Danny groaned as he started slipping back into consciousness. What had happened yesterday? All he remembered was playing video games with Sam and Tucker and then suddenly everything was blank.

He rolled onto his other side, grimacing at a pain in his stomach but he ignored it in favor of going back to sleep.
"Oh thank fuck, you're awake."

Danny's eyes shot open at the voice that spoke next to him and he bolted up and then clenched at his head when it started aching. When he opened his eyes again, he looked to his left to see Dash staring at him with wide eyes. His brows furrowed and he looked around the room, which clearly wasn't any room in his house.

"What happened?" He mumbled, rubbing a hand against his face. "What am I doing here?"

Dash's brows drew down. "You don't remember?"

"No?" Danny said, his gaze darting back to Dash.

Sighing, Dash ran a hand through his hair and looked at the floor. "Last night Phantom was in the park doing his nightly patrol."

"Phantom?" Danny asked.

"Yeah. He was doing his usual rounds when the Fentons got there. I couldn't hear everything they said, but they sounded like they were trying to ask him something. After a little while they started getting mad and shooting at him."

"Okay." Danny said. "He's usually fine after dealing with them. What happened?"

"They pulled out a new weapon I've never seen before and shot him with it. He started falling out of the sky and he landed on the ground near me. I could hear them getting closer so I picked him up and started running here, but…"

Dash looked back up at Danny.

"I saw him, you, transform."

Danny's eyes widened and he began trying to scramble backwards in the bed away from Dash. He hissed as a pain shot through his stomach again and stilled when Dash started waving his hands back and forth in front of him.

"No! Don't do that! I don't know what they hit you with but whatever healing power thing you usually have going on hasn't kicked in yet for some reason."

Looking down, Danny saw a big green stain on the front of his shirt. He lifted up the hem and saw bandages wrapped around his abdomen, green starting to peek through the fabric.

"I would have gotten you a clean shirt but I figured you wouldn't have liked that." Dash said quietly.

"You bandaged me up?"

"Yeah?" Dash asked with a frown.

"Why? Why would you help me?"

Dash stared at Danny. "Why wouldn't I? You're the town's hero. It's not like I was gonna leave you there for your parents to find you."

Danny's eyes widened in panic again. "My parents- did they see me transform?"

"No." Dash shook his head. "They were still too far away by the time I grabbed you and started running."

Danny breathed out a sigh of relief. "Well that's good. Now I don't have to worry about going home."

"Going home?"

"Yeah. You know." Danny paused. "The place where I live?"

"Why would you- Your parents just shot you out of the sky! How can you go back home after that?" Dash yelled.

Shrugging, Danny just looked at Dash. "It's not like this is the first time that's happened."

Dash's shoulders slumped down and he dropped his face into his hands.

"Doesn't that terrify you?"

"Well, yeah." Danny said. "But it's not like I can just disappear because then they always come blasting at Phantom wondering where their son is."

Dash let out a short laugh. "I wonder if that's what happened yesterday when they were talking to you."

"Maybe."

They fell quiet after that. Dash stared at the bed, thinking, while Danny fidgeted with the blanket draped over him. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Danny spoke again.

"Well, I think I should probably go home now before they start wondering where I am. Wouldn't want them to keep looking for me around town."

"Are you sure you're okay to go?" Dash asked. "You're injury-"

"Isn't the worst thing I've ever had. I'll be fine in no time."

Dash huffed. "If you say so."

He watched as Danny started trying to scoot forward and out of the bed.

"Here, let me help."

Dash helped pull Danny to his feet, keeping him steady on his feet. They looked at each other for a moment before both looking away.

"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Danny asked quietly.

Dash gaped at him. "Why would I tell anyone?"

Danny shrugged. "You've bullied me all the time that we've known each other. It's a valid question."

"I guess you're right." Dash said. "But no, I'm not going to tell anyone. Realizing it was your parents who have been chasing their son this whole time… I wouldn't want to put you into that kind of danger. Who knows what could happen."

Nodding, Danny looked back up at Dash. "Thanks for, you know, helping me."

"It was the least I could do."

Nodding again, Danny stepped away from Dash and a bright flash of light appeared around his waist. Dash watched in awe as it split and traveled up and down Danny's body until it left Phantom in his place.

"Woah." Dash whispered.

Danny smiled at the look on Dash's face and gave a small wave before turning to the wall. He was about to fly away when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Just." Dash met his gaze and then looked away. "Be careful out there."

He chuckled and patted the hand that was around his wrist. "Don't worry, I'll do my best,"

With that, Danny gently pulled his wrist from Dash's hand and flew through the wall and up into the air. He took a deep breath. He wasn't looking forward to the questions and scolding he knew he would get from his parents, but he hoped he'd at least be able to get a clean shirt before they could see him.

He took off and began flying away from Dash's house and towards the fate his parents had waiting for him for breaking curfew.