Fic: The Adamant Blade (Chapter Eight)
Danny jerked awake, heart pounding, nose to nose with Steve who looked as freaked out as Danny was. “What was that?”
“I'm pretty sure that's what a demon waking up feels like, if you're New York City,” Danny said, realizing he was still wrapped around Steve, both physically and mentally. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, even with the creeping horror that was spreading through their connection to the city.
“Babe,” he breathed, leaning forward slowly, never breaking eye contact with Steve until their lips met.
It wasn't the fevered, frantic kiss he'd imagined when he'd thought about how it might happen, if they ever got to this point. It was soft, just a quiet press of lips, but their mental bond flared like a fire-storm. Steve groaned softly, pulling back from the kiss and licking his lips.
“Will we get to keep this?” he asked, his eyes guarded, but with something Danny thought might be hope simmering in the background.
“I don't know,” he had to admit, wishing he had more answers for his friend. “I hope so, because it's pretty fucking amazing.”
Steve grinned like Danny had given him the whole world and darted forward to kiss him, a quick urgent slide of lips and tongue that promised so much more. Danny wanted nothing more than to pull Steve down and bask in the heat flaring between them, but they had a city to save.
“When this is over, we're getting a hotel room and not leaving the bed for at least a day,” Danny said, when they pulled apart. “But right now, we need to get over to Grand Central and stop Retson doing something really fucking stupid.”
“How do we do that?” Steve asked, getting out of bed and adjusting his boxer briefs.
Danny knew they had urgent places to be but he found himself taking a few seconds to enjoy the view. Steve had an amazing ass and Danny couldn't help but admire how the black fabric clung just right.
“Are you ogling my ass?” Steve asked, realizing Danny was still in bed. Before Danny could answer, Steve's face did something complicated and he looked suddenly earnest and uptight. “We can't let our personal feelings get in the way of our jobs, Danny. I won't let you put yourself in danger because we're more than friends.”
“Babe,” Danny reassured him, rolling out of bed and standing in front of the other man. “I've been ogling your ass, and any other part of you I could, pretty much since we met. I think we'll manage.”
Steve's cheeks pinked up, a hint of a blush creeping up his neck, as he looked down shyly at his feet. “Really?”
“Really,” Danny said, adjusting his own boxers because Steve looking so cute was doing nothing to diminish his morning wood. “You're a very attractive oglee. Now put your pants on, we're going to save the world.”
Steve blinked at him for a second and then laughed, honest joy sliding through the bond they still felt. Danny grinned as he grabbed his clothes. They were going to throw themselves in front of whatever disaster was racing New York's way. Frankly that terrified him, but he had Steve with him, grinning like an idiot and just as willing to face death as he was. They were clearly a terrible influence on each other, but he didn't want it any other way.
~H50~
Steve was glad Danny had finally let him drive, if only because it gave him something to do while the other man made endless phone calls. He slammed on the brakes as the driver in front decided he was going to pull into a parking garage with no warning. “Idiot!”
“Welcome to New York,” Danny said laughing, as he shut off his phone. “Look out for a cruiser up ahead. We should make better progress then.”
“We're getting an escort?” Steve was surprised, given the conversation in the Lincoln Tunnel when Danny had been forced to stop making calls. “I thought the authorities don't know about all this?”
“They don't,” Danny said, wincing slightly as Steve slewed their car around a wobbling pizza delivery moped. “But Tony Janov's worked Midtown since god was a boy and he's seen more weird shit than anyone I know.”
“And what happens when we get to Grand Central?” Steve asked, shooting the lights as they changed to red.
“Depends on where Retson is,” Danny said, pointing out the black and white NYPD cruiser that swung onto the street ahead of them, lights flashing. “What did Kono say?”
“Apart from warning me that she knew there was something going on that I wasn't telling her?” Steve said, grinning at Danny's pained expression. “She's got a fix on Retson's cell phone, and he is at Grand Central. She and Chin were going to do something I didn't want to ask about, to try to get a satellite feed of Midtown. And to see if there was anything that might clue us in to where he was.”
Shooting across 6th Avenue and along the side of Bryant Park, following Officer Janov's lights and sirens as closely as they could. The drivers in Manhattan weren't afraid to use the wake of a cop car to get ahead of their fellow travelers, so Steve couldn't leave too much of a gap, but he didn't want to hit the back of him if he braked.
“Oh shit,” Danny breathed, as they crossed 5th Avenue.
Steve glanced at him and then followed his gaze up to the sky. Of all the things he'd seen in the past few days, a big black cloud starting to swirl around the top of the Chrysler Building was the one closest to what he might have imagined if someone had said demons and magic in New York.
They sped along 42nd Street, following Janov to the front of the station where he slewed to a stop, just before the Park Lane Viaduct. Steve pulled in behind him, briefly wondering how quickly the car was going to get towed, when Janov joined them on the pavement. He was a wiry old guy, obviously pushing retirement, with a mustache so bushy his mouth vanished underneath it.
“This is going to be bad, isn't it?” he said, looking up at the sky.
“Can you start evacuating people?” Danny asked, not answering him directly.
The older man looked at them, and Steve hoped one day to be as sanguine about impending disaster as the officer was. “Sure. I think I can smell gas.”
“You're a life saver,” Danny said, clapping the man on the shoulder. “Come on Steve.”
Steve followed Danny into the station, wondering what they were going to do. Sure, the clouds were gathering above, but that didn't mean going upwards was the right choice. And even if it was, getting on the roof, without the power of a badge, wasn't going to be easy.
Danny pulled out his phone as he ran into the station, swiping his thumb over the screen as he headed into the main concourse. Steve had a brief moment to consider Danny's goofy thumbs before his own phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, and looked at the screen.
“Kono,” he said, really glad to hear from her. “What have you got?”
“What's going on, boss?” she demanded, sounding stupidly worried given all they'd been through. “The feed's gone down.”
“Did you get anything before it crapped out?” He wasn't about to tell Kono what was happening, at least not in a rush, and not over the phone.
“There's someone on the roof,” she said, after a pause where she obviously decided against pushing him about their situation. “If I didn't know better, I'd say he was doing a magic spell.”
“Right,” Steve laughed, jogging after Danny on to the main concourse.
“Steve?” she asked, knowing he was lying.
“I promise, I'll explain it all when we get back,” he said, hoping Danny wouldn't mind their friends knowing. “Right now, I've got to update Danny.”
“Okay,” she said a little reluctantly, and Steve completely understood how she felt. Not knowing what was going on, not being there to help, had to be killing both Chin and Kono.
“I promise,” Steve said again, even though he knew he should never say things like that, not when he might not live through the next few hours.
“Stay safe, both of you,” she said, ending the call.
Steve grabbed Danny's arm, and the other man spun to face him, still talking on the phone. Steve waved his phone, mouthed 'Kono' and pointed upwards. Danny grinned, looking stupidly relieved. “We need to get on the roof.”
Danny ended his call and looked around to the left, and Steve followed his line of sight, spotting a stocky black guy in a high visibility jacket, waving at them. Danny headed towards him at a run, and Steve followed, marveling at the network of people who seemed to know about magic. And were willing to help combat problems.
“Danny boy,” the man shouted as they got within a few feet of him.
“Good to see you, man,” Danny said, gripping his hand and bumping shoulders in a bro-hug. “This is Steve McGarrett, my partner back in Hawai'i. Steve, this is Kwamie Miller, from NYC Transit.”
“Good to meet you, Steve,” Kwamie said with a smile and an outstretched hand.
“Likewise,” Steve replied, returning the firm handshake. “Our team back home said our guy's on the roof.”
“I'm not gonna ask how they know that,” the man said, leading them through a door marked 'Authorized Personnel Only'. “I only just got word there's someone up there.”
“Can you hold off the cops?” Danny asked as they rushed along a corridor which ran behind the ticket counters. “This is going to get ugly, and I don't want to have to be holding civilians back.”
“I'll try,” Kwamie said, clicking the radio attached to his jacket. “Jonhson, I'm heading up to the roof with some back up. This is one for special investigations. Can you keep everyone else down below?”
The radio crackled as they started up the stairs. 'You sure?'
“Yeah,” their guide responded, rounding a corner on to a landing and heading up the next flight. “Got a couple of out of town cops with me. We'll be fine.”
'Okay.' The radio clicked off and they carried on going up, their footsteps echoing in the stairwell.
“He's actually a SEAL,” Danny said, making Kwamie turn and eye Steve with interest. “In the reserves now.”
“They have weird shit like this in the Navy?” the man asked, obviously considering the implications of that.
“Not that I know about,” Steve said, beginning to feel the burn of running up stairs. “I just dealt with the regular shit.”
Kwamie laughed and carried on running upwards. Steve wanted to ask what the transit authorities considered as weird shit, and who special investigations were, but they were on the last flight of stairs and Danny was pulling his gun out.
“Do we just drop him?” Steve asked pulling his own sidearm.
“I'd rather not,” Danny said with a grimace, getting in front of Kwamie as they got to the door to the roof. “But if he won't give up, then we'll have too. We haven't got time for a stand off.”
Kwamie pulled a police special .38 out of the pocket of his combat pants. Danny's face did a complicated maneuver that told Steve he really wasn't happy about the man having a gun. Kwamie spotted Danny's expression just as quickly as Steve had. “Don't look like that. You come down the tunnels chasing monsters without a weapon and tell me you feel safe.”
Danny's face settled into a 'fair enough' expression and Steve had to push aside his questions about chasing monsters. There was still so much he needed to know, but right now they had to focus on what was on the other side of the door. “Can you tell if he's opened the portal yet?”
“He's close,” Danny said, looking right into Steve's eyes as they stood either side of the door. “And even shooting him might not be enough to stop it.”
“Great,” Steve sighed, knowing that Danny would have to try to close the portal if it opened, and that his job was going to be stopping anything getting to Danny while he did it.
The radio crackled to life, making them all jump. 'Miller, we got a cop down here says there's a gas leak. He's trying to get an evacuation started.'
“Janov,” Danny said, and Kwamie nodded. “You better go down and help him. If this goes south we need civilians out of the way.”
“Johnson,” Kwamie said into his radio, already starting down the stairs again. “If he says there's a gas leak then that's what there is.”
“Let the others up, if they get here in time,” Danny shouted after him. Kwamie raised his hand in acknowledgment as he carried on shouting instructions into the radio.
“Others?” Steve asked, as they shared a look and prepared to go through the door.
“Back up,” Danny said with a grin that made Steve smile back in return. “Because unlike you I remember to call them. Of course, you've clearly damaged me because I'm not waiting for said backup before I rush out there into certain danger.”
“That's because I'm your back up,” Steve said, feeling unbelievably pleased to be able to say it. “I might not be all that much use here, but I will always have your back. Always.”
“Babe,” Danny said, his expression somewhere between shocked and fond. “I...this is going to be way too fast, I know, but I need to say it. I love you, Steve McGarrett, and I don't care if you say it back or not. I need you to know it before we go out there, in case I never get a chance later. Just know that you are the best friend a man could have, and that I love you and always will.”
“Christ, Danny,” Steve said, his heart jumping in his chest and his eyes pricking with tears. “Me too. And you better make sure we can say it again.”
“You haven't said it this time,” Danny said, flashing him a mischievous grin before starting the count down to open the door with his fingers.
“I love you,” Steve said, opening up the door as Danny headed through, gun up.
“Well, okay then,” Danny breathed, as he focused completely on clearing the area in front of them.
Steve followed and they silently scanned the space around the door, but there was nothing to indicate where their man was. The roof sloped up from the central square of the station, hiding the outer edges from their view. Steve was trying to work out where he'd be if he was a maniac attempting to summon a demon that could destroy the city, when a shockwave passed over them. He'd been around enough explosions to know that it wasn't a normal detonation. Smelling sulfur a moment later, his skin started to crawl as though he were covered in many legged things. “What was that?”
“A heavy duty containment spell collapsing,” Danny said, running along the inner edge of the roof parallel to 42nd Street. Steve wondered how he knew which direction the spell came from, because the wave had felt oddly directionless to him. But he realized it wasn't magical knowledge, when Danny turned and headed up the roof towards where it had clearly buckled on the Vanderbilt Avenue side. Danny paused just before reaching the ridge and Steve was next to him as they peered over.
Below them, near the edge and directly facing 43rd Street, was a man wearing a set of maroon velvet robes. He was standing in a Circle of Solomon, his hands raised as he chanted. Retson looked like he'd been polished at some point, like he belonged in his smart apartment building on the Upper West Side and worked on Wall Street. Somewhere along the way he'd lost his grip on that life though, and right now he was more than a little wild around the edges.
Danny could see a portal forming in front of the magic circle, the eddies of magic buffeting Retson. He realized that the would-be sorcerer either hadn't noticed, or didn't care, that his magic circle had collapsed. Unable to hear what the man was saying, he supposed it didn't matter. Retson had clearly bought into the Aleister Crowley school of ritual magic so was probably spouting an Enochian summoning that Danny wouldn't understand.
He'd never bothered to learn the language because it didn’t matter what words you used to work magic, you just had to get your mind into the right shape to bend the world to your will. He was quite happy to use English, although most of the spells he'd learned as a kid were in Latin. And he was going to give Steve permission to shoot him for his own good, if he ever showed signs of wanting to wear robes.
Another wave of power thrummed out of the opening portal and Danny knew they had to move or it'd be too late. He stepped over the ridge of the roof, gun up, Steve not far behind him. “Retson, stop chanting and step out of the circle.”
Retson whipped around to face them, panic in his eyes, and Danny thought they might have a chance to stop him. Taking a step towards the sorcerer, he looked the man right in the eye. “Let me fix this before it gets away from you.”
Retson opened his mouth, but just before he spoke the air behind him crackled and a shadow shot out, ramming into his chest. Retson squawked, flailing for a few seconds before snapping to attention, his eyes fixed forward on the space right in front of the circle.
“Aneteb othil ludsi caosagi zirdo lonsmi depede zazax,” Retson said, his voice a harsh, more a scrape of chitinous insect bodies than human.
“Of course he uses Enochian,” Danny muttered, keeping his gun on Retson.
“Enochian?” Steve asked, flicking a quick glance Danny's way.
“Supposedly Angelic language made up by John Dee around five hundred years ago,” Danny said distractedly, debating with himself if he could really just shoot Retson for being a giant douche. “Basically used by poseurs and people who don't know any better.”
“How do we stop him?” Steve asked as Retson carried on chanting in the stupid arcane language.
“We should probably shoot him,” Danny said, wishing he didn't have too. “He's almost certainly not going to survive anyway, but...” He didn't even finish the sentence about how it seemed wrong to do it before Steve had pulled the trigger and put a bullet through the man's head.
“Gohus oadriax orocha dodpal,” the corpse said.
“Well okay,” Danny managed, while Steve just stared in horror.
Blood ran down Retson's neck, soaking the stupid robes he wore. Danny wasn't going to criticize Steve for taking the shot, not when it saved him from having to do it. No, he wanted to wrap the guy up in cotton wool, make him understand he didn't have to do that, he didn't have to be the one who did the awful things to protect everyone else. Instead, Danny holstered his sidearm, pulled his chalk out of his pocket and drew a circle on the ground. “I'm going to have to do this the hard way and I need you to hold the fort.”
“Right,” Steve agreed without any hesitation, and Danny just had to drag the man down and kiss him.
“There should be some help arriving soon, but what I need is for you to try to buy me time,” he said when they separated.
“Okay,” Steve replied, with a shy smile.
“And if you start to get overwhelmed, I need you to leave,” Danny ordered, knowing Steve would probably ignore him. “Get out of here and keep yourself safe.”
“What? No.”
“Please, Steve,” Danny begged.
“No,” Steve said, crossing his arms and frowning at Danny. “I wouldn't have left you before last night. What makes you think I'd leave now?”
“I need you to....” Danny tried again, about to bring Grace into the argument.
“I promised Grace months ago that I'd take care of you,” Steve said, and Danny cursed at how well the other man knew him. “And I'm not breaking my word to her.”
Danny sighed. He wasn't going to win this argument, he knew that, and they didn't have time to spare for a few more rounds of bickering. “Just be careful, okay?”
“Okay,” Steve agreed, a little triumphant grim sneaking onto his face.
“Seriously,” Danny said, grabbing Steve's arm and staring right into his eyes, letting their bond flow. “If I survive this, I want you there too. I meant what I said about that hotel room.”
“It's a date,” Steve said with a blindingly happy grin, pulling Danny into a quick kiss. “Now let's get this done.”
Danny stepped back and into the circle he'd drawn, and sat down. Pushing his power out into the chalk line, he closed it up, protecting himself from what was happening on the roof, as he tried to shut the portal the demon was forcing open. He hated not being there to stand with Steve, but there wasn't much else he could do. He just hoped he had the strength to push the demon back because if he didn't, it wouldn't much matter if Steve escaped the roof or not. Choronzon wasn't going to stop at New York, it probably wouldn't even stop at the US.
Danny pushed away the thoughts of what demon was going to do to the world and focused on his own power. Closing his eyes, he centered himself, opening up to the web of energy that flowed through the world. He felt the city, and Nana, and Steve all turn towards him, allowing him to draw on their power and fight the threat. He felt Mack and Heather, his mom and Aunt Jean, his grandma and cousin Billy. Reaching further and felt others,, people he didn't know but who wielded power like he did, open themselves to him and lend him strength.
This wasn't about him and Steve saving the world, this was about the world saving itself, through him and Steve.
Chapter Nine