Dared- what happens now?
Joe swallowed thickly as Danny hid the minimal camera and audio recorder in his shirt. He was certain he would puke any minute now.
"You haven't told us everything, have you?" Danny asked quietly and surprisingly gently, not looking up from what he was doing.
"We have!" Joe protested immediately, trying to breath around the butterflies in his stomach. He was so not up to dealing with Danny at the moment.
"Not everything. Like the fact that you are the scapegoat."
"I'm not. And we have."
"I guess we'll see."
"I guess we will."
"Stop fiddling."
"Stop poking me then!"
"You've got to get used to this since you want to become a cop."
"Not anymore." Joe stated firmly, avoiding Danny's surprised and then concerned gaze at the statement.
"What happened? You've always wanted to become a cop."
"I don't want what happened between us happen to me and Jamie."
"Guys, we've got to go." Wyatt interrupted them. "If we don't make it on time, he won't let us inside at all."
"Are you done?" Joe asked, still avoiding Danny's gaze.
"For now, yes." Joe followed Wyatt to the other Daredevils nervously.
"I have a plan." Will told them quietly as they gathered in a circle out of hearing distance from the grownups. "We don't want Bully-Ball blowing up on the scape goat, right?"
"Right."
"So I figured I'd go all out to get his attention, mess up on purpose, become an easy target. It's just one lesson after all, the scapegoat has suffered through a lot more."
"I'm in." Wyatt answered instantaneously.
"I don't have anything to lose." Callum pointed out.
"Let's do it." Cindy agreed seriously. Joe didn't say anything just looked at them with clear appreciation and mouthed thank you. He knew that his brother more than likely already was listening to their mics and couldn't risk voicing his gratefulness out loud.
"No matter what?" Logan asked.
"No matter where." The rest answered and with a quick slap to each other's backs the six friends walked to their first and most important class of the day.
-Dared-
"I knew you all were lazy when I started, but you've proved once again how much of idiots you are, some of you more than others. To think that you even thought I wouldn't find out who squealed to Harris…you've proven time and time again to be nothing but…" He trailed off at the sight of Wyatt doodling in his notebook.
"You! How dare you…I thought I taught all of you a lesson with…"
"You don't even know his name." Cindy pointed out.
"Why would I? You're all getting F's anyway."
"You can't do that."
"I can do whatever I want to, little girl."
"But that's not fair."
"Life isn't fair, and now so you'll remember it, you can write it on the board 100 times."
"I haven't done anything." Cindy protested.
"She really hasn't." One of Cindy's friends pointed out. "She simply pointed out that it's been over a month and you have no idea who most of us are."
"And I already explained myself. The only name I need to know is little tattle teller Reagan's." Mr. Ball answered before turning towards Jamie with a scornful grin. "When your brother showed up, I thought for sure he was onto me, but no, low and behold, Danny Reagan didn't care what you had to say. All he wanted was to solve the identity of those pests torturing me." When Joe didn't bother protesting, Ball continued: "Not so tough now when you've had a test of the truth, huh?! I mean, I get it, you thought your last name made you invincible and it might be true out there in the streets, but in here, in MY classroom, it's not. The faster you learn that, the better. And the faster ALL of you learn that I don't tolerate snitching, the better."
"Do you think we are scared of you?" Will asked.
"If you know what's good for you, yes. Young Reagan here is a friend of yours, right?"
"Right."
"Then I guess he's told you what happens to snitches."
"You have no proof that it was him." Will tried to save the situation while Joe had slumped further down into his seat, wishing desperately for a hole in the ground to swallow him whole.
"I actually do, you see good looks come in handy for sweet talking the secretary."
"She couldn't possibly know. For all you know it could have been me."
"That's where you are wrong. There was only one person who asked to speak to the principal instead of getting sent there, Jameson Reagan, so she does know, and so do I. But that's old news, now I'd like to know who the Daredevils are."
"Why? All they have done is try to bring awareness to what you are doing." Logan pointed out.
"Don't think I don't know you are one of the prime suspects, boy!" Mr. Ball growled. "I swear that if it's you behind this I'll…"
"You'll what? You think you could possibly make it worse?!"
"Just wait and see, I have barely started." Mr. Ball answered in an ominous voice.
"What does that mean?" Cindy asked.
"That you all should be very concerned. And start rehearsing what you'll tell your parents when you'll be forced to retake this course next year. Any more questions?" Nobody said a word. "That's what I thought, onto today's lesson then."
-Dared-
"I can't face him, please just take this." Joe shoved the mic and camera into Cindy's hands and ran for the nearest exit.
"Joe!" Cindy called out, but he didn't hear her. The game was up. The scapegoat's identity had been revealed. Joe ran out of the school building as if on autopilot. He had no clear destination in mind, he just knew that he needed to put some distance between himself and his brother, preferably his whole family. So he ran until he felt like he couldn't breathe anymore and collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. Having a sudden moment of clarity, he hurriedly turned off his phone so it couldn't be tracked. He knew he would pay for that move later, but he needed space, space he couldn't get at home. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the young man approaching him until he spoke:
"Want some friendly advice kid? Don't turn off your phone"
"Nix! Geesh you almost gave me a heart attack."
"Your Dad will have one when he can't get a hold of you. What are you doing out here?"
"Please don't tell anybody I'm here. I just need some space for a few hours." Joe pleaded. Nix gave him a quick once over before he answered:
"I'm not here to tell on you Joe, or lecture you, or even force you to go home."
"Thankyou."
"I however won't leave you alone and let only god knows what, happen to you. If you want to talk, I'm more than willing to listen, otherwise I'll just keep an eye on you from a distance."
"I can't stay here. Dad would find me within minutes and I'm not ready to go home yet."
"Whatever you need Joe."
"Space."
"Okay. I know a good place."
-Dared-
"Ready to go home?" Nix had true to his word led them to his apartment not far from where he had bumped into Joe and given Joe space to be alone with his thoughts, but it had been almost two hours and they both knew that Joe couldn't stay much longer before Frank would send out officers to look for him.
"Don't think I'll ever be." Joe replied sadly.
"What are you scared of, kid?" He sounded so genuinely concerned that Joe looked at him surprised.
"You don't know?"
"I know you've stood up to a teacher that's been misusing his power. I know you all got busted yesterday, but that's been dealt with, right?" Joe shook his head.
"No. Dad got called away to a hostage situation right after we got home and didn't make it home until midnight."
"I bet that hasn't made it easier, you having to stew over that along with whatever happened today."
"Not really, no." Joe sniffed a little.
"I'm sorry kiddo for all you've had to go through lately. It wasn't fair."
"You know." Joe realized.
"My idiot brother would have known too if he wasn't so focused on cracking the case. I've seen the look in Cindy's eyes whenever she mentions the scapegoat. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure she'd care if it was a friend or even a classmate, but the way she talked about it; it was too personal to be just anybody."
"I thought I was invincible. Up until then he hadn't dared do anything towards me since I was a Reagan, but when Ball found out that I had gone to the principal, he unleashed his full wrath on me."
"That must have been hard." Nix stated with compassion.
"In the beginning I could take it, I was simply glad to turn his focus away from the others, but it wears you down, you know?"
"I do know, Joe. That's one of the reasons I haven't stopped Cindy from doing the Daredevil stunts."
"How long did you know about it?"
"A lot longer than JJ."
"And you were okay with it?"
"I was in your shoes once. And unlike JJ I actually listened to Cindy. I know the principal didn't take you seriously, so I can't honestly say I wouldn't have done the same in your shoes."
"You are the first one to say that."
"I have a different perspective than most do, kiddo." Nix pointed out kindly.
"Dad's going to be furious."
"You did run off and shut off your phone."
"It's not just that. He could never understand why I didn't tell him about me being involved."
"Why didn't you?" Nix asked, careful to keep all judgement out of his voice.
"He would have told me to back down. To not play the hero. And that a school year would go by fast."
"And when it escalated?"
"You mean at the point all parents got involved?" Nix nodded. "They shifted the blame to us. All of them refused to listen to what we were trying to tell them. Instead of focusing on why they only tried to figure out who."
"That must have been a hard blow."
"It felt like we did everything in vain."
"Especially you." Joe shrugged.
"I wasn't the only one he targeted."
"No, but if I understood Cindy correctly you got the bulk of it."
"Still…"
"So neither of your parents listened?"
"No."
"I could provide them with some insight if you want." Nix offered.
"Would you really do that?" Joe asked surprised.
"I would. It's what I wish somebody would have done for me."
"Dad might not like it. Are you sure you want to risk it?"
"I'm sure." Phoenix replied determinately. "I respect your Dad a great deal Jamie, but this time, he is wrong."
-Dared-
"Afternoon Mrs. Reagan. Commissioner."
"Phoenix, I presume." Frank shook hands with Nix, before turning towards his son. Joe was studying the front porch intently, instead of looking at his parents, but was still unsurprised when his mom engulfed him in a tight hug. "Thank you for bringing him home."
"No problem, I'm just happy I stumbled across him. I was wondering though if it would be alright if I spoke to you a moment."
"Of course. Come on in."
