Heya! Jade and I have been busy the last few days, but we managed to finish the next chapter of Fire to Ice!
Ne ne, guess what? I went to my friend's house and they recently adopted a puppy - NAMED DANNY! *heart melts, goes into shock* He's an adorable beagle and my family were all cooing over him - except me, cuz I'm a cat person. I mean, he was playfully jumping up my legs and tickling me, but I wasn't petting and cuddling him like my friend was...
Jade on the other hand... Wow... She ate so much that she refused to budge from the floor even when Danny started chewing on her hair. She spent two hours trying to get the dog slobber out of it.
Anyway! On with the show! Voila!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
Chapter 4: Slight Panic and a Mountain of Letters
Any peace that Danny had hoped for while at school flew out the window after his 'heroic' act. For the remainder of the day, Danny was flocked by adoring fans crooning for his attention.
It got so bad that students were skipping their own classes just to gaze at him through the classroom window. The teacher of his last period class became so fed up with the whispers outside that he gave every student in the hall detention and threatened to have them suspended if they stuck around.
Sadly, not many listened to his warning. The kids in his own class focused more on Danny rather than the teacher, so he could feel dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on him the whole time. It was so distracting that he didn't get much work done - neither did anyone else.
Danny dreaded the moment the bell would ring, and as soon as it did, kids were out of their seats and demanding autographs. Danny did his best to sign whatever was thrust in his face, glad that Tucker had persuaded him to practice. More and more people crowded into the room, making moving around difficult.
Danny didn't dare try to leave the room, knowing it would be much worse outside, so he parked himself in his seat. All his battle instincts were yelling at him to go ghost and escape the crush of bodies, but his friends had promised to find him as soon as their last class had ended.
All he had to do was hold out for a few minutes.
Those were maybe the longest few minutes of Danny's life.
As soon as the school bell rang, Sam was up and out of her seat before the teacher could say, "Class dismissed." Throwing her bag over her shoulder, the goth girl sprinted down the hall. She dodged other students hurrying in the same direction, glad her fitness allowed her to be so fast.
Tucker poked his head out of the science classroom and was instantly grabbed by Sam. "Wha- AHHHHH!" He stumbled along behind her as she dragged him along at breakneck speed. "Slow down, Sam!"
Sam grit her teeth, but didn't answer. Instead, she hauled him down the rows of lockers and stopped beside theirs. Hastily opening her lock, she didn't bother to check the contents before cramming everything in her bag. Tucker followed her lead, then together they did the same to Danny's locker, sharing the books between them.
Sam slammed the door shut and took off again. This time Tucker didn't hesitate to follow her, her haste rubbing off on him. Neither spoke a word, both knowing exactly where they were going. They had memorised Danny's schedule a long time along.
As the two turned the corner, they heard the sudden increase in noise and spotted the large crowd outside the classroom. Sam quickened her pace, almost flying towards the crowd and launching herself into it. Students protested and complained as she pressed her way through, pushing and shoving until she was inside the room, Tucker right behind her, squeaking every time he received a blow from an elbow or foot.
The goth stared straight ahead, her attention fixed on the centre of the hurricane of fans, searching for the familiar mop of black hair. "Danny!" she called. She could see him now. Just flashes of him between the jungle of bodies swaying around him. The look of apprehension as bright as day as he penned his autographs on paper, shirts, bare skin for those without something to sign.
Sam called again. This time he heard her, turning hopefully towards the sound of her voice. He stood up from his seat and tried to make his way through the throng. Hands pulled him back. Danny's eyes were wide in panic. She could see the struggle in his eyes; battle mode was close to winning.
Battle mode was a natural response he had unconsciously created to protect himself. She and Tucker had noticed that whenever something scared or made him feel threatened, Danny subconsciously transformed and used his powers to protect himself. If he went ghost here, he'd cause a massive panic. Danny might end up hurting someone, and in a room as crowded as this there was no shortage of targets.
She couldn't let that happen.
Danny needed her.
She reached out her hand. Hands and arms blocked her view, but she knew he was reaching out for her too. Sam felt the distance between them as if they were on opposite sides of the planet. So close and yet so far.
"Where are you, Danny?" she whispered. There was a moment where she thought her hand might not reach him - and suddenly his hand was in her own. Sam got a glimpse of his gaze. Gone was the storm. The lightning had struck, followed by the booming thunder. His initial panic was over. She could see he had a better handle on his feelings now, but he still needed to calm down.
Sam's breath hitched, her skin growing hot from the close contact all around her. She nearly screamed when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced back, amethyst orbs meeting teal ones. It was Tucker, reassuring her of his presence. Sam smiled and they shared a nod. She locked eyes with the boy in her grasp once again. "Hold on, Danny, we'll get you out of here." She wasn't sure if he heard her over the squeals of delight and wonder. It didn't matter, he knew it anyway.
Gripping the sweaty hand with both her own, Sam pulled with all her might. Tucker grabbed on and helped her. It took a few breathless moments but finally they pulled the boy free from the mob. He slipped out like a cork from a bottle. The two friends shoved the boy between them and formed a protective wall around him.
The crowd grew wary as they recognised the two who separated them from Danny. His bodyguards? No, his friends. "That's enough! Stay back, give him some room!" Sam shouted. Thankfully, the crowd obliged, though they didn't look too happy about it.
Danny hunched over and took long, deep breaths. Tucker gazed at him worriedly and returned his eyes to staring firmly back at the students. The crowd muttered and suddenly choked off when Danny stood up, composed once again.
He smiled thankfully at his friends. "Let's get out of here." Sam and Tucker smiled back. Giving one last glance around they clung onto him and felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness come over them as Danny turned intangible and flew them up through the ceiling.
The trio passed through several floors, scaring the pants off quite a few people. When they emerged from the building Danny set them down on the roof but clung on to them a while longer, "Thanks guys. I was real close to freaking out back there."
Sam sent him a prized smile, "Hey, that's what friends are for. We'll always have your back."
"Sam's right. It's all for one and one for all. So it's our duty to save you from disaster too!" Tucker grinned as he backed off, puffing out his chest and making grand gestures as he talked.
Sam frowned, "I wouldn't call that a disaster." She was referring to the mob in the classroom.
Danny huffed, "Yeah? Well I would." He leaned against the wall encircling the roof. "I'm starting to think maybe it wasn't such a good idea to reveal my identity." Just as he finished a chorus of shouts sounded from below.
"There he is! Quick, get the camera!"
"Come on, men! This'll be the scoop that makes my career!'
"Are you listening to me!? I said I wouldn't sell any pictures for at least twice that amount!"
Danny whipped around to behold the scene in front of the school entrance. The biggest crowd he had seen so far entirely made up of news crews, photographers and journalists. Multiple flashes blinded him from the dozens of cameras. Journalists hollered questions to him, but there were so many he couldn't make any out.
Danny leaned back and tightened his grip on the wall's metal bar. "Great," he sighed. "Nothing could be worse than this."
Sam said, "Cheer up, Danny. It's not as bad as fighting a whole army of ghosts. You'll get used to it."
"But if it was an army, at least he could've blasted them," Tucker speculated. A hard glare from Sam. "What!? I just think I'd prefer an army over this," he pointed to the crowd.
Sam sighed, "You're right." It certainly sounded simpler if you just punch your way through.
Danny sank to the ground with his back to the wall, "Guys? Have a made a huge mistake?" Both shook their heads as soon as he let out the words. He smiled weakly at them, they would always stand by what he had said and done, and if he ever did do something wrong they would tell him. He trusted their judgement.
"I am so sick of crowds today. Not that I look forward to the one outside my house, but I feel like going home." He stood up, careful to stay away from the edge and held out his hands to his friends. "Let's go."
They grabbed on and Danny took off, forming a spectral tail where his legs should have been and shifting them into invisibility. They climbed higher and higher until the whole town spread out below them. They relaxed as they glided through the clouds. Danny let go of the invisibility, seeing as the clouds would hide them from view.
They enjoyed the view in silence, happy just to enjoy each other's company.
Tucker was the one who broke the silence first.
He glanced at his friend, "So, uh... Danny. Are you feeling alright?"
The ghost boy turned to his friends questioningly, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
Tucker continued, "Well, we've been flying for a while and I thought you might be getting tired. Usually, you transform for long distances." The girl and boy beside him stared at their tech-loving friend thoughtfully.
"Well," Danny began. "It's true that I used to be capable of a lot more while in ghost mode but I feel just fine now."
"Do you think you might be getting more powerful? This wouldn't be the first time you discovered a new part of your powers," Sam asked. Danny considered it.
It was possible. He'd once overheard some ghosts talking about how strong-willed ghosts found their powers expanding over time. Since ghosts could be described as the emotional remains of people who were once alive, it would make sense if their powers were connected to their thoughts and feelings.
"Maybe," was all he answered. "Or maybe I'm like Ember. They more people who know my true identity, the more power I get?"
Tucker whistled appreciatively, "If that's true, we should have blown your cover months ago." To the identical glares directed at him he shrugged, "What? I swear, I feel so hated today."
Sam spotted the FentonWorks sign below them. "There," she pointed. Danny grasped their hands tighter, cloaked them with his powers and nose-dived. The pair trailing behind him screamed at the sudden drop, but the wind cut off their shouts so they just screwed their eyes up tight.
Danny was like a mega-fun rollercoaster. Whenever the pair flew with him, their minds almost went into shock at how fast and dangerously he soared. Danny didn't think twice about the stunts he pulled, often doing loops or just dropping out of the air before flying away moments before he hit the ground. He loved the thrill. More than that, he loved being able to get close to the stars at night, reminding him of his dream to be an astronaut.
However, while his friends didn't mind it and even found the exhilaration fun, he never gave them warning for when he would do them. Sam and Tucker both found this annoying but were content to forget it in favour of the ride. Sam however, was unable to ignore the nagging thought in her head that one of these days she should really tell him.
The trio dropped like a stone, sped up by Danny's speed. The ground rushed closer to them but none of them were worried. As they came closer, the three could see the familiar shape of countless bodies tightly spaced together in front of his house. It seemed that Danny hadn't been able to keep them away for long.
Preferring to avoid the headache they would give him, Danny flew them through the second storey wall and landed in the floor below in the living room. He let go and they became solid and visible once again. A loud clanking coming from the kitchen told them his parents were busy working on another invention of theirs.
"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" Danny called and wandered through the doorway. His friends followed him.
Maddie looked up and flicked up her safety mask, turning her blowtorch off. "Hi, kids! How was your day at school?" From the unhappy expressions she was seeing, she gathered it hadn't been good. "That bad, huh?" she sighed. Jack poked his head up from under the table.
The three had known he was there since the moment they walked in. Danny's father was so large that the table wasn't able to hide his enormous orange bulk. "Ah, don't worry about it too much. I mean, look at me," he gestured to himself. "I was popular during my college days but my old chums still won't talk to me. The same will happen to you, you mark my words."
Maybe that's for a completely different reason, Danny thought as his father ducked under the table once again. Everyone knew that Jack was obliviously forceful and unaware his "popularity" was viewed differently in others' eyes. He could mistake common bullying for friendly horsing around even if it was labelled with a neon sign.
"Sure, Dad." Danny had learned from experience that agreeing with his father's perceptions led to less arguing later. "Did you manage to upgrade the security systems while I was gone?"
Maddie gave an affectionate pat to the device on the table, "Yes! This baby is the last instalment to keep out those pesky paparazzi. Your father asked me to delay the upgrade so he could fend off any intruders with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick."
Jack stuck his head back up with a satisfied look on his face, "Yep, there's nothing better than whacking nosey civilians over the head with a baseball bat."
The teenagers laughed. "Where's Jazz?" Danny asked afterwards.
His mother answered, "We got a call from her a while ago. She heard how you disappeared from school after the bell, so she's on her way in her car right now. She should be here soon." He thanked her and he and his friends trekked upstairs. They entered Danny's room and dumped their bags, then collapsed on the furniture. With the crowd out of sight, Danny felt more at ease, slipping back into his usual lifestyle.
They were able to talk about how they had been since the last time they had spent a time together. Sam told them about the cause she wanted to support for protecting trees. Tucker recounted his difficulty trying to pick between which new PDA model to buy. Both listened intently to Danny's story of learning to levitate objects - he'd dropped quite a few things on his head, he'd been embarrassed to admit.
Danny, Tucker and Sam were laughing so much that they didn't hear the knock at the door. The knock came again and Jazz poked her head through the door. "Hey bro, hey guys. How are you?"
They smiled back. "Much better now. School was crazy," Danny gave a brief description of the trouble they had experienced. Jazz listened with growing worry as she leaned against the doorframe. Even if he was smiling now, it didn't sound like a good environment for her brother to learn in. She hid her feelings behind a mask of laughter.
"Sounds rough. I was worried when everyone thought a ghost was attacking. I'm glad that wasn't the case. I wanted to ask if we could start reading your fan mail. Tucker, Sam, would you like to help?"
"Sure. It'll be faster with more hands," Sam said.
Tucker nodded, "I'm down to that. Maybe they'll even mention me! After all, I am a ladies man." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, a sly smile on his face. The other three rolled their eyes at him, used to his comments about himself.
In the living room, Jazz had piled the coffee table with as many letters as she could. Some had fallen to the floor and the whole pile was shaking as if it would fall over at any time. The group got stuck into it, reaching for letters and reading them at their own leisure.
Danny opened the envelope in his hands and took out the letter with eye closed. He unfolded it and peeked at the contents. He expected criticism, harsh words and hateful feelings directed at him for being what he was. Danny thought people would call him a freak of nature who should stay away and leave them alone.
Instead, he was faced with gratitude for his efforts. Praise at his heroics. Danny flicked through more and more letters - some short, some long, some caked in sparkling glitter - but it was the same everywhere. His friends and sister would occasionally recite words aloud, letting him know that their letters said the same thing.
It gave him a warm feeling inside, knowing that so many people were happy he had ghost powers. Maybe he had been overthinking it when he'd been expecting a lot worse.
Danny smiled. It felt nice to be appreciated.
Hey! TragicMiracleCollection here!
I'm so sorry it took a while to update. I wasn't feeling really motivated because Jade kept emptying the pantry behind my back.
Jade: Yeah, yeah. That's just your excuse. The truth is she was being a lazy slob all week and -
Me: THAT'S ENOUGH FROM YOU! Thanks to you, I couldn't eat my chocolate broches!
Jade: *shrugs and wanders off, stomach grumbles*
Me: Well anyway, the good news is those baby locks finally arrived and I had them installed just now. *grins evilly* Let's see her try to steal my snacks now!
*long silence*
Jade: *incomprehensible screaming, loud thumping*
Me: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! My evil scheme *cough cough* I mean plan has worked!
Btw, did anyone else think the part from Sam's perspective was a bit dramatic? And that all she does is glare at Tucker? I apologise for any disappointment and for the boring ending.
See you next time!