Hey, guys. How goes it? Okay, I got a little bit of extra time on my hands to write this, so be happy for that. I've thought hard about what to do with Valerie from here on out, and here's what I'm gonna do. Just read and you'll see.

Here we go! Chapter 18 is here!

When Teen Heroes Collide

Chapter Eighteen: African Affray

South Africa, Saturday, 7:11 PM

"Kim, are we almost there?" Danny asked as he and Kim walked up a hill. He said, "I'm getting tired, and aside from that, the sun should hit that valley in ten minutes."

Kim said, "Chill, Danny. According to Wade's map, the valley should be around this spot."

They had now reached the peak of the hill. She looked up, and then yelled, "There it is!"

Danny looked, and sure enough, he saw a valley at the base of the next hill.

Danny asked, "Is that the one?"

Kim checked the map and said, "If Wade is correct, it is. And Wade is never wrong."

"Well, let's go!"

They started, but then Wade appeared on the Kimmunicator and quickly said, "Danny, wait! You can't go into that valley!"

Danny raised an eyebrow, "What? Why?"

"Danny, that dust destroys ectoplasm. If that stuff touches you, your ghost half will be destroyed."

Kim said to Danny, "Sorry, Danny. I'll go fetch that dust. You stay here and keep a lookout, okay?"

Danny sighed, "Alright, Kim."

With that, Kim ran down the other side of the hill, and up the other one.

Danny, bored, sat down and waited.

Just then, something with pink light blasted him from the side and knocked him down the side of the hill. Danny tumbled to the bottom and kept on rolling until he hit a rock.

Danny rubbed the back of his head and saw Valerie on her jetsled.

Valerie glared at him and said, "How are you doing, Fenton?"

Danny's eyes bugged out slightly and he said, "Uh, um, I don't know what you're talking about. My name's not Fenton."

She scoffed, "Don't give me any of that. I know about you. I know who you really are." Then she fired her discs at him.

Danny flew upward, dodging them, and asked, "How did you find out who I am? How did you know I was here?"

"I have very helpful sources. And thanks to him, I'll be able to finish you for good!" Then she threw her boomerang at Danny. Danny flew up and dodged it. But it swung back around and hit him in the back. Danny lurched forward in pain.

Danny groaned and said, "Look, if this is about revealing you to your dad, then I'm sorry. I just didn't want interference with the ecto-skeleton."

Valerie scoffed, "Oh, you're sorry. Yeah, that's a laugh. My dad grounded me for a month, you freak! I'm gonna be in huge trouble just for being here!" Then before Danny could say any more, she started firing her ecto-guns at him.

Danny blasted the bullets away with his ghost ray and flew straight at Valerie. She dropped below him and fired a laser beam from her wrist.

Danny projected his rebounder and it bounced away.

Danny started firing ghost rays and asked, "Look, could we continue this little grudge match later? I have important work."

"Sorry, punk. This is my golden opportunity to finish you for good." Then before Danny could say anything, she flew straight at him. Danny flew at her as well.

As they neared, Danny swung his fist down onto the jetsled. The jetsled swung upward into an upright position and Valerie flew off and started dropping.

But the jetsled, by itself, flew around Danny and caught Valerie before she hit the ground.

Danny then shouted, "Look, couldn't we just talk this over? We're both civilized, semi-adults. We can find a peaceful solution."

Valerie rolled her eyes and said, "There's nothing to talk about, Fenton! You ruined my dad's job, our stuff, and told him I've been hunting ghosts. It's obvious that you are no good to anybody."

Danny screamed back, "Oh, will you just get over that! I'm sorry! I never meant any harm to you in all that stuff! Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're not the most important person in the world! And have you ever noticed any of the good things I do back in Amity Park! Or do you just notice the bad deeds that ghosts do!"

Valerie ignored him and fired the ammo from her ecto grenade launcher at him. Danny was hit and knocked backward. He tumbled through the air and hit the ground.

Danny got up and yelled, "Look, what's it gonna take to get you to see how sorry I am for what I've accidentally done to you?"

Valerie chuckled, "Oh, that's simple. It's gonna take you to be out of my life." She then threw her ghost bombs at Danny on the ground. Danny quickly flew up high and dodged as they exploded on the ground.

Seeing his plan of trying to reason with Valerie pretty much futile, Danny was forced to fight as he fired a ghost ray at her. It hit her and knocked her sideways.

Valerie growled, and then threw her discs at Danny again. This time, they hit and pinned Danny to a tree.

Valerie smiled as she pulled out one more disc. She said, "You know, one of these discs, when thrown hard enough, may just slice through that thin neck of yours."

Danny gasped and said, "You wouldn't."

"Well, let's just see." She started flying at him.

But just then, Kim jumped up high and knocked Valerie off the board. She fell to the ground before the jetsled could catch her.

Valerie rubbed her head as the jetsled flew down and landed next to her. She said, "Okay, who's the fool who did that?"

Kim landed on the ground and said to her, "One fool right here."

Valerie gasped, "Oh, my gosh! Kim Possible!"

Danny yelled, "Kim! Thanks!" He managed to break the discs off.

Valerie yelled to Kim, "What are you doing saving this freak? He's an evil ghost!"

Kim answered, "Evil? Him? So not. He's saved me enough in the last week to show me that he isn't."

Valerie held her head and said, "No. He's not a good guy! He trashed my dad's job, totaled our possessions, and revealed to him that I'm a ghost fighter!"

Kim turned to Danny and asked, "Uh, Danny, do you know this girl?"

Danny answered, "Yes. Her name is Valerie Gray. She's in my class and she's a ghost hunter, and apparently she just found out that I'm a ghost."

"And is what she said true?"

"Yes, but I didn't mean any of that stuff. Except for the part about showing her to her dad, but I just needed her out of the way temporarily."

Valerie shrieked, "Lies, Kim! All lies!" Then before Kim could say anything, she jumped back on her jetsled and said, "Out of my way." She flew past Kim and fired a net at Danny. Danny tried phasing through it, but it didn't work. The net still closed on him and landed on the ground, shocking him.

Danny screamed as he was electrocuted by the net. Valerie smiled while Kim gasped.

Valerie ran toward Danny and pulled out her razor-sharp disc again.

Kim ran toward her and yelled, "You put that down, Valerie!"

But Valerie held the disc right up to Danny's neck. Kim immediately stopped as Valerie said, "Ah, ah, ah, Kim. I wouldn't go any further unless you want to see this freak's head cut off."

Danny muttered to her, "Well, you were going to do it anyway, so…"

"Shut up!"

Kim backed away a little and said, "Valerie, it doesn't have to go down like this. People make mistakes. They move on. So not the drama."

Danny asked, "By any chance, who is or are the source or sources who told you who I am, that I'd be here, and also gave you those weapons."

Valerie responded, "I may as well tell you since you're about to be wiped off the menu anyway. It was that Vlad Masters guy who was at your house a couple weeks ago."

Danny gasped, "I should've guessed."

"Heh?"

Kim asked, "What are you talking about, Danny?"

Danny said, "Valerie, don't trust that guy. He's not who you think he is. And as I've told you before, I'm not who you think I am."

"Yeah, right," Valerie said, "How would you know?"

"Because he's my arch enemy. He's a ghost like me."

"What! No way! That can't be true!"

"Why can't it? Trust me; he's not some really nice guy who wants to help the world by getting rid of me."

"And why should I believe you, punk?"

"I've met him! His ghost name is Vlad Plasmius, and he's tried to destroy me before."

"Well, if he wants to destroy you, then okay with me."

"You don't understand! He's evil! He was my dad's friend and roommate in college twenty years ago, but a ghost portal accident made him a ghost."

"And he's evil because of that?"

"It's because that ruined his chance of being with my mom. And he still hates my dad for that."

Kim said, "That's kind of a twisted story."

Valerie said, "Hmmm. That story sounds almost believable."

"Because it's the truth!" Danny yelled.

Valerie had the disc in her hand. She kept it there as she listened to Danny.

He said, "Valerie, listen to me. All of that stuff that I did to you, I'm sorry. I never meant any of it. Those were just unfortunate misunderstandings that I could do nothing about."

Kim added, "Aside from that, he's done so much good. He's told me all about the good deeds he's done in his life because of these powers."

Valerie sighed. She said, "But why would you reveal who I was to my dad?"

Danny replied, "I just wanted to get that ecto-skeleton. It was the only way you wouldn't take it. I had to save the town that way."

Valerie was silent. She just kept looking around in confusion as she thought of what she should do.

Kim said, "Valerie, if a teen who saves the world like myself is friends with a ghost who you think is evil, then is he really evil?"

Danny said with somewhat of a plea, "Believe me, Valerie. I never meant to ruin your life like that. Please believe me."

Valerie looked at the sharp disc in her hand, considering both of their words. Then she looked at Kim, and then back to Danny.

Finally she looked at the disc again. She scowled, and then raised it up into the air, brought her arm backward, and then…

Cliffhanger! Oh, I've regained a bit of my evilness, haven't I? What will Valerie do? Will she stick with her choice and try to do Danny in, or will she trust his and Kim's words and let him go? Find out in Chapter 19! Coming soon!