8. Trauma

"You dyed your hair?" Lancer queried.

The pair had chosen to eat in the mall's cafeteria. They'd had many options, and Lancer was forced to make purchases from every fast food restaurant in there, including McDonald's, La Pizzeria, Xiong's Sushi and Tico's Tacos.

They'd also placed an order of churros at Sally's Sweets, which only augmented to Lancer's credit card bill.

Danielle was already chomping on one of the two pizzas he'd brought her.

The petite girl seemed to indulge in every bite and still somehow managed to answer him between mouthfuls.

"No." Danielle swallowed her food and grasped a chunk of her silver hair, which was intermingled with black streaks. "They're clip-ons. Addison noticed that my eyebrows are black, and figured if we got black extensions, people would just assume I that the white hair are just highlights. She wanted to dye it, but I said no, so this was the next best thing. She said I'd look less conspicuous."

Lancer nodded. "Makes sense."

And his sister was definitely right. With the black beanie covering her head and the black-and-white streaked hair, Danielle fit into the crowd more easily.

The girl gorged into her meal. Excitement twinkled in her eyes—an excitement that stirred only when she found food. He momentarily wondered if it was possible for her to get this excited about anything else.

Lancer picked up his own pizza and focused on the matter he had been wanting to discuss since her attempted getaway.

"So, Danielle. Have you thought about how you're going to locate your cousin?"

Danielle stopped chewing, her eyes snapping to him.

Those eyes, Lancer thought, were deep and intense.

Lancer knew very few people with eyes that incredible shade of blue—light, icy, sparkling, and crystalline.

That same feeling of familiarity he'd felt when he'd first seen her blue eyes passed through him.

It was almost as if he'd seen them before. On someone else's face.

Granted, Lancer dealt with many people in one day—faculty, parents, students—and any attempt at solving the mystery of those familiar eyes seemed utterly futile.

"I have," she admitted. "A lot. Actually."

Those brilliant crystal irises revealed an immense disappointment and longing. Her melancholy led Lancer to realize just how deep her relationship to her cousin was and wondered if the heroic Phantom reciprocated these emotions.

Family must be really important to her, he thought.

"I want to go straight to his place, but it's such a long ways from here. Ever since that lecture you gave me last night, I've been thinking about how I'm gonna get there. I'm alone, and I'd have to travel on foot."

"I could drive you there," Lancer offered.

"That's...not a good idea. I...don't feel comfortable letting anyone else find out where he lives. And I doubt Danny would be okay with it either."

Something about the way she said Danny sparked something in his memory, but he quickly brushed it off.

"Well," he proposed, "you two could meet elsewhere."

"And how am I gonna ask my cousin to meet up with me somewhere if I have no way of contacting him?"

Lancer frowned. In truth, the situation was complicated, and they did have quite a dilemma.

"Maybe you can...um," Lancer paused, struggling to think up a plan.

They were interrupted by someone calling out an order through the speakers of Sally's Sweet's.

"Order number 21! Order number 21!"

"That's our order," Danielle rose to her feet. She held up a forefinger at Lancer in a 'wait' gesture. "Hold that thought."

Lancer nodded and took another bite of his pizza.

He noticed, with a start, that Danielle had already managed to consume every meal he had ordered her.

'Damn,' he thought, 'she eats fast.'

He glanced over his shoulder to peer at the girl.

She was already walking towards their table, her hungry eyes staring into the bag of churros in her hands.

Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, a hand curled around Danielle's arm.

A man had appeared, almost as if by magic, and had capture the ghost girl's gaze.

Danielle's eyes widened with a horror unlike any Lancer had ever seen. Warning bells immediately went off in his head.

The bag of churros slipped away from Dani's hand and landed on the floor.

Danielle struggled to pull away but the man must've had a strong grip on her.

Lancer immediately recognized him, even though he had yet to look at that man's face.

There was only one person in Amity with silver hair pulled into a low ponytail, and that man held a place of power over the city.

He got up and immediately began moving toward them.

Lancer was appalled that the mayor would publicly act so aggressively towards a young girl. His dislike for the man magnified even more.

As he approached, Lancer could hear the man muttering at the girl as he tried to tug her away from the crowd.

"Excuse me," Lancer snapped.

The mayor turned his head to look at Lancer. For a moment, his dark blue eyes flashed angrily, but the emotion immediately subsided, leaving behind only innocent confusion.

Lancer put some force into his words and spoke loudly, drawing the attention of the surrounding shoppers. "May I ask what you are doing to this young lady?"

Vlad Masters seemed to notice the attention that had been drawn towards them. He released Danielle but moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders, trapping her in place.

"My good sir, this young lady is my niece, and I have been searching everywhere for her."

The girl's eyes flickered to Lancer, revealing her terror.

Lancer immediately got the hint. The mayor, whether he truly was or wasn't a relative of hers, was someone Danielle feared.

And if this man could make a powerful young ghost fearful, then he was clearly someone not to be trifled with.

Lancer felt obligated to keep Vlad Masters away from her.

"My good mayor," Lancer chuckled, forcing his face to relax. "This girl is a student of Casper High, and she couldn't possibly be your niece. I know because I'm the vice principal. I saw her parents a few moments ago, and they're looking for her."

Vlad seemed confused. "Parents?"

Now, there were far too many eyes on the trio. Mayor Masters glanced around at the crowd then looked back at Danielle.'

"My goodness," Masters released her, feigning surprise. "It seems you're right. I must've mistaken her." He chuckled. "My niece was also wearing a beanie."

"Danielle," Lancer's eyes met Danielle's. "Why don't you go back and let your parents know you're okay."

The girl nodded mutely, then took off without another word.

The mayor's eyes trailed after the girl as she ran. He seemed eager to follow her, but Lancer prevented him from doing so.

"I can't believe I'm meeting the Mayor," Lancer's eyes beamed with false enthusiasm. "And, to top it off, you mistook one of my students for your niece! I didn't know you had any relatives."

"She's...a very distant relative," Masters smiled, his eyes sliding back to Lancer. A smile that resembled a shark's grin appeared on his pale face.

"Well, it is great to meet you Mayor Masters," Lancer snatched up the billionaire's hand before he had a chance to react.

Lancer realized with a start that his hands were as cold as ice.

He shook it, pretending not to notice.

"It is a pleasure meeting you as well," Masters nodded. "Did you say you work at Casper High?"

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Yes, I've heard about that school." Mayor Masters' eyes glittered with an esotericism that made Lancer feel uncomfortable. He could see the wheels turning behind the man's dark eyes, as if he were coming to an epiphany. A wicked glint of resolution flickered through the man's dark eyes. "In fact, I believe I have an acquaintance at that school. I'm personally friends with the parents of a Casper High student."

"Interesting," Lancer smiled.

"Well," Vlad smiled. "I apologize, but I'm in a bit of a rush and must leave. I'm scheduled to meet the owner of the company here today, and it seems I'm running late for my business meeting."

Lancer folded his arms across his chest. He tilted his head and attempted to appear genuinely puzzled. "You brought your niece to a business meeting?"

"I..." The mayor paused. "Yes, I did. Her parents thought it would help her choose a career path, preferably in business." He smiled. "Again, I'm sorry. I must go."

"Hope you find your niece," Lancer called after him.

The mayor gave him a strained smile, then turned and walked off.

Lancer waited until the man was well out of sight before making a move.

The bag of churros lay on the floor, unopened and unharmed. Their warmth seeped through the plastic bag as he scooped them up. Their aroma wafted into his nose, and he found himself upset that Danielle hadn't been able to enjoy her meal in peace.

Certainly, every child deserved to enjoy the little things life had to offer, including a normal meal after a normal day at the mall.

Even if that child wasn't entirely human.

Worry coursed through him.

Where had Danielle gone?

Lancer walked then kicked up his speed until he was almost running through the mall.

He remained alert, peering into the display windows of all the shops, eyes snapping to anyone with a black beanie on their heads.

By the time he got to his decrepit car, his muscles were burning unpleasantly, his leg had a cramp, and his lungs felt like they'd gone an hour in the boxing ring.

Still, it was worth it the moment he saw the ghost girl sitting in the front seat. She sat with her feet curled up on her side, the upper half of her body leaning towards the window. Her eyes were set on the car beside them, but her gaze seemed to travel somewhere beyond that.

Lancer exhaled and slid into his seat behind the steering wheel. "Why does it feel like every time I'm getting a workout, it's because I'm running after a teenager?"

He paused, waiting for some kind of retort from her.

The girl remained silent, fixedly staring at nothing in particular.

Lancer sighed and turned the key in the ignition.

The car screeched to life, snapping Danielle out of her stupor.

She jumped and glanced around, mutely frantic.

Lancer waited a few moments for her to calm down a bit, though her chest still heaved as she breathed heavily.

Her gaze darted between the side mirrors, the rear view mirror, and the windows.

He could see the paranoia in her eyes, and it equated to the paranoia he'd witnessed in a young boy who'd approached Lancer after his father had nearly beaten him to death in a drunken stupor.

Lancer sped across the highway. The second time in a long time that he dared to violate the law.

But, seeing Danielle react so frighteningly and knowing Mayor Masters was the reason behind her terror was enough for Lancer to recognize what a precarious situation they'd recently experienced and that he needed to get as far away from the shopping center as possible.

He'd seen malice in Vlad Masters' eyes, and Lancer found himself wondering what kind of man the mayor of Amity truly was, and why Danielle felt so terrified of him.

No more than ten minutes into the ride, Lancer noticed that Danielle's deep irregular breaths had quickly transformed into short, erratic spurts of pants.

"Danielle...?"

Lancer blinked down at the girl. Her hands were trembling violently and her face was whiter than usual. Beads of sweat glistened as they streamed across her cheek.

The girl grabbed at the door's grip, her left hand curling around the bottom of her seat.

Before Lancer could realize what was happening, the girl disappeared.

One minute she was there, the next she was gone.

Appalled, Lancer jerked the car into a sharp left, earning several angry honks from the other drivers.

His tires screeched as he came to a sudden halt. He parked in the side of the road, away from the dangers of the highway.

The distant sound of other tires skidding against the pavement prompted him to look into the rear view mirror.

Cars madly swerved around a girl lying in the middle of the road.

Lancer leapt out of the car and ran across the oncoming traffic, treading carefully to avoid approaching cars.

He scooped Danielle into his arms and ran back to his car, carefully placing the girl on the ground.

The temperature dropped suddenly and traces of frost appeared on the grass beneath her.

Several minutes passed with Lancer waiting beside Danielle but, eventually, she managed to calm down.

Lancer didn't dare touch her until the frost on the grass melted, leaving behind moist greenery.

Once again, Lancer picked her up, this time settling her in the seat.

He continued their long drive to his home.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny felt the exhaustion weighing him down.

He could feel the dimness of the ecto energy in his core. His muscles throbbed from overexertion. A million concerns and questions had been crammed into his mind since his clone's awakening, and the emotional weight of finding Danielle made everything all the more difficult to bare.

The boy hadn't even had enough energy to finish his flight home.

He'd woken up that morning at four am to begin his search in the Ghost Zone.

His two-hour flight to the Far Frozen had been fruitless; Frostbite had explained that Danielle had gone to the Human World in search of him.

Frustrated, Danny asked to be transported back to the Human World where he immediately resumed his search for Dani.

He scoured the entire east end of his city, checking every store, every shelter, every orphanage, every motel.

Anyplace that indicated possible residence.

He'd encountered a multitude of ghosts on his search for Dani.

His last fight had been with Skulker who escaped and fled to repair the damages Danny had inflicted on his robotic suit.

Spent from the battle, Danny's powers failed and he'd crash-landed several miles from Fentonworks.

He ran the rest of the way home, dodging fans, and managing to conjure just enough energy to invisibly escape the media.

A few blocks from home, his powers shut down completely. His human form took over.

He was greeted by darkness and silence when he entered his home.

A faint glow from the window of the door leading to the basement indicated that at least one of his parents was in the lab.

Either that, or they decidedly left it on for the clone.

The living room and the kitchen were strangely deserted.

Too tired to care, Danny slowly trudged up the stairs, sleep wrenching at his consciousness.

"Danny?" Jazz's voice echoed from the top of the stairs.

Lights turned on, momentarily blinding a vexed Danny.

He stumbled on the last step.

The girl emerged from her open bedroom.

Jazz sported light blue pajamas. Her pants had small purple and pink hearts splattered all over them.

Her vibrant hair was frazzled comically on only one half of her head.

Her expression was that of concern.

"Where is everyone?" Danny queried, rubbing his eyes.

"Mom's down in the lab. Dad went out looking for you 'cause you didn't answer your phone. You were gone all day."

"My phone ran out of battery," he explained.

He turned and began walking past her, but she stopped him, her hand shooting out to grasp his arm.

He looked down at her hand then at her face.

"I heard you and mom talked to the clone."

Danny's eyes snapped to her soft analytical ones. "Yeah."

He attempted to walk away, but she stopped him again. She spoke in a firmer tone. "Danny. Neither Tucker nor Sam has seen you all day. They called here looking for you, which is weird because you're with them 24/7." She bit her lip. "Talk to me? Please?"

Danny grimaced. "Jazz, not now. I'm tired, and I'm really not in the mood to play guinea pig, right now. If you want to do your little mind experiments, why don't you start with my clone? Hm? Maybe you'll get more answers out of him than me. After all, he's probably more than willing to be somebody else's experiment."

Jazz retracted her hand. Her eyes radiated hurt, but her tone of voice revealed anger. "I wasn't asking to try and psychoanalyze you Danny. I was asking as a sister whose half-human brother has been going through a lot and went missing for an entire day, only to show up home at one am, looking like shit. And even if I was trying to psychoanalyze you—which I wasn't—you know it's because I care about you and this is the best way I know how to help. So excuse me for showing a little concern."

Danny's head hung, guilt flooding through him. "Sorry. I'm just tired."

Jazz sighed. "Danny, I think you should take it easy. It's almost one am, and I bet you'll hardly get a wink of sleep tonight."

"Not until I find Dani. Not until I know she's safe." Danny adjusted his backpack's strap.

"I'm going downstairs to empty out the thermos."

"Alright, baby brother." Jazz reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Danny managed to wrap his own arms around her.

She surprised him by kissing his forehead. "Good night."

She turned and trudged into her own room.

Danny briefly stopped by his room to drop off his backpack then went back downstairs and towards the lab.

Danny paused at the door, which had been left slightly ajar.

The sound of his mother's voice drifted through the crack.

"My uncle took us in after my father, Daniel, passed. He thought it'd be a good idea to enroll me and my sisters in self-defense classes, for some confidence or in case my mother ever decided to come back for us. Of course, I was the only one to make it all the way to black belt."

Danny blinked in surprise.

His mom was actually talking about her childhood to someone outside the family.

The clone spoke. "Would you ever...forgive her?"

Maddie sighed. "I already have. She came to me and my sister one day, asking us to go back home with her and begging us for forgiveness. I forgave her, but we didn't go back to live with her."

"Why not?" The clone queried. "She's your mother. She gave you life."

"She may've given me life, but that doesn't mean she can take it away. My relationship with my mother is toxic, and I refused to be poisoned by her. I chose to live with people who truly cared about me and treated me right. My mother was just not that person."

Maddie paused. "Sometimes, we feel a sense of obligation to someone. We feel...like we owe them, and so we throw away our happiness and our lives for the wrong people."

There was a long moment of silence.

Danny backed away silently slipping back into his room and leaving them to their profound conversation.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The smell of chamomile tea flooded Lancer's entire home, instilling a sense of calm in his abode.

Lancer retrieved a mug from his cabinet and poured some honey into the tea, hoping to sweeten away the bitter taste.

The television was on, its volume turned so low that Lancer found it difficult to hear.

The channel had been switched to the After Hours Show where the host and his interviewee—who happened to be a resident of Amity Park—were having a debate about the existence of ghosts.

Danielle was stretched out on the couch. Her head poked out from beneath a beige cotton blanket.

Her eyes were fixated on the screen, though she didn't seem to really be watching the show.

Lancer picked up the mug and set it on the table sitting near her, pulling her away from her brooding state.

"Thanks, Mr. Lancer." The girl sat up straighter and took the mug.

She raised it to her lips and tentatively took a sip.

"You've been quiet all day," Lancer pointed out. "May I ask why you reacted so strongly to..." Lancer paused, careful about his diction. "the incident at the mall."

"It's-" Danielle paused, gaze falling from the TV to the mug. "It's nothing."

Lancer frowned. "Must've been something if it caused you to have a panic attack."

Danielle sighed, a look of exhaustion suddenly falling over her face.

"I'm sorry," Lancer apologized. "It's none of my business. I shouldn't have been prying."

Lancer's gaze wandered back to the television, though he had about as much interest in watching as Danielle did.

There was a long moment of silence.

Lancer didn't expect a response, so it surprised him when he received one.

"Vlad was the one experimenting on me."

Lancer sucked in a breath. He looked at her with incredulity and shock.

"I don't want to talk about it either."

Lancer felt all the anger escape at the sight of her sad, inhumanly green eyes. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Danielle. I truly am."

Lancer switched the channel to a movie.

Danielle finished her tea then once again resumed her former position, stretching out across the couch.

Lancer fetched her some pillows, which she gratefully accepted.

It wasn't until after she fell asleep that something on the television caught his attention.

He turned the volume up in an effort to better hear the announcement. "...Phantom was seen at Oak Drive, today, chased by a herd of fans after what appears to be some sort of battle with another armored ghostly entity. Phantom disappeared before our reporter could catch up to him..."

The video clip showed the teenage ghost running across several houses, dodging a mob of girls.

The cameraman was too far away to grab any good footage, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of a distraught-looking Phantom.

The teenage ghost suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a pair of disappointed fans.

"I have an idea," Lancer blinked, surprised by the thought that had occurred to him.

He opened his mouth to speak to Danielle, but the girl seemed incredibly serene in her repose.

The man reached for the control and turned off the television.

Sharing could wait until the morning when the girl was well-rested and, hopefully, somewhat recovered by the traumatic experience.

Lancer rose to his feet and walked to his room, shutting off the last of the lights.

A/N: Well, there's the chapter! I must say, I'm rather satisfied with how this chapter came out.

Although, I'm sure I may've overlooked a few errors, I think it's pretty good overall.

Feedback and reviews are, as always, genuinely appreciated.

Thank you so much!

-Nycorrall