Not a Little Wolf Anymore (CANCELLED)
Super_Wolf
Summary:
"Don't waste your power."
One month after the events at the border, Sean is in prison and Daniel finds himself thrust back into a normal life. As he settles down in Beaver Creek, he struggles with leaving his brother behind, and the pressure put on him to use his power for greater things.
Chapter 1: Homecoming
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Daniel, you're not a little wolf anymore... Never forget who you are! never..."
One month after the events at the border – August 1st 2017
The last time Daniel had been to Beaver Creek it had been winter, covered in a thick blanket of snow. Now it was August and the town was alive and bustling. The sun was up high, and families were making the most of the last few weeks of the summer. Despite this, Daniel couldn't bring himself to feel much of anything, let alone share in the joy.
The four weeks he'd spent in government protection has dragged and dragged. The house had been empty and lifeless, with no Playbox and barely any good movies to watch. He hadn't even been allowed to go outside, except in the back garden under supervision. He'd only managed to crack a smile when he was told that he was finally going to be moving in with his grandparents. But even that couldn't ease the pain of not having his brother there with him now.
He hadn't been allowed to see Sean since he was arrested. He didn't even know where they had taken him. He wondered if Claire and Stephen would know.
He was dragged out of his thoughts by the car coming to a halt. Finally a faint grin crept up his face as he saw the elderly couple, Claire and Stephen, waving at him and walking down from their porch. Above them was a banner displaying 'Welcome home Daniel' strung up between two windows. As soon as his carer: a tall, young woman called Alice Cooper, opened the car door he leapt out and launched himself at Claire.
"Okay, oh my. Sweetie," She held him tightly, "we've missed you."
"Me too," was all he could squeak out. He had barely spoken for weeks.
"Let's get you inside. We've got a surprise for you." She held his shoulders gently and led him up to the house. "Stephen, could you help Mrs Cooper with his bags?"
Claire's hands were warm and familiar and for the first time in a month, Daniel felt safe. His surprise came from the kitchen, barrelling down the hallway in the form of a small, blonde boy - Chris.
"Superwolf!" he called, throwing his arms around his friend, who barely had time to drop his backpack on the stairs. Daniel was still a little tense, but leaned into the hug nonetheless. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't missed Chris the most out of everyone.
Claire bustled past and into the kitchen, gathering some paperwork on the table. "Chris, honey, why don't you take Daniel upstairs and help him unpack. Stephen and I have to go over a few things with Mrs Cooper. We'll call you when we're done."
By this point, Stephan and Alice had made their way in and handed the bags to the boys, who rushed upstairs to get out of their way. Daniel went to go into the guest bedroom, where he and Sean had stayed all those months ago, but Chris pulled him in the opposite direction and into his mother's old room.
It couldn't have been more different to how he remembered it. Where shelves of old CDs stood before, there was now a huge bookcase filled with old toys, comics, books, and DVDs. A new desk had been brought in, covered in art supplies and drawing paper. The walls had been repainted a bright blue, and above his bed was a stencil drawing of a huge wolf's head.
"Isn't it cool? Me and my Dad did it at the weekend," said Chris, "and your grandpa held a massive party at the fire station, there was a collection for books and stuff, but the comics were all mine."
Daniel took his time to look around, taking it all in. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It's super cool, like you," he said, giving his friend a reassuring nudge.
He started feeling dizzy, so threw his bags down and sat on his bed. He'd spent the last month worrying how people would react to him moving into town. Would they hate him for what happened in Seattle, or the police station in Arizona? What would everyone be saying about his brother? For a moment, this wiped away all of those thoughts and he could relax. He took a sharp exhale and loosened his shoulders.
"So…" Chris started, almost seeming like he was choosing his words carefully, "where did you go? I wrote a letter ages ago and Claire sent it, but she wouldn't tell me where you guys were."
Daniel's face picked up as he replied, "We went to so many awesome places. We rode on a train all the way to California and camped out in this huge forest, ooh and we lived in my mom's trailer which was in the middle of the desert that went out for miles." He stretched his arm out, as far apart as they could go. He paused and thought, he didn't know what had happened to his mom either, she could be in jail now for all he knew.
Chris seemed to sense that he'd hit a nerve. "Sorry. Claire said to take it easy. I'm just so excited that you're moving here now." He had an idea and gathered a few of the comics from the shelves and spread them out on the bed. "My mom told me never to throw any of these out, so I'm not. But I've read them all, like, a hundred times. Look, this is the issue where Power Bear fights the Jackdaw for the first time. This is the one where he teams up with Ratwoman. Oh, and this is the annual where he gets married!"
After a while, Chris was helping Daniel unpack his bags and hang up his clothes when Claire called them both down. Stephen had set up a camera and tripod at the end of the lawn. Daniel stood in between the two of them and Claire held his shoulders again. He took a deep breath and tried to smile. There was still someone missing from this picture.
Following Stephen's instructions, Chris adjusted the focus on the camera and clicked the button, managing to jump into the shot just as the shutter went down. It wasn't perfect, Daniel decided, but he was glad to finally be somewhere that he belonged.
Notes:
Thank you for making it this far down!
This is the first thing I've written in about half a decade, so hopefully it's not too terrible! I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, but I'm planning on posting semi-regular updates and the chapters will definitely get longer as I go. This is more of a refresher, to get back into writing fiction.
Please leave any constructive criticism you might have. I'm always open to improving any structural or grammatical issues.
Chapter 2: The Visit
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
August 15th 2017
The day had finally come that Daniel had been looking forward to since the border incident. Claire had been trying to organise a visiting permit to see Sean since Daniel had arrived and said that they were lucky to have gotten one so quickly, but as far as he was concerned, it hadn't been soon enough.
It had been a long drive over, but Stephen pulled the car up at FCI Sheridan. If it wasn't for the barbed wire trim, the entrance would have almost looked inviting. Daniel had expected snipers in giant, concrete towers looming over jacked up bald men in ankle chains. Instead, it just looked like a huge school.
After they had been searched along with the car, and more paperwork had been filled in, they were led through to the visiting centre where, at one of the tables, sat Sean. He wasn't unrecognisable but there was an air of difference about him - he was forcing a smile, his hair had been shaved, and he was dressed entirely in an orange jumpsuit. Instinctively, Daniel let go of Claire's hand and raced towards his brother, smashing into his side and locking his arms around him. "Sean!"
In that moment, the familiarity returned. He could smell the sweat and cheap deodorant as he buried his face into Sean's chest, trying not to let his big brother see him cry. "I've missed you so much. Happy birthday!"
"Hey, enano , I've missed you too." He pried Daniel off, who hoped his brother didn't see him wiping his tears. "But you can't rush in like that here. You could get in trouble."
"Sorry Sean, I thought I'd never see you again."
Sean exaggerated an eye-roll. "It's okay, you're here now." He smiled, and this time it felt true. Claire and Stephen made their way over, each giving Sean a short hug.
Daniel knew it had only been just over a month since they'd last seen each other, but to him, each day felt like a year. As glad as he was that he had his grandparents and Chris with him, he missed Sean so much that it hurt. He had always wanted to spend more time with him back in Seattle, and their 'quest,' as he now thought of it, brought them closer than he had ever dreamed. But was it worth it if it meant he could only see him like this now?
"Oh honey, happy birthday. I've been so worried." Claire took Sean's hand gently. Her smile was weak. "I've barely slept all week. Ask Stephen, there's not a surface in the house I haven't scrubbed within an inch of its life."
Sean choked out a laugh, he looked as though he was holding back tears of his own. "It's not as bad as you'd think. I bought some pencils and paper with the money you sent over. That's been keeping me busy, well, and there's an awesome track field I can use."
"Do you have a TV as well?" Daniel asked.
"No, you wouldn't survive a day in here, Superwolf."
Stephen interrupted. "Sean, you can tell us if you're ever struggling. I think you're both mature enough to handle it." He looked warmly at the two of them. "If we're not here and you need to hear our voices, we're only a phone call away."
"I know, I'm fine, honestly." Sean couldn't quite look him in the eye. Daniel noticed, but he understood. Back in the motel, at the start of all this, Sean had promised that he'd never lie to him again, but he knew now that sometimes you had to lie, to make yourself feel better more than anything. "So, have you been brushing up on your, uh, skills ?" Sean said, quickly changing the subject.
In truth, Daniel hadn't tapped into his powers since they were separated. Not that he didn't want to, but he was scared in the temporary housing. He knew he was being watched, a tiny wolf cub in a cage, circled by hunters waiting for him to make the wrong move, so he kept them hidden to the point he almost felt like a normal kid again. Which came back so naturally after a month, he hadn't thought to test them out once he'd moved back to Beaver Creek. Even Chris hadn't said anything about them. Maybe Claire had asked him not to.
"Uh, not really. But we're going to fix up Chris's treehouse this week; I can use them to help out with that. I'll keep training, I swear."
"You don't have to swear anything to me. I told you before, you can make your own rules now. But, you're gonna do awesome, dude. Think of all the cool things you can build, it's going to be the best superbase the Spirit Squad could ever ask for." Sean was shaking, his voice cracked. "Just remember to make room for for the Silver Runner when he gets outta here, yeah?"
"Yes! Maybe we could even plant a tree and build one in our backyard as well, right grandpa?" Daniel looked up at Stephen, excitedly.
Stephen laughed. "You'll be too big for one by the time it grows."
"That'll never happen!" He giggled as well.
Claire took Daniel's hand in hers. "Okay, I'm parched. Stephen, can you take Daniel and go and get some drinks please? I'm sure Sean could do with one as well."
Sean nodded and raised his hands. "I'm ready to get my caffeine buzz on."
"Aww, but I want to stay with you." Daniel frowned and looked at Sean with the doe eyes that used to get him anything he wanted.
"Uh-oh, here comes Super-moan. Don't worry, enano , I'll still be here when you get back."
"Shut up." Daniel pouted and got up before muttering under his breath. "Super-lame."
The kiosk for hot drinks was on the other side of the visiting room, and he was eager to get the drinks and get back. He charged forwards, walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run until he heard Stephen call him from behind. He turned around to find his grandpa had barely left the table.
"It's not a race, kiddo," Stephen chuckled. "Not one that I could win anyway." A couple of the guards had turned to look, but he dismissed them with a wave.
They reached the kiosk and Stephen placed the order for two teas, a coffee, and a hot chocolate. Daniel's eyes darted around the room, taking it all in. He wondered how many of the other inmates here were like his brother, taken away and locked up for something they hadn't even done. Most of them were a lot older and bigger than Sean, some heavily tattooed, and others had deep, scary looking scars. Instinctively, Daniel rubbed his shoulder along where his own was.
Though as bad as they were, he was just as frightened of the guards who were standing around, keeping watch like a bunch of bored, angry Big Joes. He shook the thought away. That was someone he definitely didn't want to remember.
Stephen must have noticed him staring. "No need to worry about them son. They're here to keep us safe… unless they catch you running around again." He wheezed and patted Daniel on the shoulder.
Daniel shook the joke off. "And they'll keep Sean safe as well?" After everything they'd both endured on the road for the past year, he found it hard to trust anyone .
"Of course they will. That's their job. You don't have to worry about your brother, he's going to be just fine. We can come and visit him again, and I'm sure he'll phone you every week so you can tell him about all the adventures you go on with Chris."
"He better…"
They picked up their drinks and returned to Sean's table, where the atmosphere had become slightly frosty. Claire's lips were pursed and Sean was leant back in his chair, looking anywhere other than at her. Both sat in silence.
"Have you two been arguing?" Daniel asked, handing Claire her drink. It was obvious they had been, but, more than anything, he was worried that it had been about him.
She went to answer, but Sean beat her to it. "No, no we weren't. You know what I'm like in the morning before I've had a coffee." Daniel knew all too well what he was like. Still, he raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. Sean continued. "Honestly dude, it was nothing, just… blowing off some steam. Okay?"
"Okay. If you say so."
Back in Seattle, if Daniel had wanted to know something, he would ask and ask until he was blue in the face. Sean would ignore him at first, put his earphones in and go around the house as if he couldn't hear or see him. One time, he'd annoyed his big, bad brother enough that Sean locked him in his room and held the doorknob from the outside until he agreed to leave him alone. Dad had heard the banging and the screaming, and sorted it out with a few stern words and a confiscated Playbox.
He'd grown up a lot since then, and knew when to not prod the wolf.
"So," Stephen broke the tension, "what are your options for work? Your father was a mechanic, have you thought about picking that up?"
"I don't think Sean the cyclops is going anywhere near the auto shop." At least he hadn't lost his sense of humour yet. "My counselor says that I can go back to school and study for my GED. After that, I'm not sure. Maybe I can do something with my art? I dunno, plenty of time to make my mind up."
"School in prison? What could be worse than that?" Daniel grimaced.
"Hmm, let me think." Sean held his chin. "Bunking up with you and your stinky feet again?"
"Yeah right! You smell way worse than me. Shower much?"
"Once a day. That's six times a week more than you ever did, Gizmo."
"Oh my god, shut up! " They both laughed together. It had been so long, Daniel had almost forgotten what that felt like.
He let himself get lost in the moment, telling Sean all about the Christmas and birthday presents that their grandparents had kept for him and all of the cool new video games that Chris had shown him from the last year. Even Claire's icy mask was melted by this, and she and Stephen sat back and let the boys have their moment together.
After what felt like no time at all, the visiting hour had come to an end.
As the CO came over to escort Sean out, Daniel clung onto him again, nestling himself into his big brother's arms. He could feel Sean trembling and could tell that he wanted to cry. Part of him wished he would just let go and do it, instead of feeling the need to protect him all the time. He decided not to say anything about it.
"It's okay enano , I'll see you next month remember. You can tell me all about your new school, your new friends. Just one month." He was cuffed and led away.
He leaned back into Claire, as the three of them waved Sean off. Just one month, he thought, one month would go in no time.
Back in the car, he watched the prison gates draw further away, and Sean along with them. Daniel felt as though part of him had stayed there as well.
"It's okay honey." Claire said, turning to the back seat and meeting his eyes. "You'll be so excited settling into your new school, you won't even notice the time fly by. And I know it's not the same, but if you ever need to hear his voice, you only have to ask and we can call him."
He nodded and turned to look out the window. He could feel his eyes welling up and didn't want her to see.
Later that night, lying back on his bed and looking up at the wolf decal on the wall, Daniel's head was swimming. He thought he should be happier having seen Sean again, but he felt hollow. Leaving him a second time had hit him hard, even knowing that he would be going again in a month. He hated seeing his brother - his protector - trapped while he was powerless to do anything about it. He wished he could use his powers and blast through the walls of the prison and then they could walk off to safety together. But that's not who they were.
He needed to do something, think about something else. It was time for Superwolf to train.
He rolled off the bed and placed an eraser in the centre of his desk. Better to start with the easy stuff. For something this small, he wouldn't even need to use his hands for focus. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, he needed to isolate the eraser in his mind, and block out everything else. Yet somehow, it had never felt this hard before, or at least not since that abandoned cabin in the woods, but Daniel put that down to lack of training. It was as Dad had always said when he struggled with homework: practice makes perfect. If you stop working at something, eventually you'll forget how to do it altogether.
Nothing was happening. The stupid piece of rubber wouldn't lift off of the table. Hell, it wouldn't even wobble. Daniel furrowed his brow and tried to reach further down. One month ago, he could lift metal sculptures without even having to think about it, and now he couldn't even float a freaking eraser. His mind kept wandering back to Sean being led away by the guards, and the prison gates getting further and further away until Daniel could no longer see them. It wasn't fair.
He scrunched up his face and squeezed his eyes harder. There was a faint buzzing noise, and his whole body started tingling, like an insatiable itch. He reached out his hand and locked his elbow, until he got it - he could feel something. He imagined his hand closing around it and lifted. He opened his eyes just as the eraser flew from the desk, along with everything surrounding it. Paper, pencils, a photo of Sean holding him as a baby, all propelled past his face and smashed into the opposite wall, and with a magnificent bang, the light bulb above him shattered, small fragments of glass falling down and settling into the carpet. Daniel just stood there, rooted to the spot with his hands over his mouth.
Footsteps were coming from outside his room, up the stairs and closer to his door. Shit shit shit.
"What on Earth is going on in here?" He didn't have time to react as his bedroom door burst open, and Claire came rushing in. She looked around, mouth agape. "Daniel, what are you doing ?"
Daniel shrunk, his eyes staring down at the floor in defeat. "Sorry Grandma, I was just trying to lift something up, and it went wrong. I didn't mean to, it was an accident." He wasn't Superwolf anymore. He was a ten year old boy, too embarrassed to look his grandma in the eyes.
"I know, honey. But if this is what happens when you 'try to lift things' then… I don't know." She sighed. "Anyway, come on, be careful not to tread on any glass. We'll get the vacuum and clean this mess up, we can talk about what happened afterwards."
Great. He knew where this was going.
After the mess was cleared. Daniel changed into his pyjamas and piled up the scattered art supplies back onto his desk, those that were still in one piece. He pulled the quilt back and flopped face-first into his pillow. He didn't understand what he'd done wrong. Lifting an eraser should be nothing, like a mental flick of the finger. This time nothing had worked, he couldn't feel anything until he'd thought of Sean, and then chaos. He pulled the quilt up and over his head and tried not to think about it.
Which was impossible as his grandmother returned, with a glass of water in hand. She set it on the bedside table and sat next to him. "Daniel, we need to talk about your… your gift."
"I didn't mean to break anything. It just… happened."
"I know sweetheart," she pulled the quilt down to uncover his head. He could tell she was searching for the right words. Everyone seemed to when it came to his 'gift.' "I don't know how it works, or what it even is. But if you're going to do these sorts of things, please try to keep it in the backyard for now, and away from the house. People around here like to… talk. Who knows what would happen if someone caught you. And besides all that, God gave you hands for a reason."
Daniel had had this talk with Sean a thousand times over, and he knew this was just her way of saying 'please don't break every light bulb in the house. Please ,' eager to get it over with, he nodded and said, "Okay Grandma, only in the backyard."
"Just what I wanted to hear. Now, it's been a long day, you'd better get some sleep if you're going to go to Chris's house tomorrow." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Night honey."
"Goodnight Grandma," he said, rolling back over as she left.
He wasn't sure he even wanted to try using his powers again yet. He hadn't lost control of them since they were back at the weed farm in California. But this was different: when they burst before, he'd knock himself out and wake up without knowing what had happened. Something was very wrong, and without Sean, he worried he wouldn't be able to make it right again.
Notes:
A huge thanks to darkjaden825698 for kindly agreeing to beta read and giving the most helpful damn notes a guy could ask for, and Bracco for prodding me with the motivation stick when I needed it the most.
I don't think I'd have ever been happy enough to post this without either of them.
Now that I know I can keep up a decent writing schedule, I'm going to plan to get a chapter released at least once a week, probably at the weekend.
Peace out!
Chapter 3: New Kid
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 3 – New Kid
September 7 th , 2017
The last weeks of summer had gone by in a flash. Endless days of fishing with the Eriksens, trips to Eugene with Claire and Stephen, and hours upon hours of Minecraft were all Daniel wanted right now. Anything to try to fill the wolf-shaped hole left in his brother's absence. Instead, he found himself stepping off the school bus, about to enter the lions' den.
Back in the redwood forest, Away, and even Haven Point, it took no effort to feel at home, but that wasn't going to happen here. Not after the stares that had pierced him like bullets as he first boarded the bus, and the whispers from the other kids that hushed as he walked past.
As he stepped down onto the path, his legs buckled slightly as though they had a mind of their own, telling him to just stop trying. Somehow, lying on the floor would have been the better option, because that totally made sense. From then until the school entrance, every step was twice as difficult as the last, to the point where it felt like he'd almost forgotten how to walk. He was sure he must have looked like an alien coming to Earth for the first time and trying to blend in. Act normal .
The only saving grace was Claire making sure he didn't have to repeat the fourth grade. Well, that and...
"-and then Hawtdawg Man is stuck in the bun with King Tartar above him about to squirt, and then it just ends! To be continued! Hey, Daniel? Helloooo." Chris's hand waved in front of his face. "Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Yeah, Hawtdawg Man was cool, can't wait for tomorrow." Wow that was weak, even for him.
"What? Is that it?!" His friend looked at him wide-eyed, but softened when Daniel returned the look. "Sorry, am I being too much?"
"What? No, of course not." He felt lucky to have Chris with him to make the whole thing bearable. "I'm just kinda nervous. New school, and I don't know anyone." He hadn't been around this many people, let alone other kids, for months, and the constant buzz around him was making him sweat.
Chris put his arm around him as they went through the doors, which Daniel appreciated. "You're gonna be fine. We're probably gonna be in the same class with Mrs. Foster, and she's really nice. And the other kids aren't so bad. Well, except—" He was suddenly jerked backwards.
"'Sup Captain Sparkles." The voice came from behind them. A tall boy with cropped, black hair grabbed Chris's backpack, and was now eyeing Daniel up and down. "This your new boyfriend?" He looked at another boy standing next to him and sniggered.
The happy, excited kid that Chris had been was gone completely.
"Hey Eriksen, I asked you a question." The boy squared up against Chris.
"Leave me alone, Harry."
Funny, Daniel had known a kid called Harry back in Seattle—Harry Thompson, who had threatened to beat him and Noah up plenty of times. He'd never actually done it though, and having now met the kind of people who followed through with their threats, he was sure that this Harry was pretty much the same.
"Don't you mean 'let it go', huh Elsa?" Harry let out a stupid laugh, then something must have clicked as he turned back to Daniel. "Wait a sec, I do know you. Didn't your brother kill that cop?"
Daniel gritted his teeth and for just a tiny moment had the urge to try and knock him back with his powers. If he even could do that at this point. With the way they were at the moment, he'd probably smash him through the wall by accident. "Sean didn't do anything wrong."
"Oh yeah? I saw it on TV. He blew him up with a bomb. He's a terrorist, and that's why he's in prison, and you're here."
"Shut up! It's all bullshit!" Daniel could feel the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand on end, and a faint vibration in the air around him. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
"We'll see, freak."
Despite Harry being a head taller than him, Daniel stood his ground. The bully walked closer until he was almost on top of him and stared him in the eyes. It took everything in him not to back away, but he couldn't be weak. Sean had faced down bigger men than Harry, and Daniel was sure he had the strength in him to as well. Even if it was just for this one time today, he had to be Superwolf again.
It felt like it lasted an eternity, but Harry broke the tension with a smirk. "Whatever, see you two losers in class." He nudged Chris as he and his douchebag friend finally left them alone.
Chris readjusted his bag, and almost in sync with Daniel, they both sighed in relief.
"Dude, what the hell was that about?" Daniel asked.
"That's Harry Sorber. He said some mean things about Dad last year, so I found him after school and, um, pushed him into a tree."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. Chris didn't look like the type of kid that could push someone like Harry into a tree.
Chris seemed to notice, and his face instantly turned red. "I mean, he had his friends there and they got me back twice as hard. Dad found out and something happened with him and Harry's Dad. Now, he just talks a lot of smack, but he doesn't really do anything. I just try to keep out of his way. Anyway, what about you? Are you okay?"
Daniel cupped his head in his hands and lowered his voice as he replied. "Yeah, I'm just happy I didn't blow a hole in the wall."
"That would be so cool ."
"No, it wouldn't be." That had been close. It felt like he'd been keeping his powers hidden for so long, that they were itching to be set free. He had to be more careful in front of other kids.
Chris nodded and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him down the hall. "Come on, I'll show you where the principal's office is."
Principal Grey had turned out to be a lot nicer than Daniel expected, at least compared to his old principal in Seattle. Though he wondered if that was partly because of who he was—the poor kid with a dead Dad, missing Mom, and a cop-killing brother. That annoyed even more than it should, because he knew only one of those was true, even if no one believed him.
He was personally escorted to Mrs. Foster's classroom and was relieved to not only notice that Harry Sorber was nowhere to be seen, but Chris was sitting on the far side of the room, beaming at him. Mrs. Foster gave him a quick introduction and he dropped his bag off and shuffled quickly over to the desk next to his one and only friend, eager to not be the centre of attention.
"See, I told you it was going to be okay," Chris whispered as Daniel sat down. Maybe he was right.
The day began with English and art classes, two of Daniel's favourite subjects. Most of the other kids were too busy with their own work to take much notice of him, except for one. A girl with wavy, blonde hair occasionally glanced over towards him. However, unlike the unkind looks he'd received on the bus that morning, she almost seemed nervous, quickly turning away whenever he returned the looks. After the fifth time, he decided it best to ignore her and focus on his work. With Captain Spirit by his side, he actually found himself almost enjoying it.
It wasn't until lunch period began, and Chris was asked to stay behind to speak to Mrs Foster, that Daniel was finally forced out on his own. He was sure that the other kids were purposely trying to stay away from him, but that was fine. He was happy to squirrel himself away somewhere private. After scarfing down a gross school meal, he found a nice secluded area around the back of the main school building, away from the playground.
He sat down, leaning back against the wall to take a moment to wind down. It had been easy slipping back into a normal life when he was relaxing back at home, and the morning had gone better than he'd expected, but he still found himself feeling a little overwhelmed. The only thing close to school he'd attended since last October was Lisbeth's bible studies back in Haven Point, and he supposed at least this wasn't nearly as bad as that. Nothing could be as bad as that.
Back then, when he needed to take his mind off the bible verses Lisbeth would make him write down and copy hundreds of times, he would train with his powers - showing off to the other children in the community by building towers out of block toys, and catching things they threw in mid-air. At least until he was caught and told off. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished . He hated that he knew that by heart.
Instinctively, he held out his hand to a cluster of freshly browned leaves that were skipping along the ground in the wind. In the three weeks since that night in his bedroom, with extra focus and Chris's moral support, he'd been able to lift and manipulate a few of his smaller toys. He still hadn't worked up the courage to try anything bigger than the Power Bear toy Sean had won for him yet, but he'd get there eventually. He began to focus on the leaves just as he caught a glimpse of someone approaching in the corner of his eye.
"What are you doing?" It was the stare-y girl from class.
He snapped his hand back in an instant and scratched his other arm, hoping she hadn't seen anything. Real smooth… "Huh? Nothing. What do you mean?"
"Why are you sitting here on your own?" She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. That was lucky, it was a stupid idea practicing out in the open like that.
"I'm just waiting for Chris. He had to speak to Mrs Foster, or something. What are you doing here?"
She kicked her feet on the ground, sheepishly. "This is where I come to get away from everyone. It's so noisy all day, it makes my head hurt, so I come here."
"Do you want me to..?" He started to get up, he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
The girl looked startled and shook her head. "No, no! Can I, um, sit with you?"
Unsure of what to make of her, he nodded. She seemed odd, but she was the first person that day, other than Chris, who didn't look at him like he wasn't supposed to be there. As she sat down next to him, he felt himself ease up a little.
"I'm Maggie, by the way."
"I'm—"
"—Daniel, I know. You're Sean Diaz's brother." Is this how he was doomed to be known forever? At least she didn't call him a criminal, or a terrorist. She started picking at some stones on the floor. Daniel figured she must be just as nervous as he was. "I don't believe any of the things they're saying, you know?" She offered a brief, but comforting, smile.
Finally , he thought. "Thanks… How come?"
"Mom and Dad took me to a protest thingy in Seattle last year, and they always made sure I watched whenever he was on TV. They said it was important for me to know everything and make my own mind up." She nodded her head along as she spoke, as though reciting a speech. Her family's version of Lisbeth's bible verses.
"Your parents sound super cool. I wish everyone could be like that."
"It's not that great. There weren't many other kids at the demos, so they were kinda boring. And they used to be really into that kind of stuff, so we've moved around a lot."
Daniel felt that. Despite how much he enjoyed visiting so many new places with Sean, it was nice to have a home base. "Where did you live before?"
"So many places: New York, San Francisco, Salt Lake City. Wherever they could find work. But it means I've been to, like, five different schools."
That must have been hard. Daniel knew how it felt to leave friends almost as soon as he'd met them, but he couldn't imagine what it would be like to do it over and over again for his whole life. He counted himself lucky that he'd been able to spend so long with Noah.
They both sat in a brief silence, as Daniel didn't know what to say next. But from what little he knew already, he liked Maggie and hoped she felt the same way.
Luckily, he didn't have to think of anything as he was saved by an anxious-looking Chris, running around the corner.
"Daniel!" he yelled, feet pounding at the ground.
Daniel caught him by the shoulders as he slowed down. "Dude, where's the fire?" He'd heard Sean say that to Lyla a bunch of times.
"Why are you hiding back here? I looked all over the canteen and playground for you. I thought maybe Harry had kidnapped you or something."
He shouldn't have laughed at that, but he couldn't help it. "What? No, I just didn't want to get in anyone's way. Thought it would be easier just to wait round here. You don't have to worry about me Captain, no bad guys are going to get me." He held his arms up and formed the team signal of the Spirit Squad, before remembering who was also there with them. His arms dropped as quickly as they had raised, and he looked back at Maggie, sitting staring at them both.
Her cheeks were flushed as she stood up to join them. She tried to hide it, but nothing could cover up that shade of red. "Oh my god, you're both nerds."
"Pfft, and you're not? You're the one who's always top of the class in science," Chris shot back defensively.
"Being smart doesn't make you a nerd." Maggie shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to go and see Mrs. Foster about something. It was nice to meet you, Diaz." She waved goodbye, and then turned to Chris. "See you around, nerd ."
Daniel returned the wave, and Maggie quickly shuffled off.
"Why… are you hanging out with Maggie?" Chris asked.
"I mean, she came looking for me, dude. I didn't even know who she was. She kept looking at me in class though, I thought she was going to be weird. But she was nice."
"She is weird. She started a couple of years ago, but she never speaks to anyone. I tried sitting with her for lunch once, but she didn't say a single thing. Just ate really quickly and left. Apparently, her parents are even weirder. Dad said they were… um… hippies, or something."
Daniel had heard that before, Big Joe had called Finn and the others 'hippies' back in Humboldt. They had seemed weird to him at first, but eventually he realised that they were just people trying to live their own way and be happy. Maybe Maggie's parents were just trying to do that as well.
He grinned and poked Chris in the chest. " You're weird."
"Nu-uh, you're weirder."
The good feeling of the morning classes came crashing down as the afternoon arrived along with math and science. He'd struggled with them before everything had happened, and now he was worried that missing out on the fourth grade almost entirely would make it impossible to catch up. With some help from Mrs Foster and Chris (a master of both long division and crime fighting), somehow, he made it to the end of the day without a meltdown.
As the bell rang, he slumped back into his chair, thankful that it was almost the weekend already. Just one more day, and then freedom, he thought. Somehow, he'd already slipped so easily back into school life.
As they left, he asked Chris if they could walk home that afternoon, to avoid the crowd of curious eyes on the bus from that morning, and was going to ask Maggie as well, but she had already boarded the bus to leave. There was a strangeness about her, but that just drew him towards her more. And if what Chris has said about her was true and she really didn't have any friends, maybe they could change that. It wasn't until they were nearing Evergreen Street that Daniel worked up the courage to ask him about it.
"She never says anything to me for two years and then calls me a nerd. Why would I want to be friends with her?" Chris said.
"But she was nice to me. And other than you, she's the only person who doesn't look at me like I'm a freak. She can't be that bad." He knew Chris wasn't the most popular kid at school, he thought he would understand what Maggie might be going through.
"She acts like she knows you, but you only met her today..." There was a bite in the way he spoke that didn't sound like the Chris that Daniel had gotten to know.
"Dude, you weren't even really there. What, are you jealous or something?"
"What!? No, I'm not jealous of you." Chris reached over and put his arm around him. "It's just... we're the Spirit Squad. We face every challenge and overcome the odds together. Just the two of us ."
"What about Sean? He's a team member as well…"
"Yeah, but he's your brother. It's different."
"Right..." Daniel wasn't sure how that was any different.
Chris was being unnaturally stubborn, and Daniel didn't believe his excuse for a second. However, clearly this was something that was going to take a bit of work so, for now, he bit his lip and accepted it.
They reached their street and stopped briefly outside Chris's house. "Anyway, who cares about some girl when we're going camping tomorrow night!" Chris' Dad had promised to take them both away for the weekend as a back-to-school treat. "Dad's picking us up after school, so don't forget your super suit, Superwolf!"
"Already packed and ready for our secret training mission, Captain!"
They both crossed their arms in the air and Daniel continued walking to his house. It had been a long first day, and he was ready to crash and just read some comics, and maybe today was the day he'd finally hear from Sean. Waiting on that phone call was like waiting for Christmas.
Claire called out as he opened the door. "Daniel, is that you sweetie?"
"Hey Grandma, Grandpa!" He called out, dropping his bag on the floor and kicking off his shoes. He ran into the sitting room to find Stephen reclining in his armchair, and Claire sat drawing just like Sean used to.
Claire rested her paper down and beckoned him over. "Well? How was your first day? Did you make any new friends?"
Daniel hopped over the back of the sofa to sit next to her. "It was okay. My teacher is pretty nice, and I met a girl called Maggie and—"
"A girl, eh?" Stephen chuckled, leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. "When do we get to meet her?"
"What? Ew, no, not like that." Daniel scrunched his face up. Maggie was great and more than anything, the one conversation they'd had today was something he had sorely needed. But there wasn't anything else to it than that.
"Ah, only teasing." Stephen chuckled again. "Plenty of time for that when you're older."
That didn't matter anyway. Daniel's thoughts were elsewhere, as they always were whenever he'd come home from being out all day. He choked on his own words as he fidgeted on the sofa, unable to stop himself from asking. "Has Sean called today?"
Claire looked over to Stephen, then took Danie's hand before replying. "No, not today sweetie."
After asking every day since visiting day, that was what he had expected her to say, but that didn't make it sting any less. "But it's been three weeks. What if something has happened to him? Can't we call him?"
Claire pulled him in for a hug. "I'm sure he's okay. It's best to not rush this kind of thing, Daniel, we need to give him some space to settle in first and… make himself at home. We'll be seeing him again next week anyway, and you'll see that he's just fine then."
To him, it sounded like she didn't really know what to say. He'd seen and done so much; he didn't like being talked to like a child. Besides, Sean had been there for him through everything after their Dad died: he'd held him as he woke from nightmares at Mt. Rainier national park, looked after him while he was ill at the cabin in the woods, helped him train his powers almost every day. Hell, he even crossed an entire desert to find him with one eye . Something had to be happening to him in prison, and now when he needed Daniel the most, there was nothing he could do. His face fell. "Okay Grandma. I'm gonna go start my homework."
"I'll call you when dinner's ready." She kissed his forehead.
Another day, another disappointment. For the rest of the night, he tried to push it to the back of his thoughts. Tomorrow was Superwolf's super-secret training mission, and he needed a clear mind. If he couldn't rescue his brother from the hunters' lair, he could at least still make him proud.
Notes:
So this one took a lot longer than I had planned. Life got in the way - you know the story. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave any feedback you have.
Thanks, as ever, to darkjaden825698 for beta reading. You da man!
Hopefully, the next chapter isn't going to take as long to get out. Stay tuned!
Chapter 4: Reality - Part I
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter 4 - Reality - Part I
September 8 th, 2017
To celebrate their first week back at school, Charles had decided to treat Daniel and Chris to a camping trip in Willamette National Forest. It had been less than a week since their last day fishing trip, but to Daniel, the last two days had felt like years. His playbox was fine and some days there was nothing he'd rather do than defend his and Noah's Minecraft fortress from creepers and endermen but, since his time living on the run, he'd gained a new appreciation for nature. And besides all of that, this was the perfect opportunity for some full-on power training.
It wasn't a long drive to the forest itself, but by the time they found a good spot to set up camp, it was late afternoon and the sun had begun to fall behind the trees. Chris said he wasn't sure that they could just set up anywhere, but Charles had reassured him, calling it 'dispersed camping'. That was the only kind of camping Daniel knew.
He and Chris tried their best to help the flustered Charles get the tents pitched, and after 45 minutes of hard work and muttered curse words, they were up. Charles collapsed back onto a fold-up chair with a mug of instant coffee. It was a relatively safe area, so he sent the boys off within earshot to find some firewood. Daniel took this as an opportunity to show off a little to Chris, showing him how to find the driest logs and bits of bracken, and how to blow under the flame to keep it lit. Exactly how Sean had shown him, all those months ago.
It wasn't long before the sun had set and the fire was roaring, and the three of them were roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.
"These are delicious, thanks Mr. Eriksen," Daniel said, taking a large chunk out of one, crumbs scattering down his sweater.
"I can't believe you're the big 1-0, and you've never had s'mores before. Didn't you ever go camping, you know, before?"
Daniel thought for a moment. Was that really that odd? Dad had never been a big camping guy. He'd done his best to give Daniel and Sean a normal life after Mom had left, but the nature of his work meant he needed to be available most of the time. On the rare occasion that he got time off, he'd take them on road trips, or cabin holidays.
He must have been zoning out, as Charles tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey buddy, sorry if that was a bit much. I know it still hasn't been that long."
It had almost been a whole year since it had happened. Daniel still caught himself thinking about Dad from time to time, but while the violent sadness that had been there at the beginning wasn't completely gone, he was able to remember the good memories a lot clearer now. He gave Charles the best reassuring smile he could and shook his head. "It's okay, you didn't hurt my feelings."
"Okay kiddo, good to hear." Charles poured the rest of his coffee on the fire and headed off to his tent. "Right, time to hit the sack. We've got an early start tomorrow, so I don't want you boys staying up too late, you hear me?"
"Sure thing Dad," Chris said.
"I mean it, no later than ten o'clock."
"Oh my god, we hear you." Chris grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him towards the other tent. "No later than ten. Night!"
The tent itself was quite large and spacious. It had an entranceway and was tall enough that Daniel could almost stand upright in it – totally different to the one Finn had lent him and Sean back in Humboldt. Chris found the lantern, switched it on and they changed into their pyjamas.
Daniel checked his watch, which read 9:33. 27 minutes didn't feel like nearly enough time left in the day. It was probably a mixture of excitement for the trek tomorrow, and the intense sugar rush from inhaling way too many marshmallows to count, but he'd never felt more awake.
Clearly Chris had, as he let out a huge yawn and dropped back onto his sleeping bag. "Tired. So tired." He stretched out his whole body like a cat.
"Dude, how can you be tired? I'm so pumped for tomorrow!" Daniel hopped over their bags and zipped up the door.
"Gym killed me this afternoon." Chris yawned a second time and twisted his legs around Daniel's and pushed him down to his own sleeping bag. "Now. Go. To. Sleep."
"I'm going down!" Daniel landed with a dramatic thud, cushioning his head with his pillow. He clenched his eyes shut and held his hands in the air. "Friendly fire off, Captain! I'll obey."
"Roger that." Chris giggled, wriggling into his sleeping bag.
Daniel did the same, zipping himself up into a toasty burrito.
Chris rolled over to face him. "Hey, didn't you say you and Sean stayed in a cabin around here, before you came to Beaver Creek last year?"
He nodded.
"Do you think we could find it? Maybe if we went back to where you started your power lessons, that might help."
"I don't even remember where it was. There's no way we'd be able to find it without getting lost." There was another reason Daniel didn't want to go back to the cabin, but he added that to the ever-expanding list of things he didn't want to think about. "Nah, best we stick to the plan."
At school, Chris had told him of a place his friend Hal had shown him and his Dad on a previous trip. A nice secluded, wooded area with a steep hill they could climb up, away from the prying eyes of Charles. He'd taken it for granted how easy it was when he didn't have to keep his powers a secret back in Away. There wasn't a lot he wouldn't give just to be able to do it freely in front of Charles or Maggie; anything so he and Chris wouldn't have to sneak around all the time.
Maggie would probably even be fine with it. She reminded him so much of Finn and the other drifters, and even though they'd been pretty freaked out to begin with, they didn't treat him any differently afterwards. But they were older, and Sean wasn't around any longer to explain things in ways Daniel couldn't.
He glanced over at Chris, hoping to talk to him about her. Hoping he'd change his mind. But his friend was lying almost face down, eyes closed and breathing heavily. He wasn't joking before - he must have been tired.
Despite still not feeling the same and with too much bouncing around in his head, Daniel switched the lantern off. Maybe the darkness would help ease him down. He shifted to lie on his back and tucked his hands behind his head, under the pillow. The moon was almost full, shining through the tent and bathing everything in a dim, white-blue glow. He let out two whispered howls, one for him and one for Sean.
Daniel was awoken by a pillow to the face. Standing over him, and belly-laughing, was Chris, donning a new red cape, with blue-spray painted bandages wrapped around his arms and chest. He grabbed the pillow and feebly threw it back, before slumping back to the ground.
"Wake up Wolfboy!" Chris began pulling at the bottom of Daniel's sleeping bag. "Dad's cooking scrambled eggs. He's been practicing a lot lately; they might even be edible today. And he's made something extra special just for us!"
Daniel tried to protest but it was useless, Chris had already pried him from his comfy cocoon. He rubbed his eyes and forced himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as he stretched out. This morning, he felt less like Wolfboy, and more like Zomboy.
"Come on! You better hurry, or I'm gonna eat yours as well!"
"What time is it?" Daniel croaked out, but Chris was already long gone.
He stumbled out the tent and was greeted by the sweet smell of cooking eggs and maple bacon. Charles had recently taken up cooking and was always keen to get the boys to try whatever recipe he would come up with next. He looked up from the camping stove and waved Daniel over.
"We didn't want to wake you up. Thought you deserved a lie in after the last couple of days. But hey, you're just in time. Check this out," Charles said. He grabbed the pan from the stove, handed Daniel a plate and scraped the food onto it. "I cured the bacon in maple syrup and froze it before we drove over. Oh, never mind, taste it and tell me what you think."
Daniel was sure it wouldn't compare to Claire's bacon, but it wouldn't be fair to compare. Charles was trying. He scooped the eggs up and stuck some bacon in his mouth and, to his surprise, not only was it edible – it was delicious!
"It's soooo good Mr. Eriksen. Thank you!" He shovelled some more in and Charles tipped the rest onto his plate. Sean would have been annoyed and asked him if he even knew how to chew, but Charles just gave him the same goofy grin that Dad used to whenever one of his new recipes went down as a hit. The rest was gone in a matter of seconds.
He handed his empty plate back to Charles, without a scrap of food left. "Well, that's a ringing endorsement if I've ever seen one. Thanks champ, now go splash your face and get dressed, then we'll head out."
The water was cold and finished the job of waking him up. He slipped on the grey, wolf-eared hoodie that Claire had bought him on their last day trip to Eugene, and Chris helped apply his face paint. His transformation into Superwolf was complete, and he was ready for his mission. Together, he and Captain Spirit could achieve anything.
"Suited and booted, team?" Charles said, as he finished packing up their bags.
The boys formed the team signal. "Ready and awaiting your orders, Da–" Chris stopped suddenly. "Wait, you don't have a name!"
It took him a while to think but finally, Charles lifted his arms up and aimed somewhere into the distance. "Always with one eye on the target, and never missing a shot, I am… The Swish!" He flicked his hands in an exaggerated throwing motion.
Daniel and Chris stared at each other, then back at whatever the hell was going on in front of them.
"You know, like basketball? Haven't I taught you boys anything?"
"Riiight, gotcha. That's cool Dad. It, uh, suits you." Chris looked as though he was barely stopping himself from snickering, almost setting Daniel off.
"Alright, alright. Come on team, let's get going."
The trail started off straightforward, but soon transformed into a twisted knot of muddy pathways leading deep into the woods. The trees reached high into the sky, with thick leaves blocking out the sun, no doubt housing the branch-hopping tree-nymphs that lived in the forest. They were a private people, and if they didn't disturb them, Superwolf had no doubt that the Spirit Squad would be able to pass through their realm without any trouble.
Leading the way, Captain Spirit was slouched down, arms out and ready to defend the team from any hidden dangers. Superwolf prowled along behind him, and Swish brought up the rear, pointing out which direction to go whenever they strayed off the path.
Eventually, they reached a fork in the road. Superwolf walked to the side of his friend and crouched down, sniffing the air. "Which way now, Cap?"
Captain Spirit put his hand out and closed his eyes. "Let me focus. I think it's left!"
"Sorry champ, we're heading right," said Swish.
"Uh, yeah, right! That's what I meant."
Superwolf let a giggle slip out. "I thought you said you've been here before."
"Yeah, but only once. Besides, Swish is our human compass." He pointed up at their tall companion.
"Yep, and Swish is starting to get hungry, so let's pick up the pace, kids, and we can get to the spot by lunchtime."
"Good plan. The tree-nymphs get nervous if you stay in the same place for too long. To the right, squad!" Captain Spirit charged off.
They reached their destination a little after midday. It was a small opening in the middle of the forest, something that El Diazblo Loco had told him once before was called a 'glade.' Superwolf marvelled at the sight as they emerged from the trees: a lake that went out further than the eye could see, no doubt hiding all kinds of untold terrors and mysterious beings, and to the side of it, a steep incline of trees in which laid their mission.
He sat on a nearby grassy mound and massaged the soles of his paws. It had been a long time since he'd been on such a long trek, he'd forgotten how hard on the feet they were. Captain Spirit scanned the area, making sure that it was safe for them to stop and rest. The last thing they wanted when they sat down for lunch was to be ambushed and enslaved by a gang of ogres.
Once they were sure to be safe, Swish laid down a blanket and prepared the feast – a banquet of sandwiches, chicken wings, potato salad, chips, and chocolate bars. Superwolf chomped into a BLT, and his mouth filled with the fake smoked flavouring. Bless Cap's Dad, as much as he liked to think he did, he didn't always hit the target. Despite this, he smiled graciously and powered on through until he could eat his precious Choc-O-Crisp. That would give him the much-needed energy to climb the mountain and confront the dreaded wood-wizard of Oregon, Valdur, the perfect target on which to test his powers.
"Can we go into the woods please?" Cap pointed over to the hilly-looking area.
"Okay, but I want you two to stay within shouting distance please, and make sure you come back and touch base in half an hour." Swish looked them both sternly in the eyes. "And don't do anything dangerous."
"It's okay, I brought these!" Cap dug into his bag and pulled out three walkie talkies. "If we run into any trouble we can't handle, we can call you on these communicators. Keep it on channel 2 though."
"That's a great idea, well done buddy! I still want you to come back here when I asked, but I'll check up on this in a quarter of an hour. Now go on, you two run off and have some fun. Oh, and don't get too dirty, or I'll throw you both in the lake myself."
"Don't worry, faithful companion, Superwolf and I will be back in no time, once the beast is tamed!" he shouted as he hopped onto his companion's back, and the pair were off.
Before long, they were standing at the edge of the woods. A nervous shiver ran through Superwolf's body as he squinted, trying to look past the dense grove of trees towards their destination. He could just about make out where the hill began. It would only be a short journey; they'd probably even make it before they had to report in to home base.
Captain Spirit jumped down and stood in front of him, putting a hand on each shoulder. "You don't have to worry, Superwolf, we're doing this together. Valdur doesn't stand a chance!"
Superwolf nodded and took his first step over the threshold. Any traces of sunlight were now completely gone, hidden by the canopy of leaves above, leaving the duo shrouded in a spooky darkness. "No turning back now, right?"
"Right."
The yellow-green fall leaves crunched under his paws as they made their way through the murk. The familiarity of hiking through the woods with his brother was completely gone, replaced instead with a feeling of the unknown, and the dread of what unnatural creatures the wood-wizard had conjured to defend himself.
A rolling mist began creeping its way around them, and he could have sworn that a few of the trees around them had been moving. Nothing too obvious, just small enough movements to catch in the corner of his eye. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end.
Captain Spirit must have sensed what he was feeling, as he said, "It's an army of gnarled firs – they can sense you through the ground with their network of roots. They were peaceful trees before Valdur brainwashed them with his evil magic. Or so the legends say. What we do here today will restore the forest to peace and order. Have courage."
"I know. I'm not scared, just… nervous. What if I don't have it in me to beat him? What if I mess up?"
"You do! And you won't. Think about everything you've done so far, how far you've come. Remember that time you burned down the dark temple of Haven Point and saved the town from the grip of the grey demoness? You have to believe in yourself."
"But I wasn't alone then, I had my brother."
"And you're not alone now! I will always be there to save you when you fall. Just like you did for me when we first met."
Superwolf wasn't entirely convinced but knew that Cap was being sincere. "You're right. Thank you, Captain, I'm glad you've got my back. Come on, lotsa ground to cover."
Cap quickly radioed back to Swish to give him the a-okay, but then immediately stopped moving. Superwolf stopped with him, marvelling at the sight unfolding in front of them. The gnarled firs had slowly started moving apart, forming a pathway to the hill ahead. The two heroes looked at each other, a mixture of confused and relieved. It seemed their first proper mission together was going to be easier than they expected. That, or they were walking directly into a trap.
Slowly, they edged forwards, keeping an eye on the enormous, wooden beasts standing in rows beside them. They approached the base of the hill. Even though it had looked big before, they weren't prepared for just how high it really was, reaching into the sky, with the gnarled firs growing older and larger as it rose.
They nodded at each other and started the climb. It had rained a few days ago, and the lack of sunlight to dry the ground meant that this was a difficult and muddy task. Once-safe footholds had eroded into slippery bogs of soil, and neither of them wanted to touch the roots sticking out of the ground, waiting to pounce and ensnare them.
In his wolf form, Superwolf had the advantage of large, sharp claws that would make for easy climbing, so they had agreed that he would take point. He cringed as the cold mud squelched around his fingers, splattering back at his face. But he couldn't be deterred, as the fate of the whole forest was hanging on both of their shoulders.
They were halfway up, when Superwolf heard a cry for help come from behind him. He turned to see a root wrapping and tightening itself around Cap's leg. His foot must have gotten lodged underneath it, obscured beneath the dirt. It had been a trap! The deep, mocking laughter of the gnarled firs pulsated around him, shaking him to his core. He wasn't about to let some overgrown trees get the best of them – it was time for the first test.
He aimed his hand at the slithering root and tried his hardest to shut out the creaking laughs. The air around him started to vibrate like a small tornado of energy, rising from the ground up to his head, surrounding his entire body and focusing on the tips of his claws. The same energy emerged around the root and with barely a flick of his finger, its grip on Cap's leg loosened. No longer laughing, the gnarled fir fought back as best as it could, trying its hardest to wrestle free from Superwolf's grip, but it was useless. As soon as Cap's foot was free and he had scrambled next to his friend, Superwolf ripped the rest of the root from the ground and snapped it free from its owner.
"I didn't want to do this!" He shouted at the recoiling terrors and lifted the severed limb up as a warning. "I know you can't control yourselves, but no one lays a, uh, root on my friend and gets away with it! Anyone else wants to try, and you'll get more of the same!" He raised a triumphant eyebrow and looked around, waiting for an answer. "Do you understand?"
The trees fell still and silent.
"I think that's a yes," Cap said, taking a deep breath.
Superwolf offered him his hand and together they climbed the last stretch, reaching the summit in one piece, although exhausted. They wiped the mud from their faces the best they could and took a moment to take in the surroundings. The gnarled firs had backed away, leaving them standing in a large clearing, staged almost like a battleground.
Captain Spirit cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Show your face, Valdur! The Spirit Squad is here to offer you a chance to surrender your grip on this land!"
A deep, booming laugh filled their ears and the ground around them began to rumble. A storm of leaves and twigs swirled past them, coming together to create a green-brown tornado in the middle of the arena, out of which stepped a lanky, robed man. His tissue paper-thin skin had a green hue to it, almost merging with his moss-like robes. It was as if he was part of the forest itself, only taking a humanlike form to address the two heroes.
"What is this? Two more little sprouts to add to my collection?" Valdur curled his bony fingers up into a fist and gestured at the gnarled firs surrounding them.
Superwolf looked at Cap in confusion, who shrugged in reply.
"Didn't you wonder what had happened to all of the heroes who came here before you? I took their souls, trapped them within this very forest and bent them to my will. This is the fate that will befall you both if you do not turn around and leave my sight right now."
"We're not going anywhere, Valdur. And we're not just your everyday heroes. We're the Spirit Squad." Superwolf didn't flinch, and he formed the team insignia with his arms.
"And we're going to stop you." Cap followed suit.
Valdur didn't seem to be listening, as he stepped closer to the duo. "The way I see things, you have two choices, my dear children."
"We're not children! We're superheroes!" Superwolf dug his feet into the ground and growled as the villain began circling them.
"I have lived for hundreds of years; everyone is a child in my eyes." He continued eyeing up his prey and finished back in the centre of the clearing. "Hm, do as you wish. May you die well." He raised his arms and levitated up into the air.
"We take him together, like I said." Captain Spirit put his hand on Superwolf's shoulder, who nodded in agreement.
The gnarled firs surrounding them started edging inwards, making the battleground slowly shrink. Superwolf raised his hand and shot out a blast of concussive energy, narrowly missing his target as Valdur swept to the right. Valdur responded by waving his hands and sending a flurry of sharp leaves towards him. He summoned a forcefield just in time to stop any major damage and leapt backwards to avoid the second blast.
"Captain, we could really use some of your fireballs about now!"
"I can't! This whole place could go up in flames. The wildlife would be homeless! Hold on though, I've got the perfect idea!" Captain Spirit closed his eyes and formed his hands into a claw. The air around them began frosting up with small, floating ice particles. "This should slow him down!" The ice formed a beam and shot out towards Valdur.
The wizard ducked out of the way just in time and knocked Captain Spirit back with a flick of his finger and another whirlwind of leaves. "Foolish boy, this is far too easy." He flew down and plunged his arms into the ground. There was a faint rumbling noise as it started shaking. Superwolf quickly turned to see Cap lying down, slowly being absorbed by the foliage scattered around him.
As fast as he could, Superwolf bounded over on all-fours, skidding down onto his knees in front of his entrapped friend. He shot a quick covering blast at Valdur and then placed both hands on the ground. "You might want to brace yourself Captain," he said, closing his eyes. He channelled the mysterious energy down his arms and into the palms of his hands, sending out a small shockwave. It was just powerful enough to create an opening for him to grab Captain Spirit's hand and pull him free. He helped him to his feet and brushed the dirt off his shoulders, and together, they stared down the formidable foe.
"Now it's my turn. Duck!" Captain Spirit said, and he pushed Superwolf behind him. He raised his hands in the air and started spinning on the spot. An icy wind shot out from the tips of his fingers, spreading out into the air and covering the forest in a thin blanket of frost. "This'll slow him down. Superwolf, now!"
Superwolf looked around at the winter wonderland now surrounding them and stopped in his tracks. He knew he needed to act now, but something was holding him back. It was as though he'd been transported back to last December, standing in this exact forest, training his powers for the first time with his brother by his side.
But his brother wasn't beside him anymore. He was alone and paralysed with fear.
"Hey! What are you doing? I can't hold him at bay forever!" Captain Spirit's words were desperate but, despite his cries, Superwolf couldn't focus.
Valdur floated down and landed gently on the ground. The frosted leaves crunched beneath his feet as he walked towards Superwolf and extended an arm. "Poor child. I can see right into your mind and I know exactly who you are." A thorny root slithered out from his sleeve and curled its way around Superwolf's neck. "Daniel Diaz. You play at being a superhero, being a Superwolf."
In the blink of an eye, Superwolf was gone and Daniel was left clawing at the root as it tightened around his throat, gasping for air and feeling his lungs burn as the last of his breath left his mouth. He tried to reach out for Chris, but his arms were beginning to numb, and his vision was blurring.
The frost had melted and Valdur had disappeared back into Daniel's imagination, but his words still echoed around his mind. "He can't help you now – no one can. Not even your brother… but, well, he's already made the ultimate sacrifice for you, hasn't he? Locked up behind bars with nothing, while you get to run around free. No punishment. No consequences."
Daniel fought to shake his head even though, deep down, he knew these thoughts had been rattling around inside him for weeks. The heavy feeling in his stomach, eating away at the happy memories he was creating with Chris and his grandparents had become all too familiar. "No…" was all he could eek out as he fell to his knees.
"It's been that way from the beginning though, hasn't it? From the moment that police officer was killed, Sean has had to protect you. You – the child who was given power but wastes it playing games. What would Sean say if he could see you now? Of course, you wouldn't know because he won't even grant you a phone call…"
He didn't want to believe it, but Danel knew it had to be true.
The words were replaced by white noise. He could faintly hear someone calling his name, but the ringing in his ears was getting louder and louder, to the point it was all he could hear along with his own heartbeat. The noise was joined by a rippling feeling crawling across his skin, and a slight shimmer in the air around him. He knew all too well what was happening but felt powerless to stop it.
"Daniel, what's going on?" The voice became clearer as it got closer.
Daniel felt an arm close around him and as it did, he flinched, and the pent-up energy surging through his body erupted into an explosive shockwave. The surrounding leaves, twigs, and whoever had grabbed him were thrown back with almighty force, leaving Daniel knelt in a patchy crater of upturned mud and grass. He slumped down onto his side, finally able to breathe again, although they were quick and shallow breaths.
He lay on the spot for what felt to him like hours. He had full control of his body again, but every movement was difficult, and ached like no feeling he'd ever had before. It wasn't painful, but his skin felt more sensitive than usual, and he was sure if he stood up right now, he'd puke. His arms buckled as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and examined the chaos around him. Luckily, the damage wasn't too bad – a few broken branches here and there, but the trees were mostly all still in one piece. He allowed himself a nervous smile until he noticed something horrifying at the base of the nearest tree. Puke be damned, he scrambled to his feet and ran over to the tree as fast as his legs would take him.
Lying at the base of the trunk was Chris. He was out cold, with a nasty cut on the front of his head and, to Daniel's horror, his arm was bent completely the wrong way. Obviously, he had been the one reaching out to him during whatever the hell had just happened , but it was as though Daniel's mind had gone completely blank on anything other than Sean and his stupid, useless self.
Chris' walkie was broken, but luckily Daniel's had remained undamaged in the confusion. He didn't know what else to do but call for Charles. How he was going to explain what had happened, he had no idea, but what he did know was that he needed to get his friend help as quickly as possible. In that moment, nothing else in the world mattered.
He shouted a mess of words into the walkie, and knelt next to Chris, waiting.
Notes:
So one thing I'm re-learning more and more as I get back into writing is how damn hard it is to keep to a solid schedule. You can't control when inspiration hits, or when it drains. All I can hope for is that what I'm releasing is good enough to keep drawing people back. So thank you, as ever, for sticking with me as we continue along Superwolf's journey of self-discovery.
Huge credit, as always, to darkjaden825698 for continuing to beta read and helping to iron out a few of the major kinks I was having with this chapter. You always inspire me to do better, dude.
Chapter 5: Reality - Part II
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The journey to Beaver Creek Community Hospital was tense. Charles looked like he was choking back tears as Daniel messily explained what had happened. They had been messing around, pretending to fight monsters, and Chris climbed a tree to get a better view. But he lost his footing and fell. It was the best thing Daniel could think of on the spot, though he couldn't quite look the distressed Charles in the eyes. He'd done his best to cover up the mess in the glade - he was lucky that Charles was too focused on Chris to care about a few strewn branches.
When they arrived, Chris was rushed into surgery immediately, leaving Charles and Daniel in the waiting room together. Charles paced up and down, muttering quietly to himself - people started looking, but Daniel supposed that maybe he just didn't care.
After composing himself, Charles looked over at Daniel and sighed. He pulled out his phone and called Claire, explaining what had happened. Daniel wondered if he was going to ask her to come and pick him up. He didn't want to be separated from Chris while he was in this state, but didn't have it in him to argue otherwise. Instead, he shrunk back into his seat and waited, wondering how he'd managed to turn his dream camping trip with Chris into such a nightmare.
Claire arrived not long after, took one look at Daniel and gasped. He wondered why at first, then looked down at his mud-caked jeans. Everything had been such a blur; he'd forgotten how much of a mess he was. Claire had a way of making him do what she wanted with just a look and, without a word, he stood up and followed her to the accessible toilet.
"Daniel, I…" She started, while wetting a handkerchief under the faucet. "Look at the state of you! We only bought this jacket for you last week! How on earth did this happen?"
"I, uh, we were just messing around and I fell over, didn't mean to get all dirty. Mr Eriksen said we could clean off in the river if we did anyway."
"Well, why did he take you into such a muddy part of the forest anyway?" She scrubbed Daniel's face with the soaked hankie and sighed.
"He didn't really." He was going to stop there but saw the look in Claire's eyes – the one that meant, in no uncertain terms, 'go on'. "He let us go off and play on our own for a bit."
"He what!?"
"It was only for a little bit. And we had walkie talkies, so he still knew we were okay!" He'd done it now. The mama wolf in Claire was awake.
"But Chris isn't okay, is he? He isn't like you, Daniel, he doesn't have your… gifts. He's a delicate child."
"What does that have to do with anything? It could easily have been me that fell from a tree! It's not like I can fly! My powers don't work like that." He quickly stopped himself. One of the main things Sean had always tried to tell him was not to talk about his powers in public, or else people would freak out. Why was everything so much harder without him?
"Watch your tone, young man." Claire paused to breathe and rinse the now-mud-covered hankie. "I don't mean to raise my voice. I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at Charles for letting this happen."
"But it wasn't his fault. It was an accident." That was almost the truth.
"Honey, he was responsible for both of you. You need to understand that this is very much his fault." She wrung the hankie out and stuffed it back into her pocket. "Now wash your hands please, and make sure to get under your fingernails."
He did so immediately, feeling as though he'd gotten off lightly with this very short lecture. Too lightly.
Upon leaving the toilet, Claire walked over and sat down next to Charles, whose head was now buried in his hands. Daniel followed slowly behind, fiddling with Mushroom's old bandana, which had been tied around his wrist ever since moving in with the Reynolds. Just another reminder of all the bad things that had happened since he discovered his powers.
Daniel watched as Claire leaned towards Charles and, in a calm but clear way, said, "I'm not going to make a scene because of where we are and what you're going through, but I'm begging you to listen and listen properly. I couldn't be happier with the changes you've made since last year. I saw my own father struggle with alcohol, and he wasn't strong enough to take the steps you're taking to beat it." She pointed towards the emergency room. "That boy in there is a miracle, one of the sweetest kids I've ever known, and you were blessed with a second chance with him."
Charles looked up, with a face that Daniel could only describe as a pure fury – a look that Chris had told him he'd seen plenty of times. "You think I don't know that?" He snapped. "Don't preach at me like you're mother of the year."
"I'm going to ignore that remark because of the circumstances. You were blessed with a second chance, and you cannot afford to have lapses of judgement like this. How could you think it would be safe to let two ten-year olds run off into the woods like that? Even for just half an hour, think of what else could have happened to them."
"That's all I'm thinking about. For God's sake Claire, do we have to do this now?"
"I'll also ignore that . You can't just think, Charles, you have got to prove that you can do better. Please, for you son. You'll both be in my prayers tonight, please call us as soon as he's out of surgery." She stood back up and took Daniel's hand. "As for you, young man, we're going home and you're getting straight in the shower."
This was what Daniel had been waiting for. He couldn't bear to leave Chris without knowing that he was going to be okay and began to protest. "But Grandma! I want to stay and see—"
"Please don't fight me on this, Daniel. I promise, we'll come back up first thing tomorrow." She began leading him out towards the exit and turned around as they reached the door. "Think about what I said Charles. For Chris' sake."
So much for not making a scene.
Claire didn't say a word for the entire journey home.
As they pulled back into the drive, Stephen greeted them from the door, a weary smile on his face as though he knew exactly what to expect. He'd laid down a trail of towels leading straight to the bathroom, god forbid the tiniest bit of mud end up ground up in Claire's perfectly cleaned carpets. She'd have him on his hands and knees, scrubbing away at it all night, probably until it was time to go and see Chris, just to prove a point.
He wondered if maybe he was being too harsh, but when Dad would get mad at him or Sean, he would usually try and talk things through with them instead of just pretending they didn't exist. As far as she knew, the whole thing was just an accident, so he didn't understand why she was acting so weirdly. He worried that maybe she thought it was something to do with his power. Not that he was going to be the first one to mention it.
"Daniel, after you've had a shower, wait in your room and I'll be up to speak to you, okay?"
"Why, what did I do?"
"Please just do as I've asked, and leave your dirty clothes on the side of the bathtub when you're done."
Daniel nodded silently and carefully climbed the stairs, not touching anything as he went. He wanted to be angry at Claire for being so strict, but all he could feel was a deep resentment towards himself. It was his fault that his best friend had gotten hurt and he couldn't tell anyone about it.
The one person that Daniel would be able to open up to was nowhere to be found. Sean had told him he would be a phone call away, but he wasn't. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and shook his head. There was no point getting his hopes up for something that obviously wasn't going to happen.
He scrubbed off the remaining dirt in the shower and changed into the fresh clothes that were laid out for him in the bathroom. Another thing that Claire must have asked Stephen to do earlier. He wanted to keep Mushroom's bandana with him, but it was so filthy with dried mud there was no chance he'd be able to get away with it.
Sneaking across the landing and into his room, peeking down at Claire and Stephen on the way, he sat down at his drawing desk. Drawing pictures and making models always used to make him feel better when he was upset, and if Chris was going to be okay when he visited him tomorrow, he thought a small gift would be a good way of apologizing.
He'd always admired Sean and his sketchbook and wished he'd been able to teach him how to draw properly one day. Chris had lent him a couple of his 'How to draw manga' books, but he always liked Sean's style more. He pulled the sketchbook out from under his pillow and opened it up, searching for the drawing Sean had done of him and Chris at the Christmas market last year.
Sean's style was so unique and goofy, especially the faces, so he studied them and tried his best to copy, changing the bodies slightly to be facing more forwards. He wasn't anywhere near as good as his brother, so it was messy, but he hoped Chris wouldn't mind. He finished off the drawing by adding a cape onto Chris, and small wolf ears onto himself. Although he didn't feel like much of a Superwolf in real life, he could still pretend he was to make Chris happy.
The drawing didn't turn out perfectly. He was improving a lot, but the arms were too long, and he thought the fingers looked stupid, but maybe a bit of colour would help make it look better.
As he was laying the coloured pencils out, there was a knock at his door, and Claire entered. She peered at what he was doing and walked over, picking the sheet of paper up. "What's this you're working on? Oh my, is this you and Chris?"
"Well, one of the, um, the ambulance people said that he might have a concussion."
"You mean the paramedics?" She sat down on the edge of his bed and motioned for him to do the same.
"Yeah, the paramedics. They said that he might have a concussion. Doesn't that mean, he could lose his memory and stuff? I thought drawing a picture might make him feel better."
"Oh honey, I spoke to Charles while you were up here. He's been told Chris has a minor concussion, but nothing too serious. He's going to take some time to heal, but of course he'll remember you."
Sean had told Daniel that he'd gotten a concussion after what happened at the pot farm and he hadn't forgotten anything. But since Chris was smaller than Sean, he wasn't sure if it would be the same. "So, we are going to see Chris tomorrow then? Can we go straight there? I can't wait until you get back from church."
"Of course we can, I already said that we would. Stephen and I can just go to evening mass instead." Her voice seemed a lot calmer than it did when they'd first gotten home. "Are you okay Daniel? Is something the matter?"
"No, I just…" He kicked his feet together, wondering what to say. He didn't want her to worry. "I just thought you were mad at me."
"I'm not angry, Daniel. I'm disappointed in Charles, and I can't help but think about how it could have easily been you in that surgery room right now, but not angry. Why would I be angry at you?"
One huge reason , he thought. "Because me and Chris ran off by ourselves, and you were really quiet on the way home. It made me nervous. Thought I'd done something wrong."
Claire closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. "Oh no, sweetie, not at all. You're just a couple of kids, you're not responsible for the bad choices made by an adult. I was quiet because I was thinking about Charles. Maybe I overreacted a little, but he's the one who's responsible here." She paused for a moment and looked closer, almost studying him. "Daniel, are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, really. Just still a bit shaky, and I can't wait to see Chris tomorrow." He gave her the most honest smile I could and hoped for the best.
Claire seemed satisfied with that, stood up, and gave Daniel a reassuring rub on his cheek. Her hand was warm and comforting against his skin and, without thinking, he leaned into it.
For the smallest moment, he considered telling Claire everything that had happened. About using his powers to play games, the moment he froze, and what really happened to Chris. But what good would that do? Claire would still be mad at Charles, but she'd also be mad at him. She'd explicitly told him not to use his powers outside of the back garden, and he'd gone completely behind her back. God knows what she'd do to him if she found out. Take away his Playbox? Ground him for a month? Or the worst of all – ban him from seeing Chris?
That wasn't an option.
"Okay honey, I'll stop nagging and let you get back to your drawing. I'll call you down when dinner is ready." She gave him one last sympathetic look and placed his drawing back on the desk, before leaving.
After all of that, the desire to continue drawing disappeared completely. It was replaced with a feeling that Daniel couldn't quite place – like he'd swallowed something heavy and it was pushing down on his insides, pinning him to the spot.
Instead of trying to get up, he decided to just roll back onto his bed and stare up at the large wolf decal on his wall.
During his first month or so at Beaver Creek, it had just been a cool extra feature in his new bedroom, and a great gift from Chris and Charles. Now, in the last couple of weeks since his visit to Sean, he liked to think that it was his older brother looking down on him. He knew it was stupid, but since Sean wouldn't even call, it was all he had.
Every now and again, when he was feeling particularly down, he felt like he wanted to talk to it. Of course, he never expected it to talk back – he was ten years old, not stupid – but there were so many times that he wanted so say things, things that no one other than Sean would understand.
Today felt like one of those times.
"Hola Sean." Using his powers, he closed his bedroom door and lied back, grabbing one of his pillows to hug, and pulling his covers tightly round himself, as though he was being hugged back. "I screwed up today, big time. Chris got hurt real bad and it's all my fault. Something really scary happened and I don't know why, but I exploded, and he got hurt." His words were whispers, he had to make sure Claire couldn't hear anything he was saying, just in case she was outside listening in.
Warm tears began pooling in his eyes and rolled back down to his ears. He hadn't had a chance to say the truth out loud, and hearing it in his own voice stabbed him like a knife. But of course, the whole thing was his own fault anyway, so the only person twisting the knife in deeper was himself.
He choked back a sob and continued talking to Wolf-Sean. "It's been happening a lot lately, this weird stuff with my powers. It started the night after we visited you the first time. I tried to lift up an eraser, and everything just went wild, like my powers had a mind of their own. I shouldn't have even needed to point my hand at it like with heavy things, but I don't know. It felt different that time.
"I got it under control, and everything started feeling normal again, but… but…" He hugged the pillow tighter to his chest as his breathing got more intense. "Then this happens. These stupid powers don't do anything but mess things up for everyone. Chris is in hospital, you're in prison, and Dad is dead , and it's all my fault."
Tears were stinging his eyes and he wasn't sure where all of this was coming from. Much like his powers during his stay in temporary housing after the border, maybe he'd been holding all of this in for too long, and now it was coming out in an unstoppable burst.
Dad had always encouraged him to cry when he was upset, saying it was a healthy way of dealing with feeling sad, and that once it was all out, he'd feel better. But he wasn't feeling better now. He wasn't even sure that he was feeling upset. The fire brewing inside of him now felt more like anger. Anger at Sean for not being here. Anger at himself for being broken.
He opened his eyes again, rubbing them dry on the squished pillow and stared back up at the wolf. "It would be so much easier if you were here, Sean. You'd know exactly what to say, and exactly what to do."
He rolled over onto his side and stared out of the window opposite the bed. Well you're not here, and I'm not talking to a fucking wall .
Notes:
So it turns out, Claire can be a nightmare to write...
Thank you to darkjaden825698, souvenirsfromapastlife, aneroid, and Khoris for helping me finally get this chapter across the finishing line.
Chapter 6: Friendship
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Claire was good to her word and, the next day, Daniel found himself being led through the doors of Beaver Creek Community Hospital again. This time, at least, he was going in as a visitor – just a normal kid – instead of being rushed in and stared at like a mud monster with a broken best friend and his crying father.
They reached the reception desk and, while Claire sorted out the visit, Daniel took the time to look at all of the different people sitting around the boring looking waiting room. He was still getting used to being the new kid in town, but was starting to recognise more and more faces as the weeks went by.
There was Mr Grey, the school principal; Mrs Fisher, who delivered their mail; Mrs Seth, the town drunk (Chris's words, not his); and lastly… Maggie? She was sitting, head in her hands with a woman that must have been her mother. They were almost identical, as though someone had put Maggie on Microsoft Paint and just made her bigger.
He wondered what she could be doing here. It was probably something to do with her Dad, since he didn't seem to be with them, but before he could make a move to go and speak to her, Claire tugged at his hand. They were being greeted by one of the nurses – a young, Black man probably a few years older than Sean.
"Hey! Mrs Reynolds, good to see you! Well, I mean not here , but, oh never mind."
"Hello Eli. I know what you meant. You're looking well." Claire seemed to know everyone in Beaver Creek on a first name basis.
"Gotta set a good example, you know?" He stopped, and shook his head, and then turned down to Daniel. "Erm, anyway. Who is this cool dude?"
Claire gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder. "I'm Daniel." Usually he was chattier than this, but all of his thoughts at the moment were on Chris. Nurse Jameson gave him a nod.
"This is my grandson, he just moved in with us a few months ago. We're here to see his friend, Chris. Had a nasty fall yesterday."
"Oh Chris, of course. Not a problem, follow me down here, I'll take you to the children's ward."
Daniel took one more glance at Maggie before they were ushered off down the hall. He'd have to find her at school tomorrow and make sure everything was okay.
As they entered the hospital's children's ward, Daniel's eyes darted around feverishly for his friend. Beaver Creek was a small town and the room was just as tiny, so it shouldn't have been that hard to spot Chris.
He cringed noticing the pattern on the walls, painted to look like a tranquil forest. Claire had said that they were decorated to remind kids of the outside world while they were recovering, but they just made Daniel more uneasy than he already was. He was sure Chris didn't need a constant reminder of what had happened either.
They both followed the nurse to the end of the room towards a bed next to the window, covered fully by curtains. The nurse drew one back and ushered them both in.
Chris was lying still in the bed with his head facing the other direction. His arm was in a cast, resting on his chest and supported by a sling. The weighted feeling pinged in Daniel's stomach again. He could never forget: this was his fault.
Claire pulled them back through the curtain and spoke softly, so as not to disturb Chris, Daniel thought.
"I'm sorry Eli, but where is Charles?"
Eli tapped his leg with his clipboard. "He said he was going out for a smoke not long before you got here. Didn't you see him outside?"
"No, I didn't." Claire sighed and bit her lip. "I think I know where he is."
"You don't mean...?"
"Yes, unfortunately that's exactly what I mean. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but could you watch Daniel for a little bit? I'm going to get Charles and bring him back where he needs to be – with his son."
"Of course, anything for you Mrs. Reynolds. Chris has been doing pretty good this morning, I'm sure he'll be happy to see his bud."
Daniel didn't fully understand why, but hearing that from a complete stranger lifted his spirits a little.
"Thank you. I can't tell you how thankful I am that Chris is okay. Now, Daniel, I'm not going to be gone for long, but be good for Nurse Jameson. Be there for Chris, he's going to need you right now."
Daniel nodded, understanding and gave Claire the biggest, most convincing smile he could manage. She seemed satisfied and turned to leave, and he could have sworn he heard her tut and mumble something under her breath as she went.
"Hey buddy, I've got to go and check on some of the other kids, so just don't cause any chaos or anything, okay? If Chris needs me, just press the buzzer and I'll come running." Nurse Jameson patted him on the back with his clipboard and left him alone with Chris.
Not really sure what to do, he pulled one of the guest chairs to the other side of the bed, where Chris was facing, and sat down. He was worried that maybe he'd been ignoring him, but it looked like he actually was just asleep.
He didn't want to wake him, so Daniel resigned himself to just sitting, and checking the clock every now and again, watching every agonising second pass. It felt like hours between every glance, but in reality, it had been little over five minutes before he finally heard his friend make a noise.
"Dan… Daniel?"
Daniel ripped his gaze away from the clock and went to turn to face Chris, but hesitated, almost afraid to meet his eyes. At best, he hoped to see a smile, but expected something else. He'd imagined this moment over and over in his head the previous night. Chris would wake up, terrified of him, terrified of what he'd done to him and what he could still do. Or he'd just be angry, and tell Daniel that he hated him. Both of these worries had kept him up all night, silently sobbing into his pillow.
However, when he finally met his best friend's eyes, he realised that neither of those things were going to happen. Instead, Chris seemed to light up upon seeing him – the smile that Daniel so badly wanted to see, spread wide across his freckled face.
"Chris, I um… How are you?" He wasn't prepared for this kind of reaction and didn't know what to say, but thought that was as good a place to start as any.
"I'm okay, I think. I get tired real easy, and I feel super dizzy, even though I've just been in bed all day."
Daniel's eyes shifted down to his feet, which were kicking against each other, and then back up to Chris's broken arm, lying useless against his chest. The brief moment of relief was over, and it was back to guilt for now. "I'm sorry Chris. What about your arm? Does it… hurt?"
"It's actually kinda numb. If I move it, it hurts, but rather that than my head, right? I'm okay, promise. But, Daniel, what about you? I was really worried when I woke up, but I couldn't say anything to anyone. Dad said you were really freaking out."
Daniel nodded. "I'm so sorry, dude. I didn't know what was happening, I didn't know it was you trying to grab me. I just… I couldn't hear anything, or see anything. I just felt scared, like I had to protect myself from something. I thought you were going to die, or something."
"Had to protect yourself from what?" Chris squinted, as though he was in pain. "Sorry, I keep getting headaches. Too bright. Could you pass me some water please?"
Daniel blinked away some small, forming tears, and looked for the water, concerned for his friend, but glad for the distraction so they didn't have to talk about what happened.
Maybe he was being dumb, becuase he heard Chris giggle slightly. "It's right here on the table. I just can't reach that far and the doctors said I shouldn't move too much." He nodded to his right.
"Why did they put the table on the same side as your broken arm?" Daniel moved and passed Chris the glass.
He took a massive gulp and sighed. "I don't think they put it there on purpose. It's fine anyway, Dad's been helping me with it, and a bunch of other stuff." He stopped and looked around, a slightly panicked expression. "Hold on, where is Dad?"
"I don't know. Claire said she knew where he'd be and went to look for him. Has something happened?"
"I… overheard a few things when he thought I was sleeping."
Daniel felt another pang in his stomach. It couldn't have been anything about what happened in the forest, Charles hadn't seen anything, but he couldn't be sure. Maybe Chris has said something when he woke up the first time? "What kind of things?"
"He was… he was… um, it's kind of embarrassing to talk about."
"Was it about what happened yesterday?" Daniel's mouth acted before his brain, and it came out before he could stop himself.
"No, it was just about some stuff that happened before."Chris shook his head. Daniel could tell that he wanted to say, but something was stopping him. "Actually, you know what? I don't think it was important."
Daniel knew this wasn't true. He remembered something that Sean had mentioned to him while they were on the run. Something about Charles not being the same kind of good father that their Dad was, though he hadn't gone into detail. In the past, he might have kept pushing, but he knew that this wasn't the time.
"I didn't say anything about what happened, you know? I told them that I don't remember how it happened. And Dad told them you said I fell out of a tree, or something?"
"But you do remember everything that happened, right?"
"Yeah, it was really scary. I mean you've told me what happens when you… blow up, but it was so much worse seeing it. You looked like you were… stuck or something, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. Make sure you knew I was there."
"I'm sorry, Chris." Daniel stared at his friend, who just shook his head. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I just got so scared out of nowhere. I felt like I wasn't there, but was there at the same time. Like I wasn't myself. I can't explain it properly."
"Daniel, it's fine, stop apologising. The doctors said I'm gonna get better fast, 'cause I'm so young."
The truth in Chris's eyes was apparent, but there was still a lingering doubt in Daniel's mind that not everything was going to be okay. "I just wish there was something I could do. Use my powers to fix your bones or something. Or even better, use them to fly up into the air like Superman and turn back time."
"If you were Superman, you wouldn't need a partner. And where's the fun in that?"
"That's true. Screw Superman, the Spirit Squad rules!" He froze and stared blankly at his empty hands for a moment. "Wait! I drew you a picture. Thought it'd be a nice surprise for you to wake up to, but it's in grandma's bag." He slumped back into the chair.
"What was it a picture of?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise…"
"Come on, we don't know how long she's going to be. Just tell me."
"It was just a picture of Captain Spirit and Superwolf. Probably isn't even that good."
"I'm sure it looks great." Chris squinted a little. Whether it was because of his headaches, or for some other reason, Daniel didn't know. "Daniel, you're being weird, not yourself. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just worried about you after yesterday. And now I'm super happy to know you're okay." He wasn't about to let Chris know what was really worrying him. How he'd played this moment in his head over and over again; Chris opening his eyes and telling him he didn't want to be his friend anymore. They were both keeping secrets from each other now, he guessed. "I mean, not okay. Your arm isn't… You know what I mean."
"It's fine, I know what you mean. The Spirit Squad will be reunited in no time! No bad guys will be safe from us in Beaver Creek!" He waved his one good arm into the team symbol, and frowned slightly when the other didn't join it.
That one small moment cut through Daniel's confidence like a knife. It was a horrible reminder of just how screwed up people always ended up around him, even when it was just an accident. All because of a power that he didn't ask for, nor was he sure he even wanted at this point. He was thankful that Chris had forgiven him, but still couldn't quite look him in the eyes.
Before he could say anything else, from across the ward, he saw Claire walking over to Chris's bed, with a defeated looking Charles in tow.
Almost immediately, Nurse Jameson appeared at his side, doing the annoying tapping thing with his clipboard again, this time on the back of Daniel's chair. "Hey Mrs. Reynolds. I see you found our runaway."
"Yes, I found him at the convenience store just down the road. Just went to buy some more cigarettes, isn't that right Charles?"
"Yep, just the smokes." Charles tapped his pocket.
"Wow, you went to buy smokes but actually came back? Plot twist! I wish my Dad did the same." Nurse Jameson raised his arms theatrically, and laughed. Claire and Charles both remained stone faced.
Daniel didn't understand the joke, and just looked awkwardly towards Chris, who shot him the same look back. It was annoying that their conversation had been cut short. They'd probably have to wait until after school tomorrow to get some more time alone.
"Oh my, Chris, sweetie, I didn't even see that you were awake." Claire shuffled round to the side of the bed and rested her hand on Chris's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, Mrs. Reynolds, thanks. A bit tired and dizzy, but it could have been worse. Right Nurse?" Chris beamed at Nurse Jameson.
"Kid's a champ. A fighter like his old man, right?" Charles had joined Claire, though Daniel noticed he hesitated a little. Maybe he was embarrassed for disappearing, or maybe he was just scared of Claire. She had that effect sometimes.
"Champ or not, he's going to need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. I bet you're not going to miss school, are you?" Claire laughed as Chris shook his head.
The atmosphere in the ward felt lighter, and Daniel was relieved that Chris was smiling and laughing along with everyone there. But he still had this unshakable feeling that he didn't deserve to join in. Despite what his friend had said, it was his fault that he got hurt, and what's to say that it couldn't happen again?
The two of them weren't able to get another moment alone during the visit, with Claire and Charles now supervising them as Nurse Jameson probably should have been earlier. After another half an hour of forced, uncomfortable conversation, Claire decided it was probably best of them to leave and let Chris rest some more.
"Wait!" Daniel froze as they both stood up to leave. He reached out for Claire's bag and started feeling around inside it.
"Daniel! What do you think you're doing just going in there without my permission?" She reached over and pulled his hand out, which was clutching onto a folded piece of paper.
"Sorry Grandma, I just didn't want to leave without giving Chris this."
He handed the paper to Chris, who unfolded it. As he looked the picture over, his face turned almost as red as a beet. "Is this what you were talking about earlier? Captain Spirit and Superwolf, and they look super cool!"
"They don't, but thanks anyway."
"Hey, I'm not lying! It's really, really good. What do you think Dad?"
He held the drawing up to Charles, who looked, and rubbed his beard. "I dunno, looks like someone is missing from the team. A certain, tall, dashing ex-basketball player?"
"Sorry I didn't include… The Swish , but this was a founding members only kinda thing."
Charles feigned an over the top hurt expression on his face, which made Daniel and Chris both giggle. It was the first time they'd both genuinely smiled together during the whole visit and, if he could have his way, Daniel would stay with Chris in this moment until his arm recovered and they were able to head off on their next adventure together. But Chris needed to rest and Monday was calling, and his first day at school all on his own with it.
Notes:
Wow, now that was a hell of a gap...
I'm so sorry for leaving this fic to gather dust for the last third of a year(!). Life got a bit complicated, as it's always bound to do, and as this is a hobby, it took a bit of a back seat to the other things.
But I've made good progress on the next chapter, and I'm hoping to keep this momentum up going forwards.
Thanks to Aneroid, arepitasdulces, darkjaden825698, and Khoris for beta reading this chapter. And thank you to anyone who is reading this for bearing with me. I hope it was worth it.
Chapter 7: When Push Comes to Shove
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Then
Standing outside of his brother's bedroom, Daniel held his hand up, ready to knock again. Too many times, Sean had yelled at him for just walking in without knocking, but here he was, doing what his brother had asked him to, and being ignored for it.
He didn't like bothering Sean anymore, as he always seemed too busy with homework, and friends, but Daniel was scared. Last Friday, Harry Thompson had cornered him and Noah, and threatened to beat them up after school – something about not liking a game that they had traded. Like a couple of wimps, they'd hidden in the gym for 30 minutes until they were sure he was gone. With Monday coming around, no one could tell what Harry was going to do to him. Daniel didn't even know what he expected Sean to be able to do about it. Maybe he could wait for him outside of the school? It'd be embarrassing, but less embarrassing than Dad being there.
One more time, and then I'm just going in , Daniel thought. He banged his knuckle against the door as hard as he could, hard enough that it stung, but still nothing happened. There wasn't any noise coming from Sean's room, so he was either being the most patient he'd ever been and was ignoring him until he gave up, or he had his earphones in. Either way, same result.
Hesitantly, he wrapped his hand around the doorknob and pushed the door open. "Sean?"
His brother was sitting at his desk, wearing headphones and bobbing his head up and down, not giving a crap, as always. Sean never seemed to care about anything that Daniel had to say these days; he was starting to wonder if he even loved him at all, even the tiniest bit. All he seemed to get out of Sean now were annoyed grunts. Well, he knew that wasn't entirely true, but it was close.
Creeping closer, he raised his voice. "Sean?" Damn, it was like talking to a brick wall. "Sean?"
He tapped his big, bad brother on the shoulder, and Sean jumped, almost falling out of his chair.
"Dude, what the fuck are you doing?" He ripped his earphones out and grabbed Daniel by the shoulder. "Actually, don't answer that, I can see what you're doing. Walking in without knocking, again . How many times do we have to go over this?"
"I just needed your help with something." Daniel started to explain as he was guided roughly to the bedroom door. This whole situation had become so routine now, that he'd long since stopped fighting against it. "There's this guy at school, said he was going to–"
"Come on man, can't you just talk to Dad about this? I've been working all weekend, helping Dad at the garage today, and I need to get this paper finished before school tomorrow."
As Sean went to slam the door shut, Daniel pushed back against it. "Sean! Why don't you ever listen to me!?"
Sean opened the door wide, grabbed him under the arm, as Daniel had seen Dad do to him a few times, and walked him over back to his own room. " I don't listen to you ? What about the hundred other times I've told you to knock if you want to come into my room?"
"I did knock, but you didn't hear me! Sean, it's important."
"Me not getting a zero on this assignment is important. Shit, you need to start fighting your own battles, dude. I'm not going to be around forever." And with those words left ringing in Daniel's ears, he stomped back off to his room.
Daniel heard the click of Sean's lock, and threw his own door shut. "Don't curse at me! Asshole." He muttered the last word under his breath and kicked the closest toy he could find across the room. Dad had told him plenty of times not to lose his temper like this, broken toys wouldn't be replaced, but it was Sean's fault for being such a bad brother.
Maybe he was right, he wouldn't be around forever, but Daniel couldn't understand why that mattered in the here and now. The point was that he was around now. To him, it felt like Sean wanted to leave and be rid of his annoying kid brother who couldn't look after himself.
Tomorrow morning, he'd have to suck it up and talk to Dad about it. It was that, or stand up to Harry Thompson all by himself, and he knew exactly how that would go…
Now
"Hey Diaz! No boyfriend to hold your hand today." Harry Sorber stepped in front of Daniel, blocking him from his locker.
"Leave me alone, Harry." Daniel tried his hardest to push past the larger boy, but was cut off by Harry's constant tagalong, another boy with blonde hair greased into a side parting, Brandon Cox. Brandon grabbed his shoulder, and began to push him to the opposite lockers, but Daniel saw red and shoved him back into Harry.
Clearly stunned that this new kid had the balls to stand up to him, Harry pushed Brandon aside and approached Daniel, towering over him, the same move he'd tried on Daniel's first day at school. "My Mom saw him at the hospital on Saturday. What happened this time? His deadbeat Dad probably pushed him down the stairs and broke his arm again, or something, right?"
Mr. Eriksen broke Chris' arm before?
"You listening, nerd?" The larger boy grabbed Daniel's chin and pulled his head up.
Daniel swatted his hand away and pushed past to his locker. "It's none of your business, asshole." He grabbed a few books and stuffed them into his backpack and closed the door, maybe a little harder than he intended.
"What happened? He catch you two kissing or something?"
Despite breathing slowly and trying to stay calm, Daniel could feel the rage rising up within himself. There was nothing wrong with two boys liking each other – he remembered Arthur and Stanley from Away, and Sean explaining how it didn't matter who you fell in love with – but he and Chris weren't together, and he was sure Charles wouldn't do anything like that even if they were.
"Even if he did, what's your problem? Are you jealous that he'd choose me instead of you?"
That seemed to work, as Harry's stupid face started glowing a bright red. But before Daniel could even smile at the obvious reaction, Harry launched at him. Without thinking, he felt a sudden burst of energy surge up from his feet and into his arms and, reacting to the oncoming charging bull, he pushed back. The bully slid backwards with some force and slammed into the opposite lockers. Stunned, Daniel couldn't do much more than simply look, mouth and eyes all wide open in shock.
There was no telling what this boy, who was twice the size of him, would do now, so Daniel turned and ran as quickly as he could, pushing past the other students all gathered in the hallway. Before, only some of them had been looking at what was happening, but now all of them were staring at the weird kid who was bolting to the door.
As he ran, his mind raced, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. Something with his powers, obviously, but that had always been moving things with his mind. This time, it was as though he was stronger physically because of them. What was usually a weak shove had sent Harry hurtling across the hallway. Even after almost an entire year with these abilities, he was still learning new things about them.
He couldn't tell if the tingling in his head was leftover energy from whatever had just happened with his powers, or blood rushing up from standing up for himself and fighting back for once, but the buzz didn't stop until Daniel had reached his little hiding spot around the back of the main school building – the place where he'd met Maggie on his first day and hoped that she'd be there again today.
She wasn't. He bent down with his hands on his knees and panted heavily. The adrenaline rush had finally ended, and he slumped down against the wall to catch his breath.
"Are you… are you okay?"
The voice startled Daniel, and he looked up to see where it had come from. A young, East Asian boy was standing, cautiously, a small distance away. He looked to be the same age as him, probably in the same grade, with long, black hair, parted in the middle. He didn't look scared, but there was definitely a worried look on his face.
Daniel nodded sheepishly, and stood up. Like the boy, he was cautious, and for a moment or so the two of them just looked at each other, almost like two nervous animals getting the measure of each other before deciding that they were safe.
The other boy was the first one to relax and break the silence. "I saw what happened in the hallway, with Harry. How did you do that? Are you, like, a superhero or something?"
Something about that rubbed Daniel up the wrong way. He wasn't a superhero – superheroes don't hurt their friends and family. But he knew he wasn't a villain either. He was a kid.
He shook his head. "I'm just Daniel… What did you see, exactly?"
"Erm, you threw that giant douchebag into the lockers. Like, hard. I don't want to freak you out or anything, but he's not happy." The boy, seemingly more relaxed, approached Daniel and threw out his hand. "I'm Michael, by the way. Michael Gwan."
He took the boy's hand, and stood up. "Hey, I'm Daniel–"
"I know. Everyone knows, dude." And yet, here Michael stood, smiling, rather than staring and walking in the opposite direction. "Come on, the bell rang a minute ago, do you want to walk to class with me?"
The last thing Daniel wanted was to go back into the building, but he knew he couldn't just sit in his little hiding spot all day. They started walking back around to the front entrance together. "What if people are saying things about me? About what happened?"
"They're going to, but it's okay because by tomorrow they'll be talking about something else that's happened, and then something else the day after that as well. Besides, you didn't answer properly. What did happen? It looks like you almost threw Harry through the wall!"
He didn't push him that hard , Daniel thought. "Nothing happened, he was trying to push me around, so I pushed back."
"Looked like more than just a push to me, but whatever."
Daniel stopped. "It wasn't, okay? It was an accident, I didn't mean to push as hard as I did. Is that why you followed me outside? To see if I'd do anything else 'weird'?"
"Okay, dude, chill. I just wanted to see if you were okay. Come on, we're going to be late for class if we don't hurry."
Daniel's cheeks burned red and, like a lot of the time recently, he didn't know what to say. He nodded and they hurried back into school.
They made it to their classroom just on time, as the other students were filing in. Daniel moved quickly to his desk, avoiding the eyes of his classmates, and Michael sat down opposite him. It hadn't escaped his notice that Maggie wasn't anywhere to be seen. Mrs. Foster strode in afterwards and hushed the chatter of the room, before starting them on their paired work for first period – a breakdown of the use of metaphors in Esperanza Rising. A very poor choice of text, if you asked Daniel.
"So you're staying with your grandparents, right?" Michael flicked through the first few pages of the book, clearly not paying much attention. Daniel nodded. "Does that mean you're adopted?"
"I don't think so. My Mom is still alive, she just can't take care of me, which is why I'm living with Grandma and Grandpa."
Michael snickered and dropped the book. "My parents are both alive, but I'm adopted. They don't have to be dead."
"How come you are?"
"My grandparents moved here from Korea when my Dad and Aunt were really young. He got into some bad stuff and then my Aunt and Uncle adopted me when I was really young."
"What did he do?"
Michael shrugged. "I don't know, my parents – my Aunt and Uncle, you get used to it – won't tell me. All I know is they said he's 'not fit to look after me', or something. But I guess that means we have something in common." The look on Daniel's face must have said more than any words could have, as Michael's face went as red as his own did earlier. "Oh, no, I didn't mean like that! I meant the adoption thing. I don't believe anything the others say about your brother. Sorry, sometimes I just say things without thinking."
That was supposed to be comforting, Daniel was sure, so he relaxed his face into a warm smile. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that no one really understood exactly what it felt like to hear the whispers of what people said about his brother when they thought he couldn't hear.
"Thanks Michael, you don't know how nice that is to hear. Seems everyone except, you, Chris, and Maggie hate him."
"Wait. You're friends with Maggie?"
"Yeah, she was like the one other person than Chris that spoke to me last week. Why?"
"She's never really spoken to anyone before. Always been kinda weird."
Daniel had heard that phrase so many times by now. "That's okay, most of the best people I've met are 'kinda weird'."
"I look forward to making it to the list." Michael's face was still beet-red from earlier, and Daniel couldn't help but smile back, seeing it. He'd expected to come into school today and just keep his head down and hope that the day passed as quickly as possible. What he hadn't expected was to make a new friend so quickly. For now, he was happy to have found something to take his mind off what had happened with Harry earlier, and along with Chris and Maggie, they were going to be quite the gang.
"Daniel. Michael. If you could have the same amount of enthusiasm for the text as you do for talking, that would be fantastic, thank you!" Mrs. Foster was looking over at the two of them, eyebrows raised.
The boys giggled and buried their heads back in the book.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Everyone packed up and rushed out of the classroom with what seemed like super-speed, leaving Daniel and Michael to be the last ones out into the school yard. It turned out that he and Michael shared a lot of interests, and had been talking each others' ears off for the whole day.
"Hey, why don't you ask your grandparents if you can come over to my house tonight? We can do our English homework together."
"Sorry, I can't tonight. I promised I'd go and see Chris as soon as school finished." As happy as Daniel was for finding Michael when he really needed him the most, he was more excited to get home and see his best friend. It was silly really; one day away from Chris and everything felt off-balance again.
"It's cool. I hope he's doing okay. Never really spoke to him much, I'll have to change that when he's back."
Daniel thought back to how Chris had handled him speaking to Maggie, but shook it away. "I think he'd really like that. He's really cool, just a little shy."
"Do you know when he's coming back?"
Daniel shrugged. "Grandma said it could be a week, or it could be longer. Not until he feels better."
"All because he… fell out of a tree. Pretty weird. I'd have lied to make it sound much cooler than that."
Michael laughed, but Daniel didn't join in as he saw, across the school yard, an angry looking Harry flanked by his pet douchebag, Brandon. He'd managed to avoid them both all day, but a quick scan of the area showed him that there was no way they were getting to the school bus without having to walk past them, so he put on the bravest face he could.
"Hey freak." Harry stepped in front of them, blocking their way. That seemed to be his signature move. "I don't know how you did that thing this morning, but you ever do anything like that again, my Dad will make sure you never step foot in this school again."
"Cause that worked really well with Chris," said Daniel. Michael nudged him on the arm, with a what the hell, dude look on his face. "From what I hear, his Dad beat up your Dad."
"Well, you don't have a Dad, do you?" Harry grinned with cruel eyes, then looked at Michael. "See you later, dickwads." He threw his water on Michael's pants, and he and his greasy friend disappeared, snickering to each other.
Michael sighed, and frantically tried to dry his trousers off. "What was that for?"
"Talking to me, probably." Daniel grabbed a packet of tissues from his bag, because of course Claire would pack them for him, and handed them over. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, it's fine. It's like I said this morning, no one will be talking about you now, because I'll be the kid who peed himself. Maybe you can use your super push on him again tomorrow?" He pushed the air in front of him, pretending it was Harry.
"I… don't have super strength. He made it look worse than it was." He hadn't, and Daniel didn't know if he could keep up these lies for the rest of his life. Either he stopped using his powers completely and found a way to keep them at bay, or he finally got to the bottom of why they were acting up in the first place. That second option meant talking to Claire, and he wasn't sure that was a talk he was quite ready for yet.
They got on the bus and, as predicted, were met by laughter and chants of "piss pants." Michael shrugged it off, something Daniel didn't understand at all. Once they were sat, all he could think about was getting home and seeing Chris. One day without him, and it had been a hell of a day .
The bus didn't go as far as to actually pull up outside of his house, so Daniel took a shortcut through the woods that Chris had shown him. Claire probably wouldn't be happy, but the only other people passing through them were dog walkers, and it shaved a good ten minutes off the journey. More than any of that though, it was quiet, and if there was something Daniel had come to appreciate over the last year, it was the small moments of quiet he could steal here and there. The moments where he could stop and just t hink .
Today, his mind was racing between all of the different things he had to tell Chris: what had happened with Harry this morning, Maggie not turning up at all, and Michael… just everything about Michael. Where would he even begin?
Start with Harry , he thought, everything else will come from there.
Arriving at the Eriksens' house, his excitement to see Chris reached its peak, and he sped up and ran up to the front door. He let himself in and hung up his coat.
"Hey Mr. Eriksen!" He called out as he slipped off his shoes
A slam came from the kitchen and a flustered Charles poked his head round to the door. "Oh hey buddy. Is school finished already?" He checked his watch. "Where did today go?"
As Daniel entered the house properly, Charles leant back against the kitchen counter and started tapping his hands together, despite the TV being on in the lounge. His face was red, and small bags were forming under his eyes. Something about that and the redness of his face reminded him of what Sean would look like, back in Seattle, after being caught doing something he knew he shouldn't have been doing.
"Everything okay, Mr. Eriksen?"
"Hey, how many times? Just 'Charles' please. 'Mr. Eriksen' makes me feel like an old man." Daniel laughed at that. "Anyway, buddy, look. Could you knock when you're at the door please?"
"But I've always come in like that." Since moving to Beaver Creek, the Eriksens' had become like a second home for him, and likewise with his house and Chris.
"I know, but with, um, with Chris still recovering, a bit of pre-warning wouldn't go amiss. You don't mind, do you?"
Daniel was sure there was more to it than that but, with so much going on in his head already, he didn't want to ask. Instead, he motioned towards Chris' room. "Sure , Mr. Erik- uh, Charles. Can I go see Chris now please?"
Charles' stern look softened and he nodded.
As Daniel pushed the door open, trying not to make much noise, he saw Chris lying in his bed, looking at the drawing he'd given him yesterday. He'd stuck it to the wall next to his bed, close enough to his pillow that he just had to turn his head to see it.
"Hey Captain Spirit," he tried to say softly, to not take him by surprise, "how are you feeling?"
Chris turned to look at Daniel, and gave him that huge smile that he'd come to love seeing so much. "Superwolf! Remember when we first met? You saved me from falling from my treehouse?"
"Uh, yeah of course." He wondered where he was going with this.
"Well, imagine if you hadn't been there, and I slammed into the ground. That's pretty much how I'm feeling."
"But it's because of me that this happened…"
"Sorry, I didn't mean anything like that. Was just trying to make you laugh."
He could hear the hurt in his friend's voice and had to remind himself that he wasn't the one lying in bed with the broken arm. Sometimes it wasn't about him. Chris budged up, and made room for him to lie next to him.
"But really, I'm fine. I've never broken anything before. I thought my arm would hurt all the time, but if I don't move it, it's mostly okay, just really itchy. But that's why I've got this!" He pulled a fork from under his pillow. "Just don't tell Dad."
"What? But Harry said you had. He said your Dad pushed you down the stairs before."
A smirk crept across Chris' face. "But… we live in a one-story house. We don't even have any stairs. Why would you even listen to anything Harry says? You're such a dork."
That was true, but there was still a nagging feeling that Chris was hiding something from him. "Has your Dad ever done anything like that before, though?"
Chris didn't answer immediately, and bit his lip for a moment instead, before finally saying, "nothing like this, no. He, uh… he… Look, Daniel, can we talk about something else please? Dad's fine. I'm fine."
"You know you can talk to me about anything, dude. I'm your friend." He meant it. Since leaving Seattle, and besides Maggie and Michael, Chris was the only friend Daniel made that was his age in the last year. He was special.
"I know. You're my best friend," Chris said. "It was hard before, after Mom died, but now I've got you, and Dad seems a lot happier than he used to be. We're fine. Promise. Let's talk about… school! How trash was your day without me there?" He nudged Daniel with his good arm.
Daniel wanted to keep asking, but knew that he had to trust that his friend would talk when he was ready to. He made a mental note to talk to Grandma about it at some point. Instead, he nudged Chris back and said, "It was fine, actually , other than Harry and Brandon, I mean. Though, something kinda weird happened with them this morning."
"What was it?"
Daniel held his hands out in front of him. "I don't really know. He was saying some horrible stuff about us, then he tried to push me. I pushed back but as I did, something happened with my powers. It's like they made me push harder, or something."
His friend shot up. Too quickly, by the woozy look on his face. "So you've now got super strength now as well!?"
"I don't think it's that simple… and I'm not about to punch a wall or anything to find out."
"Fair enough. We've already got one broken superhero, we don't need another." Chris was joking, but Daniel frowned. "Sorry, sorry, last joke, I promise. Was it like what happened in the forest?"
He didn't want to think about that, but he forced himself to remember the details. "I… It happened when you touched me, like some kind of reaction. And this happened when I tried to push Harry… when I touched him. Like they've got a mind of their own."
"How did it feel to finally get one back on Harry?"
"Not good! Superheroes don't use their powers to attack people who are weaker than them. That's what supervillains do." He wasn't a superhero or a supervillain. He was a kid. A kid who ran and hid. "Besides, what if someone saw me? Oh god, wait." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Someone did."
"What? Who!?"
"Do you know Michael Gwan?"
"Kinda. We were never in the same class until this year, but he always seemed okay."
"Well, he followed me to the back of the school and said he saw me use my 'super push'. What if he tells people?"
"Michael isn't like that. I don't know him that well, but he was always the kind of guy that just kept to himself. I'm sure it's okay." Chris slipped his good arm under Daniel's back, pulling him into what amounted to be an awkward half-hug, but he appreciated it all the same.
Then why did he come and find me? Daniel wondered. Sean had told him that everyone loved him and he always managed to fit in wherever they went, but he'd never really believed it before. He'd always blended into the background with his small group of friends. Not one of the losers, but not one of the cool, popular kids either. A lot like Finn and the drifters, and Karen and everyone at Away. If he could have that again here with Chris, Maggie, and Michael, he might be able to stop worrying about everything, and just be himself again. He just had to get Chris and Maggie to be friends.
"You don't have to worry, dude. We'll find out what's happening with your powers, and I'll be here for you no matter what. As for Harry, he's nothing compared to the Spirit Squad. I'll be back before you know it and you'll never have to face him alone ever again." Chris fidgeted a little and tugged his arm. "Can I have this back though? I can't feel my fingers."
What he said was right, Daniel knew. Even if things weren't perfect now, they would be eventually. He and Chris were a team and they'd have each other's backs, until the end.
They both lied together and chatted for a while until Charles called out, "Daniel, are you going to be staying for dinner? I can test my new pasta recipe on you."
Chris shook his head and pushed Daniel off of the bed. "Run, Superwolf! I'm doomed, but you don't have to face the same cruel fate!"
"I'm okay, thanks Charles! Grandma is cooking tonight and I should probably go home and do my homework anyway." Daniel tried his hardest to stifle a laugh.
"Sure, sure. You'll be missing out though." Charles came in and set a fresh glass of water next to Chris. "I'm sure my number one food taster will tell you all about Chef's famous marinara meatballs in no time. Spaghetti alla Eriksen!" He put on the most horrific Italian accent and kissed his fingers. "You'll be sorry to miss out."
"I'm sure, Chef, but I've gotta run. I'll definitely stay next time." He got up, and grabbed his backpack. "I'll see you tomorrow, Chris, after school, same time as today." He shot Chris a smile, who beamed back at him.
"See you tomorrow, Superwolf!"
Charles followed and walked him to the door. He slipped his shoes on and grabbed his coat, and as he went to close the door behind him, Charles cleared his throat and said, "Thanks for being here Daniel. For Chris, I mean. The last few years haven't been easy for him, I won't bore you with why. But I'm happy he's got a friend like you."
"Thanks. I'm lucky to have him as well."
"Give Claire and Stephen my best. Let them know Chris is recovering well and they can come and visit whenever they want. I'm sure he'd like that."
Daniel nodded and began making his way back home. Whatever Charles had been hiding, it can't have been that bad if he was okay with Claire coming into the house. She was famously nosey and could sniff out anything. He just wanted Chris to be okay, and it was obvious how much Charles wanted to make sure of that as well. He still didn't know what Charles had done in the past, but he felt his friend was lucky to at least still have his Dad around, trying his best.
Arriving home, he threw his bag down, greeted his grandparents with a quick hug each, and dashed upstairs to rush out his homework for the night. His first day back at school hadn't been the complete disaster he feared it would be. Even with his powers acting up again, and Harry being predictably awful, he had a new friend in Michael, and spending time with Chris always soothed his mind. Things were slowly starting to turn around. Not even Grandma telling him that Sean hadn't called again today could ruin this feeling. He'd expected that, and he'd be going to actually see him in person at the weekend anyway.
He hoped.
Notes:
Thank you, as always, to my star team of beta readers - Khoris, arepitasdulces, and darkjaden825698. You guys catch so much, especially when my British shows...
I've also now got a solid final length that I'm aiming for, which is making things much easier to plan. Boundaries are good!
Chapter 8: The end?
Chapter Text
So I've been sitting on this for a couple of months. After so long, I've found that I no longer care for the direction that this little story was heading. So I've come to the decision to draw a line underneath it and cancel it outright.
I hope this doesn't come across as gratuitous, there are some magnificent works of art on this site, and I'm sure this isn't one of them. But it was something I was really proud of at the time, and revived my motivation for writing for the first time in years, which had seemed to just leave me completely after graduating from university. It sucks when you lose passion for something, but
It's not the end of the line completely for my vision of the Spirit Squad in a post-canon world. I've got a bunch of ideas that I'm working through at the moment for something that will replace this as an ongoing story, with some of the beats remaining the same, but going in a wildly different direction than I originally intended. That, as well as a few other short flash fictions for celebrations, whenever the writing bug bites.
So I'm sorry to anyone that was as invested in this as I once was. I just wanted to say a small something, for myself more than anything, so there's a bit of closure.