A/N: Hey! So…I tend to update often, but I've been fighting allergies (lots of sleep-inducing allergy meds…) and working…yeah, I'm just making excuses…you guys will enjoy Chapter #1 of Crown of Fire when I start posting it, though. It's the sequel to this, after all. It's at 2,289 words, and I still have one –BREAK- section to go on it! Also, Jazz is a bigger player, and we're introduced with her, so we'll find out more about her college life in Chapter #1! :D Her roomies are fun.

I've also been trying to write a little more of The Funeral Singer, as it's pretty popular with you guys too.

So, some random trivia for this chapter: the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths. Danny doesn't know (or care about) the difference, but I got my info from a Psychology Today article.

Psychopaths are usually calm, well-educated, and meticulous planners. True psychopaths are incapable of forming emotional bonds or empathy. People are just tools. Objects. They are skilled manipulators, however, so it can be difficult to identify a true psychopath, as they're excellent at pretending to be like everyone else.

Sociopaths, on the other hand, tend to be more unstable. They're prone to emotional outbursts, and find it difficult to hold a steady job. They can form emotional attachments, though it may be difficult, to a single person or ideal.

Let's put it this way. Two men each commit a gruesome murder. The psychopath's neighbors will say "I would never have thought he would do such a thing…I can't believe it!" while the sociopath's neighbors will just nod their heads and say they should've seen it.

Kovich is a psychopath. Ramirez and Ross are sociopaths, though Ross is the less stable of the two.

Chapter #20: Fine

::…Danny?::

::Sam…::

::Danny, are you…are you okay?:: she asks.

::I'm fine,:: he answers quickly.

::Bull,:: she snorts weakly, ::I got…snippets. Those…! I'm going to kill them!::

He clenches his jaw, opening his eyes and glancing at his arm, where small cuts decorate the skin. Looking at it now, he realizes why it looks so familiar. The small slices are reminiscent of Van Gogh's "Starry Night."

He can hear Sam's breath hitch in his mind, and he immediately looks away, unaware she'd been able to see it.

::That…that's just sick,:: her voice trembles, ::…how can you be 'fine'?!::

::It won't kill me,:: he replies, ::I'm fine, really.::

::It hurt enough that you couldn't keep the wall up,:: she argues.

::I wasn't prepared for it,:: he admits, ::I keep forgetting that being depowered reduces my tolerance for pain. It was hardly unbearable. After a while, everything just…went numb. Where are you guys, anyway?::

::Don't try to change the subject,:: she growls.

::They're relatively shallow. After a trip to the Infinite Realms, you won't even be able to see the scars. Where are you?::

He can feel her steaming through their link, ::We made it to the main cafeteria, so we're good on water and food. I took out a pirate and stole some of his stuff. They have mostly DALV weapons, with a few Fenton devices…so what were they…t…you know…for?::

::They wanted information. I told them what I deemed useless, but I clammed up when they asked me how I became a halfa. That shouldn't become common knowledge. We don't need armies of halfas, and I'm not sure what the chances are of surviving the exposure is to begin with.::

She swears angrily, ::I'm going to kill them!::

::That reminds me…I know why they haven't called in a ransom.::

::…why?::

::We're not hostages, Sam. We're cargo.::

A pregnant pause ensues as she connects the dots, ::…cargo?::

::Apparently, between the ghost info, my exclusive halfa status, and the fact that I apparently am just the type for a regular client of his, I'm worth a small fortune. You, with your gorgeous eyes, are apparently worth a pretty penny too. As though I didn't already know.::

::…dork. This isn't funny!::

::Keep an eye out. Kovich and Ramirez are out there hunting you guys. Did the guard you take out have an earpiece?::

::Yeah, I'm wearing it. They're two floors down. We'll head out soon.::

::…I wish I could've seen it,:: he pouts, ::All that time I spent teaching and sparring with you, and I don't get to see you use it.::

::You taught me well,:: she replies, ::I don't think he even saw it coming.::

::How'd you do it, exactly?:: he asks, ::Since I couldn't see it myself.::

::I'll show you…on one condition…you've been blocking me a lot recently, Danny. What's going on?::

::Nothing worth worrying over,:: he assures quickly, ::Really, Sam.::

::Danny,:: she warns, ::Is something wrong?::

::No,:: he laughs, sensing her anxiety, ::Nothing wrong.::

::So when are you going to tell me?:: Her anger flares, but she struggles to keep it under check.

::Tell you what?::

::…Danny…:: she growls.

::…Sam…:: he smirks back.

"Hey, what're you smirking about, you little freak?" Ross's fingers snag into his hair, pulling his face to his, "What's so funny?"

::Hands off my boyfriend, you-!::

"I just noticed your handiwork," Danny grunts back, "I'm trying to decide whether it's sick and twisted or cute and creative."

::And who are you calling a freak?!::

There's a sharp pull at his shoulders as Ross uses his foot to press down on his wrists.

::Sorry, Sam, I'm afraid he's getting jealous. I hope you'll forgive my little trysts,:: Danny grunts, quickly shutting his mind away from hers.

He grits his teeth as the tendons pop. He tries to relax his body, but the muscles are tight after hours tied to the chair. If Ross exerts much more pressure, his shoulders will dislocate. He's dislocated them in the past, and even in ghost form, it's something he doesn't want to repeat. He sinks as low as he can in his chair to relieve the strain and looses a long breath as Ross removes his foot, eliminating the threat.

"You should watch your smart little mouth," Burgess comments as his companion vanishes to the adjacent room, "Ross isn't the most stable member of the crew."

"Yeah, I noticed. I think he's in competition with Ramirez," Danny retorts flatly.

Burgess snorts, fiddling with the radio, "Ramirez is perfectly stable in comparison."

"So he's just a psychopath, rather than a psycho on the edge of a break."

"Pretty much."

"So what about you?" Danny sneers, "What's your problem, huh?"

He shrugs, "I'm greedy, like nearly everyone else on this boat. Kovich is a reliable source of cash, so I follow him. I like the Caribbean more than Somalia."

"I don't know…I'm thinking that Sam and I should've gone camping at Lake Superior," he retorts, "Or maybe done a road-trip to Lake Erie – with one 'e'."

The usually stoic man cracks a small smile, "A bit cold in spring, though, isn't it?"

"I suppose it probably is," he chuckles.

::...cuddling fixes that problem,:: Sam interrupts quietly, ::are you okay, Danny?::

::Well, nothing's dislocated, so I'd say...yeah,:: he rolls his shoulders a little, tilting his head to stretch the muscles at his neck.

::I heard Kovich and Ramirez talking on the radio. They're heading back. They think you might be able to help somehow.::

::Don't worry about me, Sam. I'm the most valuable piece of cargo on this ship, as far as they're concerned. They won't kill me.::

::But they can cause you pain.::

::I'm used to that,:: he assures, ::Just so long as they don't get you. Any of you. Do you understand? Nothing they can do to me will break me.::

::…I understand,:: she whispers, imagining a soft, yet somehow desperate, kiss, ::We'll keep moving, formulate a plan.::

::If you can take their boat, do it. I didn't blow a hole in it for a reason.::

::They still have too many guards.::

::Well…I'm sure you can find a way to lure them away. You're clever like that…I love you, Sam, but I'm exhausted.::

::Yeah, get some sleep before Kovich gets back. I love you, Danny.::

Young Phantom: Yeah…sorry about that. Most of my regulars can attest that I typically update faster. You aren't the only one who's been getting worried.

xXxDisillusionsxXx: Yeah. I'm quite fond of my version of Tucker, so I can't just…forget about him for an entire book. :D

krose240: Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy, even if my update speed is slowing.

The Talent: Val's source? Eh, who knows. I imagine that Amity Park has the main, larger city, and then the smaller suburbs around the school that have a little more of a 'small-town' mentality (everybody hears everything), even though it's technically part of a larger city.

KuriMaster13: Quite frankly, I think it's probably worth more pennies than one for every villain he's defeated…maybe one for every pun he makes. (Not really.) I think the ring was AT LEAST $3,000 USD, if not more than $6,000. I don't think Danny's made up to six-hundred-thousand (600,00) enemies or even puns in less than four years.