[i]"You really stepped up against that thing, by the way."[/i]

That comment caught Henry off guard, because in a way it was true. He [i]had[/i] stepped up against it, hadn't he? In the moment it just seemed right, there were people around and it was causing damage and they all had lives and loved ones and businesses that their families depended on, and he had been trapped in Saturday Comics, so there hadn't been much thought to it. Initially it had been just 'get outside, get away'. When it took the light post and swung it on him, the only thing that went through his mind was [i]'I can take it'[/i]. But when it stopped trying to crush him and turned away, he kept fighting. He held the golem's attention until it was stopped, so that everyone else could focus on stopping it. He could-

[b]"I could take it."[/b] Henry said, simply. Despite his previous showboating there was no pride to his tone. He wasn't saying he could take the golem, rather that he could take the punishment. He was almost embarrassed as he said it. He unconsciously rubbed the stress-fractures-now-bruises on his forearms from blocking the light post and continued. [b]"If it had hit one of you, I'd have never slept again. So I took it."[/b]

Truth was, on some sort of basal instinctual level, it was better him than any of them.

His attention was thankfully shifted off of his own thoughts when he caught Willow round the corner of the stairs and take off running. It was enough that despite his ear plugs he could catch the last of what Dexter said before Helen was airborne: [i]"And we have the only sewer gator north of the Mason-Dixon line available to us. I'll work on him."[/i]

Henry looked down to Elle and snorted at how good her timing was. [b]"Seems we're in a good position to find out."[/b] he said, motioning with his head to the group that had been spectating. He pivoted and took a single step forwards to join the group, but left space for Elle if she was keen on joining the growing circle. It sounded like they were going to be visiting the underbelly of the city and were counting on him if they needed him. He could do that. He might be a bit big, clumsy, and he may not always have good ideas, but he did have his strength. The speederster had managed to scoot to the right just enough to avoid Helen getting a face full of his lap in her jump and was continuing. "It appeared below Saturday comics, so whatever it was, it had to have originated there. We might find some signs or a way to track it if we can navigate to that location underground. Unfortunately we can't break down some of the drainage access points, and we cant pull a manhole lid off in broad daylight."

[b]"I might be able to help with that."[/b]

Dexter's eyes darted up to the lizard, who was looking mighty sure of himself in this moment. "That's... actually very helpful, Henry." the blur said, giving him the thumbs up in recognition. Maybe they [i]could[/i] bust an iron gate or pull a manhole lid open now. A hundred pounds of manhole lid would be hell on anyone else, but that was cake for Henry. And of course Henry would go with them- his eyes scanned the growing group and he decided then and there that if it came down to it, for them, he would take the hit. He would be their shield.