Chapter 2

"My parents are going to kill me." Tucker said.

"My parents are going to kill me." Sam added.

"I'm pretty sure we're all in big trouble." Danny said, holding onto his best friends as he was flying quickly to Tucker's house to drop him off first.

"I can't believe Technus was able to take over all the screens at the theater." Tucker mused, slightly admiring the technology savvy ghost who had ruined what was left of their plans.

"And I can't believe we're all an hour late for our curfews-again." Sam said, almost having the phrase etched on her mouth.

"I really am sorry." Danny said with a sigh, slightly worn out from his fight with Technus.

"It's not your fault; heck if you weren't there we would probably be even later." Sam said, happy that she was able to get in a few good throws towards Technus' evil projectors and therefore, helping Danny.

"Well here we are." Danny said, purposefully changing the subject seeing as they were at Tucker's. He phased them into the beret-wearing boy's room; they said their goodbyes and Danny flew towards the gated community where Sam lived. He was happy to have one less person to hold for his arms were growing tired.

"Thanks again for saving us." Sam said, looking up into Danny's face, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Any time." He said with a smirk, trying to keep his growing weariness from escaping through his expression. Sam being the boy's best friend could tell that all the fighting had worn him out.

"Do you think something is going on? With the ghosts I mean?" She questioned, unsure of what the response may be.

"I do. We know ghosts can find their way into the human world, but it seems to be taking less and less time. It's like there's a shortcut that everyone's aware of, which is odd though because of the different ranks ghosts have. Both Skulker and the Box Ghost got free in the same day. Typically the stronger ghosts get back quicker because they're just that-stronger." The boy finished somewhat frustrated but, continuing to look forward as he flew with Sam in his arms.

She knew he had to have been thinking about this before now by the extent of his answer. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked.

He finally looked down at her. "Trip to the Ghost Zone?"

"You got it, but let's wait until tomorrow, I'm beat." He said as they began to see the familiar window of the marble mansion that belonged to Sam and her family.

They phased effortlessly through the wall, becoming tangible again when Danny set her down on her feet.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Danny said, beginning to turn to leave.

"Be careful." Sam said with sharpness that Danny did not expect. He turned back and looked at her for a moment.

"Always am." He said with his boyish grin as he disappeared and flew out of her room.

…

He was happy to be free of any extra weights, although just keeping his arms extended in front of him while flying was a struggle enough. Danny enjoyed the cool breeze that the darkened night sky offered him as he flew over the town just a few miles to his own abode. He didn't know why, but he always found peace when he flew. Maybe it was the literal freedom from things that usually held him down, tethered him. He scrunched his face slightly, trying to shake his line of thought, not wanting to sound ungrateful for his friends and family.

Just then a scream seemed to rip the stars themselves from the night sky.

"Great." Danny sighed, exhausted and frustrated at how close to his bed he had come before being interrupted.

"Help us!" It wasn't just one person's screams anymore. Danny swiftly turned around, heading in the direction of the yelling. It was just a few blocks from Fenton Works where he spotted maybe half a dozen people running from a general store and gas station. A soon as he got closer, he saw the familiar ghost, clothed in red leather, fish nets, and choppy green hair throwing huge shelves from side to side.

"Kitty." Danny breathed. He flew through the opening where a large window should have been. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a boyfriend to make dinner for?" Danny quipped, igniting his hands green as he slowly hovered just a few feet in front of Kitty.

"Where is it?!" She roared, barely noticing Danny Phantom was there at all. Taken aback with a slight frown, Danny lowered his raised hands and landed on the floor where he silently watched as Kitty destroyed the interior of the store.

"Um...what are you looking for?"

"Stop bothering me or I will call Johnny to come kick your butt!" She yelled, but continued throwing bags of food off shelves, not bothering to meet Danny's eyes.

Seeing that she was hardly paying any attention to him, Danny took out his Fenton Thermos and began to point it at Kitty when she finally looked back up at him.

Her eyes glowed red with fury. "It's all your fault, isn't it? You took it in the first place, it's your fault! You made him bring it here to this god forsaken world!" Her chest was heaving with each word.

Stunned for a moment, Danny opened his mouth to ask what the heck she was talking about, when she charged him. He side-stepped quickly, jumping up onto an overturned aisle display. "What are you rambling on about?!" He yelped, as he dove onto another overturned shelf, to evade Kitty's wrath.

This time it was his turn to counter. He jumped up to hover in the air, aalways seeing it as an advantage while fighting to be above the opponent. He concentrated on his hands, pulling energy almost effortlessly from his core to create disks of ecto-energy which he shot at Kitty. She dodged the first two but the third hit her square in the face. She instantly fell back letting out a scream of frustration.

"You're going to pay for singeing my favorite leather jacket!" She created ect oblasts herself. Seeing the attack that was about to happen, Danny quickly turned, planning on going behind a large mirrored shelf, but he wasn't quick enough.

"Aah!" He yelled out in pain as he was hit with a more powerful blast than he had expected Kitty to even make. As a reflex he immediately grabbed his shoulder, only making it sting more. Enough was enough. He turned aground and his eyes glowed an even brighter green. He shot relentlessly as Kitty tried to dodge them. There were so many blasts though that she couln't keep up ands got nailed with three blasts at once. She was sent flying back towards an overturned shelf. Taking the first chance he got, Danny opened the thermos and pointed it straight at Kitty.

She was slowly absorbed into the cylindrical prison as her screams became quieter and quieter. Danny was left standing completely alone in the middle of a store that looked like Vortex had ripped through.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him as he turned and began to fly back to his home. He was beat, not just physically but mentally. That conversation had left him with way more questions than what he had anticipated. What was Kitty so steamed over? Danny thought. "And what in the world was she looking for that was so important?" Danny flew straight through his bedroom wall and morphed back into his regular self. He plopped onto his bed, his thoughts racing, yet he somehow managed to fall asleep as soon as he shut his eyes.

-More to come :)

*Once again, please, please, and please feel free to comment, review, ect. It just means so much to me that you have even read this far! Like I said, more to come!