Upon hearing a vaguely familiar voice calling out in the darkness, Danny turned towards it, phased himself the rest of the way through the floor and passed the metal bars.
The girl twisted around and backed away in fear, pressing herself against her wall. Quickly looking him up and down, her face contorted into one of utter confusion. "What's going on out there?"
Danny smiled, held out his white gloved hand, "we're getting you out."
She stared at him in shock, eyes glistening as she processed his statement. He waited, floating in front of her, within the confines of the jail cell that had held her for who knows how long. His eyes landed on the others, slumped against the walls, almost lifeless. He'd come back for them.
Tentatively, she stepped towards him, eyeing his ghostly tail. Her lower lip quivered. Once she closed the distance, gold speckled eyes met neon green. Thin fingers slowly slid over his outstretched palm, wrapping around tightly, almost desperately.
Lowering his eyebrows, Danny softened his gaze, taking in how terrified she seemed. He hoped she never had to feel this way ever again. With one large sweeping motion, he grabbed her bridal style and soared through the ceiling.
She flinched reflexively, shivering as he turned them intangible, tightening her grasp. Her eyes, however, remained open. Taking in every detail of his face as white hair whipped across his cheek.
Looking out into the field, Danny spotted an empty ambulance and geared down, determination burning in his eyes. "Over here!" he called to a nearby paramedic who turned and jogged over.
Wasting no time, he lowered her on to the bed. The paramedics, instantly by her side, began rattling off questions, checking vitals. The girl didn't respond, allowing them to do as they pleased. Her eyes never left him. He floated, staring right back.
They began wheeling her away, lifting her into the back of the ambulance. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he turned his body. He needed to get back inside. He could easily carry more than one person at a time.
Just when he lifted off, shooting towards the thick wall, he was stopped in his tracks by a high pitched scream, "wait!"
Danny whirled around in alarm, the paramedic was just about the shut the door, but the girl had stopped him. Raising his brow, Danny flew forward, straight into the metal door. "What's wrong?" he questioned in a panicked voice, looking her over.
Her long arm reached out for him, beckoning him forward. "Come closer, Snow White."
He obliged, smirking at the weird nick name, slipping his hand comfortingly into hers. Smiling, she tightened her grip and pulled him towards her face. Lifting her head, she leaned in slowly and planted a soft peck on his cheek.
Danny stared at her, dumbfounded. His face heated up as a hand held onto the spot her lips had been moments before. "What was that for?" he squeaked, eye squinting in embarrassment.
She grinned, giggling and the stupid expression on his face before a much more serious look took over her dulled eyes. A sad smile formed on her lips as she gazed deep into his swirling irises, "for being the first person in my life to ever keep a promise." With that, she closed her eyes and lay her head back down.
The doors closed, the engine roared, the ambulance began to speed away. He remained floating in spot, allowing the vehicle to move through him. Staring after her, unable to form a coherent thought.
How had she known?
Feeling a cool wetness on the tip of his nose, he scrunched his face, shaking himself out of the momentary daze. Wiping it off, he gazed down at his hand, inspecting it. A rain drop.
Right on que, the thick overcast of clouds let out a low groan, and the damn broke. Steady streams pouring down. In a matter of seconds, he was soaked to the bone. Reaching up, he swooped his droopy stands out of his eyes and took in the commotion surrounding him.
He looked around, taking in the magnitude of emergency vehicles parked haphazardly around the large field. Red and blue lights illuminating the night, catching the rain drops. Victims being rushed to hospitals. GIW personnel progressively being marched out of the building, hands bound in cuffs. Federal Agents teeming the perimeter, barking into walkie-talkies.
He noticed a couple of people by the graves. A shovel glinting in the grass. A deep shiver ran down his spine.
He sighed deeply, turning his head back to gaze in the direction she had gone.
It was going to be a long night.
It was dark and quiet. The rain had stopped ages ago, leaving only the musty smell of old wet wood behind. Four shadowy figures were gathered in the Foley's attic. Three sitting, immobile, against the walls, one laying prone on the floor atop of a dusty duvet. The only sound that could be heard was the distant chirping of the crickets mingled with their soft breaths.
He wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, not a word exchanged between them, his mind was elsewhere. Replaying the past day over and over in his head. His hand reached up, grazing the bandage on his throat, still unable to decipher if it all really was some wild nightmare.
He shifted his gaze ever so slightly to look through the tiny slit of a window, delicate shimmering moonlight filtered through, illuminating the room in its soft hold. He couldn't help but be reminded of his late night adventures with Phantom, watching the boy tell his many stories, moonlight catching his excited eyes.
He wondered where he was. He knew it was a long two hour ride back home using the UFO-like contraption. He also knew it would take Phantom longer since he was going to fly on his own…but it was getting pretty late. Or early, depending on how you looked at it. His stomach was in knots, after the whirlwind of a day, he couldn't help but worry. He just wanted him to come home.
As if reading his mind, a small voice broke through the silence. "There you guys are," the new figure whispered, with only a wispy image of a translucent head phased through the floor. Somehow ascending perfectly into the space between Sam and Tucker, a space left just big enough for a lean teenage boy. He slowly pulled the rest of his body up.
Buster watched as the matching sullen expressions on the two faces vanished, warm but tired smiles in their place. He felt his own face mirror the look, a heavy weight lifting off his shoulders.
The ghost was instantly sandwiched in a tender embrace, a soft chuckle escaping Phantom's lips as he lightly wrapped his arms around them. Pulling away, Tucker resumed his position against the wall. Phantom slumped back along with him, the mesmerizing ring of light cascading across his body as he supported his tired weight against his best friend, head resting heavily on his shoulder. Sam sat off to his other side, her fingers intertwined with his, running the pad of her thumb soothingly across the back his hand, facing him with concern in her eyes. They spoke softly amongst each other, murmuring questions, mumbling answers, whispering jokes. Danny's eyes remained gently shut during the entire expanse of the conversation.
Buster felt strangely uncomfortable as he sat not three feet away, propped up against his own wall, watching the exchange.
He felt as if he were intruding on something much too private. Something he was never meant to witness.
He realized that moments like this were routine for the three. A moment to gather themselves back up after every battle, every victory, every failure…Until this very moment as he sat watching the compassionate expressions sculpted into the familiar faces, he hadn't truly understood the implications of Danny's obscure revelation.
This crazy horrifying ride he'd just been on wasn't something that was going to end, not for them. This was their life. What they did.
The murmuring quieted down, Buster felt as if he should say something, make his presence known, but he couldn't find the strength to break the comforting spell around the boy. Buster watched him instead, the sad smile slipping off his face as he sleepily leaned closer into Tucker's side. His blue eyes lazily opened, wandering across the room, gaze lingering on Wes' sleeping form and then shifting slowly towards him.
Their eyes met, a small smile formed on his lips. Danny mirrored the expression, holding it for mere seconds before abruptly dropping it. His eyes flashed with remembrance as he hastily pushed himself away from the dark skinned boy. "Oh man, what time is it!?" he whisper yelled. Buster scrunched his brows, confused by the abrupt break of the calm atmosphere.
"Almost four in the morning, why?" Sam whispered is a soothing voice, probably attempting to calm him down.
Danny turned to stare at Buster, wide eyed. "Aw dude. Dash is probably having a cow by now, I told him to get help if you weren't back by midnight! Why didn't you go home?" he said, panicking.
Buster couldn't help but giggle at the comical look on the boy's face. "I called him, it was before midnight when we got back…but he'd already told his parents I was staying over at Tucker's so I didn't think it would make much sense if I suddenly appeared," he explained. It had taken a lot of convincing on his part, Dash had been close to hysterics when he'd called him, wanting to see him right away. He on the other hand, didn't want to face him with the white gauze secured across his neck.
Freezing mid-panic, Danny slowly deflated, "Oh…good." He slowly leaned back, resuming his spot against the other boy. His exhaustion catching up to him.
"Same story for me," Sam chimed in, a devious smile appearing on her face.
Tucker giggled, jostling Danny, "they think I'm at Sam's…we just have a rather large family of raccoons living in the attic."
A heavy sigh escaped Danny's lips, almost as if bothered by the lies his friends' were forced to tell, but he didn't say anything. "I should call Jazz, it's almost been three nights…she's gonna kill me for this," he mumbled instead.
"She can handle a few more hours. Just relax man," Tucker soothed, "you look like you haven't slept in weeks"
"Actually he slept well into the afternoon…slept most of the day before that too."
All four heads turned simultaneously, watching as the figure pushed himself up, panting slightly. Buster winced, those monsters had managed to really weaken the poor guy.
Buster eyes flitted over to Danny who had, once again, pushed himself away from Tucker. He crawled over, plopping down next to the red head, situating himself to face him. "Hey man," he greeted softly.
Wes looked up, meeting his eyes before sharply turning away, "Hey."
Buster could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off of Danny as he squirmed. "How you feeling?"
Shifting his eyes back to glare daggers, "like I was just kidnapped, beaten to a pulp, and used as a lab rat. So pretty much the best I've felt in years…how 'bout you?" Wes snapped, voice dripping with venom.
Danny flinched, biting his lip as he looked away. "Sorry for that…I…I really didn't think…I mean I thought I knew…But I didn't and I…Well I'm just…I'm sorry."
"I'm never gonna forgive you so quit your babbling. It's useless," the boy grumbled. Buster felt his heart break for Danny, he had gone through so much to get Wes out alive. But he couldn't really blame Wes for being upset.
Clearing his throat, Danny hugged his knees closer to his chest. "I understand, but—"
"I can't believe you did this to me, I knew you were a conniving little bastard…but this?"
He heard Sam bristle in anger, Tucker probably holding her back. Danny looked like a deer in headlights, his mouth gaping for a few moments before he finally blinked. "Wes, I didn't do it on purpose…I'll do anything I can—"
"How could you just tell him like that!? I've been working on him for months. Months! Do you know how long that is?"
The air in the room stilled. His sentence hanging awkwardly, no one really knowing what to do with it.
Finally, Danny recovered, the corner of his mouth curving up ever so slightly. "What?"
Wes seemed unaffected by everyone's confusion, ignoring Danny's question, "did you at least record his reaction?
A small giggle escaped Danny's lips, staring at Wes as if he had finally lost it. "What are you talking about?"
The irritable ginger threw his arms in the air dramatically, "Buster! How could you tell him without me?" Startled by his name being shrieked, he unconsciously jumped. The words slowly sunk in, his eyebrows raising in bewilderment as he realized what Wes was actually upset about.
Danny looked just as bewildered, if not a bit amused. "I…I didn't. I'm sorry. It was an accident?"
Huffing loudly, Wes crossed his arms and stubbornly turned away from the repenting boy. "I'm never talking to you ever again. Who else in this stupid town is ever going to believe me?!"
"Hopefully no one, that's kind of the whole idea with this entire secret identity thing," Sam cut in, unable to restrain herself any longer. Her anger was evident in her tone, not taking Wes' attitude towards Danny's identity lightly. Danny shot her a small look to which she scowled at but backed away.
"Are you sure you're okay dude? Didn't hit your head?" Tucker asked, a wide grin on his face, enjoying every bit of the argument. His hand, however, remained on Sam's shoulder in case she pounced. He didn't seem too worried though, Buster could understand why. Wes was not very convincing when it came to exposing Danny. He hadn't even understood what he had been saying to him half the time.
"Nah, he's always like this," Danny joked lightly, earning a growl in response.
Tucker shook his head, smile growing. "Right."
No one said much for a while after that. Danny and Wes remained in their positions, as if challenging the other to relent first. Sam seemed to have simmered down, crossing her legs as she leaned against the wall. Buster watched as her eyes slid shut, a soft snore already coming from Tucker. His own eyes were about to fall when he felt a vibration in his pocket.
Squinting his eyes, he stared down at the screen. Reading the message, he rolled his eyes. He really wasn't ready for this. "Uh, Danny?" he whispered, "Dash is outside…says he wants to talk…to both of us."
Danny glanced at him through his thick bangs, nodding slowly before getting up on his knees.
Tucker grabbed something from beside him, suddenly awake. "Well you better go," he said as he tossed a sweater over, winking at Danny with a devious smile. "Don't wanna keep your boyfriend waiting."
Pushing the thick garment off his face, Danny smirked before kicking him hard in the shin. "Jealous?"
A serious expression formed on Tucker's face, looking Danny straight in the eye, "very."
Shaking his head, Danny grabbed Buster's shoulders, turned them both intangible and sunk through the floor. Landing right behind the front door, with a soft thud, Danny flashed him a reassuring smile and unlocked the door. Reluctantly, with his eyes shut tight, he stepped out, breathing in the fresh after-rain air. It felt nice after the hours stuffed up in the attic, strangely calming.
Deciding he was being childish, Buster pried his eyes open and looked out across the driveway. The blond was pacing, his hands stuck deep into his pockets. Car nowhere in sight. He had walked. Taking a closer look, he noticed the boy had merely thrown his normal clothes haphazardly on top of his pajamas. His aunt and uncle would freak if they woke up and noticed him gone. Letting out a deep sigh, "Dash?"
He froze, jerked his head up and locked eyes. Buster felt terrible, Dash's eyes were red. Although he knew the jock would never admit it, it was obvious, he'd been crying. His gut clenched as he walked forward, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Buster," Dash breathed in relief before pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Pushing away, he lightly ran his finger over the slash across his cheek, frowning as Buster winced in response. The jock promptly fell onto his knees, grabbed Buster's face and began inspecting, taking note of the light bruising on his jaw before his eyes landed on his throat. Buster could feel him tense, could see the anger flare. "What the hell happened?" he growled, his glare landing on Danny, acknowledging his presence for the first time.
Before Danny could take all the blame and begin apologizing, Buster spoke up. "Nothing, it isn't deep at all. Really Dash, I could probably take this off right now."
Dash's glare only darkened upon hearing Buster's pitiful protest. Not tearing his eyes from the boy behind them, "but how did it happen?" he gritted.
Feeling extremely nervous, Buster fidgeted, shifting his weight anxiously, "Uhh…" He didn't want to tell him. He would only blame himself for letting him go in the first place. And frankly, he just wanted to forget.
Being held with a knife to the throat by the same guy who might have directly murdered his mother was never on the list of thing he wanted to do. He didn't need yet another image haunting his nightmares.
"Just a misfortunate accident with one of our weapons," Danny lied effortlessly. A real lie. Not a half-truth this time, he noted. He glanced subtly at him from the corner of his eye, searching his face for any sign of the fib, but turned up empty. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't see passed his façade. He supposed he never would.
Dash rose to his feet, pushed passed him and got into Danny's face, fisting a large chunk of his shirt. "You gave him weapons!?" he shrieked, a vein bulging in his neck. Buster flinched, hoping they wouldn't wake anyone. If Tucker's parents saw them, it was not going to be pretty.
"Dash, back off. I'm fine," he tried, pulling him back by the elbow. Dash turned, his heated glare boring holes into his forehead for a split second before his gaze softened to one of pure concern.
Dropping his grip on Danny, "oh man, you could have died," he whispered, gripping Buster's upper arms tightly as if he would disappear without a moment's notice. Buster offered him a small smile, he hated that he put him through this. He, off all people, should know what it felt like.
"I didn't," he choked, suddenly feeling the surge of emotion from the whole ordeal catch up to him, "I'm right here." The tears threatened to flow, but he was so tired of that. He stubbornly pushed them back, looking down at his feet. He just wanted this to be over already.
Noticing the moisture in his eyes, Dash pulled him into another hug, ruffling his hair gently. "You're such an idiot Fenturd," he muttered.
"I didn't give him anything I didn't think he could handle. It wasn't anything you haven't used yourself before, Dash," Danny reasoned coolly. Buster opened his eyes, searching Danny's calm face before landing on his fingers wringing the hem of his shirt.
Danny didn't believe a single word that came out of his own mouth, he realized. He blamed himself. Buster restrained himself from letting out an irritated sigh, he wasn't a baby.
"But still, none of us ended up with a slashed throat," Dash continued to argue, the heat of his anger never wavering.
"Stop exaggerating, it's only a shallow cut," he mumbled, crossing his arms. Suddenly feeling embarrassed.
Dash looked at him for a second. He closed his eyes, visibly struggling to push his anger down, "I'm glad you're okay, really," he started with a long sigh, "but I'm probably never going to let you out of my sight again. Just a heads up." He smirked slightly at that, eliciting a small laugh from Buster.
"Great," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. Dash patted him affectionately on the back, smiling down at him, looking more relieved than anything.
After standing awkwardly for a few moments longer, sensing the unresolved argument still hanging in the air, Dash cleared his throat. "Hey, um…can I talk to Fentoad for a bit? Alone?"
Biting his lip, Buster looked towards Danny who merely shrugged. He wasn't keen on leaving him alone with Dash when he was so close to chewing him out, but Danny didn't seem to mind. Awkwardly stepping back, he scratched his head, "Uh sure…I'll, um, wait on the steps."
Buster's echoing footsteps filled the silent air around them as Dash pinned him under heated glare. When they finally ceased, only the soft patter of rain drops falling from the gutter remained. Danny stood before him, staring right back, waiting for another yelling match.
He just wanted to collapse into a boneless heap and sleep, the past few hours had taken a lot out of him. Physically and emotionally. But he owed this guy an explanation. Even if he really didn't want to give one.
In an instance, the seething boy was gone, replaced by one with a look of apprehension. Danny raised his brow curiously as he watched the emotions flicker across Dash's face. Letting out a shaky breath, his shoulder's slumping in defeat, "do you think he's going to be okay?" Dash stammered.
Frowning as the image of the red trail dripping down Buster's pale flesh flashed before his eyes, Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "yeah Dash, it wasn't that bad of a cut. Trust me."
"Not the cut, doofus," Dash grumbled, shoving him lightly while rolling his eyes. Looking over Danny's shoulder, his brows lowered in sympathy, "his mom."
"Oh," Danny whispered, caught a little off guard. Following Dash's gaze, Danny's frown deepened.
Taking in the image of Buster, hunched over, resting his head on his knees, a small pang traveled across his body. He knew that broken child sitting there wasn't truly 'Buster.' Danny had never really met him. But he caught glimpses, here and there.
That boy, with the contagious laughter, the raw wonder, unhindered curiosity and complete trust in the world was someone worth fighting for.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, "eventually."
Dash poked a meaty finger into his ribs, not happy with the vague response. "What's that mean?"
Danny swatted the hand away with an annoyed scowl as it was pressing against a particularly nasty bruise, "you can't expect him to be okay Dash. I don't think he'll ever really recover, who would? But he's strong, he'll make it through."
Dash nodded slowly, considering Danny's words, surprisingly taking him seriously. Danny watched him, the defeated look was not something commonly seen on Dash Baxter. Although Danny had witnessed it before, he still found it odd. He looked like a kicked puppy.
"I just wish there was something I could do, you know?"
A tight knot of powerlessness wound itself up inside his gut, a feeling he'd become much too accustomed with. Kicking invisible rocks on the sidewalk, Danny nodded, "Yeah, I know."
He seemed to accept that, giving him a small but meaningful glance before gazing off into space. A strange sense of mutual understanding passed between them.
After a moment of silent contemplation, something flashed in Dash's eyes, as if he remembered something. The vulnerability vanished, thick brows knitted together, anger poured through his pores.
The Dash he knew was back.
Sharply gouging his glare back into Danny's very being, "don't think you're off the hook, Fen-twerp," he grumbled, taking a threatening step forward.
A little disoriented by the abrupt switch, Danny unconsciously took a step back, out of mere habit. "Hm?"
"What you did today was stupid, I don't know why I even agreed. Your idiot fumes were probably affecting me," he chastised. Except, the regular heat in the statement wasn't really there. His tone laced with something deeper. More raw.
Regardless, Danny held up his arms in defense. "Believe me, I know. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it would help him, alright? You have to take my word for it, he needed closure."
Not wavering his half-hearted glare, "yeah, whatever."
"We saved a lot of people today, Phantom couldn't have done it without him. I couldn't have done it without him," he confessed. Looking down at his arms, he noticed the forgotten piece of clothing. Smiling slightly he offered Dash back his hoodie, "Or without you, so, um…Thank you." When Dash made no attempt to reclaim the offered item, Danny sighed, blowing stray hairs out of his eyes. "I really am sorry, Dash."
Huffing, Dash snatched the garment, not meeting his eyes. "You better be, you put me through a lot of grief these past few days Fen-tuns'o'fun." His voice sounded small, almost hurt.
Scoffing, "it hasn't even been a whole day," Danny protested, albeit, weakly. Thrown in for a loop by the puzzling undertones.
"The whole town thinks you're dead, you twerp," Dash pointed out, heated but moist eyes tearing into his resolve.
Shrinking into himself with a bout of guilt, Danny looked away, "oh that…"
"Yeah, that," the jock spat, stepping closer, scrunching Danny's shirt into his fist. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again," he gritted, pulling him so that they were standing nose to nose, "I will find you… and kill you myself."
Danny blinked. He didn't know what to make of that. For the first time in years, Dash actually looked threatening. Not daring to move, he gulped slowly, taking his time. "Um…sorry?" he squeaked, unsure of an adequate response.
Dash stared at him, or into him, intensely, for what felt like an eternity before finally letting him go with a small surprised yelp on Danny's part. Backing up, looking over towards Buster, Dash closed his eyes, turned on his heal and began to slowly walk away. He paused, feeling Danny's confused gaze on his back. Without turning back, "I'm expecting you in school tomorrow for your scheduled wailing, don't be late."
Taking his own step back, slipping him hands into his pockets, Danny let a small smile stretch across his face. "I wouldn't dream of it."