Chapter 2: Visitors For my story, the episode "Flirting with Disaster" happened before the Ultimate Enemy episode.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy." F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter 2: "Visitors"

(Friday-November 6, 2009)

Everyone is a hypocrite. That was the one thought Danny Fenton had as he slowly healed in the hospital.

He had only been awake for about five hours. In this time, he noticed what had happened when he was unconscious.

His room was full of flowers and get well cards. It seemed like almost every one in Amity Park was grieving over his family and friends. They are all hypocrites.

The nurses were all being nice and smiley as they tried to comfort him. Those same nurses had, years earlier, treated his sister like she was the plague when she broke her arm. They are all hypocrites.

In an attempt to distract himself from his pain, Danny turned on the television. Every channel was reporting how the Fenton's were all martyrs who had died as heroes. Yet, just lack week, every news reporter in the city said that the Fenton's were freaks. They are all hypocrites.

Those people were the same people who had scorned and rejected his loved ones for years. The citizens of Amity Park border line hated the Fenton's and all those associated with them because they were different. Every single person in this town is a hypocrite.

Now, they were all acting sad because that was the correct way to feel.

Danny knew how they really felt. They were all terrified.

Ghost had become a common problem in Amity Park. Sure, there was property damage and stolen items, but no one had actually died from a ghost attack. Danny himself made sure of that.

There may have been close calls like during the mass invasion, but there has only been minor injuries in all.

Thus, this was whole new territory.

Not only did people die, they were the people most prepared to fight ghosts. The leading experts on ghosts died because of ghost.

If the ghost-hunters could be taken down so easily, how were any of them safe? That was what each person thought.

None of them truly cared that the Fenton's were dead. They only cared about themselves.

And it was in their best interest to be nice to the only human left who actually was knowledgeable about ghosts. The Red Huntress didn't count, because it was obvious that while she could shoot and fight, her understanding of why ghosts do what they do is nonexistent.

This made Danny stop and wonder, 'Why do I want to be their hero?'

He had fought tooth and nail for those hypocrites. He nearly gave his life (afterlife?) multiple times to stop the ghosts from hurting them.

What was his reward?

He has been shot at, cursed at, spit at, and yelled at. Very few people respected Danny Phantom for everything he did. And, God forbid if he made a mistake, because if he did, the response of the people would go from 'Go Danny Phantom!' to 'You suck!' and 'Go to hell!'

What sane person would want to fight for these people? In fact, why should those hypocrites live at all?

'No!' Danny yelled in his mind. He could not think like that. If he did he could become like him.

"Every life is precious, Danny!" Sam yelled that to him multiple times since they met. Usually, she was talking about animals, but now Danny used her message to calm his anger at the people of Amity Park.

The citizens of Amity Park may have been cruel to his loved ones, but they were still human beings. If what happed to him happened to someone else, he/she would feel the same pain as he did.

Those people were hypocrites, but they were also parents, spouses, children, siblings, lovers, and especially human beings. All of them could feel love, despair, hatred, happiness, fear, and pain.

Like his family…like Sam and Tucker…like him…

His loved ones cared not only about the people in Amity Park, but about every human being. They loved this world even though the world hated them.

He was just a child playing hero. His loved ones were the true heroes.

And though his heart cried to give his pain and suffering to others, Danny could never do that.

He would protect the stupid, ignorant hypocrites who mocked his family. He would be their hero.

That was what they would have wanted.

Danny had many visitors over the next week. Most of them gave a few words of encouragement. Empty words that meant nothing to Danny.

Most of the people never gave him the time of day before. Why should he give it to them now?

Danny need to focus on himself right now. He needed to kill the painful emotions and dark thoughts he had before he could force a smile and thank them.

So he mostly ignored them.

The reactions were different for each person. The majority of his visitors understood. A few, however, acted like he should kiss their feet for lowering themselves to visit Danny Fenton.

…sigh, people are stupid….

The police did ask him some questions about the incident. He told them that he was supposed to meet everyone at the Nasty Burger, but he was running late. When he heard the fight he ran the rest of the way, but he only showed up in time to get caught at the edge of the explosion. The cops seemed satisfied with his story and told him the rest about the incident.

Everyone knew about "new ghost." According to eyewitness, Jazz revealed that the new ghost impersonated Danny. The new ghost then attacked and captured the group and at that point everyone else fled the scene.

At least no one knew his secret…

Many of his fellow students showed up. The A-list students never did though. Danny expected that.

Some of the visits stood out in Danny's mind, though.

Valerie Gray was one of his first visitor. She arrived the day after he woke up. The secret ghost hunter seemed surprised that he was awake so soon, but appeared relieved that he was physically fine.

"Danny, are you okay?" The single most used question in these situations. Oh joy.

Danny wanted to say, 'Yep, I was just about to jump for joy over my incredible luck before you showed up! Here's your 'I'm stupid' sign.' but he stopped himself.

"Sorry, stupid question…" She apologized as she took a seat by him.

'Stay patient Danny, she just wants to help,' Danny thought.

"I know that you're going to hear this a lot, but I am sorry Danny," Danny could tell that she was truly sorry and that she actually cared about him. She probably didn't know how much that meant to him.

"Thanks.." He mumbled.

"You've sure got a lot of flowers. A lot of people must have been worried about you." Valerie smiled.

'I doubt it,' Danny mentally grimaced. He kept silent, though.

Valerie seemed disappointed by his silence. What did she want him to say?

"Everyone at school has been talking about what happened-" Her sentence was off.

"They're probably not saying good things…" Danny scowled. His group was not liked at school. They were outcasts among outcasts.

"Actually, most of the comments I've heard have been considerate and the A-list students have been quiet about it." Valerie's smile was shaky. She was telling a half-truth. Danny didn't care though.

Danny was stayed silent. He stared at the television in front of him. The news was once again talking about "The Nasty Burger Incident."

They were showing a short video that was captured by a camera placed down the street from the Nasty Burger. The video showed Danny's and Dark Dan's fight. The video lasted from where Danny first knocked Dark Dan away from the Nasty Burger to when he used the Ghostly Wail, which caused the footage to end by breaking the camera.

Valerie didn't say anything. She just copied him and watched the television. She was so focused, she actually jumped when he spoke again.

"I wish they would stop talking about them like them like that." Danny said.

"What?" Valerie questioned.

"They talk as if they knew them. They know nothing about any of them. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, my parents, and Mr. Lancer wouldn't want pitied like this. They were brave in the face of death. Unlike me, I should have done more, but…I couldn't…" Danny stopped there. He could not finish that sentence.

Valerie didn't need him to. She pulled him into a hug. The girl half expected him to start crying. She was a little worried when he didn't. It wasn't healthy to keep sadness in.

"It wasn't your fault. It was that ghost's fault. That one that was fighting Phantom. I don't know who that was, but…" Danny knew what she wanted to do to the ghost, but he knew better. Dark Dan was far too powerful for her to beat.

"I was my fault. They were all there because of me. If I had made a better choice, if I wasn't late then…" Danny did not get a chance to finish.

Valerie quickly pulled away and looked angry as she said, "Do not blame yourself for this. There was nothing you could do! No one blames you for what happened. If you need to blame anything, blame that thing that impersonated you!"

'But that was me' He could not say that.

Danny was touched by her words. He tried to give her a smile, but anyone could tell it was fake.

Valerie placed her hands over his and said, "I know that things have been weird after our brake up, but I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk too, I'll be just a phone call away."

"Okay…"

The next visit that stood out was less pleasant, but expected. After all, people were killed by a ghost, so the Guys in White were required to investigate.

"Danny Fenton, we have a few questions we need to ask you." GIW #1 stated.

"…I don't need a lawyer do I? Because I already told the police what happened and you could just read the report or watch the news," Danny just had to be a smartass.

"No, we just need to know if you have any information about the ghost that impersonated you," GIW #2 answered. He didn't even flinch at Danny's comment.

"Well, like I said in the police report, I had just taken the C.A.T's and was tired, so I went home to sleep. When I got there, my parents told me that Mr. Lancer wanted to meet with us at the Nasty Burger. I figured I could still get a few hours of sleep, so I took a nap. I woke up later than I wanted and my parents were gone.

"I thought that they were just letting me sleep and went to the meeting themselves. But, I had the feeling I should go, so I decided to walk there. When I got close, I heard a fight going on, so I hurried to see if everyone was alright.

"I saw everyone tied up, so I ran to save them. Then the boiler thing exploded and…and…" Danny trailed off. He fought to keep the bile from crawling up his throat.

"It's alright son. So you don't know that ghost?" GIW #2 asked. Danny scowled. Only his dad could call him son.

"I never really saw him until I watched the news after I woke up. He looked tough though, he gave Phantom a beat down." Luckily, Danny had a lot of practice lying.

"Did your parents do any new experiments lately that could have angered that ghost?" GIW #1 questioned.

"THIS WAS NOT MY PARENT'S FAULT!" Danny fought hard not to let his powers activate in anger.

"Calm down, we know it wasn't their fault, we just need to learn this ghost's motives. It may have been threatened by something your parents built. That would explain why it targeted them." GIW #2 remained calm as he dealt with the teenager.

"…the last thing my parents were working on was a ghost tracking device. I don't see why it would be threatened by that." There was a phrase about pants on fire that popped into Danny's head.

"That is a mystery…we thank you for your time, Mr. Fenton, we hope your recovery will be quick." GUI #1 said.

As they were leaving, GIW #2 said, "Our condolences by the way."

Danny spent ten minutes mimicking those last five words after they left.

Danny's third memorable guest received little acknowledgment.

"Good afternoon Daniel," The old ghost suddenly changed into a young child, but it did not change his deep voice for some reason.

Danny said nothing.

"You are angry with me. I understand that. But I felt you had the right to hear an explanation." Clockwork was solemn as he spoke. Danny did not even look at him as he spoke.

"The Observants came to me wishing for your death. They thought killing you would save the future by eliminating your evil future self. They don't understand the consequences of just killing someone so important to the time stream.

"Killing you would not have solved anything. The Observants cannot see the consequences of such an action. They view time in merely on line. They have no way of knowing where a turn like your death will lead. I can though.

"The consequences would be unspeakable. Unfortunately, I could not alter everything. Even I, The Master of time, have limits on what I can and cannot do. But now the world is safe from "Dark Dan." I know that you will never will become that monster." Clockwork finished.

"I don't blame you, Clockwork. You did what was best for everyone, but why did they have to die. They were innocent. They were good. They…they should have lived. They deserved to live more than someone who is only half alive." Danny felt the grief ram into his entire being. His current suffering was unbearable.

"…Don't pity them Daniel. They are in a better place now. Unlike us ghosts, their souls passed on completely. They had no regrets when they left this world." The Master of time was now in the shape of a fully grown man.

Danny let out a hollow laugh. "I already knew that. But don't ask me to not focus on them. I know how ghosts work.

"A ghost is born based on 'unfinished business.' A ghost's one purpose is to complete said business or forever seek to fulfill it the best they can.

"If their reason for existence is gone for any reason, they disappear. Whether they complete it not does not matter. If they no longer have any business, their ectoplasmic bodies will fade and their soul will pass on into the next life.

"I, however, am a half-ghost. So what happens when my business is gone. My body won't fade, but my soul seeks a way out. This causes untold mental and emotional pain.

"Without my obsession, my friends and family, I am merely a shell. Tell me, how does that help the timeline." Danny was not angry, but his voice was still loud.

He truly did not blame Clockwork. The master of time did his job. The only one to blame was Danny himself. No matter what anyone said, he had failed to save his love ones.

"…It doesn't. That is why you need to move on." Clockwork said.

Danny's laugh was the laugh of a madman. "Hahahahaha! You want a ghost to move on from his obsession. You know that's impossible."

"Yes, I do, but that doesn't change the fact that the timeline needs you to."

"…In other news, the Justice League's Captain Atom and Black Canary have arrived in Amity Park. We have been informed that they wish to investigate not only the deaths of the Fenton's, Tucker Foley, and Samantha Manson, but also all of the recent ghost activity that this city has experienced. When asked…" Danny muted the news as his guests walked in his room.

In any other circumstance, Danny would jump at the opportunity to meet a member of the Justice League. This one single instance was the first and only exception Danny has ever had. And of course, this had to be the one instance the Justice League was in town.

"Hello sweety, could we have a few minutes, please?" Black Canary asked.

If Danny's soul wasn't in torment right now, his jaw would have dropped. Black Canary was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Her blond hair was straight and silky. Her skin was flawless. It was obvious that she trained constantly, considering her perfect figure and muscles. Even Paulina would be green with envy.

Her outfit, however brought back memories of Sam. Sam would love this woman's fashion sense. This train of thought hurt Danny even more.

"Only my mom can call me sweety, but yes please come in," Even in this one terrible circumstance, Danny would never say no to a visit from the Justice League.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Black Canary only had sympathy in her eyes as she spoke to him.

"It's fine.." Danny mumbled. It really wasn't, but he did not want to upset Black Canary more.

"Alright, Mr. Fenton, we won't beat around the bush here. We are here, because of your family's involvement with ghost hunting." Captain Atom was very respectful. He did not look down on him for being young. Danny instantly liked this man.

The Captain was incredibly muscular (He made Dash look scrawny and Danny look like a tooth pick). His skin was completely silver, except for his boots, gloves, and atom symbol. Those three things were bright red. He looked incredibly intimidating. Danny made a mental note to start lifting weights.

"Okay, ask away, but please call me Danny." Danny would show them the same respect they showed him.

"Alright Danny, from our understanding, your parents were the leading experts on ghost, correct?" Captain Atom asked.

"Yes, sir," Danny did not usually call people sir when he talked, but this was Captain Atom.

He did notice the past tense the Captain used. That hurt, a lot.

"Did they ever teach you anything about ghosts, Danny?" Black Canary's voice was very kind. It reminded him of his mother…

"Yeah they taught me a lot. Why?" Danny was confused.

"You see, no one in the Justice League has any real experience with ghosts. So this whole situation is new. We were hoping you knew someone we could refer to about ghosts." Black Canary explained.

"Well, there are not many people who study ghosts… there are a few ghost hunters, but they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. If you want, you can ask me, I do have fourteen years of experience in spectrology." Danny said.

Captain Atom and Black Canary shared a look. Well, it was not like there was anyone else to ask.

"All right, then, can you explain the basics?" Captain Atom asked.

"Okay, there are three types of ghosts. The first type is created when a person or animal dies. If the soul of the dead has an important reason or obsession, it will created a body of ectoplasm for the sole purpose of completing its obsession.

"The second type is created by an idea. If a story, idea, or thought is strong enough, it will eventually form a body of ectoplasm of its own. These ghost are stronger than the first type.

"The third type…is ah…it's a ghost who has an actually evolving personality. It's purpose is always changing. These are very rare ('Yeah, there are only two'). These are incredibly strong.

"They all live in the Ghost Zone. It is a parallel dimension of earth. Each ghost lives there, but is always seeking a way to our planet.

"Every ghost has the same basic abilities. They can fly, turn invisible, turn intangible, and overshadow human beings.

"Ghosts cannot be attacked by normal means. Many weapons are useless against them. That is why you need ecto weapons. Those are the only physical attack that will work. Your powers, however, may be a different story, but as you said, you never fought a ghost before, so we don't know. And that is the basics in basic form." Danny finished.

Both of his guests were wide eyed.

"Well… okay, that's informative." Black Canary said.

"Where can we get these ecto-weapon?" Captain asked.

"There is a secret government program which makes them, but I doubt they will give you any. The only other way is by, well Fenton Works, and my parents are…." Danny trailed off.

"That's an issue for anther day. Thank you Danny. There is one more question we need to ask you." Black Canary changed the topic.

Captain Atom and Black Canary shared a look again then looked at the young Fenton.

"What?" Danny was now concerned.

"We need to find Danny Phantom. Do you know where he could be?" Captain Atom asked.

"Um…How could I know that?…Well, he did have a big fight…So, he's in the Ghost Zone probably." Danny skillfully acted clueless. He had a lot of practice.

"So, we have to wait then…Okay, thank you Danny." Captain Atom rubbed the back of his neck. Danny heard him mumble, "Batman won't be happy that we didn't find him."

"Thank you so much, Danny. I hope your recovery from this tragedy is quick," Black Canary smiled supportively at him and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Danny shouted. They both turned in alarm.

"Could I have your autographs?" Danny asked completely unashamed at his bluntness. Tucker would come back just to kill him if he didn't ask at least.

"Of course."

Before he was released, Danny Fenton had one last visitor. This visitor was the only one Danny had been truly waiting for.

When his guest entered the room, he did not sit down. He did not move towards Danny. He didn't even say anything.

Danny was silent too. Nothing needed to be said between the two.

The two of them understood each other's feelings. Two beings of incredible power knew what the other was thinking. The emotions each person felt rolled off them in waves.

Unlike with his other visitors, Danny did nothing to hide his internal suffering. His eyes remained cold in despair. The pained look on his face did not changed.

Neither of them commented on it.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock. Each second seemed to last an hour.

Never before had Danny hated silence this much. His life used to be full of noise. Noise of tools working in the basement. Noise of Jazz lecturing him. Noise of Tucker laughing at a stupid joke. Noise of Sam as she voiced her opinions.

Two weeks ago, he would have given almost anything to have five minutes of silence. Now, he felt the opposite.

So, he decided to break the silence. He practiced what he would say to this person twenty times. But he couldn't bring himself to say his rehearsed words. They were fake. This was real.

"…I never knew that this kind of pain was real…Every second I wish that this was a nightmare, but I know that it's not… This is reality." Danny's voice was close to a whisper, but his visitor heard him loud and clear.

"All of them are dead. And I could do nothing to stop it…Before I got my powers, I knew I was weak, but now I feel powerless. Even with all my strength as a half-ghost, I am weak." Danny's face was in his hands. There were no tears, only shame.

"The only thing I want now is for the pain to go away… Every second is even more terrible than the last… I want to just give up right now… I want this painful human heart to die…Dear God, I hate myself right now." Danny turned to his guest. He probably looked pathetic.

"Not only myself, I hate everything…I feel that everyone else should feel my pain… I feel they should suffer…But I can't do that… I can't give up, forsake my humanity, and let my anger and despair out." Danny was now getting out of his bed.

"They would want me to be strong. They would want me to keep going. They would want me to continue to be a hero. And that is the only thing that matters anymore." Danny stood five feet away from his guest.

"You once offered to take me under your wing, but I could not do it because you asked me to forsake my father. That is something I will never do. Jack Fenton was my father and I will shout it from the roof tops." Danny briefly gained a look of conviction, but it soon fell.

"I know that you don't approve of how I use my powers. You sneer at the fact that I use my powers for good. Your opinions on that might not change, but I will not allow myself to use it for anything else. I now know that all them was proud of what I did. They would want me to fight for justice." Danny looked his visitor in the eyes for a minute. He then dropped to his hands an knees and looked at the ground.

"Please! Even if you think I'm a fool for asking, I need to ask anyway. Will you train me? Will you teach me, the son of Jack Fenton? Will you instruct a naïve do-gooder? Vlad, will you help me become strong so that I will not fail like this again?" Danny pleaded.

"…Yes…"

Thank you for reading and remember to...

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