Chapter 4: Friendship

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Albert Camus

Chapter 4: "Friendship"

(Saturday-December 19, 2009)

It took nearly a month for the insanity to finally calm down. There was a fallout from Phantom's first appearance after the Nasty Burger incident, but it was not nearly as bad as Danny thought it would be. Some were blaming Danny for failing, but a lot more was in his corner.

They all saw the video of his fight with Dark Dan. Most people realized just how badly Danny had been outmatched during the fight. But while they were surprisingly forgiving of Danny for failing to save the victims, they were now incredibly afraid.

Danny Phantom had always stopped the ghosts before. There were close calls, but in the end, good won and evil lost. The same could not be said about this incident. People saw that Phantom was not invincible. Then, they began to wonder what would have happened if Danny was never there. Would more people have died? Would anyone stop the ghost? And most importantly, could what happen to the Fentons happen to them?

The people finally began to realize their own weaknesses. They could do nothing to stop the ghosts. Police officers could not hurt the ghosts. Only the vigilantes of the town could do anything to stop the ghosts. So, when they realized how much they need vigilantes like Phantom or the Red Huntress, most people quickly came to support them.

Too bad the Red Huntress was no where in sight. After her last fight with Danny, Valerie had not arrived to any ghost sightings. Danny was worried about this. Valerie was a strong person, but that look she had after the fight… it was not in Valerie's character. He knew he needed to talk to her. So, he decided to call Valerie and ask to meet with her.

The small café Danny walked into was almost empty. The few customers in the café were too focused on their phones or the television to give the hooded teenager a second look. Even the waitress was so tired from her work shift that she didn't give him a good once over.

Danny was glad they didn't, too. He didn't want them gapping at the new rich boy of Amity Park. After he went into Vlad's custody, people began to treat Danny differently. He was now a somebody with money. The people who used to mock him were now licking the bottom of his shoes. Before, Danny would have relished in this attention, but now it just annoyed him.

To avoid any annoying instances, Danny wore a zip up black hoody with the hood up. To most people Danny just looked like a regular brooding teenager. This was fine with Danny. It stopped the need for him to put on a mask of fake emotion.

"…Ghost activity had been down this week." The noise of the television flooded into Danny's ear as he walked to the booth Valerie was sitting in. She was intently watching the television while drinking a cup of coffee. "The cause can only be speculated, but many claim that Danny Phantom's slightly more aggressive fighting style is the reason for the low activity." Danny saw Valerie's hands clench around her coffee mug. "Is Phantom's new attitude a direct result of the Nasty Burger incident or does it have anything with the sudden disappearance of the Red Huntress?" Valerie's knuckles were now turning white. Danny decided to stop her before she broke the mug.

"What's your issue with coffee? Do you always have accidents around it or is that just when I'm around?" Danny asked as he slid into the booth.

"Danny?" Her grip relaxed around the mug. "What's with the new look?…" She looked like she was about to add something to the end of her question, but she quickly shut her mouth before the words came out. Danny knew it was probably about the black hoody being more Sam's style…

And his torture continued as another wave of despair hit him. He had practiced for moments like this. The negative emotions that terrorized him were quickly frozen over.

'It's no where perfect though, the temperature in this room was dropped by ten degree's at least. I need more practice.' Danny mentally grimaced as he remembered his own personal "training." It involved him intentionally allowing the negative emotions to attack him in order form him to practice icing over his pain. The process was both agonizing and tiring. All of this was done in secret of course. Vlad wouldn't say anything, but Dani would have a cow.

"I just don't want to make any kind of scene. A hooded teenager with an attitude problem will cause less of a stir than the new rich Danny Fenton who survived a tragic accident." Danny remarked mildly.

"You have a point there." Valerie conceded to Danny's argument. She had noticed how cold it was in the café they were in and put on the jacket that was sitting beside her.

Then there was an awkward pause. Both of the teenagers had something they needed to say to the other, but neither could find the words. Ultimately, it was Valerie who found her voice first.

"I'm a little surprised you asked to meat with me. Don't get me wrong, my offer to always be there to talk to was sincere, but you have never been one to express deep emotions…" Valerie gave Danny a questioning look.

"Yeah, that's the thing, I didn't actually come here to talk about that…" Danny looked sheepish.

"Huh? Then what do you want to talk about?" Valerie gained a confused look.

"…Well that will be hard to explain…you see…I noticed…lately you, I mean the… this will not come out right." Danny instantly raised his hand to ruffle his hair out of frustration, but stopped because of the hoody.

"How about this? It's obvious that we both have topics we want to discuss. So, why don't we take turns asking questions. One question per turn then the other person goes." Valerie smiled.

"Sounds like a plan. You can go first." Danny gave a small grin back. They used to play games like this when they were dating, only the games were a little less serious…

"Okay, I start out with something simple. How have you been copping with all…all of the changes that have happened lately?" Valerie sent him a look of concern. Danny was glad it was not a look of pity.

"As good as I can cope, really. I've been do anything I can to distract myself. Vlad's been teaching me how to play chess (apparently he needed to learn strategy). Some physical training (he remembered his mental note to start weight lifting). And I've actually been tinkering with some of my parents old projects (he couldn't just leave them unfinished, he couldn't)." He left out his ghost training and vigilante life, of course.

"Wow, that's unlike you…well, whatever helps." She smiled encouragingly.

"Yeah, okay my question. Umm…how should I word this…how is your second job going?" Danny did not know how well this was going to go over, but he had to try.

"Oh…well actually my Dad has been doing really well at work lately. He's getting paid more than ever now that Mr. Masters took over Axion Labs. So, he told me to quit my jobs to focus on my studies, plus I've been training more lately with my martial arts, so…both of my jobs are done." She looked uncomfortable with answering this question.

"…I see…" She was using an excuse to lie about her vigilante career.

Danny knew about Valerie's first job, though. He had personally asked Vlad to buy out Axion Labs to help out Val's dad. Danny actually made a huge presentation about how it would profit Vlad. It took a lot of time and effort on Danny's part, but everyone won. Vlad made a profit. Val and her father were more financially sound. And Danny learned that he was actually good with business crap.

Maybe he should study business or something. It might pay off in the future.

"My question. You pulled out off Casper High to be home schooled. Why?" Valerie probably knew, but need confirmation.

"Oh come on, Val. Tuck and Sam (the temperature dropped again) were the only things that made school bearable. It would be stupid to stay in a school where I'm bullied constantly, ignored by teachers, and treated like dirt by everyone when I no longer have the two friends that always accepted me for who I am." Danny saw regret flash through Valerie's eyes. She hated how she used to act before she became the Red Huntress.

"You would be part of the A-list if you went back. You probably have more money than everyone in that school combined." She gave a judging look. Danny knew what she was judging.

"I would be part of the A-list, but what good would it do? Every one would treat me well because of the money. I don't have the time or patience for hypocrites right now." Danny said viciously. "Besides, with the online classes and special tutors Vlad hired, I'll get a better education at Vlad's than I ever would at Casper."

"…Yeah…"Danny had passed her judgment test. Valerie now had a look of approval. "Your turn."

"Why do you hate Danny Phantom?" He might have said this a little to bluntly.

"Wha? Why would you ask that? He ruined my life!" Anger flashed through her face. But Danny saw through this.

"Did he? Did he really ruin your life? Without him you would still be the snobby, spoiled princes who had everything handed to her on a silver platter." Danny gave her a knowing look.

"…Okay, I don't actually hate him. He did open my eyes to the harshness of reality, but I cannot approve of him going around and doing what he wants."

"He's doing the same thing as the Red Huntress. Catching ghosts. And I never heard you rant about her before."

"No-It's not-You don't understand."

"Don't I?"

"No you don't."

"…your question, Val."

"Fine. There are rumors about you talking with members of the Justice League again. Are these rumors true?" She seemed a lot more irritated than before. Danny had struck a nerve and she was now trying to throw him off.

"Yes."

"Really? Who? Why?"

"One question per turn, please."

"…What's your question, then?"

"Why did you dump me again?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Why. Did. You. Dump. Me."

"Are you… Do you want to-"

"No, my life is to complicated right now for that." Wow, even Danny was surprised by that hurtful comment and it came out of his mouth.

"If you know my reason. Then you shouldn't ask."

"You're right. I shouldn't ask, but you shouldn't forget it in the first place."

"…What's with the Justice League thing?"

Now that was an interesting story. Danny remembers it as one of the most amazing and terrifying moments of his young life. It was the first time he ever met the Batman.

Memory sequence begin

"Daniel," Vlad's voice sounded through the intercom. Currently, Danny was lifting weights in the training room. He was in human form so his superhuman strength would not help. To stay safe, he was having Dani ,in ghost form, spot him. And, of course, Danny was occupied at the moment, so his female clone was the one to answer.

"Hey, Dad. Danny's a little busy at the moment. What do you need?" Dani asked.

"Please, tell Daniel that he has a… guest here to see him." Vlad's voice sounded a little uneasy. Which was weird.

"Okay, Dad!" She turned to her older brother, "I'm guessing you heard that, right?"

"No Dani, I suddenly became deaf for ten seconds."

"Hey! Sarcasm is my thing!"

"It was my thing first kid."

"Don't call me kid!" She yelled at him as he walked out the door.

"Okay squirt!" Danny yelled back. He greatly enjoyed teasing her. Very few things brought an actual smile to his face. And that was one of them. He finally understood why Jazz…

Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts. Cold. Cold. Better.

Usually, Danny would use his powers to travel through the mansion easier. He had only lived there for a few weeks and could not remember how to get to most places. Unfortunately, there was someone here, so that was a no go. Luckily, Danny did know how to get to the front entrance. Just barely, mind you, but he did know.

As Danny walked down the main stairs, he called out to his mentor and guardian. "Hey Vlad, you said I had a vis…a…tor…" Words were at a loss for the young halfa. Meeting Captain Atom and Black Canary was awesome. (He made sure to frame their autographs.) But that meeting was nothing in comparison to this meeting.

The person standing next to Vlad was one that was known around the world. He was a person that stroke fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere. This person was the leader of the Justice League and one of, if not the, most intimidating individuals Danny had ever met.

The Batman.

And all at once Danny felt several different feelings. Awe. Fear. Unbelief. And the incredible feeling of a geek out. It took all of Danny's will not to run down the stairs to meet one the greatest heroes on the planet.

"Wow, when you said that a guest was here, I was expecting someone…who was not Batman." Danny commented as he approached the two men.

"I could have warned you, but then I would have not seen the look on your face" Vlad grinned at his young charge.

"I see…" Danny looked at the Dark Knight. He looked exactly as he did on the television. He was dressed in dark spandex. His utility belt was around his waist. The bat symbol stood proudly on his chest. His bat like cowl connected to the black cape on his back.

In all, he looked like a total badass.

"Daniel Fenton, I would like to have a few words with you." The Batman's deep voice gave away no emotion, but it still caused Danny's heart to fall into his stomach.

"Uhnnn…Okay…." What was he supposed to say? No was obviously not an option.

"Good." He turned and began to walk into the pallor. Danny inferred that he was supposed to follow.

"Take a seat." Danny instantly obeyed. It never occurred to him that this was his home and the Batman had no authority to tell him where to sit

"Really, how rude. You come into my house and order around my charge. If this continues I might have to ask you to leave, Mr. Batman." Obviously, that thought did occur to Vlad, though.

"I apologize." He did not sound apologetic. "But the sooner this is finished, the sooner I can leave."

"Hmmm… fine then," Vlad took a seat where he had a view of both Batman and Danny.

"What is this about anyway? Does it have to do with the accident? Or the information on ghosts and ghost weaponry?" Danny asked.

"All that and more, Mr. Fenton," Batman did not sit down. He staid standing and stared down at the young man. "But, I am also here to talk about your relation to Danny Phantom."

Silence.

Both Vlad and Danny were completely silent. The former narrowed his eyes at the Caped Crusader. The latter just paled. They both, however, prepared them themselves for what was to come. In fact, Vlad was about the stand up and approach the Batman, when Danny stopped him.

"Vlad, I think this is a conversation that Batman and I need to have alone, could you, please leave us alone?" Danny had recovered quickly from his shock. He was now sitting straight up, crossed his arms, was now starring intently at Batman.

Vlad looked like he wanted to say something, but closed his mouth when he saw Danny's look. So, he just stood up and walked out of the room.

"What about my relation with Danny Phantom? Do you mean that my parents used to hunt him? (No time for grief! No time for grief!)" Danny did not know what Batman knew about this situation already. So, he made sure not give any unnecessary information away.

"Do you want me to spell it out?… Fine. A few months ago, my attention was brought to this town from supposed ghosts attacks and a vigilante called "Inviso-Bill" (Damn the media! He never approved that name!) The League as a whole thought little about the threat of ghosts, but I knew better. I realized how dangerous this situation could get.

"So, I did some research and what I found was unusual. Sprectrology is a field that is considered a joke to almost every scientific mind on the planet. Yet, there is a whole secret government program set up for the study and destruction of ghosts. Not only that, the program "Guys in White" has some of the highest funds and most advanced technology on the planet. This shows how much of a threat the government considers ghosts.

"Then I found information on the world's leading experts on ghosts. Jack and Madie Fenton were considered jokes in the scientific community. (Ignore the pain Fenton! Ignore it!) Barely anyone believed that ghosts were real. But many saw the potential in ectoplasm weapons. The weapons your parents made were decades ahead of almost every other form of weaponry from the planet earth. So, despite the controversy, private individual and the government contracted your parents to make weaponry for them. In fact they were the only suppliers of ecto-weaponry in the world." Batman stated.

"Wait! My parents were the only suppliers? Plenty of people who used ecto-weaponry openly mocked them!" Danny's anger flared.

"…Many people have tried to imitate their weapons, but it usually ends in an explosive manner. So yes, they were the only suppliers." Batman said.

"Those hypocritical bastards! They mock my parents and still use their weaponry! How dare they!" Danny was shuddering in anger.

"Calm down." Batman looked down at Danny. His look was not one of irritation. The look was almost seemed…sympathetic and understanding. Danny didn't know how he knew that. His cowl hid most of his features, but somehow Danny could tell.

Danny could not use his ice powers in front of Batman, so he used the old fashioned method and took a couple of deep breaths to calm down.

"Yes, they made the weapons for every other ghost hunter on the planet. And from the information I found, they were not allowed to reveal to anyone about the contracts." That explains why the Fenton symbol was not on any of the other weapons. They didn't want anyone to know they bought weapons from the nut jobs.

Bastards.

"You parents wrote several books on ghosts. How they were formed. What they wanted. How their bodies are sustained. The books were very informative." Batman's voice was not mocking like most people's. He actually thought the books were informative. Danny could see his dad jumping for joy at being complimented by the Batman….

Crap, that hurts.

"But if you already knew, why did you have Black Canary and Captain Atom ask me those questions?" Danny was very confused.

"Two reasons. One: to test your knowledge. You pass by the way. Two: to let you know I would be coming." Batman acted like the answer was obvious. Danny instantly felt stupid.

"And that leads to the next part of this meeting right, Batman?" Danny looked down to the floor.

"Yes, it does, Danny Phantom." Batman confirmed Danny's suspicions.

"…How did you figure it out?" Danny asked.

"There were many videos of Phantom using Fenton technology, yet the Fentons were openly hostile to him. Most would assume he stole the tech, considering the reports of him stealing jewelry and the time he kidnapped the mayor.

"But those instances were flawed from prospective. After the theft attempt, a man called "Freak Show" was arrested with the same stolen gold and jewels. Also, the supposed kidnapping was during a large ghost attack where several individuals, including the mayor, had a large gap of memory loss. All of them were where under ghosts control for a time. Thus a ghost was controlling the mayor to frame Phantom.

"So, with no other records of Phantom every stealing before, I realized that the weapons had to have been give to Phantom. A Fenton had to be giving Phantom weapons. Your parents obviously weren't doing it and your sister Jasmine had publicly stated and blogged that ghosts did not exist. Thus only one Fenton could be giving Phantom the weapons. You."

"But how did you connect that with me being Phantom?" Danny questioned.

"You both had similar names and appearances, but considering the fact that one of you was dead and the other was alive, that could mean nothing. Also, neither were ever at the same place at the same exact time, but you could have been I coward." Danny scowled.

"What finally made it clear was the Nasty Burger incident. The enemy ghost impersonated you supposedly to get to the Fentons. That makes sense. Destroy the only people in the world who could make weapons to fight you. But why did he target your friends too? Why did he have a similar appearance to Phantom? How did your sister know that he was not you? Why impersonate you and not kill you too?

"The answer was simple. The enemy ghost was an alternate Phantom that needed the other Phantom alive to survive. And if Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom, then that would explain why he would not kill you too. Thus, he killed your friends and family to make sure that you would eventually lose your human part and become him." Batman finished.

"Damn, you really are the World's Greatest Detective."

"Yes, yes I am." He did not sound arrogant. He just knew the fact was true.

"Well, now what? You know what I am and what I could become. Are you here to threatened me, beat me up, arrest me or something?" Danny knew that if the Batman wanted to hurt him, he must have a plan to do so already, and thus there was nothing Danny could do to stop him.

"No, I am here ask for your help." Danny's brain shut down for a second.

"What? How could I help you?" Confused did not even begin to explain how Danny felt.

"Your parents were the only people who understood ghosts and how to fight them. They built every effective ecto-weapon ever created. And now they are gone." That was the straw that broke the camel's back . Danny had held back the despair and anger for too long and it had came out.

He trembled and shook. His eyes flashed green. The air became freezing cold.

"Quit beating around the bush! Tell me why you are here!" Danny stood up. White rings surrounded him and transformed him into his ghost form.

"Calm down."

"Calm down! How am is supposed to calm down!? My family is dead! My friends are gone! And now I have someone I respected for years here confusing me and reminding me of what I lost! Do you know what it is like?! I see their faces everywhere! And every time I do all I can think about is how it is my fault! The grief, despair, and anger I feel is driving me insane! Tell me, do you know what that's like!" Danny roared.

"I do." Batman stated solemnly. Danny was stunned. He… "I understand far more than you will ever know. Now calm down." Danny looked down at the ground and changed back to normal.

"The main reason I am here is because you are now the leading expert on ghosts." Batman's voice didn't falter, but Danny was sure that he had to be joking.

"Me the leading expert on ghosts? But I'm fourteen."

"That may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that you are the only person on the planet who has an understanding of ghosts, ghost weaponry, and ghost hunting. In fact, you are the only person to defeat ghosts on a daily basis."

"As Phantom, yes but Fenton-" Danny was cut off.

"Fenton has listened to thousands of lectures on ghosts. Fenton has made, fixed, and fired ecto-weapons. Fenton is all the world has to fight ghosts the human way."

"…" Danny remained silent. That was not completely right. Vlad was a better scientist than Danny, but no one else knew that…

"And with the sudden realization that ghosts are a real threat danger and that ghost weaponry is so advanced, people will begin to come to you. As Fenton, they will ask for weaponry. As Phantom, they will ask for protection. And those are the good guys. The bad guys will want your technology and power to cause destruction and they won't care what they have to do to get their way."

"…So? Vlad is one the world's richest people. His power and influence will cause anyone to think twice. Plus, I can handle myself in a fight."

"Yes, that might stop them, but I am not here about that.. I need your help to fight ghosts myself. I have fought many foes, but I never had to fight something that can pass through all of my attacks, fly, turn invisible, and fire beams of energy all at once. I need to be ready in case a ghost ever comes to Gotham." Batman stated.

"Didn't you ever try to make weapons yourself?" Danny questioned.

"Yes, but ecto-technology is different from any other type of weapon I have ever seen. It is far above any tech I have. And I lack the time needed to understand it properly."

This was something Danny had dreamed of. The Batman was asking for his help. The only problem was one little fact. He was no where as good as his parents in inventing. But…he has been around ghost tech all of his life and he had Vlad to help him.

"I will help you on two conditions." Batman's eyes narrowed.

"What conditions?" The air was tense.

"First, you must never tell anyone about me being Phantom or any of my other secrets. Even to the Justice League."

"Done. What's the second condition."

"If I ever become…that thing…you promise that you will not stop until I can never hurt anyone ever again."

"I already planned to."

Memory sequence end

"I wish I could tell you about it, but I promised not to." Danny really wished he could, but he did promise.

"Look, I have homework to do, if you get serious and need to talk about what happened, then call me. But I will no sit here and let you make me feel guilty and avoid all my questions." Valerie rubber her eyes and stood up.

As she began to walk away Danny said one more thing. "Wait, answer one more question for me."

"Sigh…fine, what is it?" Valerie gave Danny an annoyed look. Danny took a look around to make sure that no one was listening.

He then whispered to her, "Why did you never tell me that you were the Red Huntress?"

Valerie was silent as she slid back into her seat. She had a lost look on her face.

"How…How did you know?" Valerie whispered harshly.

"There is a video camera in Fenton Works." That actually wasn't a lie. Too bad the camera was almost always broken. "When Phantom unmasked you, it was caught on video. Don't worry, I was the only one that saw it. I made sure to delete it too." Okay, that part was a huge lie. Sue him.

"…You've known all this time and you didn't say anything." Valerie gave him a strange look.

"It was your secret to tell. I was going to let you tell me on your own, but your recent non-activity has me worried, Val," Danny revealed his reason. It was partially the truth, at least.

Valerie was silent for a moment. She used this pause to look outside. The day was cold and grey outside.

"…I-I just … something happened recently. I got into a fight and I lost. Badly. I just can't get my self to get back out there. It's just-" Valerie stopped there. She seemed to lose her voice.

Danny was shocked. This was not the confident Valerie he knew. Dear God, what had he done?

"Who did you fight with?" He already knew, but he had to keep up appearances.

"…Phantom," Valerie was now having a staring contest with the table.

"Him? You've face him a bunch of times. What made this time different? Was it the new powers?" By now, his Ghostly Wail and Ice Powers were public knowledge. So he knew that he would give nothing away.

"Yeah, he used that ice thing, but that was not what turned the edge." Valerie mumbled.

"Huh?" That was what Danny thought was what did it. "Then what was it?"

"It's hard to explain. But I had him cornered for a moment and then he got angry. And then…the pain started. Not physical pain, but emotional pain. For a short time that seemed like an eternity, I was flooded with feelings of despair, grief, and anger. I felt like their was no hope. And-and I just couldn't move. Phantom did not become faster or stronger, I just couldn't bring myself to do anything." Valerie was covering her arms in a protective manner.

'Did I transfer my emotions to her? That's impossible-Wait! I heard about this once, but that would mean that I…' Danny remember a long lecture his dad gave him once. One that stood out above the hundreds of thousands of others.

"So you were overcome with emotion to the point you were paralyzed?" She nodded. "That's like with all those cases of haunted buildings, cemeteries, and what some consider sacred ground. My dad was really serious when he talked about it. He said that while most consider it paranoia, others think that spirits or demons make you feel that way. I think he called it…ghostly presence. It might be like that, but…"

"But what?" Valerie seemed very concerned with what he was saying.

"But you were fighting Phantom not destroying a sacred landmark or anything. This does not make any sense…I can look in my p-parents old books if you want." From her look, Danny understood that Valerie did not miss his stutter when speaking about his parents.

"Thank you." She did not seemed all that relieved, though.

"Your welcome." He paused for a moment, then said, "Val, I know that this probably shook you up, but are you really going to let this stop the Red Huntress? I mean, when you set your mind to something, you never let anything change your mind. I understand if you choose not to continue ghost hunting, it can't be easy (Danny definitely knew this). But I don't think you should stop because of Phantom."

"I've heard your thoughts about the ghost." It was true they talked about it once. The conversation didn't end well.

"Look this is not about my opinion or your opinion. This is about the fact that you have the ability to help people. Now it is your choice about what to do. You can sit back and let Phantom do everything, but that is not the Valerie Gray I know." Danny had conviction in his eyes.

"But Phantom-" Valerie did not get a chance to finish that thought.

"But Phantom nothing. Have you ever noticed how he uses ghost hunting equipment?" Danny hoped that he would not have to put himself out there like this.

"Yeah, he must have stolen them." Valerie said instinctively.

"No, he didn't." Danny's voice was full of conviction.

"How do you know that?" Valerie looked shocked and confused.

Danny knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to say, 'Because I am Danny Phantom." Dear God, he wanted to confess that to her. To tell her the truth, but that could not happen right now. Not now.

"Because I gave them to him." There was no turning back now.

"You gave a ghost ecto-weapons? Let alone, to Phantom?! No wait! How do you even know Phantom?" Valerie said with a hissing whisper. She now looked furious.

"He came out of the ghost portal when it was first activated. I kind of accidentally turned it on, and well, it got crazy after that." That sentence was one hundred percent the truth. Yeah!

"wha-"

"Please, just let me finish, okay?" Valerie gave a slow nod. "I had a freak out moment, but he managed to calm me down and explain that he wasn't going to kill me or anything. And, well, we kind formed a friendship? Not a good one or anything, but I'm not gonna judge someone because of his race or species. And when the ghost attacks started, Phantom decided to stop them. I wanted to help, but I couldn't fight, so I provided him with some weaponry to help him. The rest you can probably figure out for yourself."

Wow, that was a huge heaping bile of bull crap right there!

"…you…you just trusted Phantom your family's inventions. Weren't you concerned that he would abuse them?" Now the confusion was back, but the fury was still far from gone.

"A little. No one is above the corruption of power, but…he saved me from ghosts multiple times. I decided to take a leap of faith. After all, I would trust him with my life." Danny gave a fake grin. Of course he trusted himself with his own life. It would be sad if he didn't.

"But he didn't save your family." Valerie instantly regretted her words.

Danny tried to fight back his look of anger and grief. He truly did. But it still shown through. His lips curled into a frown. His eyebrows curved down into a glare. His hands began to tremble.

"Danny, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" The confusion and anger was now completely gone. In it's place was a look which said, 'Damn I'm an idiot!'.

"Yeah, yeah I know what you meant, but knowing changes nothing. Yes, Phantom failed to save them, but he did stop that thing from going on a rampage. And he wouldn't have been able to do that without the Fenton tech. I don't' regret trusting Phantom with the weapons." Danny place his hands on his face and rubbed his temples. He was trying not to take his bad mood out on Valerie.

'Ung, I need to take a flight soon.' He thought.

"Look, I didn't mean for this to become an argument or a debate or anything. I just think that the Red Huntress can do a lot of good for this town. But I won't judge you if you decide to quit. This is your choice. Just don't let Phantom be apart of the equation. He is not the enemy here." Danny got up to leave. "I'll talk to you later, Val."

"Wait. Danny." Danny stopped walking and turned back.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Really, Skulker? Don't you ever get tired of this?" Danny yelled as he blasted Skulker's missiles out of the air.

"The hunter never tires of the hunt, Whelp!" Skulter grinned as he continued to fire at the young ghost.

"The hunter should learn when its prey is to hard to kill!" Danny shouted when he began toward fly to his most common enemy. This time he dodged the missiles and blasts until he got close enough to Skulter to punch him.

"Ung!" Skulker groaned as he was hit back. "So you admit you're the prey!"

"Only in your weird head, Skulker." The air got cold around Phantom as his ice powers activated. The next blasts coated Skulker's armor is ice. The suit's systems began to shut down and Skulker began to plummet to the ground.

Before he hit the ground, though, Danny used an ectoplasmic powered punch to shatter the suit into pieces.

"Grrr." Despite the suit being in multiple pieces, Skulker could still talk through his suit. "Stupid new power…Just you wait, Whelp! I will find a way to defeat you! Then you will be mounted on my wall!"

"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that. I will always be up to the challenge." Danny then used his Thermos to capture the hunter ghost.

And then the silence was back. The night was calm again.

'Really, that was too easy. My ice powers are incredibly strong. Maybe next time I should limit myself to using a set of powers only. Just to make it more challenging…' Danny thought. He had been training constantly for the past month to not only control his new powers, but also strengthen his old ones. Especially Duplication, that power had a whole world of possibilities. Not only in combat to. Imagine what he could get done if there were four of him.

Danny was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the presence walk up behind him.

"Hehehehe! Now that was entertaining!" Danny turned around immediately. He was ready for a second round.

"Relax! Relax! I was just here for the show. If I wanted to fight, you would already be on the ground bleeding, Phantom." The person speaking was a scrawny looking teenage boy with pale skin. He was wearing a suit and his hair seemed to be pointed up into horns. If that wasn't strange enough, the boy seemed to be carrying a cat.

"Who are you?!" Danny didn't like this guy. His ghost sense hadn't gone off, but his gut was telling him that he was no normal human being.

"Now that is rude. One must introduce oneself before asking for some else's name, eh Phantom?." The boy was grinning from ear to ear.

"…But you already know my name…" Danny didn't let his guard down, but he could help but wonder if this guy was for real.

"Yeah, but it's the principle of the matter!" "Meow!" "Fine, fine I'll get on with this." Did he just talk to his cat?

"My name is Klarion and this is Teekl. Okay are you happy?" "Meow," Okay so he was talking to a cat. That did not get to Danny. Sam used to talk to plants like they were people. No, the unusual part was that the cat was answering the boy.

"Does that cat understand you?" Danny was now curious.

"Of course, Teekl is the smartest cat ever. Period." Klarion held the cat in front of him for emphasis.

"…I am not going to argue with that…Fine, Klarion, what do you want?" Danny said defensively.

"Can't a guy just watch two ghosts duke it out?" Klarion cheekily countered.

"In my experience, no. If you just wanted to watch the fight, you wouldn't have approached me." Danny floated into the air and began to circle the boy.

"Hmm, good point…" Klarion smirked. He didn't turn to look at Phantom as he was circled. He just stared straight ahead.

"…What exactly are you, anyway? Your not a ghost, I can tell. But you are also not human. You seem…to powerful for that." It was true. Despite his skinny appearance, Klarion had power oozing off him in waves.

"Oh! You have good instinct, I will have to remember that. You're right, I'm not a ghost and I'm not a human. I am far above that." Klarion then giggled a little, like there was some joke Danny didn't know.

"Above humans and ghosts…an alien?"

"Nooooooo"

"A meta human?"

"Noooooo"

"…a vampire?"

"Hahahahahahahhahahah! Nope, three strikes, you're out!" Klarion seemed to be having fun at least.

"Then what?" Danny landed ten yards in front of the boy.

"I'll never tell!" Klarion's grin bordered on insanity.

"…All right, so besides annoying me, do you have another reason for being here." Danny was now ready for this conversation to be over.

"Well, I just couldn't stay away any longer. There's just so much…chaos around here. The supernatural activity. The panic. The so called accident. And now the government trying to interfere. It's all just so much fun!" Klarion's eyes turned red.

'How does he know about the Guys in White?' Danny thought. It was true. Recently, the GIW had been trying to hunt down Danny Phantom. They came using new skills and new technology. Each time they failed, of course, but that did seem to stop them. Apparently he was to big of a threat to be left unchecked.

Whatever.

"So, you're here to enjoy the chaos? That makes no sense." Danny was truly perplexed. This was one of the weirdest people he had ever met.

"Really? You seemed to enjoy the little flare of chaos during your fight." Klarion smiled knowingly.

"I won't deny that." Danny glared at the boy. "It was a good stress reliever."

"Hehe, exactly! Chaos take the edge off of everything."

"To an extent, but too much chaos only brings destruction." Danny glared at the other boy.

"Oh, you sound like those killjoys I am forced to work with…I shouldn't have said that…Oh well!" Klarion giggled again.

"Huh? Work with? There are more beings like you?" Danny was trying to get this situation straight.

"Psh! As if! There is no one else in the world quite like me?" Klarion seemed quite proud of that.

"Then what are you talking about?!" Danny's temper was ready to flare up.

"Oh, I am trying to get a riel out of you. From what I can see, the result will be quite fun. I mean it is soooooo rare for such a young ghost to have a Haunting Aura."

"A What?"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! I know something you don't know!" Klarion looked like he wanted to do a little dance. "You know. The thing where a ghost makes others feel what they feel!"

'That's not what Dad called it…' "You mean a ghostly presence." Danny questioned.

"Huh? Oh hey, that is the new term for it… Haunting Aura sounds better though…" Klarion rubbed his chin.

"Okay, now I'm getting a headache." Danny ruffled his hair.

"Hahah! Then my work here is done!" Klarion turned and began to walk away.

"Wait a second! What was the point of this anyway?" Danny yelled after him.

Klarion turned his head to look back at Danny, "The point? The point is you have gained the attention of some very powerful people, Phantom." A portal opened in front of Klarion. It couldn't be a ghost portal, though. It was too…red.

"And soon, you and all ghosts will have to step out into…The Light." Klarion laughed as he stepped into the portal.

Silence. Klarion was gone. Danny was completely confused. There was one thing Danny could say about this situation.

"What just happened?"

It was official. Dani was completely bored. And she did not deal with boredom well. Her bored moments usually ended with something being broken…

Yeah, a lot of stuff was broken over the past month…

It was just that her dad was working in his lab and Danny was out doing something. Probably fighting some ghost. Saving people. Being awesome… Shut up she totally wasn't jealous!

Dani had already asked Danny and her Dad if she could go out and fight. Her dad gave an immediate no. And Danny told her that she was too young and inexperienced. That was rich coming from a teenage boy.

"What to do? What to do? What do you think, Cujo?" She asked the sleeping ghost dog. His leg twitched for a second, but he didn't move beside that.

"Sigh…You're no fun…" Dani mumbled.

A few weeks a go, the little dog came into the house and started to run around the manor. Danny and Vlad spent a good five minutes trying to stop the ghost dog. It was hilarious and Dani instantly fell in love with the cute puppy.

A few pleases and a two pairs of puppy dog eyes later, Cujo was there to stay. Really, Danny and Vlad stood no chance. A puppy and a little girl, what person could say no to that?

"Ugn…" Dani groaned as she flopped onto the couch. "Maybe I should have some target practice."

"I don't think Vlad will like that." a voice called from the living room entrance.

"Danny!" Dani called out to her older brother. "Where have you been! I was getting soooooo bored."

"Sorry, Danielle, I was busy." He seemed tired. "It's been a long day." Danny in human form groaned as he slid into a leather chair. The entire living room screamed luxury. There were three leather chairs, a large couch that was longer than a school busy, an imported Italian carpet, and a burning fireplace. It was obvious who picked out the furniture.

"What happened?" Dani floated over to her brother.

"…I just had some unpleasant meetings today. An ex-girlfriend, a terrible hunter, and the weirdest person I have ever met." Danny rubbed his eyes.

"Wow, I didn't know you had a girlfriend." Dani was surprised. She never imagined Danny dating before.

"Of course, that's what you got out of that…Yeah, I had a girlfriend, but she dumped me." Danny looked really tired.

"Oh…did she dump you because you were a bad kisser?" Dani grinned.

"What! No!" Danny stood up in anger as Dani laughed in mid air. "She dumped me because… because she was a ghost hunter and-" He was cut off.

"She figured out your identity?" Danielle interrupted him.

"No, she was too interested in hunting Phantom to pay attention to Fenton." Danny sat back down.

"Oh…Sorry" Dani looked down ashamed.

"Forget about it." Danny mumbled.

There would have been an awkward silence there, but luckily, it was interrupted.

"Oh Daniel, I didn't know you returned." The secret entrance to the lab opened and Vlad stepped out. "I trust your meeting went well."

"Yeah, I think she's gonna get back in the game." Danny sat up straight to look at his mentor.

"Excellent! That leaves you free to go to the Holiday party in Metropolis." Vlad grinned.

"The one being thrown by Lex Luthor?" Danny questioned.

"That's the one." Vlad walked over the end of the couch and slid into a seat. His hand reached out and began to pet Cujo

"Yeah, with Val holding down the fort, I will be able to go. Not that I really want to mind you." Danny groaned. The whole thing sounded boring to Danny. A bunch of rich dudes bragging to each other. Yeah that seemed like fun.

"Can I go?" Dani floated over to her father.

"Yes, child. All of your papers are finished. Now no one will question how you came to exist." Luckily, money could make almost anything happen. Even the forgery of birth documents and social security numbers.

"Yes! Finally! I was getting tired of being stuck in the house!" Dani cheered.

"Yes, now you get to go to a boring party and eventually go to school. Good for you." Sarcasm rolled of Danny's voice.

"Don't be a kill joy, Danny!" Danielle yelled.

"I'm your older sibling. It's my job to be your kill joy." Danny smirked.

"Now, now children, don't start fighting," Vlad said, even though he was clearly amused by his young charges. "You should save your energy for training."

"I don't know whether to groan in agony or cheer for joy…" Dani mumbled.

"Alright, Vlad," Danny stated as he stood up. "Let's get started then. Are we working on duplication again? Or are we gonna try energy shaping again?"

Danny didn't give Vlad a chance to answer the question, however. "Oh Wait! I almost forgot to ask you something."

"Hmmm…" That was unusual. Danny rarely interrupted the training for anything other than a ghost attack. "What is it?"

"Have you ever heard of a guy named Klarion?" Danny saw Vlad's reaction immediately.

Vlad paled. He seemed both shocked and horrified. "Where did you here that name, Daniel?"

"Some weird guy with a bad suit and an ugly cat said that was his name." Danny said.

"The Witch Boy…" Danny heard Vlad whisper.

Dani was now officially intrigued. Her dad never acted like this.

"Who is he, Dad?" Dani questioned her father.

"He…is not the type of person you should associate with. His purpose in life is to cause chaos. No plans. No reason. Just chaos… If he is interested in you… What else did he say?" Vlad looked very concerned about this situation.

"Ummm… something about ghosts bringing chaos…panic and chaos…cats and chaos…and oh yeah, he mentioned that I have a ghostly presence er... Haunting Aura." Danny finished.

"…a Haunting Aura? What's that?" Dani asked.

"It is an incredibly rare ability some ghosts have. A ghost with this power can bring men to their knees with just emotions. I have this ability also, but I try not to use it because it draws a lot of attention." Vlad stood up and moved over to the fire.

"Why is it so rare?" Dani asked. Danny was watching his mentor carefully.

"…A ghost needs to have a certain level of power and strong emotions to use it. This ability is a defining factor really…it separates regular ghosts from the S-rank ghost."

"S-rank?!" Dani did not understand what that was. Danny did, however. He knew how serious an S-rank ghost should be taken

"An S-rank ghost is a ghost which has an incredible amount of power." Danny remember a lecture his mom told him a few years ago. "They rarely ever come out of the Ghost Zone, but when they do the other ghosts flee in terror… I actually fought three before: Vlad, the Fright Knight, and Pariah Dark."

Actually, Danny had fought one more. Dark Dan. The one ghost that made other S-rank ghosts almost look like weaklings. From what he learned in the alternate future, Danny knew that Dark Dan either hunted down, imprisoned, or recruited all of the S-rank ghosts. It was just one more terrifying thing Danny's alternate future self did.

"None of them used a Haunting Aura, though." Danny rubbed his chin in thought.

"Well, I don't like to use it because it draws too much attention. The Fright Knight prefers to fight up close and personal. And Pariah Dark was too proud to use it against a ghost that barely had any battle experience." Vlad stated.

"Good point…" Danny agreed with Vlad.

Then there was silence. All the half-ghosts were left to their thoughts. Well, until the tense silence was broken that is.

CRASH!

"Danielle!" Vlad yelled.

"Sorry! I got bored! Don't worry, I'll clean it up!" She yelled back. She didn't seem nervous about it, though. Dani had Vlad rapped around her little finger.

"You have the shortest attention span ever…alright I guess this is just another thing I have to train." Danny gained a look of conviction.

"Yes, lets get starte-" "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Vlad was interrupted by Tucker's…Danny's PDA.

Danny pulled out the device and looked at it. "There's a ghost attack happening in town…The news says that some ghost is freezing stuff and asking everyone to be his friend…God have mercy." Danny groaned.

Vlad sighed, "Fine go and do that hero thing you like to do…but be ready for training when you get back."

"You got it!" Danny transformed and flew up to the ceiling, ready to go fight the ghost.

"Can I go?" Dani yelled/asked.

"No!" Both Vlad and Danny yelled.

"Awwwwwwwwwwww"

There were five words Danny always dreaded hearing. Five simple words that made Danny want to scream and bang his head against a wall. And as he flew toward the ghost "attack," he knew for sure that he was going to hear them again.

"Will you be my friend?" Klemper asked a random pedestrian who, like everyone else, was fleeing in terror.

"Klemper!" Danny called to the blond ghost.

Klemper turned and smiled at the young halfa. Unlike other ghost, Klemper did not have bad intentions for people. He was merely looking for a friend. His clingy personality, however, made everyone around him uncomfortable and caused them to leave. Danny did feel a bit of pity for the ghost, but the annoyance factor killed it.

"Phantom! I knew you'd come if I drew enough attention!" Klemper's slurred voice answered Danny.

"You…wanted me to come?" That was unusual the only time a ghost wanted Danny's attention was when they were trying to, you know, kill him.

"Yes! I heard that you have ice powers just like me! That means that we can be really good friends!" Klemper attempted to hug Danny, but the halfa just dodged the blond ghost.

"I'm not looking for any friends right now, Klemper. Go back to the Ghost Zone." Danny ordered.

"No! Everyone there is mean! I just want a friend, and we can be best friends! And if I go back to the Ghost Zone, then we can't be friends!" Klemper's logic was true, very weird mind you, but true.

"I'm not the type of person you would want as a friend, Klemper. A lot of ghosts want me gone. Being my friend would just get you killed." Danny tried to reason with the ghost.

"There is no danger here that isn't in the Ghost Zone." That was actually a great argument.

"Look, I don't have time to look after you and keep you out of trouble. Go home, now." Danny once again ordered the blond ghost.

"But I could help yo-" Klemper was cut off.

"I don't need help! I will be fine fighting on my own! Now go away!" Danny yelled at Klemper.

"…no…" Klemper mumbled.

"What!" Danny didn't hear what the ghost mumbled.

"I said NO!" The temperature around the two ghost dropped significantly. "I'm tired of mean people bossing me around! You're not my friend and that makes you my enemy!"

Klemper fired freezing blasts at Phantom. For a moment, Danny was shocked. Klemper never acted like this before. The shock quickly wore of, though, and Danny sprung into action.

Phantom dodged the blasts and fired some regular ectoplasmic blasts at Klemper. A wall of snow rose up to protect Klemper. The blasts didn't even cause the snow to melt a little.

The snow wall changed shaped as Klemper commanded it to rise above him. Klemper raised his arms above his head and clapped his hands together. After the clap, the snow formed a giant snowball and with a fling of Klemper's arms, it was thrown at Phantom.

Danny couldn't dodge this one. It would cause massive damage to the building behind him, and, more importantly, it might hurt someone.

Knowing that his ice powers could not match up to Klemper's, yet, Danny decided to use the old fashioned way. He coated both his arms in ectoplasm and used the power up to do a double punch at the snowball.

The hit did not stop the snow ball at first. Danny was pushed back about ten meters, before he finally over came the attack. With a large shout, Danny blasted ectoplasm into the giant attack and caused the ball to explode.

Luckily, Danny's powers gave him a high tolerance, almost immunity, to these type of attacks. His arms hurt like crap, now, but he wasn't frozen. The same could not be said for the ground, though. The attack had caused the ground between Klemper and Danny to be completely frozen. It probably won't freeze for a while, too.

'Okay, looks like distance fighting isn't going to end well. That means I need to get up close and personal.' Danny then shot forward to his opponent. The gap was closed in an instant, but Danny forgot something important. Klemper was a hugger.

The bear hug Danny was but in felt like being crushed by a cobra. Danny groaned in pain as Klemper tried to break his arms and ribs.

Without his arms, Danny resorted to a more… base attack. The almighty head but slammed into Klemper's nose three times before he let go.

"Augh!" Klemper cried out in pain as he hold his face.

Now free from the hug of death, Danny brought his right fist back and punched square in the gut. Klemper flew backwards a dizzying speeds. After his trip, he landed about twenty feet away.

As Klemper groaned on the ground in pain, Danny collected himself. 'Okay, maybe limiting what powers I use is a bad idea. I definitely prefer dominating.'

Danny then began to walk toward the fallen ghost. He pulled out the Thermos and was prepared to capture the blond ghost when he heard the ghost's sobbing.

"Sob…I…sniff…just want…sob… one friend…" Klemper cried.

After hearing this, Danny lowered the Thermos. This was not right.

The poor blond ghost looked so familiar. It reminded Danny of someone familiar. It reminded Danny of himself.

Memory sequence begin

"What's the matter freak? Do you want your mommy?" A boy who was a lot larger than Danny taunted as he kicked the boy on the ground. The boy's group of friends were all laughing. They took great joy in the second grader's pain.

"Please, stop. I didn't do anything." Danny cried. His side hurt a lot. He didn't know it, but one of his ribs was broken.

"My dad says that your whole family is a bunch of freaks. And that all of you should get out of our town. I hope this gives you some motivation." The boy kicked Danny again.

Tears ran down Danny's face. He was just glad that Tucker wasn't here. He didn't want his only friend to get hurt because of him.

To lesson the pain, Danny curled up into a ball. As he did so, Danny prayed to God that this torture would end soon.

"Yeah freak you just keep cryin-Ack!" The taunt was interrupted by a cry of pain. Danny didn't know what happened. He was too scared to look up.

The next minute was filled with shouts of anger and pain. Most of them were from the bullies, but some of them sounded… female.

Soon the sound shifted to one of many people running away and a loud shout of, "And don't even think about coming back, you pansies!"

Danny stilled laid there and didn't move. The pain in his side and from all of his other bruises was too much for the young child. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey, are you okay?" A gentle voice asked him.

Slowly, Danny lifted his head. The girl in front of him had dark hair and was dressed in a black sweater and old jeans. She seemed a little hurt and looked like she would get a black eye soon. But she still had a smile on her face.

"Ye-yeah," Danny meekly lied. His side really hurt.

"What's your name," The girl asked.

"Ummm…" Danny didn't know what to say.

"Well, Ummm, my name is Sam."

Memory sequence end

That was the first time Danny ever met Sam. It was also the first time anyone had stood up for him like that. He remembered what it was like to be the guy no one wanted around. To be the one in desperate need of a friend.

Danny looked down at the Thermos in his hand. He quickly put the cap back on the ghost container. Then, he let the Thermos to fall to the ground.

After the Thermos settled on the ground, Klemper looked up at Danny. He seemed surprised.

"I have a set of rules for you," Danny stated.

"Huh?" Klemper looked very confused.

"One: I don't do hugs and I will need a personal space bubble of at least one foot. Two: if I am ever asleep, you better not wake me up, unless it is an emergency. Three: If I ask for time alone, that means I need time alone. And four: If we ever end up in a fight with someone else, you will do what I say, when I say it." Danny listed his rules.

"Does… does that mean." Klemper's tears were now of joy.

"Yes Klemper, I will be your friend."