Danielle woke up with the familiar cold ground beneath her. She rolled her knees closer to her body and enjoyed the heat grabbed around her.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she realized her situation. She had never felt so warm waking up in her chamber before. Something was wrong. Now fully awake, she slowly peeked an eye open to access the situation.
Before she could determine her wearabouts, something grabbed her shoulder and shook her.
"Dani, we've got to go. We're late!"
Danielle flipped away from her sleeping spot and landed on her feet a few feet away. The girl in front of her looked shocked and stared wide eyed.
A boy ran up behind the girl. "Dani, come on."
Danielle blinked and recalled the two children before her. "What's going on?"
Max blinked before rushing away again. "We've got to get home," the girl answered as she ran back towards the entrance of the cave. "We overslept. Tim and I need to get back to the house now." Max crawled out the entrance. "Come on Tim!"
"Let's go Dani!" Tim grabbed Danielle's arm and pulled her out of the cave.
Tim lowered down to crawl out of the cave entrance as Dani was pulled right into him, pushing them both into the wall.
Groaning, Tim looked back at Dani, now flat on her back. Tim took Dani's hand once again. "Come on. Let's go!"
As soon as Tim left the cave, he fell in line behind his cousin, who had been impatiently waiting. Danielle followed Max and Tim through the woods, past the park where they first met, until they came across a large house. Dani used her arms to rest on her knees as she gasped for much needed air. She had never ran so long before. She hadn't even a chance to catch her breath before she heard someone jumping through to the other side of the bush they were crouching behind. Dani looked up to see Max sneak-running across the yard toward a large garden outside the house.
Once Max made it past the garden fencing, she noticed Tim wasn't following. Looking back to the woods, she shot him a panicked look. Taking the hint, Tim pulled Dani from the bush hiding them from the view of the house. Although Dani resisted running again, Tim insisted.
"Come on Dani! We can't let them see us come in."
Sighing, Dani allowed herself to be half dragged to the house by the smaller boy toward his cousin waiting under the trellis bordering the house.
…
Max peeked around the corner watching for any adults. If Tim didn't hurry up, they were going to be caught. That meant no more night outings. Tim knew how much the cave meant to Max. It was her fortress. Night time was the only occasion she got a chance to be herself. Her mother may not like the idea of Max being a 'tomboy,' but it wasn't going to stop Max from having fun.
Tim would only be around a couple more weeks. She tried to be patient with him. She knew Tim liked Dani, even if she wore really weird clothes. Although, who was Max to judge. Mother thought her street clothes were dreadful, and Max thought the same of the gowns her mother made her wear. A black jumpsuit may be unordinary, but Dani was cool and Tim liked her. That was good enough for Max. They could meet up with her later, as long as they made it inside in time. She could hear her cousin running up behind her. Turning she was surprised to see not only her cousin, but Dani as well.
"Tim," Max pleaded, "What's she doing here?" There wasn't time to hide Dani anywhere. It's not like she could turn invisible. Nanny would see her for sure.
Tim looked up at his cousin. "We can't just leave her alone."
Max huffed at her cousin's giant eyes pleading from under his messy brown bangs. Max turned away from her cousin's gaze to Dani's uncertain one. Tim certainly knew how to get what he wanted. He had to. He was sent house to house having to deal with numerous and weird relatives. It was true, Dani was just passing through, and they promised to help find her cousin in Amity Park.
"Fine, just come on."
Max began climbing the trellis avoiding the winding vines and flowers. The trellis was pretty strong and was covered with years' worth of vines winding through to the house. Max had the trip down to an art. For a long time, she gave up her nightly pleasure when Tim visited. She finally showed Tim her secret once she felt he was old enough. Max listened for Tim below her, but heard Dani and Tim talking.
"This is your house?"
"Yeah, it's alright."
Max let her breath exahle through her nose. That boy needed to realize what was at stake here. He may only be ten, but he was smart enough to see sense. Max reached the window and pulled herself in. She poked her head out the window to encourage her cousin to get in the house.
"Come on Tim, we can't let them see us."
Tim waved up at her before beginning his own ascension up the trellis.
"Who are you hiding from," Dani asked.
"Our nanny. If she catches us out without permission, we'll be grounded for like forever," Tim said allowing his left arm to spread out away from his right, where he was hanging off the trellis. "Come up the vine, Dani."
Dani looked past Tim to where Max was waiting. "All the way up to the window?"
"We do it all the time." Tim was about half way to the second story window.
"Be careful, Tim!" Max looked back nervously at her bedroom door. Luckily for her, Nanny was still making breakfast. As soon as she was done she would be up telling Max what to do.
"It'll be okay, Dani," Tim called watching as Dani hesitantly stepped up on the trellis.
"Tim, it's tricky. Watch what you're-"
Max could see Tim's misstep before he even realized what happened. Why didn't he watch where he was stepping? She didn't have time to react before he was falling down toward the garden bed.
Max tensed in horror as Tim's eyes went wide. A flash of white caused Max to blink before something caught Tim in midair. Max nearly fell herself but caught herself before plummeting out the window. Before her own eyes, a snow white haired girl had caught her cousin. She was wearing a familiar black jump suit.
Tim looked straight into the girl's bright green eyes as she smiled back. "Dani?"
The girl raised her eyebrow. "Tim."
"Maxine?" Max jumped back from the window, successfully bumping her head on the window sill in the process. Her nanny was standing at the door ticking her tongue before continuing her fussing. "Maxine, a young lady should not be hanging from a window of all places." The nanny made her way toward the window in order to close it.
Max stole a glance at the two floating outside before jumping in front of her nanny to close the window and blinds. She turned back to see a rather suspicious glare.
'Oh boy…'
…
"Dani?"
Danielle watched the boy in her arms. Her father had warned her not to let anyone to let her know she was half ghost until they revealed themselves as father and daughter to all the world. She didn't even think about what she was doing until he was already in her arms. Too late now.
"Tim," Dani answered confirming his accusation.
Tim continued staring into her eyes with wonder and fear on his face. The sound of a window closing brought him to his senses. Dani was surprised to see that Max had shut them out. Dani looked to Tim. They needed to get in the house, right?
Tim was staring wide eyed at her face.
"That. Was. Awesome!" Tim threw his arms up in a double fist pump. Dani adjusted her grip to keep from dropping the excited boy. He turned to her wide eyed. "Do you have super powers?"
"I guess, kinda."
"Wow." Tim began looking in all directions. Although she was stronger than regular humans, she would have to set him down quickly if she kept squirming like that.
Dani floated over towards the window, but Max had also closed the curtains not allowing Dani to see inside. Dani was about to turn intangible until she heard Tim stop her. "Go around to my window."
Dani stopped and looked down at her companion. "What?"
"It's right around the corner." Tim stretched towards the ride side of the house. "We can get in there."
"Oh, okay." She followed Tim's instructions until they made it to the window he had spoken of. Dani opened the window and let Tim climb inside before floating in herself. As soon as Tim made it inside his room, he spun around to get a better look at Dani. Feeling self-conscious, Dani turned back into her human half. Tim's eyes lit up further, as well as his smile. Just then they heard a Tim's door open.
A plump older woman followed by Max entered the room. The women paused in surprise before turning back to her charge. "Miss Maxine, why is there a young lady in Master Timothy's bedroom?" she questioned.
Max was just as surprised as her nanny to see the two in the room. She had been trying to keep Nanny away from her room so Tim could sneak back in. She didn't expect the two to have made their way to the room so quickly.
While Max stood blinking at the girl, Tim interrupted, bouncing over to the older woman. "We invited her for a sleepover Nanny."
Nanny pursed her lip at the young boy, before conceding. "I wish you would have warned me, Master Timothy. I will have to let the cooks know to prepare another plate for breakfast." Nanny waited expectantly for Tim's response.
Tim stopped bouncing under her strict gaze and, not really sure what to do, tried, "I'm sorry."
Nanny continued waiting. Tim squirmed and look to his cousin for help. She gave a 'continue' gesture with her hand.
"For my…thoughtlessness?"
Nanny nodded satisfied. "I should think so. I would not want this poor young lady to think we, in the Clout Residence, do not treat our guests with dignity."
Max, reviving from her stupor, joined in. "Well, Nanny, we should be getting ready. Lots to do and all." Max attempted to lead Nanny out of the room so the three could talk.
"Yes indeed. Give the girl back her clothes, and put something decent on. Master Tim, please follow me for your bathing."
Tim's face instantly turned red. Hiding his face from Dani, he followed the nanny out into the hallway. Sighing, Max glanced over to Dani. Then, she signaled for Dani to follow her the opposite way to her bedroom.
Danielle nodded and followed her friend into the hallway. She stopped to look over the stairway gate. The bottom floor was gorgeous. The furniture arrangement looked perfect. Art and pictures were mounted around the room. Danielle had never been in such an inviting looking home before. The manor was stone and the cabin was full of computers. The home she found herself in now made her heart flutter.
Smiling, Dani ran to see Max's room. Upon entering, she was immediately attacked by a wad of clothing.
"Here Dani." Max was already stripped and pulling out a dress from her closet across the room. "Now that Nanny thinks they're yours, you might as well keep them. Nanny's gonna throw them out anyway, if you don't."
"I have my hazmat suit," Dani interjected.
Max scoffed. "Yeah stylish, but you need some hang out clothes too."
Dani phased into the blue hoodie and red shorts Max had previously been wearing. Her hazmat suit disappeared under the hoodie and revealed her hands and legs showing through the clothes now that her gloves and pants had disappeared. She looked into the mirror and noted Tim's beanie on her head as well. She had forgotten he had given it to her last night after he had brushed her and thought she was cold. The hat actually matched Max's shorts perfectly.
Pleased, Danielle turned back to her friend. "How do I look?"
Max abandoned her battle with her zipper to see the ensemble on the ghost girl. After some consideration she replied. "Normal."
Danielle considered her answer. Not sure what to say, she tried, "You look good in that dress." It wasn't super fancy or anything, a simple sundress, but it suited her nicely.
Max finished unbraiding her pigtails. "I hate dresses. I'd rather go hiking any day." Looking in the mirror, she picked up her brush and began rapidly brushing away any foreign objects and tangles.
Dani half smiled. Dani could see how comfortable Max felt in the woods the previous night. The girl before her now looked completely different. She didn't look... happy.
Max watched herself carefully in the mirror, before slowing her brushing. "So uh, about earlier…" Max started.
Dani met her gaze, waiting for her to continue.
"What did you do, exactly?"
Danielle blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You know.. when Tim fell."
Dani reddened in realization. "Oh, I just went up and caught him."
Max put the brush down and looked at her hard in the eye. "How?"
Dani tried to think how to explain herself, but finally Dani decided just to show her.
Dani felt the white rings change her to her ghost half. She looked up to see Max looking at her in amazement. "What are you?"
"I'm… a halfa."
"A whata?"
"Well," Dani considered. Tim called her a superhero, but she didn't think of herself like that. On the other hand, her cousin fought evil ghosts, and she was trained to fight ghosts. "I'm part ghost, part human."
Max continued analyzing her. Dani met her stare uncertainly. She didn't realize this would be so hard for humans to get.
Max finally spoke her mind. "Your outfit stayed the same."
Dani looked down to see her hazmat suit instead of the recently changed outfit Max had provided. "Oh yeah, weird. Let me see…" Dani changed back to her human half and sure enough her clothes changed with her.
Max looked impressed. "Wow. Cool."
The children were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Girls, breakfast is ready downstairs."
Max let out her breath and smiled at the ghost girl. "Help me with my zipper?"
Dani grinned and helped her friend. Once the evil contraption was taken care of, they both made their way down the stairs to the dining area.
Breakfast proved to be the best thing Danielle had ever experienced. They didn't serve any sodas like last night, but she never knew so many varieties of flavors before. As Danielle ate, Nanny was droning on about the schedule for the day to Master Timothy and Miss Maxine. "We have a busy busy schedule today. I'm sure you won't fall asleep during your parent's luncheon today, Miss." The nanny turned toward the surprise guest. "I'll send you home in the car after breakfast, my dear."
Dani blinked at the women. She couldn't go home yet. She had to find Danny and get him to give her some of his mid morph DNA. She couldn't go back home if she failed.
Tim jumped from his seat before Dani could answer "Can't she stay for a little while longer Nanny." Dani looked over at her friend in appreciation. "She lives all the way in Amity Park, but it's pretty far away."
"Of course, I will arrange transportation. I shall call your parents to let them know you will be on the way. Now if you're finished with your breakfast, you may gather your things and say your goodbyes."
Tim and Max both stood up and Danielle followed suit. Exiting the dining hall, they made their way back up the stairs. Dani glanced around the house, amazed with the vast size and number of rooms. Dani looked at her only two friends. After Dani completed her mission, her father would have to let her visit again. After all if she brought the sample he would trust her to be on her own for a while at least.
At the top of the stairway, Max stopped and turned to her with fighting spirit. "Okay, listen up Dani. Nanny will need your cousin's address to get you to Amity Park. The driver won't drop you off just anywhere."
Danielle tried to think. "I don't know where Danny lives. I just know it's near Amity Park."
Tim considered. "It's not in Wisconsin… Ohio, I think."
"So, you don't know either, Tim?" Max inquired.
"No, I've stayed there before with my cousin, but only for a few months. Why don't you look it up on the computer?"
Max considered and leaned over the railway. Giving a frown, she rejoined the party. "No good. Nanny is in there now."
Dani leaned against the wall. "So what now?"
Max looked up towards Dani, then looked back into the office where Nanny was online. Jumping back up the stairs, Dani could see a gleam in Max's eye.
"I've got it!"
Tim smirked expectantly. One thing about Max, she was a prankster. Tim had spent a lot of time with Max pranking their nanny. The littlest things like moving a stack of cans, leaving messages on the mirror, or hiding things proved Nanny was indeed superstitious.
Dani looked at the two curiously. Whatever was about to happen was obviously going to be fun.
Max turned to Tim with a mischievous smirk. "Tim, get the soap bar from the bathroom," she ordered.
Tim immediately ran down the hallway to retrieve the said item.
Next Max turned her attention to Dani. "Since you're a ghost, you can turn invisible, right?"
Dani smiled. "Oh yeah, that's an easy one." She allowed her form to disappear, floated over Max, and then tapped her shoulder.
Max jumped and spun around only to see Dani upside down behind her.
"Boo," Dani said playfully.
"You can do that while you're still human?"
"Yeah. I always have access to my powers, but they are more powerful and natural in my ghost form." Dani floated back down to the floor and allowed gravity take over once again. "It's easier to do regular stuff in my human form and ghost stuff in my ghost form, but I can still do the basics while in the opposite form."
Tim ran up behind Max, excited. "How long have you had your powers?" Tim asked, a bar of soap in hand.
Max and Dani turned to him in greeting. Max took the soap and smiled evilly.
"Well… three weeks, I think." Dani had lost track since she had been created. Her father hadn't marked it as a special date or anything. She would have to ask about her actual birthday once she returned.
Before Tim could continue asking questions, Max interrupted by giving Dani the soap and leading her back down the stairway. Peeking into the computer room, Max pointed out the computer their Nanny was using. Dani turned her head, unsure what to do.
"All you have to do is use the soap to draw on the screen. Nanny will freak out. Then the computer room will be all ours. She won't be back for a while."
"Turn superhero, Dani!" Tim encouraged.
Dani nodded and took a step back from the door. Dani called the rings to turn her to her ghost form. Turning invisible, she floated into the computer room. 'What am I supposed to draw?' Dani wondered.
Nanny was inches away from the screen.
'Her eyesight must be terrible' Dani thought.
In order to get to the computer screen, Dani would need to phase through Nanny's body. As she tried to make marks on the screen, she realized she couldn't draw while the soap was intangible. Dani thought about trying to make only the soap tangible, but she wasn't sure she could manipulate it well enough to successfully make the soap only partially intangible. If the any of the soap became tangible while still inside Nanny... Dani didn't want to hurt the older lady.
Dani floated up and tried from a different angle. The computer screen was pretty small, and the nanny was far too close to the screen. 'No wonder she's blind.' Dani thought.
Dani considered what to do. She couldn't mark the screen, she didn't want to hurt anybody, but she needed the computer. She could move Nanny from her spot in front of the computer, but Dani wasn't completely sure she could pick up the much larger women. She was stronger than an ordinary human, but she never tested her physical abilities before. Her father was much more interested in the power of her ghost abilities.
Turning away Dani saw the windows with the shades down. If Dani could get Nanny away from the computer, then Dani could mark it up. She floated over to the main window right behind Nanny, and pulled the shades up.
"Ahh." Nanny gave a short shriek. Looking behind her, Nanny saw the window open revealing the sun's glare on the computer screen. Rather than close the shades, Nanny turned back to the screen and used her head to block the glare.
Frowning, Dani went to another window and opened the shade. Nanny turned away from the computer screen, but stayed in her seat. Dani raised an eyebrow. This was taking forever.
'Just get up already.'
Giving a huff, Dani flew to each window one after the other and raised each screen as the nanny watched wide eyed. Before Dani could get over to the computer, Nanny had already ran out the door.
Turning visible, Dani looked at the soap still in her hand. 'Oh well.'
Max and Tim ran in. Tim's smile was enormous. "That was awesome, Dani! Even better than the soap trick."
Dani smirked.
Max nodded her approval as well. "Okay," bringing the focus back, "what's your cousin's name Dani?"
"Danny Phantom." Dani answered casually.
Both Max and Tim spun around in surprise. "Danny Phantom?!" they asked together.
"The ghost kid? He's your cousin?" Max asked incredulously.
"Yeah." Dani answered confused.
"Does that mean you're a ghost too? Is that your superpower?" Tim asked.
"Yeah, I'm part ghost."
"Cool!"
"Freaky," Max commented. "I like that."
Max turned back to the computer screen and turned on the search engine. After a few minutes, she sat back defeated. "It doesn't have any information on Danny Phantom other than he is usually seen around Amity Park. I can't find an address or anything."
Dani looked over Max's shoulder to look at the screen. The screen was filled with articles concerning Danny Phantom. Most were trying to confirm whether he was evil or a hero. Off to the right side, a link showed for the local school where Danny Phantom was recently seen.
"What's that?" Dani asked pointing at the link.
"That's the yearbook for the school there. Casper High."
Tim started chuckling.
Max and Dani looked at him, confused and expectant.
Shrugging, Tim pointed at the school's name. "Casper High. It's a joke, get it?"
Max huffed and clicked on the link while Danielle tried to understand Tim's joke. Max scrolled through the pictures of the students before backing up to the previous page.
"Let me see." Dani used the computer to scan through the freshman students. Danny was fourteen years old. He should be in the freshman class or possibly in the Jr. High, but she would check out this link first before trying to find the Jr. High yearbook.
After a couple minutes, Tim pointed out a student with a familiar face. "Who's that?"
Dani's eyes lit up. "That's him!" She had watched his transformations and video clips for hours while she was waiting on her father only a few days ago. Dani looked at the name under the picture. "Danny Fenton."
Max looked at the picture in amazement. Turning to Dani, she insisted, "Turn back into your human form."
Obediently Dani called the transform rings to change her and allowed Max and Tim to scrutinize her face to the one onscreen.
"Dani, he looks just like you." Tim said.
Max nodded agreeing.
Dani shrugged it off. That's what happened when you were cloned. "So how do we find where he lives?"
Max took over the computer. Although she couldn't find his address from his name alone, she found information on a place called Fenton Works. It was ran by two ghost fighters named Maddie and Jack Fenton.
Dani recognized the names. That had to be it.
Max wrote down the address on a piece of paper and gave it to Dani. "Once the driver drops you off here, you can follow them back to Danny's house. Mission Complete."