A/N: Howdy folks. Once again, two chapters within 24 hours. I sort of wrote them simultaneously, but I felt they should be two chapters. I know my chapters are all kind of short, usually a little more than 1,000 words, but bear with me. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I do not own any content from Ben 10 or Danny Phantom.
A door-sized panel opened in the wall, revealing a tiny room with a cot, on which his black t-shirt and green jacket were neatly folded. Immediately he slipped them on. Behind a curtain, there was a small bathroom, similar to one found on an airplane. Ben went to the sink and splashed his face with cold water.
Frustrated with his situation, he groaned and sank on to the cot. Why had this happened? Why couldn't he have just gotten away? What was Julie doing right now? He had so many questions bouncing around in his head, he thought it would explode. Then he heard a voice.
"Hello? Someone there?"
At first, Ben thought he was losing his marbles. Then he heard it again.
"Anyone?"
It was then that Ben noticed a vent in the wall above his cot. He stood on top of the cot so that his face was right next to the vent, and said, "Yeah. Hi."
The other person, a boy who sounded like he was around Ben's age, sighed, probably with relief. "Cool. I'm not alone. What's your name?"
"Ben. Yours?"
"Danny." There was an awkward pause for several seconds, which Ben filled.
"Hey, are you that white-haired kid I saw in the van?"
By Danny's tone of voice, Ben could tell he was caught a little off-guard. "Oh, um… yes and no. I'm kind of… it's complicated."
In spite of himself, Ben chuckled slightly. "Trust me. If you think you're a freak, you're no more so than I am. So what are you? One of the Plumbers' kids?"
"Huh?"
"You haven't heard of the Plumbers? They're the intergalactic police force. If you had a parent that was a plumber, you could be part alien. I know a few of them."
Danny paused, then replied. "Er, no. That's not it. I'm not half-alien, I'm half, um… ghost."
Now it was Ben's turn to be confused. "Half ghost? How can you be half ghost?"
"There was an accident. It's a long story. So, what's so weird about you?"
Ben gulped. He trusted Danny, but he also guessed they were under surveillance. He had to be careful not to go too much into it. "It started when I was ten years old. I found this… watch-like thing in the woods, and it's attached to my skin now. With it, I can turn into ten different aliens for a small period of time."
If Danny was fazed by this information, he didn't let on. Evidently deciding to trust Ben a little further, he elaborated. "I got my powers about a year ago. Our town is one of the most haunted in the country, and my parents are ghost-hunters. They were building this portal in out basement lab to get to a parallel dimension known as the ghost zone. It wasn't working at first, but I was curious, so I stepped into the unfinished product and flipped the switch. The ecto-matter merged with my DNA, so here we are. I can change between forms when I want, and in ghost form I have some, uh, powers."
Ben whistled. "Wow. Do your parents know about it?"
"No. Every time they see me in my ghost form, they threaten to tear me apart molecule by molecule. Just my sister and my two best friends know. And this weird old fruit loop, Vlad. You?"
Hmm, he thought. Weird. Never heard 'fruit loop' used in that context before. He replied, "Just my cousin, my friend Kevin, and my girlfriend, Julie. Oh, and Grandpa Max. He was one of the Plumbers. He taught me most of what I know."
No one said anything for a couple minutes. Ben yawned. The events of the day were enough to drain anyone of energy. He told Danny that he was going to sleep, which seemed to sit well with the ghost-boy. He sounded as tired as Ben. When he laid down on the thin, hard, pitiful excuse for a mattress, the lights shut off.
It's going to be a long day, was his final thought as he drifted off into a troubled sleep.
In his dream, Ben saw a vast desert. He was lost in the middle of it, shivering in the cold night, with nowhere to go. No matter what direction he turned, all he saw was sand, with the exception of a few cacti and rock formations. His dream-self screamed for help, but of course there was none. Then the wind picked up, creating a sandstorm. It was the end. He was going to die out there in that desert, all alone. The wind laughed at his pain and grew stronger.
Then the dream shifted. It was blurry at first, but he could discern a person with long red hair closing their eyes. The edges of the image were tinted fuchsia. His heart leaped.
"Gwen!"
The image became clearer as his cousin scrunched her eyebrows. "Ben?" she called. "Ben, where are you? I can't get a very good lock. Are you getting this? Can you hear me?"
"I can hear you. I'm at Area 51, but that's all I know as to where I am. Is Julie okay?"
"She's fine. Are you? What are they doing to you? Have you been hurt at all?" Ben felt the strain in her voice from keeping up the telepathic link.
"I'm okay. They forced me to transform. I couldn't stop it. They're researching me for something. They have another kid here who can change into a ghost at will."
"Huh? Look, Ben, I can't hold on to your manna for much longer. We'll find you, I promise. Don't let them-" The connection became static, then disappeared.
Ben's eyes snapped open. Knowing that they were coming, that he wasn't alone, made him feel better. The desert dream had shaken him. He had never admitted it, but being lost and alone was always his biggest fear. It was why he always fought alongside his friends. He knew someone would always be there to pick him up after the fall. This time, he had no one. There was Danny, but he wasn't in the best position to do anything. Neither could. They were the victims of a cruel scheme, in a strange place with strange people, lost in a desert somewhere.
Gwen, please hurry.
"Sir, are you sure it was wise to let them communicate with each other? Knowing of the other's existence could affect the mentality of them both. Suppose they try to become allies?" The young agent looked up at his superior.
Harangue chuckled. "Nonsense. Even two super-powered teens are no match for our defenses. Besides, a little altered mentality could contribute to our research."
The younger agent hesitated. "Sir?"
"Well, it will certainly make tomorrow more interesting, won't it?
ooh. suspense.
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