AN: You guys are waaay too good at predicting my stories. ;) I'm glad you all enjoyed the big reveal about what Danny's powers are! Time to see what the rest of the team thinks, wouldn't you agree? Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

In the end, capturing Vivoldi proved far easier than anticipated, and that was entirely due to a certain rookie and her insane set of skills. All Steve really needed to do was slap the cuffs on the guy.

Still, he'd take the distraction, especially since the alternative was crouching in front of a dead little girl that he'd - -

No. Capture the drug-selling son of a bitch now, brood later - preferably in his Andorack chair with a huge bottle of whiskey.

Though Vilvoldi and his goon had a several minute head start, that lead quickly diminished once they reached the open water. Their boat, which was speeding ahead moments before, slowed to a crawl with no explanation. Meanwhile, Steve felt their own boat pick up even more speed despite Kono driving at full-throttle since leaving the dock. It shouldn't be possible, especially since the boats were the exact same make and model.

What the hell?

Then he noticed Kono - who looked entirely unfazed by it all - merrily driving the boat with one hand while her other hand clenched into a fist near her hip. By itself, it didn't seem out of the ordinary, but the intense look of concentration gave it away.

"Damn, Kono," he murmured, his awe on full display. "That's incredible. How are you doing that?"

She immediately tensed at his comment, then relaxed when she sensed no hostility in his tone. "Nothing flashy, boss. Just created a strong reverse-current that's locked into the bottom of their boat. Slows them down without completely stopping them. I'm doing the opposite for us."

"Is that difficult for you?" he risked asking. He'd never met a Water Pureblood before, and his curiosity refused to abate.

"Nah, brah, this is a cakewalk." Grinning, she expertly steered the boat closer. "Ask Chin about the time I created a tsunami wave. Now that was difficult."

Realizing their capture was inevitable, Vivoldi did what any drug lord in his situation would do - he started shooting. However, any experienced SEAL would testify to the difficulty of shooting accurately on the choppy open ocean, especially in such a small craft. Their boat seemed particularly susceptible to this, rocking so much that the two men could hardly balance.

Meanwhile, their boat sailed smoothly as he raised his own gun. Weird.

(Kono's smirk, of course, was entirely unrelated to the phenomenon.)

Once the boat was in range, two quick shots felled Vivoldi's guard. Finally, Steve's shouts to surrender were met with disgruntled compliance from the criminal kingpin. With Kono still manning the wheel of their own boat, Steve effortlessly boarded the now-gently rocking fleeing vessel and slapped the cuffs on the perpetrator.

"You're going to tell us everything, Vivoldi," he growled after reading the man his rights. "Starting with why you sent a kid into a police precinct to kill your lieutenant."

But the drug lord only sneered in response. "At least I didn't shoot that kid twice in the back. No, that was all you."

An extra hard shove nearly ending with Vivoldi flying into the ocean had the criminal sputtering, but a smug "careful" from Steve shut the man up quickly.

"I want a lawyer."

"Sure, sure." Steve made a show of shading his eyes as he peered towards land. "But, y'know, it's a very long way to shore, and we can't get you a lawyer until we get back. And the water today is awfully rough."

The boat rocked violently right on cue, and Vivoldi once again almost fell into the ocean. Smirking, Kono revved the engine and started guiding the boat towards shore through the roughest waves she could summon.

Steve was thoroughly enjoying the green, pinched expression on Vivoldi's face when he noticed Kono's expression change from a smug grin to pensiveness, then to all-out concern. "Something's wrong," she murmured, drawing his attention. "Chin… he's freaking out about something, but I'm not sure what."

Frowning, Steve's own worry spiked. Chin never freaked out, not even when he had a bomb strapped to his neck. Just then, his earpiece crackled with static. " - - ono, Steve! Where the hell are you guys?"

Chin's frantic tone only succeeded in increasing the churning feeling in his stomach. He turned away from Vivoldi and muttered. "Chin, we got Vivoldi and we're heading back now. We must've just gotten back in range for the earpieces."

"Steve, Danny's down! He did something - - I don't know, but he's unconscious and convulsing!"

And just like that, Steve's heart plummeted. "What? What did he do?"

Expression grim, Kono was already pushing the throttle down as far as it could go as her cousin answered. "I don't know, I don't know. I got to him just before he passed out. He was holding the kid and said he'd saved her, then he collapsed."

"How are his vitals?"

"Hang on…" Some scuffling, then, "Breaths are shallow but consistent, heart rate is slow and steady, and he's white as a sheet."

"And the girl?" Kono piped up. "What did Danny mean when he said he saved her?"

"She's also unconscious but completely unscathed, like she was never shot at all."

"But that's not possible. I saw my shots hit her!"

Then it hit him like a cannonball to the ribcage.

"Chin, do not let a single medic near him until we get back! Alright?" he barked, subtly motioning for Kono to speed them along. Nodding grimly, the boat leapt forward and sent their captured drug lord crashing to the deck. A quick glance showed that the fall knocked Vivoldi out.

Well, that was one less problem to deal with right now.

"We gotta come up with some sort of story here before we let them examine him."

"Already done. I told Duke to keep everyone away."

Now, the dock came into view through the haze of dusk, where he could barely see Chin crouched beside a lump on the ground. Though a thousand questions flooded his mind, two things prevailed above all others.

One: his partner was more powerful than any of them realized and now he was suffering the consequences.

Two: a friend he trusted more than anyone else on the planet had lied to him.

Damn you, Danny Williams.

~H50~

Kono knew a thing or two about power.

She had the strength of the sea running through her veins, perhaps the most powerful force in this world. Subject only to the tide, the ocean moved as it wished and no being could force it to go against that will. Like most Elemental purebloods, her abilities were more of a relationship with that element than control - just as her mother taught her all those years ago.

Her will and gift coupled with the unparalleled strength of the sea created such a raw power that scared even the toughest opponent. Sometimes, she wondered what would happen if she truly let loose. It would be nothing short of exhilarating.

And the crash that followed would be debilitating.

It was more than enough to deter her from attempting it. Even now, she felt inklings of the effect of her waterbending during the chase with Vivoldi - barely present and more annoying than anything. Still, giving in to the full scope of her powers would be far worse with consequences as severe as death.

Perhaps that's why the image of a corpse-like Danny Williams stopped her in her tracks.

Unlike her cousin, she couldn't actually see the strength level of elites. However, this image painted a vivid image of Danny's abilities - the raw power he must possess. Intimately familiar with the devastating effects of wielding such power, she immediately spotted it within others.

Some saw skill and power through feats of strength. She glimpsed it in moments of weakness.

Steve, on the other hand, took one look at his partner and leapt forward, crashing to his knees beside the prone form with little regard for the blood coating the surrounding pavement. Only then did Kono notice the girl clutched in Danny's arms, seemingly sleeping peacefully.

"Danny, hey, Danny?" The panic in Steve's voice was unmistakable as he not-so-gently patted his partner's cheek. That got no response other than the constant tremors shaking his friend's body. "He's freezing, Chin!"

Shrugging helplessly, the older detective could only watch as Steve carefully undid Danny's vest. It was difficult maneuvering it around the unconscious child, who moaned and tightened her grip on her protector when Steve jostled her. At that, a myriad of conflicting emotions crossed the SEAL's face - guilt chief among them.

Knowing Steve, he was already neck-deep in self-flagellation. Somehow, his mind twisted this scene so that everything was his fault.

A light touch on her arm startled her. Whirling around, her already-clenched fist nearly found its mark on Chin's jaw. "Easy, cuz," he said in his characteristic crisis-gentle tone. "How're you feeling?"

Obviously, his question probed at a hidden meaning. With Danny down and Steve nearly frantic, he probably was looking to see if another teammate was about to hit the pavement.

"I'm fine," she replied, probably more roughly than the situation warranted. "Nothing a bottle of water can't cure."

"Alright, that's good. Now, did you and Steve get Vivoldi?"

Damn that soothing tone of his. She both hated it and desperately needed it in situations like this. "Yeah. He's unconscious in the boat."

That earned an eyeroll from her unflappable cousin, at least. "I don't want to know, but I'm somehow not surprised. See if you can rouse him, then hand him off to HPD. Then call an ambulance. Got it?"

"I thought Steve said no medics…?"

Nodding grimly, Chin glanced over his shoulder. "We don't have much of a choice here, Kono. We don't know what we're dealing with and doctors might be able to help. We'll figure out a way to keep things vague and stick close by, alright? Plus," he added, "the kid needs to be seen by a doctor, and that'll stall the investigation long enough to figure out what the hell is going on."

"He's right."

Both turned to face their leader, who was cradling Danny's head in his lap. The formerly fearful expression was hidden behind a stony mask with the remnants of emotion peeking out through green-hazel eyes.

"Danny's unconscious and I can't wake him up. That warrants a hospital visit, no matter the cause. Plus, his vitals are worrying." Taking a deep breath, the SEAL once again picked up his friend's limp wrist and took his pulse. "But we keep this close, alright? None of us were here, we don't know why he's unconscious, he was fine when we left him - that's the story we need to stick to."

"So do I mention the gunshot wounds?" she asked hesitantly, eyes once again finding the kid who seemed to be at the center of this tangled web.

That earned more than a little hesitation from her normally decisive boss. Eventually, he said, "No, just say we have an unconscious minor. When they get here, pull aside the senior medic and explain that the kid's an elite. They're bound by HIPPA and can't say anything. We'll also keep her in protective custody."

Nodding, she finally forced her stone legs to detach from the pavement and approached her two team members on the ground. She crouched and gently clasped Danny's freezing limp fingers. "Hang in there, brah," she murmured so quietly that even Steve missed it. "He mohai ka mana."

It was a phrase her mother had often repeated, both a blessing and an admonishment. Guiding her through her surfing career, the ensuing injury, and the academy, she never forgot the soft, raspy tone of the matriarch of her family whispering those words.

Power is a sacrifice.

And that wisdom was manifested in the image of a comatose Danny Williams lying on the blood-soaked pavement with the child he saved still held in his arms.

~H50~

With awareness came many unwelcome sensations. Weariness and comfortable numbness overtook the phantom memory of excruciating pain in her back. But between the memory of pain and this current tingling was something else… the most wonderful warmth she'd ever experienced. It seemed to embody what life used to be like - the wind in her hair and the sun at her back as she rode through the rolling hills with her mom's laughter not far behind.

She was so caught up in this feeling that she nearly missed a second and extremely unwelcome sensation. There were several sets of unwelcome hands poking and prodding her. Though the touch was gentle, it immediately set off far too many alarm bells.

Touch never meant anything good, not anymore.

Her eyes popped open and instantly took in two unfamiliar shadows looming over her, dark and undistinguishable. Shooting upright, she scrambled away from those hands. Shouts followed and the temptation to disappear became almost overwhelming.

No, you can't! He'll hurt them!

Despite her best attempts, the two figures clad in white shirts easily caught up with her. One gripped her shoulder while the other reached for a syringe.

The sight of the needle sent a surge of fear through her body, fueling her desperate desire to escape. An elbow to the stomach of the guy holding her was enough for her to slip away. Eyes desperately scanning for something - anything - that would give her a way out, she saw him.

The blond man.

He was flat on his back a few yards away and she would've thought he was sleeping if he wasn't shaking so badly. Not only were men in white shirts surrounding him, but a woman and two big men with guns also loomed over him. Unable to make out their features, she quickly determined that she didn't recognize them.

But she knew a bad guy when she saw one, and the man pacing angrily near the blond man's head was certainly one.

With her own captors coming up behind her, a crossroads opened before her. Save herself, or help the man who helped her.

In the end, it wasn't a question at all.

Howling, she rushed the tall, dark scary man and kicked the back of his knees. He crashed to the ground and the others yelled, but she didn't care. Now between the blond man and his captors, she pulled the knife out of her pants. This was supposed to be used to kill the guy with the expensive sunglasses and smelly cigars, and she was somewhat surprised when her fingers found it still tucked in her back pocket.

The evil people and the men in white shirts surged forward, but brandishing the knife froze them in their footsteps.

"Stay back!" she screamed. "Stay back or I'll kill you!"

They did, but her advantage wouldn't last long. While they had guns and - was that a grenade? - she only held a knife. Crouching over the blond man, her brain whirled as she considered how she would get him out of here. He was still asleep despite the racket around them and too heavy for her to carry.

"Wake up!" she hissed, not daring to take her eyes off the group of bad guys. "C'mon, mister, time to go!"

"Hey." The voice drew her eyes to the tall, dark, and scary man, whose eyes constantly shifted from her to the man on the ground. "Hey, put the knife down and we'll figure this out."

That only made her brandish the knife higher. "No," she growled, "no, I'm not doing that. Go away!"

Frustration crossed his face and she barely resisted the instinctive urge to flinch. "I'm not gonna ask a second time, kid. Put down the knife and step away from him or - -"

"Steve," the other man interrupted. "Stop. You're not helping."

Warily, she examined this other man. He was shorter than tall, dark, and scary, but he had a kind face. His hands were raised as he took one step forward and dropped to one knee. "My name's Chin Ho Kelly. Can you tell me your name?" he asked quietly.

Typical. Names were a privilege he claimed they didn't deserve, but she coveted hers like a sacred treasure and she definitely wasn't giving it up to this guy.

"It's none of your business! Get away, alright? Leave us alone!"

"I can't do that."

Sneering, she clenched the knife so tightly that her knuckles hurt. "Then I'll kill you all starting with him." She glared in the direction of Tall, Dark, and Scary.

Kind Eyes - Chin Ho - chuckled. "I'm sorry for him. Steve has never been good at having civil conversations." His voice dropped conspiratorially as his eyes twinkled. "In fact, Danny - that man on the ground next to you - calls him a Neanderthal Animal because he's so bad at it."

That threw her off-guard, and she carefully gestured toward the blond man. "You know him?"

He nodded gently, his smile softening. "Yeah, he's one of my best friends. I just want to make sure he's safe and alright. I don't want him getting hurt."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the strong-looking woman edging her way forward and her guard went up once more. "No, no, no! You're lying, you're all lying!"

"Hey - -"

"Get away!"

Chin Ho motioned the others back further, but he remained where he was. "I'm not lying. I just want to help you and Danny. He's sick and he needs help."

"Stop lying to me!" Tears were beginning to well in her eyes and she stubbornly wiped them away. "You're here to take him away and hurt him! Do you think I'm stupid? I know what you do to people like us!"

"Like..." Now a frown covered Chin Ho's face, but it wasn't an angry frown. No, he seemed more puzzled. "You're just trying to protect him, aren't you?"

Eyes darting towards the other two gun-carrying people, she risked a nod.

Relief slacked the man's features. "Do you mind if I lower my arm and show you something? I'll use my left arm and won't reach for my gun, I promise."

She chewed her bottom lip and hesitated. This man wasn't like the others, none of them were. His men would've rushed her already, or tased her, or worse. Instead, this guy just knelt and talked to her.

Curiosity bubbling in her gut, she risked a small nod and tightened the hold on her knife.

He smiled. "Thank you. I'll go really slow, okay?"

Just as he promised, his left arm slowly lowered to his waist. Lifting up his shirt, he carefully grasped something and held it out to her. "Can you see what this is?"

Despite the falling night, the gold gleamed in the light of the nearby cars. Squinting, she made out the shape of a badge.

"I'm a police officer," Chin Ho continued calmly, "and so are these two. This is Officer Kalakaua and Commander McGarrett."

Taking a cue from their friend, Officer Kalakaua and Commander McGarrett also took their badges off their belts and held them out. They looked identical to Chin Ho's badge, but that didn't convince her of anything. After all, she knew way too many cops who were bad too.

But he wasn't done yet. "Now, can you do something for me? Look at my friend's belt. I swear none of us will move, alright?"

Glaring, she shook her head. "Not until all of you back up further."

Immediately, Chin Ho rose and backed up with a few big steps and his friends did as well. Only after he stopped did she feel safe enough to risk a quick glance down at the blond man's body.

A gold badge gleamed on his belt, identical to the one Chin Ho held.

"You could've planted that," she said, still not willing to trust them with the man who saved her. They'd tear him apart, she knew. They were looking for someone just like him.

But Chin Ho shook his head. "No, I didn't. Danny - Detective Williams - works with us and he's a member of our family. These other people are paramedics and they're here because he's sick. Right now, we need to get him to the hospital so they can help him. You want to help him too, right?"

Yes.

Cautiously, she motioned the three cops forward while keeping the knife raised. As soon as they got close enough, she hissed, "He's not sick. They won't help him."

This time, Officer Kalakaua answered her. "How do you know? Do you know why he's, uh, sleeping?"

Hesitating, she shifted her weight. "He saved me."

Commander McGarrett sucked in a huge breath, a hand scrubbing through his hair. Immediately, she brandished her knife towards him, but he only reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Thumbing on his lock screen, he held it out to her.

On it was a picture of him with the blond - Danny - and a little girl on a beach. All three were smiling like crazy and a pang of longing sparked in her chest.

"He's your friend?" she asked once more, the knife slowly lowering as she stared into his eyes.

Sincere orbs met hers fearlessly. "He's like a brother to me. I swear I won't let anything happen to him."

And she believed him.

Lowering the knife, she stepped aside ever so slightly. "He saved me," she repeated. "I'm not leaving him, but you can help him too."

Chin Ho smiled as Commander McGarrett immediately knelt beside Danny. "Thank you for looking out for him. I know he'll be thankful when he wakes up."

As Officer Kalakaua motioned the other people forward, she knelt beside Commander McGarrett and examined her savior. He was very white - except for the bruise on his cheek - and he was shaking a lot, just like some of the other kids did after they used their powers too much. Seeming to notice this too, Commander McGarrett gently rubbed Danny's chest. "C'mon, buddy, hang on for me."

Her savior's shivers tapered off at the touch, earning a soft smile from the scary man. Funny, he didn't seem so frightening when he smiled like that.

Kneeling on the other side of the blond, Chin Ho waved to get her attention. "You're gonna ride to the hospital in an ambulance too, alright? Officer Kalakaua will go with you to keep you safe."

"I don't need an ambulance," she spat, eyes locked on Danny.

As soon as she said that, however, the weariness she'd previously ignored came back in full force. Dizziness made the ground spin beneath her knees, even though she knew cement didn't move like that. Blinking rapidly, she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Kid?"

Commander McGarrett's voice sounded very far away. Likewise, the light seemed to get darker even though her eyes were still open. With her tongue too heavy to call for help, she fell forward.

Strong arms caught her, voices shouting around her. Dimly, she wondered if it'd all been a mistake - if they had somehow drugged her so they could take her and Danny away.

Then the world went black and she knew no more.

As I was writing this chapter, I asked myself, "What would be something totally different from the typical 'rush character to the hospital?' scene?" This is what I came up with. As always, thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!