The Forgotten, The Fumorii

Chapter Nine: Scars Unseen

In the Landover, five tired, injured, and confused teens were following the Fenton RV to Fentonworks. When they pulled to a stop in front of the large brick building and stepped out, Danny just stopped and stared. After a few moments, and a detailed examination of the new sign, he finally voiced his thoughts as the Fenton's stood nearby, waiting for his reaction.

"What the hell?!" He sounded strangled, shocked by the changes. Actually, he was mostly shocked by the change in profession. This was proven when he turned to look at his parents, wide eyed, and asked, "Ghost trackers? When did this happen? What happened to 'destroy them all'?" He sounded incredulous.

His parents shifted uncomfortably. "Well," his father began, and again Danny was struck by the toll the last five years had taken on him. "Frankly, you happened. When we found out about… well, you know. When we found out, we were so blinded by our hate for all ghosts that we never stopped to consider that maybe we could be wrong. After we found out and still tried to hurt you… we didn't want to be part of anything that could make us so narrow minded that we would willingly try to destroy our son."

Maddie smiled softly. "We don't blame you for leaving, sweetie. We deserved it- with the way you were treated, even if we didn't know it was you… well, I would have taken off long before, I know that much. We don't expect you to forgive us, but I hope that maybe…" Tears came to her eyes. "I hope that maybe you could see this as your home again."

Danny frowned and looked away. "I have a home," he stated coldly. "And it's good that you don't expect to be forgiven, because I don't think I ever can forgive what you did to me. I can't forget, or pretend it didn't happen." He looked back at them. "But," his eyes softened, "I might be able to get over it. Eventually. Just promise me that," Here he cracked a small smile. "The leftovers won't try to eat me."

Maddie chuckled through her tears. "I can't make that promise. If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's my cooking ability, or lack thereof." Still laughing, she led the way inside, followed by the five travellers, who remained silent and withdrawn, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. Unfortunately, Maddie reflected,things were going to be tense for awhile, now that they all had to get used to one another, some for the first time, and others for a retrial of sorts.

However, she reflected while leading them to their rooms (girls with Jazz, boys in Danny's room), she would gladly deal with any amount of tension to have her baby boy back.

DPDPDPDPDP

Maddie shifted uneasily in her spot on the couch later that night while drinking her tea, surrounded by her family, and the strangers she had taken in. Sadly, she noted that she still wasn't sure which category she considered Danny to be in. Staring discreetly at her son over the rim of her cup, she started when his ice blues flicked up to meet her gaze, and he stated dully, "Go ahead and ask, or stop staring at me. It's creepy."

"Um…" Okay, so she had thought she was being discreet, anyway. "Those scars on your arm… where did they… what…" Quickly, she found herself becoming flustered. How exactly did one ask their estranged son of five years why their arms looked like hamburger meat? Thankfully, Danny helped her out.

"Where did the scars on my arms come from, you mean?" She nodded, then paused. "Wait, you mean both of your arms look like… well, like that?" He nodded. "And my legs, and my chest, and my back." He continued, snorting derisively. "They're everywhere, they're everywhere." For a long while, he was silent, occasionally sipping at his now cooled tea. Just as she was about to forget about the question, he spoke, but his voice had changed. It was cold now, flat and emotionless and not suited to Danny at all.

"There was a war," he spoke at last, woodenly. "Our capital was attacked by the Purists… people who want the Fumorii to disappear. People who hate us because of our powers; they believe we are a plague that must be eliminated. A large force attacked Ascarle out of the blue one day. There was no warning, and no way for us to be ready. We tried to fight back, but they had agents inside. No matter how you spin it, we lost. We were massively outnumbered and outmanuvered and our enemy took advantage of that." Briefly, he closed his eyes, and an expression of deep grief and regret passed over his face. "Some managed to escape. Many did not, and they were massacred. No one was spared. Women and children were murdered in the streets, burned to death in their homes. Men were torn apart… it was horrible. It was hell. But not everyone was killed. Some were taken prisoner, and held captive at the Purist base. They… they wanted information, about our military movements, and our other bases. No one talked, so they resorted to more… effective methods." He was silent for a moment. "I was one of the ones taken."

For the first time, Jasmine spoke. "You mean they tortured you," she stated flatly.

"Yes."

Maddie and Jazz stared in horror at the boy- no, the man. How could he sit there and deal with it so calmly?

"The Fumorii nearly died that day," he continued, oblivious to their concerned looks. "Only two of the original two thousand were ever found alive. Angel and I found each other, and we rebuilt the dream; a place where people who were gifted with powers could live in peace, a normal existence, without worrying about whether or not they would wake up alive. We found others, like us, and we built a new capital. The capital grew as more and more people found us, seeking shelter, amnesty, and anonymity. Now, the Fumorii are the strongest in our history." As he spoke, his voice gained strength, and he and Angel shared a look of pride mingled with regret.

That's when Spud entered the conversation. "They found me in New York, nearly beaten to death by a bunch of thugs who wanted me to help them rob a bank. Kali and Kiva, who you've probably guessed, are fraternal twins. They found them while I was still recovering, so I've only heard, but they were being chased by an angry mob in Ginko, who blamed them for the river drying up and the crops failing." He snorted, "If they had thought to look a bit up the river, they would have found that a pair of beavers had built their dam, blocking the flow of water. No one wanted us, and they tried everything to get rid of us. Danny and Angel made us realize that we aren't freaks of nature, or monsters. We're just different. When I think about what would have happened if they hadn't found us…" he heaved a sigh. "They saved me. They saved all of us."

They all sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Then Danny stood and said, "Alright, guys, it's time for bed. We have to be up early tomorrow to map out the town and set up a patrol route; we can't afford anyone else getting stupid ideas, at least until we hear back from HQ." Angel spoke up. "Who's got which watch?" Ignoring Kali giggling, "Try saying that ten times fast," behind him, Kiva spoke up for first. Spud agreed to take second, with Kali taking third. Danny and Angel agreed to do both fourth and fifth watch together, to make sure neither of them fell asleep. With this agreed, everyone said goodnight and went to bed.

AN: There you go, one day early as promised. This chapter was mostly just filling out the history a bit more, and establishing relationships within and between the groups. I apologize, but filler IS sometimes necessary. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as this story is about halfway done. I think. I'm still writing as I go here, people. Please review!