#tiredtm

There's no noise, no poof. No cloud of smoke. Just empty space where Danny should be. Not as flashy as usual. While Freakshow may be a performer, he’s also a businessman who understands the power of subtly the power of silence.

He leans back on his throne, satisfied.

That should do it.

Years pass. How long though no one can be sure of because Freakshow has bent even time to his will. Waved away minutes to be ‘on time’. Waved away years in favor of youth.

Danny somehow understands this when he fills space once more. He blinks once then twice before he speaks. “Hey, um. Not complaining but why do I...”

“Exist again?” Freakshow slumps on his throne. “Return to being?”

“Uh. Yeah.”

He looks out the window that materialized out of no-where. “When I was a boy, I used to watch The Twilight Zone. A marvelous show that graced the silver screen.”

Danny furrowed his brows, “... ok?”

“There was this one episode that I forgot about.” Freakshow finally looks at Danny. And everything about him looked hollow. Without soul. “A thief dies at gunshot. He’s sent to a place that follows his every wish. Everything he could ever want comes at the snap of his fingers.” 

As if on cue, a snap echos down from the long hallway.

“So,” Danny said, “He went to heaven? Or something? That’s the story?” Danny frowns, “What’s the point to this?”

“No, he never went to heaven.” Freakshow’s eyes glaze over. “His greatest wish in life was to have it easy, to have all of the riches of the world and not work for it. Hell made sure to have him realize how worthless the spoils of life was without having to work for it.” He scowls, “Never liked that episode.”

Freakshow sharply gazed at Danny. “And the point is, I need an antagonist. I need to, sometimes, lose.”

“Because what, everything is too easy? Because you’re bored?!” Danny’s face darkens. “Well, I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to play cat and mouse with you, chucklefuck, just so you can have a good time. I’m a person, not your fucking circus show.”

“Not even to win your reality back?” There was an almost desperate edge to Freakshow’s voice.

“You’d never give me a chance. Not a real one, anyway. Just because you want to lose that doesn't mean that you'd risk everything for a show.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that, Phantom.”

Silence filled the throne room.

“Besides,” Freakshow said softly, “wouldn't it be worth it, to try?”

Danny’s resolve wavered and instead of a confident superhero, in the blink of a moment, there was only a young boy who was very alone and very scared.

But moments disappear. And Danny straightened his back.

“A try, I suppose, is worth a shot.”

“Good.”

Freakshow waves his hand and reality shifts.