Disclaimer: I do not own Danger Mouse (2015) or any canon characters, they are the property of their respective owners.

Notes: This is set during the early days of their relationship, so before they were assigned to protect Emma.

Thanks to the marriage equality debate in Australia, including the debate over having a plebiscite to vote for if we should have it, I have been exposed to a lot of homophobia in words and attitudes. Pamphlets in letterboxes, notes in the back of religious comics saying homosexuals are an abomination, the words of politicians and anti-LGBT+ groups and don't get me started on Facebook! Being a part of the LGBT+ community, the words do hurt me a lot. So, feeling a need to vent, I wrote this little fic.

This contains Dangerfold (Danger Mouse and Penfold in a romantic relationship) and a lesbian pair, homophobia and implied slurs. Characters might be a bit OOC at times.

I hope you enjoy this!

(Linebreaks hate me, so I will use DMEP.)

DMEP

London; a city that many would love to visit someday in their lives. The city that is home to our heroes Danger Mouse and Penfold. The city that is unaware of their secret.

DMEP

Danger Mouse sighed as he entered the flat he shared with his assistant-turned-beloved partner. Due to an increase in housework thanks to marathon missions and actually running a marathon for charity, Penfold had stayed behind while he went to get a couple of things from the shops; he was thankful Penfold hadn't been with him.

Penfold poked his head out of his old bedroom. "Oh! Welcome back, DM!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Thank you, Penfold. I got everything."

He emerged in full from the room, closing the door after himself. He noted something seemed off about his partner. "DM? Everything alright?"

"Oh, it's all jolly good, Penfold, why would it appear otherwise?" His tone was a bit snarky.

"Well, for one, you seem tense. And for two, there was some bite in your voice just then. I don't mean to be a nosy busybody, I'm just worried. We don't have to talk about it."

"No. No, it's alright. I'm sorry for how I responded to your concern. It's just...been a tough afternoon."

"People hounded you for autographs and your wrists were aching?"

"No, not that." He sighed. "Come on, we'll put these away and then we can sit down and talk."

"Righto!"

DMEP

The shopping had been packed away and the pair of rodents sat on the sofa, mindful of the lift. Penfold held one of Danger Mouse's paws in his two, gently patting the back of it.

"I got into a heated debate with someone at the newstand while picking up the latest issue of I-Spy Magazine."

"What happened, darling?"

"There was a tabloid magazine with a picture of a couple in a similar relationship to ours. They'd been wed."

"Oh, 'eck. I think I can guess where this is headed."

He nodded. "The customer suddenly said a word I would much prefer not to repeat while glaring at the magazine cover."

Danger Mouse's ears felt like they were burning as the word filled them. He couldn't ignore something so vile. He turned to the man who'd said it; a middle-aged sheepdog. "Excuse me, sir, I do hope you meant you were asking for a cigarette."

The sheepdog shook his head. "Mind your own business! I've had it with all those homos in media! They're trying too hard to make it seem normal, but it ain't!" He spat out another slur in disgust.

"Sir, use of such language is unwelcome here. I would advise you leave before you're forced to, and in handcuffs to boot."

"Who the heck do you think you are? Maybe you're one of them! No wonder you're so uppity about it. I swear, it's PC gone mad!"

Danger Mouse crossed his arms. "Whether I am or not is of no concern to you. It's not PC gone mad to treat others with common courtesy, even if you don't agree with how they live. As for who I am, I happen to be Danger Mouse."

"Oh, great, Danger Mouse defends those -!"

"Stop right there, you've filled this corner with enough vile language. You're setting a terrible example for any children that approach."

"Better they learn that than being homo is normal."

"It is. I happen to know that people are born that way, they don't just choose it. When did you decide to be straight, eh?"

"Look, God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!"

"Keep that up, then I will have to ask you to Adam and leave!"

"Oh, you think you're funny, huh?"

"I'm hilarious," Danger Mouse replied in a blunt tone.

By that time, many had gathered to see why a sheepdog was yelling at the World's Greatest Secret Agent.

The sheepdog wasn't about to back down. "You know, it's people like you who are the reason the world's gone backwards. First, you say being queer is normal. Then, you advocate for queers to get married. What next? I mean, to you people, love is love, so surely that means that you support adults marrying children, right? Or brother and sister getting married? Maybe you want to marry your pets? Love is love, after all. Face it, you freaks are -"

"Cease with the insults at once, sir!"

"Or what? What's a po-"

"I dare you to finish that word..." His voice had dropped to an icy-cold whisper. He didn't care who was watching, he was ready to knock that fellow's block off.

The sheepdog looked around at the gathering crowd and spotted two women with a child. "Look, this is what I am talking about! Homos and lesbians shouldn't have kids; denying a child a right to their mother and their father is worse than what I've been saying."

"What's all this then, eh? I got reports of someone disturbing the peace," a deep voice spoke up.

Danger Mouse turned to the owner and spotted a constable. "Officer, this man here has been using hate speech, including slurs and denigrating the family over there." He gestured to the women and child before approaching them. "Don't worry, ladies, I am on your side. Your child is lovely and I'm sure he'll be raised well by you."

One of the women nodded, wiping her eyes. "Thank you, Danger Mouse. We could use all the support we can get."

"Not everyone feels the way that man does, I assure you."

The constable was speaking to the sheepdog. "You say Danger Mouse started it?" He looked to the secret agent. "Funny, he never pegged me as one to start a fight unless it was for a just cause." He turned back to the sheepdog. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to escort me to the station."

Danger Mouse had finished consoling the women. "Constable, I shall be at the station momentarily to deliver my own account of the events."

"Very good, sir, I'll see you then."

"That explains why you were out for longer than anticipated. What happened?"

"He was fined and given a warning that the next time he starts trouble, he may find himself in hot water." He held Penfold close, giving him a kiss atop his head for good measure. "I'm glad you were spared from hearing that."

Penfold returned the embrace and nodded. "I'm sorry you weren't. I know you're not into blokes, but still, those words had to hurt."

"They did."

"It's why you want our relationship to be a secret from the general public, right?"

"Yes. Though there would be support, there are people like him and worse still." He sighed. "I very nearly punched his lights out. I was already furious with his manner of speech, but when he brought that family into it, that was the final straw. If the constable hadn't shown up when he had, I would've been seen striking a citizen. Some would say it was unprovoked, and that would be the end of my days as a secret agent."

"I'd stay with you, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do, and I appreciate it." He tightened his hold on Penfold. "When will people learn that words can do a lot of damage? That family had been hurt by them many times; one just had to look at them after they were suddenly brought into our heated debate to see how often people had said the same and inferred they're not a real family."

"I can't even begin to imagine how that must feel."

"Unfortunately, I doubt that rotter was educated on the impact of his words. There are some who don't care who they hurt." He sighed and closed his eye. "Sometimes, words hurt worse than a bop on the noggin or a bullet to the kneecaps."

"DM..."

"It's up to us."

"Eh?"

"I mean that it's up to us to make citizens aware that words are damaging."

"Can we do it, DM?"

"If the reader takes it into account and helps spread the word, then we just may have already done so."

DMEP

And so, we leave our heroes and prepare for the mission to which everybody in the world has been assigned. Words can hurt, be mindful of what you say or write. Speaking of which, I do hope Ms. Writer comes up with another adventure of Danger Mouse, one that doesn't feel like a very special episode, at least.

DMEP

After notes: The words I had the sheepdog say are basically the ones I've seen far too often. I decided not to bring up how homosexuals should be locked in gas chambers, led to tents and shot or lined up to be shot, nor how the fight for marriage equality has been compared to 9/11, wanting to keep the worst out of the actual fic.

The unfortunate thing is that while I believe those who have read my fics don't actually need the reminder, it's the ones who do need to be educated who won't see this. Still, if you could please continue to remind people that our words can have consequences, then please do.

Thanks for reading! You don't have to review, but if you do choose to say something, please no flames. Constructive criticism is welcomed as always.