Let's Make A Statement

Bodies and Bullies

Danny felt like hitting his head on something, they'd found another body but didn't even catch a glimpse of the murderer. They knew they were half an hour behind because they listened in to the team talking and they obviously hadn't caught up. Robin didn't think they were behind the murders but they weren't sure if he'd convinced the others.

Toxin groaned, 'This is frustrating, how are we going to catch the killer?'

"I don't know, but we were right about the location, more people, easy targets, we just have to figure out where they're going to go."

'So we should stick to the areas we searched before, they have more people and once they are alone they will attack them.'

"Exactly, and while we're looking for them we can take out other crime, we'll never be completely wasting our time."

'Fine, but this is going to be a long day now.'

"Yeah, a lot longer."

Danny then left his room and went downstairs to eat breakfast, then he grabbed his stuff and they went to school. Danny was on the way to his locker when he saw a sight he didn't miss, a certain group of bullies messing with Richard. He didn't even have to push his way through, the students saw him coming and got out of his way.

Even a few of the bullies backed away from him and their leader glared at him, "Get lost."

"I already got you suspended, want to find out what happens when I send you to the hospital?"

He didn't have to do anything else to intimidate them, the took a few steps back and after glaring at Richard they walked away. Danny glanced at the students still standing around them, "Anyone else want to piss me off?"

A few people flinched and everyone quickly walked away, Richard took a breath, "Thanks Danny."

Danny still looked irritated, scratch that he looked absolutely pissed, then Artemis, Barbara, Isabella, and Lucas ran over. Artemis spoke, "What happened, we just heard some kids talking about a fight."

Danny just walked away, Richard looked at them, "There wasn't actually a fight, the guys that got suspended for starting a fight with Danny came back today. He got them to leave but now he's mad but no one got hurt, I think they're scared of Danny."

None of them were really surprised, from what they'd seen Danny never started fights but he always finished them. He was intimidating if you didn't know him, sometimes he was still intimidating, but he wouldn't hurt anyone. Richard told them he'd make sure Danny was okay and left to go find him, he found him putting things in his locker.

Richard cleared his throat, "Are you okay?"

"Why are you asking, it's not like there was an actual fight."

"Just because there wasn't a fight doesn't mean you're okay."

Danny closed his locker, "They're just some assholes that like to think they're better then everyone else, they're not the first people I've had to deal with that were like that."

Richard sighed, "I can tell, but you are hurt, and you just got really mad."

"I would have been fine, and I got mad for a reason."

Danny walked away and Richard quickly followed, "Wait, are you being protective again?"

"I don't give a shit what you call it because if they push it enough I really will send them to the hospital."

They reached their class and they sat down, Richard looked at him, "Don't get in trouble for something as stupid as a group of high school bullies."

"They might be stupid but you're not."

Danny immediately regretted saying that and Richard felt himself blush despite trying not to and he took a breath. Danny looked like he wanted to hit something, or like he wanted to fall through the floor and disappear. He found himself smiling when he saw that, "Thanks, I just like having you around and not getting into trouble."

Danny rolled his eyes, "I haven't gotten in trouble, I never started those fights."

Richard's smile widened, "But you did finish them."

The minute bell then rang and people started walking in so that's where the conversation ended. Danny took out his notebook and Toxin spoke, 'Who are the ones you were angry at?'

'A group of bullies, on my third day here they started a fight with me during lunch. You can look in my head if you want to know everything but they got expelled for two weeks, now those two weeks are up.'

'So not only do you have this prom to deal with but you also have these annoying 'bullies'?'

'Pretty much, actually forgot about prom until you mentioned it.'

Toxin growled to himself, 'The decorations are annoying.'

'Yeah, as least people stopped putting them on our locker.'

Toxin grumbled to himself, Danny almost smiled but forced himself not to, Toxin had gone quiet so he started thinking of places they could search that night. When their first class ended Danny and Richard went to their second period, they soon remembered a few of the bullies were in that class.

They sat in their seats and tried to ignore them but they started throwing things at Richard which pissed Danny off. He was guessing they didn't throw anything at him because they thought he'd throw them out the window or something. When one of the kids was called up to the board during class Danny felt Toxin move, then the kid fell two seats behind where Danny and Richard were.

Richard put his hand over his mouth to try and stop himself from laughing but it didn't completely work. Danny smiled ever so slightly when he saw him laughing, Richard glanced at him and noticed the smile, he liked it when Danny smiled. Toxin came back and the kid got up and walked up to the board, Danny wrote in his notebook, 'That was kind of reckless buddy.'

'Yes but it was fun, and it made you smile.' Danny forced himself not to smile again, 'Plus he deserved it for making you angry.'

Now Danny was really fighting to not smile, if there was one good thing about being friends with a Symbiote, or at least Toxin, it was that he had your back. He glanced at Richard who was still smiling, he wasn't mad at Toxin to begin with but now he was more them happy with his decision. When the bully passed them Danny noticed that he was looking at the floor, he was looking for what tripped him.

The kids stopped messing with Richard after that, they went to their next two classes and aside from one or two incidents nothing happened. Now they were at lunch and Danny already sat down while Richard, Barbara, and Artemis were walking over. Barbara spoke, "So, any idea who or what killed those people if the other guy didn't do it?'

Richard shook his head, "I've been trying to figure it out but there's not a lot to go on aside from the fact that a lot of force was used to kill those two people."

Artemis spoke, "Could it be Bane?"

"Bane doesn't mutilate people like that, broken bones and head trauma sure but tearing off body parts?"

Barbara sighed, "Why do I get the feeling that this is going to get complicated?"

Artemis answered, "Because it always does."

Danny thought to himself, so they might not think it was him, or they were looking into the possibility of another person. But that didn't mean all of them believed Robin, still it was something, this might be a little easier now.