Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.
This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful BlueMyst19, who so very kindly agreed to be my beta reader.
Metanoia
Chapter 6
The rest of the school day seemed to crawl by for Danny. Apparently ghost attacks were so common in Casper High, that even such a large incident did not merit the students the rest of the day off. Danny was glad that hardly anyone had seen him, although Paulina and Star were busy telling anyone who would listen about the mysterious ghost hunter who had saved them. Thankfully, cheerleaders were not known to be reliable sources of information. Part of the student body might have believed them, but Danny was sure that Lancer and the other teachers probably thought the pair had been under some form of ghostly illusion.
With luck, word of his presence would not leave the school. After all, who would take two teenage girls seriously? He stifled a huge yawn as Lancer continued to drone on about something unintelligible, unable to subdue his feeling of restlessness. Danny couldn't believe that he could stay perfectly still for hours on end on a stakeout operation, but he couldn't keep himself from falling asleep in double General Studies. Whoever had decided to send him on this mission was obviously a sadist.
He started suddenly as he received a sharp jab from Sam. She shot him a warning look as Lancer prowled down the aisles between their desks, scanning his classroom for those not paying attention in a predacious fashion. Danny immediately adjusted his slouch, sitting up straight and endeavoring to look as attentive as possible. Receiving detention last thing on a Monday was definitely now what he had in mind, especially with the first part of the operation taking place that evening.
He shook his head, annoyed at himself. The atmosphere in Casper High was infectious. So what if he received detention? He could just phase through the walls and leave. He was above and beyond ordinary schooling now. Lancer had no authority over him. While he was Phantom, he was even above the law. The only person he had to answer to was Vlad, and Danny intended for it to remain that way.
However, his field mission was worrying him more than he cared to admit. He had never been assigned such an extensive mission before. Was he nervous? Danny chewed his bottom lip. The Phantom never got nervous. Vlad's paranoia regarding the mission was definitely rubbing off on him. The operation was one of many things that were currently bothering him.
He couldn't help but wonder, what did Sam really think of Phantom? The trio had discussed their encounter with Casper High's latest savior during lunch, and Danny had been surprised to know that his usually excessively opinionated friend did not have a view regarding Phantom.
Tucker, on the other hand, was more than eager to discuss all matters regarding the pair of teenage ghost hunters, in particular his chances with the Red Hunter. Danny just didn't know how to respond friend's infatuation with her. While Sam maintained her exasperation, Danny found it amusing that Valerie had such an avid fan.
He was glad that Phantom's relationship with the Red Hunter seemed to have taken a turn for the better. Although at the start of the battle Valerie had been outright rude to him, she had been almost civil after they had captured the dragon. A few more missions like that, and he would be ready to reveal his true identity to her. It was only fair, since she did not know that Phantom was already aware that the highly reputed Red Hunter was in fact seventeen year old Valerie Gray.
"Danny?" Sam's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "School's over."
"Oh. Right." He grinned sheepishly as he began gathering his books.
"Are you okay?" She asked, concern etched all over her delicate features. "You always seem distracted."
"Yeah." He replied. "I'm just having a hard time catching up, that's all."
"Are you sure?" She insisted. "Me and Tucker are always ready to listen if you need us."
"I'm fine." He flashed her a reassuring smile.
Sam didn't seem entirely convinced, but Danny was saved from further questioning by the shrill clangour of the bell, signaling the end of the day.
"There's some stuff I need to sort out." Danny said apologetically. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"All right." His friend conceded, giving in. Danny gave her one last guilty look before dashing out of the classroom and disappearing down the hall. Vlad had probably heard about his appearance in Casper High from Valerie. Hopefully his benefactor was not too perturbed by the news.
He snapped open his beeping communicator the moment he returned to his suite in Amity Hotel, only to be greeted with his mentor's dark scowl. Danny gulped when he realised his benefactor's face was as black as thunder, half expecting Vlad's eyes to start flickering red.
This could not be good. Vlad hardly ever got angry at him. But when he did, Danny would willingly switch places with anyone in the world to escape his rebukes. Scary did not even begin to cover what his mentor was like when he was mad.
"I'm in trouble, aren't I." He grimaced, resigning himself to his fate.
"What part of low profile do you not understand, Daniel? You are all over the evening news!" Vlad roared, livid.
"H-huh?" Danny gaped, completely taken aback. He had made the news? All he had done was assist Valerie in the capture of the dragon specter, and the media had already sunk their claws into him. Amity Park must have been far more boring than he remembered.
His mentor's scowling face disappeared from the screen as a recorded clip from a news bulletin flashed on the communicator.
"Breaking news -- the students of Casper High fell victim to yet another ghost attack earlier this afternoon, a great blue spectral dragon which authorities have ranked extremely dangerous. The threat was incapacitated by the mysterious Red Hunter even before the Guys in White arrived at the scene, once again raising issues about whether our local ghost hunters are tax money well spent. The dragon caused nearly twenty thousand dollars worth of damage to the newly renovated school."
Danny vaguely recognised the face of the reporter from his days in Amity Park three years ago. If memory served him correctly, her name was Melissa Stuart, winner of the 'Reporter of the Year' award in Amity Park a couple of years running.
"The Red Hunter was assisted by an associate whose identification is also unknown. Her accomplice, an adolescent male with shocking white hair, appeared to have been wearing some form of anti-ghost suit of a variety of functions that enabled him to fly, as well as combat ghosts with spontaneous ecto-weaponry. The teenage ghost hunter, who has been coined 'Invisio-Bill', was last seen in Casper High. He disappeared along with the Red Hunter and not a trace has been found of them since, despite the surveillance of numerous CCTV cameras around the educational facility."
The camera zoomed out from Melissa Stuart's attractive features, as the camera man focused on the wreckage the dragon had caused, including the gaping hole in the roof of the school. Danny winced. He had never been involved in such a high profile ghost attack before. Why had he been so impulsive?
"I have with me several eye witnesses who claim to have seen Casper High's mysterious new savior."
Turning to the scene behind her, she approached a fashionably dressed dark haired girl standing outside the school with her blonde friend. Noticing the approach of the camera, she smiled sweetly, somehow managing to look stunning despite the dust that covered her clothing and the bits of debris stuck in her hair.
"Miss, what is your name?"
"Paulina Sanchez." The pretty Latina on the screen replied, tossing her hair. "And this is Star." She added offhandedly, gesturing towards her friend.
"Tell us, Miss Sanchez, did you manage to get a glimpse of this mysterious new public defender?"
"Yes I did." She replied, sighing dreamily. "He saved me. This great big ugly dragon was towering over me, trying to eat me, and he swooped me into his arms, and carried me to safety! I'd never flown before." She said excitedly. "It was amazing!"
"What was your impression of this Invisio-Bill?" The reporter on screen questioned, smiling in spite of herself. An enthusiastic subject was always worth the interview.
"He was so totally hot!" The cheerleader squealed. "He was so dark and mysterious, like one of those heroes you see on TV. And he had the most amazing eyes," She finished breathily. "I never knew eyes could be that gorgeous shade of green."
'Paulina thinks I'm hot?' Danny arched an eyebrow, bemused. If Vlad wasn't about to kill him, he would've been weirded out beyond belief.
'"And you, miss." Melissa Stuart began, acknowledging Star as she pointed the microphone in her direction. "What was your impression of Invisio-Bill?"
"He was awesome" Star gushed excitedly. "He saved me and a couple of other people from the dragon when I was trapped in the hallway."
"I know you are no combat specialist, Star. But could you possibly try and describe the Phantom's fighting style for us? Did he fight like the Red Hunter?" The reporter inquired, genuinely curious.
"Yes and No." The cheerleader replied, pausing to think."The Red Hunter seemed to know exactly what Phantom was going to do before he did it. It was kinda as if they'd worked together many times before. They didn't doubt each other for a moment. And their kicking and punching looked as though it was choreographed by the same person."
Danny would have smirked then if he had dared. He might not have been able to see Vlad due to the recorded bulletin, but Vlad could definitely see him. Smiling at such an inappropriate moment would be unwise to say the least. Having his mentor's training compared to the trivial choreography of cheerleading must have stung at Vlad. The belittlement had definitely added to his benefactor's ire.
"What differences did you notice?"
Star frowned as she tried to recall the amazing fight scene she had witnessed.
"For one thing," She decided."Invisio-Bill was a lot stronger than the Red Hunter. He managed to slam the ghost into the wall without using weapons. He could also disappear from one place and reappear almost immediately somewhere else. I've never seen the Red Hunter do that on TV. Also, he doesn't have a jet sled. He just levitated in the air."
"Anything else?" Melissa Stuart urged, making no effort to hide her glee. These student interviews would guarantee a large viewership for sure.
Star chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully as the reporter pressed her for more information.
"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed, snapping her fingers."His weapons are all built into the hands of his costume, instead of actual weapons like the Red Hunter. I think he has a different suit from her." She finished, pleased with herself for having remembered so much about the fight even in her previous fear.
"I see." The Melissa Stuart replied, smiling warmly. "Well thank you both for your help."
Turning to the camera, the reporter flashed her viewers a winning smile and decided it was time to wrap up the news report.
"This has been Melissa Stuart, and you have been watching an Amity Park News Update. Anyone with information regarding Amity Park's latest new savior and his affiliation with the Red Hunter, kindly contact us for a generous reward."
The screen flickered momentarily, and Danny found himself once again staring at his mentor's face of pure fury.
"It is a miracle they did not capture your transformation on CCTV." His guardian admonished, glaring down his apprentice.
Danny took a deep breath, steadying himself before attempting to defend his actions. "I'm sorry, Vlad. I know that was stupid--"
"Stupid?" The spy coordinator bellowed, reminding Danny for an instant of the bloodthirsty dragon he and Valerie had battled earlier that day. "Stupid does not even begin to cover what a foolish, impulsive, unprofessional idiot you made of yourself today!"
"But I had to! I couldn't have let Val take on that huge ghost by herself." Danny protested.
"So you thought you would play the hero, and put yourself on the radar of all the ghost hunting authorities within a hundred mile radius?" Vlad roared. "I have no need for an apprentice who foolishly seems to be developing a hero complex!"
Not for the first time since he had answered the communicator, Danny was glad that he wasn't face to face with Vlad in person. His mentor was scary enough behind a screen.
"I wasn't playing the hero." Danny protested. "I'm not that stupid. My loyalties will always lie with you. But I've got a duty to Val as well. I have to be there to make sure she doesn't take on more than she can handle."
"The Red Hunter is aware of her duty, as you should be of yours! Her strict resolve is something you could learn from." Vlad maintained, placing heavy emphasis on Valerie's alias. "Your intervention was completely unnecessary."
Danny opened his mouth to retort, but closed it when he realised that he could not find anything to say. Vlad was right. Amity Park was the Red Hunter's turf, not his. No wonder Val had been annoyed to see him. He had doubted her capabilities as a ghost hunter, indirectly insulting her.
Vlad took Danny's silence as an opportunity to reinforce his disapproval.
"You've just destroyed the only advantage we had over the Guys in White -- the element of surprise. All to assist a high ranking agent who was more than capable of handling the threat herself."
"Val could've gotten seriously hurt!" His protégé insisted, looking away. "I'd never be able to live with myself if she did."
His mentor inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I suppose the ghost was a level 5." Vlad sighed, his resolve cracking. The billionaire had a huge soft spot for his adopted son. Danny was all he had left of his old friends. He had never managed to remain angry with Jack or Maddie or long, a trait that Danny had unfortunately inherited.
His apprentice timidly met his eyes, half expecting his mentor to start shouting at him again.
"Sorry." He muttered. "I've screwed the whole mission up."
His benefactor's gaze softened. "I understand perfectly, Daniel. I would not have been able to compromise Valerie's safety either, had I been in your situation."
Danny sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "So you understand why I had to do it."
"I understand. However, that does not make your behavior acceptable." The spy coordinator rebuked. "It was highly unprofessional of you. Had you been in any other devision, you would have been severely reprimanded for your thoughtless actions."
Danny winced. Following procedure had never been his strong point. However, he didn't value this mission anywhere near as much as he valued his friend.
"I know you think I'm probably being overprotective and stupid, but I would never have been able to forgive myself if Val got hurt."
Vlad shook his head, exasperated. "Valerie Gray does not need protection. She has been in this business far longer than you have. She made her first capture before you were fifteen. She is hardly a novice at ghost hunting."
"I know Val's good. She's one of the best ghost hunters out there! But she always tries to take on more than she can handle. The dragon could have killed her."
"Whatever your reasons, Agent Phantom, the outcome will not change." His superior expressed firmly. He placed heavy emphasis on Danny's alias, verifying for his charge that Vlad Masters the mentor had forgiven him, but Vlad Plasmius the spy coordinator still strongly disapproved, as was his duty.
"The Guys in White are now aware of your existence. Precautionary measures must now be instigated. Your current assignment for this afternoon must be aborted." Vlad instructed.
"Yes sir," Danny replied, determined to redeem himself by demonstrating his newfound willingness to follow procedure. "I will stand by and await further instructions."
Vlad massaged his temples as he contemplated just how he was going to redeem his apprentice in the eyes of the CIA.
"I hope that you realize, Daniel. Your assignment has just become infinitely more difficult."
The subsequent day following the attack, all the students of Casper High could talk about was the school's mysterious white haired savior. Whether he was ghost, human, or something else, no one knew. The media was offering extensive rewards to anyone who could shed some light on the true identity of Amity Park's new public defender. Most agreed with the media's theory, that "Invisio-Bill" was a human wearing an anti-ghost suit similar to that of the Red Hunter's.
Paulina was ecstatic about her television debut, where she had declared to the world her undying love for Phantom. The pretty Latina was completely infatuated with Casper High's newest savior, redecorating the inside of her locker to form a mini shrine dedicated to her affections for ghost hunter. Sam had even heard that she had plans for the basis of a fan club.
The Goth wasn't too perturbed. To say Paulina was capricious when it came to boys would be a severe understatement, she was notorious for going through a boyfriend a fortnight. The popular girl had founded various fan clubs over the years, mostly of famous boy bands or teenage heart throbs.
She didn't think the cheerleader's obsession would last too long. Besides, who knew if Invisio-Bill would ever decide to visit Amity Park again. Sam rolled her eyes. The media came up with the most ridiculous names.
What Sam didn't understand was how Paulina could so easily declare her love for the ghost hunter when she had spent at most five minutes in his presence. Although she had to admit Casper High's mysterious savior was gorgeous, Sam knew beauty was only skin deep. Paulina was a prime example.
Sam herself had never been in love. The closest she had ever been to truly caring about someone outside a platonic relationship was when she dated a Goth she had met at a poetry cafe. The relationship with Gregor had lasted several months, until Sam realised that not only he had been cheating on her, he wasn't even Goth. His actual name was Elliot, notorious for two-timing girls. Sam had brutally ended that relationship.
She could not help but wonder if she was developing a fetish for white haired males.
For all anyone knew, Invisio Bill could be a huge jerk, if the Red Hunter's hostility towards him was anything to judge him by. However, Sam could not help but wonder how big a jerk someone could be when he had dedicated himself to defending the public from spectral threats. However, she could not deny that he had come across as extremely cocky, a quality Sam did not find particularly attractive.
She had seen the ghost hunter fight, and had to admit that he knew what he was doing, and looked good doing it, a trait he and the Red Hunter had in common. Initially, the public had been distrustful of the Red Hunter, doubting her true motives. But three years of defending the town had transformed the mysterious girl into one of Amity Park's local celebrities. Several attempts had been made to discover the Red Hunter's true identity, but all had failed.
The Red Hunter's reputation had certainly paved the way for her accomplice. The public loved heroes. It was doubtful he would be looked upon with the same suspicion as the Red Hunter initially was, since he was affiliated with her. Already he was being romanticized, given the title of public defender even though he had yet to be caught on film.
Personally, Sam didn't really care. It wasn't like she would ever see him again.
She had more pressing issues on her mind. Like where she stood with Danny. She could hardly decipher her own feelings towards him, let alone how he felt about her. While Danny had never been reserved in terms of his emotions, Sam could not help but feel that no matter how genuine he seemed to be, there was a certain aloofness about him that he did not use to possess, almost as though he was wary of revealing too much about himself.
Over the past few years, it had become almost a ritual for her and Tucker to sit in empty classrooms for their free periods. Sam wasn't really a social being, and neither was Tucker. The solitude suited both of them. For the issue she was about to raise with her friend, she was glad of the privacy of the vacant classroom.
"Tuck, we need to talk." She said, grimacing.
"Sure." Her best friend replied, sitting up from his slouch. "What about?"
"It's kind of about Danny."
"Really?" Tucker asked, grinning. "How are things between you two? From the way you were eyeing him in class today, I'd say you have the hots for him."
"It's not like that, Tucker." She objected, glowering. "I'm trying to be serious!"
"You do like him, don't you?" He pressed. "You can't hide stuff like this from me. I know you too well Sam."
"I told you before, Danny's just a friend." Sam insisted, visibly annoyed. She hadn't thought that getting through to Tucker would be this difficult. She had wanted to confide in him, not get teased about her so called crush on Danny.
"You're not fooling anyone Sam." The techno geek's grin widened. "I've never seen you so smitten since Gregor."
"I was never smitten with that jerk." Sam hissed. "And can you be serious for just five minutes? I'm trying to tell you something important."
Tucker sobered instantly, holding up his hands in mock surrender. What his friend was trying to tell him was obviously important. Sam could scary if pushed too far. "I'm listening."
Although he could definitely see the chemistry between his friends, he wasn't going to push the matter any further. It was best to let the pair figure things out on their own, especially with a girl as strong willed and stubborn as Sam.
Although he might be forced to meddle if both of them were too stubborn to make the first move.
Sam visibly slumped, all traces of her previous ire immediately leaving her features.
"I'm worried about Danny." She admitted.
Tucker frowned. Sam obviously really liked him, although whether Danny liked her, Tucker hadn't quite figured out yet.
Danny's feelings had always been transparent to Tucker in the past, more so than Sam's. He was a terrible liar, and pair had always known when he was happy or upset. However, Tucker could not help but feel that Danny had gotten a lot better at concealing his emotions over the course of the past few years. As friendly as he was with Tucker and Sam, the techno geek could tell that Danny wasn't allowing them to perceive how he truly felt, as though there were emotional barriers that he could not afford to cross.
He did not have Sam's intuition regarding such matters, but he too had known Danny for most of his life. If he hadn't used to be so close to Danny, he would have have completely missed the subtle changes in his demeanor.
"Yeah, I agree. He's way more serious than he used to be."
His friend's gaze softened. Sam was glad that Tucker had noticed it too.
"He's not telling us something, Tucker."
"Sam, just because he doesn't laugh as much as he used to doesn't mean that he's hiding something from us." Tucker reasoned.
"He is!" She insisted. "I can't place my finger on it, but it's almost like he's a completely different person."
"Danny's had a rough couple of years. He's gone through some pretty big changes since freshman year. Ever thought about that, Sam?"
"It's not just that." She maintained, unable to maintain her cool as she argued her point across. "Remember when Valerie disappeared during the ghost attack? Danny knew exactly where she went and what she was going to do. I saw it in their eyes."
"They've known each other for a long time." Tucker shrugged. "Maybe this isn't the first time she's run off."
"Can you explain where Valerie went then?" Sam challenged.
"Valerie probably went to find Paulina." Tucker reasoned. "Star was pretty upset that she was missing."
"What makes Valerie responsible for Paulina?" She argued. "Valerie hates her. She is under absolutely no obligation to help her. She must have been up to something else."
"Danny said that the ceiling almost fell on her. How far could she have gone?" Her friend said.
Sam shook her head. She was still not convinced.
"Look him up, Tucker. See what he's been up to for the last three years."
"Look him up?" The techno geek repeated, astonished. "Whatever it is, I'm sure Danny will tell us when he's ready. It's really not any of our business."
"Which could be never! We have to do this for his own good." Sam insisted, determined.
"Maybe that accident three years ago changed him. Maybe he still hasn't let go. That could be a reason for his strange behavior, Sam." Reasoned Tucker.
"Just three years ago, we knew Danny better than anyone else in the world. And the Danny we knew was never serious."
"The Danny we knew was also barely five foot four with his entire family still in tact! We've changed too, Sam. You just haven't realised it."
"I need to know!" She shouted. "I need to know what changed him, and why he hasn't confided in either of us. I'm worried about him, Tuck." She whispered, her voice softening with each syllable she uttered.
"Alright, you win." Tucker said, raising his hands in a conceding gesture. I'll run a search for Danny Fenton in the US Civilian Database."
"Thank you." Sam sighed, throwing her arms around her best friend. "I just have to make sure Danny's okay."
Author's Notes: I noticed that I had foolishly managed to mix up some of the dialogue at the end of this chapter, but that's fixed now. Apologies. Sam is catching on! I'm sorry there wasn't very much action in this chapter, but chapter seven is going to be majorly Phantom x Sam, with some Danny x Sam, so I hope that makes up for this uneventful installment. I am ecstatic that all of you seem to like where this story is heading.
I was trying to fit some Danny x Sam into this chapter, but I could not seem to find the opportune place to fit it in, so I have decided to leave it for the next chapter. I am not sure if I will end up with too much Danny x Sam, though.
Thanks to: Straying Life, Black January, kia, CharmedNightSkye, cariadiorarua, soaring-bright-flame and the absolutely amazing BlueMyst19, whose experience and huge background knowledge were invaluable to me. I adore all you wonderful people:)
As usual, please do let me know how you find the chapter, and if you agree with how the story is getting on. Your reviews do mean the world to me.
Hugs and Kisses,
Twisted Creampuff