Dear readers,
Wow! The reception for this story was amazing! I mean, 12 favorites in just a day?! I this chapter this early just for you guys. The story is inspired by the fanfic Stranded with My Class in the sense of the whole global coverage thing and Reality Once Made Sense for the whole crossover thing. I won't make this an uber-powerful-Danny-weak-as-wet-toilet-paper-Raven fic. Raven is badass as shit, just incapacitated. Now for the Reviews!
Guntherson962: You're faith in this story is highly appreciated. Kudos have been received with glee.
UltimateTouken: I haven't really considered that…it's a good concept. Deliciously awkward.
Phantom-Thunder: Thank you for that. I thought the first chapter fell a little flat. Maybe this will make up for it.
Germanyusaman1997: Danny and Raven are the stars. Everyone else will play minor roles. No one will be dragged in there with them.
Jessica Jayme Bell: I have a problem with Wykkyd. If you or anyone else have any ideas for future chapters, maybe something like the shenanigans Kyd and Raven get into when Raven takes him through secret hero training, it would be greatly appreciated.
And now, another episode of….Live!
We're Going to Need a Bigger Boat
The next day in Amity Park was considered a holiday. Actually, Amity was in a state of indefinite holiday. The mayor had declared at a press conference that no man, woman or child was to go to work or school until Danny Fenton was back. The result was every person in Amity staying at home, constantly watching the tube for the next installment. "Live!" was getting international coverage from every major news station in the world. It was all the world could talk about. Everyone was abuzz for it.
Except for the Fenton family.
In spite of immense pressure from local and foreign news station, they absolutely refused to make any public statements. Sam and Tucker stood steadfastly beside them, helping to ward off the reporters with homemade stink bombs. They had to barricade themselves in their house, Sam and Tucker included, sealing the doors and tinting the windows to ward off any nosy reporters. As a result, they were now prisoners in their own home.
Not that they noticed.
They were much too busy working hand-in-hand with the Titans, trying to find a way to help Danny and Raven without endangering their lives. It was proving to be much more difficult than they thought. Even having worked tirelessly through the night, the combined efforts of Cyborg and Maddie hadn't even been able to find out where the transmission was coming from.
Of course, as soon as the TV turned to static, they all huddled around it, eager to see how Danny and Raven were doing.
/
Raven woke up feeling a slight tingling in her fingertips. She focused as hard as her foggy mind would allow and managed to twitch a finger. Raven instantly felt a rush of accomplishment. It wasn't much, but it was something. She was still flat on her back in the clearing, staring up at the early morning sky. Dawn was just breaking, the sky turning a pale purple as a result. It reminded her of her mornings in the Tower. She'd normally be able to get in an hour of early morning meditation before going to the kitchen for tea. She would always meet Robin there already, drinking a cup of strong coffee. They would usually sip their drinks in silence until the others woke up and the morning really began.
She was going to make whoever did this pay.
As soon as she could move.
But for now, it was time to wake up Danny.
"Danny!"
"Gaah!" he shouted a little way away from her. He must've rolled away in his sleep.
There was a rustling of grass and Danny's face was over hers. His hair was disheveled and full of blades of grass and twigs. He was on his hands and knees.
"Could you not wake me up like that anymore?" he asked.
Raven rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Maybe when I get feeling in my body again I'll just nudge you awake." She said sarcastically.
Danny ignored her and pulled a twig out of his hair.
"What's the plan for today?" Raven asked.
Danny looked at her in surprise. "Why are you asking me? You're the hero?" he asked.
"Who just happens to be powerless and paralyzed, in case you haven't noticed. It's your job to get us out of here." She said.
"Oh." Danny said blinking. "Well then, I'm going to climb a tree and try and get a better look at this place." He said.
He stood up, dusted himself off, and went out of Raven's vision.
The camera followed him as he went to the edge of the clearing, examining the trees. They looked stable enough, except for the fact that the lowest branches were twice as high up as he was tall. He frowned and looked over his shoulder at Raven. Convinced she couldn't possibly see him from where she lay on the grass, he jumped, using a little flying boost to land him on one of the branches of a tree. Looking down again to make sure she hadn't noticed, Danny continued climbing.
The tree didn't look that tall from the ground. He estimated it to be four times his height. The climb however, lasted a long time. When he finally reached the top, he was a bit dismayed to see that except for a broad river about twenty feet from the clearing, there was nothing but forest. A little downhearted, he jumped from the tree, using his flight to slow the descent.
"I've got good news and bad news." He said as he approached Raven. He propped her up against a tree branch and sat across from her.
"What's the bad new?" she asked.
Danny looked at her in curiosity.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing." Danny said. "It's just that most people want to hear the good news first."
"I don't like getting my hopes up before they're crushed." She said.
"Huh. Well, the bad news is I see absolutely nothing but forest." Danny said.
"Nothing?"
"Not a thing."
Raven sighed and looked up at the sky. "What's the good news?" she asked.
"There's a river about twenty feet from here."
Raven's eyes snapped back to his face. "A river?"
Danny nodded. "Yeah. It didn't look very deep. I figured we could float downstream and try and find civilization."
"How would we do that?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe we could ride on a log or something." He said.
"And how would I be able to hold on?" Raven asked.
Danny blushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He hadn't thought that far. Embarrassed, he stood up abruptly.
"So, what do you say?" he asked, avoiding her question.
"It's not like I have much of a choice." Raven said with a sigh.
Danny smiled. "Great! I'll just get the carrier and-"he stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Raven asked.
"It's gone." Danny said.
"What?"
"The carrier's gone."
A deep sense of unease fell on Raven. "Let's get out of here." She said.
"Agreed." Danny said.
He bent down and picked Raven up bridal style. Her head lolled forward, making her chin touch her chest. Her arms were folded on her stomach and her legs dangled limply. Danny grinned down at her.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked.
"Look at you. You're like a Raven ragdoll!" he said.
"I'll have you know that I can twitch my fingers now." Raven said with a scowl.
"You won't sell with that look on your face." Danny joked.
"Just move."
/
When they reached the river, Raven had one question.
"So how are we going to do this? I obviously can't swim." Raven said.
"That is a good question." Danny said looking around them. "Whoa."
"What is it?" Raven asked.
He adjusted Raven so she could see a massive tree. At its base were giant leaves, each the size of a small boat. Danny looked down at Raven with a mischievous grin.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.
"No. No Danny. This is a horrible idea." Raven said.
"Ah don't be such a stick in the mud. It'll be fun." He said setting her on the ground against a log.
He went over to the base of the tree and grabbed one of the leaves. He pulled it so it was halfway in the slow moving river. He ran back for Raven, picked her up gently and deposited her onto the leaf boat. Danny got in behind her, allowing Raven's head to fall against his chest and holding her securely with his thighs. Raven blushed at the close contact and was thankful he couldn't see her face.
"I hereby christen this craft the S.S. Fenton and-"
"Just shove off." Raven interrupted.
"Ouch." Danny said in fake hurt. Using his arms he shoved hard against the ground, propelling them into the water. He gripped the petiole securely with both hands, using it as a steering wheel. The water was calm and the river flowed slowly, not an obstacle was in sight, the sky was clear. It was smooth sailing.
"This isn't so bad." Raven said.
"Told you." Danny said. "Nothing could possibly go wrong now." He said.
Suddenly the sky darkened and there was a clap of thunder. The water was flowing faster.
Raven groaned. "You shouldn't have said that!"
Danny quickly swerved the boat to the left to avoid a huge rock.
"That wasn't there a minute ago!" he exclaimed as he tried to keep the leaf steady in the rushing waters.
Raven gasped as she looked ahead. What had previously been a clear, calm expanse of water was now…
"White water rapids!" she exclaimed.
Their frail leaf-boat was sucked into the churning waters. Danny struggled with the petiole, swerving sharply to dodge boulders that seemed to come out of nowhere. Raven was being thrown back and forth harshly by the momentum of the sharp swerves. She quickly became dizzy and disoriented. The churning water, passing boulders and Danny's grunts as he forced their boat to move all blended into one foggy, indistinct mix. The only thing Raven saw clearly was a massive boulder that seemed to block the entire river and left only two slim, fast moving streams at either side for the water to flow.
Danny abandoned the petiole and gripped Raven tightly, turning his back to the boulder. He hit it with a shockwave that made Raven's teeth chatter. The leaf completely ripped apart and they both went tumbling into the icy water. They were sucked passed a slim stream along the side of the boulder. The force of the current ripped Raven from Danny's grip and she was sent tumbling through the water.
Danny swam after her frantically but no matter how hard he stroked, Raven seemed to move faster. She was facing him, eyes wide with such fear it spurned Danny on to swim faster and ignore his burning lungs. When he got close enough he grabbed her by the tip of her cloak. He pulled her close against himself, using his body to cover her.
Her eyes were closed. His lungs were burning. They needed to get out now.
He swam to the surface, bursting out with a gasp of air. They were still being dragged along, but at least they were at the surface. Danny used one hand to swim towards the river bank and one to hold Raven's head above the water. Danny's arm was sore, his lungs were burning, and he was freezing from the water, but he didn't care. He needed to get them to shore.
Danny grabbed a protruding branch and held fast. With a yell, he threw Raven onto the river bank hard enough so she rolled a good distance away from the water. Using his flight as a boost, Danny hurtled himself out of the water and landed close to Raven.
Without even stopping to catch his breath, he scrambled over to raven on his hands and knees and flipped her onto her back. She was deathly pale and absolutely freezing. She wasn't breathing either.
Danny swore and put two fingers against her neck. She still had a pulse, but it was weak and fading.
"C'mon Fenton. Remember what Lancer taught you about CPR. CAB, compressions, airway, breathe." Danny said.
He put his palms on her chest, one on top of the other, and pushed down rapidly ten times. He quickly pinched her nose and pulled it so her mouth opened. Pressing his lips on hers, he forced air from his lungs into hers. Not missing a beat, he started again.
Compressions.
Airway.
Breathe.
Compressions.
Airway.
Breath.
Compressions.
Airway.
Breathe.
Suddenly Raven coughed, puking water all over Danny. He immediately turned her over to her side, so the water would flow out easier.
"Ugh…Danny?" she asked.
Danny enveloped her in a hug. "You're okay! Ohmigosh, for a second there I thought-"
"You idiot." Raven deadpanned.
Danny stopped hugging her and held her at arms-length. "Excuse me?"
"You never, ever say 'nothing could possibly go wrong'! Things will absolutely go wrong like they just did!" she exclaimed.
"No they didn't. Sure we're all wet, a little bruised, but at least I saved our lives." He protested.
"Our lives wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if you hadn't jinxed the moment." Raven said.
"Yeah, well, you're still alive so your argument is invalid." Danny said. He looked behind her. "There's something wiggling in the hood of your cloak." He said.
Using one hand to pull Raven against his chest, he reached into the hood and pulled something out. He held Raven out at arms-length again and held two medium sized fish out in front of her. He grinned.
"See? You even caught us fish. This wasn't so bad." He said. He propped her up against a boulder. "You hang here. I'll start a fire."
Raven watched him as he went around gathering twigs and arranging them for the fire. She watched him as he patiently smash two rocks together and nursed the fire to life. Danny Fenton puzzled her. He had just save them from violent white water rapids and was acting like nothing happened. There was no unstoppable shaking that comes when someone has just been through a terrifying experience. He seemed cool and collect, but Raven could see his eyes clouded with thoughts as he cooked the fish. He was just as worried and anxious as she was, although he didn't show it.
Raven was pulled from her thoughts when Danny held a fish on a stick in her face. "Take a bite." He said.
"I can feed myself." Raven insisted. Danny retracted the fish.
"Oh really?" he asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement.
Raven focused but only managed to twitch her fingers.
"I knew it." Danny said, holding the fish up to her mouth again.
Raven took a hesitant bite. The two ate in silence as the fire crackled and the sun set, each thinking their own thoughts. Danny was wondering how he was going to make it through this with his secret still intact. He pondered telling Raven straight up. After all, she was a professional superhero, the most secretive one of the Titans in fact. She should be able to keep it a secret. And yet a part of him, the Fenton part, was against the entire idea. But still, it would make this whole thing a lot easier if he just told her.
"Thank you." Raven said.
"What?" Danny said as he snapped out of his musings.
"Thank you." Raven repeated. "For pulling my limp, useless self out of that river and forcing air back into my lungs."
Danny detected a hint of bitterness in what she said. "Hey, you're not useless. Just…incapacitated." He said softly.
"Thanks." Raven said. "But it took some serious strength and stamina to do what you just did."
Danny blushed, suddenly nervous. "Yeah, well, my parents are the town's ghost hunters. I guess they rubbed off on me." He said.
"Really?" Raven asked. "So they help Phantom protect the city?"
"No. They kinda protect the city and hunt Phantom at the same time."
"Why would they do that? He's helping you guys." Raven said.
Danny sighed. "My parents have this mentality that ghost are evil. That the only thing they feel is rage and hatred for the living. They really hunt any and every ghost. I just wish they could see Phantom is different." He said sadly.
Raven sensed she had touched and said nothing more. The two continued eating in silence.
"Would you look at that…" Danny said.
"What?" Raven asked.
"The river."
Raven looked at the river and gasped. What had previously been a churning strip of rocky water was now as calm as it had been earlier, not a boulder in sight.
"We seriously need to get back home. ASAP." Danny said.
"Agreed."
/
"There you have it ladies and gentlemen!" Control Freak shouted as his face filled every screen in the world. "The latest installment of the new sensation that's sweeping the nation!"
He gave an over exaggerated bow. "Thank you. I know it's awesome." He straightened himself up.
"So, my victims had our first brush with danger today. Raven nearly died in the process which was something I totally meant to do." He said hurriedly.
"But!" He said pointing a finger at the cameras. "Let's see if they'll still live on the next episode of….Live!"
/
The Fenton's, Sam and Tucker sat staring at the black television screen with a mixture of relief and confusion.
"Since when can Danny jump that high?" Jack asked.
"He-uh-has great lower body strength." Tucker said.
"I'm so proud of my boy! He was such a hero!" Maddie exclaimed. "We have to get him out of there before he or Raven get really hurt." She said, changing to overprotective mother mode.
"Agreed." Sam and Jazz said.