Chapter Two: Return to Basics
Even now, the sight of the massive complex really just sent all manner of shock through Danny Fenton's mind. He thought the Amity Park Mall was big. But the Kiyashi Shopping Mall rivaled that on all levels.
It was a massive multi-leveled complex that stretched miles in front of him, lined at the massive holdings by hundreds and hundreds of stores and stands that sold all manner of merchandise. Hero costumes, food, TV items. You name it, they had it.
It curved right, tilting the center middle of the gigantic walkway at an angle to seemingly give the already larger than life place a seeming canyon feel.
And the exterior was just as impressive. The outside shell of the main building was a stretching field of various other shops that catered towards the people just walking by. That on its own was the length of a full farmer's market stretch. Yet it didn't even scratch the surface.
Palm trees peppered throughout the main walkway as thousands and thousands of people, most of which had various degrees of transformation, streamed past Danny, none the wiser to him or his guardian.
Danny, as before, was about fifty different shades of awestruck at the sight that fell in front of him. His family had never really had the time or the money to travel before, so anything outside of his own hometown was always likely to give him a bit of a culture shock.
But when that thing was about twenty times the size of Vlad's Mansion, Danny felt he had the right to be a bit bewildered and just wordless in front of this sight.
Seicho didn't share that sentiment.
"Fenton," He started with a chuckle. "This is like your fourth time being here. I understood the reaction when I brought you here the first time, but I really don't understand it now."
Danny felt himself instinctually close his jaw as he looked towards the smiling Seicho. "Give me a break. I'm just not used to seeing a structure this big. The biggest multi-layered building we have back home is probably the hospital."
"Your hometown is really that small?" Seicho said, looking back towards the shopping center.
"Oh, you have no idea. I think the entirety of Amity Park could take up about less than half of Mustafu entirely." Danny said, a smile gleaming across his expression when he briefly remembered how much Sam, Tucker and him joked so much about this very same fact . "Still, it seemed so much bigger when you factor in all the evil ghosts I had to fight. Everything looks bigger when you're weaving in between buildings."
Seicho nodded. "I don't know about evil ghosts, but we do have our fair share of hero-villain battles. And those always seem to make the city POP… or explode, in some cases." He quickly waved away the thought. "Regardless, it looks cool all around. Which reminds me, you need new a phone."
"... Explosions reminded you that I need a phone?"
Seicho raised an eyebrow. "Explosions don't remind you that you need a phone to get help in those kinds of situations?"
Danny pursed his lips. "... Point taken."
"Exactly." Seicho said before turning back to navigate the mall. "I just spent all that time getting your room together. The last thing I need is something to happen to you to solidify that I almost broke my back carrying that chair up to your room for nothing."
He said this all with a humorous exaggerated anger to his voice, which made Danny crack a smile. "You're Mr. Adaption. You would have been fine."
Seicho gave no sign of hearing Danny, but based on the short sigh heard after the fact, the halfa was confident that he had heard him.
He had been in this world for just about a month now. And even though it was still taking a little while for Danny to get used to his new surroundings, it was made easier by the fact that Seicho was more than willing to show him around on his off time. It was even better that the nurse himself was a pretty cool guy all around, in Danny's opinion.
He reminded Danny a lot of Jazz in regard to the constant focus on his own studies and work around the house, alongside the constant, almost sibling-like attention he put on Danny. He always ensured Danny was equipped with everything he needed and made sure the Ghost boy knew the surrounding area around the apartment and kept tidy around this world's rules.
Where he differed from Jazz was the way Seicho went about things. As opposed to Danny's sibling, the nurse didn't pressure Danny for what he had to do in the moment. Seicho let him take his time and deal with things at his own pace. He still watched Danny of course, which Danny chalked up to the fact that he was still pretty much an unknown to everyone. But he allowed the halfa to experience things at his own pace.
He also didn't ask too many questions in regards to what Danny's life had been like in the past, which the Ghost boy was thankful for. He really didn't know if he could talk about his past in detail, the way that he was. And Seicho seemed to understand that. In fact, he encouraged the actions that took Danny away from his own mulling.
Seicho insisted he show Danny around Japan, taking him to all the landmarks and giving him the grand tour of what their nation had to offer. And, hit with all amounts of curiosity, Danny didn't complain.
He had learned so much about how this world's heroes had just changed everything for the better. And spent the majority of his time marveling at just what this world consisted of.
Heroes like All Might kept so many people safe. And safeguarded entire cities without asking much of anything in return. They were paid, but it was small compared to what they did to protect innocent people. And those people returned it in kind, creating some pretty awesome events and advances in the city itself.
There was guilt that was still ever present throughout his exploration, but it didn't stop Fenton from appreciating just what kind of place he had been put in.
His appreciation remained so when he and Seicho stopped in front of the phone store, which displayed a few pristine display phones armed with so much tech and upgrade, it would have made Tucker blush.
"Um…" Danny began, trying his best not to go slack jawed once more. "These are casual phones?"
"About as casual as it gets." Seicho said. "Why? Not what you're used to?"
"... You could definitely say that." The halfa said as he followed Seicho inside.
Danny was still trying to figure out the yen system in Japan, but he couldn't quite understand it. But, based on the fact that some of the techy phones were withheld behind a solid pane of glass to the right and that there were phones on display to the left, he could guess the left were the cheapest. Yet the left side was still home to some of the fanciest tech phones Danny had ever seen.
Small, yet glowing with readouts and schematics on an almost holographic screen. The phones were all on display of the news feed, showing various heroes in the midst of saving people and stopping villains. The quality of the feed was so good, Danny could almost mistake the phones for being lived in by miniature versions of Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods.
This world didn't have a lot of differences technology wise from what the Ghost boy knew. But the differences they did have still amazed him.
"Did you have a preference for phones in mind?" Seicho wondered as he looked around the store. "Because I hate to disappoint you, but the higher priced ones are going to be a no go at the current moment. Hahaha. Seriously, don't even consider it though. Please."
Danny was only half paying attention. Instead, he focused his gaze on the older phones on display. Maybe it was just in his genetics, but seeing the capabilities of the phone itself made him think more about how it could be modified to make even greater ghost hunting technology.
Forget the PDA. With these phones, anything was possible. Danny really didn't want to be picky, but there was one phone in particular that caught his attention.
It was a slick green phone, proudly displaying HD quality and almost holographic settings that seemed to jump right from the screen. It was light, easy enough to keep in his pocket, and it sported a forward camera lens that Danny swore he'd seen reporters use before.
"I'm fine with whichever phone you think is right for me." Danny said with a smile, taking his eyes away from the phone. "Honestly, any of these will do fine."
Seicho considered that for a moment, glancing towards the other phones before smiling. "You may just regret that choice. Let me remind you of my seemingly 'horrible' taste in style."
Seicho was referencing a matter that occurred about a week ago, where Danny had simply made a statement about the nurse's Kamui Woods shower curtain and slippers. Since the hospital worked so close with the pro hero, it would be awkward if Kamui chanced a visit and saw what was practically a shrine for him in the bathroom.
"If it was bathroom decoration, I'd be worried." Danny replied with a chuckle. "As it is now, I do trust you with a phone choice. As long as you don't choose a Kamui Woods limited edition phone cover, I think we'll be fine."
"I make no promises." Seicho said with a sinister look before his eyes widened. He reached into his pocket. "Here." He handed Danny a handful of yen. "While I'm finishing up here, why don't you go buy some bottled water over at the store? We're almost out anyway and now would be a better time than any."
"You're the boss." Danny said with a finger gun motion towards Seicho before he turned and headed out towards the general store.
As soon as the halfa stepped outside the doors and fell in step with the crowd, he felt himself inhale a very large breath. Crowds these days were a hurdle that Danny didn't know he had until the trip to Kiyomizu-dera. That day, he felt anxiety prickle throughout his chest as he examined the crowd around him. He had fear he didn't even know existed, all in regards to the point that he may see anything that would remind him of what he lost.
It had steadily decreased over the past few weeks, which Danny was happy for. The last thing he needed was to seem any weaker in front of Seicho, worrying his guardian further.
Still, it did kind of scare Danny of how messed up he actually was as a result of what had happened. The terrible guilt he felt…. he understood that, no matter how painful it was to him. But this new anxiety and the possibly of others like it… Danny didn't want to think about it.
He found the general store, picked up the cheapest bottled water pack they had (Seicho would no doubt thank him for that) and made his way to the counter.
That's when it caught his eye. There, on display in a small sell shelf, was a wide assortment of magazines titled Hero Today. On the cover, the number one hero All Might stood proudly, flexing and mid-laugh as he faced the camera. At his side, a small mouse like person and a man who looked to just about drop dead from exhaustion.
They all stood in front of towering doors adorned with a proud gold logo that seemed to be a U pushing into an A.
The picture on its own wouldn't have been enough to catch Danny's attention. All Might was the most popular hero of this world. But his picture was put on every corner it could be put on, so it was nothing new to the Ghost boy.
But, what did catch his attention was the two titles, one in English, the other in Japanese, that were plastered proud and red across the base of the cover.
"EXCLUSIVE ALL MIGHT INTERVIEW ABOUT UPCOMING TEACHER POSITION IN MUSTAFU!"
Danny's eyes widened. The number one hero was going to teach in Mustafu? Teach what? Future heroes? They were going to learn from him? To become better heroes? A conference, maybe?
His interest was officially peaked. His heart pulled from within his chest. Maybe… he could learn what they saw in this. Why they kept doing what they were doing.
Maybe he could find a way to move on from loss, like they had.
He looked towards the bear-like cashier. "I'll take the water and one of those magazines, please."
He carefully navigated his way through the crowd once more, this time keeping his attention forward on the magazine in his hands.
The interview itself had both English and Japanese sides, just like the cover. It confused Danny a bit until he realized that the interview was actually done in the United States and was transferred and translated here, which didn't surprise Danny much after he found out. All Might was, after all, a bridge between the USA and Japan, as he was a hero who dealt in both countries. It would make sense an interview with him would probably go down the same route.
But, unfortunately, that's where Danny's excitement kind of peaked. As he read on, the interview questions made it clear that All Might wasn't hosting a large crowd to speak. Rather, he was focusing on one high school in particular: UA High. Apparently one of the most prestigious hero schools in Japan. And definitely not open for anyone to attend. To be their with All Might, you'd have to...
Hero school… Another pulse boomed within his chest. Danny felt himself take a shaky breath.
No. There was no way he could find a way to attend them. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve the title. He didn't deserve any of it.
The halfa furled up the magazine and placed it in his back pocket. And, as he made his way forward to the cell phone store's doors, a voice… no, a group of voices made him stop.
"Dude, I'm telling you, All Might's battle with Toxic Chainsaw was probably the coolest fight I have ever seen!"
"No way! That fight between Endeavor and Recall leveled an entire building and gave a blast of heat that melted tires across the road! If we're going off of just badass ways to use your Quirk, that one takes the cake!"
Danny's eyes shifted up, where he saw three people about his age, two guys and one girl, taking over an open magazine with pictures of hero fights across it.
They all wore school uniforms that were blue and white respectively. And they just seemed engrossed in the topic of hero battles. All of them looked normal except for the boy in the center chair, who sported tentacle like arms that seemed to blend into his flesh.
The group was laughing and joking with each other, hollering over one another and trying their best to make their case for their respective points.
They looked like they were good friends, comfortable enough to loudly argue with each other and laugh out loud in spite of themselves. They were a trio, through and through. And they were exactly what Danny had been like with his friends, once upon a time.
The Ghost boy felt his hands clench for a degree as, just for a moment, his despair gave way to wistfulness.
"Fenton?"
The voice of Seicho snapped him up and out of it. And he turned to see his guardian approach, bag in hand and concern about his expression.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah!" Danny stammered out, quickly turning forward to face Seicho. "Yeah! Sorry. It's… just been a day, you know? Some stuff on my mind and all." He exhaled slightly before opting to change the subject. "How did the phone hunt go? You got me a Kamui Woods limited edition, didn't you?"
For a second, Seicho said nothing and his concern didn't waver. But he then smiled and looked exaggeratedly indignant. "After what you said about my shower curtains? I wouldn't dream of purchasing you something so close to my heart." He reached into the buy bag and pulled out a small green phone. "No, I bought something even dumber than that: the one that will label me an enabler."
Danny was confused for a brief moment before his guardian tossed him a medium green phone. The instant the halfa caught it, he recognized it for what it was: the phone that he had been gazing at.
"... Seicho. You didn't…."
"Have to?" Seicho asked with a grin. "Yeah, a cheaper phone would have been safer on my pocket. But that wasn't the one you wanted, now was it?" He beamed. "Someone once told me that being a hero is striving for what you want and never wavering. And it works just as well in civilian life, Fenton. Keep that in mind and enjoy what you have. Besides…" He shrugged. "I figure I do you this favor now and you'll pay it back ten-fold down the line. It's a give-give kind of thing."
Danny, still elated about his new phone, looked to him with a humorous and questioning look. "I mean, I'll pay you back, of course. But I really don't know about ten-fold. Chances are, I'm probably not going to be some big deal with a lot of money to throw around."
The nurse smiled towards him. "And what makes you so sure?"
The Ghost boy sighed. "Trust me, after everything's that happened, that's probably not the way my future's going to be."
At that, the black haired boy began to walk, making his way forward in the shopping complex and showing that he would rather not discuss the matter any further.
But Seicho soon fell in line beside him and, keeping his eyes forward, his tone dipped to confidence. "I think you give yourself too little credit on what your future could be."
Danny felt his thumbs, in the midst of configuring the holographic phone to his settings, waver for a moment at Seicho's words. His eyes stung and he felt his pace briefly stumble.
He really didn't know why Seicho had so much confidence in him, of all people. Danny was the same person who came to the hospital broken and near meltdown. And he had yet to give Seicho anything in return for all the kindness he had shown him despite everything. He had no access to his powers and didn't provide anything except to be another mouth to feed.
Yet Seicho seemed sure that he wanted to break past what he was and become something here. And, as much as Danny disagreed, he still couldn't help but feel a sense of thankfulness nestle in the deepest confines of his heart. After everything he had failed at, having one person believe in him to this extent… was something he sorely needed.
Still, a small part of him found himself on the defensive. Seicho still didn't know him that well. And the nurse, while active on his days off, didn't seem to keep an eye on Danny well enough to gage such a high opinion of him.
The Ghost boy just chalked it up to the nurse not knowing fully about what he was like full-time. If he had known that, he wouldn't have such a high opinion of him.
But unknown to Danny, Seicho had an eye on him more times than he could know. It was apparent by the nurse's gaze as he looked back to the group of students Danny had regarded earlier, thoughts heavy within his eyes.
"Enroll him in middle-school?" Tsukauchi looked towards Seicho, placing the papers he had been examining before face-down on his desk.
"Yes," Seicho confirmed with a bow. "I think it would be wisest to allow Fenton to begin an education here in Japan."
Externally, the nurse was playing it as cool as a cucumber. But in his mind, doubt and nervousness reigned supreme. He wasn't used to being within the police station, much less in a detective's office. And the amount of decorations in Tsukauchi's office alongside the presence of the man himself just gave Seicho an absurd amount of cottonmouth.
He had never been in trouble with the law before, but it was still nerve racking to be present in a place like this.
But he had something that needed to be done. And he wasn't about to walk away from that because he was nervous. Especially when it was for the sake of someone else.
Tsukauchi placed his hands together in thought. "What brought this on? Has Fenton expressed an interest to return to school?"
Seicho shook his head. "No. No, he hasn't. He seems more quiet in that regard than anything else."
"I see," Tsukauchi said with a nod. There was no judgement in his voice or really any kind of tone of unkindness towards Seicho. It was a genuine and kind curiosity in his tone. "So you're basing this off of something you observed."
Seicho looked at him. "Not just something, Officer Tsukauchi. Or not one incident. More like a lot of something's that lead to this particular decision on my part."
The officer remained silent, seemingly prompting Seicho to continue. And the nurse was unsure if that made him more or less nervous.
"You see, Fenton had been kind of reserved when I first took him in as a guardian a month ago. And he did open up to me slightly in regards to how he feels in regards to himself and what he's been dealing with." Seicho paused. "But I feel there's only so much dealing with me Fenton can take. I've noticed he seems to get sadder when we pass by groups of people or classmates around his age. And for the rest of the day, he just gets all the more reserved. We get along fine, but in cases like his, I feel he really needs others to interact with and kind of open up to, even if he won't outright admit it. People that he knows differ from me and you. People he can just talk to."
"I see where you're going with this," Tsukauchi said with a glance back down at his desk. "And are you certain this is wise to do? He's only been here a month, like you have just said. And we've made little progress on the investigation of his origins." His eyes locked on the nurse. "There are a lot of unknowns here, Seicho."
"I realize that," Seicho said with a sigh. "But my thoughts are that we don't know exactly how long this investigation will take. And if we leave things as they are, there won't be any room for Fenton to improve from a psychological standpoint, especially if he's under lock-and-key at my house." There was a beat of silence. And that was more than enough to flare the nurse's paranoia at his own words. "I mean, I don't mean to say you're doing a bad job investigating! I'm sure you're trying your best! It's just, time frame wise, I mean… this may be better!"
Seicho sweat-dropped. This went by so much smoother in his head.
Thankfully, Tsukauchi waved away the awkward statement. "I know you meant no offense, Seicho." He replied kindly, then regarded the papers bunched in front of him. "We've been exhausting our leads over the past six weeks, trying to gain more insight on anything that Fenton has informed us of in regards to his past. But so far…" He shrugged. "Everything has been inconclusive. 'Amity Park' does not exist as far as our records can tell. And surveillance cameras didn't pick up anything. It's literally like Fenton popped into existence." He put his hand to his chin. "The best we can imagine is that a teleport Quirk may be involved, but from who and why, we have no leads."
Seicho took that in. "If the investigation is going to go on longer, it's all the more reason Fenton should get a chance to breathe and actually be a kid his age, instead of a person of interest."
Tsukauchi nodded. "Agreed," He said, surprising the nurse further. Seicho was really not used to being agreed with so much. Not in his line of work. "You've made a fair point. And I'm not going to deny that keeping Fenton under a microscope probably won't be any kind of assistance. That being said…" He reached into one of the desk shelves and pulled out a medium sized tan file.
"How is the boy's Quirk management?" Tsukauchi asked. "Last we left off, he was struggling to even activate it. Now…"
Seicho pursed his lips. "Still no result. He's been trying almost every night since he first arrived. I hear him put his all into it. But…" The nurse shook his head. "Nothing."
He felt bad giving his assessment. More than anything, he wanted to tell Tsukauchi that he had seen a spark of energy or something, just to give Fenton a bit of a shot when it came to the amount of surveillance remaining on him.
But lying would only make the situation worse. And Seicho knew that Tsukauchi would damn well find the truth one way or another.
Either way, it was a bit of a hit when Tsukauchi delivered what Seicho had expected.
"That's a bit of a risk, Seicho," The detective said solemnly. "If Fenton has no control of his Quirk and it activates in the middle of a classroom unabated, we could be looking at injury or death. His Quirk may be a lowered and controlled ghost Quirk. It may not be." He looked up at the nurse. "Can you give me any guarantees that Fenton's enrollment won't cause injury?"
Seicho was silent for a moment. Tsukauchi brought up a fair point. They knew next to nothing about Fenton's power or origins. And there was always a risk of danger around him, even now. People with unknown Quirk's were usually cautiously looked at and evaluated for good reason.
If a powerful Quirk exploded out of control and without warning, a lot of people could be hurt.
But, even with that in mind, there was still a driving point within the nurse's mind. Something that he couldn't easily ignore and cast away.
"I know it won't happen." Seicho said with determination. "Fenton has been working every free moment to gain access to his Quirk. And there's no fear when he does so. He trusts his skill and outlook enough on his abilities to try and gain them again without hesitation. And I know that he can control it. He told me as much many times when discussing his Quirk. And I trust Fenton's judgement. He's given us no reason not to trust him. And I trust that he knows his Quirk and he will not be a danger."
His words were spoken from his own experiences in the matter. Fenton has always told him that he had had control of his power before. And the way he had described the workings and setbacks of his abilities made him confident that the Ghost boy knew his own power.
They had only known each other a month, but he trusted the kid. And he knew that Fenton would only benefit from a return to what he once knew. Seicho only hoped he had convinced Tsukauchi as much.
There was another beat of silence between the two men as Tsukauchi seemed to ponder at Seicho's words. Then, he slipped a small piece of paper from the top of his desk to in front of him. Without missing a beat, he ran his pen across the bottom of the page and passed it forward to Seicho.
"Take this down to Database," Tsukauchi said with a smile. "They should be able to get you all sorted there.
Seicho blinked one astonishment before taking the slip from the detective and reading it over himself.
Stated proudly in bold letters across the top of the page, almost screaming it to the heavens, were the words Education Permission.
"Tsukauchi…" Seicho said through his own growing smile.
"You didn't have to convince me much," The detective replied with a smile of his very own. "The questions on my part were really just standard procedure. Fenton does seem very capable. And I do trust your word in these matters very much. If you believe beginning an education is right for him, I'm not inclined to disagree."
No words came to Seicho's mind. Then, all at once, the ones he really needed came. "Thank you, Tsukauchi!" Seicho bowed once more. "You won't regret this!"
"I already very much don't." He laughed. "But I am glad that Fenton has instilled such confidence in your opinion. You must have a lot of trust in the kid."
"More than he does for himself," Seicho said sadly, but perked up. "I'm hoping with a return to basics stuff, he may be able to just start to feel normal again, you know?"
The detective nodded. "I'm sure he will." With that, he stood and circled around his desk to the front door, which he opened for himself and Seicho. "Now, the true task is convincing a fifteen-year old boy to return to school."
Seicho felt his expression stoop at that. He had thought of that well beforehand. While Fenton had shown a visible interest in joining people his age in group ups and the like, Seicho wasn't sure the kid would be entirely onboard with the concept of returning to school.
Heck, at fifteen, HE would have probably kept away from any school premises with a 10 mile pole.
But Fenton wasn't him. And he knew that. While he was still learning about the boy as a whole, he knew he would at least consider the concept.
At least, Seicho had to hope his thoughts lined up with what he had guessed. All he wanted was the best for Fenton. Seicho was on his own when he was fifteen. And he didn't want the Ghost boy to go through what he had to.
With a sigh, he knew he would just have to wait till later in the day to find out what exactly the kid's thoughts would be.
Danny didn't know what to think. It's not that he shut down. It was just… all too much at once. A wave of thought pushing against his already crowded mind.
He looked at the small slip of paper in his hand once more. "... Go to school? Here in Japan?" He repeated, more to himself than anyone else.
Seicho nodded from his side of the couch. "It's only if you're sure you want to go, Fenton. I just thought that, after all the questioning and house arrest of a sort, you may like a change of pace."
Danny blanched for a moment. This was really not what he was expecting Seicho to talk about when the nurse had told him he needed to discuss something with him over dinner. And, for a moment, it seemed like all Seicho really wanted to talk about was another update about how the investigation into Danny was coming along (which wasn't very far at all, seeing as how they had nothing to go on).
Sure, in the back of his mind, he knew being stuck here for a while would mean eventually having to take a crack at the Japanese educational system. But it nevertheless surprised him.
Alongside the mental turmoil, the mention of entering what could very well be the beginnings of a normal life once more added another weight to his heart.
On one side, a feeling of what the halfa could only describe as anticipation began to bubble at the top of his mind. As much as he wanted to distance himself from events of the past, he always found himself missing what made up that past in its entirety: being with friends. People who understood him. People he could freely talk to and, most importantly, people who were alongside him through it all. He really did want to return to be around other kids struggling to find their place in the world, like he was (with one very drastic deviation in his case).
But, on the other side…
After everything you've failed to do, do you really think you can receive such a gift as a normal life?
Danny felt his whole body tense. Then, he turned to Seicho, exhaling a shaky breath. He put on a smile, however weak it was.
"Thank you for the offer, Seicho. Really. But…" You're not a hero. "You've already done so much for me. Offered your home and all. I wouldn't want to be any further trouble for you. Especially for something… that may not pan out."
"What makes you so certain of that?" Seicho asked. "That it may not pan out? If anything, I feel like you'd really enjoy and thrive in our school system."
"Seicho… I'm basically Quirkless at the moment," The ghost boy replied with a sad smile. "And if my middle-school experience had taught me anything, people can't wait to oust the different person. I think other people will make it difficult to pan out."
If Danny was being honest, even with the fact that he was using this as more of an excuse to avoid what he didn't deserve in the first place, it was kind of true.
He had seen enough of this world to know that people without Quirks were seen as almost outcasts, put into police and detective work in order to allow the heroes with Quirks to take shine.
While Danny didn't like it, it was the way the world was. And since he didn't know how long it would be till he gained his powers back (if they came back at all, which was a thought the boy didn't like to entertain), he knew that he would be walking into that school without a Quirk. And with that fact, he didn't have any high hopes for his entrance or odds at making lasting friends in this place. Even if he did…
Do you really want to lose more?
While Danny had thought he brought up a legitimate point, to his surprise, the nurse shook his head.
"I don't think that will be the case with you." He replied with sympathy. "Fenton, you know you're not Quirkless. You've gone through your life regulating your power and living without it on some occasions. And that already makes you different from everyone without a Quirk. Most stay drawn away to avoid attention, but you stand tall with everybody else. Your stories had confirmed that much for me." He smiled. "Everybody stands tall in schools these days. For a world of heroes, you'll fit right in."
At that, emotion boiled inside his heart. Seicho hasn't meant it. He knew as much. Still, it brought forth a gale of guilt that Danny wasn't prepared for.
How can you ever be a hero?
"Thank you for that, Seicho. Really. But I can't." Danny said softly. "I can't fit in with them. I'm no hero."
"What are you talking about?" Seicho asked. "Fenton, if half of what you told me is true…"
"It's not that easy anymore." He wavered. Any other discussion to avoid the real topic would just sidetrack them. Danny knew he had to come out with the truth. "Seicho, I really don't have the same drive people my age have in this world, okay? All this aspiring hero stuff… I don't want any part of it anymore." His heart pulsed, but he drove forward in his statement. "I lost everything to that lifestyle. And to be around others my age… is something that I want, but I'm scared to do. I'm not who I was. I have no drive remaining. At this point, I feel like it would be better for me to kind of keep inside. Maybe work on engineering or something. I love your hero society. I love what's happening around Mustafu itself. I really do. But…" Danny looked down, his heart swirling with indecision and guilt. "I don't think I'm made for this."
A silence settled around the length of the room for a stretch of time. And Danny feared he may have just alienated himself from the one person who had helped him the most.
But, before he could even begin to apologize, Seicho spoke first.
"Then why are you trying so hard with your Quirk?"
Danny looked up in surprise. "What?"
Seicho had no pressing urgency in his tone or expression when he asked. The nurse seemed genuinely curious. "Pretty much every night, you get out of bed and practice summoning your Quirk forward. Without breaks. Unwavering." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
The halfa blinked. "You… know about that?"
"You're not exactly quiet in the matter," Seicho admitted. "And I've seen you attempt quite a few times already. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to breach your privacy or anything."
Danny wasn't offended. He was just taken off guard for a moment. Here he was, thinking that his attempts to regain control of his powers was something he had kept to himself. It's not that he wanted to keep it a secret. It was more… he had hoped he could regain his abilities on his own. Though the more he attempted, the more he realized that it may not be that easy.
This new world definitely had more tabs on him then he could have realized.
"N-no, you're fine, Seicho. I just… didn't realize that you knew."
Seicho smirked. "Never underestimate my tenacity for being a guardian, my friend." His expression drew back to reserved curiosity. "You didn't answer my question. If you really do think you've drifted away from who you once were, why keep your attention on one of the main things that connects you to who you once were? Why do you keep trying with your Quirk if you feel that way?"
Danny pursed his lips. For the first time since their conversation began, the Ghost boy pulled a blank in regards to what to say next. Seicho brought up a good point.
"It… feels safer to have it then not to." Danny said, looking at his palm. "It just feels like I need it."
"But why, if you want to distance yourself away ?"
Danny was silent. And for good reason. Everything Seicho was asking had legitimate reasons behind it. He felt like he had drifted away from any semblance of who he was. He thought the old Danny Fenton had died at the same time as his family. And he had to distance himself from everything that he once was.
That would be easier to do if he just stepped away from regaining his powers. Heck, he probably could just start down the path of engineering and desk work if he just stopped the power testing now and fully embraced the chance at a powerless life in front of him.
His life would still be far from the regular world that he knew. And things would be drastically different in terms of how this society worked compared to his worlds. He could become someone new.
And he thought that's what he wanted.
But, at the same time, he had never given up in pursuit of his power. There was something within him that wouldn't give up the idea of obtaining his abilities once again. Even after the first day, racked with guilt and pain and confusion, he still took the night to try and regain control once again.
And considering how far he had gone to try to get his powers back…
"I don't know. Like I said, it just feels like I need it for something I guess." Danny admitted, though he was still stooped in thought. "And… I feel more comfortable when I have it as an option then when I don't."
Seicho smiled. "That's because you haven't changed, Fenton." Danny looked at him incredulously, but that seemed to be a motivation for Seicho to continue. "Look, as much as you want to say you've changed, that you can't go back to what you once were, I don't think you believe that yourself. When you talk with me, Tsukauchi, Kamui Woods, I can see you prominently for who you were before we found you. The way you joke and jab just seems like you've picked it up from some pretty amazing people and kept with it. And this drive to solidify your Quirk… I think it's from you not wanting to relent what you've been, what you still are."
At his soft spoken tone and honest eyes, Danny felt instinctively tense and looked away. His self-hating thoughts began to lessen. "Seicho… meeting new people like this… you really don't know who I was before."
Seicho stood and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Fenton, I've only known you for a month, it's true. But…" The nurse's eyes shined. "I know you are one of the most stubborn people I know. From shower curtains to which TV shows you want to watch, you are never one to give up easily. And I doubt that you're one to give up on yourself that easily.
"From what I've seen, there's no reason they won't like you. What you are is a sociable, friendly person who confidently keeps himself and the conversation going. I'm not asking you to become a hero, Fenton. I'm asking to give yourself a chance. A chance to confirmthat your the same person you always were." Seicho looked to the boy with humor and kindness. "And I'm sure there are a lot more taking topics to be explored with other students your age. You certainly don't want to miss out on that."
All at once, Danny Fenton, who when he first arrived, was sure that who he once was had died in the streets at the same time as his family, felt his doubtful thoughts pushed away. For the first time, he felt himself relax. And, for the first time, he felt every anxiety when it came to pushing himself to meet anyone else dissolve. For the past month, he had convinced himself… No, lied to himself about how far away he was from anyone else. How he could never befriend anyone in the light of what's happened to him.
Now, under the words of Seicho, he felt his own self stir deep within his stomach, a part of himself he thought was long gone. To his own surprise, he felt the overwhelming feeling of wistfulness he had had before take precedence above all else.
All it takes is just one person to believe in you…
"You know," Danny lightly laughed, trying to keep the imminent crack from reaching his dry throat. "For someone who said to do it 'if you're sure you want to go', you sure are persistent in this."
"That's because I knew you weren't sure before," The nurse replied confidently. "You hesitated and second-guessed yourself when you said no. Now, when you're saying yes, no second guessing to be found, right?"
Danny took that in for a moment before nodding in confirmation. "None at all." He managed a smile. "Alright. You win. Let's sign me up for school then."
Those were words Danny never imagined he would be saying happily within his lifetime.
Seicho nodded back before crossing his arms, adopting his mocking glare expression once more. "And, even if you were having second doubts, I would have pulled the most prominent card in my deck to convince you to attend."
The halfa raised an eyebrow as he had begun to pick up his empty dinner plate. "And what card would that be?"
"You owe me for the phone."
That halted Danny entirely. "Really? THAT'S the favor you would choose to pull?"
"It isn't ideal, I'll admit," Seicho said with a shrug. "But then again, if it was to get you to leave my house for long periods of time instead of eating my food and hogging the TV, it would be worth it in the end, I feel."
The Ghost boy narrowed his eyes. "Just for that, I hope you enjoyed your daifuku while you had the chance. Because they just became my next target."
As Danny turned back to the sink and Seicho laughed in good nature behind him, the halfa felt the beginnings of a smile tug as his expression.
He really couldn't tell if it was from excitement or just general nervousness at the prospect of what a school in this kind of place could be, and if he really would fit in as easy as Seicho said he could.
His mind still flicked to the ever-present thought of loss, of setting himself up for something similar to what had happened to…
Danny shook his head defiantly. "That won't happen. Not again." And he moved forward, anticipation building for what would happen next.
"I take it back. I think you've managed to kill every ounce of my anticipation in one move."
"It's really not that bad! You act like I strapped a table of nails to your back or something!"
"At this point, I might prefer that to what I have on now."
The Ghost boy was, of course, referring to the black blazer, white shirt and red tie that fit alongside his belted black dress pants as well as his solid black laced shoes, a combination that made him feel like a funeral director.
It had been about eight days since Seicho convinced him to return to school and give it a shot once again, but it suddenly didn't feel like enough time for Danny to prepare. Especially with all of this happening.
It was his MANDATORY school uniform, required for every student set to join the ranks of Mustafu's Kaizen Middle School. For his continuation of his 8th year of education, the school "boasted" (Danny himself wouldn't really boast about it, since it's awful) set schedules and lunches, with very few breaks in between for much talking. "For a better education experience", the tagline has said.
Frankly, Danny had his own problems with just certain rules about Amity High, but compared to Kaizen, Amity High was a Royale of freedom. And none of it was helped by a MANDATORY UNIFORM.
"It's something you're going to have to get used to, Ghost boy," Seicho said as he prepared his own uniform for his shift. "Practically every school here in Japan requires uniforms of some kind. It promotes a formality and sense of pride among those in the education here."
"You sure formality in this case doesn't mean 'death of any kind of clothing freedom'?" Danny grumbled as he tugged at his sleeve to try and loosen the tightened feel of his uniform.
"It very well might be," The nurse replied with a smile. "But it's still a requirement, so for now, just roll with it."
Danny sighed, but he didn't raise anymore fuss about the uniform. He may not have liked it, but he didn't want to squander the opportunity presented to him over a stupid reason like clothes. With that in mind, the boy decided to switch topics.
"Uniform aside, how the heck is this going to work class wise?" He asked as he sifted through his new backpack at the larger than life textbooks. "I'm kind of… behind half a year, right?"
"Way ahead of you," Seicho said as he laced his shoes. "Tsukauchi had to pull some favors, but we were able to make a basic timeline leading up education wise to where you would be compared to the Japanese Education System. Give or take a few items, at least in the case of our middle school, you would just need certain Japanese History and Language classes. In summary, you may have more than one thing to play catch up on," He said in such a way that Danny knew he was trying to lessen the blow of something pretty dang disheartening to hear. "But, you've got my own and the teachers help available! As long as you continue to push forward, you should be fine!"
"Easier said than done," Danny said dryly, but he chuckled. "Thank you for all of that, Seicho."
"Well if I didn't do it, I wouldn't be doing my job, now would I?" He replied with another large smile. But that quickly turned to fear as he looked to the clock. "Speaking of jobs, it's probably best we get on the move! Especially if I want to keep my current one!"
After a quick meal of eggs and furikake (which Danny found very odd tasting the first week he was here, but now couldn't imagine having breakfast without it), Seicho all but flew out the door, Danny keeping pace beside him. He wasn't as in a rush as Seicho was, seeing as how he still had quite a bit of time remaining till he had to be in class. But it was still a little bit of a walk, apparently, to the grounds of Kaizen. The nurse had drilled that much into him and how an early start was the better alternative to anything else.
He should know. Seicho had apparently graduated quite prestigiously from the school. He was the self-proclaimed darling child of the school and he ensured Danny knew the ins and outs of the route to his old school. Any friend of his had access to all of the extensive knowledge he had on the grounds, which Danny hoped to be helpful.
Then again, knowing his own luck, he'd probably arrive to see the whole school remodeled and every aspect that Seicho remembered changed. That wouldn't surprise him in the least.
As the duo reached the end of the stairs stretching out in front of the apartment complex, passing alongside families and workers as they went about their daily lives, Seicho nodded to him.
"You know the route, right?"
Danny smirked. "Like the back of my hand. Are you surprised? The way you planned out things, you would think we were about to go on a Black Ops mission."
"It never hurts to solidify that knowledge. Over excessive? Yes. But, you do know it now."
Danny rolled his eyes. "I knew it well enough before you decided to drop ten pounds of overkill on it."
Seicho chuckled. "Hey, in all seriousness, good luck today. I know this is quite a step for you, especially with everything that's happened. And I'm confident you'll make the best of it."
"Well," The halfa smiled. "It's good to hear someone believes in me more than me." With some practice and judgement that now was a good time, Danny did a small bow forward. "Thank you for your confidence, Seicho. I'll do my best."
Seicho beamed, no doubt proud over the fact that Danny had used the bow in a correct setting before bowing back. "You're already fitting in quite nicely, Fenton. It'll be the very same for the school. Strive forward, keep your chin high and keep on your best behavior." He wagged a finger in a mock scolding. "I have quite the reputation to uphold there, you know."
"As you've said four-hundred times before," Danny returned the mock scolding, nodded to him one last time, then set out the opposite direction of the hospital, traveling down the path named so often by Seicho to take him to school.
Many thoughts permeated the Ghost boy's mind on his solitary walk. Thoughts of doubt, excitement, worry and anticipation. Many ideas popped around about what exactly a school that had been created around this kind of world could look like.
But, as his dad had said, there was no use imagining when you could see for yourself. And that was exactly what Danny intended to do, for better or worse.