Chapter 2
"So we have a guess that a ghost is involved in this?" Diana said looking at Danny like he was crazy. "Ghosts aren't real."
"Actually there are several places that have ghosts haunting places and creating shadows." Jones said looking up at Diana.
"Yeah, but they could be lying to just get tourists." Diana said looking at Jones.
"Guys, really you are going to fight about this in front of a ghost expert." Peter said looking at Danny trying to keep an open mind like what he had said.
"I get this all the time. Usually my friends will fight over lunch. My best friend Sam would get mad at Tucker because he always had meat to eat. She was a recycle vegetarian. They had this fight every time we ate together." Danny trailed off trying to keep the tears down. He may have left them because of Vlad, but he missed them dearly. He was taking a huge risk just being here, but he starting thinking that if Vlad had something to do with this then maybe he could find a way to beat Vlad.
"Danny, are you okay?" Neal asked seeing he stopped and started to pull back.
"Yeah, I just don't want to visit my past when nothing can go back to the way it was." Danny sighed.
"What do you mean?" Neal asked trying to learn more about the kid that was going help them catch the thief.
"Tricky but I am not ready to tell you a life story. However, I can tell you that having friends and people that would stick by you thick and thin, is something worth fighting for." Danny said with a ghost smile on his face.
"Wow that was nothing with what I thought you would say, but it does open up a lot about what you know." Neal said frowning.
"I know that was the point." Danny said still smiling. The rest had became quiet when Danny had started talking to Neal about his past, but all held confused faces after his last statement.
"That was… I don't know." Diana said looking up at Danny. Okay first I thought he was crazy, but after that he is more likely riding on the line. But the wisdom in his eyes was something no one can fake, even crazy people. "Any way, we have a case that needs solving."
"Yes that and the fact that the place was destroyed is the only clue we have to our case. There were no fingerprints." Jones said after a weird silence.
"That's would sound like something a ghost would do. They could easily get past the security system. They would just phase though…" Danny was cut off by Diana.
"Yes but as Jones had said: Ghosts usually haunt places and stay there."
"You clearly have never been in the Ghost Zone. Yes some ghosts do, at least the ones that are here in the human realm. However there are thousands ghosts in the Ghost Zone that does whatever they want. I know one that has a hunting obsession. He is always going after ghosts that are rare." Danny said looking at the shocked FBI agent's faces.
"Are you sure you are not crazy?" Diana asked again not believing him.
"If I was to go crazy, no one would be here. Trust me. I have seen a future where that has happened. The last city in the world falls in only ten years, so please let's believe the kid whose parents are professional ghost hunters." Danny said wide eyed at the last statement. He didn't mean for them to know that.
"Okay look he said something about his past that looks like he didn't really mean to say." Neal said with a smile.
"Yes and yet you may catch my slip ups such as that. Just remember, I can run whenever I feel threaten and none of you can do anything about it. I can disappear at will." Danny said upset that he had said something like that.
"Is that why you said people call you Phantom, because you can disappear?" Peter asked wondering if he was as good as Neal.
"You could say that, but you are simply scratching the surface. There is more to that statement than what you are hearing." Danny said getting the reaction he wanted from them. He hoped they would drop it. If they found out who his parents were then they would send him back. And then Vlad would attack. That would not go well.
"Well maybe some sleep will work. Danny, would you mind staying with Neal? I don't think I could find a good place for you this late and maybe you could share cons with him." Peter said.
"Yes you sit there and think I am a con man, and yet I am completely opposite. My situation is different, but I am not the bad guy, nor have I ever been. However, people seem to see me as one depending on how you view things," Danny said following Neal.
"Wow, I thought only I could do that," Neal said as they left with Peter looking completely confused and slightly embarrassed at the fact he jumped to such a conclusion. He can completely say something and then have it mean different things to who hears it. I didn't get mad, but a lost kid who needs help. I'm sure Diana and Jones got something else from what he had said.
BACK AT NEAL'S
"Of course, Neal. I don't mind. He seems very nice." June said looking at the teenager Neal had brought home.
"Peter thought it beset if he came with me. I guess he thinks I will be able to get him to talk better than anyone else." Neal said looking at Danny. Danny was simply staring at the mansion.
"So Danny, how have you been? I would love to learn something about my new house guest." June said wanting to help Neal. She has a feeling that everything that had happened was going to be blamed on him.
"I like people to reach their conclusions about me. Some say I am a life savoir while others wish for me to just leave and move on." Danny said with a simple smile as if it was the easiest answer in the world.
"Neal you were right he does answer without really giving anything and yet it seems as if he gave everything.
"I know why can't he just be like a normal teenager that will sit there and complain about their problems.' Neal said signing. Then the door opened to reveal Mozzie looking down at a pad of paper.
"Neal what would be… Uh who is this?" Mozzie said pointing at Danny.
"My name is Danny, they are trying to get to talk about something I wish not too. However, they are doing pretty good since the answers I did give should tell them everything they need to know about me." Danny said smirking as Neal went back over everything the kid had said. June was confused as to how, and Mozzie looked at Danny for a while before speaking.
"Guys, this kid won't tell you. You should just give up." Mozzie said looking back at Neal and June.
"Yes well I must go. My granddaughter is having her first show tonight and I will not miss it." June said getting up to leave.
"Thanks June and wish her the best of luck from me." Neal said smiling.
"Of course." June said shutting the door.
"Mozzie, why would we give up?" Neal asked after Danny had gone to the bathroom. Little did they know that he was still in the room listening in.
"Because if you leave it alone he will make more mistakes, then we would have an easier time piecing things together. Now I need to know…" Mozzie started as the door once again opened to show Peter with some beer and apple juice.
"Wow, Peter what are you doing here?" Neal asked surprised he was really here.
"Al is out with some friends and I got an idea on why they would want to steal that painting. But first things first. Where is Danny?" Peter said looking around. Now was where Danny decided he had eavesdropped enough. He went back into the bathroom and then walked out.
"Wow perfect timing. Danny, Peter has an idea on the case." Neal said surprised that he didn't seem too interested in it.
"Yes well. I was thinking that this was someone new…" Peter was cut off by Mozzie.
"I haven't heard any chatter on the streets about some new guy. In fact I haven't heard anything at all."
"You wouldn't. The person behind this clearly has another motive to why they would want to steal the painting. Any idea in the history of the painting?" Danny asked hoping to get a clue to why a ghost would steal it.
"Actually, it was a painting done by a Roman ghost believer. They claimed that an evil ghost had taken over a Roman town. They had worshipped him because he could simply float. The legend was lost."Neal said looking at Danny who started to uncontrollably laugh.
"Is there something funny about a painting that is about ghost ruling the Romans?"Peter asked after Danny laughter died into giggles.
"It's an inside joke for those who know about me. My friends would love that. However, in my defense I thought that would be in an alternative timeline. I should ask Clockwork about that," Danny mumbled, but it was still heard by the rest of the room.
"Who is Clockwork?" Mozzie asked. "I have never heard of him."
"And you wouldn't if not for me. Trust me when I say this. Don't change the past for it will affect the present. I have learned that the hard way." Danny said smiling at their confused faces.
"That makes no sense." Mozzie said glaring at the teen. "This is like conspiracy theory."
"You could say that. But what does the painting look like? Do you have a picture?" Danny asked wondering if his ghost form was in it if Vlad's was.
"The picture is back at the office. However there are two ghosts in it. One had black hair pointed up and has greenish skin and fangs. He also had a cape. The other one looked more like a human that could fly. He had white hair and black jumpsuit? It had white points and a white symbol on the chest. Unfortunately we couldn't make out the symbol." Peter said looking at Danny who was trying to keep from showing any emotion.
"Right then. I have may have an idea, but as far as you are guys are concerned. This may be way over your head." Danny said getting strange looks.
"We are the FBI. This is our job." Peter said. "This is what we do every day."
"Okay you deal with ghosts and evil plots to destroy the world. Then get shot down for being who you are. Then dealt with people that hate you because you are simply different and because of a simple stereo type. Now do you do that every day or were you just talking about solving a crime that someone did?" Danny said scowling at his glass.
"I have nothing to say to that." Neal said wondering what Danny was talking about. He knew Danny was giving them enough to go on, but the things that this kid was hiding were crazy. Did he just say that he was shot down as in literally or figuratively?
"Did you say you were shot?" Peter asked concerned that the kid may be right about this being this being over his head.
"Both if you want a real answer, but as I said before you guys aren't going to learn too much about me before I disappear." Danny said looking at the window with longing.
"You have been shot?" Mozzie asked concerning growing on his face that teenager was being shot at by people.
"Too many times." Danny answered looking down at the ground. "Somethings people see aren't what they want so they pretend is isn't there. They ignore the signs and then when everything comes crashing down and reality hits, they realize how really wrong they are."
"You have a bad habit of changing the subject to avoid answering question directly don't you? You keep creating more questions with your answers, then turn around and don't even answer the first question completely." Neal said looking at teen, who started to smile.
"Yes I do." Danny said looking at Neal.
"Oh great a straight answer that again didn't answer anything." Neal said frowning. Peter phone started ringing.
"It's Al I have to go. See you guys tomorrow." Peter said getting up and leaving.
"That was interesting, but I have to go too Neal. See ya." Mozzie said leaving.
"Wow in two minutes everyone left. Was it something I said?" Danny asked smiling as Neal gave him a dirty look.
"More like something you didn't. Why can't you just tell us more about you? It would be a lot easier to trust and believe what you say." Neal said looking back down at the teen and sitting at the table.
"I can tell you that I always keep my promises. I have never gone back on a deal and have always kept my word." Danny said smiling as he remembered his dealings in the past.
"That is… Okay then. How about something more personal than just your morals?" Neal asked hoping to get him to talk about something in his past.
"I… can't. You guys are really great, but there is something that needs dealt with before I can tell anyone about me." Danny said looking down.
"So you are only acting like this because you don't have a choice." Neal asked kinda sad that Danny was only playing with them because someone else was controlling his actions.
"You could say that. However everything I know about you can help me. I may seem like someone who can seem to disappear into thin air when in reality I can really disappear into thin air." Danny said then completely vanished before Neal's eyes.
"You meant that you could actually disappear!" Neal yelled eyes wide as Danny reappeared behind him.
"You wanted to know more about me, you were naïve enough to believe in ghosts and now you have one helping the case, but you can't tell anyone this because it may put them in danger. I am only telling you this because I need your help with something. In return, I can help you with anything." Danny said then turned around and laid down on the couch to go to sleep.
I would have waited but I finished another chapter so I decided to put this one up. I don't own either show. tell me what you think about this chapter i would like to hear what you have to say about this story.
