Interlude 02
Danny
Danny was ready to rip his hair out. What was left of it anyway. When he returned to the kitchen, cordless phone in hand, he found it empty. The chairs were still pulled out. The steaming mugs of tea still at the table. They were gone. Taylor had fled with her girlfriend.
Damn it.
Didn't Taylor realize he was trying to protect her?
He looked at the crumpled note in his hand. On it was the PRT non-emergency number. This is what was best for her. If she wanted to go out and play Hero then she could do it backed by the government.
"Oh Annie I hope I'm doing the right thing."
He dialed.
"Hello you have reached the PRT non-emergency line if this is an emergency press one now. For all other calls please wait on the line for our next available representative. There is curren-Hello and thank you for calling the PRT my name is Tony. how may I help you?"
"Could you connect me with the department for parahuman recruitment?" Danny remembered to keep his voice level. Experience trying to work deals at the DWA finally paying off at home.
"I'm sorry but the PRT does not have such a department."
Damn.
"I could direct you to our Human Resource Department? They should be able to help you."
Danny wiped his face with a hand. "That's fine. Thank you"
Hold music filtered across the line. The kind you would expect to hear in an elevator. If elevators still played music.
"Hello and thank you for calling. My name is Wendy. I understand you were interested in parahuman recruitment?"
"Yes."
"Excellent! May I ask your parahuman name, and would you be willing to come down to the PRT building?"
Danny felt his frown. "It's not actually for me. It's for my daughter. I want to sign her up for the Wards."
"I see just a moment."
There wasn't any hold music this time but he could hear the muffled sounds of a brief conversation.
"Sir?"
"Still here."
"Excellent. The Wards program requires both your daughter and one or both of her legal guardians to come down to the PRT building. This is so we have a chance to go over the details with you both before any papers are signed."
Both?
"Can't I enroll her myself?"
"No sir. There is a measure of risk involved in the Wards program annnd..."
Danny swore he heard the sounds of pages turning.
"With the exception of extenuating circumstances, the minor in question must also willingly sign the proper forms."
It sounded as if she was reading from a script.
"So her signature is required." Danny sighed. "What if she says no is there any way I can make her join?"
"No sir." He could hear judgment in her voice.
Or maybe he was projecting.
"What if she ran away?"
There was the sound of paper shuffling. "IIIIf your daughter is a young enough age then there may be enough cause but it would likely come down to a formal hearing to determine the best interests of the child."
"She's fifteen."
"The age of debated agency is sixteen, but you maybe able to argue the case. How long has your daughter been missing?"
Danny checked the clock.
"About fifteen minutes." He felt stupid after saying it. "I told her we were going to sign her up for the Wards." Should he mention Taylor's destruction of the phone? "She left with a friend as soon as I went for the phone."
More silent judgement.
"I'm sorry Sir but the time frame is too short to declare your daughter missing."
"She can fuc- freaking teleport! She could be anywhere!" Danny tried to reel in his anger. It wasn't this lady's fault.
It was his.
"I'm sorry Sir. The most I can do is log your call for evidence in the future should the situation persist. This would help your case in forcing your daughter into the Wards."
Her word choice was not lost on Danny.
"It's for her own safety!" He protested.
"Yes Sir." She patronized.
Danny ground his teeth. "What is the minimum timeframe where I can have action taken."
"Twenty four hours."
He didn't bother to thank the lady before hanging up.
Damn it!
He kicked the kitchen chair, regretting it as his foot reported the abuse.
Taylor had dreamed of being a Hero. That's all she wanted to be on Halloween growing up. Heroes adorned her school notebooks and her clothes. She still wore-
But she didn't.
She hadn't worn stuff like that in a while.
When was the last time she even talked about Heroes? Middle school? What had happened to-
Annette.
Did she blame her mother's death on the Heroes? That didn't make sense.
Though nothing about Annie's death made sense.
Fucking texting while driving.
God damn it.
The familiar old pain clutched his chest as if he was the one pinned in an overturned car.
"Damn It Annie. What do I do?"
He glanced at the cabinet over the fridge. Inside was the old bottle of scotch he had received from his father on his wedding day. "Let it age." His father had said.
Danny decided it was old enough and grabbed a glass.
Author's Note: Oh, Danny. Drawing all the wrong conclusions. Stuck in his own misery he can't see beyond it. I wonder when love will become hate? They are so close after all.
I was originally going to write this Interlude to cover Assault's point of view but there has been such a reaction to Danny I thought we might like to see him instead.
I am currently working on the first chapter of the Complications Arc and already, the Arc is earning its name. Though probably not in the way you've guessed. (Evil laugh)
Thank you all for the reviews, You whom fav or follow, and even you whom just give the story a try. You all are all very much appreciated!
K. Raiden