Avoiding Past And Future

(52) Intermediate

October 19

Everything seemed to be going relatively well the next day. The IV was still incredibly annoying but Danny managed to stay entertained enough as Frostbite educated Bruce on all things ghost. Watching the man create a whole file system was the most interesting tech thing he had witnessed since Tucker and his beloved secret copies of the Fenton's blueprints.

Somehow the topic had drifted over to how Danny managed to rework the inhibitor collars to function on ecto. Frostbite had not liked that bit of information, immediately demanding to see one of them. Danny had begrudgingly shown the one he was still wearing around his neck as he honestly couldn't remember what they did to the other ones. Frostbite was anything but happy. With the concerns about Danny's core health, he wanted it removed before Danny started going on missions.

"Okay, hold up now. I never even agreed to any of this! This whole time you have been talking about me, and what would be best for me, without asking me what I wanted!" He yelled out defensively, pulling away and covering the collar again. Though it wasn't working to its full potential anymore, Danny could feel the inhibitor was still doing its job pulling away at Danny's excess energy.

Frostbite blinked slowly, brows contorting in confusion as he stared at Danny. "You...have not consented to this agreement?"

"No!" Danny threw up his hands in frustration, mindful to limit it at least a bit so his IV wouldn't get messed up. His outburst caught the attention of the rest as well, who migrated closer to witness the unfolding argument. "It's barely even been a day since I found out about the plans and apparent arguments about sending me out with the team. The entire time you lot have been deciding shit for me when I never said I wanted to step back into the hero life!" Danny's frustration burned bright enough it illuminated his eyes.

For the first time since the yeti arrived, he backed down from being on Danny's ass. "My apologies, young one. I had been of the understanding you had already agreed to return to your former glory and stature." Though he was sincere, Danny couldn't help but feel his eye twitch. There was never any glory in being Phantom. All he was, was a child who did not understand his own powers and failed to protect those he cared for. Foretold to be destined for greatness by the elders of the yeti's tribe, failing every single step of the way.

If that was considered his former glory, he sure as hell didn't want to return to that.

Sensing Danny's frustrations and distain flow off of him, Frostbite turned to Bruce. "I am sorry, knight of the dark. I fear I will have to retract my previous statements regarding his health. I cannot, in good conscious, recommend him on these missions if he does not wish to be a part of them."

"I told you." Selina halfheartedly gloated as she walked up to Danny. He still seemed very upset and tensed but seemed to relax at least a little bit now that people were finally listening to him. "You can't force him onto the team, doctor's orders. He isn't a mini you."

Now it was Danny's turn to slowly blink in confusion. "What?" Sure, they had both lost their parents at the same age, in the same general way too. Taking up heroics and their general human appearances aside as well, exactly what made him, and apparently not Dick, a mini Bruce?

Bruce didn't seem to want to answer, entering in yet another staring match with Selina. Their battles of will over Dick and Danny were funny at first but now it was starting to concern him just how much had to be forced out of the man. It didn't seem like either was going to budge until Selina asked Danny one single question that blew it all to kingdom come.

"Do you know why the Justice League was formed?"

Danny looked lost, he felt lost too. What kind of question was that? There was some kind of big bad that needed more than one hero and that was it, right? He looked over to Dick for help but only got more confused. Dick, as it turned out, seemed to have that bit of information Danny was missing to make sense of it all. Information he didn't seem keen on supplying himself as he came to stand next to Selina to glare at Bruce.