Chapter 5: Holidays

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Christmas is a holiday that persecutes the lonely, the frayed,

and the rejected." Jimmy Cannon

Chapter 5: "Holidays"

(Tuesday-December 22, 2009)

Lex Luthor's holiday party had three distinct types of guests.

One group was made up the richest and most powerful people in the world. They all were dressed in the finest, most expensive clothing money could by. Each one of them were making small talk in groups of three to seven. Most likely, they were all bragging about their achievements of the year and the various plans they had for the next year.

The second group was the media. Reporters and journalists were all here to try and find the story that could make a career. It all looked kind of sad, though. The journalists were all trying to interview the other guests, only to be rejected and sent away. Then the reporters would sulk for a little and then approach another group of guests. It was a vicious (albeit hilarious) cycle.

Then there was last smallest group. The children were all spread around the room. Their parents and/or guardians were keeping them close to help brag to the children's achievements as if they were their own. Every single of those poor children looked bored to death.

And, of course, Danielle Masters was apart of this sad group of individuals.

"…of course it was a surprise, but what a grand surprise it was indeed. To find out that I have a daughter was the greatest gift I could ask for. Her mother, God rest her soul, never told me about Danielle. It was a short relationship, but…" Vlad had told this same exact story six times.

Six excruciatingly painful terrible stories that Dani had been forced to listen to.

"Um, Dad, I kind of have to go to the bathroom." Dani tried to get away from her father.

"Of course, my dear. As I was saying…" Dani ran away as fast as she could. She could have run faster, but the stupid, God-forsaken, black dress she had to wear was slowing her down.

"Having fun, Dani?" Danny was leaning against the wall. He, unlike Dani, had managed to avoid the press and the crowds.

"No! This whole thing can be summed up in two words, 'This sucks'!" Dani rated to her older brother.

"I hate to say this, but I told you so," Danny smirked into his cup of punch.

"Oh shut up. It's bad enough that I almost died of boredom six times tonight. I don't need you reminding me about it." Dani pouted. The worst part of it was being next to her dad for so long had stopped her from quelling her boredom in her usual way. Breaking something.

"Well, I did try to warn you about this sort of thing. The adults get all sentimental and sappy during these parties. There is little chance for escape. But no, you just had to ignore my warning and rush into the crowds." Danny reminded his clone. "No one listens to poor Danny Fenton…"

"Sigh…Okay I get it. How do you know so much about these things?" Dani asked.

"While my parents were not the most popular people ever, they never stopped trying to make friends. They always dragged me and Jazz to these stupid parties and tried to mingle. They failed, we were miserable, and it somehow always ended in disaster… I always hated those times. I wished they would stop, but now…" Danny's cheerful mask that he spent a lot of time developing slipped. His eyes went dead and his face fell into a frown.

The look only lasted for a few seconds, but it was still a terrible thing to see. Dani hated seeing her big brother/idol look so… vulnerable. Dani said nothing about the look, of course. Out of respect and love for her older sibling.

"So you have experience on avoiding these crazy people?" Dani tried to bring Danny back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You just have to know the cycle. Move when they're all laughing. They can't see you when they laugh with their eyes closed." Danny point over to the various groups of people laughing.

"Ugn. I don't think I will be able to move fast enough in this stupid thing." Dani gestured at her dress. The black dress was made of silk. It seemed to flow into a folded pattern until it ended slightly below her knees. Even Danny had to admit it, she looked cute. Miserable, but cute nonetheless.

…Was it weird that he called his younger female clone cute?…Naw…well…naw…Okay it is a little…

"At least you can breathe. This stupid tie has been choking me for hours." Danny once again messed with his tie. "I hate wearing suits."

"You get used to it." a young voice said behind Danny.

Dani looked to say who was talking and instantly blushed. The voice belong to a boy only a few years older that she was. He had his dark hair sleeked back and his eyes shined with mischievous. He was dressing in a dark suit and Dani could that he was athletic.

Dani had developed her first crush, in about 0.5 seconds. If Danny knew, he probably would have been defensive of his adopted little sister. He was called clueless for a reason, though…

"It rude to eavesdrop, dude. Especially with people you never met before." Danny commented to the boy. He was just glad they didn't say anything ghost related.

"Sorry, I just couldn't stand listening to all the boring grown ups anymore. My name Richard Grayson, but everyone calls me Dick." the boy grinned at the two.

"Hey, Dick, I'm Danny and this is Danielle. It's weird, I know, but you get used to it." Danny looked over at Dani and saw that she looked a little red. "You okay, Danielle? You look a little sick."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. In fact, I'm great. It's so nice to meat you, Dick." Dani gave Dick a small shy smile.

"The pleasure is mine." Dick gave her his own smile.

"Ehh…" Danny was now getting a bad vibe. His big brother instincts were now kicking in. Not even he was that clueless. "So, Dick?" Danny stepped in-between Dani and Dick. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah, I just needed a distraction from my boredom. For such a high class party, this has got to be one of the most boring events of the year." Dick gestured around the room.

"Well, you have a point there. I've seen for liveliness in a graveyard- Dani! Put down the vase." Danny turned to see his clone playing with a vase.

"Sorry, I was just looking." Dani looked sheepish.

"Yeah, right. I bet you were trying to practice your juggling." Danny sighed. " Anyway, Dick…Where'd he go?"

It was true. The young boy had disappeared. Danny didn't even hear his footsteps. He could have sworn that he heard light laughter, though…weird.

"Awww. I wanted to talk to him some more." She didn't notice when Danny twitched. "Oh, I just realized something." Dani gained a look of remembrance.

"What?" Danny questioned.

"I wasn't lying when I told Dad that I have to go to the bathroom." She ran away as fast as her dress would allow her. Behind her, Danny was laughing.

'Stupid older brother,' Dani thought.

Danny could hardly hold back his laughter. There were few things these days that could make Danny this happy. His adopted sister was one of them.

"Glad to see the younger generation is enjoying my party." Unlike Dick, this voice did not surprise Danny. He was expecting this man to talk to him eventually. The only question was when.

Obviously the time was now…

"Oh Mr. Luthor, I didn't see you there." Danny answered the taller man.

Lex Luthor was what Danny had always thought what business men would look like. He was dressed in the finest clothes money could buy. His face and his head were both completely shave (or he was bald, but even Danny had enough tact not to ask about that). He stood tall and confident. This man believed he owned the world, and with his money, he was as close as any business man could…well without war, genocide, and mass chaos, of course.

Next to the man was a young woman. She was a cute girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. Her suit dress hugged her curves well, too. In all, she was very good looking. The lack of emotion in her eyes and face creped Danny out a little, though. The girl almost seemed like a robot.

"Don't worry about it young man. I am always glad to see my guests entertained. You have left me at a disadvantage, though. You know my name and I do not know yours." Luthor's voice was calm and polite. It was clear that he always chose his words carefully, even when he was talking to a teenager.

"Oh right, my name is Danny Fenton. It's nice to meet you Mr. Luthor." Danny was sure that Luthor knew who Danny was. With all the press Amity Park has gotten, someone would have to live under a rock to not know the details of the Nasty Burger Incident.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Fenton." Luthor extended his hand and Danny shook it. "I must say that when I heard that Vlad had took not only one but two children into his home, I was more than a little surprised. He never seemed like the father type."

"You know Vlad?" Danny was not really surprised that two of world's richest men knew each other. He was more surprise by the use of Vlad's first name. Were they friends?

"Ah yes, we worked together on several different projects over the years. He has a good sense for business. Virtually all of his investments have turned a profit." Luthor smiled.

"Yeah…" Danny knew about that. Vlad had mentioned how he used his powers to help… ensure a prophet. He didn't do it so much anymore, though. He had several investors to help bring in money now.

"His story is truly inspiration if you think about it. Man in a tragic accident rises like a phoenix. He goes from a former science major with a terrible illness to the man who was named billionaire of the year. A true American story, don't you think." The billionaire stared down at the boy.

"Heh, yep. It sure is." Minus the whole gaining super powers thing, of course. That rarely happens.

"We never know how our stories will be told in the end though, do we? That is for the future generations to decide." Luthor had to be going somewhere with this.

"Umm…" Danny did not know how to respond to that.

"How will Lex Luthor be portrayed in the future. Will I be remember for my accomplishments, or my failures?" Luthor gestured to himself. "And what about you? Will be remembered as the boy who let a terrible accident ruin him or will you be remembered as the man who did what was necessary to avenge your family?"

"What are you suggesting, Mr. Luthor?" Danny's eyes hardened. He had expected this conversation to turn this direction. But that did not give Luthor the right to talk about his family.

"Just think about it, Mr. Fenton. If you allow me, I can take your family's inventions and mass produce them. They can be used to stop not only the ghosts from terrorizing the people, but also to protect America." Luthor offered the young man.

"Mr. Luthor, I-" Danny was cut off.

"Wait, young Daniel, just hear me out." Luthor waited for Danny to nod then continued, "Your weapons can do great things for many people. They can stop ghost attacks. They can help protect our homes. They can help bring our armed forces home safely. They can help put America where she belongs. On top." Mr. Luthor was really good with words.

For a moment, Danny actually thought about agreeing with the man. He could help save hundreds of lives by giving the man the key to ectoplasmic weaponry. Not only that, his weapons would give American an edge not seen since the first nuclear bomb was used in World War 2. This sounded very compelling to Danny.

But he then realized what he was talking about. This was Lex Luthor. He would not help America. He would help only himself. Fenton weaponry would be sold to every country rich enough to buy them. The world would be pushed into a mass arms race. And it would be all Danny's fault.

"Wow…you almost had me there. To compel to my patriotism…that's a low blow, Mr. Luthor. Even I who knows nothing about politics know that you aren't exactly on the up and up on everything. No deal, Mr. Luthor. I won't sell my family's inventions to anyone. My parent's inventions are going to stay buried with them." Danny stated.

"What about yours?" Luthor asked.

"Huh?" Was Danny's intelligent response.

"You are making your own ectoplasm weaponry, are you not?" This was more of a statement than a question.

"You do realize that I'm fourteen right?" Danny diverted the question.

"What's your point? I was working with engines when I was your age. Built them from scratch, too. Age does not equal capability." Luthor argued.

"You're a genius. I'm a below-average underachiever. That's not really a good comparison." Danny had a very good argument.

"So you were lazy. Now, you have something to drive you. I can see it, too. I see the potential in your eyes, young man. You are the type of person who can change the world if you want. Now with the proper motivation, you will. And you are starting by carrying on you parent's legacy and inventing your own ectoplasmic equipment." Luthor gave Danny a knowing look.

"…What's your point?…" Danny gave up on denying the truth.

"You said that you won't sell your parent's inventions. What about yours?" Luthor smirked at the young man.

"The answer is still no." Danny glared at the businessman.

"Oh well, I tried. You should know, though. Other people will not be as kind as I was when asking you." Luthor smiled.

"What do-" "Mr. Luthor! Mr. Fenton!" A shout interrupted Danny. Damn it, the media had found him.

"Excuse me, you two, but I am Lois Lane with the Daily Planet. Does this meeting mean anything? Are you two discussing the possible business partnership between Lexcorp and Fenton Works? Mr. Fenton, are you planning on selling Fenton Works?" A beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes immediately went into her questions.

"Wha?" Danny was flabbergasted.

"Miss Lane, good to see you, but there is no business being conducted here. I was merely talking with my guest." Luthor kept his cool.

"Yeah…I don't buy it, Lex. You always have an agenda." Lois Lane turned to Danny. "You didn't answer my questions. What are your plans for Fenton works? As the last of your family, do you believe it is now your responsibility to hunt ghosts? In fact, how are you dealing with your loss and-" Thankfully she was stopped before Danny lost his temper.

"Lois! What are you doing?!" A tall man walked over to them. The man was dressed in a suit and had on a pair of glasses. He seemed like he would usually be somewhat of a meek person, but now he seemed angry.

"Clark, I was just-" "You were harassing this young man, Louis. Do you have any sense of tack? Rudely interrogating a survivor of a terrible accident as if he was a convicted criminal. Have a heart, Lois." The man's glare looked like it could melt steal.

If only Danny knew how right that statement was.

"Look Smallville, I was just trying to…sigh…you're right. I'm sorry, Mr. Fenton. I was just trying to stress the importance of this issue." Lois apologized.

"I understand, Miss Lane. And I hope you understand when I say, 'I have nothing to say to you'. Goodbye." Danny turned to Luthor and was about to say good bye to him as well, when Lois spoke up again.

"Wait! I know I might have come off rude, but the public still has a right to know! What are your plans for Fenton Work?" Lois asked.

"No comment," Danny stated.

"Lois, maybe we shou-" "No Clark, this has to be done," Lois glared at Clark for a moment. He sighed and turned to the younger man.

"Sorry Mr. Fenton, Mr. Luthor, could we please have a few minutes of your time." Clark rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, Mr. Kent. The only reporter I know with actual manners. Of course, I can talk to you, but my young friend here…" Luthor stopped and looked at Danny.

"Has better things to do than be harassed by the media. Goodbye, Mr. Luther." Danny turned to the male reporter and nodded. "Mr. Kent." He turned to the female reporter and scowled. "Miss Lane."

Danny then turned to leave. Lois did not let up, though. She followed after him and began to ask more questions.

"I am sorry, Mr. Fenton, but please could I have just one quote?" Louis inquired.

Danny did not stop walking. "Yeah, here's your quote. 'The media sucks'."

"Oh come one where's your Christmas spirit?" Lois used the holiday trick.

"Bah humbug." Danny was never really a fan of the holidays.

"Well, fine, then. I will just-" "Wow Lane, it takes talent to make a teenage guy run away from a woman. You haven't lost that feminine charm of yours at all." Danny froze. He knew that voice.

"Oh, if it isn't Chin. I didn't realize they let has-been reporters in this party." Lois glared at the Asian woman.

Danny turned and saw Harriet Chin. The female reporter that once tried to run a story about his dad and ghosts. She was quickly fired after that event and, of course, she blamed Danny's dad. It looked like she was now back on the scene.

Danny hoped she didn't hold any grudges against him.

"Better a has-been than a wannabe, Lane. At least, I made a contribution to society rather than you giving the same 'Superman Saves the Day' headline." Harriet smirked at the other woman.

"Oh, you mock my stories and yet I was the one who didn't have to screw someone to get in here. Come on Chin, tell me. To get into this party, who exactly did you have to f-" "Whoa, Ladies! I think this is going a bit too far." Clark stepped in between the two woman.

"And the boy toy is here too. Fantastic. At least you're around to keep Louis out of trouble." The fight would have continued, but Danny decided to step in.

"Harriet Chin?" The group of adults turned to Danny. They seemed to have forgotten that he was there. "You went to college with my parents right?"

"Danny! It's good to see you again. I-I'm glad that your safe." Harriet looked incredibly sad.

"I'm glad to see that your career wasn't completely ruined after the Wisconsin Ghost thing," Danny commented.

"Yes, well after what happened in Amity Park, it wasn't too hard to find a job. Every tabloid, newspaper, and television network was looking for any reporter with a ghost story. And considering mine involved your parents, well…" She trailed off.

"Wait, you know each other?" Lois seemed angry about that.

"Kind of…" Harriet answered.

"Well, just because you were his parents' friends doesn't mean you can just come in and steal my story," Lois ranted.

Before another cat fight could ensue, Clark stepped in. "Lois, I think we should let this one go."

"But Clark!"

"Lois…"

"…Fine, let's go." Before they walked off, Lois sent one last glare at Harriet. Harriet just smiled.

"…So Harriet, how have you been?" Danny awkwardly asked.

"Fine, I've been holding up, but what about you? I know that this had to be terrible for you." Harriet looked very concerned.

"More than you can ever imagine…" Danny kept a neutral mask on his face.

"…Look, I am so…sorry about what happened in Wisconsin. I was mad about being fired and I just…I just took it out on your dad. And he just stood there and let me yell at him…I always regretted it, but now….now I can't get it out of my head. It wasn't his fault. He didn't force me to write that story. He may have not had the most tact, but he always cared about the people around him and now…and now…" Harriet looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"He forgave you." She turned so fast her neck popped. "Sure he griped for a little bit, but that was it. He never thought badly of you. That was the type of person he was. He forgave you without a second thought."

"…Thank you. I-I needed to hear that…" She dabbed her eyes with a hand kerchief.

"Hey, I have a Christmas present that might cheer you up." Danny rubbed his head.

"What?" Harriet questioned.

"How would you like the first ever exclusive with the only surviving Fenton?"

As the two talked they didn't notice Luthor open his phone to make a call. "Yes, its me...I tried to reason with him, but he said no...yes, plan B it is then... I'll make sure they get in without any trouble... oh, don't worry the whole point is publicity not success...He just went through a tragic accident, of course he has a weapon on him...Yes, the big blue boyscout will be out of the way...make sure to tell them not to kill anyone important, we might need them for the future...Yes, goodbye."

He turned to the girl beside him. "Let's retreat to somewhere more quite, Mercy."

Dani laughed softly as she followed her adopted brother's (really genetic father, but that was too weird for Dani to think about) advise. It really seemed to be working. The boring adults laughed a lot, too. Moving around the room was easy if you know how.

The best part was that Danny seemed to be stuck in some conversation with Lex Luthor and some reporters. Serves him right. Laugh at her will he. Psh! No one is aloud to laugh at Danielle Masters! Karma would not allow it!

So, Dani made her way over the dessert table very carefully. Her goal: pumpkin pie. Mmmm pumpkin pie…. Focus, Danielle! Focus!

Unfortunately for Dani, her cover was broken. Unlike most guests, Vlad was very observant, especially when it involved his daughter. So spotting Danielle out of the crowd was not to difficult for Vlad. Especially considering the fact that Dani was, in fact, visible at the moment.

"Danielle! You must come over and meet some of my associates!" Vlad called to his adopted daughter.

'Drat, foiled again!' Dani cried mentally. The pie would have to wait for now.

"Oh hey, Dad. Didn't see you there…" Danielle pouted mentally. She didn't want to be bored again.

"Yes, it is quite hard to see through this crowd," Vlad was still painfully clueless about his daughter's disappointment. "But I'm glad you made it back her for this. Danielle, I would like you to meet some of the best business men in the world. Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen."

Both men Vlad introduced were tall, well-built men wearing expensive suits. The former of the two had sleeked-back black hair and brown eyes. The later had short blond hair along with a beard and mustache and sharp blue eyes. Dani thought both of them were handsome, but that was not what struck her. What struck her were their names.

"Wait, you mean the Bruce Wayne and the Oliver Queen? You never told me that you know them!" Dani looked up to her father.

Vlad shrugged. "It never came up before."

Everyone in the world knew about these two billionaires. Bruce Wayne is a known playboy and eccentric spender. Most people assumed that it had to do with the loss of his two parents as a child. He saw them murdered in cold blood. When Dani looked into the man's eyes, she could see the same look that she saw in Danny's eyes everyday. The eyes of someone who is in constant emotional pain.

Oliver Queen also had a darker past. He was the sole survivor of a terrible boat crash. For many years, he was stranded on an island that many called hell on earth. He survived, that was for sure. But many questioned what that time as a survivor in solitude for so much time did to the man's mind. When Dani looked at this man's body language, she saw a hidden paranoia that came from being in constant danger for such a long period of time. It was hidden well, but Dani could see it. Just like she could see Danny's hidden paranoia of ghost attacks from time to time.

"So this is the famous Danielle Masters. Your father hasn't stopped talking about you since he got here, you know. Good to finally meet you, young lady." Bruce smiled down at the young girl.

"Oh, nice to meet you too, Mr. Wayne." Danielle smiled back.

"Hard to believe that you have such a cute daughter, Vlad. She must take after her mother." Oliver laughed. He seemed like the joking type. Dani liked him instantly.

"That's rude of you, Oliver. Ignoring a young girl like that." A voice said behind Oliver.

The person who was behind Oliver was a young man. He had short red hair and blue eyes. Unlike Oliver, this guy had a stance which said that he took everything a little too seriously. Maybe not in a bad way, but still…

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that Danielle. I get distracted sometimes." Oliver smiled apologetically.

The red haired boy snorted. "Sometimes? You once spent five minutes staring at a couple of squirrels. It's a wonder that Dinah hasn't dumped you to the curb, yet."

"Hey! Don't make me loose face here, Roy! Besides the squirrel's were fighting! Even Dinah thought they were funny!"

"Yeah, whatever…" The now identified Roy turned to Danielle. "My names Roy Harper, by the way. You'll have to forgive my friend. He has a tendicy to put his foot in his mouth, but he means well." He then reached out to shake her hand.

Dani was no longer bored. A handsome older guy was paying attention to her. As she shook the young man's hand, she said, "Y-yeah, don't worry about it. I have to live with Danny Fenton. He is the king of putting his foot in his mouth."

"That reminds me. Danielle, have you seen Daniel anywhere. I haven't seen him since the party began." Vlad asked his daughter.

"Weeellll, my name might not be Danielle, but I saw Danny Fenton having a friendly conversation with a reporter only a few minutes ago." The voice of Dick Grayson answered. Vlad's question.

As Dick walked over to them, Danielle smiled. She definitely wasn't bored anymore.

"A reporter? Daniel hates everything about the media. He would never talk to a reporter he didn't know." Vlad rubbed his chin.

"They did seem to know each other, though. Maybe she was an old friend of the family?" Dick reasoned.

"Hmm… perhaps…Anyway, how have you been, Richard. Bruce here told me how you won another award in gymnastics." Vlad questioned his younger associate.

"Fine, Mr. Masters. The award wasn't that hard to get actually. The competition sucked." Dick commented.

"Dick…" Bruce gave his adopted son a look.

"…Sorry, Bruce…I meant to say that they all did great and it was an honor to compete against them…happy?" Dick looked up at Bruce.

"Yes…yes I am." Bruce smiled.

As the adults and almost adult talked, Dani walked over to Dick and whispered, "Why did you disappear on us before?"

"Sorry, I didn't want to deal with Lex Luthor," Dick gave an apologetic smile.

"Why?" Dani was curious.

"...Weird family issuess...It's hard to explain." Dick rubbed the back of his neck.

Dani glanced over at her father, "I totally understand..."

The conversation continued for almost an hour. Each person spoke of his/her goals for the coming year. Most of the comments were simple and politically correct. None of them talked about their true goals for the coming year. To do so would be to reveal their deepest secrets to the other people in the group.

Partway through the conversation, there was announcement over the television above the bar that there was a fire raging in multiple buildings in the city. A few minutes later, Superman arrived and began to help the people exit the burning building. No one was really surprised by this, but several commented on it.

"Same as always…"

"As if there was any doubt…"

"That is awesome. Go Superman!"

"…the kryptonian…"

The comments soon died down, however, and people go on with their previous conversations. No like anything new was happening. Well… at least until…

A scream ran through the room as several gunshots sounded through the air. Everyone dropped to the ground. There were several thugs in ski masks holding automatic rifles. Fortunately, they only shot into the air. They were merely trying to gain the attention of everyone in the room, not kill anyone.

Not yet, anyway.

Danny thought that he would regret giving Harriet an interview. Luckily he was wrong. During the entire interview, she was polite and civil with her questions. When Danny was either vague or refused to answer a question, Harriet did not press the issue. In all, it was a rather pleasant experience for someone who had a personal vendetta against the media and propaganda.

"…I mean, I'm just fourteen. Vlad may have allowed me to be completely in charge of my family's estate, but that doesn't mean I'll do anything with it. For now, Fenton Works is completely shut down. I will not sell any type of ectoplasmic technology to anyone." Danny finished.

"What about the rumors that the Justice League has recruited your services in developing ghost fighting strategies?" Harriet asked.

"The only reason the Justice League ever contacted me was to ask me questions about the Nasty Burger Incident. I have in no way ever given the Justice League any ghost hunting equipment." Notice that he spoke for the whole League. The Batman was not the League, only a member.

"And I think that's all…Thank you Danny. This story can help me get my career up and kicking again." Harriet gave Danny a grateful smile.

"No problem. It was nice talk with a reporter that doesn't twist my words." Danny returned the smile.

"Heh… I bet…Woah, I just noticed. You got a lot taller than the last time I saw you." Harriet commented.

"I have?….. I have, haven't I?" It was true. Back during the reunion Harriet was almost a full head taller than Danny. Now, she was only taller by a couple of inches.

"Wow, I haven't noticed until now…" Danny was almost awed by the change. He had always been shorter that almost everyone else. Now he was probably as tall as Jazz was…

"Changes like that are usually noticed by people you haven't seen for a long time. It does make sense that you would grow so much taller in such a short amount of time. Both of your parents were very tall people. Especially your dad. What was he like six foot six inches?" Harriet asked.

"Closer to six foot seven really." Danny mumbled. He didn't like all the past references being use here.

"Yeah, and if your anything like him when your older, you'll probably have all the girls after you in college." Harriet stated.

"Huh? Dad was popular with the girls in college?" Danny could not picture that.

"Well, yeah. Not for his personality. He always had those…idiosyncrasies. But he was called 'The Giant' by every girl on campus." Harriet played with her pony tail for a moment.

"Girls liked him because he was tall?" Danny questioned.

"No…they liked him because he was…proportional with his tall height, large hands, and big feet." Harriet chuckled in remembrance.

"Huh…oh…OH!…oh dear God have mercy." Danny grimaced.

"Yeah, but that, along with their interest in ghosts and similar fashion senses, is what gained your mother's interest in your father in the first place." Harriet chuckled.

"I don't need to hear this…" Danny felt sick.

"Oh, there were so many different stories that she told me. Apparently, there were some places your father was competent in…" This comment was too much for the young Fenton.

"I think my ears are bleeding…" Danny almost whimpered.

"Oh, sorry about that. Got swept up my memories…" Harriet shrugged.

"Please, never talk about my parents like that ever again. No kid likes to hear about his parents…like that." Danny shivered.

Harriet just laughed. "Ok, kid, you got it. And don't worry about your interview. I'll make sure that it stays-" the familiar sound of gunfire rang through the air. On instinct, Danny grabbed Harriet and pulled her behind a pillar.

Even after the gunfire stopped, Danny didn't move. He did let go of Harriet, though. And she looked around the side of the pillar to take a look at the man or men that had the lethal weaponry.

"There seems to be eight guys out there…They're spread across the room…They all have assault rifles on them…Except for the guy in the middle…Wait that guy is Sportsmaster! What does he want at this party?" Harriet whispered.

Danny remained silent. He was thinking about what to do in this situation. Vlad had warned him that an appearance of Danny Phantom in Metropolis would be suspicious. Someone might make a connection between Fenton and Phantom. So going ghost was out of the question.

If they were here for money, than everything would be fine. These people could spare some wallets and watches. But if they were here to kill…then that would be a problem.

"Happy Holidays everyone! You might be wondering why we are here this evening. Don't worry, we are not here for your pathetic money. No, we are here for someone who has gained a great deal of interest from my employer. We are here for the kid known as Danny Fenton." Sportsmaster yelled out to the crowd.

Whispers and gasps went out through the crowd. Many were turning their heads looking for Danny. Maybe to keep him safe. Maybe to give him up. Danny wasn't sure.

Harriet turned and looked at Danny. "Why do they want you?"

"They don't. They want ectoplasmic weaponry…" Danny pulled out his phone and was ready to call the police when Sportsmaster spoke again.

"Also don't think about using any communication devices in here. We already set up several signal jammers in this building. There is no way to contact the outside world." Sportsmaster chuckled. "We also shut off all the alarm systems. And with Superman busy dealing with the fires…well, you're kind of stuck here, aren't ya…"

Danny's mind raced at a mile per minute. This was not good. No police. No security. No Superman. And especially, no Danny Phantom.

He could stall, but then they might take hostages and threaten to kill them if he doesn't come out. He could go with them, but there was still no promises that he would be found or that they would spare these people. Maybe some of the people have weapons…no there was a medal detector at the front door.

A lot of good that did for this situation…

'Looks like there is only one option…time for a test run for my new toy…' Danny pulled out a metal box about the size of a softball. Security had checked it, but the box itself was not dangerous. That and the whole "it is a memento of my family" made it easy to bring into the party.

"Harri." The woman turned to face him again. "I need you to stay here and don't move. No matter what happens. Do not move from this spot. Do you understand me?"

"Wha…What are you going to do? You can't give yourself up." Harriet whispered.

"I don't plan to…" Danny flowed his ectoplasm through the cube. Danny (with a little help from Vlad) designed the cube to open only when Danny's ectoplasm was used on it. Danny knew how the box worked, but to Harriet, the box just looked like it was glowing.

The box's top opened. Inside there seemed to be a bunch of toy miniature guns. But they weren't. The box was the evolved form of the Fenton Crammer. A potable Fenton Crammer weapon container.

Quickly Danny pulled out a weapon and closed the box. In a few seconds the weapon grew to full size. It appeared to be the Fenton Ghost Pealer, only slightly different. It curved pistol-like weapon was now slightly bigger. It had various glowing green crevasses that pulsed with ectoplasmic power. It was an improved version of Jazz's weapon of choice. It was the Fenton Ghost Pealer 2.0.

Harriet gasped as Danny pressed the red button and was covered in anti-ghost armor. "Wha…how…"

"Stay down, Harriet," Danny's voice now sounded computerized behind his helmet. "I'll be back,"

Dani clung to her father. She was not afraid. She was a ghost for crying out loud! How could a regular gun possibly harm her?

Unfortunately, she had to keep up appearances. To all of the guests, Dani was a small, defenseless ten-year old girl. That was the way her father wanted them to view her. So, to please her father and to keep her secret, Dani clung to her father and shivered in fake fear.

Vlad held his daughter behind him like a protective father. This, however, was not fake. Even if Danielle could toss fully grown men around like rag dolls, she was still his daughter. Thus he acted on instinct and kept her safe from the goons.

While this was completely unnecessary, Dani was overjoyed by this act.

"Bruce…What do we do?" Oliver asked Bruce Wayne.

"Nothing…There is nothing we can do right now." Bruce glanced around. He was looking for an exit or escape route. There were plenty, but they couldn't move. Two of the men were staring at their group.

"…Do you think that Danny kid is hidden well?" Roy asked Dick.

"Yeah, but that's not the problem. They'll take hostages soon." Dick narrowed his eyes.

"If they do that…then Danny will come out. He doesn't want anyone hurt because of him." Dani whispered to the other two minors.

Both of the boys remained silent after that. They were obviously frustrated, but there was nothing they could do that would not get people hurt.

"Well well well…Lookie what we've got here…Vladimir Masters…you're the one in charge of the brat we're looking for. I bet he'll come out for you…" The man pointed his gun at Vlad. "Go to the center of the room, old man. You are now officially the bait."

Vlad had no reaction on his face. He calmly pealed Dani's hands of his leg, lifted his hands above his head, and began to walk forward. The other men watched the man with respect in their eyes. It takes a real man to remain that calm at gun point.

"No!" Dani went to grab her father's leg. He might be able to turn intangible too, but he wouldn't. He would rather take a bullet than expose himself and by extension his daughter to the world and their prejudice.

"Oh! That's right, you have a daughter now…Looks like I found some better bait." The goon chuckled darkly.

"Wait, she's just a little girl. Don't-" Vlad was silenced when the but of the gun smashed into Vlad's face.

"Be quite old man. Get over here girlie…" The man grabbed the girl by her arm.

Everyone of the other men looked like they wanted to stop him. The looks on their faces were ones of pure rage, but they knew better to interfere. If they did, one of them would get shot, the crowd would panic, and the rest of the goons would fire into the crowd. It would be a massacre.

So Dani did not blame them for merely grounding their teeth in anger.

As she was dragged to the middle of the floor, every pair of eyes in the room turned their heads to look at her. Many of the people gasped in horror. Sportsmaster also turned to face her. He did not seemed confused, though (Not that you could tell with his hockey mask on). His eyes gleamed in amusement, though.

"Danielle Masters…this will help speed things up." He took her arm from the goon and yelled out to the crowd. "Mr. Fenton, I know your out there! If you want your little friend free of bullet holes, I suggest you come out now!"

Sportsmaster gestured to one of the men and was handed a pistol by the goon. "It's your choice kid!…" He waited a few moments then yelled, "Okay, this one's on you, kid."

He pointed the pistol at the girl. He was just about to fire when he felt someone tap on his right shoulder, the arm holding the pistol. His first stop was that one of his men was gesturing because the Fenton kid had revealed himself. When he turned, however there was nothing there.

"What the he-" Sportsmaster was cut off when an invisible for hit him on his masked face. Normally, his mask would protect him from most combative injuries. This punch however made him let go of both Danielle and the pistol.

Dani saw the pistol fall to the crowd. For a moment, she was worried that the gun would go off and hurt someone. Before it could, however, a green blast came out of nowhere and shattered the pistol.

The other enemies in the room immediately opened fire to the invisible enemy. As they did so, Dani felt herself being pulled into what felt like a metal body. Dani had to fight her instinct to turn intangible and just prayed that she didn't get shot.

Luckily, she didn't. A purple field surrounded Dani in a two meter radius. As the bullets came close to her, they passed through the purple field and then fell to the ground harmlessly.

After a second, person…thing… holding her became visible. As Dani looked up, she was instantly relieved. The person holding her was in white armor with green pulsing crevasses. The armor seemed to cover every portion of the person's body tightly to completely protect this person. The hands of the armor seemed to be gauntlets. They right gauntlet held what appeared to be a futuristic curved pistol. The other gauntlet held Danielle close to the person.

What really assured Dani of her safety was the helmet. The helmet completely covered the person's head. It had a black tinted glass-like face shield. Most importantly, on the forehead of the helmet was a green F surrounded by green flowing energy. The Fenton symbol. It was Danny…

'Thank God.' Dani thought.

Danny pointed his gun to one of the men. It took only one blast for the man to fall. Just as quickly the next man fell.

In the span of a few seconds, all of the men except for one were down on the ground groaning in pain. As Danny turned to the last man a click noise sounded. The man was out of bullets.

"Looks like you wasted all your ammo," Danny commented,

"Screw you!" The man dropped the gun and pulled out a machete.

"Really? That's your plan B? That's just sad, dude." Danny mocked.

"I-I'll stab one of the guests!" The man was shivering.

"I'll shoot you before you get close," Danny stated. "I'll tell you what. If you drop the knife and curl up on the ground like a baby, then I won't shoot you, okay?"

The man looked at the knife then back at Danny. Slowly the man put his machete on the ground and then curled up into a ball.

"Good scumbag." Danny got one more comment in. He let go of Danielle and deactivated the Fenton Peeler. In merely a second, the armor retreated back into the weapon.

"Are you okay, Dani?" Danny asked.

"I am now."

(Friday-December 31, 2009)

The night was cold, especially on top of Fenton Works. It didn't bother Danny though in his ghost form, the cold would never hurt him. Below Danny, the sounds of celebration rang through the air. The New Year was approaching.

"Danny what are you doing over here? You're going to miss the ball drop!" Dani exclaimed.

Danny smiled at his younger clone. "Sorry Dani, I don't really want to celebrate the New Year."

Klemper's voice sounded beside Danielle, "Oh Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaasssss sssssseeeeeeeeeee, Danny. It will be fun to celebrate the New Year with all my friends!"

Because of his…unusual appearance, Klemper was usually in disguise while in public. Both Danny and Vlad worked together to make a disguise ring. While wearing the ring, Klemper appeared as an eleven year old blond child with pale skin. He lacked the hunch, freckles, and large teeth. In all, he appeared completely ordinary.

"I am sorry, Klemper, but I…I'm just not in a good mood, okay? Just go ahead and have a good time." Danny reassured.

"…Okay, Danny. Come on Klemper! Let's go check out the party down the street!" Danielle yelled as they flew off. They probably had to find a place to either change/disguise themselves.

Danny sighed. He really was trying not to take his bad mood out on them. It had been a hectic time since the holiday party.

After he saved Danielle, Danny had received a lot of publicity. There were questions on his weaponry. How did he make it? Were the weapons only meant to stun like they did to the goons? What were the limits of it? Were they for sale?

It was chaos. Only Harriet's newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal got all the details right. Everyone else escalated it to gigantic proportions.

Of course, many were just grateful for his interference. Many thanked him personally. In fact, Superman came up to him and shook his hand. He said that he was glad that he kept the would-be-kidnappers alive. It was an epic moment.

Merry Christmas to Danny.

That did not make up for all the crap Danny had to deal with. Multiple contractors had contacted him several times a day. Everyone seemed to want his weapons and technology. Star Labs. Wayne Tech. Lexcorp. And many other groups.

It was frustrating. No matter how many times Danny said no, they would keep asking. Apparently no wasn't an answer they would take.

Despite everything, though, Danny was just glad that everyone was safe. It was a dangerous situation and it was a miracle that no one was injured. But…It turned out that the Sportsmaster guy disappeared. It made Danny's blood boil. He should have just shot the guy, but nooooo he had to punch him because he made it personal by taking Dani…..

The only good part of the holidays so far was the Christmas truce. Every ghost agreed that there would be no fighting during Christmas. It was a time of peace that even the dead respected.

It was rather unusual to relax with your worst enemies, though. Skulker joked with him. The Lunch Lady fed him turkey. Some ghost called the Ghost Writer read his Christmas poem to everyone. The Box Ghost even gave him a present…a box….yeah, didn't see that coming at all. In all it was the most peaceful Christmas Danny ever had…and he hated it.

Every other Christmas he ever had was loud. His parents yelling and arguing. The Christmas music blaring. Jazz singing Christmas carols. A year ago, he wished that it would all stop. He wanted a normal peaceful Christmas. Well, he got it. It only cost everything he held dear.

So while this Christmas was the most peaceful, it was also the most painful. He hid it well, of course, but…the grief, the stress, and the anger was slowly getting to him. One day Danny would snap. There was no if only when.

Danny will eventually destroy himself with his own emotions. His ice powers would only postpone the inevitable. That was why he was preparing for it. He had Dani, Vlad, Batman, and possibly Klemper (to stop his ice powers at least) to stop him when he cracked.

Heh, if karma had anything to do with it, he would lose control on December 21, 2012.

It made Danny wonder why Clockwork kept him alive. Danny was born weak. Almost a month premature, weak immune system, barely able to cry, the doctor said that he only lived by a miracle.

All his life, Danny had been the small guy. He was always the guy picked on. He always cried when the times got ruff. Both mentally and physically, Danny was weak.

Until he got his powers. When Danny became a half-ghost, he finally had power. Power to make a difference. Power to protect. Power to destroy.

The only thing that kept him from getting revenge was his loved ones. They anchored him. They were his conscience. They were his obsession.

And now they were gone. Clockwork had to know that without them Danny would eventually Even if Danny fought tooth and nail against becoming him. Even if he had a new family to help him.

"…" Danny stood up and transformed into his human form. He looked down. Down to the earth way below the top of Fenton works. A fall from this height would surely kill him.

Once again a wave of pain coursed through Danny's soul. It was agonizing. What he wouldn't give for it to end. For the pain to be gone forever…

They would not want him to think about this. About ending it all. They would want him to be strong…but he is so weak.

It would be so easy. One step and Dark Dan would be gone forever. One step and his pain would finally fade. One step and the world was safe from ectoplasmic weaponry.

But Danny couldn't do it. He may be weak, but he would not allow himself to die like this. His pain would not go away so easily. So with a sigh, Danny changed back and floated down to an alleyway to transform into a human safely.

'Might as well watch the ball drop,' Danny thought as he pulled his hood up and began to walk to the nearest party.

The sounds of laughter and joy met Danny's ear as he walked into the front door. No one took notice of Danny as he hid in a corner to watch the ball drop. Even when surrounded by so many people he felt all alone.

Of course, this was the moment his ghost sense had to go off. Danny instantly went on guard. He was ready for anything.

"Oh calm down, Baby pop. I'm not here to fight." Ember said as she lead against the wall next to him.

"Ember…" Danny acknowledged. She obviously didn't want to fight. If she did, she would have attacked by now.

"I'm hurt. That's all I get? That's not the way to great a lady. You'll never get a girl with those manners, Dipstick." Ember mocked.

Danny snorted, "I'll keep that in mind…What do you want, Ember?"

"I'm bored. I broke up with my boyfriend and don't have anyone interesting to talk to. You've always been easy to rile up, so I thought, 'Hey, why don't I annoy Danny?' And so, I'm here." Ember smirked at him.

"I'm not in any type of good mood Ember. Go away." Danny mumbled.

"Pshh! Why would I listen to you?" Ember questioned.

"Because I'm not afraid to hit a girl." Danny's eyes glowed green for a second.

"Oooooooooooo, scary!" Ember stuck her tongue out at him.

They were quite for a few minutes. They just leaned against the wall and waited for the year to end. Both were too stubborn to leave and didn't really have a place to go.

"…So, why did you break up with your boyfriend?" Danny asked.

"Why do you care?" Ember returned.

"You brought it up." Danny nonchalantly spoke.

"Hmmm, well…I guess he didn't give me enough attention. He's a workaholic. You should know. He tries to hunt you every week." Ember looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Skulker? Why would you date Skulker?" Danny was confused.

"Meh, he asked and I had no reason to say no." Ember looked at her nails

"That's it?" Danny could not believe it was that easy.

"That's it." Ember confirmed.

"…Didn't the size difference…affect anything?" That was the big question.

"…we improvised…" Ember mumbled.

Danny just laughed.

"Okay, what about you, Babypop? You've got a girl or you all by your lonesome this New Year?" Ember asked.

Danny snorted. "Yeah right only ever really dated two girls. One overshadowed a human girl and was trying make her boyfriend jealous." Danny rubbed his eyes.

"Kitty…" Ember mumbled.

"Yep, and the other only liked my human half. She hated Phantom, so that didn't work out." Danny sighed in remembrance.

"What about the goth chick?" Ember questioned.

Danny's eyes flashed at her in angry. "You don't get to mention her."

"…Sorry…" She mumbled.

"…To answer your question, No, we never dated." Danny murmured.

"Awe, too bad, you made a cute couple." Ember smirked.

"….." Danny remained silent.

"So we both are dateless on New Year. Pretty sad right?" Ember chuckled.

"I'm used to it. No girl wants to date the poor scrawny kid with a weird family." Danny grimaced at all the rejections he remembered.

"Well…you're not poor anymore…and you're not scrawny either…You've been working out?" Ember looked him up and down.

"Yeah…been weight lifting…" Danny figited.

"Hmm. It's noticeable." Ember chuckled.

"Look everyone! The ball's dropping!" Everyone turned to television. It was true. Danny didn't realize how close it was to midnight. As the ball fell, everyone began counting.

10

"Hey, Danny?"

9

"Yeah?"

8

"Got a proposition for ya."

7

"Do you now?"

6

"Yeah, were both alone tonight, right?"

5

"Yep"

4

"Then no one would object."

3

"Object to what?"

2

"To us keeping up the tradition."

1

"Huh?" Danny asked as Ember grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss.

Happy New Year!

As soon as their lips touched, a spark went off. Fire met ice. Hot met cold. Steam was created.

Danny had kissed girls before. Those were some of his fondest memories, but this kiss was different. This kiss was one that burned him. It sent waves of heat down his spine. Each moment was a raging inferno. It opposite of his very nature. His body was of coldness and ice. Now it was full of burning passion and pleasure.

Ember had very few experiences with men. She had died before she even kissed a boy. And Skulker, while a very passionate and powerful man, was not normal anatomy-wise. But even without much experience, she could tell that this was different. Waves of freezing surges made her body shiver. Her toes and fingers tingled and curled in cool pleasure. She moaned as her flames turned cold. The coldness felt like a cool wind on a hot summer day.

The kiss lasted for a few moments. They parted for a brief second, then they kissed again. A third kissed followed. After that was the forth, fifth, sixth, seventh…

The kisses became a full blown make out session. Neither of the two noticed as the other partiers celebrated the New Year. To them, they were the only people in the room.

Danny shivered as he felt Ember's tongue licked his lower lip. He gasped and that was all Ember needed. Her tongue met his and the sensations doubled. For several minutes, they continued to explore each other's mouths. Neither wanted the sensations to end, but unfortunately one of the participants was human and thus needed air.

Danny gasped as he pulled away. He was completely out of breath. His lungs burned from their lack of oxygen. His breaths came out in short pants. Despite this, he couldn't bring himself to care though.

"pant…I…pant…you…pant…holy crap…" Danny barely got that out.

"Yeah…same for me…" Ember murmured. Because she was a ghost, the whole breathing thing was not that big of a problem for her.

They stood there for a minute. One trying to catch his breath. The other was merely in a daze. When both regained their bearings, they instantly wanted to kiss again. Their raging hormones demanded that they not only continue, but also go farther. For a good, long while, both participants thought about continuing. Soon, however, reason caught up to them.

"Umm…I should probably go get Randi-I mean Dani. Make sure she's all right or something." Danny finally said.

"Yeah, and I need to… go tune my guitar…and take a very cold shower." Ember mumbled the last part.

They both walked out of the party in a daze. When they reached the sidewalk, both of them turned to each other. Both of them opened and closed their mouths several times. Each had the same question they want to ask, but neither knew how to ask it.

Finally Danny spoke, "…So…yeah…we should…I don't know…hang out some time…maybe?"

Ember nodded her head. "Yeah…we should do that…sometime…Happy New Year, Danny."

Danny smiled, "Happy New Year, Ember."

Ember smiled and turned to leave. As she walked, Danny's eyes went a little lower than they should. His eyes were clued to her until she turned around, smirked seductively, and disappeared around a corner.

"Damn…how did I never notice…in those leather pants, too…." Danny turned and began to the place where Danielle said she would be.

For the first time in two months, Danny's mind was on something other than the Nasty Burger Incident. He had momentarily forgotten about the grief, the weapons, the stress, and even the incident at Fenton Works that happened only half an hour ago. After all, what was more distracting to a teenage guy than a girl.

As Danny walked, he never thought of the significance of the New Year. 2009 was the year he got his ghost powers. 2009 was the year he learned how to fight. 2009 was the year he lost everyone he loved. And now, the year was over.

The year 2010 was finally hear. It would be filled with trials, joy, fights, and situations Danny never thought possible. 2010 would be the year that Danny would shape his destiny.

Ready or not, here it comes.