A/N - Alright, I feel the need to make it clear why Danny didn't get out of the closet the same way he got in it. First off, he was more than a little confused and dazed. He also wasn't thinking clearly - a panic attack will do that to you. He was thinking clearly just enough to realize he didn't know where the others were, but not enough to remember he could go intangible and invisible. Got it? Great! ^u^
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, there are so many of them and they make me so happy. You all raise amazing points. Hope you enjoy this chapter like you did the rest (or I assume you did because you're still reading).
Chapter Fourteen
Secrets Kept
Back up in the living room, after getting changed into normal clothes, Danny was being pinned with three stares. No matter how much Tony had pestered him, he refused to explain how he had gotten into the secret password-protected closet. All three men had avoided bringing up the earlier subject of Danny's scars and the lack of hospital trips, but it was hanging heavily over their heads, anyway.
"Look," Danny said, finally, "I'm not going to tell you anything else. This is my secret to keep, and no matter how close we've gotten over the past few days, it doesn't affect you, so I'm within my rights to not tell you."
Surprisingly enough, Steve was the first one to speak after that. "Your scars are honestly from those agents you mentioned before? You weren't lying to us to hide something?" he asked, face full of sincere and open concern.
Danny shrugged. "Some of my scars are from other things, but I didn't lie about getting those from G.I.W. agents. They're pretty much the entire reason I have a phobia of government agents," he admitted.
Tony asked, "Can I get them disbanded? Or arrested? Or financially ruined?"
The teen chuckled. "Sure. It would certainly help me and my parents out. Any of the three would be great, to be honest," he answered, giving the genius a small smile.
His reply was a great, big, evil grin from the genius. Clint shuddered in anticipation. He knew Tony would probably make the agency's takedown as public as possible, or go through SHIELD to destroy them so completely and utterly that they would never be able to recover.
In the interest of turning the conversation away from the annihilation of a government agency, Clint asked, "So, you said you had scars from other things. What were they?"
The teen merely shook his head. "I'm not going into that. Again, none of your business. Maybe one day, I'll tell you, but right now... it's going to stay a secret." He turned to look out the windows, and sighed. He was exhausted.
Steve stood up, and sat next to the teen. When Danny glanced at him, he smiled warmly and reassuringly at him. "You're right, Danny. It isn't our business. I guess we just got nosy because we were concerned about you. I don't think any of us want you hurt, and I can't speak for the others, but I would fight to prevent that."
"Ditto, squirt. I don't have many friends, and... well, you get the idea," Tony chimed in. He had his arms crossed over his chest defiantly, as if to say 'so just try me'. He nodded to Steve in agreement of his statement.
Clint grinned. "You're a good kid, Danny. I may not be as attached to you as they are, but Steve's right. I wouldn't want to see you hurt." He grimaced, and added, "Heck, I still feel bad about scaring you so much when we first met."
The raven-haired teen swallowed thickly, choked up with emotion. He hadn't really expected this, if he were to be honest. He just thought Tony was fond of him enough to call him a friend, not that he really mattered to these people. And to think he would probably never see them again after he went home on Saturday...
"Thanks," he breathed, smiling. The other three nodded in acknowledgement, and they all settled in to watch television together to relax.
Lunch was a feast of popcorn and candy bars, with soda shared around. Not terribly healthy, but it was fun, so the four of them rolled with it. The whole thing had a kind of 'sleepover' air to it, and Danny chuckled at the thought of three grown men having a sleepover. Oddly enough, it wasn't that weird of a thought when applied to the trio he was with. All of them were laid back enough for it.
They were just about to get into another movie when Danny's phone rang. He checked the caller ID, and said, "I'm going to have to take this. Be right back." Sam normally didn't call him when he was away unless it was important.
Tapping the button to accept the call, he answered, "Danny here."
"Hey, Danny," Sam exclaimed. "Listen, something's going on in the Ghost Zone, and we can't really handle it alone. I don't think it'll spill into our world anytime soon, but Clockwork's sent Dan to get you, so he should show up there soon."
Danny groaned softly. "Thanks for the heads up. I was gonna talk to you and Tucker about what happened today later tonight, but I guess I'll be seeing you sooner than that. I just don't know how I'm gonna explain this... but I'll manage. Thanks, again."
"No problem, ghost boy," she replied warmly. "See you when you get back."
"Bye." He locked his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. He could always escape the tower early and not have to deal with the others meeting Dan, but knowing that headache, the ghost would just show up there anyway. He might as well make the most of the hour or so he had left with the others.
Tony glanced up at Danny, frowning at the grimace he wore. "What's up, squirt?"
"Something's come up back home," he answered, shrugging. "A cousin of sorts will be coming to get me in an hour or two. I can hang around until then, but it can't be avoided." No use making up some dumb excuse that none of them would believe.
Steve also frowned at that. "Do you need any help? Is it something with the G.I.W.?"
Danny let out a short laugh, and replied, "Oh, Ancients, I hope not. No, I don't think it is. My friend didn't sound panicked enough for that, and they probably wouldn't need me to solve a problem as simple as them."
None of the others felt it necessary to point out the odd swear Danny had used, and simply filed it with the mountain of other questions they had for the teen. It didn't really provide any insight into the giant mystery that was Danny Fenton at that point, anyway.
"Well, that's good," Steve commented, smiling. "We can probably finish the movie, if we start now." He picked up the remote and hit play, passing the giant popcorn bowl over to the teen and catching the chocolate bar that Clint tossed at him.
Danny nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Make the most of the time we have left, right?" he reasoned. The three nodded their agreement, and they all settled in to watch the movie.
The movie was almost finished when JARVIS interrupted. "Sirs, there is a Dan here to see Mr. Fenton. He did not specify beyond that. Shall I send him up?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah, we're almost done with the movie. He can hang out until it's over."
Danny laughed quietly to himself. Tony had no idea what he was getting into, but far be it from him to prevent Dan from having non-destructive fun. He just hoped they wouldn't get into a fight or something. Or that they'd notice just how similar the two of them were.
When the elevator doors opened and a tall man strolled confidently out, Danny hid his ghost sense by pretending to yawn and cover his mouth. Then, he waved to his "cousin" without taking his eyes off the TV.
"Hey, Dan," he called.
The tall, buff man wandered over and leaned over the couch next to his younger self. "So, you've been hanging out with the local heroes, huh?" he asked, a grin on his face and smugness in his voice.
Danny rolled his eyes and leaned his head back. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."
And indeed, Dan chuckled deeply. "Your voice changed. You sound like me," he drawled. "So, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friends?"
The teen sighed. "The movie's almost done, so sit down. You can torment everyone after it's finished," he muttered, giving the man's shoulder a shove. Dan shrugged and hopped the couch to sit next to the halfa.
When the movie was finally over, he was leaning against Danny with his arm thrown around the teen. As someone who loved to mess with people's heads, faking a relationship with his "cousin" was always a fun way to screw around with everyone's minds.
"Alright, Dan," Danny snapped, "enough." He hopped up off the couch, straightening his shirt out and glaring at the raven-haired man. "Did that old stopwatch want you to come to the tower? For some reason, I can't really see that happening."
The ghost just shrugged. "If he really wanted me not to, he would've told me, or sent your other cousin. By the way, she's doing well. Cujo's really taken a liking to her," he replied. Danielle had been staying in the Far Frozen and Clockwork's lair on a regular basis for the past couple of days, and he'd gotten a chance to say hi to her once or twice.
Danny nodded, grinning. "That's great. Oh, so you seem to already know these people are the local heroes, right? Well, meet Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Clint Barton. Iron Man, Captain America, and Hawkeye, respectively."
"Nice to meet you three. Been taking care of my cousin while he's been in town?" the man asked, voice deep and holding a hint of warning. His grin was less like the open, warm one Danny wore around them and more like what they'd expect Loki to wear.
Clint instantly didn't like this man. His physique was different, but he held the same dangerous, mischievous air that the trickster god had. He would be polite for Danny's sake, but he wouldn't be able to be honestly nice to this man.
Tony grinned back, his smile a little less dangerous than Dan's. "Of course. He's probably safer here than he is back home, to tell the truth," he replied.
Dan laughed, "Yeah, pretty much. Still, can't help but worry about the little guy."
Danny rolled his eyes and snapped, "Hey, I'm almost as tall as you now! Besides, you worrying about me? Funny, try again."
"I never said I worried about you. That's all Sam and Tucker," he drawled.
Steve frowned. "You don't worry about your cousin?"
Dan chuckled at that. "Oh, I don't need to. He can take care of himself. His friends have just gotten in the habit of worrying, what with the ever-common ghost attacks and such. But, we really should be going soon. This one's still gotta tell his parents he'll be going home early."
Danny sighed. "At least they're probably still on lunch break. I can call them on the way over to the hotel. They're probably going to be annoyed at me."
He stepped forward, and hesitated. What was really appropriate in this situation? Handshakes, maybe? He grimaced, and mentally shrugged. He was still really awkward in social situations.
"Well, maybe I'll see you guys around. If you're ever in Minnesota, feel free to drop by," Danny commented, smiling sadly. They'd probably never see each other again.
Steve nodded. "Same thing with New York. Stop by, and Tony will probably throw you a party. He does things like that."
Tony threw them his publicity grin, and raised a glass towards them. "Always. Have fun back home, squirt. I might even visit sometime. I'll probably have to if I want to get rid of the G.I.W., y'know, for evidence and stuff."
With that, Danny departed. He and Dan had things to do and places to be, after all.
