Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Note (7/1/2020): To "Dp-Marvel94" it's all good! At first I was just worried the account got hacked or something weird like that, but then I recognized the new name from over on my Danny Phantom tumblr so now I know everything is fine! Plus the reviews you've sent all look normal so that ruled out the hacked theory because why would someone do that and then say good things about a story? Anyways I'm glad you noticed how I brought Valerie's suit upgrade into question because it's something Vlad never bothered questioning near the end of the show so I thought it would be interesting to tackle now!

I have a whole theory about it and Valerie in general over on my tumblr too. And yeah, even though we only saw future Valerie briefly the fact that her and her dad DID survive and protect Amity Park as long as they did is pretty dang impressive so Vlad is taking Danny's word on it. It's still up to Valerie to decide what she decides to do but I hope it'll be interesting either way!

Chapter 5: Seeing Red

(Chapter inspired by Anchor by Skillet)

Danny's POV

For the most part, I found plenty of ways to keep myself busy but at one point I started to feel restless when I realized Vlad was running pretty late. Not that I'm a scared-y cat or anything though! I just felt so, well, the best way I can describe it is like when I got trapped in the Fenton Thermos a few times when my sister's aim really sucked when she tried to join Team Phantom as Tucker calls it. I used to joke about how cramped it actually felt in there until I actually experienced it first-hand.

This hotel isn't small by any means, but after a while, it started to feel that way. For some reason, I suddenly felt so suffocated after being trapped inside for hours by myself that I could hardly stand it! Swimming had helped a little, but let's face it it's not nearly as relaxing to me as flying is. And besides, eventually, I had to get out of the pool when my skin turned super wrinkly so I was only in there for maybe an hour and a half?

Vlad promised we'd go out for dinner which I normally wouldn't be that interested in because I was still worried about not embarrassing him with my below average table manners, however, he said it would be a good way for us to get out of the hotel for a while and we could probably ask for a table outside if we managed to find that kind of restaurant in such a small town. Couldn't really argue with his logic there! And I mean, here's probably a few ritzy places like that near Ultra Posh Springs where we are right now and it's also where his mayoral mansion used to be. Or uh, I guess it still is since no one has bought it yet but Vlad mentioned already having 'another use for it' which I can only begin to guess what that might be...

Anyways, long story short I was holding off on snacking too much and ruining my appetite for later by ordering a bunch of room service. Besides, I still had plenty of leftovers from the night before. Still, my point is once I ran out of stuff to do downstairs since it was boring trying to use the pool table they had by myself I ended up back in my room trying and failing several times to watch a movie. It was at times like this I wish I had a hand-held game console or something. At least then I'd actually be DOING something instead of just watching.

I dunno, maybe it's because we're still in Amity Park that I subconsciously feel the urge to go out and do my old job of ghost hunting again. It was hard to remind myself that one, I'm not allowed outside right now under ANY circumstances in ghost form, and two it's not actually my job anymore. It's...kind of a bittersweet feeling giving that all up because deep down I miss all the good I used to be able to do for people and the recognition I got from it. But I don't miss the sleepless nights, the constant danger, or the fighting part of it.

Well, ok I do kinda miss the fighting part surprisingly enough. To me, it was part of my routine and almost like a work out for my ghost half. And now that I don't have to worry about Valerie or my parents gunning me down, I started to think it might be fun just to find a ghost to spar with for old times sake...

At the same time though I knew that was an incredibly stupid idea, if someone saw me they'd assume I was back for real as their ghost-fighting hero Danny Phantom and I'd never be able to leave without causing even more of a ruckus. So for now, it's better to let them think I went out in a blaze of glory defeating Dan instead. If there was any chance for me to leave Amity Park in good graces, it was now or never. I accepted that as soon as I decided to live with Vlad for good this time. Or at least until I graduate High School and head off to college-

"Wow, who knew I'd actually be excited with the idea of going back to school. That sounds a lot more like Jazz!" I smirked, glancing down at my cell phone. It said it was half-past 5 pm so she was probably still waiting for me to call her like I promised to.

Well...its a bit too early to call since Vlad isn't back yet but what the heck? Might as well get it over with and I can always text her when he DOES show up, I nodded to myself and hit her number on the speed dial.

It barely finished ringing the second time before I heard some static as she answered, "Danny, is everything ok? Is Vlad back yet?"

Rolling my eyes I replied, "Straight to the point huh? Not even an hello first! Jazz you really are the biggest worry wart I know! Anyway, to answer your first question, aside from being bored out of my mind I'm perfectly fine and secondly, Vlad's running a little late but its no big deal. I'm sure he's just as eager to finish up his meetings as I am."

"That makes sense," Jazz sighed, sounding so relieved I could practically hear the tension evaporate from her voice.

Then as expected she asked what I've been up to so I told her I've been doing alright so far and kept myself busy swimming for a while. I even told her I took a short nap and managed not to have an nightmares for once which helped my mood a lot. But eventually I did have to admit that I was getting a bit antsy now that there's nothing left to do, I just couldn't focus on a movie I needed to be DOING something which is part of why I called her.

Talking was doing something, right?

"Sure you're not worried I might still try to psychoanalyze you Danny?" Jazz teased with a soft smile in her voice and I snorted-

"Pfft, yeah right. As if you would even want to know what's going on in my..." trailing off I shuttered when I suddenly when I remembered what it was like having Dan in my head messing with my thoughts. It brought back some awful memories and I tried to shake it off. I nearly succeeded too when out of the blue, the lights flickered and suddenly the room went dark.

I blinked for a second, caught off guard until I remembered how the hotel staff did warn us that the nearby area around the hotel was still damaged from Dan's rampage so there might be a few problems here and there during our stay so I didn't let it phase me too much. It's not like I'm scared of the dark since I can see better than most people in it thanks to my ghost powers anyway. Besides I'm practically my own nightlight since I give off a ghostly glow once I transform or when I summoned a ball of ectoplasmic energy in my hand, so I did the latter.

"Danny? Danny are you there?" Jazz asked nervously and I jerked in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm still here. Sorry, the lights just went out in the building but we were warned something like this might happen. They probably just need to turn on the generator since most hotels have one, I bet someone's going to come here any second to explain that so hang on a second while I look for the flashli-!?" I had just barely turned my head to scan the room with my ghost energy light when I froze as soon as I heard the sound of sirens nearby and saw the flashes of red and blue light blaze through the closed curtains, which I should probably open too but that was the last thing on my mind right now.

After a few more seconds two things happened at once. First off I started to seriously worry that someone was hurt or a ghost was attacking the building, and secondly...it was like I wasn't even registering the blue light of the sirens anymore; all I could see was red. Red light, red eyes piercing through the darkness while the shadows began reaching for me with clawed hands. Then it was like I could almost feel Dan's hands clasped around my throat, making it hard to breathe. My chest felt so tight, and there was no escaping those red eyes, he was-

"Danny, what's wrong? I can hear sirens! Are you ok?!" my sister exclaimed and I latched onto that comforting sound, I needed to calm down! Dan is gone...he can't hurt me or anyone again.

"Jazz," I managed to choke out, "I-I think I'm having a panic attack. I don't know what's going on outside but the red light is- I can't! It's like Dan's eyes are leering at me and I can't...I can't..."

Unable to say more I curled up with the phone and she seemed to get the message. I needed someone here, right now, before I literally flew off the rails to get away from the red light that had suddenly triggered me. I felt so pathetic when I heard myself whimper as I shut my eyes so tightly it almost hurt trying to shut out the red lights.

I could hear my sister saying something about staying on the phone and that she was coming straight over and knew this would happen, but I was barely able to process it. Everything else sounded muffled aside from the painful pounding of my heart hammering in my chest and the shrill sound of the sirens...so all I could do was wait for Vlad or my sister to get here before I lost it completely.

Valerie's POV

I knew I wasn't going to like whatever Vlad had planned for us tomorrow, but once I had enough time to really process what he said and I wasn't snapping at him every five seconds I actually started feeling a bit nervous about it. I even tried asking my dad what this was all about on our way home but he seemed just as tight-lipped about it as Vlad which wasn't exactly reassuring. All I managed to get him to tell me is that someone else was probably involved with upgrading my suit and it wasn't Vlad, which isn't exactly a comforting thought...

"Dad, you remember the day I got the new suit right? The two of us were talking about my feelings for Danny over a bowl of ice cream when we heard a noise and then-" staring out the window at the passing lights since it was pretty dark now I sighed bitterly, "-well, you saw what happened too and honestly I haven't really thought about it much until Vlad brought it up again. Not to mention I've been trying to reexamine my encounters with Danny now that I know the truth to figure out how wrong I've been this whole time while fighting him...

"But back then, when first I got the upgrade I didn't really care HOW it happened, I was just happy it did because I felt so powerful and knew I still had a job to do regardless of how you felt about my ghost hunting so I chased Danny Phantom all the way into space since you and I both thought HE was the 'evil ghost trying to take over the satellite' and I wanted to stop him once at for all. I was so focused on destroying the ghost boy that by the time the fight was over it was all I could think about. All I remember is that after I checked the area to make sure Phantom was gone I kept my promise to get out of the suit but I could already tell something was different. It's like I couldn't focus on anything else so the rest is a bit of a blur."

A bit more timidly I admitted, "And sometimes, even now when I activate the suit, I still feel that same overwhelming urge to fight ghosts and the thrill that comes with it. It's almost like I get more obsessed about it than usual, or used to anyway because I learned how to tone it down eventually once I began trying harder to actually protect people from ghosts instead of fighting them all the time. I wanted to make you and Danny to be proud of me."

"Valerie, I-I had no idea. Why didn't you ever tell me about any of this?" my dad asked quietly, sounding hurt and worried about me all at the same time.

Looking him right in the eye since we were at a stoplight I replied a bit defensively, "I dunno, I just didn't want to since I knew you'd try to stop me again if you knew how much the new suit actually effected me at first when I was taking it a bit too seriously up until you decided to reluctantly let me keep ghost hunting as long as we set a few ground rules. So...my guess is that maybe Vlad's eluding to the fact that giving me that power boost wasn't his doing and it was someone else entirely which has him worried about a security breach or something even you didn't know about. But I just can't imagine who besides Vlad would be interested in making me a ghost hunter again."

"That...would explain a lot," my dad nodded to himself and put on his serious face, "Either way Vlad does have a point. Being who and what he is does come with its own set of risks just like being a ghost hunter does. All things considered he doesn't really have to go the extra mile to make sure it's still safe to even use that suit anymore regardless of whether it's a security concern at Axion Labs or something else. Besides, Vlad already told me that as long as I continue do my job well and we keep his secret from everyone besides the people he specified he won't interfere with your life anymore unless you decide hunting ghosts is still what you want to keep doing with your life."

Gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter my dad continued with a nervous laugh, "Personally, I'm actually hoping you'll decide to quit so I know you'll be safe. But, at the same time, after hearing about how you almost single-handedly protected everyone from that monster in another possible timeline even with my help I can't help but already feel so proud of you Valerie. Now I finally understand why Dan targeted you first when he launched his attack on Amity Park, it's because he DID see you as a threat so that part wasn't a lie. I may not like it, but that's the truth. That's another reason why we need to seriously consider the fact that other ghosts may STILL see you as a threat whether you keep ghost hunting or not or I feel comfortable anymore even letting you after what happened-"

Still keeping his other hand on the steering wheel, my dad reached over and gently cupped my cheek, brushing his thumb over it as he smiled and said, "-whatever you decide though sweetheart, nothing will change the fact that you're my baby girl and I love you very much, Valerie. You mean the world to me so I'll continue to support you no matter what. That's why even though I know you still don't trust Vlad, just this once will you do what he asks for my sake and Danny's just to be on the safe side? I promise won't make you do anything you don't want to even if he is my boss."

Sighing heavily I nodded, "Ok dad if it means that much to you I'll do it." With a cruel smirk though I added, "But just so you know if Vlad tries anything screwy tomorrow I have an ectoplasmic gun with his name on it!"

Vlad's POV

In the end, I was glad I opted to drive a rental car to Axion Labs instead of riding in a limousine today because it was the optimal way to get back to the hotel faster so I could take Daniel out to dinner as promised. We could have gone to the restaurant there at the hotel it's true, but I'm sure after being stuck inside the hotel nearly all day Daniel could use some fresh air. I loathed having to refrain from allowing Daniel to unwind with his favorite pass-time of flying with his ghost powers, but it was a sacrifice we both needed to make to avoid any further complications before leaving this town.

Although quite honestly, I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it through another day let alone two before I decide to hell with it all and taking Daniel home with me to Wisconsin right now. Because as much as I despised Amity Park before, thanks to the added headache that came with actually trying to establish ways to protect it so Daniel didn't have to do it personally anymore as Danny Phantom. Normally I could handle dealing with needy business associates and enduring meetings all day, but I suppose it was much harder to focus on the task at hand while constantly worrying about leaving Daniel alone for too long. I know it's necessary but still...

With a sigh, I was about to reach for my phone to let Daniel know I was on my way when I saw that Jasmine calling me. Odd, but I tried not to assume the worse since she has been keeping tabs on me just as much as her younger brother to make sure I'm doing alright too. I felt touched by the sentiment because Jasmine has been wonderfully supportive during this difficult time for her brother giving her a progress report is the least I could do to put her mind at ease about the changes we were trying to make for this town and with her parent's ghost hunting.

But sadly, I was about to discover that this momentary peace we've been blessed with the past few days was about to come to an abrupt end. "Vlad, where are you? Are you on your way back to the hotel yet? I'm sorry for calling if you're in the middle of a meeting but Danny needs you!"

Instantly she had my undivided attention so I asked sharply, "Slow down Jasmine, yes, I am on my way back now. Is Daniel alright? Is he with you right now? Tell me what happened. Depending on the situation I'll have a duplicate drive the car back and teleport straight there if need be."

Swallowing audibly Jasmine replied with a forced calm, "H-he's right next to me and I have you on speakerphone right now. I managed to help him calm down for the most part but Danny he...well he started having a panic attack. We were talking on the phone when suddenly the power went out. That part wasn't a big deal but when I got there one of the managers told me a staff member was having a heart attack so they called 911 and the red lights from the sirens set him off-"

"God, I'm...such a loser," I heard Daniel mutter to himself, taking in several sharp uneven breaths. "I was doing just fine before this happened, I really was, but then I started feeling restless and found myself thinking about Dan and the red light reflecting off the walls reminded me of his red eyes leering at me like when I tried to...strangle myself. It's like I couldn't breathe, my chest felt so tight it was like I could feel him choking me and I'm sorry Vlad...I tried so hard to keep myself busy like you told me to and-!"

Heartbroken by the defeated tone in his voice I replied firmly, "There is no need to apologize Daniel. It's entirely my fault for leaving you there by yourself longer than I meant to. I'm relieved to hear that you had the good sense to call your sister and asked her to help you when you couldn't reach me. Knowing that there is a problem is the first step of solving it. We both knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened but I promise you we're going to take care of this as soon as we can just like we discussed. The question is, do you need my help right now, Daniel?"

I could tell he felt conflicted with my simple question but in the end, when Daniel couldn't say much else, Jasmine answered for him and said he nodded which was all the answer I needed. As if on reflex I separated myself so a duplicate was left behind driving the car while I phased through the hood of the car just long enough to get my bearings before teleporting straight to the hotel room. I would have to worry about keeping up appearances later in case people start to wonder how I made it back to my room with no one seeing me, but that hardly mattered right now.

Thankfully I wasn't too far from the hotel when Jasmine called so the duplicate I left would return here in a few minutes by himself, however, I wasn't going to waste another second more when it's clear that my little badger needed me. Knowing better than to risk making things worse when his nerves were already shot I made sure to suppress my ghost signature so it wouldn't startle Daniel much like when he first awoke after being shot by his parents, but at the same time, I was sure he already knew I was here which may already be enough to help him calm down.

My suspicions were confirmed when the moment I phased through the door to our adjoining rooms to reach him, as soon as his eyes made contact with mine Daniel's shoulders immediately sagged in relief. His sister still looked a bit shaken, but that was to be expected since it had taken her longer to rush to her brother's side driving through traffic normally whereas I could teleport here in an instant and still maintain a duplicate at a distance with ease.

Seeing Daniel like this though, his face unnervingly pale and covered in beads of sweat, it all served as a reminder that he is still not as well as we wanted him to be. I had to constantly remind myself just as much as Daniel that he has endured horrors a child his age never should be faced with. It will take time for him to heal from those emotional scars, if Daniel even would be able to at all.

So that being said, it reaffirmed my belief that simply moving into a hotel room isn't going to be enough to separate him from everything reminding Daniel of the horrific things Dan put him through and the fear he has lived with since he first became like me. That's when I told myself, the sooner I could take him away from this thrice-damned town, which seems to go out of its way to remind him of the fact that most of it is still in ruins because of Dan, the better...

….for the sake of his sanity AND my own because we still have a LONG way to go before my little badger feels like himself again.