Chapter Sixty Six

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"Did you at least text your mates before hiding here? Because I've heard the stories and I don't want to deal with any angry assassin ghosts and Dad probably does even less." Oh. Elle was calling Vlad her dad again. Good. That was good. "Danny."

"Chill, Elle, I sent them both a text that I was laying low for a while until it all settled down." And also because Danny couldn't figure out how to explain what he had just learned and he just needed some time alone. Unfortunately, alone time came at the price of an overly nosy cousin.

"They're still gonna be worried." Elle crawled on top of him just to be annoying, Danny sighing and trying to pull his blanket over his head more. Elle 'helped' by squishing his face into the pillows of the guest bed that had sort of kind of become his. "I mean, I guess it's pretty smart to hide here. No one would have guessed that."

"I trust Vlad to not kill me while my back is turned." Humiliating him, though, was a different matter. "Don't you have non-annoying things to do? Like homework?"

"Homework is annoying and today is my last day, too. I get a summer just like you- Hey, we should go skateboarding. Do you know how to skateboard? Dad said he'd take me surfing, but I wanna learn to skate."

"Ask Sam, I thinks she knows." His face was smushed down again as Elle excitedly bounced around, rambling about her summer plans, Danny relaxing a little at her childish enthusiasm. Maybe this was a bit better than being alone. "I can't breathe when you smother me, you know."

"Hey, you're the one not fighting back." Elle, jumping up and down on the bed, jumped right onto his back. Danny thanked every god he knew that she used flight to lower herself down instead of gravity. "Wanna talk now or hide under the covers some more?"

"Hiding sounds pretty good." Sighing as the covers were jerked off his head, Danny sat up and smirked as Elle yelled and went tumbling back. "What do you know, having a cousin is fun." Alright, he deserved the kick, but it was still funny. "I… What do you know about what's been going on lately?"

"Oh, um…" Elle started listing things out, ticking them off on her fingers. "Section 13 is trying to capture you, Amity Park residents are learning Ghostspeak, and I think I've been grounded for something."

"It's not just Ghostspeak- Wait, what are you grounded for? You got grounded? When!" He didn't know this. Why didn't he know this?

"Nothing much," Elle shrugged. "Don't even worry about it, like I said, it wasn't really grounding. It was more 'never do something like that again or I'll get grey hairs in my ghost form' and stuff like that." Jesus. Poor Vlad. "So what about Ghostspeak?"

"My classmates figured out I'm Danny Phantom." Yeah, that shut her up real quick, didn't it? "One of them asked me in Ghostspeak if I was Phantom. They're picking it up fast, they're noticing more ghostly things, and they're even acting more ghostly. Just- I mean, it's not super noticeable, but it's little things."

"Yeah… All of Amity is starting to act like one of the ghost clans. You know, all affectionate and there for one another kind of stuff." Yeah… Yeah, that was exactly it. "Any of them showing obsessions?"

"Valerie- Oh, she's working for Walker and Section 13, by the way." Now, see, Danny was pretty sure Elle had said 'what,' but the screech was so loud and angry that he couldn't quite tell. "But, yeah, she's shown obsessive traits-"

"No! Nuh-uh, no way, you can't just move on- Valerie was cool! I liked her! She liked us! She started seeing ghosts as much than just ghosts after what happened!" Yeah… That was the problem. Just who had approached her first and what had they told her to get her on that side?

"I know, but that's… It's getting bad, Elle. I talked to Clockwork today and he couldn't say much but Amity Park is literally turning into a ghost town! So much ectoplasmic energy has been soaking the place that it's taking on traits we'd see in the Ghost Zone and the citizens are taking on traits like we see in the ghosts!"

"So Amity Park is becoming a part of the Ghost Zone?" Elle asked softly, Danny responding with a grim nod. "And you're worried? Are you kidding? That sounds so totally awesome!"

"Wha- Elle! It is not 'so totally awesome'! This is dangerous. We don't know what happens when ectoplasm mixes with humans like this-" Elle gave him such a look that Danny felt like hitting himself for how stupid a reason that was. He didn't, but he wanted to. "First of all, that's different, second of all, that's the point. A town full of half-ghosts doesn't sound scary to you?"

"No, it sounds awesome. I mean, it's great! Everyone is getting along, humans are getting our neat powers, I mean, sort of, and it's like one big happy family kind of thing! How isn't that the greatest thing ever? Amity Park is a ghost town. How are you not freaking out!"

"Oh, no, trust me, I'm very much freaking out over here." It… It was kind of hard to stay worried, though, when Elle was bouncing up and down before tripping over a tangled blanket and right onto the floor. Danny flew over in a flash, sitting down on the floor next to her in a huff when she started laughing. He couldn't stop a small one of his own, though.

"This is just- It's so great! I'm definitely going to be visiting Amity more often- Hey, hey, maybe you can help me convince Dad to find a house out there!" A house- What?

"He has one?" Elle shot up, staring at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, down by that heights place? He lived there when he was doing his whole Mayor thing. He probably still owns it-"

"Why didn't he tell me about this?! Ugh!" Flashing into her ghost form, Elle stood up and ruffled Danny's hair into a mess. "See ya later, cuz, I gotta go be a spoiled rich kid."

"Oh, yeah, I bet you're all broken up about that." Danny bumped his fist with Elle's, watching the girl shoot off before he was sighing and collapsing backwards, rubbing at his eyes. As much as Elle's enthusiasm helped, it was still… How much damage had he caused with the portal? If it hadn't been for him and that button then maybe none of this would have happened.

"You know, Vlad knows how to live in style. This is almost as nice as my castle." Ah, but then again, none of it would have happened. Dropping his hands, Danny opened his eyes to see Randy crouching over him, small smile on his face. "Salut, petit mec."

"Bonjour, cher loup." Laughing at the quirked brow, Danny held his hands up to cup Randy's cheeks. "It seemed to fit. You know. Wolf. White Fang. Your whole pet thing-"

"Wolves aren't pets," Randy huffed, flicking at Danny's cheek. "You want to talk about it, yet?" Hm. Did he want to talk?

"Not… Not now." He was only just starting to feel better and he really didn't want to spiral back into remembering how everyone knew-

"That's alright. How about instead of talking you spend your first day of summer with me going on an adventure in the Ghost Zone." Oh. An adventure? "I figure now that your grades aren't on the line we can take an overnight one and it'll be okay. I have to report in to the Observants, first, and I know it might take you some time to decide-"

"No! Yes, I mean- No, I mean yes, because hell yes, I'd love to go with you." Danny figured he probably could have made his point without knocking Randy to the ground and smothering him with hugs, but Randy seemed happy enough to be used as a pillow and blanket in one. "Trust me, Randy, an adventure sounds great right about now." A distraction sounded perfect.

It took another fifteen minutes just for them to finally leave Vlad's, Danny raiding the kitchen for any leftover baked goods - he hit the jackpot - before using the Ghost Zone to get to the Fenton Works portal and rush to his room to pack his bag.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad, bye Mom, bye Dad, staying overnight in the Ghost Zone!" Instead of panicked worry like even a year ago, the two just called out a 'be safe,' Danny grinning as he rushed to Vidya. "Hey, Andy! Randy's kidnapping me!"

"I am not kidnapping you! At your age it's called abduction!" Choking on a laugh, Danny followed their signatures to Andrew's current favorite study room, the man looking startled from where he had been typing. Danny put an end to that at once, squirming into Andrew's lap with a cheerful smile.

"Hello to you, too," Andrew laughed, kissing at Danny's cheek. "Feeling better?" Ah, the dreaded question.

"Not… Kind of? Maybe not better, but getting there." That earned him a hug from Andrew and a kiss from Randy and yes- Yes. That was very nice. "Right! Me and Randy are going on an adventure."

"Did you pack food and a change of clothes?" All three of them paused, Andrew pulling a horrified face. "I've become Mother."

"She would be proud," Randy said solemnly, Danny choking on a laugh as he squirmed his way out of their arms. "You're just ready to go, aren't you?"

"Come on, I haven't been on an adventure with you in forever! Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Good luck," Andrew hummed, kissing Randy's cheek and grinning at the offended scoff. Danny laughed himself, and oh, yes, this was going to be great.

::

Okay, it would be great as soon as they got away from the Observants and their stupid citadel lair tower thing. At least Clockwork's lair looked cool, this place just reminded Danny of DMVs, courthouses, and prison cells. Considering the stories he had heard, he probably wasn't very far off on the last one.

Randy had gone to report to the Head Observant about their progress in apprehending Walker, but he had left Danny near one of the main areas with advice to not piss anyone off. Considering Danny's very existence angered these one-eyed losers, he probably wasn't doing a very good job based on all the glaring he was getting- Oh, and now there was whispering.

Great. Because his day couldn't get any worse and those guards were looking very intently at him and Danny really would rather not be stuck in a prison cell for a few hours just because he was a 'proven threat to the existence of time.'

"I see I'm not the only one to inspire their ire." Oh, thank god. Danny darted over to Clockwork's side at once, taking no shame in hiding under his cloak and slightly behind him. "They won't hurt you, Daniel."

"Not risking it." Besides, Clockwork was a great shield. "I didn't think I'd see you here. I thought you hated the Observants."

"Oh, yes, I quite despise them." Wow. Clockwork had no care for lowering his voice and Danny had never seen a floating eyeball look so angry. "I was seeing if there was a way to view Walker here. I… I do not have a good feeling of what is to come."

"Yeah, trust me, I get it. Having fun living like a mortal and not knowing what comes next, then?" That earned him a quiet chuckle and a hand through his hair, Danny grinning. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Hey, any hints for the adventure me and Randy are about to go on?"

"Don't go left." That- Danny wasn't sure if that was helpful or completely ominous. "That was a joke, Daniel. I can't see where you two will go, but I have little doubt that you will enjoy yourself."

"You tell horrible jokes." Just like the joke that everything would be okay when the entire town was turning into a subsection of the Ghost Zone and every human was finding out his secret. How funny.

"Something we share, I believe." Rude. "It really will be okay, Daniel." Clockwork pulled him into a light hug, Danny relaxing against him. "Perhaps not today or soon, but I can promise you with everything I am that everything will be-"

"As it should be?"

"No. Everything will be okay."

That… He supposed that was a little more reassuring. Right. Happy fun adventure time. "Well, have fun pissing off floating eyeballs, but I got a mate to explore with and tease horribly."

"Really? How come I didn't know about the teasing." Letting out a startled laugh at the arms that wrapped around him, Danny beamed as he looked up to Randy. "The 'floating eyeballs' aren't very happy, but they understand the dangers in this job."

"You White Fang'd them into submission, didn't you?" Both Randy and Clockwork gave him strange looks, Danny frowning. "You know. The whole- The whole glaring 'I can kill you without even using my weapons' look of White Fang's."

"Jesus, yeah, it's a good thing summer started for you." With that, Randy was dragging him off, Danny squirming around to wave at Clockwork over Randy's shoulder. Clockwork laughed before giving a little wave back. "He dotes on you."

"Yeah, he kind of does." Squirming some more, Danny pushed himself out of Randy's arms, speeding through the air and back out into the open air of the Ghost Zone. "Where are we going?"

"Pick a direction." Not needing to be told twice, Danny picked at random and sped off as fast as he could, feeling like he was trying to outrun everything. Amity Park, his classmates, Walker, Valerie, every scrap of drama and stress that was building up again- He was trying to outrun it all.

"You weren't kidding about being fast." Randy was just barely keeping pace with him, Danny laughing and letting himself get lost for a few more minutes - maybe ten or twenty or who knew - before doubling back and latching onto Randy's back, snuggling close and closing his eyes. "Overload?"

"No- Kind of, but not my usual type." There was just so much that was going on… Right. Distraction. "Hey- Hey, why do you love exploring so much? Like, you always know these cool places."

"Oh, uh, well. I guess at first it was because there was nowhere else to go?" Randy frowned, reaching up to grab the arm Danny had wrapped around his shoulders. "I didn't need to sleep or eat or anything, really, and Andy was still alive then so I just picked a direction and just… I flew. I kept going until I reached the end and it started all over again."

"Why do you still go exploring now, though? I mean, you seem like you really love it." Danny shifted to rub his cheek against Randy's shoulder, smiling at the laugh he felt vibrate through the other.

"I guess I like the freedom of it. Being able to go wherever I want and no one able to stop me. Plus everything I see is beautiful, and, well, I know I can always return home, now." Yeah… Home. "What about you? Why do you like exploring?"

"It's…" Danny opened his eyes to look at all the green before closing them again and picturing night skies and stars. "It's as close to my dream as I'll ever get. I mean-" He wasn't in the habit of lying to himself anymore. "I'll never be an astronaut and see new worlds, but this is- This is just as good, right? I mean, here I am in another world right now and I never have to worry about getting too far from home because this world is my home.

"I can fly forever and always find my way back, I can experience something that no human has ever really seen before, and I can always go back home whenever I want. It might not be touching the stars, but it's just as good. It's… Isn't that amazing?"

"Oh, Danny." Eyes opening, Danny blinked as he saw Randy had slowed down and was staring at him, expression so, so, so, so soft. "I don't think you'll ever need to touch the stars, Danny. Not when they're all in your eyes."

"That was rude." Danny could feel the blush on his face and all he could do was whine and try to hide against Randy's back. Randy, the traitor, laughed.

The two flew in silence for a while longer, Danny hating himself for how his thoughts kept turning back to Amity Park. "Randy… Clockwork said that Amity Park was changing. Like, completely changing. Do you… Do you think we'll be alright?"

"I think…" Randy sighed, grip on Danny's arm tightening. "I think that even if it all goes to shit, we'll figure it out and fix it together. We'll get through this, Danny."

"Yeah… Yeah, we will." Together. Danny liked the sound of that. Now if they could just get through summer without the world ending.