Part 13: Therapy

Danny saw a large flash of red approaching him.

Danny Phantom was doomed.

Or was he?

At the very last minute, a black energy shield erected itself around Danny to protect him from the powerful X-Blast that Devlin had thrown at him. He then saw his saviors, Raven and Shadow, not too far behind Devlin…and they had company. Valerie was okay, freed from her restraints and didn't seem too pleased, as were Oni, Ember, Robin (who was being carried by Starfire) and Starfire (who was carrying Robin). The heroes surrounded Devlin and well…Devlin had no where to run.

Actually, he did. He could simply teleport out of the place with a quick push of a button on his belt buckle. He reached down with his hand, but found a purple gloved hand had grabbed onto his right wrist while a green one grabbed onto his left. Looking up, he saw the look of disappointment from his brother who looked at him sternly. He had been beaten; there was no where to run as a Tamaranean, a ghost hunter, a Vizard and a ghost rocker had their weapons trained on him.

Danny passed out from the pain right after.

"Danny? Danny! Wake up." Danny heard a gentle female voice call his name.

"Yeah man. Wake up." He heard another voice, distinctively male, calling him next.

From his viewpoint, everything seemed blurry to Danny as he blinked his eyes. When he focused his eyes, looking down on him were none other than his (beautiful) girlfriend Sam Manson and his best (techno-geek) friend Tucker Foley. Danny groaned as he sat himself up, being helped by Sam's gentle hands. He was in bed, in his room.

"There, there Danny," Sam said to him. "Don't exert yourself."

"Yeah, dude," Tucker added, "You looked pretty banged up when the others brought you here.

"The others?" Danny blinked, trying to gather back the memory of what happened and then it struck him like a ton of bricks. "DEVLIN!" he exclaimed, throwing off the blankets, noticing the bandages around his arms and torso. He didn't feel as sore since Raven and Shadow had helped heal his wounds the best they could. He was half ghost and you couldn't completely heal something 'half-dead' right? So his body had to heal on its own. There was no visible bruising, thankfully. He groaned a bit, hissing at the pain, but could still stand on his own two feet, with the help of his two best friends. He looked up at his clock and was surprised to see that it was after 2 o'clock in the morning. Sam and Tucker must've asked permission to stay over for the night.

"Where's Devlin?" Danny asked them in anger. "I got a bone to pick with him!" He was in human mode, but his eyes radiated with a green glow.

Sam answered, "He's downstairs, in the lab. We made sure to not make too much noise or else we'll wake up Danni and your parents. Jazz is down there too."

"Why?"

"Just go down there and take a look for yourself dude," Tucker told him. He added, "You gotta see this to believe it."

"Can you please let me out?" Devlin asked politely. "It's pretty cramped in here, you know?"

"NO!" the others shouted at him. Devlin was locked in the Fenton Stockade (Seriously, do they put the name 'Fenton' on anything they make?)

Shadow walked up to the stockade, glaring at his brother through the small eye slot. "Devlin, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Because I stole the suit?" Devlin retorted.

"Among other things," Shadow hissed.

Robin questioned him, "We want to know how you stole the suit and you're not coming out until you tell us what we need to know." Devlin spat at Robin through the slot. Robin wiped the spit away with his glove and began pounding the stockade angrily as Devlin laughed. "You're so lucky that you're in there right now or else I'll…"

"What are you going to do, bird-boy? Squawk me to death? Maybe chirp a little song?" Devlin taunted. Ember laughed. You gotta admit that it was kinda funny.

Starfire pulled her irritated boyfriend away from the stockade and then pleaded to Devlin, "Please, friend Devlin, tell us how and why you have stolen the suit and why you assaulted friend Danny?"

Devlin answered smoothly, "Usually, I would never say no to a pretty face, but honey, I'll make an exception this time. Sorry."

Valerie took out her cannon. "How about you tell us or I'll blast you!"

"Valerie, Valerie, Valerie…" Devlin shook his head. "Do you really think you can scare me? I've seen scary before and as beautiful as you are when you're angry and despite how good a threat that was, I'm still not telling you a thing."

Ember commented, "You know, for a guy who works with makeup, he's a tough nut to crack." There was a double meaning when she had said nut.

Oni groaned and shook his head, "We're wasting our time like this." He pointed to Raven and Shadow. "I mean, we've got two telepaths here so why can't we just have them read his thoughts?"

Raven stuck out two fingers. "Two problems; 1: He has very strong mental shields, and 2: You don't wanna know how he blocks his thoughts."

"Was it that bad?" Ember asked. Raven looked her dead (no pun intended) in the eyes.

"I've been to Hell and back and it was never that bad." Devlin chuckled. "It's not funny!"

"Pardon me, Raven was it?" Devlin asked. She nodded. "Pardon me Raven, but you shouldn't have done that. I did warn you what would happen if you tried to read my mind," Devlin smirked. "Believe me when I say that there is a lot in there nobody needs to see."

Jazz was seated on a chair, holding a notepad and pen as she took notes. As a Psychology major, she was interested to study the hostility shared between Devlin and Danny and how Devlin delighted in annoying the heroes. Also, psychoanalyzing a ghost hybrid as well as a vampire hybrid was actually a very uncommon thing in the study of psychology. Her course focused on human psychology, not half humans. Well, she had a front row seat to a good show.

Danny, Sam and Tucker came down the stairs and stepped into the lab. The halfa raised an eyebrow at what was going on and said to Shadow, "The Fenton Stockade?" Seeing Devlin inside made him smirk. 'Perfect payback,' he thought.

Shadow shrugged, "My little brother is quite sneaky. Even without his potions he's quite formidable." Shadow pointed to a lab table that had the bracelets Devlin had worn on his wrists ankles with the capsules on them. Also, the X-Belt was on the table, complete with the same capsules on it. "Those potion capsules were quite hard to get off him. It was a challenge."

"It was," Robin rubbed his sore chin. Robin continued "We're trying to interrogate him, but he's so damn stubborn!"

Danny nodded, "So I've experienced myself."

Devlin snorted. "Oh, it's you. What? Come to gloat, Daniel?"

Danny walked up to the stockade, making sure to keep enough distance to avoid any 'vile projectiles'. "I just want to know why you attacked me?"

"Why don't I show you?" Devlin's eyes narrowed. "Just let me out and maybe I can drill it into your head. Maybe then it'll become clear."

Jazz muttered as she wrote on the notepad, "Lots of hostility here."

"Hey, you don't get to be mad!" Danny shouted, "You attacked me!"

"And you swung a baseball bat at me!" Devlin snapped back, "Several times, I might add, and on several different occasions!"

"It was the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick!"

"It was a baseball bat with the name 'Fenton' on it! Same difference!"

Oni spoke sarcastically, "I'm feeling the love here."

"I don't know what your deal is here, mister!" Danny shouted, almost bringing up his hands to pound on the stockade. "You attacked me and now you're trying to pin the blame on me?"

"Precisely!" Devlin shouted back.

Jazz looked up from her notepad, "I think I see where this is going."

Shadow said, "I think we all see where this is going."

"Maybe we should start from the beginning, like the first time you two met," Jazz suggested. "Who wants to start first? Danny? Devlin?"

Devlin began, "Can I start first?"

Everyone except Jazz shouted, "NO!"

"Bloody buggers," Devlin mumbled.

Danny began, "Let me see…Oh yeah. It was about a month ago when Danni came home…with him. When my parents found out who she really was they welcomed her with open arms and adopted her. They even thanked Devlin for looking after her all this time. They instantly liked Devlin…but I didn't."

"And why is that?" Jazz prompted. Danny mumbled something. "Danny, speak up."

"It was because…he was dating Danni," Danny spoke out. This got him from odd stared from the others and Jazz groaned.

"Ugh," the Psychology major groaned as she rubbed her temples. "Not this again."

"What?" Raven questioned.

"Danny is becoming overprotective, again, like the last time," Jazz explained.

"What happened?"

"I was dating this ghost, Johnny 13, who was trying to use me as a body for his girlfriend Kitty. I was being influenced by Johnny and Danny was trying to protect me…by being an annoying little brother," she glared at Danny and sighed. "Well, he did mean well and I was in danger…"

"Which completely justifies what I did!" Danny finished.

"No it doesn't!" Devlin and Jazz said at the same time. Jazz continued, "Devlin is not a threat to Danni and you know it, Danny." Devlin grinned triumphantly in the stockade. Jazz snapped at him, "You don't get to smirk!" Jazz inhaled and exhaled calmly. "Now tell us your version, Devlin."

Devlin cleared his throat and told them his side of the story, "Well, after I brought Danielle home, I would come over often to keep her company, doing homework and other stuff like talk and stuff."

Danny grumbled, "Yeah, like shove your tongue in her mouth."

Devlin ignored Danny and continued, "We were dating and really liked each other. We would kiss, but it was harmless."

"Harmless?" Danny shouted. "You were going to bite her!"

"I was not, you simpleton!" Devlin snapped. "I was only kissing her neck! For goodness sake, just because I'm half vampire does not mean I go around biting people's necks to drink their blood! I mean, you're half ghost! Do you think I expect you to go 'BOO' at a moments notice?"

"You had no right to…"

"No right to do what? Kiss her? Embrace her?" Devlin added with as much seriousness in his voice, "Love her?" He noticed the looks he got. "That's right! I admit it!" he announced, "I AM DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH DANIELLE FENTON AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT!" he sighed. "Happy?"

Starfire clasped her hands together, her eyes watering as she smiled. "That is the most romantic thing I have ever heard."

"A bit disturbing though," Raven said.

Jazz wrote something in her notepad, "I see."

"Daniel didn't have to threaten me with a baseball bat every time I and Danielle were snogging," Devlin said.

"Snogging?" Starfire didn't understand.

"It's a British slang term that means kissing or making out," Shadow explained, "Basically."

"You didn't have to turn me into a toad!" Danny received stares from the Titans. "Don't ask…"

"Well, you didn't have to melt my shoes with ecto-blasts!"

"You didn't have tot turn my hair pink!"

"You didn't have to overshadow me into humiliating myself!"

"You didn't have to make me a bad luck magnet!"

"You didn't have to phase my legs through the floor!"

"You didn't have to turn me purple for a week!"

This went on and on as the two argued, ping-ponging their points and accusations to one another. Shadow and Raven grew annoyed at this. This was going on far enough…

"ENOUGH!" Shadow shouted receiving much needed silence in the lab. Devlin and Danny were stunned. "Good Lord, you two are bloody annoying!"

"Tell him that!" Danny and Devlin glared at one another. "He started it! What? It was you! You started it!"

"Oh God…" Sam groaned, placing her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

"Now they're in stereo," Tucker looked amazed. The two boys were saying the exact same thing at the same time like they were on the same mental wave length. It was a bit unnerving really.

Jazz decided to gather the arguing boys' attention by blowing into a whistle. "I think I can give you two some helpful advice, but Devlin needs to come out of the stockade." Valerie had the keys and unlocked the Fenton Stockade before swinging the door open. Devlin stepped out in his street clothes.

"Thank you Valerie," he smiled to her as he groaned. He was trying to get the kinks out of his joints. Being in the stockade wasn't really comfortable, added with the spikes inside. "Good Lord, what possessed Mr. Fenton to make this?" He was feeling a little stiff.

"To lock up horny jerks?" Danny muttered under his breath. Devlin reached into his pocket.

"I have a potion right here and I'm not afraid to use it, Ghost Boy!" Devlin threatened.

"Bring it on!" Danny's hands glowed with ecto-energy. Danny was restrained by Valerie and Oni while Devlin was restrained by Shadow and Robin.

"Let me go!" Devlin struggled. Danny did too.

"No can do," Oni said to Danny. "Not before you two apologize to one another."

"And you, my little brother, should explain as to how you came to acquire the suit and gear," Shadow hissed to his little brother. "I want answers now and I'm not in a very patient mood."

Devlin was about to answer when Danny's ghost sense activated, the blue wisps escaping his mouth.

Then there was a scream.

A female scream.

It came from Danni.

"Danielle/Danni!" Devlin and Danny shouted, panicking in unison.

Back in Bayville, Kat was getting ready to leave the place when she suddenly heard something from a nearby dumpster. She couldn't place it, but it sounded like…crying? She went over to the dumpster to investigate. Lifting open the lid, she carefully reached inside to wear she heard the strange noise. To her surprise, she found a wrapped up bundle. It was a baby!

"You poor thing," she said to the baby who had a small tuff of black hair on its head. "Who would throw a baby away? That's so heartless." She then saw something wiggling in the cloth the baby was wrapped up in and, to her surprise, out came a long black furry tail. "What the?" on closer inspection, she noticed the baby had yellow eyes with thin narrow pupils and pointed ears. She realized what was going on. "A mutant baby. I should've known." She looked around to see if anyone was around before looking closely at the baby, who had stopped crying and looked at her curiously. She knew about how humans treated mutants and even though she wasn't exactly a mutant she still hated the way humans treated those different from them. She began pondering to herself in a soft voice, "Can't give you to social services. They'd probably put you in an abusive foster home." She smiled down at the little baby girl (she checked). "Well, it looks like you're coming with me. What do I call you…?" Suddenly, the baby vanished from her hands. Actually, she could still feel the baby's weight in her arms, meaning that the baby was invisible. The baby then became visible again. Copycat soon got her inspiration. "I got it! I'll call you Nekokage (Cat of the Shadows)!" The baby giggled. She smiled back, "You like that huh?" She then asked herself, "Wonder what Slade-sama would say to this?"

To Be Continued…

What happened? Is Danielle in danger? What's going on? Stay tune for the next chap, Part 14: Partnership.

Any suggestions to what is happening to Danielle? Here are some of the choices…

1. Vlad came to kidnap her and force her to join him.

2. Skulker came to capture her for his collection.

3. It's an Orphenoch.

4. It's a Hollow.

These are your choices. Take your pick.

Until l8er days, cya l8er!