Chapter 11: It's Not What You Believe
Against all expectations, Danny's cold had worsened even further overnight. He had woken up on Thursday with his bed frozen solid. He quite honestly wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed until his alarm had woken him up.
His parents decided that with his symptoms worsening it would be safest if he remained home. Danny wasn't sure if they were thinking about his safety, or his classmates', but he agreed either way.
Unfortunately, the knowledge that it likely was a new power didn't make it any easier for them to fix it. They spend all of Thursday trying to find ways for him to actually use the power. They tried everything, every iteration of ice powers they could think of. Tucker had even looked up any comic superheroes with ice powers to see if Danny could mimic them.
It was on Friday that he woke up with the tips of his hair frozen and frost crawling along his walls. It had, thankfully, mostly stuck to his room, so the others hadn't suffered too much.
At the breakfast table, he had been loudly complaining about the fact that he didn't know any ghosts with ice powers outside of Klemper, so he couldn't ask for help.
And then he had remembered the Far Frozen.
After repeatedly slamming his head into the table and complaining about his own stupidity, he had told his parents about Frostbite and his yetis. They hadn't been thrilled to hear that Danny and his friends had visited the Ghost Zone, multiple times, but they decided to focus on the problem at hand. For now.
Frostbite himself had been more than accommodating, gladly training Danny with his new power. Warned that his new power might be a little… dangerous, at first.
Danny had heeded the warning, and made sure his parents were kept away.
They hadn't been too pleased, of course, but after Frostbite's people had led them into a ghostly medical facility… Well, they hadn't wanted to let the opportunity to learn more about ghosts slip by. Besides, the opportunity to learn more about ghostly medicine could be useful to help Danny, as well.
It took Danny a little while to get better control over his ice powers, but Frostbite's guidance helped. By the end of the day, Frostbite declared him capable enough to finish training at home.
By the time Monday rolled around, Danny had more or less gotten control over his new ice powers. Well, he had enough control over them not to accidentally freeze himself anymore.
So he was thus declared fit for school. Again.
Unfortunately, his new cryokinesis seemed to have permanently lowered his body temperature. It wasn't very noticeable, except if people touched him. Or so they said. Danny himself couldn't tell the difference, honestly.
It wasn't great, but not the worst, either. Danny thought that it was an improvement over earlier, at least. Now at least he wasn't as cold as a corpse. Or a full ghost. Just… a little too cold for a living human being. That was fine. He could work with that.
His return to school… wasn't great. As he had feared, Dash had helped spread along the rumors of his ghostly nature. And his absence of several days hadn't helped his case either.
So the moment Danny stepped through the doors of Casper High, a heavy silence fell. The crowds just watched, a few quietly whispering to each other. Danny couldn't tell what they were saying, but he didn't have to. He was pretty sure he already knew.
Still, with a skill borne from many years of practice, Danny ignored the now-silent crowd. He made his way to his locker, the people around him parting to let him through. Vaguely, Danny wondered why. If they believed him to be a ghost, wouldn't it make more sense to stand in his way? So he would have to turn intangible to go through them?
Maybe they didn't want to anger him, then. That made some amount of sense, at least, considering the type of ghosts Amity was familiar with. Maybe Dash had even bolstered the rumors, saying that Danny had attacked him Wednesday. That sounded like something the bully would do, to hide the fact that he hurt himself with his own stupidity.
Not that that helped Danny any, but still. He would take any positives he could find, considering the circumstances.
He calmly unlocked his locker, going through business as usual. Completely ignored the crowd that had formed. Of course, his fellow students didn't like that.
They all believed the rumors, even before Dash had told them he had seen Danny use his ghostly abilities. So now they wanted to see it with their own eyes. Wanted proof of Danny's ghostly nature.
Proof that Danny didn't want to give them.
He finished packing his bag as the warning bell rung. He turned to walk to the classroom.
The crowd didn't move. A few stragglers went off to their classrooms, but apparently the majority thought that this was more important than class. Were willing to risk detention, just to see if Danny really was a ghost. Or maybe they just thought that Danny would cave before the lessons actually started.
Either way, they had formed themselves into a rather impressive obstacle. Danny internally complained about the fact that neither Sam nor Tucker had their lockers nearby. They would probably notice the crowds and come looking for him, but he wasn't sure how long that would take.
Not very long, he silently decided as he saw people in the crowd getting shoved aside. So Sam, probably. Even after years of ghost hunting, Tucker wasn't the most physically impressive person.
A person finally burst out of the crowd, the people along the edge stumbling away from her.
Danny raised an eyebrow. "Hey Va-"
She had grabbed his arm before he finished speaking, bodily dragging him through the gathered students.
Once they emerged from the group of teenagers, she released him again. He shot her a thankful smile. "Uh, thanks?"
"Yeah, no problem." She shrugged, suddenly looking a lot more uncertain than Danny had ever seen Valerie. "I, uh. Figured you needed a hand, after hearing the rumor mill go wild."
"And my absence hasn't helped, I imagine." Danny grimaced, shouldering his backpack properly. "We should… probably head to class."
Valerie nodded, although Danny wasn't sure which of a statements it was an answer to. Both, probably. "You know what also hasn't helped your status? Dash saying that you beat him up using ghost powers."
Danny snorted. "Beat him up? I didn't even do anything. He just freaked out, and then tried to punch me, and I did… Well, I did the same thing as during our last conversation, when you tried to punch me."
"Wait." Valerie turned to face him again. "You're saying that you accidentally fed the rumor mill because Dash tried to punch you? Despite the fact that he's been doing so for years?"
"Oh, no, no." Danny raised his hands placatingly. "He had already figured it out. I kind of… had trouble with a new ability, which is why I was out the rest of the week."
"That makes more sense. But still, just a little intangibility wouldn't have freaked him out so bad, would it?"
"Well," Danny said, grimacing again. "I think I hurt his pride a little. He sort of… hit the lockers behind me, when he tried to punch me?"
"Yeah, that sounds like Dash alright. Defeated by a non-violent ghost and a row of lockers." Valerie rolled her eyes but smiled at Danny. "Although I have to say that I am curious about this new power of yours."
Danny hummed, noncommittally. They had almost reached the classroom. This private conversation had to end soon. "I can tell you all about it during lunch, if you want? About… ghostly stuff in general?" He didn't think that she would accept, but he wanted to offer anyway. If Valerie eased up on her no-ghosts policy, or if his knowledge could help keep her and Amity safe…
"Yeah," Valerie agreed, snapping Danny out of his thoughts again. "That sounds good."
They had reached the door of the classroom, stepping through it as the bell rung. As they made their ways to their seats, Danny mouthed at Valerie, 'see you at lunch'.
Danny had taken one look at his usual table before he had walked outside. Yes, it was barely spring, but Valerie could bundle up. He had noticed over the past few days that the cold didn't really bother him anymore, which he assumed to be a side-effect from his new ice powers.
Besides, no one else was stupid enough to sit outside while it was still so cold. They were practically guaranteed privacy.
Valerie apparently hadn't thought of it that way, based on the way her face was twisted in anger. She sat down with force, practically growling at them. "Why-"
"We kind of needed privacy, Val. And with the rumors being what they are..." Danny shrugged at her. He knew she was smart enough to know what he was trying to say.
She kept up the glare for a little longer before sighing, her shoulders sagging immediately. "Alright, fine. I guess you have a point." She unzipped her bag, pulling out her lunch. "So… Where are Sam and Tucker?"
"Inside," Danny said, grabbing his own lunch. "I figured you would be more comfortable if it was just the two of us."
She stared at him, as if trying to judge his intentions. Then she sighed and nodded. "Fair enough. Anyway, to get back to the point…" She cocked an eyebrow. "You mentioned a new power?"
"Uh, yeah." He silently wished he hadn't mentioned it, earlier. If he showed her his ice powers, then Phantom couldn't be seen suddenly wielding cryokinesis. Valerie would definitely connect the dots, and Danny wasn't ready for that. Not yet. "It's…" Think, Fenton, he pushed himself. Come up with a good idea… How do you cover for ice powers? Oh, duh.
"I can't trigger it on purpose, but it's a ghost sense. Like a build-in ghost scanner." He smiled at her, hoping that she would buy it.
"Really?" she asked, leaning forward. "That's pretty convenient." She let the silence linger for a little longer as she sat back again. Finally she spoke again. "Do ghosts often spontaneously develop new powers?"
It wasn't as innocent a question as Valerie was pretending, but Danny didn't mind. If Valerie knew more about ghosts, actual proper information, it would help her. "Not usually, no. Usually they have a set list of abilities, and developing a new one is coupled with a major shift in power." He smiled a little sheepishly at her. "We're… not sure what made me develop a new one so suddenly."
"Huh." Valerie frowned, and took a bite of her lunch. Danny did the same, after checking that his lunch hadn't been ectoplasmically tainted. Sure, the ectoplasm didn't hurt him anymore, but that didn't mean it was tasty. And it's not like he needed the extra ectoplasm, either.
Valerie kept watching him, and Danny was starting to feel a little uneasy under her unwavering stare. He wasn't sure what to say, however.
Finally, Valerie was the one to break the silence. "Do ghosts… Is it normal for ghosts to eat?" She grimaced, like she realized that the question sounded ruder than she had intended.
"Some do, some don't." Danny shrugged, shooting her an easy smile, showing that he didn't mind her unintentional rudeness. "Pretty sure most ghosts don't need to, since they can get their energy from the Ghost Zone. But a lot of ghosts that died recently still like to eat." Then he raised his sandwich in example. "Personally, I kinda need to eat to keep up my energy levels, since I don't really spend time in the Zone."
"That… makes sense," Valerie agreed, nodding. "I can't imagine just not eating anymore, especially if I'm around other people." She fingered the bracelet on her wrist, twisting it around a few times. "Do you… Are you uncomfortable talking about… these kind of things?"
"Depends," Danny said, making a face. "I don't mind, per se. But some people..." He shivered for show, but then smiled at her. "But I'm fine with, well," he gestured around vaguely, "this. Talking about it with you."
"Really?" Valerie raised an eyebrow at him. "Even though I'm a ghost hunter?"
"Val, you're my friend. Besides, you've already told me that you don't mind, well, me. And you wouldn't have dragged me out of that crowd this morning if you had changed your mind."
"True." She sighed, shoulders sagging down even further. "It's just… This whole time, I've been driven by… by anger, by hatred. I told myself that all ghosts are evil, and that they didn't deserve to exist. Not in Amity Park. And now..." She looked at him, forlorn.
"And now I've diverted from that, huh?" He sighed too. "I can't help you with the anger, with your motivation for hunting. But, if you want to keep it up… I can teach you more about ghosts?"
"Really?" Valerie leaned forwards, curiosity clear on her face. "You would… do that? For me?"
"Of course." Danny shoved the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, and twisted around to sit more comfortably. "I'll tell you more about whatever you want to know, provided that I actually know it."
"But?" Valerie asked, catching onto the silent hook. She sat back again, crossing her arms.
"But," Danny pressed, "I want you to hear me out about Phantom. I don't know what, exactly, you have against him, and I don't care. I'm not gonna try to change your mind. I just want you to listen to my perspective, as a ghost. Okay?"
Valerie frowned, and they sat in silence for a bit. Then she sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I can do that." She uncrossed her arms again, laying them on the table between them. "But only because I trust you, Danny."
He grinned at her. "Appreciate it. So, where should we start?"
Valerie didn't answer immediately, clearly thinking her answer over. Danny let her. No need to push her, as long as she would allow him to talk about Phantom later. He only hoped that she would listen, would understand.
"How about… Why do ghosts come into Amity Park so often?" Her gaze was calculating, but not in a cold way. Danny could always appreciate how focused Valerie was, even if he was often the target of said focus.
"Well, there's a number of reasons, really." He made a face. "For ghosts who just want to visit the human plane, Amity is an easy way out because of the Fenton Portal, and because natural portals open up a lot around here. As for why they would want to leave the Zone..." he trailed off, thinking over his options.
"Well, it's not exactly a cheery place. I imagine it gets boring pretty quick, if you spend your entire afterlife there. And that's not even mentioning the ghosts with, y'know, actual plans and stuff."
"Do you know a lot of them?" Valerie asked. "Ghosts, I mean."
Danny shrugged. "I know a good number by name and appearance, but then, who doesn't? If you're asking for ghostly friends… A couple, but none of them come here. It's kind of… dangerous."
"Oh." Now Valerie looked troubled. "So if they don't come here… How did you meet them?"
Danny bit his lips, considering his options. "Well, most of them have come here before. Wulf and Dora have both… caused trouble, in the past. But they were forced to. Frostbite I met while exploring the Zone."
"None of those sound familiar to me. Could you… tell me who they are?" She looked doubtful, but in true Valerie fashion, powered through nonetheless. "So I can… avoid hunting them?"
Danny blinked, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Valerie to change her mind so easily, and about ghosts she hadn't even met yet. "Uh, sure? Although I doubt that you'll ever come across any besides maybe Wulf. Dora and Frostbite both run kingdoms in the Zone, so even besides the danger, they can't really leave. Wulf, though… He just kind of goes wherever. He's… Well, he's a giant bipedal wolf, basically." Danny shot her a smile at her stunned face. "Big, very furry, black with green eyes. Kinda slobbery. Oh," Danny snapped his fingers. "And he only speaks Esperanto."
"How did you even… How did you befriend him?" Valerie looked rather stunned.
"Tucker speaks Esperanto, so he could translate for me. As for why, well. Kind of an 'enemy of my enemy' kinda deal, at least at first." He shrugged.
"You have… enemies? Wait, does that mean you can fight?" Now she really looked perplexed. Whoops.
"I have… some. Walker is a real big jerk, but luckily he doesn't leave the Zone very often." Danny grimaced. "He runs a prison in the Zone, but he makes up his own rules and then arrests you for breaking them. I, uh. May have gotten myself arrested."
"Danny," Valerie groaned, laying her head on the table. "How?"
"Well, one of his favorite made-up rules is that apparently 'real world' items aren't allowed in the Zone. And while cleaning the lab I kind of… knocked my parents' anniversary gift through the Portal, so I went to retrieve it." Danny scowled, crossing his arms and leaning them on the table. "Walker caught me and arrested me for my troubles."
"Wow, he is a jerk. Has he ever come into Amity?" Danny recognized the fury burning in Valerie's eyes, and was rather glad to see it aimed at someone other than him, for once. Besides, Walker deserved it, unlike most of her targets.
"Yeah, once. Him and a bunch of his minions were responsible for the first ghost invasion, overshadowed a bunch of people around the city. Phantom tried to fight him off, but Walker was overshadowing the major, and… Well, you know what happened after that."
"You mean… when Phantom kidnapped the major?" Valerie was frowning at him, now, thoughtful. "Did- Was he framed? By another ghost?"
"Yup," Danny said, nodding. "From what I saw, Walker grabbed Phantom and dragged him outside. I could tell that the major was overshadowed, but, well… Not much I could do with that knowledge."
"No," Valerie agreed, before groaning. "And I guess that the robberies had an actual reason, too?"
Danny snorted, ignoring the icky feelings he got whenever he thought of that. The feeling of losing control over his own body, over himself, like that… He still wasn't over it. "Correct. The ringleader of that goth circus thing, he had a staff that could control ghosts. Phantom tried to fight off a few robbing ghosts, got himself dragged into the business as thanks."
"Oh," Valerie muttered. "I guess… I guess that I was maybe a little too quick to judge."
"Maybe so. But, Val, everybody makes mistakes." He leaned forward with a smile. "That's just what makes us human, y'know?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right." She cracked a smile. "Thanks, Danny."
She opened her mouth to say more, but the bell rung and cut her off. She turned to look at the school, and then sighed. "Guess we better get back to class. But seriously, thanks." She shouldered her backpack, then shot him another smile. "And, I'm here for you. No matter what. Okay?"
Danny smiled back. "Of course."
Title from "How Did You Love" by Shinedown. Aaaaaand that was Urban Jungle. Or, well, the one plot point I carried over from that episode. I guess I could've properly written out the first part of this chapter, which would've been interesting... but I didn't when I wrote this story so. Live and learn, right? I was very focused on the plot during this story, which I think cost me opportunities to show and develop the characters. But this is just random introspection so eh, ignore me.
Also I love Valerie and I love writing her. She's a fun character!
Next week, Disinterred's longest chapter: Chapter 12 - And You Will See Me Now