An annoying beeping sound was all he could make out at first. It was faint, but the more he focussed on it, the louder it grew. It brought with it voices, talking in hushed tones, far away. The beeping quickened, though only slightly. Nothing that would have been noticed unless that was all you were focusing on. As he lay there, the rhythmic sound grew almost hypnotic and the idea of going back to sleep for a bit sounded more and more agreeable.

One deep breath and a sharp pain chased those thoughts away and Danny was thrust into the waking world. He groaned and the voices faltered. All the memories of the ghost fight, then the portal and the rooftop standoff, flooded back to his mind. Bleary eyes blinked open. It felt like he'd been sleeping for weeks. He moved to rub at his eyes, but a sharp tugging on his left arm caused him to stop. A thin tube, taped to the crook of his elbow, trailed down the edge of the hospital bed and up to a clear plastic bag. That was a new one. Normally if he got hurt he had to walk it off or make do with home remedies. Being hospitalized, at a real hospital anyways, was something he'd yet to experience. In all honesty it was something of a relief. Being cared for by professionals came with a certain ease whereas having serious injuries tended to by friends or family simply did not.

"Fenton?" a voice sounded off to his right. He turned his head and a dark haired figure came into view. It took a moment of thought to remember the man's name.

"Aizawa, right?" he said, his voice still carrying a sleepiness to it.

"Yes. Glad you're finally awake." Aizawa said, handing Danny a cup of water.

"How long was I out for?"

"36 hours, give or take a few." Another man, standing next to Aizawa and wearing a white coat said something to him in Japanese. Aizawa nodded and turned back to Danny. "The doctors are surprised you're doing as well as you are. I'm guessing you have some sort of healing ability on top of everything else?"

Danny shrugged. "Sort of. I'd heal faster if I was in my other form."

"How do you feel?"

"Sore." He stretched and winced as the familiar but dull pain in his chest returned. "I've had worse though. It'll pass in a day or two."

Aizawa said something to the doctor, who nodded and made his way to the door. "The police have been waiting to talk with you. Do you think you can manage to answer some of their questions?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I can do that." Danny glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. It was exceptionally bare, with only a pair of chairs against one wall and no windows for him to tell if it was night or day. "Uh… where's my bag?"

"The backpack containing the assumed weapon parts has been turned over to the authorities." Aizawa explained.

"No, I need that. It's-"

"Making demands isn't going to get you very far, Fenton. I suggest you cooperate and maybe you'll have your property returned to you."

Danny slumped against the pillows and sighed. "Fine. Could you call me Danny, though? The only people who call me 'Fenton' are my teachers and some jerks from my school."

"If that's what you'd prefer, then fine. Danny it is."

The door opened and a man in an officer's uniform walked in, followed by a woman who had green, cat-like eyes and pointed ears that were at least six inches long. The man said something to Aizawa, who replied in kind, before turning back to the teen.

"Danny, this is detective Tsukauchi and his interpreter, Ms. Oshima." Aizawa introduced. "The detective has a few questions for you. I trust you'll be cooperative and as helpful as possible. Just so you know, the detective's quirk allows him to know if anyone is lying to him, regardless of what language they speak. I suggest you stick to telling the truth, out of respect, if nothing else." Aizawa turned and started making his way towards the door.

Danny nodded. "Right. Um… are you leaving?"

Aizawa turned and glared at danny from over his shoulder. "Do I need to sit here and watch your every move, or are you going to stay there and cooperate?" His eyes were red around the edges and there was an agitation in his voice Danny hadn't noticed before.

"No- er… yeah I'll stay here. I just-" Just what? It wasn't like he'd known the guy for more than a few minutes. Considering what his ability had done to him, Danny should be glad that the guy was giving him some space. And yet, so far he was the only person in this world that he'd had the chance to talk to. Not to mention, he'd actually listened to Danny. And he hadn't had to. He didn't have to tell Danny who he was or answer any of his questions, but he did. He was at least more familiar than anyone else in this place so far. In all honesty, being stuck in a world alien to his own and with no connections to home, quite simply, he didn't want to be alone with a menagerie of strangers poking and prodding and asking questions all day.

Aizawa watched the hesitation and worry flicker across the kid's features and he let his shoulders sag. "I'll most likely be back before they're done. Seeing as I'm the only thing so far that can keep you under control, you're not getting rid of me anytime soon." He continued out the door and Danny laid back against the pillows once more.

The detective spoke up then and once he had finished speaking, the interpreter, Oshima, chimed in. "Hello, Danny. We need you to answer a few questions for us, if you don't mind. The detective will ask the questions and I will translate. If you'd like to ask some questions of your own, please let me know. I will warn you though that the detective cannot guarantee that he will answer any question you have. Now then, your full name is Danny Fenton, correct?" Danny nodded. "And you're American, yes? What is your reason for coming to Japan?"

"I didn't exactly plan on coming here. It was an accident."

Oshima raised a brow at him. "You accidentally crossed the pacific without meaning to?"

"More or less." Danny chuckled, humorlessly.

"I see." She interpreted for the detective and gathered more questions to ask. "Danny, witnesses said you fell out of the sky through a purple and black void. Is this correct?"

"Yeah. It was a portal. It sort of sucked me in, hence the accident bit."

Oshima translated and Danny saw the confusion settle onto the detective's face.

"Where were you when you were pulled through the portal?" Oshima asked. "Where there other people with you?"

"I don't know if you'd call them people, exactly." Danny hesitated. This was the part that was always hard to convince people of. "This is gonna sound completely out of left field, but do you guys believe in ghosts?"

Oshima looked taken aback by the question. Danny waited quietly. Oshima translated and the detective's brow furrowed. "I do not see how this question is relevant, Danny. Personally I do believe in an afterlife and the spirits of those who've died, but it's not something I think about on a daily basis."

"Well, to put it bluntly, ghosts are real and the place where spirits manifest into ghosts isn't as hard to reach as you may think."

"Are you insinuating that you think you know how to reach the afterlife?" Oshima asked.

"Not quite." Danny said, scratching at the back of his neck. "See, ghosts are dead people, spirits, who haven't been able to cross over or move on. But ghosts don't just 'happen', otherwise you'd see them everywhere. They have to manifest in a place where they can absorb energy. My parents are scientists who've spent their entire live researching ghosts and the realm that they come from. That's the only reason I know as much about this as I do. Kind of hard to escape the lingo when the folks work from home, all day, every day."

Oshima took a bit longer to translate and the detective seemed slightly annoyed as he responded.

"This is an interesting theory, but how does any of this connect with the incident you were involved in yesterday?"

"The portal that I came through, on the other side was the same ghost dimension I've been talking about. Before I got here, I was in there. My parents don't just research theories, they actively test them on real ghosts from the Ghost Zone."

"Ghost Zone?" she asked skeptically.

Danny shrugged. "They were the first ones to open a doorway into the dimension and prove that it existed, so they got to coin the term. Dad's not the most scientific or artful when it comes to names."

"So you were in this Ghost Zone, and then you went through a portal and ended up here?"

"That's the basics of it, yeah."

Oshima sighed. "Danny, I don't mean to be rude, but this all sounds quite fantastical."

"I'm not making it up." Danny retorted.

"I didn't say you were lying."

"I'm not crazy ether."

"I didn't say that you were." Oshima ensured, her voice remaining calm and collected at all times. "If what your telling us is accurate, then it is a lot to take in and understand. For now, let's move on. You said you were not alone when the portal opened, correct?"

"Yeah. I was fighting off a couple of ghosts, who stole some old and broken equipment from the lab downstairs. They woke me up, hence the pjs and bare feet." he said, gesturing to his still intact night clothes.

"And you decided to attack these ghosts yourself?"

"Yeah." Danny shrugged.

"Why didn't you alert your parents? They sound like they're experts on the subject, could they not reclaim their own stolen goods?"

"Well…" He had to hold back a laugh. "That gets a little more complicated. Their theory is basically that ghosts are monsters who haunt and cause trouble and have zero redeeming qualities. They don't just research ghosts, they hunt them. And they tend to go a bit overboard… a lot."

"And you disagree with their ideas on these ghosts?" Oshima asked.

"Depends on the ghost. There's a lot that are dangerous, angry and just looking for something to take all that out on, but there's others who are just trying to make sense of their existence."

"So you take it upon yourself to be a neutral voice in the matter?"

"I don't know if neutral's the right word, but I know how to catch them and dump them back into the Ghost Zone without causing as much harm or property damage. Usually…"

"You're just a child though. Even if this kind of ghostly activity is real, then it would fall under hero work. You can't be allowed to use your quirk as you see fit. Every country has laws against such actions."

"Ok, what are quirks?" Danny asked, mild agitation seeping into his voice, though he remained oddly relaxed. "You guys keep using that word and I've never heard it used like that before."

Oshima stared at him. "You don't know what quirks are?"

"No. I mean I know people with quirky personalities, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you're talking about."

She translated and the Detective looked between her and Danny. Then he said something and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Quirks are the term for super powers that most people possess. For example my quirk is Calming Aura. I can influence a person's emotions to make them less likely to act on their emotions." She explained. Suddenly his lack of reaction made a bit more sense to him, despite his less than cheery mood. "Most people have a single quirk or a combination of their parent's quirks, but from what we've gathered, you have quite a few."

"Oh… well, yeah. I can phase through solid objects, turn invisible, create energy beams or ecto balls, make ecto shields, fly. I guess if each one was expected to be its own thing that would add up to a lot. Heh, figures. Even when I go to a place with superheroes around every corner I'm still a freak." He paused, giving his head time to wrap itself around all the information he was taking in. "And, when you say 'most people' have quirks, how many are we talking about?"

"Roughly 80% of the world's population is born with a quirk or manifests one in early childhood." She stated plainly.

Danny's eyes went wide. The strange looking people in the crowd popped to the front of his thoughts. "That… that explains a lot actually." He sighed. "This is nuts. So the whole world is like this? Super powered people, all over the place?"

"Yes. It's surprising that you're unaware of this."

"Not really. Actually, this is all starting to make more and more sense." he said. "The portals that open from inside the Ghost Zone don't seem to abide by any rules or logic. They're impossible to predict or track and they can sometimes open up in different time periods. One minute you're in a plane flying through a storm, the next thing you know you've glided into a portal to the Ghost Zone and get spat back out in ancient Rome. And that's not theory. I've had my fair share of jaunts through portals like that before."

"So you know how to open more of these portals then?"

"Well, no. Back then I had, well… a map that could lead me to the portals and take me home. This time I didn't."

"Then are you trying to say that you think you've come to a different time period?"

"Maybe? But, it'd have to be the future to me and the buildings and tech looks pretty much the same as the stuff back home, so I don't think I've time traveled. I think this is closer to another dimension, like how the Ghost Zone is technically another dimension to our own. Well… my own."

"So you think you're from another dimension?"

"Maybe. Look, I don't know any of this for sure. My parents are the scientists, not me. I'm just trying to come up with an answer that makes sense of any of this."

"I understand. However this is a lot to take on just your word alone. I hope you understand, we aren't trying to say that you're wrong, rather that we are trying to contextualize the information you're providing with what we already know." Oshima spoke with the Detective, who seemed to be thinking a lot between words. Once he was done, Oshima turned back to Danny. "If nothing else we'll take this into consideration. Thankfully your disturbance yesterday resulted in no injuries. The only damage was a small dent on the hood of a taxi. Easy enough to patch up and the owner is not going to press charges. However, seeing as there is no record of you in any national database and no one has come forward claiming to be your next of kin, we cannot allow you, as an underage person, to be left unattended. We're willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, as to your criminal background or lack thereof, but your unregistered quirk and its unusual condition cannot be ignored. Until we know for sure that you are not a danger, we cannot let you roam the streets and do as you please. You'll be assigned a caretaker, who can ensure your safety and the safety of the populous, should you become a threat. Do you understand?"

Danny nodded. "You've clearly done your research while I was out cold. And now you're putting me under house arrest, basically."

"Only for a short time. Until we can come to better understand your quirk and find a way to contain it without causing you any harm in the process."

Danny laughed. "That's a new one. Usually when people want to figure out what makes me tick, my wellbeing is the last thing on their minds."

Oshima gave him a concerned look. "What do you mean?"

Realizing what he'd said, Danny raised a hand as if to wave her worries away. "Nothing. Nothing. It's not important, really."

"Danny, we're not your enemies here." Oshima assured him. "We're not going to hurt you, if we can help it. Our first priority is to help people and that includes you."

Danny shook his head. "Seriously, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have said what I said."

Oshima didn't seem convinced. "Well, the doctor would like to keep you under observation for a few more hours, just to be safe. Normally you'd be kept longer but apparently you're healing at an increased rate."

Danny shrugged. "Just another part of me being me."

Oshima offered him a smile. "Well, so that you are aware, the nurses have run a few basic tests while you were sleeping, just to get a better idea of how your body functions. Nothing more invasive than a simple blood test I assure you. The doctor did want to run some more tests, but he would need patient consent. You are free to decline if you so desire, but if you're hurt again the lack of information could be vital."

"I'll think about it." Danny mumbled. "I'm not really used to telling people about my powers or what I am."

"And what exactly are you, Danny?"

"Somewhere between long dead and still breathing." he gave a stilted laugh.

"Well, you look like a regular teenager to me." Oshima said. "A teen who's had a very long and stressful two days. Dead or alive, this can't be easy for you."

A rare flicker of melancholy clouded Danny's eyes as he watched the woman talk to the detective. There was something in the way that she spoke. A genuineness that kept him from retorting with his usual quips. When was the last time someone had said something like that to him? And meant it? A chill ran down his arms and all at once he felt exposed. Like a raw nerve that'd just had the bandage peeled off it. He wanted to take it back. To unsay what he'd said and just give another non-answer. But the Detective and Ms. Oshima were already getting up to leave.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Danny. I'm sure we'll see you again soon." Oshima said. "For now though, you'll be left in the care of Mr. Aizawa Shouta. If you have any concerns or needs, please call this number." She handed him a clean strip of paper with normal, familiar numbers on it, though not in the order he expected. Still, it was at least something he could read.

When Danny looked up the detective was looking at him and then said something. Oshima nodded. "Right, we will be sure to return your property to you once we have confirmed it is not a danger to the populous."

"And if you find that it is, maybe, a teensy bit dangerous?" Danny asked.

Oshima translated. The detective gave a short reply. "We'll let you know as soon as we know something."

"Thanks." Danny watched as they opened the door and stepped out of the room. He could see Aizawa, leaning against the doorframe, listening to the Detective. No doubt being told that Danny was insane and relaying whatever parts of his story that they found important. Aizawa didn't seem too thrilled by what they had to say, then again he didn't really seem like the type to be thrilled by much.

Soon enough the Detective and Ms. Oshima left and Aizawa stepped in, closing the door behind him. He didn't say anything at first, just stared at Danny, as if he was trying to figure him out. Danny fidgetted under his gaze.

"Looks like you'll be staying at my place, until they can find somewhere more suitable for you."

"More suitable?" Thoughts of a ghost-proof cell flickered through Danny's mind.

"This wasn't exactly a job that I was eager to take on, that said my skills are needed and I'm willing to comply." He shrugged. "Besides, I deal with powerful adolescents at my job every day. What's one more to manage at home?"

Danny tilted his head. "I thought you said you were a pro-hero?"

He nodded, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed. "That's one of my titles, but my current paying job is that of a teacher at a prestigious high school, known for its hero training program. One of the best in the nation."

"Wait, there's a school that teaches you how to be a hero?" Danny asked, incredulous.

"There are quite a few actually." Aizawa responded, slouching into the chair, not seeming to care that he looked like a wet rag on a clothesline. "Being a hero in this society is as much a job as being a doctor or lawyer. There are plenty of people with useful quirks who think they can use their abilities to break the law and do whatever they please. Having equally powerful people who are employed to stop these sorts of crimes is vital."

"I guess that makes sense. And there's not like, anti-quirk communities or weapons that can take away a person's powers?"

Aizawa shrugged. "There was some push back decades ago when the first quirks started to appear, but once quirks became the majority it was harder for the opposition to make much of a fuss. As for the other, there aren't weapons so much as quirk suppressing restraints used by the police and, of course, the rare quirk like mine that can temporarily neutralize a person's powers. But no, there's no way we know of to remove a quirk entirely."

"Huh. That's a plus at least." He said, absently fiddling with one of the monitor wires.

Aizawa watched him for a moment. "You told the detective that you're from another dimension." Danny nodded, not making an effort to look up. "Are there a lot of communities that don't approve of abilities like yours in your world?"

Danny's tinkering stilled. "Sort of. It's less that they don't approve of my powers and more that they're scared of what I am." He shrugged. "Can't really blame 'em honestly. Just about everyone's scared of ghosts."

"You call yourself a ghost?"

"If the shoe fits."

"I can understand referring to your powers as ghost like, moving through objects, flying and being invisible, it's a better gimmick than a lot that I've seen, but you're just as much a living person as anyone else."

"That depends on who you ask." Danny grumbled.

Before anything else could be said on the matter, the doctor from before stepped in along with one of the nurses. The doctor nodded to Danny, then turned his attention to Aizawa. Danny figured he was going to have to get used to the feeling of being ignored for a while. He thought about learning some Japanese while he was here, but it didn't seem that important. After all, he wouldn't be here long. He was going to get the portal gun back one way or another and get himself back home soon. He just had to figure out how to get past Aizawa.