Ice Lightening

Chapter Three

The Past

"Stumbling is not falling."

~Malcolm X~


"Danny?" Robert asked looking at his ex. He couldn't see Danny hurting anyone without a reason, and even then with one he still couldn't. He read about how he protected those who hated him and wished him destroyed. Danny wouldn't hurt anyone unless it was for self defense. "It's not him. I've been trying to get him to open up, but even I can see he's a good kid. He would never do something like that."

"Robert, I know he might seem nice, but even good kids have a dark side," Trina stated. "I'm worried that your family might be in danger from the boy if he is who we are looking for."

"May I ask what happened? I know Danny has his dark side, my son and daughter have seen the results from…" Robert was cut off by Trina's partner.

"So he hurt them?" he pushed wanting to get out of here and go home. He knew that kid was who they were looking for, and the sooner they find him, the sooner he could go home.

"He never hurt them, but he scared them. He…he's been tortured, and we didn't know, but Sharon opened the door when he had just gotten out of the shower, and…" Robert began only for Sharon to cut him off this time.

"That kid's body looked like some kind of canvas for an artist. He is covered with scars, and he refuses to tell us what really happened," she fumed tired of feeling like she was left in the dark. Trina took a step back.

"That's not helping his case; it could give him motive," she stated. Robert shook his head.

"Danny has many secrets, and I know parts of a dark one, but he's still just a kid," Robert stated trying to think of something to help Danny out with, but he hadn't been with them that long. Virgil was hanging out with him more than they had seen him, but he didn't want them to believe that Danny was a killer.

"What can you tell us about his dark secret then?" Trina asked needing more information on the kid. Robert shook his head.

"If I truly thought that he was a threat then I would tell you, but it's not my secret to tell. My family would be in more danger if I told you," Robert stated.

"He threatened you to keep it quiet?" Trina asked feeling slightly overprotective.

"No, the people who are after him will. I'm protecting him; and right now, my family is all the kid has at the moment," Robert informed watching Sharon glare across the room. He knew that Virgil told her something different, but he needed Trina to know that Danny wasn't going to hurt them.

The door opened to reveal Virgil and Danny. Of course Danny was hiding behind Virgil, but everyone knew he was there.

"You caught him," Trina stated looking at the young teen who was trying to keep himself from bolting again.

"He ran from you?" Robert questioned. That wasn't helping, but he couldn't punish the kid since he seemed like he always wanted to run from anyone, and not just cops.

"Pops, he ran from Richie the first time they met, so this isn't all that surprising," Virgil joked knowing that was a lie. He and Richie were introduced and they decided to mess with Richie's head a little, but Virgil thought that if Danny didn't already know who Richie was, then he probably would have.

"This is true," Robert stated going along with it. It would help them get the cops to relax around the kid, but when Virgil turned back around to address Danny, the teen had already bolted into the kitchen. "I'm going to talk to Danny for a moment before we do anything else. I don't want him to start to go back on trusting us. He hardly does already, and I don't want all that work to go to waste."

"So how have you guys been?" Virgil asked as Robert walked into the kitchen and shut the door.


"Danny?" Robert looked around the room for the kid. He was behind the refrigerator trying to keep himself from falling apart.

"Don't," he whispered sliding down to the ground. "I don't want to talk to them."

"What do you know about the killings then?" Robert asked sitting down in front of him. He watched as Danny tensed.

"I might know who did it, and…I'm the one they are looking for," Danny whispered looking up. "But I didn't do anything. It's a…it's a trap to get me out in the open."

"How do you know?" Robert gently questioned hoping that this would help the teen rather than make things worse.

"The thing at the bank was a set up," Danny whispered leaning back against the wall and looking at the ceiling. "Someone knows where I am…I don't want them to use the police against you. I can't stay long without putting you guys in danger."

"Danny, you don't have to worry about it," Robert stated. "I have some people who are high up in the system, and they'll work with us. We can straighten everything out."

"I don't want him to come after you," Danny whispered at him. "You guys have been so nice, but I don't think…"

"Danny, you're safe here. Not many people know where I live anyway, but I promise that whoever they are, they won't be able to find you unless you let them," Robert promised. "But we still need to tell Trina and her partner something. Anything that'll help them."

"You can't tell them the truth without exposing me and Virgil," Danny whispered looking around the corner when someone knocked on the door.

"Robert, we need to talk to him now," Trina called though it. Danny looked at Robert.

"I can't…I can't calm down," Danny whispered wrapping his arms around his legs and pulling them closer to his chest.

"It's okay," Robert whispered looking at the door. There was no way Danny could talk to them without seeming suspicious about something. "You had nothing to do with those deaths, so if we can figure out how to calm you down so you can at least answer the questions."

"I won't have an alibi," Danny whispered. "Whenever they happened, I might not have even been in Dakota yet…wait…how can you trust me so easily?"

"Why are you questioning that?" Robert questioned as his second thoughts came back up. He had been trying to keep them down because of what he knew about Danny being half ghost. He learned that Phantom had done many great things to help and protect people, but there were also a few times where he seemed to have slipped.

"My own trust issues are probably the reason," Danny muttered looking up. "I…"

"You don't completely trust us, and you're wondering why we trust you," Robert whispered gently putting his hand on Danny's shoulder. Danny just tightened his arms around his legs and closed his eyes. "I've looked up some of the things you have done as Phantom, and there are a few things I wish to ask about. But most of things you have saved lives and done things to protect people."

"I still can't calm down. I won't be able to," Danny muttered as he heard the door open. Robert looked up at Trina who had walked over to them and sat down next to her ex.

"I need to ask these questions, and if you answer them honestly, I won't have to do anything farther," Trina stated glad that she got her partner to stay in the other room. Danny shook his head and buried it in his knees.

"Danny?" Robert asked gently shaking the teen's shoulder. "Just ask the first question; he might still answer. He'll be nervous though. He doesn't know you."

"That's alright," Trina started not sure how she was going to tell the difference between him being nervous because he was lying or because he was scared of her. "Where were you three nights ago?"

Silence met the answer, and Danny had no idea how to even answer that. He was just outside Dakota, but he still had no idea where the murders had taken place. He tried to think of how to word his answer because he had no idea where exactly he was.

"I…" he started, but he felt his heart start pounding in his ears. He took in a few deep breaths, but it wasn't helping. He started hyperventilating.

"Danny," Robert asked concern for the young teen. "Trina, get me that paper bag from up there. He's having a panic attack." Trina nodded and picked up the bag as Danny looked up at her. Pain exploded in his scars and he screamed. Everyone in the house was frozen. The three from the other room charged in only to see that Danny had collapsed on the floor unconscious. A long line of blood started pouring out of an unseen wound under his shirt.

"Danny?" Virgil called startled. He had never heard someone be in such pain like that.

"We need to close his wound before he bleeds out," Robert stated making Virgil grab the first aid kit. Robert gently held him up as Trina took off the shirt. Her partner had grabbed a few paper towels from the roll that was sitting on the kitchen table and knelt down next to them. Robert followed a scar that had reopened.

"Oh my god," Trina whispered shaking slightly from the amount of scars that littered the kid's body.

"Yeah," Robert whispered as the bleeding slowed. "Virgil, was he hurt?"

"No, he was fine," he answered giving his father the gauze and dressing from the kit. "We didn't get into any trouble that would cause something like that."

"Is that green?" Trina asked gently running her fingers along the wound that appeared out of nowhere. "He's bleeding green."

"I see this," Robert stated knowing that was probably from his ghost side. He held the gauze against the slightly bleeding wound and held Danny up so Trina could wrap it down. Virgil looked like he was going to be sick. "Let's get him up to Virgil's room. He can stay in there until we get a place set up for him."

"Are you sure you don't want to take him to the hospital? He could be a bang baby, and they might be able to help him. I heard they found a possible cure," she informed looking at them.

"We'll have to ask him," Robert covered knowing that Danny wasn't. It would only hurt him more.

"Why is he so thin?" Trina asked running her fingers over the ribs that were now visible. She took in more of him as they prepared to move him.

"Let's just get him upstairs," Robert whispered sadly. He now had the full picture on how bad Danny's health really was. Robert picked up Danny's legs while Virgil picked up his torso being carefully of the wound. Trina nodded to her partner.

"I don't think in his condition he could hurt anyone the way that those people were," she whispered watching as the young boy was carried upstairs. "Let's go. We'll try to talk to him later." Her partner agreed feeling like crap. He knew people suffered worse than what he was, but he never thought he would meet one of them.


"Pops, what happened?" Virgil asked while they gently laid the hybrid down on the bed.

"Trina asked him where he was a few nights ago, and he just sat there trying to figure it out. Suddenly he screamed and started bleeding. What did you guys do today?" Robert asked.

"We just investigated a robbery that didn't happen and then while Danny was here, me and Richie looked into his past trying to piece a few things together about him that he wasn't going to talk about," Virgil stated.

"He wasn't hurt?" Robert clarified.

"No, we never got into a fight. He was frustrated and seemed slightly off when we were flying, but he had control of his powers. Nothing seemed bad…he ran from Trina and her partner, and I didn't know where he was for a few moments. He may have gotten into trouble then," Virgil stated looking at the halfa resting on the bed. "What are we going to do? We know almost nothing about how to take care of him."

"We'll figure that out, but what did you find on him?" Robert asked wanting to know more.

"His real name is Danny Fenton, and his parents were ghost hunters that were after Phantom. He's considered missing while Phantom is considered destroyed," Virgil answered. "His classmates were accused of killing someone who was involved in catching him. He was put in a lab, and…that's probably where he got most of his scars."

"Explains a lot of his distrustful behavior," Robert whispered watching the young teen with worry. "Although, Amity Park is without their protector. The town will probably fall apart with fighting over him."

"It already started. Apparently this one ghost hunter only went after him just to annoy him on their free time. When another ghost showed up, they worked together," Virgil informed. "In respect for him now, she goes out and fights the ghosts he's suppose to with his symbol on her board."

"What made her come out?" Robert asked.

"One of the weakest ghosts that Phantom fought killed fourteen people," Virgil whispered. "Without him there…Amity is destroying itself."

"Who captured him?" Robert asked trying to keep himself calm. He was beyond angry. This kid fought for people who weren't afraid to show their hatred for him, and now they realize what they lost once he's gone.

"He stopped our searching before we could figure it out," Virgil answered. "He was mad at us for looking into his past."

"That's because he doesn't trust you completely yet," Robert explained walking closer to the hybrid and sitting on the bed. "Whatever happened to him hurt so much that he doesn't want to be around other humans."

"We can only help him get over his fears," Virgil whispered collapsing into his computer chair. He started spinning trying to think of something to help Danny. When they heard the young ghost groan and a bright light appeared around his waist. It traveled across his body changing him back into Phantom.

"Danny?" Robert asked gently. Phantom groaned and rolled over on his side; the one that had started bleeding and shot straight into the air with a gasp in pain.

"Ow," he muttered wrapping his arms around his body and slowly floating back onto the bed.

"What happened?' Virgil asked looking his friend up and down. Phantom's eyes were dull and almost lifeless.

"I have no idea," he whispered as he moved his hand. Green stained his white glove as he pulled away. "I don't understand."

"You were bleeding pretty badly. What do you remember?" Robert asked hoping that they didn't hurt the teen more than he already was.

"Everything," Phantom whispered as his powers surrounded him in a protective shield. Virgil stood up feeling the electrical current coming from Phantom's shield.

"Danny?" Virgil asked as Phantom looked up at him with pained eyes.

"I'm sorry to have worried you," he whispered not sure what else to say. Robert gently reached though the shield mindful of the wary look Phantom was giving him.

"It's okay. You had no control of it," Robert whispered.

"Yes, I did. I didn't want to answer the questions," Phantom confessed. "Please don't hate me, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time."

"You screamed…" Virgil muttered not sure what to think.

"It's not that hard to fake for me anymore. I've done it enough for real to be a professional," Phantom whispered. "Although ripping open one of my scars wasn't in the plan. That was an accident."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," Virgil stated slightly loud. Phantom flinched back.

"I'm sorry," Phantom whispered. Robert gently squeezed Phantom's shoulder.

"It's okay," Robert whispered. "I understand. You were afraid, and you did the only thing you thought you had to."

"They left, and I felt like it was safe to wake up," Phantom muttered sending a glare in Virgil's direction. "Although it told how much you know about me now."

"You knew all that?" Virgil stated completely confused.

"Most of it. Val…the Red Huntress having my insignia on her board threw me, but I knew about the deaths, and the murder of the agent," Phantom whispered.

"Agent?" Robert asked.

"The Guys in White are a secretly funded 'government' group that hunts and destroys paranormal beings. No matter what they may or may not have done," Phantom explained. "You'll never find it online or anywhere. You would only know about them if you were from Amity or were told."

"Why are you telling us?" Robert questioned hoping it was because the teen decided to open up.

"Because that's who I'm running from. They're not exactly 'secret'. They're really stupid, and the only reason that they were able to catch me was because I refused to let them hurt anyone else," Phantom growled. "They used my weakness to not harm a human against me."

"That's not a weakness," Virgil whispered. "It's who you are."

"They still used it against me…I…" Phantom stopped as tears started streaming down his face. Robert gently wrapped his arms around the young teen knowing that he needed all the comfort he could get. Phantom leaned into the hug as his cloak seemed to tighten around him.

"No one here will take advantage of you," Robert promised gently rubbing the teen's back. Virgil just sat there unsure of what to do. "It's okay."

"Sorry," Phantom mumbled when he realized what had happened. He couldn't believe he let himself go like that.

"Dude, everyone needs a shoulder to cry on," Virgil smiled softly. "You more than others."

"Danny, it won't hurt you to let your guard down once and while," Robert smiled gently as Phantom pulled away. He wrapped his arms around his legs once more and curled up on the side that didn't have an open wound. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine," Phantom whispered. "I just can't get myself to change back into my human form. It's probably because I'm injured."

"I'm going to go and make some dinner. Virgil, check his wound and make sure it stopped bleeding," Robert informed standing up and leaving the room. Virgil stood up and got out his personal first aid kit.

"You don't mind, right?" Virgil smiled as he sat down next to the hybrid. Phantom didn't move at all. His cloak was still covering him up. "Danny, are you sure you're okay?"

"No, but there's not much anyone can do to make it okay," Phantom muttered angrily. He didn't want to be helped by these people, no matter how much he appreciated it. He wanted his family and his friends there to help, but there wasn't much of a choice. Not anymore

"Can I see your wound then?" Virgil asked. "We need to make sure that the bleeding stopped."

"It did," Phantom answered. "That's why I changed forms. My ghost side heals faster than my human one. I can't change back until it's healed either."

"How long does that take?" Virgil asked curiously.

"Good question," Phantom muttered. "I have no idea. My entire body has changed from what it used to react like. Everything been reversed and turned around."

"Well, we can learn how to take care of you together then," Virgil joked with a smile trying to get the young teen to relax a little. Phantom just adjusted himself deeper into his cloak. Virgil gave a sigh. "Got any ideas? Because I don't have anything."

"Can I be alone?" Phantom asked feeling more tears and pain come. He missed his family and friends. He wanted everything to go back before he was captured and everything was hell. He wanted his life back. Virgil sighed.

"I guess, but don't leave," Virgil asked. "You're like the first person I can actually talk to about being a superhero that has already done so many great things. Everyone else I meet leaves right after we're done, and it would be an honor to learn a few tricks from the Danny Phantom: Ghostly Superhero of Amity Park. Besides, you'll run yourself into the ground before you ask anyone else for help."

"Tricks don't get you anywhere. Knowing who to trust is what helps," Phantom muttered. Virgil turned to him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" he questioned watching as Phantom turned away from him.

"My family isn't looking for me. They're trying to get away from me," Phantom whispered closing his eyes. Virgil walked out of the room getting the feeling that so much more was going on than what he had originally thought.

"Virgil?" Robert asked watching as his son descended the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"That lie we told Sharon about how Danny came from a troubled home might not be that far off anymore. His family is running from him," he stated looking at the ground. "I think it's because he's half ghost. He's different. I mean, why would they…how could they just leave him?"

"We don't know the whole story, Virgil," Robert stated making sure that Sharon was still in the kitchen. "We have to be careful on what we think. He's in pain, and he might just be lashing out at whatever he can to help make the pain go away."

"Yeah, but what would be more painful than having your family leave you just because of an accident?" Virgil asked. "I don't know what I would've done if you didn't accept me being Static. You were worried I would get hurt, but they…if…what if they didn't want him because he had powers of something they hunted? They let the Guys in White take him?"

"I don't know, but whatever happened, we'll be walking on eggshells not to hurt Danny more than he already is," Robert informed. "He needs people that will stand by him."

"I want to learn more about his family, but I promised him that next we did anything to try learn more about him I would ask permission. He didn't like it the first time," Virgil whispered. "Think he'll be okay with me looking into his family."

"Not now," Robert stated. "Has he changed back yet?"

"No, he's still Phantom. He doesn't know when he'll be able to change back either. He said something about until the wound heals and that everything was reversed," Virgil explained. "I think he's afraid of letting anyone else know how his body works. He didn't seem very concerned about it."

"Physical pain might be his way of showing people that he's in mental pain. That's how many people show their inner pain and sometimes even try to hide it," Robert stated looking up the stairs. "We have to keep a careful eye on him."

"You don't think he would. I mean, he said that the wound was an accident," Virgil stated not sure what to think. Robert shook his head.

"He's breaking down. He's had to hold so many emotions in for such a long time because of his fight to survive that now everything is starting to catch up to him," Robert stated. "He does not have to fight to stay alive or have to worry about someone attacking him in an ally. He's in a safe place, and he knows it."

"What more can we do?" Virgil asked. Sharon walked in from the kitchen.

"You guys are keeping something from me about him, and I want to know what it is," she demanded angrily. Robert shook his head.

"I'm not saying anything unless he wants to let you in, Sharon. You have to remember that he is still like any other kid that's in pain. He might have been though worse than many of them, but he'll still react the same way," Robert explained. "We have to be careful not to upset him too badly that he'll take off. If we can't help him open up now, he may never truly open up to anyone ever again."

"Alright, but I'm still mad at you," Sharon stated pointing at Virgil and walking back into the kitchen.

"What'd I do?" Virgil asked with a grin. Robert shook his head.


Phantom laid across the bed as a blue light surrounded his side. He felt the skin stitch itself back together. He looked up at the ceiling and wondered why he even opened up to these people. He had stopped by several homeless shelters while he was running, and no one even looked at him twice.

"I wonder if Clockwork is messing with me again," Phantom whispered letting out a sigh. He sat up and looked out the window. He could see several stars dancing around in the sky. He wished that he was with his family again, but…that would never happen again. They would never believe him no matter what happened.

Suddenly the rings appeared around his waist and changed him back just as the door opened to reveal Robert.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked walking inside and sitting next to the hybrid. Danny just sighed.

"I'm…I don't know," he whispered. "Everything is so much now."

"You don't have to worry about fighting to survive now," Robert explained. "Now you are trying to come to terms with whatever happened."

"You're here to say that whenever I feel like talking I can come to you," Danny stated staring at the wall across from them. Robert smiled.

"Something like that. Or you can talk to Virgil or Sharon," he stated. "Anyone will be willing help you here. You just have to let them."

"My sister wanted to be a psychologist," Danny whispered. "I only went to her when I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone else. She recorded our conversations saying it was to help her understand. I let her…I let them in."

"Them?" Robert asked looking at Danny carefully. Tears had formed in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"She played them for my mo…Maddie and Jack," Danny stated harshly. Robert flinched slightly as the temperature in the room dropped slightly. "They had known a few weeks before…before that day. The only one who gave me a hint was my teacher. He kept giving me sad looks in the hallway until I was in his class. He handed me a note…it told me to run, to get out of Amity."

"What happened?" Robert asked feeling better now that Danny had opened up some of what happened.

"I didn't listen. I was confused and he knew that. He didn't explain, but when I left class, it was because of the fire alarm. He pulled me away from everyone else and told me that I was in danger. That he knew about Phantom. He wanted me to get out of there, but it was too late. By the time I figured it out, I was surrounded, and he was gone," Danny explained. "I have no idea what happened to him, but I wish I would have listened when he handed me that note."


Danny: Well, this story gets depressing in later chapters...yes, this is one story she is ahead on...by like three chapters...

Me: Broken Hearts is where I'm having to watch an episode and write at the same time...those chapters will take longer since they are longer chapters...this one is shorter...and I had a few ideas on this that intertwined quite nicely, so I've been writing on this like crazy, but don't worry...the next thing I put up with either be Black Phantom or Broken Hearts...or if someone ends up getting a question right and choose this story to updated...

Danny: Now for the chance to choose which of her stories to update or she'll continue on her random schedule.

Me: Which villain is my favorite? Very few I have actually told, and if you remember, then go ahead and answer. Those who get it right get to pick the next story to be updated...unless it's Broken Hearts...that's just going to wait until I have patience...

Danny:...and here we go...

Me: Danny, they don't need hints since I recently told of couple of them.

Danny: Another hint...its not in the Danny Phantom universe...

Me: Yeah, none will ever measure up...heehee...

Danny: So answer it right, and get your choose of which story will be ahead of the game...you will have to give her time to work on the chapter if it isn't already ahead of the game.

Me: I'm trying to get at least a chapter ahead on all of them so we can play this without having to work too badly like this.