Chapter Text
Brockton Bay, New Hampshire; 25 Feb 2011
Taylor had eavesdropped, because of course she did. If someone had broken into their house, she was going to immediately intervene, outing herself to her dad be damned. Anything to protect her family.
The scream, though, came from Danny, because of course it did. Of course, her best friend was having nightmares from fighting a god damned Endbringer! They're terror incarnate and even if Phantom was an experienced hero, he had as much experience as Taylor did in this world as one: less than three hours.
Danny hadn't wanted to confide in Taylor about his experience, only realizing just how much the boy hesitated while eavesdropping on his conversation with her dad. After hearing the limited amount that she could through her insects, Taylor was sure she made the correct choice in her delay in joining the Wards. At this point, she'd never join them after what they had done to her friend. Blaming him for shit he wasn't even part of... Phantom and Scarab could go out on their own as independents; better that than following people who traumatized a ray of sunshine like Danny.
'Lack of communication, pushing the blame, oh and not to mention blowing up their own teammates?! Yeah, fuck that.' Taylor sat in her room, focusing on the stilted speech she could hear through her bugs in the living room. Taylor had no doubt that Danny had saved hundreds of lives just by himself; PHO was very clear on who saved who with their constant stream of updates.
Danny saved so many people that if there was a record to break, Taylor was sure he'd done it. He was a true hero, and the Protectorate had made him feel responsible for the people he couldn't save.
"Fuck them," Taylor growled to herself, glaring at the window of her room as she stayed crouched by her door, listening intently through her insects, "Good to know they can't be trusted."
Taylor remained crouched there, even as the soft echoes of conversation drifted into the deep breathing of sleep. Once she was sure that her boys were deep in slumber, she shifted from her position and slid out of her room, making her way quietly down the steps. She found both of her Dannys sleeping soundly, slumped against each other upright in a loose hug. Taylor smiled, grabbing another blanket from the back of the couch and draping it loosely around their shoulders to protect them from the midnight chill.
Looking closely at Danny's face, she spied tear tracks over his cheeks, setting off another wave of rage within her. The boy began to stir, and Taylor quickly shunted her anger to her insects, ordering them as far away as she could to avoid stirring the sleeping empath.
She softly whipped away the tears still lingering on the boy's face with her sleeve, moving slowly to avoid waking him. When she finished, Taylor walked quietly back up the stairs to her room and shut the door tightly. One of her fruit flies remained on the wall in the living room, standing vigil over her sleeping boys. Their sleep wouldn't be interrupted by anything, not if Taylor could help it.
Knowing that sleep would be an impossibility, Taylor climbed into her bed and stared out of her window, into the night's sky. The stars were twinkling brightly, shining through the light cloud cover in the sky. Taylor wasn't truly seeing them.
Instead, she was plotting. Plotting the best way to get back at those so-called heroes that had hurt her family, at the Endbringer that had made her friend cry. She wasn't sure how she'd do it just yet, but they would all pay for what they'd done. No one would get away with hurting what was hers.
No one.
Brockton Bay, New Hampshire; 26 Feb 2011
Taylor watched the sun peak up over the horizon, still leaning on her windowsill. As she suspected, no sleep. The Dannys hadn't woken from their slumber throughout the night and nobody invaded their house. It was early, but not so early that Taylor couldn't make breakfast. Why not go all out to show her support for her favorite hero.
After slipping into some comfortable clothes, Taylor made her way downstairs, moved past her sleeping family, and waded into the kitchen. She gathered the ingredients she needed and began whisking together what she could from their slightly emptied pantries ('Ugg, we need to go shopping...'). Pancakes (Danny seemed to like those), some bacon, scrambled eggs, and juice. Taylor attempted to think of what else to add to her 'all out' breakfast when a noise from the kitchen doorway drew her attention. She turned and spotted a mess of black hair ducking back behind the frame.
"Morning, Casper," Taylor greeted, waving a spatula through the air at him as he moved back into view, "Food's almost ready if you wanna wake dad."
Danny's eyes were puffy, most definitely from all the crying he had done the night prior. At Taylor's casual greeting, the boy came fully into view, holding one arm tightly to his body as the other fiddled with the edge of his ghost pun hoodie. He looked so unsure of himself, so self-conscious...
It didn't suit him at all.
"He went up to take a shower," Danny supplied, looking hesitantly around the room, then back to Taylor and the food.
"Oh, yeah. Bet he smelled bad after sharing the couch with you all night," Taylor teased, shooting a joking grin at the boy. She frowned as he flinched, ducking his face into the collar of his hoodie. "I'm joking, Danny. You're fine. Sit down; I'm sure you're starving."
The boy nodded and, moving cautiously, slipped into his seat. He hunched over, drawing his legs upward to his chest while looking everywhere but at Taylor. It hurt, that he would avoid her like that, but she was nothing if not persistent.
"So," she began, setting a plate piled high with pancakes in front of the boy while sliding into her own seat, taking up her knife and fork, "when do you wanna start training again?"
Danny's eyes snapped up to meet hers as she pressed forward, "I mean, having a few days break was great and all, but I still want to hand your ass to you." She waved her fork in his direction, a smug grin plastered on her face, "I thought of something I wanna try, so let me know when you're ready. I think I finally found a way to bug you."
Danny's shock broke as he snorted at her pun ('Success!') reaching for his own silverware to begin his cut-em-till-it-stops-moving routine for his food, slicing each bit into even smaller pieces, "Didn't think you'd get so ant-sy about a break, Tay. I'll remember that for next time."
"Shit," Taylor whispered under her breath. She hadn't thought that through.
"Language," Danny's smile was back, a small and fragile thing that stayed as he ate bits of his butchered breakfast.
Taylor grinned in triumph, hiding her smile behind a mouthful of breakfast. Dad joined them a few moments later, praising his daughter for the delicious feast. It was a pleasant morning, one Taylor hoped would last.
'Shit Shit SHIT,' Taylor was nervous as her father pulled her aside, giving her the 'we need to have a talk' look. Danny had excused himself to the backyard, so the Heberts had the house to themselves for the moment.
"Taylor, I want to talk about Danny," dad said plainly, giving Taylor no room to avoid the conversation.
"Okay, what about him," the girl asked distractedly, keeping perched on her seat as she tracked Danny's movements outside the house with one of her spiders.
"He's...not well, Owl," dad explained sadly, a frown forming on his lips, "Danny's been through a lot and is trying to work through it all, and he needs all the support he can get."
Taylor nodded, "Well, yeah. Kinda figured from yesterday. He just came from an Endbringer fight. How would he not have a lot to get through? He didn't fighter her though, right? When he left, he promised me that he was only going for search and rescue."
"It's not my story to tell, kiddo," dad sighed sadly, "My point is that when he's ready to talk, just listen. Don't judge him for what he says, even if it sounds bad. He's got a lot going through his head and thinks he did things I can almost guarantee he didn't." He glared at his hand, his frown deepening with anger, "The Protectorate was not kind to him, trying to shaft him directly into the Wards without considering his feelings. I'll be damned if they treat one of my kids like that."
Taylor copied her father's frown, squinting at him suspiciously, "So you want me to just...what? Wait?"
Dad nodded, the glare melting into a soft smile, "That's right. Danny has no support network here, so we are that network. You did great this morning, kiddo! Keep it up."
The girl nodded her head seriously, "Yeah, and later I'm gonna get my ass handed to me. Great. I just shouldn't bring up the fight without him doing it first, right? I got it."
Dad hummed, leaning back in his chair while rubbing his eyes, "Somehow I doubt the fight was everything, but I know it was a major part of it. Like I said, he'll tell us in his own time. Just be patient."
"I said I got it! Seriously, I have general comprehension down," Taylor grumbled, standing from her chair, "I'm gonna go beat him up. Exercise is great stress relief."
The man let out a chuckle, waving her off as Taylor rushed out of the back door. She let the door shut behind her with a 'shhuk' as she walked into the yard.
Danny was sitting in the middle of their 'hardcore parkour' obstacle course that the boy set up in the yard over a month prior. He was staring up at the sky and looked truly dead to the world. Taylor made it a point to make as much noise as possible while approaching the boy to ensure he heard her. As she sidled up next to him, looking toward the sky where he was staring and finding only oddly shaped clouds drifting lazily through the air.
She pointed at one, "Looks like a fish."
Taylor heard a snort beside her, "How'd you get 'fish' from that?"
Taylor squinted at it again: a fluffy cloud dorsal fin, a squiggly tail, and a body shape like a football. "Looks like a fish to me," she defended, claiming a seat on the ground next to her friend, "What do you think it is, smartass?"
"Language," Danny whispered, staring at the fish for a moment, "Looks like a capybara with a leaf on its back."
"Does not," Taylor exclaimed, shooting a glare at the boy now lightly chuckling to himself. Jerk. Taylor looked away from him, tapping her foot on the ground, "Whatever, are we sparing or not?"
Danny didn't move, still staring at the definite fish in the sky. Taylor was beginning to wonder if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open (he'd done it before, and he looked so tired) until he spoke.
"Taylor? Say you were tryin ta help people. Later you're told that you were in tha way and were reckless in how ya did it, coulda killed people if ya hadn't been careful. What would you do? Would ya regret helpin?"
Taylor stared at her friend, trying to ponder the hidden meaning in his question. He wasn't looking at her, still staring at the sky as though he were millions of miles away.
"Well," she cleared her throat, shifting her weight to get more comfortable, "Depends. Was anyone hurt because of me?"
"...No? But-"
"Were people saved because I was there?"
"Technically, yes. But-"
"Then I wouldn't regret it. If I could do something to help and had no other way to do it, I'd do whatever it takes." Taylor's determined voice carried over the yard, "Doesn't matter if I get criticized for it. Instead of insulting or criticizing me for helping, if there was a better way to do something then it should have been done. If there's another way to do something, then the person criticizing can just tell me for next time. Hindsight is great and all, but I'd never regret helping people. I'd regret it more if I did nothing."
"Even if everyone hates you for it?" Danny's small voice wavered.
Taylor's eyes shot over to Danny's face. His face was fearful, looking as though he would cry again at any moment, like he was ready for rejection or hate.
Taylor refused to break eye contact with her friend as she answered, "Even if everyone hated me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I don't care how people see me. If I can help people, I will."
The two teens stared at each other, neither daring to break the silence. It stretched on, the wind around them rustling the dead leaves of a tree that was out of sight. Danny's eyes were searching, as though looking for any hint of hesitation or lies in Taylor's own. Taylor knew there would be none to find, sure of herself and her ideals. Danny took a breath, then spoke.
"A government agency back home was huntin me down because they thought I was an unthinkin, unfeelin monster." Taylor's eyes went wide with shock, but the boy continued as though the detail was unimportant, "My own parents wanted to rip my ghost half apart 'molecule by molecule.' Half of my hometown believed I was a menace, somethin that would bring different ghosts to fight and cause property damage.
"But there," his eyes went wide, the cerulean orbs shining not with tears, but with awe, "I've never, never had people look at me the way those people did. Like an actual hero had rescued them, and not a nuisance or monster comin ta destroy em." His eyes dimmed, replaced with a broken dullness, "And I was told that because of what the Endbringer is, what she can do, those people needed to be quarantined from the rest of the world 'just in case.' Like they're 'monsters.' They're all locked away and there's nothin I can do about it."
Taylor opened her mouth slightly to speak, but clamped it shut. It wasn't the time to interject. Danny had never told her the real reason why he didn't trust the government, why he never spoke about his parents. She was learning so much about her friend, and every word of it was breaking her heart.
"I coulda chased her off," Danny looked back to the sky, searching the clouds for something unseen, "I coulda got her to leave so much sooner. When I did case her off...I mean, I wasn't lookin for an 'Oh, thank you, Danny!' or even a 'Good job, Danny!' All I wanted ta do was thank tha guy who'd looked after me while I was spent."
The boy's gaze shifted to his hands, held out in front of him like they were weapons, "Instead, I felt like they were blamin me for helpin. For tryin. For not being smart enough to know how my own power works or how to work together with other people." Danny laughed bitterly at his hands, "They said I was reckless. That they knew how to control or understand my powers better than I do. It was like they were sayin that if they controlled my powers, controlled me, then more people coulda been saved. I'm not sure that's what they were goin for, but... I don't know how to feel about it..."
Taylor was glaring now. Whoever Danny had talked to was going to get a mouthful of wasps, she swore it. Who the actual fuck would say that to a kid who was supposed to be on search and rescue?! Danny wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that damned fight! Why would it take them so long to get rid of that winged bitch that Danny needed to step in?
Taylor whipped out her phone, the one Danny had crafted for her, swiped and tapped on the screen until she found what she was looking for. She scooted closer to Danny who looked over at her in an attempt to see what she was doing.
"Look at this, Casper," she shoved the phone in front of the boy's face, taking slightly aback. He stared at the screen, the PHO thread that mentioned him from the Endbringer fight on full display. Danny's eyes darted quickly around the screen as Taylor scrolled, taking in the comments of support and worry, the praise and accolades directed at him, and, most importantly in Taylor's opinion, the steadfast defense of those who had been saved by the ghost boy himself.
Danny stared in shock at the messages that had doubled since Taylor had last looked the day prior. More capes were reaching out through the site, asking if Phantom was alright and demanding updates about their white-hooded hero. Any comment that spoke ill of the boy were snubbed quickly, and a few people had already been banned for inciting violence against some users with particularly vicious comments. The ongoing theme of the thread was that Danny, as Phantom, had saved so many lives and that most believed that, without him, they would have lost theirs.
"You helped people, Danny. You saved so many people that there's no end to the survivors thanking you. The Protectorate apparently think that they know better than everyone else, but you are the one that saved these people. You are the one that, apparently, chased off an Endbringer, which was their job to do!"
Danny's gaze shifted to Taylor's, staring at her with a dumbstruck and slightly awed expression. It was as though Taylor was preaching gospel to a congregation of one rather than telling her best friend the only truth she knew. She glared, "You're not some weapon for them to point in a direction and shoot. You're a person, someone who knows what they're doing. I trust you. These people trust you. If you say something can be done, I believe you. Don't ever let some assholes make you think you're lesser. Cause you're not."
Danny stared at her for a moment, Taylor breathing a bit heavier than normal after her outburst. The boy's gaze then shifted to the sky. Taylor continued to glare until her friend's weight shifted, tilting him sideways and leaning into her shoulder. Before she could protest his leaning or complain that he was too heavy for that (it would have been a lie, Danny weighed nothing and she would never mind him leaning on her), Danny whispered.
"Okay...you're right."
He had closed his eyes, silent tears dripping from the closed lids. Taylor politely ignored them, instead looking back up to the fish in the sky, "Damn right, I'm right."
"Language."
She shoved the boy slightly with her shoulder, not enough to knock him over but enough to jostle him. He chuckled, falling back into place, shoulder to shoulder with his teammate.
Brockton Bay, New Hampshire; 27 Feb 2011
"You don't have to go back to school so soon, kiddo," Dad's concerned tone drifted from his spot on the couch. All three house residents were lounging around, sprawled in different direction on the small three-person sofa. It was the day before school started up again, and Danny was adamant about returning to school with everyone else.
Taylor silently agreed with her father, though she would always follow her friend's decision. Danny had been bursting into tears at random intervals throughout the last two days, his emotions and mental state still raw. Talking things out had helped him, but Taylor knew he was still stressed; she was just happy the boy wasn't avoiding them. The point was, Danny was ready to move forward, as expected of her partner.
"But I wanna," Danny's face was set with determination even with his legs hooked on the back of the couch, head upside down and craned to look at the Heberts, "It would be suspicious if I didn't go after such a public fight, and there's no way I'ma leave Taylor in that place alone."
"If it's for me, you can stay behind, Casper," Taylor grumbled, leaning her back into her dad and resting her legs over Danny's torso, "I can take care of myself for a few days while you get your shit together."
"You're doin this on purpose now," Danny sighed, "Language."
"I don't know what you're fucking talking about," Taylor said, the picture of innocence.
Danny just shook his head, fainting disappointment. Taylor grinned; Danny wasn't the only one who could be a little shit.
"Aaaanyway," Danny rolled his eyes, turning back to dad, "I'll be fine. Honestly, at this point, normal high school drama can't really do much to me. Some monotony might help, actually." Danny stretched out his arm, pointing to the ceiling in a 'urika' gesture before putting on a falsetto, "After traumatic experiences, setting a routine can assist regulatin the body and mind, helpin both to return to normalcy." Danny shrugged, returning his voice to normal, "or somethin like that. Don't remember, wasn't really payin attention."
Both Heberts chuckled at the boy's antics, then dad spoke, "Alright, alright. I get it. Just...if you need to leave early, just call me at the Union. I'll come pick you both up."
Taylor rolled her eyes, "It'll be fine. I'll watch over our high-maintenance ghost."
Taylor ignored Danny's "You're high-maintenance" in favor of her dad's "Alright, Danny, Taylor's in charge."
"Why're you guys gangin up on me," Danny pouted, folding his arms around his chest.
Dad smiled, "Sorry, kiddo. Had to be done. Gotta get you prepped for the good news."
Danny raised an eyebrow at the two Heberts who had begun to grin at him, "Uuum, okay? Is this where I'm sacrificed to a cult? Cause I think most of em would just throw me back."
"Why, because you're annoying," Taylor teased, shifting her weight around to stand from the couch.
"Naw, cults tend to summon me when they try to sacrifice people, so I beat em up, call the police, then dip. I feel like most people would toss their sacrifice if they did that."
"I-what?" Taylor stuttered, taken aback by yet another off-the-cuff nugget of information about her friend.
"Danny," Dad looked concerned, staring harshly at the boy, "Is that something we should be worried about? Is there a way to stop that from happening?"
Danny looked a bit taken aback by the question, "Huh? Uuum..." The boy looked toward the ceiling in contemplation, "No? Yes? I don't gotta get pulled around like that anymore cause I can just reject the summon and I'm good ta go. Not many sorcerers or cultists are stronger than me, so they can't force tha issue."
Taylor pinched her nose, feeling the Danny Headache coming on, "Are you saying magic is real? Cause it's not. Don't say stuff like that or people will think you're crazy, like Myrddin."
"Who's that?" Danny cocked his head to the side.
"Not important right now," Dad sighed, coming to the rescue to save Taylor from having to explain the slightly insane 'Magic Using Hero,’ “We're getting off topic. This is good news time, not more questions time!"
The man stood from his seat, helping Danny from his awkward position from the couch and leading both teens from the living room to the second floor. They passed Taylor's room, then her dad's, walking down the short hallway to the last door on the landing. It was a room that had belonged to Taylor's mom, a library/study for her to do her work. It had sat, untouched, since her death two years prior.
Reaching for the door knob, Danny Sr looked back at his kids, "Prepare to be amazed!" Taylor snorted at the theatrics, as though she didn't know what was inside.
The man opened the door slowly, revealing the bright insides of a third bedroom. A well-loved dresser was sat next to a full-sized bed, complete with dark blue sheets that reminded Taylor of the night sky. A desk stood opposite the bed with a laptop perched on its surface and a small tool box resting beside it. A bookshelf filled to the brim with books of all kinds stood next to the desk, leaving space for on the desk itself for any decorations Danny may prefer. On the floor lay a circular carpet that resembled a full moon, complete with indented craters etched into the fibers. In the corner of the room, a small dark blue beanbag chair sat with two items resting on top: a box that looked like it had seen better days depicting a rocket of some kind, and a packet of sticky starts of varying shapes and sizes.
Danny stared, wide eyed and mouth agape at the room. Taylor's dad smiled, "Sorry it took so long, kiddo. I couldn't find a bed to save my life, but it's done now! Welcome to your room!"
The boy continued to stare, as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Taylor chuckled, reaching over and lifting his mouth closed, "You're catching flies, Casper."
Danny shook himself, stepping into the room properly to look around, "Y-You didn't have ta do this."
"We wanted to, Danny," Dad insisted, "You deserve a space to call your own. We both hope that you consider this home. Now, you will always have somewhere to come back to. Can't have you couch surfing forever!"
"I found those sticker things in the craft store and that rocket box in a junk store," Taylor moved past the dumbfounded boy, reaching down to pick up the star stickers, "The rocket thing may be missing some parts because it's second hand, but with how handy you are, we figured you'd figure it out. We can put these stars up however you want." She tossed the stars to her friend, the boy almost dropping them in his haste to catch them.
He looked down at the package, eyes wide in confusion, "How'd you guys know I liked space?" He looked up at the Heberts again, "I don't think I've told y'all bout it..."
Taylor scoffed, "Please, anyone with half a brain would be able to tell you like space, Casper. You don't have to talk about it for us to tell that."
"You're always looking at the sky," Dad moved to the bookshelf, pulling out a book on galaxies, "not to mention that of all the books Taylor has given you to look over, you've reread this one the most."
"But-" Danny looked lost, "I-How could you tell? Just lookin up at the sky doesn't mean I like it. Just cause I read that book doesn't mean I haven't reread other ones."
Now Taylor was confused. Did Danny think that they didn't pay attention to him? She had been serious when she said that anyone with half a brain could figure the boy out. "We pay attention, dork. Of course we can tell what you like. Just like how I know you hate toast and are scared of clowns."
Danny swung around to face her, "I am not."
"Are so."
"Am not!"
"Okay, that's enough," Dad placated, "The point is, we care about you. Of course we want to pay attention to you."
Danny's eyes moved back and forth between the two before letting out a sniff, rubbing his eyes with his hoodie sleeve. He took a deep breath, looked up from his sleeve, and grinned, "Yeah, okay. Thanks, guys. I love it."
Taylor let out a quiet sigh of relief. She and her dad had been mostly guessing for the boy's likes and dislikes. As much as Taylor claimed confidence in her assessment of her friend, she could never be entirely sure. With Danny looking at the pack of stars in his hand excitedly, then shifting his gaze upward to the dark blue ceiling as though he were mapping exactly where he would place each and every one, Taylor knew that they had succeeded.
They'd succeeded in bringing just a little bit of joy to the boy who truly deserved it. Giving that boy a place to call his own, to help him feel not so stranded and much more at home.
After all, this was his home now, and the Heberts wanted to make sure Danny knew just that. Even when he found a way to return to his home dimension, Taylor was sure: Danny would always have a place with them.
"So," Taylor clapped her hands, smiling wide, "How we putting these up?"
Danny's eyes were shinning like stars, the glittering of stardust lighting up his face. He grinned, his teeth just a bit too sharp, "Get me a ladder."
The three spent the remainder of that afternoon mapping stars, each shining sticker placed meticulously to mirror the placement of Danny's home dimension. He rambled on about each and every one, each planet they represented, each solar system he could recreate, each constellation that they made up. Some were similar to those Taylor had heard of, some were different and new. It didn't matter to her; the bright, child-like wonder and happiness on Danny's face was all she or her dad needed to keep engaged.
Once they finished placing the stickers into the vast universe of the ceiling, Danny continued to expound passionately about the cosmos while they lay on the floor of his new room, contently listening to the sound of his joy.