Thanks to Snowleopard0, TerraOfLight, , kebby7130, HeroXLink, nicktoons5, and clara oswin oswald 16 for reviewing the previous chapter. You guys totally rock!
Chapter 4 - Enjoy!
Valerie went back to her booth to think. Somehow, Dani and Danny knew each other. Tucker had said they were cousins, and obviously Danny hadn't wanted her to know that. Did Danny know about Dani being half ghost? Did he know about her being the red huntress? No, there was no way... But Sam's comment... If they knew she WA the huntress, maybe Danny really was trying to protect Danielle. Just like she had tried to protect Danny by dumping him. Ugh, how could she verify that they knee without telling them, you know, in case they didn't?
Her musings were interrupted by a loud scream from outside and a familiar voice, "ah, two whelps for the price of one, this is my lucky day!"
Dani!
Valerie hurried out the employees only exit in the back of the restaurant, and after a cursory glance to make sure she was alone, activated her suit. She flew off towards the sound of a second scream.
As she arrived on the scene to see Danielle caught in a glowing, ghost-proof net, Tucker frantically typing on his PDA and Sam aiming a wrist-ray ecto-gun at Skulker. Skulker, meanwhile was hovering about ten feet up, fending off green blasts from none other than Danny Phantom. None of them had noticed her yet.
"TUCKER, hurry it up will ya!" Phantom called, as he shot another blast at the metal mohawk ghost.
"I'm trying," the boy replied, "but this dude updated his suit again and this baby," he waved the PDA, "can only do so much. Now, if I had the UltraTech 5000…"
"Not the time Tuck!" Shouted Sam as she also continued to blast the ghost.
Danny turned towards her, "Sam, can you get the thermos? It's in my -"
Suddenly a net shot out of Skulker's suit, hitting Phantom, cutting him off mid-sentence. Now he was as helpless as as his cousin. Or Danny's cousin, rather. Speaking of Danny, Valerie glanced around and realized Fenton was conspicuously absent from the fight. Had he really left his best friends and relative to fend off this crazy hunter ghost by themselves? That didn't sound like the Danny she knew. Her musings were once again interrupted as Skulker turned his blaster towards Sam. Now, Valerie may not like Manson all that much, but she wasn't about to let the girl get hurt by a ghost. Valerie called up her own ectogun, aimed it at the hunter's back and fired. Perfect shot. The ghost yelled and spun around to face his new attacker.
"Not so tough now, are you ghost scum," she smirked, keeping her gun trained on the hunter. He was about to reply, but was cut off as an alarm sounded on his wrist.
"What?! Go to zoo to observe purple-back gorillas? No!" He shouted as he shot in the air and flew off in the direction of the zoo.
"Uh, okay that was weird," said Valerie as she landed next to Danielle, who was still trapped in the net. Reaching into her boot, she pulled out a large hunting knife. The eyes of the two teens widened and they rushed over. "What are you doing!" they shouted.
"Back off, geez. I'm not going to hurt her. I'm getting her out the net. Unless you have something else in your little arsenal that can slice through ghost-proof material." Not waiting for a response, she bent down and started sawing at the ropes.
"Hey girl," she softened her voice as she addressed Danielle, "you're fine now. Told ya you should've stuck with me," she grinned as the last of the net fell from the ghost girl.
"And you," she said, walking towards Phantom, who was still trapped in the net, "what would you have done if I hadn't shown up, hmm?" She knelt down and started cutting his ropes.
Phantom rolled his eyes, "Okay, fine, thank you Val for showing up," he pouted, clearly not happy that he was at her mercy in this situation.
Valerie froze. He had just called her Val - in front of Tucker and Sam! Would they put it together that the Val in the suit was the same Valerie they knew from school. Phantom didn't seem to realize his slip-up, though he did notice that she had stopped sawing. "Uh, Val, uh why'd you stop?" Valerie glanced surreptitiously towards Sam and Tucker. Had they noticed his careless spillage of her secret identity? Their faces were worried and a little apprehensive, but no dawning realization seemed to be present, so she was probably safe. Growling a little, Valerie finished slicing the ropes and helped pull him out.
Once he was free, Dani rushed over and enveloped him in a giant hug. "Thank you! I'm so glad you're okay!" She let go, then surprised Valerie by embracing her in an equally bone crushing hug, "Thank you too!"
"Ah. Can't. Breath." Valerie choked out. Dani quickly stepped back and blushed. "Sorry. But I'd be a goner if it hadn't been for you guys."
"Hey, what about me?" Tucker whined. "I am that one that actually got rid of him," he said, waving his PDA again.
"You sent him to observe purple back gorillas? Why?" questioned Valerie.
"You got something against gorillas?" Sam challenged.
"No, just seems odd, that's all." Valeried replied back. "Nice wrist-ray by the way." Sam looked taken aback by the compliment. "Uh, thanks."
There was an awkward pause, then Phantom and Valerie spoke at the same time,
"Well, we better get going."
"Where's Danny?"
Another pause and Valerie could see Tucker and Sam searching for an excuse. It was Danielle who answered first, "what do you mean, Val, he's right there," she said, pointing at Phantom. Oh, right, she forgot that the ghost was also named Danny. Two Dannys and a Dani. It was making her head hurt.
"No, I mean Fenton. He was with y'all when you left the Nasty Burger and that was only a few minutes ago." Shit, did she say that aloud! Now they were bound to know it was her in the red suit.
Dani just gave her look she was either really confused or totally crazy. But it was Tucker spoke up this time, "He, uh, he went home to get more ghost fighting equipment! From his parents, uh, yeah, that's right, he's at home!"
Sam, on the other hand, was giving Valerie a calculated look and she could imagine the gears turning in her head. Please don't let her put it together! Valerie internally pleaded. She glanced at Phantom, who began nodding vigorously in agreement with Tucker's excuse.
"Yeah, he went home, to uh," he faltered and rubbed the back of neck, "get equipment." The action reminded her of Fenton earlier that day. She tilted her head as she stared at the ghost. Now that she thought about it, a lot about the ghost kid reminded her of Fenton. They had the same mannerisms, the same first name, the same cousin, and he seemed to be friends with Manson and Foley.
Except that he was a ghost and Fenton wasn't. Besides, it's not like a human and ghost could possibly - Valerie glanced down at Dani - be the same person. Oh god. They could be the same person. Living proof that someone could be half ghost and half human was standing right there in front of her! But Fenton and Phantom? The sweet kid she'd briefly dated and the spook that ruined her life. There was no way… she glanced back down at Dani. The black hair and blue eyes that really did look a lot like…
Oh god, she was going to be sick.
"Hello, uh, earth to Valerie, are you -" Phantom was interrupted as Valerie ripped off her helmet and chucked what was left of her lunch. Great, even though she refused to eat the food she served, working there still made her vomit smell like the Nasty french fries.
"Now that's just nasty." Tucker aptly remarked, wrinkling his nose as he lept backwards to avoid the spew.
"Hang on. Valerie Grey! Valerie you're the Red Huntress?" Sam asked, her voice dripping with mock surprise.
Valerie sighed, wiped her mouth with her glove, then retracted her suit. "Yeah, guess that secret's out." She narrowed her eyes at Sam, "but if you tell anyone, you will regret it."
Danielle piped up, "Wait, but you guys already knew that Valerie was the huntress!" Valerie narrowed her eyes at Sam, "Is that so? AND JUST HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN!" she shouted.
Sam just rolled her eyes, "Fine, yeah, we knew. Since you started really. And no, we haven't told anyone and we won't tell anyone. Truth be told, you're a pretty kick-ass ghost fighter. When you're not, you know, trying to waste Phantom," Sam said, nodding in Danny's direction.
Valerie turned back to the ghost, no, the human?, she had been threatening to kill the past two years. Oh god, she felt like puking again. Swallowing the buildup of bile in her throat, she addressed the ghost. "Yeah, sorry about that," Valerie avoided his gaze.
"Hey, you didn't waste me this time, which, by the way, I totally appreciate." He held out a hand, "bygones?" Meeting his eyes, she nodded and shook his hand.
Feeling a little better, her face broke into a smirk, "So, Danny, do tell. Just how long have you been half-ghost?"
A/N - So y'all, do I continue this story or cut it off here and leave the rest to your imaginations?