have passed,” Linkara informed him. 90s Kid felt his strength returning so he stood up on his own two feet before remembering what he’d done to his arms. He looked down and was surprised to find he was completely healed and not hurting one bit.
“Geez, Junior,” Harvey cried as he pulled the boy into a hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again! I lost ten years off my life after seeing you covered in all that-” Harvey couldn’t bring himself to say blood, but 90s Kid understood and he hugged the older man back.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just had to do what I had to do. I didn’t want let you guys down.” If he were being honest, 90s Kid actually had been worried that his trial would be much more painful than it had been. He felt that compared to the others, he’d gotten off easy.
Harvey took in a shuddering breath and squeezed 90s Kid tightly, feeling that his old, tired heart might break if it was forced to bear any more strain. He was being forced to watch the dearest people in his life suffer, and he knew that his own trial was coming up next, but that paled in comparison to his despair at the thought of almost losing 90s Kid. “I hope you don’t really think we don’t need you, 90s Kid,” Harvey murmured quietly into his ear. “Because I don’t think any of us could go on without you. I know I couldn’t…so please, be careful…don’t take life for granted…”
90s Kid gripped the back of Harvey’s jacket at these words, trying to keep in control of his emotions. If Harvey was dropping the nicknames, he must be serious. He should never have doubted how Harvey and the others felt about him. “I won’t, Harvey-dude, I promise. You be careful too.” The two slowly let go and 90s Kid turned to the others.
Ninja was staring at 90s Kid with a mixture of pride, respect and admiration. Ever since he had met him, Ninja had viewed 90s Kid as little more than an overgrown child who was not suited for the cruelties of battle, but just now, the teen had proven that the virtues of courage, loyalty, and determination roared in his blood, just as they did in Ninja’s.
He noticed that 90s Kid was starting to fidget under his stare and he quickly held up a card. *I have seen many impressive feats in my time, 90s Kid, but I must say that was one of the bravest acts I’ve ever witnessed.* 90s Kid flushed bright red, almost unable to comprehend Ninja giving him so large a compliment.
“Indeed, that was quite the marvel.” Linksano chimed in with an approving nod. “I do not know if I could have endured such pain for so long a period without cracking.”
90s Kid turned to Linkara, who was staring at him in a way that 90s Kid couldn’t quite place, but that he hoped was good. Finally, Linkara spoke quietly, holding his hand out for a shake. “I’m proud of you, 90s Kid.”
90s Kid paused before sliding his hand into Linkara’s and shaking gently. “Thanks, Linkara. Thanks all of you, really.”
“We’re truly grateful to have you with us,” Linkara said, a smile spreading across his face when 90s Kid started fidgeting happily. “So then,” he said, turning to address everyone. “Before we start looking for the next door, why don’t we take a quick rest here and have something to eat.” Linkara set his bags down onto the gleaming white floor and began pulling out a few of their food rations. “90s Kid especially should have something to make sure he recovers his strength fully and Linksano, I’d like you to check him for injuries just in case passing the trial didn’t heal them all. Since we don’t know what we’re going up against, we can’t be too careful.”
The others agreed and started to eat while Linkara brought a sandwich over to where Harvey was sitting. “You’d better eat up too,” he said in a soft voice. “I want you at full strength now. I...damn I wish I knew what it was you’d be facing.”
Harvey could hear the restrained fear in Linkara’s voice so he smiled and took the younger man’s hand. “Come on, Kid, I’m tougher than I look. I may be a bit more...let’s say mature than you cats, but that just means I’m more prepared to deal with whatever comes next. I can handle physical pain like a champ, so if it’s a task like the ones you or Junior faced, sure it’ll be annoying, but it won’t be impossible.”
“Yeah,” Linkara agreed, his voice growing even softer, “but what if it’s not a physical task? What if you’re put through something like Ninja and Linksano were? I know you’re strong and brave, Harvey, but...”
Harvey squeezed his hand, silencing him gently. “It’s alright, Kid. I know you’re worried and for good reason. Even I’m a little scared about what I might face,” he admitted. “But I’m not going to let you down after we’ve come this far, not after the suffering you and Junior and the others went through. I remember what we agreed to before we came here: the mission is the most important thing. We have to get this weapon before it falls into the wrong hands, and if that means I have to face something unpleasant, then so be it. I won’t be collateral damage, Kid, I swear.”
Harvey leaned in close and placed a gentle, reassuring kiss on Linkara’s lips, leaving them both feeling more determined than before. Harvey was right, and Linkara needed to put his worries aside. No matter what trial he faced, Harvey would be facing it with Linkara and the others at his side. Together, they would be able to overcome anything, because they were truly a team.
“Eat up, Harvey,” Linkara instructed as he stood up. “I’m going to go check on 90s Kid.”
After everyone had rested and filled their stomachs, and after 90s Kid had been given a clean bill of health, the five made their way down the unearthly white hallway for what they all hoped would be the last time.