Let's Make A Statement

Does It Hurt?

Richard and the others sat around Danny and he wanted to hit something, "So we're doing this today too, great."

They could tell that he was irritated and Artemis looked at him, "What happened this morning?"

"Nothing that's your business."

Isabella spoke, "Danny you got in a fight."

"A fight didn't even start, I vaguely threatened them and they left."

Richard looked at him, "You call that a vague threat?"

"I didn't tell them how I was going to do it so yes."

Lucas looked confused, "How you would do what?"

Danny ignored him so Richard answered, "He said he'd send them to the hospital."

They all looked at him, he didn't even look at them, "They pissed me off."

Barbara spoke, "So you said you'd send them to the hospital?"

"Maybe you don't remember the last time I fought them, they tore my stitches."

They all looked at each other, that was the day they saw Danny's scars, they knew he was still mad about it if the look on his face was anything to go by. Isabella hesitated, "How did you get your, well..."

Danny glared at her, "I'm not talking about my scars."

Lucas looked worried, "You hate thinking about it that much?"

"No, and I don't hate my scars either, but I'm not going to tell you."

Artemis looked confused, "Wait, you don't hate them?"

Barbara spoke, "And why won't you tell us?"

"I don't hate them, they mean I fucking survived, and I won't tell you because there's no reason for me to. Despite what you seem to think I don't actually know you and you really don't know me, I'm not going to talk about that bullshit with people I barely know."

Danny then got up and left, they watched him walk out and Richard looked at the others, "I'm going to see if I can talk to him."

Richard got up and followed Danny out, he ran to catch up with Danny as he left the school. He threw the doors open and saw Danny sit under a tree, he still looked pissed but at least he hadn't completely left the school. Richard walked over and sat down, they were quiet for a few seconds until Richard finally spoke, "Are you okay?"

"You don't want me to answer that."

"I do actually, and I'd like the honest answer."

"Fine, you want honest, most of the shit anyone knows about me is from a fucking file, they don't have a god damn right to ask about my scars."

Richard sighed, "Look, I know you don't want to tell anyone about them and if you don't want to tell them that's fine. They're just worried, Izzy started crying after we saw them, we were all worried, honestly we still are."

They both went quiet, Richard didn't expect Danny to say anything, he surprised him, "The wings were carved."

Richard looked shocked and confused, "What?"

"The wings, they were carved onto my back with a small knife, I was twelve."

Richard almost felt sick, he was twelve which meant he was at the orphanage, now he really wished he'd punched that guy. Danny lifted the right side of his shirt just a little, "Then there's this one."

Richard looked at it, he was confused, "A cross?"

"A celtic cross, it's a brand."

Richard stared at it, he hesitated before very carefully touching it, he expected Danny to pull away and he wouldn't have blamed him. He didn't, the first thing he noticed was that Danny was cold, now that he thought about it his hand was cold when he'd held it yesterday too. The second thing he noticed was that the scar was old, he was guessing that he'd gotten this at the orphanage too.

He was very careful, he felt like he might hurt Danny or he'd get mad if he did more then he did now, he felt like he was pushing his luck already. Richard looked at him, "Does it hurt?"

"None of them hurt anymore, but I can't feel some of them."

Richard didn't know what to say, he had a few scars but he'd never been branded and he still had feeling where his scars were. He didn't know if the feeling would be numb for Danny or a sort of ghost feeling, either way he felt horrible for him. He didn't even realize that he'd started gently running his finger over the mark until that moment.

He stopped and looked away, "Sorry."

He expected Danny to say something, anything about it, but he didn't, instead he looked away and Richard didn't know if he'd done something wrong. Danny noticed that the entire time he was talking to Richard Toxin didn't speak, he didn't so much as move. He usually did at least to the point where Danny could feel him shift a little which told him he was paying attention.

This time he didn't do any of that, and because Toxin wasn't doing anything his attention was drawn to everything else. As soon as Richard touched his scar his heart rate sped up, his brain told him to move away but he didn't. He was able to speak normally but he wondered how the hell he could, he wanted to hit something.

He hated that he felt that way at all, things were so much easier when he knew he was going to leave. He was going to leave the same day he met Richard and he could have forgotten about all of this. He could have gone to a different city, hid from the cops, taken down some petty criminals, and lived like he always did.

He didn't mind the nights it rained and he got soaked, he didn't mind not always having food, and he was fine with being alone. Then he had to stay an extra week and things got complicated, it got worse after he got Toxin. If he knew they'd be safe leaving and finding somewhere else to go he'd do it, but if he left the day he got Toxin it would look suspicious.

If he left now and they stopped showing up in Gotham anyone that knew could put two and two together, Richard was smart enough to figure it out. He was taken out of his thoughts when the bell rang and he stood up, he quietly sighed and held his hand out to Richard. Richard was a bit surprised but he still smiled and took it, they started walking inside and Danny glared at him just a little.

"If you tell anyone what I told you then you won't like what I do."

Richard smiled a little, "I won't."

Danny didn't respond, he silently walked to class with Richard and they sat down, they didn't say anything. Danny took out his notebook, 'What's with you?'

Toxin finally shifted, 'You were finally talking to someone about your past, I didn't want to interrupt.'

'What does me talking about my past have to do with it?'

'You won't tell anyone about what happened, I know because I am in your head but others are not. Now you've finally told Richard at least a little about your past, I did not want to say anything that might make you stop.'

Danny rubbed his eyes, if he could be mad at Toxin he would but he could feel a strange emotion and it wasn't his. It was Toxin, he actually cared about whether he started trusting people or not and he was glad he told Richard what he did. It was weird feeling his emotions but not bad, it at least told him Toxin wasn't lying, he almost smiled because of it.