A/N - To the anon who was glad I didn't make Tony snark at Danny for his assumption: I honestly don't think that he would do that in the situation he was in. Tony has always seemed like the kind of guy who'll go along with it and tease the other person when they realize who they were talking to the entire time. Tony's a jerk to strangers, but he seems to really enjoy gentle teasing and tormenting. ^u^

Thanks for more great reviews! At this rate, I'll have enough motivation and inspiration to keep the story going strong. Thanks, guys, and enjoy.

Chapter Four

High Society Sucks

When Tony had said that they were going to the same dinner party, Danny had thought that meant the billionaire would be responsible and send him back to his hotel around five o'clock that evening. He didn't expect to be very, very wrong and have the philanthropist drag him out to a high-end store and buy him an Armani suit an hour before the event. Yes, Tony had been responsible and gotten Danny ready for the party, just not in the way the halfa expected.

Steve wasn't attending the dinner party, but he did come along to laugh at his new friend being dressed up like a doll several times before the tailors found something they liked on him. He ended up with a black suit, dark green waistcoat, and a silvery-green tie. Danny had to admit that it looked very good on him, and it accentuated his slim, toned physique.

When the tailors asked him to take off his shirt in front of the other two men, he had gotten really anxious. Like, panicking anxious. He had trouble breathing, which meant it was a good thing he didn't need to breathe as often as normal humans.

Danny didn't want his new friends to see his scars. Tony probably already knew that he had muscles, and there was no reason to hide how strong he was around these people. It was nothing compared to how strong Steve was, at least, without his ghostly strength. The scars, though, those would give away too much. They'd want to know how he got them, and why there were so many.

The teen played the 'awkward, shy kid' card as a last ditch effort to hide himself.

"I- uh, please, can I..." he mumbled, being herded to the raised dais the tailors had their guinea pig― I mean, customer ―stand on. "I'm... kind of shy. Tony? Could you and Steve leave while I'm getting dressed?"

Steve nodded and answered for Tony, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out of the room. When they were gone, the two tailors assigned to Danny wasted no time in getting him stripped down and dressed up. It only took three tries before they found something they were all happy with, and the two Avengers were called back into the room.

Tony smirked at the embarrassed but happy smile Danny wore as he examined himself in the mirror. Steve just chuckled warmly, glad that his new friend wasn't too traumatized by the experience. The tailors were off to the side, smugly grinning at the teenager's awed expression.

"So, Danny, what do you think?" Tony drawled, amusement coloring his tone.

Danny spun around and gave him a huge grin. "It's awesome! I look great! This is so much better than the dinky old suit I have sitting in my hotel room. Not to mention a lot more stylish. Are you sure about getting this for me?" he replied enthusiastically.

Tony grinned back, and said, "Yeah, squirt. Don't worry about it, I've got enough money to get thousands of Armani suits and still have plenty left over to live comfortably for the rest of my life, as short as it may be with that shrapnel trying to get to my heart."

Steve grimaced at the reminder that his teammate's life was constantly in danger without the miniature arc reactor in his chest. "Trust me, Danny, Tony loves spending his money on expensive things. Why else would he build a giant tower in the middle of New York?"

The teen shrugged. "I don't know. Thanks, though. Today was a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "You're staying for the week, right? How about you come hang out with us again? I can actually show you my workshop next time, and maybe we could build something, or upgrade the robot dog you wanted to make."

Danny thought about that, and the idea of giving a completed robot dog to Skulker was too good. Maybe Technus could even animate it, or show him how. "Alright," he replied. "That sounds like a lot of fun. I was gonna get bored with the Expo after the third or fourth day, anyway."

Steve patted him on the back. "Thanks for teaching me how to play video games."

Rubbing the back of his neck, the teen grinned, an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks. "It was no big deal. You can't really live in modern society without knowing something about gaming, it's kind of unfair to leave you in the dark like that."

"Still," the blond pressed, "thanks. I'll look forward to your next visit. You and Tony should be heading to the venue now, it's getting close to seven. Don't want your parents to worry, do you?" He shooed the other two on.

The teen let out a snort. "They probably wouldn't even notice I'm gone if it weren't for the fact that I'm the only person they know here. Back home, the only times they notice I'm missing is if I break curfew and come in through the front door when they're in the living room."

Tony glanced over Danny's head at Steve's dark expression. The muscle-head soldier didn't even know about their young friend's school records or constant kidnappings and he was reacting this way to unobservant parents. The genius was pretty sure that Danny just gained a new parent.

Now it was Tony's turn to herd them along. "Alright, squirt, let's get to the car. The Cap's right, we need to get to the venue. I'm usually late, but the bouncers probably won't be as lenient towards a teenager, even if they are with me," he commanded, guiding them along.

Steve watched the dark-haired duo slide into a royal blue Ferrari, which he had a feeling Tony picked because it went well with his suit, and gave a brief wave as they drove away. He wanted to know what about Danny's life had made Tony so dazed earlier, aside from the whole 'ghost attacks' thing. The teen mentioning how unobservant his parents were had reminded him of the discussion they had when they were introduced, and he knew JARVIS would have more info for him. He just had to get back to the tower, first.

Tony, Danny discovered, didn't like people driving him around, if he could help it. He had a chauffeur, Harold "Happy" Hogan, but almost never drove him around. It was the exact opposite with Vlad, and that didn't really surprise him much.

Tony and Vlad, though both billionaires, were about as different as you could get. Vlad craved power and notoriety where Tony couldn't care less. Vlad was suave and controlled, while Tony was reckless and wild. The teen found it refreshing, honestly. Very few people in his life were reckless like Tony was, and sometimes people needed a little wildness.

Sam was strong, independent, and generally sensible. Tucker was quieter, geeky, and fun to be around. He was less likely to fight head-on like Danny or Sam or Valerie. Jazz was very sensible and responsible, a pillar holding her younger brother up. Danny could always rely on those three in times of need, and he was grateful for that.

Tony reminded him of a milder, kinder version of Dan, honestly. From what Sam said, he was a general dick to people he wasn't friends with, and was probably a dick to his friends, too. Just because he hadn't really had a chance to see the genius like that didn't mean he wasn't. So, Danny went along with the man and had fun. He probably wouldn't ever see Tony again after the week was up, anyway.

"So, what's a dinner party like with you?" the raven-haired teen asked curiously. He had been to a few semi-formal dinner parties with Vlad and Sam, but this was different, and he knew it. He didn't want to make a huge mistake and embarrass himself or his family.

Tony shrugged. "Not much. It's actually kind of dull. I have to behave at these things, or at least, that's what Pepper says." He paused, then explained. "Pepper Potts, my ex-PA and current CEO of Stark Industries."

Danny nodded. "Basically a very high-class dinner where everyone dresses up and there's a lot of social maneuvering?" He thought of what Vlad had said to him before about formal parties. There was a lot of empty flattery involved.

The man snorted. "Yeah, pipsqueak, that's exactly what formal dinner parties are. A huge bore. And if you're lucky, your parents will let me take you with me when I escape early." He flashed a cocky grin at the teen when Danny laughed, and pulled up into the parking lot.

"If I'm lucky," Danny agreed.

A valet came to take the car, but Happy waved him away and slid into the driver's seat. Tony would call when he wanted to leave, and until then, Happy would return to Stark Tower with the expensive car to ensure its safety.

The entrance to the building was large and ornately decorated, with tall windows and delicate stone carvings that just screamed 'ridiculously wealthy'. The security took one look at Tony, waved him on, and scanned their list for Danny's name. It didn't take long, since his parents had already come by, and they weren't really forgettable in any circumstances.

"You two have a nice evening. There's free seating for most of the guests, given that plus ones are allowed. Go on in, Mr. Stark, Mr. Fenton," one of the large, black-suited men instructed. His face was expressionless, and reminded Danny a bit of Pariah Dark's skeleton thralls.

Inside, people in fine dresses and well-tailored suits were mingling casually, the sharp tinkle of polite laughter spread across the large hall. Off to one side, the ghost teen spied his father's hulking form and chuckled. He seemed way out of his depth there.

"Tony," he called, getting his friend's attention, "I'm gonna go talk to my parents for a minute, see how they're doing. Do you want me to come and find you before we're seated? You said these parties were really boring."

The billionaire shook his head. "I'll find you. I've got some people I have to meet up with, so I can't goof off the whole evening. Oh, hey," he replied, remembering something. "Remember to ask about leaving early!"

Danny waved in agreement as he strolled away, carefully dodging people left and right. It wouldn't do to bump into someone and make them spill their drink. He had been to enough events that ended badly, thank you very much.

"Mom, Dad!" he exclaimed, pulling their attention away from their conversation. The two ghost hunters beamed when they saw him, and the teen noticed his mother taking in his new apparel. He grinned and turned. "Do you like it?"

His dad slapped him on the back good-naturedly. "You look great, Danny!"

"Yes, sweetie. Where did you get it, though? That money I gave you couldn't have bought that nice of a suit..." she trailed off, trying to work it out herself.

Danny shrugged. "Like I said in the message I left you," he replied, "I sort of got kidnapped by Tony Stark. Apparently, he likes blowing his money on completely superfluous things like a new Armani suit for a teenager he took a liking to."

Maddie's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh... um..."

He just shrugged again. Steve and Tony's combined reassurance that it was no big deal had made him finally give in and accept the outfit as a gift. He still wasn't sure why they wanted to do that for him, but continuing to turn it down would've been rude.

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't meet up with you, but since Tony's attending this party, too, he wanted to save time and just bring me along. That okay?" Danny asked hesitantly.

Maddie crossed her arms and frowned. "Sometimes your father and I would appreciate you spending a little time with us, you know. You're gone so often, after all. But," she continued, frown softening into a smile, "I guess it's alright. You had fun, and you let us know where you were. God knows you're nearly eighteen, after all. You can make your own choices."

"Thanks, Mom." He hugged her, and glanced around at the other guests.

Jack had already gone off in search of hor'dourves and Maddie was looking a bit lost in the high society environment. She was a scientist, not a socialite, and her son could tell this was a bit out of her comfort zone. He bumped shoulders with his mom and gave her a comforting grin to ease her nerves.

"I bet Vlad would die a little if he saw Dad raiding the hor'dourves here," he commented, thinking of amusing scenarios to taunt the fruitloop with. Their relationship was no longer an intense hatred/arch-nemeses, but prank wars were still to be had on occasion.

"I would, but I don't want to half-ass the job," a suave, low voice spoke up from behind the mother-son duo. Danny spun around, shocked, and glared.

"Don't startle me like that, Vlad! You remember what happened last time?" Danny complained, crossing his arms in a huff.

Last time, Danny put two holes in Vlad's cape, one from each hand. He had been really stressed out that week, and a high-strung Danny meant a hair-trigger ectoblast Danny. Neither of them wanted to relive that experience, as evidenced by the apologetic look on Vlad's face.

"Yes, of course, my bad," he replied, grimacing. "I was just chatting when I noticed your father come charging across the room, and I knew that he wouldn't be here alone, so I decided to come say hello. You and Maddie look very nice, tonight."

The teen frowned. "Not to be rude, but why are you here? Last I checked, this was a formal dinner hosted by Stark Industries, one of your competitors," the raven-haired youth asked, suspiciously curious.

Vlad smirked. "I received an invitation, courtesy of one Miss Potts. She and the Board of Directors for Stark Industries wished to... improve their business relationship with my company, since they recently stopped marketing weapons."

Business politics, then. Danny's head hurt when he tried to think about the different levels of manipulation and subterfuge involved in the upper echelons of corporations. He had picked up a lot from his ex-arch-enemy, but politics still gave him a headache. Being a ghostly vigilante was so much easier, in his opinion.

"Great. Whatever. Nice to see you, too, and I've gotta go... socialize, or whatnot. Have fun with your business ventures," Danny commented, excusing himself. There was another fifteen minutes until dinner began, and Tony still hadn't come to rescue him from the clutches of the wealthy. He wasn't sure what to do, other than try to find someone else around his age to chat with, and that was practically hopeless.

He wanted nothing more than to go ghost and fly far, far away.