Feline Marxx cackled and slashed at Danny Phantom, his claws slicing off a portion of Danny's sleeve, also causing some deep gashes in his arm.

"Okay, that's it," grumbled Danny. He blasted Feline Marxx and aimed the thermos at the downed feline-like ghost.

The ghost's eyes glowed as Danny sucked him into the thermos. "You won't forget me soon, boy..." growled Feline.

"Yeah, yeah," said Danny with a yawn. It was just past midnight, Danny was ready to call it a night and head home. As he flew homeward, he noticed that the container registered as 'full'. Danny sighed. "I'll empty it in the morning," he said with a yawn as he slipped into his bedroom by way of the wall.

Danny transformed and collapsed onto his bed without even bothering to change out of his jeans and t-shirt.

----------------------

During the night, the scratches Feline Marxx had inflicted began to glow an eerie red, which wasn't a good sign at all.

Soon the scratches disappeared, as did the glow, but what remained were three blood red scratches, all parallel to one another and oddly raised.

--------------------

Danny yawned and awoke. He sat up and scratched his head, when he did he found something very unexpected. Perched upon his head were two feline ears. Both were warm to the touch, and it hurt when he pinched them.

In a panic, he ran to his mirror so he could see the ears. They were large and white, and would flick every now and then. He clapped his hands to the place where normal human ears are located. He felt nothing but fuzzy flaps of skin that were a part of the cat ears.

"Oh crud," he groaned. He took one more look at the white ears that stuck strangely out of his black hair, then tried to flatten them against his head. Much to his surprise, he could flatten them without the use of his hands. He grabbed a baseball cap that was sitting on his desk. He then shoved it over the ears and prayed his hair covered the parts of the ear that weren't covered by his cap.

Danny ran downstairs to where his family was eating breakfast. He grabbed a piece of toast and said he had to meet Sam and Tucker early, then ran out the door. He hid behind some trash cans until Sam and Tucker came along, on their way to school.

"Pssst..." he hissed from behind the cans.

Sam looked over. "Danny?" she called.

Danny poked his head above the cans.

"Dude, what's with the cap?" laughed Tucker.

"Come here!" hissed Danny.

Sam and Tucker came around behind the garbage cans, and crouched beside Danny.

"Okay," he started, "I was out late last night, and I was fighting this ghost named Feline Marxx. I went home, and this morning I woke up with these..." he said, taking off the cap.

The ears popped up, and Sam blinked in surprise. "That could be a problem," she said.

"Ya think?" muttered Danny, replacing the cap.

"Dude... you have cat ears!" exclaimed Tucker.

"Shut up!" growled Danny. "Do you want everyone to know? I'm trying to keep this a secret."

Sam looked at Danny's eyes. "That's going to be a little harder than you thought," she said. "Your eyes are yellow."

Danny yelped. "What?! That's not good... they weren't like that this morning."

Tucker looked at Danny's hands, on which the nails had grown longer and sharper. "Uh-oh," he said. "Your nails are long and pointy."

Danny looked at them and groaned. "I'm dead..."

Tucker chuckled.

"What?" demanded Danny.

"You said you're dead.... and you're half ghost... okay, bad pun," said Tucker.

"How can you think of bad puns at a time like this?" asked Danny.

Before Tucker could reply, Sam spoke. "Hey Danny, what are these scratches on your arm?" she asked.

"Those?" said Danny, "I think Feline Marxx gave me those last night...."

Sam thought for a moment. "Maybe they're what's causing this strange transformation," she said.

Danny shrugged.

"We're going to be late for school if we don't hurry up," pointed out Tucker.

"Uh-oh," said Danny as a slight ripping sound was herd.

"What?' asked Sam.

"I think I grew a tail," he said as the white tail swished behind him.

Sam sighed. "Danny, you and Tucker stay here, I'll be right back."

She got out from behind the cans and ran down the street.