The Fenton household wasn't always a safe place to be. Specifically, the lab in their basement. With all the experiments, inventions and weapons being made and tested there, explosions had become common place in the home. It was expected and the parents had developed a lot of safeguards and rules for their safety over time.
All their work was kept in the safety of the lab's reinforced steel walls, there was an automatic sprinkler system and all the necessary equipment in case of fire. They had an emergency exit that led into their backyard, emergency radios and an alarm that automatically alerted the fire department in case of a serious incident where those inside were unable to contact them themselves.
But just because they were prepared for these situations, did not mean disaster could not strike.
Maddie and Jack had just finished the prototype for their newest invention; a portable ghost portal that opened a temporary rift between dimensions wherever it was activated. Danny and Jazz were in the lab too, hiding behind a bulkhead with their parents as it was activated for the first time.
It might have been too much power, or the proximity to another stable portal, but the device had overloaded. It exploded, the shockwave enough to crack the wall behind it and even the bulkhead creaked momentarily.
After a moment of silence, the four made their way out to assess the damage. If any of them had bothered to look up, they would have noticed the crack had reached a supporting beam along the roof. The sound of creaking metal was what drew their attention upwards, but by then it was too late to move. They could only scream as the beam collapsed, a sizable chunk of concrete falling with it.
Three members of the family scrambled to hold onto each other as the roof fell around them. It took them a second to realise they felt no pain, and the roof really did fall around them.
A shimmering of green surrounded the small area around them, and three pairs of eyes looked up at the sound of a groan to find the fourth member of their family leaning over top of them. Danny was holding the beam upon which rested the cement chunk with his bare hands, the shimmering green seeming to extend from them as it fell around them in a dome shape.
When everything stopped moving, their youngest slowly started to stand. Shifting rocks and metal could be heard over Danny's strained groans as he moved upwards, the dome growing in size the higher he stood. Once he was standing upright, the dome shimmered out of existence, and Danny gave one final push to the beam, sending it to the floor and away from his family.
The family that stared at him in shock as he panted for breath above them. When Danny finally looked at them, he froze and paled at their stares. After a moment, he visibly forced down his panic and asked in a shaky voice if they were alright.
They each nodded mutely. Jazz was the first to snap out of it. "H-how… how did you do that?"
"I'm uh… stronger than I look?"
"You made a shield." Maddie stated. Danny's flinch snapped some life back into her and she stood to face him. "You made a shield." She repeated.
Danny looked at the ground when he nodded, as if he were ashamed or scared.
"And the strength required to lift that cement chunk." Jack piped in, equal parts disbelief and excitement. "That's- it's- That's not…" He looked at his son with wide eyes, "That's not humanly possible."
This time, when he flinched, he also stepped back.
"Danny?" Maddie called out comfortingly. "Danny, it's okay." She watched her son relax slightly at those words, looking up to meet her eyes. "It's okay." She reaffirmed with a smile. The mother cautiously reached out a hand, making sure Danny was comfortable before she laid it on his shoulder.
She sighed with relief when he didn't flinch again. "Now, how long have you been able to do…" She gestured at the circle around them that held no debris and the large beam and cement block that sat at the side, "This?"
Abrupt end because it took three hours to write the last few paragraphs. I'm losing the will to write anything that I'm not interested in, but I promised myself I'd finish all the prompts so even though May is over, I will be finishing this. Can't say they'll be great quality but my stubbornness won't rest until it's complete.