Running Bear

The first thing Dan noticed was a pounding headache.

Great.

This is why he doesn't get black-out drunk often.

Then, he noticed that he couldn't move. Couldn't speak, either. He could hear the beeping of machines and the whirring of air conditioning. He couldn't see, and he felt a blind on his face. He then started panicking. He struggled against the bonds and tried to scream, the gag muffling it.

How did he get into this situation?

"I see you're awake," A smooth, female voice said. Dan sent a quick mental fuck you her way and continued to struggle.

"You are in Area 51 in New Mexico."

"Screaming will not do you any good," The voice removed the blind covering Dan's eyes. She had straight brown hair and brown eyes, and was rather pretty. Dan calmed down a bit. He could get out of here, right? Just as long as Phil was okay.

"Your name is Daniel James Howell, correct?" Dan nodded and she crossed his name off of a list.

"You were given certain... abilities." The girl said, as if reading from a card.

She didn't mean... did she?

"These abilities could be dangerous to the public if you do not learn to master them," Her voice sounded like cool water, "So you will not be allowed out until you have mastered them."

Oh, well if that was all-

"You will also not be allowed to see your friends." Her voice turned sour, "You will earn privileges. Do not attempt to escape, or your friends will pay. Do as we say, and you will all be okay. Do you understand me?"

Dan nodded his head, suddenly terrified. Phil's safety- Phil's life- was on the line here, as was everyone else's. Dan wasn't going to step a toe out of line.

"I am going to remove the gag. Do not scream. Do not attack me. Remain silent and we will proceed from there." She removed the gag from Dan's mouth, and his jaw ached. Dan's headache had been all but forgotten.

"I will remove the bonds on your hands, feet and waist. You will not move until I say to move. We can and will subdue you." Dan's heart beat in his chest. He was usually afraid of the dark- the room was very dim and the corridor even more so- but the dark felt somehow different.

"You will stand up and walk calmly," She put emphasis on walk and calmly. Dan stretched himself out and sat up. He was still wearing all his clothes. He followed the woman and several heavily armed guards out of the room, which looked scarily like a torture chamber.

He walked for a long time. At some point, he passed Troye Sivan.

Troye looked so young. The gag hadn't been removed from his mouth and his hands were still chained together.

Dan was grateful he hadn't screamed.

.o0o.

Dan's room was tiny and desolate. It had a cot in the corner, a small screen on the wall, and a toilet and sink combination opposite to the cot. The walls were blank, except for a mirror that hung above the toilet.

Dan missed his apartment. He missed YouTube. He missed Phil most of all, though. Just that human company, the reassurance of another human being that cared that he was alive and well, one that would always be there with him.

"Can I get some food?" Dan asked no one in particular. His stomach gave another half-hearted growl.

As usual, nobody answered.

Dan tried to sleep.

.o0o.

The first tray of food came when Dan started shaking uncontrollably. It held a bowl of mashed potatoes and lasagna- actually, it was pretty good.

There wasn't a window in Dan's cell. Just the lights turning off at what he presumed was night.

.o0o.

It wasn't until a few days later when Dan got his next meal. He was sitting around, examining his hand, when a small black line appeared on it. Just a little swirl, almost like henna.

It was then that he equated powers to food.

.o0o.

He tried to summon more lines, and it worked for the most part. He could eventually get them to form and go away- in different patterns too. He decided that, just for kicks, he would make a Shib on the back of his hand.

Someone must have gotten the joke, as he'd gotten a small bowl of ice cream that afternoon.

.o0o.

In the times between discoveries and practicing, Dan liked to reminisce. Because what else are you going to do in solitary confinement? He though about YouTube, what he and Phil were planning to do once they'd gotten back from Vidcon (so much for Mario Kart and Tumblr). He thought about how he missed Phil.

He stopped thinking about how much he missed Phil. It was going to tear him apart.

He sang some songs, too. His voice was quite pretty when he wasn't trying to be silly. He remembered a little song he'd heard a long time ago, he couldn't quite remember all the words. He had heard it from a fan from Missouri. They had sent him a song- spammed him, really- until he'd given in and listened to it.

"On one side, of the river, stood Running Bear the Indian brave. On the other, side of the waters, stood the lovely Indian maid! Little White Dove, was her name, such a lovely sight to see, But their tribes fought, with each other, so their love could never be!"

Dan had to be grateful for spam messages.

"Oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, as big as the sky! Oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, that wouldn't die!"

Dan did the little hand motions, and he had to think that this was a fantastic way to pass time.

"In the moonlight, he could see her, blowing kisses 'cross the waves. Her little heart was, beating faster, waiting for her Indian Brave." The song was quite heartbreaking, and with a catchy beat and melody.

"Oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, as big as the sky, oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, that wouldn't die!"

"Running Bear jumped, into the water, and Little White Dove did the same. As they swam out, to each other, through the raging waters they came! As their hands clasped, and their lips met, the raging waters pulled them down! Now they'll always, be together, in the Happy Hunting Grounds!"

"Oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, as big as the sky! Oh Running Bear, loves Little White Dove, with a love, that wouldn't die!"

Dan chuckled to himself. He never thought a song sung at camp could apply so well to the situation at hand.

.o0o.

Dan had a system worked out. He'd advance his powers slowly, and receive a small, less-than-amazing portion of food. When he wanted to celebrate, he'd concentrate really hard and do a picture or meme on his hand.

He had another breakthrough in about a week. He stared at his hand, trying to cover the entire back in the ink-like substance, when his whole hand turned flat and dark.

"What the shit?" Dan asked himself, peering at the appendage with apprehension. The darkness spread up his forearm, and it took him a while to realize he was turning into a shadow.

"Awesome," Dan breathed, watching in wonder as he slowly disappeared. He couldn't turn himself back for a few hours, though, at which point his food was mostly cold.

.o0o.

Dan hated his hobbit hair.

It had been two-ish weeks since he'd been imprisoned. He still didn't know what they were waiting for, he thought that he'd pretty much mastered his power, but nobody came.

They had told him that they'd be back. That he'd be free someday.

Had it all been a lie? A ruse to get him to walk to captivity in safety and silence? Dan suddenly felt the urge to punch something. Except, his power thought otherwise. Like another limb, a shadow stretched from his knuckled and hit the wall with such a force that some of the drywall chipped.

Dan smiled.

This would be useful.

.o0o.

Dan thought back to the party. Had he even had that much to drink? He didn't remember much, but he did remember the shot line with Phil. In all fairness, Dan knew that would've ended in a headache.

But Mark couldn't process alcohol. He'd been crying about his career, like a black-out drunk, but he hadn't even touched the alcohol for obvious reasons.

Troye had only had one beer the whole night! How'd he pass out?!

How'd he pass out first?

Dan thought on it. The girl hadn't said it explicitly, but Dan thought that maybe, just maybe, they'd been drugged.

And maybe it hadn't been on purpose.

Or maybe it had.

Dan wasn't sure which one was worse.

.o0o.
He mastered the little shadow-things in record time. He could send them out and retract them from his palms, fingertips, and knuckles, and turn his whole body to shadow (including his clothes, which he was immensely grateful for).

"We love to inform you that you are fit for combat training," A voice said, this one scratchy and male, from a speaker.

"Will I get to see my friends?" Dan asked.

"You belong to us," The voice ignored Dan's question, "Please follow the storm troopers. They will guide you to your first lesson."

Great.

Just what Dan needed.

Exercise.

His door opened with a creaking noise, and Dan really felt like singing 'For the First Time In Forever' just to piss off the stormtroopers.

Until he saw that there must have been fifty, heavily armed, extremely macho-looking guys wielding guns with odd glowing ammunition.

Dan assumed this would neutralize his power, and completely disregarded his plan.

.o0o.

"Sir," Colonel Fak stood at attention, "Three of the inmates have somewhat mastered their innate abilities and have gone on the combat training."

"Good, good," The General said, "Have them ready for Task Force work."

"And if they won't?" The Colonel asked.

"Make them." The General said, snarling slightly. The Colonel nodded and marched from the room. The General lit a cigar and leaned back in his chair.

He looked at the list of inmates the Colonel had given him.

Dan Howell; Darkness Manipulation [y]

Phil Lester; Light Manipulation (?) [n]

Jon Cozart; Telekenesis (?) [n]

Troye Sivan; Sonic Screech (?) [n]

Tyler Oakley; Shape-shifting [y]

Connor Franta; Teleportation [n]

Mark Fischbach; N/A [n]

Hannah Hart; Super-Strength [n]

Ingrid Nilson; Atmokinesis [n]

Shane Dawson; Invisibility [y]

Joey Graceffa; Super-Speed [n]

Louise Pentland; Healing [n]

Anthony Padilla; Superhuman Intelligence [n]

Ian Hecox; Sexy, sexy eyes[n]

It was going to be a long couple of weeks if they were already messing with his people. The General sighed and scratched out what Ian had written and replaced it with Mind Control.

The General didn't think too highly of YouTube. Sure, his daughters watched it, but these men and women lacked integrity. They lacked intelligence.

They were the perfect dancing monkeys.