A/N:

HAHAHAHA...HA HA...ha...Long time no see, huh? So...this chapter is somehow longer than the last even though I said I was going to make shorter and more frequent updates but as long as the story is good and not too complicated I'm good with this and hope you all are too.

So...how's your guys' summers been? I've been in St. Louis studying Japanese since June for at least 5 hours a day. Why? Because I love to torture myself with knowledge!

If anyone is interested in either learning Japanese or Chinese in an intensive study program, or teaching either language if you already know them, I would advise you to research the ALLEX program and talk to a Tom Mason. It ended today with our graduation ceremony being tomorrow and it was extremely fun! I've made friends that I will, for once, DEFINITELY keep in touch with.

But enough about me! You came to be entertained, did you not? Well, so you shall be!

Disclaimer: Like I own anything...I am poor! If I owned any of this, even if I had a tiny bit of ownership to any of DP, TT, or JL, do you REALLY think I would be writing fanfiction over it?

Chapter 7

While Daniel Fenton was not dull in the head, he was also not the smartest person out there. When it came to video games, astrology, most sciences, and ghosts, he could answer any inquiry posed to him in fluent detail and depth, which was an ability unknown to many of his peers and fellow Amity Park citizens until recently. On the other hand, he was completely clueless to what happened around him and current events. So, it was no surprise to his family in the kitchen but a heap of shock to the two strangers at the door when Danny's staid face did not change as he yelled over his shoulder, "He says his name is Bruce Wayne and he's got a ward, Richard Grayson."

Utter and complete silence filled the area. Richard's face was twisted in major confusion as he muttered something about not feeling the "aster". Bruce's visage actually faltered minutely as the corners of his lips slightly turned down. Jazz could be heard sputtering in the kitchen and groaning almost immediately at her little brother's ineptitude. Maddie was relatively silent but could be seen looking up into the heavens quietly questioning how the men in the family ended up that way.

Jack, being the lovable and oblivious oaf he was, exclaimed in a loud voice, "Finally! Food! Let them in Danny-boy!"

Danny just opened the door wider and motioned for the two to enter. After they hesitantly did, he closed and locked the front door. None of them said anything, well at least anything intelligible, so Danny just sighed and headed to the kitchen, hoping not to be rude but also urging them to follow him. As soon as the three entered the dining area, Maddie warmly greeted them with a, "Mr. Wayne, it's nice to see you again and, Richard, it's nice to see you in person finally!"

"And you, Dr. Fenton, but I think I remember asking you to call me Bruce," he replied. "If we are to work together, I would have you address me less formally." While Maddie, Jack, and Jazz thought he exuded charm and grace as he spoke, all Danny felt was cheese: thick, messy, and just everywhere. He wanted to snort but was stopped by Jazz's harsh glare when she saw his mouth twitch.

"Then you can just call me Maddie," she responded.

"And I'm Jack!" The Fenton patriarch exclaimed, more than ready to be a part of the conversation and even more excited to dig into the delicious, steaming hot meal. "You must be Dick!"

"Dad!" Jazz admonished him, while trying to keep up a slightly submissive but in control daughter role. "I'm sure he would want us to call him—"

"No, Dick's fine," the miniscule teenager answered, hands in his pants pockets as he playfully smirked at the family. "All my friends call me that."

"Must not be very good friends then," Danny muttered so quietly that not even his eavesdropping sister could hear him.

"Alrighty then! Dick, you can sit next to Dann-o and, Bruce, plop right here by me so I can eat and ramble to you about ghosts!"

While the family was used to the father's exuberance, their visitors were not. But, they were somehow okay with it, especially Dick who, Danny caught, muttered something about his dad being like a star.

"Yes," Bruce smiled, even more fake to Danny this time. "Let's."

Other than the munching of food and the sipping of drinks, the quiet get-together was marked with the polite conversation of mainly the billionaire and the doctors. Weather, family, and interests were discussed and Maddie somehow veered the conversation away from ghosts every time Jack brought it up, much to the gratitude of their constantly embarrassed children and overwhelmed guests.

Usually, children would be excluded from the adults' conversation, but in the Fenton and Wayne families, this was definitely not the case. Jazz actively contributed to the conversation in any way she possibly could, interjecting her own topics of interest like psychology and child development. Bruce remarked that a good friend of his, Dinah, was a well-known psychologist in his circles and offered her contact information which Jazz gratefully accepted for future reference. Dick offered his opinion here and there when his interest was piqued or when Bruce subtly included him.

From Jazz, Maddie, and Jack's perspective, the dinner was moving along quite well. Bruce was a charming and interesting guest who was not at all disquieted by the excitement displayed by the hosts. Dick was a special young man who would use words from his unique lexicon to describe his point of view. It was refreshing to them, the change of company, and very welcome. All three were fully aware of the necessity of this meeting and wanted to put their best foot forward which is why they so readily forgave Danny. Any lingering disappointment or anger towards him was redirected in fervor to accommodate and befriend their guests. It was absolutely necessary for this meeting to go better than well.

From Bruce and Dick's perspective, the Fenton family were as odd as they had researched. The father was boisterous but brilliant; not to mention, the rumor of his strange affinity for bright orange rang true. The mother was highly intelligent and looked and moved like the fighter her title of a ninth degree black belt proved her to be. The daughter was a well-adjusted young woman who, in spite of or because of her parents' oddities, thrived in academia but lacked much of a social life. The parents also lacked social lives, but the three played off each other quite well.

The only outlier Bruce or Dick could see was Danny. From what they had heard and read, Daniel James Fenton was a professional slacker and loner. He did not take well to authority as seen by his many detentions and double detentions in school and his obvious dislike of the mayor, Vlad Masters. In the Batcave, Bruce, a.k.a. Batman, had a file on Masters and all of his underhanded dealings but could never concretely tie him to anything. He had slightly hoped for Danny to shed some more than incriminating light on the shady billionaire.

Dick basically wrote Danny off. The kid was weird and unwelcoming at best. He didn't even recognize Bruce's name even after they sat down and Jazz tried to discretely hint as to who they were. And whenever he tried to initiate a conversation or even just share a slight joke with the older boy, Danny would not try to entertain Dick. He didn't chuckle at a pun. He didn't offer anything to a conversation even when obviously prompted. To Dick, Danny seemed to be on a completely different planet or at least way too focused on his clothing which was oddly a different caliber of quality—higher, that is—than the rest of the family.

Bruce was equally upset by Danny's inattentiveness. Mainly he was disappointed at the lack of information he was getting about the Fenton's relationship with Vlad. His central reason for interacting with the Fentons was to bring Masters to justice. The Justice League had had many issues dealing with the man who was proving to be more slippery that Lex Luthor. Nevertheless, when Bruce saw the Fentons were serious about using ecto-energy as a clean, alternative energy source and creating and providing Wayne Enterprises with ghost shields and schematics to sell for public and private use, he began to see them as actual business partners. He knew that the Fentons were brilliant as was proof of their ability to protect a town and thus the world from invaders of a different dimension but their professionalism was only one aspect to look at.

Bruce liked to see the personal side of potential partners so that he knew he was getting the package deal and not dealing with people likely to become mad scientists…or at least, madder scientists. The family seemed normal, loving, and nurturing enough but Danny's lack of interaction with the rest threw the whole "perfect" picture askew. He was like the last puzzle piece in the box that fits nowhere in the puzzle and looks like it belongs in a different set. Bruce was trying very closely to catch what Danny was mumbling about under his breath but was constantly interrupted by Jazz's shushing Danny and distracted by Jack's overexcitement.

"And with the Fenton Ghost Gauntlets you can rip any piece of ectoplasmic scum right in half!" Said patriarch was loudly exclaiming as he ravenously dug into his mashed potatoes.

"Honey, Bruce asked you about the power output of the Ectoplasm Generator Mark V," Maddie reminded him while slapping his hand away from reaching into her plate. "Please stay on topic…I have double fudge brownies in the oven."

Blinking rapidly, Jack deflated and continued. "Like I was saying, the Ecto-rator V, as I call it, has a 95% efficiency rate with the requirement of changing the ecto-filter once every seven months. With constant upkeep and only one cartridge of grade gamma ectoplasm, it could power the entire city of Gotham for one decade!"

"…but if you don't change the filter, the resulting explosion will make at least half of the state if not a good portion of North America a barren, radioactive wasteland," Danny muttered absently, slowly coming out of his fixation on the weirdness that had surrounded him in the past two years but mostly the last week. "Not to mention, using that high amount of active ectoplasm attracts high-level entities and could create a tear between the Real World and the Ghost Zone."

It was if Clockwork had frozen time with his scepter. Firstly, no one expected him to speak up at all, making his comments a shock in themselves. Secondly, for him to offer some facts, and such disturbing ones, about the equipment this dinner was all about was also disquieting. Moreover, the older Fentons' neglecting these crucial details struck Bruce as untrustworthy and slightly deceptive.

"Yes?" Jack started, his warm demeanor slipping at his son's interruption. "There are some…minor setbacks to using ectoplasm but we are more than equipped to handle it."

Danny had returned to absently staring at his full plate which sharply contrasted the others' nearly empty or seconds filled plates. He hadn't begun to notice the glare forming on Jack's face, Maddie's forehead wrinkling, nor Jazz's mouth beginning to gape like a fish. He picked up a piece of bread to eat but just ended up tearing it into pieces as the entire dinner party focused on him.

"Well, as business partners, I would appreciate it if I were to be informed of these 'minor' setbacks before any issues arise," Bruce admitted, chuckling a bit disgruntledly into his glass. "Danny, since you've chosen this time to speak up must mean that you know a great deal concerning your parents' work. No offense, Maddie, Jack, but I think I would like to hear more about what you do and build from someone who knows less technicalities than certified paranormal scientists. I am but a simple businessman after all."

When Bruce saw that his speech had assuaged some of the growing animosity, he turned to Danny pointedly and asked, "Now, you were talking about the effects of using such a large source of ectoplasm, Danny?"

Lost in the mosaic of mashed potatoes, meat, vegetables, and bread, Danny inadvertently ignored Bruce's inquiry, which only seemed to reverse the calming effect of Bruce's previous interruption.

"Daniel," Maddie called irritably, knowing that saying the boy's full name would get his attention.

"It's Danny," he answered reflexively. "I mean," Danny corrected, looking at his mother, "yes?"

"Mr. Wayne asked you a question."

He tilted his head in mild confusion before his eyes focused on the two males sitting at the dining room table who were not usually there. He had no idea how long they had been there but looking at the condition of the food left on the table he would have guessed roughly longer than an hour. His father's plate looked to be on its third refill but that could mean that their guests had been there for at least half an hour.

The younger still looked slightly surprised at Danny's inattentiveness but slightly jumped at the piercing gaze coming from Danny's icy eyes. He knew he was being measured as to whether or not he was a threat but he had to wonder how the Fenton teen had learned how to depict the tell-tale signs of strength and weakness. The older watched as Danny's eyes turned from his ward to him and felt a similar unnerving at the boy's steady gaze. This act in itself completely demolished all previously held notions of the boy's less than average potential. But it also left a greater void in Bruce's mind about what the child really knew about the world around him…especially about Vlad Masters.

"I'm…," Danny quietly uttered, "sorry for my inattentiveness. Mr. Wayne? What did you ask?"

It may have been Danny's tone or just his word choice but his family seemed completely shocked but nonetheless irked. Bruce took it as abnormal behavior from their reactions and set himself to uncovering what Danny knew.

"I was just saying how it may be better for me to learn more about your parents' work in laymen's terms. Their 'excitability' and technical jargon is a little much for me to fully comprehend at the moment," Bruce brushed off, charming the family while noticing the slight narrowing of the youngest Fenton's eyes. "We were talking about the Ecto-rator V and its capabilities. By the way, you can call me Bruce, Daniel."

Danny raised his left eyebrow and answered back clearly, "And you can call me Danny." He hesitated for a moment, eyes darting to his parents and his sister who silently urged him to speak to Bruce and not mess up their plans. Seeing the begrudging approval, Danny said, "Dad must have already told you about the power output, I'm guessing, and the repair and upkeep…So what else is there to know?"

Bruce mimicked Danny but with both eyebrows raised at the boy's forgetfulness. He couldn't answer before Dick interrupted, "Dude! What about the post-apocalyptic Bethesda game scenario you just said? I don't know about you but I'd rather not live in a Vault. Gotham's bad enough as it is!"

Danny must have gotten the reference that all of the adults missed as he chuckled. "Pretty sure they don't make Power Armor in your size, man."

Dick looked offended for a moment but couldn't help the grin that split across his face. Bruce let the two have their moment—it seemed to greatly relax Danny—while the other Fentons still looked confused before he cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"As I was saying"—Bruce cut a look at Dick who sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, a motion that quickly caught Danny's eyes—"you," he said, turning to Danny, "mentioned that there are some dangers and possible side effects to using the ectoplasm based generator. Care to elaborate?"

"Oh," Danny responded. He seemed to become lost in his thoughts once more before he echoed, "Oh…Is that all? Surprised dad hadn't showed you the video yet."

"Video?" Bruce questioned as he repositioned himself to face slightly towards Danny which he could tell slightly perturbed the other Fentons at the table.

"Yeah. I think he calls it 'Doomsday: Fenton Portal Edition'," Danny trailed off. "I'm sure there's one for every appliance that uses more than a cup of grade iota ectoplasm…somewhere in the lab."

"Son," Jack interjected, tone warning, "I didn't know you paid that much attention to your mother's and my lectures."

Danny lightly chuckled, hand coming to rub the back of his neck before he flinched and pulled it away almost hesitantly. "Well, I figured since the ghost attacks mostly happen where people hang out…which is everywhere…I should learn more about everything."

Maddie and Jack looked sharply surprised at the revelation. Jazz already knew this but she had to feign amazement as well, something that Bruce and Dick caught. Bruce could tell that Danny wasn't lying but he wasn't telling the entire truth either so he let it slide for now.

"So," Bruce insisted, "what would occur in this 'doomsday' situation? I would assume that you know the details seeing as how your parents keep video simulations—and hopefully not recordings—of potential disasters."

"Oh, yeah," Danny chuckled, forgetting the thin ice separating him from total disowning from his three seated family members. "I remember one time when I almost didn't change the filter on the Ghost Portal...That explosion could have leveled all of Amity Park and at least 50 miles out of the city limits. And we only used grade eta back then." He regarded the memory semi-fondly as the atmosphere slowly darkened around him from all of the other members of the discussion.

"You mean to say," Bruce interrupted Danny's thoughts, bringing him back to present time, "that even with that low of a grade of ectoplasm, which I am guessing is four times less powerful than the current generator I was hoping to discuss with Drs. Fenton, this entire city would be annihilated?"

Dick, even as a child, knew that this was heavy news. He wondered how stupid the Fentons thought him and especially Bruce to be if they thought he was going to agree with using something so dangerous...or allowing anyone to use something so dangerous. He looked over at the other Fentons appraisingly and saw glares form on all of their faces, watching them catch on to the both disapproving and unpleasant tone Bruce acquired.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Danny also seemed to sense the growing animosity and tried to recover by saying, "Well, sometimes progress can be dangerous and risks are a necessary evil. And with the regular update alerts on the generator that go off every month, you should have no problem." His hand went back to rub the back of his neck again before it stopped and placed itself back down. Bruce caught this and noticed how Danny didn't comment on it. He would have thought it a nervous tick but something about the initial fluidity and the sudden stop of the motion told otherwise.

"So it would seem," Bruce relented, attempting to turn the conversation now away from a darker course but still finding the older Fentons more untrustworthy and conniving that previously thought. "Now, away from this business talk. Jack, you were fairly exuberant before about telling me all about these 'ghosts'."

At the prospect of redeeming himself and sharing his life's obsession, the Fenton patriarch's face lit up as he exclaimed, "I don't know about 'exuberant' but I'm always up to rant to people about ghosts!"

Danny graciously took this reprieve from Bruce's questioning as he sunk slightly into his seat and actually began to eat dinner. As Jack guffawed and boisterously told Bruce about the evolution of ghost theory from ancient lore to colonial folktales to modern science, Maddie interjected slight clarifications and corrections while their daughter was distracted by Dick. The youngest at the table knew that Bruce was simultaneously trying to learn more from the Fentons and about the Fentons and distract them all from Danny so he did the best he could to get the red haired girl's mind off of her little brother. Unfortunately for everyone there, the distraction did not last long enough as Maddie and Jack veered more towards the topic of what disparages ghosts from humans.

"There are many different types of ghosts," Maddie explained. "In our profession, we have met the biggest three: apparitions, ghosts, and spirits. Apparitions are beings of extremely low conscious and intelligence, mainly manifesting from ectoplasm in the forms of will-o'-the-wisps or something that has been coined as an 'ectopus'. They can also form from the spirits of animals. Ghosts, as we have come to believe, are also ectoplasmic entities that derive from human spirits and consciousness. These types get their base character traits and powers from who they were when their human counterparts were alive or from a collective group thought."

"Yeah," Jack interrupted, "like Pandora!"

"As in…Pandora's Box?" Bruce hesitantly inquired.

"Exactly," Maddie beamed. "Last year, there was an incident in which her 'Box' unleashed many apparitions that had to be recollected in said container. We still have yet to discover who let these ectoplasmic entities loose but believe that Pandora herself did it to satisfy an obsession which we believe has to do with protecting the 'Box' and by which scheduled releasing of all 'evil' inside is perceived as necessary. The last major category of ectoplasmic entity we have come across is spirits. These beings are purely formed from ectoplasm. Some may be humanoid in appearance but hold no ties to humans as a species. They are also of a higher power level and intelligence."

"Well, as intelligent as a ghost can get," Jack scoffed, recalling the entire table's attention, including Jazz, Dick, and Danny, back to him.

"What do you mean?" Dick choose this opportunity to bring the rest of the table together seeing as how the Fentons seemed calm enough to include Danny back in the discussion after Bruce had distracted them enough.

"Well, sweetie," Maddie patronized, "all ectoplasmic entities are of a lower level of intelligence compared to higher level thinking humans are able to reach."

Bruce was a bit confused about this though. "But you mentioned earlier that some of these beings derived from humans both alive and dead."

"Yeah, but they have obsessions," Jack objected as if that completely explained it all. Of course, Bruce and Dick just became more confused at the large man's utterance but were quickly assuaged by the psychologist-to-be.

"What dad means is that all ghosts have obsessions—a strong desire or urge to act a certain way or complete a certain task. It defines a ghost's existence and is a reason why some powers differ from one another. A ghost that has an obsession over boxes would have the power to control boxes and box-like or shaped objects. A ghost that has an obsession to be modern and relevant or a scientist would have the power to manipulate and create different types of technology. A ghost that has an obsession to hunt would have certain enhanced qualities or the power to enhance himself whether through physical or artificial means and so on and so forth."

"Exactly, Jazzerincess! And that obsession's what makes those ectoplasmic scum so single-minded and not as smart as humans!" Jack finished the lesson with a wide grin at his family and his guests. The three Fentons turned to Bruce and Dick eagerly to see if they completely understood but the instead were met with the slightly worried looks the two gave each other.

"Is there something wrong?" Maddie asked the two of which Dick's face was still concerned but Bruce's face was schooled into one of nonchalance.

"It's just that," Dick stuttered, "just because ghosts are different…just because of that…it doesn't mean that they are lesser than humans in any way."

Bruce proudly smiled down at his charge and continued, "Precisely. Moreover, in the last few decades, Earth has become home to many more species other than human. And these aliens are no lesser than we are. In fact, many of them have become pivotal parts of society and have sped up human advancement decades and almost centuries past the natural course. And with the obsession, many humans such as you and myself are obsessed about one thing or another."

At this the three oldest Fentons' faces faltered. Jazz's forehead began to crinkle at the points. Jack's shoulders slightly slumped at being told wrong. And Maddie's lips pursed as if she had eaten something sour.

"That may be so," the matriarch relented, "but ectoplasmic based entities are as they are. We have researched and experimented on ectoplasm and those beings all of our lives and have come to the conclusion that their obsessions cloud what we recognize as common sense. This extreme focus limits complex thought processes making them nothing more than extremely powerful beasts. It's for this reason why so many refer to them as monsters. They have no hearts. They are not human. They are not alive."

Another void was created between the Fentons and their guests. The scientists and the girl pretending to be an adult all truly believed they were right about the mindlessness of ghosts. The Bat and his protégé were firmly placed in the belief that their hosts were too closed minded and there was more to ghosts than they just saw. In fact, everyone that had spoken up during the conversation did not notice Danny observing them all.

Torn, Danny decided to just let the five hash it out while he tried to finish his dinner. But as the semantics of ghosts came out, he grew troubled. He knew his parents had extremely narrow-minded views about ghosts and their obsessions. Nevertheless, Danny was still shocked at the nonchalance of their hypotheses and their vehemence when challenged. He was especially perturbed by Jazz's insistence of her parents' knowledge with her being a part of Team Phantom and learning about ghosts actually first-hand with new eyes and not the prejudice of their parents. The defense, however, that Dick and Bruce presented surprised him as well. Most who didn't know about ectoplasm based beings inherently trusted the Fentons in everything they said. But, then again, these two were from Gotham—a city full of shades, secrets, and misconceptions. Danny figured they must have learned not to take everything and everyone at face value.

As the discussion became more and more heated, Danny felt a strangely overwhelming needed to input his own knowledge. While some of the facts his family said were just that—facts—most of it was clouded and distorted by incorrect and previously asserted pseudoscience and the harsh bias brought on by the mass of ghost attacks and subsequent destruction. But, the boy thought it would be better—for himself mainly—if he just kept his mouth shut for the rest of the night except for to bid goodnight to their guests. Unfortunately, the fates, as was per his usual, were not on his side tonight.

"Bruce," Jack admonished as the two groups' covert debate reached Danny's ears again, "you have to understand. Ghosts are inherently evil. Those ectoplasmic scum only care about their obsession and nothing else. In fact, there exists no ghost without an obsession. It's their reason to exist and without one they would fade away.

Danny had no idea what little devil on his shoulder made him do it, but all he saw in that moment was red. His family's steamrolling of ghosts had pushed him past his final straw. Danny felt as if he would have exploded had he not corrected at least one thing they had incorrectly affirmed.

"That's not true," Danny stated, his voice echoing quite a bit brought on by a very small but uncontrolled Ghostly Wail made from his growing anger. This, in turn, brought all eyes of the table to him much like it was just a few minutes ago when Danny corrected a mistake for the first time that night.

"Daniel," Maddie blatantly seethed, "what exactly that I or your father, who are experts in these fields, has said is not true?"

Both the guests could see that Danny was running himself into a corner but Bruce saw the firm steel in the boy's eyes and the tight muscles around his jaw. He knew that he couldn't stop Danny before anything else bad happened so he decided to jump in at a later spot. Dick was only used to this kind of argument when the relationships between his friends strayed or when Batman and the other leaders of the Justice League had to make an impossible decision. He thought that no family should act like this without a playful side note or backstory to make all of this a joke. So he did try to stop Danny by slightly shaking his head, knowing that the observant teen would see the movement. Danny's eyes did catch the subtle motion, but his anger addled mind took it as encouragement to educate the neophytes with truth and not unfairness.

"An obsession is not the center of a ghost," Danny recited, lessons taught to him by ghosts on purpose, by proxy, and by fighting coming to his mind. The teen was smart, on par with the rest of his family; however, his mind turned to more circumstantially brilliant sciences and ideas like astronomy and the accident made it turn to ghosts. Those two subjects never once came up in school though which led to the belief that Danny was not as much of a Fenton as the other three were. "An obsession isn't just a pastime either. It can be the purpose of a ghost and the reason for specialized powers but not all ghosts have obsessions. Spirits which form in the Ghost Zone mostly do not have obsessions. They just live their lives doing what they want to do for centuries on end. Because they get caught in a routine from their long life-spans it can be misconstrued as an obsession. The same can go for any person in academia or any human with a passion that takes up a huge chunk of their life." At this he pointedly cast looks at his parents who were world-renown for their obsession with ghost hunting.

"Ghosts, even lower level apparitions, can exist without obsessions but the ones that pass through the Portals between Realms tend to have ambition and severely set goals that can make them narrow minded but in no way are they lesser in the ability to think. In fact, there are some societies in the Zone with social, political, and economical hierarchies. Some mirror while most go beyond past and current systems of living creatures." As Danny continued to preach his knowledge, Dick became more and more confused with why people thought the teen was stupid. He clearly took the time to either research or observe facts about what he was saying as to demolish any incorrect notions about ghosts. Bruce enjoyed the lecture but was also worried for the kid. His parents' countenances were growing dimmer and darker as he continued. Hands began to form fists and jaws clenched. Faces scrunched in skepticism and disbelief. Foreheads wrinkled in an anger beyond that of familial concern.

"And the center of the ghost is its core," Danny continued, basically oblivious that this night would probably the last time he would be on good terms with the rest of his family. "They're not dead. Sure they don't have hearts but they grow, they can adapt to their environment, they can have children, and they have rituals, ceremonies, fashion and art. There are some animals, live animals, that don't have beating hearts but we still classify them as living. Plants have complex warning and communication systems but they don't have hearts either."

Anger began to give way to confusion and a perverse form of interest on the parents' and Jazz's faces. They had never heard Danny talk about this and from his tone, the one similar to that when he talked about stars—a topic about which he knew everything—they knew deep down that he was somehow right and they were wrong. But they would never admit that.

Lost in his train of thought that while not quite organized was still education, Danny continued, "It's a ghost's core that is his or her true definition. Around it, categories of powers and their levels are formed. It's with a core that a ghost is a ghost. A ghost without an obsession is a living, changing being. But a ghost without a core does not exist." He caught his breath at the end, glaring at the remnants of his plate as he calmed down.

The rest of the table sat back in mixes of mild shock, worry, or anger. No matter what, Danny's family thought, he was just a boy. What he just said sounded mostly like the ravings of an intensely imaginative madman. He was just a child and they knew better...but still...The level at which these fantasies of ghosts were formed seemed to be heads above Danny. There was no way, they thought, that he could have constructed such a well thought out story.

"And how," Jack started, "do you know all of this, Daniel?"

Sharply looking up, Danny knew he had done wrong. Bruce and Dick may not have been familiar with the tone Jack had just used but the Fenton family knew it well. It was the same tone Jack and Maddie turned on disbelievers of the Ghost Zone when they first made the Portal. It was same the tone the parents turned on religious or political zealots who chastised the family or tried to force them to sell their equipment and weapons. It was the same tone Jack used whenever his family's safety was in question. And now that that tone was being directed at Danny, the young half knew that unless he could somehow make it up to the family, probably by securing the deal with Wayne Enterprises, nothing would be the same, for him anyway. He had already lost Danielle and Sam and Tucker. Valerie was always on the fence. He couldn't lose them too. So he snuck a quick glance at Bruce and Dick to see how they appraised the situation. Dick was focused on the family, Danny noticed, taking in their highly aggressive body language and their overall discomfort. Bruce, on the other hand, had his face completely on Danny who thought the man was more interested in Danny's answer.

In truth, Bruce was highly interested. Daniel James Fenton was nothing like his profile seemed to suggest. Instead of being a slacker and missing so much school, Bruce thought that the boy should be an exemplary student and child if he focused the same enthusiasm he had about ghosts to the rest of his life. Bruce could also tell that every word Danny had said was the truth...not that Danny just believed it to be true like his parents but that he knew it to be true. But how had he known all of this information that not even his parents, globally famous for their knowledge about ectoplasmic entities, knew? So Bruce just watched and appraised the boy just as how he knew Dick was doing to the family. He caught the look Danny gave him with both mild surprise and amusement as if Danny somehow knew what Bruce was thinking about him. But he couldn't...could he?

"Daniel," Maddie called all of their attention to the topic at hand. "Your father asked you a question." When the word father was sneered, both the guests' eyes widened and Danny minutely flinched, hand coming to rub the back of his neck once more and not even coming over the table from where it rested on his lap. This time however, Bruce fully noticed the short burst of worry and fright that passed Danny's eyes at his mother's tone but also at his inability to move his hand.

"Well," Danny started, "it's a funny story, actually." He awkwardly chuckled, trying to deflect and come up with a lie good enough or long enough that Bruce, whom he noticed was closely observing his every move, would step in and help. "I learned it from—"

A buzzing and ringing sound filled the area and stopped the tense boy from lying. Interrupted and glad, Danny leapt at the chance to answer the door. As he left he quickly said, "I'll get it," and ran from the table. Oddly enough, the closer he got to the door, even though he was planning on it anyway, he felt happier and happier, more and more compelled to talk to whoever was outside at the moment. He told himself that this was natural, even as his hand twitched again at the oddness of the feeling, seeing as how he was getting a short break from his family.

So, Danny opened the door wide with abandon and incredulously greeted the new and third guest with a, "Vlad?!"

A/N:

Ooh...I am a bad person. Ending that brief hiatus with another cliffie. That makes 4! *Confetti falls from the ceiling with a banner that says Congratulations!* Wow! Night must've set this up for me. She must be planning something...If none of you hear from me in a while, assume she has brutally murdered me and send out search teams.

Also, I am aware that English is not the first or even second language of many people reading this. So, if you have any questions, just contact me through PM, email, or review so I can explain it to you. I'm always around if you need me so don't be shy!

Replies to Reviewers:

east231: Thanks! And I f you liked that so much, here's another one for you!

Good Witch of Babble: I really love you so much and your comments too! And some of what you have written about may or may not show up in this or another fic...Broad I know. But telling you the storyline now just ruins it. Let it flow. Even I don't know how it's going to end! And the dinner is only half of the way done. Thank Fic for cliffies!

Poohbearmorris: Oh, phew. I thought your CapsLock was stuck for a second there :P And it's no where near wonderful until much later. Lots of Danny trouble ahead...

crimson leo: Okay...no glitter. Just regular creepy Vlad semi-pedo-ism.

Guest of honor: Save your devices! Situation's only going downhill from here. And sorry about the delay...I can't promise anything about the future other than the next chapter will be up by the end of this month. I'm halfway done with it!

Expergiscimini: How do you even say it? Eksupar-...Eggspergilly-...Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Phantom heir daughter of Zeus: Nothing! He did nothing wrong but exist and that's apparently enough for everyone around him.

Slytherin's Pimp: Why thank you...your name is interesting.

scheffelman: Kitten annoys me to no end...she shall never fully end up with anyone but her creepy spider boyfriend. I'm putting him in the TT-verse past Blackfire's interference. Jinx and Terra have potential. But if I bring Terra back...or out at all...she'll end up with BB and Danny with Raven...if I pair them.

Bibbledoo: They're being mean now! And Vlad knows only to use his influence to do just that...influence. He's saving his energy and surprises when everyone least expects it. Because Phantom Planet was badly executed on everyone's parts.

Ninuhuju: I don't know if that story makes me glad or sad for your friend. Yay that she's smart but the stupidity of others makes me want to cry and scream to the sky. Ready your suspicions; they will come in handy next chapter!

Guest:...maaaaayyybe...He is a Fruitloop after all.

UltimateTouken: Here you go! And Danny has yet to exude anything ghostly so there's no reason for Bruce to think anything about that yet. For now, let the knowledge that Vlad showed up tell you that worse things are about to happen.

IceTaloned Frayfu: Thank you very much! Here it is! I'll tell you the same thing i told UltimateTouken. Danny hasn't done anything that would make them suspect him to be Phantom or even ghostly except for him knowing so much. It is an impossibility...humans with ghost powers and halfas.

Echo the Slowpoke: You and the Good Witch of Babble are going to suffocate me with your word avalanches. And it does! And Danny will get fed up sooner rather than later. And thank you! But you have definitely not read enough if my fic is one of the best in that category that you have read. And, yeah, they leave him until it's obvious that only he can save their butts! Sam and Tuck's relationship is just wrong in this fic and Danny is the main reason they became friends in the first place! And Vlad only uses his influence to fan the flames.

EmeraldSeaGamer: Yes! The FFFEEEELLLSS! Glad I made you laugh and cry. HERE'S MORE TO SCREW WITH YOU! And you are a wonderful person, just so you know. And any and all Samantha and Tucker bashing must be set through schedule with my beta Night. She claimed their pelts first and even Skulker knows to acknowledge her claim.

LupinCriss: Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnddddd I stopped it right here too! Right when Vlad showed up! I acknowledge my fucked-up-ness with open arms and Joker grin! Fics are supposed to play with everything you once knew to be true and held dear and rip them to shreds in front of you. I don't think I'm capable of that yet though. You'll have to wait for true angst.

To all of you lovely lovely people who favorited (crazy-nuts) me or my story and followed me or my story as well...I! LUS! YOU!...I mean...I love you...and thanks.

Thank you all for your support and crazy reviews. I enjoy it thoroughly!

Love, JennaUtena...Deuces!