Chapter Text
Skulker likes the rare, the odd. That’s what he does. He seeks, he captures, he collects. A human child discovered alone in the ghost zone, however, was not what he’d expected to add to his collection, however fitting.
He liked the child, found he’d grown fond of him even. The squirt kept him company while he worked on new weapons, asked questions about everything, and amazingly, even seemed to understand when Skulker’d explained ghosts to him, and where he was.
What kind of home life did this kid have anyway?
Ember met Danny the other day; human kid was enthralled by her hair, kept asking her to make it keep making the “whoosh whoosh” sound. She was fine with going along for awhile, this kid just being in Skulker’s lair all the time, but eventually had to comment, “So, I know you like taking shit from various places, but a kid? What the hell?”
“I did not steal the human child, I found him.”
“Where, in a mechanic shop? Because that’s what he smells like.”
“No! He was in the ghost zone, alone and crying, and for some reason I couldn’t not take him in—”
“Tin Man does have a heart. How sweet.”
“Anyway, other than his name, I know nothing of him, where he came from, who is family is. He’s too young, and probably sleep-deprived, to be able to tell me much of anything.”
“Sleep-deprived? You have a couch over there, can’t he sleep on it?”
“Guess it’s not good enough for him, I don’t know. Maybe my work is too loud.”
He watched Ember go back over to the child, sitting on the ground on his soft blue blanket playing with a few old pieces Skulker no longer needed for his suit. She gave him a look he knew meant he was getting a talking-to about that later. “So, Danny, Skulker says you’re not sleeping?”
“No.” Skulker had to suppress a laugh.
“Why not, then?”
“It’s dark. And cold. I’m scared to.”
Skulker hadn’t thought to ask why, and was surprised. “Well, kid, I’m right here, you’ll be fine, just take a nap already.”
“I don’t like the dark, though.”
“Let’s just get Ember to make her hair big enough to light up the whole room, then.”
“Oh, I’m sure your pride should be enough.”
“If that was even how that worked, don’t you think—”
“Please don’t fight, I’m sorry.”
Kid doesn’t like when people argue, noted.
“It’s not your fault, don’t worry. What can we do to help you sleep?”
“Well, I, um, I used to have a nightlight. My parents said it’d keep the ghosts away…”
Ember glanced at Skulker. “Danny, you’re not afraid of ghosts, are you?”
“Don’t worry about that, he seems to get that ghosts are real. Kid barely batted an eye when I explained where he was.”
“Then why did your nightlight need to keep ghosts away?”
“My parents don’t like ghosts, say they’re mean and up to no good… but maybe they’d like you, you’re both nice!”
“Uh—”
“One thing at a time; let’s make the kid a nightlight first. I’m sure I have the parts for something simple like that. So, what do you want it to look like, huh?”
“Stars!”
All my talents, and I’m making a nightlight for a human child.