The Hard Truth

My alarm clock went off with that evil beeping noise. Fast as a cobra I slammed the clock to get it to stop. Just like that I was up. Someone could only be ambushed in their sleep so many times before they become a light sleeper or die. Technically I was both. Walking to my closet my eyes fell on a note taped professionally to the door.

'STOP!

Read the journal'

That was all it said, and I did. I stopped. That's right, my mind is goofy. Turning around I grabbed the journal Jazz made me buy after we got back from the Ghost Zone. It had taken some work but with Tucker, Sam and Jazz's help I managed to write down what was real. Opening the book, I flipped to where I thought the morning section was only to find that my brain was not cooperating; having to go to the index in order to find what page it was.

Oh, so I wasn't a morning person, I was sluggish when I woke up. How did I survived when the ghosts attacked me in my sleep? Oh well, it wasn't important to my performance right now. I could always ask Jazz or the others later.

Going over everything from what I like to eat to what I wore every day. Some of it was review others were a surprise. I like carrots? Really? After I read everything over I walked back to my closet and pulled out my cloths checking one more time that they were correct before putting them on.

It had taken a while to find my new groove. My new way of keeping what was actually happening to me a secret. It was a good thing I didn't talk to many people or else I would be in trouble. Our plan was the usual; draw the least amount of attention to ourselves, especially me, as possible. For people like my parents, Valery or the ghosts I fought, I needed to refresh my memory on what was real and what wasn't before interacting with them.

It was not good when I came down one morning talking in what I called 'ghost speak' even though everyone said that it didn't exist, or when I started talking about what Cujo did last night only to learn that he isn't my dog and I haven't even seen him in over a month.

True to my crazy life, this was becoming normal. The confusion, being wrong about the weirdest things and waiting for the new power(s) that had yet to actually show. I was getting used to it. I was leaning on Tucker, Sam and Jazz a lot more than I have ever before.

My parents didn't find anything strange about my behavior. They were stranger than that, so no one was surprised. The Manson's and Foley's knew something was up. The Manson's because they were always watching me. They were creepy like that, always expecting my parent's craziness to 'corrupt' their daughter. They even went so far as to blame her gothness on me even though I was not in any way goth.

The Foleys knew something was up because I had known them since forever, just like Tucker had. I practically grew up at their house. They still set a place at their table for me just in case I dropped by. It was just sad that my best friend's parents knew when something was going on but not my own parents.

I was still on Mr. Lancer's radar but he had been keeping an eye on me since I got my ghost powers so that wasn't much of a change. The now fully independent ghost hunter, Red Huntress, also known as my ex-almost-girlfriend Valerie Gray had loosened up on hunting my ghost half a while back. Around the same time, she had stopped working for Vlad. Only problem was now she couldn't get new equipment from him whenever hers broke. She was more relaxed at school these days. So, we talked here and there but not often enough for her to tell when something was seriously wrong or when I was just having an off day.

… at least I was pretty sure she wasn't suspicious, I will have to look that up in a bit.

I hung around in my room until it was time to come down at my 'normal' time, sat and had my 'normal' cereal for breakfast. Pretended to be in my 'normal' sleepy state. Breakfast passed Jazz sending me a thumbs up when Mom and Dad weren't looking. Leaving the house, I find Tucker and Sam waiting outside.

"You know I don't need you to walk me to school." I said approaching them with a sheepish smile. "I won't get lost."

"Yeah, sure man you keep telling yourself that." Tucker said elbowing me playfully. We all knew it was a lie. More than once I ended up lost last week because I had gotten 'confused'.

"Besides it's not far of a walk." Sam said. Another lie, she lived on the other side of town. She passed the school to get to my house. Thankfully Tucker's house wasn't as out of the way. He wasn't nearly as fit as Sam.

"So what classes do I have again?" I asked. I asked it every morning. My lovely friends didn't even sigh at the idea of having to tell me for the thousandth time.

Tucker told me as Sam wrote my schedule complete with times on my hand.

"Thanks guys." I said

Both looked up at me, at the tone. Sam scowled. "Don't start."

I opened my mouth.

"Just don't, dude." Tucker jumped in. "we are your friends, we like spending time with you, even if we have to help you out a bit. It's fine."

"Besides with everything you have done for us even leaving out the town, it's about time we pay you back." Sam finished capping her Sharpie.

I gave them a sad smile. "But you should be playing video games or complaining about homework or crashing those parties we hear about." I couldn't help but feel bad about holding them back so much. It could not be easy having a friend like me.

"Then let's do that-" Sam said linking her elbows with me and Tucker. "together."

I bit my lip to keep some of my overwhelming emotions from pouring out. I had no idea why I was so emotional all of a sudden. Man, my friends were amazing. My heart twanged uncomfortably at the thought of what I was keeping from them.

After Clockwork explained as much as he could with his sight being impaired he explained that it would be better if no one knew I was going to be an Ancient. Apparently before his vision became impaired C had seen more than a few scenarios where one of my enemies found out and word spread through the Zone. More times than not it ended in huge invasion, me dead or defiantly insane and the world crumbling.

Eager to avoid insanity and full death I agreed to not tell anyone of my future as an Ancient until I was strong and sane enough to fight against the offenders properly. This meant not telling Tucker, Sam, and Jazz. It hurt having to keep this from them, but I told them what I could, which wasn't all that helpful. Just that C couldn't see my future anymore, that I will most likely go completely insane soon and when that day came C promised to help me regain my sanity. Until then we were all holding off, doing damage control the best we could.

Last several days of school went without a hitch. We avoided contact with as many people best we could. I played along when we couldn't. I was actually getting more homework done. Partly because Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were keeping close watch on me so we all helped each other with our assignments. Partly because I would suddenly become a genius for no reason and know everything. finally, because the ghosts were staying away more than usual. That last one was starting to bother me actually. As I mentioned before, Amity was prime real estate and ghosts were constantly trying to get a piece of it. The most they got was dust on their skin from when I knocked them down but that didn't stop everyone with delusions of grandeur from trying.

"What do you think the ghosts are up to?" I asked glancing around almost expecting one to pop up after I said that.

My friends shrugged.

"To be honest man I am just grateful they haven't come around. We have enough problems without having to add them to the mix."

"Yeah, I just can't help but think they are planning a mass take over or something." It was just a paranoid thought, it was rare that large number of ghosts fought together. Two, three-member groups were the max. The only exceptions were armies or hired hands, but that didn't mean my enemies weren't capable of teaming up. They worked together when Pariah Dark escaped. I had gotten on the bad side of quite a few of ghosts over the years. If they decided that they hated me more then they hated each other it would be a problem.

A hand waving in front of my face pulled me from my thoughts. "Sorry Sam, what you say?"

Sam frowned but didn't push at my thoughts as we made our way through the halls of Casper. When did we get to school? "I was wondering if you thought about what Dr. Claw said, about staying in the Zone."

I sighed. "No, I haven't been thinking about it." I had been trying my hardest not to. "but maybe I'll go stay with C. He already promised to help me with my… problem" I said purposely cryptic. The odds of someone overhearing us in the noisy hallway or even anyone paying attention to us at all was slim but better to be safe than sorry.

"That's a good idea." our team goth says. "His place is isolated, no one knows you know him- "

"Because they don't believe that he actually exists." Tucker cut in.

"-and he would be able to handle it if things got out of control."

I felt another stab, wanting to bring up that with his sight impaired and my Ancient level powers there was a chance even Clockwork would not be able to help me If I got out of control. But I couldn't. Not yet.

"But anyway. Danny?" I looked up at Sam again speaking softer than normal. "I was thinking, and it might be better if whenever the ghosts do come around, that Red handles them."

Red? Red huntress? Valery? Sure, she was a good hunter and she was no longer going bloodlust crazy over finding and 'destroying' all ghosts but-

"She doesn't have as much experience. She doesn't even know how many ghosts pop up a day. She would be swarmed within 24 hours."

"Dude there have only been two attacks a day lately." Tucker pointed out. "If things keep this quiet she'll be fine."

"Exactly." Sam said. "Things have been slow. So, if a ghost shows up she can take it. Okay?"

I bit my lip. Tucker and Sam were both hitting me with looks, which was not helping the growing guilt. "I'll think about it." I caved glumly. "but if things get to be too much, if she can't keep up- "

"We will help her." Sam reassured.

"I can email her files. Jazz can get her Tec." Tucker explained

"And I can be backup if things go South." Sam completed.

I threw them a suspicious smirk. "You've been planning this conversation, haven't you?"

"You know it."

I rolled my eyes turning to my locker reaching out put in my combination.

"No Danny, that's not yours." Sam corrected smoothly and softly grabbing my hand, smiling as if it was a stupid joke. Both friends silently took the cue and stepped closer to either side so that our elbows were touching. In that formation they led me like two seeing eye dogs keeping a mild conversation going the entire way so anyone looking would see nothing suspicious. I was ready to put my arms around their shoulders if I screwed up again. Once at my real locker Tucker put in the combination and got my books out as I pretended to be in deep debate with Sam about something. After that my friends guided me to my first class in the same manner. Mini crisis averted with no one the wiser.

-0-

I dodged a green blast with a flawless corkscrew causing it to hit the missile that was on my tail. A sound of frustration brought my attention back to Skulker as he took aim again, net and tranquilizers ready.

Were we practicing? Was this a game? No, he was definitely hunting me. but-

Only my instincts saved me as I bolted out of the way again. Grinding my teeth in frustration. I had barely got a hit in because I was too busy trying to remember what was real. There was no point in trying to get away to look him up because he would just track me on his fancy do-dad and surprise attack me.

I dipped low to the ground. I saw the device before it went off. No time to move no time to even curse as the trap beeped and lit up detecting a foreign ecto-signature and exploded. I turned intangible on instinct even though I knew it would do little good. This was a ghost made device, built to hold ectoplasmic creatures without their consent. I saw the net flying up and wrapping around me like a venus fly trap and then collapse in.

Gravity took me, and I landed on my side on the ground. I tried moving around in the net only to have the ropes stick to me, allowing no room to examine the net and its weak points.

A pair of metal boots landed by my head. Looking up I glared at the red eyed robot ghost even as he aimed a crossbow at my forehead. Oddly enough Skulker looked befuddled and maybe a bit disappointed. "You weren't a challenge." He said crestfallen. "You walked right into that." Skulker paused as if waiting for something. "And now you aren't talking either."

Was I not talking? I guess I was too busy trying to figure out who he was and if he had a child or something.

I crossed my arms best I could in the sticky net trying to appear relaxed despite my trapped state. "Awww, poor Skulkie." I pouted at him as I allowed my whole body to glow blue preparing to flash freeze the net.

Skulker perked up imminently and aimed his weapon. It never had a chance to fire, a red blast hit him from the side knocking him off the ground and the crossbow out of his hand. I didn't wait to look to see who it was instead focusing on my ice.

Ice was hard, ice was cold, ice was slippery and naturally, it was slow. Water was not supposed to instantaneously freeze into ice it was supposed to be gradual. Controlling ice took concentration and skill. I had practiced enough to have full mastery over it but flash freezing something that was wrapped around me without freezing myself and whoever happened to be close by took some concentration.

The world faded away as the net turned blue freezing in place. Lighting my hand up with ecto-energy I punched the frozen cage. The entire thing shattered and crumbled around me. I stood allowing the bits of frozen net to fall off of me as I looked around for the oncoming battle.

Red huntress and Skulker were duking it out about a block away. My first instinct was to jump into the fray myself. Then Red swerved out of the way of a missile causing it to careen and hit Skulker instead. The ghost's back hit a building hard enough to crack it. And I paused. I watched Red ride her hoverboard and shoot with her multitude of weapons, reminding me of a surfer riding a wave. She definitely had flying down.

She had her aim down too. Sure, she relied a bit too heavily on her weapons, and she didn't have a way to properly contain a ghost; but those were easy remedied and while she didn't have my level of experience or instinct she was showing signs of it. The rest would come with time and practices.

"You just going to sit there or are you going to help me?" Red's voice pulled me from my observations. Red Huntress was looking at me where I stood spectating the fight. I paused a minute, chest fallen at what I was about to do even though my mind was made up. Pulling up my smirk I answered.

"You seem to be doing just fine on your own." I said pulling out my thermos. I saw Red's shoulders relax for a second before I tossed it to her. She fumbled but caught the device. "Why don't you finish it?"

I could almost see Valery's confusion through her tinted visor. It didn't last because that was when Skulker decided to fire back. Red fumbled the thermos again but managed to grab it before it fell to the ground. She flew around randomly dodging the robot ghost's erotic blasts. Skulker knew she had the thermos thus she was a threat and focused on her entirely. Meanwhile Red Huntress tried to figure out the containment device.

I held back. She could do this, I knew she could. Her flying was frantic. Her body language even more so. Those few seconds felt like hours until she realized she didn't need to remove the cap only press the button. The second a blue vortex beam came to life the tables turned. Skulker turned tail to run but Huntress wasn't having that. Faster than the average person she wiped the beam on the hunter ghost. Skulker gritted his teeth and fought the current. If he wasn't so close, he would have had enough energy to escape. But he was, and he gave in allowing the device to suck him into it.

Red froze hovering on her board several storeys above the ground. Slowly she moved to look at the device in her hand. The device that now housed a trapped ghost.

I smiled sadly as I remembered that feeling. Battling was hard and loud, you race to the finish only for the fight to just end. Hiding the knot that was growing in my stomach I adopted a new smile and floated up to my classmate's level.

"Good job." I said in a confident tone to show how little doubt I had in her.

She looked at me still a little dazed. "Huh?"

"I said 'good job'."

"Yeah… Thanks" she said looking back at the thermos for a moment. "What do I do with him?"

I let a chuckle loose and gestured for her to follow me turning towards Fenton works.

-)(-

Another hard chapter to write. Man, this story is fighting me, BUT I HAVE PREVAILED!

And sorry about the unplanned break, I can only read through something so many times before I have to take a break. On the up side I have the rest of the story written now I just have to smooth it out and get it edited.

Now if I can only get the motivation to do so.

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'