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"He's not saying anything," Percy commented, finishing the last of his shaved ice.
"I know. I'm worried too." Danny replied.
"He seems to be in some sort of shock. Think he'll be okay? We gotta get going soon." Percy said looking at his watch.
That seemed to bring Steve back to the present. "Going? Going where? You're not leaving again are you?"
"Whoa, easy there big guy. No. I'm not. But I'm still doing the rituals and tributes and stuff that were keeping my family safe. We're almost done but not quite. But they are time sensitive. So...ya good? Think you can be on your own for a bit or do you want me to drop you off at Juniors or Lou's?" Despite Steve showing better reactions since wearing the healing necklace Percy got him, Danny still talks to him like a spooked animal. Not too kindly but kindly enough, knowing Steve needed the extra care at the moment. Any other time he would tease the big oaf about taking this harder than Grace.
"Can't I come with? I can help."
Danny and Percy shared a look before looking back at Steve.
"It's not that I don't want you there, babe." Danny began. He scratched his beard as he shrugged. "It's just...I need to be careful. Any little thing can piss off these guys and I don't need to worry about you okay?"
"I can take care of myself!" Steve argued.
"I know you can. But babe, this is the second time I've told you what I am. Last time, your mind couldn't handle it and the Mist made you forget...if not, ignore the details you had. I won't be alone. Trust me, Percy is more than enough backup. Better than. He's trained and he's in more his element than I am." Danny tried to reassure Steve.
"But..."
"Your mind is still adjusting. I've seen different kinds of mortals adapt to the new information and it's different to a lot of people. Danny thinks you're really strong so it should stick. But there's no reason to add any added stress of accidentally seeing the angry version of any deity we might see today. We'll be back in an hour. Then we can go surf and I'll introduce you to some of the sea creatures. If you've ever wanted to know what any of them are saying, I can translate." Percy promised.
Steve didn't look pleased, but he wasn't in a place to argue.
But they only said he couldn't go with. Danny should know by now to also include that he wasn't allowed to follow. Not that it would help, but he should know by now.
"Did you seriously just sucker punch a marsh monster?" Danny incredulously asked Steve as the other helped him up.
The latest fight hadn't turned out so successful as the last few and even with Percy's help, they were problems. The marsh seemed to be a different type of battlefield for Percy. The water didn't react to him as seawater did. Danny could think of a few reasons but the most likely was that Poseidon's ruling didn't reach that far onto land. The marsh was hard to move through for both of them and they were outnumbered.
Percy had been flung somewhere, and Danny tried to keep an eye on him but was busy not getting killed by the swamp monster. In the fight, Danny's legs were wrapped in some very tight vines and he was begin dragged into the marsh. Even if he's practiced, he wasn't a SEAL and couldn't hold his breath for too long. He'd been fighting for a while and his energy was low. If he could summon the power to fly up, it would barely be enough to get his head above water long enough to take in a breath before being dragged under once more.
Danny prayed for a miracle, and like many other times, that miracle came in the shape of Steve McGarrett. Who, as he said easier, freed Danny by sucker punching the monster right in the nose.
"Well, I figured if it worked with sharks..." Steve said as he pulled out his knife and cut up any more vines that remained around Danny's legs.
Danny coughed out some of the water he was forced to take in before he deadpanned, "You based your attack on that myth? Your first fight with a supernatural monster and you base it on that?"
"It's not a myth, you've seen me do it before. And even if it was a myth, so was this thing apparently. Logically, it could have worked. And lo and behold, it did!"
"Logically? There was no logic in that at all."
"Cut me some slack, I'm new to this!"
"Look Steve-"
"No. I'm not leaving. And if I am, you're coming with me!" Steve said stubbornly.
"I wasn't going to ask you to go. I know you better than that. I was going to give you this." Danny said as he handed Steve an engraved blade. "You'll only do real damage with that."
Steve shifted the blade from one hand to the other, getting used to the weight and how it felt in his hand. Then he nodded. "Alright. What's the plan?" Because even though he wanted nothing more than go back in and punch that monster into submission with his bare fists, he knew he couldn't. He's felt helpless enough, now it was time for action. But Danny was running point and he had to follow Danny's lead.
"I'll deliver the final blow, but I need time to charge up. I need you to tire it out. Hurt if you can. When I tell you, I need you to get out of the water and on some dry ground."
"Got it," Steve said as he gripped the knife and prepared himself to charge. Danny clapped him on the back and got to higher ground to prepare for his attack while Steve rushed towards the monster.
This was one of those moments where Steve felt pure adrenaline coursing through his veins. Not only was he going to take out some of the anger he felt for being so damn helpless while Danny was gone, but this was also something new for his inner soldier. A new reality was opened to him. New bounds of right and wrong, good and evil. He was excited, but still so angry. Monsters like this were the reason Danny's life was more complicated and more dangerous. Monsters like this were why Danny had been away for so long.
He attacked the monster with gusto. Punching, stabbing, cutting, hell even biting. He felt like a wildling let out of its cage. He was about to be knocked down for the second time, but just as the vine was going to strike him, he heard metal swirling in the air and he felt the end of the vine fall on his boot. Looking over, he saw a very muddy Percy charging at the monster too. This was not the sarcastic teenager who wanted to eat the blue part of his shaved ice. This was a warrior out for monster blood.
Together they wounded the monster plenty. Steve was about to charge again but Percy grabbed onto his arm and began to pull him away. He was confused, but Percy pointed up and Steve noticed how it suddenly got very cloudy. He hadn't checked today but he was going to gamble and say that today called for clear skies. This was Danny.
As much as he wanted to keep fighting the monster, he followed Percy to dry ground. At a safe distance, they watched as Danny delivered the final blow in one powerful, bright, and static filled strike.
"Wait, so you're related to Hercules?" Steve asked with an amused smirk.
Danny rolled his eyes and pointed to Percy, "Ariel's father is his half-brother."
"I've met both of them. Both jerks." Percy deadpanned.