DuckTales (2017) || ScaleFeather || A Story of Brotherhood and Friendship

(1) Damian

Damian refused to come out of his room. He was so shaken, he feared he'd never feel sane again. He hadn't even taken his suit off. He was so scared from that mishap encounter that he didn't know what he felt like doing. His breathing was speedy and shaky, his heart quickly beating against his ribs, threatening to explode. Damian slowly paced around the room, constantly putting a hand on his forehead. Damian hardly cared about the footsteps approaching his room, even though part of him feared it was Steelbeak, coming to be unhelpful. However, those fears were quickly drowned as a tall black figure with big green eyes stepped into the doorway.

"Damian," the Phantom Blot asked with concern, "what is wrong? Are you alright?"

"The Dragon Knight saw me," Damian said quickly, his voice higher than usual. "He saw my face! I gotta hide, I can't go back out there...!"

Damian hugged his head in his hands, slowly sitting against the foot of his bed. He was so scared and unsure, he was worried he might pass out, for his forehead had become a bit warm and uncomfortable. Blot sat next to him and put his arm around Damian's shoulders. He gently pulled Damian towards him, letting him lean against his shoulder, and his breathing seemed to slow down.

"Take some controlled deep breaths," Blot quietly rasped gently, moving his hand to Damian's back.

Damian tried, but he was so scared, he didn't know how to control anything he did. However, with Blot's gentle hand on his back, his breathing slowed, and became quiet and smooth. Once it had, his head hung in worry as he closed his eyes.

"You said the Dragon Knight saw you?" Blot asked quietly, never forced.

"Yeah," Damian whispered, trying to nod.

"Doesn't he have magical power?" Blot added, now sounding slightly apprehensive.

"Yeah," Damian repeated, a bit more shakily with the change in tone.

"But — he didn't hurt you?" Blot asked, now back to gentle.

"No," Damian answered, slowly shaking his head. "Instead, he...showed me his face, and...tried, anyway, to reach out to me...or something, I dunno."

This seemed to earn a mixture of confusion and concern from Blot. Normally, he saw magic, and anyone who wielded it, as dangerous. Now he seemed to be second thinking about everything he had studied. He remembered cornering the Headless Man-Horse of the Apocalypse, and how he'd been rather modest to say people change, including himself. Upon that thought, he looked back at Damian, who had definitely changed since they first met. And now, another wave had come.

Damian felt a bit strange saying what had happened out loud. He hadn't even thought about it when he had encountered the Dragon Knight. At first, he had thought he might hurt him, but then he showed his face and asked if he was okay. Damian felt so stupid for not knowing what to make of it. Blot had told him that all magic was dangerous, but the Dragon Knight was all magic, and definitely not too dangerous at all. Damian felt scared and confused, and now he just didn't know what to do.

For what it was worth, Damian turned and reached his arms around Blot, who hugged back. He was the only comfort Damian had right now, the only person who had ever had any sort of guardian-like love or care for him. Damian really appreciated him for it, but at the moment, that was mingled with his fear and confusion, and he finally just said it.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered, trying not to cry.

Blot gently rubbed Damian's back as Damian rested his head against Blot's chest.

"We'll figure it out," Blot said gently.

Damian's eyes widened a bit at Blot saying "we." Normally, everyone in F.O.W.L. was out for themselves, unless on a mission with a partner. However, it seemed as though Damian had thrown that away, but Blot had done that a while before he did. Now Blot was telling Damian he would stick by his side...something no one had ever really told Damian before. He hugged Blot even tighter.

"Thanks," he whispered.

Blot said nothing as he made his hug even warmer, trying to bring Damian as close to him as he could.

However, it seemed as though Steelbeak was coming to be unhelpful after all. He stood in the doorway, glaring at Blot, and seemingly disgusted and angry by his actions toward Damian. The two stood up and tried to act more professional, to which Steelbeak narrowed his eyes. Then he also tried to act as if nothing had happened.

"Well, if you're both done here," he said, not even trying to keep the irritation out of his voice, "I have a job for you both. Follow me."