#i have moments were my little story breaks pretty far from the lancer universe

[tothesolarium]

Mourning Cloak is a normal mech that nothing bad could happen to "If you roll the same number on all three dice, you disappear until your group rests, at which point you reappear nearby."

WHERE DID THEY GO

[ibelieveinahappilyeverafter]

Phanniemay 2018 - Day 3

Yes, yes, I know Phanniemay is over, but I wanted to at least post the prompts I did get through. I had this grand plan to finish and post them all the last week of May, but then things got crazy, I needed major eye surgery, and I’m only just now being able to stare at my screen long enough to be able to proofread and edit my things. It’s been a long few days, y’all. Still, I hope you enjoy what I do have!

Prompt: Ghost Tech

Alternate Universe: Post show, no Phantom Planet, Trio age ~17

Rating: G+

Author Notes: It’s so fun playing with Tucker’s point of view, honestly. I love it.

Summary: Tucker knows that he isn’t the best and brightest out there, but he’s starting to understand just how big a gap there is between where he is and where he needs to be. There’s only one person that can help him, but man, it couldn’t be anyone else?

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“Yes, Danny, those are all the notes you need for the final tomorrow. I told you, I recorded the lectures, too. Although you probably won’t listen to them.”

“No one ever listens to the recorded lectures!” Letting Danny’s complaints wash over him, Tucker sighed softly and managed a bit of a smile. He’d take a complaining Danny over an unmoving one any day. “I miss three days of school and suddenly they think I’m going to go from C’s and B’s to A’s.”

“I think Lancer just wants you to pass, if it helps. He gave me about twenty sheets of notes to give to you when I told him I was collecting your homework.” Three days. Three days of Danny holed up at home and his parents just as unsure as them because they weren’t- They were scientists and Tucker and Sam were kids. None of them were doctors. “How are you doing?”

“Same as when you asked ten minutes ago, buddy. I’m fine, honestly. I think the last of it is finally clearing up.” The Fentons had figured it was some ghost version of the flu virus, but Tucker was going to bet it was something else considering how Danny had been throwing up ectoplasm at some points and he was burning up- He had ice powers and his fever had been out of control. “Where are you, anyways? The wind is going crazy on your end.”

“Just walking to that parts store to fix up the thermos again,” Tucker lied easily, trying to push the memories away. He never wanted to think on that time again - him, Danny, and Sam all curled up in a freezing cold shower, Danny shaking to pieces between them and sobbing roughly. “I wanted to fiddle with my PDA a bit more, too. Sam’s coming by later-”

“Ugh, yes, she’ll be here in half an hour.” Even through the groaning, Tucker could tell Danny was grinning. “And you need to chill out on all that tech stuff. It wasn’t your fault and you know it.”

“Sam should have her own notes if mine aren’t making sense. I’ll call you after I’m done, okay?” Not his fault. Yeah, right. He was supposed to be- When his tech failed, then what good was he?

“Yeah, okay. And that ghost getting out wasn’t your fault, Tuck. Me getting sick wasn’t your fault, either. Honestly, and you two call me hero-complexed.”

“Later, buddy,” Tucker laughed, hanging up the phone and letting his smile dropped as he stopped in front of the gates that blocked the path up to a ridiculously huge mansion. “Right. Now or never then, huh?”

Swallowing down his fear, which was pretty damn great, Tucker pressed the call button and nervously cleared his throat when he was asked to identify himself. “Uh, hi, Mr. Masters Plasmius sir? I, um- You probably don’t know me, but I’m a friend of Danny’s. Tucker Foley?”

There was a sharp, loud buzz before the gates opened rather dramatically, Tucker staring before making a face. “I had hoped we could just exchange phone numbers or something.” The gates started to close and Tucker swore before quickly running through them, near losing his shirt in the process. “Okay! Thank you! For, uh, seeing me, I guess?”

Nothing was coming up out of the ground and shooting at him, at least, and Plasmius wasn’t appearing to break his and Danny’s new truce and kidnap Tucker and use him as a bargaining chip, so that was good! That- That was very good.

Getting to the front door after a walk up a drive that was long enough to make Tucker regret every single choice in his life, he swallowed all of his fear and pride and gave a light, quiet knock. The door opened near at once.

“Ah, Mr. Foley. To what do I owe the pleasure of conversing with one of Daniel’s idiosyncratic acquaintances?” Okay, Tucker understood all of those words separately. Maybe.

“Hey, Mr. Masters Plasmius sir.” Being polite never hurt, right? At least Tucker wasn’t calling him Fruitloop. Danny would have found it great, but Danny wasn’t here to protect him from being killed. “I, uh, I had a question I kind of wanted to ask you?”

“How unfortunate for you that I seem to be all out of answers. Do make sure the gates shut on your way out.” Seeing the door start to close, Tucker took a page from Danny’s book and impulsively jumped forward to slip inside before it fully shut, flashing Plasmius a weak grin. “Would you rather the police escort you out?”

“Please, we both know I have at least three things on me that could revert you back to your ghost form.” Okay, Tucker, just breathe in and out and don’t think about the fact that he was threatening Plasmius.

“Daniel and his friends,” Plasmius muttered dryly, door shutting with a snap. “Speak quickly. I might be in a truce with Daniel, but that does not meant I am here to play mentor to his little friends.”

“Right.” Tucker was starting to see what Danny meant about punching Plasmius when spending longer than ten seconds around him. “I want to ask if you would teach me more about building and using ghost hunting technology.”

“Excuse me.” Yeah, wow, no, that was not a good look Tucker was getting right then. Okay. Right. Deep breath. Doing this for Danny. Danny who would do the same thing if their situations were reversed - and probably more. Ugh. Okay. Right.

“Please teach me more about building and using ghost weapons. Everything you’d be willing to teach me.” Yeah, wow, no, the look got worse. “This isn’t a joke or a ploy to get more information, I swear. It’s just- I need to know.”

“And just why, Mr. Foley, do you need to know these things? As far as I was aware you do not have any ghost powers to worry about. Your family is not in the business of hunting or detaining ghosts. You have no part in this world-”

“Fuck you.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, Tucker horrified when Plasmius’ eyes flashed red.

“Excuse me.” Okay, right, here was where he begged for forgiveness.

“I said fuck. You.” Except he had been spending too much time around his outspoken friends and this was… He couldn’t back down from this. “You can’t say this isn’t my world when I haven’t been out there every night since I was fourteen helping my best friend defend the town from monsters.”

“If you truly think ghosts are monsters-” Tucker didn’t even let him finish, just talking louder and bolder.

“They are when they attack my town and everyone in it just for fun! I was pulled into this fight and maybe I didn’t have to join it, but I sure as hell can’t leave it. I need to learn more about this technology and how to use it. I can’t just stand by and pretend this is all some game or afterschool activity when my friend could die any day!”

“He’s already dead.” It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room and it took everything Tucker had to not shake himself to pieces. “Whatever life Daniel had ended the moment he stepped through that portal. He may not be completely dead, but who he was certainly died.”

“Bullshit.” The red eyes weren’t so scary anymore. Not when he remembered what had just almost happened because he - because Tucker - wasn’t good enough. “And if it is true, then my life ended with his and I’m just as big a part of this as he is.”

“Are you really?” Drawing himself up, Tucker nodded as strong as he could. He wasn’t scared. Not when he knew that this might be the only way to get stronger.

“I can’t fight. I can’t do what Danny does, but I will run myself to the ground helping him as best I can. Danny’s not just my best friend. He’s- He’s my brother. We’ve been by each other’s sides since we were five. I’m not leaving him now. I can’t fight, but I can do other things. I’m good with tech, but I’m not good enough. I need to get better.”

“So you come to me. Why not go to Daniel’s parents? They have the technology as well - in fact, I rather believe that’s where you’ve been getting your own equipment these days.”

“Used to. I build everything myself now.” If Tucker was any crazier, then he might have admitted that he saw pride in Plasmius’ eyes. “I need to get better. Danny’s strong, but there are stronger things out there. You wouldn’t have made a truce with him if there wasn’t.”

“Mm.” Plasmius stared at him for a second more before turning and walking away, Tucker feeling every ounce of hope jerked out of him. “You could have merely studied their blueprints.”

“I did. I need to get better and you know how ghosts work. They don’t, yet.” Tucker watched Plasmius not even stop as he glanced back to him.

“Well? I’ll only waste so much of my time with this venture, Mr. Foley.” Wait- That was- Oh, holy shit.

“Yes sir, Mr. Masters Plasmius sir.” Tucker was running after him at once and while he still had the feeling he was about to be stabbed in the back, he at least knew he would learn something while he was there. Maybe this was what interns felt like for supervillains. Hm. That actually seemed rather accurate. “I can handle whatever you throw at me.”

“We’ll see.” Yes, he would.