Wounded

Ella twirled her blaster with a sigh, ensuring that she remained between the children she guarded and any potential threats. She kept her face expressionless, eyes darting across the hallway in a constant search for danger. The girl looked calm, brimming with a confidence that bolstered those around her.

Inside, Danielle was seething.

They had abandoned her! Her father and brother had simply turned their backs and left Danielle to be shepherded through the hallways like some defenceless human. She could fight, and the boys knew that, so why had they not bothered to take her along?

The girl glanced over at Sam and Tucker; the two conversed in whispers, the geek grinning like a lunatic as Sam smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. He was practically floating, and Ella felt a small smile creep across her face at the teen's obvious joy.

"What are you so happy about?" she murmured, sidling up to Tucker.

He directed his grin towards her, eyes lighting up. "Val agreed to date me!" he whispered, practically skipping along.

Ella giggled, earning an elbow in the ribs from Sam. "Don't encourage him," the Goth chastised, the corners of her own lips tugging into a small smile. "He was going to wait until we were free, but the idiot had to do it now. Tuck, if you get distracted in a fight because of this, I fully expect that you're gunna be blasted in the gut."

"It doesn't look like that'll be necessary," a pretty, blonde halfa called over her shoulder. "Look, there's an exit up ahead."

"What if it's a trap?" the blonde's companion asked.

She smirked. "Well, you can go first, Jarom."

"Aw, Soph!" he whined, trying to loop an arm through hers.

Sophie batted him away, pointing towards the door and tapping the toe of her boot.

Jarom looked from her to the door and back again. He let out a heavy sigh, and sagged, sniffing pitifully before slouching down the corridor.

"Whipped," one of the halfa boys next to Ella coughed.

Jarom whirled, launching a playful ectoblast at the speaker. "I am not, Peter!"

"Just. Open. The. Door," Sophie hissed, jabbing the teen in the chest.

Jarom gulped, flicking tangled black bangs out of his face before approaching the door once again. He tapped it lightly with the toe of his boot before jumping back, blaster up and ready to fire.

Sophie groaned, elbowed the idiot out of the way and kicking the door off its hinges.

They emerged onto the edge of a parking lot. At the centre stood Neil's and Danny's groups, fighting what looked to be an army of ghosts and agents. Sophie lifted her blaster high into the air, waving it like a beacon and shouting in a language that had Sam and Tucker turning their heads.

"What did you just say?" the Goth demanded, elbowing her way to stand beside the blonde.

Sophie arched a perfect eyebrow. "I was insulting them in ghost," she explained. "It's customary to do so before a battle."

Sam laughed; she couldn't help it. "That explains a hell of a lot," she admitted, charging the blaster and loosing the first shots at the approaching enemies.

...

The would-be escapees were slowly being overwhelmed. The agents were too many, the ghosts too strong. The children were beaten into submission, left bruised and broken on the asphalt, but somehow still alive.

Tucker ducked beneath an agent's baseball bat, looking around frantically for Valerie. He had yet to find her, or the Fenton boys. A blow to his side sent the geek sprawling, and he howled as his ribs were crushed.

Tucker huddled on the ground, throwing up trembling arms in an effort to protect his head. The finishing blow didn't come; instead, his opponent sent Tucker a filthy glare before kicking him in the gut.

"Stay down," the agent advised, stepping over the boy's form as Tucker gasped pathetically for air.

They were going to lose.

Tucker felt the realisation sink into him, and he gave a sigh. Guess I won't go on that date after all, he mused, concentrating on curling up and protecting himself from the battles still being waged.

The sounds had changed, and Tucker blinked in confusion before risking a peek over his protective forearms.

A woman that looked suspiciously like Maddie Fenton led the charge, white hair framing her face in a halo as she launched successive ectoblasts into the melee.

Tucker forced himself to move, gasping as he worked his way onto his feet. By the time he made it there, the bad guys were already defeated by the army of halfas.

"Tucker!" Maddie shrieked, landing in front of the boy and grabbing him by the shoulders. "Were are Danny and Jack?"

"I haven't seen them," the boy ground through teeth gritted in pain. "I think they might still be inside with Valerie – Danny was going to beat up the guy responsible or something. I heard him talking to Sam about it."

Maddie nodded before heading for the door. "Wait!" Tucker called, limping to catch up. "Let me come with you!"

The woman paused, her eyes raking over his battered form. "You're really hurt," she observed, "and… oh, Tucker," Maddie breathed, moving forwards to trace her finger beneath a glowing teal eye.

Tucker shrugged, unsuccessfully hiding his wince. "They turned us a quarter of a per cent ghost. Please, Mrs Fenton. If you let me come with you, I'll let those halfa healers stick me with whatever needles they want!"

The huntress sighed. "Yes, alright." She held the door open for him, and Tucker slipped through as two other halfas joined them.

He pressed a hand instinctively against his side, gasping at the slight pressure on shattered ribs. Tucker forced himself to take shallow breaths, and when he moved his hand away, he noted that it was covered in blood from a small cut to the inside of his wrist. Hm, must have gotten it without noticing… Tucker frowned, rubbing it against the hem of his shirt before observing the injury again.

Blood welled to the surface, spilling over the edges of the cut within a handful of seconds. The boy bit back a shriek, flapping his good hand slightly and looking up as Maddie placed a hand on his shoulder. "You coming?" she asked, glancing at his injury. "Oh," the woman breathed, and pressed her finger to the cut. Tucker gasped at the burst of cold, but when the light dissipated, nothing was left but a fresh, pink scar.

"Better to have your blood inside your body," Maddie murmured, tugging gently at his wrist. "Come on, let's go."

Tucker smiled tentatively, falling into step with the rest of the halfas as they moved down the corridor.

He couldn't seem to get his mind off the fact that his blood had just contained tiny flecks that glowed a startling green.

...

It didn't take long to find them; all the search party had to do was follow the sobbing, wailing voice, and Danny's intense waves of grief and guilt.

Maddie and Tucker recognised the voice instantly, and both started forwards.

They burst into the room, and all Tucker saw at first was red and green. Maddie stiffened next to him, and then swept the geek into her arms, trying to block his view of the room.

Tucker squirmed in her grasp, gasping as his ribs sent daggers shooting deep into his side. "Maddie, let go!" he exclaimed, attempting to twist away as Danny's wailing continued unchecked.

He must have seen wrong. Tucker was sure of it: his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The geek finally pulled free, turning to face to room again before the huntress could stop him.

There she was, lying on her back and soaked in red with a little bit of green. A form was hunched next to her, and Danny screamed his grief into the tiles smeared with blood and ectoplasm.

Tucker lurched forwards, the pain in his side suddenly gone as numbness swept through him.

"Val?" he whispered, falling to his knees beside the girl and reaching out with a trembling hand.

There was a hole in her chest. A hole that shouldn't be there, hadn't been there when they had all split up half an hour ago.

He brushed a lock of hair away from her face (it was pale far too pale where was the glow that usually filled her cheeks?) and tenderly pressed the tip of his finger to her lips (they were cold far too cold and painted in a red that dribbled from between her lips but red on her mouth didn't suit her it was far too bold).

"Val, w-wake up," he whispered, tracing the curve of her cheek (it fitted perfectly into the palm of his hand but why wouldn't she open her eyes?!) and feeling a helpless sob slip through his lips (she was sleeping but it was cold on the floor and she was dirty and Tucker's head was hurting but Danny just wouldn't stop screaming!).

Tucker blinked, his vision blurring (damn it she wasn't breathing please God help me why isn't Valerie breathing?!) and he felt tears slip lightly down his cheeks.

"Val, stop it," he choked, leaning over to press his mouth against hers and breathing out (CPR was something they had all learned because Sam was paranoid and he had laughed it off at the time but wasn't it supposed to get people breathing again?!) before moving to place the heels of his hands against her chest. He rocked forwards and back, forwards and back. With each depression, blood welled out of the wound, pooling around Tucker's fingers. Soon his hands were covered, the still-warm liquid causing her clothes to squelch. Tucker began to shake, the tears moving down his face in an almost continuous stream.

"Damn it, Valerie, breathe!" the boy screamed, hunching forwards and sobbing into her hair. "Come on," he spluttered, pressing his lips to hers again and breathing out.

She didn't move, and Tucker sobbed against her skin before kissing the girl tenderly, pulling her limp, bloody form into his arms (she wasn't supposed to taste like this Tucker had hoped to kiss her over some ice cream or maybe a glass of wine she was supposed to taste of life and happiness not this metallic tang of death!).

Danny's howls of grief still rang strong, and Tucker found himself joining in, rocking to and fro as he cradled her soft, broken form in his arms (she's still warm she's still warm she'sstillwarm she could still be alive and I just haven't noticed how faint her breathing is so why aren't those halfas here healing her already?!). "Valerie, please don't leave me!"

...

Maddie shook her head as the boy started CPR on Valerie. It was obvious that the girl was dead, and although it wrenched at her heart, she currently had to attend to the living.

She motioned for her companions to leave Tucker alone, and the woman paused as Cyril knelt beside Jack. "He'll be okay," the healer called over the boys' howling, "just knocked out from electrocution. It won't take long for me to heal."

Maddie started towards her son, flinching at Sebastian's scream as Will removed him from where he was pinned to the wall. "Shhh," the woman soothed the shrieking dragonling, running healing hands over his tattered wings.

The huntress knelt beside Danny, placing a hand on his hunched back. He didn't move, continuing to sob hysterically into the floor, but that touch was all she needed at the moment. The contact showed her where he was hurt, and Maddie slipped her hands around the boy, hauling him gently into her arms.

"No!" Danny screamed, fighting to free himself for a moment before collapsing back into his mother's embrace as she began to whisper soothingly into his ear.

"It's alright, Danny," the woman cooed, running glowing hands over his slashed torso and abdomen.

He melted into her touch, heaving with grieving sobs as Tucker began to scream.

...

The Thalassic Clan agreed to erect a temporary portal in the middle of Amity Park, allowing the townspeople to visit their children in the Clan's hospital.

Damon was at first confused, wondering why he was being led to a different area of the compound. He thought that maybe she wasn't hurt, maybe with all her ghost hunting experience, Valerie had somehow managed to escape unscathed.

They stepped into the morgue, and Damon Gray collapsed onto the tiled floor with a strangled scream.

...

It was the gossip of the town.

Danny Phantom had failed to give a speech at the funeral of Valerie Gray.

His name was in the programme, and the boy had prepared a piece to say. However, on the day, his seat was empty.

Initially, it appeared as though the hero simply wasn't going to turn up. When his name was called, the chapel fell silent. People seemed to hold their breaths, turning towards the aisle at the sound of footfalls.

Nobody was visible.

The disembodied footsteps proceeded through the chapel, mounting steps at the front to halt in the vicinity of the casket.

A sob rang out, and with a sudden clatter that made everyone jump in surprise, the Red Huntress' suit was thrown down the steps to settle on the floor in front of the assembled mourners.

Another sob, a burst of freezing wind, and the invisible ghost boy was gone.

...

Tucker had been allowed to leave the Clan's hospital to attend her funeral. When Danny threw the suit down the stairs, the geek glared at the spot where he knew his best friend stood. The boy left in a similarly theatrical manner, and it was several minutes before the chapel quieted enough for the funeral to continue.

At the graveyard, Danny decided to show off again; as the mourners placed their white lilies on the grave, a wreath of ice-spun roses materialised, their throats frosted a shining white while the tips of the petals remained transparent. Tucker snorted at the display, surreptitiously kicking Danny as his invisible form passed him.

Once back at the hospital, Tucker stomped through to Sam's room. As expected, Danny was there, and the geek promptly dragged his best friend into a storage closet down the hall.

"What is it?" the halfa demanded.

"You had to do it, didn't you? You just had to go in there with the theatrics! Everyone else is hurting as well, you know! You didn't make it any better. Yeah, you're grieving, but so's the rest of the town! What about Damon, or our class, or me? Dude, you have no right to behave like you're the only one who's grieving!" Tucker swatted at the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. "Stop acting out and being so selfish, man!"

Danny stood stock still, mouth working soundlessly. "You're yelling," he breathed.

"Of course I'm yelling!" Tucker screamed. "The girl who was one of my best friends just died, and we're supposed to be there for each other, but instead you're so caught up in yourself that you're being a massive dick!"

Danny stiffened. "Tuck-"

"Save it," the geek spat, pushing open the door and strolling back to his room, leaving Danny standing stunned in the closet.

...

"I'm heading off," Kai announced, intercepting Danny as he headed for Tucker's room. "You've gotten pretty good at flying, so there's no need for me to hang around."

"They didn't infuse you with ectoplasm," he observed.

Kailani shook her head, ruffling feathered wings. "Of course not," she said. "Apparently I belong to a different lab, so the Guys in White didn't touch me out of respect for the scientists who apparently own me. They just caught me in the first place because they didn't want me getting in the way."

Danny held out his hand. "No hard feelings about the whole kidnapping thing?"

Kai ignored the hand in favour of punching him in the shoulder. "'Course not, it wasn't your fault. Anyway, I'm gunna get going."

Danny waved as she started down the corridor.

"By the way," Kai called over her shoulder, "Madam Ashray said that she wants you to go see her."

Danny groaned, heading for Tucker's door and sticking his head straight through the wood.

The geek was lying on his bed, fiddling with an iPhone.

The halfa phased through fully, moving to stand beside the bed. Tucker's eyes didn't waver from the phone.

"Look, I'm sorry. I've been a jerk," Danny offered. Tucker snorted, and the hero continued. ""I'm really sorry, Tuck. Can you forgive me?"

The boy set the phone aside. "Sure, man. Just don't get like that again, okay? Death hurts everyone."

Danny nodded, fist-bumping his best friend. "I'll try not to," he promised before heading for the door.

"Hey, where're you going?" Tucker demanded.

"I gotta go see Ashray. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Well, you know where to find me," Tucker sighed, reaching once again for the iPhone.

...

Danny knocked on the door to Madam Ashray's office, shifting from foot to foot. She opened the it, and he bowed at the waist as his mother had taught him, descending in a fluid movement to kneel on the floor.

Asima Ashray waved him inside without speaking, and Danny shuddered at the irrational insecurity that swept over him. He stood in place, trying not to fidget as the woman circled him like a predator.

"Daniel," she growled, "how dare you? Your foolish actions put everyone in your party in danger, and could have resulted in a far greater toll than what was actually paid. If you had simply waited, we would have helped. They kidnapped your sister – if you had waited, the clan would have helped you to save them.

"Never use the clan for your personal vendettas without going through me first! Do I make myself clear, Phantom?"

Danny gulped, nodding his head. His throat burned with held-back tears, but somehow the boy managed a "Yes, Ma'am" without allowing them to break free.

"As for your humans, they are now contaminated with ectoplasm. Our clan will officially adopt them, and they will benefit from all of the privileges that our hereditary members benefit from.

"Now, you are dismissed. If you ever use the clan that way again, be prepared to answer to me. I will not be so lenient next time."

Danny bowed and fled.

...

Grand Master Farrar breathed out slowly, locking the doors behind his final students as they left the building for the night. The last class of the day had been fairly hectic, as his newest black belts had received the beatings of their lives in brutal sparring matches; it was the traditional initiation for fresh black belt students, and this annual session left him exhausted from the additional stress. After all, he had just spent the last hour stressing out and ensuring that the newbies didn't get too roughed up, just soundly beaten.

Taking a swig of water, Farrar adjusted his belt with one hand, absently straightening his uniform. All he had to do now was quickly check the taekwondo centre for anything that was out of place, and then he could go home to bed. He slipped behind the administration desk, bare feet light on the carpet as the man closed down the computers. The grand master sighed in relief, rolling his shoulders to relieve built up tension.

A chill swept through the room, and the man looked up, trying his best to appear unruffled as Danny Phantom flickered into visibility in the space before the counter.

"Grand Master Farrar," the ghost boy greeted in a soft voice, giving a slight bow out of a blend of politeness and ingrained habit.

Farrar smiled. "It's been a little while, Danny. Good to see that you've been using your training, hm?"

The boy straightened himself up, rings snapping into place around his waist and sliding over a lanky body; hazmat turned into a white taekwondo uniform that was far too short in the sleeves and legs, and obviously tight around the shoulders. He had grown since he quit the programme, and the grand master wagered that the seventeen year old would now be almost as tall as his father. "Yeah, it's really good for fighting ghosts," Danny admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. He gave the man a sidelong glance, as if trying to gauge his reaction to the transformation.

Farrar waved a dismissive hand. "I knew you were Phantom as soon as the cameras started following you," he said. "I'd recognise that sloppy hook kick anywhere."

The teen smirked. "Well, you can't say that I haven't been practising."

"No, I guess not." The man took another swing from his bottle before regarding the hero thoughtfully. "What are you here for, Danny?"

The boy shrugged. "I need someone to spar with," he confessed.

"Why?"

Danny huffed. "None of the ghosts'll dare right now; apparently there's an automatic truce for the first month of grieving. They're not allowed to attack me, or to pick fights in my haunt, which happens to be the living world. If I try to engage them, they just fly away!"

"You feel as though you need to fight." Farrar tilted his head. "Why?"

Danny began to pace, rubbing at cerulean eyes. "I just need to," he confessed weakly. "Every time something goes wrong, it helps if I spar with someone. But right now, nobody'll fight me!"

Oh.

This was about Valerie.

"I've got a spare uniform that'll fit you better," the grand master offered.

Danny nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

He accepted the clothing with another small bow, the habit ingrained by almost ten years of training at the centre. Grand Master Maddie Fenton had insisted that both of her children practise the martial art until they started high school, and Daniel had achieved the second dan on his black belt before quitting just after he turned fourteen. He had claimed that he was too busy, and if the daily ghost attacks were anything to go by, Farrar didn't blame the boy.

Once Danny was changed, the two men proceeded onto the blue-and-red training mats. Farrar motioned towards the wall, where protective equipment hung on hooks next to the target mitts.

Danny adjusted his belt before selecting a padded body guard, strapping it around himself as his master did likewise. He then strapped guards over his shins and forearms, and fitted a padded helmet onto his head, sliding a mouthguard between his lips.

They faced each other in the middle of the room, feet together and hands by their sides. A deep bow, and the fighters adopted a ready stance at Farrar's command. Another shout from the grand master, and they launched into battle.

Danny was better than Farrar remembered. The halfa was strong, and light on his feet. He also fought fairly – not once in their match did he use his ghost powers to phase through a kick or punch, and was thus soundly beaten by the more experienced man.

The fight lasted for several minutes, and ended with an elbow strike to Danny's gut, followed up by a quick kick to his head. The boy went down like a stone, but unlike the previous two times that he had been sent to the floor, did not attempt to return to his feet within the ten second limit.

Farrar crouched beside his former student.

"Did I kick you too hard?"

Danny shook his head, a smile evident through the mouthguard. He sat up gingerly, removing the moulded plastic from his mouth. "Nah, that was fantastic!"

Farrar smiled, straightening and offering the teen a hand up. Danny allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, beginning to loosen the straps that fastened the guards to his arms. "Thanks for that," he said, hanging the protective equipment from their hooks.

"You're welcome," the grand master responded. "You got in a few good hits, by the way. That hammer fist coupled with a side kick will definitely leave some bruises."

Danny sighed. "Thank you," he mumbled, swiping the sleeve of his uniform across a sweaty forehead. The halfa winced, pulling back the sleeve to observe his forearm. Even with the guard's protection, bruises were beginning to bloom across his pale skin. Farrar wagered that the teen would be covered in them within the hour.

The older man chuckled, slapping Danny between his shoulder blades. "Come here if you ever want to spar, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind." The halfa bowed before stepping off the mats. "I'll wash the uniform and return it tomorrow," he offered.

Farrar inclined his head. "Thank you, that would be appreciated. Don't forget to take home your old uniform!"

Danny cocked an eyebrow. "Why? Keep it, and give it to some kid who's outgrowing theirs."

Grand Master Farrar offered the boy his bottle of water, and Danny gratefully accepted, taking a swallow. "You're a good kid," the man told him.

The life seemed to seep out of the ghost child, his shoulders slumping. "No, I'm really not," he whispered.

"From what I've heard, it wasn't your fault. Blame the creature behind it all and move on. I know that it might sound impossible right now, but you need to forgive yourself. Valerie wouldn't want you to feel guilty."

"How would you know what she'd want?" the boy spat, handing back the bottle.

Farrar blinked. "She trained here every week since she was eleven, even when their finances became strained. It was her passion. You wouldn't have seen her here, since she only got her black belt a few months after you quit."

The hero stilled. "She trained here?" he whispered. At the master's inclined head, Danny let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I think I'll come back every now and again. She would have liked that."

Farrar placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I think she would have liked it a lot."

Thanks so much for reading my work, and an extra thank you to those of you who reviewed!