Disclaimer: …I'm really tired of typing this…but oh well, I guess I already have…I still don't own anything.

Chapter 3

"You're Danny Phantom aren't you."

Danny was shaking almost uncontrollably now. This old man, some random guy, has figured out his deepest, darkest, most secretest secret!

"W-why do you say that? I-I'm n-not…I'm not Danny Phantom!" he managed to stutter out.

Ed smirked, I'm right. But then again…when have I not been? "Well, when I think about it, the pictures I've seen kind of hints toward it. The hair style, the face, even your build…those similarities are way too close to be mere coincidences. Plus, the fact that you actually believe me and the fact that your parents are ghost hunters makes it seem like you must have gone through an experiment that went completely, and utterly wrong. Trust me. I know what that's like." He said, gestured towards his arm and leg. But then, Ed thought, Or maybe, it was an experiment that went completely, and utterly right.

Danny was on the verge of twitching uncontrollably. He was going to give it one more try to unconvinced him before breaking down and begging him to not tell the cops or parents or someone. "But th-that doesn't really m-mean th-that I'm the ghost boy!"

"Oh come on Danny! Stuttering is just proving that I'm right! Admit it." Ed couldn't help it. He liked being right. I mean, who doesn't?

Danny pleaded, "Fine…I'm the ghost boy. But, please don't tell anyone! You may be one of the only ones that think I help the town…but there's way more people in this town that think I'm still the villain!"

Ed nodded agreeing. He could understand why Danny was trying to keep it a secret…but how couldn't anyone else notice? By his family, by his friends, heck, doesn't Phantom usually show up around a school? Wouldn't someone notice after a while that Danny Fenton had disappeared, only for Danny Phantom to re-appear? Wouldn't one of his school mates notice? His appearance wasn't that different from the ghost boy. Wouldn't it be blatantly obvious after a little while? Heck, scratch the 'little', it was overly obvious after speaking to him for just a few hours. "Alright, I'll keep it a secret for you, seeing as though you believe my life's story. Think of it as 'equivalent exchange'."

Danny sighed, relieved. At least this guy wasn't going to tell anyone about his secret…but he was still curious about this old man. "Thanks. I could tell you about my powers…if you want…but only if you tell my a little bit more about alchemy. You know, like an equivalent exchange."

Ed looked at Danny for a second. After that second, he started laughing. Ed hadn't laughed like that for so long, he pretty amazed. Danny, on the other hand, looked flabbergasted. "I'm sorry Danny, it's just…you're an interesting kid. You know that?"

Danny sighed again. Many people had told him this. Some were after his head because he was considered, 'interesting'.

Ed calmed down after a minute or two and finally stopped laughing, but the good humor never left his face. "Sure thing, but why would you want to know? It's completely useless on this side of the Gate."

This time, Danny smiled. "I have my reasons…" He paused and asked, "So, do you want me to tell you now or tomorrow? I'm running out of time. Visiting hours are going to be ending soon."

"Nah. I can't really wait until tomorrow. Just tell me as much as you can right now," Ed's curiosity resurfacing.

"Ok well…if you're sure," he looked at Ed's face and decided to continue. "When I was fourteen, my parents built a really strange machine. They tried to turn it on but it didn't really work so they just quit. Then my friends, mainly Sam, convinced me to go inside of it. Suddenly there was a flash and I guess I pressed something, but I didn't know what it was 'cause I fell unconscious. Well, when I woke up, I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair turned white and my eyes were glowing green. It was kinda cool, but then my parents almost caught us.

"So, I started fighting ghosts 'cause they kept escaping through the ghost portal. Then one day, this weird ghost that's obsessed with the rules went and framed me and made it seem like I was an evil ghost! I'm sure you've heard about it though. The whole mayor thing and stuff."

Ed nodded.

"Well, then there was a huge ghost invasion and finally was able to earn some people's trust…and when people stopped calling me Inviso-Bill. By the way thanks for calling me Danny Phantom. I hate the name Inviso-Bill." He said Inviso-Bill with the imaginary quotation marks.

Ed chuckled, "No problem Danny." It was kind of luck though, he had been watching the television at just the right moment, and heard him shout it quite loudly. His mind automatically filed it away, but he'd never thought he'd ever need to remember it. He knew how annoying it had been to be called something other than your name.

"Well I guess that's about it."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. You'll have to come again tomorrow."

Dang it! I didn't get to learn any alchemy today…but maybe I can still come tomorrow, thought Danny. "Can I still come tomorrow? I mean, you still have to teach me about alchemy right?"

"Well, I did promise you that I would, and I'm a man of my word…so, sure you can come back tomorrow."

"Cool! Thanks Ed. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Danny raced out the door, and he soon was out and in fresh air again. Even though he didn't mind Ed's room, and he even liked being around Ed, it was still a retirement home. And retirement homes smelled horrible. He grabbed out his cell phone and called Sam.

"Hello? Danny?" said a familiar voice coming from the receiver.

"Hey Sam, sorry for leaving right after school but I had to do something for Mr. Lancer so that he could pass me."

"Oh, it's cool. So what's up?"

"Nothing but I was wondering if you and Tucker could meet me at my house."

"Sure Danny. Be there in about ten minutes! Bye!"

"Bye!"

Edited July 12, 2010