Chapter 08

"You guys are such great friends," Tucker grumbled as they left the Nasty Burger. "You could have at least helped me get away from Kwan."

"He didn't actually hurt you," Sam said, rolling her violet eyes before sipping from her diet soda. "Kwan never really actually hurts people. Maybe roughs them up a bit when everyone else is around watching him. But he gave up the chase on you the moment you both were out of sight, didn't he?"

Tucker frowned, still not happy that his friends didn't step up to defend him against the jock. "Kwan sure is a strange jock." He folded his arms as he thought about that point. It wasn't the first time they all discussed the oddity that was Kwan. They all noticed it early on in freshmen year when Kwan wouldn't follow up on the chase like the other jocks would. He didn't hunt after them until he had them cornered to beat up on them. Despite that obvious strangeness, none of them really took notice of the way Kwan always hesitated before following through with an order to bully the losers and nerds of the school.

"You're lucky Dash wasn't the one around at that time," Danny pointed out, still frowning over the mystery of Kwan. He was tempted to tell his friends about the jock's dad, maybe even a little tempted to tell Tucker about all the tech stuff that he saw in Kwan's bedroom. But the questions that would follow those comments weren't ones that he wanted to answer. He still couldn't shake that guilty feeling that was eating him up inside after spying on the jock.

"Yeah, if it was Dash, you'd be tied up like a pretzel right now," Sam agreed. "We," she dropped a hand on Tucker's shoulder, "would have done something to distract him. Probably." She smiled all too sweetly at Tucker, who was not amused at the idea of being Dash's punching bag.

"Nah." Tucker shook his head. "Dash only likes beating up on Danny."

"Thanks for the reminder," Danny grumbled, shoulders slumping in depression. He didn't even know how it started. From the first day of freshmen year, Dash dubbed him his favorite loser to pick on, and it became a nearly weekly thing for the blond jock to find some excuse to torment Danny. It was still a surprise to him that Dash actually behaved civilly when Danny was at his house to discuss stuff for their theater project. But since the beginning of the year, Dash acted all weird with not harassing him all the time like he used to. Maybe Dash was finally toning down his bullying. Danny still didn't know what to make of that.

His attention strayed from his friends continued conversation about the bullies at their school. That green blinking light hadn't disappeared since he left the NetZone after meeting Clockwork. Rubbing at his eyes, he wished it would stop already. It was irritating when he caught sight of it in the corner of his eye and distracting during the middle of class.

"How come we can't bring food into your car but you can have a soda?" Tucker questioned as they arrived at her convertible.

"Because you two are pigs," Sam pointed out, "and I don't want you ruining the leather by dripping ketchup and meat juices all over my car." Her nose wrinkled in disgust, not only at the messy way her friends ate but at the thought of eating meat.

That was a source of many arguments between her and Tucker. Danny tried his best to stay out of it when they got into their debates of meat eater versus ultra recyclo-vegetarian. He hated being put in the middle, pulled by each friend to take their side of the argument when he thought the whole thing was a bit stupid, not that he would ever tell them that. He happened to like having friends, and he was almost completely certain that they would be too angry to talk to him again if he spoke his mind on that topic.

Well, maybe it would only be for a little while. Only until they both cooled off their heads and made up again.

"You feel all right, Danny?" Sam frowned worriedly at her friend.

Danny blinked as he turned back to his friends with a hand still raised and palm pressed into his right eye. "Uh, yeah," he said, dropping his hand with a shake of his head. "I guess I'm just a bit tired. You know, lots of homework to work on and all that. Stayed up late on that history report."

"You should let me manage your schedule," Tucker offered, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders and giving Danny a shake. "I'll have everything planned out so that you get all your homework done and still get enough sleep."

"Uh, yeah," Sam said with a snort of a laugh. "Because that worked so well when you planned out your own schedule."

"Hey!" Tucker protested. "I might not be able keep to my own schedule, but I can definitely keep Danny to his."

"Thanks, but I think I've got it covered." Danny pulled the arm from around his shoulders. Not that he didn't trust Tucker to help him, but he didn't need his friend hovering over him if a virus decided to pop up and cause some chaos. "I just remembered there was something I need to take care of. My dad will get mad if I forget to do it." He hated having to lie to his friends. But how could he tell them that he needed to talk to some billionaire that he never even met before about his strange powers? He didn't think they would simply shrug that off and ignore the weirdness of it.

"Do you need a lift?" Sam questioned as she opened the driver's side door.

Danny shook his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll just walk. You know my parents." He rolled his blue eyes. "You don't want to get caught up having to help out with my chores."

"I don't know," Tucker said, eying his friend curiously. "You at least get to poke around at some interesting stuff when you have to clean out the lab."

"Yeah," Danny agreed awkwardly as he looked away from his friends. That was the exact reason he ended up with his strange powers in the first place. If he never took a look inside that invention his parents couldn't seem to get to work, he wouldn't have his powers. He would a normal person. He wouldn't have to keep lying to his friends. He wouldn't have to suffer through a lot of the experiences he went through over the last four years. His life would be a lot more boring, but at least he would be another average person. Sam would probably be ecstatic to learn that Danny was something beyond normal, and Tucker would probably think it was awesome that his friend was some sort of superhero, but that didn't make Danny feel all that ready to reveal the truth to them.

"Have they invented anything cool lately?" Sam asked what became a standard question over their years of friendship. Whenever they all hanged out at Danny's house, his parents, mostly his father, liked to blather on about the various inventions they were working on at that moment.

Danny shrugged. "My dad showed me something this morning." He scratched the back of his head, trying to appear like he was thinking very hard on remembering what it was. The name of the invention stuck out to him, engraved into his brain with the potential harm it could do to not only viruses but himself. "I think it was something like the Fenton Data Deraser or something. It's supposed to permanently get rid of viruses. If it worked."

"I bet Phantom could really use that." Tucker grinned, nudging his friend in the ribs. Danny laughed weakly, hoping neither of his friends notice him tense up at the mention of his alter ego. "It would make taking out the viruses that much easier," Tucker continued, oblivious to his friend's reaction. Danny admitted things probably would be a lot easier if he could completely erase a virus instead of simply beating it back and waiting for the next time it tried to attack the NetZone.

"Yeah, but good luck getting it to him." Sam shook her head as she leaned back in the driver's seat. "Danny's parents would shoot first before giving any of their tech over to what they think is a virus." She sat up suddenly, wide violet eyes turning onto her friends. "Unless you stole it, Danny!"

"What?" Tucker and Danny demanded at the same time, both startled by Sam's sudden suggestion.

"Danny has complete access to his parents' equipment," Sam explained, excited about this idea. "So all you have to do is sneak into their lab, take the Data Deraser thing, and then, well, we'd have to figure a way to meet up with Phantom, but then you could give it to him."

"I suppose that could work," Tucker agreed with some uncertainty as his brow creased. "I doubt your parents would even notice it's missing with all the junk they work on. And especially if it ended up not working."

Danny shrugged, absently staring at the green light that continued blinking in the distance. He really hoped after he met with this Vlad person that the light would go away. "I guess," he responded noncommittally. He wasn't sure about the whole idea, beyond simply stealing from his parents. They seemed rather gung-ho about the Fenton Data Deleter that morning. He doubted its disappearance would go unnoticed at this point in time. The other problem was that Tucker and Sam would probably want to go with him when he gave the invention to Phantom. He couldn't see that working out in any way that didn't force him to reveal himself to them. "If it doesn't work though, there isn't much point in giving it to him."

"But he's all... virusy," Tucker said, struggling for the right word to use when referring to Phantom. Being called a virus not only by his parents but his friends as well didn't help with Danny's mood. "Maybe he would be able to figure out what your parents are doing wrong."

"It's worth a shot, at least." Sam's eyes held a certain eagerness at the idea of meeting Phantom.

Danny sighed internally as he realized practically everyone in town probably wanted to meet his alter ego, and some of them, like his parents, not because they were his fans. He almost shuddered at the thought of meeting Dash while running around as Phantom. On the one hand, at least Dash wouldn't be likely to beat him up like he would if he ran into the loser Danny Fenton. How nice that his greatest bully was one of his biggest fans, he thought sarcastically.

"I'll see if I can get it," Danny said, hesitant about going through with this plan. "But I really should jet now. I don't want my dad sentencing me to a month of grounding or something." He sighed tiredly as he waved goodbye to his friends.

Tucker climbed into the car, and they pulled out of the parking space, driving away from the Nasty Burger. Danny turned to start walking, to find some spot where he could tap into the NetZone without anyone catching sight of him. But the moment he took a step, he bumped into someone, cool liquid splashing down his front side before he stumbled back a step.

"What is wrong with you loser freaks?" Valerie shouted, shaking soda from one hand. The soda drenched her yellow tank top, and Danny jerked his gaze away to avoid being caught staring at the way the fabric clung to her body.

"It was an accident," Danny said quickly, feeling a sense of déjà vu despite that last time he wasn't the one that did something to offend the popular woman. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I'm sorry."

Valerie's green eyes flashed dangerously as she glowered at him. "One of these days, freak," she threatened in a chilly tone. She thrust the paper cup in her hand into his chest, spilling the rest of her soda over his clothes.

Danny stood there numbly as Valerie turned on her heel and stormed off through the parking lot. Life really was never going to be easy for him, he realized with a depressed sigh. If he wasn't getting beat up on by the viruses, the In crowd was tormenting him. Neither of his personas had it easy. Looking down at himself, he decided he certainly couldn't meet this Vlad person looking like a complete mess. The man was a billionaire! Why would he ever agree to meet with a sloppy teenager drenched in soda?

Danny shook his head as he headed for his home. He didn't want to tell this man about what he really was. Vlad Masters was the leading expert in virus protection, the most profitable one. Danny's parents got funded by the government, but they didn't sell their equipment for money. They didn't even hand over the blueprints for their inventions to the government. The Guys in White had nothing that compared to Vlad Masters' work anymore than his parents' inventions. For a government agency, the Guys in White were basically a laughing stock.

When he arrived at home, Danny jogged up stairs to take a quick shower. His parents were without a doubt in the basement laboratory, probably fiddling some more with the Fenton Data Deleter or some other invention. After washing all the soda off him and getting dressed in clean clothes, Danny headed into his bedroom where could enter the NetZone without worrying about anyone seeing him. He stared at the access point with a frown. He didn't want to reveal the truth about what he was to a stranger. The decision made itself for him. Danny Fenton wouldn't be meeting this man. Phantom would.

"I just hope this doesn't take forever." He had a pile of homework to get done tonight and didn't need to waste his entire evening chatting with some old geezer.

The familiar tingle of electricity surged through him as he changed to his Phantom persona before he entered the NetZone. It was quiet inside, not many viruses caring to linger near access points located where the Net Protectors lived. Even if his parents didn't have the greatest track record, the viruses didn't care to take chances. Danny rather liked that fact since he didn't have to worry about immediately being attacked whenever he entered the NetZone from his house. The only thing he had to worry about was his parents trying to catch him the moment he popped up on their scanner.

Lowering his visor, Danny brought up a map of the area, checking for the flashing light that indicated the location of Vlad Masters. The other side of town. Of course. Danny shook his head, but he could at least travel much quicker through the NetZone than in the real world, as long as no viruses decided to make an appearance to slow him down. Taking a breath, he ran through the ground level of the NetZone in the direction of Vlad Masters' location.

He spotted a few programs along the way. A dietary program that always asked if he was eating well, getting enough meat in his diet. A library program that Danny got off to a rough start with, but now whenever he had the time, they would discuss literature. A game program that appeared as a young boy in a pirate outfit that always enjoyed harassing Danny into playing with him. But when they saw he was in a hurry, they all let him pass with only a wave. It took him minutes to reach his destination, what probably would have taken him an hour in the real world by walking.

A wall barred his way, and Danny stared up at it. Firewalls like this one weren't uncommon. Many places, especially companies and anything with classified or personal information, had firewalls in place to keep out unwanted programs and viruses. When he stepped closer to the dark blue wall with vivid neon blue lines of circuitry lighting up here and there, a screen appeared before him. It wanted a password, naturally.

Danny pursed his lips in thought, trying to think of what this man might use for a password. He didn't know much about the man, nothing that could be helpful in coming up with the right password. What did he even know about the man? His name.

Password requested: ***********
Error. Incorrect password.

Danny swore to himself as he pondered what else the man might use. The man had money. He was a billionaire.

Password requested: ***********
Error. Incorrect password.

"Ugh, come on!" Danny groaned, tempted to kick the wall if it wouldn't automatically set off any security programs. "You can do this. Think. What else do you know about this guy?" He realized not much. The only other thing he could think of that he knew about Vlad Masters was the name of his company: Vlad Tech. He decided that it was worth a shot.

Password requested: ********
Error. Incorrect password.
Security program engaged.

Danny took a step back from the wall as neon blue bled to bright red. Warning lights flashed around the area, and he clapped his hands over his ears as the sirens blared. Gritting his teeth, his green eyes darted around, seeking out the security program that would most definitely be arriving to attack whatever virus or program was trying to hack through the firewall.

Something wet and sticky fell onto his head, oozing down over his shoulders. With a gulp, Danny turned around slowly, fearing what sort of security program he would be facing. His eyes followed a trail of drool dangling from the maw of a giant, vibrant green dog with its sharp fangs bared and its red eyes narrowed viciously.

"Nice, doggie," Danny tried tentatively with a weak chuckle. Growling deep in its throat, a rumbling sound that seemed to echo all around him, the dog snapped at him.

jeanette9a: Oooooh~ I hadn't thought about that. XD Haha, Danny hasn't realized all of what he can do yet.

DB-KT: Poor Danny~ D: He never has it easy, does he? Well, my visiting family is gone now, so I should have more time to be in the chat. 8D Yay!

midnight: Tucker's gotta watch out when he's teasing Sam. XD;;

Guest: You don't have to apologize~ XD *hugs* Haha, aw, poor Agent J. I love scenes like that between Danny and his parents~ 8D Vlad! I promise he's almost here!

XD: Mikey! XD I think I always forget about him. Or am I thinking about Nathan? I'm glad I could make your day~ 8D *pets Danny* I always feel like he feels like a disappointment to his parents because he's not all smart like Jazz. It's my head canon that Kwan is secretly smart! Techno geek (toys around with ghost related inventions). I blame TUE where we see older Kwan with glasses and a lab coat on. XD;; I have this head canon that Kwan helped with the ghost shield that was protecting Amity Park until Dan used the Ghostly Wail to destroy it. XD;;