Bruised

Chapter One

Chances of Fate

"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like."

~Lemony Snicket

Phantom capped the thermos after he sucked in Skulker for the fourth time that week.

It was only Tuesday.

Phantom sighed before flying off higher in the sky to enjoy the warm sun on his face. School was just let out for the summer, and then it would be his senior year.

He was both terrified and excited about it.

He'd managed to get As and Bs for the past two years, but his lower scores in his freshman year hurt his overall GPA.

He knew that he may never be able to go to space like he wanted to, but he could still go to college.

And as much as he didn't want to follow his parents' footsteps, he also knew that doing so would put him in a position that he could try to sway the public opinion on ghosts.

With everything happening after the creation of the Justice League, Danny knew he could use the edge by finding reports to show that not all ghosts were evil.

That they should be protected under the law.

Phantom looked down at Amity Park. This was his home, and regardless of what was to come, he planned on staying close by.

There was no one he trusted enough to care for both the people and the ghosts there long term. Not the way it needs to be done.

Danny walked into his home to see his parents waiting for him. He was a little nervous, but for once he was home before curfew.

So he had no idea why his parents would be looking at him like that.

He didn't want to think that they knew about Phantom.

"Hey, uh…what's up?" he asked as he set his bag down. He watched them a little wary.

"Danny, come sit down," his mom said as she patted the couch. He walked over and sat down next to her, but was cautious about too close.

"Son, we have something to tell you," Jack said soberingly. Danny stared at both his parents with worry. Maddie looked at them both before looking at the ground.

"We're going to be working for the Guys in White," she said. "And we can't bring you. It'll only be for a few months."

"What?" Danny asked annoyed. "But…but they tried to destroy the Ghost Zone? Why would you work for them? They're completely incompetent and more of a threat to people than the ghosts are!"

"Daniel Fenton," Maddie said harshly making Danny cringe. "I know you dislike them, but ghosts have to be stopped. We've explained why we can't just destroy the Ghost Zone and they seem to understand that, but we have to work together to stop them from torturing humans."

Danny grumbled and crossed his arms. Both his parents knew his and Jazz's viewpoints on the matter. Especially since he's seen more torture form the humans than the ghosts.

"So you going to be going to my cousin's house in Gotham," Maddie said making Danny's eyes widen. He didn't want to leave Amity Park.

"Vlad offered, but we decided that getting you away from the ghosts in Amity would be best," Jack said with a grin. "If it works out that we won't have to worry about your safety, then you can stay with Vlad."

"I'd rather stay with a pack of wolves," Danny muttered, and Maddie knew that she made the right choice in asking Bruce if he could watch her child while she was gone.

Jazz was already in college in California, and Maddie didn't want her to worry about caring for her brother on top of her studies, especially with how out of it Danny has been lately.

Maybe getting him out of Amity would help him figure out his future better than he is now. She was worried he'd end up on the wrong side of things.

Danny watched as Masters introduced the Masters Blasters. Going on about how Amity didn't need a ghostly wannabe superhero.

Danny growled and crushed the remote. He could hear Maddie and Jack get super exicted about Amity getting rid of the Ghostboy.

He was needed, and he knew that. Masters would destroy everything if given half a chance. But his parents couldn't see it.

At least his mom disliked him enough to be cautious, but she still believed him be be fully human.

And Danny knew that would be the fatal mistake. He looked at the number Tucker had given him last night.

The number to the Justice League help line.

They'd been called before for Amity, but hardly anyone ever showed up or they spent like two minutes investigating before leaving.

The more Danny had to deal with, the more he started to dislike the heroes. They always wrote Amity off, and they were far more interested in the stars rather than the world's connected to this one.

Danny wasn't sure how long he could keep balancing the two. Cause one thing he knew for sure, he had to protect the ghosts from humans just as much as he protected the humans from the ghosts.

He just wasn't sure he could do it by himself anymore. Especially since Vlad has decided to try to run him out of town.

At least moreso now that he was actually having to leave.

Maybe once outside Amity he could get ahold of one of the members without Vlad knowing.

He was going to Gotham, and Batman would likely help. And Danny would have enough proof to back up his claims.

His only problem would be the press from Amity, but he believed that Batman would ask the right questions. Batman was never the one to write off Amity, and Danny understood that he was only part time Justice League.

Although it was well known that Batman wasn't a fan of sharing, but Danny didn't want to help with Gotham.

He wanted to get help for Amity.

Danny packed up some of the minor ghost hunting gear he used more often. Most of them were containment since he had his powers.

He just wished he'd be able to get from Gotham to Amity quickly

But it was nearly 800 miles away, and there was no way he could fly that by himself easily. Nor fast enough to make it worth it.

He hoped that Amity would be safe without him for a while, and that the ghosts would stay away. For their own protection.

He would have to tell them that he was leaving just so that they know he wasn't there to run interference if other ghost hunters go after them.

He'd do that tonight after his parents went to sleep. He looked at the time and it was only eight pm. He only needed a few minutes in the Ghost Zone to start getting the word around that he'd be out of town.

He just hoped that was the right choice and that the ghosts would listen to him if he warned them that the GIW were the ones that would be out hunting.

They all knew how bad those hunters could be.

Maybe he should warn Valerie as well. She warmed up to him after Danielle, but there wasn't any official truce, she'd just stopped shooting at him.

Phantom knocked on Ember's door and waited. He knew she was here since he hadn't seen her in a while.

She pulled open the door and glared at him.

"What? I haven't done anything yet to harm your stupid humans, Dipstick," she growled and crossed her arms. Phantom put his hands in surrender.

"I just want word to spread that I'm not going to be in Amity for a couple of months. That means I can't help if you guys get caught by the GIW," Phantom informed. Ember looked at first excited, but she quickly realized the gravity of what he said.

"You don't want us to annoy your pets because you want to protect us?" she asked blinking as she realized something.

Protection.

Phantom wasn't just protecting the humans, but he was also trying to protect them from the humans. She understood a little more about the hero. Something she should have figured out a long time ago about the teenager.

"I'll spread the word," she said looking at him when he tensed before smiling at her. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Apparently the GIW hired my parents for some special project that they won't tell me. That's mainly why I don't want you guys going to Amity. I'm going to Gotham," Phantom sighed making her eyes widen.

"Wait? Can I come?" she asked excited. She'd always wanted to go to Gotham, but she never got the chance. Phantom looked at her oddly.

"You want to come with me to Gotham?" he asked thinking it over.

Would be good to have someone he could…well, not trust, but someone he'd know.

"Yeah, look, I promise not to…like control anyone…or…Ya know try to take over the world," Ember grinned holding out her hand. "I'll start spreading da word that you're leaving, and then can meet you when you go? Please? I've always wanted to."

"Alright, but…like…whatever," Phantom sighed shaking his head. "Thanks. According to mom, my plane leaves at like 1." Ember nodded. "Meet me at the airport. My parents are using the GAV and they updated the detectors. I can't barely get by the scanner without setting it off, and that's only because of Tucker."

"Your parents have gotten worse about hunting, haven't they?" Ember asked. She was low key concerned for their silly little hero. She didn't think anything of it until recently when Phantom led an attack against the GIW which hurt his rep with the humans.

He was willing to risk it all just to save whoever it was that needed it.

She decided that she'd just stick to annoying him rather than full out attacking him.

She now understood why the Box Ghost constantly escaped to find the Ghost Boy.

He was always concerned about the young ones.

"Yeah," Phantom mumbled. He had started to feel unsafe in his own house. Moreso now than when he first got his powers. His parents have gotten more into the all-ghosts-are-evil as the GIW pushed that agenda. "Just, if you're going…"

"1 o'clock, got it, Baby Pop," Ember grinned before taking off. Phantom sighed before turning back to the portal not noticing the little blue ghost watching him carefully.

He had one more stop before he could leave.

Phantom gently knocked on the window where Valerie was working on something. Phantom thought it looked like school work, but it was summer.

Valerie turned and glared at him. He flinched slightly. She got up and opened the window not wanting him in her room.

"The hell do you want, Ghostboy," she asked hostile.

"I'm gonna be gone about month,"Phantom informed as he watched her reaction. Her eyes widen before they narrowed at him. Her finger twitched like she wanted to shoot him.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously. Phantom looked down.

"Something come up, and I just wanted you to know in case. I…I'll be too far away, but I don't really have a choice. I've told the ghosts warning them about the GIW," Phantom said also giving her the same warning.

"Is it related to them…the reason you'll be gone?" she asked a little worried. She would never admit it, but after going over the events with the Ghostgirl, she wondered if maybe Phantom was also half ghost.

Like Danielle.

Like Masters.

"Sorta," Phantom led into because it wasn't wrong. "Maybe if things turn out my way, I can get some help. Doubt it, but I'm gonna try." Valerie watched him for a moment before moving away from the window and motioning him in.

Phantom's eyes widen in surprised before following unsure if this was a good idea or not.

"I don't want you to go. After Danielle…" Valerie trailed off. She figured that Phantom knew about Masters. It was why he was hostile towards the man.

But she needed more answers, and she needed them before he left.

"Look, Dani can take care of herself," Phantom started only for Valerie to raise her hand.

"I went back to check on Masters after the fight " Valerie started making Phantom tilt his head and her heart knew that was familiar. She just couldn't place it right now.

"Okay?" Phantom said confused as he watched her. She hoped he'd put it together, but in typical teenage boy fashion he do not get the context clues.

She sighed.

"He's also Plasmius. I watched him transform," she admitted making Phantoms eyes widen and him fly close to gently put his hand over her mouth.

The only thing that kept her from kicking his ass was the pure panic on his face.

"You can't tell anyone you know that. He will destory everything. If you thought the dog was bad…he's so much worse and can actually make it worse for you. Your dad works for him," Phantom warned making Valerie take a step back.

"I know this, but you knew already…and now you're leaving me alone to deal with him!" Valerie shouted before she heard her dad ask if she was okay. She answered that she was fine before turning back to Phantom who was staring at the ground.

"I'm not…I'm trying to get help with dealing with him. His new little Ghost hunting team seem to also working for the GIW. But I can't trust them to protect the ghosts from the GIW. You however…you at least put them back," Phantom said sadly. "I just need someone I can trust to ensure the balance is kept."

"Balance?" Valerie whispered as she realized that Phantom was half ghost. "You're half ghost, half human too, aren't you?" Phantom eyed her warily and took several steps back.

She would never hurt him.

"I don't need to know who you are or were. I'll make sure that the GIW don't get their hands on ghosts and make sure that ghosts don't hurt the people here," Valerie promised.

Phantom walked a fine line between the two worlds and for the first time Valerie saw him as the protector he was.

He wasn't just protecting the people from ghosts.

He was keeping the balance between worlds and she had been hurting him.

He was still just a teenager.

"Is there a way I can contact you?" Valerie asked knowing the dumbass had a phone. "Like a phone number? You're not going into the Zone, right?"

"No, Gotham…" Phantom answered absently. Valerie's eyes bugged slightly. Gotham was where the Bats lived.

Phantom may have planning to try to get the Justice League involved.

They always wrote Amity off when concerns were brought up.

"You have Danny Fenton's number?" Phantom asked making Valerie narrow her eyes for a moment before realization came over her.

Danielle had blue eyes and black hair as a human.

"You're …" she trailed off before nodding. Phantom smiled sadly at her.

"I'm in way over my head, but we can do it. It'll take me about 4 hours to fly back from Gotham, so only message if it's important," Phantom said before floating. "I gotta go. See you later, Val."

She waved at him, but couldn't bring herself to say anything else.

Danny held on to the arm rest tightly as his dad drove to the airport. Danny could feel the cold in his core twitch.

He was being followed and his paranoia spiked.

It was probably Ember, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else following him.

Jack hit a bump making Danny close his eyes and wish that this was over. He could hear some screaming that the Fentons were coming though.

He didn't have it in him to laugh.

So here's the start of a new story...in my defense...I'm not dead and am working on older stories as well...

So let me know what you think of this one so far! I'm excitedfor this adventure