First of all, I would like to apologize for such a massive wait in for this chapter. Everything was just going awful in 2017, to catch everyone up in recent events, Mom is officially out of the house for what has been a year now (she really messed up my education so now I'm trying and struggling to catch up in school in a timely fashion but its not going as planned so I'm ultimately stressed out over it all), my cat, Bluestar ditched me for 3 months to the point where I thought she was dead and by some miracle I found her ALIVE smelling like bat poop, so I was really depressed over that for a good amount of time that made all inspiration I had plummet into nothing. My neighbor's 3-year-old daughter drowned in her pool which was basically in our backyard, I still feel like crap over the fact that I wasn't able to help or prevent that from happening, I had nightmares for months after that which totally sucked. I also lost the password for my FF account so I couldn't respond to you guys, whoops. I've been having to help my dad out in any way possible so I'm really spent. A hurricane hit during 2017 doing a considerable amount of damage. And overall, this chapter was really hard to crank out, I've been trying to work on it since August 27 of 2016 but the words always escaped me. This chapter probably sucks but I felt like I should get SOMETHING up for you guys since its been so long.
Ughhhh, this chapter feels so bland. I also started some new fanfics that helped me get my focus on this one again so I'll hopefully post them here soon.
Again, sorry for the delay! I hope everyone's still here and enjoy's it nonetheless!
Reviews at the bottom!
Loud booming music with a deep bass resonated throughout the vehicle, the vibrations rattled his rib cage uncomfortably as his pounding heart seemed to fall into sync with the tempo that Vince had switched on not too long ago. Danny wanted nothing more than to tune out the aggravating music that grated on his nerves the second it was turned on and the situation itself, but with every jolt the vehicle made when Vince decided to make a sharp turn so he wouldn't miss the next street at the last second, made Danny's blood feel as if it turned to ice, adrenaline pumping more ferociously through his veins making every second appear in sharp focus so Danny could be plagued with this memory in amazing detail.
Not like he hadn't had worse nightmares, but it was the principal of the thing.
The car lurched onto another oncoming street once more, Danny was certain if he wasn't so accustomed to making sharp turns when flying away from enemy fire or his father's manic driving habits was what prevented him from losing the liquefied contents resting in his stomach all over the windshield, the fact left him both relieved and disappointed (As much as he would love to trash the guy's car, the action would most certainly result in them crashing.)
The only enjoyable thing that was coming out of this was that the car had air conditioning, that itself wasn't much of a mercy which meant Danny didn't feel very motivated looking for the positives of the unexpected joyride that Vince was taking him on.
"Don't you think you should slow down?" Danny managed to get out through gritted teeth, just loud enough to be heard over the roar of music, the muscles in his wrists feeling odd from clinging tightly to the seats for so long in their curled in position. The car jerked again to pass through an intersection just as the light hanging overhead turned green. Danny had to wonder though if they were just traveling mindlessly or if Vince had a set destination in mind, if the latter was the case then just how far was the older teenager planning on taking him? Was it close by? The outskirts of town? A ditch? Cause it was fairly obvious at this point that he wasn't just taking him for "a spin around the block" as he adequately put it for Jack. What? Was that the third intersection that they passed up now?
Danny glared at the redhead, seeing as he was pointedly ignoring him. "Didn't you ever learn that you just can't kidnap someone just because you don't like what someone said? Kidnapping's a felony, something the cops are going to bust you for once they show up."
A snort is the first sound Danny hears from him in a while as Vince spares him a quick glance before focusing back on the road. "Oh please, like Darby's actually going to fall through on that little threat. Not when I got dirt on him, his record isn't as 'clean' as the authorities believe it to be. Especially when I have the evidence to back it up." The car slowed considerably from its insane pace, probably to avoid any speeding tickets since they entered the more well-known area's of town which would most likely harbor traffic cams. Thankfully, Vince chose to finally turn the music down much to the relief of Danny's pounding eardrums.
"Okay, putting your obvious craziness and delusionality aside," Danny stated with a considerable amount of false cheer, though the foul look on his face displayed how he truly felt about what was going on, "just where are we going? cause if you're planning on booking an international flight or something of that extreme don't think for a minute that I'm going to be a compliant hostage, I'm already having a bad day without you kidnapping me so I'm not feeling too charitable in the forgiveness department."
Something in Vince's expression darkened, not answering as he eyed the next turn contemplatively before proceeding, hands reaching over each other in arching motions to turn the steering wheel making Danny slide across his seat hitting the passenger door with a harsh thud, the action reminding him that he in fact still wasn't wearing a seat-belt.
"Jeez, where's an Amber Alert when I need one?" Danny huffed.
Danny turned to face the passenger window refusing to have to look at the jerk for another minute, blowing messy black bangs out of his face from his tussle into the seat huffily. Unfamiliar buildings flew past him in muted, color-filled blurs and instantly forgetting the few seconds of distinctive details of each one he barely saw, proving that any attempts at pointing out any landmarks so he could eventually find his way back to the rented house, was a fruitless endeavor. Danny sunk further into the seat, throat feeling uncomfortably dry now that he no longer had his drink and realized he should have brought a water bottle with him.
Or at least my cellphone so I could call the cops myself. Danny thought bitterly, seeing Vince getting hauled off by the police was something he was sure to get a kick out of. Unfortunately, said device lied forgotten on the floor near an outlet charging. He really needed to do a checklist before leaving the house in the future; what if the bots called? The call he has been waiting for the past few days might have now just gone to voice mail.
"I should have never gotten out of bed today," Danny grumbled, he would have had the house to himself anyway and if the heat became too much to handle then that could have been remedied with the use of his ice powers, turning his temporary bedroom into a winter wonderland so he could catch some more Z's; Clockwork knows how much he needed it. A much more preferred way to have spent his Saturday seeing as it wasn't even twelve o'clock yet and he managed to get himself kidnapped. Jeez, just what was it about him that people thought he was abductable worthy? Did he have an invisible permission sign taped onto his back? He highly doubted that no other kid ever went through the stuff that he did on a weekly basis.
Vince didn't scare him in the slightest- or at least for his own well being. Cujo was scarier at times and the two of them were on good terms. Looking over at his kidnapper, Danny couldn't help but snort, the guy probably thought otherwise given the smug look he wore.
A snide remark of, "Just what I need; another pedophile obsessed with me," was muttered from Danny, just clear enough to be heard if one was paying attention set a surge of satisfaction through him for being so defiant, not that anyone who knew Danny would expect anything less. It was the small things in life that made you feel more alive it would seem.
Apparently, Vince heard it, for the next thing Danny knew his face met the dashboard none too gently when they came to an abrupt stop. Falling back into the seat, Danny uttered a groan rubbing at his face in hopes of diminishing the pain, eyes screwed shut trying to stop seeing stars. "Oh," Vince cooed in false sympathy, "Did someone forget their seat-belt?" Danny never wanted to smack someone in the face as much as he did in this moment. "Time to move it loser, we're here," Vince said before exiting through the car door letting it slam behind him. Danny forced his eyes open and took in his new surroundings, blinking seeing that they were parked in front of a dark alleyway that was sure to harbor a rat colony somewhere.
Danny smiled widely up at Vince once the passenger door swung open. "Aw, are we here to see your rodent family? I can now see the resemblance-oh!" Danny quickly gasped, looking at something behind the redhead and gave a cheerful wave, "Hello Vince's mom! No, I'm not Vince's boyfriend, just the kid he abducted for his lack of friends!" Vince turned in an instant, a scowl settling on his face upon seeing a rat perched atop of a stray cardboard box nibbling on something within their tiny paws, it's missing patches of fur led Danny to conclude that it had mange. The dang thing hissed at them before scurrying off, vanishing from sight. Danny hit Vince lightly on the arm regaining his attention, "Why didn't you just say you wanted me to meet your parents? At least then I could have freshened up so I could leave a better impression on them."
"I'm getting really tired of hearing your mouth, do you ever just shut up?!"
Danny hummed, faking a contemplative look, "According to public opinion: Nope!"
"Well, I guess I better fix that." Vince leaned down and yanked Danny from out of the vehicle by the front of his shirt and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, drawing a yelp from the indignant hostage.
Danny realized, not for the first time today that Vince was fairly tall. Not as tall as his dad of course, but almost Vlad's height once the guy stood up straight. Vince's bony shoulder dug uncomfortably into his midsection and the blood came rushing to his head. "Hey! Put me down!" Danny shouted pounding his fists into the guy's back with enough force to get his point across. Danny heard the passenger door slam shut behind him, the vehicle was still running which meant that whatever Vince was planning on doing to him he wanted to have a quick getaway afterward.
"Mm, a massage. Thanks for that you little brat."
Vince walked deeper into the alleyway with Danny still thrown over his shoulder kicking and firing insults at the ready. Foul, acrid smells made Danny's nose scrunch up in disgust the further they entered, he couldn't twist his head far enough to see what they were approaching, leaving his upcoming fate unknown. The option of overshadowing the guy was becoming more tempting by the passing second. However, the reminder of what happened recently made him hesitate, robbing Vince of his free will like Technus had done would feel wrong; no matter how much he was beginning to despise the guy.
Suddenly, Danny was being put down on feet, a hand latched onto his wrist holding him in place prevented him from running off. A screech of metal caught his attention as he turned to face what Vince was doing. An eyebrow rose questionably at the sight of Vince opening the lid to a dumpster and peering inside.
"What? planning on going dumpster diving? if you think I'm joining you-" Vince's grip tightened," Wha-? Hey!"
Vince now picked Danny up by the waist, both arms wrapped tightly around his midsection as he edged closer to the giant trash bin, making the situation all too clear for Danny once the pieces fitted together, Danny struggled all the more fiercely, before reaching down towards his foot and maneuvering his leg closer to his person. Vince dropped him roughly into the bin and as a last resort, Danny threw his shoe at him just before the lid came slamming shut. A thud was heard from outside the bin followed closely by a loud, "Ow!" He could only hope that he managed to hit him in the face.
"Yeah, that's what you get jerk!" Danny shouted as he found his footing standing up awkwardly with his head bent low to avoid hitting the lid, making sure his stance was firm on the trash he was standing on Danny pushed up on the lid- or at least he would have if there wasn't an unexpected weight holding it down. "Hey, what the heck!? let me out!" Angry fists pounded against his enclosure as livid eyes flashed a luminous green in the dark, the smell of hot garbage that had been roasting in the sun for hours burned at his nostrils making him want to vomit.
"Just be glad I didn't string you up a flagpole like I was originally planning, you freaking brat!" The response came out sounding slightly nasally like Vince was holding his nose, must have been a result of the shoe Danny'd sent flying; his aim really was getting better. "Let's see if your attitude changes now that you're in there, or not, you're probably feeling right at home since your trash!" Vince sneered, "well, later you half-pint looser." Heavy footfalls began to tread away from the dumpster that Danny was temporarily stuck in, fading fainter as Danny strained his ears to listen through the wall of metal in his way.
"You're not seriously going to leave me here, are you? Vince? Vince! Don't you dare walk away from me, I'm not finished with you! Vince! You still-" the sound of Vince's car peeling down the street letting his screeching tires cry against the asphalt echoing behind him was heard-" Aaannnd he's gone, great." Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, sighing. For some reason, he was getting an odd sense of deja vu like he'd been in a situation like this before, but it was vaguely different like the roles had been reversed. Danny waited for a few minutes in case Vince returned, sitting in the dark bin trying to ignore how hot it was in here, the glow from his eyes disappeared as his anger faded, breathing a weary sigh. Minutes came to pass and it was apparent that Vince wasn't coming back anytime soon.
Just what the heck was wrong people nowadays? Why did he just had to be the one to attract all the crazy nutcases?
"I better get out of here before I look like an ectoplasmic omelet from this heat," Danny said with a note of bitterness, wiping away the gathering sweat on his forehead as he made to stand once more. Intangibility washed over him in an instant letting any garbage clinging to his form to drop, he peered his head out through the side of dumpster checking out his surroundings before the rest of him followed. Curious as to what Vince had placed on top of the dumpster in the first place to prevent him from getting out, he glanced up. A large box sat atop of there filled with soiled old newspaper. Heavy enough to keep a person in there for the time being unless they kept banging against the dumpster it would have eventually slid off.
"Huh, I guess Vince isn't that much of a sociopath as I originally thought," Danny mused scratching at his temple absentmindedly, "that or he didn't want to be put away for murder." Turning on his heel Danny retrieved his shoe and booked it out of the alleyway, not wanting to stay in that urinary smelling area for a moment longer, walking onto an empty street and walked towards the direction he presumed Vince took him from.
Not long after he came to an intersection. Danny's face scrunched up in confusion, "Okay, I officially have no idea where I am." Danny drawled looking about for anything that seemed familiar. "Maybe I should go this way?" Danny trailed off peering down a street looking for any buildings he'd seen previously but nothing caught his eye so instead, he looked down the next one, "Or maybe that way?" Neither street looked very promising but Danny didn't have all day to sit around and risk a heat stroke without proper hydration. In the end, Danny chose the first one and began his walk in what was hopefully the direction of something he'd visited before.
Fifteen minutes later Danny found himself at a highway, trying and failing to mask his scream of frustration. "Alright, get a grip Fenton! it's not the end of the world," Danny reasoned with himself after a few calming breaths, "if you can't find something familiar in the next ten minutes, you can always go ghost and do an aerial sweep." A burst of cold exited from his core chilling the sweat on his skin bringing his temperature back down by a few degrees making him feel like he just walked past an open freezer door, the sensation was a welcomed one and it helped calmed him down. Only one thing to do now- Danny could physically feel his non-athletic side beginning to moan in anguish- was to start walking.
Barely taking five steps forward, the sudden feeling of being watched returned, Danny paused mid-step, looking about cautiously. There was no brushing aside this feeling now.
The highway wasn't very busy and the few people traveling about on foot didn't spare him a second glance. Danny swallowed down the lump forming in his throat performing a full circle trying to figure out who was following him, before finally landing on the car parked at a street corner using the few trees that grew there as coverage making it hard to distinguish its paint color. Danny's ears could pick up that the motor was still running, ready to trail him as soon as he started moving again. He felt his heart skip a beat as his pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks, before pounding into overdrive like a startled hare on the verge of death. Thoughts flew past the forefront of his mind in an uncontainable panicked rush. How long have they been following him? Did they see Vince kidnap him? Did they see him using his ghost powers to get out of the dumpster?
I need to get away from here, NOW. Danny quickly looked away from the vehicle and turned slowly, eyes scanning the area rapidly searching for a possible escape route. The highway led up into a bridge and over a dry drainage canal, he could hide out down there or possibly use it as cover to transform.
Run, no wait don't, I can't let them know that I spotted them. Just act like everything's normal and walk slowly. Walk- nope, nope! they're coming! screw this! Any attempt at normality was ditched once the thought processed, a stiffly paced walk turned into a brisk jog which in turn developed into a full-on sprint. Thankfully, the sidewalks and roads offered very little activity going on making it easier for Danny to maneuver through any oncoming passers-by. The vehicle was gaining ground Danny discovered upon hearing the car's engine grow louder, he didn't dare look back and risk throwing off his momentum. The canal was a good place as any to get away from his pursuer or at least throw them off his trail with the use of invisibility, or they might even stick to the top of the ravine, but given all the trouble this person was going through to stalk him Danny highly doubted it.
Danny's human side of endurance has improved a bit due to the workout training Sam expected him to do, which he was slacking off of now since Sam wasn't on this trip to nag him. Thankfully the endurance he built up hasn't suffered due to his reluctance for the training. His feet now flew across the pavement, the familiar practiced footfalls helped him from tripping over his own feet seeing that he felt more clumsy as a human, for he felt more attuned with movement when it came to his ghost half.
In no time, Danny was stumbling down the ravine as his momentum threw him off balance heading at a downward incline, sneakers sending up a shower of dirt when he unexpectedly started to slide for a bit before making it into the canal, running off to hide in the shadows that the bridge overhead provided. Sweat slid down his temple as he fought to reclaim his breath, his aching lungs felt like they were on fire as he tried to gulp down as much oxygen as possible, trying not to let his thoughts spiral out of control from the icy feeling of dread piercing his gut.
Before he could even begin to sort out his thoughts or activate his invisibility the rumbling from the car chasing him grew even louder, tires squealed against the pavement like they were gaining speed. Danny's eyes widen fractionally, they weren't really going to-? suddenly the vehicle no longer sounded like it was grounded.
A shadow of a car hovering over the pavement of the canal that definitely wasn't there before appeared making Danny's heart clench painfully and his pupils zero in like tiny pinpricks. However, his panicked thoughts came to a grinding halt when the sound that suddenly pierced the air like a newly released arrow stirred up a recent memory.
Chrr-chrr chrr-chrr Chrr.
A heavy thud sounded across the concrete, thankfully, not with enough force to leave a crater in their wake. Gears and various pieces of metal shifted into their alternate position adjusting to the machine's now biped form, Danny could now see the vehicle's color scheme as bright yellow armor glimmered in the afternoon sun, a yellow helm rose from its bowed position having familiar glowing, turquoise optics meet very wide astonished eyes.
"Holy crud, Bumblebee!?" Danny's chest felt like a million butterflies suddenly exploded into a swarm of mixed emotions, as much as he was relieved that it was Bumblebee instead of some shady organization like The Guys in White trailing him, this just brought on another set of problems. Shaky hands ranked through messy sweaty locks of hair as the teen struggled to reclaim his breath. "Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack! do you just stalk people in your free time or did someone put you up to it?"
Bumblebee ducked further underneath the overhanging bridge not wanting to risk anyone peering over and spotting an alien robot that definitely wasn't supposed to be there before offering a series of beeps and gesturing animatedly to go with the flow of conversation. "Neither, unless it's for the Decepticons. I was just wondering when you were going to explain the ghost thing, I tried calling but you didn't answer. When I saw you around town though, I decided to follow you."
"And just how exactly did you know that I was the right person you were looking for?" Danny threw in crossing his arms in irritation. Being followed wherever he went just brought up bad experiences, it never ended well and it was straight up creepy. Danny liked his personal space which also entails alone time, thank you very much.
"It was made pretty clear that it was you when you phased out of that dumpster Vince dropped you off in. Speaking of which- why did that happen?" Bumblebee buzzed quizzically, he had lost Danny around a street corner and found him getting tossed into Vince's car like he was some kind of luggage and despite wanting to say a quick hello to Raf upon seeing him, Bee had deemed it more important to tail Vince and get some proper answers after a few days delay. He'll make it up to Rafael as soon as he got the chance, Primus knew how much he missed him due to his absence in the boy's life.
"Hey! he started it not me." Danny stated defensively, "Because of him, my six dollars went to waste," He paused gaining a contemplative look, "But I guess it went to a worthy cause. By the looks of things, he was trying to cause trouble with Jack, Miko, and Raf before I came along." Bumblebee made a low, unintelligible buzz and nodded, the displeased noise alone gave Danny some insight that the situation with Vince wasn't anything new. Great, he could become a constant pain to deal with in the future for however much longer Danny stayed in Jasper. "As for why I didn't pick up, it's not like I was ignoring you, I forgot my phone where I'm currently staying." He explained further stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So yeah..." Silence filled the air afterward once Danny ran out of things to say to stall for time, and the expectant, yet patient look Bumblebee donned wasn't helping.
Danny scuffed the heel of his shoe into the ground unable to meet the Cybertronian's eyes as a sense of bitterness washed over him. Why did Bumblebee have to come now of all times? He still hasn't mentally prepared himself fully with the fact that there was someone else who knew of his Half-Ghost status, this could still turn out horrible should Bee decide to betray him. It just wasn't fair, revealing his most guarded secret should be a choice, should he and the bots earn each other's trust completely Danny would've considered telling them the truth. But no, the freedom to choose was suddenly being ripped from him like a pulled out rug from under his feet leaving him stumbling to grasp at the pieces to make sense of everything. He was learning to accept that some things in life were just out of his control, at a slow pace as it was. Danny knew he was passed the point of just suddenly having a meltdown, but he hasn't moved past the 'brooding in fits of anger' stage yet.
Danny inhaled sharply; if all this turned sour there was always Amity Park, or you know, fleeing the country was an option in more drastic measures. Here goes nothing.
"So, you wanna know my backstory?"
"Not how I was originally going to word it but sure, whenever you're ready... Sam." Danny never thought he'd ever heard a robot sound so smug and what he was referencing to made Danny want to kick himself. There was a smirk to Bee's optics as he stood there with his fists resting on his hips. "So you wanna talk and I drive?" he offered, Danny frowned contemplatively before nodding which was all the invitation that Bumblebee needed to spin on his heel and transform into vehicle form- very flashy Danny may add like it was Sailor Moon up in here- and proceeded to pop the door open, Danny promptly entered sitting in the passenger seat as it closed shut.
Bee headed back up the ravine and proceeded to drive along the road like nothing happened, Danny trusted Bumblebee enough to know where he was going cause Danny sure as heck didn't. Suddenly, a wicked grin found itself slowly growing on his face as Danny looked over to the steering wheel- assuming that's where Bumblebee's conscious laid.
"Well buckle up for the story you'll never forget," Danny announced cracking his knuckles, and if Bee thought the pun wasn't bad enough then what came next was something entirely out of left field.
"It all started when I was born in a small town in Gimmelshtump..."
"What the Frag?- like, can you not?"
An amused cackle could be heard from a yellow Urbana 500 as it drove down the road letting the very few onlookers to observe with raised eyebrows, a few shook their heads before carrying on with their business while others kept on staring off into the distance until the car disappeared from sight.
~~~~~~TFP~~~~~~
"Wow, that... Sounded painful."
"Yeah," Danny said giving a curt nod, "So ever since then I've been protecting my hometown against the ghosts that have been crossing over to cause trouble. I'm not exactly seen as a 'hero' or anything by most people but I do what I can. So now you, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, my cousin and my arch enemy know that I'm not entirely human. Just a teen with ghost powers trying to get a passing grade-oh! And not become Ecto-guacamole."
Fifteen minutes later found Bumblebee with a better outlook on his ghostly friend once Danny decided to stop messing with him and give it to him straight. In all honesty, the story Bumblebee received was slightly confusing, seemingly impossible, unexpected but had the mystery that was Danny finally make sense. Bumblebee could already see that Danny was a good kid from the start, never doubtful of him but he made Bumblebee curious when he would accidentally let information slip and then look freaked out he did so in the following second. Now, if only the others knew the truth then they can all move past whatever doubt they harbored for Danny.
"So, your parents also don't know that your half ghost?" Bumblebee asked.
"I..." Danny paused. A sudden sadness showed on his face before gazing out the window with a slightly pained expression. "I can't. Look, they're ghost hunters remember? If they get a hold of me before I can convince them that I'm on their side then it's all over. One of their life achievements is to dissect a ghost to study its biology or whatever molecule by molecule, and you wanna know who's on the top of the list for Prime Specimen Test Subjects? Me," Danny jabbed a thumb rather harshly to his chest, "That's who. Sorry if I'm not feeling too charitable in the 'exposing my secrets' department, I got too much riding on it to be careless. It's either lie to them or end up on their dissection table; something I'm not too keen on joining anytime soon." When he continued Bee could hear the tightly controlled emotion in Danny's voice, resonating with false strength but with self-aggravation, like the thought was a constant reoccurring one that brought frustration, sadness, self-loathing, and fear.
"That must be rough." Bumblebee acknowledged after a brief minute. Through his rearview mirror Bumblebee watched as Danny nodded along, chin resting on a balled up fist as he gazed at the world rushing past in a blur from the window. "Is that why you didn't tell us the truth?"
"I never really saw a point of telling you guys," Danny mumbled, "in the beginning, it wasn't really important information. I'm half human, so what? Would that suddenly mean I can't help you guys anymore?" Danny questioned, "Heck, Miko does enough sulking because you guys want to keep her safe cause she's only human-besides, I don't look good sitting at the pity party. Then, I found out that you guys work alongside the government-which would make sense because how else would you guys have been able to navigate the Earth for so long- but I'm not exactly on 'good terms' with them either, so it became less of not 'really important information' to 'if I can't trust these guys with my secret then I'm going to be carted off into a government lab somewhere by the GIW. That Flower guy-"
"Fowler." Bumblebee corrected.
"Whatever- seems like the kind of person that would get uptight about anything, word get's out to him that there's a Ghost kid flying about he might call in the specialists to lock me away and I'll never see my family or friends again."
"Have you done something wrong to warrant the authorities?"
"No, at least for something I didn't do."
"Then you should have nothing to worry about. Fowler's not going to participate in locking away an innocent kid." Bumblebee consoled.
"Well, you see that's thing!" Danny threw his arms up dramatically, inconsolable from the stress radiating from every fiber of his being, "He may not be the one locking me up but the higher-ups will; and they won't take the word of a ghost, according to the Federal Anti-Ecto Acts Article 3, Section 10, Sub-section B, I become government property if they managed to capture me."
The sentence suddenly made his tanks drop as Bumblebee nearly came to screeching halt, taken off guard by that key bit of information; he felt ill. "They can't do that!" If that was true, it was no wonder Danny didn't tell them, It was either keep them in the dark or risk a death sentence.
"They can and they will." Danny threw in sourly. "They'll be just as eager to gut me open as my parents are, and there won't be anything I can do because technically it's all legal or some unstated law."
"A very flawed law."
"But a law nonetheless." The quip lacked the humor Danny's were usually known for, truly revealing how dire the possible outcome really was. Silence settled in like a lonesome, tangible fog nestling between the two friends with welcomed ease. Minutes passed as the scenery flashed by them, the once vibrant terrain was no longer enjoyable for it now seemed dull in comparison, desaturated of its wonder as the weight of Danny's grievance weighed down on him. As Bumblebee's wheels drove further down the pavement, the seated passenger drew lazy circles against Bee's window pane with his fingertip staring unseeingly in a sort of daze. How did he remain so carefree at the base with something like this on his mind?
"Besides..." The sudden quietness Bumblebee was becoming used to broke with that simple word, spoken with a softness that lead him to believe that the following words weren't meant to have been spoken out loud. "After all the times they shot at me, if I tell them now and if they do accept me, they're going to realize that not only did they build a machine that half-killed their son, they also unknowingly aimed ectoweapons at him and degraded him as nothing less than putrid scum that belonged on their dissection table. It's...It's less messier this way." Tired eyes gazed at the world flashing by the window, the almost spoken words clear as day. The unspoken 'safer' sang like a whisper of a dying world.
Bumblebee observed him. Bee didn't feel like he held the right to tell Danny how to live his life, nor did he feel confident in either stance of the argument seeing as they both held their own pros and cons. If Danny disclosed his secret to his parents Danny ran the risk of not being accepted and having to live out the rest of his life as a fugitive or a lab experiment. If Danny keeps his mouth shut Danny'll still be hunted down by possible allies or worse.
Tell the truth, people will get hurt. Keeping silent and Danny'll be the only one on the receiving end of that violence.
The thought was sickening, the humans of Earth they were fighting so hard to protect can either be so compassionate or cruel. Bumblebee had been gratified to experience both sides- from Raf's constant understanding and kindness to MECH's organ snatching and torture. Bumblebee has come to consider Danny as his friend; Danny has shown that he's nothing less than compassionate, determined, understanding, friendly, and clever. The only thing Danny has been keeping from them was the fact that he could transform back into a human- similar to Cybertronians being able to switch back and forth between vehicular and bipedal forms- just to ensure his own safety.
It was kind of exciting to know you shared something in common with someone from another planet on a molecular level; being able to change form to suit the terrain brought about a sense of kinship on this otherwise alien world. All things considered, Bumblebee's desire to keep Danny safe increased tenfold; it wasn't because he's half human, but for who he is as a person. Danny was unknowingly worming his way into the mixed-matched dysfunctional family the Autobots had unintentionally formed here on Earth, not that Bumblebee minded.
I wonder if the rest of the team thinks so as well. Bumblebee thought. Despite all this, the only response Bumblebee felt was suitable was a simple, "I'm sorry."
Danny blinked at the steering wheel, surprise coloring his face. "For what?" Danny asked, "Last I recall, I wasn't on the receiving end of your weapon."
"For not being able to help; offer advice, something. I just wish there was something I could do." Explained Bumblebee, it sounded like a pitiful excuse to his own audio receptors.
"You just listening to me rant about my problems is enough, dude. There isn't a lot of people I can go talk to about this." Danny said after a minute, tone soft with gratitude.
"But it doesn't feel like enough. Danny, despite everything that's going on in your life right now you offered to help fight in a war without a moment of hesitation." Said Bumblebee making Danny shift in his seat, the unexpected compliment had him shying away from the response.
"Don't sweat it. I'm just glad I can help you guys in any way I can since I'm forced to stay here for the time being..." Danny trailed off with a frown, biting his lip uncertainly. "Do you think Arcee's right? That I'm just doing more harm than good?"
"Your a good kid Danny, trying your best. Anything that has happened so far that was unintentional wasn't your fault." Bumblebee reassured.
Danny smiled, the answer seemed to placate him as Danny began rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "I try at least. Too bad others don't seem to think the same. Anyways, how's everything going back at the base?"
"Fine actually; everyone's fallen back into the swing of things so visitors to the base should be welcomed again. Hopefully tomorrow." Bumblebee recalled the forlorn expressions that the occupants of the base wore, the children's presence was greatly missed, it was becoming evident that Team Prime wanted things to get back to normal as soon as possible, but their desire to keep the children safe overruled that want. Until things checked out completely for their mental state they just had to wait it out.
"That's good." Said Danny, observing the street view again, "Uh, where are we anyway?"
"Taking a shortcut back to your house," Bumblebee replied, a soft nod was his response until the words sunk in; an indignant sputter sounded from the passenger seat, Danny looking for all the world like his worse enemy was trying to sparkbond with him.
"You'd tracked me all the way back to the house!?" Danny shouted appallingly, "Um, stalker much?"
"I'm a scout, it's what I do."
Danny gave his steering wheel a nonimpressed look, "Like that's an excuse?"
Bumblebee had to admit the truth in that, but he doubted that if he said he did it out of sheer curiosity and boredom would be plausible either. Instead, a light chuckle escaped him; in the distortion of sound bites that was his voice box. Turning down a street that would lead them to their final destination, he felt Danny lounge deeper into the passenger seat letting out a huff.
"Glad to see that you find it hilarious." Danny said with a roll of his eyes, "Maybe I can recommend you to Vlad, you can become his hired stalker or something and make a quick buck."
"Why?"
"Dude's rich, name your price I'm sure that fruit loop will pay you; probably extra if you got him my mom's number."
"I don't really have any use for human currency."
"Bee, you could buy whatever you wanted that Earth has to offer, you could even do the transaction online to avoid human interaction like most introverts do. You could buy movies-"
"Raf has a special website for that."
"-A new gaming system with games, cats to flood the base with, the glitter you dumped on me and Smokescreen-"
"I got a stockpile already."
"-I don't know! Heck, you could probably get a giant-sized onesie that'll fit you no questions asked of something you like, kinky or otherwise. . ."
The rest of Danny's rant drowned out in Bee's audio receptors, the words 'giant-sized onesie' sang to his spark like Bulkhead in the wash racks. Bumblebee recalled Miko talking about those things before and even showed pictures, the thought of getting a cozy cowboy themed onesie was something he couldn't completely fathom becoming a reality, needless to say, he would touch Ratchet's delicate tech and suffer the impending wrath afterward if it meant he'd receive such an item.
"Wait, where do I sign again?" Bumblebee asked jokingly, but it was kinda hard to fight off the bit of hopefulness seeping into his chirpy beeps.
"Right in between the lines of, 'sell your soul to the horned creep in a cape the reeks of cheese' and 'become an evil apprentice to said creep'. At least, I think that's where it was on my application." Danny snickered shaking his head. "But in all seriousness, you should avoid Vlad at all costs, the guy would totally throw you under the bus if it'll benefit his plans."
"Oh well, back to the illegal street racing it is," Bee said, followed by a violent shudder as he remembered Optimus' stern order that street racing was forbidden. He didn't need that kinda heat right now, especially when it could get his glitter stash confiscated. "Hey, this is your house with the van right?"
Danny turned towards the window and observed the van in question. "Yeah, though technically we're just staying here for a few months, back in Amity Park our house is way different, but its home despite how weird it looks." Danny replied, suddenly he observed the van with much more intensity like he was noticing something for the first time, "Hey, wait a second, the van is here."
"Yes Danny, we've established that."
But Danny just waved him off, already set to open the door. "No, I mean that it wasn't before I left, which means my parents are back. Oh crud, I sure hope they didn't try to call me."
"Why?"
"Forgot my phone at home. Shoot, I really gotta go," Danny fumbled about hurriedly, fingers finally unfastening the seat belt. "Thanks for the ride, Bee, and well, for everything else. It was nice hanging out too. See ya later?" Danny was now sliding out to stand.
"Yeah-Yeah of course! It was nice hanging out with you as well despite the circumstances. Maybe tomorrow I'll see you at the base?" Bumblebee inquired hopefully.
"Yeah, probably. Well, I better get back inside to see how my standing with my parents is. Tell everyone I said hi!" Danny said with a cheerful wave, scurrying up the driveway and nearly tripping over his own two feet as he did so, saving himself from what was bound to be a painful face plant by catching himself mid-fall, leaving Bumblebee to cringe slightly. Danny wasn't the epitome of grace but he was a pretty good friend, and that was all that mattered in the end.
Honking a farewell to the kid's retreating figure and a front door slam seconds after, Bumblebee left in pretty high spirits. Maybe he could try getting Arcee out for a nice drive to help get her mind off things. If not that, then he could try figuring out what else he could make sparkle with his glitter, he had insane amounts that he needed to get rid of anyway.
~~~~~~DP~~~~~~
When Danny closed the front door behind himself, he was not expecting the sound of chatter nor the sight that greeted him, nearly making himself drop dead as shock pulsated from his frightened heart. Out of all the things that happened and what other things life planned to throw at Danny today, the last thing he was expecting to see was Jack, Miko, Raf, and some lady that bared a resemblance to Jack, to be sitting in their living room having a conversation with his parents.
What were they doing here?
The sound of the front door closing immediately had the adults in the room grow silent, all eyes focused on the newcomer as Danny stood wide-eyed and awkward. Mom appeared to have just returned from the kitchen with a fresh pot of tea. From the recliner, his Dad's excited hand gestures and boisterous movements showed he was regaling them in a story, no doubt concerning ghosts, until he too, paused to take in his son's haggard appearance. The unknown lady and teens had taken claim to the couch, the former nursing a cup of tea within her cupped hands as steam still billowed from its top, three empty teacups were abandoned on the coffee table in front of them, it was likely they belonged to the teens. The saying, "Deer Caught in Headlights" never seemed more fitting for Danny felt immensely out of place, like he'd just walked into a bar full of drunk naked goons planning to pull off a bank robbery, and both parties were too surprised and confused to make the first move that will determine just how the situation would play out... at least something in the house smelled nice.
But another thing that really set Danny on edge, was the fact that the TEEN's were here. Did Bumblebee betray his trust and phoned them in? Did they know? No, Danny rationalized despite the cold stone of dread forming in his stomach, Bee wouldn't have done that. He seemed to understand why I must keep me being half-ghost a secret. He-he wouldn't have, he knows how much danger I could be in if I did... Then why are they here? They couldn't have just put it all together just from that-that one chance encounter with Vince, did they? If they're here, WITH an adult, are they here to rat me out to my parents?
Danny felt sick to his stomach, hollowed out into a swirling endless void as his nerves twisted themselves into tight knots of anxiety and his mind wandered into dangerous waters. The expectant, fixated stares robbed the warmth from his body as he felt himself go pale. Danny could feel the tiniest of tremors crawling up his legs and threatened to break his foundation; if he let his thoughts run rampant any further, Danny was going to topple over. Breathe, you're making this worse then this really is. At least try to figure out why they're here to begin with. Danny heaved a shuddering breath, drawing from a faux bravado at the far recesses of his mind to steal his resolve, Danny offered a short wave to gauge a reaction, "Uh, hi?"
That seemed to snap them from their trance, snapping the room back to life like an un-paused movie. This kick-started his dad's rapid movements, the sudden burst of excitement emitting from his father was pliable as Jack made to stand, "Danny-boy! There you are!"
Taking in how roughed up he looked, his mother's face looked none too pleased as to what she saw. "Danny, I thought you were still up in your room? When did you leave?" Maddie inquired, her face was calculating like the times Danny walked in on her in the lab when she was configuring a new ghost weapon; taking it apart and piecing it back together to determine why it wasn't working like she wanted it to until it did. Danny's mother approached him; every step was made with purpose and confidence, a contrast to his hunched form in an attempt to appear unsuspecting. A hand was placed between his shoulder blades urging him forward, guiding him away from the stairwell and into the living room, preventing any attempts at being a recluse in his room. He didn't miss the flinch of disgust crossing her features as she caught wind of the smell of hot garbage clinging to his body after he had been so rudely been dumped in. Thanks Vince. The fight to keep the whine down in his throat was a struggle he somehow managed.
Whelp, there goes that plan.
Maddie's question hung heavily in the air awaiting a response, every occupant in the room seeming to harbor some level of interest in their eyes. Danny hated it, their eager souls put him on display waiting to skin him of his secrets and made his skin crawl. Was everyone just after him today? First, the air conditioning going out, then that lady making a jibe at his height, then Vince and his fabulous rat establishment, not to mention Bee being a total stalker due to his unquenchable curiosity, and now this? Danny could practically hear the deity making his life a living hell preening, belching out a giddy "Yes."
Alright, he needed to pull himself together before he made this much worse. Mom still wanted an answer and he needed to defuse a bomb before it blew up in his face. Finally, Danny answered, "Not long ago, it was really hot in the house so I went out."
Maddie nodded, "I can't fault you for that, your father had set up the Fenton Windmaker as soon as we got back," Maddie said, which explained why it was a great deal cooler in the house now. Maddie continued, "Everyone, this is our son, Danny. He came with-"
Whatever else Danny's mom was going to say was cut off by Miko leaping off the couch pointing towards him looking shocked, shouting, "Holy Scrap! You're the kid that Vince kidnapped!"
Danny was met with wide-eyed stares much more intense than when he first walked in. He could hear Jack whispering a harsh, "Miko!" Immediately after, while the adults openly gaped at him.
REALLY? After I gave you my FreezeRay, THIS is how you repay me? Wow, just-. Danny was ready to swallow the figurative bomb now and call it day with a "Bon voyage suckers, but this guy is ready to die," and possibly a peace sign for good measure.
"What's this talk about you being kidnapped, young man?" Maddie asked with narrowed eyes, "Is this 'Vince' another ghost that tried to kidnap you again?!"
"No, no! Nothing like that!" Danny shouted throwing his hands forward in hopes of appeasement, continuing more calmly, "Vince was just some kid who was trying to scare me after-ah, a disagreement. He drove me around town, got bored, and dropped me off a few streets down. It wasn't that big of a deal."
"Why would he do that?" Maddie asked.
"Because I accidentally spilled my drink on him, I apologized but he still didn't care. But I'm fine! So everything is okay now." Danny reassured.
The towering man that was Jack Fenton scooped Danny into a bone-crushing sidearm hug, lifting Danny to his dad's full height left Danny's feet to dangle freely below. "Ah, that's Danno for ya! Nothin' scares us Fentons! Except when we're out I fudge, that's something to worry about. " Danny wasn't sure if he made a squeaking noise or if his oxygen-deprived brain just imagined it, but Raf was definitely looking startled and gave him an eagle-eyed stare that was bordering on concern.
Maddie pressed on, not entirely convinced as her gullible husband, face displaying worry, "Are you sure, sweetie?"
Danny nearly had to gasp for air to voice an answer, wriggling in his dad's hold trying to break free, "Uh, yeah I'm-ah! Sure."
The argument was now more into Danny's favor and was drawing to a close, sweet reprieve was so close he could practically taste it. Maddie appeared to know this as well, concern swirled in her violet orbs, the scientist in her needing to know more information as to what was going on, but Danny wasn't giving it to her. Danny tried not to let the bubble of guilt nag him too much. Mom bit her lip, "That still doesn't explain-" Maddie grimaced, gesturing to his lanky frame,"-that awful smell."
"It's called 'Teen Sweat,' Mom."
All the fight in his mom's eyes faded. She wouldn't try prying for any more information regarding the matter, it would seem. Maddie sighed into her hand, "Alright. And Jack— not so tight." Maddie reminded. And to Danny's great relief, his hold loosened, But only slightly. The only problem now was that his dad was still parading with Danny beneath his arm. The image of a toddler holding the household cat by their underarms leaving the poor animal's back paws to dangle was a comparison that Danny could have lived without, a light pink dusted his cheeks in embarrassment. Curse his active imagination!
The lady sitting on the couch gave him and his dad's a fond look, which made the flush on his cheeks to become darker in hue. Soon, she was standing up to introduce herself to Danny with a warm smile, "Hello Danny, your parents were telling me quite a bit about you." They better not have been embarrassing things. "My name is June Darby, I'm a nurse at the local hospital not far from here. And this is my son, Jack. "
Jack, still sitting on the couch offered a slight wave, Danny's dad cut in enthusiastically, "Isn't it cool Danny that we share the same name? Of course, that could have been you, I wanted to name you Jack Fenton Junior but your mother said-"
"You're getting off topic again, Dear." Maddie cut in, smiling gently. The sheepish smile her husband offered in return seemed to clear any annoyance Mrs. Darby may have harbored from being cut off.
"Sorry 'bout that Mads!" His dad's voice rumbled almost soothingly against his back, echoing through Danny's bones with its strong resonance. Danny swallowed against the hard lump forming in his throat; would his dad still hold him this close if he knew the truth? Danny, being the very thing his father despised and hunted. If Danny's secret were to be exposed, would Danny's next embrace be in his dad's warm arms or the cold metal straps of a dissection table?
Danny tried to keep the grimace off his face at the unsettling thought when he reached to shake Mrs. Darby's hand. The slight creasing of her eyebrows showed he wasn't very successful. Still, he should try to push the ruse of formalities before anyone began to ask more unwanted questions that he didn't want to answer.
"It's nice to meet you both," Danny replied pleasantly, "Uh, what brings you here? I wasn't expecting to come back to guests."
"Jack told me that we had new neighbors and he was very insistent on meeting you guys," June began with a knowing smile, eyes darting in her son's direction making Jack duck his head. "I know how tough it can be to be in an unfamiliar place, where you don't know where everything is, or what kind of people you're sharing the town with, so we thought: What the heck, why not welcome you all to the neighborhood?"
What.
Danny's attention immediately snapped to Jack, eyes narrowing just the slightest bit with an air of suspicion. What did he know?
Jack chuckled, embarrassed by his mother's statement but nonetheless nodding along as his finger scratched warily at his cheek. Definitely nervous, Danny duly noted adding it to his long list of, "Things That Give Me Anxiety."
Jack cleared his throat with a muted cough, preparing to continue where his mom left off, "Yeah, well, I saw you the other day-" Wait, when did Jack see him?"- and you looked like you were new around here; definitely haven't seen you around before and it's a quiet neighborhood, y'know? Sometimes it can get pretty boring around here if you don't know your way around." Jack said, eyes meeting Danny's with a kind expression.
Danny didn't really mean to come off as rude, but when he mumbled, "I'm sure we can manage just fine," seemed to be the wrong thing to say given the disapproving glares being sent his way from his parents. Jack meanwhile, seemed taken aback by his tart response.
If coming off as a jerk deters them from putting together that I'M Phantom, then by all means...
"Not to mention," Miko cut in seeming unaffected by the tense atmosphere, looked way too cheerful for the words that left her mouth, "after you disappeared with Vince, it's good to know that you're alive and your body wasn't dropped off in the middle of a ditch or something!"
Okay, he did NOT need her to destroy the sense of ease he just finely fabricated for his parents. She just made the guy who kidnapped him sound like a gang member.
...Which could actually be true as far as Danny was aware of.
Danny blinked, "Huh, that makes sense, I guess..." was this normal for Jasper or was this a thing that all towns did and Amity Park was the odd one out? The whole concept seemed alien to him, almost coming off as one of those old shows starring trophy wives brandishing their fresh baked pies and husbands with ugly cowlicks that aired late at night and were the only thing that grandparents considered as "good television". If Jack was telling the truth and wasn't trying to corner him till Danny revealed his ghostly persona, then Danny didn't plan on sticking around to start hinting clues to fill him in on the matter. Danny would prefer to keep his two lives separate to avoid any unwanted consequences.
Danny wet his lips; testing the arm hold his dad had on him by wiggling a bit, he discovered that it had indeed loosened, the realization sent a surge of satisfaction rippling down his spine. "As touching and unneeded your concern was, I seriously got some stuff to do upstairs, so if you don't mind..."
Danny couldn't risk spending time with them; not in his human form at least. They knew a lot of his cues and quirks given how much they've interacted with him as Phantom as of late, near-death experiences tend to bond people closer together after all. If he unconsciously did something that so much as reminded them as to his ghostly persona, it could all be over. The connection between Fenton and Phantom needed to stay far away from each other, like two cords trailing off into different directions never to cross, tangle, intermingle, or knot.
The cross look appearing on his mother's face wasn't a pleasant one, but Danny could suffer her disappointment after they leave.
"Danny, that is no way to treat company," his father reprimanded sternly, after taking notice of the look on his wife's face, "especially after they've been so nice to us!"
Maddie exchanged a sheepish expression with June, "Sorry Mrs. Darby, Danny isn't usually this difficult, it must be the summer heat getting to him; Danny never really liked hot days."
June chuckled lightly, a knowing light seemed to twinkle in her eyes at the information, "Oh its quite alright, not everyone can deal with Jasper's heatwaves during the summer, you wouldn't believe how packed the public pools get since kids are out of school. If you don't get there early then you'll find most people biding their time in the freezer aisle at the supermarket." That got a few chuckles out of his parents, while Miko and Raf displayed varying degrees of boredom. "Well, we've taken up enough of your time, it's probably for the best that we head out," June stated, finishing off her tea and placing it on the coffee table, June made to stand. Jack looked disappointed.
Thank the freaking lord, there's a Jesus after all.
"Oh, are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Maddie inquired, a frown marring her lips, "why don't you stay for dinner? Those lovely Quiches you made is more than enough to go around."
Huh, so that is what that smell was. Well, now I feel kinda bad...
But then again, not really.
June waved it off, "No I shouldn't, the kids wanted to see about visiting some friends to discuss Sci-Fi; besides, I made those for you guys."
"Mrs. Darby, you made four pies. I know my boys have ravenous appetites, but even we couldn't finish those off." Danny's Mother laughed, it sent the once fleeing feeling of elation to plummet into oblivion.
Danny's Dad launched his arms outwards in excitement, unexpectedly releasing Danny from his bear-hug prison; causing him to drop like a bag of potatoes with a yelp that went unnoticed, "If the kids want to talk about Sci-Fi, we can discuss it over dinner! While Ghost's may seem like some fictional hocus-pocus, I assure you, Ghost's are very real! We can tell you about all the advances we've made in Ecto-biology, Ecto-weaponry, and studies about Ghost behavior and origins!" Dad babbled on like he was offering to take them on a once in a lifetime experience-it'll no doubt be an experience all right. Danny's father continued, the hopefulness in his tone never fading as he met the kids' wide-eyed stares, "What do ya say, kids? Want to hear me blab on about Ghosts over dinner and Fudge?"
Please say no.
Miko and Raf shot each other contemplative glances, but before either of them could come to a decision, Jack immediately perked up, "Sure! I wouldn't mind, right guys?"
The look of indecision was gone, replaced by a faux eagerness seeping into their expressions.
"Yeah totally! Maybe we can even bust some Ghosties!"
"I guess so...?"
"Then its settled!" Danny's father proclaimed, a finality settling upon the situation that June couldn't back out of. A sniffle could be heard from the hulking form of the man as he wiped away a stray tear, "Never in my life have I met such eager candidates willing to know about our Ghost Research-besides our own children of course."
Danny's world was crumbling apart, the hope of salvation died like the embers of a fading comet.
June sighed, resigning herself to what was going to be one heck of a dinner, "Well if the kids are okay with it..."
DARN IT ALL! God is a LIE.
zero fullbuster~ Ahh glad! here's a new chapter!
Guest 1~ aaaaw I'm glad!
Guest 2~ Next chapter here we gooooo
Guest 3~ I LIVE! (briefly, im forever dead inside)
Guest 4~ I mean, you're not wrong *shrug*