#Vlad allows Danny to sneak off because he thinks Danny is alone. if he knew Bruce was there he'd be piiisssed and would put a stop to it

[starry-bi-sky]

i need to get this out of my head before i continue clone^2 but danny being the first batkid. Like, standard procedure stuff: his parents and sister die, danny ends up with Vlad Masters. He drags him along to stereotypical galas and stuff; Danny is not having a good time.

He ends up going to one of the Wayne Galas being hosted ever since elusive Bruce Wayne has returned to Gotham. Vlad is crowing about having this opportunity as he's been wanting to sink his claws into the company for a long while now. Danny is too busy grieving to care what he wants.

And like most Galas, once Vlad is done showing him off to the other socialites and the like, he disappears. Off to a dark corner, or to one of the many balconies; doesn't matter. There he runs into said star of the show, Bruce who is still young, has been Batman for at least a year at this point, but still getting used to all these damn people and socializing. He's stepped off to hide for a few minutes before stepping back into the shark tank.

And he runs into a kid with circles under his eyes and a dull gleam in them. Familiar, like looking into a mirror.

Danny tries to excuse himself, he hasn't stopped crying since his parents died and it's been months. He rubs his eyes and stands up, and stumbles over a half-hearted apology to Mister Wayne. Some of Vlad's etiquette lessons kicking in.

Bruce is awkward, but he softens. "That's alright, lad," he says, pulling up some of that Brucie Wayne confidence, "I was just coming out here to get some fresh air."

There's a little pressing; Bruce asks who he's here with, Danny says, voice quiet and grief-stricken, that he's with his godfather Vlad Masters. Bruce asks him if he knows where he is, and Danny tells him he does. Bruce offers to leave, Danny tells him to do whatever he wants.

It ends with Bruce staying, standing off to the side with Danny in silence. Neither of them say a word, and Danny eventually leaves first in that same silence.

Bruce looks into Vlad Masters after everything is over, his interest piqued. He finds news about him taking in Danny Fenton: he looks into Danny Fenton. He finds news articles about his parents' deaths, their occupations, everything he can get his hands on.

At the next gala, he sees Danny again. And he looks the same as ever: quiet like a ghost, just as pale, and full of grief. Bruce sits in silence with him again for nearly ten minutes before he strikes a conversation.

"Do you like to do anything?"

Nothing. Just silence.

Bruce isn't quite sure what to do: comfort is not his forte, and Danny doesn't know him. He's smart enough to know that. So he starts talking about other things; anything he can think of that Brucie Wayne might say, that also wasn't inappropriate for a kid to hear.

Danny says nothing the entire time, and is again the first to leave.

Bruce watches from a distance as he intercts with Vlad Masters; how Vlad Masters interacts with him. He doesn't like what he sees: Vlad Masters keeps a hand on Danny's shoulder like one would hold onto the collar of a dog. He parades him around like a trophy he won.

And there are moments, when someone gets too close or when someone tries to shake Danny's hand, of deep possessiveness that flints over Vlad Masters' eyes. Like a dragon guarding a horde.

He plays the act of doting godfather well: but Bruce knows a liar when he sees one. Like recognizes like.

Danny is dull-eyed and blank faced the entire time; he looks miserable.

So Bruce tries to host more parties; if only so that he can talk to Danny alone. Vlad seems all too happy to attend, toting Danny along like a ribbon, and on the dot every hour, Danny slips away to somewhere to hide. Bruce appears twenty minutes later.

"I was looking into your godfather's company," he says one night, trying to think of more things to say. Some nights all they do is sit in silence. "Some of my shareholders were thinking of partnering up--"

"Don't."

He stops. Danny hardly says a word to him, he doesn't even look at him -- he's sitting on the ground, his head in his knees. Like he's trying to hide from the world. But he's looking, blue eyes piercing up at Bruce.

Bruce tilts his head, practiced puppy-like. "Pardon?"

"Don't." Danny says, strongly. "Don't make any deals with Vlad."

It's the most words Danny's spoken to him, and there's a look in his eyes like a candle finding its spark. Something hard. Bruce presses further, "And why is that?"

The spark flutters, and flushes out. Danny blinks like he's coming out of a trance, and slumps back into himself. "Just don't."

Bruce stares at him, thoughtful, before looking away. "Alright. I won't."

And they fall back into silence.

Danny, when he leaves, turns to look at Bruce, "I mean it." He says; soft like he's telling a secret, "Don't make any deals with him. Don't be alone with him. Don't work with him."

He's scampered away before Bruce can question him further.

(He never planned on working with Vlad Masters and his company; he's done his research. He's seen the misfortune. But nothing ever leads back to him. There's no evidence of anything. But Danny knows something.)

At their next meeting, Danny starts the conversation. It's new, and it's welcomed. He says, cutting through their five minute quiet, that he likes stars. And he doesn't like that he can't see them in Gotham.

Bruce hums in interest, and Danny continues talking. It's as if floodgates had been opened, and as Bruce takes a sip of his wine, it tastes like victory.

("Tucker told me once--") ("Tucker?") ("Oh-- uh, one of my best friends. He's a tech geek. We haven't talked in a while.")

(Danny shut down in his grief -- his friends are worried, but can't reach him. When he goes back to the manor with Vlad, he fishes out his phone and sends them a message.)

(They are ecstatic to hear from him.)

It all culminates until one day, when Danny is leaving to go back inside, that Bruce speaks up. "You know," He says, leaning against the railing. "The manor has many rooms; plenty of space for a guest."

The implication there, hidden between the lines. And Danny is smart, he looks at Bruce with a sharp glean in his eyes, and he nods. "Good to know."

The next time they see each other, Danny has something in his hands. "Can you hold onto something for me?" He asks.

When Bruce agrees, Danny places a pearl into his palm. or, at least, it's something that looks like a pearl. Because it's cold to the touch; sinking into Bruce's white silk gloves with ease and shimmering like an opal. It moves a little as it settles into his hand, and the moves like its full of liquid.

Bruce has never seen anything like it before, but he does know this; it's not human. "What is it?" He asks, and Danny looks uncomfortable.

"I can't tell you that." He says, shifting on his foot like he's scared of someone seeing it. "But please be careful with it. Treat it like it's extremely fragile."

When Bruce gets home, he puts it in an empty ring box and hides the box in the cave. He tries researching into what it is. he can't find anything concrete.

Everything comes to a head one day when Danny appears at the manor's doorstep one evening, soaking wet in the rain, and bleeding from the side.

#dpxdc #dp x dc #danny fenton is not the ghost king #dpxdc crossover #dpdc #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc prompt #man i just really need more dpdc stuff where danny and bruce have a good relationship. like man i NEED it. like i need to see these two #bonding together. and not in a cracky 'oh danny is a distant friend/cousin/etc' stuff but like. active participants in each other's lives #or as active as can be in this case. i neeeeed these two getting along and caring about one another #this idea came to me like last night and hasn't left since nd it was driving me up the wall to think about both positively and negatively b #i neeeded someone to hear about this or i was gonna implode #danny is the first son #tried to just get the general gist of the idea down but i definitely thought of the idea that bruce lowkey suspects vlad for having a hand #Vlad allows Danny to sneak off because he thinks Danny is alone. if he knew Bruce was there he'd be piiisssed and would put a stop to it #Sam and Tucker are alive they just got ghosted for a bit by danny bc he was in Major Grief and didn't wanna socialize. He couldn't go to #them because he didn't wanna put them in danger via Vlad. #oh that thing he handed Bruce? Yeah that's his ghost core. I have a headcanon (that isnt always applied) that ghosts can take their cores #out of their bodies at will and painlessly and without issue. and its common practice actually to do so bc they can be a not insignificant #distance away from said core before problems start to act up. and its common for ghosts to leave their physical cores at their lairs for #safekeeping because as long as the physical core is fine: so is the ghost. they can reform if their body gets destroyed. it also acts as a #fast travel sometimes. where they can reform at their core in an instant. its not inspired in the slightest by SU but i do see the overlap #most cores are pretty small for safety sake: its harder to hit if its small. and they're pr resilient too but its better to be safe than #sorry. so yeah. danny essentially gave bruce the physical embodiment of his soul and indirectly said #'if anything happens to me at least i'll be safe with you' #danny doesn't know he's batman btw #starry rambles. #was gonna go into danny becoming a vigilante beside bruce but im sleeeepy so i'll do that in a reblog. he's gonna go by nightingale if #anyone is interested. stereotypical but to be frank it is a *good* name imo. has a good amount of syllables and consonants to it #and the bird theme. and since its part of an ancestral name it has even more backing for it being bird-y without being meta

[ladylynse]

The Trouble with Ghosts - Part X [FF | AO3]

Lancer hadn’t realized how closely young Mr. Fenton’s school troubles–and the secrets he surely wasn’t telling his parents–were tied to ghosts until after that encounter with Phantom.

<<  <  Part X  >

-|-

The Picture of Dorian Gray, he didn’t think he could stand much more of this.

“Vlad’s like you,” Lancer repeated, and Danny squirmed. “Vlad Masters. The mayor.”

“How many other Vlads do you know?” Danny mumbled, not looking at him.

Lancer didn’t bother to answer that. “He shares your, ah, affliction, and he’s actively hunting you down?” Were there others? Lancer wasn’t sure he wanted to ask right now—Danny would surely latch onto that and turn the conversation in an entirely different direction—but the thought was…disquieting. A human with ghostly abilities…. The potential abuse of power alone was a terrifying prospect, but the number of people who might attempt to gain these powers, were the truth known that such a thing was possible….

Danny pulled a face but looked up. “I dunno if you can call it an affliction. We’re not sick. I mean, Vlad had the ecto-acne, but that was just because he got blasted in the face. I think. Maybe the pop did way more than just make the proto-portal malfunction. It’s just…. This is more a state of being. We just are this way. It’s easier not to question it.”

Easier for him, no doubt. Lancer wanted to press for details about whatever accident Danny was alluding to—he could guess what the proto-portal must have been, given the installation in the Fentons’ basement, though he was at a loss for everything else—but he didn’t want to allow young Mr. Fenton to lead him on a merry chase away from the subject at hand. Which he was clearly trying to do. Again.

Fortunately, it sounded like the circumstances that led to the creation of these ghostly abilities in humans were rare. Danny hadn’t given any details about his own accident, but if Vlad’s had involved a proto-portal—

No. He wasn’t going to ask now. The dubious safety of the FentonWorks lab could be addressed later. At least…. At least it wasn’t as bad as Lancer had first feared. At least Danny was still alive. He and Vlad both displayed too many signs of life for that not to be the case, particularly if Vlad’s accident had happened in his college years.

“So why, for David Copperfield’s sake, would Mr. Masters be hunting you instead of helping you?” If Vlad’s experience was remotely similar, and surely there must be similarity enough if the effects were the same, he could be helping Danny. Guiding him through this. Rebuilding an old friendship with Jack and Maddie while getting to know their kids. If he fancied Danny as the son he’d never had—

“Hunting me down isn’t the best way of putting it, either,” Danny said instead of answering what Lancer thought was a perfectly reasonable question. “He’s not like Skulker. He doesn’t want my pelt at the foot of his bed or on his mantle or anything gross like that.”

Lancer barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Danny was trying to sprinkle in little details that he hoped Lancer would follow up on instead of the more pressing matters at hand. The bait was blatantly obvious.

And harder not to take than it was to spot.

“You said he wishes you were his son. That he’s obsessed, to the point that he’s been conducting genetic experiments. If he wishes to be a mentor to you, why does he seem so set on trying to destroy you?”

“Uh. That’s not really important. I mean, it’s Vlad. It’s hard to say anyway.”

Sometimes, it was very hard to remember that he’d signed up to help his students, not strangle them.

“I rather think I know enough that telling me a few more supposedly unimportant details won’t make a significant difference to my health, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Danny winced. “Can we just change the subject for now and circle back later?”

Fine. If Danny didn’t want to talk about it right now, they didn’t have to talk about it right now. There was more than enough time for him to tell Lancer exactly which ghost was associated with the mayor—though he had an awful feeling that he might already know, if he allowed himself to think about it for any length of time. In the meantime, there were a number of other matters they should talk about sooner rather than later.

“Would you rather discuss exactly what you should tell Miss Gray?”

“…No?”

“Because you aren’t going to continue to let her do this,” Lancer continued. It wasn’t a question, and from the look on Danny’s face, he knew that. “You can’t. However skilled a ghost hunter she is, however skilled at evading her you usually are, you cannot allow her to continue to hunt you down simply because you feel that it is easier to be hurt and bear that pain and these secrets than to hurt her by telling her the truth.”

“Would you still be saying that if she shot me in the face with her ecto-gun once I told her?”

“Mr. Fenton. Do you honestly believe that would be her reaction?”

Danny was quiet for a moment. Then, “I guess not. But it’s still a possibility.”

“A more distant one than I’m sure you imagine,” Lancer said dryly. “Miss Gray is merely seeking to protect this town, much as you are. If neither of you will stop, you can at the very least share the burden and not make things worse for yourselves.” Danny looked like he was trying to come up with something he could use as a decent protest to this point, so Lancer added, “And if you do not tell her now, you will only invite more trouble for yourself. She is surely suspicious of us both, and if she does go to the mayor with her concerns….”

“Vlad’s going to be a problem either way.” Lancer just looked at Danny, and Danny relented. “But, yeah, you’re right, if Val mentions seeing me, he’ll know exactly where I am. I just…. Do I really have to tell her?”

That was a concession, whether or not Danny had realized it. “You do know her secret.”

“That’s, um, part of the problem.”

“Which will only grow into a greater problem unless you actively do something to resolve it. Contrary to what we all wish, most problems do not go away when ignored. It is high time you stopped ignoring this one. And once you tell Miss Gray, you will have a better idea of how to tackle the issue when you tell your parents.”

“But I don’t….” Danny trailed off. Lancer didn’t need to have as many years teaching under his belt as he did to recognize the unhappy expression on Danny’s face. He didn’t want to do this. He had no desire to do this now.

But he also knew he should, and that was one of the many reasons Lancer was going to win this particular argument.

Really, he already had.

“Are you ready to discuss Mr. Masters candidly, then?” Danny shook his head, so Lancer sighed and got to his feet. “Very well. I’ll see if I can catch Miss Gray—or the Red Huntress. Please, for the love of Robinson Crusoe, stay here. You won’t be doing anyone any favours if you try to sneak off, least of all yourself.” In a softer tone, he added, “You aren’t out of the woods quite yet.”

“Vlad doesn’t want me dead,” was all Danny said. He didn’t promise to stay put, and Lancer wasn’t keen on the idea of trusting in young Mr. Fenton’s common sense, but between what Danny had confided and what Lancer had guessed, he hoped there was enough trust between them for Danny to trust him, too.

And trust him enough to listen to him.

He didn’t know if he’d be able to find Valerie, but he knew that if he didn’t leave now, he had no hope until after school was let out. The lunch break would be over soon. If she truly intended to observe that, she couldn’t stay in his neighbourhood for long, even if she was looking for clues to Phantom’s whereabouts. Furthermore, if he were able to find her, convincing her to come back with him would take more time. If Danny truly wanted to run, he’d have ample opportunity.

But trust must go both ways.

Still, it was hard not to regret leaving Danny alone.

XXXXXXXX

Danny wanted to bolt. He stayed in bed, holding his breath and listening as Lancer locked the front door behind him. And then he wanted to jump up and transform and fly away and hide.

Except he still couldn’t fly, and even if he just walked out the front door and left it unlocked behind him, invisibility was still out. And he didn’t know what he could tell his parents about what had happened to him when they inevitably found him. If he walked out as Fenton, someone could call them, if only so they could get some peace and quiet. If he walked out as Phantom, well….

Danny sighed and slumped back.

Despite what he’d implied when talking about Sam and Tucker borrowing the Spectre Speeder, getting into the Ghost Zone was easier said than done right now, if only because getting home undetected seemed nearly impossible. It offered no guarantee of sanctuary, anyway—at least not from Vlad. Even if there were somewhere safe he could go, running wouldn’t solve his problems. Lancer wasn’t going to let this go. He wouldn’t just forget about this. He wouldn’t just ignore it. Danny had no way to reset the situation.

He wasn’t sure he’d do that even if he had the chance.

He hadn’t thought anyone would react like this. Jazz was concerned, sure, but she’d never tried to stop him from doing what he was. She opposed Vlad when she could, they all did, but he knew she wasn’t doing as much as she might because protecting his secret meant protecting Vlad’s, too.

Except Lancer had figured out his secret, and Danny had told him about Vlad, and even if Vlad could get Lancer fired or worse, Lancer was willing to take the risk.

Or, more accurately, Lancer was willing to face the consequences.

Because there would be consequences.

There had to be consequences.

Even Valerie…. What would Valerie say to this? What would Lancer say to her when he found her? How much was he going to tell her before he expected Danny to admit to everything he’d kept secret for so long? Would Valerie even be able to look him in the eye after this? Would she warm to Phantom because it was him or scorn Fenton because of what he was?

“I need to not worry about this,” Danny muttered. That was easier said than done, of course. Just because he couldn’t control how anyone else would react didn’t mean he wouldn’t rather keep them in the dark forever.

But Lancer was right.

Sooner or later, that ignorance would put them in danger. He might not be able to protect them. And…and not telling them was as much for selfish reasons as any excuse he told himself to justify putting off telling the truth. He really was protecting himself more than he was protecting them.

It was just…hard.

Even just thinking about telling them everything. Valerie, his parents…. So much had happened. Maybe too much. He knew it was easy to put it off, he knew that would only make telling them later harder, but he still….

He still wished he had more time. That he could do this on his own terms. That he didn’t feel forced into it, between Vlad’s actions and Lancer’s decrees.

If he was being honest with himself, though, he knew that he might never tell anyone unless he had to.

It was too easy to focus on the possible negatives than dare to hope for any of the positives.

Danny lost track of time. He didn’t notice the door open, but he heard voices, and a sudden terror seized in his chest. Lancer had found Valerie. Whatever he’d told her, he’d brought her back, and—

“Danny?” That was Valerie, knocking on the door frame of Lancer’s spare room. Danny blinked and tried to focus. Judging by the confusion on her face, Lancer hadn’t told her much. “Mr. Lancer said you needed to talk to me?”

She didn’t ask why it couldn’t wait, why he hadn’t said anything when she’d been there earlier, or what would so important that Lancer had gone after her and would be perfectly okay with her skipping school for this.

She didn’t really need to, though.

“Yeah.” His voice was weak. Danny swallowed, unsuccessfully trying to push down his fear, and said, “Sit down, Val.”

She looked over her shoulder, but Lancer hadn’t followed her. She moved to the foot of the bed and sat. As the silence stretched between them, Danny could hear a kettle beginning to boil.

Tea—or whatever Lancer offered them—wouldn’t fix this.

Danny wasn’t even sure it would smooth things over.

But it would give him something to hide behind, and Danny was grateful for that.

“What’s going on?” Valerie finally asked.

“I….” How was he supposed to go about this? He never intended to tell Valerie like this. He wasn’t even sure he’d ever intended to tell her. “It’s, um…. It’s kinda complicated.”

She waited, raising her eyebrows in a prompt to continue when he didn’t.

“It’s just….” Asking her to promise not to freak out wouldn’t do any good. “Look, recently Mr. Lancer, um, kinda found out a few things.”

“About?”

Everything. “Some, uh, ghost stuff. It’s…. I’m sorry. This isn’t easy to explain.”

Valerie frowned. “Danny, if this is about something your parents invented, why not talk to Sam and Tucker? They know more about that stuff than I do.”

“It’s…not exactly that? It’s, uh….”

“Look, just why did you want to talk to me? It’s not that I don’t want to be your friend, but this doesn’t really seem like it involves me. I should be in school. You should probably be sleeping if you won’t go to a hospital. Y’know, to regain your strength.”

There was no easy way to say any of this. “I know your secret.”

She froze for a split second before forcing a smile. “It’s not really a secret anymore. Besides, I hardly have to do the mascot job now. I’ve got enough seniority that I’m usually on cash or in the back.”

“I don’t mean your job at the Nasty Burger.” He should just come out and say it. He should—

“I made you two some hot chocolate,” Lancer said, coming into the room with two steaming mugs topped with little marshmallows. He set them on the dresser. “I’ll be in the kitchen doing some marking if you need anything.”

They watched as he left, neither moving to grab the hot chocolate. Danny was tempted, but—

“This is weird,” Valerie said. “I mean, Mr. Lancer’s being nice and all, but it’s still weird. I’m just going to head back to school, okay? Call me after if you actually need something, and—”

“I know you’re the Red Huntress,” Danny said.

Valerie couldn’t school her expression quickly enough, but she still poured the incredulity into her voice as she asked, “Are you kidding? You think I’m the Red Huntress? I mean, I’m flattered, she’s awesome, but I barely have time to do my homework as it is.”

“You got your new suit from Technus,” Danny continued, “but Vlad still supplies all your weapons. And I’m assuming he empties your thermos, too. He’s got a ghost portal in his secret lab.”

Valerie stared at him. “Vlad. As in Vlad Masters? You think he has a secret lab with a ghost portal? Your parents are the ghost hunters, Danny, not him.”

“They worked together in college,” Danny said. “They thought Vlad gave it up after his accident, but he didn’t. He just focused on some other stuff for a while.” He took a slow breath and then chickened out rather than take this opportunity to spill everything. “I know the whole story, Valerie. Including why you started doing this in the first place. You don’t need to keep pretending.”

Valerie studied him in silence, maybe trying to figure out if she could convince him he was wrong. In the end, all she said was, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help when you got caught in that ghost fight.”

You were. “It, ah, wasn’t the kind of ghost fight that you’re thinking. Look, I know this is a lot to take in. I’ve known for a long time. Pretty much right from the start.”

“How? Who told you?”

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “No one really needed to tell me. And, uh, you should know that Lancer figured it out, too. When you came by this afternoon.”

Now her eyes were narrowed. “And what gave him that idea? That I’m the Red Huntress just because I dropped by to do some fundraising?”

Danny swallowed. “Because he knows—we both know—that that’s not why you really came. You’re looking for Phantom.”

Valerie straightened up, the last vestiges of her pretense dropping away completely. “He’s here, isn’t he? I knew it. My tracker’s never been that far off. He’s the one who told you two, isn’t he?” Perhaps catching the look on Danny’s face, she hastened to add, “It’s nothing personal, I swear. I know you think he’s a good ghost, but—”

“Valerie, the whole reason you’re hunting ghosts is because it’s personal. You think Phantom’s the reason your dad lost his job, and—”

“You don’t know the whole story,” Valerie interrupted. “You can’t, so don’t pretend you do. And it’s not just about Phantom. He’s not the only ghost in this town. He’s just the only one that’s convinced everyone else except your parents and Mr. Masters that he’s good.”

“Actually,” Danny said slowly, “you’re the one who doesn’t know the whole story.”

He wished he had the hot chocolate to hide behind now, but it was a good thing Valerie was empty-handed; she might be tempted to throw it on him otherwise. It wouldn’t stop her from calling up her suit and trying to shoot him, but hopefully the fact that this was Lancer’s house would if nothing else did. Maybe she’d just settle for screaming at him?

“What are you talking about? Of course I—”

“The thing is,” interrupted Danny, “you never let me tell it.”

“Just now?”

“Pretty much any time you saw me.” She was confused. He could see that easily enough. Confused and ready to protest. Again. And he…. He just had to say it. Say it and show her. “Cujo’s not my dog, and I never meant to ruin your life. I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m….” He’d come too far not to say it, but he found himself staring at his hands and unable to meet her eyes. “I’m Danny Phantom.”

Silence.

He risked looking up, only to see her staring at him. “I’m, uh, not kidding. I really am Phantom.”

Her expression gave away nothing, so he risked transforming.

It was the only thing he could do to show her, anyway. To prove that he was telling the truth. About everything.

Valerie’s expression tightened, her hands balling into fists, but she didn’t call out her suit. She didn’t try to shoot him.

She blinked.

Blinked again.

Abruptly stood up and left—fled—without a word.

Danny didn’t try to follow her. He just sat there, hoping she’d come back. When he heard Mr. Lancer down the hall, he knew she wasn’t. He got up, closed the bedroom door, and grabbed the two mugs of hot chocolate from the dresser. He kept one as he crawled back into bed and set the other on the bedside table, hoping the drinks would be distraction enough from what had happened.

The mug was lukewarm in his hands, but his insides were cold. He wasn’t particularly hungry anymore, but maybe this would warm him up. He just felt… He just needed something. Jazz would probably hug him, talk to him, but he wasn’t about to go out there and chase Valerie down. He’d rather ask for her forgiveness later. Sometime when he’d worked up the nerve to see her again and she’d actually want to see him again.

Danny took a sip of the hot chocolate. The marshmallows had melted into a sweet foam on top. Ordinarily, he’d like it, but now….

It was hard to keep his stomach from turning, given Val’s reaction.

After how Lancer had taken it, he’d hoped…. He’d hoped it wouldn’t be this bad. He’d hoped she’d at least talk to him, even if that talk had started with yelling.

But just leaving….

It was too easy to remember Spectra’s words. Too easy to be tempted to believe them.

Not a ghost, not a boy. A freak. Just some creepy little boy with creepy little powers.

Valerie must see him that way, and if she took it like this…. He’d have to do the damage control he could. Convince Lancer to give it up. Not keep pursuing this, wanting him to tell his parents or do something about Vlad. Things didn’t have to change. He didn’t…. He couldn’t….

The first tear dripped off his chin and into his hot chocolate.

By the time the last one fell, the drink in his hands was cold.

XXXXXX

Lancer had made a point of leaving the kids to themselves. He didn’t think he’d be a mediating force as much as an interference; the fact that he’d arranged everything, that this meeting was taking place on his terms at his house, should be mediation enough. If he gave them the time to sort this out for themselves, they could work through whatever needed to be worked through. Then, he could help them when they were ready for his help.

He only got halfway through the first essay before Miss Gray appeared at his side. A few tears tracked down her cheeks; most still gathered in her eyes, no doubt blurring her vision as she looked down at him. “Did you know?” she whispered.

He had perhaps misjudged the situation after all. Lancer gestured for Valerie to pull out a chair, and she did, barely looking as she flopped down. “I learned about your, ah, extracurricular activities less than an hour ago.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m afraid I only found out about Mr. Fenton’s condition this morning as well.” In truth, it hadn’t been long before Miss Gray had turned up on his doorstep, but it felt much longer.

Maybe he had pushed too hard, rushed this, but given the circumstances his students were facing, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

It was better that the truth came out now rather than in worse circumstances. Whatever Danny thought, he couldn’t keep his secret forever. From the rest of the world, sure, but those he interacted with so often? Particularly when he’d said his ghostly enemies were well aware of the situation? Not all the ghosts he faced would be so honourable as to respect his wishes. Sooner or later, one would come along which would use his secrecy against him.

As far as Lancer was concerned, Vlad Masters already was.

“Then you….” Valerie sniffed and wiped at her nose with the back of one hand. “Then you know what I’ve done. What I’ve been doing. I…I thought…. Why wouldn’t he just tell me? Explain? I wouldn’t have…. I wouldn’t….”

“I expect he was afraid,” Lancer murmured. He reached over to the counter for a box of tissues and passed them to Valerie. She took one and almost immediately needed another. “Not of you, Miss Gray. Not exactly. He was afraid to hope for the best. This means that he feared not being believed, that the misunderstandings would grow, or perhaps that people would be angry at him for keeping his secret as long as he did and not try to understand why he would make that choice. Perhaps most of all, he feared the consequences of hoping the truth would be well received and finding that hope misplaced.”

Valerie sniffled but said nothing.

“Some of his reasons for keeping his secrets,” added Lancer quietly, “might well align with yours.”

She stiffened but didn’t deny it, which confirmed his suspicion that very few people knew the identity of the Red Huntress.

“Another reason for wanting to keep his secret is that he didn’t want to hurt you with the truth.”

“That’s stupid,” Valerie said immediately. “I mean, I could’ve…. I almost….” She shook her head. “I need to tell my benefactor. He’ll…. He’ll be able to fix my stuff. Make sure it doesn’t hurt Danny. So I don’t do this again by mistake. I don’t…. I can’t hurt him. Not again.”

Lancer blinked. Danny hadn’t told her that Vlad—? “I’m afraid Mr. Masters is already aware of the situation.”

“What?” The news seemed to have shocked away her tears. “No, he can’t be. He’s only after ghosts. Danny’s human.” She hesitated. “Isn’t he?”

“He’s still human,” Lancer assured her. He didn’t know the details, but if nothing else, Danny was human in every way that mattered.

At least Valerie wasn’t trying to deny Vlad’s involvement. She no doubt correctly suspected that Danny had filled him in on that little tidbit after he’d deduced her identity. That was for the best; he’d like her cooperation moving forward.

“Then he can’t know. He wouldn’t…. He asked me to go after Phantom!”

“From what Danny tells me,” Lancer said quietly, “he is not the most scrupulous of people.” Cloning. Experimentation. He’d spare Valerie the details for now; she’d no doubt have questions he couldn’t answer. “You would have to ask Danny to explain what he can to you. In the grand scheme of things, I fear he’s told me very little.”

Valerie said nothing, focusing instead on stuffing the mound of damp tissues on her lap into a dry one, which she promptly shoved into her pocket.

At least it wasn’t another denial.

“I know this is a lot to take in.” Treasure Island, he knew. “It may be little comfort, but I called the school after you went in to talk to Danny. Your absence this afternoon is excused. I know you would likely prefer to clear your head, but if you’re willing, Danny could use our help.”

Her mouth twisted. “Right. Because he’s still recovering. From being in a ghost fight. Where he was the ghost.” She took a shuddering breath and wiped at her eyes. “Yeah. I’ll do whatever I can.”

-|-

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