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strawberry-milkbunny · 1 year ago

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Naruto is my Roman Empire and I’ve been reading MadaTobi fanfics so these r my Founders Thoughts that nobody asked for:

- Tobirama had a crush on Madara and it PISSED HIM OFF like they def had hate sex at one point LMAO

- they literally worked together ur rlly gonna tell me they didn’t have SOME moments of civility btwn them?? (lowkey that’s wild tho having to see ur brother’s murderer everyday at work-I like Tobi but I’m just sayin)

I WANT A WORKPLACE SITCOM WITH THE FOUNDERS SJSKKSKS:

- Tobi doing experiments and scaring the villagers

- Tobi teaming up with Madara to make Hashi do work

- Hashi making flowers w/government documents

- Mito sipping tea while encouraging Tobi to revive the dead

- everyone in the Tower side eying the sexual tension btwn Madara and Tobi and them never denying they’ve fucked before

- Toka cackling in the background

- Hikaku spraying water at Madara like a cat every time he throws a temper tantrum

- Kagami popping in to make sure his clan head doesn’t kill his teacher PERFECT SITCOM MATERIAL

- totally personal preference: Naruto should’ve had more BLOOD AND GORE. I wanna see the grittiness and horror the shinobi world actually is and how revolutionary Naruto as a character is by choosing peace over violence. The only time we get that is Obito vs Kiri nin, Uchiha Massacre, Wave Arc, Orochimaru…before it turns into DBZ fights

I’ve said this before: Sasuke was in a seinen Naruto was in a shounen

- the warring states is literally the perfect place for exhibiting the horrors of war and humanity. Bloodline thieves, child hunting squads, GIVE. IT. TO. ME. Madara and Hashirama experiencing all of this and wanting PEACE FOR THEIR YOUNGER BROTHERS UGHHH ROBBERY‼️‼️

SORRY TW IMPLIED SA !!:

I HC that bloodline thieves is prob why Madara wears gloves….being a YOUNG (he’s been on the battlefield since he was 8??) powerful, prodigy and future clan head of a famous kekkai genkai it makes sense why he doesn’t like skin-contact/sexual repression and repulsion. And why we don’t see female Uchiha shinobi (excluding misogyny) simply bc there’s such a high risk of SA in this era

Moving on:

- Tobi and Izuna were jealous of how their brothers were being taken away. It goes past the senju/uchiha rivalry like they were just kids and were plain jealous.

- Madara and hashirama def share 1 brain cell LOLLL. Like they’re besties for a reason, Madara acts likes he smarter but nah he’s as much of an idiot as Hashi is. They’re both dreamers let these boys live and skip rocks together!!! 😭😭

- let’s be honest: Tobi built the village. Mans was doing ALL the logistics and infrastructure

- tobirama is soooo second son/eldest daughter coded it’s not even funny. The SPARE, serious and emotionless bc he needed to always clean up after his siblings, DUTIFUL, prob has a praise kink etc.

- Madara is an eldest daughter who also prob has a praise kink and touch starved

- NONE of the founders r well adjusted like they went from spending everyday of their lives at war to tryin bring peace and start essentially a ninja-revolution (PLS GO TO THERAPY)

- madara was just the most open about it: being isolated and feared by his own clan BC he was powerful, trying advocate for the village and peace, all while grieving for his last brother…yeah it makes sense y he went crazy or at least wanted to leave (fuck Kishimoto for that Kaguya bs and fuck Zetsu)

- I don’t actually believe he was trying destroy the village idkkk. I think he was trying to do an SNS aka using fighting as a way to communicate with Hashirama and well…yIkEs

- tobirama is 1000% unadjusted: mans literally created a Justu to revive the dead. You cannot tell me that doesn’t REEK of desperation and loneliness. He’s lit rally the OG mad scientist

- hashirama rlly thought sealing the Bijuu and giving them to each village was a good idea….sir WHO TF GIVES NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO SHINOBI???!! 😳😳

- I think hashirama and naruto lowkey can be summed up as: a powerful idealist. Which is a very dangerous combination. Take that how you will especially considering how shinobi thrive off of violence….it kinda makes sense how we ended up with canon Naruto

- Madara has a god complex and knows it. Hashirama has a god-complex and doesn’t know it. (God of Shinobi title def got to him and understandable)

- the founders failed and they know it. But I also kinda love it?? They’re so flawed and human as leaders and you can see how their mistakes drag into Canon Naruto. It also makes me so sad knowing that Konoha was built to prevent child soldiers and give protection only for it to actually be WORSE (Kakashi ITACHI SANNIN ik for a fact it must’ve hurt Hashi to know ur own granddaughter left the village)

Uchiha are: love is the death of duty while the Senju are: duty is the death of love and neither of them will forgive each other for picking one over the other‼️‼️‼️

- proving this ^^ w/Hashirama’s weird af characterization: aka him being a loveable idiot but at the same time CONGRATULATING Itachi for killing his own clan for Konoha…. I feel like that rlly showed me how much of a war veteran/shinobi Hashirama actually is and how he will always pick duty

- we were ROBBED of baby Kagami/hokage Kagami 😤😤😤 I’m sorry Kagami should’ve been made Hokage it just makes sense personality wise and politically wise. The only way I could see him not take it is bc he needed to be a clan leader/placate the Uchiha/help Hikaku.

- I wanna see him process the loss of his clan leader, teacher, and eventually friends to a point where Danzo takes his eyes

- everyone on Team Tobirama had a crush on Kagami at one point

- one of my fav HC: Tobi and Madara co-parenting Kagami. There’s no way Madara didn’t check up on Kagami being taught by THE senju which makes his defection hit harder for Kagami 😭😭

- BABY SANNIN ‼️‼️‼️ Tsunade was old enough to meet and remember Hashirama it makes sense that Oro and Jiraiya meet the founders

- omg could u imagine being Edo Tensei Hashirama?? Ur granddaughter’s weird friend revives u using the Jutsu ur brother invented that you specifically FORBID 😭😭

- Hashi and Tobi staring at Orochimaru like “you look familiar???” IT HAS SO MUCH COMEDIC POTENTIAL

- Mito revolutionized female shinobi like she’s def the reason ppl realized that girls can fight (Senju Toka was an exception) STAN MITO 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

- Mito pulled a Tsunade and mentally yeeted out of Konoha after Hashi and Tobi died. Bc the way we NEVER hear about her and Hiruzen interacting except for Kushina, even tho she’s literally RELATED to the other 2 hokages….ROBBED 😵‍💫

- I HC: she was dealing w/grief (the fall of Uzushio made it worse) and she was lowkey pushed out of the council by Danzo FUCK DANZO

- I love the idea of Mito wooing for Hashirama’s hand/politically smart Mito!! It was a political marriage that grew into love. There’s no way she DIDNT suspect an attack on Uzushio lik it’s literally an island w/Kiri as it’s neighbours….Konoha gets recognition and stability while Uzushio importantly gets mainland allies

- Mito tops btw she’s def pegged Hashi before 🫢

- if Madara or Hashi had sisters/born women they would’ve def had a marriage to solidify their alliance. This makes Japanese homophobia not make sense esp in the shinobi world bc their clans trusted each other w/o backup like marriage?? Idk I’m just kinda confused y it was never even brought up for an alliance…

*cue MadaTobi arranged marriage au 100k, enemies to lovers, slowburn*

- also to dude bros homophobia has no place in the Naruto world (and IRL BTW) outside of making heirs. They’re literally MERCENARIES You telling me Kakashi has never fucked another man for information before??? Pls be serious I’m begging y’all 🙃🙃🙃

- there’s def family drama amongst the senju!! Idk I feel like Hashirama and Tobirama have the relationship of: “they love each other but don’t like each other” which makes Madara’s inclusion even worse for the brothers’ relationship. Like they def always had each other’s backs but never actually felt like they understood each other.

- I wish more fanfics/canon covered the shinobi-civilian politics more (I love politics lol give me world-building kishimoto 😤)

- Civilians hold power. THEY have all the MONEY to pay shinobi

- I’ve rlly only seen 1 fanfic that involves the Fire Daimyo during the Warring States Era (Into the Wide Blue Yonder it’s a KakaSasu Time travel fic that actually ✨works✨ 12/10 recommend) but it’s true.

Wtf is the Fire Daimyo doing during this era??? Why is he being so placate about Senju/Uchiha war unless he just sees it as entertainment?? How have shinobi NOT fought against rich civilian politicians before?? (Introducing Maoism to the naruto world lol 🤔🤔)

- Kishimoto curse ur goldfish brain….

- the uchiha and senju were def broke in this era, LMAO especially the Uchiha and I mean resource wise. War is EXPENSIVE the Uchiha don’t have Hashirama and Mokutan, they couldn’t just grow food whenever they wanted. It makes total sense that they would agree to a ceasefire just to prevent STARVATION

- once again…. robbed in terms of seeing the aftermath and devastation of war and learning how to live in a morally grey, politically unstable, resource limited world which could’ve brought in the ultimate themes of peace and the cycle of violence, and the question of if violence and war is ever justified, but…..no ❤️

#naruto #MadaTobi #hashirama senju #mito uzumaki #senju tobirama #madara uchiha #kagami uchiha #brainrot.txt #roman empire #silly little thoughts #warring states era #I think I’m a Madara stan now???#I blame ao3 for my MadaTobi brainrot phase #pls give me a founders sitcom #tw sa implied

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baptaincarnacles · 2 months ago

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would u ever rank ninjago ships? it'd be cool to see :3

Ranking Ninjago ships is so silly, actually.

Yes!

These are my personal rankings, so- please be considerate of that!

Dragon Rising spoilers! Kinda!

(Pr*shitters DNI, also if you don’t like Cole/Geo, you may leave or you can stick around and read my other ratings, I guess)

Ranking system:

S-tier

A+-tier

A-tier

B-tier

C-tier

D-tier

F-tier

Geode/Lostshipping (Cole/Geo): S-tier. Alright, so this may be an unpopular opinion, especially because it has the fandom weirdly divided- but I do really enjoy the ship. They’re so soft with one another, and they act very domestic. I mean- Cole and Geo show multiple times that they’re affectionate: holding hands, hugging, and just looking at each other with the most lovesick expressions I’ve ever seen a Lego character have.

Not to mention they literally basically have two adopted (three, counting Bonzel) children. They’re literally found family, and it it the most adorable thing ever. Cole literally does everything for Geo and their little family- protects them, cooks for them, and comforts them.

And… guys… Cole literally confesses that he needed Geo to realize his true potential. Their elemental powers formed a HEART. If that ain’t gay, I don’t know that is.

Wyldfyre/Roby: S-tier. People got so mad over this happening, and it’s genuinely hilarious. Wyldfyre, from my recollection, is a teenage girl- and yes, she may have been raised by dragons, she may be tom-boyish and hotheaded- but that does not exclude her from having teenage-girl feelings.

And not to mention their dynamic is adorable. A tech-obsessed boy and a girl who doesn’t really understand tech but admires his nerdiness anyway. I mean- come on- they literally roar at one another. They match each other’s energy, and I really enjoy it.

Also, they are just silly- Wyldfyre literally got over one of her fears for the sake of Roby. Two dumb kids in love, let them be.

Glaciershipping (Zane/Cole): S-tier. I personally also really like this one. Maybe it was the color dynamic with their gis or really just their little bits they had throughout the seasons (before Dragon Rising). Growing up, this was one of the big ships of the fandom, and I’m pretty sure it still is? Nonetheless, early seasons really peaked with these two.

Banter really makes up a lot of their dynamic. When the silly robot man and silly Earth ninja bicker it’s like watching a married couple. And really, they’re both just big dorks who share a single brain cell with one another (Zane always has it).

The Rocky Dangerbuff and Snake Jaguar bit really drove the point home, because they’re literally so stupid (/affectionate) it’s adorable.

Pixane (Pixal/Zane): S-tier. Oh my goodness, this ship is actually the most adorable thing. Zane and Pixal- for some reason- have such a special place in my heart. Perhaps it’s the way they sacrificed for each other- the way Zane willingly gave half his heart to her. Their banter- their love- the way Zane jumps into Pixal’s arms.

Their dynamic has always been so cute. Nerdy idiots who fall deeper in love the longer they’re together. In Dragon Rising, Zane is literally so desperate to have her back- it’s honestly so sad- but it’s so sweet that he cares so much about her (Ninjago, this is my plea to bring Pixal back).

Not to mention, they’re one of the only canon couples in Ninjago who get a good dynamic (other than Jay/Nya).

Jaya (Jay/Nya): A+-tier. Alright, to explain myself here. The only reason I knocked Jaya down from S-tier is solely because some bits in their dynamic kinda threw me off- and of course, there was that weird love triangle thing that they- for some reason- went through with (Ninjago, what was that).

Otherwise? They are an adorable couple. Jay and Nya work well together- Jay being a bit nerdy, and of course, at first, nervous- and Nya who has always been on the more confident end. They are Yin and Yang. As they grew, their understanding grew, and overtime, they started to go from that awkward couple phase to really being in love. And of course, like all good couples in Ninjago, apparently, they sacrificed for one another- risked their lives- and stressed when they were apart.

I genuinely miss that dynamic in Dragon Rising. Jay needs some sense knocked back into him (/lh).

Bruiseshipping (Cole/Jay): A+-tier. This one was another very popular one in the fandom as I grew up. And, again, dropped from S-tier solely because the few off-points the two had.

While the two are known for their bickering and their fights, it’s stated multiple times that they’re best friends (and friends to lovers trope sits amazingly with me). Cole and Jay would clearly do anything for each other- and probably play-bully their way through it. One defining feature of their canon interactions is how they always have different outlooks, or completely agree on a matter- and it’s always hilarious because they’re similar in the most different ways.

Otherwise, it’s a good ship. They could work.

Oppositeshipping (Kai/Zane): A+-tier. I believe they’re also called Peppermint (haha, red and white), but I personally think the opposites attract dynamic works well between these two. Hotheaded and levelheaded, brains and brawn, fire and ice.

I think I started liking this dynamic a bit more in the middle-seasons of the original Ninjago franchise, when they really started building the dynamics between the ninja. Kai and Zane have always had their banter, and their contradicting view points, but at the end of the day, they have each other’s back. And, of course, they do have their on-screen sweet moments.

(This also applies to the Ninjago movie, I love their dynamic there as well.)

Lavashipping (Kai/Cole): A-tier. Ah, I can’t remember if this one was ever very big in the fandom. I mean, I’ve seen fanart, but of course, it’s hard to tell with other popular ships.

I personally like this one- not as much as others- but their dynamic is cute, and they have their moments. Kai is always seen as protective, and Cole is a defender. So- when something happens to one or the other, they tend to panic. I can’t remember the season name, but the best example I can think of off the top of my head is when the Oni take over Ninjago and cover it in a dark fog- and Cole falls inside of it. And of course, there’s those scenes where the two hug.

They have a lovely dynamic. Fire/Earth, it tickles the brain.

Technoshipping (Jay/Zane): A-tier. If I’m not wrong, that should be their ship name (I actually had to Google and look at Reddit to find anything about it). Much like Lava, I think this ship is good.

For a long while, Jay was a big technology nerd- and oh? Who was his muse? Zane (/j). But, no, the two have their banter, and the silliness between tech-wiz and sentient robot is always hilarious in my mind. And of course, they do care a lot for each other. Not to mention the short where they literally perform a music act together- and Jay spins and dips Zane moments before that.

I put this in A-tier because, of course, there’s better ships in my mind- and the two have had their own disputes.

FrozenGear (Dr. Julien/FORMER Master of Ice): A-tier. I’ve seen fanart of this ship, and I ADORE it. It’s such a silly concept, and I love the idea that the Former Master of Ice fell in love with this scientist- and gave their robo-son his elemental abilities.

I don’t even know if that’s their ship name, I’m basing this off of a ship wiki.

But, all and all, it would explain the reason why Zane was gifted the element of Ice.

Dareth/Ronin: B-tier. I put this here solely because I’ve always viewed this ship in more of a crack ship kinda way. It’s silly, and of course, they banter.

Dareth and Ronin have their bits where them dating (even in an on/off) kinda way makes sense- I mean, hell, the two argue like a couple and they’re always goofing off.

Otherwise, I’d say the ship is a solid one, some people like it more than others.

Lloyd/Akita: B-tier. I was heavily debating where I’d even rank this ship, solely because I have no strong opinions on it. But, in the end I chose B-tier. While not being a ship I think about, it’s one of the only good ships I’ve ever seen with Lloyd- after they started getting along, anyway.

I suppose I can see why people ship it, but it was only a season thing- and we haven’t seen Akita again- so it’s very likely she was a one-off character to have, solely because Lloyd is tragic (/lh) and needs a new love interest every few seasons to build trust issues.

Zane/Frohicky: B-tier. Before anyone says anything, it’s solely because of their dynamic. I like this ship a bit, and I think that they’re a silly duo. Frohicky, after all, is a very caring individual, and is always trying to make sure Zane is okay/comfortable.

And there was that scene where the two sat together through Zane’s identity crisis after losing his look-alike competition.

They’re just cute.

Samuraishipping (Pixal/Nya): B-tier. It’s not a bad ship. They have a welcoming dynamic with one another, and a similar interest in technology.

In scenes where they work together, it’s often expressed that they work well, and build off of each other’s abilities, enhancing a singular creation further. Not a ship I obsess over, but a ship that lingers in my mind sometimes and makes sense.

Arin/Euphrasia: B-tier. Again, another ship I don’t think often about, but I think they could be a really good duo- bot teenagers figuring out their elemental abilities and learning what they can do.

I also like their playful attitudes and lighthearted humor- Arin being a little more clueless than Euphrasia, of course.

But, they would be cute.

Plasmashipping (Jay/Kai): C-tier. I know some of you might get mad at me for this ranking, but truthfully, I never liked this ship all that much. It was very popular in the fandom (up there with Glacier) but, I never found the full appeal.

Of course, they have their bits and banter, but I prefer their silly dynamics in a goofball friend way. But if you ship this, go right ahead- they do have their moments when they’re shippable.

Solid ship, just not for me.

Garmadon/Vinny: C-tier. This is another one I always kinda viewed as a crack ship- I really don’t know when or how it spurred into being something that I saw maybe… three pieces of fanart for? I personally thought it was silly.

There was that moment where Garm asked Vinny to help him become good- maybe that started it? I dunno, but I do think about that season sometimes and giggle a bit.

Zane/Nya: C-tier. I don’t know if they have an actual ship name, but oh well. I don’t love this ship, but I also don’t hate it. It’s an interesting appeal.

Personally, I think their dynamics are alright, they tend to chat and banter, but they’ve always felt more friendly towards one another to me. I do enjoy their moments together on screen, their little side-rambles. They’re both nerds.

Kailor (Kai/Skylor): C-tier. More of you may get mad at this, but I never liked this ship. Didn’t hate it, but still, didn’t like it. It felt forced, and it was incredibly awkward. It almost felt like they were trying to get all the characters a s/o, because at that time, Pixane was established- and I can’t remember if Jaya had started or was being hinted at.

It improved some- and then it just wasn’t touched again. Felt like a crush rather than them actually falling in love at any point- which was probably the idea there. I can see why the ship is popular, but it’s not my cup of tea.

WolfCat (Sorra/Jordana): C-tier. They’re one of those dynamics I feel could work. Especially if it’s enemies, to friends, then to lovers. I am ranking this C-tier, solely because their dynamic has only been explored to a certain extent- showing their problems with one another- and of course, Jordana trying to break away from being possessed.

If they’re explored more, I feel this ranking could rise higher on the list.

Lloyd/Morro: D-tier. No. Just… no. While it’s not the worst possible ship, I still think it’s one of the weirdest. And at this point, I don’t even know what to say about it- other than Morror is a spirit who possessed Lloyd. I think they’re represented to be around the same age, but still… it’s such an outlandish ship because… Morro has been dead for… years.

I know at some point the fandom liked it for god knows what reason. But, I’m really starting to think people like shipping Lloyd with antagonistic characters.

Conya (Cole/Nya): D-tier. Again, another big nope from me. I know some people ship it, there was that whole love triangle thing- but throughout that entire bit, Cole really just felt like he was competing with Jay. For shits and giggles.

And Cole and Nya’s dynamic always felt more like best friends to me- like, they care about each other, but not in a romantic way.

Conia (Cole/Vania): D-tier. I can’t see this one really at all, but it’s not F-tier material. Vania’s and Cole’s relationship felt platonic- Vania seemed innocently curious about the ninja.

They just seem like friends who have one another’s backs, and they call when the other needs a pick-me-up. Good friends.

Lloyd/Harumi: F-tier. Oh my god. There are so many reasons I personally DESPISE this ship. For starters, and the most obvious reason- she tried to kill him. Multiple times. Some of you might say she had a redemption arc, I DON’T CARE. She- first of all- was manipulative. Secondly, I know she had a rough past that she blamed on the ninja but… where was that their fault? Third of all, she played with his feelings repeatedly.

Oh, and- I don’t know if anyone even begins to remember this- but in Sons of Garmadon, Garmadon literally adopts her. Calls her his child and everything. I don’t know if people forgot that, or if it’s dismissed as nothing- but guys. GUYS. He adopts Harumi.

And I think it’s easy to say that she gave Lloyd trust issues- major trust issues. Dude literally has trouble trusting princesses over her.

I just want to take this ship and burn it in a fire.

Lloyd/Ras: F-tier. Listen, I’ve seen maybe two people ship this, and no offense to anyone that does- but SERIOUSLY. Ras is a whole ass manipulator, for one- secondly, he’s another antagonist- three… He has also tried to kill Lloyd.

Ras is an entity of mind games, and Lloyd is an insomniac trying to live up to his Uncle’s standards. That doesn’t mix.

Lloyd/Any of the other ninja: F-tier. Get the fuck out. One, even if he aged up, he’s still mentally younger then they are. Two, they’re all basically his older siblings. Three, it’s GROSS.

Lloyd has only ever acted like a younger sibling towards the other ninja. The other ninja protect him like a younger brother. I will throw hands.

—

When I get the motivation, I’ll probably do another rating list like that with other forms of Ninjago ships (like side characters and what-not).

If you all have any ships you wanna see me rate, you can send in an anonymous message, or you can comment! I’ll get around to it :)

And they can’t be fucking weird- thank you.

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ghostlyhabato · 1 year ago

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I haven't posted anything here in well over a hot minute, but putting short unfinished/outdated work here feels easier than putting in on ao3 like its 'official' so. Just tossing old things out to share, but many of them i am NOT still working on so only the start of something or an idea.

This is a BNHA/Danny Phantom crossover ft Pariah for Reasons. i started it impulsively. if i continue on this I'd probably rewrite almost this whole thing.

~10K words, vague discussion or mention of death/possible abuse of a minor (danny's home life, standard Fenton's are Not Great Parents), medical trauma, ect. Everyone except Danny might be a bit OOC, especially the BNHA cast in this. Pariah just had secret character development/backstory.

Danny’s luck had to be the worst in the world. Or, in… both worlds?

If this wasn’t some other-world, he had a lot of questions for Clockwork. Because he was also definitely not anywhere in even the first two decades of the 2000’s. The Japanese news here (that he could somehow understand?) said it was 2148. Currently, he was hiding in a half-built building in a seedy part of what he’d found out was probably Tokyo. That’s what he heard people calling it, and it looked close enough to pictures Dani had sent him, but… well, he was pretty sure his Tokyo wasn’t filled with mutants and superheroes.

When Danny had seen them all, he’d almost stopped hiding. Not immediately, he was having whiplash too hard, but he thought about it. Nobody really blinked when people looked weird or did weird things, or at least not when the heroes did it. And they were real heroes, and the people liked them. They cheered!

Well, they cheered for the heroes. When Danny tried to help, they seemed more confused. The crowds didn’t know his name, but they did shout encouragement. At least up until the heroes tried to bring him down.

Which was, like, totally stupid! Danny had helped them take down a villain way faster than they could have without his powers. But apparently a ‘kid’, or anyone for that matter, shouldn’t use their ‘quirk’ without a license.

Local ghost menace in one world, common illegal vigilante in another. He just couldn’t get a break.

Danny huffed thinking about it, slurping on his cup of noodles he’d taken from a convenience store. He felt bad about it, but he’d learned enough about capitalism from Sam’s latest social-justice binge to know how to minimize the damage he’d do to anyone actually vulnerable. No mom-and-pop stores, only chains; don’t get caught (obvious); take mass stocked items, and take as little as possible from one place. One missed soup can was a miscount or a minor problem. Five cans and half a dozen other necessities was too obvious.

Speaking of obvious. He had to get moving again. Danny groaned as he stood up, feeling the lack of a good bed in his back. He’d been here almost two weeks already, and he couldn’t find a way back. Didn’t help that they had some scarf ninja guy trying to catch him, apparently.

Danny had passed by the guy a couple times and managed not to get caught. Apparently the guy can turn off quirks by looking at people. Distractions in the form of villains and civilians had let Danny skate by, but he had to be careful. ‘Eraserhead’, as stupid as his name was, was not a joke. Danny had just gotten lucky not to be spotted while invisible- either that, or Eraser’s power didn’t work if he didn’t actually see Danny. Hopefully it was the latter. He had a feeling it was not. His luck wouldn’t last much longer.

He shoved his small amount of supplies in his bag- all stolen or paid for with previously stolen money(Taken from caught pickpockets). Blanket, some food, different clothes, and lots of hats and masks. His ghost form was not quite a good enough disguise here. The people hunting him in Tokyo actually had brain cells, apparently.

He had to move spots in the middle of the night. The last time he hadn’t, someone had almost walked in on his sleeping spot. Danny wasn’t sure if it was Eraser, but…

At least Tokyo was big. Giant, really, compared to tiny little Amity. There were all these different districts- prefectures- but he had no idea what was where yet. Being able to read Japanese somehow did not make the map any less confusing.

Danny tried to pick out the landmarks yet again as he reached altitude. Shrines, certain towers, lights, residential areas- it was still a mess in his head. Getting dumped here by a random portal didn’t help. The panic of that day made it hard to remember where it was, and running from heroes probably took him far from where he started. The place it appeared probably would be the best place to-

Several hundred feet above the city, his ghost sense went off. Danny froze in the air.

There was a ghost nearby.

The usual adrenaline spike was mixed with an intense flood of relief. It’d been a while since he was excited to be interrupted by a ghost. Maybe it was Clockwork to get him, or a portal on its own or- hell, he’d be happy to see Skulker at this point. He’d be happy to see Vlad. That thought almost made him pause, but he was getting kinda tired of being on the run all alone. Anyone would be better than no one.

His ghost sense brought him to an open field behind what looked like giant gymnasiums. In the dead of night, the glow of ectoplasm and an aura was like signal lights. There were already two dummies smoking by the time Danny got close enough to realize… he did recognize the ghost. In the worst way possible. He suddenly wished it had been Vlad.

Danny floated down behind the ghost, then dropped his invisibility at the same time he filled his hands with ectoplasm. “What are you doing here?”

The man in front of him turned around. He looked a little different than Danny remembered- his previously wild hair was tamed into a loose (still large) braid, he was wearing less medieval armor and more… workout clothes? A tank-top and fucking sweatpants. The realization actually made Danny’s brain buffer for a second trying to reconcile the idea of the tyrant Ghost King in sweatpants.

Pariah Dark stared at him almost as much as Danny stared back. “...you…” He said slowly with a frown. “You’re… the boy that bested me.”

“Danny Phantom,” Danny snapped, going back on the defensive.

“Phantom. Right, sorry I didn’t learn your name in the middle of trying to kill each other.” Pariah didn’t seem all that phased. He kept an eye on Danny as he walked over to a nearby table with a bottle and towels.

Danny followed at a distance. “Answer the question. What the hell are you doing here?! You’re supposed to still be in the sarcophagus!”

“Hm. You must not keep very good tabs on your enemies,” Pariah muttered, before taking a drink from the bottle. He glanced at Danny. “I don’t know how long it has been for you, but I have been here a few years.”

“What?” Danny said.

“So, really, I should be the one asking what you are doing here,” Pariah said, crossing his arms as he faced Danny. “In closed school grounds. Only students and faculty are allowed.”

Danny frowned at him. “Aren’t you a little old to be a student?”

“... you better be joking, child.”

Danny huffed and shook his head, raising his fists again. “Whatever! Were you the one that dragged me here?! Or- or you must know how to get back! You must have been looking-”

“Why would I go looking to return to a place where I am the most hated being in the realms?” Pariah said suddenly. “I have found a place here. There’s… there’s no reason for me to go back.” There was an undercurrent of something to his words, but Danny couldn’t care less.

“You have to!” Danny yelled, throwing his arms down like a spoiled child. “I can’t be stuck here! It’s been two weeks, and I haven’t been able to sleep in an actual bed. I’m a hero, and people like heroes here, but somehow I’m illegal? Still?! I’ve got some guy named after a fucking pencil pun chasing me, I’m exhausted, I haven’t had a decent meal in forever, and I have to go home!”

Pariah sighed, dropping his arms. “I can’t help you return, child, but-”

Danny growled and shot a blast that Pariah easily blocked with a shield. “Shut up! You- you did something, you have to have. Random portals don’t just toss me to other worlds, and if this was just the future, Clockwork would have left me something-” Pariah’s eyes went wide, but Danny didn’t care. “So- so you have to be involved!”

Danny approached, tears in his eyes now- god, was he really that desperate? He hadn’t talked to anyone seriously since coming here, and now it felt like it wouldn’t stop. “You tried to take over the Zone, you tried to kill me, you- you have to do something about this, or- or-”

Danny took a breath to bite back a sob, and suddenly the tightness in his chest wasn’t tears. He turned human and dropped to the ground. He blacked out before his head hit the ground.

“...Excellent timing as always, Eraser.”

Aizawa hurried out of the treeline, hair floating down as he stopped using Erasure. “What just happened? I only tried to erase his quirk-”

“Well, he’s a half ghost.” Pariah knelt at the boy’s side. “So you only maybe half-killed him.”

“...what.”

When Danny woke up, there was a worrying noise to his side. A regular, very slow beeping. It suddenly got faster as Danny shot up in the hospital bed.

The room was small and white and clean and there was a IV in his arm that he tried to phase out- It didn’t. His arm didn’t go intangible. Now that he looked, he was handcuffed to the bed, too. Why couldn’t he- he couldn’t use his powers, he was caught, no, nonono-

A large hand grabbed his as Danny reached for the IV. “Don’t be stupid, boy. That is there to help you.”

Danny jerked away from Pariah and looked over at the ghost sitting beside him. He wasn’t quite as large as Danny remembered, here- maybe that had just been his memory. He wasn’t wearing sweats, but now had on a more fitting tunic-looking shirt.

“Where am I?” Danny asked immediately. “What did you do to me? Why can’t I use my powers?” He tried to push himself up, but Pariah put a hand on his shoulder and easily made him lie back down.

“Oh, lie down, child. Didn’t you tell me last we spoke how exhausted you are?” He sighed, and it was disconcerting how calm he realized Pariah was. “If you hurt yourself in bed, Recovery Girl will only make you stay here longer.”

“R-Recovery girl…?”

“Ah, he’s awake!” Danny jumped at the new voice. A small old woman with a weird pink visor walked up to his bedside. “You were supposed to come get me when he woke up.”

“It was only moments ago,” Pariah said. “I had to keep him from ripping out the IV first.”

Danny had to guess this was Recovery Girl, although the name didn’t quite fit. She tsked and frowned at Danny now, and pointed at him. “Don’t you go doing that now! When you were brought in, you were badly dehydrated and malnourished! That IV there is your quickest way to get cleared by me to get out of that bed, do you understand?”

“I-I-” Danny stuttered, core fluttering in anxiety. “You- you’re not- you’re not going to take blood or-” He swallowed. “E-experiment?”

Both Recovery Girl and Pariah gave him worried looks. “Why on Earth do you think we’d do something like that?” Recovery Girl said. “I might have to do blood work if you were sick, but you’ve just neglected to take care of yourself recently. Just rest, and eat all the food you’re given, and I think you should be fine in a day or two.” Danny let out a breath he’d been holding, and the heart machine started to slow. She huffed and glanced at the handcuffs. “I can’t say what Eraser’s conditions are, but Pariah at least has put in a good word.”

“He…?” Danny looked at Pariah. “Then that- when I passed out, you didn’t-?”

“That wasn’t me, child,” Pariah said simply. “Eraser must have followed you here, since he is a teacher, and found us while we spoke. I don’t think any of us expected how his power would affect you.”

Danny felt his blood slow. “Does that… not happen to everyone?” The adults shook their heads. “Oh. I- am I…” He pulled at the handcuff. “U-under arrest…?”

“You should be.”

Another new face stood at the door. His long black hair and scarf hid most of his face, except his intense eyes glaring at him. Danny had only really seen him in passing, but he recognized the scarf. Eraserhead.

Danny shrunk back into the bed, accidentally making the chain clink as he tried to pull his hands over his chest.

“You already half-killed the boy, no need to scare him,” Pariah said. He almost sounded like he was being… sarcastic?

The glare turned on Pariah. “You’re the one who keeps saying that- He’s fine. He’s awake, isn’t he?” Eraser stepped up to the end of the bed and crossed his arms. “So. Danny Phantom. You’re the vigilante that’s been giving me the run around the past two weeks.” Something in his glare changed. “Are you really just a child?”

That was enough to have Danny glare back just a bit. “I’m not a child, I’m, like, almost sixteen!”

Pariah huffed and leaned back in his chair. “Really? Hm. How old were you when we fought?”

Danny scowled at him, not holding back. “...Fourteen. You got your ass kicked by a fourteen-year-old, so shut up.”

Pariah just rolled his eyes.

“Why did you fight a fourteen-year-old?” Eraser muttered.

“I think we’ve talked about this before,” Pariah said. “I can explain more later.”

“Great,” Danny muttered. “So. What’s happening now?” His anger died, just a little, as he looked at Eraser. “Am- Am I? Under arrest, I mean.”

“Like I said, you should be.” Eraser frowned, and Danny flinched with each following accusation. “Using your quirk without a license is highly illegal, especially using them to be an untrained vigilante. You could have gotten yourself or others hurt interfering with hero work. Not to mention, I know you’ve been stealing or breaking into various places for supplies and shelter. Maybe you didn’t hurt anyone, but that is still no excuse.”

Pariah cleared his throat. “But.”

“...But.” Eraser sighed heavily and dropped his arms. “Pariah has told me you come from the same place as him. Meaning you have nowhere to go, no support system, and you’re apparently missing the same… special nutrient requirements. You’re also an unaccompanied minor with no idea of the laws surrounding quirks. Given that…” He gave Danny a calculating look. “If you agree not to break the law anymore… you won’t be punished. My contacts with the police have agreed to absolve your crimes as long as you have a responsible guardian. We have some options for you while you are here.”

Danny didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath again, and let it out in one go. “Oh. O- yeah, okay. I can do that. I… didn’t really want to steal or anything. So that- yeah, that works.” he paused. “Uh… ‘we’?”

Eraser nodded at Pariah. “The principal of the school, the police chief, Pariah, and I.”

“Why is Pariah involved?” Danny muttered, shooting the man a glare.

“I told you I work here, boy,” Pariah said. “I am also the only being here even remotely similar to you, and we come from the same world. And I’m not a child. Of course I would be consulted.”

Danny scowled. “But- but you’re-” He looked at Eraser and pointed at Pariah. “Do you even know what he did where I’m from? He’s tried to kill a bunch of people! And take over the- the world! And-”

“Just because we fought once does not mean you know my whole story, Phantom,” Pariah interrupted.

Eraser glanced between them. “I have heard of some of Pariah’s past, yes. But we have come to some agreements. As far as I’ve known him, he has not been as monstrous as you see him. Not perfect, but not awful. I believe in giving people a chance to speak with their actions, and Pariah’s actions have proven trustworthy, so far.”

“‘So far’,” Danny muttered, glaring.

Pariah stood up. “Perhaps we should give him some time. I can understand why you’d hate me as you do, and you were fairly distraught the other night. The main fact for now is that nobody is going to hurt you, but you need rest.”

“If you try to leave, don’t,” Eraser said darkly. “You won’t get far.”

Danny frowned. “What, cuz you’ll be around?”

“Well, yes. But you should probably be more scared of what will happen if Recovery Girl finds you trying to get out of bed rest.”

“...uh.” Danny glanced over to the office door where Recovery Girl had disappeared. “...Okay?”

Pariah gave a small laugh, and once again Danny’s brain short-circuited. “I have no doubt he will learn. If nothing else, you are stubborn.” He nodded to Danny before heading out.

“I’ll be checking in,” Eraser said. “When you feel a little better, we’ll probably have a meeting with everyone about your options moving forward.”

“Okay. Um, thanks… E-Eraserhead?” God, that felt stupid to say out loud. “That’s your name, right?”

Eraser nodded once. “It is. Some teachers and other heroes call me Eraser. In school, though, students call me Aizawa-sensei.” He turned to leave. “There’s a good chance you’re going to be going to school here, too, until we find you a way home. So you can call me that.”

“Uh, okay, Aizawa-sensei,” Danny said hesitantly. He knew like half a thing about Japanese from Sam trying to show them anime. Didn’t ‘sensei’ mean teacher or something?

Wait.

“Wait- you’re making me go to school?!”

But Aizawa was already gone.

Danny thought they’d been joking about fearing Recovery Girl’s ire. He quickly was proven wrong. It only took her finding him trying to stand and stretch while still handcuffed to the bed to put him in the red with her. The only other grandmother-ish figure he knew was Ida Manson, but Sam’s bubbie hadn’t ever turned a glare like that on Danny before. Then again, he’d never really given her a reason to.

Safe to say, he was much more hesitant to go against Recovery Girl’s medical orders after that. (Or, he was much more careful not to be noticed. She usually noticed.)

If it wasn’t for being literally handcuffed to the bed, he probably wouldn’t have been cleared by Recovery Girl after only three days.

“Didn’t Aizawa-sensei say I wasn’t under arrest?” Danny grumbled as the handcuff finally came off. “Why didn’t he take this off back then?”

“It was suggested you’d run off alone again if you didn’t.” Recovery Girl harrumphed as he stood up. “Considering how many times I had to force you back in bed even then, I’m not surprised.”

Danny frowned. “Wait, who’d suggest that?”

“Is he ready?”

The two turned to see Pariah waiting in the doorway. The pointed look Recovery girl gave him made him put the pieces together, and he scowled.

“If he doesn’t push himself, he’ll be fine.” She waved a hand as she turned away. “Go on then.”

Danny didn’t move. “Why are you here?”

Pariah just gave him an unimpressed look. “The principal and the others want to talk, now that Recovery Girl has cleared you from bed rest. I came to get you.”

“Could just give me directions, you know. Or a map.” Danny ducked around him out the door and started down the hall.

“You’re already going the wrong way.”

Danny scowled and turned on his heel. He didn’t look at Pariah as the larger ghost stayed even with him.

“Besides that,” Pariah continued. “Like I said before- I am the only other being from our world here. I will most likely be consulted on most matters regarding how you will be helped.”

“Only 'cuz you lied to them,” Danny muttered.

Pariah rolled his eyes. “I get the feeling there were a lot of untrue stories about me even before I awoke that first time. You do not know the truth of my tale, Phantom, just as I do not know yours.”

Danny snorted. “Oh yeah? What part don’t I know? The part where you terrorized everyone and staged a violent takeover? Or the part where you were literally so shitty, several people had to put you in time out the first time?” He shot him a glare. “Or, I skipped this, the part where you ripped my town off the map and threw it into the Ghost Zone for a day! You sent a skeleton army to attack people!”

Pariah just looked ahead and sighed with a vague frown. “Maybe at another time I could tell you, if you do not choose to try to fight my every word.” He slowed at a door, making Danny double back. “For now, could you try to be civil? The people here do want to assist you if they can. Do not judge them for my actions.”

His hand waited on the door handle, so he was obviously waiting for a reply. Danny huffed and crossed his arms. “I mean… fine, but I can still judge why they want to trust you.”

“...I suppose that is the best we can do for now.” Pariah shook his head before opening the door and waving Danny in.

Inside was a table set up with documents. On one side, two men who looked like they were in law enforcement were sitting. Aizawa sat opposite them, and Pariah took the remaining chair there. There was one chair obviously for Danny, and opposite him was…

A white… bear… rat… dog…. Creature? In a little suit and tie. It smiled as Danny stared.

“Hello!” the creature said in a cheery voice. “You are Danny Phantom, then? I am the principal of UA Academy, Principal Nezu! You’ve met Aizawa-san, and this is detective Tsukauchi and his partner detective Tanua.”

Danny blinked. “Uh…. oh… kay?” He was still processing. Thinking about it, there was a non-zero number of sentient ghosts who were less human looking than Nezu. That was probably what helped him stop staring and finally sit down. (His chair was right next to Pariah. Ew.)

“Er, actually-” He hesitated as everyone looked at him. He swallowed. “Phantom is… is what I go as when I’m a ghost? Like my superhero name- I-I’m not always in ghost mode. My last name is actually Fenton.”

“You chose a hero name?” Tsukauchi asked.

Danny shrugged. “Uh, well, nobody knew I was a ghost back home. And my parents are- well.” He knew his parents being ghost hunters was weird and possibly traumatizing to him. It was also not important right now and he didn’t need these guys trying to get him in therapy or something. “They don’t like ghosts, so I couldn’t exactly go around being called my normal name when I was flying around town fighting other ghosts, ya know?”

The three humans gave him worried looks.

“That actually brings up what we wanted to start with today, Fenton-kun!” Nezu said, seemingly unaffected. “Pariah has told us what he can of where you come from, but as you are probably aware, there are large gaps in his knowledge as well. We’d like to start with asking you basic questions about your life, if that’s alright. Beginning with where you are from, originally.”

Danny gave Pariah a suspicious look. Pariah gave him a look back that practically said, ‘yeah, I talked about you. What are you gonna do about it?’ At least, that’s how Danny read it.

“Sure, I guess,” Danny mumbled. It already felt weird enough to be upfront about not being totally human, but that cat was way out of the bag. And also kind of unimportant in this place? Nezu certainly wasn’t human. Still, Danny found himself fidgeting and rubbing his neck before speaking. “Um, well- I’m not sure what the geography situation is here. I mean, Japan and Tokyo exist back home, so…? Anyway, I’m from Amity Park, Illinois, in the US.” He made a face. “Er, also, it was only 2012 last time I checked.”

Everyone looked a little surprised at that, even Pariah.

“You are aware the year is 2148 here, yes?” Aizawa said.

Danny nodded. “I mean, yeah. I read the news in the two weeks I was hobo-ing around.”

“Your Japanese is very good, for an American teenager,” Tanuma said. “Especially one from over a hundred years ago.”

Danny stopped. “Wait- uh. I’m- okay, this must be some magic nonsense, cuz I have not been speaking, let alone hearing, Japanese this whole time.” He shrugged. “I mean, I think I could tell when I first got here it was weird? And I’m sure if I tried to write in Japanese it wouldn’t work, but, uh-” He frowned and looked at Pariah. “Dude, you’d be farther back in time than I was, you shouldn’t know future-modern Japanese either.”

“I simply took it as part of the transition into this world,” Pariah said. “It just made things easier, so I was not keen on investigating it too closely.”

“So that is not part of your quirk, for sure?” Nezu asked. “Could it be a ghost aspect you were not aware of? Just so we are all clear.”

“No?” Danny said with another heavy shrug. “I dunno, man, I’m still catching up on ghost magic and biology sh- stuff. I know ghosts can speak and understand most dead languages? That’s about it.”

Pariah nodded. “That is the only general rule about languages ghosts have, yes.”

Nezu hummed and put his hands- paws together.

“You-” Tsukauchi cleared his throat awkwardly. “I realize this may be a sensitive subject, so please feel free to turn down this line of questioning. You said you are ‘catching up’ on ghost information- you’re still young then, even in those terms? Can I ask how…?”

“You are right,” Pariah said suddenly. He gave Tsukauchi a hard look. “That is a sensitive topic. One does not just discuss such things with strangers.”

Danny waved a hand. “I mean… I don’t think that’s exactly what he was asking, but, uh, yeah. I’m not gonna talk about, uh, how I died, if that’s what you meant.”

Tsukauchi held up a hand, quickly shaking his head. “No, no, of course not. I completely understand.”

“If you are uncomfortable with any of our questions, please tell us, Fenton-kun,” Nezu said.

“...yeah.” Danny nodded absently. “Er, well, I think what you were asking was how long I’ve been- I mean, I’m still half human but I uh… I’ve been half ghost for almost two and a half years, now.”

The worried looks that passed around the table, even hidden as they were, made Danny’s stomach clench. He slid down in his seat without thinking about it. This much attention, from adults, from adults that weren’t ghosts, was really weird. Especially with how formal it felt.

Pariah was the one exception, but even he gave Danny an inscrutable look. His attention just made Danny annoyed, though. He glared back.

“How long have you been doing hero work back home?” Aizawa asked quietly.

Danny shrugged again. “Almost just as long. The fighting died down sort of recently cuz I set up truces with a lot of ghosts. They used to cause a lot of trouble cuz before that a stable portal between the Ghost Zone and the human world was really rare, so a lot of people just didn’t know how to hold themselves back or something, and I was protecting the town by tossing them back through the portal. Now it’s not so bad. Sometimes people don’t know the rules, but allies or ghosts in on the truce can usually set them straight without me, since they know it’d cause them trouble too. There are some ghosts that come specifically to bother me, though.” He grinned. “But I’m pretty strong.” He shot Pariah a look. “Stronger than when I whooped your ass too, by the way.”

“I would suspect so, from such a young ghost,” Pariah said.

“Wait, you two fought?” Tsukauchi cut in, frowning at Pariah. “You fought a child?! And lost?”

Danny frowned back. “Yeah- I thought you said you told them what you knew?”

“I told Eraser and Nezu-san,” Pariah said.

Tsukauchi looked between them, then at Nezu. “Is it really appropriate-”

“Pariah has informed us of the context around their altercation,” Nezu said easily. “And he also asked for some privacy in the matter. But I assure you, we believe that there is currently no danger posed for anyone in interacting.”

Tsukauchi sat back with some hesitation.

Danny rolled his eyes as obviously as possible. “I’m not scared of him, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He wasn’t going to point out he had the ecto-skeleton last time, because he was totally strong enough to beat Pariah without it now. Totally. Probably. ...Maybe.

His skill at denial was certifiably top-tier at least.

"Anyway," Aizawa said, apparently getting them back on track. "You won't be doing any of that while you're here. For one, the only ghosts here are in this room and for two, you're a minor. Even students have to earn hero permits to work as licensed pro heroes. Vigilantes are illegal."

Danny made a face, but didn't argue. He didn't want to have to deal with whatever Aizawa's power had done to him again.

"I'm sure Eraser has told you," Tanuma said, "but we're going to drop all charges against you up til now because of your… unique situation. However, any future charges will be addressed as usual if it comes up. Understood?"

"Y… yeah," Danny muttered. It didn't sit right, though. Being told he wasn't allowed to help protect people. He stopped himself from saying something with a huff, despite everything.

"Is there a problem, Fenton-kun?" Nezu asked, and he… he did sound genuinely concerned.

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "N- not really. I just uh. Might need reminders." He laughed uneasily. "Ya know, when you get used to running towards the screaming, it's kind of hard to stop." That got him a variety of looks around the table. "I uh. I'm used to helping. Back home, nobody-" He huffed again. "Some people tried to help. But they were either… not great at it, or they thought ghosts were… inhuman. Less than animals. So they-" He smirked, so he didn't break. "They didn't just toss them back home with a kick in the pants, ya know?"

Most of the worried looks were aimed at him, be he saw them glance at Pariah. Not that he would know any of this, the asshole barely gave humans half a thought before, as far as Danny saw.

Pariah seemed to have all his attention on him, though.

Aizawa sighed eventually. "They say the best heroes react on instinct. That you can't train for that kind of thing." He didn't sound very happy about it in this case. "Just… try to remember there are pros taking care of everything here, alright?"

Danny gave a noncommittal humm and shifted in his seat, a hand going to his chest.

"What is your obsession, boy?"

They all looked at Pariah at his sudden question.

"What?" Tsukauchi said.

"What's it to you?" Danny shot back, glaring at him.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

Danny and Pariah just stared (or glared) at the other.

Nezu cleared his throat. "Pariah?"

Pariah was quiet for a moment. "His obsession." He didn't take his eyes off Danny. "Also known as a focus, or a reason. Every ghost has one. It's the center of their being. So, what is yours, boy?"

Danny snorted. "Didn't tell anyone yours? What is it anyway? Conquest? Domination?"

Pariah sighed.

"Fenton-kun." The boy jumped at Nezu's calm voice. "Is it common to tell others your obsession, as a ghost?"

"It- uh…" Danny shrugged. "I mean, it's not asked a lot. Usually you can kinda get the gist just by meeting them. Or they just tell you- hell, that's how Skulker introduces himself, 'the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter'." He snorted. "He's not, technically I probably am, but that's his thing."

"Do you have 'thing', then?" Aizawa asked. "You did say you're only half ghost."

Danny shrugged again. "I mean, I think so, since without an obsession you don't have a ghost. Even little non sentient blob ghosts have an obsession to, like, eat or something. Frostbite thinks it might just be easier for me to ignore or I like to have more than one I switch between, since humans are really flexible compared to ghosts with that sort of thing."

"Frostbite?" Nezu questioned.

"Oh- right-" Danny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I'm not used to talking about stuff with people who don't already… know. Frostbite is kinda like my ghost doctor. He and his people in the Far Frozen are really good doctors for ghosts and I have an ice core like they do too, so he helped me figure out more about my biology." He paused and smirked. "Especially since they love me after I locked this asshole back up when we first met."

Pariah just sighed again, sitting back to cross his arms.

"Child, please."

"I'll stop when it stops being funny. Or when you stop deserving it. So, never."

Nezu coughed lightly. Danny at least made an effort to tone down his smile. “Well, if you do have one or more than one ‘focus’, what would they be?”

And there went any smile he had. “Oh. Er…” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. Everyone was looking at him, and from Pariah’s expectant look, he’d probably figured it out. “Uh. Well, space and astronomy stuff might be… my secondary one…”

“And your primary focus?” Aizawa said.

Danny sunk down in his chair, not looking at them. His face was definitely red. “Probably… prmbmle….”

“What was that, Fenton-kun?” Nezu said, leaning forward.

He heaved a sigh, and said clearly, “Protecting people…”

The other adults stared, but Pariah huffed what could have been a laugh. “Of course. No wonder.” He shook his head with a smirk as Aizawa rubbed his eyes and Tsukauchi heaved a sigh.

Nezu just smiled. “That’s a very… heroic focus.”

Danny just shrugged. “Not that I can control it. Didn’t know about it when I was, er, forming, so it just sort of… happened.”

Tsukauchi sat forward and nodded at Pariah. “What is- a focus? Obsession? Whatever we want to call it. How does that affect a ghost?”

Pariah looked between him, Danny, and Nezu. “As we both said, a focus is just that- the focus of a ghost’s afterlife. Something their entire nature revolves around. Following one’s focus leads to health and stability, or power if done in excess. Outright avoiding or going against a focus is…” He frowned at Danny. “...ill-advised. At best it can lead to stress and fatigue. At worst, it can lead to frenzy, aggression, and- eventually- a spirit’s end. Especially when a spirit is not in the realms, following your focus is a key part of staying sane and healthy.”

Tsukauchi glanced at Danny and cocked an eyebrow.

“Uh… yeah, that’s about what I know, actually.” Danny shrugged.

Aizawa put his arm on the table and leaned his head against his head. “So what I’m hearing is, we have an untrained, unlicensed teenager with the equivalent to an overpowered quirk who has to be a hero for his own safety?”

Danny grimaced. “Safety is probably… not the best word. I, uh, do get hurt back home pretty often.”

Aizawa waved a finger at him. “And that is not helping your case here, Fenton-kun.”

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity, then!” Everyone turned to look at Nezu, who simply smiled. “There is no reason for young Fenton-kun to fight or get hurt recklessly here, and we are the top hero academia in Japan for a reason. If anyone is equipped to handle his unique needs, I believe it is us. It wouldn’t be the first time students came to the school with some kind of hero experience. Fenton-kun, you said your parents were not aware of your vigilantism at home?”

Danny sat up. “Oh. Er, no. I mean, they taught us how to defend ourselves with their inventions, and my mom’s a black belt- she tried to teach us some basics, it’s probably the only reason I got a full month into fighting before I broke my hand punching Skulker-” He stopped and shook his head. The humans exchanged some looks, but he ignored them. “But- but no, they don’t know.”

“And you worked alone?”

“Y-er.” Danny’s hand found it’s way to the back of his neck again. “Uh. I mean… sort of? I was the only one actually fighting anyone, but my friends Sam and Tucker knew and helped provide cover or distractions sometimes, or carried spare equipment. My sister Jazz found out and tried to help, but…” he shuddered. “She’s not allowed to use the ranged equipment around us anymore. She got my mom’s reflexes, but my dad’s aim- couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, ya know?”

Tsukauchi suddenly covered his face with his hand. Danny just smiled nervously, not sure what he said to make this worse.

“So…” Tanuma said slowly. “Your parents keep weapons in the house? That you have access to?”

“Well… yeah? I don’t-” Danny’s ‘the rest of the world is clueless about ghosts/the Fentons’ brain cell suddenly burst from the grave. “Oh- oh my god, wait, that is not as bad as that sounds!”

“That sounds pretty bad,” Tsukauchi said. “Especially if they haven’t figured out what you’re doing when you borrow equipment, which is what it sounds like.”

“I- well-” He laughed, high and shaky. “Yeah! I guess that would sound pretty bad, and would make them suspicious, if… they knew… we were taking stuff…”

Aizawa just had his head in his hands at this point.

Danny waved his hands wildly. “Look, they- there’s a lot of ghost stuff going on and they- they’re ghost scientists, of course they’re distracted trying to do something! And- listen, I’m going to tell them eventually, I just need the right time and- and okay, I mean that does get harder when they think Phantom is the one stealing equipment.” He dropped his hands a fraction. “Which, I guess they- they don’t really just ‘think’ that if they’re… technically right…”

The table was silent.

“Child.” Pariah sighed. “I was raised in a warrior culture, but even I can tell there are several issues with your family by the day’s standards, if all this is true.”

“Even without quirk laws, I think that’s pretty obvious neglect,” Tsukauchi muttered into his hand. “Not to mention…” he looked at Danny, and Danny’s panic skyrocketed at the clear worry. “You said they’re ghost scientists?”

He swallowed hard, shaking hands suddenly very, very still. “U-um. S- sort of.” His heart jumped to his throat while his core was a heavy block in his gut. Why was he panicking so hard? They already knew his secret. And they couldn’t do anything to his parents, so- so why did them looking so worried suddenly hit him so hard?

“Sort of?” Tanuma was closest to him on that side, and turned his chair to face Danny better. “Fenton-kun, what exactly do your parents do?”

God, he couldn’t look at them, couldn’t bear what they thought of his parents. That’s all it was, the gut-instinct to years of being bullied for what his parents did, being judged for how they acted,

Being hunted for what he was-

A hand reached out, and he jerked back, the chair moving with a metallic screech.

Tanuma froze, that too-soft tone to his voice. “Danny-kun. Just breathe. You’re alright, you’re safe. Nobody here is going to hurt you, and nothing we talk about has to leave this room unless you want it to.”

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, holding himself, not quite looking at Tanuma. From the side, he saw a puff of breath come from the detective, and belatedly noticed how cold the room had gotten. A bit of frost even touched the metal arms of his chair. He forced his jaw open and took a gulp of air, held it, and blew out what ended up being a fine frosty mist that settled on the table in front of him.

In, hold, then out. “Good.” Again, little brother.

The next breath didn’t litter the tabletop with ice crystals, and he managed to relax his grip on his arms in the third. Nobody moved while he forced his core to stop freezing everything.

His voice still shook. “They, um. They’re inventors. They make a bunch of ghost-related stuff- blasters, wrist ways, shields, containment…they patent them, and sell them to the town and government for defense. Even after the town accepted ghosts as real, they’re called crazy. The only experts in town, but crazy.” He swallowed again. “But, uh… they like to call themselves ghost hunters.”

There was a muffled swear from Aizawa. Evan Pariah looked a bit surprised.

“Ghost hunters?” Tanuma said. “What- why?”

“Because ghosts are just evil ectoplasmic impressions of post-human consciousness. Obviously.” The smirk and sarcasm he tried for ended up a grimace and squeak. His vision blurred and- “Dammit, sorry…” He wiped at his eyes quickly, trying to turn away. The table was blessedly quiet while Danny got ahold of his tears.

Aizawa was looking at him- they were all looking at him, really- when he seemed to settle. “Is that what they think of Phantom?”

Danny could only shrug, blankly staring at the puddle now on the table. “If it’s not Phantom, then they’re saying it about all the others. They don’t think ghosts are- are people, really. They say ghosts don’t have emotions besides anger, that they can’t feel pain, that they’re worse than animals-”

Pariah interrupted with a scoff. “I’d ask why you bother protecting them if not for your focus. But your efforts sound like they’d be better suited elsewhere.”

“They’re my parents!” Danny snapped, eyes flashing green as he shot Pariah a glare.

“It does not sound that they act like it.”

Danny shot to his feet and was stopped by Tanuma putting his arm between the two ghosts. The rest of the room was tense, save Pariah, calmly staring back.

“I think it would be best for you to withhold any further comments about the Fentons, Pariah.” Nezu also seemed calm, but it was hard for most to read him in the first place.

Regardless, Pariah simply hummed agreement and broke the staring match.

Nobody pointed out that, technically, both of them were right. From the way Danny glared holes into the table as he sat back down, he knew it too.

Tanuma put a hand on the table, grabbing everyone's attention. "Given that it's only Fenton-kun here, and all the rest of this context, I think we can table the discussion of his home life if or until it becomes relevant. The only other thing I think should be taken from this is, well…" He looked at Danny and gave him a nervous smile, and tried to keep his tone light. "No offense, but you might do well with therapy?"

That got a dark snort of laughter from Danny. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. My sister is going into psychology, and she never shuts up about it. That's not really an option."

"Perhaps not when you were at home," Tsukauchi said with a nod. "But would you consider it while you are here? While we don't know how long that might be, it could be helpful both in the short and long term. We would be able to give necessary context and ensure the utmost confidentiality."

"All staff are going to be at least somewhat aware of your situation," Nezu added. "So if you wish to go to the school counselor-"

"No."

The table went quiet, until Danny realized he was shaking again, and slowly took a breath. "N- I… I tried school counseling once. She… nearly killed half the school." He huffed, not a laugh but he smirked humorless. "Well, probably would have ended up being the whole school, but… anyway, she was a ghost that fed on people's misery. Said mine was the best…" He shook his head. "Anyway, the point is, if I try to go to therapy, or especially a school counselor, I- I'd…"

"We understand," Tsukauchi said gently. "You do not have to go, it was simply something we suggested without context."

Nezu nodded and put his paws together. "I am sure [Name] would also be willing to meet you in a non-office or non-therapy setting, with supervision, if that would help ease any fears. Such a meeting would not have to necessarily lead to treatment afterwards, but simply for your peace of mind."

Danny made a face, but shrugged. "Maybe…"

“I can make a note of it and ask you again later?”

Danny just shrugged again, and Nezu nodded and wrote something down.

“While we’re health-adjacent,” Aizawa said. “Do you know if or how your vitals or health might be different from average, Fenton-kun?”

“Oh- uh, yeah, actually.” He laughed once, slowly relaxing. “Once Jazz found out I had a ghost doctor, she made them run me through the gauntlet and figure that all out. The obvious you probably already noticed? My pulse rests at like, 30? I don’t have to breathe quite as much, especially when I sleep- freaked my friends out the first time we had a sleepover after. Still need air, though!” He rubbed at his throat and winced. “Uh, temperature about 80 degrees-”

“Celsius?” Tanuma gasped.

Danny blinked. “Oh- uh, fahrenheit? That’s like,” -he ran the quick and dirty formula in his head- “Twenty five, twenty six celsius? Yeah, I-” he laughed. “I’m ice, not fire. Eighty celsius anything would probably kill me. Or- well anyone, that’s like over a hundred- no, two hundred fahrenheit?”

He heard Tsukauchi mutter something about ‘Americans’, which Danny agreed with on principle.

“Yeah, so, that. I wear out in the heat but below-freezing temps aren’t that bad, even while I’m human. Uh, for everything else, we couldn’t be exact because there’s only three halfa’s ever- one of them has never been to the Far Frozen despite my best efforts, and the other is a fruitloop that would and should be shot on sight because, as I said, he’s a fruitloop.”

“Meaning?”

“He’s batshit crazy and basically a stereotypical supervillain.” Danny paused. “Wait, stereotypes are probably different here, huh…?”

“So you don’t have answers about any specific health requirements?” Tanuma said.

“Oh- uh, Frostbite made some educated guesses?” Danny grimaced again. “I, uh… was probably a little malnourished even before I got here. Being a teenager mixed with constant activity and adrenaline, and ghost cores burn through energy crazy fast. So, I’m, uh. Always hungry. Never got a calorie count, wasn’t worth it, but more than I was getting. That, and more ‘healthy’ ectoplasm in my diet- he ended up just making me supplements, since it was too much trouble to get and keep ghost food around.”

Most of them seemed to be writing something down, except Pariah. He just looked at Danny. “I’d hope your obsession was at least being fulfilled then?”

Danny couldn’t help but shoot him a glare. “Yeah, that wasn’t an issue.”

“Allergies or reactions?” Tsukauchi prompted.

“Er… no? Not specifically for me, just- you know, general ghost things.” He waved a hand at Pariah, unwilling to admit him being there saved some explanation. “I can withstand some things a little better than normal ghosts, and some things less. Same with human stuff. Like-” He paused, only long enough to remember they couldn’t do anything about it anyway. “Well, probably won’t come up, but I can’t get drunk on normal alcohol. Then ghost alcohol knocks me off my ass.”

Pariah snorted at that, but the other adults sans Nezu gave him looks ranging from shock to concern. “Why do you know that?”

“Nobody told me what was in what at a Saturnalia Truce party, ‘cause different standard drinking ages over time and culture. My friend Dora had to lock me in my room at her castle so I didn’t keep drinking. I’m strictly and publically BYOB for Zone parties now.” He made a face. “Which wouldn't be so bad if everyone stopped making jokes about ‘don’t let the baby drink’ every time anything festive happens.”

Pariah, the bastard, kept laughing. Danny kicked him in the shin. “Shut up!”

“Anything…” Tanuma sighed and put his head in his hand. “Anything that might be more relevant?”

“Uh… I typically need, like, a lot of aspirin for it to work? I’d guess that goes for medicine in general, but I also have a pretty great healing factor most of the time, so.”

“What’s your healing factor like?”

“Eh, healed a broken ulna in like… a week and a half, one time? Stitches heal in a day or two.”

Tsukauchi and Aizawa rubbed their eyes this time, clearly exasperated.

“...what?”

“You’re just like the problem child, aren’t you?” Aizawa muttered, seemingly to himself.

“Er- who’s the problem child?”

The other adults looked confused, but Aizawa just sighed in a way that was kind of familiar to Danny.

“Is advanced hearing one of your abilities, Fenton-kun?” Nezu said casually.

Danny shrugged one shoulder. “Er- kind of a general ghost thing, but yeah.”

“Right,” Aizawa huffed, and gave Danny an exhausted but focused look. “Since we’re on that, tell us about your quirk- or your power, as Americans call them.”

“Yeah, uh- power? Singular?”

He was starting to feel bad for exhausting the man. “Typically, here, people only have one quirk. Sometimes certain individuals can appear to have more than one, but really it’s just a dual-purpose use of a single quirk. For the purposes of registry and school, you will be registered with one quirk.”

Wow. That… “That’s… going to be… kind of impossible?”

“It may just limit what powers you may use publicly,” Pariah said.

“Why don’t you just tell us what you can do, and we can go from there?” Nezua added with a smile.

“Okaaay…” Danny held up his hand and began listing off on his fingers. “So, there’s the basic ghost stuff: flying, intangibility, invisibility, enhanced strength, hearing, and durability… oh and overshadowing but- I- I don’t use that one anymore, really.”

Tsukauchi looked like he really didn’t want to ask. “Overshadowing?”

“I believe he means possession,” Pariah answered instead.

“Right, right, of course…”

“I don’t use it anymore,” Danny said again, not looking at them. “Unless it’s to stop someone else overshadowing someone, but that’s it.” He shook his head and continued. “Then there’s ecto-manipulation- ectoblasts, rays, shields- can’t really make anything complicated with shields, but I never trained for that. Personally, I’m an ice core, so ice creation and control- thank Frostbite I’m not freezing everyone and everything around me anymore. I can sense ghosts, and that usually shows up as seeing my breath because of my core. I can duplicate myself, but not… consistently?”

Pariah raised an eyebrow, but Danny shot him a glare. He just smirked and didn’t say anything.

Danny sucked in a breath. “And, um, my ghostly wail. It’s like a scream, but it’s my most powerful attack- and most destructive. I’ve taken out buildings with it before, and it usually forces me to transform back after, so it’s a last-ditch thing.”

“‘Transform back’?” Nezu said.

“Oh! I, uh, have a separate form- my ghost form? I guess that’d be a power- it’s how nobody in town knew I was Phantom. But I can’t hold it forever- if I run out of energy or pass out or go to sleep, I transform back to my human form. My ecto-signature is weaker in human form, which makes it harder to notice or track me, but I also have a harder time using my powers without transforming.”

“How does this transformation work, exactly?” Nezu asked, leaning forward with his paws together. “Is It destructive or painful?”

“N- no? And, I don’t know? I just sort of-” Danny made a motion to his chest. “Like… pull my core forward? Mentally, I mean- it doesn’t feel bad, and it’s just really bright. And I can like, partially transform?” He let his eyes go green, but he was sure they’d seen that earlier when he was freaking out.

“In that case, would you be willing to show us now?”

“I- uh- sure?” And then suddenly they were all looking at him, and he never felt more self-conscious. Transforming was so normal for him usually, but having an audience like this was different. He pushed himself forward in his chair, but didn’t stand, fidgeting with his shirt. “Uh…”

He didn’t mean to be stalling, but Aizawa and Tsukauchi shared a look, and that just made him pull his shoulders in-

There was a rap on the table. “Phantom.”

Danny’s gaze locked onto Pariah with his challenging tone. When he noticed the unimpressed look Pariah was giving him, it ticked him off.

He transformed almost without thinking, his core already humming in defiance to the challenge he only then heard from Pariah’s core. Pariah smirked again, and the sound from his core shifted to smug satisfaction before quieting.

It took Danny a second of sitting there- facing Pariah, half ready to stand and fight- before he registered what had just happened. He did get up then. “You did that on purpose!”

“You were overthinking it,” Pariah said simply. “I gather that you usually shift to challenge an opponent, so I gave you the appearance of one.”

“I- You- asshole!” It was obvious there wasn’t going to actually be a fight, so he crossed his arms and fell back in his seat. Not pouting over how easily he was played. Obviously.

The other adults in the room were either giving him curious looks or hiding their own amusement. Tsukauchi in particular peered at him before turning to Aizawa. “Do we know if your quick interacts as normal with Fenton-chan’s… ghostliness? Does it react like a transformation quirk, so he’d just transform back?”

Aizawa scowled at him. “...yes, but more than that. Last time, he immediately passed out, and we had to take him straight to Recovery Girl.”

“That was you?!”

Tsukauchi responded like Danny hadn’t spoken. “Are we sure that reaction wasn’t just from malnutrition or exhaustion?”

“Are we suggesting we play with his health to test it?”

“Er.” Tsukauchi sat back. “Right- no, obviously not.”

“Eraser’s quirk forces another quirk to completely deactivate,” Pariah said. “All of Phantom’s powers are tied to his core- since that would be what Eraser’s quick targets, it would temporarily shut down the core itself.”

“Which is … bad,” Tsukauchi said, barely not making it a question.

Pariah huffed. “A ghost’s core is like all human internal organs in one- so since Phantom needs his core to survive as any other would, yes. That’s bad.”

Tanuma looked at Danny. “Er, do you? Need it to survive, I mean.”

Danny swallowed, and the whole room got ten degrees colder. “Yeah. I… Yeah. That’s- That’s not up for debate. Trying to remove it would kill me.” He shuddered. “Just… don’t ask me how I know that.”

Tanuma held up his hands. “Yes, of course! I didn’t mean to come off like that. I just wanted to make sure we all understood.”

The temperature ticked up a couple degrees. Danny nodded, and they moved on.

“Onto more immediate, short-term plans,” Nezu said without missing a beat. “We had discussed options for where and with whom you will be staying while you are here, Fenton-kun.” Danny couldn't help a worried glance in Pariah’s direction. “While you share much common ground, we’ve all agreed it would not be a good idea to have you stay with Pariah-san, so don’t worry about that.”

Danny tried not to make it too obvious how much he relaxed at that.

“Aizawa-san is both qualified as a stand-in guardian for minors in unforeseen circumstances, and an experienced underground pro-hero. He has a spare room kept for situations not unlike these, and has offered to house you until such time as we make other arrangements.” Nezu smiled at him. “That is, if you have no complaints with that arrangement, Fenton-kun.”

“I… don’t think I do?” Danny looked at Aizawa, and felt bad again. “I mean, as long as realizing I’m an absolute disaster hasn’t changed your mind?”

Aizawa stared at him. “...as long as you can figure out how to follow rules, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Uh. I’ll do my best.”

“That’s the spirit!” Nezu said happily. “Which leads us to schooling. We do not know how long you will be here, but we would like to keep you abreast with your peers. Were you in school back home, Fenton-kun?”

Oh great. They had mentioned that, hadn’t they? “Y… yeah? I um… was almost flunking out, but yeah.”

“What grade were you in?”

“Tenth? Er, second year of high school, if- I don’t know how school works in Japan.”

Nezu simply nodded. “Here, high school is three years long, and begins usually when the student is 15 or 16. So then you would be in the same grade as the UA first years. Depending on testing, we would like you to go to school here, given that both Aizawa-san and Pariah-san are staff, and we are the leading heroics academy in Japan.”

Danny had to shake his head. “Wait- hold on- you have superhero school here?! That’s what this is?! That’s-” His mouth went dry as his brain registered what Nezu said. ‘Depending on testing’, ‘We would like-’. He tried not to deflate too much. “That… sounds awesome. I- I don’t think I’ll be able to pass whatever testing you need, though. So what then?”

Nezu tilted his head and gave Danny an odd look, though he still smiled. “In the event you are not capable of attending UA, we will place you in a different high school or home schooling appropriate to your needs. I don’t think that will be necessary, however.”

“Yeah, well…” Danny sighed. “You haven’t seen my grades.”

“You wouldn’t be taking these tests today,” Aizawa said. “That’d just be unfair, given your health and the stress of relocation. If all goes well, you’d come back in two weeks, which would give you time to study if needed.”

“We would also not expect exactly the same standard of scores as usual, given your situation. Namely in history or English, which would be substituted for individual Japanese instruction wherever you are placed.”

Danny couldn’t help slip a bit of a smile at his first thought. “I think if I fail history, I’d be grounded when I get home.”

“Why do you say that?”

He covered his mouth with a hand. “Just- inside joke, sorry.”

While everyone else seemed willing to roll their eyes and let it slide, Pariah shot him a look. Not one that Danny could really even parse before he schooled his features, but he noticed anyway. He still felt hyper-aware of Pariah’s presence, but especially when he had weird reactions like that.

He didn’t get a chance to say anything, though, because now Tsukauchi was looking at him weird.

“Didn’t you say that form takes energy to sustain? You don’t need to hold it just because we didn’t tell you to change back.”

“Oh.” Danny blinked and looked down at his gloved hands. “Er- I guess I just didn’t notice? Sorry.” He changed back quickly, feeling gravity reassert itself on him. “It’s not like I have to spend energy to hold it, it’s more like a light switch? And it’s just as comfortable really. My human form is just… like the power-saver on your phone. I switch back automatically when I’m too far in the red.”

"So you're saying it feels natural to you?" Nezu said.

"I mean… yeah. My powers aren't something I have, it's something I am." He paused, and remembered the phrase Jazz kept repeating. "Human or ghost, I'm always Danny. And that means I'm always both."

Nezu smiled and nodded like he'd just passed some secret test.

Tsukauchi cleared his throat politely. "I think that brings us to the last thing we need to discuss. Namely, trying to find a way to get you back home."

Already, a put was opening in his stomach. Danny nodded and tried to breathe deeply.

"You might be aware, but before this, no effort was made to find a way back to your world." Tsukauchi glanced at Pariah. "Simply efforts to make it possible for a ghost to live here safely. So, while we may be starting from square one in getting you back home, Pariah has done most of the hard work that will keep you safe and healthy here while we explore our options."

"You mentioned a portal earlier," Aizawa said. "A… 'stable portal from the Ghost Zone'?"

Danny nodded. "Oh, yeah- uh, there's always been natural portals, but they are hard to track and dont stay open long. My parents built a big stable portal a couple years ago- it's not the only one, but the guy who built the other two knew to either hide them or built better defenses to keep ghost from just… coming in." He made a face. "And you know, I didn't know anything or anyone back then, so when ghosts started coming through and causing trouble, I didn't know what else to do besides just… toss them back in and try to keep the door closed."

All of them looked like they wanted to say something about it, but Aizawa pushed forward. "So then, it's theoretically possible to build a portal to the ghost realm. If that was done here, there is a nonzero chance of it working, and a nonzero chance that it would open somewhere home-adjacent."

Danny nodded. "Sounds like that'd be the first thing to try, yeah. I could probably help with making that, too. I'm not the inventor my parents are, or a computer fiend like my friend Tucker, but I did grow up around this stuff and use it daily. Not to mention, I'm probably the only one that knows even some of the details of how ectoplasm works as an element or chemical, since Dark-Ages Mcgee here skipped a few hundred years of science class." He grinned as Pariah gave him a tired glare.

"You're a menace."

"Aw, how'd you guess my middle name?"

"Would that be safe?" Aizawa cut in.

Danny blinked back to the table. "What?"

Aizawa was trying hard not to glare at him. "Would it be safe for you to be involved if a portal was to be built? Both physically and mentally."

He opened his mouth to immediately wave it off, but paused as his core tinged at the idea of the portal, dark and dead, a hole in the wall-

"Um-" Danny coughed. "Well. I… get the feeling the safety measures would be a lot more strict with you guys?" No switches inside the portal, he'd make sure of that. "S-so, yeah, all good. Wouldn't even get to that point until all the plans are built and testing was done to make sure physics here isn't too different in some weird tiny way, anyway."

He must have paused too long, because nobody looked convinced.

"Look, if you don't let me help, I'd probably go crazy worrying about it and break in to double check everything anyway."

"If that's your intent, you really shouldn't tell us that," Tsukauchi said with a sigh.

Danny just shrugged. "If it gets you to include me, it won't happen anyway. I don't like to lie and sneak around if I'm not basically forced into it. And you knowing what I'll do in either situation just gives you full accountability for your choice, so you can't really come back and be mad at me for doing what I said I would do if you locked me out."

"That's a fair argument for your intent, I suppose!" Nezu said, which caught Danny off guard by tone alone.

"Oh. Um… thanks? I think?"

"We will have to research and discuss that situation privately with the professionals of the field," Tsukauchi muttered, writing several things down. "For now…" He glanced at the others. "If there's no disagreement, it might be helpful for you to write down anything you remember of the other portals you know about, so that we are able to find engineers and scientists most closely experienced with the necessary areas of research."

"Oh, yeah, totally. If you give me enough paper, I could probably recreate a chunk of the blueprints, honestly."

The detectives looked a bit surprised by that, but the others either expected it or hid the emotion by now.

"It sounds like we have a plan of action!" Nezu said, and clapped his paws together. "Unless there is anything you would like to add, Fenton-kun?" He paused for Danny to shake his head. "Then I think we can wrap up our meeting for today. After all, you and Aizawa-san still need time to gather some basic necessities, and from what I hear, you could use a good night's sleep outside of our infirmary."

Danny gave him a weak smile, and tried not to shudder at the memory-sensation of the IV. "Y-yes, please."

Aizawa took that as a cue to stand. "Let's go, Fenton."

Danny stood, but hesitated as the others stayed put.

"We just need to discuss legal logistics and documents, don't mind us," Tanuma said with a smile.

"Okay…" He gave Pariah a serious look before moving to follow Aizawa. He didn't want to stick around the man, but having everyone else trust him wasn't going to ever make sense.

#i don't know if i want to tag this either of the fandoms #its not very good/consistent/edited #but i said id post something sO

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