The hours after the detainment were a nerve wreck for each side involved. Danny himself felt unnerved in the prison cell. He had been detained and thrown behind bars only once in his afterlife, and that was after he angered a trigger-happy warden. This time, however, it was different in several aspects. For one, this was not a crazed, power-obsessed ghost with no actual legal authority. This was a legitimate police department serving the state it was located in. So, their authority had an extensive reach. The other differing aspect was how he actually wasn't tied down to his cell. They thought his only power was invisibility, so nobody bothered to take extra measures to hold him. The metaphor of being the prisoner of one's own mind was a real thing, it seemed. Danny just hoped that the locals would value his desire to cooperate. And that they would return the stuff he bought. Come to think of it, what was there to stop him from buying the details from a legit salesman? When such thought occurred, the teen slapped himself across the face. Damn that Giran, he knew how to get a client.

Nobody was caught except for him, which made the teen all the more furious on the inside. That's what one would get for playing the game without knowing its rules. He was tricked, and the teen was dead-set on getting back at them after he got out. Maybe a solid punch to knock out the remaining teeth of that double-crossing man. But for now, Danny could only hope for the best. His ghost form needed to be sustained, and his fuel tank was going to run dry at some point. And if he suddenly turned human, then there would be no hiding at all. The situation sucked. Until then he had to settle everything. He also felt hungry and tired. Maybe he could get some food while he was at it.

While the half ghost was trapped in the conundrum of his thoughts, the police themselves had been busy. While the trail was hot, they tried to pursue the thieves, but to no avail. The criminals had been using their Quirks to hide from pursuit, probably. They had been elusive up to that point, it wasn't any surprise they escaped that time, too. The only clue they had left was the detained boy with a box of random junk. From what he said and what he did, it was deduced that he wasn't just a simple bystander, but someone who knew something about the criminals. Tsukauchi decided to do some digging before prior to the interrogation. They had taken the photo of the adolescent, as well as his fingerprints, and the detective was glad that the detainee did not resist. The police needed to hold a non-stop watch, because the boy could turn invisible and slip past whenever he wanted. That's why he was held in a glass cell.

By searching in the database the detective hoped to come across a match. Unfortunately for him, neither the photo, nor the fingerprint could not be traced on the list. Which could only mean that the kid was never registered in Japan. No passport, no birth certificate, no mention in the Quirk registry. After this, looking at the mugshot where the obviously European-looking boy was sticking out his tongue, Tsukauchi started to wonder if he was not a local. His Japanese was perfect, however, so he must have had some connection to the country. Maybe some of his relatives lived here, but to find those he first needed the boy's name. Tsukauchi looked at the report. His name was Daniel, that much the boy already divulged. But other than that, nothing. The kid was a small fry, he would find no information about him on the global list of criminals either. The detective tried to use other, foreign data storages, but the result was similar no matter where he went. American, Australian, Canadian, they all were void on any information on the kid. It was almost like he didn't exist. That case was growing more interesting.

The detective met the following morning with heavy bags under his eyes. In the middle of the night Tsukauchi was told that the police was going to come from two ends. The other team was meant to be on the criminals' tail. He was tasked with cracking the mystery behind the strange boy in their captivity in hopes of him knowing something. So, the first thing in the morning, after drinking a cup of coffee, the detective went to interrogate the suspect, envying the Erasure hero who was going at the criminals from his end. Aizawa's Quirk was useless against the teen, so it was only natural. Tsukauchi, however, could work with what he had. The boy had been transported to the special interrogation room, but the detective had his gun on him just in case. That boy could shoot lasers, Tsukauchi wasn't sure if the transparent barrier between them could hold. They couldn't assess the damage he could cause.

When the man entered the room on his side, he could see the glowing teenager munching on a protein bar. Danny glanced to the detective and gulped the treat down, smirking.

"Morning!" He called out cheerfully. "Is this the part where you interrogate me?"

"Yes," Tsukauchi sat on a chair in front of the glass. "Where did you get the bar?"

"A guard gave it."

"You are lying," the detective pointed out. "Don't try to pull that on me."

"What? You are a lie-detector with legs?"

"Precisely," Tsukauchi smirked. "So, mind telling me the truth?"

Danny sighed. "Fine. I went for a walk, picked up my wallet and bought it from the vending machine. I returned everything afterwards."

"What do you mean, you 'went for a walk'?"

"It's just as I said, man. You guys never bothered to bring in any food, and I am a growing kid. So I did everything myself."

"The food is not our responsibility, kid. It's not a prison, you are in a police department. And you somehow left your locked cell."

"Can we move on?" Danny rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I came back, didn't I?"

"I don't know what made you think that leaving your cell is allowed under any circumstances."

"If anything, this only shows how cooperative I am," Phantom smirked. "I mean, I am here only because I want to. I could have walked out of the front door and you wouldn't have noticed me until it was too late. Yet, we are talking. You even got your confiscated goods back."

"Well, then. Why did you surrender and why didn't you leave?"

"I just don't want any trouble."

"For someone taking strolls where you aren't supposed to, you are awfully lawful when needed."

"Hey, I mean it. I just wanted to eat. And I even paid to the soulless machine in the corridor. We just misunderstood each other from the start, that's all."

"Alright. Hit me with your version of the event."

Phantom realised that he needed to be careful with what he said. That man seemed to be very capable of noticing lies.

"This place is filled with powerful people. I just... wanted to be safe and get better at using my powers. But I am just a part-time worker at a second-rate grocery store, I had no money for anything proper, so all you found were details. There was also stuff to repair the stuff back home."

"But why go to the black market?"

"I just got swindled by the wrong people," Danny sighed, banging his head on the glass. "I'm such a dumbass."

"You were about to make an illegal upgrade, weren't you?"

The man could see the green eyes staring at him from under the stark-white locks.

"Honestly, I am not sure. I am still an amateur hoping to recreate something from my parents' stash. I don't recall there being an article preventing an attempt. I haven't broken anything."

"Yet you are clearly capable of that, had it not been for your financial situation."

"That's not enough of a reason to put me in jail, officer. An attempt to murder, yes. This, no."

"Since you mentioned your parents... do they know what you are doing?"

"No, they don't. And they couldn't care less. The bastards kicked me out of our house just because I don't suit their expectations. Right, who needs a freak like me?"

That was something Tsukauchi wasn't prepared for. That explained the boy's behaviour a lot. Him placing trust in the unsavoury characters could be the result of desperation. Young Daniel didn't appear as a law-breaking type, but Tsukauchi knew better than most how deceiving appearances could be. It's his words and actions that mattered. Yet, something appeared strange.

"Why do you call yourself a freak?"

"It's a what they said last time we met. I omitted the rest. Don't want extra obscenities in your report."

"Then, what made them say such things to their son? Do they have Quirks?"

"Nope," Danny answered, glad that the detective let the teen interpret everything his way. He figured that as long as it wasn't a lie, the man would spot no inconsistencies. "They have an especially strong hatred towards everything out of norm. Well, their standards of norm. When they learned about me, well... it got heated."

Tsukauchi heard of such people. Sometimes being Quirkless created a special brand of bigotry and hate. The kid got it rough.

"Where are you from, kid?"

"Could you stop calling me that? Every person around does, I have a name," Phantom complained.

"Sorry, Danny. Could you answer?"

"Amity Park. It is a small town in America."

"You sure are far away from home."

"Does it matter? I don't have any proper citizenship, not even a birth certificate. I might as well have been born here."

Tsukauchi's look became thoughtful. That complicated the matters a lot. Could his parents deny him even that right of any human being? That would explain the boy's absence from every registry in the world. He knew for a fact that Danny was not lying. The detective's Quirk allowed him to recognise the deceit.

"Were your parents at fault?"

"The passport I got with them won't convince anyone with proper knowledge of fakes."

The detective sighed. He supposed he shouldn't go hard on the boy in that regard. They couldn't deport him to the country he had no citizenship of. Neither did he want to do that to a boy.

"Are you all by yourself?"

"Yeah. I managed to make my place homey, though," the teen said with a proud expression. "It's not like your child services will provide for a guy like me. They will only create extra hustle."

"You won't know without looking into it. I have been wondering, what is that you are wearing?"

"A hazmat."

"I can see that. Still, this isn't something children dress into. Furthermore, this, coupled with an insignia on your chest, points towards vigilantism. Please, explain this part to me."

Danny's lips thinned. "I used to beat up some unsavoury people back in America, yes."

"Vigilantism is a crime no matter where you go, Danny."

"Still not your problem as long it doesn't happen in Japan, right? Look, pal. It was... different in my hometown. Too small for people to notice or care. We didn't have any heroes and the police couldn't do anything. I just had to do something. Still not a single bit of gratitude, but I am used to it."

"The people must have known that you are acting without a license and were afraid of an amateur," Tsukauchi concluded.

Danny couldn't blame the man for arriving to a false understanding. The given prerequisites could yield no other result.

"That beats being assaulted at every corner," Danny answered. "No matter how you look at it. Coming and beating a murderer does not absolve you of anything, I understand that. But I like the thought that I helped the people in my own way."

"They certainly didn't share your sentiment. Is that why you left your hometown?"

"Well, my parents kicking me out was the catalyst, yes. But I came to realise that after a while the criminals decided that I was a challenge to overcome. They aimed for me above everything else. So, by moving where none of them will reach me, I help both myself, and those people. I promise, they shouldn't be a problem while I am here."

Tsukauchi started thinking. The boy was sincere in what he was saying, but his confidence was not exactly truthful. He could not really vouch for those criminals. That story had some white spots, and the boy was obviously withholding something. The world was enormous, and heroes could not possibly cover every corner due to their limited numbers. All Might defeated the worst of the worst, crippling the crime world for decades, but it didn't mean that the bandits would not try and cause chaos somewhere beyond his reach. So that part seemed consistent with the rest of the boy's story.

"But surely the crime won't completely stop there. Did you consider it?"

"Yeah, I know. I just hope that I managed to make things easier for others. Maybe someone can take over and keep a resemblance of order. Especially since the government finally took notice. Even if I hate their methods and the people doing all that, maybe they have something I don't."

"And that would be..."

"I probably wasn't hard enough on them. After most of our fights the criminals were relatively unscathed. The government will probably butcher them. Those people in white disgust me, but they will be feared. Unlike me. I only scare regular people for some reason."

"You don't look that scary."

"Yeah, yeah. Mock the ghost child more," Danny crossed his hands.

Tsukauchi sweatdropped. "It was meant to be a compliment."

"Read the room, man. I thought it was your shtick," the teen sighed. "My point is, people I fought for feared me, people I didn't care for did, my enemies, not so much. That's probably why the criminals kept coming back and depriving me of proper sleep. But the fear of actual action against their livelihood may stop at least some of them."

The boy was probably not systematic about his actions, the detective thought to himself. Contrary to what many vigilantes believed, it wasn't enough to simply dump a criminal at the doorstep of a police department. That's just not how things functioned. In truth, Phantom's adversaries were of ghostly nature, obviously. No human prison could hold them, neither was the half-ghost going to play the classic jury-judge-executioner game. He chose to be simple. The villain was beaten — off to the Ghost Zone with them. But it wasn't really a punishment, was it? They were simply sent back home, free to lick their wounds and prepare their next attack in peace. Danny didn't exactly have a choice for that matter. No prison in the human world existed to keep ghosts detained, Walker the ghost warden was a psycho who could not be trusted to keep order. By sending ghosts back Danny at least had a short break. It was the best compromise, given the situation. If only Fentons actually had brains not to keep that stupid portal open 24/7 for their research.

"Listen, Danny," Tsukauchi sighed. "You are right. What you did in America is the American problem. And you also seem sincere in what you are saying. Let's do it like this. Your offence is minor, that's correct. So, if you cooperate and help us in our investigation, I think you will be able to go."

The teen's face brightened. "Okay, but cooperate how?"

"You met with the seller, right? Could you give a description of what he looked like?"

The detective saw that the boy's smirk became more malicious. He was clearly going to enjoy selling out the criminal as an act of retribution.

"Hm, old, seemingly frail, has that long white beard. He is also short and reminds me of a little goblin. What's with those big ears and glasses," Danny put his palms behind the ears to parody the size. "Goes by the name Tinkerer."

"Hm... did you get a chance to see his Quirk?"

"I didn't."

Danny, vengeful he might have been at that moment, still remembered that Giran had dirt on him in the form of pit fights. So, the teen chose to omit him from the tale. Still, he was trying to remember everyone else he met in that hideout. Ghosts were capable of holding a grudge for a long while, and that trait manifested itself within Phantom, too, even despite the fact that he was only a half-breed. As the teen finished his description and the guy behind the one-way glass nearby stopped typing, Tsukauchi nodded in satisfaction. They now had the description of how the criminals looked like, and now the police had something to actually go by. He would relay the information to the higher-ups.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Danny."

"Am I free to go, now?"

"Yes, but there are things we need to go through with first. To start with, you need some proper registration. Of course, you aren't going to become a citizen, but the government needs to know about your Quirk. This is not up for debate," Tsukauchi said sternly, seeing that the teen was about to object. "The law applies to everyone. I think we will just write it down in your case file. It can be passed on further. Any questions?"

"None so far... nobody else would see it, right?"

"Danny," Tsukauchi sighed. "I understand that after your parents' reception you must be feeling reluctant, but I promise, nothing will happen to you afterwards."

He could see the distrust in the boy's eyes, but he probably realised that arguing would get him nowhere. Truth be told, he was correct to some extent, but mostly it was just tiredness of it all. Danny had been used to people around being too dumb to get so deep inside the hidden stash of knowledge. He still could just blame his every power on a Quirk, that's all.

"I wish I could know if you are being truthful," the teen crossed his hands. "Fine, I'll register."

The detective gave a small smile. "That's good. Before we release you, there is also the matter of the details you bought. I am afraid we will still have to confiscate the black market goods. Both as a part of a protocol and a possible clue to where the criminals might be."

Danny's eyes widened. "You heartless monsters!" He exclaimed maybe too dramatically. "I spent my last pennies on those!"

"I am sorry, but I am already making enough compromises, Danny. I need your word that you won't try to take them. I have already observed that you can be a natural thief if need be."

"I. Bought. That bar."

"You know what I mean," the detective responded tiredly. "Think of it as a lesson not to trust shady traders. Danny, I am willing to compromise, but there are limits. So, you won't attempt anything stupid like stealing the clues back?"

Phantom sighed. "Fine. I promise," he gave a scout's honour sign.

Sensing the genuine intent, the detective nodded once more. "Then I think we can release you now."

On cue, the transparent door finally opened. The half ghost exited his cell, stretching his muscles.

"The sweet taste of freedom," he mumbled, before sniffing the air. "I probably need a shower, too."

"The documents come first," the detective smirked. "Follow me."

Phantom was right behind Tsukauchi as they went towards his office. The occasional policemen kept giving them confused glances, but Danny only cheerfully waved back. The two of them quickly reached Tsukauchi's office, where the teen plopped on the nearest chair. The detective sat at his desk, pulling the teen's file closer. He immediately started filling in the information about the half ghost. Some additional information was needed, however.

"You never told me your last name. Do you have any?"

"Phantom will do, I suppose."

"I am getting that weird feeling that you are only half-truthful. Go on, Danny. Nobody is going to attack you. I specifically released you from your cell to show my good intentions. And without your proper last name, you will get no proper documents afterwards."

Perhaps what he was doing was incredibly foolish, Danny wondered. Blowing his secret identity so soon. Then again, the teen saw that very few actually had any to speak of. There were few masks and even those that were present were only a homage to the style. The government probably knew about them all. Things used to be so simple back in the day, he was a mistake of nature, so nobody would even suspect a human child to have the powers of a ghost. The absurdity of his condition was his greatest defence against being found out. His parents even had a theory that perhaps Phantom was an imprint on ectoplasm that Danny had left on the day of the accident. Without dying. They were this close to understanding, yet the stubbornness and aforementioned absurdity of the truth prevented them from doing so. Them and the world both.

That world was different from his. Him simply having powers was nothing endangering. Nobody had to know the whys of his abilities. Nobody had to know where he came from. Those details about his life were bound to get him extraordinary attention. And if he was thinking realistically, that was also his chance to settle down properly. The officer seemed understanding of his situation, and probably had an advice or two on how to proceed. Getting citizenship or at least some form of local documents was probably his first step. And without real identity, it was simply impossible. Maybe he should just stop worrying about that cliché comic book stuff. It tied him down too much, and he seemed to go against them at any given opportunity. And if things ever went south... he always had Wulf.

"Fenton," Danny responded, ignoring the still present lump in his throat. Christ, they just had to send a lie-detector guy at him.

Tsukauchi nodded and wrote it down. "Why would you call yourself Phantom, though?"

"Still beats Inviso-Bill," Danny shivered. "I hate gossip."

The detective choked a laugh. "I may just write this down, too."

"Don't you dare!"

"Why? We have a protocol," the detective laughed. "Alright. But why Phantom?"

"I mean... I can be quiet, I turn invisible. Hence the hero nickname."

"I see. Why don't you come here and fill the Quirk category?"

Danny got up and approached the desk. Taukauchi now noticed that the boy's steps were extremely light and soundless. He really was like a ghost now when he thought about it. The boy was glowing, his voice echoed, and he wasn't making a sound. He never even blinked during their conversation. Danny leaned over the man's shoulder, before the detective pushed the sheet of paper towards the half-ghost and handed him a pen. Clicking thoughtfully on the tip, Danny wrote down the information, concise, and hopefully sufficient.

'Quirk: Ghost. Control over ectoplasmic energy.'

"That's not much to go by," Tsukauchi commented.

"That's what I do," Danny shrugged. "The explanation needs to be short, right?"

"That's correct, but I have never seen anything like it... I see no connecting thread between your abilities. Lasers, invisibility..."

"I can waste a lot of time explaining this stuff, but I don't think you are up for it," Danny shrugged. "What I wrote is true. All my abilities fall under this explanation, no matter how they may appear."

"Very well. But expect that the special commission may request a demonstration of all you can do with description like that. You don't have any problems with your Quirk, do you? Kids your age still might have trouble."

"Well, some of my limbs used to vanish all of a sudden," Danny chuckled. "I have full control now, though."

"I'll need your contact information."

"Will my phone number do?"

"I believe so. If something happens, they will call you, I think. I too will keep it in mind if we need some extra testimony."

Suddenly Tsukauchi's own phone rang, and the detective immediately answered it.

"Yes, Tsuragamae-sama?" He asked, as the impatient teen returned to his seat. "Yes, the boy spoke. I can confirm it, he is not in toe with the criminals, so I planned to see him released. However, he can identify the criminals. We have the description of our guy as well. Yes, I'll give a detailed breakdown in my report, you can also examine the interrogation recording, I'll have Tamakawa prepare it...thank you, Tsuragamae-sama."

Tsukauchi hang up, a small smile crossing his features.

"Thanks to you, kid, I can finally go home. Do you need a lift?"

"Not really," Danny shrugged. "I can get there on my own, thank you very much. I needed some fresh air, anyway. Fix the AC, I mean it."

Tsukauchi got up from his seat and fetched a tan coat that had been hanging over his chair. The detective then approached the teen and patted him on the shoulder.

"I think this will be a great trust-building experience, Danny."

"Trust in what?"

"In our law-enforcement, of course. I can see that you are reluctant to place your faith into us."

"And a jolly ride in a car is totally gonna fix it all," Danny remarked sarcastically. "Why do you care?"

Tsukauchi smiled. "Because it is my job to make sure that the citizens are safe. Building confidence in the police force is one of the key factors for that. At least tell me which way your home is."

"In the North... Yoshitsune district."

"Huh. I don't live that far myself. This settles it, you are coming with me, Danny."

That man sure was assertive, Danny could give him that much. Still, Tsukauchi passed the evaluation and managed to earn the teen's sympathy. After all, he was the first person around to learn anything of value about the half ghost. Without using that information to throw the teen behind bars or doing something even worse. Danny doubted that there was any threat coming from the detective. Certainly none in the physical department, for his Quirk was not going to save him from turning into an icicle. And since he was just let go, it probably wasn't worth it worrying about everything every single minute. Sighing, the teen smiled and got up from his seat.

"You aren't gonna fall asleep on me, are you, old man?"

"Who are you calling old?" Tsukauchi asked with indignation in his voice. "I am thirty six!"

"Still gonna outlive ya."

As the two were driving down the road, the teen had a curious thought in his mind. It had actually been ages since he last properly sat in a car, the ride inside a van with Giran notwithstanding. His flight ability rendered any sort of transport redundant, and yet he was still always late despite having the superior option. However, this car ride was also especially uneventful by Danny's standards. The good policeman was taking him home, abiding by every rule a driver should follow. At an adequate speed and without extra tossing around. All of the aforementioned details used to be an inseparable part of travels when Jack Fenton was holding the wheel. The teen was bored, and there was nothing he could do but sit and wait until the ride was over. Tsukauchi had other plans, however, and whether or not this was an inconspicuous attempt to continue the interrogation, only the detective himself knew. The detective kicked off the conversation, and Danny gave in.

Despite learning a lot about the teen, it still had been only to aid the investigation. But Tsukauchi wanted to know more, not out of his civic duty, but because the boy earned his sympathy and the right to be the subject of the man's concern. The boy was alone, underage and very far from home. All those factors combined were a dangerous cocktail that could lead down a very perilous path, to the life of crime. From the conversations with him, Tsukauchi could see that the boy wasn't malicious at all. He could do with less sarcasm, but everyone had their questionable traits. The teen actually found a job instead of taking the easy path of theft, and never lied once after willingly surrendering to the police. With his abilities, Danny could rob whoever he wanted without any repercussions. If he wouldn't start the life of crime himself, there would be people and circumstances to push him. He already came in contact with the criminals, and even bought something from them. It was merely a start. The boy was also a vigilante, and it wasn't a compliment, because to Tsukauchi, the line between them and villains was nigh nonexistent. He broke the law, and only his affiliation with a foreign state prevented the officer from making a dutiful arrest. Well, maybe not entirely. Had it been some random man, he probably wouldn't have been as lenient. Danny was, once again, just a kid.

It was always more difficult with kids. They could commit heinous things, and yet it always felt like it wasn't their fault in the end. It was a difficult feeling to shake off. Obviously Danny never reached such extremes, to his knowledge at least. Hence the leniency on the officer's behalf. Tsukauchi wished he could do something to help the teen's situation, but not many things came to mind. If there was someone willing to become his guardian, it could solve a lot of problems, so it was the most ideal option. The detective asked the teen about this, receiving a confused stare. Danny looked at him with his cold green eyes, and he obviously never thought of that before. The idea was outlandish, to say the least. Phantom reminded the officer that he was just a foreign kid with no record or acquaintances. Furthermore, he was a kid with very destructive powers. The chances of someone actually deciding to bring him under their roof were slim. Tsukauchi had no choice but to agree with what Danny was saying. Still, the half-ghost admitted that he had nothing against this, and the officer noticed how embarrassed the teen was when saying it. It appeared that Danny didn't want to be a bother for anyone. The boy's doubts notwithstanding, Tsukauchi had little reasons to dismiss the plan just like this. He would have to give it more thought.

"Hey, old man," Danny snapped the detective out of his thoughts.

Tsukauchi grumbled on the inside, but did not respond. The teen got the message immediately.

"Tsukauchi-san..."

"Yes, Danny?" The man smirked.

"The car has been crying about empty tank for good five minutes already."

"Alright, I guess we can stop by a place. We probably need our tanks filled, too."

"We better. My wallet has cartoonish spiderwebs inside, though."

"Don't worry. It's on me."

Their car pulled up towards a gas station. Several minutes later the tank was filled to the brim, and the detective stopped the transport nearby. He and Danny went towards the station café in hopes of snagging a bite of anything worthy of being called breakfast. The people gave them confused glances, and the teen honestly regretted that he couldn't just turn into his human form. Not in front of the extra audience. Danny and the detective sat a table and enjoyed some coffee, with the latter now looking like a decent human being, not the one deprived of sleep. Of that Tsukauchi was subtly informed by his adolescent companion. The detective was about to retort, but then he saw some commotion out of the window.

The breakfast was going to be cut short. 

"Stay here, Danny," Tsukauchi ordered.

"What do you..." The teen looked where the officer was staring.

Outside, on the other side of the road, there was a robbery taking place. An attack on a jewellery store was not something new to neither the officer, nor the vigilante teenage hero. Whatever was happening inside, a fiery explosion blew out the windows of the shops, and seconds later the shock wave made the glass of the gas station tremble. Danny's look turned dead serious upon witnessing the robbery in process. Yet, he remained calm as the crowd inside the station started running outside, screaming and yelling.

"I can help, Tsukauchi!" Danny called over the noise of the crowd.

"No, you can't!" Tsukauchi responded, harshly and firmly. There was no time for arguing. "You are not authorised to act, Danny. You will only make it worse for yourself. So you stay here, got it?"

The teen begrudgingly nodded and cursed.

"I hope you know what you are doing, old man."

"Remember what I said about trust? Then trust me on this, Danny."

With that being said, Tsukauchi ran outside, reaching for the gun on his belt. The detective also took the radio and contacted the policemen, he knew that he had no power to handle everything on his own if the crime was committed by people with stronger Quirks. His own was not made for fighting. Tsukauchi needed to assess the danger and hold them off for as long as he could. There were civilians inside. Running up to the store doors, the man peeked inside, looking through the glass windows. There were three criminals in total. Two men and one woman. No distinguishable features to hint at what abilities they possessed. That complicated the matter. Tsukauchi also spotted the hostages. One of the criminals was near the counter and the cashier. Another was standing above four crouched bystanders. The third was busy hoarding the jewellery inside a bag. The former two were dangerous, they were close to the hostages. The room was made in a way that all the glass cases were forming a square without one of the sides. This limited the options for a manoeuvre, but also gave a lot of cover for a man with a gun.

Tsukauchi needed a plan. Maybe he should wait until the reinforcements arrived, he alone couldn't act quick enough. But then the criminals would have the time to escape. They didn't expect a policeman to arrive so soon, so for now he had the advantage of surprise. Taking out the one with the hostages was the most logical option. The cashier had a chance to escape during the commotion. Tsukauchi took a breath, before barging inside the store.

"Freeze!" The officer demanded, before firing a warning shot.

The plan worked, and the cashier managed to press a small button for the police. Using the door behind her, she decided to make a run for it.

"Hey, get back here!" The closest bandit yelled, before a second shot sounded near him.

"Eyes on me," Tsukauchi said seriously.

"Wait, are ya alone here? A single policeman?" The woman near the captives laughed. "Ya think you can beat us?"

"Maybe," Responded the detective. "I may have a situational Quirk, but I also doubt you are bulletproof."

The detective tried to keep his eyes on all the criminals in the room, waiting for them to make a move. The criminals didn't have any firearms of their own, which put him in a certain advantage. However, there was no telling what they could pull off. Tsukauchi wished for a hero to come as quick as possible. He noticed the jewellery-collecting villain doing something with a locket. A second later, a sparkling ruby was taken out. Unexpectedly, all that man did was to toss it away, between the policeman and the female robber. She smirked and then raised her palm. At the last second, Tsukauchi jumped behind a marble column, as the jewel exploded in a myriad of crystal sharp structures. She could make precious stones grow in size, a fitting Quirk for a place of crime.

"Where do ya think you are going?!" Another criminal jumped over the counter and started to quickly encroach on Tsukauchi's position.

The policeman peeked over the corner of his column and fired a shot. The lady blocked the first several shots with her crystals, and upon the impact they shattered like glass. The policeman fired another bullet, but the crystals were there once more. No, that wouldn't do. The criminal meanwhile continued to get close to him. Meanwhile, he could hear the footsteps behind him. While he was trying to cover the left part of the shop, the middle was blocked off by the crystals. The right part, however, was taken by the third bandit. They were trying to surround him. The gun in Tsukauchi's hands only had half of its initial magazine. And just his luck that he never thought to bring more on the ride home. Taking out the lady was not an option, so that left two others. He could see that the one on the left made his palms turn into a blades. This was risky, but staying in one place was a death sentence.

Tsukauchi exited his cover and ran right at the blade man. Without him expecting this, the man's swings were sloppy. The officer dodged the attack, ending up right behind him. Tsukauchi fired his gun at the man's shoulder. The bullet hit. The criminal yelled in pain and stumbled forward. The momentary triumph was cut short by a crystal pillar. The officer only narrowly avoided the hit, the sharp end cut his forehead as he tried to jump back. But then the pillar grew another protrusion on its size, and only by miracle it wasn't pointy enough to pierce the man's head. Instead, it hit him with astonishing force and sent him on the ground. Tsukauchi touched his pained face, and saw his palm covered in blood. This didn't look good. The shot criminal growled and turned around, his blades glistening brightly. The crystals separating them vanished, as the woman let her accomplice finish it.

"You will pay for that!" He yelled, lunging for the downed officer.

Tsukauchi closed his eyes in preparation for the impact. Only it never came.

"What the..."

The officer opened his eyes, only to see that the man's hands were stuck in the air, as if they hit something invisible. The man's confusion did not last long, for soon he heard the boyish laughter he had been hearing that entire morning. The following second, the glowing silhouette of the half-ghost child emerged out of thin air. Danny was holding the blade hands with his own gloved palms.

"You are not really good at this trust-building stuff, are ya, old man?" He asked, his hands lightly buckling under the criminal's force.

"D...Danny," Tsukauchi breathed out. "I told you to stay out of this!"

Phantom looked at the bandit in front of him, before smirking. With a push he stopped the man's swing completely, following it with but a single click of his finger aimed at the man's gut. It immediately launched the criminal into the opposite wall. Tsukauchi stared at this with even further shock. Super strength, too. That amount of abilities was simply incomprehensible! Danny didn't notice the gaze, as he looked at his torn cloves and bleeding palms. That's what he got for doing stupid stuff like that.

"Either I go back to the naughty corner or you die, pal. Both options suck, so let's stick with the less awful one," Danny gave a smirk, before turning to the crystal lady. "Hey, ma'am, what even is the point of a robbery if you can replicate this stuff?"

"It's nothing but cheap glass, brat," the woman said, before letting the crystals attack the boy like a swarm of tentacles.

Danny was going to meet the attack head on. The officer saw how the boy's body became somewhat see-through, akin to a reflection in the water. Instead of the crystals, the boy aimed at the one controlling them. Pushing himself forward, Phantom propelled himself towards the crystal lady. The crimson spikes pierced him in a myriad of spots, without leaving a scratch. At the last second, the intangibility the teen held vanished, before he hit the side of the woman's head. The teen floated on spot and landed on the ground. The woman didn't have a chance to get up, around her legs and hands ice cuffs closed their grip. She had been moving her arms to control the crystals. Danny hoped to stop her by immobilising. The criminal that had been laying low so far jumped from under the counter, and Danny could see him take a deep breath. The boy could not run, the terrified hostages were right near him. The man opened his mouth and a burst of flames flew their way, to be met with a glowing green dome, unseen under the small inferno. Danny grinned, seeing how well the energy shield was holding up. He gave the captives a thumbs up, his mind going over to Tsukauchi. The man was still on the ground at the opposite end of the store. He must have been alright.

The second the fire torrent stopped coming, Danny also removed the shield and faced the flame-thrower man. Smirking, the teen swiped his pointing finger, and the criminal was tossed into the stone column. Then into the wall. And finally, right outside and through the window, where Danny could see the police and a couple of costumed people, too.

'Sheesh, what a crowd,' Danny thought and went over to Tsukauchi, jumping over the glass cases once more.

"You alright, Tsukauchi-san?" He asked.

"Yeah..." the detective got up, still clutching his forehead. "I'm hearing the sirens outside..."

"Yep. Your friends came over. They got to have an ambulance, they'll patch you up," Danny outstretched his hand.

Tsukauchi was about to take it, when he saw something that shocked him even more.

"Your palm..."

It was completely healed from the inflicted cuts. Danny looked at it and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, I just heal very quickly. Now come on. You guys, it should be safe outside!" He told the hostages. "Go out slowly with your raised hands! The police may be twitchy and take you for criminals if you aren't careful!"

The boy sounded like he spoke from experience. Tsukauchi didn't have the time to think about it, the pain was killing those thoughts as they were spawned. The detective took the boy's hand and managed to get up with his help. Tsukauchi leaned on the wall, glancing to the fallen blade criminal. He couldn't be out after just one flick to the stomach, could he? And just as he thought, the grunting criminal got up, coughing blood. Danny's strength really must have been too much for a normal human. The teen sighed upon seeing the criminal's attempts.

"You really shouldn't push yourself," the teen tried to sound sympathetic.

"I ain't going down... not because of some random whelp."

"To be honest, you didn't stand a chance to begin with," Danny shrugged. The sympathy was thrown out of the window quicker than expected.

"I did a number on you, too," Tsukauchi offered weakly, before pointing a gun at him. "Surrender now. I am fully authorised to aim higher than the last time."

The blade man thought about it for several seconds, before raising his hands in surrender.

Several minutes later the officer was sitting on the edge of the ambulance, as the medic was wrapping a bandage around the man's forehead. By then Tsukauchi had  regained his ability to think without a splitting headache. Danny was sitting on a bench nearby, his green eyes focused on the police cars and the heroes. They occasionally looked at him, too. Obviously each side was waiting for Tsukauchi to issue his verdict of what happened. Without it nobody but the criminals themselves was going to be detained. And the officer sure had a lot of things to digest. He could make one conclusion from the get-go, however. That boy was a monster. Not in moral sense, but in regards to what he could do. Before him sat a child with super strength, intangibility, and many more abilities no normal human being could posses. He was potentially one of the strongest people Tsukauchi knew of, one that also regenerated at a rapid speed. This went beyond what Danny had described, or rather, it didn't add up in the man's mind how all of that could be compiled in such a short description. For a split second, it even made Tsukauchi remember one more person with such variety of abilities.

Tsukauchi was initially at a loss of what he should do. From the vanished look of excitement and glee nothing was left on Danny's face. The boy was absolutely serious now, understanding of what situation he was in. Even if the teen disobeyed him, Tsukauchi was glad that he had. He wouldn't be alive otherwise. Furthermore, Danny was still not running anywhere after opting to rather go to jail than to let Tsukauchi die. He knew the implications, yet he still risked it all to save the one who could not have even appreciated it due to his views and the line of work. Young Fenton was truly an enigma, but the detective could see the golden heart beneath his sarcasm and terrifying power. Perhaps it was the latter that made him ostracised, and for the boy to remain ready to help everyone it was truly a miracle.  It would honestly shame Tsukauchi if he punished the good-natured boy for doing the right thing, even if it was vigilantism they were talking about. Tsukauchi owed him his life, to cast the boy away was to make him hate everyone he could potentially save. The detective hated to compromise on his principles like that. But he also knew that the teen was worthy of such compromise.

"Self-defence?" Officer Tamakawa, the feline looking policeman, asked.

Tsukauchi nodded. "Yes. I was just taking the boy to his home when it happened right near us. What he did in the process is my responsibility."

"Didn't expect ya to stand up for a wild-card like him. You sure you want this written down like that?"

"Yes, Tamakawa-san. Since we are no strangers and he saved my life, it falls under the self-defence category by all accounts."

The officer nodded and went to join his colleagues. The crowd started to quickly dissipate with the heroes gone as well. Soon after Tamakawa left, Tsukauchi was approached by the confused teenager.

"I heard everything," he said.

"You got super-hearing, too?"

Danny hissed uncomfortably. "Among other things. I didn't lie to you back then, Tsukauchi-san."

"I know you didn't," the officer smirked briefly, before his expression became more serious. "But just how much can you do?"

Phantom turned away from the policeman. "A lot. That's not even a half."

"Not even a half, he says," Tsukauchi whispered and sighed. "Listen, Danny. We both know that what you did in there was illegal."

"But this is so..."

"Stupid? That's the law, Daniel. And those are the laws that keep our society intact."

The sudden usage of his full name made Danny tense. Tsukauchi got up from the edge of the ambulance and went in direction of the gas station.

"Let's continue this on the road. I still have to take you home, haven't I?"

"Uhm... can you still drive?"

"Yes, the medics said it's nothing serious."

The rest of the car ride, despite Tsukauchi's recent vow, was quiet. Danny didn't want to push his luck by saying something unnecessary. He expected to hear another lecture about how everything functioned here, but Tsukauchi seemed too preoccupied with the thoughts of a wholly different matter. The half-ghost himself was thinking about how absurd the local stipulations appeared. Danny couldn't simply act according to the innate desire of his spectral half without having the police go after him, and it pissed him off. He probably should have been happy, since the others were there to defeat the bad guys. That's what he wanted, right? To avoid excessive fighting and to have rest. Then why was he still jumping into this? All he needed was to stay out of the fights. And yet he started battling the criminals again and so soon. Danny was so lost in his thoughts, in fact, that he mindlessly kept giving Tsukauchi the directions to his home without any alarm bells. Until they finally stopped.

"Hm... Utapa street, 23..." Tsukauchi mumbled. "Wait, this can't be right."

Phantom remembered his initial plan, and cursed mentally. Looking out of the window, he could see his disused dwelling. At this point he cared little. He had already jumped the gun more times than he dared to count.

"It can..." Danny mumbled. "It's not so bad. My Quirk will save me from cold, I made an improvised generator for light. Wash myself in the nearest bathhouse. Well, thanks for the ride, I think I will be..."

The teen pulled the handle, but the door did not budge. It was locked. Without understanding what even was going on, he looked at Tsukauchi.

"Ehm... old man. The door is still locked."

Tsukauchi took a deep sigh, slowly drumming on the wheel. He was evidently about to say something important.

"Listen, Danny. Your case is a difficult one. I just happened to stumble upon a boy with absolutely zero records and with powers to put most pro-heroes to shame. At least conceptually. Hell knows what could happen if you are let loose with what you have."

"But I..."

"Let me finish. Any rational person would report this and get naturally concerned. Someone as potentially dangerous as you should be kept under watch. I am not saying that you are willing to be dangerous to the civilians. You already showed me that you are a good kid, someone who is ready to go to jail, just to save a person he knew for such a short while. But your intentions are misplaced and you are bound to run into trouble at some point. Misunderstanding is very harmful and has the ability to self-perpetuate, and there is no guarantee that someone else may be understanding of your intentions. If you weren't so young I probably would have left you behind the bars."

"Thanks for your honesty," Danny mumbled and crossed his hands.

"It would be hypocritical for a man who detects lies to be untruthful. I just want you to understand, Danny, that I don't is the last time we talk, no matter how you respond in the end. Because if you stay by yourself, I think it is just a matter of time until you break one law or another. And I really don't want to see you behind the bars, because you have a great potential to do a lot of good to the world. Seeing your living conditions now... I think the last shreds of doubt in my mind are gone. In this regard and many others."

"I'll be fine. Believe me, I got a valuable lesson about my power at some point. Nearly lost my family the hard way that day," Danny said quietly. "It always starts with compromises, I know that. On morals, on principles. But since going haywire is the nightmare that haunts me to this day, I think you guys are safe from that nasty future."

"The fact that you have such fears means a lot, Danny. Both good and bad implications are there. You probably have reasons to be afraid."

"I just don't want to harm anyone," the teen whispered. "It's just not who I am. I would never harm an innocent person."

"You see my point now, do you, Danny? I am saying that I myself have no concrete answer. But I think... there is a way to put to rest both my concern for everyone's safety and the desire to somehow repay a kid that saved my life."

"I think you covering for me was enough."

"I'd like for both of us to forget that misconduct on either side," Tsukauchi chuckled and winked. "I was in two minds about actually going through with this. But now, seeing your house ready to fall apart and the one you obviously settled in illegally..."

Danny chuckled nervously.

"I understand that doing this will probably be the best option. So, Danny, how would you feel staying at my place from now on?"

The teen needed some to process this. He simply couldn't believe his ears, for he couldn't have seen it coming. That man knew him for so little time and yet he made such generous offer. Danny was at a loss, and it took him a good minute and Tsukauchi snapping his fingers in front of his face to snap back to reality.

"Are you sure? I-I don't want to be a bother, Tsukauchi-san. I mean, we only just met."

"Remember, this isn't only because I like you. I have to admit once again that I really would like to keep an eye on you, so take my offer as you want. If you don't believe that you saving me is a good enough stimulus."

"So what? You gonna put the cameras and lock me up?"

"Not that, Danny. I meant observing you as much as I could while treating you as a normal kid."

"You are taking me in PRECISELY because I am not normal," noted Danny.

"True. But I promise that I'm not going to restrict you more than necessary. You know, the usual curfew stuff. And no breaking the laws on my watch. It's not like I will be at home a lot, with my job and all."

"I admit, this won't be different from my home."

"Is this a good thing?"

"As long as I don't get woken up by an explosion in the basement," Danny smirked. "For how long are you having me?"

"Until I am sure that you will be alright on your own. Probably until you become an adult."

"For that long?" Danny asked breathlessly. "A-are you not going to have second thoughts?"

"I sure will," Tsukauchi chuckled. "But I'm willing to take the risk. For all I know, we both think of it as such, right?"

"Well, I am trading off my ability to do whatever I want for a proper roof above my head and a chance in life. And out of all the people my wannabe guardian is the man who detects lies, while I want to keep some things to myself. My risks sure outweigh yours."

"I am getting a feeling we both are trying to dissuade each other."

Both of them lightly laughed at this assumption, before Danny smiled.

"Alright, Tsukauchi-san. I'll come with you. And... thank you for being willing to bear with me."

"Don't mention it. Let's fetch your things and move out. I don't assume you have much."