Tucker

Tucker's ears rang, drowning out all other sound. He chose to keep his eyes closed tight. He was cuffed to a chair with no hope of escaping on his own, while Vlad and Danny duked it out much too close for Tucker's comfort.

He wouldn't be able to dodge anything thrown or launched at him even if he saw it coming. So, instead, he focused on his breathing, eyes closed and ignoring the rumbling of the ground.

He was in no way a stranger to these life threatening situations, but that didn't mean he was any less scared each time. Once he got the images of his limbs going flying like in the movies out of his head, he peaked an eye open.

Danny fought fast and hard, slowly wearing both himself and his enemy out. His best friend shouted something, an devious glint in his eye, that made Vlad snarl. Squirming in the restraints, Tucker's breath sped up again. The two halfa's clashed, silently rocking the building again. He still couldn't hear anything, he hoped it wasn't permanent, but his mind was more occupied with desperately hoping he'd survive.

He sometimes didn't understand Danny. He didn't understand how he could laugh in the face of an adult who had the ability and desire to end his half life, or at least make it a living hell.

Danny had once tried to explain that he was scared, that everytime he fought Vlad was scared, but that showing his fear would be, in a way, losing.

Tucker didn't understand, and he knew he never could.

He'd never know what it'd be like to have a nemesis strong enough to level a city, and get away with it. He'd never know what it'd be like to be the target of so many.

Once upon a time, he was jealous of Danny's power. Now he wasn't. He wanted nothing to do with this craziness anymore.

A particularly large blast sent debris flying. Tucker flinched as something large enough to squish him into a pancake whizzed by his head. He felt it nearly touch his ear. The scream got stuck in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't do this anymore. He was tired of fearing for his life.

An arm wrapped around him, wrenching him out of the chair, through the cuffs. He gasped, eyes snapping open again.

He could feel Vlad's ragged breaths, as the man held him to his chest, an ectoblast aimed for Tucker's head. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched Danny's confident anger falter, an edge of panic leaking through.

Through his cracked glasses, he glanced up at his captor. The ectoblast's heat seared the skin on his ear as he twisted his head up. The man smiled angrily at Danny, saying something that made his smile grow. Green blood flowed from Vlad's forehead into his mouth, causing his fangs to look downright sinister.

Whatever Vlad had said, made Danny drop to the ground. His best friend's hands went up in a cross between surrender and an attempt to stop whatever was happening, despite not being near close enough to do anything.

Danny met Tucker's eye, and Tucker saw it. The core shaking fear and hopelessness in the heroes eyes, desperate, trapped.

When your only rescue gives you a look that tells you that they'd definitely failed, a normal reaction would be return that horrified look. But, for reasons beyond Tucker, that was not how he reacted. His jaw clenched, and his eyes hardened. With as much force as he could, he jabbed his elbow into Vlad's throat. The angle had been awkward, but the hit succeeded.

Vlad doubled over, dropping Tucker, in a coughing fit. In his reckless abandon haze, Tucker grabbed the man's head and smashed it into his knee. Both of them staggered from the move. An twinge of pain in Tucker's knee making his leg falter.

But he didn't stop. Vlad came at him with a hand sparkling with electricity. Just as Danny launched through the air, landing a solid punch on the older halfa's face, Tucker kicked him where it counts.

Everything stilled. Vlad lay motionless on the ground. Danny hovered over him, watching and panting, while Tucker swayed.

Suddenly Danny spun around, eyes alight. With a laugh Danny enveloped him in a hug. His deathly coldness seeped through Tucker's clothes.

Danny pulled away, confused and worried. He tilted his head and mouthed, "Tucker?"

He spoke despite not hearing his own voice. "Sorry dude, I can't hear anything."

Danny winced, smiling at something he found funny.

"That blast earlier has my ears still ringing bad."

Danny said something else, smiling and covering his ears.

"What?"

Danny waved his arms around and exaggeratedly repeated himself. Tucker got what he was trying to communicate 'no need to shout, I can hear just fine' and frowned.

"I can't even hear myself, man. Just get me out of here."

Danny nodded, but then started miming out what Tucker had done to Vlad earlier, swinging his elbow and kicking the air with an excited grin.

Tucker couldn't help but smile a little and puff out his chest. Danny's head whipped around towards Vlad, and Tucker paled.

Before Tucker could look too, Danny scooped him up bridal style and launched out of there. The grim tiredness on Danny's face as they flew home had Tucker frowning.

When Danny felt Tucker's stare he glanced at his friend and smiled genuinely.

Tucker could keep doing this, he supposed. For Danny.