Crash and Burn (Lifetimes AU, 71,955 words) - Part 11
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 9/ Part 10/ Part 12/ Part 13/ Part 14/Bonus Material
The color drained from Harvey’s face when he saw the golden words beckoning him to approach a particular door.
ENTER
“I guess it’s me, then.”
Harvey almost jumped when Linkara placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright. We’re all here with you, remember?”
“Thanks, Kid.” Harvey smiled at his boyfriend, but his hands were shaking at his sides. He almost had trouble holding his gun steady while Linkara secured the area and when he stepped into the room, his knees felt like they might buckle at any moment.
Harvey took in his surroundings, which appeared to be a police interrogation room, something he was familiar with thanks to countless movies and detective novels he’d enjoyed over the years, with a serious expression. He felt apprehensive as he thought about what this trial could mean for him. Was he going to be interrogated? Harvey figured he could handle being yelled at or even beaten up by a cop, since he’d had experience with that, but if it was someone unexpected doing the interrogating all bets were off.
“What do you cats think about…?” Harvey trailed off when he realized he was alone. The only face he could see was his own, a reflection staring back at him glumly from a large pane of glass covering the entire left side of the room. Further investigation of the area revealed that this room didn’t have any windows or doors, simply stark grey walls, a white ceiling with a single lightbulb swinging from it, and a cement floor with a small grate in the center of it. Harvey swallowed hard and tried to keep his wits about him. It looked like he was going to have to go through this alone, so the quicker he solved this puzzle, the quicker he’d be reunited with everyone. Keeping this in mind, Harvey began looking around the sparse pieces of furniture in the room for his scroll, but could not seem to locate it at all.
On the other side of the wall-length pane of glass, 90s Kid was pounding his fists against it as hard as he could. “Harvey-dude! Harvey! Can you hear us, man?”
*I don’t think he can, 90s Kid.* Ninja held up. *He is behind two-way glass, meaning that we can see him, but he cannot see or hear us.*
“I don’t see a scroll anywhere in that room,” Linksano remarked, before he felt something roll against his boot. Unlike the other scrolls, this one was gold in color, and the four couldn’t help admiring it briefly before Linkara unrolled it.
“Words Cannot Forgive. Obey the Words: Survive.”
A chill traveled down each of their spines once Linkara finished speaking. “W-what does that mean, dude?” 90s Kid quavered. “What does Harvey have to do?” Before anyone could answer, the four noticed Harvey making odd movements in the other room and turned to watch him. His movements were soon explained when they realized that water had started gushing into the room from the grate in the floor.
“What the hell?!” Harvey took several steps back from the sudden spray of liquid before he started to look around wildly. No windows. No doors. Nothing that could help him escape. Harvey moved toward the mirror then and started pounding on it. “Lemme out! Is anyone in there? Lemme out right now!”
“Harvey-dude!” 90s Kid was pounding on the glass again, trying to respond to the singer’s shouts, while Linkara rushed over to the one door in their half of the room. He twisted the knob eagerly and then angrily when he realized it was locked.
“Damn it! Damn it all!” Linkara started kicking the door, trying to break it down with brute strength, but it wouldn’t budge. “Come on, help me!”
Ninja started to search the dark area they were trapped in, but there was no furniture at all to be found. There was nothing but a stone floor and one naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, similar to the one in Harvey’s room. Ninja leapt to the ceiling to study it, but found it to be nothing more than a cheap light which would break if slammed against the door, so instead he headed to Linkara’s side and tried to help him open it.
“It’s no use,” Linksano told them after a quick scan of the door. “It’s made of reinforced titanium. There’s no way to open it from in here.”
“We have to open it!” Linkara insisted, still kicking at it furiously. “We have to get to Harvey before that room is swallowed with water!”
“What about a magic spell?” 90s Kid suggested.
“I don’t know any for opening locked doors!” Linkara moaned, regretting his laziness when it came to his magical studies.
*Linkara, remember that this is Harvey’s trial* Ninja tried to remind him. *We might not be able to do anything to help him.*
“I refuse to accept that! I won’t just stand here and watch him drown!” Linkara suddenly reached into his coat and pulled out his Magic Gun, aiming at the center of the metallic door. After a few shots failed to even scratch it, Linkara groaned angrily and returned to the window, where 90s Kid remained staring at Harvey. He started pounding on the glass before shooting it as well with the Gun, to similar non-effects. “Damn it! Damn it all! Break, damn you, break!”
“Linkara-dude-”
“Break break break!”
“Linkara!” Linkara let out a soft growl when 90s Kid grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him so they faced each other. “That isn’t helping! You gotta stop!”
“I gotta help Harvey!” Linkara countered.
“We can’t help him and you know it!” Linkara blinked in surprise at how forceful the teen sounded, but 90s Kid wasn’t done yet. “You know we gotta do it this way! Harvey has to survive by himself! It’s totally hard to watch this, but he can do it, Linkara! You helped him survive a long time ago, and now he’s strong enough to do it himself! You just gotta believe in Harvey-dude, okay?”
Linkara took in 90s Kid’s red face, trembling shoulders, and the barely concealed fear in his words before nodding. He was the leader here. He had to keep everyone calm now no matter how he felt inside.
“You’re...you’re right...we have to believe in Harvey now. Thank you, 90s Kid.”
90s Kid barely acknowledged the words, having already turned back to the window. Linkara and the others joined him, watching fearfully, but also daring to have hope that Harvey would be able to overcome this task on his own.
Harvey eventually gave up on pounding on the window, realizing that even if the team was out there, there was probably no way they could break in and interfere. The water was up to his knees now and he was at a loss for what to do. He was a former Navy Captain and had spent a lot of time near the water, so he knew how to swim, but if the water level grew too high then even the best swimmer would be in trouble.
“Come on, gotta think, gotta think. Maybe there’s a secret door on the floor? Nah, I already examined it earlier, there’s nothing down there. What about on the ceiling? I couldn’t touch it before, but now, if I let the water level get high enough, I can search it up close. But if there’s nothing there, then I’ll be in even bigger trouble.”
As Harvey struggled to think, the water kept rushing in faster than ever, and soon he was up to his waist in no time at all. “Oh geez,” Harvey murmured, staring around for some way, any way to be able to survive.
“…You must have had many scares in your life…the water that pulled you down until you almost could not breathe…most terrifying… ”
Harvey shivered before shaking his head. “No, I refuse to let that kooky broad be right! I can’t go down like this! I refuse to die, not when I finally have something to live for again!”
Harvey looked down when he felt something in the water brush against his hand, and noticed something strange.
“What the...?” He reached down and pulled out Linksano’s goggles. “These belong to Doc…” Harvey’s eyes went wide. Had something happened to him? What was happening to the team? Where were they? Were they trying to find him, or was this all part of the trial’s plan to trick him? The water was up to his chest now. Harvey started to see more things floating in the water, including Ninja’s mask and Linkara’s coat. He reached for the coat and held it up, wondering why these items were appearing all of a sudden.
“What the hell is he doing?” Linksano wondered, watching as Harvey looked to be examining nothing at all. Nobody responded, aside from the gasps that appeared when the water rose to Harvey’s neck. They watched as the singer took in a giant breath, desperate to keep his head above water.
“Harvey!” Linkara yelled, not realizing that he had a death grip on 90s Kid’s hand to keep himself upright. 90s Kid squeezed back, too frightened to utter a sound. Linksano and Ninja watched helplessly as Harvey continued splashing around and examining invisible things in the water.
More items began to appear around him, like Boffo’s wig, Dan’s white jacket, and Ted’s piano-key tie. Harvey wasn’t sure what any of it meant or what he was supposed to do with them now that they had appeared.
“Dammit, Finevoice, you can’t hold your breath forever, think of something!” he scolded himself. “You have to get yourself out of here or else-”
Harvey’s thoughts stopped abruptly when he saw something else floating nearby. A navy blue jacket with a white crest sown across the chest, and his hands trembled as he reached for it.
“This...this can’t be...” He had seen this jacket in his memories a million times. His wife had insisted on sending Charlie to private school to ensure he’d have a good education. Even though he wasn’t thrilled with the uniform, Charlie had always kept it neat and clean so his mother would be happy.
Harvey clutched the jacket to his chest, wondering if this would disappear after the trial or if he would be able to hold it close to him forever; then an article of clothing in the distance nearly made his heart stop.
It was a pale green hospital gown, faintly stained with blood and vomit even through the water, and Harvey forgot all thoughts of trying to escape. He just floated, without moving at all, ignoring the ache that was settling in his lungs. He thought he would never have to see that thing again, had hoped he would never have to see it again. Just one simple piece of cloth brought everything back to him, the fear, the heartbreak, the pain he’d felt as he held his son’s weak hand, only able to watch as his darling little boy slipped away.
“Give up…” A soft voice murmured, appearing from nowhere, but speaking directly into Harvey’s ear. “He’s gone…somewhere you have never been able to follow…but now you can…give up…sleep…they don’t need you…follow him to where you’ve longed to go…”
“Charlie...” Harvey thought, ceasing to kick or struggle as the water climbed higher. “How can I go on without him? Why...why was he taken from me?” He closed his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore...” he thought, being successfully lulled by the invisible force in the water. “I could just...stop…I could...go real peaceful...see my little boy again...keep him safe...Charlie...”
Harvey was almost about to let the darkness fully envelop him and he closed his eyes, prepared for whatever was next, when something brushed against his fingers. 90s Kid’s hat. 90s Kid.
Suddenly memories flooded his brain that, like the water pouring into the room, Harvey was unable to stop. Memories of all the times he’d seen 90s Kid smile, the sound of his laugh, the way he drew Harvey pictures and talked endlessly about his accomplishments and hopes and dreams, working as hard as he could to make Harvey proud. He remembered the day that 90s Kid had begged him to be his dad, and the days he desperately wanted 90s Kid to be his son.
Harvey opened his eyes wider when he saw Linkara’s hat floating along behind the teen’s. Linkara. The man who had saved his life, who picked him up from the dirt, dusted him off, and helped him become strong enough to face the world again. The man who helped his heart heal after losing Suzanne, the man who helped him realize that true love could happen twice in the same lifetime. The man he was more in love with every day he spent with him.
More garments from his friends wafted into view; it was enough to send a jolt of realization to Harvey’s brain, and his legs began to move again. He couldn’t abandon the team. He couldn’t abandon his family. He loved them all.
Harvey slowly released the school jacket and watched it float away. “I’m sorry, Charlie,” he thought as he began to swim, “but I hope you’ll forgive me if your dad keeps you waiting just a little bit more…”
“Let go!” the voice hissed, angrily now. “Forget everything! It would be so easy! You must forget! Close your eyes and forget! Let go...let go of the chains weighing you down...just close your eyes and sleep! Sleep with us!”
“Argghhh!” Harvey groaned, the water up to his eyes by now, causing him to tilt his head upwards. “No! These aren’t chains!” He gathered all the floating pieces of cloth and clutched them tightly to his chest. “These are my lifesavers!” Harvey cried, gurgling slightly as water kept spilling into his mouth. “I won’t let them go, not after they saved me...saved me?” Harvey’s eyes suddenly widened as the answer became clear to him. He ignored the angrily shouting voice, took a deep breath, and dove down under the water, swimming all the way to the bottom of the room.
“What’s he doing?” Linkara cried, watching as Harvey moved toward the grate and started pushing his hands over the small hole. “He can’t stop the water like that! There’s already too much in there!”
Unbeknownst to the four, Harvey was not just wildly pushing his hands into the grate. He was in fact stuffing every article of clothing he’d collected through the holes as fast as he could. Within seconds, the grate was blocked and Harvey cheered internally as he waved his hand around and felt no more water spurting out of it. As quickly as he could, he swam up and gasped very loudly before filling his lungs with air again. Now that he’d stopped the water, all he had to do was find a way out.
Harvey looked around, noticing that the ceiling was now inches from his head, and spotted the faint outline of a rectangle to his right. “I knew it!” He swam toward the rectangle, pushed against it with all his might, and cried out happily when the tile popped open, revealing a hole he could climb into. “I...I did it...” Harvey said, smiling despite his shivers. He quickly pulled himself up and into the ceiling space before casting one final glance down.
The beautiful blue coat was floating within his reach and Harvey lowered his hand, letting the damp material brush his fingertips. “One day, Charlie, I’ll buy you a brand new coat. The most beautiful coat in all of Heaven.” he murmured. A sudden flash of a smiling boy’s face entered his mind and Harvey felt a surge of love course through his body. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and turned back to the task at hand. “Now, how far does an old man have to crawl before he loses all his dignity?”
On the other side of the glass, Linkara and 90s Kid were jumping for joy and hugging each other.
“He made it! He’s safe!”
“I knew he could do it! Harvey would never leave us like that!”
“I do wonder how he stopped the flow of water though,” Linksano asked, still peering at the drain opening as best he could.
*Perhaps he used something invisible to us* Ninja guessed, remembering their past trials.
“Perhaps,” Linksano relented before he gasped as not just the water, but the entire room vanished before his eyes. “Linkara! Everyone! Look!”
Linkara was too busy staring at the scroll in his hands, which had started to emanate a white light. The words written across it vanished, replaced by new ones. “Congratulations. You have passed the trials and proven yourself worthy. Repeat these words and the weapon will be revealed.”
Linkara spoke aloud the words that were printed in a language most couldn’t even dream of deciphering, and another blinding flash of light filled the area. Once it had vanished, the team was left staring at a small, wooden, levitating box which glowed bright green in color. They admired it in awe for a few moments before Linkara slowly reached out and took the box into his hands. Everyone huddled around him eagerly as he removed the shiny, polished lid to reveal a quill that shimmered like glass, bathing everything around it with color and light. 90s Kid shivered at the sight of it, wordlessly looking to Linkara to ask what it could do. To their surprise, Linkara closed the box without even touching it.
*You are not going to try it out, Linkara?*
“It’s too risky,” Linkara informed them. “Since I have no idea what this thing might do, I don’t want to test it out here. We’ll wait until we get back home, where we know it’ll be safe.”
“Home,” Linksano whispered, and the others felt relief flood through them. They had the weapon. The mission was over. Now they could return to their own world and see their loved ones again.
“Dude, can we go home right now?” 90s Kid’s question was as hopeful as a child’s, and Linkara couldn’t help chuckling.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? Let’s go get Harvey first and then we can get out of here.” As he spoke, the titanium door swung open before them, allowing the team to step out into the hallway where Harvey would presumably appear.
“Harvey-dude? You totally did it, you passed the trial!”
“Finevoice?” Linksano called out, waving his tricorder around and adjusting the settings on his goggles once again. “Where are you?”
Ninja walked back through the door they’d all just exited to search both halves of the room separated by the two-way mirror, appearing on the walls and ceiling in barely-noticeable flashes of black, before he turned to them and shrugged. *I cannot find him anywhere.*
“Harvey! Are you stuck in the ceiling?” Linkara called, trying to listen for any noise which could have been made by the singer. “Ninja, Linksano, is there any sign of him?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Linksano said, a frown forming on his face.
*I cannot sense him at all* Ninja reluctantly revealed, though he did not stop his search. That is, he did not stop his search until he was forcefully ejected from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
90s Kid turned to Linkara in confusion and worry. “What’s going on?” 90s Kid wondered. “Where’s Harvey-dude?”
“I don’t know,” Linkara admitted before his expression grew angry. “Hey!” Linkara shouted, looking up at the impossibly white ceiling. “What did you do with Harvey? Give him back to us right now! We have to find him before we can leave! Let us go back into that room to find him! Hey! Is anyone listening to me?”
“I’m listening.” The four whirled around to stare in shock at a young woman standing before them. She wore a purple cloak around her body and held a book that Linkara recognized immediately, since he had the same one back at the base.
“Who are you?” he asked, stepping in front of his team protectively, ready at any second to pull his Magic Gun if necessary.
The woman smiled, a cold smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You can call me Elle. Oh, and by the way, you can’t return to the room of a completed trial without the one who completed the trial being present.”
Linkara frowned. “Thanks for the tip,” he said dryly. “So, what do you want, Elle?”
“The same thing you do.” She glanced to the box in Linkara’s hands. “The same thing anyone who enters The Aisles of Write desires: that quill.”
“The…Aisles of Write? Ugh…” The team couldn’t help groaning when they heard this. “That’s just awful.”
“I believe Boffo could come up with a better pun than that.”
*Please don’t give him any ideas.*
“Ahem.” Elle cleared her throat, her cold smile still in place. “So is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’?”
Linkara’s face quickly hardened. They had come too far and suffered through too much to give up their prize that easily.
Elle smirked, easily reading his face. “I know that you must be thinking it’s ridiculous of me to ask for something you all worked so hard to acquire. If I’d been the one who was plagued by the cry of a thousand voices or forced to cut into my own arms, I would be reluctant to give it up as well.”
“You were spying on us?” Linksano cried, looking truly appalled by such news, as well as disturbed to know that her presence had not once been detected by any of them.
*How did you manage to keep track of us without giving yourself away?* Ninja wondered.
Elle smirked. “I knew it. You’re all a bunch of inexperienced fools who only managed to pass the trials by luck. Did you honestly think a seasoned sorceress who has visited this universe multiple times would be unable to detect the presence of you novices?”
90s Kid’s stomach turned to lead. “Oh no…when I used the communicator, Linksano said someone could track the signal…is that how you found us?” He looked to Linkara in shame. “I-I’m so sorry! This is all my fault!”
“Actually, it’s all his fault,” Elle replied, pointing a finger at Linksano. “I aimed a tracking spell directly at him, and he never even brought it to your attention. Pitiful.”
“I-I thought I was still experiencing the after-effects of my trial,” Linksano tried to explain, his fingers twitching madly as he tried not to feel humiliated about his failure. “I swear, Linkara, if I’d thought for one second that someone had used magic on me-”
“I know, Linksano. I believe you.” Linksano blinked in surprise before smiling a little in relief, but Linkara was too busy looking at Elle with contempt to notice. “Okay, so you tracked us and we didn’t notice. Why would that mean we’d ever even think about handing this weapon over to you?”
“Stubborn, aren’t you. Well, I believe I can convince you to part with it,” Elle continued, still smirking. “Perhaps you might consider...a trade?” With a snap of her fingers, Elle was joined by three other people; two were dressed in hooded cloaks which covered their faces and held the arms of the third, who was blindfolded, bound, and gagged, but instantly recognizable.
Linkara’s eyes widened in horror. “Harvey!” Before he could grab his Magic Gun, before Linksano or 90s Kid could grab their weapons, even before Ninja could leap into action, Elle snapped her fingers again and the three vanished completely.
“Don’t worry, he’s not hurt…yet,” Elle said, her eyes flashing with ice. “Although he might be a bit chilly. You see, I decided not to dry his clothes after pulling him out of that freezing cold water, so the old fellow might soon learn what it means to be a real ‘cool cat’.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Linkara snarled, his rage threatening to overwhelm him. “Are you trying to kill him? You already have him captured, isn’t that enough?!”
“I wonder how long it takes for hypothermia to set in,” Elle said, her smirk deepening. “Maybe an hour? Hmm, yes, that sounds right. In that case, I’ll give you an hour to decide what’s more important to you: the quill or that old man. When you have made your decision, return to the child’s trial to make the trade. If you don’t show…” Elle’s face went blank, save her eyes, which filled with darkness. “Then I won’t show any mercy. I shall be waiting.”
With another snap of her fingers, she was gone, leaving the four men to stare at each other miserably.
“D-Dad,” 90s Kid whispered, too quiet to be heard even by Ninja’s ears.
Linkara continued staring at the spot where he’d seen Harvey held hostage, bound and gagged and completely helpless. Harvey had to be weak after almost drowning and crawling through a ceiling, and now he must be freezing, but what if that wasn’t the extent of his suffering? What if the gag was preventing him from catching his breath properly? What if he had inhaled water and was unable to expel it from his lungs? What if Elle and her minions were doing something horrible to him right now? Linkara’s skin went white. He couldn’t bear the thought of Harvey dying, he couldn’t let this happen to him, the mission be damned.
“W-we have to give it to her.” he stammered, causing the others to stare at him.
“What are you saying, Linkara?” Linksano asked incredulously. “Are you seriously going to hand that over after everything we’ve just gone through?”
“We-we can’t lose him,” Linkara said desperately, his knees shaking. “I can’t lose him. I’m going to give them the quill.”
“Don’t you dare!” 90s Kid shouted, grabbing Linkara and turning him around to face him. Linkara stared back in shock. “We did not just go through hell to have you give up now, Linkara! I’ll never forgive you if you do! I did not go through all of this for nothing! Remember what you asked me before: is Harvey’s life more important than everybody else’s in the world?!”
“That-that’s not fair!” Linkara cried pitifully. He could already hear those words echoing through his head from when he’d first said them to 90s Kid what seemed like an eternity ago.
“I know it’s not fair, but it’s true!” 90s Kid cried, tears starting to trickle down his cheeks. “I had to choose between this mission and Dan and I did it because I knew doing this would save Dan! I knew it would save everyone! I love Harvey just like you do, but we c-can’t...we can’t turn our backs on everyone…Harvey-dude would never w-want that...”
“He’s right,” Linksano said, his voice solemn. “You can’t just give this weapon to those most likely villainous people and risk everyone’s lives.”
*It is an impossible choice, Linkara, but it is one we’ve all made. Can you do the same?*
Linkara looked down, his face heating up as more tears prickled at his eyes. He understood now. This is what he’d put them all through by asking them to come on this mission and now, when it came down to it, he was wavering when he had to do the same. But this was what being a hero meant, making the impossible choices and saving the most people possible. Harvey would want it to be this way, and no matter how much Linkara protested, he knew it to be true. “I...I’m sorry,” he whispered, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done...what I’ve asked of you all without even realizing how much it truly mattered…”
Linkara fell quiet when 90s Kid pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, dude. We can talk about it later, but right now, we have to make our awesome plan.”
“W-what?” Linkara looked up and wiped his eyes before peering at the teen in confusion. “But I thought you said-”
*Do you really expect us to give up that easily?* Ninja shot Linkara a smile that radiated warmth even through his mask.
“Of course not,” Linksano said, clapping his hands together. “If some evil magical team captures our companion and tries to force our hand, we don’t just roll over like trained dogs - we fight back!”
Linkara unleashed a shaky smile before he pulled every member of his team into a quick hug. “I should know by now never to doubt you guys. Okay, let’s put our heads together and come up with a plan. We only have an hour, but I’d like to make it less, since I want to get Harvey out of those wet clothes as soon as possible.”
The four started murmuring together, each offering and then rejecting different ideas as they searched for one that would work. 90s Kid wanted badly to help, but he was the least skilled when it came to devising plans, so he was mostly left listening to the others. As he churned ideas around in his brain, trying to come up with one that sounded decent, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the Golden Snitch, making a game of releasing it and then catching it before it flew more than a foot away. 90s Kid always came up with his best ideas when he was doing something else, like skateboarding or drawing in his sketchbook, so he hoped this activity would be similarly inspiring.
Ninja was the first to notice his game. *90s Kid, what are you doing?*
“Huh? Oh, nothing, just catching this thing,” 90s Kid muttered as he held up the Snitch between two fingers.
“Didn’t that come from your trial?” Linksano wondered. “I didn’t realize you could remove items from the trials and bring them out here.”
“I guess we can,” Linkara said with a shrug. “It’s not like it really matters, since I probably could have used my magic to make one of those for 90s Kid back home anyway.”
“No, I think it does matter.” They looked to Linksano in surprise while the scientist calculated silently for a moment. “Yes, I think it matters quite a bit, since I now have an idea that I believe will work. It will require the use of your special skills, Linkara, but I have confidence that you will not let us down.”
As Linkara leaned in close so that Linksano could explain his plan, Ninja and 90s Kid checked their weapons and their courage. There was one final battle to be fought before they could finally return to the place they had all been dreaming of, and this was one battle they all refused to lose.
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 9/ Part 10/ Part 12/ Part 13/ Part 14/Bonus Material
The color drained from Harvey’s face when he saw the golden words beckoning him to approach a particular door.
ENTER
“I guess it’s me, then.”
Harvey almost jumped when Linkara placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright. We’re all here with you, remember?”
“Thanks, Kid.” Harvey smiled at his boyfriend, but his hands were shaking at his sides. He almost had trouble holding his gun steady while Linkara secured the area and when he stepped into the room, his knees felt like they might buckle at any moment.
Harvey took in his surroundings, which appeared to be a police interrogation room, something he was familiar with thanks to countless movies and detective novels he’d enjoyed over the years, with a serious expression. He felt apprehensive as he thought about what this trial could mean for him. Was he going to be interrogated? Harvey figured he could handle being yelled at or even beaten up by a cop, since he’d had experience with that, but if it was someone unexpected doing the interrogating all bets were off.
“What do you cats think about…?” Harvey trailed off when he realized he was alone. The only face he could see was his own, a reflection staring back at him glumly from a large pane of glass covering the entire left side of the room. Further investigation of the area revealed that this room didn’t have any windows or doors, simply stark grey walls, a white ceiling with a single lightbulb swinging from it, and a cement floor with a small grate in the center of it. Harvey swallowed hard and tried to keep his wits about him. It looked like he was going to have to go through this alone, so the quicker he solved this puzzle, the quicker he’d be reunited with everyone. Keeping this in mind, Harvey began looking around the sparse pieces of furniture in the room for his scroll, but could not seem to locate it at all.
On the other side of the wall-length pane of glass, 90s Kid was pounding his fists against it as hard as he could. “Harvey-dude! Harvey! Can you hear us, man?”
*I don’t think he can, 90s Kid.* Ninja held up. *He is behind two-way glass, meaning that we can see him, but he cannot see or hear us.*
“I don’t see a scroll anywhere in that room,” Linksano remarked, before he felt something roll against his boot. Unlike the other scrolls, this one was gold in color, and the four couldn’t help admiring it briefly before Linkara unrolled it.
“Words Cannot Forgive. Obey the Words: Survive.”
A chill traveled down each of their spines once Linkara finished speaking. “W-what does that mean, dude?” 90s Kid quavered. “What does Harvey have to do?” Before anyone could answer, the four noticed Harvey making odd movements in the other room and turned to watch him. His movements were soon explained when they realized that water had started gushing into the room from the grate in the floor.
“What the hell?!” Harvey took several steps back from the sudden spray of liquid before he started to look around wildly. No windows. No doors. Nothing that could help him escape. Harvey moved toward the mirror then and started pounding on it. “Lemme out! Is anyone in there? Lemme out right now!”
“Harvey-dude!” 90s Kid was pounding on the glass again, trying to respond to the singer’s shouts, while Linkara rushed over to the one door in their half of the room. He twisted the knob eagerly and then angrily when he realized it was locked.
“Damn it! Damn it all!” Linkara started kicking the door, trying to break it down with brute strength, but it wouldn’t budge. “Come on, help me!”
Ninja started to search the dark area they were trapped in, but there was no furniture at all to be found. There was nothing but a stone floor and one naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, similar to the one in Harvey’s room. Ninja leapt to the ceiling to study it, but found it to be nothing more than a cheap light which would break if slammed against the door, so instead he headed to Linkara’s side and tried to help him open it.
“It’s no use,” Linksano told them after a quick scan of the door. “It’s made of reinforced titanium. There’s no way to open it from in here.”
“We have to open it!” Linkara insisted, still kicking at it furiously. “We have to get to Harvey before that room is swallowed with water!”
“What about a magic spell?” 90s Kid suggested.
“I don’t know any for opening locked doors!” Linkara moaned, regretting his laziness when it came to his magical studies.
*Linkara, remember that this is Harvey’s trial* Ninja tried to remind him. *We might not be able to do anything to help him.*
“I refuse to accept that! I won’t just stand here and watch him drown!” Linkara suddenly reached into his coat and pulled out his Magic Gun, aiming at the center of the metallic door. After a few shots failed to even scratch it, Linkara groaned angrily and returned to the window, where 90s Kid remained staring at Harvey. He started pounding on the glass before shooting it as well with the Gun, to similar non-effects. “Damn it! Damn it all! Break, damn you, break!”
“Linkara-dude-”
“Break break break!”
“Linkara!” Linkara let out a soft growl when 90s Kid grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him so they faced each other. “That isn’t helping! You gotta stop!”
“I gotta help Harvey!” Linkara countered.
“We can’t help him and you know it!” Linkara blinked in surprise at how forceful the teen sounded, but 90s Kid wasn’t done yet. “You know we gotta do it this way! Harvey has to survive by himself! It’s totally hard to watch this, but he can do it, Linkara! You helped him survive a long time ago, and now he’s strong enough to do it himself! You just gotta believe in Harvey-dude, okay?”
Linkara took in 90s Kid’s red face, trembling shoulders, and the barely concealed fear in his words before nodding. He was the leader here. He had to keep everyone calm now no matter how he felt inside.
“You’re...you’re right...we have to believe in Harvey now. Thank you, 90s Kid.”
90s Kid barely acknowledged the words, having already turned back to the window. Linkara and the others joined him, watching fearfully, but also daring to have hope that Harvey would be able to overcome this task on his own.
Harvey eventually gave up on pounding on the window, realizing that even if the team was out there, there was probably no way they could break in and interfere. The water was up to his knees now and he was at a loss for what to do. He was a former Navy Captain and had spent a lot of time near the water, so he knew how to swim, but if the water level grew too high then even the best swimmer would be in trouble.
“Come on, gotta think, gotta think. Maybe there’s a secret door on the floor? Nah, I already examined it earlier, there’s nothing down there. What about on the ceiling? I couldn’t touch it before, but now, if I let the water level get high enough, I can search it up close. But if there’s nothing there, then I’ll be in even bigger trouble.”
As Harvey struggled to think, the water kept rushing in faster than ever, and soon he was up to his waist in no time at all. “Oh geez,” Harvey murmured, staring around for some way, any way to be able to survive.
“…You must have had many scares in your life…the water that pulled you down until you almost could not breathe…most terrifying… ”
Harvey shivered before shaking his head. “No, I refuse to let that kooky broad be right! I can’t go down like this! I refuse to die, not when I finally have something to live for again!”
Harvey looked down when he felt something in the water brush against his hand, and noticed something strange.
“What the...?” He reached down and pulled out Linksano’s goggles. “These belong to Doc…” Harvey’s eyes went wide. Had something happened to him? What was happening to the team? Where were they? Were they trying to find him, or was this all part of the trial’s plan to trick him? The water was up to his chest now. Harvey started to see more things floating in the water, including Ninja’s mask and Linkara’s coat. He reached for the coat and held it up, wondering why these items were appearing all of a sudden.
“What the hell is he doing?” Linksano wondered, watching as Harvey looked to be examining nothing at all. Nobody responded, aside from the gasps that appeared when the water rose to Harvey’s neck. They watched as the singer took in a giant breath, desperate to keep his head above water.
“Harvey!” Linkara yelled, not realizing that he had a death grip on 90s Kid’s hand to keep himself upright. 90s Kid squeezed back, too frightened to utter a sound. Linksano and Ninja watched helplessly as Harvey continued splashing around and examining invisible things in the water.
More items began to appear around him, like Boffo’s wig, Dan’s white jacket, and Ted’s piano-key tie. Harvey wasn’t sure what any of it meant or what he was supposed to do with them now that they had appeared.
“Dammit, Finevoice, you can’t hold your breath forever, think of something!” he scolded himself. “You have to get yourself out of here or else-”
Harvey’s thoughts stopped abruptly when he saw something else floating nearby. A navy blue jacket with a white crest sown across the chest, and his hands trembled as he reached for it.
“This...this can’t be...” He had seen this jacket in his memories a million times. His wife had insisted on sending Charlie to private school to ensure he’d have a good education. Even though he wasn’t thrilled with the uniform, Charlie had always kept it neat and clean so his mother would be happy.
Harvey clutched the jacket to his chest, wondering if this would disappear after the trial or if he would be able to hold it close to him forever; then an article of clothing in the distance nearly made his heart stop.
It was a pale green hospital gown, faintly stained with blood and vomit even through the water, and Harvey forgot all thoughts of trying to escape. He just floated, without moving at all, ignoring the ache that was settling in his lungs. He thought he would never have to see that thing again, had hoped he would never have to see it again. Just one simple piece of cloth brought everything back to him, the fear, the heartbreak, the pain he’d felt as he held his son’s weak hand, only able to watch as his darling little boy slipped away.
“Give up…” A soft voice murmured, appearing from nowhere, but speaking directly into Harvey’s ear. “He’s gone…somewhere you have never been able to follow…but now you can…give up…sleep…they don’t need you…follow him to where you’ve longed to go…”
“Charlie...” Harvey thought, ceasing to kick or struggle as the water climbed higher. “How can I go on without him? Why...why was he taken from me?” He closed his eyes. “I can’t do this anymore...” he thought, being successfully lulled by the invisible force in the water. “I could just...stop…I could...go real peaceful...see my little boy again...keep him safe...Charlie...”
Harvey was almost about to let the darkness fully envelop him and he closed his eyes, prepared for whatever was next, when something brushed against his fingers. 90s Kid’s hat. 90s Kid.
Suddenly memories flooded his brain that, like the water pouring into the room, Harvey was unable to stop. Memories of all the times he’d seen 90s Kid smile, the sound of his laugh, the way he drew Harvey pictures and talked endlessly about his accomplishments and hopes and dreams, working as hard as he could to make Harvey proud. He remembered the day that 90s Kid had begged him to be his dad, and the days he desperately wanted 90s Kid to be his son.
Harvey opened his eyes wider when he saw Linkara’s hat floating along behind the teen’s. Linkara. The man who had saved his life, who picked him up from the dirt, dusted him off, and helped him become strong enough to face the world again. The man who helped his heart heal after losing Suzanne, the man who helped him realize that true love could happen twice in the same lifetime. The man he was more in love with every day he spent with him.
More garments from his friends wafted into view; it was enough to send a jolt of realization to Harvey’s brain, and his legs began to move again. He couldn’t abandon the team. He couldn’t abandon his family. He loved them all.
Harvey slowly released the school jacket and watched it float away. “I’m sorry, Charlie,” he thought as he began to swim, “but I hope you’ll forgive me if your dad keeps you waiting just a little bit more…”
“Let go!” the voice hissed, angrily now. “Forget everything! It would be so easy! You must forget! Close your eyes and forget! Let go...let go of the chains weighing you down...just close your eyes and sleep! Sleep with us!”
“Argghhh!” Harvey groaned, the water up to his eyes by now, causing him to tilt his head upwards. “No! These aren’t chains!” He gathered all the floating pieces of cloth and clutched them tightly to his chest. “These are my lifesavers!” Harvey cried, gurgling slightly as water kept spilling into his mouth. “I won’t let them go, not after they saved me...saved me?” Harvey’s eyes suddenly widened as the answer became clear to him. He ignored the angrily shouting voice, took a deep breath, and dove down under the water, swimming all the way to the bottom of the room.
“What’s he doing?” Linkara cried, watching as Harvey moved toward the grate and started pushing his hands over the small hole. “He can’t stop the water like that! There’s already too much in there!”
Unbeknownst to the four, Harvey was not just wildly pushing his hands into the grate. He was in fact stuffing every article of clothing he’d collected through the holes as fast as he could. Within seconds, the grate was blocked and Harvey cheered internally as he waved his hand around and felt no more water spurting out of it. As quickly as he could, he swam up and gasped very loudly before filling his lungs with air again. Now that he’d stopped the water, all he had to do was find a way out.
Harvey looked around, noticing that the ceiling was now inches from his head, and spotted the faint outline of a rectangle to his right. “I knew it!” He swam toward the rectangle, pushed against it with all his might, and cried out happily when the tile popped open, revealing a hole he could climb into. “I...I did it...” Harvey said, smiling despite his shivers. He quickly pulled himself up and into the ceiling space before casting one final glance down.
The beautiful blue coat was floating within his reach and Harvey lowered his hand, letting the damp material brush his fingertips. “One day, Charlie, I’ll buy you a brand new coat. The most beautiful coat in all of Heaven.” he murmured. A sudden flash of a smiling boy’s face entered his mind and Harvey felt a surge of love course through his body. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and turned back to the task at hand. “Now, how far does an old man have to crawl before he loses all his dignity?”
On the other side of the glass, Linkara and 90s Kid were jumping for joy and hugging each other.
“He made it! He’s safe!”
“I knew he could do it! Harvey would never leave us like that!”
“I do wonder how he stopped the flow of water though,” Linksano asked, still peering at the drain opening as best he could.
*Perhaps he used something invisible to us* Ninja guessed, remembering their past trials.
“Perhaps,” Linksano relented before he gasped as not just the water, but the entire room vanished before his eyes. “Linkara! Everyone! Look!”
Linkara was too busy staring at the scroll in his hands, which had started to emanate a white light. The words written across it vanished, replaced by new ones. “Congratulations. You have passed the trials and proven yourself worthy. Repeat these words and the weapon will be revealed.”
Linkara spoke aloud the words that were printed in a language most couldn’t even dream of deciphering, and another blinding flash of light filled the area. Once it had vanished, the team was left staring at a small, wooden, levitating box which glowed bright green in color. They admired it in awe for a few moments before Linkara slowly reached out and took the box into his hands. Everyone huddled around him eagerly as he removed the shiny, polished lid to reveal a quill that shimmered like glass, bathing everything around it with color and light. 90s Kid shivered at the sight of it, wordlessly looking to Linkara to ask what it could do. To their surprise, Linkara closed the box without even touching it.
*You are not going to try it out, Linkara?*
“It’s too risky,” Linkara informed them. “Since I have no idea what this thing might do, I don’t want to test it out here. We’ll wait until we get back home, where we know it’ll be safe.”
“Home,” Linksano whispered, and the others felt relief flood through them. They had the weapon. The mission was over. Now they could return to their own world and see their loved ones again.
“Dude, can we go home right now?” 90s Kid’s question was as hopeful as a child’s, and Linkara couldn’t help chuckling.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? Let’s go get Harvey first and then we can get out of here.” As he spoke, the titanium door swung open before them, allowing the team to step out into the hallway where Harvey would presumably appear.
“Harvey-dude? You totally did it, you passed the trial!”
“Finevoice?” Linksano called out, waving his tricorder around and adjusting the settings on his goggles once again. “Where are you?”
Ninja walked back through the door they’d all just exited to search both halves of the room separated by the two-way mirror, appearing on the walls and ceiling in barely-noticeable flashes of black, before he turned to them and shrugged. *I cannot find him anywhere.*
“Harvey! Are you stuck in the ceiling?” Linkara called, trying to listen for any noise which could have been made by the singer. “Ninja, Linksano, is there any sign of him?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Linksano said, a frown forming on his face.
*I cannot sense him at all* Ninja reluctantly revealed, though he did not stop his search. That is, he did not stop his search until he was forcefully ejected from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
90s Kid turned to Linkara in confusion and worry. “What’s going on?” 90s Kid wondered. “Where’s Harvey-dude?”
“I don’t know,” Linkara admitted before his expression grew angry. “Hey!” Linkara shouted, looking up at the impossibly white ceiling. “What did you do with Harvey? Give him back to us right now! We have to find him before we can leave! Let us go back into that room to find him! Hey! Is anyone listening to me?”
“I’m listening.” The four whirled around to stare in shock at a young woman standing before them. She wore a purple cloak around her body and held a book that Linkara recognized immediately, since he had the same one back at the base.
“Who are you?” he asked, stepping in front of his team protectively, ready at any second to pull his Magic Gun if necessary.
The woman smiled, a cold smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You can call me Elle. Oh, and by the way, you can’t return to the room of a completed trial without the one who completed the trial being present.”
Linkara frowned. “Thanks for the tip,” he said dryly. “So, what do you want, Elle?”
“The same thing you do.” She glanced to the box in Linkara’s hands. “The same thing anyone who enters The Aisles of Write desires: that quill.”
“The…Aisles of Write? Ugh…” The team couldn’t help groaning when they heard this. “That’s just awful.”
“I believe Boffo could come up with a better pun than that.”
*Please don’t give him any ideas.*
“Ahem.” Elle cleared her throat, her cold smile still in place. “So is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’?”
Linkara’s face quickly hardened. They had come too far and suffered through too much to give up their prize that easily.
Elle smirked, easily reading his face. “I know that you must be thinking it’s ridiculous of me to ask for something you all worked so hard to acquire. If I’d been the one who was plagued by the cry of a thousand voices or forced to cut into my own arms, I would be reluctant to give it up as well.”
“You were spying on us?” Linksano cried, looking truly appalled by such news, as well as disturbed to know that her presence had not once been detected by any of them.
*How did you manage to keep track of us without giving yourself away?* Ninja wondered.
Elle smirked. “I knew it. You’re all a bunch of inexperienced fools who only managed to pass the trials by luck. Did you honestly think a seasoned sorceress who has visited this universe multiple times would be unable to detect the presence of you novices?”
90s Kid’s stomach turned to lead. “Oh no…when I used the communicator, Linksano said someone could track the signal…is that how you found us?” He looked to Linkara in shame. “I-I’m so sorry! This is all my fault!”
“Actually, it’s all his fault,” Elle replied, pointing a finger at Linksano. “I aimed a tracking spell directly at him, and he never even brought it to your attention. Pitiful.”
“I-I thought I was still experiencing the after-effects of my trial,” Linksano tried to explain, his fingers twitching madly as he tried not to feel humiliated about his failure. “I swear, Linkara, if I’d thought for one second that someone had used magic on me-”
“I know, Linksano. I believe you.” Linksano blinked in surprise before smiling a little in relief, but Linkara was too busy looking at Elle with contempt to notice. “Okay, so you tracked us and we didn’t notice. Why would that mean we’d ever even think about handing this weapon over to you?”
“Stubborn, aren’t you. Well, I believe I can convince you to part with it,” Elle continued, still smirking. “Perhaps you might consider...a trade?” With a snap of her fingers, Elle was joined by three other people; two were dressed in hooded cloaks which covered their faces and held the arms of the third, who was blindfolded, bound, and gagged, but instantly recognizable.
Linkara’s eyes widened in horror. “Harvey!” Before he could grab his Magic Gun, before Linksano or 90s Kid could grab their weapons, even before Ninja could leap into action, Elle snapped her fingers again and the three vanished completely.
“Don’t worry, he’s not hurt…yet,” Elle said, her eyes flashing with ice. “Although he might be a bit chilly. You see, I decided not to dry his clothes after pulling him out of that freezing cold water, so the old fellow might soon learn what it means to be a real ‘cool cat’.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Linkara snarled, his rage threatening to overwhelm him. “Are you trying to kill him? You already have him captured, isn’t that enough?!”
“I wonder how long it takes for hypothermia to set in,” Elle said, her smirk deepening. “Maybe an hour? Hmm, yes, that sounds right. In that case, I’ll give you an hour to decide what’s more important to you: the quill or that old man. When you have made your decision, return to the child’s trial to make the trade. If you don’t show…” Elle’s face went blank, save her eyes, which filled with darkness. “Then I won’t show any mercy. I shall be waiting.”
With another snap of her fingers, she was gone, leaving the four men to stare at each other miserably.
“D-Dad,” 90s Kid whispered, too quiet to be heard even by Ninja’s ears.
Linkara continued staring at the spot where he’d seen Harvey held hostage, bound and gagged and completely helpless. Harvey had to be weak after almost drowning and crawling through a ceiling, and now he must be freezing, but what if that wasn’t the extent of his suffering? What if the gag was preventing him from catching his breath properly? What if he had inhaled water and was unable to expel it from his lungs? What if Elle and her minions were doing something horrible to him right now? Linkara’s skin went white. He couldn’t bear the thought of Harvey dying, he couldn’t let this happen to him, the mission be damned.
“W-we have to give it to her.” he stammered, causing the others to stare at him.
“What are you saying, Linkara?” Linksano asked incredulously. “Are you seriously going to hand that over after everything we’ve just gone through?”
“We-we can’t lose him,” Linkara said desperately, his knees shaking. “I can’t lose him. I’m going to give them the quill.”
“Don’t you dare!” 90s Kid shouted, grabbing Linkara and turning him around to face him. Linkara stared back in shock. “We did not just go through hell to have you give up now, Linkara! I’ll never forgive you if you do! I did not go through all of this for nothing! Remember what you asked me before: is Harvey’s life more important than everybody else’s in the world?!”
“That-that’s not fair!” Linkara cried pitifully. He could already hear those words echoing through his head from when he’d first said them to 90s Kid what seemed like an eternity ago.
“I know it’s not fair, but it’s true!” 90s Kid cried, tears starting to trickle down his cheeks. “I had to choose between this mission and Dan and I did it because I knew doing this would save Dan! I knew it would save everyone! I love Harvey just like you do, but we c-can’t...we can’t turn our backs on everyone…Harvey-dude would never w-want that...”
“He’s right,” Linksano said, his voice solemn. “You can’t just give this weapon to those most likely villainous people and risk everyone’s lives.”
*It is an impossible choice, Linkara, but it is one we’ve all made. Can you do the same?*
Linkara looked down, his face heating up as more tears prickled at his eyes. He understood now. This is what he’d put them all through by asking them to come on this mission and now, when it came down to it, he was wavering when he had to do the same. But this was what being a hero meant, making the impossible choices and saving the most people possible. Harvey would want it to be this way, and no matter how much Linkara protested, he knew it to be true. “I...I’m sorry,” he whispered, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done...what I’ve asked of you all without even realizing how much it truly mattered…”
Linkara fell quiet when 90s Kid pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, dude. We can talk about it later, but right now, we have to make our awesome plan.”
“W-what?” Linkara looked up and wiped his eyes before peering at the teen in confusion. “But I thought you said-”
*Do you really expect us to give up that easily?* Ninja shot Linkara a smile that radiated warmth even through his mask.
“Of course not,” Linksano said, clapping his hands together. “If some evil magical team captures our companion and tries to force our hand, we don’t just roll over like trained dogs - we fight back!”
Linkara unleashed a shaky smile before he pulled every member of his team into a quick hug. “I should know by now never to doubt you guys. Okay, let’s put our heads together and come up with a plan. We only have an hour, but I’d like to make it less, since I want to get Harvey out of those wet clothes as soon as possible.”
The four started murmuring together, each offering and then rejecting different ideas as they searched for one that would work. 90s Kid wanted badly to help, but he was the least skilled when it came to devising plans, so he was mostly left listening to the others. As he churned ideas around in his brain, trying to come up with one that sounded decent, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the Golden Snitch, making a game of releasing it and then catching it before it flew more than a foot away. 90s Kid always came up with his best ideas when he was doing something else, like skateboarding or drawing in his sketchbook, so he hoped this activity would be similarly inspiring.
Ninja was the first to notice his game. *90s Kid, what are you doing?*
“Huh? Oh, nothing, just catching this thing,” 90s Kid muttered as he held up the Snitch between two fingers.
“Didn’t that come from your trial?” Linksano wondered. “I didn’t realize you could remove items from the trials and bring them out here.”
“I guess we can,” Linkara said with a shrug. “It’s not like it really matters, since I probably could have used my magic to make one of those for 90s Kid back home anyway.”
“No, I think it does matter.” They looked to Linksano in surprise while the scientist calculated silently for a moment. “Yes, I think it matters quite a bit, since I now have an idea that I believe will work. It will require the use of your special skills, Linkara, but I have confidence that you will not let us down.”
As Linkara leaned in close so that Linksano could explain his plan, Ninja and 90s Kid checked their weapons and their courage. There was one final battle to be fought before they could finally return to the place they had all been dreaming of, and this was one battle they all refused to lose.