Disclaimer:I still don't own any of this except Mary-Ann
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"I guess you want an explanation, huh?" Danny asked his mother. She nodded. "Well, the ghost portal worked a little too well. I went in there to try and make it work, but it zapped me. I guess it added some ectoplasm to my DNA, and it gave me ghost powers and an alternate identity. It's weird, and I've had a few close calls, but nothing bad had happened until Dad's wish. I mean, there were a few cases when I'd fall through floors and stuff, that explains the dropped beakers too. My first month was the hardest. After that, I got better almost exponentially. Wow, exponentially, I didn't know I knew that word. I guess I do learn when I actually get a chance to stay in class." Maddie furrowed her eyebrows at this. What was her son saying? When he got a chance to stay in class?
"Uh, when you stay in class?" Danny frowned a little at this. "Yeah, ghost attacks happen at the worst times. It seems if I get a chance to go to school, a ghost attacks, I run off without an excuse, get back 20 minutes or more later, get a detention, skip that because of another attack, and it keeps going on and on. It's the way it happens. There's a pattern to these things. That's why Jazz has taken to tutoring me after school, when I'm not fighting. Thank goodness I've got a sister like her, even if she is a major pain in the butt sometimes, I still couldn't live, or at least survive school, without her." Maddie nodded. She had noticed that her son's grades had been improving slightly, though she had seen a few failed tests. Now at least she knew why. Here her own son had been saving the world on a daily basis, hadn't told many people, and was still trying to survive high school? Wow.
"So, are you still, like, alive?" She was concerned about her son. If he was part ghost, that meant he couldn't possibly be completely alive. "I think I'm only half alive, but doctors wouldn't notice. They might see a slightly lower temperature, but my blood doesn't have any visible ectoplasm in human mode. It's a little creepy, and it took my a while to grasp the concept, even longer than it took to grasp the concept of having ghost powers, which took me long enough. I think I was in denial at first, and that's why I didn't tell you right away. After that, it became quite obvious that there was a slight possibility for trouble with you after you found out, especially Dad. I think he's finally seen what being reckless can do to someone. Even though he doesn't know me yet, really, I think he grasps that he's made someone's life miserable. And those close to me too."
"Who knows about your powers, Danny? Surely you must have told someone. Jazz and I figured it out on our own, but there must be someone you confided in." He nodded. "Well, I didn't actually tell them, they were just shocked to see me come out completely different, and yet still the same. I'll give you three guesses as to the two other people that know, and the first two don't count." He smiled, and Maddie smiled back. To think, a week ago, she would have been trying to destroy her own son! Honestly, I'm kinda surprised. He seems a lot stronger as a ghost, both mentally and physically. Maybe it comes with the territory? No wonder that Paulina girl won't shut up about him. I'm pretty sure Samantha said she's really shallow, but guys drool over her like she's some prime rib or something. Eh, who knows? I think that even in human mode, Danny has become a lot stronger. I'm so proud of him!
"How many inventions work? I know the Ghost Gabber, the Fenton Finder, and Specter Deflector work. That must have hurt. Gee, and to think I made you wear it when we were at Vlad's house that one time with the convention, and..."
"The ghost catcher worked, and most of your other ones. The Thermos works. But it's no fun in there, trust me. Let's just say that Jazz can't hit the backside of a barn, but she can hit me with no problem. And actually Mom, my powers had been disabled by a certain weapon during that time at the 'convention'. The person who owned the weapon would come after me and kill me if I told you much about them, but I might as well anyways. His name's Plasmius, and I believe you met him at the reunion?" Maddie wrinkled her nose, she'd hated that ghost. "Yeah, but Jack got rid off him." Danny let out a nervous laugh at this.
"Actually, I kinda overshadowed Dad for that, I needed it, so he wouldn't kill us. Overshadowing's sorta one of my abilities. I don't use it that often though, it gets me into trouble more than it's worth. Though there were those times with Dash..." He smiled a slightly evil grin at this, and Maddie couldn't help but laugh. This kid was apparently a bully at school, but he hadn't really gotten into a fight with Danny for a while. At least with no major lasting effects. She thought she knew why now. If he was overshadowing bullies without them knowing it, it would make it easier for him to not get beaten up by them.
"Um, speaking of abilities, what types of abilities do you have? Other than the obvious ones." Gee, she doesn't seem to realize that I can do almost anything a regular ghost can. "Um, let's see here...ectoplasmic blast out of my hand, ghostly wail, and I'm working on duplication. I can do two ok now." He closed his eyes and made a copy of himself. Maddie just stood there, eyes wide with amazement. Wow, this is my son. He's actually doing all this. This is freaky. And yet, these powers could be just what we need. Her mouth stood agape, until her son took his two halves and put them back together. "The worst thing about that though, is that I don't have all my powers in each body. Like the first one might be able to fly, but the other me might be able to use the ghostly wail." I wonder what the ghostly wail is? It doesn't sound pretty...
"So, I know you're at least alive somewhat, what do other ghosts call you? They must not be pleased that someone who still has a chance to live is able to use powers they had to die for" Danny smiled, that was so true. Plenty of ghosts tried to kill him on a daily basis, and he was kind if a celebrity in the ghost zone. "Uh, they call me a halfa. Some call me ghost child, and a few refer to me as a hybrid. The one that does that is the other half-human ghost. My arch enemy, Plasmius. I still have bruises from the last time I fought that seriously crazed up fruitloop, he should so get a cat." Danny crossed his arms and sat down in a chair. Maddie couldn't help but laugh that her son was so casual about this, and how he thought that his enemy should get a cat. "So, if he's your arch enemy, does that mean he's really evil?" Danny nodded. "Gee, if only you knew how evil he is. He's a lonely old man who needs to try internet dating or getting a cat. He was the one that sent all those crazy deformed animals after us that night in the woods."
Maddie started to get up, but a gloved hand rested on her shoulder. "Wanna see what flying's like? I'll go slow so you don't throw up or anything." He smiled his mischievous grin, and Maddie nodded. "Um, how fast can you go?' Danny slapped himself. His mom was not going to be happy that he was going so fast, but he might as well tell her anyways. "Actually, I can go around 200mph tops. I don't very often though, because it really wipes me out, and I don't have a lot of control. I prefer around 100 to 150mph. How fast do you want to go?" Maddie decided that 80mph was enough for her. Danny laughed about that.
"Gosh Mom, it's not that bad really! Jazz can handle up to 175, but if you want, I can take a little stroll. Sometimes the wind sheer is bad when not intangible. Speaking of that, I can make other people intangible and invisible if I'm touching them. Essentially, I can help other people do almost anything ghost-like just by doing this." He put his hand on her shoulder, and she instantly disappeared. Laughing, he took his hand off her shoulder. Maddie wasn't sure whether she should have been freaked out or ecstatic about disappearing. It was so weird, not being able to see herself. She looked at him and gave him a sharp nod. Smiling, he put his hand on her shoulder again.
"Where to first? I'll go anywhere but where Dad and the Box Ghost are. It'd be really nice if we stayed in Amity Park though, I don't know the surrounding towns as well. After all, I could never be out long enough to really get to know places, because you and Dad would have been worried if you went into my room and I wasn't there. Plus, this is the only town where ghost attacks are common, well, except for Wisconsin, and you can't get me back there in a million years! I'd sooner phase out of the plane and be stuck in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where I was than go back there. Amity Park is my home, and I know most buildings like the back of my hand." Maddie nodded at this, knowing that even though her son couldn't see it as they flew through the roof, he would know what she was thinking.
"Is this too high?" Danny asked after they'd been ascending slowly for a few minutes. They were somewhere around 150 feet above the ground, and most of the buildings in Amity Park didn't go as high up as they did. "It's ok, I don't really mind. I'm not used to heights, but I feel safer with you than with any airplane I've ever been on. Hey look! There's your father! Looks like the Box Ghost id giving him a hard time. Can we get in for a better look?" They descended until they were about 50 feet above the ground and landed on top of a nearby building, still invisible. The Box Ghost was building a wall of boxes around Jack, and he was crying like a little girl.
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This chapter's a little shorter than I had it originally, because the next chapter makes the story, and I figured you didn't want to go through a longer chapter. Yea, preview:
"Maddie! What are you doing up there? And where'd the Thermos go?" He soon had his second question answered by the ghost boy himself. Jack frowned a little. This kid was skipping school to help him, the guy who condemned him to his secret life? Wow, he really was good. He watched as Inviso-Bill, no wait, Danny Phantom, sent the Box Ghost into the Thermos. The same Thermos as he had been in a few hours sooner. Of course, Jack didn't know that. He just watched as Danny Phantom carried his wife off of a building and set her down beside him. The ghost started to fly off, but then turned around.
