Star sat cross-legged on her plush bed, the neon glow from her gaming setup illuminating her room. She was engrossed in her favorite first-person shooter game, the sound of gunfire and explosions mixing with the upbeat music blasting from her wireless headphones. Her fingers moved deftly across the controller, a smirk forming on her lips as she took down yet another opponent.
"Boom, headshot!" she cheered, leaning back triumphantly. But before she could relish her victory, everything powered down in an instant. The screen went black, the music cut off, and the hum of her gaming console silenced.
"What gives?" Star groaned, her tone laced with frustration as she pulled off her headphones and looked around her now eerily quiet room. She was about to check the power when her eyes landed on a figure sitting on the leather sofa near the window.
Her mother, Emma, sat elegantly with her legs crossed, exuding the icy confidence she was known for. Her sharp gaze was locked on Star, and the room felt colder under her scrutiny. The maid, who had been dusting the shelves earlier, quietly exited the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Emma's lips curved into a cold, calculated smile. "You're certainly not making any headway in the right direction, doll," she said, her tone dripping with condescension.
Star bristled at the nickname, her irritation bubbling over. "Don't call me that!" she snapped, sitting up straighter.
Emma's expression didn't change. "You haven't done anything worth the name we gave you. I don't see any hope in you, doll, so you'd better prepare yourself. In two years, I'm disowning you unless you make a significant change."
Star's jaw dropped. Her mother's words hit her like a truck, the weight of them settling heavily in her chest. She blinked, as if trying to process what she'd just heard. "How could you even say such a thing?" she demanded, her voice shaking with disbelief.
Emma stood gracefully, her presence towering despite the physical distance between them. "I've always been logical, Star. And the truth is, you're a liability. I refuse to let my inheritance fall into the hands of someone so... incompetent."
Star's heart pounded in her chest, her stomach twisting into knots. She opened her mouth to argue, but Emma continued, her voice as cold as ever.
"While you've been playing games, wasting money, and whoring yourself out for attention, I've already adopted the perfect child to replace you. I'm done playing with dolls. So get ready to leave in two years." Emma's sharp heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she walked to the door. She paused briefly, looking over her shoulder. "Your father doesn't care either way. Maybe you can sell yourself to him if you're desperate enough." With that, she left the room, leaving Star alone in a deafening silence.
The door clicked shut, but the sound seemed distant to Star, whose world had just come crashing down. Her breath quickened, her body trembling as the reality of her mother's words sank in. Disown me? Replace me? she thought, her mind racing. Her reputation, her life—it would all crumble. She had no real-life skills, no backup plan. Everything she knew was built on her parents' wealth and influence. Without them, she was nothing.
Her throat tightened as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands clenched the sheets beneath her, trying to steady herself, but her body refused to stop shaking. Despair washed over her like a tidal wave, and for the first time in her life, Star felt truly powerless.
Through the haze of her panic, she reached for her phone, her trembling fingers barely able to unlock it. She scrolled through her contacts, her vision blurred by tears, until she landed on Danny's name. Without hesitation, she hit the call button and pressed the phone to her ear.
"Danny… Danny, I need you," she choked out, her voice breaking as fresh sobs wracked her body.
Danny froze mid-motion as Star's broken voice on the other end of the line struck him like an arrow straight to his heart. His carefree demeanor was replaced with a look of pure urgency as he immediately jumped out of bed. His movements were quick, almost frantic, and he barely registered Paulina's questioning voice behind him.
"What happened?" Paulina asked, sitting up as she clutched the sheet to her chest, her confusion growing when she saw the look on Danny's face.
"Urgent business," he said curtly, already halfway out the door. His words were rushed, and his feet moved with a purpose that couldn't be stopped. He didn't wait for her to press further, didn't stop to explain. By the time Paulina could sit upright, Danny was already phasing through the wall, transforming into his ghost form with a flash of light and streaking out into the night.
Paulina stared at the spot where he disappeared, her frustration bubbling to the surface. Normally, she would have unleashed a string of profanities if anyone had left her like this—especially in the middle of such an intimate moment. But this was Danny, and she could see it on his face. Whatever this was, it was serious.
She sighed, brushing her hair back with a hand as she sat there, trying to calm the pang of irritation in her chest. "He wouldn't just leave unless it was important," she muttered to herself, her fingers gripping the sheet. Still, she couldn't help but wonder who or what had caused him to rush off so suddenly.
As she pieced things together, Paulina's brow furrowed. That voice she had faintly heard on the phone, the one that sounded so desperate and heartbroken—it felt familiar. She tried to place it, her mind racing. Slowly, realization dawned on her, and her breath hitched.
'Star?'
Paulina blinked, caught off guard by the thought. She had never heard her best friend so distressed before, and the unfamiliar tone had thrown her off. But now, as the pieces clicked, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was Star.
Her heart tightened, conflicting emotions swirling within her. What could have happened to make Star, the confident and vivacious girl she knew, sound so utterly broken? Paulina slid out of bed, pacing the room as her worry grew. She wanted to be there, to help her best friend, but she knew better than to try to follow Danny when he was like this.
Paulina sighed again, her hands on her hips. "Guess I'll have to wait to hear from him," she muttered, her concern for both Danny and Star outweighing her earlier irritation.
Danny's heart raced as he phased through the walls of Star's mansion, not bothering with subtlety. He couldn't afford to waste time when Star's voice had sounded so broken over the phone. As he materialized inside her room, the sight before him confirmed the severity of the situation.
Star was huddled on her bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket, her entire body trembling. She rocked back and forth, her complexion pale and drained of any color. The anguish in her eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen from her before, and it pierced him to his core. Her normally confident and lively demeanor had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear and despair.
'This is worse than I thought,' Danny realized grimly. The weight of whatever had happened to her bore down on him, igniting a protective rage deep within his chest. Someone had pushed her to this breaking point, and whoever it was would pay.
"Star, I'm here," Danny said softly, canceling his ghost form and stepping closer. His voice was calm and gentle, but his resolve burned like fire.
Star's head shot up at the sound of his voice, her tear-streaked face lighting up with recognition. She bolted towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and clutching him tightly as fresh sobs wracked her body. "Danny!"
"It's okay, I'm here," Danny whispered, his arms wrapping around her trembling form. He held her close, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back as he guided her back to the bed. Sitting down, he kept her in his arms, giving her the comfort and support she desperately needed.
Through broken words and choked sobs, Star began to explain. "Danny… Mom said she's throwing me out. She… she called me worthless," she whimpered, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. "She even said to sell myself to Father… as if I'm just some tool!"
Danny clenched his jaw, his arms tightening around her protectively. The anger bubbling inside him threatened to consume him, but he forced himself to stay calm for her sake. Her words echoed in his mind, each one adding fuel to the fire of his fury. How could anyone say such cruel things to their own child?
"Star, do you want to come with me?" Danny asked softly, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him. He could see it clearly—this environment was toxic for her. If she stayed here, it could break her completely.
Star didn't hesitate. "Take me away from here. I don't want to stay," she replied, her voice filled with desperation and a flicker of hope.
"Don't worry," Danny assured her, his tone firm and resolute. "We'll make her regret this. We'll make her regret everything."
With those words, Danny scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the room. The mansion's opulent halls were eerily silent, the servants they passed barely sparing them a glance. It was clear they had been informed of Star's impending departure and had no interest in stopping her. Danny noted their indifference, a sign of how isolated Star truly was in this house.
As they descended the grand staircase, a voice sliced through the air like a knife. "You must be the garbage collector. Please throw it out carefully lest it makes a mess."
Danny's glare snapped to the source of the voice, his eyes blazing with anger. Standing at the base of the stairs was a striking young woman with long white hair, dressed impeccably in a professional outfit that mirrored Emma Frost's sharp style. Her piercing gaze held a mix of arrogance and disdain, and her ruby lips curved into a mocking smirk.
"Who are you?" Danny demanded, his voice cold and dangerous.
The woman crossed her arms, her expression unbothered by his glare. "You don't deserve to know, but I'm feeling generous. Shalltear Frost, daughter of Emma Frost and sister of that worthless doll."
Danny's restraint snapped like a brittle thread. He moved in a blur, crossing the distance in an instant. The tiles beneath his feet cracked from the force of his movement as his hand shot out, stopping just short of Shalltear's face. His eyes burned with barely contained fury.
"Never utter those words again," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "Or there will be consequences."
Shalltear's smirk only widened, her ruby-red eyes gleaming with amusement as she leaned slightly forward. "Interesting. Why don't you join me instead? I could convince Mother to let this little matter drop," she purred, her tone dripping with condescension.
"I don't need to bargain for pointless things," Danny shot back, his voice icy as he withdrew his hand. He turned his back on her, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "You'll all regret this. Every last one of you."
As Danny carried Star out of the mansion, Shalltear watched them go with a bemused expression, her sharp teeth glinting as her tongue flicked over her lips. "Such spirit. This is going to be fun," she murmured to herself.
Outside, Danny flagged down a taxi, his focus solely on getting Star to safety. The guards at the gate exchanged uneasy glances, murmuring among themselves about how Danny had managed to enter the mansion undetected.
"There's a hole in the security. Fix it before the Madame notices," one of them muttered, shaking his head.
Inside the cab, Star clung to Danny, her head resting on his shoulder as silent tears continued to fall. Danny held her close, his resolve solidifying with every passing moment. He would protect her, no matter what it took.