Chapter 4:

Danny had to admit, for a crazy camp that was teaching young children to fight powerful deadly monsters, it was kind of fun. Though he couldn't show his full strength, he didn't have to act like the weak pathetic loser he did at home. Like when some of the kid from the Ares cabin tried to mess with him, he could actually fight back instead of just letting himself get beaten. The climbing wall had been interesting, though Danny was not a fan of the lava. Sure it couldn't hurt him too bad, but the heat still made Danny feel sick and irritable due to his ice core. Danny also enjoyed trying out various weapons and sparing with the other campers. He wasn't too bad with a bow, but he preferred his own ecto blasts. He was surprisingly natural with a sword, though his techniques still had a lot to be desired. When Danny tried out a spear, it felt wrong to him. Not necessarily the idea of using something like a spear, but the weight felt off to Danny, like the tip needed to be a lot heavier than it was. Despite all the different weapons the camp had, Danny never found one that felt right to him. He guessed it was because they were designed for demigods and not a Halfa, but unfortunately, the Hephaestus kids took it as a challenge. They had a kind of contest to see which one could make the perfect weapon for Danny and they seemed to get more ridicules with each attempt.

But the biggest issue, according to the demigods at least, was that Danny hadn't be claimed by his godly parent, which of course Danny didn't have. Apparently, there was some sort of promise that the gods had to claim all their kids. Danny tried to use this fact to prove he wasn't a demigod and let him return home. Unfortunately, this made them even less inclined to let him go. They still believed Danny was a demigod, but if he wasn't for some reason they still had to figure out why all the monsters were attacking him. Danny also made sure not to use his powers, except for a little ghostly payback for some of the pranks. He had a close call during the capture the flag game. Someone had shot an arrow at him and he had briefly gone intangible as he dodged it. It also took all his willpower not to blast whoever had shot him on instinct, though he was sure his eyes had flashed green briefly. Luckily, no one had caught those slip-ups, but his luck came to an end that night when a goth kid showed up.

They had just finished dinner and were on their way to the bonfire when the kid showed up out of nowhere, literally. One minute there was no one and the next he just emerged out of the shadows. Danny was immediately on guard, eyeing the kid wearily. It wasn't the dark and slightly creepy outfit or anything like that, it was the strange aura that he felt from the kid that put Danny on edge. While the other demigods felt powerful, some more so than others, this kid felt dangerous to Danny in a way the others weren't. Danny could feel a tickle in his throat as if his ghost sense was stirring. Danny guessed that, while this kid clearly wasn't a ghost, he had some sort of connection to the dead and that could every dangerous to Danny and his secret. When the kid locked eyes on Danny, a mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"There you are," he said. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"You know him, Nico?" Percy asked in surprise, looking between the two in surprise.

"Of course," the goth kid, Nico, replied, his eyes never leaving Danny. "How could I not? He's the famous Halfa of Amity Park."

Danny jolted at the nickname, his eyes narrowing. Obviously, Nico knew exactly who he was and it was unlikely his secret was going to stay secret much longer. He did not like where this was going.

"What are you talking about?" Danny said casually, but sending a look to Nico that clearly told him to shut up about his secret.

"No need to pretend with me Phantom," Nico continued, his grin widening. "Like I said, you're pretty famous where I come from. Hero, Great One, Pariah's Bane, the Savior of the..."

"Okay I get it," Danny cut him off, hoping that no one could recognize those names. Even though he wasn't familiar with those names, the meaning was pretty clear to him. "You know who I am, but I have no idea who you got your information from. Most people I know call me a loser, freak, whelp, dipstick... you know, things like that. Considering most of them hate me, it's kind of expected."

"Well you've only met a small number," Nico waved off dismissively. "While the majority of the citizens of the zone actually does like you."

"Well that's nice I guess, but why are you here?" Danny questioned, subtly getting into a defensive stance. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Simple," Nico replied, taking a step forward. "I'm here to help you realize who you really are."

"What do you..." Danny was interrupted as Nico lunged at him with his sword drawn. Danny dodged out of the way and ducked under the next swing. "What are you doing?! I don't want to fight you!"

"Really?" Nico taunted as he continued to attack Danny. "Are you scared of me? It's alright, most of the underworld is. There's no shame in fearing your superior."

Danny didn't know why, but something about Nico's taunts were really rubbing him the wrong way. He could feel a strange anger growing inside him, but he tried to force it down. He wasn't going to blow his secret for a few insults. With luck, he could get out of this situation without too much being given away.

"I am a son of Hades," Nico continued as Danny continued to evade his sword swings. "I have command over all the dead! I am the Ghost King."

That statement snapped something inside of Danny and the strange feelings burst through him, filling him in a way he didn't quite understand. A small growl came from his throat and his eyes burned green.

AN: I like to apologize if I didn't get Nico right. It's been a while since I've read the books and just tried to do the best I could.