He shudders, looking up into glowing red eyes hidden by a veil of black hair and a dark grey cloak. The pretty face is misleading, he thinks fleetingly. Death should not be so welcoming.
Yet here she is, staring at him with a curious expression on her face.
"Daniel Fenton," she says, ancient voice echoing. "Or do you prefer Danny Phantom?" He doesn't have time to answer – as if he could, star struck as he is – before she continues, "It doesn't matter, I suppose. You're one and the same, now."
Then she's smiling, and Danny gets the feeling he should run but his body is not cooperating. "I'm still surprised at how well you've avoided me, little ghostling, without even knowing about me. It is an admirable feat indeed. The only other to have accomplished this was Vladimir Masters, or Vlad Plasmius…though he surrendered his soul to me in search of peace quite some time ago after his exile to the stars."
Danny is gulping, now, because she is pulling out a scythe and oh gosh she's going to kill me and he flinches, and Death pauses at his now terrified expression.
"Relax, child," she soothes, and suddenly the air around him feels relaxed and peaceful and he relaxes his stance just slightly, still not trusting whatever she is about to do. "I will not take your soul – not until you ask me to." And she is holding the scythe out to him, the weapon glowing a faint green.
He takes it, hesitantly, and watches as it flares with power in his grasp. "It's yours to keep," she explains as he examines every inch of it. "You see, ghosts which escape the Zone through your portal are really running from me." She chuckles as he looks up, eyes wide. "What, did you think Walker ruled the Zone, or Pariah back when he was king? Not even Clockwork challenges my rule of this place, though he is powerful enough that he makes his own rules. The Observants are the only things keeping me in line, much like with him." She's smiling again, and he shivers despite himself. "But you, young halfa, you they cannot touch. I am trusting you to be the link between our world and the human world, moreso than your current patrols of your city allow. You will find wayward ghosts who have escaped without my permission – and you will be able to tell if a ghost has my permission or not – and you can use your scythe to return them here quickly and more efficiently than your thermos. Furthermore," and here she smiles again, but it's a sweeter smile this time, "you will be able to continue living as a halfling until you wish to move on, and even then you will be allowed to see your family and friends whenever you wish."
"I – what?" It's the most intelligible thing he can say at the moment, because what she's saying just sounds ridiculous and he can't really process it, not yet. Death laughs, and it's a melodious sound, but at the same time the shivers are back.
"Oh, Danny." Suddenly she's gone, and he's sitting back on his bed like he was before the world faded to black and he looked Death in the eyes for the first time, but her voice still lilts on a fading breeze. "Your family did not know what they were doing when they created that portal. This is your chance to fulfill your ghost half's obsession and set everything right."
