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Chapter Text

"Just another beautiful day in the city."

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," eleven-year-old Becky grumped, leaning her elbow on the table as she half-heartedly dipped her spoon into her cereal. Bob on the other hand, was taking heart to the narrator's intro and happily stuffing towers of waffles and doughnuts into his maw.

"Uh, everything okay, Becky?" asked the disconnected voice laced with concern.

"I'm sorry," Becky apologized, regretting her original tone. "I didn't get much sleep last night. Mr. Big kept me busy all day with another mind control scheme, then I had some algebra homework. Then Energy Monster tried to eat the power station, so I had to stop her. Since the repair people wouldn't be in till 6 am,, I had to stay up super late to finish homework under candlelight." She sighed and rested her head into her hand. "Ever since I started sixth grade, the classes got harder. Anything that's not English or literature is about as easy to detangle as Granny May's knitting."

Bob paused between a mouthful of pastry to look at her sympathetically. He swallowed so he could give a comforting squeak and a pat on her shoulder.

Becky smiled at her best friend. "Thanks, Bob. I'll be okay. We've faced worse, remember?" Bob nodded, but he couldn't hide the worry growing on his face. "Come on," said Becky, trying to distract from his concern. "We better get to school."

A few minutes later, two familiar voices greeted her on their route. "Hey, Becky!"

"Hey, Scoops! Hey, Violet!" she greeted back, relieved to see some friendly faces for a change. It had only been a day since she last saw them, but it seemed like she was gradually seeing less of them. Too bad her super speed couldn't beat time.

"Haven't seen you since you took off to stop Mr. Big yesterday," said Scoops. He shook his head, laughing. "Seriously, mind control playing cards? The guy's running out of ideas."

Becky laughed. "Yeah, he didn't even need any devices. Castle Dungeon Fortress is already addictive."

"Added what?"

"Addictive, something that you love so much you just want more and more of it."

"Oh, like how Dr. Two-Brains finds cheese addictive!" said Violet proudly.

"Exactly!" said Becky, feeling just as proud of her friend's quick learning. She then felt the excitement and humor slip away at the painful reminder of her former friend's endless battle. The one battle she knew she could never defeat herself.

She had never told anyone, not even Huggy, about what happened after her first battle with Dr. Two Brains. Sure, she had finished with a bad pun, a laugh, a triumphant attitude, and flown off like she would with any other villain. It wasn't until she was out of sight of the abandoned warehouse when she realized she had forgotten Huggy. It might've looked like an absent-minded mistake, but she was as the stress of the battle had caught up with her, she was all too eager to leave. As guilty as she felt, it was for the best.

She then flew to the tallest peak she could find, where birds were the only witnesses to worry about. Not even her own strength could match with the force at which the emotions she had been holding back all day finally poured out. It all replayed in her mind like a horror movie clip show. Her mentor's face, and at the same time, not her mentor's face. As terrifying as the mutation had been, it wasn't the animalistic red eyes, the albino features, or even the exposed brain that haunted her.

It was that sinister smile, where a friendly one normally would be. The once welcoming brown eyes now red and glinting with malicious intent . The once hearty laugh turned maniacal rang in her ears even then. The same one as he didn't even hesitate to point his goop ray at her. Mocking her with no remorse or memory of their friendship. Even as all hope seemed lost, she still held onto a tiny ounce that he would remember. That Jekyll would overcome Hyde just in time to free her. With only the unbelievable convenience of her to family's appearance to distract him, she had to accept that Steven Boxleitner was gone.

Sometimes, she thought the good doctor was showing through during the breaks in their battles, but they always followed up with him trying to turn her into goop, cheese, or potato salad and then cheese. Whichever personality was in charge, she had a duty to uphold. Not only to protect the city from his threat, but to inspire the people. Either way, she had to get over it, accept that her friend was gone, that he was nothing more than another criminal to stop.

That was why, when Scoops invited her for a live interview, she chose Dr. Two Brains as her subject. It pained her to act callous during his backstory. And while some shenanigans were amusing, laughing was the only way to mask the struggle that the man she once looked up to was using his brilliant mind to threaten her and the city she loved. In hindsight, she shouldn't have blamed him for showing up to turn the tables. But the moment she looked him in the eye and vowed to stop him, she wasn't facing her ex-mentor. He wasn't there and for all she knew, he never would be again.

"Becky?" Violet's soft voice startled Becky out of her thoughts. Both friends and Bob watching her worriedly. How long had they been watching anyway? "Are you okay? You've been so quiet."

"Yeah," added Scoops. "You've got some serious bags under your eyes."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Becky said quickly, and maybe a little too cheerfully. "Just been a little busy, that's all."

"True, that Big business did take a whole day."

"The villains do seem to take up most of your time," Violet agreed, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Psh, they're no big deal," Becky waved a hand, using the same method as she used in Scoops' interview. "I'm used to juggling personal time with hero time. Though I do wish Kid Math was here to help me with these problems."

"You and me both," said Scoops.

Just then, Becky's super hearing picked up a familiar maniacal laugh. Startled, she gasped, then groaned knowing exactly what this meant.

"What's wrong?" asked Violet.

"Two-Brains again," Becky grumbled.

"Oh." Violet shared a worried look with Scoops and Bob. "Maybe the police can handle it this time."

"Come on," Becky rubbed at her temple. "If they could handle anything, do you think they would've needed me this whole time?"

"True," Violet and Scoops both muttered, while Bob squeaked and nodded in disappointed agreement.

"Think you guys can cover for me in class? Maybe just say I'm not feeling well." At least that wouldn't be a lie.

"Sure," said Scoops. "But are you sure you're up for it?"

Becky smiled. "I'll be fine." She then switched her triumphant superhero voice. "As long as evil never rests, neither will justice! Come on, Bob. Word up!" In a flash, only two children remained.

Scoops squealed excitedly, bouncing on his feet. "That never gets old!"

"Yeah," Violet agreed before looking sadly at the sky. "But missing her sure does."

Scoops stopped hopping, face dropping to match hers as they watched the yellow streak blink out of view. "You said it."

Meanwhile, at the roof of the cheeseum.

Dr. Two-Brains deviously rubbed his gloved hands together as he watched through the hole. Lucky for him, the roof was being renovated to strengthen durability, hence the web of steel beams over his head. Ironically, no one had considered how weakened security was during the process, making it so much easier to pick apart a hole in the corner with the mouse blimp hovering directly overhead. Then again, what could he expect from a city that needed a child's help with simple vocabulary?

"That's it, boys!" he called down the henchmen, throwing every piece of valuable cheese they could grab into the giant sack. "Spare nothing! Ooh, and while you're at it, see if you can get some of those classy cheese paintings. They'll really brighten up the lair!"

"You got it, Boss!" the red-beanie henchman gave him the thumbs up while his silent partner nodded. Charlie then grabbed a painting, or at least he assumed it was a painting an not just a paint splatter with a vaguely cheese-shaped yellow blotch in the center. He held up for the scientist to get a better view while his partner asked, "How about this one, Boss?"

Dr. Two-Brains looked it over with a contemplative expression, thumb rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know, a little abstract for my taste."

A gust of wind sent his cloak flapping, and he whipped around, recognizing the signature sound of super speed.

"Wordgirl!" The doctor snapped. Taken aback by her current state, he dropped his battle pose. Her limbs were hanging limply and not in their usual battle-ready pose. Her face displaying an insulting lack of interest. "Uh, losing our mojo, WG?" he asked, remembering the last time she acted like this. She had tried abruptly finishing their battle before he could explain the plan.

Wordgirl only rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Really, Two Brains? The cheeseum again?"

"Hey, we're talking some genuine manchego from 1900 Italy!" He sounded offended that she would take his plan so lightly, when so much rarity was at stake. "And the famous Venus de Maroilles will be mine!" He peered down the hole to admire the marbled sculpture of a woman posed sensuously with wheels of cheese where her arms should be. When he didn't hear the usual, "You'll never get away with this!" he turned to see the girl and monkey sharing a confused look and shrugging.

"What?" he asked, annoyed by the silent judgement. "Can't a villain be cultured?"

"Oh, is that what you call it," Wordgirl muttered, earning a chuckle from Huggy. "Look, Doc," Wordgirl sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I know you don't care, but this has been a really long week for me. So, is there any chance we can put this off another day." She dropped her hand to look at him with pleading eyes. "Any part of you that really does care?" Though she had long accepted that this new person had taken over the old, somewhere in her soul, especially when he was actually friendly, leaked a trickle of hope.

"Hello," Two-Brains replied, rolling his eyes. "Evil villain, remember? How many times do we have to go through this?"

"None." Wordgirl didn't bother hiding her disappointment. Collecting her vigor as best she could, "Alright, then. I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Two-Brains yelled, pulling a handheld ray out of his coat and aiming it at her. "Get ready to be goop, Wordgirl!"

As tired as she was, Wordgirl managed to channel her speed in auto mode, allowing some near misses to build suspense. While dodging, she whispered to her companion, "I'll distract him, you go after the henchmen."

Huggy squeaked and saluted before preparing himself for a classic monkey throw. As Wordgirl zoomed over the roof, dodging more blasts, she flung her sidekick down the hole, just catching the henchmen's surprised screams as she flew out of firing range.

"Getting slow, Two-Brains!" she mocked.

"Oh, I'll show you slow." He sent more blasts her way, several beams as she dodged. Wordgirl was genuinely wondering if he was even trying. She was off her own game, as her superspeed exerted more of her already tired body, but the adrenaline kept her from turning out like one of the beams behind her.

With her focus on the mad doctor, she didn't realize one of the shots she dodged hit part of a support beam. With nothing to hold it straight, the beam swung on its axle. Still distracted by her battle, Wordgirl's own super hearing barely picked up the screeching of metal until the beam was in her peripheral vision. Even with the ability to fly at the speed of sound, she didn't have time to react to the impact meeting her head. A singing pain waved through her head as she felt herself fall. Before she could process anything, her whole word faded into black.

Chapter Text

Two Brains was too busy laughing maniacally to see what had happened. "How's that for slow, Wordgirl?" he gloated, only to find himself bragging at an empty sky. "Uh, Wordgirl?" He rotated with his ray pointed upward, expecting a surprise attack with the typical snark, but all that greeted him was a flock of ducks. "Hey, where'd you-" he finally looked down, drawing a sharp gasp at the unexpected sight: the normally plucky heroine sprawled in the most unheroic manner.

His body stiffened, Two Brains cautiously approached his fallen foe, blinking to make sure he wasn't imagining things. The speed of his heartbeat could have matched Wordgirl's own superspeed. "Hey, are you…Wait, I see what this is." Having thought it over, he folded his arms, smirking. "The old fake out, eh? Well, it's not going to work! You can't fool a guy with two brains! Ahaha…haha…eheh." His laughter gradually died down when he didn't get the sassy remark he was used to. "No, seriously, you can drop the act now."

Curiosity overcoming caution, he approached the limp figure, preparing for a surprise attack. When none came, he got down on one knee, concern creeping into his voice. "Hello?" Throwing all caution to the wind, he poked her shoulder, not even getting a twitch. He nudged her head, only for it to roll back as limp as before.

"Oh cheese! Oh no! No, no, no!" The doctor dropped his ray and grabbed at his head, grasping fistfuls of tangled hair. "I-I won? I mean I won! Yes, this is exactly what I...planned." His voice dropped as the excitement quickly drained. He never imagined how he'd react to winning. He never expected to, but he thought there would at least be some triumphant feeling. The only feeling he had now was equivalent to receiving one of Wordgirl's signature super punches to the gut. Ironically, the kind she reserved for Toby's robots but never once used on a person. Knowing that just made it worse.

"Ok, pull it together," he panted, releasing his hair, which no doubt sported new shades of gray. "You're a doctor, do what you do!" He lowered his ear near mouth and then chest, trying to steady his own breathing so he could listen, and brought two fingers to her neck.

"Wait, what just happened?" That was all the doctor needed right now, an anxious narrator distracting him. "Wordgirl never gets hurt. She's not supposed to." His voice shook as he hesitated to ask, "Is-is she-?" The voice broke, not daring to say the word he swore he'd never say in a children's story.

"That's not helping!" Two-Brains snapped.

"Sorry, but…wait, why are you helping? Weren't you just trying to turn her into goop?"

"Never mind that! If you want to help, tell the sidekicks to pause the fight."

"Right, right. Meanwhile, inside the museum."

Huggy and the henchmen were engaged in a tug of war with the famous Mozza Lisa, a portrait of a dark-haired woman a cheese wheel instead of a face, when the narrator interrupted. "Time out guys." The sidekicks paused and stared into space in confusion. The narrator's voice shook as he reluctantly spoke. "You might want to get on the roof."

"Huh, that was quick," said the red-beanied as Captain Huggy Face leaped up to the hole, his Lexiconian DNA no doubt giving him special agility. "Maybe Wordgirl already caught the boss." Charlie nodded.

When Huggy emerged from the hole, he expected to see a triumphant Wordgirl beside a tied up Two-Brains. The last thing he expected was the complete opposite, the fallen her with arch enemy kneeling by her side, relief on his face. Huggy's blood ran cold and he felt the breath leave his body as he was certain it had left his friend's. Heart racing at the pace of his mind racing with questions. How could this happen? She couldn't really be gone, right? But it looked as it was so. He had the same feeling he once got from eating an expired tuna sandwich, the loss weighing his heart. But after one look at the man who caused it, so calm in what he had done, pure unfiltered rage coursed through him.

Huggy gave a shriek like he never shrieked before, even curdling the demented scientist's blood. Two Brains didn't even get the chance to catch the enraged primate leaping on his head and tugging at his hair. Had he been able to speak monkey, he would've understood the profanities and unsavory threats the screeches translated to.

"Ow, ow, knock it off, monkey!" he yelled, grabbing for the monkey. "She's alive!" Huggy paused but didn't release his death grip on the scientist's hair. A moment of hope almost let his guard down, but he wasn't ready to give up the fight. Especially if this turned out to be a trick. "Check her pulse and her breathing, it's still normal."

Despite his distrust, Huggy couldn't resist giving in to that one twinge of hope. He jumped off the doctor's head to lean over and listen. When he saw it was just as the doctor said he exhaled and hugged the unconscious girl. The relief couldn't have been greater if he had just stopped the Botsfords from figuring out their daughter's secret. Now that that had settled and he was past the worst of it, he gave the villain responsible for this his best death glare.

"What, you think I wanted that to happen?" If Huggy didn't know better, he would think the mad doctor was offended. "I only used my goop ray." Huggy's glare only hardened. "Okay, I know that sounds worse, but at least she was awake."

Huggy still couldn't figure the logic of that statement. He might've further grilled the villain, possibly literally, if two sharp gasps hadn't interrupted their confrontation. They both turned to see the two henchmen halfway out of the hole, jaws dropped and eyes like saucers. "Hey, Boss, what happened to Wordgirl?" Like Huggy, this was not a sight they expected.

"A beam knocked her out. If it weren't for her super strength, I'm not sure she would be alive." He looked down at his arch nemesis, still hoping she would pop up any moment to say that it was all a ploy to catch him with his guard down. Except he didn't see a nemesis now. Just a child injured from his own recklessness. The guilt ate away at his core as he ate away at a giant cheese wheel.

The mouse brain, on the other hand, buzzed with elation. Nows, your chance! Finish what you started, then she'll never get in our way again! Two Brains' stomach twisted. For the first time since the accident, he lost his appetite even for cheese.

"No," he said under his breath, confusing both Huggy and the henchmen. "That's not how we do this." The smaller brain throbbed bitterly, heating up his current headache. He grabbed at the little lobe, clenching his teeth to keep from crying out in pain. "Look we can still bring the cheese, okay." The mouse brain finally calmed down, giving him a chance to come to his decision. "We need to get her back to the lair."

His henchmen looked confused, but Huggy raised his fists and squawked, which he could only guess translated to, "Absolutely not!"

"Look," Two Brains worked to keep his voice calm. "If I wanted to defeat her like this, don't you think I would've used my goop ray while I had the chance?"

Huggy dropped his glare and fists, loathe to admit Two Brains had a point. That didn't mean he had to be less suspicious.

"I'm confused, boss," said the henchman.

"What else is new?"

"Are you going to help Wordgirl?"

Two Brains sighed, unable to believe it himself, but he responded with a resigned, "Yes."

Huggy and the henchmen both had many questions regarding his motivation, but the doctor's tone warned them not to push it now. Huggy kept a sharp eye to make sure Two Brains didn't slip up and do something to make him regret his mild trust. So, he was surprised by how gently Two Brains picked up and cradled the child. Two Brains was surprised himself by how easy it was. How could this pint-sized powerhouse who punched through his machines like paper seem so small and fragile in his arms? On top of that, despite never picking her up this way, it somehow came naturally.

"Uh, boss," his henchman asked cautiously. "If we're helping Wordgirl, shouldn't we take her to a hospital?" Both Charlie and Huggy nodded in agreement, with Huggy still watching suspiciously. Not that Two Brains blamed him, but it wasn't helping him if he was constantly watched.

"Not unless you want to send the whole city in a panic," Two Brains replied. "Not that I care really, they'll panic over just about anything. But it's not going to help her if the doctors get overwhelmed by publicity. Especially since none of them are familiar with aliens." He then noticed the skeptical look on Huggy. "What, you don't think I'm qualified? I was testing her before I became a villain, remember?" He turned to the henchmen, annoyed that they were just watching dumbfounded. "What, you want an invitation? Get on the blimp!"

"Right, boss!" At least his ordering was still normal.

"And take the cheese." When Huggy squeaked his objection, Two Brains added, "What, you want to rile up Squeaky? I can't exactly help her if I've got a mad mouse distracting me, now can I?

On a normal day, Huggy would've put up more of a fight. With the way things were now, he would willingly give up all his favorite foods in the world if it woke up his best friend. Next thing he knew, they were in their arch enemy's mouse blimp, with said enemy gently laying Wordgirl on the floor and grabbing a first aid kit. With a roll of bandages on his wrist, the doctor reached for her helmet, only for Huggy to stop him with warning look.

"Fine," Two Brains rolled his eyes and tossed over the bandages. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll look away." He joined his henchmen at the controls, grumbling, "Not that I'll know her identity anyway."

A tense silence fell over the ship, the henchmen still on edge about questioning their boss who already had a short temper as it was. Fortunately for them, the narrator chimed in. "So, what's your angle?"

"What angle?" Two Brains scowled.

"You've tried to turn Wordgirl into goop, like, fifty times. Why are you helping her? You got something worse in mind?"

"What? No!" For a supervillain who regularly threatened a ten-year-old and the entire city, he sounded like it was the most horrific thing he'd heard in his life. Perhaps in his old life, it would be.

The short henchman chimed. "Yeah, and there was that time you captured Wordgirl to turn her into potato salad. And when you had Hal Hardbargain make a ray that turned superheroes into cheese. And-"

"I get the idea!" The doctor clasped his hands to his head, feeling a headache coming on to both brains. He took a deep breath to calm himself and dropped his hands. "In case none have you have noticed, that only happens in a fair fight. You know, big showdown between hero and villain. I have to raise the stakes or everyone gets bored." He dared to look behind him. As he expected, Huggy had finished bandaging Wordgirl's head. The wrappings covered her crown so thickly they almost passed for her normal helmet.

"Besides," Two Brains sighed and sank to the floor, leaned his back against the pilot's chair, and hugged a knee to his chest. "It's not like I expect it to work." He allowed a sad chuckle. "No matter how close I've come, she always has some trick up her sleeve." Both Huggy and the henchmen wondered if they were imagining things, or were they hearing pride in his voice?

"Really?" Then henchman scratched his head. "I've never seen her take anything out of her sleeve."

Two Brains rolled his eyes again, wondering why he kept such idiots around. Until he remembered what happened when he replaced them with a crazy mouse. "It's just an expression. I'm saying she always has a way out. Her speed and strength aren't her only traits you know."

"Oh, yeah. I've never seen her get hurt in our battles too. I was starting to think she was invincible."

"I know." His voice fell as he watched the superhero duo. "So did I."

Twenty minutes later, they were back at the warehouse lair and Dr. Two Brains carefully laid the girl on the couch. "I'll run some scans to make sure there's no major damage. Good thing I kept some equipment from my old days."

"What can we do, boss?" asked the henchman.

The doctor sighed, knowing they meant well. All he could ask was for them not to get in his way while he monitored his patient. It was distracting enough with a mad monkey monitoring him. "More importantly, don't tell anyone."

The henchmen acknowledged with a salute and moved to the table where a deck of cards was already set out. Needing distraction, Charlie began shuffling the pack. "Have you ever seen the boss, like this, Charlie?" asked his friend. Charlie shook his head as he dealt out the cards. "Me either. Even cheese doesn't make him this anxious." They turned to see the doctor setting up an X ray. "I hope she wakes up. I know we've tried to defeat Wordgirl, but I've never wanted to see her hurt like this."

Charlie gave a sad nod just as the phone rang, startling everyone who was still conscious. Two Brains nearly dropped the piece of machinery he was setting up. "Can someone please handle that?" he growled irritably.

"Got it, Boss." The henchman toppled over his chair as he hurried to the phone and nervously answered, "Dr. Two Brains' residence."

"Yeah, uh, hi." The henchman knew that shy voice anywhere. "It's Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy."

"Oh, hey, Chuck." Just keeping his voice casual was a chore. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm robbing the grocery store, and Wordgirl hasn't showed up for the last hour."

"Really?" the henchman feigned surprise as he watched Two Brains finish setting up the X ray. Luckily, he was too occupied to care about the conversation.

"Yeah, she's only been late once cause she was in the mountains. I wondered if she was taking the day off again. Just checking in case she's busy with Dr. Two Brains right now."

"Well, um," the henchman felt his throat close. He didn't forget his boss's order, but he was a terrible liar when he got nervous.

Chuck's anxious tone wasn't helping either. "Can you tell me if they're battling? I've been a nervous wreck worrying about her!"

"They were." Realizing what he said, he clasped a hand over his mouth as Charlie waved his hands in front, silently urging his friend not to reveal more.

But it was too late. "What do you mean 'were?"

The henchman nervously clenched his teeth as he looked back at the in-house hospital. Two Brains had finished a thorough check before smiling in approval and telling Huggy he found no major damage. Lexiconian skulls really were durable.

"Well, the boss says she'll be fine," the henchman kept his voice, grateful for some good news.

"Why, what happened?" If Chuck didn't sound anxious before, his anxiety was going through the roof now.

The henchman sighed. He knew he promised Two Brains, but there was no getting out of it now. He cupped his hand over his mouth to block out any remaining sound. Luckily, the doctor and monkey were still distracted with their patient.

"Here's what happened," he said in a low voice. "Wordgirl and the boss were battling, but a metal beam hit her head and knocked her out." He paused, expecting to hear another wave of panic, but all he got was static. "The boss says she'll be okay, but she hasn't woken up yet. And I don't know-" a loud click cut him off, leaving only the phone's buzzing.

The henchman hung up, relieved, shaken and confused all at the same time. "Maybe he went off on a crime spree," he suggested. Charlie only shrugged. Just when they thought it was finally over, the phone rang again. The henchman's hand moved at a speed that could almost match Wordgirl's, cutting off the first ring before it caught the doctor's or Huggy's attention. "Hello?" he answered, both voice and hand still shaking.

"Hey, buddy, it's the Butcher!" came another familiar, yet more cheerful voice. "Just calling to see if Wordgirl is busy battling your boss. I'm robbing the bank, but she hasn't showed up yet."

The henchman sighed and rubbed his temple. Now he knew how the boss felt.

Chapter Text

Two Brains had hooked up an oxygen tank and heart monitor, placing the mask over the unconscious girl, after letting Huggy inspect it to make sure it really was just oxygen and not toxic fumes. Two Brains tried not to be offended, but considering how many times he tricked the duo, he couldn't say he blamed him. So far, Wordgirl's heart rate was steady, but he had to make sure her lungs still had support while she was out.

Now that the worst was behind him, he allowed himself a breather, looking over the small figure he had so often called his sworn enemy. Today, she was just a child. A child he had once mentored, and…did he remember this right, felt protective for?

"No, that's ridiculous," he muttered shaking his head, confusing Huggy who was sitting on the couch's arm. But the monkey just shook his own head and went back to monitoring his best friend. Still, the doctor wondered which brain thought it ridiculous. And if it was right, why was the guilt growing, overwhelming even his own love for cheese? Whatever questions filled his head, they were interrupted by a sudden ring from the doorbell.

All four occupants froze. As far as Two Brains knew, he wasn't expecting anyone. Huggy's immediate concern was anyone seeing Wordgirl in her current state. As selfish as Two Brains could be, he was right about one thing: publicity was the last thing she needed right now. He turned to Two Brains, but the doctor held up a hand. "Don't worry, I'll check."

The monkey stayed protectively at his friend's side, but he kept his eye on the villain as he peered through the broken window by the garage door. "What the halloumi?"

"Hey, Doc!" called a familiar gruff voice. The Butcher.

The monkey's heart rate could've rivaled Wordgirl's speed as he ran to Two Brains' side and looked through the window. The Butcher was indeed standing outside the warehouse. Along with Chuck, Granny May, Lady Redundant Woman, Ms. Question, Big Lefthand Guy, which meant Invisibill was concealed by his side, and the Whammer in the back.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Two Brains.

"We heard about Wordgirl," said Chuck. "Is it true? Is she really hurt?"

Now that he knew there was no point hiding, Huggy leapt out the hole in the window, landing in a kung fu stance. He wasn't sure what he could do against six of Wordgirl's trickiest enemies, especially without her superpowers on his side. Still, if it meant protecting his best friend, he would face a hoard of ravenous sharks.

The attack he anticipated never came. In fact, the hoard took a step back with the Butcher holding his beefy hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Easy, monkey." His gentle tone contrasting with his gruffness. "We're not here for a fight."

Huggy's hands lowered in surprise, but he wasn't ready to drop his stance. Behind him, he heard the grating sound of the warehouse door rising, and Two Brains joined at his side. "Wait a second, you all heard?"

"Yeah," said Chuck. "Your henchman told us."

"Really?" Everyone who fought beside him or against him knew that tone. As he slowly turned around, eyeing his cowering henchmen, the other villains mentally agreed they were glad not in the henchmen's shoes. "Did I stutter when I said don't tell anyone?"

"I'm sorry, Boss!" the henchman quaked, as Charlie hugged him tightly. "They called to ask if Wordgirl was fighting you, and…it just slipped out!"

"Did it now?" His voice was too calm for comfort. "And how'd you like your paycheck to slip out?"

Both henchmen winced, but Chuck's next question rescued them. "Hey, uh, is Wordgirl alright?" Two Brains then realized with the door open, they all had a clear view of the unconscious girl on his sofa. If he was expecting triumph or excitement from seeing their fallen enemy, there wasn't any. Just six sets of horrified eyes, Invisi Bill dropping his concealment, jaws agape, and the usually feisty Granny May uttering a shocked "Oh my!"

Only Lady Redundant Woman found the courage to ask what everyone else was afraid to. "Is she gone? Done for? D-d-d-" Even with her repetitive nature, she still couldn't bring herself to finish the final word. The one word even Wordgirl would hesitate to define.

"Is she dead?" Lucky for them, Miss Question's powerful curiosity overtook all her other emotions.

"No!" Two Brains snapped. He immediately realized how harsh he sounded and softened his voice. "She's just unconscious." He knew they all had questions, but he wasn't finished with his own. "Now, let me get this straight: you all called me when Wordgirl didn't show up?"

The villains briefly forgot their shock, and instead avoided his eyes, as if they all had something to hide. Only the Butcher found the courage to speak up, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Well, you're still ranked number one villain." No matter how much it pained him to admit.

"That's true," Two Brains smiled. Even in a crisis, his ego couldn't resist an ego boost.

"And Wordgirl kinda treats you like her arch nemesis. So we figured if she couldn't make one of our fights, she'd be busy with you. Hmph!" He huffed, folding his arms and looking away with a childish pout. "Even though I was fighting her before you came into the picture."

Two Brains was ready to give the Butcher a piece of his mind, but Chuck beat him to it. "Hey, that's not fair!" Two Brains smiled, ready to thank his friend. Until Chuck added, "I'm a dangerous criminal!"

"Sure, you are," the Butcher rolled his eyes, as did the other villains behind him.

"Don't believe me, I once baked Wordgirl and monkey face here into a giant bread and nearly did them in." He closed his eyes, smiling proudly, but when he didn't get the expected reaction, he opened his eyes to see his fellow villains staring in horror. Huggy glowered, remembering that incident all too well. "What?"

Even Two Brains pallid face somehow took on a new shade. "Dude, that's pretty sick. Even for me!" Even if his goop ray did hit her, heaven forbid, he was certain it would be quick and not excruciating by heat and suffocation.

Chuck's face resembled the tomatoes he always used in his sandwiches as he looked away, hugging himself. "I was in a dark place, okay! I'm not proud of it!" He remembered being so insecure about no one taking him seriously as a villain, he didn't think twice about killing a child. He still wondered how she never held it against him. At least as far as he knew. "Anyway," he changed his expression to seem more menacing, "that's why I should be Wordgirl's arch nemesis!"

"Oh, please!" Lady Redundant Woman groaned. "If anyone should be feared, it should be me. I could clone a whole army of mes to conquer the city and make me queen, leader, and dictator!"

"So, what's stopping you?" asked Ms. Question.

At first Lady only responded with her signature glare, but when she realized everyone was watching, expecting an answer, her demeaner dropped. Her face flushed as she tapped her fingertips together. "I'm afraid of politics."

"Amateurs," Granny May tsked. "If any of you recall, I was the one who tricked her and brought her to the association. And who let her slip through their fingers?"

"Maybe if your knitting wasn't slipping," said Butcher, smirking.

"Now, you listen here, young man!"

The conversation erupted into a jumbled mass of hostility. Each one throwing out any point they could make on what made them a better arch foe, who came closest to defeating Wordgirl, who scared the city the most, or in Whammer's case just repeating how he was whamming this or that.

Meanwhile, Two Brains could feel his double headache returning and rubbed his temple. Huggy and the henchmen could only watch in confusion. The short henchman asked if someone should step in, but Charlie just shrugged while Huggy scratched his head. He wondered what Wordgirl would think if she knew her enemies were competing for her attention.

Unable to take any more ear-splitting noise, Two Brains seethed, his voice growing with each word. "Would you all please? Shut. Up!" Right when his voice blew up, so did the phone. If his outburst didn't stop the argument, the ringing did the trick. Which villain was waiting for Wordgirl now?

It gave off two more rings before the guilty henchman shyly spoke up. "Should I get that, Boss?"

"No, no, please." His polite tone was too forced, with an edge sharp enough to cut through the atmosphere. "Allow me." He marched back into the lair, not caring that the other villains followed him. Huggy stayed ahead of them with a warning glare, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then at them. They were too distracted by the injured girl to notice, but none of them found him that threatening anyway. With a yank, Two Brains cut off the phone mid-ring.

Before turning back to the crowd, he took a deep breath and counted to five. An old habit since college whenever he had to give a presentation. "Now then. Did any of you call anyone else?" The group shook their heads in unison. He turned back to his trembling henchman. "And were these the only villains who called?"

His henchman took a moment to recall scratching his head before answering with certainty, "Yeah, Boss."

"Okay." He did a head count, finally noticing the absence of certain small figure who would normally join any villain team-up. Face and tone softening, he leaned into his henchman's ear. "Say, you never heard from that Toby kid, did you?"

"Oh." Surprised by the concern lacing his boss's voice, it took him a moment to thing. "Nope. I think he's still grounded."

"Good," Two Brains muttered. "This would really break the boy's heart." As silly as he thought the kid's crush, he wouldn't sink so low to crush a child's spirit. Especially for a promising young scientist, villain or otherwise. For now, he had to get the other villains out of here. "Oh well," he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "As you can all see, it's true. Wordgirl's finally down for the count and I'm handling the situation." With no one reacting, he guessed it still wasn't sinking in, and he was desperate to be rid of them. "So, if any of you were planning a crime spree, no one will stop you now."

Huggy let out a frustrated screech, as if to ask if this was his idea of helping Wordgirl?

"What? You know they're going to do it anyway, right guys?" Where he expected some cheering, six faces hung downcast and silent. Big Left Hand Guy's left hand encircled Invisi Bill's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "Guys?

"Oh, let's face it!" Granny May sighed, twiddling her thumbs. "It's just not the same when there's no one to stop you. I fooled fifteen suckers today. I need a challenge!"

"And it's not fair to Wordgirl," said Chuck, removing his goggles to rub at his eyes. "She's always been considerate of me. Even when I almost defeated her." He decided not to mention the deadly theme park he trapped her in and how close he came to crushing her with his giant sandwich press. "She still listened to me and made sure I was okay. And she still helps me with words."

"Me too," the Butcher agreed, thinking of how she listened to him whenever he was feeling down. And how he knew the meaning of 'considerate' because of her. "Crime's no fun if I'm too busy worrying about her." The others murmured their agreements, thinking of how she stood up for them against Ms. Power. Two Brains had spoken for all of them when he had said they felt lucky to have an arch foe like her. Until that frightful day, until she stood up for them against the tyrant, they never realized how lucky. The evil alien woman had called Wordgirl weak. Though they hated to think it, they now wondered if she might have been right after all.

Huggy felt his own eyes tearing up as he listened. Sure, the villains exchanged banter with Wordgirl, but he never would have thought they cared this much. He looked at Two Brains, but the scientist's own demeanor hadn't changed. Was he putting up a front? Huggy remembered Two Brains giving some fatherly advice when she stressed over her inspiration day speech, almost certain he heard some of the old Steven Boxleitner slipping through the mad scientist persona.

"Well, what do you guys want to do?" he asked irritably. "Wait around and monitor with me?" With six smiles beaming his way, he realized too late what he'd said. "No, no!" He waved his hands for emphasis. "Absolutely not!"

"Come on, Doc!" Chuck pleaded. "I'll be nervous wreck if I can't be here."

"We won't get in your way," added Invisi Bill, popping out of nowhere, right in the doctor's face. Startled, Two Brains fell on the floor, glowering at the mischief-maker. "It'll be like we're in invisible." Another pop and he vanished.

"That's reassuring," Two Brains grumbled, getting back on his feet. "Look, it's not like any of you can do anything to help."

"Whammer can help!"

Two Brains raised a skeptical brow at the overly excitable villain. "And how exactly are you going to help?"

Whammer raised his fists, sending a surge of panic through the others. "One big wham will wake her right up!"

"No!" Two Brains threw his hands out as if he could magically stop them from coming together. Luckily, he didn't have to, as Big Left Hand Guy and Chuck caught Whammer's fists before they could come together. As he strained against his captors, Two Brains brought his scowling face an inch away from the Whammer's. He clenched his fists at his side, willing them from coming together Whammer fashion on that fake viking helmet. "That'll only make it worse!"

Whammer froze, arms relaxing in the other villains' hold. Once they were sure he wasn't going to pull his signature move, they released, allowing him to instead hold his palms out in surrender. "Whammer sorry!"

"Don't you see? Monitoring is the only thing I can do for her now."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Granny May, back to her usual pushy self. "Hurry it up and monitor!"

As the real problem dawned on him, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Let me guess. None of you know what monitor means?" No one answered, doing everything they could do avoid meeting his eyes and admitting the embarrassing truth. He turned to Huggy, but the monkey only smiled bashfully. "How are you two from the same planet?" Two Brains clapped a hand over his forehead, ignoring Huggy's pout. Normally, he took pride in the fact that he never needed Wordgirl's help, but it wasn't easy being the only smart adult in the whole city

Out of habit, he waited for the chipper voice to eagerly define the word. Perhaps in some deluded part of his normally logical mind, he had hoped the need for a definition would summon her out her coma. He turned around to see the sorry sight remained unchanged and sighed. "Guess I better do it." To the other villains, he explained, "Monitor just means I'm going to watch for any change. Make sure nothing goes wrong."

"That's it?" asked the Butcher. "Can't you just, I don't know, make a ray that'll fix her."

Two Brains rolled his eyes. "Great idea, Butcher. Just restructure a living being with one blast from a ray."

"But you refucture stuff into cheese all the time."

"Restructure!" Two Brains shouted, his face inches away from the cringing Butcher. "It means to change something!"

The Butcher recoiled, meaty hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

Those gentle words and the tears welling in his friend's eyes worked like a wake-up call. Two Brains realized all eyes, including Huggy's and the henchmen's, were on him with newfound concern. He stepped back and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed out now."

"Oh right," said the Butcher, finally understanding. "Sorry, buddy."

"Believe me," Two Brains continued. "If it was that easy, I would. But fixing a body is a lot riskier than breaking down its components. If something goes wrong, I could," he swallowed, feeling his stomach churn as he finished his thought. "I could turn her into goop when I'm not even trying to." He sensed a shudder running through the room. "Now you see what I mean? There's nothing more you can do." Seeing their downcast expressions, he wished there was more he could say. Something for his own comfort as much as theirs, but he was just as helpless as the rest of them.

He was almost grateful when Ms. Question broke the strained silence. "Can we still stay and monitor?"

Two Brains opened his mouth to object, only to find he had no reason to. If he were honest with himself, the idea of having company didn't seem so bad. Especially when Chuck chimed in, "We want to be here when she wakes up."

Butcher put a calloused but gentle hand around the doctor's shoulder, his voice just as warm as his touch. "And we'll be right here for you, buddy."

Two Brains felt his eyes water and bit his lip.

Lucky for him, Captain Huggyface was even less subtle about his own feelings and gave a loud sniffle Seven of the trickiest villains he had faced with his ward, and they were all here to support her. It was too much for him to keep his heroic façade in his most vulnerable state.

"You too, kid." The Butcher knelt to touch the monkey's shoulder. Those hands of his were proving to be magical in other ways besides launching meat. "If there's any way we can help, we're right here." Huggy patted his hand and gave a grateful squeak.

Gathering his own composure, Two Brains threw his arms up in defeat. "Ok, fine. But," he added before anyone could thank him. "If you're going to stick around, we need to lay out some house rules. Number one, don't make a mess."

"Oh yeah," Chuck drawled heavily, folding his arms. "Wouldn't want a bunch of villains invading your home and making a big mess now, would we?"

Two Brains smiled, somehow oblivious to the sarcasm despite being his first language. "Thanks, buddy!"

Chuck groaned, rolling his eyes. Now he remembered why the absent-minded professor wasn't allowed at his house anymore.

"Rule number two, don't get in my way." He slipped a deadly glare at the Whammer. "Am I clear?"

"Whammin clear!" The masked villain gave two thumbs up.

"Lastly, and I can't stress this enough," he side-eyed his flushing henchmen, "don't tell anyone."