He was going to throw up. His whole body shook, beads of sweat slid off his neck straight down his back. His skin burned in the cold January air, the ice core too weak to function normally in human form. The sharp pains emanating off of his entire being was agonizing…but bearable.

The expression of pure horror on his friend's face was not.

From the moment he heard Buster utter his name, they had been staring at each other. Unmoving. Both in equal amounts, but different states of shock. Danny's mind raced, he was struggling to keep up. At least he didn't have to worry about the GIW tracking him at the moment, a small, optimistic, but highly annoying, part of his mind contributed to his frenzied thoughts.

He couldn't decide what was worse, how terrified the kid looked or how angry.

"You lied," Buster said so quietly that Danny was sure he had imagined it. However, he watched as the younger boy's eyes hardened as he found the courage to step closer to the abomination that was before him, "everything was a lie!"

Danny wanted to turn invisible, just phase through the brick wall behind him, but he couldn't. Buster deserved better than that. He opened his mouth to argue, "No…I—" and was interrupted by a shout of fury.

"You promised!"

He held his hand up defensively, "Buster just let me—", but the boy wasn't finished.

A tear rolled down his cheek that he furiously wiped away, "you said you wouldn't die!"

Danny's heart stopped in his chest. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. Buster glared at him angrily for a couple more seconds before staggering backwards and sliding down his own wall. Eyes turned away, trying to hide the tears, "you promised me you'd be alive."

He didn't know what to say. Danny expected him to scream, to shout, maybe run away and never talk to him again…but he didn't expect him to mourn.

"I'm not dead," he whispered unintentionally.

Buster sharply flicked his gaze up to meet his tired one, "Stop it. Stop lying," he gritted.

Swallowing, trying to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth, he tried to defend himself. "Buster, I've never outright lied to you."

"That's a lie itself," the boy mumbled, looking away from him. Danny hoped it wasn't, he had become so accustomed to lying over the years that it was almost second nature. However, with Buster, he had tried. Half-truths were better than nothing right?

He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the sharp turn the day had taken. "I promise I'll explain everything," he breathed, "but right now we don't have time. Wes is in danger."

Buster got back on his feet, he heard the sound of his inhaler and then pacing. Danny waited, counting the seconds down in his mind. The longer they sat here, the more time Wes was alone with those creeps. He tried to stay composed, he couldn't act impulsively this time. He needed a real plan, and for that, Buster needed to calm down.

"Give me one good reason why I should trust you, why I shouldn't just turn you in," he bit out, his voice shaking at the last part.

Upon hearing the threat, a billion thoughts rushed through his head. Because thousands of people would die, including Wes. Because the GIW would win. Because Danny would be torn apart, literally. Because his parents would hate him. Because he could never pretend to be normal again. Because Amity wouldn't survive the attacks if he were gone. "…Because we're friends."

He opened his eyes, they were staring at each other again. Buster's eyes were unreadable, emotions flashing and flickering. Danny held his breath. His gut twisted, sending a sharp twinge of pain throughout his body.

His eyes prickled when he saw Buster come to a decision and reach into his pocket to pull out his phone. "Buster stop," he choked, his voice urgent, unable to let himself believe it. He tried to push himself up to grab the device. Buster hated him, he was trying to turn him in. Wes probably hated him too. He lost a friend, maybe two.

"Relax. I'm calling Dash," the boy whispered and walked away, stopping at the edge of the alley and looking around.

Danny stared after him, his heart racing a mile a minute. He could hear him talk quietly into the phone, probably trying to figure out where they were. Settling back against the wall, he tuned him out and focused on calming his nerves.

This was a good thing. He chose to trust him. Or at least chose not to call the cops. Everything might still work out.

He took in a couple of deep breaths and evaluated his power reserves. They were almost as low as last night. But they were slowly bouncing back, he would be alright in a couple of hours. Until then, he needed to plan. He placed his head down on his drawn up knees and lost himself in his thoughts, trying hard not to imagine what Wes was going through.

After a long while of silence, "Was it even real?" a broken voice asked him. He lifted his head, seeing that Buster had returned, probably a long time ago, and was sitting cross legged right across from him. He wasn't looking straight at Danny, but past him, as if trying to remember something.

"What was?"

"Our friendship…both of them. Do I even know you?" he asked, sadness dwelling in his words. Danny bit his lip, He knew very well that he was Buster's only real 'friends' in Amity. Sam and Tucker, even if they enjoyed his company, only spent time with him because of Danny, Buster knew that. He didn't want him to feel like it wasn't real…but was it? Did he manipulate him? Did he spend time with him out of some sick heroic urge?

He sensed Buster grow uncomfortable by his lack of response, probably accepting it as an answer. Danny looked down at his hands and thought. Buster might not have known his biggest secret, may not have understood him as a whole…but somewhere along the way, he knew both sides of him better than most people. Maybe even sides of him that weren't so concrete. He looked up and gave the boy a solemn look. "Yes it was. I know it doesn't seem like I could have ever been honest about who I am if I hid this…But I promise, I'm still me. Just one person instead of two."

Buster didn't respond, he merely nodded his head and turned it away, looking up into the sky. Danny followed suit and stiffened. The air crafts were back. Before he had time to panic, a car horn blared loudly from the edge of the alley.

Instantly, Buster stood up on his feet. Danny turned and spotted Dash's car, and subsequently Dash. The blond jogged over, hugged Buster tightly with one arm and then proceeded to swat him in the back of the head. Danny watched the exchange with an amused smile on his lips but instantly dropped it when he noticed Dash staring at him apprehensively. The boy seemed frozen in spot, his mouth agape, as if he couldn't believe that Danny was really there. "Dude, you look like hell."

"Thanks, it's a new look I'm working on," he joked while trying to smile brightly. Dash raised his brow but soon smiled back. He tossed him something he had been holding. Realizing it was Dash's hoodie, Danny gratefully slipped it on.

"Do you need help standing or something?" Dash asked after waiting a while for him to move.

Danny blushed, "Uh, no…I can do it." He placed both hands on either side of him and pushed up, gritting his teeth to avoid screaming.

Buster rolled his eyes, "why couldn't you just say yes?" he said as he came to his rescue.

Danny grinned sheepishly, "Well I never said it wouldn't hurt." Dash quickly came up to his other side, taking a closer look at his sunken features, he gasped softly. Their eyes momentarily met, Dash lowered his brows with sympathy, removed Buster's grip and all but carried Danny towards the vehicle.

Once he was settled in the back, the two cousins sat in the front, the car suspended in an awkward silence. "I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me what the heck is going on." Dash said, cutting through the tension. Danny didn't speak, he didn't want Dash to know about Phantom. It didn't seem like Buster had told him over the phone. His eyes met Buster's in the mirror, he tried to silently communicate his thoughts. Buster nodded subtly, seeming to understand, although he wasn't happy about it.

"Can you just tell us what you did? Why they are after you? Please, I can't keep helping you if I don't know why. It's not fair." Danny swallowed the lump in his throat, he had hoped he didn't have to tell Buster…but he deserved to know. Maybe it would help him get closure, maybe he was wrong for not telling him in the first place.

He looked out the window and spotted a few more air crafts circling the area. Drawing up the oversized hood to cover his hair and most of his face, he slid down his seat enough to be out of sight. "Okay…can you drive to Fenton Works while I talk though?"

Buster turned in his seat and stared disbelievingly at him, "You want to go home?"

He nodded. "Yeah…I need some stuff." Dash shrugged, then turned the key in the ignition and drove off.

When he didn't begin, Dash cleared his throat. "Fentina, I'm not your private taxi service…fess up." Danny sighed, he looked at Buster once again through the mirror and decided he needed to rip the Band-Aid right off.

"They murdered your mom."

The silence that filled the car was thicker than before, his words echoing loudly in the enclosed space. Buster's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. Dash looked at Danny, shocked, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the wheel tighter. "What?" Buster squeaked.

"Remember the building behind that…uh…field?" he asked softly, hating himself for bringing up painful memories. When Buster nodded slowly, he looked out the window and glared at the fools searching for his alter-ego. "It was a secret GIW facility where they conduct illegal experiments…I broke in and stole evidence against them…and released a bunch of ghosts" he confessed, "that's why they want me, they know I won't stay quiet." Both boys didn't say anything, Buster's eyes were closed painfully tight. Dash just looked surprised and worried about the boy next to him.

He didn't want to continue, but he had to finish what he started. "I read her notes for the story she was working on. She was close, she might have even figured it out. That's why they killed her…to keep her quiet. She was a threat to the organization." They turned a corner, a GIW car with blaring sirens rushed past them, not giving Danny a second glance. "And those sociopathic morons would do anything to keep their hands clean in the eyes of the law."

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, giving time for them to digest. "I knew I was right…no one listened to me. Sure it wasn't the aliens but I was still right," Buster mumbled glumly, keeping the tears at bay through a year's worth of resentment.

Danny sighed, "Yeah, you were."

"…Wes is in more trouble than I thought," Buster gulped, the bags under his eyes darkening.

Dash shot them a look, "Weston? The jock?"

Danny bit his lip, "Yeah, he's been helping me…they took him." Dash scrunched his brows at that, it was common knowledge that Wes 'hated' Danny.

"What about Phantom?" Dash asked, he looked utterly confused about the whole thing but seemed to sense that Buster wasn't going to talk about his mom any further.

"They haven't gotten him, he'll be back soon. He's gonna put an end to this." Buster shot him a weird look, probably realizing how easily Danny had weaseled around the lies this whole time.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Danny asked Buster as he was still looking at him strangely. He tossed it over without a fight, watching him intently. Danny quickly dialed the number he had been forced to memorize since he could never keep a phone for longer than a month.

"Hey man, how's the idiot doing?" Tucker's distinct voice rang out through the other end. Danny raised his brow, and narrowed his eyes at Buster. He wasn't supposed to be telling Tucker anything. Deciding it didn't really matter anymore, he laughed. "I'm doing great Tuck, Thanks for the concern."

"Danny! Oh man, I knew you'd be okay because you're you and you're always okay but… like, it's just great to hear your voice," the boy babbled.

"Shh, it's great to hear ya too Tuck but don't announce it to the world. Are you anywhere near Fenton Works?"

Tucker lowered his voice, "I'm with Sam at the Nasty Burger. She's trying to steal the phone out of my hand as we speak."

Danny smiled, he had missed them. Even if it had only been two days. "Do you have any idea where my parents are?" he asked, trying to get to the point quickly and efficiently.

Tucker made a sound as if he were struggling, probably wrestling the girl. "Near city hall I think…they've been protesting your disappearance around town," he finally answered, his voice strained.

Swallowing the twinge of guilt for another time, "Great, meet me at the house. I'm headed there right now, we've got a rescue mission."

Tucker didn't question him at all, "aye aye, captain," he chirped happily, sounding too relieved to be worried. Danny grinned, he knew he could always count on them.

"And Tuck? Grab me a burger," and with that, he hung up.

"What? Did you guys want a burger too?" he asked innocently, noticing the looks he was getting.

"Well I am hungry…" Buster supposed.

"Dude, you're planning on rescuing him with Foley. Even you couldn't handle those guys, what makes you think your puny friends would be any better?" Dash chided.

Danny raised his brow at him, what was that supposed to mean? He had always assumed Dash didn't notice how much Danny had changed…but apparently he was well aware. "Tucker is stronger than he looks, and I need him for tech stuff. Trust me, Sam and Tuck know what they are doing. The GIW just got lucky last time Dash, I can take 'em."

The jock shifted awkwardly in his seat while he gave him a sceptical look but didn't argue, it wasn't really his problem. If Danny didn't know any better, he would think the guy was actually worried about him. But Danny knew he didn't care. He was here for Buster.

"I'm helping too," the said boy piped up.

"No you are not!" both Danny and Dash yelled simultaneously, the car swerving slightly from Dash's outburst.

"They took my mom away from me! They ruined my life! I don't care what you guys say, I'm going!" The stubborn kid cried just as loudly.

"It's too dangerous! You've never done anything like this before. I can't risk taking you in there," Danny argued, hoping he would listen to reason.

"If you don't take me, I'll find a way to get there myself." Buster gritted, arms crossed.

"Danny, don't you dare say yes." Dash ordered, hitting the breaks on the car. Startled by the use of his first name, Danny gulped and looked out the window, noticing they were only a block away from home, he contemplated jumping out and making the trip on his own. However, that wouldn't stop the kid. Nothing would, when Buster set his mind on something…he didn't give up. Danny knew that, and so did Dash. But they couldn't let an inexperienced fourteen year old fight crime!

He paused and realized how ironic that thought truly was.

If Buster wanted to avenge his Mother's death, who was he to stop him?

"It's not my decision to make, Dash," he reluctantly said. Buster looked at him through the mirror with surprised but grateful eyes.

Dash didn't move the car, his knuckles quickly lost colour. He was seething, face growing red, glaring at Buster and then back at Danny. "Man, he's just a freshman! And he's even more puny then Foley! Have you seen those guys? They'll pummel him."

Buster turned his head sharply towards his overly protective cousin, "I'm sitting right here Dash, why are you yelling at him. If I want to go, I'm gonna go. No one is forcing you to come."

Dash swallowed, bit his lip and looked away. Danny sighed as he realized Dash was contemplating tagging along, "Dude, speaking from experience…size plays a minimal role during a fight. I'll protect him if things get out of hand, Phantom will eventually be there too. You stay here in Amity…if we aren't back by midnight, get help."

Dash closed his eyes in frustration, cursing under his breath, he loosened his grip on the wheel. "You guys are nuts," he mumbled and released the breaks.

Once parked, none of them made any movements to leave. Suspended in fear of what was to come. Danny swallowed dryly, trying to shake the ominous feeling in the air. He needed to think positively, everything was going to work out. It always did.

Finally, he lifted his hand and wrapped it around the handle. "Thanks Dash." he said sincerely and pushed the door open, feeling a lot stronger then he had back in the alley. Buster wordlessly followed suit, however they were both stopped by the large boy finally speaking up.

"Make sure you come back in one piece," he said sternly facing his cousin, then turned to look pointedly at Danny, "both of you."

Danny smirked, despite the seriousness in the guy's voice. "So you can rip me apart yourself?" he asked teasingly.

The jock regarded him for a moment and then broke out into an amused grin, "you know it."

They didn't have to wait long for Sam and Tucker to make an appearance. Danny and Buster sat in the living room in utter silence, lost in their respective thoughts, when the door burst open. Two blurs ran over and engulfed Danny in a huge bear hug.

Danny hid the wince as he laughed, "I missed you guys too."

Sam was the first to back away, she sent Buster a nasty look, that didn't go unnoticed by the ghost boy, and then eyed Danny critically. "You're hurt," she accused, brows knitted together.

Tucker pulled away, embarrassed by the display of affection and adjusted his glasses, glancing around Danny's face worriedly.

He flashed them a weak smile, "I look worse than I feel, promise." They seemed to accept that, knowing his healing usually worked wonders. Tucker handed over the promised burger, tossing one over to Buster with a wink and sat down beside his best friend with Sam on Danny's other side. Danny hurriedly unwrapped the food, his shaking body begging for nourishment after that drastic power drain.

They stared critically at his thin form hidden under the large hoodie pooled around him as he devoured the meal. He noticed Tuck eyeing the number embroidered on his chest. Tucker raised his brow, and giggled. "Dude, why are you wearing Dash's football hoodie? Don't you think you guys are rushing things a bit? Step one is usually hand holding."

He glared at him through a grin, "shut it Tuck, he drove us here. I was cold." At the confession, Sam's frown deepened, he hadn't felt cold since his ice powers came in. He had to admit, it was a bad sign. But he was feeling better, his knee was almost healed, in an hour or so he could fight again. Probably.

She darted her eyes over to where a silent Buster still sat, indicating she wanted to ask something ghost related and wanted him gone. Danny sighed, he knew she wouldn't react well but if Buster was going to be helping, he needed to come clean. "Go ahead and ask…he knows already."

They both stiffened and quickly turned to face the boy. Tucker's eyebrows receded behind his beret as he sat frozen in shock. "You've known this whole time? All of it?" Sam asked in enraged disbelief. "You talked didn't you? I saw you eyeing those GIW cars."

"I only found out an hour ago, I didn't tell anyone anything!" Buster squeaked defensively, cowering under the girl's wrath. She was too protective over the secret for her own good. He understood, he knew the consequences if it got out of hand, it was his secret. But it wasn't like Buster was going to sell him out…anymore.

"Cut it out Sam, he's a friend not an enemy. He saved me, twice. I'd probably be lying in the park dead or at the mercy of the GIW if it wasn't for him."

She ripped her glare off of the kid and bore into his own skull. "He shouldn't have needed to! He shouldn't even be involved. Forgive me if I'm a little upset and worried about your safety. I'd probably be taking this a lot better if I'd had any idea what's been going on…all I know is what Tucker knows. Which is practically nothing. And I'm still mad that you asked him for help and didn't bother talking to me at all by the way. We're supposed to be a team Danny."

Danny grimaced, feeling guilty for keeping them so out of the loop. He had kept the whole thing under wraps in respect of Buster's privacy…and well, after his goof up, it was important to keep his distance if he wanted to keep them safe, they were supposed to understand that. He looked towards Tucker for help. However, he appeared undecided on who he was siding with in the argument and looked away.

"Didn't you say we had a rescue mission? Shouldn't we get down to business?" Tucker asked, trying to move the conversation along.

Danny toed the carpet, they were going to like the Wes revelation even less. He took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah…it's a long story." he stated.

She crossed her arms, "I want every detail, if we are going to stop these guys. You can't leave anything out."

He looked over at Buster, silently promising he would keep his mother out of the narrative. The kid smiled appreciatively and Danny delved in, paraphrasing the tale he'd told Vlad in a condensed manner due to their time constraints, leaving out the bloody horror of that night, the poison, and Wes and Vlad's involvement. They listened intently, looks of dismay on both their faces when they realized in what sort of trouble Danny was truly in.

"So why can't we just wait for the articles to be published…wasn't that your original plan?" Tucker asked curiously.

Danny looked away, he couldn't procrastinate any longer. They needed to leave Amity as soon as possible. "Because they kidnapped Wes, they're gonna kill him if we don't get there fast," he said urgently.

"Wes?" Sam asked, "The kid that tried telling everyone that you were Phantom and follows us around? Why'd they take him?" Tucker seemed equally confused and Buster sat with his mouth curved into a small 'o' shape as if he were finally beginning to understand that crazy ginger.

Shifting nervously, he pulled his collar away from him. "I uh…was staying at his place when they found me in ghost form. Let's just say they don't like leaving witnesses"

"You told Wes about Phantom too! Danny have you lost your mind?!" She exploded, "I understand that Buster isn't going to tell, at least on purpose, but that guy will! You know he will! He's tried before just because of a hunch. There's no limit to you stupidity is there?"

Danny scrunched his brows and pushed himself off the couch, he knew she was going to react like that, but he was still mad. "That's the whole idea, no one's going to believe him anyway! He's already told the whole school and their grandma what he thinks and they laughed in his face."

She threw her arms up into the air in exasperation. "Telling people is a whole lot different than showing them! You stayed at his house Danny, how do you know he didn't get proof?" she challenged.

He closed his eyes and wiped a hand down his face. Did she really think he was that stupid? "Because he's known since freshman year! He's seen me transform a billion times and has never successfully gotten any proof!" he seethed.

Ignoring the look of shock and betrayal on her face, he turned to limp towards the weapons vault. "I know what I'm doing, it's my secret Sam. I don't want to argue about this anymore, he's my friend and he's in trouble because of me. I'm going to save him with or without you."