I meant to upload this a lot sooner and make it a lot longer but with school and work, my time's been pretty tight lately, not to mention some minor health issues (sleep deprivation mostly) and stress. So I apologize for the wait and for the shortness of the chapter, but I hope you all enjoy!

CWA


CHAPTER THIRTEEN


Danny Fenton

I walk to my room with half of a sandwich in my mouth, munching on it happily with a cup of Cass' coffee in my hand. With Wasabi spending the day in the lab, I can work a bit more on some of my more private projects in the bedroom. I still have a few blueprints I need to go over. Maybe even conduct a few experiments on myself again. I glance briefly toward my arm. The previous experiment left a faint scar, but it healed up nice and quick. Just like I expected it to.

But when I open the door to my room, I choke on my food as I see Tadashi there. He's very casually sitting at my desk, spinning on the chair with a bored expression on his face with his feet propped up.

"T-Tadashi," I gasp, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?"

Oh God. How long has he been up here? Alone? Who knows what he saw or what he went through? I try to swallow down my panic as I feel it rising. I have to act like nothing is wrong. Like I don't have anything to hide like, oh I don't know, the drawer of a ghost containment device and a notebook full of experiments that I've conducted on myself. I have remembered to put a lock on the drawer, but the fear of someone finding it is still there. I have no idea how I'd explain that notebook. Or worse, what if they opened the thermos and released any ghosts that were in it that I've forgotten to put up? Explaining a notebook full of self-experiments that border on insane and it's another thing entirely to explain just what the hell got out of a thermos. Granted, it would make them believe in ghosts, but there is just so much danger that they could be put it in.

"Well, I thought I'd come by to visit," Tadashi flushes slightly, coughing a bit awkwardly, "but you weren't here so I just… waited. I haven't touched anything, I swear!"

I let out a sigh of relief and plop down on my bed near the desk, finishing off the sandwich and drink before tossing my trash. I'm inclined to believe him. Tadashi isn't one to lie. Relaxing, I ease onto the bed, slouching forward a bit as I look to him, a playful smirk on my lips as my eyes twinkle.

"~A visit," I tease, "in my bedroom~all alone~ Why that's scandalous, Tadashi simply scandalous."

Tadahsi flushes at my teasing, running his fingers through his hair with a bit of a sputter.

"I- eh- I just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about your project. Or whatever else it is you're working on, " he gestures toward the blueprints nearby with a slightly curious expression, "Or my project or just whatever… Man, is it hot in here or is it just me?"

He coughs a bit and pulls at his collar as I watch him amused. It's just him. But then again, I don't think I would notice it's really hot in here or not. So to stay on the safe side, I let my ice powers cool the room down a bit. Enough to be comfortable, hopefully, but not enough that he'll be suspicious or see his own breath. I can see that it almost instantly has an effect on him as he visibly cools down, his face turning back to a more normal tone as he shivers slightly.

"I uhh guess it's not as cold as I thought it was, maybe it was just me."

Heh. Sure Tadashi, let's go with that. I scratch at the back of my neck a bit nervously and glance around the room. I have got to find some way to change the subject soon. Thankfully, I don't have to say a thing as Tadashi coughs before changing the subject. He eyes my blueprints that are rolled up by my desk with interest,

"So," Tadashi rubs his hands together a bit nervously, "Just what else are you working on? All I ever really hear you talk about is the portal…?"

"I don't always talk about the portal," I huff a bit as I move from my place on the bed toward the blueprints, "I talk about other stuff too."

I grumble a bit under my breath about how I talk about plenty of other things like my family, him, and… Yeah that's all I got really that's not ghost related. Damn it. Tadashi you won this round. I search through the blueprints to find one that I want to talk about with him. I obviously can't talk about just any of the projects. Maybe the thermos? Wait no. I got it. With a small ah-hah, I pull out the blueprint with wide, fascinated eyes as I turn to Tadashi. I can tell from that gleam in his eyes that he's trying not to laugh at my obvious over excitement.

I quickly spread the blueprint across the desk proudly, thus allowing him to see Spectral Noise Filter that's printed in large bold letters at the top. The Fenton Spectral Noise Filter is something of my own design. It's similar to the Fenton Phones in the way that they filter out spectral noise, thus not allowing anyone to, for example, fall under Ember's influence (or another ghost's for that matter). But it's more like an upgraded version of the Fenton Phones that not only filters out different levels and spectrums of spectral noise and acts as a walkie-talkie, but also as a real translator similar to the Ghost Gabber. It takes the spectral noises of Ghost Speak and translates it into English, Spanish or another language of choice. It also can produce a noise that actually repels ghosts to disorientate them that way someone can get away.

Tadashi's eyes roam over the blueprint, taking in every single margin, note, measurement, and design with a critical expression on his face. It seems like forever before he finally speaks up. He points to a small margin that mentions Ghost Speak and looks to me questionably,

"Ghost Speak? Run out of creativity there, Danny?"

I make a face at him, crinkling up my nose and sticking out my tongue briefly,

"No. It's just… Damn it, it's easy to remember, okay? Ghosts can do a lot of stuff, including influence people and speak their own language that's entitled Ghost Speak, which is normally on a frequency that not only we can't hear, but can't understand because it sounds similar to static."

I tap the blueprint slightly,

"So this will help with that. It translates that Ghost Speak into something we can both hear and understand as well blocks out that influence that some ghosts have. It also blocks out other spectral noise and works as a walkie-talkie between everyone who wears one. Very helpful when Ghost Hunting, believe me."

I can tell by the look on his face that he obviously doesn't just believe me. He almost seems to be having some sort of struggle, trying to find the words he wants to say, but ends up just sighing and giving me a you're hopeless look without a negative comment.

"Okay… I… Guess some part of that makes sense. A little bit anyway…. Why would ghosts really influence people though? And just how can they do that when we have free will?"

I hum a bit in thought, musing over different ways to answer the question.

"Sometimes ghosts influence people to satisfy whatever obsession they have- you know obsessions are what make ghosts, ghosts. Unfinished business or unhealthy obsessions they had in real life, it varies. As to how they do that, every ghost is different. Some whisper in people's ears. Some play on people's fears and uncertainties or their sorrow. Even gain power from feeding off of it."

I clench my fists slightly thinking about Spectra. That bitch feeds off people's sorrow and just manipulates them. Out of all the ghosts, she, aside from Vlad, makes me the most angry. Just thinking about her is making my jaw tense. At least with the Spectral Noise Filter, I won't be able to hear her if she ever shows her sorry face thus rendering her almost useless. If I get this done in time, that is. It takes me a second before I continue,

"Others possess people- or overshadowing, both terms work. Some manipulate people's auras- this device doesn't really help with that, but I have another device called the Spectre Deflector that will."

Tadashi hums a bit in thought over my words, nodding his head slightly before he stands up. He's still shaking his head slightly as he pats me on the shoulder,

"I guess the whole ghost-thing is a lot more complex than I gave it credit for. Kudos to you, Danny."

He flushes a bit as he pats me once more before heading out, calling over his shoulder that he'll be back later for us to discuss everything more in-depth. I can feel my own face heat up as I bury my head in my hands.