Chapter 36
"Do you ever sleep?"
Danny glared at his best friend as they walked toward the cafeteria together. "You try spending several hours of hard training," he rubbed at his aching shoulders, remembering how much Vlad pushed him yesterday when he asked the man to train him, "then I still had all my homework to finish." He yawned tiredly, having to stay up even later than usual to complete everything. Vlad was no Mr. Nice Guy when it came to the training either, but Danny was kind of happy that their relationship seemed to have taken a turn for the better.
"I can't believe you went to him for training." Tucker frowned as they grabbed trays and got in line to pick up their lunches. "I know tech stuff. I could help you."
"It's not like I doubt your talents with tech or anything, Tuck." Danny picked up what he thought was a ham and cheese sandwich and thought he should be thankful they weren't still stuck on the ultra recyclo vegetarian menu, though they did leave some vegetarian friendly options on the menu. "But Vlad's been through all this. He knows exactly what I can do. So I don't have to fumble around like I've been doing from the beginning."
Tucker pouted. "I wanted to help." With their lunches in hand, they headed toward the table where Sam and Valerie were sitting. "Sam's still pretty mad that all my data on Phantom got erased." He sent a sideways glare at his friend.
"Viruses," Danny said with a shrug. "Can never tell when they're going to attack." Thankfully, they arrived at the table, ending any further conversation about his activities as Phantom. Danny sat down across from the women, Tucker taking up a seat next to him on the bench.
If he hadn't known anything about Vlad when Tucker learned the truth, Danny would be happy to have his techno geek friend help him with training. It was almost weird getting along with Vlad now after being angry at him since their first meeting. Danny took a bite out of his sandwich as he thought about how things went between them yesterday.
The first thing Vlad decided to focus on was teaching Danny how to heal himself after suffering an injury. Danny recalled that with a wince as Vlad inflicted many injuries on him during the training to give him real experience at fixing his damaged coding. Watching Vlad toy with the coding was like watching an artist at work with the masterful way he manipulated the jumbled data until it returned to its original coding. Danny was still pretty clumsy about it, and he saw a sneer on Vlad's face whenever he made an error trying to heal the injury, but he thought he got better at it by the time Vlad decided to move onto something new for a while.
"So what are you lovely ladies talking about today?" Tucker tossed a winning smile toward Valerie, who rolled her eyes.
"Look. If I'm going to hang out with you all, you," Valerie pointed her plastic fork at Tucker, "have to stop with," she pulled a face, and the fork waved up and down to indicate all of Tucker, "that."
Danny chuckled at the miserable look that crossed Tucker's face at being shot down again by Valerie. "I keep telling you. You're better off just being yourself. Don't lay it on so thickly. Just talk and let things happen."
"This coming from a guy who can't even land a date." Tucker shook his head.
"Well, at least, Danny doesn't make a girl feel like she's been looked at like a piece of meat when he's talking to her," Sam pointed out with a smirk.
"Well, of course," Tucker rolled his green eyes, "you'd side with Danny on that."
"So when are the lovebirds going to hook up?" Valerie questioned curiously as she glanced between Danny and Sam.
"We're not lovebirds," Sam argued with a light flush, dropping her gaze to the book beside her lunch tray.
"Maybe there was a time in the past," Danny admitted with a shrug as he popped the top of his soda can. "But I only think of Sam as a friend." It was strange, this time, having someone refer to him and Sam as lovebirds and not feeling that same flutter of embarrassment that usual came from the term. He thought maybe in part that had to do with Tucker and Paulina. Why did they have to make comments about guys? He was consciously avoiding thinking about Paulina letting it slip that Dash had feelings for him. It was still too weird, and he couldn't imagine it working between them.
"Oh my god!" The exclamation drew all four of their attentions to Star as she was passing their table with two of her fellow A list friends. The expression on her face looked absolutely horrified. "What do they think they're wearing?"
Danny turned to follow Star's gaze, as did the other three sitting with him. He nearly spat out his soda when his eyes landed on the three people that just entered the cafeteria, which erupted into murmurs. After he managed to swallow, he coughed a few times, pounding a fist against his chest as he recovered from the feeling of choking.
Paulina sauntered into the cafeteria very much like the queen of the school that she was with Dash and Kwan in tow behind her. What had everyone in shock over the A list trio was the clothing they chose to wear to school that day. Bright colors of tie-dye splashed over their shirts. They wore bellbottom pants in pinstripe and polka dotted patterns. Paulina donned a pastel yellow knitted sleeveless vest that hung down to mid thigh with dangling tassels along the bottom hem of the vest. They looked like they stepped out of the sixties into the present.
"Why are you wearing that," Star's face twisted up in disgust, "horrible outfit?"
Paulina paused to give the other In crowd woman a brief glance. "Because I can wear what I want," she replied flippantly as she slid next to Valerie on the bench. Sam and Tucker both gave the woman wide eyed gapes of surprise that someone still on the A list would join them for lunch.
"Did you get lost in a thrift shop or something?" Valerie questioned with a laugh as she looked over Paulina's outfit. Star stood by their table, sputtering at the strange event, until Dash nudged past her, "accidentally" knocking her tray into her and spilling the mess of food down the blonde's front side.
"Sorry," Dash said, though he hardly sounded apologetic as he took up a seat next to Danny while Kwan sat on the other side of Sam. The Goth did not look happy to be sitting next to the cheery jock. Danny had to admit he felt uncomfortable next to the blond jock after the conversation with Paulina. With an angry sound, Star stomped off with her two little groupies following after her out of the cafeteria, presumably to clean up the mess.
"I got these out of Mama's closet," Paulina answered Valerie's question. "I think they came from my grandmama."
"I can't believe you actually got them," Danny pointed his thumb at the two jocks, "to dress up too."
Paulina smirked smugly at him. "You misjudged the power and influence a queen has."
"If you're the queen, what does that make us?" Kwan questioned curiously.
"My knights in shining armor," Paulina replied innocently.
"Anyone care to explain what's going on?" Tucker frowned at the grouping at the table. "Because I feel like I just stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone."
Danny sighed tiredly. "I made a bet with Paulina that she wouldn't come to school wearing some ridiculous outfit, and she said she could get Dash and Kwan to do it too."
"And now, Danny has to wear a dress, or skirt, to school for all of next week." Paulina hummed happily to herself. "I have the perfect thing for you to wear on Monday."
Danny groaned, pushing away his tray after losing his appetite. He folded his arms on the table and dropped his head onto them, not looking forward to the next week and the humiliation that would accompany it.
"Why would you make that bet?" Sam demanded, her voice strained like she was trying very hard to resist screaming at the A lists and causing a major scene in the cafeteria. "And why are the A list sitting with us?" She clapped her hands suddenly. "Oh, I have this cute black dress that would look great on him!"
"We should plan out what he'll wear together," Paulina suggested excitedly.
Great, Danny thought miserably to himself. Sam and Paulina can bond over treating me like a dress up doll. Why not? That's what Jazz loved to do. He lifted his head and glanced over at the women across from him and found that even Valerie was joining in on the fun of deciding what dresses to make him wear next week.
Tucker patted him on the back. "It could be worse," he said with a wincing smile, trying to be positive about his friend's impending doom.
"Yeah, at least you actually look pretty good in a dress," Kwan pointed out as he flicked a folded triangle of paper toward Dash, who had his fingers held up close together like the goal posts of a football field. The shot went wide, and Kwan muttered a disappointed curse.
"I feel like that shouldn't be a compliment." Danny eyed the jocks, frowning as he noted the light blush on Dash's cheeks. He suspected the blond man was thinking back on seeing Danny in that pink dress for the play. Kwan, meanwhile, was grinning like an idiot as he set up his hands for Dash to try shooting the paper between them. Lunch passed surprisingly well, despite everyone in the cafeteria staring at their little gathering, and Danny thought with some happiness, Paulina and Valerie looked really happy to be talking with each other again during school hours.
When they reached their theater class, Paulina surprised him with a hug before they entered the room. Danny scratched a hand through his hair, thinking that in freshman year, he would be ecstatic to get a hug, let alone two hugs, from Paulina. It was weird, honestly, not having that reaction of turning into a drooling zombie at the sight of Paulina like many of the other men in the school did. Danny frowned as they did some rehearsing for the play during class, like they were supposed to. If he didn't feel anything toward the prettiest girl in school, or Sam, or even Valerie, did that mean he might have feelings toward men instead? Danny shook his head. That might be a giant leap, he realized. But he decided it couldn't hurt leaving the option open, when he had the time at actually consider dating someone.
His thoughts were still turning as he reached his final class of the day. Danny rubbed at the back of his neck, frowning in contemplation when he heard a soft growling from the watch on his wrist. When he turned the watch to face him, it didn't surprise him to find the glaring red eyes of Cujo as the security program warned him of an oncoming virus attack. He didn't like this. The Guys in White created a virus with the sole purpose of chasing him, and in doing so, the virus gave Valerie the suit to achieve its goal. His teeth ground in frustration at the lengths the GIW would go to get at him.
"Mr. Fenton," Lancer said, distracting his student from his thoughts.
"Uh," Danny bit his lip as he looked away. "I need to go," he explained in a slow, awkward tone.
"I see." Lancer's mouth pressed into a grim line. "Try to make it back before the end of the class." He caught Danny's arm before his student could depart. "Be safe."
Danny blinked at his teacher, for a moment too stunned. It was his first time running off to face a virus with someone telling him to be safe with that look of concern in their eyes. "I will, Sir." Danny offered a confident smile when his teacher released him. Turning on his feet, he darted down the hall to the nearest bathroom. Everyone else would be in class by that point, but he still checked to be certain the bathroom was empty before he transformed into Phantom.
As he left the bathroom, Danny pulled down his visor, the translucent green strip displaying a map of the school. The site of the virus activity flashed to the right side of the school, the location appearing within the gym. He took off running for the gym, which thankfully wasn't too far away.
When he arrived at the gym, Danny sighed at the sight of another one of those spidery viruses. They were becoming as much a nuisance as fighting against the Box Bug or Skulker. The spider noticed his presence immediately, skittering across the polished wood flooring of the basketball courts toward him. Danny charged an energy ball within his hand and fired it at the spider. The shot blasted the floor, leaving a scorch mark, but the spider managed to dodge it. The virus continued toward him until a pink beam tore through it, stopping it in its tracks as a clear mucus oozed from the hole through its body.
"If you wanted that goody two shoes act to be more believable, maybe you should actually kill the viruses that attack," Valerie said as she stepped up to the motionless virus. Placing a foot on its body, she gave it a nudge, rolling it over. "But I guess that would ruin your whole act. Do you have some sort of deal with the other viruses?" She leveled her weapon at him. "Well, I guess the answer doesn't really matter. I'm not letting you escape me this time."
Danny gulped as a cold feeling ran through him, knowing she was absolutely seriously about killing him. His green eyes drifted toward the virus lying at her feet. Why would the virus give Valerie weaponry that could potentially kill him if the purpose was to capture him? Valerie was meant to be a distraction, not a weapon of death. It didn't make sense that she would be able to destroy a virus with her weapons. The virus was wounded, that was clear from the hole through its body and the mucus seeping from it. But was it truly dead? His eyes widened a fraction when he spotted a twitch of the spiny legs.
Valerie let out a snort of a laugh. "Showing fear now? That's good. No false bravery will save you this time."
"Valerie!" Danny shouted in a panic as he rushed toward her.
Valerie pulled the trigger on her gun. The pink ray ricocheted off a green hexagon of energy that Danny conjured before him, thanking Vlad mentally for deciding that shields would be the second item on the list of things for Danny to learn. Quickly, he used the a few of his shields to drive her back. Valerie shouted in frustration, trying to blast through the shields. Danny felt like screaming at her because yet again she failed to realize he was trying to protect her. The virus was still alive, and she was standing right next to it.
"You stupid, useless virus!" Valerie screamed, punching a fist into one of the panes of energy with enough force to create a small crack in it. "Do you think you can hide behind these things forever?"
"Don't you understand anything?" Danny shouted back, having finally pushed her several feet away from the virus. "You haven't been killing the viruses at all!"
"Do you think I'm really going to buy your act? Stop pretending like you're a good guy. All viruses are the same."
"It's not an act! And I'm not a-" Danny gasped as something sharp pierced through his chest. He dropped his gaze as his shields blinked and faded from sight. Sticking out of his chest were two of the spider's thin legs. Electricity surged through his body, the whitish yellow sparks dancing up the legs of the spider. Screaming in agony, Danny dropped to his knees, trying unsuccessfully to yank the legs out of his chest while his body kept twitching under the assault upon it.
The pain dulled somewhat when Valerie appeared before him and with her gun, using it like a golf club, knocked the virus across the gym in one hard swing. The spider slammed into the far wall, its body shattering like a machine. Danny winced as he ripped free the legs that remained buried in his chest. Flipping the gun back around, Valerie aimed it at him.
"Before you go blasting me in the head," Danny ground out through clenched teeth, prepared to put up a shield if he needed to, "I was trying to prevent that from happening to you." His body still felt twitchy after the electrocution.
"You could have planned that," Valerie said coldly as she cocked the gun, ready to fire at him. "Why should I believe that you care at all about saving me?"
"Because I'm not a virus." Danny gave her his most serious expression. "And I didn't mess up the lab at Axion Labs to get your father fired. I was trying to stop the virus that attacked there. I really feel bad about what happened to your father. I begged the president of Axion Labs to give your father a second chance because he certainly didn't deserve to get fired because of anything I did."
"And why should I believe anything you say?"
Danny couldn't see behind the dark visor of her helmet, but he was certain Valerie had her face scrunched up in that way she did when she was trying to decide if someone was lying to her or not. "Ask your father then. He'll have watched the security feeds from that night." He climbed to his feet, wincing as he placed a hand to his chest that was leaking that gross clear substance. He needed to hurry and heal the injury, but he didn't dare to do it while he had a gun to his head.
Valerie remained quiet for a moment before she shouldered her gun. "I'll let you go this time," she said with some wariness, "only because you did protect me from that virus. Consider it repayment." Her head turned to the side with the gun against her shoulder. "If I can't kill the viruses-" She snapped her head around toward where the virus careened into the wall. "It's gone!"
Danny turned to look as well and frowned. He couldn't even get a reading for the virus on the visor, and Cujo remained silent about any virus activity. That didn't sit well with him, and he dropped his gaze to his chest. Was the whole purpose of that to draw him out this time? It shouldn't come as a surprise to him if that was the case. Vlad did say the head virus was going after him because of the programming the GIW gave it. The urgency to heal his injury hit him with more urgency.
"I should probably get out of here then," Danny said with some awkwardness as he backed away from Valerie. There was an access point right next to the door of the gym. He managed to reach it before Valerie could change her mind about giving him the chance to escape.
"Next time, I won't let you escape," Valerie said as he jumped into the NetZone.
Danny dropped to one knee after he was inside the NetZone, his chest aching from his injuries. Cujo gave a whine as he sat beside Danny and nudged his head against Danny's side. Reaching down, he patted the dog on the head.
"It's okay, boy," Danny said gently. "I can fix this." He hoped anyway. He tapped near the sight of the punctures, and a screen appeared, showing the tangled mess of coding caused by the injury. This shouldn't be too hard. Vlad showed him hundreds of times yesterday how to do this. It should be easy for him. Taking a deep breath, Danny poked and prodded at the data, not quite as skillfully as Vlad could do.
It took longer than he knew Vlad would have done it, but Danny drew out a scrap of data that fit nicely into his palm. He frowned at it as he stood. Cujo barked happily, hopping to his feet as well. Danny sighed, closing his hand around the virus data. It was time for another visit to Vlad.
"Sorry, Lancer," Danny mumbled as he started at a jog toward Vlad's domain, "but this is important."
When he reached the now familiar firewall, Danny typed in the password that Vlad gave him so that he could access the domain whenever he needed. Unsurprisingly, Vlad was present, keeping watch over the data streaming on his screens. The bit of whitish green sparking data that the man plucked out of his injury what felt like ages ago remained on his desk.
"Shouldn't you still be in school, Daniel?" His tone held curiosity, not accusation.
"There was another attack," Danny explained as he approached the man with Cujo trotting behind him at his heels. "I pulled this out of the injury I got from the virus."
Vlad turned around to face him, eying the sparking data in the palm of Danny's hand. "I see my lessons have already started to pay off." A smug smirk pulled at his mouth.
"Don't get too full of yourself," Danny grumbled as Vlad took the data and placed it near the other one.
"Now, now." Vlad turned back to him. "I think you've done quite well thus far on your own." He tapped the air between them to open a screen. Danny frowned when Vlad passed it over his body, examining the coding of the man before him. "I have no doubts that you've learned the skill of healing your injures, but I still want to be sure that no tiny byte of the virus was missed."
Danny nodded numbly, blinking in surprise. "Right. Of course." But he couldn't shake that odd feeling when Vlad actually seemed like he cared. Some part of him kept reminding him that it was only in that teacher and student way. It was the same as how Lancer cared for all of his students. "So this virus wanted to do something to me with this attack?"
A frown creased over Vlad's face as he walked around the desk so that he could face Danny while examining the new virus chunk. "The question is: what?" It circled around in Danny's mind since he pulled out the virus from his coding: what was it meant to do to him?
DARKLOVEFORFANFICTION123: Thanks~ X3 Haha, yeah. XD The guys are being pretty dense. Why thank you!
midnight: Yup. Poor Kwan crushing on his best friend. Maybe one day Dash will stop being an idiot.
maltese: XD It's a tangle of love. Hopefully everything will work out for everyone. *pets Kwan*
Sammi: XD Haha, it seems that way, doesn't it? XD;;
swagdanny: Haha, I should probably start sorting things out with the relationships. Don't forget Tucker crushing on Valerie, who seems more interested in just hanging out with Paulina and Sam.
Just Will: If they were trying to hint at it, I don't think they did a very good job of it because the ice powers still feel like they came out of the blue to me. Haha, yeah, I imagine knowing Danny's secret makes things a lot more complicated for Lancer with having to make up excuses for why Danny skips out on classes and stuff. XD;; Yeah, I can see Dash and Kwan being canon. XD;; At least if Dash realizes he likes Kwan back, he won't have to feel guilty about Lily liking Kwan since she likes another boy now. XD;;