#Danny in his initial panic kept the act up

[flamingpudding]

Triple Identity Crisis

Danny had a problem. If it was a big one, he couldn't tell yet but he was partially sure Clockwork was at fault for this. Or at least he wanted to blame his ghostly godparent who most likely just wanted to cause some chaos for entertainment with the pretext of helping Danny. Which was a very likely reason for why Danny had a problem right now.

As it was the former Fenton now Fenton-Wayne boy was pacing his room in the Manor trying to think what is next step should be, because as it was his 'new' family –Did new still apply if he was living with them for a little more than a year now? – knew him under three different Identities now. And to top it all off they were not aware that the three identities were all pretty much connected as one.

For one. His family, knew him as Danny, the space obsessed kid, who became a meta because of his ectobiology science obsessed parents and his teenager recklessness. A kid that was actually a genius if you gave him enough time for school and could make you anything out of a ancients be damed toaster. That was the Danny they mainly knew. The Kid they took in, let in on the family business and then chose, to the happiness of Alfred and dismay of some of his 'new' siblings, normal life over vigilante life.

Then they knew Phantom. A dead ghost hero that was helping the Justice League and Young Justice to help them deal with the aftermath of the huge fallout caused by the GIW, Guys in White or rather Ghost Investigation Ward. And while Danny didn't know he had apparently worked with nearly his entire family and that time he knew it now. Which was awkward because he had pretty much pestered one of his elder brothers about his condition until Red Hood, aka Jason, let Phantom help him. Ancient, things might get awkward if that secret is lifted. He had done a lot of things Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Orphan and Robin had scowled him for. Thankfully they only thought of him as a dead teen hero and didn't know what a Halfa was. So they didn't make the connection, and he had yet to meet Signal, aka Duke as Phantom.

Now came the third identity, which totally did not happen by his choice. After all officially he hadn't accepted the throne yet and would only get it once he was dead dead not half dead. To bad ancient texts don't care about formalities. So when trouble hit the fan really hard the Justice League Dark had the bright Idea of getting some other worldly help. Which in other words was summoning the Ghost King. Oh boy, was it fun to learn that way that Danny could get summoned against his will. Clockwork did not give him that warning when he told him about the future of his afterlife. But best of all? Oh he doesn't get summoned as Phantom which would have made things maybe a bit easier, oh no. Life wasn't easy. He got someone's in some as a super weird black-green mass of a formless eltrich body with sharp teeth, claws and glowing green eyes with no pupils or irises. Hell Danny even scared himself when he saw his own reflection in a window and he didn't have a single idea how to change his form.

Let it be known that Danny acted then on purpose like he didn't know a single person in that room he had been summoned in right out of his bed and that he wasn't staring at his adoptive father like he needed help who interpreted his stare as the ghost king sizing him up. And Danny knows this because Dick had a good laugh about that at the dinner table with the rest of his siblings.

Now a smart person would probably come clean to his family and explain to them the three identities they knew him under and how they are connected.

To bad Danny wasn't 'smart' when it came to things like that. No in his panic and newfound awkwardness of the situation of what he had done on separate occasions with his identity as Phantom AND Ghost King, he decided to keep acting like he didn't knew them personally like the truely does. Really how hard could that be? Besides he liked the way his family treated him now. He didn't want to get treated differently because he was half dead, or a Ghost King. He liked that his family was treating him as plain old Danny who had an obsession with space and was their quirkily little brother with powers.

So that gave him even more incentive to keep the act up. Even if it was hard at times, especially if he got summoned out of nowhere. It would be easier if he could get a hang of the duplication power. He even had played with the thought of getting one of his ghost rogues to help but his family was perceptive. Maybe not perceptive enough to realise that all three identities were one and the same person but they would notice if Danny acted just slightly different or if Phantom was more of then usually. But somehow he still managed to keep it up.

But it was the hard way that he learned, Danny was bad at doing the 'talking' and realized that maybe Jazz was right and he was going to slip up one day causing huge misunderstandings like right now.

He stared down at Batman and Nightwing in his Ghost King form. Red Hood had his guns pulled on him, Wonder Woman and Superman looked like they where going to try to pull back Batman any second now while Nightwing, maybe at first was going to try to calm down the bat but Danny was pretty sure the eldest bat kid was now fiercely glaring at him too. He was also pretty sure the only reason he didn't see Red Robin or Robin threaten him too was because their super friends were somehow holding them back. For their own or his safety he doesn't know at the moment.

Because apparently the Bats did not fear fighting otherworldly beings to protect one of their own.

"What did you just say about Danny Fentons death?!" Batman grunted out and Danny just knew his adoptive father was glaring at him. Ancients Danny cursed his brain to mouth filter right now. As he had the collective hero scene before him staring at his Ghost King form. Would this be a good or bad moment to come completely clean or maybe he should find some kind of philosophical bullshit of 'All things death belong to him'....

[dp-marvel94]

Graveyard of Identities- Chapter 2

Summary:

Danny should feel lucky to be alive. After a month held captive by Vlad, barely remembering his life before, and nearly dying in his escape, he is finally safe, with friends in the Far Frozen. And yet, dread gnaws at him- a massive revelation at the edge of his consciousness, forgotten until the dead of night. It was a lie. All a lie. His past, his memories: all false. Amity Park, his friends and family: all real but… not his. The secret locks in his throat, unthinkable. He stays silent while the yetis welcome him as one of their own. But they do not know. And he can not tell them. He is not the Danny they think he is. He is not Danny at all.

Word Count: 4138

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Also on A03

Danny awoke some time later to find himself in darkness. He blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the dim. Where was he?

Square sets of drawers, a tall round stool by his bed, a metal pole with clear bags attached to it. Something beeping just behind his head… oh, right. 

He was in the medical room, in the… Far Frozen? That was what Frostbite called it just before he left, right? Danny’s stomach twisted. It felt like that was something he should have remembered.

The boy shifted slightly in the bed, starting to sit. But… he winced, pain throbbing down his limbs. His body hurt, less so than when he’d first woken up, but clearly whatever the yeti chief had given him had started to wear off. 

Ugh. And he was still tired. Maybe he could just sleep it off? For a long few minutes, he closed his eyes, trying to drift off. 

Eventually, Danny gave up with a sigh. His eyes popped open, narrowed at the ceiling. His body was tired, every inch of him dimly pained, but his brain, of course, was wide awake.

The boy huffed, vaguely annoyed. But… his stomach twisted, the feeling giving way to a familiar unease. Something… was nagging at him. Earlier, there had been something massive he was forgetting. Something more than Vlad almost killing him.

Vlad, the man who kidnapped him, who kept him captive for weeks, who hurt him repeatedly, who tried to take away his memories, his very identity…. That man had tried to kill him. But… that fact was not the thing turning his insides in knots.

Vlad had tried to kill him and now, with the initial shock passed, the knowledge that the man had not succeeded, the half ghost was not surprised. Plasmius claimed to cherish him as a son, coveted his role as mentor. But really, Vlad saw him as a prize to be won, a tool to be used, a toy to be played with. There was no love there. And at the same time… 

The older half ghost was quick to anger. He acted rashly, determined to get what he thought he was owed. And… the look of furious panic on Vlad’s face as he pressed the button and saw the ectoplasm welling… 

The man hadn’t meant to almost kill him. The revelation tasted like bile on his tongue. But Vlad had been just as shocked when he started melting. Danny chuckled, sickly amused. Served the fruitloop right. Plus, if he hadn’t all but destabilized, he wouldn’t have escaped to the Far Frozen. 

And now he was safe. The boy let out a breath, wanting to let the surety settle him. Now he was with friends. He was safe, taken care of. He was still alive, still half human. He would recover. His body would heal and he would be able to go home. He would be able to finally see his parents, sister, and friends. 

The knowledge should have been comforting. It should warm his heart, ease the burden off his shoulders…. So why did it feel like a block of lead ice lodged in his stomach? 

That hazy shape of something un-remembered. The gaping holes in his memory… what was it? 

His mind replayed the past in moments. Lying in his too empty room. Vlad’s harsh ‘training regiments’ and evasive answers. Piecing together his memories in the books in the library, the plants in the garden, the picture on Vlad’s desk. He’d found the lab and-

His own face, covered in an oxygen mask.

Danny recoiled with the shock. How… how had he forgotten?! His clone! Vlad had cloned him again. He’d discovered that from the man’s computer files. He’d remembered Vlad locking him in a box, his wicked grin, electricity forcing him to change. Vlad had cloned him again. And…

Danny had gone back for the boy. That was why he’d been in the lab, why Vlad had caught him. He’d gone back to free his double, to take the other half ghost home with him. 

He remembered. His arm around his clone, a confused voice babbling his name, telling the other boy to hide while he confronted Vlad, and…

The older halfa… hadn’t been enraged but smug, sickly amused. “I suspected this morning that you had discovered something incriminating but I never suspected this fabrication.”

Back in his bed, Danny’s insides turned to ice. His own words echoed in his mind. “I’m not stupid! I know what’s going on.”

And Vlad’s hateful reply. “And yet you still think you’re real.”

Not real…

The idea tickled at his brain, darkly insidious, but… “No. No. That can't…”

“Come now. You must at least suspect by now that something is wrong with your memories.”

His memories… the gaps burned, ragged holes in his mind. Vlad had done something… something to him.

“It is unfortunate really. It appears I did too good of a job on you. I managed to embed those obnoxious memories of ‘your friends and family’ very deeply…”

“No.” Danny shook, the feeling of revulsion rippling over him. Violation, his very mind ravaged But… so much worse than that.

 “...but failed to erase them completely.” Vlad tsked. “There’s always next time.”

He felt sick. That dark possessiveness, Vlad using him, changing him so casually…. 

“You still don’t understand, stupid boy.” No, that wasn’t it. Dread wrecked his chest, breathe beginning to quicken. The man hadn’t just desecrated his mind. He’d… “Your ‘memories’ are just copies, belonging to someone else. They are not real.” 

Deeper, down to his very core, his very self. “You are not real.”

“No. That’s not.. That’s not true.” The boy furiously shook his head, his pounding heart in his throat. “That’s not true. I’m… I’m real.” 

Panic bloomed.

Vlad’s grip tightening oppressively. Biting back a scream. The crack of his wrist fracturing. 

“Please. I..I just want to go home.”

“No. No. No.” Hands seized his head, balling in his hair.

“You don’t have a home” Vlad’s wicked smile.  “I made you, in this lab.”

That… that wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. But… 

“You. Are. A. Clone!” Every word punctuated by a kick to the abdomen. 

Clone. The hateful word echoed in his mind.

But… locked in the glass and metal chamber, laying in a puddle of green, his limbs turning to ectoplasm.

“No. I’m… I’m not…” He panted, tears starting to fall. “That’s… a dream. A bad dream. I’m… I’m real. I’m me. I’m… I’m…” The name he’d clung to, that was his. Not Daniel, never Daniel. “I’m… I’m Danny.”

The image hit like scalding water, like an ectoblast to the head.

Dragging himself forward with one weak arm.Then freezing at a quiet whine. His head jerked up and eyes met.

“No.” The word was the sound of a car crash, of a world consumed in fire.

Eyes, familiar icy blue eyes, held a serious expression. A thousand emotions and… they were so familiar.

Back in the room, the boy cried. Weak limbs curled to his chest, his body shook.

Fear, guilt, pity behind those familiar eyes. Like he knew the color of his own eyes, the creases of his own palm… He knew that expression. He… he knew the boy behind those eyes. 

“Vlad was… was right.” The man who… who made him was right. “I’m… I’m a...” A clone, he was a clone. He hiccuped, tears blinding his vision. “I’m… I’m not..” His voice couldn’t say it: the name that was his, was supposed to be his. “No, I’m… I’m still…” The person he had to be, the only person he could be. “I’m… I’m still Danny.”

But… the memories were fake, imperfect copies. They weren’t really real.

Vlad’s voice yelled in his head. “You’ve wanted a home and a family so badly you bought your own lie.”

The sob choked. His rocking, a futile attempt at self-soothing, froze.

“No… they’re real. My… my parents, my friends. Ja… Jazz.” A desperate echo of his argument in the lab. “They’re… they’re real. I… Amity Park. I..I belong with… with them.”

“They are real.” Vlad’s words punctuated his mind. “But they. Are. Not. Yours.” 

Something in him died. 

The boy crumpled, curled on his side. He rocked, arms wrapped around his front, knees pulled to his chest. Darkness deepened, impossibly heavy and oppressive. The outside world dissolved, drowned by this… this crushing feeling.

He whimpered. He babbled. He sobbed. He screamed, everything lost in wordless grief. 

He was alone. Totally, terribly alone. He had nothing, no one. He was nothing. He was no one. It was over. Everything was over and… 

Alone in that bed, the tears streamed for minutes, hours, years. And for no time at all.

“Shh. Shh. Danny, you are safe….” 

The flicker of light, soft and white. Furry white arms reached and enclosed. A rumbling, consoling voice. Lifted so easily, like he weighed nothing, he was pulled to a broad chest. 

Just like his dad’s. 

The thought just made the boy cry harder. His mind filled with neon orange, the memory of strong arms… 

“It is alright. You are safe, little one.”

Little one… a pet name. Like his Mom’s sweeties.

“I…I want my Mom.” The words choked out. “I want my Dad.”

Except they weren’t his parents. Maddie and Jack weren’t his mom and dad. He’d never even met them. They’d never held him as a baby. He’d never even been a baby.

“They’re… they’re gone.” He felt it slip, the solidity, the surety. All the memories he’d been clinging to during those lonely nights at Vlad’s. Those pillars holding up his identity, his very self crumbled. Those last vestiges of hope….

Jazz’s smile. Dad’s hugs. Mom’s forehead kisses. Tucker’s best bros fist bump. Sam’s laugh.

“My… my family. My friends, they’re…” Real, too real. But never, never his. “They’re gone. It’s… it’s all gone.”

The hand stroking his back paused but the boy barely registered.

The Nasty Burger, the park, the arcade, Casper High. “Amity Park….” His voice sobbed, breath short. “I can’t go home. I can never… never go ho… home.”

He had no home. He’d never had one. Just Vlad’s mansion, the tube he’d been grown in.

“My… my family. My home. I don’t… I don’t have…” He shook, teary face pressed into the furred chest. “It’s…all gone. I have no.. nothing. I’m… I’m alone. I’m…”

“You are not.” The forcefully certain voice wrenched the boy’s awareness back. Finally registering the arms around him, he looked up and tearfully met the yeti’s gaze. It was Frostbite, eyes determinedly narrowed, then softening. “You are not alone.”

“No, you don’t understand.” The boy vigorously shook his head. “You don’t-”

Danny cut himself off, a huge yeti paw raising to cradle his cheek. “You are not alone. All that I and my people have is yours, not just as your allies.” A finger wiped a tear from his cheek. 

“I..” The boy’s stomach flopped, queasily confused. “What are you..”

“I am sorry, Danny.” At the name, his heart throbbed and ached in equal part. The arms around him tightened, drawn back into the hug. “I know my words fall vastly short in comforting you in your loss.”

“My… loss.” The word came out shaky and numb, confusion curling an icy suspicion.

“To lose one’s home, one’s loved ones is… heavy beyond belief.” A huge paw cradled the back of his head. “Anything I offer is insufficient but offer I do, not as an ally or devotee of the Great One, but as one who cares for you.”

His voice locked up. Frostbite thought… he thought his friends and family were dead, Amity Park destroyed. 

“Great One?” The yeti questioned, gently pulling back. 

“I…” His heart pounded in his ears. “What do you mean?” The question came out quiet and shaky.

The yeti’s brow furrowed, mulling over the words. Then… “Perhaps it is too soon, but I care for you so I must offer: the Far Frozen as your home, if you will have it, and we as your people.” Frostbite lowered his head, ears back and voice somehow growing even more tender. “I would welcome you into my home, as I would my own cub.”

The boy’s face paled. The offer should have been comforting but… the horrifying ugly truth hung. Terror. Mouth dry, it stabbed at his heart, the fear of discovery.

“You need not agree just yet.” Frostbite must have seen the panic on his face. He smiled gently. “But know that you are not alone. The Far Frozen will always welcome you.”

“O… okay.” The word stumbled out, more impulse than decision. “I… thank you. I don’t know what I’ll do but…” He looked down, hands wrung nervously. “I guess I’ll stay.”

The yeti let out a sigh. It almost sounded relieved. “Yes, good.” 

Silence fell, a long awkward pause. The boy’s stomach churned all the while, guilt and fear flushing his skin.

When Frostbite spoke, the worry was audible in his voice. “Forgive me. In my eagerness to help, I believe I overstepped. You are welcome here, in whatever capacity you wish. And if you wish to speak about your loved ones’-”

“Can I get something to eat?” The boy interrupted. 

He… couldn’t listen to this, couldn’t look Frostbite in the face. Not with….

“Yes. Of course.” The yeti stood, as calm and gracious as ever.

“I… sorry.” His insides twisted guiltily. “I’m tired. I… I just want to eat something and go back to sleep.” His shoulders fell, voice quieting. “Maybe when I wake up, this will all have been a horrible dream.” That was the truth, at least.

“There is no need to apologize.” A comforting paw on his shoulder. “I will bring food. Another dose of medication is in turn as well, I believe.”

With another worried look, the chief left. Before the boy had any time to begin panicking again,  he returned with a plate. A simple bowl of soup and sandwich laid out in front of him, a cup of various pills to the side.

The half ghost ate quietly, while Frostbite explained the medications he and the other doctor’s prescribed and their various uses. It was better than the silence of his own thoughts at least.

A few bites in, the boy pushed the food away. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

Again, wide concerned eyes fixed on him. “Is it not to your liking? I can bring different foodstuffs.”

“No. It’s… it’s fine. I’m just…” An arm wrapped around his stomach, head fixed down. “Please. Just let me sleep.”

For a moment, Frostbite looked like he would argue. Then, shoulders falling, he stood. “Very well. A nurse will return in a few hours to check on you.” He motioned to a button on the arm of his bed. “Press this to call the nurses for assistance. Do not hesitate should you need anything.”

With one last sad look, the chief left. And the clone boy was alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The half ghost did not sleep. His stomach churned queasily, a dozen emotions raging. 

Frostbite’s soft, worried eyes. Sturdy arms embracing him. The yeti’s words rang in his head. I would welcome you into my home, as I would my own cub. And the boy felt sick.

The offer… it was based on false assumption, a double lie. His friends and family weren’t gone. His home was not destroyed. They were never his in the first place. And that was even worse.

His core throbbed painfully. He wasn’t Frostbite’s ‘Great One.’ He had no idea what the title even meant. He’d never been here before. He knew nothing of their history, how this allyship started, how the yeti chief could come to care for him…. for the real Danny so much.

He winced, icy guilt plunging through his insides. He should tell Frostbite right now. It would be easy, just press the button to call the nurse and ask for the chief. He should call him and tell him the truth, but…. 

His body trembled, a stab of fear. Tell him what? He… he wasn’t really Danny. He was a fake. An imposter. 

He imagined it. The betrayal on Frostbite’s face, the distrust. It hurt. His heart twisted painfully at the thought. But he’d lied. He’d lied from the start. Everything about him was a lie. He would deserve that anger, that mistrust, wouldn’t he? He was nothing, just… a clone with fake memories. 

His throat felt thick, tears welling. A clone with nothing. This felt worse than the thought of his family and friends just being dead. Then, there would be a life to mourn but…

He shivered with revulsion. None of it was even real. The wisps of memory, the dreams, the emotions, they weren’t his. But….

They felt real. The sob bubbled up and he covered his mouth. The first uncovered memory came unbidden to his mind.

Bright light, blue-green ocean, white sand. Someone, no, two people are holding his hands. He looks up. The man in orange is on his left and he's laughing. The woman with the red-brown hair is on his right. She smiles. The two are gently swinging the boy, as they walk towards the water.

The first day he’d woken up, he’d seen the picture of Vlad and the man and woman in his captor’s office, and… the memory bloomed. Distant and fuzzy, but real, so real. 

And that night after, writing his thoughts on his bed, putting together the pieces. Another memory had arisen: getting ready for the school dance, the woman fixing his tie, the man proudly patting him on the back. 

He’d seen himself in the couples’ faces. The man’s blue eyes and black hair, the woman’s slender build. And his eyes had watered with joy. Those were his parents.

That joy was real. Those feelings every unearthed clue brought. Excitement playing video games with Sam and Tucker. Sweet comfort as Jazz held his hand and whispered his name. Even the terror of the portal accident. Everything he felt was real. 

And… didn’t that count for something?

Shakily, he brought his palm up to his face, staring at the familiar lines. His twice new hands. Everything was new, made first in Vlad’s lab some months ago, and then remade in the nebula. But wasn’t it his mind that mattered? 

If he remembered loving his parents, sister, and friends. If he missed them right now… wasn’t that real enough?

Maybe… it wasn’t over yet. The boy lifted his head, daring to hope.

If he looked at his human face, he’d still have his father’s eyes. Jack and Maddie’s blood still ran through his veins. He was still their son, still Jazz’s brother.

He could still recover and find his way to Amity Park. His heart ached, wide misty eyes far away. And he could see it. Standing at the front door of Fentonworks, a tentative knock. The door would open and Maddie Fenton’s face would peer through, her brow at first wrinkled in confusion. 

Then… her eyes would widen, surprised, overjoyed. The boy imagined her embrace, calling for Jack and Jazz. Exclaims of relief. His friends would hurry over, joining the hug. He’d… he’d finally be home.

And then what? His hope crashed, reality again hitting. 

What would he do then? Throw himself at the real Danny’s mercy and… beg that he tell their parents his secret? His stomach turned at the idea. He himself had decided to do that while at Vlad’s, to go home and tell his parents all of his secrets, including about his “clone”. But would his counterpart? What if he refused to tell?

And what if he did tell them? The clone’s nose wrinkled, a dark bitterness pricking his heart. Sharing his family, his friends with someone who had his face. Who talked like him, thought like him, acted like him. 

Sharing his room, or being relegated to the guest room. The image had his stomach in knots, sick with envy. Someone else wearing his clothes, reading his books, sleeping in his bed. All the while he slept in another impersonal, empty room. Out of place, a stranger in his own house.

What else was he supposed to do? The anger roiled, nails driven into his palm.There were two of them now, another Danny in his home with his family. And the boy simply did not measure up. He barely knew what powers he had, let alone how to use them. Meanwhile, his counterpart had fought Vlad to a standstill at least. 

He remembered the crashing of metal crumpling, the shatter of glass, arctic cold. All while he wept on the floor, his body literally falling apart. The jealousy rose, a sour taste on his tongue. Why couldn’t that have been him? He’d lived in fear for weeks, walking on eggshells and terrified of sending Vlad into a rage. In an actual fight, he’d had no chance. But his counterpart had beaten the man so easily.

None of this was fair! His muscles tensed, shaking. This was not how things were supposed to go! He was supposed to go home and reunite with his friends and family. He’d tell his parents about Phantom and they’d stop hunting him. Maybe they’d even help with all the ghosts. His friends and sister would help him with the amnesia, with the gaps in his memory. He would heal and Vlad’s mansion would grow into a distant nightmare. 

But he’d gone down to the stupid lab. He’d found the chamber, found his counterpart, and just had to be selfless. He'd risked his safety, his chance to escape going back for the other boy. And for what?

He… he should have just left him there. The thought lashed out, dark and hissing. He should have just driven away, just worried about himself. If he’d just left well enough alone, if he’d just taken his chance, then… then he’d be at home now. He’d have his friends and family, his home. 

His insides wouldn’t feel like they were shaking apart, the awful truth eating him from the inside. He wouldn’t be alone, with nothing. He wouldn’t have to fight for His family, His home. 

“It’s not fair.” The rage built, darkly possessive. And he lashed out with a fist. 

It impacted the side of the bed with a sickening crack. The sidebar crumpled. It fell off the bed, crashing onto the floor.

The boy froze, icy horror evaporating his anger. A shaking hand raised, sparks dancing between the digits. He forced the electricity to dissipate, his breath to slow. When had he started panting? 

Trembling hands planted in his lap. What was…. What was that? Disgust roiled in his gut. What was he thinking? Wishing he’d left the real Danny behind, that he needed to fight him for his place in Amity Park? The boy shook his head, as if he could wipe the thoughts away. That was… was some evil clone thinking. And he might be a clone…was a clone but… but he wasn’t going to be an evil one.

The boy breathed. In. Out. No, no, he couldn’t go home for now but… maybe he could figure something else out, once he’d had some time to deal with everything. Despite the dark thoughts… his home sickness still felt real. He still wanted Amity Park as his home, Jack and Maddie as his parents. Maybe they could figure out a place for him. But for now…

His eyes flitted to the door, ears twitching for sound. No rumbling yeti voices, no rush of pounding feet. His gaze swiveled to the broken side-bar and he winced. It was a miracle no one had come running yet. 

That was better at least. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to explain why he’d been angry enough to… to…

He sighed. He would have to explain it at some point though. And… he winced, stomach twisting guiltily. Frostbite still thought his loved ones were dead. The yeti would want him to talk about what happened. If his story had been the truth, talking through his pain would have been the wisest choice. But his real secret….

The boy swallowed, biting at his lip. He had pretended to be the real Danny. Anxiety twisted his insides. Fear of rejection, a bitter clawing desperation. No, not the real Danny. The… the other Danny. 

His emotions were real, even if the memories weren’t. He was still Jack and Maddie’s son. He wouldn’t… he couldn’t give up everything he’d fought for, everything he’d learned, his very identity.

His… his name could still be Danny. People had the same name all the time. He could still be Danny. He… he was still Danny, just…. a different one than Frostbite thought.

And that was it. Danny leaned back in his bed, eyes drifting to the ceiling. He was still Danny, even if… different now. Still, water misted in his eyes, even as his lips pressed closed. The secret buried deeper and deeper, digging into his heart. 

He was still Danny. He had to be.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXXIV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: I’m really anxious about this one -Danny

Words: 4,934

Series’ Masterlist

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Sickness.

"You're right," Erick sat on the couch next to her. "Emily and Sirius are undeniably together."

"But they're hiding something," Mel pointed with the rubber wand she was holding. "Every time I hint I want to know more about their relationship, they panic—"

"So that's where you learned it from?" Fred smirked.

Mel slapped the back of his head and he moved away from between her knees, facing his brother from the other side of the rug instead.

Things had gone swiftly after Erick's rescue. Sirius was in a jolly mood on the daily, surrounded by good company and decorating the house with everyone's help. Mel would spend most of her days with the twins and Flint, who surprisingly seemed to have taken a liking to Fred and George, or maybe it was that Ron and Harry kept on treating him like he was Malfoy's long lost cousin.

Erick's attitude towards her did change a bit after the first night. She'd expected him to keep on teasing her and acting as if she were a little girl. However, he would follow her around the house like a very polite shadow, and he was usually eager to be of use for her.

Maybe it was his way of showing how grateful he was about being there, and Mel could tell the twins wanted to tease him, but given the recent misfortune the boy had gone through they were keeping everything to themselves.

Either way, after a few awkward mornings in which Mel had attempted to catch her mother and Sirius off guard only to get really vague answers or watch them walk away from the conversation, she decided to involve the boys. After all, if there was a group of people who were experts at finding out secrets, it was this trio.

"You know," Erick sighed as he picked up a book he'd been reading, "maybe you should tell them you're okay with it and let them do the rest of the talking if they want..."

"They already know I'm okay with it," Mel huffed. "I don't know why are they acting so weird now, it's like they think I'll murder them if I catch them snogging..."

"Maybe you should tell them you and Fred are dating," The Slytherin replied with a smirk. "See if you get a reaction out of them."

"You know what, maybe I will," Mel said resolutely. "I'll do it right now, while everyone's scattered around the house..."

"I was joking," Erick's smile evaporated and he added in a whisper. "Don't do that! You're not even dating for real!"

"Well no, but no one apart from you knows that!" She replied quietly. "It might catch them off guard..."

"I'll never understand why you take his advice right away but when it's me you refuse to listen," Fred grumbled.

"Because your advice is always to 'let things be' or 'maybe a few kisses will make you forget it'," Mel frowned. "Your advice sucks."

"You didn't think I was so terrible the other nigh—"

"I swear on my Grandad's grave," Erick warned him. "If you finish that sentence I'll leave George twinless."

"Sorry," Fred turned back to his game of exploding snap, "forgot we have to watch our mouth now that you're around, grandpa..."

Erick threw a cushion at Fred, but he was looking livelier than ever before. From time to time, he would loosen up and act like an actual teenager, which looked quite nice on him. Mel could feel him healing , and the best part was that she could feel herself healing too.

She knew everyone was keeping Harry at a proper distance from her as well, her friends had listened to their argument, but the funny thing was that if anyone would've tried to ask her about Harry now, she would've answered with no hesitation.

Telling Erick was liberating, especially after her last fight with Harry where she realized that -unfortunate, but expected- her feelings for him had diminished to the point where they were nothing but a memory.

She didn't hate him anymore, didn't resent him either. That helped both of them coexist in the same house without imploding. Harry was treating her like a real person and not a damsel he needed to save, and Mel was finally able to talk to him without being afraid of hurting his feelings. She could be honest because she didn't have anything to lose by doing so.

Mel walked through the house when she heard Sirius arguing with her mother in the kitchen. Curious to know what was the fight about, Mel sneaked in as silently as she could, and she hid behind the railing so the adults couldn't see her in the dim light.

"I'm telling you it's nothing!" Emily was saying. "It's normal, the first few months the nausea is always like that, you're losing your mind over nonsense!"

Mel's stomach dropped. Nausea?

"It's been a hard couple of weeks," Sirius replied, "I shouldn't have let you leave the house after Fred and George said they'd go get Erick, you're in no condition—"

"I will ask you," Emily said impatiently, "to stop talking about me like I'm dying. Don't be ridiculous, I've gone through it before, I know my limits!"

Her mum! It was her mum the one who was sick!

It was enough they'd hidden her uncle's sickness from her all those years ago, it was not going to happen again.

"What's wrong with my mum?"

Sirius and Emily stopped their bickering, both adults turning to see the girl with wide eyes.

"Mel..."  

"Nothing's wrong with your mum, little Em," Sirius was quick to reply. "We were just... we were..."

"Don't lie to me," Mel frowned. "I heard you, you said my mum was sick..."

"No, love, you misunderstood–"

"We were talking about your mother's morning sickness," Sirius said pointedly.

Emily hit the man's arm, but Mel didn't react.

"What's that?"

Sirius looked positively confused.

"What do you... you don't know?" He looked at the woman next to him and whispered something. Emily turned bright red.

"Of course she knows how babies are born, Sirius!"

"Then why is she—"

"Because we never went into those specific details," Emily replied. "Fine! I've avoided this conversation long enough, and you're bound to found out in the end. Sit down, Mel."

Mel obeyed.

"Well..." Her mother started. "I guess by now you're aware that Sirius and I..."

"Yes, much like everyone else in this house," Mel pushed it aside. "What does that have to do with your sickness?"

"Because my sickness," Emily's voice faltered. "My... er..."

"Morning sickness is a symptom, Mel," Sirius continued. "But it doesn't come from a disease."

Mel's frown deepened. "What is it, then?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" The girl blinked. "How— Are you sure?"

"Yes," Sirius scratched the back of his head. "For the last two months..."

"TWO MONTHS?" Mel stood up, her hands going up to cover her mouth. The rest of the sentence came out muffled. "You've been pregnant for two months?!"

"Don't be vexed," Emily winced. "I tried to send a letter, but it felt like such a cold way to let you know... then you came home but trouble just kept coming..."

"That's the reason you were fighting when we arrived!" Mel said in realization. "You didn't want my mum to hurt herself!"

"Which is stupid, really," Emily huffed, glaring at the man standing behind her. "I'm not that far yet, I can do stuff."

"Oh my god," Mel covered her mouth again. "The baby's yours!" She exclaimed, pointing to Sirius.

The man cackled in that barking laughter of his.

"Yeah, the baby's mine too."

Mel let out a short squeal.

"I'm going to have a sibling!"

"You're not angry?" Emily asked.

"Angry?" Mel frowned, a smile still playing on her lips. "Why would I be angry about having a family?"

"I told you she would understand, Mily," Sirius said proudly.

"I'm so happy!" Mel beamed, pulling in both adults for a hug.

"That's great," Emily chuckled nervously. "You can't tell the others though, we're waiting..."

"Waiting for what?"

"We want to give the news during Christmas," Sirius said, completely elated. "It just seems like the right moment to do it."

On Christmas morning the girl woke up to the usual pile of gifts at the foot of her bed, but for the first time, she ignored them and walked out of her room, already looking for her mother.

Fred and George stopped her at the top of the stairs and shook their heads grimly.

"Don't go in, Lady. Mum's just gotten Percy's jumper. He didn't even try to ask about dad."

"Go back to bed," George shook his head. "Trust us."

"Oh," Mel frowned. "Okay..."

She returned to her bed and grabbed the first present. It was from Lupin, a book on defense against the dark arts and another of magizoology, both with beautiful front covers and illustrations.

The second was from Hermione's, a quill that was magically fixed so its users couldn't make mistakes. Mr and Mrs Weasley gave her a new jumper -a nice cream colour with an 'M' in the middle- the first she was getting with her initial, and as she moved through the pile she realized three people were missing: Her mother, Sirius, and Harry.

The last one was not a surprise, but she wondered why her mother hadn't given her a present that year.

'Maybe the baby is my present,' she thought with excitement.

When she left her room, she ran into Erick.

"Merry Christmas!" She said happily.

"Merry Christmas," He yawned. "Hey... can you believe I got presents?"

"Well, yeah," Mel grinned. "What were you expecting?"

"Joseph and Gran were the only ones to give me things apart from my family," He said, still a bit unused to his situation. "But here I got presents from everyone and they don't even know me..."

"Did you like mine?" She looked down for a moment and gasped. "Is that... is that a Weasley sweater?"

Erick stared down at the emerald green fabric and smiled.

"Yeah, look," He pointed to the snake in the middle. "Slytherin themed and all... it was nice of them."

"That's so sweet," Mel beamed. "What else did you got?"

"A few sweets from Fred and George— don't worry, normal sweets, not their creations... a planner from Hermione, which I think will be very useful, if I'm honest... Lupin gave me a book on muggle history that looks really interesting— Oh, your Mum gave me this er... disk-man?"

"Discman," Mel laughed. "Those are for muggle music, I believe you'll like it a lot..."

"Hang on," Erick eyed her up, finally noticing her outfit. "Is that— wow— is that your sweater?"

"Yeah," She looked down. "Why?"

Erick's smiled widened.

"You'll love this..." He walked to the twins' room and looked inside. "Oi! Fred! Come here..."

He walked back to her with Fred beside him, when Mel noticed his sweater, she gasped.

"No!"

Fred's jumper was cream-coloured as well, with an F in the middle.

"What colour does George have?" Mel asked in worry.

"Blue," Fred made a face. "Oh no..."

"Did you tell your mother?" She asked hurriedly. "Frederick, did you tell your—?"

"Of course not!"

"It may have slipped from my mouth," George walked out of his room looking amused and just a little guilty. "I didn't think she would do something like this, though... I asked her not to tell..."

"Bloody brilliant," Mel groaned, flushed and embarrassed.

"Well, this surely will be a surprise for your mother," Erick said casually, walking towards the stairs. "Let's go have breakfast..."

After lunch, the kids, Moody, Mrs Weasley, Emily, and Lupin got ready to visit Mr Weasley back in St. Mungo's. Erick joined, he was eager to see what kind of things the healers had to deal with on the daily.

As they left Sirius with Tonks, Mel realized it'd been a while since she'd seen Kreacher. Actually, she hadn't seen him since the first day of their break. When she mentioned this to the girls, Ginny's expression darkened.

"We said the same to Sirius. You know how he told Kreacher 'out' when we arrived, and we didn't see him afterwards... well, Sirius doesn't mind, but we think that maybe..."

"Maybe he went out-out?" Mel glared. "I mean... he could if he wanted to..."

"That's what Harry said," Hermione sighed. "But maybe Sirius is right and Kreacher is just hidden somewhere in the house, with all the noise he's probably disoriented..."

Mel pushed away the uneasy feeling as soon as they got to the hospital. There were a few people there looking angry, apparently victims of some nasty family arguments. Erick stared at the poor witch in front of them and drowned a chuckle.

"I would love to stick a walnut up my father's—"

"You're going to love our dad, Erick!" George tackled him and pulled him in for a rough hug. Even though they were roughly the same height, Erick was thinner and easier to move around than the twins. "He's crazy about muggles!"

"I'm not crazy about muggles," Erick protested. "I just find them interesting..."

"Same thing," Fred put an arm around her shoulders. "You'll love what dad's got to say about that Discman you got..."

"Watch your hands, boy," Emily warned him as she walked past. "You better keep them where I can see..."

"Mum!"

"Don't worry,  Em, you know I'm a proper gentleman," Fred grinned, pulling Mel closer. "At least in public I am— Ouch!"

"Don't be a pig, Weasley..." Erick replied walking away so Fred couldn't hit him back.

When they arrived at Mr Weasley's room, he was looking livelier and was finally gaining colour. He was propped up on the pillow and received Erick like he'd known him for years. Mel suspected that Mrs Weasley had told him about Erick's liking for the muggle world since he was incredibly eager to start talking about it.

Once Erick's interrogation was finally over -the poor boy was extremely anxious about all the attention he was getting from the Weasleys- Mr Weasley finally addressed his wife.

"You — er — haven't seen Healer Smethwyck, have you?"

"No," said Mrs Weasley dubiously, "why?"

"Nothing, nothing... Well, everyone had a good day? What did you all get for Christmas? Oh, Harry — this is absolutely wonderful —"

Harry had given the man fuse-wire and screwdrivers. When the man leaned over to shake his hand, Mrs Weasley tensed.

"Arthur— you've had your bandages changed. Why have you had your bandages changed a day early, Arthur? They told me they wouldn't need doing until tomorrow."

"What? No, no — it's nothing — it's — I — Well — now don't get upset, Molly, but Augustus Pye had an idea... He's the Trainee Healer, you know, lovely young chap and very interested in... um... complementary medicine... I mean, some of these old Muggle remedies... well, they're called stitches, Molly, and they work very well on — on Muggle wounds —"

Mel covered her mouth to hide her smirk.

"Oh, Merlin..."

"What?" Ginny looked at her. "What are stitches?"

In the brief second that passed, Lupin managed to move away towards the werewolf's bed, who clearly wasn't having a good day. Bill got up and mumbled something about tea, the twins quickly followed, both with the same knowing grins.

"Do you mean to tell me," Mrs Weasley spoke before they had the chance to run away, "that you have been messing about with Muggle remedies?"

"Not messing about, Molly, dear... It was just — just something Pye and I thought we'd try — only, most unfortunately — well, with these particular kinds of wounds — it doesn't seem to work as well as we'd hoped —"

"Meaning?"

"Well... well, I don't know whether you know what — what stitches are?"

"It sounds as though you've been trying to sew your skin back together," Mrs Weasley said tensely, then let out a rough laugh, "but even you, Arthur, wouldn't be that stupid —"

"I fancy a cup of tea too," Harry stood up abruptly.

The remaining group of teenagers all followed him, by the time they reached the door, Mrs Weasley was screaming:

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?"

"Typical Dad," said Ginny. "Stitches... I ask you..."

"Well, you know, they do work well on non-magical wounds," said Hermione. "I suppose something in that snake's venom dissolves them or something... I wonder where the tearoom is?"

"Fifth floor," said Harry.

"You mean to tell me," Erick was horrorstruck. "That muggles sew their skin back together?"

"Sometimes," Mel smiled. "Tough people those muggles, aren't they?"

"That's... that's barbaric," He winced. "Merlin..."

"Don't be so whiny," Ron rolled his eyes. "It's not a big deal, is it, guys?"

"Not really," Harry shrugged. "Muggles get stitches all the time. They don't sew the skin just like that, they give you anesthetics so you don't feel pain while they do it..."

They kept talking about muggles remedies until they reached a hall with several portraits trying to diagnose them with oddly specific diseases. They got distracted by one particular stubborn healer that kept insisting Ron had a bad case of spattergroit.

"And what's that supposed to be?" Ron asked in outrage as the healer ran through the portraits to keep up with them.

" 'Tis a most grievous affliction of the skin, young master, that will leave you pockmarked and more gruesome even than you are now —"

"Watch who you're calling gruesome!"

"The only remedy is to take the liver of a toad, bind it tight about your throat, stand naked by the full moon in a barrel of eels' eyes —"

Mel burst into laughter.

"I have not got spattergroit!"

"But the unsightly blemishes upon your visage, young master —"

"They're freckles! Now get back in your own picture and leave me alone!"

Ron turned to look at the others, who were doing a great job keeping straight faces. Mel was failing remarkably though, she kept laughing until they reached the next floor, at this point Ron wasn't even acknowledging her existence.

"What floor's this?"

"I think it's the fifth," said Hermione.

"Nah, it's the fourth," said Harry, "one more —"

He stopped, his eyes fixed on the door ahead of them. Mel looked ahead curiously, the door had a small window and a man was standing there, staring back. Hermione gasped behind her.

"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh my goodness, Professor Lockhart!" Hermione pointed out.

"Don't think he's much of a Professor now," Mel murmured with amusement.

"Well, hello there!" Lockhart walked out of the room. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?"

Harry muttered something to Ginny that caused her to laugh, Mel was divided between annoyance at the sight of the man and slight pity. He wasn't as tall as she remembered him, but she'd grown a bit the last three years, so it was understandable.

"Er — how are you, Professor?" said Ron.

"I'm very well indeed, thank you!" said Lockhart, pulling an old peacock-feather quill from his pocket. "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!"

"Brilliant," Mel said, trying not to giggle.

"Er — we don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron.

"Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?" Harry questioned.

"I insist, I don't think we should call him professor," Mel said.

The man looked at Mel intently, his smiled fading a bit, then he stared at Harry.

"Haven't we met?"

"Er... yeah, we have," said Harry. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?"

"That was hardly teaching," Mel grumbled, but Erick nudged her side to shut her up.

"Teach?" Lockhart blinked. "Me? Did I?"

His smile came back abruptly.

"Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I? Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends then and nobody will be left out!"

Mel opened her mouth to argue but Hermione gave her a pleading look as if saying 'give him a break', so she took pity.

"Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?" A Healer walked out of the room and realized Lockhart wasn't alone. "Oh Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?"

"We're doing autographs!" The man exclaimed. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs!"

"Listen to him," said the Healer. "He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be coming back a little bit."

Mel shivered, thinking that fewer things were worse than a fully recovered Lockhart trying to scam more people.

"Will you step this way? He's in a closed ward, you know, he must have slipped out while I was bringing in the Christmas presents, the door's usually kept locked... not that he's dangerous! But bit of a danger to himself, bless him... Doesn't know who he is, you see, wanders off and can't remember how to get back... It is nice of you to have come to see him —"

"Er, actually, we were just — er —" Ron gestured vaguely.

Something about Lockhart washed her over with nostalgia, he reminded her of a time when things were simpler, and she felt terribly sad at the confirmation that not even someone as silly as him had come out clean out of their mess. She felt guilty and looked imploringly at the group.

"Just for a bit?" Mel asked softly, following the healer inside.

"Five seconds ago you wanted to hit him and now you want to stay?" Erick frowned.

"I got... sentimental," She admitted. "Felt bad about him, what am I supposed to do?"

"You could've ignored him," Harry offered coldly. "You're getting quite good at that..."

"Let's not stay long," Ron interrupted before Mel could answer, pulling her into the ward.

"This is our long-term resident ward," The healer explained as the group walked in. "For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement... Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself, and we've seen a real improvement in Mr Bode, he seems to be regaining the power of speech very well, though he isn't speaking any language we recognize yet... Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I'll leave you all to chat..."

Lockhart immediately started to sign pictures as soon as he sat down, continuing his senseless chatter.

"You can put them in envelopes, I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail... Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly... I just wish I knew why..." He paused, his hand dropping a photo on Ginny's lap absently. Then his smile came back again. "I suspect it is simply my good looks..."

"...And look, Broderick, you've been sent a potted plant and a lovely calendar with a different fancy hippogriff for each month, they'll brighten things up, won't they?" said the Healer, bustling along to the mumbling man, setting a rather ugly plant with long, swaying tentacles on the bedside cabinet and fixing the calendar to the wall with her wand. "And — oh, Mrs Longbottom, are you leaving already?"

[...] A formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur, and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture and, trailing behind her looking thoroughly depressed — Neville.

Harry locked eyes with her, both of them froze unable to find a way to distract the others, and it was too late anyway, Ron had noticed.

"Neville! It's us, Neville!" He said excitedly. "Have you seen? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?"

"Ron, stop yelling!" Mel scolded him.

"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" Neville's grandmother asked calmly.

Neville was always quiet, but now he looked like he wanted to be swallowed by the earth.

"Ah, yes... Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you," She said, holding out a hand and shaking Harry's.

"Er — thanks," Harry replied.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize this boy," The old woman said, staring intently at Erick.

"Erick Flint," He said, tentatively reaching out to shake her hand. "I— er... I'm spending Christmas with the Weasleys."

"Flint, huh?" The woman said, her eyes narrowing a little. "Yes, I see that... I'm sorry about Eliot, he was a fine man."

"He was," Erick nodded, awkwardly glancing at Neville.

Neville was too embarrassed to even notice him.

"And you two are clearly Weasleys," Mrs Longbottom said appreciatively. "Yes, I know your parents — not well, of course — but fine people, fine people... and you must be Hermione Granger? Yes, Neville's told me all about you..."

Her eyes landed on Mel and she smiled.

"Most delighted to meet you, Miss Dumbledore," She shook her hand firmly. "Yes, I would recognize that gaze anywhere... have you been told that before? I'm sure you have... that sharp mind of yours, I'm sure it never misses a thing."

Mel smiled tightly, not knowing how to reply.

"You and Miss Granger have helped my grandson out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy, but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say..."

"What? Is that your dad down the end, Neville?" Ron asked in shock.

"What's this?" The woman asked sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?"

Neville stared up at the ceiling and shook his head a bit. Mel felt something pressing on her chest, but she still couldn't find the words. She realized that whenever she needed it the most her voice would simply vanish.

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" Mrs Longbottom exclaimed. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"

"I'm not ashamed," said Neville quietly.

Ron was trying to look closer towards Neville's parents, but Mel pulled him down roughly.

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it! My son and his wife," Mrs Longbottom turned to explain, "were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers."

Hermione and Ginny covered their mouths in shock. Ron paled and Erick went terribly stiff next to her. Harry and Mel were doing their best to control the situation.

"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community," Mrs Longbottom stared at her. "Your father was a good friend of them, dear girl. Matthew was a fine man. Highly gifted, the three of them. And are you ashamed of your father, girl?"

The question took Mel by surprise.

"No, of course I'm not."

"See, Neville?" Mrs Longbottom said harshly, Mel wished she could've asked the woman not to use her against him. "I — yes, Alice dear, what is it?"

Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face Harry had seen in Moody's old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix. Her face was thin and worn now, her eyes seemed overlarge, and her hair, which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.

"Again?" said Mrs Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is..."

But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder.

"Thanks Mum," Neville muttered.

Mel looked down, feeling caged in the situation and desperately wanting to help her friend without being able to. When she looked up Neville had a hard stare on them as if ready to fight them in case they wanted to make any fun comments, but Mel knew none of them was thinking of such thing.

"Well, we'd better get back," Mrs Longbottom. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now..."

Neville, however, made sure to put the wrapper into his pocket. Once gone, her friends started to speak.

"I never knew," Hermione said with tears in her eyes.

"Nor did I," Ron was looking at the door still, his voice dry.

"Nor me," Ginny said weakly.

Erick said nothing, but he looked as affected as the rest. The group turned in time to Harry and Mel. They shared a grim look, but Mel couldn't speak, so Harry started.

"We did. Dumbledore told us but we promised we wouldn't mention it... that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."

"Bellatrix Lestrange did that? That woman Kreacher's got a photo of in his den?" Hermione asked in shock.

"I think it's time we go back," said Mel, tightly holding onto Ron's arm. "The rest must be looking for us..."

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world​ @just-here-to-escape-from-reality​ @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual

[ayamari-no-goshi]

Eidolon 9 | (T)

ff.net | AO3

Fandom: Danny Phantom (DP)

Summary:  AU: What started off as the result of a simple act of rebellion ends up causing his life to spin out of control. How will young Danny cope with the results as well as a past that has a strange habit of coming back to haunt him.

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, kidnapping, and various other things

Parings: hints of Danny/Sam much later on

Notes: originally uploaded to Ff.net. Cross-posted to AO3 and tumblr

9. Shattered Impressions

"I have you now, Ghost Child."

Panic began to set in as Danny tried to rationalize the scene in front of him. A strange gun -which looked incredibly dangerous - was no more than a couple of inches away from his head. It seemed to be connected to the arm of what was best described as a very large metallic man, a robot maybe, which had a flaming green mohawk. If the situation did not look so bad, he probably would have made some sort of comment about its choice of 'hair'.

"You're puny," it told him after it used the muzzle of the gun to lift his chin, forcing him to look at its face. Danny was more than a little surprised to find its voice sounded relatively normal. There was no metallic interference. "It's hard to imagine you have the sort of power my employer thinks you do."

As he continued to nervously look the being in the eyes, he prayed for a distraction, anything that would take its attention away just long enough for him to escape from the gun's cool metal. With each passing moment, he was becoming more and more aware of how close it was to his neck. If the robot decided it was going to fire, there would be no escape.

"Interesting…" The unfamiliar voice of his captor caught his attention. Instead of focusing on him, it was now absorbed with something on its arm. A computer? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Why would a robot need a computer? Shouldn't it be able to do all its thinking, or whatever, in its head?

As if it knew he was staring, the robot turned away from its arm and gave him an evil grin. "My scanners indicate you certainly have the potential. Although my employer wants you alive, there's nothing in my contract that says I can't test your worth first." It stepped back as the gun on its arm began to whine as it raised the weapon to the level of his head. "Let the games begin!"

Until that moment in time, Danny never believed the stories of how time seemed to slow in life threatening situations. Knowing what was going to happen yet unable to turn away, he watched as a light from inside the barrel appeared. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, alerting him to the danger and yet blocking out any other noise.

The force of an impact and a face full of dirt brought him back to the fast-paced world as a blast sounded from somewhere of to the side. Confused and not entirely sure if he was still alive, he glanced around and immediately caught the glare of an incredibly angry goth girl. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she pulled him off the ground. "If you didn't notice, that thing was aiming at your head!"

Still puzzled as to how he had fallen in the first place combined with resurfacing memories of the danger, he couldn't give her an answer as she began to lead him, as fast as possible, away from the danger. Although he was vaguely aware of Tucker was running beside them and the robot-thing was somehow chasing them from the air, nothing else was registering; even the explosions occurring at a faster and faster rate behind them, causing them to stumble and trip as they ran.

…

He wasn't sure how long they had been running, nor did he know exactly where they were. Looking around, he found himself in a small, dirty, and poorly lit alleyway which suggested to him that they were now in a rougher part of town. He had heard stories about places like this, Winston loved to scare him with those stories when he was younger, and hoped that this particular one would receive no other visitors. Though it was true he would rather deal with an actual person than the flying monstrosity they had hopefully lost, neither were welcome thoughts.

He glanced at his friends who were using the moment to catch their breaths. Tucker was sprawled out on the ground, seemingly too tired to do much else. Sam on the other hand, was still standing. It was clear she was just as tired as Tucker, but her alert posture told him she was not about to let her guard down. Danny couldn't blame her. Whatever had been chasing them had the ability to kill.

Why had it come after them –him- in the first place? Didn't the robot-thingy call him a ghost? Why? Weren't ghosts the spirits of those who had passed from life and had come back for one reason or another? He wasn't dead. The dried blood on his face from his cut was his proof. Someone who was dead couldn't bleed, right? Yet, the thing, the actual ghost, which had cornered him in the cemetery, said something similar. Hadn't it said he did not belong in 'this world' and he felt the call of the 'other side'?

He shook his head as he tried to push his thoughts away. With the situation at hand, there were more important concerns that required his attention.

"Hey, are you alright?" Tucker asked, causing Danny to jump.

"Huh? Yeah…" Danny rubbed his neck in embarrassment as he glanced at his friends. "Sorry, I was just thinking… Are you guys okay?" There was no immediate answer, which worried him. There was something off in the expressions of his two friends. It almost seemed like they weren't sure who he was. "Guys… you're starting to freak me out. What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"Danny… we're your friends, right?" There was a hesitance in Tucker's voice as he spoke. If Danny didn't know any better, it almost seemed as if the other boy was carefully choosing his words.

He had a feeling he was not going to like where the conversation was heading when he cautiously replied. "Yeah… But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Are you stupid or something?" Sam yelled, causing him to flinch. Now that her anger was completely directed at him, he understood why Tucker was afraid of her. "Danny, if we really are your friends then we have a right to know what's going on, especially if we might end up in danger. Now spill it! What was that thing? What does it want with you? What are you?"

His cautious confusion began to change into anger as he returned her glare. "Is that's what's wrong? Here I thought someone might have been hurt. Look, like I told you the last time, I have no idea what's going on! I've never even seen that thing before tonight, so how was I to know it had a vendetta against me?"

His expression softened after he finished. His outburst was enough to stem his anger, allowing him to relax just enough to plop down on the ground. He allowed himself to rest his arms on his knees before he spoke again. "I don't know how else to explain this to you… All of this craziness started a few weeks ago. Now that I think about it... Everything seemed to start right around the time I met you two…:"

"So you're saying this is our fault?"

Catching the warning tone in her voice, Danny held up his hands, hoping the gesture would prevent her from attacking him. "What? No! I'm not saying that at all! It's just it seemed to be the starting point of everything. Until then, I was perfectly normal."

"Normal? We were just chased and attacked by a flying metal robot! How is that normal?" As she spoke, Sam kept moving closer to where Danny was seated, and although he tried to scoot away from her, she reached down and grabbed him by the shirt. Knowing it was not a good idea to try and fight her, he allowed her to pull him up without a struggle. Her violet eyes bore into his icy blue ones as she continued to speak, almost daring him to do say something that would put her even further over the edge. "I don't know what's going on in your little world, Danny, but it's certainly anything but normal. Here we don't periodically fall through solid objects. Here we don't get chased by flying robots! Here people get exhausted when they are forced to run for their lives for fifteen minutes. Here we don't have people whose blood is two entirely different colors. Here…"

Danny pulled away as he cut her off. "Whoa, back up a minute. Different color blood? Where did that come from?"

"You're serious?" An incredulous expression crossed Sam's face.

"Yes, I'm serious."

"Sam, I'll take care of it," Tucker's voice was soft as he placed a hand cautiously on her shoulder. Although it was clear she was not done with her rant, Sam relented. Giving himself a moment to compose himself, Tucker sighed and adjusted his beret before he looked back over at Danny.

"Sam and I noticed it after we ran out of the park after the initial attack," Tucker told him as he warily locked eyes with him. "You had a cut above your eye, and at first I thought grass had gotten stuck to your face due to the blood and because you fell, but I realized that just didn't seem right. The green stuff was an unnatural color and seemed to be dripping down along with the regular blood. I'm surprised you didn't notice it."

Feeling uneasy, Danny reached up to touch the, thankfully, closed wound. He had thought those types of head injuries were supposed to bleed a lot… Maybe he hadn't been injured as badly as he initially thought. But, he still needed to test what his friends had said. Taking care to not completely reopen the cut, he carefully rubbed the fresh scab until he felt a trickle start to run down his face.

When he pulled his hand away, he was mortified by what it revealed. Blood is supposed to be a red so vivid that few natural colors can match it. There should not be any other color seen until it starts to dry, especially not a toxic, glowing green.

What was this stuff? It seemed to have the same consistency as his natural blood, but what would make it that color? Nothing came to mind as he watched the multi-colored liquid begin to mix into an ugly brown as it began to dry. Concerned, he used the back of his hand to wipe the injury above his eye, and once again, he pulled it back to find the same odd mix of colors.

He tried to say something as he frantically tried to get the foreign substance off his hand, but nothing intelligent came. The green stuff hadn't been there the previous week; he had fallen and scraped his knee pretty badly. He would have noticed a weird green tinge… so what changed? What was happening to him?

"So… I take this as an 'I didn't know'," Tucker stated as he watched Danny fall back to the ground as he continued to stare at his hand.

"I-I don't understand…" Danny's voice was nothing but a horrified whisper. "What am I turning into…?"

xxxxxx

"Sam, I don't think you can argue with that…" Tucker told her as the two of them watched their friend begin to shake as he wrapped his arms around himself, perhaps to give himself some sort of comfort. "You can't fake that kind of fear…"

"Oh, and you're suddenly the expert on that?" Sam snapped at him as she continued to watch the boy on the ground. Nothing about this made any sense, and it hadn't even since she had seen him get his leg stuck in the floor of his house. Whatever was happening to the boy was not possible, and the possibilities of the impossible were scaring her. Usually she was fine with the dark and morbid fantasies that frequented her mind, but they were far less appealing when they applied to the possible monster she had thought was her friend.

Momentary confusion caused her to glance over at Tucker as an unusual thought came to the forefront of her mind. "You know, you seem surprisingly okay with this," she told him carefully while watching his expression. "I would have thought you would have run screaming and not looked back a while ago…"

"Really? And here I would think that you'd be handling this sort of weirdness better than me. I mean, it is sort of your thing," he replied with a smirk. Although Sam was somewhat put off by it, she had to agree with him. Tucker's expression once again became serious as he looked back at Danny who had not moved. "I don't know what's going on… and you have no idea how badly that metal thing scared me earlier, but I don't think how I feel can even compare to how Danny does. And, even though I might regret this, I'm going to stick with him."

"But…"

"Sam, he's your friend too," Tucker interrupted as an uncharacteristic note of anger colored his voice. "I think your problem is you don't want to admit you're also scared."

She was going to argue back when she realized he was absolutely right. She was afraid, and if there was one think she couldn't stand above all else was her being afraid. Danny had never hurt her, and his expression had clearly told her every time he had denied having any information about the strange happening he was not lying. She had just wanted to pin the blame on him since there was no other outlet.

Not wanting to admit she was at fault, she slowly moved towards Danny and cautiously placed her hand on his shoulder. He jumped as he looked up at her. His eyes, that strange and unique crystal blue, briefly showed her the chaos and terror lurking beneath the surface before he seemed to regain himself. "Come on," she told him softly as she offered to help him up. "We need to head back to my house… My parents might have noticed we're gone." Danny did little more than nod as he accepted her hand.

"Do you really think it's safe? What if that thing is still around and follows us back?" Tucker asked her as he pulled out his PDA. She was actually surprised it had taken him so long to do so; usually he couldn't last a minute without it.

She gave him a troubled look. "Do you have any better ideas? We can't stay out here."

"Point taken… Well… according to my PDA, we've got a while to go before we can get back. All that running we did really got us off track…"

"Alright, we better hurry then. The faster we get back, the better."

"As long as we don't run, that's all fine and dandy." Sam sent a glare at Tucker, which he countered with mock version of his own. "What? We ran all the way here from the park, and unless we end up in mortal danger on the way back, there's no way I'm running again."

"Big baby."

"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be as athletic as you."

"You could be if you ate something else other than meat all the time."

"Hey! I take offense to that!"

Sam smiled as the confirmation she won this round appeared in Tucker's expression. She was about to say something else when Danny's soft voice interrupted. "Guys, is this really the best time for this…?" Surprised, she glanced over to see if he was okay. Although it was very clear he hadn't completely recovered from his scare, traces of humor could be seen in his eyes. That was a good sign. Well, at least she hoped it was.

xxxxxx

Although he was still more than a little freaked out, Danny was starting to feel a little better. Too much had happened in one day for him to worry about it, so he decided it would be better to push his concerns aside until the next morning. Maybe everything would make more sense, or maybe he and his friends would awaken to realize they had the craziest dream. He could certainly live with that.

He looked up as the three of them walked. The night was oddly clear making it perfect for stargazing. If it was any other night, he would gladly welcome it, but now the clear skies made him feel unusually vulnerable. Although they were making good time, they were still too far away from Sam's home than he liked. What he wouldn't give to be safe behind some sort of walls.

A sudden chill started to creep through his body, causing him to shiver, and his breath became momentarily visible before it disappeared in faint wisps. "Guys…" he said cautiously, breaking the temporary silence between them, as the chill swept through him again.

"Not this again! Didn't this happen right before…." Tucker's words were cut short as Sam placed her hand over his mouth. He quickly swatted it away and glared at her. "What was that for?"

In response, she returned his glare with one of her own, which caused him to shrink back. "Don't say it! You don't want to jinx us! Come on, let's pick up the pace! Maybe we can get back before…"

"Try all you want. You won't be able to make it back… alive."

Danny froze as he tried to pinpoint the origin of the voice. This was just too coincidental. Was that cold feeling some sort of warning?

"So…" Tucker whispered as he looked up as he finally spotted the robot, who was currently watching them from several feet above. "If we make a break for it, how far away will we get before it catches us?"

"Do you really think that you can continue to run from me, Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter? Please, the three of you aren't even a challenge," it told them as it descended. "Although I could easily spend all night chasing after you, I'm on a schedule." It glanced over at Sam and Tucker and grinned as it produced a long glowing blade from its arm, "And you two are of no use to me."

He watched as the robot moved towards his friends in a manner that reminded him of a hunter stalking its prey. If they decided to run, he knew they were not going to be able to get away this time. This was all his fault! That thing, Skulker, was after him!

Danny had begun moving even before he realized it. "You leave them alone!" he thundered as he crashed into the robot. Stumbling backwards after the initial impact, he tried to refocus as the pain swam through his body. Okay, so running into a solid hunk of metal was not his smartest move, but at least it got the thing to focus back on him. "Sam, Tucker, run! Get away from here while you can!"

"How touching." Skulker's tone and expression hinted it was starting to become annoyed with the situation. Danny barely had time to register its movement before it attacked him. The punch to the gut immediately filled his mouth with the taste of blood which was intensified with the backhand which sent him reeling to the ground.

"To bad you're in no shape to help them." Even though his head was swimming, Danny managed to pick his head up just enough to see his tormentor standing over him. Its twisted smile was the only thing he could identify as his vision started to dim. "Maybe if you were stronger this would be a different story, but you'll never get that chance." With a laugh, it turned and started back towards his friends.

Why? Why did it have to end like this? There was nothing he could do anymore. He could hear his friends frantically calling his name. Why did they stay? Why didn't they run like he told them too?

He could feel the cold tears running down his face as he fought to stay conscious while his friends screamed for help. Dammit! Why was he so useless? He couldn't let them die!

A new sense of resolve flooded through him as he tried to push himself upright. His vision was still hazy, but he could just make out the shapes of his friends and the monster pursuing them. One of them was on the ground while the other was frantically trying to help. Skulker was not going to let them escape. Its hulking shape was standing over them with its blade raised.

"St-stop!" Danny stammered in a desperate plea. He had to get over there! He had to help them! "STOP IT!" As he yelled, an icy pain, completely different from his previous aches, and a thousand times worse coursed through his body. Yet, unlike the previous pain, this one seemed to make him more alert, and he managed to pull himself off the ground.

He could tell that his friends and Skulker were surprised by his sudden movements, but any further movements he saw were lost as another wave of pain over took him. It was almost as if it was consuming him – wrapping him in icy tendrils electrifying his body. With each icy wave, he could feel the life being leeched out of him replacing it with some sort of unknown power.

From somewhere deep in his mind, he understood that he could use this power, whatever it was, to help his friends. He would worry about the price he was paying for it later; now, he was going to give it everything to save them.

He yelled something at the metal being… what, he wasn't sure. Although he wasn't exactly sure how it reacted, he knew he had gotten its attention. In that stunned moment, he let the power direct his movements as if it was his marionette and charged the creature. Instructions seemed to be flowing into him as he dodged and deflected the blows coming from the metal monstrosity.

He had to get in close; that was the only way to end the fight. Skulker's movements were becoming harder to dodge as the seconds ticked by. He couldn't tell if this was because Skulker was starting to clue into his movements or if it was because the power had been circulating through him was starting to fade from his body.

It was then that he saw it, an opening. Skulker had swung at him just a little too hard, causing its recovery to be a just a little longer. In that brief moment, he placed both of his hands on the creature's metal chest and concentrated. The power that had been swirling beneath the surface of his skin, giving him strength, flowed into his hands and concentrated itself. When the intensity of it threatened to harm him, he pushed it out of him with as much force as he could muster. The result was an intense flash of green light that knocked both him and his opponent back.

Regaining himself, he just managed to catch the sight of Skulker grasping at the hole in its chest as he turned and ran towards his terrified friends. Knowing that he hadn't done enough to put Skulker down for the count, he grabbed them and tried to lead them away. A strange feeling, different from the others that had plagued his body in the last couple hours, flooded his body. The next thing he knew, the three of them were standing in the road in front of Sam's house.

He had no idea how he had managed to get them back so quickly. As he let his friends go, his world began to spin. Pain was gnawing at his body, pulling him into darkness. The last thing he thought before his face met the pavement was to wonder if this was what dying felt like.

[sleekervae]

Young God [0.2]

"Andy!" Danny came jumping off the stage and embraced Andy with a proper teddy bear-bro hug. He was slightly sweaty and he smelled like the inside of a mini fridge. Andy's mouth was dry. Reanimating himself slowly, he licked his lips as he looked up to see the other approaching band members.

"Good to see ya', man," Ben jumped down next and greeted him with a high-five.

"You too," he said, "How's life across the pond?"

"Oh, ya know," Danny sighed, "Rainy, dreary, full of uppity capitalists,"

"Home sweet home!" Sam called. Andy swallowed again as they spoke, his eyes shifted to the girl with blue hair just sat in his peripherals.

"How're the ribs?" Ben asked.

Andy subconsciously patted the tight wrapping around his torso, well hidden by his own raggedy tank-shirt, "Still painful, but nothing a shot of whiskey could fix at the end of the night," he said.

Taylor watched the boys catch up with fictitious interest. This had happened to her previous times before in pubs back in England. Usually, she wouldn't care much for Danny to talk smack with his mates, but this time was different. The lanky stranger donned in black was like a cartoon character out of a Japanese horror manga. But behind that curtain of jet-black hair, his face was very pretty, and his blue eyes, despite being clouded with fatigue, were inquisitive and clearly studying her back. She cleared her throat to garner their attention.

Danny then chuckled sheepishly, "Andy, this is Taylor. Taylor, Andy,"

Then Andy turned his full attention to the girl he had found so endearing and took a step forward, lifting his chin. He was hit with the awareness that he was experiencing of those grand moments which you were supposed to fully absorb and remember every detail of, pay attention to every sense so that you could recall or retell it when you were nostalgic, when you missed it, longed for the time and place of that situation instead, but he couldn't focus properly.

"Nice to meet you," he shrugged, forcing as much confidence into his voice as he could, holding out his hand.

"Back at ya', babe,"

Her voice had laced within it a hint of mockery, but her smile was too gentle and warm to be clearly challenging him and Andy pushed the initial panic to the back of his mind, reaching forward to take her outstretched hand instead, shaking it slowly and cupping it with his other. Her accent was strong and thick, not soft and posh like Danny and Ben's. It was unique and hard, and it added an eccentricity to her character.

Taylor winced as soon as the nickname left her lips. She hadn't chosen it purposely, it had just sort of slipped out as a defence mechanism against the nervous knotting in her stomach, but she added a firm nod to show that she was happy in her choice, ignored Ben and James' sniggers and tried to keep up the act of being unfazed by his intimidating sublimity.

Andy couldn't hold back the satisfied smirk that spread to his face, "That's a sexy accent," he said.

"I believe you're the only one who thinks so," Taylor replied.

"Don't be that way, Taylor!" Danny scolded, "I love your hard-to-hear accent,"

Ben crossed his arms at Taylor's impending scowl, "Taylor's a new rock act from Newcastle. She was our opener on our last tour," he explained to Andy.

"You could say we've adopted her," Sam said.

"Because that doesn't make you sound creepy," Taylor pointed out, "Are you a performer, Andy? Or just an elaborate fanboy?"

Andy feigned off a blithe chuckle, "I'm with my band. You ever heard of Black Veil Brides?" he asked.

"I think Danny was dancing to your record in the bus last week,"

"Aye, he were," Cameron chimed in, "Flapping his fucking arms and bouncing drunk off his arse,"

"I think I right turned him on," Danny grinned with pride.

"You wish," Cameron scoffed.

Taylor smirked in a coy response, "You ain't his type, Danny," she said, "Cameron like's 'em skinnier and a lot less hairy,"

"Oh, fuck off, Taylor!" Danny sneered back, "All the girls want this fucking sex appeal!"

Andy stood back and looked around, sniggering to himself, "Where?" he joked and Taylor laughed in response. She then leaned back on the rail and extended her hand out.

"Nice, mate," she grinned and he low-fived her.

Ben's smile only grew from there and he threw his arm around Danny's broad shoulders, "They're just jealous, my love," he said, "Don't listen to 'em,"

"Cue 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight'," Sam remarked.

Upon the stage, the band suddenly stopped and turned when they heard their manager whistle out loud, "C'mon, fellas! We don't have all day!" he called.

"We're coming, Kyle!" Ben shouted, "Keep your knickers on!"

The boys quickly climbed back on the stage and took their places again, though when Ben plugged his guitar back in the amplifier squealed out with tremendous cacophony. Taylor winced and covered her ears. From there, they tore into their next set piece.

Andy glanced at her again as she adjusted her seat on the rail. Her ankles were crossed and her wrists were pressed back under the weight of her arms, though something in her posture struck him as having an air of elegance.

"You wanna go for a walk?" he asked her over the music.

Taylor glanced up at him, then looked back over at Danny who was too enthralled in his screamo singing, "Sure,"

The temperature in the air was slowly rising and Taylor could feel it more than Andy. She had quickly tied up her hair in a messy knot bun as they wandered around the field, watching tents being pitched and listening in on sets that would take place later in the day. Taylor was doing her best to keep her composure as they walked side-by-side, trying not to feel so small next to Andy both in physicality and metaphorically. He had the same sort of charming personality that Danny held, though she found that he spoke with an eloquence that she hadn't at all expected from someone who looked the way he did. And his voice as deep, yet velvet-smooth, despite him stuttering on his words here and there. Taylor hadn't heard him sing yet but she was eager for the opportunity, just to hear what his voice sounded like.

"So, are you big in the UK?" Andy asked.

"I'm more of a proper C-Lister," she nodded with a smirk, "There's the forty-sixty chance of people recognizing me on the street," she then looked him up and down again, "I'm sure you got no problem getting spotted in public, eh?"

"Comes with the getup," Andy grinned, "I get eyed up more by security in department stores than I do in the fucking Starbucks, though,"

"Why do you get all dressed up like that?" she asked.

His eyes carried a personable twinkle as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket, "For the same reason you dye your hair: theatricality. Individuality,"  

On instinct, Taylor brushed her fingers at the nape of her neck, just meeting the scratchy frongs of loose hair that were sticking out, "So do you do the same kind of screamo music Danny and them do?"

"Sort of," Andy shrugged, "Cam said you guys were listening to my records last week, right?"

"Danny were. I was hiding in one of the back bunks pretending I didn't know him," she replied with a devious grin, "I love him to death, but he can't dance for shit. Especially when he's smashed,"

Andy chuckled back, "Yeah, I've had to witness his pelvis thrusting a few times, unfortunately," he said. He lit the cigarette, took a quick puff, then offered it to Taylor. She looked at the bud warily, but accepted.

"I wasn't paying much attention, but I liked what I heard," she admitted, "Of your record,"

Andy kept his composure, but he felt a nervous smile playing at his lips, "Oh, yeah?"

She puffed on the cigarette before handing it back to him, "Yeah. There was one I thought was really cool. There was this sick guitar rift that was in my head all night -- it just went like..."

Taylor raised her arms and curved her hands to make out like she was playing air guitar, humming a rickety melody that was close to the guitar break in Knives and Pens. The melody was instantly recognizable to Andy, but he let her carry on longer than necessary to watch her, the giggle she let out after the third repetition of the riff delicious. He already knew he would struggle to pay attention to the song later when he had to play it, hoped she'd be at the side of the stage nodding along just like that, humming, wondered if her hips would move to the beat too, if he'd be able to watch it from where his mic was placed, if she'd keep that fearless eye contact that was slowly driving him crazy.

"I think that was supposed to be Knives and Pens," he chuckled once she had stopped giggling to catch her breath.

She nodded, her lips twitching with playfulness, "And I think did a fucking fantastic job on me air guitar,"

"Alright, I got me an emergency guitar player," he chuckled, nudging her with his elbow slightly.

Taylor blushed and Andy noted the rose colour of her cheeks before she could hide them partially in her hands, caught on her youthful radiance, couldn't help but want to see the same colour a thousand times over just so he could marvel at how soft and delicate she was.

Her cheeks were still burning but she lifted her eyes slowly back to his and gave a tentative smile, wrapping her pinky round one of her curls and tugging at it, "Well, if you ever need a backup, I could fill in for that one song and one song only, Andy,"

Andy was convinced his heart was going to crack his ribs (again) just from the way it pounded in his chest when she said his name, the way it rolled off of her tongue and sounded more interesting than he'd ever considered it to be. She lit up the air with her smile alone, the bright brown of her eyes mesmerizing.

"I like that you don't know everything," he said, "Means the show will be a bit of surprise for you,"

She nodded back like she understood him, about to tell him she was excited to watch him perform when he cut in first.

"Do you wanna come watch our set?" His words were rushed, maybe a little too obviously panicked at the thought of her not staying.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I think Ben was gonna' drag me along anyway,"

He scratched his nose and ruffled a hand back through his hair.

"Do you have a set?"

She nodded again, "Later in the day. Acoustics only though, for fuck sakes," she groaned, "Apparently I'm not cool and relevant enough to get a band and fully wired set. But don't you think that defeats the purpose of branching out?" her frustration and irritation was evident to Andy. He handed her the cigarette again.

"Baby steps," he suggested, "Maybe management wants to give you one of those soft opening kind of things?"

"Yeah," she sighed with a drag, "Don't make me feel no better about performing though. This is supposed to be my American debut, and they got me strumming my songs like lullabies to a bunch of metal heads in a tent,"

"I'm sure it can't be that bad,"

Taylor chuckled sinisterly, "Yeah. Ya' know the festival director, here? He has this assistant that does all the scheduling and booking shite for the shows. Scrawny little fuck with them big-rimmed glasses. You know what he said when he first laid eyes on me?" she said.

"Damn, what a babe?" Andy grinned.

She smiled faintly, but her eyes glimmered with cheery at his words, "Aw, fuck," she said.

"What?"

"That's what he said," she told him, "Aw, fuck. 'Cause I'm another trampy girl trying to be a rockstar,"

"He said that to you?" Andy asked in slight disbelief.

"Oh, he didn't have to. It was all over his bloody face," she said, "Me being new to the music scene probably doesn't help my case, either,"

The gentle smile on her lips was replaced by that of venom and anger, but it was well routed. Andy saw the frustration evident in her face; the way her mouth tightened and her eyes averted to the ground, her shoulders then became stiff and she exhaled slowly to release her vexation.

"Well, that's bullshit," he told her, "Shouldn't matter whether you're new or... what you got going on in your pants,"

"You know that, I know that -- half the bloody people here should know that," Taylor sighed, "The sad reality is that despite all of the success we've had, there's still this misogynistic notion that women aren't cut out for rock music,"

Andy scoffed as he dragged on his cigarette again, "Clearly, Thick-Rims is in the wrong business. Rock n' roll is supposed to be all about rebellion," he said.

"That's your interpretation," Taylor pointed out, "I find rock music is about sex,"

Andy stopped suddenly as she jumped onto another rail, dug just outside another smaller stage that was slowly being constructed by roadies. He was taken aback by her answer at first, but maybe that was because he too for a moment had fallen into the stereotype that this girl was sweet and polite.s.

Taylor sat on the ledge of the rail with her legs swinging back and forth, looking up at Andy with those big, curious brown eyes of hers. Those eyes were studying him, waiting patiently for what answer he would give her.

"Sex?" he repeated, standing just level to her now that she sat higher. Taylor nodded with enthusiasm.

"Think about it," Taylor placed her hands out before her, fingers extended yet rigid to make her point, "Sex is passion; rebellion, as you've pointed out. It's dirty and gritty and almost always ends with a climactic bang -- or an STD," he last comment made Andy chuckle.

"Rock stars have typically embodied the bad boy image -- someone who could fuck up your life in the best ways so that when you're old and folly you hear those songs and you're instantly transported to the wildest rock concert you've ever been to. Because you weren't thinking it out, you were lost in the intense emotions,"

With those words, she snatched the cigarette from his hand and brought it to her berry pink lips. Andy was intrigued by the words, noting the way her eyes sparkled to match the enthusiasm in her voice. Nonetheless, she was a fascinating young girl.

"Sounds like a few of the close encounters I've had with past girlfriends," he grinned cheekily.

Taylor exhaled the smoke from her lips, letting the tantalizing smell of nicotine intermingled with her mint toothpaste waft just beneath Andy's nose, "Well, the best of anything is never planned, you just need the mania for it to go mad,"

[rob-blog1234]

WEEKEND TV HOT FILM PICKS!

Check out my guide to the top films on TV this weekend and the best of the rest. Enjoy!

LATE FRIDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

HOT PICKS!

W @ 2100      Dead Calm (1989) ****

If you are thinking of watching “Adrift” or any of the other modern water based suspense / thriller / scary movies - forget them all. Dead Calm is the ultimate and only film of this type that is required. I have very fond memories of this suspense thriller. Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill are a couple on a sailing trip in the pacific trying to forget something terrible in their past. They happen upon a stranded ship with a man on board. Billy Zane is Hughie, the sole survivor on the vessel who just so happens to be a mass murdering, wife seducing general all round bad egg. Soon his true nature is revealed and they fight for their ship and their lives. Kidman is so young in this and was a bizarre casting gamble to pair up with the much older Sam Neill - but she is fantastic and I am always impressed with her handling of the character and the script. Dead Calm’s success lies in its atmosphere and is serenity. If you are looking for a well-acted, well shot, haunting suspense thriller then this is right up your street. Even with a cast of just three actors - this film is thoroughly engrossing.

Horror @ 2255       They Live (1988) ****

I love a bit of John Carpenter in my film diet. Especially 1988 cult classic They Live. Rowdy Roddy Piper is Nada - an out of work construction worker who hits the city in search of work. He comes across a pair of sunglasses which reveal the world as it REALLY is - the people controlled by the rich, a mass media saturated world where people are driven into consumerism fuelled pacification. Government messages are revealed in stark, bold black and white text on billboards, TV and newspapers - showing the messages of “OBEY” and “CONFORM”. Even more sinister is the revelation that the upper echelons of society are populated by an evil exploitative alien race. The constant Carpenter score is our companion throughout almost all of the film which works wonderfully. Funny in parts, action and fights galore - this is a great Cult Classic Carpenter.

Horror @ 0050        eXistenZ (1999) ****

From Carpenter to Cronenberg. Another favourite Director. No better course that a slice of reality vs. illusion dark sex-tech creep fest that eXistenZ. A game designer is on the run from people intent to kill her must play her new virtual reality game with a Marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged. We follow them both as they tumble down the rabbit hole of the virtual world questioning reality at every turn. Mysterious, thrilling and a down right mental - this is one of Cronenberg’s films I always enjoy returning to.

Best of the rest:

Disney @ 1802       Aladdin (1992) *****

Film4 @ 1815         Runaway Jury (2003) ****

TCM @ 1855          The Others (2001) ****

CBBC @ 1900        How to Train Your Dragon (2010) ****

ITV2 @ 2100          Bridesmaids (2011) ***

5* @ 2100              21 Jump Street (2012) ****

TCM @ 2100         Mad Max (1979) *****

TCM @ 2250         Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) *****

Film4 @ 2250        Boy (2010) ****

SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER

HOT PICKS!

TCM @ 2100     Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) *****

The Road Warrior has always been my stand out favourite Mad Max film and probably always will. Raw, unforgiving and unglamorous. The Road Warrior ticks all the boxes when it comes to action and thrills. Tom Hardy sits very comfortably as our new steely eyed and distant antihero, but after watching The Road Warrior again last recently, Mel is always the one true Mad Max. The new outing of Fury Road treads an appreciative step forward in this post-apocalyptic world where the hunt for fuel is endless and fraught with danger.

I was surprised when I found out the original film was released dubbed for the American market due to the “Heavy Australian accents and slang” how times have changed! Anyway, thank the maker that didn’t happen here. That would have really racked me off. Thankfully it didn’t stay that way for long. I love the original Mad Max which sets up the back story for our loners fall into his nomadic existence looking for fuel to continue on his road to nowhere. This sequel / new start has a bigger budget, bigger ideas and some of the best physical vehicle stunts and effects I’ve seen. I’m still left wincing at every elaborate crash and explosion. The stunt people certainly earned their keep on this film.

In his search for fuel Max does a deal with a group at a fuel refinery to drive the tanker as they flee for pastures new. They are plagued and chased by an evil gang headed by the scary looking, hockey mask wearing, Lord Humungus who is intent on killing his way to the fuel they are protecting.

The final chase sequence is always impressive and even after 35 years it holds up very well. On a scrubbed up Blu ray version it feels as fresh as the first time I saw it. Thrilling, action saturated, road war carnage; Max Max 2: The Road Warrior is one of my favourite action films.

Film4 @ 0100      Dog Soldiers (2002) ****

British director Neil Marshall brought us the impeccable scare fest Horror film The Descent in 2005 and here is his 2002 directorial debut: Dog Soldiers. With just a meagre budget and a great idea Marshall managed to put together a great little Horror film.

A British Army squad go on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands against a Special Ops team. They talk about local folk tales of grizzly happenings in the area, but these stories become a dangerous reality as they come across the bloody remains of the Special Ops team. Something part man part animal is after them and will stop at nothing to kill them. They go on the run for their lives dishing out oodles of frights, shocks and plenty entertainment along the way. A must watch for fans of British Horror.

Best of the rest:

Syfy @ 1500       The Last Starfighter (1984) ****

Disney @ 1600   Aladdin (1992) *****

Syfy @ 1900       The Addams Family (1991) ***

ITV2 @ 1920       The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) *****

Syfy @ 2100        In Time (2011) ***

TCM @ 2255       Poltergeist (1982) *****

SUNDAY 5th NOVEMBER

HOT PICKS!

C4 @ 1715      Paddington (2014) ****

Who would have expected a live action / CGI cross over of the much loved story of Paddington would work - but it absolutely does. It’s charming, heart-warming and walks the line of sentimentality that never goes too far, it honours the original material and brings an altogether joyful experience to all that watch it. A sure hit with children and adults alike, with enough sequences of absurd action and moments of effective comedy that keep the flow continuously. A truly lovely film. Don’t miss it.

Syfy @ 2100       28 Weeks Later (2007) ****

When I first found out that someone was attempting to make a sequel of Danny Boyle’s amazing Brit zombie flick 28 Days Later I was prepared for an utter disaster but 28 Weeks later is a pretty solid sequel picking up the original story line 28 weeks after the initial infection. In a deserted London, the Military are tasked with re-housing 15,000 civilians into a secure compound so they can begin rebuilding their lives. We follow Robert Carlyle’s Don and his children Andy & Tammy as they settle into their new home. The calm soon turns to panic, blood drenched carnage as another outbreak threatens the lives of everyone. As the military loses control and make increasingly more difficult and ultimately poorer decisions the film picks up even more pace adding a nice element of human failings and moral choices. The camera work and direction really adds to the panic and terror as our eyes dart from shot to shot. This film is gripping, fast paced and packed with relentless zombie terror with some great edge-of-your-seat moments. Admittedly it doesn’t have the intimacy and originality of the first film but it still hits the mark as a stylish, action saturated zombie gore fest that takes pride and place next to the original as a great compliment to the superb first serving.

Horror @ 2240     Starry Eyes (2014) ****

One of the best horror films to come out of 2014. This brings a new take on the traditional and kept me captivated throughout. It starts out pretty slow but with its great synth score and Los Angeles at night looking fantastic - I was hooked. It can be quite brutal in parts and that works here but certainly not one for the squeamish. It wears its message blatantly on its sleeve - no subtleties here but who cares. A cracking Indie Horror.

Best of the rest:

Syfy @ 1230         The Addams Family (1991) ***

Syfy @ 1430         Splash (1984) ***

C5 @ 1700            Grease (1978) ****

BBC2 @ 2100       My Scientology Movie (2015) ***

Comedy @ 2100  Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) ****

TCM @ 2100        Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) ***

[stax-fluffington-blog]

Fanfiction “Free Falling” Chapter 5

Ok, so here’s what’s up. Starting this Monday I have a couple of evening/nighttime classes, so I’m changing the update days to Saturday. That’s all. Proceed with your day.

-Stax

 Chapter 5

 “What the hell!?”

Dani gulped at the yell.

“Why the heck are you changing your clothes out here!?” Bucky asked, shocked. “Nazis could be hiding out here, go back to the camp and change there!”

Dani was really having a hard time hiding her gender in the army camp. Bucky outranked her, and had made it his personal job to make sure she only used the bathroom or changed clothes where she would be more likely to be found out. She sighed and trudged back to their temporary base.

Bucky had been acting strangely ever since she had shown up that morning after the expo. He seemed to think she was always hiding something from him now.

“First you tell me you’ve had a girlfriend all along, then you just reveal that you’ve not only enlisted without telling me, but have been excepted!?” was his initial reaction. Then, disbelief that somebody as small as she could be accepted. Then he just distanced himself.

Dani felt the sting of the distance. While both Steve and Bucky tended to be fairly reserved emotionally with each other, only opening up and baring their souls when the going got tough, they had both opened up to Dani almost completely. She was their confidant. The things that they couldn’t discuss with the other, they could discuss with her. Dani knew that Bucky felt betrayed by the “secrets” she had kept from him, and wished she could do something to change it. At least he was still civil about it.

She quickly re-bound her chest and finished dressing. She was supposed to be a twenty-eight-year-old man now, she couldn’t afford any discrepancies in her appearance. In reality she was just twenty and a half, if she went by the clock on her phone. In the months since she had been enlisted and deployed, she had not time-jumped once, a fact she was very happy about. There was a head count every day and night that would be difficult to get around, not to mention Bucky suspiciously stalking her whenever he wasn’t busy.

She didn’t have time to worry about projecting her image, however, because tomorrow an attack was planned against Rosiano. In the movie this was when Bucky and the 107th got captured. So Dani knew that it would fail, and she knew that she was probably going to die or be captured. Tomorrow at this time, she would be dead or on her way to seeing Steve again.

XXX

On the way to seeing Steve it was.

The person in charge of processing prisoners figured out pretty quickly during the non-consensual strip search that she was a female. They didn’t tell the rest of the men, thank God, but they DID separate her. That could be a good or a bad thing.

They wanted to know why a woman would join the army. She rubbed her cropped, dirty-blonde hair and spouted some crud about how she wanted to protect the country and do her part, parroting phrases Steve had said time and time again.

They quickly decided to give her to Arnim Zola for his experiments. He, in turn, quickly found out that something was off with her. Strapped down to a table and drugged within an inch of her life because she wouldn’t stop fighting, the only bit of their science-talk that she caught was “Radiating an unknown energy”. In the groggy back of her mind, she remembered that on the TV show ‘Doctor Who,’ anybody who jumped through dimensions got energy on them from the void in between dimensions. If the Avenger’s universe was real, perhaps the Doctor Who universe was too…

Things were blissfully dark for a long time. When she came to her senses,  she was still stretched out on her back in the same uncomfortable position, arms strapped above and feet strapped below.

It was unusually chilly, though.

She looked down at herself and gasped. They had stripped her down to her underwear and put a bra on her that she didn’t recognize. Sensors were taped to almost half of her bare legs, stomach, clavicle, and neck. Every spot without sensors had goosebumps. It was way too cold for this…

Sluggishly, she took in everything else. Nobody was in the room. Alarms were going off in the distance, which she hadn’t noticed at first. A surge of panic made her thrash against her bonds. Alarms mean that this factory is going to blow up in a few minutes! Quickly realizing that her struggles were pointless, she laid back and cried a little bit.

Past the door Steve suddenly rushed with Bucky. He stopped and lead his staggering friend into the room, noticing her on the table. Dani tried to say his name, but with the residual drugs still in her system she could only make a pained moan. She quickly realized that she actually WAS in pain. No time to worry about that now.

“Oh my- they made you into a woman!” Had Dani been fully in control of her body, she would have laughed at his assumption. “Danny! Oh no! here…” he began to remove her straps and peel the sensors and needles off of her. Bucky too looked shocked, but also very distant as if he wasn’t all there either. Dani gurgled out an involuntary chuckle at the situation. Everything was so blurry…

She found herself wrapped in a blanket and being carried quickly.

“…Feeve…” she slurred, trying to say Steve’s name to get his attention. He ignored her. Okay, I know when I’m not needed, I’ll just go to sleep then…

XXX

Waking up was like wading through a vat of maple syrup, Dani decided.

She concluded that she should keep her eyes closed until her body started being a bit more responsive.

People were arguing. She tried to listen through her mental fog.

“You can’t just change a man into a woman! She had to be a woman all along! Come on, Steve! I figured it out months ago!” That’s Bucky, she thought.

“She wouldn’t lie to us about something like that, Buck!” That one is Steve.

“It doesn’t matter, gentlemen. What matters is that she is a woman right now.” That was the Colonel.

They continued to bicker. Dani got the impression that she wouldn’t be kicked out even if they found that she had been a woman all along. They were talking about what she had done in the past. She had often recommended a plan of attack for battles that wound up saving the lives of the 107th, earning her a promotion to ‘Corporal’ and getting her a good reputation in camp. They seemed to think that her usefulness merited letting her stay. She breathed an involuntary sigh of relief that she wouldn’t be court martialed, inadvertently alerting them that she was now conscious.

“She’s awake,” Bucky concluded. Dani slowly sat up, resulting in horrible pain and vertigo. The three crowded around her, pulling up chairs.

“Tell us everything,” Bucky sternly commanded. Dani sighed. Her visions didn’t start flashing to stop her… so she decided that she was going to reveal everything that she could.

XXX

“So basically, if I tell you what’s going to happen or how to fix it, most of the time it will result in us losing the war and a lot more men,” Dani concluded. No vision had stopped her, for whatever reason it was fine to reveal her reasons for being there now. She had told them everything except for upcoming events.

All three men sighed. She had used her phone as proof in the middle of her explanation, and none seemed to doubt the truth of her statement. Nobody looked particularly happy that they believed it was true, however.

“Look, like I said, if there is anything that I can fix, I will fix it. The visions I mentioned will let me know if there is,” she commented somewhat sadly. Neither of her friends would trust her ever again.

Bucky and Steve looked at each other and then back at the Colonel.

“Go on, gentlemen, I’ll deal with things from here,” he ordered. They left, and Dani could hear them arguing outside as they walked away from the tent. “You will be allowed to stay. You will be allowed to fight. You will be given gear that is more appropriate for you,” the Colonel started, “But if you pull anything, put anyone in danger or fail to fix something that you easily could, I will court martial your ass so fast you’ll wish you didn’t have one.”

Dani just nodded. It was a start.