Chapter 4

Ember slowly stood up with her eyes transfixed on Danny.

"…What?"

"Why do I fight?"

She was studying him. "It's because you feel you have to do it. It makes you feel better."

"No it don't. There is no reason to fight but still I have to do it. Why?"

"Hahaha, of course you feel good when you fight. Come on now dip stick, jokes over."

"What joke?"

"Danny, lay it off. This isn't funny."

He didn't answer, instead he just stared at her, trying to understand what she was meaning. It was a real question he asked and wanted an answer to. Not a joke. But she seemed to have gotten upset over it anyway.

Ember on her side was unnerved by the empty stare she was getting from the ghost boy. She had come to his school to simply see how he was taking his welcome speech, and how long until it would be fair game to fight with him again. But this was just wrong. His questions was off from what they should have been. Maybe it was some kind of mistake or temporary confusion on his side.

She decided she would test her theory, that dip stick would snap out of whatever his mind was on if she challenged him. Or more correctly, his core. Taking her guitar from her back and showing clearly for him that she was going to act called out.

"Okay if that is how you want it." She hit an chord, only on a weak charge.

It was done so it would be easy to dodge, which she counted on him doing. But he didn't. Instead she watched as he got hit straight on by it and got pushed flat on the roof. Even when she had attacked and hurt him a lot worst before, this was scaring her. She started to make her way to him but stopped halfway as he sat up and again looked at her. Staring but otherwise not doing anything.

Danny had seen the attack and knew that he should have jumped out of its way. But he didn't. Not knowing why, he just felt like there wasn't a point to it and there for let it hit him. It surprised him some that it hadn't hurt. Stung a little but not hurt like it usually does when a ghost attacks him. When he sat up he just looked over back to Ember again, seeing that she had come closer to him.

Normally he would jump up here, say something witty enough and then start a fight, that he most likely would win. Instead he sat still and waited. Ember seemed more then just upset and he had a thought of asking her what was wrong but didn't as he kept quiet.

He saw as she after a moment lifted her instrument again but instead of attacking him again stated to look around them. Danny wasn't paying attention to her any longer or to what she was searching for as he sat still and had gone to stare down on the roof flooring.

When the sound of a second chord was played and when he felt it hit him, his head turned up again. Ember wasn't there anymore. He guess she went away, that notion made something in his chest tighten. It also seemed to have been a while as the sky was somewhat red tinted from the upcoming sundown. Looking down again his concentration went to his thoughts that had gone blank. Until a scream was heard and his head moved in that direction.

Standing up and going to the edge of the roof, he looked down on what was a scene of a ghost burglar in action. It was a green ghost that was similar to the box ghost in appearance. And he had a knife, that he was using in threatening an adult couple. The adult male was hiding behind the female, more terrified then her, while she trembling was pressing her purse to her chest.

Knowing that he should fly down there and stop this, Danny stood at the edge as he watched. Feeling nothing but the numbness. And when the female finally gave the ghost her purse while the male fainted, aside from the bad feeling of numbness he felt anxiety for the scolding he would receive for doing nothing. Even though nobody had gotten hurt. Then it all went away.

Suddenly there was no longer a terrorized couple or a ghost burglar. Danny was still standing at the school's roof edge, but all he could see below him now where a normal day in Amity Park with no ghosts in sight. It was not even near sundown either.

Standing still and feeling confused, he only gave a small jolt when blue hands clasped down on his shoulders, turning him so he was looking straight up to Ember's face. Her smile was truly all gone now and was replaced by a grimace while her eyes where wide open and was tracing over his face. She was searching for something. He thinks she looks worried but can't place why she would be feeling that.

"Hey dip- Danny. What's wrong?"

"…I'm tired."

Whatever it was she had hoped to hear that was not it. Instead it seemed to be the last thing she wanted to hear as it made her panic. With a steady hold on one of his arms and her guitar on her back she started to fly away with him dragged after her.

"Where are we going?"

"The ghostzone. Now."

"I can't go now. I am already late for class, it will give me a detention note."

"Doesn't matter. We are going now and that's it. Excuse yourself later with being kidnapped by a ghost or something, that can wait but this can't. Understanding me kid?"

"No. Not really."

She dragged him to the nearest natural portal around, which happen to be the one she came out from. Thankfully it was still open but would undoubtedly close soon. It ended up being a close call as it closed up right after they had gone through it. Ember paused some to get oriented as the portal could have moved some from its spot in the ghostzone. But before she could be certain where they where someone called out to them.

"Hi girl- Ember." Skulker cut himself off in the last second, remembering exactly how much his girl could hurt him if he was stupid enough to call her 'girl'. Then he noticed her company. "What are you doing here ghost child?"

"I'm taking him to Walter's jail."

That caught the boy's attention and made him try to get loose from her grip on his arm. "Let go. Let me go." Fear was something he could still feel at least. His struggle got Ember to turn back to him and raise her free hand in a calming gesture, but before she could say anything, Skulker beat her to it.

"Sweetheart that is unusually cruel. He have just had his presentation to being a ghost. Don't you think it right to give him time to settle it?" He sounded like he was disappointed in Ember but Danny was to much in a panic to listen and were soon to attack if things keep up.

"We aren't going there to have him locked up moron. Walter's jail is the only place with the equipment for a proper core testing."

"Core testing? Why in the zone would he need that?"

"He isn't following his class category."

"What do you mean 'he's not following it'? He fights all the time."

"Then how come Danny just moments ago asked me, and saying it word for word, 'why do I fight?'."

Skulker stared at her before shifting his sight to the boy still trapped in her grip but now stood still, but it didn't seem to be due to calming down. "That can't be right."

"It is, I tested. He didn't react when I mock attacked him. Dammit, he stood still for a wave that even box ghost should been able to dodge."

Skulker's eyes sharpened as his mouth went in a tight line of thinking. He looked sure of himself but his voice still wavered. "His not a fighting class category, so even if he don't respond to a punch doesn't mean his breaking class. I already told you his likely in protection class category."

"You don't think I tested that to numskull? I hypnotized him to see an illusion of a ghost harassing some humans, but all he did was to stand by and watch."

Now Skulker seemed more like how Ember had been on the roof, worried. "Let me try." He proceeded with tackling the ghost child to the ground of one of the random floating rocks in the ghostzone. Ember let go of the child.

Danny first reaction had been to tense up and try to get his arm, that Skulker was pinning down, free. But then he just stopped and started to stare at out at nothing. Skulker kept holding him down while he was looking sharply at the child's eyes before he swore.

"You were right Ember, we have to take him in for testing. The light in his eyes is dimming." And Skulker were right. Danny glowing green eyes weren't glowing so strongly anymore and they were still dimming. Looking down at his person the hunter found that the aura around the child was also losing its glow. "We need to go now."

Skulker then picked Danny up and put him over his shoulder before flying in a high speed towards Walter's jail. Ember following right behind them. Soon they where at the prison. And aside from some initial small struggling, Danny stayed still and quiet. Unnerving both adult ghosts.

Walking in, they went over to the reception. Where a very uptight and bored secretary was sitting. Who also looked up at them with annoyance. "What business do you have here?"

"This one here needs medical attention-"

"This is a prison, not a hospital. If you do not have an appointment or jail time to pay off then leave."

"Now listen here you little-"

"No you listen, Sir. This is a fine establishment that holds law and order and it will not be insulted by filth's antics."

"Never mind. Give me your boss, I want to talk to Walker."

The secretary huffed but did use the intercom to call down the warden. Who when he showed up was his normally grumpy and strict self. "Do you know what rules you are breaking by obstructing and hindering the proper work of both my employees and myself." Then he saw Danny and got even more annoyed. "As mush as I like civilians to capture fugitives and bring them to jail as good inhabitance of the ghostzone, I also hear that this one wasn't informed until recently."

"And that stops you from trying to lock the ghost child up?"

"Because the rules protects all new informed for 46 hours after the informing. It was installed after the incident when a ghost of the leech class category had targeted and feasted on all new formed before they had a chance to settle."

"Huh, then this should be easier."

"That mean I can't lock him away bucket-head."

"We aren't here to lock him up. The ghost child is showing signs disruption to his core. We need to do a core test."

"What? Let me see." Walker walked up to Danny. Noting how there were minimal attempts to move away, as well as no verbal response in retaliation. Walker frowned as he took this in and also noted that the child's glow was dimmed. "We will take him to the hospital wing." The warden turned and obviously expected the other two adult ghosts to take up the child and follow him. Which they did.

At the hospital wind Walker put the boy on an observation table before going to a cabinet and taking out an rectangular device. "Any inclination as to what put him off?"

"No. I meet him at his school but he was acting wrong before that."

"Symptoms?"

"He asked a question he shouldn't have had a reason to ask as it contradict what he does. He asked why he had to fight." Ember rubbed her arm. "And he said he was tired."

Walker huffed. "He is a halfa so the tiredness is likely from sleep deprivation. And his question doesn't contradict him if he is a protection class. It isn't necessary for them to fight." He walked over to stand in front of Danny. "This is most likely a waste of time. His newly informed, it could just be an initial confusion with the new information that's messing him up."

Skulker was looking curiously at the devise in Walker's hand. "What's that thing for?"

"It's to confirm his class category."

"So it tells what class your core is?"

"No. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pinpoint a class category and worst, the exact variation of it? For that you have to do multiply tests on a ghost's ectoplasm and energy, that takes days to complete. That is only done when it is absolutely needed. All this device do is that it checks that a core is the class category you already suspects someone to be."

Walker messed with the device for a bit before putting it near Dannys chest. "Now. We will start to confirm whether he is or aren't a fighting class. The only sensation it gives the patient is a slight pushing near the core, nothing else." The device hummed and Danny showed no sign whatsoever that he noticed anything from it. It took ten seconds before it beeped twice and showed the status in red letters -Incorrect-.

"And as you can see so is it now confirmed that Danny Phantom's core do not belong in the fight class category."

Skulker grumbled. "I knew that already. Figured it out yesterday."

Walker ignored him. "Now we will just confirm that he's a protection class category and there after we will take the necessary steps to stabilize his core."

Ember frowned. "Shouldn't we be more worried? You makes it sound like it will be an easy chore to fix him, but we don't even know what made him like this."

"As I said earlier, it is most likely due to confusion. This happens sometimes and is usually solved with steps that been outlined for each different class category. Really he will be fine. And when his 46 hours are up, he will be locked away in the cage he belong in."

"That's a nice way to reassure someone."

"Calm Ember. Walker may be known as a strict warden but he do know the rule book by heart and what is normal and not. So if he says ghost child will be okay, then he will be so."

"Fine."

While Skulker and Ember stood aside Walker had installed and started the next check and after ten seconds they got their answer. In red letters -Incorrect-. "What the hell do you mean 'incorrect'." Walker installed the device again and started it. After ten seconds they got its answer -Incorrect-.

Ember was rubbing her arm again. "H-hey. What does it mean saying incorrect?"

Walker's certainty had thinned out as his voice was unsure. "That means his not a protection class either."

Skulker moved to look over the warden's shoulder to peer down at the device. "But what is he then?"

"I don't know." Walker dragged a hand over his face.

"So how do we fix him?"

"To fix him we still need to know what his class category is. Obviously we messed up in our guess." He was frowning. "Look, he has been fine until now so he must have been acting on his class till recently. We will investigate and see what could have started this disruption."

"Um… Excuse me." All three adults looked to the child they where talking about. "Why is everyone getting upset? If my question was bad then I'm sorry."

Danny didn't know but the behavior he just showed sent up warning flags with all the other ghosts. Ember whispered to the other to. "Is a disruption supposed to work that fast."

"No it shouldn't unless what caused it was drastic." Walker went down on one knee to get to eye level with Danny, seeing just how much his glow was missing. "Danny I want to run some tests but to do them I need samples of your ectoplasm and energy."

Danny showed anxiety and hold his hand pressed to his chest. "… I don't want to be tested."

"They are harmless tests. And after the initial taking of samples they won't involve you."

"Okay…"

"Good boy." Walker patted Danny on his head before standing up. "I will get the medics to set things up. They most likely want to do personal analysis on him before he leaves, so it may take time before he heads home. One more thing boy." Danny looked up to warden. "If you tiredness change you have to tell."

Skulker was the one to whisper a question to Walker now. "Why is it important if he's tired or not? You said that was from sleep deprivation."

"Because if this isn't confusion caused by the informing, which seems unlikely now with how fast it progressed, it's something else that's is wrong and is causing this. And if that is the case then that tiredness could be, as Ember feared, a symptom. That symptom will be our best direction to how long time we have to find and fix whatever is wrong. As long that it stays as tired it's fine, then there is time. It's when he feels a numbness instead, or in combination with tired, it's bad."

"Why?"

"Because that means his core is not under disruption anymore, but disintegration. It would mean that his core is dying."