Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Spider-Man. I do not own the original story this is based on.
Word of Felicia's return to Amity Park spread faster than an invasion of ghosts, which was saying something in America's most haunted town. Boys flocked around the girl, offering to carry her stuff or push her wheelchair, being turned down with nonchalant no thank you.
Even the You+Me=Love! Booth at the mall saw a small handful of boys in comparison. After an hour of work, the workers at the desk just stood there chatting.
"You'd think having a hot girl in town would attract customers," Yakko dryly remarked as he absent-mindedly paddleballed while watching a show on a tablet with his brother Wakko.
"At least it gives us free time," Wakko added, tapping on the next episode icon.
"Not to mention we're long overdue for an appearance. Right, Fuzzy?" Dot turned to the only human there, typing away on the computer.
"True, but I think we need to turn our attention to the real story here," BeConFuzzled Writer said, returning to the main story.
Danny was pushing Felicia to the Nasty Burger. The girl wanted one of their milkshakes, pleading for the ghost boy to push her. It had only been eight days since they last saw each other, but the girl wouldn't take no for an answer. For the former, such a task was partially awkward.
The ghost boy had to help his ex-girlfriend, with who he still has conflicting feelings for, and she knew how he still loves her, move around town as the boys glared at him. He was looking forward to only an occasional social problem during the summer, wanting nothing more than to try and be a regular teen again.
Luckily, he had his best friends to help him. Sam and Tucker weren't going to leave his back and followed him to brighten the mood.
"You know, once you heal, I am gonna put you back in that chair, right?" Sam snarked.
"And I'll do something as well. Just wait," Tucker added.
Felicia rolled her eyes, excepting nothing threatening as she enjoyed the ride. Looking at Danny made the girl smile, but she knew any attempts at romance would be rejected.
But for the kitten, that was only a matter of time before she could strike again.
Strolling into the Nasty Burger, everyone stopped and gasped as everyone instantly recognized Felicia. The boys wore pure astonishment while the girls wanted to add a scowl, which one did.
A frustrated growl was heard as Paulina tossed her meal to the floor, not caring about anything but the arrival of the blonde girl stealing her attention. Her irritation grew as she noticed nobody cared, not even Star.
"Glad to see I can still make an entrance," Felicia snarked as she wheeled herself inside.
"You mean make every boy drop their brains? That's not hard to do, even without looks," Sam retorted.
Felicia ignored her and then sent a sweet smile to Danny.
"Please roll me to the counter, Blue Eyes," She said with a honey-like tone.
Danny tried to ignore it, sighing as he pushed, ignoring the jealous stares. Once at the counter, Valerie, who was manning the register, frowned as she recalled the blonde girl. While surprised like the others, her more friendly connection with Danny overrode any pity. Yet, any vengeance would have to wait.
As much as Valerie wanted to vent her rage for what Felicia did, she couldn't for two reasons: Because it's work hours and the girl is technically a customer. She'd get in trouble with her boss if she argued with her here, and because she's in a wheelchair right now, she didn't feel comfortable kicking someone disabled, even if temporary.
So reluctantly, to put it mildly, Valerie sucked up her anger and bitter feelings and forced herself to manage a professional face and smile.
"Welcome to the Nasty Burger. May I take your order?" She asked through gritted teeth, trying to contain her anger.
Felicia noticed this and kept a calm face. Unlike Danny's other friends, the blonde girl knew this girl would be a real threat.
"I'll have small fries and a vanilla milkshake," Felicia said, placing her orders.
Val hit the buttons on the register, sending a look to Danny, who gave the most awkward, nervous face she had ever seen. She could tell this ordeal was not a picnic for him.
After orders were taken, the girl gave the teens their receipt but wrote something down before handing it over. Danny took it, reading the words Talk Later on the paper. He looked at his friend, who rolled her eyes before pointing to Felicia. With a nervous smile, he handed it to the blonde girl as he wheeled her to the table.
The ghost boy had just tucked the girl in when the boys flocked to the table and surrounded the injured, beautiful girl. They pushed the boy and his friends away, much to their annoyance. While not hungry, the goth and geek helped their best friend up as they begrudgingly went to help Felicia.
"Felicia, do you want a soda?" a boy named Joey asked, lovestruck by her.
"I can buy you a burger!" Another boy interjected.
"I'll buy you whatever you want from the menu. Nothing's too good," Another boy said, trying to brown-nose her.
Felicia rolled her eyes at their attention and turned to face them with a civil look.
"No, thank you. I'm fine with just this," Felicia said, turning them down politely as she flashed the folded receipt, making the boy-made puppies sulk.
Danny and his friends returned to the table, pushing through with everything they had. Fighting ghosts seemed like child's play against the hormonally driven teenagers who flooded the table. The ghost boy was unsurprised at how the blonde girl handled herself, mentally reminding himself about her alter ego.
However, one boy apparently couldn't take a hint. Dash, who let his ego shield him from reality or any smart decision.
"Felicia, babe. Long time no see," Dash said, leaning into the girl.
"Not long enough," Felicia muttered while the bully glared at Danny.
"Get lost, Fentonowski! You're not needed here!" Dash ordered.
"I think you're the one nobody wants," Danny said as the jock started to harass him.
Felicia glared at this. She wanted to use her bad luck powers but figured it was better to rest, even if the jock most likely deserved it twenty-eight times over. However, she decided to use her words.
"In case you forgot, Danny is the only boy I want here. Now, leave. I'm already in enough pain and I don't need to deal with buff idiots with egos bigger than their brains," Felicia said bluntly.
Dash blinked, the common stupefied expression in Amity Park, and growled like a dog. But since he wanted Felicia to like him, he went to hit Danny. Any reasoning on how this was contradictory to his goals was lost on his underused mind. However, Valerie cut in, glaring at the jock.
While the two were not friends, Valerie knew Dash back when they were both popular and knew how to keep the boy away. The same could be done for the others as she herded any onlookers away. She placed a tray on the table beside the blonde girl, staring at Danny and his friends.
"Valerie—"
"Give us a minute," Valerie said with authority. That was all she needed to say as Danny, Sam, and Tucker went to another table, keeping a lookout for anything they did not need, specifically trouble.
Valerie stared at Felicia as the latter grabbed her milkshake. Since she didn't want a fight to break out, she took the opportunity to tell this girl what was on her mind. Her manager could be seen nodding in approval as he left her alone.
"Looks like someone doesn't remember—"
"The threat she got from you? I haven't, but Horizon High is doing this program to help other schools. Max chose yours and now I'm here to help by participating and reporting once a month," Felicia said explained.
Though still angry at the blonde girl, Valerie let it slide. She knew there would be a moment for cathartic vengeance later, not to mention allowed time for preparations.
"So...what happened?" Valerie asked, curious about the bandages.
"I fell off a building."
"What?!" Valerie's scream deafened the room as everyone stopped what they were doing. It was not the answer, but how Felicia said it so matter-of-factly made her yell.
"I fell off a building," Felicia repeated, adding a more serious tone.
"Ok, that—"
"I fell off after becoming one of those...spider monsters, from the virus," Felicia managed to gesture with her hand, providing a so-so expression with it. "Believe it or not, I'm one of the better ones. Some were in mid swing or lost in the sewers when they were cured. You can imagined how that went."
Valerie cringed, not wanting to think about that.
"Okay, that's bad...and so is what happened to you...but don't think it makes what you did to Danny go away," She whispered to her.
"I know. And trust me, Danny's the only thing good about this," Felicia groaned.
Unfortunately, a certain jock can't stop being a nuisance here as he pushed past anyone who got in his way. Valerie could push Dash away, but the jock's ego prevented him from keeping a distance.
"See what I mean?" Felicia added.
"Alright," Dash interjected, storming over. He grabbed the wheelchair handles and pulled Felicia away from the table. "Now, how about we get you a real tour? Let's start with the king of Casper High—"
Felicia wasted no time throwing the remnants of her beverage at the boy. She glared at the quarterback, who let go of her handles as she turned around.
"It seems behemoth was too good a description for you. Perhaps instead I should just call you an illiterate, since you can't seem to understand no," Felicia snarked.
"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Dash yelled as he wiped his face and clothes. "I'm the king of Casper High, and you could be queen."
"I said it before, and I'll say it again. The only one I like is Danny," Felicia said, glaring at the boy.
"But I thought you guys broke up!" Dash yelled, gesturing to the ghost boy.
"We're still...technically broken up," Danny said, avoiding the awkward stares he was getting. His efforts were rewarded with a burger thrown at him for not getting back together with the incredibly hot Felicia. It was not that they did not know the details or care in the slightest, but rather acted out of unspoken teenage hierarchical rules that Danny did not care about.
"For now," Felicia muttered before glaring at Dash again. "Regardless, I have no interest in an idiot, so get lost!"
The fact that she was still technically single got the other boys' attention since most hesitated when they saw her with Danny and thought they had gotten back together. They pushed Dash out of the way, wanting a shot with the girl, despite hearing her declaration of still liking Danny.
"You and Danny are still broken up?! Felicia, please go to the movies with me!"
"No way, let's go bowling!"
"I got tickets to see Dumpty Humpty next month. Come on, I got the best seats in the house!" Another boy yelled as they all surrounded her.
Sam and Tucker might have felt sorry for Felicia, but they were tired of this. The goth stormed in front as she held a chair like a lion-tamer, not that there were no differentiating details.
"What's wrong with you pathetic drool monkeys?! Can't you see she's in a wheel chair and doesn't need thiskind of attention!?" Valerie yelled, breaking this up since they were disrupting business here.
Danny cringed, wondering how the days would go by if this was going to be the new normal. And this wasn't the only change happening, as seen in New York.
Peter Parker was ecstatic for summer. After an entire year of balancing Spider-Man and school, it was nice to have some time off, particularly after saving the eight million citizens of Manhattan from mutating into spider monsters.
"This is gonna be great!" Peter yelled with his hands in the air. People passing by ignored him as they walked by, not caring in the least. Except for his friends.
"Pete, calm down," Miles said, patting his friend's shoulder, "I get you're excited, but we don't need to shout it out loud."
"Let him be," Gwen remarked as she and Anya walked forward. "Let's just enjoy the day."
"Can someone please tell me why I'm here?" Anaya snarked.
"Because we need to get out of the lab, especially you since you've been working not stop." Gwen brought out her phone and shared photos of Anya in her Horizon High lab. Even though the school year was over, the girl took full advantage of being a student to work on another project.
"I'd like to point out that just because summer vacation started, doesn't mean we need to needlessly go out," Anya retorted. "Not to mention I still have to organize my awards for my excellence this year."
The girl held her chest out with a smug smile as her friends stared. At the end of the year, Horizon High would hand out awards for academic achievement and effort in a student's life. Anya had been working hard all year, earning a plethora of trophies, much to her contentment.
"I thought you won those because Felicia was held back," Peter said without thinking. He instantly covered his mouth as he glanced to his side. Anya was staring at him, almost growling as her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What was that?" Anaya asked in a low tone.
Peter stuttered, looking to the others for help. Gwen gave a playful you're-on-your-own look as she waved her hands. Miles had backed away, giving the same look.
It looked like Parker would have to climb out of this self-dug hole alone.
"W-what I meant to say was...you did a great job and even if Felicia—" Anya leaned in more at the girl's name. "I mean, even if she was there, you'd still win?"
The statement was more of a pleasing question, but Peter knew not to anger the girl. It wasn't that she'd do anything, but the idea of angering his friends was a painful experience, and not physically. But it did the job, making Anya back off with a huff as Miles walked up to the boy.
"I think it's better you don't say her name," Miles whispered. "I think she's mad because she couldn't show her up."
Peter nodded as Gwen comforted Anya. The group walked around, looking for a spot when Parker spotted the hot dog eating contest.
It was nothing special, yet the boy couldn't stop staring, pausing at the scene like a detective.
"Uh, Peter, any particular reason you're staring at the hot dog eating contest?" Gwen asked.
The boy was silent, staring at the prize money in its glass case. The oddest feeling irked him with its unidentified description, almost like an unearthly force was pulling at him.
"I don't know why," Peter said, pointing at the glass case. "But I can't help feeling as though something was going to happen here."
"Are you sure it's not the participants?" Miles pointed to the stage, where his friends noticed a most unusual roster of competitors.
"You know, out of all the gags we could've done, I don't think even I was expected to show up like this," Deadpool commented to his associates.
The Warner bros. and sister were seated alongside him as a familiar, bespectacled face was next to them, not concerned about their character or any antics.
"Say, Fuzzy, why are we here?" Yakko asked. He pointed to his brother Wakko, who was drooling at the sight of the plates of hot dogs.
"Having some fun. I feel this story is long overdue for some comedic cutaways, but not on a constant basis," BeConFuzzled Writer replied, tying the napkin around his neck.
"I thought it was because you're trying to work out your anxieties for all your other stories," Dot added, glancing at her smartphone. "You are planning on updating that Enchanted Lands one, right?"
"Enough about other fics, especially since we won't be appearing in them."
The air horn rang as the announcer signaled the last few minutes for participants to sign up. Much to the cheering of his friends, Miles signed up and took a seat, ready to win. He eagerly looked at the plates, much like Wakko, and there soon joined in.
Within minutes, the stage was flooded as seats were filled and the contest began, ending in seconds as Wakko scarfed the entire plate of hot dogs in one go. Burping loudly, he was declared the winner, despite the fact, everyone decided to keep eating.
"Now there's a healthy appetite," Yakko snarked.
Wakko took a bow as he was presented with the trophy. For such a short time the contest was, Miles still enjoyed himself, taking the remaining hot dogs to his friends. Even without the wacky antics of the Warner's, Peter was happy to have a moment to not don his spandex, unaware of a small black kitten walking by for food with its siblings.
Weeks had passed since the first visit to the Nasty Burger. Felicia had made trips since then, with the only thing they had in common was rejecting Dash and then humiliating him. The most satisfying was the most recent, where the girl took a cup of ice and poured it down his pants, followed by a kick in chilled pants.
It was harsh, but considering the jock always hurt Danny, it seemed like karma.
The other days were spent on touring Amity Park, courtesy of the ghost boy and sometimes his friends. There had been times Jazz had even accompanied them. The elder sister only stared quietly, holding tranquil anger behind her mask, not that anyone could tell. The only good thing about this was that Jack and Maddie gave their son a loophole to not look for a job.
And given how he distrusted the girl, he eagerly took the time to watch her. And not because his heart pulled him toward her.
However, today was special, and not because summer was ending soon.
Today, Felicia Hardy was fully healed, ready to enjoy her life to her content. It felt more like years as the girl's muscles ached with movement. She needed to run around, and there was no better time to do so than under the moon.
While she would have to wait a few more days for anything hardcore, there was no time like the present for Black Cat to enjoy herself after being stationary in a chair. The device had felt more like a cage than any prison.
Leaping out the window, the girl got out her grapple hook and swung across Amity Park, watching its citizens and their nightlife go unnoticed. Her skin-tight catsuit, wig, and coat were more like a second skin than an outfit. The girl was more like a Greek nymph, enjoying her natural element in the darkness.
The moonlight seemed to give her a spotlight as her costume gave off a small reflection as if enticing the girl to dance. But the kitten didn't want to two-step or boogie to just anything. No, she wanted me to hear her music once more.
The Amity Park Diamond store was dark, with the closed sign hanging from the door. Metal bars protected the jewels on display and any entrances/exits, keeping thieves out.
But the thieves in Amity consisted of your usual ski mask thugs ramming the door, not Black Cat, who made her entrance. Searching through her coat, the kitten pulled out a black cylindrical device no bigger than a tube of lipstick, holding it up to the air vent. With a button push, a pole extended to the screws, molding them into the proper head shape before twisting the bolts free, one by one.
Entering the shop, the girl felt like pursuing the stock, like a kid in a candy store. She could take any to all diamonds, but the girl wouldn't act like a common variety criminal.
"Now let's see..." Black Cat looked through the display cases. "Which one of you will be coming home with me."
One obvious detail was the puny selection compared to the sky rises in New York. Certain shops had taken to having their wares in storage rooms above, yet having more hand-crafted selections available. But there was one item that spoke to the kitten.
"Meow. My kitty sense is purring," Black Cat cooed as she stared at tonight's prize.
The Stuyvesant Tiger: a precious diamond cut into the shape of a tiger, affixed with a twenty-four karat gold necklace. It was a high price target, one of the millions on the market and a certain kitten's wish list.
"How this got here, I don't know, but I have a pair of earrings that are dying to meet you."
Black Cat removed a window from the front, extending her claws, gripping the glass tight at the end to pick it out. Swiftly grabbing her prize, the kitten left the way she came, leaving no one the wiser.
Leaping out of the store, the girl climbed her way up with parkour movement. Jumping along the rooftops, she made her way downtown, where she scaled up one of the tallest buildings.
Looking down, Black Cat felt as though she was free, jumping and swinging across buildings as if it was in her DNA. However, she had a small dissatisfied look on her face. Even with all the acrobatics done, part of her felt skills had rusted a bit.
But she had pushed herself enough, sitting down at the roof's edge, overlooking the city.
"I've missed this," She sighed, enjoying the nightly breeze. It felt as though a part of her was returning after so long, almost ancient in relative years.
But her moment was ruined as the sound of missiles was heard. Thinking quickly, the girl leaned forward, falling from her seated position. She took a breath of the cold wind before grappling to another rooftop.
"Looks like the party is getting started," She cooed as she looked up and saw who had sent it.
It was the Red Huntress, who looked surly as usual. She held up several laser cubes at her, all charged and ready to fire.
"Hands up, thief. If you're back, then there's gonna be more trouble. I know that you and Phantom are in cahoots, so surrender and I might go easy on ya!" The ghost hunter ordered.
Black Cat heard this, and while she had been itching for some actions for months now, she was a bit saddened her first time in a long time was with someone so strict and professional.
"You're not one for pillow talk, are you?" She remarked.
"Cute, but you're definitely not the team I go for," Red Huntress replied.
Black Cat shrugged. "And I have no problem with that. You're not exactly my type either, so I'll spare you such sweet words, but I wouldn't mind if you'd add a little fun to these encounter," she said.
"How's this?" The cubes fired a full salvo, toning down a light show of destructive, non-lethal intent.
Black Cat dodged with agile reflexes, throwing a pellet at the huntress. It was blasted away, revealing to be a smoke bomb, allowing a quick escape. The kitten was ready for a fight, but she had limits.
Jumping down, the girl made a silent getaway as she swung out of downtown, going to the heights, a section with tall buildings and apartment complexes. It would be easy to remove any tails.
Or so it was thought.
As Black Cat stopped at the top of a nearby complex, she took her time as she panted. While healed, there was still a ways to go in retrieving lost stamina. Luckily, the building had a rooftop pool, giving the girl much-needed rest on one of their benches as she listened to the calm wind.
"I see someone's been busy."
Black Cat leaned back to see Danny Phantom staring down with his glowing green eyes. They were warm against the cold background of the night, enticing the girl as she smiled.
"Like what you see?" Black Cat placed her hands behind her head as she remained in a laid-back position, crossing her legs as she puffed out her chest.
Danny blushed yet still wore sternness.
"I think I'd rather see what you stole," Danny said, with a give me gesture of his hand.
"You mean what you two stole!"
The ghost boy and kitten were surprised to see the Red Huntress staring down at them. She dismounted her jet board, making it disappear as she landed like a statue. Walking over, she gave an accusing finger toward Phantom.
"You know, for all the trouble I gave you, being right about you working with her hurt the most!" Red Huntress declared, staring at the ghost boy like a hawk.
"Me?! Why would think I was working with her?!" Phantom defended.
"New York? The way you talked to her? The way you went after her first when she was thrown out of a skyscraper—How are you able to heal from that?!" The huntress peered over at Black Cat for the last part before returning to Danny.
Phantom was noticeably shaken by the interrogation, mainly because those were good points. And while he knew the girl in front of him would do the same for the kitten, his eagerness gave him away.
"I'd like to point out that I've been taking a vacation for a while now. Figured I'd stretch my legs," Black Cat cooed.
"And your claws!" Red Huntress stormed up to the kitten, still on the bench. "Now hand over whatever you stole!"
"So you did steal something!" Danny said accusingly, now joining the huntress.
"I had my reasons," Black Cat said while she stretched.
"Oh please!" Red Huntress scoffed, but Danny held a hand out.
"This outta be good," Danny remarked, staring at the thief. "So...wanna try to explain why you stole."
"Simple, I've been away for so long, I needed to steal some things to fill my quota for the Theive's Guild. They've been worried about everyone since the outbreak," Black Cat said casually.
"Huh? You actually had a reason. So, there's a Thieve's Guild and—" Danny stopped, blinking for a moment before staring more inquisitively at the kitten. Red Huntress was just as shocked with a tense jaw. "There's a Thieve's Guild?! I thought that was just in video games and movies!"
"It's been around for centuries. They have branches all over the world. It's no big deal. You just wouldn't hear about them since you fight ghosts," Black Cat replied with a wave of her hand.
"Why didn't—wait! No! Don't say!—"
"You never asked," Black Cat replied calmly, still examining the Diamond in her hand.
"Who the heck would ask if there was a thieve's guild if they never believed in one?!"
Danny was ready to pull his hair out. In his small town of Amity Park, the closest thing to underground criminal activity was run by Vlad, and the corrupt politician's associates were all ghosts. And now he was hearing this from his ex-girlfriend, who revealed it like it was their most common thing in the world.
"Why does there need to be a thieve's guild?!"
Black Cat rolled her eyes. Putting away the diamond, she walked up to the ghost boy.
"Let me explain. Say you stole the Hope Diamond, what would you do next?" She stared the ghost boy in the eye, staring him down.
"Uh...you plan the next heist?" Danny's tone was soaked with the inexperienced thinking of a newcomer, unsure of how to answer such a question. He was given a flick between his eyebrows for that.
"Wrong. You have to lay low. Everyone will now be after you, so you need to get rid of the diamond before the cops catch you, so you have to contact your client for the drop off and get your loot."
"Wait, I thought you just fence it."
"Not with the Hope Diamond, or any other high value targets—now pay attention. If you're a thief, you have to have a plan and a network. That's where the Guild comes in. Everything I steal, I fence, they get a ten percent cut, and I enjoy myself. Without it, I'm a walking target."
"I can't believe that there are actually rules about stealing. Isn't that kinda contradicting certain things?" Danny said, looking at her like she was ludicrous.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Red Huntress added, reminding everyone of her presence. She sighed with a sad face. "Is it wrong that I kinda miss the days when it was simply blasting ghosts that tried to hurt people?"
"We'll, as long as I'm around, you'll have to get used to it. The criminal underworld works much differently than the "normal" world you grew up in. They make their own rules, have their own hierarchy, and make sure everyone follows it." Black Cat gave a far-off look, staring at the moon. "Granted, there's leeway, like when heroes bother us or them."
She looked back at the ghost-hunting duo, who hadn't moved. The news of this guild made them frozen in place, like moviegoers, while seeing the big twist on screen.
"Petty, run of the mill crooks who do stupid stuff like robbing gas stations or scamming folks out of their cash, their child's play compare to the kind of people in the guild. And trust me, they make sure to keep business going."
"And why's that?" Danny leaned in, his face inching closer till his breath touched the kitten's face.
Red Huntress sighed before her scanner went off, alerting her to another ghost. Summoning her jet board, she hovered into the air, staring at the two.
"I'm gonna get this one. Phantom, if you're not working with her, then I want the details from you about this Thieve's Guild next time," Rex Huntress said before summoning cubes. "You don't want to leave me hanging."
Danny nodded, not taking his face away as he heard the huntress jet off. It was just him and Black Cat under the moonlight.
"If you want more details, you should ask The Cat," the kitten said.
"Who's that? You're dad?"
Black Cat nodded silently, dropping the tension as Phantom stepped back.
"My father and I aren't what you define as normal. I'll give you details later," Black Cat said, walking towards the boy's side. "Granted, be prepared to hear about the actual criminal underworld. Not just what's in the movies."
The kitten left the ghost boy to himself, wondering about their conversation. He had been pondering things for minutes before he came back to earth.
"Huh, I didn't think I'd be learning that old you-don't-know-much-about-a-person lesson from a thie—wait a minute! You didn't return that!"
Danny gave chase after Black Cat, intending to return the diamond and whatever else she may have stolen. However, he soon realized the girl had gone back home.
"I hate it when I'm right," Danny groaned as he flew into Felicia's room. The girl was out of her costume and in a robe, applying a facial mask, and looking in the mirror.
"Took you long enough," Felicia quipped.
"And it will take longer unless you return the diamond." Danny walked up to the girl, leaning into her.
Unsurprisingly, the girl remained neutral, focusing on the mirror as the ghost boy looked down. Any attempts to intimidate the girl failed for several reasons, but Felicia's personality and appearance were the main charms. She looked up with the facial mask on, grinning victoriously.
"You like the view?" Felicia asked.
Danny blinked for a moment, unable to understand what the girl meant. It wasn't until he realized his position not only allowed him to look down at the girl's face but also give a peek down her robe and the part of her chest exposed. With a scarlet face, any invoked tension dropped. The girl gave a coy look, making her interrogator walk away.
"I take it you like what you see?" Felicia continued teasing the ghost boy, turning around and standing up. Even with her face covered, the girl knew how to charm the ghost boy.
"Stop it," Danny remarked. His face was stoic, keeping everything together as he searched the room. "Now where is the diamond?"
All he got was bedroom eyes, teasing him with open subtly. This was more than simple flirting, no. This was a challenge. The girl was inviting her ex to find the diamond, the proof she could not circumvent.
Danny accepted without hesitation, looking under the bed, finding nothing.
"Something tells me this is your method of hiding diamonds," Danny snarked as he went to the closet. But to his surprise, the girl answered back—
"That reminds me, remember the Demayo Diamond?"
The ghost boy looked back at the kitten, who sat down with a stern face.
"It was a set up. And believe me, I checked everything. Someone got to it first and left a decoy."
"And you're bringing this up because?" Danny was now footing towards the fan. He looked around the device for any hidden compartments like in spy movies. It made him feel like an idiot since there was no place to hide anything due to the ceiling fan's design.
"Because while a set up isn't something new, the fact that those spies were sent to defend it means there's more to it. I checked with the guild. The job was listed, but no one knows the client. Playing at a different angle."
That was always a disheartening detail. For an organization that maintained part of everyday thievery around the world, having a client's name undisclosed yet able to be posted was never a small thing. One had to bypass any security measures, and the Thieves' Guild had accommodated to let you since its founding.
It had Danny stop his search, making him think about one lead. The only one he knew.
Felicia stared at the boy, feeling her heart heavy yet still dancing. She walked over, not making a sound, as she came in front of the ghost boy.
"Danny?" Her voice was breathless, guiding all thoughts back to her. "What am I?"
"Huh?" Danny said, dumbstruck.
"What am I...to you? What are we?"
The million-dollar question of the summer. The ghost boy had been with the girl the entire summer so far, and here she was, laying her cards out for an answer.
Who is Felicia Hardy? A thief? A beautiful girl? A genius? Someone who could go toe to toe with Danny?
And what were they? The hero and villain or an arguing couple that broke up? Lingering romance still hung itself around them, but where would it go?
It was easier when the ghost boy was just in love, but now he had to deal with the fact the girl he loved was also the thief who was lowly taking his heart from their encounters. He wondered how his life had taken this direction but knew any answer wouldn't satisfy his curiosity.
"We..." Danny paused, staring into green eyes.
An answer was needed.
"We're not together...but there still is something..."
"...Will...will we ever be together again?" Felicia asked.
"I don't know." Danny walked away. His heart twisted in pain. "We need to set boundaries."
The room was once again silent. It felt like a habit now and was probably going to be one for years.
The ghost boy remembered his father's words weeks before the spider virus broke out.
The Fenton family had seen the news. New York was in lockdown as authorities quarantined the city, cutting it off from the world as best as possible. This was a nationwide panic, yet Danny walked away, trying not to care.
"Danny, what are you doing?!" Jack called out to his son.
"Not doing anything. Why should I care?" Danny replied. Despite his back facing the others, everyone knew he was in deep pain as they heard his whimpers and saw his figure shake.
Maddie walked up to comfort her son, knowing his heart was being put through the blender. But Jack got up and held the boy up, much to everyone's surprise and frustration as the ghost boy yelled to be put down.
"Now you listen hear, mister. I know Felicia broke your heart. I don't know what she did or what happened, but you gotta go and try to help her!" Jack cried out.
"What!?" Maddie and Jazz yelled in unison.
"Jack, are you crazy?! There a virus!" Maddie screamed.
"And we have Fenton hazmat suits designed to keep out anything from radiation to diseases!" Jack retorted, going back to his son.
"Danny, if something happens to Felicia and you're not over her, then you have to go or you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow—but soon, and for the rest of your life."
Words choked Danny as he stared at his father, who handed him the keys to the Specter Speeder.
"Now take the Fenton Specter Speeder. Go to New York and find Felicia. I know you'll come back, cause you're a Fenton. We've been through ghost invasions like no toher. This outbreak won't stop you, I know it, and you know it." Jack pointed to the lab. "Now go!"
Despite some reluctance, that brought Danny to New York to help. He only stopped to recruit Valerie, and even then, his heart hadn't stopped beating for the girl.
Maybe the ghost had thought about the other girls he met during the previous summer, but right now, his heart still jumped at Felicia, who was leaning in.
"You're right," she said. "We need to keep things professional right now."
"So, what do you propose?"
"First off, let's get one thing straight. We know who each other is. I've known since we first met—"
"When was this?!" Danny liked offended.
"You transformed in the middle of an alley. You honestly think there's no chance anyone can catch a glimpse?"
The ghost boy smacked his face with his palm, realizing how idiotic he seemed. There had even been instances of this during the dating service.
"So, here's what we're gonna do. Right now, Felicia Hardy has loose ends with your friends. While the two you hand out with will be handled in the long run, I have to handle things with Valerie. As far as things go with us in costume...our very form fitting costumes—"
"What are you saying?" Danny interjected.
"You're forming some nice muscles." Felicia poked his abs. The finger went through, but it had the ghost boy looking down. It was nothing compared to Superman, but he got the point.
"Go on," the ghost boy said.
"As I was saying, in costume, if you want to arrest me, I'll tied if you catch me outside or you find the goods here. If not, our little dance will wait another round."
"And if I refuse?..."Danny asked.
"Do you want to?" Black Cat retorted with fluttering eyes.
Danny blushed but thought about the idea. While there were still issues, the deal seemed more like a challenge, secretly enticing the boy.
"Alright then," Danny said with an outstretched hand.
The two shook hands. This year was going to be hard, not just for their love but their professions. But neither knew how much trouble was brewing, especially since one last player hadn't been around to pester them all summer.
This took longer than expected, mainly powering with great help, but summer is now over. I wanted something short because all the real action would start during school and because I didn't want to waste ten chapters or so for two to three months' worth of the story's timeline. Next chapter, we get to see Horizon's changes at Casper High and how it affects teen hierarchy along with some of the lot development.
Special Thanks! to Flower Princess11 for all her help!
Special Thanks! to Jay The Average Fanboy for all his help!
Thanks for leaving a review:
RonaldM40196867: I like Deadpool's personality and what he could bring to the story. He's still a crazy maniac who kills criminals, but that will be a nice foil to Danny. Funniest as in what? I love the Black Jack comics, and when I was working on the beginning of the redemption arc, I figured he'd be the best doctor to handle things, not just because of his skill belt but because he'd refuse at first, provide insight for some character development. There is no sequel. All my TMDDF side stories will go from the second date to probably death or after. You get my meaning on death.
61394: Thanks and things are just beginning for the new year.
LockAndKey989: Tensions are too high right now. But they are going to be talking. During the summer, Danny remained silent as he watched Felicia, waiting for her next move.
Jebest4781: Thanks!
Invader Johnny: You hit the nail on the head!
Luis4200: No worries. If anything, I figured no one would guess it was Black Jack, much less heat of him, statically speaking in a hypothetical theory.
NiteOwl18: Valerie still has a fight with Felicia coming.
Guest: Thanks!
Jay The Average Fanboy: 1) Tender moments. 2) I don't keep up that well with Death Battle. 3) She'd feel great embarrassment from him.